Horror Candlewood

John Carver
Townhall

The shout had been a gamble, but at least he had hoped to distract the man. But this man was not distracted. He did not even hesitate or react to any of the talking. The man was dedicated to kill.

But John also did not hesitate. The moment he raised the AR-15 he squeezed the trigger. At this range the shot should be accurate enough to stop him. But John did not take chances. He pushed back the forend can and the shell ejected and with the can move forward a new one entered the chamber. Still aiming John fired a second shot and repeated the action.

Then he began moving towards the attacker, ready to fire a third shot if needed as he loaded it into his chamber.

"Secure!" He shouted at Ethan and kept his gun pointed at the man.

Tag: @SirakRomar, @ConservativeJedi321

 

IC: Julia Wilson
The Bookworm and Michael’s Fishing Shop

Fallon agreed to look after her father, while Julia visited Michael. His shop was within walking distance from the Bookworm, so she didn’t think she’d have to leave them too long. She still gave Don a kiss on his cheek before heading out, and squeezed his arm gently. “Take it easy, okay Dad?”

There weren’t any customers at the fishing shop, which wasn’t surprising for this time of day. The serious fishermen would have been out on their boats since dawn, and it wasn’t late enough that they’d be calling it quits yet, either.

Just as well, since that meant they wouldn’t be interrupted.

"Julia. What can I do for you?" Michael asked, a rare smile crossing over his usually serious face. Perhaps a hint of surprise, as well, since she almost never came in here. Julia enjoyed outdoor activities like camping and hiking, but not fishing.

“Hello, Michael,” she replied courteously. “I want to ask you about something…it’s for something Dad’s researching.” She pulled the copied starmaps out of her bag, laying them out on the counter for Michael to see. “Do you know anything about what these images are?”

TAG: @SirakRomar @LordTroepfchen

 

James Power
Townhall

The door cracked open, and James recoiled back, hugging the wall closely.

At the sound of bullets he flinched, and place his hand on his heart which was pounding.
For the briefest moment he was sure he was dead.

Then he heard a voice. "Secure!"
With that, he hesitantly opened one eye lid, to see the attacker dead on the floor.
He offered a long sigh, and slid down the wall, emotionally exhausted.

The police? They arrived surprisingly quickly, but he wasn't going to complain.
Warily he waved his hand towards the door. "I'm alright! Thanks for that."

Tags: @SirakRomar, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Major's Office, Town Hall

The first shot hit the shooters arm before the man could pull the trigger. Blood spattered through the room and some of it landed on the Major. The Shooter was hurled around and before being able to do anything else the second shot hit his chest and threw him back into desk of the Major. Ethan fired another two shots that made the man's body spasm like a puppet on cut wires. Then he collapsed dead to the ground, his hollow dead eyes staring at the Major.

"Shooter down." Ethan gasped and looked at John before following his orders and quickly stepping into the office to grab the assault rifle from the ground. "You are alright Major?" He asked at the sole survivor of the Town Hall shooting. He was pale and obviously fighting not to throw up. When the Major confirmed, Ethan nodded. "You were very lucky, Major. Very lucky."

Tag: @ConservativeJedi321, @DarkLordoftheFins (see PM)




The Cabin in the Woods

The shots thundered through the night into the darkness where the monsters were hiding. One, two ... three ... the third was followed by a hiss. The Sheriff had hit something.

Miles heard this hiss right behind him and just as he felt the thing would leap out of the shadows and end him, he heard the rustle of branches and gras reverse and move away from him a little. It bought him the time he needed. Laura passed the Sheriff and made it through the door. Miles followed a second later and just as the Sheriff shut the door a long and loud hiss cut through the night.

Ssssssssssssssssssssssszshh.

It almost sounded frustrated.

Laura screamed out as she saw the pale Michael's in the corner of the room. Covered in blood the man in his late thirties was still in full hiking gear. He was now staring into the room with hollow eyes, pushing out his breath. His blood covered the floor. The wound at his side was pumping out blood despite Michael's pressing some clothing on it. His backpack lay next to him and he had now drawn his handgun with his last strength, also it did not look as if he would have been able to raise the revolver had he needed to.

