'Tis the Season

[Narrator]

Cutting their way through the mist, they would come across the ruins of Cobweb.

Or, what should have been the ruins of Cobweb. It had burnt down pretty notably in the fire, but there was still evidence of the structure after the fire. Now, however, the rubble and debris had been, apparently, blown out from the inside -- debris was scattered across the road, having smashed through the windows across the street and landed on the rooftops of the neighboring buildings. It was as if a bomb had gone off, but there was no damage to the surrounding area that would explain that.

The top floor and half were entirely gone, with only some rudimentary debris indicating where the wall of the first floor had been. The basement...may still be intact.

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah looks around for signs of what she assumes must have been caused by a ritual gone awry despite knowing that she probably won't find any until they move into the basement.

[Narrator]

Gone awry? I suppose that really depends on what the intent was, doesn't it? Or, for that matter, who was in control.

Yes, by some standards, something HAD gone horribly wrong. But whose standards?

[Samantha McManus]

"It's as if something escaped..."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Certainly seems that way... I just hope whatever escaped didn't escape into them..."

[Robyn Delaney]

"No blast like you'd expect to see. One of my uncles had a gas tank blow on his caravan. Blew it open and a couple of the ones sittin' around it."

[Nailah Weaver]

"I wish it was only that. This looks like something broke through here..." she says as they slowly advance into the ruins.

[Narrator]

The basement was dark.

Well, of course it was, it was nighttime. That's not too surprising. But it felt dark. Something was wrong here.

The stairs and the walls -- they were sticky, and made a weird squelch sound when they stepped on it.

Sam would have the sudden sensation that they were surrounded, but there weren't enough minds around here to really produce that sensation...

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah halfway down the stairs, holding up her hand to signal the others to stop as well. She chants quietly and with bit of a flicker a flame forms in the palm of her hand, Nailah having to fight against the mist in more ways than one to keep it alive and bright enough to at least illuminate some of their surroundings.

[Robyn Delaney]

Robyn looks as if she's about to ask about the light, then shuts her mouth. Time for that later. "It's... everywhere."

[Narrator]

The walls. The floor. Each step. What served as a ceiling, once they went down enough. It was all covered with a quivering, pulsating, oozing, ochre-colored mass. It was occasionally highlighted by bright red tubes, which occasionally dripped bright red puddles onto the steps.

[Samantha McManus]

"It's alive. All of it."

[Robyn Delaney]

Robyn swore softly in Shelta, "That's... just not right."

[Nailah Weaver]

"What... what is this...?" Nailah mumbles, horrified as she tries to not step into anything too disgusting.

[Narrator]

That would depend a lot on what you define as "too disgusting", as the tissue was all over all the surfaces. Maybe she could avoid the pools of blood, but that's still not exactly a pleasant place.

Rumbling came from deeper in the basement.

[Robyn Delaney]

"At least I'm not wearing my favorite clothes," Robyn commented idly as she moved a little deeper, keeping a sharp eye out around her and Sam would be able to sense her power and focus beginning to gather.

[Narrator]

The little light they were able to produce began to flicker and die out as they got lower -- it was still there, but something was actively trying to suppress it.

"Sing a song of sixpence, a pocket full of rye... four-and-twenty blackbirds baked into a pie", a sing-song voice said in the distance

[Robyn Delaney]

Robyn instinctively began mentally looking for fear, the action enough to help override her own for the moment. "I never did like that rhyme."

[Nailah Weaver]

There is plenty of nervous anxiety coming from Nailah, mostly focused around the fact that she feels responsible for what happened here.

[Samantha McManus]

Samantha cast her mind out to surround them as they got deeper, aiming to form a perimeter to protect them.

"I'm afraid you'll not have these blackbirds."

[Narrator]

"So succulent...the pie of a gaelic soith. Goes terribly well with ladyfingers.

Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been...you're the one we've been waiting for. Come in and play..."

[Nailah Weaver]

"What have they done..." Nailah almost whispers, trying to keep the flame in her hand alive.

[Robyn Delaney]

Robyn blocked out Nailah's nervous anxiety. The last thing she needed right now was panicking an ally. "Why do I get the impression they might actually be talking about a lady's fingers?" She asked quietly.

[Narrator]

"Why so quiet, little ones? Are you too busy pissing yourselves with fear?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"Yuki... Athena... can you hear me?" Nailah calls out.

[Narrator]

"N...Nailah?" Athena's voice called out. "I...is that you?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"Yes. Where are you? We need to get out of here."

[Narrator]

"I...I don't know. I'm...I'm scared..."

Robyn would not sense a new source of fear.

[Samantha McManus]

"This feels like a ruse..."

[Robyn Delaney]

"I'm almost positive it is. I know fear."

[Nailah Weaver]

Nailah nods faintly and closes her eyes. Underground and at night she was furthest she she could be from her patron deity, but that didn't mean she was powerless. She just had to fight harder to dismiss her anxiety and stay focused. Focused on the little flame in her palm. Sekhmet may not reach this place but that is why she is here in her stead. The small sputtering fire slowly grows stronger again as Nailah tries to shape it into a bright ball of shining flames.

[Narrator]

Nailah would feel resistance, but she could overpower it -- adrenaline is a wonderful thing, isn't it?

The...living part of the hallway eventually gave way to moss and mold lining the rest of it, as shadows flickered in candlelight around the bend.

"Help me, Nailah..."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Everybody ready to step into a trap?" Nailah asks as she walks towards the bend.

[Robyn Delaney]

"I believe so," Robyn said, her face a little grim.

[Samantha McManus]

"Only a trap if you don't know it's one..."

[Narrator]

"Yes, yes! I'm here!" Athena called out.

Rounding the corner, they'd see Athena....

...

's head sitting on a table, looking straight at them.


On the other side of the table stood a...thing. Vaguely humanoid, with rotting 'skin' falling off of it's frame, as if it hadn't been cooked or set properly. In each hand, it sharpened two large butcher's knives, scraping them against one another over a fire.

Where its eyes should have been were two empty sockets, oozing a black ichor. Where it's mouth should have been was yet more rotting flesh, stretched across and stapled taut.

Who goes trip-trapping down my stairs?

[Nailah Weaver]

"Oh fuck..." Nailah staggers back at the view, reaching up to cover her mouth.

[Robyn Delaney]

Robyn's step back actually puts her a couple of steps behind Nailah instead of the 'right beside' she'd been at before. "Okay, a little beyond my expectations," she said in the voice of someone trying to keep dinner in place.

[Narrator]

Lost the nerve, my pretties? it said, turning towards them. Then again, why should this trinity be any stronger than the last? Sluts must pay for their crimes, after all...

It began to lurch towards them.

[Nailah Weaver]

"We're not some unwitting kids for you to slaughter." Nailah says, briefly considering throwing the flame in her hands at the creature but she's not confident at all that she could resummon it and the last thing she wants is to be trapped down here in the dark.