Daniel Turner
Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill- LET IT COME!
There is nothing left. Everything is gone.
Posts: 19
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Post by Daniel Turner on Apr 29, 2013 19:37:52 GMT -5
The train chugged and lurched as Daniel took up the small tourist book he had purchased before departing from Mayfair, London. Strange… He had never heard of this place before he discovered the Shadow was following him once more. And there was a manor? A haunted manor at that! Perhaps he would have to consult with the master of the house to see if he could learn about the history of the manor and why it is suspected that the Devil is haunting it? Surly that was just a joke someone had been playing tricks upon the residents of the house! That was the only conclusion that Daniel could make.
"Arriving at the village in 5 minutes. Please gather your personal belongings and prepare to depart." Daniel took up his travel bag and slung it over his shoulder, pushing back the hair from his eyes. He paused for a moment to lean his head into his hand, a slight headache overwhelming him. One of the attendants came over and placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder. "You alright, sir?" He asked. When Daniel opened his eyes, he thought he saw Alexander's decaying face staring back at him.
He gasped and nearly jumped out of his skin, dropping his bag as he felt his heart leap in his throat. He shut his eyes for a moment before opening them. The face of the young, teenage boy looked at the disheveled man as he picked up the bag and held it out to the archeologist. "Here you are, sir. Have a good day." He smiled as Daniel eyed the bag. The archeologist forced a nervous smile and nodded thanks to him for the help. Quickly departing from the train after retrieving his bag, Daniel made his way onto the station platform. The train hissed and blew its whistle as the passengers began to board. He looked back and watched as it sped off into the distant horizon before disappearing into the landscape.
A new world lay before him as he strolled through the village. It seemed quaint enough and he gave a very brief smile at the sight of some children playing with toys in the grass. It made him long to have children; perhaps one day. But for now, he needed a place to rest and get his bearings. Suddenly, his attention was directed towards a large mansion seated upon a hip just above this town. It throw an ominous aura and grabbed Daniel's attention. Who could be living in such a place? He thought to himself… Hopefully, no one like Alexander! He would have to visit and see if he could speak with someone about the place. He found a small inn and entered, the bell above the door ringing to signal someone had come in. The large inn keeper bellied up to his desk and smiled behind a thick, black mustache.
"Welcome, sir," He said gesturing around himself. "What can I do you for?" "I would like a room for a few weeks." Daniel turned his bag in front of himself and dug through the knapsack for a few British pounds. "And could you tell me if you have any information about some of the sites I could explore? Especially that house to the north?"
The innkeeper visibly stiffened and his mustache bristled like a walrus. He took the money from Daniel and gave him his room key in return. "Why would you want to go there?" He asked curiously. "Well, I'm quite interested in the history of such a place. Is is really haunted as the brochures say?"
The roly-poly man hurried off to help another potential patron who had just stepped through the door, leaving Daniel to fend for himself. The insomnia-riddled archeologist took the key and went to the upstairs floor to his room. He closed and locked the door before flinging himself onto the bed and panned through the pamphlet he had brought with him: "… This beautiful village is nestled around over 20 acres of tree and rolling hills. His mind wandered back to the manor and it invaded his thoughts. Perhaps it would be best to go and see if he could become better acquainted with the villagers first before running off to the supposed 'haunted house'.
He left a sign on his door and threw his coat over his broad shoulders before leaving through the front door. His mind was ticking with anticipation in hopes of visiting the manor soon. But first, something to eat and then a stroll about the village!
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on May 2, 2013 18:33:39 GMT -5
Erik had discovered just a short time ago that several people were missing from the mansion. First the Phantom Erik Castagne had noticed his Christine missing. Now Lenoir discovered two of his close friends missing. Ana Goodwin-Hart was one of them. She had recently disappeared without warning to go back to America and she had reappeared just as suddenly having purchased a racehorse with the unlikely name of Christine Daaé. He suspected she may have returned to America, although strangely enough she had left the horse here. He would have to tell Castagne to take good care of the horses now that Ana was gone, how long he didn' t know. But Lenoir knew that Castagne liked horses and knew how to care for them.
However, what disturbed Lenoir much more was the fact that Emilie, the Vicomtess de Chagny was nowhere to be found. The last time he had seen her, he and Emilie had been kissing and speaking of a possible divorce for her and remarriage to Lenoir. They were caught kissing in one of the sitting rooms b by Ana and a quite inebriated Edouard de Chagny. An ugly scene had ensued, with Edouard taking his wife and leaving quite abruptly. Erik had looked for her at her suite the following day, but the name had been removed from her door and all of her possessions gone. At first Lenoir thought this was Edouard's doing, and de Chagny had accused Lenoir of keeping her in his lair. There was another ugly argument, but it appeared neither the Vicomte nor the Phantom had anything to do with her disappearance.
The disappearance of Emilie put both the Vicomte and the Phantom into black melancholic moods. The Vicomte went back to drinking heavily and Lenoir went back to his lair contemplating suicide.
Several days later, Lenoir, not really feeling better, but wishing for something to do, decided to take a trip to the village. He needed a few more things done with the opera house and he could contact the contractors in the village. Of course by now he had learned how to use the telephone device in the mansion and he could have called, but he needed to do something.
The weather was still not very warm, so Erik put on his cape and hat and went to the stables to hitch one of the horses to the carriage. He remembered not long ago talking to Ana just outside the stables. He brushed away a tear. He had resolved not to dwell on the disappearances. It would only make him more melancholic.