Sheriff Jack Collins had never seen Laura, but he knew Miles the postman obviously. Miles knew him as well, after all the Sheriff lived in Candlewood and his daughters quite frequently ordered at Amazon.

Tag: @HanSolo29, @Reynar_Tedros

 

Michael Ahura
His Shop

Michael looked at Julia and then at the copies spread before him. It took a moment before he showed the girl something he rarely showed.

A dry smile.

"That explains a lot. Saw your dead last night wandering through the harbor looking at the stars. I was already wondering when he became a hobby astronomer. But now I get it." He nodded. "Those are rough copies of the schematics or maps my ancestors drew in the caves up there in the Brownback Mountains. But you already know that, do you? If you did not there would be no reason why you are here."

Looking at the pages he nodded. "But do you know what they mean? I mean, today of all days is a strange and fateful day to ask questions about these caves. You are not planning to kill poor Ethan, are you?" He looked at her while he asked and if she had any doubt his eyes should tell her, this was not a joke. It was a serious question.

Tag: @JediMasterAnne, @SirakRomar

 

IC: Miles Rayburn
The cabin in the woods

Miles desperately dove through the doorway of the cabin and onto the solid wood floor just as the armed man slammed the door shut behind him with a loud bang, and then there came the all too familiar hiss from outside, though this time with a hint of defeat, its prey slipped away. He felt the cold hardwood underneath his skin and could've kissed it with the relief that washed over him, finally being indoors and away from whatever it was out there. He didn't have much time to gather himself, though, before another all too familiar sound rang out in the room - Laura's scream. His eyes darted to her, and then to where she was looking. A man crumpled in the back corner of the cabin covered in blood, beads of sweat dotting his pale face as he struggled to breathe. And a revolver in his hand.

"Jesus," was all Miles could say at the moment. He wasn't even aware of how ridiculous the scene was as he sat on the floor wearing only his board shorts, Laura only in her bikini, as if a model and her photographer had just been transplanted from a photo shoot into the middle of a horror film. He turned around to face the doorway and the man who'd essentially saved their lives, a man he recognized.

"Sheriff Collins?" Miles didn't realize he was shaking, his eyes wide with a myriad of emotions firing off in his amygdala simultaneously. He ran his right hand through his hair, the dried saltwater and sweat. He looked at Laura, he looked at the bleeding man, and he looked at the Sheriff, utterly overwhelmed. "What's happening?"

Tag: @HanSolo29 @SirakRomar

 

James Power
Townhall

Tentatively the Mayor returned to his feet, eye's ever so slightly averted from the corpse that was now slumped by the desk he had worked on every day over the last year.

"Ethan. You have no idea how happy I am to see you." As he nodded his head he realized he was still trembling.
James offered a weak smile, it was fake, but as a politician that was nothing new to him.

Glancing at the other man that had come to save him, he did not appear familiar. Though James didn't keep tack of every individual who entered and left his town. "Who's your partner there? New recruit?"

Tags: @SirakRomar, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

John Carver
Townhall

John had no illusions. His shots had killed the man. His second shot had been the one. He felt his legs weaken as the adrenaline left his system and he lowered the shotgun, finally dropping it to the ground. A weapon used to kill someone was always a piece of evidence.

Ethan called the man Major. Obviously the highest ranking person had survived. But this Shooter had killed a lot of people today. This was probably the worst crime ever committed in Candlewood.

The Major asking about him he ignored altogether, leaving their witness to the man who knew him, Ethan.

He breathed through and then stepped over to the body to check it for weapons, bombs or anything else that could pose a danger. Desperately his mind tried to avoid processing he had killed a man. They had a job to do now. "We need CSI here." He gasped and realized they probably had none. "We must secure evidence. And the Coroner. Every Coroner from around here."

Taking out his mobile he called Anna and once she picked up he felt his voice failing. He cleared his throat. "Shooter down. We got at least four victims including him, probably more." He looked at the dead man's face. "We need reinforcement. Call the Seattle bureau of the FBI. Tell them Special Agents Carver requests a full team for a shooting at Town Hall." This had been a shooting in a public building, he could label it terrorism for now. It would at least give him resources. He hung up and closed his eyes, trying to fight down the hollow feeling that began to spread. "You know I picked Candlewood because there was virtually no crime here? Ever?" He asked Ethan.

