Corsario |
Once everyone has chosen their sleeping arrangements, Robert Blaine, to prove that he’s not a bad guy, says he’s taking everyone to Jim’s Grill to buy them all a late lunch. He mentions Jim’s Grill is the best place to eat at Cobb's Corner, and that he knew it "the last time he was here".
This small diner is the only restaurant in town. Well lit with clean and whitewashed walls, the diner smells of good food.
As the student’s cars and truck pull up in front of Jim’s Grill, but before anybody can enter, an average in almost every way possible regarding height, weight, and facial features with brown hair and eyes, approaches the group and introduces himself.
"Good afternoon! My name is Richard Wendell, owner, editor and reporter for The Cobb’s Corners Gazette. Might I do some questions to you? You are Robert Blaine, right? I met you last year."
Robert Blaine ignores him, and he then approaches the girls, notepad on his hand and camera dangling from his shoulder.
"What lovely ladies! I hope you will let me take a photograph of you for the paper! What are your names? What do you study?"
Corsario |
Richard Wendell seems unfazed at Oliver.
"Don't worry young man, I will be with you in a minute, but it is polite to ask the woman first. So, ladies, what are your mayors? Any journalist student?"
Deanndra |
Deanndra stared at the reporter, annoyed at him interfering with their late lunch. She replies rather fast, Mr. Wendell, we are fixing to eat a late lunch. We are tired, it's been a very busy day. Maybe another day for interviews? She suggests.
Not to be overly rude, she contiune, Deanndra. Medicine. And no, I do not wish for my picture to be taken. her response rather short and clipped.
Corsario |
Richard Wendall seems disappointed.
"But Miss! You all are the most exciting thing to happen in this town for the last month, and people will want to know about you. Most of them have a wrong idea of you city students, and my article can help them see you are nice boys and girls. So, can I get a couple questions answered?"
Abigail Crow |
Chiming in to add to Deanndra's reply "We would be happy to give you a little time after we have had a chance to freshen up and have a quick meal Mr. Wendall" she says with her best attempt at getting out of a long interview, and getting something in everyone's stomach.
Persuade: 1d100 ⇒ 30 (My persuade skill is 30...)
Corsario |
So you pass your check. Write it down in your profile, so you can "level up" when we finish this chapter.
Richard Wendell raises his hands defensively.
"I am sorry, miss! Of course, go eat. In fact, I am somewhat hungry too. Do you mind if I join you all?"
Abigail Crow |
With a smile Abigail nods to Mr. Wendell and beings heading into the Grill. "I'm sure that would be fine Mr. Wendell, you being a local I'm sure some of the group would love to discuss local folklore with you, and to get the scope of the area so that we can be successful with our field trip.". To everyone else she calls out "Come on, I for one am famished and looking forward to a good meal!" as she opens the door to the local restaurant.
Corsario |
Richard Wendell smiles, and joins the group.
"Of course miss! I am at your service, as my gazette archive!"
Howard Franklyn |
Out of the corner of his eye Howard looks for any signs of hostility in the diner's patrons.
I wouldn't think a diner in Jazz Age rural Vermont would be 'segregated'; but the ever-cautious Howard will be certain that if he is not welcome, he is at least not going to be causing a riot by entering the place and sitting and dining with his fellow students.
Corsario |
Richard Wendell quickly fills you in about Jim’s Grill.
Owned by Jim Haggerty and his wife Ann, this small diner is the only restaurant in town. Well lit with clean and whitewashed walls, the diner smells of good food. Six round tables dominate the floor, with several smaller booths lining the walls. The front counter is oak and has several stools lined up before it. The kitchen is directly behind the bar and open for all to see. Large pots bubble upon the stoves and the grill is almost always in use. Beyond the kitchen are a largish pantry and a door leading out back.
Ann is usually seen wearing her waitress uniform, while Jim wears a white shirt and trousers hidden beneath a cooking apron. Ann has long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slender frame. Jim is stocky, with short-cropped hair and brown eyes. Both are genial hosts, ever friendly and welcoming. bright, good-looking kid, with light brown hair and brown eyes. Always polite, keeps himself neat and clean, and is always happy to lend a hand.