The ride through the woods and to the village was pleasant. The day was lovely, and it became a bit warmer as time went on. Finally arriving in the village, and receiving the same strange looks he always got from the villagers, he tied his horse and carriage in a parking lot and put the horse's feed bag on. He didn't expect to be too late and he would water the horse when he came back.
Erik decided to just walk about a bit to distract himself. Nothing really interested him. He took a walk on one of the back roads and found his way into a park. Walking back, he spied the village hotel which had a small restaurant attached. He ordered a glass of wine and a sandwich. Erik had learned how to transfer his French francs into British pounds and he had plenty of money when he came into the village, Outside of the usual curious looks, the people by now were used to the strange folk from the haunted Mansion coming into town. They left Erik alone for the most part.
Erik finished his wine and his sandwich and meandered into the lobby, where he sat down and found a newspaper. Just beginning to read it, he looked over to the reception desk and saw a strange unkempt man with oddly wild hair. The man appeared to be slender, and shorter than Erik. He was speaking to the innkeeper. Not necessarily trying to overhear the conversation on purpose, but still being within earshot, Erik heard him ask about the mansion.
The innkeeper seemed reluctant to tell the man anything about the mansion. He wondered why he would be so reticent. Erik put down the newspaper and with hardly a sound, walked up to the man. "Excuse me, Monsieur, but I could not help overhearing you asking about the mansion north of the village. And the innkeeper does not appear to be forthcoming about it. I would be glad to tell you anything you wish to know, for I live there..."
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Daniel Turner
Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill- LET IT COME!
There is nothing left. Everything is gone.
Posts: 19
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Post by Daniel Turner on May 2, 2013 20:23:31 GMT -5
Daniel wandered through the village for a while, peeking into shops and the little restaurants that lined the street. Some people spotted him, especially the little children and they smiled shyly and ran back to their mothers. He forced himself to smile back at them before returning to the inn.
But just as he reached the door and stepped inside, the world around him seemed to fade away into blackness... For a moment, he thought he was having a sudden onset of fatigue and that he was falling faint. No, this was no fainting spell. Out of the darkness glided the image of Alexander of Brennenburg. "No... Not again," Daniel whispered, his hands shaking as he gazed in horror at the terrible apparition. The ghostly image of the man floated closer to Daniel. "Go away, just go away!"
Daaaaniellllllllllllll........ The ghastly thing hissed, its dead hand reaching out to the deeply stressed and terrified man. Daniel began to hyperventilate as his pupils dilated with horror. The old, gnarly hand with its torn and blood stained nails reached out to grab the younger man's shoulder. It dug into his skin with such violence, he thought he just might cry out from the pain. Go away! Why would it not go away?! The hand reached up and griped Daniel's throat! Oh god!! He was going to die!!! NO! NOT NOW! He was just beginning to live!
Just as he thought that the vision of Alexander would surely strange him, he was brought out of his darkness by a gentle voice behind him. He jumped and whipped around to see an odd, masked man looking down at him. What on earth-? He thought to himself, taken aback by the sight of the gentleman before him. He blinked and shook his head to try and clear away the phantoms that plagued his mind. He pulled his bag up over his shoulder a bit more before trying to smile at the strange looking man.
"Y-You live there?" Daniel repeated, licking his lips nervously. "Are-.... Are you the owner of the place? Pardon me, where are my manners? My name is Daniel Turner. I just arrived here from Mayfair, England where I heard that this manor is haunted." He thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled out some British coins and rifled through them in his open hand. "Would you do me the honor of allowing me to buy you some coffee? Then perhaps we can speak more about the manor and its mysterious owner?"
He moved to the door and held it open for the stranger. He looked back at the inn keeper and noticed the wary look on his face. He sighed and closed the door behind him as the masked man passed through the threshold.
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on May 3, 2013 12:29:32 GMT -5
It seemed that Erik had startled the man a bit. He seemed upset over something. He introduced himself as Daniel Turner. He seemed very polite and that pleased Erik. "Very happy to meet you, Mr Turner. I am known as Lenoir. Erik Lenoir" Erik bowed slightly before he remembered that that was a bit formal and out of style in this new era. " And yes, I do live in the mansion. One of many who live there I am afraid. And I do not own the place." His English was almost perfect, save for a bit of French inflection.
Turner stated that he had just arrived from Mayfair, England. "There are distant stories of our mansion, claiming that the place is haunted? A smile played at the visible end of Erik's mouth. He very kindly asked if he could buy Erik some coffee. Erik thought for a moment. He had just had lunch, but café au lait would be quite welcome. "Oui, Monsieur, merci, that would be very generous of you. Did you care to patronize the café here at the hotel?" Erik nodded toward the shoppe where he had eaten lunch. "We can speak in private there. It is a quiet place."
Still holding his hat in his hand, Erik opened the door to the café and waited for Daniel to go through. When they had been seated, Erik smiled and said, "What is it that they are saying about the mansion and what piques your interest about it? The fact that it has the reputation of being haunted? " Erik paused for a moment. "That's true. The place is haunted. When I first arrived, I did not believe such stories. I am at heart a true skeptic of things such as that. But I was proven wrong, something that rarely happens." Erik was of course being a bit facetious.
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Daniel Turner
Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill- LET IT COME!
There is nothing left. Everything is gone.
