As the intrepid investigators retired on the evening of Thursday, October 12, some of them faced a difficult night with insomnia, acute hay fever and a really bothersome rash. Meanwhile, Jules Pollack slept like a baby. Next morning, Mackie may not have slept well, but she looked absolutely stunning, and combined her superb good looks with being particularly charming and gregarious - as well as having a ravenous appetite! Moira Baker and Henry Chester were rather more miserable, with Moira having a weird rash that looked like a particularly troublesome case of shingles. Henry was reduced to a fairly passive onlooker, being a mass of mucus and phlegm.
Much to Mackie's chagrin, the food that Jules had acquired for the reception later that Friday had unexpectedly gone bad, with a layer of peach fuzz and dark spots mysteriously covering most of the foodstuffs as well as much of the cupboard. Being on the verge of gnawing off one of her very own limbs, Mackie slammed the door, and demanded to leave for the Essex Diner. However, Jules was happy to remain in Hampton Hill House to clean out the cupboard and finally get some peace and quiet.
Moira, Mackie and Chester descended upon the Essex Diner, with Mackie assaulting a stack of flapjacks with sausage links, bacon, scrambled eggs, and hash Browns. Chester just wanted chicken soup, while Moira sipped a cup of coffee. They asked Elly, the waitress, for a doctor, and were told that a retired Julius Blume, MD, lived just off Main Street on Union and Hicks. The trio proceeded to see the doctor, who turned out to be retired, stern, but helpful. Henry was not diagnosed with any illness except severe hay fever, but Moira's sores had sprouted some decidedly unhealthy looking coarse dark hairs. They were just a fraction of an inch in length, but the putrid sores and scabs accentuated by the strangely curled filaments created a slightly inhuman impression, like a half-nude belly of an emerging beast or some other form of horror. The pungent odor almost made Mackie to retch, while Henry realized what a mistake it was to steal a glance of Moira's condition. The sores were also quite painful, so Dr. Blume ordered pain killers and a mustard plaster and told Moira to come back on Tuesday, October 17.
The investigators just made it back to Hampton Hill House before the reception started at 4 PM. Jules had ordered delivery of all kinds of dishes from the Essex Diner, and an embarrasing situation had been averted. Most notables in Essex Falls came to the reception, and the investigators were particularly attentive to Pastor and Mrs. Moore of the St. Agnes Episcopalian Church, who were found in conversation with Jules and Henry, while Moira chatted to Mrs. Abernathy of the Essex Falls Historical Association. The radiant Mackie was fully occupied by sweeping Egon Wierzbowski off his feet while gorging herself at the buffet. Several snippets of information did surface: Wierzbowski claimed that he had met Aunt Matilda Berkeley in Warsaw just after the Great War after fleeing from the Red Army. Mrs. Abernathy hinted at some form of "special relationship" between Auntie Tilda and Wierzbowski, and that is why Wierzbowski ended up in Essex Falls. Pastor Moore revealed that the strange Bishop Innocentius of the Unitarian Church was actually a certain Bill O'Riley of New York. O'Riley had various esoteric interests, and establishing a small church seems to have been a great solution for his mystical needs. Mrs. Abernathy and Pastor Moore discussed the origins of Hampthon Hill House once again, telling the investigators about how the plot of land was purchased by Bartholomew Pickman of Arkham back in 1850, and how he almost single-handedly built the house, only to sell it a mere ten years later to Mrs. Abigail Cooper. Mrs. Cooper was shunned for the six decades she lived in the house, having an almost witch-like reputation, and losing several of her servants to various odd ailments. It was also mentioned that Bishop Innocentius had shown great interest in local history, including Mrs. Cooper and Hampton Hill House.
The reception ended at 6PM, and it was decided that Moira, Henry and Mackie were going to drive back to Arkham that Saturday morning, since Mrs. Abernathy had indicated that there might be more information about Essex Falls in the library of Miskatonic University. Jules was more than happy to remain at Hampton Hill House, as he was planning on excavating the basement and enjoying some well-deserved peace and quiet.
Fortunately, both Mackie and Moira were well acquainted with the library, and they had quite a few privileges to the stacks. Both Saturday and Sunday were spent at Miskatonic U., and several things were unearthed, metaphorically speaking:
- a book from the mid-eighteenth century penned by Zebulon May himself in Latin with a foreword in Old English:
After the tumult in Ipswich I decided to leave that primitive country full of fools. The New World beckons, and I have already devised the initial mathematical formulae to seek the elusive intersections that are full of promises and new, startling perceptions that go far beyond this planet. I am eager to delve further into these unknown and fantastic areas of science, and perchance eventually go beyond the Walls of Sleep, into the Loam of Creation and the Throbbing Genitalia that will make us perceive what we really are. The Hill upon the Hampton common grounds will be my first objective, and I feel that the power of fortitude is with me.