Ann works the front counter and Jim cooks in the kitchen, while their fourteen-year-old son Jason waits on the tables and booths. All of the Haggertys are friendly people; Ann is a real sweetheart, always happy to talk with anyone about anything and never too busy to dispense motherly advice. This little restaurant is so well run that even people outside of Cobb’s Corners know of Jim’s Grill as a great place for large portions of good food and fast, friendly service. If you are looking for home cooking or just a place to enjoy the local atmosphere are sure to come to Jim’s Grill.
Ann Haggerty greets the new arrivals with a smile, while her husband, Jim, prepares food. Sitting at the counter is their fourteen-year-old son, Jason, drawing.
"Welcome! Please come in!"
They don't seem to care about Howard Franklyn race.
Abigail Crow |
Sitting down at a table, Abigail happily takes a menu (or looks at the menu if its one of those chalkboard menus on the wall). "What do you recommend Mr. Wendell, I'm sure its all very good, but what would be the 'local favorite'?" she asks. After hearing his reply, she happily orders that.
"So, you had asked about our majors, I'm a Geology student, here to study the local area. What can you tell us about the area where the former group ran into troubles, so we can be sure to avoid it?" she asks, hoping to get more information on what happened than the little bit that was rumored around Miskatonic U.
Corsario |
Richard Wendell answers Abigail.
"At Jim's? The burgers, of course! The best burgers in three counties!"
Seeing Ann Haggerty's smile he adds.
"And maybe more!"
His smile disappears when asked about the dead students.
"The hills. You must not go there alone."
He turns towards your driver, Joe Harlow.
"But Joe here, with his background, should be able to take you there and back safely. He knows the place, he sure does. At least better than the police."
Joe doesn't seems very comfortable with Richard's explanation.
Richard Wendell ignores Joe Harlow's looks, and writes down Hank name and makes some notes.
"Nice! What position do you play? How long is your career? Why did you come? Geography I get it, but accounting?"
Jason Haggerty smiles at Oliver.
"Everythin'good, sir. Ma Pa´ is the best cook of town!"
Oliver peeks at the drawing he his making. A weird, and spooky tree. Maybe the spookiest tree drawing he has seen a young boy draw.
Hank Macon |
Hank smiled as the newspaper man at least faked interest in him. "I play first base and I catch a little bit. I have two seasons of eligibility left, so I'm hoping to make the most of them," he grinned. "Well, with the season being so long, my grades have slipped just a touch. A bit of bonus credit will do me wonders."
"And it sounded fun," Hank lied, hoping to make himself sound better. He orders two burgers from the server, asking for no tomatoes to be included.
Corsario |
Richard Wendell smiles at Deanndra.
"Born and raised here, but I went to college at Vermont State. Journalism, of course."
The burgers are, in fact, great.
Corsario |
Jason Haggerty raises his shoulders. He smiles knowingly, his eyes lost in a thought.
"Lots of cool trees around here."
Corsario |
Joe Harlow, your driver, still looking uncomfortable with the information the reporter Richard Wendell implied about him, answers.
"Some wild animals, but nothing to worry about much. But there are cliffs and crevices, you can get lost, if you don't know the place. And more. Is not a place to go about alone."
Richard Wendell face changes, getting more serious.
Abigail Crow |
Ordering one of the burgers for herself, Abi adds in "But we won't be up there alone, will we Mr. Harlow, you'll be there to see to it that we don't get lost. From the sounds of it you know the area quite well. The drive in was certaintly lovely, the wildflowers growing on the hills, I'm looking forward to getting out there and seeing it up close."
When her meal arrives she thanks the waitress Ann and begins to eat her meal with gusto, having skipped breakfast in favor a little more sleep, and making sure she had everything she'd need for the time on the this trip.
"So, its off to the wilds tomorrow for some of us, and into town for the the rest, yes? Or do we have a bit of time to explore the area and get famialiar with the area before we head out? I'd still like to get down to the city hall and look into property records for the area, I'm betting they have good maps of the area that we might be able to borrow. Tell me, do we have any of the notes from the last class, it might help us to know what they found as far as minerals, could assist us with what to look for. she asks of Mr. Blaine.
([ooc]I'm assuming that we are looking for something specific? Did the other team find anything, should we be looking for large deposits of something, or is this just a field study to practice our skills[/b]?" she asks.