Posts: 19
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Post by Daniel Turner on May 3, 2013 19:45:20 GMT -5
Daniel gave a small, curt nod of the head and smiled weakly. "I-It is nice to finally meet someone from this part of the country." He looked around the room a moment and inhaled deeply… No visions, not yet anyway. That was good, but it was too soon to tell if this place was starting to have a positive effect upon him or not. "You are French then, Mr. Lenoir?" He asked, hoping that striking up more conversation would temporarily halt his hallucinations and focus his mind.
"Oh, yes," He said enthusiastically. "My work involves ancient artifacts in mostly ruins and dilapidated dig sites. But I've had a hidden desire to always investigate a haunted house. Our paper published an article about the very place by a colleague of mine. Of course being interested in such discoveries, I took the first train to the very place and here I am." He nodded politely when Erik asked if they sit in the café to discuss the topic further.
The once very nervous man began to feel a bit more comfortable with his new surroundings as they walked into the small café. It reminded him of the small coffee shops that dotted the squares of London. He was sure to feel right at home here, minus the many buildings and bustling streets. Overall, it was a welcoming change to his once busy lifestyle. Now he could relax, hopefully. Daniel ordered a cup of tea but then changed his mind and asked for both the coffee and a shot of bourbon. He hated to drink but his nerves were still quite shot after that strange encounter.
When the drinks arrived, Daniel gulped down the shot before sipping his coffee… Bitter, he thought as he dumped in spoonful after spoonful of sugar before bringing it to his lips to taste it. But before he could take the first, fresh sip, he felt something wet drip onto his cheek. He paused to set down the cup before brushing away the liquid when he noticed the red hue upon his fingertips. He briefly flinched before bringing his eyes towards the ceiling…. Alexander's bleeding and naked form clung to the white plaster. This was getting to be too much; maybe Daniel just needed sleep. But for now he just ordered a second shot and continued with his coffee, leaving the hallucination to its own devices. He forced his attention on Lenoir.
"I've only read little articles about the place. That the owner murdered his own wife and performed a seance? Simply outrageous! I mean, devils and magic? Myself as a man of science, I would have brushed the whole thing off until I heard of the dead being brought back to life and people becoming trapped within the manor." He stopped to sip his coffee an listen to Erik as he confirmed his suspicions. "Really?" He said, his eyes widening a bit as he licked his lips. He reached in to his bag and pulled out a notebook and pen. "Would you mind if I asked what made you a believer, if you will pardon my skepticism?"
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on May 4, 2013 20:56:56 GMT -5
"I was born in Paris, M. Turner. I travelled for some years and then came back to Paris, where I lived for a few years before coming here. I have lived at the mansion now for over a year."
Turner told him about his work with ancient artifacts. When he mentioned desiring to investigate a haunted house, Erik smiled. "You have certainly come to the correct place then. The mansion, as I mentioned before, is most definitely haunted. And in addition to the spectres, the rest of us are a strange lot of outcasts and oddities." He laughed. "What I mean is that many of us don't feel we fit into normal society, whatever normal may be taken to be." Erik's words seemed almost a riddle, but he wanted the man to know that the mansion was a very strange place.
The somewhat disheveled, slightly nervous man seemed to have something on his mind. He was most definitely fighting some sort of inner turmoil. When the drinks came, he downed the shot of alcohol quickly and then put an enormous amount of sugar in his coffee. Then he brushed something off his cheek and looked at the ceiling. "Is the ceiling leaking, Monsieur?" said Erik, thinking that was odd, for it hadn't been raining lately...Erik didn't see anything but it almost appeared that Turner did. The fellow was acting oddly. "Are you all right, Monsieur? " If he were upset and disturbed by something, coming to the mansion would only be more disturbing.
"There are strange and unusual things that happen at the mansion, Monsieur. Are you sure that you are up to staying at a haunted mansion?"
"And you asked how I know that the mansion is haunted. When I first came, I was an avid disbeliever. However, several encounters with various spectres have convinced me. You will see. Perhaps explaining who the spectres were, the ones I encountered would make it easier for you to understand."
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Daniel Turner
Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill- LET IT COME!
There is nothing left. Everything is gone.
Posts: 19
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Post by Daniel Turner on May 8, 2013 12:26:15 GMT -5
"Paris, you say?" Daniel asked, tilting his head slightly. He once traveled through France to visit the sites but only got as far as Rouen before being called back to meet with scholars about an Egyptian artifact they had just shipped in from Great Britain.
Turner beamed with what seemed to be joy when Lenoir confirmed that the mansion was indeed haunted. What luck! Oh, Daniel was a happy man now! Surly this was the break that he was looking for, something to bring a bit of excitement back into his life instead of the agonizing dread and terrors he had previously experienced. He nodded in understanding of the masked man's words. "Oh, the things I have seen, Mr. Lenoir," He shook his head gently. "The true monsters I have encountered have been far worse than any sort of spectre I may chance upon here."
He seemed to be pulled from his trance by the faint sound of Erik's voice. His eyes locked onto Lenoir's before realizing that he was extremely tensed up from seeing the apparition. He relaxed his shoulders and shook his head. "P-Perhaps I should go to the house this evening and see if I can speak with someone who would be willing to allow me entry to the manor so I can at least get my bearings. Unless, you could help me, Mr. Lenoir; not that you haven't been of extreme help already."
"I am sure that I can handle myself, sir," Daniel gave a curt nod before finishing his cup of coffee. He ordered one more cup and spooned in another heaping scoop of sugar before slurping it down quickly.