But his mind raced back to the case. A vanished woman and a shooter in a town like this? In two days? That was not a coincidence. He did not know the connection yet, but it was too much of bad luck.

Searching the man he began looking for clues about his identity, leaving the Major to Ethan for now.

Tag: @SirakRomar, @ConservativeJedi321

 

Major's Office, Town Hall

Ethan looked at John as he commented about Candlewood and it's peaceful history and only nodded. He knew exactly what John meant. "This is Special Agent Carver from the FBI." He replied to this Major and smiled. "You're are lucky he made holidays here." Ethan pointed at the dead man.

"I know who he is. George England. Special Forces. A soldier on holiday. Ripped through a bunch of locals a few days ago when they gave him a hard time." Shaking his head Ethan bit his lip. He had not seen this coming.

"Major, do you have any clue ... why he did it? And who is that girl out there. She looks familiar." Ethan asked and gestured him to leave the office and therefore the crime scene. "I will escort you out. This is now a crime scene. Please don't touch anything on your way out."

John found another three magazines for the AR-15 attached to the dead man's belt. A Glock 17 9 mm pistol. A Beretta F 92. Also 9mm. Finally a grenade. A knife. Magazines for the pistols. The man had packed enough ammo to start a small war. There was no ID though. No mobile either. The only thing not a weapon he had on him were the keys to his room. 422. Same hotel than John was staying in.

Tag: @ConservativeJedi321, @DarkLordoftheFins (see PM)

 

John Carver
Townhall

The man had been prepared for a war. John took his gloves out and removed the guns one by one. Ammo. Guns. He could have gone on forever. When Ethan identified him as a Special Forces soldier John raised his brow in surprise. "He wanted to be killed." He realized more to himself. He had not taken cover or prepared to return fire. He had simply killed as many people as possible.

They would need to call in this one to NCIS, but only after a definite ID. Anyway, this was a bit above Ethan's paygrade.

Finally he took out the keys and felt a shiver run down his spine. His hotel. This man had prepared the attack probably while he had breakfast. He had prepared himself. Checked his guns and attached the mags to his belt while John had decided if he wanted his eggs boiled or scrambled.

He stood up as Ethan told the Major to leave. He shouldn't be alone up here, considering he had killed the man. Evidence was crucial on these cases.

"Let us get out of here and change as little as possible." He put his unused handgun back into the holster at his ankle and followed the two men.

"Major, you shouted something at him about your wife and Charles Croft when I took aim. What was that about?" John asked as he took of his cloak. The name Croft kept on crawling up. And John was pretty sure he heard something about "wanting him dead". There had certainly been enough dead for one day. He didn't need Croft to be added to the list. But the question was why everyone was so angry right now ... something was going on and it had to be connected to the first crime. The murder of Jane Masters in her flat.

Tag: @SirakRomar, @ConservativeJedi321

 

IC: Miles Rayburn
The cabin in the woods

Miles had known of Jack Collins ever since he'd obtained his mail route in Candlewood, as the man and his family lived in one of the neighborhoods he serviced. He knew he was the town's Sheriff, and that his wife had passed away several years ago, not long after he'd started at the post office. Miles remembered delivering a great deal of handwritten letters at that time, notes of sympathy he was sure. He never had the opportunity to offer condolences of his own, though, stuck in the awkward position of playing a small role in the man's life on a daily basis, but never becoming familiar with him. An occasional wave from the front porch as he drove by, perhaps. Maybe a signature or two for packages, of which his daughters tended to order quite often. But he'd only known the man from a distance.

On this night, however, Miles found himself quite close to Sheriff Collins, in a situation he doubted either of them would've ever imagined they'd be in. After the Sheriff had calmed Laura's nerves, he turned to face Miles.

"It was the Beast, wasn't it? You saw it. Was it just the two of you?"

Miles stood up from the floor, tired of sitting there, feeling restless about everything. It was impossible to relax, but he forced himself to stay calm and collected. He looked around to try and find something to cover his torso with, his eyes crossing over the bleeding man in the corner in some strange way as if he pretended not to notice him.

"No," he replied to the Sheriff's question. "No, it was us," he motioned at Laura, "and four others. And we never saw... you said it was a beast? We never saw it, just heard it. It was dark, and we were separated from the rest of our group. We couldn't get to them before we ran.