Corsario |
Joe Harlow smiles at Abigail words.
"At your service, miss."
Ann Haggerty seems like a very charming person, and gives you a very nice and personal service. You realize why there are no other places to eat out in town. With the food quality, and the great service, there is no way to compete with Jim's Grill.
Robert Blaine mood gets somber when asked about the last expedition.
"Johnny... sorry, Mr. John Jeffrey was the geology student of my group. He... His report said, I don't recall the exact details. But he told us he didn't find anything worth exploring further, or valuable, or interesting. Normal area, normal rocks."
Hius face takes a pained look for a second.
"Not that he spent much time exploring. He stayed with us most of the time... with her... with all of us."
He shakes his head and his eyes focus on the present again.
"This is a survey to catalog the geological characteristics of this area. The heartland of this country, and we know nothing of it. Is as unexplored and unknown as the moon, or other planets. Many mysteries and surprises here. You could almost say the door to other worlds can lie here, in the unexplored areas, just waiting for somebody worthy to find them."
The door opens and you see a couple of policemen enter the dinner. The older of the two looks towards you with a hard gaze, continues to the counter, asks for a coffee from Ann Haggerty, and walks towards you all, while the other policeman, much younger, possibly your age, stays back.
The dinner falls completely silent.
The sheriff glares down at you, as if looking at a group of hedonist anarchists, and starts talking with a strong voice and a thick country accent. The sheriff will not allow his little talk to be interrupted, as he ramrods through all arguments and naysayers.
"Hello. I am Sheriff Spenser and this is Deputy Cutter. We are the law in Cobb’s Corners. We will not hesitate to make your stay here most unpleasant if you break the rules. I am aware how you city kids enjoy your brothels and speakeasy’s, staggering around drunk all hours of the day and night. I realize that there are so many of you delinquents that the authorities in the city let you run amok without a care for your lives or your souls. Well not here! This is a God-fearing town! There will be no stories of drunken carousing, shoplifting, cow tipping, or any other perversions your idle minds can come up with! Not here. This town has already seen more unwanted attention than it deserves thanks to the last group of drunken hooligans who rampaged through here and wound up dead and missing in the mountains. We don’t need you stirring up trouble! Watch yourselves and God bless."
With his speech delivered, Sheriff Spenser drains his coffee, puts the cup on the counter, and strolls out. Deputy Cutter, the young policeman, flashes the party a grin and approaches.
Deputy Cutter appears around the same age as you, and his friendly and good-natured manner makes him quite likeable (when compared to the sheriff). He’s also handsome—youthfully muscled, with sky-blue eyes and short brown hair.
"Sorry for that. Sheriff Spenser is a very good man, but he has no room for tomfoolery, and like things clean and tidy. Might I join you for lunch?"
Corsario |
Deputy Cutter smiles a charming smile, and sits down with you.
"Ann! One more hamburger, please!"
He introduces himself to you.
"My name is John Cutter, and I work as deputy with Sheriff Spenser. He is a good man, if very strict. But he does a good job, and is a very nice person once you get to know him."
As he talks you realize how young he is, his boyish features making him look younger than 20. Standing almost six feet tall, with short brown hair, sky-blue eyes, and a position of prestige in the community, Cutter seems like the perfect catch for the town girls.
"So, do you like the town?"
Corsario |
Deputy John Cutter smiles at Deanndra.
"I am glad you like the town."
To Hank question he shakes his head.
"I'm afraid police work don't give me much time to do outdoors activities."
Anything else you want to do or ask, or do we proceed to after dinner?
Corsario |
Following lunch, Deputy Cutter says that since its quiet around town he would be more than happy to take the group on a tour of Cobb’s Corners.
Robert Blaine excuses himself and departs, indicating that he knows town already and has a lot to do. His antipathy about Deputy Cutter is evident. Even as he insist on Clarissa Thurber going with him, she refuses and accompany the rest of you.
Deputy Cutter shows the students around the town and takes them to the center of town to see the Civil War memorial with its "working" cannon, and then to the growing warehouse district, where fresh produce is loaded onto shallow draft vessels traveling the Connecticut River. Along the way he introduces the students to Mabel Carruthers the librarian and Doctor Owen Perry.