Just when Erik had said that he had actually seen ghosts, Daniel inhaled quickly and sucked down a bit of coffee into his windpipe! He chocked momentarily and controlled himself so he would not spit the morning drink all over his gracious host. Wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, he looked up at Lenoir with much wider eyes. "You mean-?…. Ghosts? Actual ghosts?" He stammered for a moment as he struggled to compose himself. Ghosts! Real, live ghosts!! Well, not live, he knew that, but still. "Oh! Yes, please, that would be spectacular." He rummaged through his back and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. He would have to look through the village shops and see if he could procure a typewriter so he could write up a potential article for when he would return to England. This would surely make the scholars' heads spin if he brought them back actual proof of ghosts!
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on May 8, 2013 22:26:08 GMT -5
Erik nodded in affirmation to Daniel's question about Paris. But then, when Erik spoke of the spectres, Daniel seemed delighted. Erik raised his visible eyebrow. What could the man want with spectres? He must be a man who loved adventure and could not get enough of the strange, the weird and the unknown. It must be true, for he seemed to have no aversion to Erik's strange looks. Most people, if they were not outright frightened of Erik's looks and the odd way he had about him, were at least curious. Daniel showed no curiosity so far. He acted as if he saw people who resembled Erik walking down the street every day. But it was all right. Erik was pleased that he didn't seem to think him unusual..
Turner seemed quite elated when Erik told him about the hauntings at the mansion. He was surprised. But of course , visiting a haunted mansion was far different than living in one. And his words made Erik curious. You have seen monsters?The word made Erik uncomfortable., for it was the very word that many had used for him. There were many times when others used the word in reference to him, that it would make his blood boil. It was one of the reasons he had hidden himself away, to keep out of anyone's sight. At the mansion, it was different. He was not taken as a monster any more, at least most of the time. Yet Erik, much as he hated being thought of as something disgusting and less than human, had put it to good use as he garnered fear to get his own way in the Opera House.
Erik turned his thoughts back to Turner. "And what have you seen, Monsieur Turner? What strange or horrendous things have you encountered?"
"Monsieur Turner, " Erik continued, "You are indeed welcome to come to the mansion, immediately if you wish. However, " And here Erik stroked his chin a bit , choosing his words carefully. "You may come on my invitation. There is no owner of the place really,, except for perhaps the ghosts. They have indeed brought us to the mansion and provided for us, yet, we are in fact, prisoners." Then, lest he frighten the fellow away from coming to the mansion, he said, "As long as you are coming of your own free will, you should be able to leave whenever you choose.. It is indeed a long story, that of how many of us came to live at the mansion."
"There are indeed empty suites at the mansion, Monsieur Turner, and I would be happy to help you settle yourself" Erik watched the man pour another astonishing amount of sugar in his coffee. Erik had to look away for a bit to keep from being nauseous. Then Daniel looked almost as if he were choking a bit. No wonder, thought Erik, it must be the sugar. But he asked, "Are you all right, Monsieur Turner?"
Then when he realized that it was the mention of actual ghosts haunting the manor that had caused his surprise and consequent choking, Erik answered. "Yes, actual ghosts.." He smiled at the man's excitement, and began to recount some of his ghostly encounters.
"The first spectre that I encountered was a strange fellow who called himself a King. King William Leverich to be exact. He is a kindly spectre, though I would say he is a bit mad. He says he was King in the middle ages, or something like that,, I forget the exact details. He said his father built the mansion, he called it a castle. But it would have to be hundreds of years old. I am an architect, and I can see that the place was probably built in the early 19th century. But it's no matter. He is a kindly soul and would not hurt anyone."
"Then there was a young singer who had died under terrible circumstances. She and I danced upon the stage one night, and as I touched her to dance with her, she came alive just for a few moments. It was a lovely sight to see. Then I encountered a fearsome female spirit, Josephine. She toyed with me several times, held me prisoner, and then did things to me of which I cannot speak in polite company. A lovelier encounter was with Madam Leona, who was kindly and wished all of us happy endings. " Erik laughed. "She was a spectre I have not regretted meeting."
"One strange encounter was finding a woman asleep in my gondola. " Erik never stopped to think how unusual it would be for a person to have a gondola in a mansion." She was a girl who had worked as a maid in the middle ages, under difficult circumstances. When she awakened in my home, she was alive again. Adina Gillespie has become one of my closest friends."
The lovely and sad Emma Ravenhearst I encountered twice. Both times she disappeared without warning. A sad and frightened spirit, I felt sorry for her. She seemed to be attached to another spirit, Charles Dalimar, who seemed to have owned the mansion at some time in the past. He seemed cruel and Emma was quite frightened of him. The true owner of the house? None of us know. I was told a story by a girl from the village, that before all of us came to the mansion, it was owned by a lonely man who did nothing but read books and watch some sort of modern device. His passing seemed to pull the spirits together to bring many of us to the mansion."
"So these are my experiences. This is what I know of the situation. If you'd care to get your business in order, I would be quite happy to help you find a suite at the mansion whenever you arrive. Or you may come with me now. I have transportation. What say you, Monsieur?".
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Daniel Turner
Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill- LET IT COME!
There is nothing left. Everything is gone.