"No, wait, I guess it was three others. The fourth one had left a few minutes before... well, you know." Miles thought about Kyle, wondered if he was at home, completely oblivious to what was going on. "But we don't know what happened to them." He looked over at the bleeding man, and something clicked in his mind that had been bugging him since he'd gotten there. "You. You were at the cafe today, right? Michaels?" He wasn't even sure if the man had enough strength in his body to form a response, but he waited just the same.

Tag: @HanSolo29 @SirakRomar

 

IC: Julia Wilson
Michael’s Fishing Shop

"That explains a lot,” Michael replied. “Saw your dead last night wandering through the harbor looking at the stars. I was already wondering when he became a hobby astronomer. But now I get it."

Julia was not exactly pleased to hear that her father had been wandering around the harbor in the middle of the night, but she didn’t get a chance to address it; Michael continued on, confirming what Fallon had already said about the drawings’ origins. "Those are rough copies of the schematics or maps my ancestors drew in the caves up there in the Brownback Mountains. But you already know that, do you? If you did not there would be no reason why you are here."

Looking at the pages he nodded. "But do you know what they mean? I mean, today of all days is a strange and fateful day to ask questions about these caves. You are not planning to kill poor Ethan, are you?"

For a second she thought he was teasing, making a joke, but looking at his face, she realized he was actually serious. “Of course not!” Julia felt deeply hurt that he would even suggest such a thing.

Now that he’d offended her, on top of wanting to get back to her father as quickly as she could, Julia shoved her anger aside and looked back to the pages, digging up the one with today’s date on it. “What’s ‘strange and fateful’ about today, exactly? Is it this? This constellation is dated today, so…it’s supposed to show tonight?

“What’s special about these starmaps, these predictions your ancestors made? If that constellation is in the sky tonight…what happens? Is it really just about the stars, or is there more to it?” Why in hell would he accuse her of plotting to kill her husband, and what did it have to do with today?

TAG: @LordTroepfchen @SirakRomar

 

Michael Ahura
His Shop

Michael nodded at her. "You are not the first to show those to me. Ten years ago Mr. Barnett had a book full of them. I did some research back then, asked a few of the old folks and we know what he did after I told him what I found." Michael shrugged. "So I was left wondering if I said anything that made him blow his wife's head off."

He pointed at the pictures. "The One Below." He said about the first. "The Sleeping One." He pointed at the second. "The father of snakes." The third one. Finally he pointed to the one Julia held before his eyes. "The Great Dreamer." He finally said. "Those were the star constellations the Dark Feathers used to worship different Gods. A heretic group of Ukata Indians who lived in this area at the turn in the mid-nineteenth century. They were aggressive and fanatic people, shunned by their own tribe. Real suckers for scaring people. Rumors talked about cannibalism and human sacrifices. All those spooky things that scared people away. They vanished around the time the first colonists came here, probably killed by them. My grannie told me some disturbing stories about their practices." He pulled his brows together. Michael shrugged. "All happened a long time ago."

Michael looked at her. "So is there anything to those? Well, they are patterns of stars a bunch of a hundred year dead crazy natives of a long lost tribe danced to. I would say no, this is just superstition. Old superstition, but made up stories to scare the little ones anyway." He turned and got his cup of coffee drinking while never leaving his eyes of Julia.

"Then again Barnett did blow his wife's head off after looking into them and the Deputies wife IS here asking me all about them, ten years later. The night the constellation is about to return. So you tell me. Anything to these old notes that is more threatening than boring history lessons?"

Tag: @JediMasterAnne, @SirakRomar

 

James Power
Townhall

"FBI?" How did he not know.... never mind, James was just happy he was here. "Yes. Lucky. You both have done a great service to this town."
His mind was racing, he couldn't fathom how close he came to death.
Ethan began leading him out of the room, and James did what he could to avoid staring at the corpse of the women who came to threaten him.

The deputy was questioning him, while he was still trying to put it all together. "Maybe... I don't have proof. I... just one coincidence after another. Too many. My Wife didn't come home last night, I was worried. Called the Sheriffs department but didn't get an answer. Then... that women."
He didn't point at her, James figured it would be obvious enough as she was the only female in the room. "Came to me. The other day Charles Croft offered to buy some building off in the forest. She said she was working on his behalf. That they had my wife, that they would kill her if I didn't sign the property over to him... right before the shooting started."