The town library is overseen by Mabel Carruthers, a nice enough woman with a mean streak for overdue returns. Assisting Mrs. Carruthers is her seventeen-year-old niece Amanda Wells. Mable Carruthers is a kindly lady, gray hair always tied up tight in a bun, and pale blue-green eyes. She wears long dark dresses and keeps her fingernails short (for better book sorting). She has a slight Yankee accent and a tendency to speak in a whisper even when outside of her library. Amanda Wells, her niece and helper is homely looking, with lank, oily black hair, a bad case of acne, and crooked teeth. To make matters worse, one of her brown eyes wanders to the right. The young lady often wears voluminous dresses of brown or gray, complete with long sleeves and a high collar. She is shy and quiet.
Dr. Perry’s office is a two-story affair; the top floor serving as his living quarters, the main floor as his office, and the basement acting as the town morgue. The walls inside are painted white, and a heavy medicinal smell crinkles the nose of anyone who enters. The good doctor is genuinely happy to speak to educated people from the “Outside World,” as he’s originally from New York and occasionally yearns for the big city. The doctor provides for the town’s medical well being and is the first port of call for injuries and other ailments. He is well proportioned, with a round, jovial looking face. His hair, what little he has left, is snow white and his eyes are a sparkling blue. Always kind and courteous with the ladies, and surprisingly bawdy and comical with the gents.
As night approaches, the deputy suggests dinner back at Jim’s Grill and then leads the students back to the Maclearan farm in his squad car.
On arrival at the farmhouse you are surprised when Cutter produces a small bottle of whisky and offers everyone a taste — "long as no one tells the sheriff, of course." Louis Gibbons and Harold Higgins then set about building a campfire outside. Naturally, that means it’s time for ghost stories and Deputy Cutter has one to tell.
The deputy explains how it’s common practice for kids to try to spend the night out here at the old Maclearan farm; but, as far as he knows, no one has made it all the way through a night yet due to the ghost of Sarah Maclearan. Sarah’s Shade (the name the locals call her) has even been blamed for all manner of animal disappearances, bouts of sickness, and even for the death of several children over the years. Cutter doesn’t claim to have ever seen Sarah’s Shade — and for that he says he’s happy. Locals say, to see Sarah’s Shade means that death will soon be at hand.
After spending an hour or so with the students, Deputy Cutter says farewell and drives off.
You move into the farmhouse, where Robert Blaine insist on everyone going to bed "so we can start early tomorrow".
Any actions before going to sleep, and calling the day?
Corsario |
There is some wood for the chimney and the stove, but it won't last for more than that night.
No hot water, unless it is heated in the stove.
There is running water, by pulling a level of a pump in the kitchen.
Hank Macon |
Hank takes a pull of the bottle. It burned as it went down, but it was nothing he'd never felt before. He tried to enjoy the company of the others as the daylight faded and he agreed with Robert, surprisingly that getting to bed early would be a good call on this first evening. If there were hi jinx to be had, that would come on a later evening. He didn't believe all that crazy Sarah Shade garbage at all.
Abigail Crow |
Looking at the small pile of cut lumbar Abi suggests "Maybe we should chop some more wood in the morning, this should be enough to heat some water to wash up... At least its still summer and we shouldn't need a fire tonight." Taking a quick walk to the outhouse, she does her business, and wanders around in the evening light, enjoying the sounds and smells of the summer night. Walking past the little garden she plucks a flower to stick in her lapel, enjoying the fresh scent.
do we have lanterns around, or something to offer light, if not, I think we'll be heading to bed just because of the darkness. It should be light enough until 9, or even 9:30 in that part of the world this time of year...
Corsario |
There are some gas lamps, and many candles.
As Abigail moves to pluck the flower from the beautiful flower bed in the back yard, a man with dirty, long brown hair and eyes the color of river mud, dressed in a pair of oily jeans, stained t-shirt, and a faded New York Yankees baseball cap jumps from the nearby trees running threatening towards her, screaming.
"Get away from there!"
The rest of you hear the scream outside.
Abigail Crow |
Jumping back Abi drops the small flower with a shriek, backing toward the door in a panic as the crazed man rushes out at her. Screaming for help, she backs into the wall of the farmhouse as she scrambles frantically for a rock, or a stick to try to defend herself.
---
Not what I was expecting from those flowers!