Posts: 19
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Post by Daniel Turner on May 10, 2013 12:38:46 GMT -5
Daniel only smiled at Erik with an almost childish delight. He was not at all afraid to look up the masked man after the horrific monstrosities he had seen back in Prussia: horrifically deformed creatures with their mouths split open so their lower jaws flopped grotesquely, their hands cut off and then fitted with a make-shift pair of claws in its place; others seemed to have their entire heads split open and a long blade set into what would have been one of their forearms with metal plates attached to their hamstrings. He shuddered as the images flashed in his mind of one chasing after him within the castle walls.
"Trust me, Mr. Lenoir," He sighed, shaking his head a little before sipping his coffee. "You would not believe some of the horrors I have seen back when I was living in Prussia upon the request of a baron. I mean, truly disgusting and frightening!" He then realized that he had been speaking with a man who wore a mask to, obviously, hide some sort of deformity…. Not that Daniel really cared, mind you, but it had only just occurs to him. He quickly set down the cup and placed an open palm over his heart. "Oh! D-Do forgive me, I did not mean to insult you at all, good sir. I only meant-." He decided to stop himself before forcing even more of his own foot deeper into his mouth. He looked down at his now empty cup and sighed.
He explained in detail to Erik the nature of the creatures and how they had once been human but were transformed by poisoned wine that they had greatly imbibed upon. After he finished, he sat back and stared at the cup again as if expecting it to magically fill back with coffee. Even if it had, he feared he would not be able to drink another drop for he was already making his own stomach upset by recalling who- or what- had once stalked him so long ago.
Daniel listened with great enthusiasm as Erik explained that he could possibly take residence within a room at the manor. What luck! He could actually take up residence there even if it were for a little while! He would have jumped for joy had he the strength to do so. But for now he only beamed at Erik and nodded fervently. "Thank-you so very much, Mr. Lenoir, for all your help. You have no idea how grateful I am. If you should require any help at all, please do not hesitate to call upon me. I would be happy to identify any sort of artifacts or objects that you happen upon within the mansion."
He was slightly saddened that the original owner was no longer alive, nor did he seem to reside as a ghost. The whole talk of spectres greatly interested Daniel. But one thing that Lenoir said seemed to stand out to him: that they seemed to all be prisoners in the manor. "What exactly do you mean by that?" He asked, propping both elbows upon the table and resting his stubbly chin upon the backs of his clasped hands. He could feel the stubble of his premature beard beneath his thumbs… He desperately needed to shave and shower as soon as he went to the manor.
"Good god!" He exclaimed, horrified that anyone would be held within someone's home against their own will. But then Daniel reflected that he himself had been in a similar situation when Alexander of Brennenburg had kept him in his home to torture those innocent people. The baron had even had him locked up after getting too close to discovering the real reason why he had been forced to kill the villagers. He then began to choke on his coffee and quickly cleared up his lungs, holding up a hand to signal to Erik that he was alright. "I'm fine," He whispered harshly, taking a sip of a glass of water the waitress had just brought him. He mouthed thanks to her and she moved on to continue with her duties.
'He doesn't mean actual ghosts, does he?' Daniel thought, finally recovering from his choking spell. But as his listened to Erik tell him in great detail about the various ghosts he had encountered, Daniel began to think that this had to be true. There couldn't be any reason that this Mr. Erik would make up such elaborate stories; he seemed rather gentlemanly, more so than Alexander ever had been. He began to take notes about each of the ghosts: King William, a young singer girl, Josephine- Daniel would be sure to keep away from her- Madame Leona, Adina Gillespie, Emma Ravenhearst, and a Charles Dalimar…. Damn! It seemed that this Charles fellow was the last owner but now he was a ghost. His one final hope of actually speaking with the very person he had hoped to encounter had just been shattered. But perhaps this was good news; from what Erik told him, he sounded a bit like Alexander in a way.
"Hmmm," He mused, taping his chin with one finger before leaning forward over the table just a little. "Is there any way that I could possibly meet these ghosts? Or do they only appear of their own accord?" If what Erik had said was true, then these ghosts would give Daniel nothing more than a plethora of information! "I would greatly like to meet this King William and especially that Miss Ravenhearst. And I take it that this Miss Gillespie also must know a lot about the manor since she worked there."
Daniel stood and gathered up his bag before pulling out a couple of British pounds and put then on the table for the waitress. He truly was elated; this was absolutely wonderful! He was actually going to meet what seemed to be real apparitions! He nodded and extended a hand. "Lead the way, Mr. Lenoir. And, please, just call me Daniel. Mr. Turner makes me sound like my father." Here he laughed a little and began to feel a bit of cheer that he hadn't felt since he first arrived in Brennenburg.
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on May 10, 2013 22:26:55 GMT -5
"You are not insulting me, Monsieur Turner." Erik looked at the man. Erik was inclined to like the fellow, at least on this first impression. He seemed sincere and quite courteous, two qualities that Erik considered important. And he seemed very honest. Erik smiled to put Turner at ease. He was obviously stumbling over the realization that Erik must be hiding something under his mask. And speaking of some of the horrors he had already seen, Daniel would probably not be upset with looking upon Erik's deformity. "Let us speak no more of that, it is of no consequence."
"You , and they, must have gone through quite a bit of horror, Monsieur. Where did these creatures come from? Were they created by horrendous experiments?"