As he started putting it together another item came to his mind. "The town! I need to set up a press conference, answer questions, tell the people what happened. If rumors start things could go south real fast."

Placing his hands on the side of his head, his concern grew. "She said if I told anyone I would regret it." He mumbled quietly.
James wouldn't feel safe until he had Grace by his side again.

Tags: @DarkLordoftheFins, @SirakRomar

 

Michael's Shop

The sound. The gnawing sound. It wasn't very intense, but it suddenly was there again. In the background.

Tag: @JediMasterAnne



The Cabin in the Woods

Laura shuddered. "It sounded as if it killed all of them. We heard screams. Death screams." She was trembling now. "I will have a look at your backpack, okay?" She asked Michaels. The dying man snapped out of his state to look at Miles.

"The man with the book. Let me guess, it brought you no luck, did it?" He breathed out and coughed. He was almost blue now so pale he was. Sheer will kept him alive as his body failed.

Tag: @HanSolo29, @Reynar_Tedros

 

John Carver
Townhall

John looked at Ethan, as the story unfolded. Abduction of the Major's wife? They had a potential murder, a mass murder and an abduction? He rubbed his palm of his head and looked at the Major and then the Deputy who was right now Sheriff-in-command of Candlewood.

The Major mentioned a press conference and things going south. "This isn't south, Major? We can schedule a joint press conference for tomorrow afternoon, until then any investigation could be jeopardized by any public comments." He then turned to the Major before they stepped out. "I understand you right? The teenage girl claimed to have abducted your wife? Any idea where she might be?"

A teenager claiming to have abducted a woman who falls victim to a shooter seconds after using her leverage against the Major. Charles Croft showed up again.

"Ethan, we need reinforcement as fast as we can. Anyone in law enforcement you can get. Deputies, former deputies, cops, coast guard, statetroopers, highway patrol, Marschalls, park rangers, I don't care. Get anyone you can get."

Tag: @SirakRomar, @ConservativeJedi321

 

IC: Miles Rayburn
The cabin in the woods

"The man with the book. Let me guess, it brought you no luck, did it?"

Miles's mind snapped back to the book, the book he hadn't thought about for hours. He remembered how the bleeding man had seemed eerily drawn to it back at the cafe, and how no matter how hard he tried, Miles couldn't seem to leave it anywhere without somehow finding it back in his possession. He realized that the chaos on the beach wasn't the first unexplainable occurrence of the day.

But Miles also remembered that the bleeding man hadn't actually seen the book, or had any way of knowing what the package had actually contained back at the cafe. Miles hadn't taken it out until he was back at his apartment later on. So now he couldn't help but wonder...

"How did you know it was a book?"

Tag: @SirakRomar @HanSolo29

 

James Power
Townhall

The mayor briefly glanced at the Agent in his office. "This is a small town, and rumors spread fast Agent."
He did his best to avert his gaze from the corpses littering the ground. "I'd rather people know the facts than be spreading their own theories as to what happened. Such hysteria would certainly make things worse don't you agree?"
With a sigh James looked back to Ethan, though he was really speaking to both of them. "I will gladly put everything I know on the record for you. Please just get my wife back. The girl... 'Alice' she called herself. She said she put my wife in a place where her life could be in jeopardy. That the longer she was there the greater the risk was, and the only way I would see her again is if I signed over that old observatory to Charles Croft!"

Tags: @SirakRomar , @DarkLordoftheFins

 

John Carver
Townhall

John nodded in agreement. "Yes, the news will spread quickly and there will be uncertainty Major. But the truth is we do not know why Mr. England killed all those people and if he worked alone. This uncertainty is our greatest advantage against possible accomplices. We both agree that our highest priority is to avoid further harm to the people. Right?" He nodded. "And we need reinforcements. Otherwise we won't be able to even protect your conference." He also wondered who actually would organize it. It looked like the administration of this small town had just been wiped out completely.

He sighed and the story of the teenage girl blackmailing the Major was strange. A teenager? Had she been forced to do it? Had she been tricked to? He remembered the story about France and how teenagers had murdered people.

