How long have you been here again? A couple days, a month... maybe a year? Longer? Every now and again, you find yourself scratching at your head and wondering. You look at the crystal chandeliers and the beautifully decorated ballroom ā you are certain this didn't always feel like home? It is likely that you know this manor better than the one you grew up in, the one you spent your life in before you arrived here. You could walk this entire building in the dark. In fact, you might have to.
When disaster strikes and worry fades, the questions begin. With guests gathered in the lobby, Mr. Enright announces that the power, for one reason or another, has been cut. Now, don't fret, dear patrons, certainly there should be a way to fix this. It's just a matter of figuring out what, exactly, that is.
The whispers start, as do the rumors. Perhaps the power will never come back, an indefinite eternity to spend in the dark. As the volume begins to bubble in the space, so the the shared stories among those gathered. Some claim to have been unlucky enough to be in the basement when the lights when out, searching for something that was forgotten. Others were enjoying a drink in the lounge, and the most fortunate of the lot seeming to be those who had been in the rooftop garden ā completely unaware that the electricity had abandoned them until they wandered back inside.
001. MADNESS TAKES ITS TOLL! The Lobby. ā Single candles sit in various places around the room. They cast long shadows on the walls and across the floors, their flames catching the breeze of someone passing by and threatening, for a moment, to completely diminish. Wouldn't that be terrible? To be so completely in the dark? This room is eerie enough when there is electricity; the slight buzzing that comes from the chandelier hanging above, not to mention the fact that there's never someone behind the front desk. Are you certain that was your own shadow in your peripheral vision or something else entirely? Did the darkness let something else in too?
Something on the front desk catches your attention, distracts you from your spiraling thoughts. There, with no explanation, sits an oddly organized stack of letters. Why not take a look? Fingering through the heavy paper, you find one with your own name written on it. Are you going to take the letter with you or leave it? Come now, you have to make a decision, you cannot just stand there forever.
002. I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY'S WATCHING ME! The Basement. You've ventured into the basement? How very brave. This area, always dimly lit with emergency lights that don't quite work, is breathtakingly quiet. There is no whirring of the water pump or general hum of the washing machines that you know have to be down here somewhere (you've heard them before). What is it you're looking for again? Oh, the electricity box. Well, if you thought finding the laundry room was difficult, best of luck to you in your attempt to find the box amongst the junk stored down here. Don't get distracted by all the interesting objects; they may not be what they seem when the power returns.
003. IT'S WHERE MY DEMONS HIDE! The Bar & Lounge. The bar and lounge are easier to be in then most places now; typically darkened so it's not too different and sporting a more mellow atmosphere than the rest of the house. Yet, the change is felt here too. The quiet musak that seems to always fill the space has gone silent, apparently having run on electricity as well. The only sounds here are quiet whispers, the occasional clink of a glass settling onto a wooden tabletop, and ice cubes being knocked around in amber liquid. Perhaps a drink will help you find rest, sleep through this nightmare. Perhaps when you awaken again, all will be as it was ā or, at least, as it had been.