Daniel seemed quite taken with the thought of taking up residence with the spectres. Erik smiled. The fellow's enthusiasm was almost contagious. He thanked Erik profusely and then offered to help if there were any artifacts at the mansion, most likely dating them and giving historical information. Erik nodded. "Of course, "
"There seems to be no rhyme or reason when or where the spectres appear. However....there is one room at the mansion I have never entered. Of course you will find that some rooms appear and then disappear, or they change the time as easily as one could change clothing. But I'm not speaking of that. I have never been in the Throne Room. It is said to be occupied by the spectres only and the rest of us were warned not to enter. However, I have no idea why and my curiosity has oft times wandered off into thinking of that room. Perhaps you would be interested in exploring it with me."
"What do I mean that we are prisoners? Precisely that. We may not leave the mansion's environs. The furthest we may wander is this village. No further. What would the consequences be? I don't know personally, as I have my own reasons for preferring to remain a prisoner at the mansion than the alternative. There have been some disappearances of late, and some earlier, last year to be exact. I can only speculate on where these people may have disappeared ..." Erik wondered if Daniel had any idea that Erik was not of this century. He expected he would notice soon enough, so he kept quiet on that point.
His thoughts going back to the ghosts, as Daniel continued to speak of them, Erik said, "Miss Gillespie should be available to speak to , however, Miss Ravenhearst...she makes herself quite scarce. I met her twice, once in the graveyard, and once in the mansion with another man, who strangely has disappeared also. Although this man, Mr Cristoffersen by name, was an American, and came of his own free will. I expect perhaps he has gone back to Les États-Unis." Erik paused. "Again, I cannot say when or where we may encounter ghosts, but they are there, there is no doubt."
Turner asked Erik to call him Daniel. Then Daniel it is. You may call me Lenoir or Erik if you choose." Being called M Lenoir never made Erik think of his father. He had never known his father, and upon leaving home, had changed his name from his abusive mother's last name, Moreau, to Lenoir, meaning black, because of the blackness and melancholy of his thoughts. But very few knew any of this...
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Daniel Turner
Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill- LET IT COME!
There is nothing left. Everything is gone.
Posts: 19
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Post by Daniel Turner on May 12, 2013 18:17:28 GMT -5
"Well then, I am glad," Daniel leaned back a little to look over his notes. "I would be most embarrassed if I had caused you any personal distress." He visibly relaxed when Erik acknowledged his nervousness and felt more at ease now. "Er, yes. I believe it would be best to put this behind us now." He looked through his notes a moment and then tapped his pen upon the paper in thought.
"The creatures?" He repeated, nodding when Erik asked if they were from an experiment. "Yes. Well, yes and no. You see, the man I had been called upon to visit- Alexander- was not whom he said he was. He did terrible things to his servants and put something in his own wine and allowed them to glut themselves upon it! I still have the note that one of the men left, a mister Wilhelm." He fumbled in his bag once more before pulling out what seemed to be a tea-stained- or was that blood?- note and unfolded it to read:
"'Tonight the baron invited me and my men down to the wine cellar to celebrate our work. I had my suspicions as we descended the stairs, but he insisted and joined us in a toast. The wine tasted fine and my men drank without restraint.
So begins the punishment for our sins. The baron has locked us up and returned upstairs. Forgive me for what I have done. I was weak and fell into his diabolic ways. My men are screaming, their skin has been pierced by their own tangled bones. I feel my insides revolt against their God given nature. Blood has begun to pour from my eyes and I can no longer…'"
Here Daniel paused and his hands began to shake just a bit before putting down the note. "Th-That was all he wrote before he died. It really was a frightful sight when I went to the cellar to explore it on my own. I, unfortunately, happened upon the remains of the unlucky men. It truly must have been ghastly, just awful, to die in such a manner."
"The rooms disappear?" Daniel repeated once more, utterly in shock. Now he really was interested! And to be invited to do some exploring with Erik! He felt extremely intrigued and almost overwhelmed by the wealth of knowledge that Erik gave to him.
"Really?!" Here his eyes widened and he nearly dropped his pan and paper. "You mean that everyone living in the manor- even the ghosts?- are prisoners??" There had to be some sort of logical explanation for this. Perhaps there were under some sort of threat by someone or maybe there was a sort of hidden danger just outside the village that Daniel couldn't see since he was tucked away in one of the upper cabins on the train.
Daniel smiled and nodded in understanding as Erik continued his explanation of the ghosts. "Then perhaps Miss Gillespie would be one of the first people that I should meet. Strange…. Why does Miss Ravenhearst keep her own name and not that of her husband?" He thought out loud, more to himself than to Erik really. He looked at his empty cup again and mused to himself as to what could be the cause for this strange disappearances. Perhaps he would learn that after he settled in and looked around the manor.
"Very well then, Erik," He extended his hand for the man to shake. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance. I hope that we can become better acquainted in the near future…. Now, about that transportation. I hope it is not like that train I had to venture within; it was rather too modern for my liking."
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on May 12, 2013 19:09:05 GMT -5
Daniel explained about the servants who had been coerced to drink the deadly wine. "Quite a terrible fate," Erik murmured. This fellow must have seen quite the horrors. Not that Erik had not seen horrors of his own. But he kept quiet on that point. He was not interested in speaking of that part of his past unless there was a reason to do so. "This fellow Alexander, did he survive? Where is he now? Was he captured by the authorities?" Erik hid his own fear of the authorities, the main reason he had no wish to leave the manor. There were a few minor reasons too, but that was the main one. Fear of being executed fro his crimes. Not that he hadn't come to his senses and resolved never to kill again. But there was no real way to make restitution except by surrendering his own life. And he could only be safe at the mansion. Unless one of his enemies there would bring his crimes to the authorities, but he hardly expected the little villages' police to bring him in, send him to trial and thence to execution purely on the word of someone who would be unable to prove any of it, considering it happened over 130 years ago.