"We will find your wife, Major. I will do all in my power to return her to you safely." He padded the man on the shoulder. "Give me a moment with my colleagues and we will get you back to your home. We need to have a look at her things."

He wondered how they planned to do this? They were three! Three cops and three crimes.

"Ethan, you take lead on the Major's wife." He rumbled to him as they went out. "The events, they must be connected. I just don't get how." He sighed. "Not yet."

Tag: @SirakRomar, @ConservativeJedi321

 

IC: Julia Wilson
Michael’s Fishing Shop

Michael told her that Chloe Barnett’s father had come to him ten years earlier asking about the book, which Julia supposed explained his suspicious accusations. She still didn’t appreciate the remarks, though.

As Michael indicated the constellations and named them in turn, Julia was distracted for a moment as she started to notice the grinding sound again. Crap. Don’t blank out. Don’t blank out, she mentally pleaded, returning her focus to what Michael was saying.

Evidently the constellations were tied to the religious practices of a small tribe of Native Americans who were in the area around the same time as the lumberjacks and Kramer. Michael said he’d heard some rather nasty stories of their rituals, but dismissed these as superstition and rumor.

"Then again Barnett did blow his wife's head off after looking into them and the Deputies wife IS here asking me all about them, ten years later. The night the constellation is about to return. So you tell me. Anything to these old notes that is more threatening than boring history lessons?”

“I told you, just helping Dad out,” Julia reiterated, taking a pen and scribbling the constellation names on their respective drawings.

TAG: @LordTroepfchen @SirakRomar

 

Outside Town Hall

Ethan nodded only and shared obviously the concern of John Carver. The potential abduction was more than they could handle.

Anna awaited them as they came out. "Thank God you are alive, Major. Thank God you two made it!" She smiled a smile of pure relief.

Ethan nodded. "Mr. FBI here saved the Major. The Shooter is dead. So are a lot of the people inside."

Anna nodded. "Seattle FBI sends a few agents by nightfall. Tomorrow a full team from Quantico arrives." She reported faithfully. Ethan took the magazine out of his gun and went over to car to put it into an evidence bag. "What next John?" He asked then. He was de facto Sheriff in Collins absence, but obviously he appreciated the FBI taking over.

With the small gathering crowd there was one woman in an unbearable green dress. The Major immediately recognized Ms. Burns. "What happened here Major?" She was shouting from a safe distance. "Where is Sheriff Collins?"

Tag: @ConservativeJedi321, @DarkLordoftheFins





The Cabin in the Woods

Michaels looked at him. He seemed not to understand. "I was there for the books. I waited, because it was send a day late. When George killed her, it wasn't there. So I waited for it, followed you. Planned to break into your apartment later tonight and take it." He leaned his head back. "That won't happen, will it? Guess by now the book is gone. So will I, soon. And it doesn't look like you guys will make it out of here either." He looked at the Sheriff one last time and then his eyes went hollow. "Croft." Was the last thing he said and died.

Laura stared at him as he did and then handed Miles a rain cape she got from the now dead man's back. She took a second herself. "Looks like he won't need them." She just said and turned to the Sheriff. "What is this thing? Why is it killing people?" Naturally she expected a Sheriff to have all the answers.

Tag: @HanSolo29, @Reynar_Tedros

 

John Carver
Townhall

John saw the people gathering outside already. The Major was right. Rumors would spread fast.

Then Ethan asked him to take lead and he nodded. "Put your gun to evidence and get a replacement. Then you escort the Major home to look into the abduction of his wife. See if there is any implication who took her and how. Identify the girl. Find out who she hangs out with and what was the connection to Mr. Croft. We should take Croft in for questioning." He turned to Anna. "You coordinate the coroners here and secure Town Hall as a crime scene. Get reinforcement. Anyone who can help. Deputize them. Don't worry about the legal stuff, just do it." He sighed, knowing the young Deputy would see a lot dead people. "I will check the shooters room and see if I can find any explanation." Or connection. There was one, he knew. There had to be a connection. "We need to make sure this was all and we do not have any further attacks coming."

He nodded. "Let's go to work and hope there isn't another crime happening."

Tag: @SirakRomar, @ConservativeJedi321