To explain a bit a bout the rooms, Erik said, "There is no way you will understand my explanation of the disappearance of rooms and their changing, unless you would experience it for yourself. It does not happen often, but when it does, it is quite sudden and very upsetting to the sensibilities."
Erik smiled. "No, the way I understand it, there are only certain of us who are prisoners. I don't believe the ghosts are prisoners, although I cannot be certain of that. And, as I mentioned before, if one comes of their own free will, certainly they are free to leave any time. My adopted daughter, Roselin, is from the village. She may leave whenever she wishes. However, she has no wish to leave, for her family in the village are very cruel to her and I expect they are happy she is gone. She is not officially adopted by me, but whenever she is at the mansion, she is my daughter. And.... she has opted to live at the mansion indefinitely." He paused. "Those who are not allowed to leave, if we try, something frightful shall be our fate. As I have said, the risk of leaving the mansion has overcome my wish to flee for certain reasons that may become obvious to you later."
"I am sure Miss Gillespie shall be amenable to speaking with us. Miss Ravenhearst, as I said, I have not seen her lately. Her burial place is in the graveyard near the mansion. I had no knowledge that the lady was even married. Perhaps you could tell me more of her history. She did not appear long enough for me to question her very closely."
"Erik laughed when Daniel mentioned that the train was too modern for his liking. "Then you will surely approve of my transportation. Come, if you will, and we can venture back to the mansion." Erik held the door open for his new acquaintance and led the way to the area where others parked their automobiles and Erik had left the horse and carriage. "The horse needs to be watered, Daniel. There is a stream just across the main street, in the woods where I shall take him and let him exercise for a few minutes. Then we shall be on our way to the mansion."
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Daniel Turner
Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill- LET IT COME!
There is nothing left. Everything is gone.
Posts: 19
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Post by Daniel Turner on May 13, 2013 18:11:21 GMT -5
He shook his head and seemed to grow lost in his empty coffee cup. "He died…. Murdered, actually, by the thing that he summoned to take him back to wherever he came from." Daniel knew that that would probably make him sound insane but it was the truth. Alexander wasn't really human, after all; he was something evil and otherworldly. He had no idea where that madman really was from nor did he care. All that mattered was that it was over. Alexander was dead and yet… It didn't quite feel as if it were over for Daniel. His hand began to shake a little and he clapped his free hand upon his trembling one. "D-Do forgive me. I do not have the best of memories of that place or that…. That man."
"That sounds very strange indeed, if not supernatural." He was beginning to wonder if perhaps this Mr. Dalimar had any sort of connection to Alexander and that he- Daniel- was completely unaware of it. What if the very thing that had infiltrated castle Brennenburg was now residing in this manor?
Only select people who lived in the manor were prisoners within it? He listened to Erik as he spoke about his adopted daughter and that made Daniel reflect that he himself wished that he had children. But then he also reflected that it might be difficult for him if he were father a child because of his mental status. He would not want to pass on his problems to a son or daughter if that were to happen. But then Erik said something that made Daniel's stomach clench something most dreadful. He told the frail man that if anyone tried to leave- who were not allowed to- would possibly met some ill-fated demise or worse, who knew? "I-I can understand why you do not wish to leave then." He managed, clearing his throat momentarily as if the very thought left a bad taste in his mouth.
"You said before that she- Miss Gillespie- was a ghost," Daniel mused, still trying to wrap his mind around this whole 'the-dead-can-come-back-to-life' business. "That she was from the middle ages? But you found her alive… How is that even possible?" Now he was really growing more convinced that Alexander must have met Charles and had some sort of connection or possibly made a deal with each other. It seemed farfetched and might have sounded completely insane to anyone else- any normal person- but Daniel was anything but normal after what he had encountered. He listened as Erik wondered if Daniel could tell him of Miss Ravenhearst's history. "If I could gain access to some books about Mr. Dalimar, or even see if he has some sort of archives of his history as well as Miss Ravenhearst's, then I will see what I can procure, Erik."
Daniel nodded to Erik and followed him as they went to what seemed to be a parking structure. He looked quizzically at some of the automobiles as if they were foreign or even alien to him. In fact, they may very well have been! He listened to Erik say that he will be back to water the horse and let it stretch its legs before starting the journey to the manor. "Very well, I will wait here then for your return, Erik." He took a seat upon the low rising wall structure that partially walled in the automobiles and took up his sketchbook from his pack. He began looking over some of his drawings of artifacts and then noticed something strange.
Before him- before his very eyes- Daniel saw several almost manic sketches of the monsters he had long tried to forget! In his panicked delirium, he must have drawn them long after returning to Mayfair. He remembered how his therapist had told him to write down his encounters to clear it from his mind and even to try his hand at drawing. He never showed the psychiatrist his pictures but kept them locked away in his private book. But now it was too late to keep it secret for one of the pictures fell out of the book and floated down right to Lenoir's feet!! Daniel's face blanched almost sheet white with horror!
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Erik Lenoir
Hide your face, so the world will never find you...
Hide your face so the world will never find you...
Posts: 1,241
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Post by Erik Lenoir on May 14, 2013 23:37:38 GMT -5
Erik said nothing when Daniel said the man had been murdered. Erik had killed too, and for no good reason. He didn't care to speak about that. But he felt sorry for Daniel having to go through such horrors. He nodded in sympathy. "Please ... do not apologise. You should be able to speak freely when you are in the presence of someone of good acquaintance."
"And it's not precisely that I do not wish to leave, or that I am afraid to leave, but more that there would be consequences if I should leave, even if I were not a prisoner. " Erik laughed. "I am sure none of that makes sense. But it's no matter. Not much in life at the mansion makes a lick of sense anyway."
"The matter of Miss Gillespie is indeed a strange one. I don't understand much of it myself." Erik was lying, for he had heard from Adina's own lips that the evil creature Claude had brought her to life. Erik was quite fearful that one day she might be taken back...But he said nothing of that. Better for Adina to explain it.
"As to the matter of Miss Ravenhearst. I know very little of her. I only met her twice. Her burial place is in the graveyard near the mansion. I met her there first. She seemed a fearful spirit, but I learned little that night. Later I met her in the mansion when in the company of another resident of the manor. But again, she disappeared before either of us could learn anything of interest. The man, by the way, was an American known as Billie Cristofersen. He too, has disappeared along with a friend named Ana. I expect they both went back to America...they were allowed to leave considering they had come of their own free will. And I have not met this Mr Dalimar but once."
The two left the hotel and Erik led the way to where he had tied the horse to a hitching post. The carriage was near it. He took the horse across the street and into the woods to a stream to drink for a bit. He let the horse run for a bit and then it came back and nuzzled Erik on the shoulder. He didn't care for that. He had nothing against horses, but he didn't care to get cosy with them. He came back in a few minutes to see Daniel studying his notebook
Erik was hitching up the horse to the carriage when a page slipped out of Daniel's notebook and stopped right at Erik's feet. He wasn't trying to look at the picture, but he could hardly avoid seeing It appeared to be a drawing, and a very good one at that, of Daniel being attacked from behind by some sort of monster. It was very bloody. And it was the oddest thing Erik had ever seen. He handed it back with no comment, but glanced at Daniel for just a fleeting instant. This was strange indeed.
"Come Daniel, The carriage awaits." Erik climbed in the carriage and waited for Daniel to do the same. Then he carefully started the horse across the street and on home to the mansion, on the long road through the woods.
It had seemed to Erik that Daniel was giving the other traffic a skeptical eye. He wondered if he were from an earlier time also. How could that be? So he asked, "Are you amenable with my preferred form of transportation?"
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Daniel Turner
Paint the man, cut the lines. Cut the flesh, watch the blood spill- LET IT COME!
There is nothing left. Everything is gone.
Posts: 19
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Post by Daniel Turner on May 16, 2013 21:00:48 GMT -5
Daniel just looked down at the ground and kept silent about the murder. He dared not tell Lenoir about what had really happened at Brennenburg. At least, not just yet. Perhaps after he was better acquainted with Erik would he divulge a bit more about what actually occurred behind those castle walls, but not yet. Not now. That was the last thing on his mind at this point. All he cared for was to learn more about this manor and to get himself cleaned up and settled in. He would have to call the innkeeper and tell him that he needed to check out from his room and that he would send in the money to pay for it.
He raised an eyebrow. "Consequences?" He parroted, still trying to grasp the fact that this was all real and that Erik was not trying to scare him away. "No, that does make sense….. It just doesn't seem possible, or probable even. Then again, what does make sense anymore these days?"
"Would it be possible if I spoke with her myself and see what she can tell me? Perhaps it would give me a better perspective on what exactly I might be dealing with at this 'phantom' manor." He laughed at himself. A joke! Perhaps things were going to be a lot more pleasant for him at this mansion than that dreaded castle.
How strange! How could someone disappear like that. No note? No goodbyes, not even to friends and loved ones? But it was not just that man but a woman as well, someone named Ana had also gone missing. This was just getting more and more interesting for Daniel! Oh, he could barely contain his excitement. This was, perhaps, going to be the best excursion he had even ventured upon. But then he reflected upon Miss Ravenhearst. "Do you think that her fearfulness could have something to do with that Mr. Dalimar you mentioned? And may I ask how he seemed when you met him?" He began to wonder if there really had been something brewing between Dalimar and Alexander…. No, he had to put that to the back of his mind; all he was interested in right now was to simply speak with this Miss Gillespie as Erik had recommended.
Daniel settled himself upon the low-rising wall and began to look over his notebook in case there had been anything he had forgotten. That was when it happened: a page from his book had gotten loose from wear upon the binding and had glided right to Lenoir's feet. It was that picture he had often dreamed about after he left the castle: being attacked and mauled by one of Alexander's deformed servants.
He visibly blanched and swallowed the lump that was rising in his throat. He knew that Erik was probably wondering what in the hell had driven him to sketch out something so monstrous and bloody. But it was that very memory of being attacked that had haunted his dreams. He could almost still feel those vicious claws digging into his stomach before he passed out and was dragged away to the prisons beneath the foundations of the castle.
"I am sorry you had to see that," He muttered, turning a little bit rosy with shame. He took the page back and shoved it into the back of his book. Out of sight, out of mind as they say.
He quickly climbed into the carriage with Erik and settled in without a word. He kept his head down and clutched his bag tightly as if his life depended upon it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath but then opened his eyes again when Erik asked if he approved of this means of transportation. "Oh, yes! Of course. This is much more comfortable than that train."
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