The latin text may take another three months to fully comprehend.
- The Wierzbowski family was iindeed petty nobility from Ruthenia, However, no Egon could be found in the records of the library.
- The Unitarian Church of Eastern Slavonic Orthodox Catholicism is mainly bogus. There are no historical records of such a strange church.
- According to the archives, "Bartholomew Pickman regained his health after moving from Essex Falls to Arkham. He passed away in 1885 after having spent 25 years as a painter and a very appreciated professional juggler".
The weekend in Arkham seemed to improve the condition of Henry and Moira as well, while Mackie retained her upbeat charm, as well as her radiant skin tone. The indomitable trio drove back to Hampton Hill House in good spirits after having checked out Zebulon May's book from the rare books section. As they entered the house, Moira noticed a distinctly disturbing musky odor as well as what seemed to be pollen floating around in the hallway. As they entered the living room, they heard a faint gurgling sound followed by belabored wheezing. It was relatively dark in the living room, and the investigators could only see the outline of Jules Pollack leaning back in the chaise lounge, not unlike they left him. Henry reached for the light switch, and the sudden orange-yellow glow revealed a gruesome sight: Jules Pollack, shirt unbuttoned, and in a most unkempt state. One of his shoes were missing, his trousers were half opened and covered with what seemed to be soil, even with a maggot crawling through Jules' belt loop. His torso was covered with a a web of mycelium-like strands, and his hands were clenched into fists. Jules opened his eyes, revealing bright red bloodshot orbs under puffy eyelids. He smiled at Moira, Mackie and Henry, and as a steady dribble of ichor left the left corner of his mouth, he whispered "are you already back?". Then the lightbulb shattered.
(Sanity check)
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Sunday, May 10, 2020
The Case of Auntie Tilda, part one.
The telegram from The Essex Constabulary regarding the sudden passing of Mrs. Matilda Berkeley did upset Jules Pollack quite a bit. He was fortunately gifted with good companionship in the shape of "Mackie", MacKenzie, Moira Baker and Henry Chester, and they decided to leave Arkham for Essex Falls next day, which would be October 11. It was a radiant fall morning, and New England was resplendent in rich gold, red, and orange foliage with the sun shining between the occasional tufts of cloud. The quartet was prepared for a stay of a couple of days, although Essex Falls was a mere six or seven miles northeast of Arkham.
The companions headed to the Essex Constabulary, where they met Constable Arthur P. Vaughn, who after offering his condoleances escorted Jules Pollack to the earthly remains of Matilda Berkeley. The solemn occasion did eventually find the companions quite famished, and they had a very good lunch at Rosie's Tavern, an old and rustic restaurant that was serving lunch to half a dozen patrons. The waiter did tell Mr. Pollack that Matilda Berkeley often enjoyed meals at Rosie's Tavern, and often in the company of Patricia Abernathy, the chair of the Essex Historical Society, and Egon Wierzbowski, a nobleman from Poland.
Following lunch, the investigators drove up to Hampton Hill House. The hill itself was not steep, but it did form a a natural vantage point overlooking many square miles of New England. The house itself was stunning, and although in need of a good airing out, well maintained and nearly immaculate. Large windows and several mirrors reflected the fall light and created a cozy and comfortable feeling, but that did not distract the investigators as they did a quick survey of the house before splitting forces. Mackie MacKenzie and Moira Baker decided to give Hampton Hill House a more thorough examination, while Jules Pollack and Henry Chester drove out to have a chat with the widow of Ephraim Cox, Mr. Simmons the part-time gardener, Joseph West the butler and Sylvia Rosenstein, the former maid.
Moira and Mackie were indeed thorough in going over the house. A couple of items did pique their interest, usch as the generous amounts of sleeping pills on the nightstand of Auntie Tilda, a spectacular blunderbuss in the basement, and a double-barrelled shotgun in a closet. Besides that, the house was well kept, and it seemed as if three of the upstairs bedrooms had been occupied: one by Auntie Tilda, one by Joseph West, and leaving one room for Cox. Auntie Tilda's affairs did seem to be in order, and although she had several interesting mementos and books from her extensive travels, bothing seemd to be out of the ordinary. She did seem to have spent some time and and energy researching local history, and her final journal entry was simply "remember to talk to Patricia about town ledgers".
Meanwhile, Chester and Pollack visited the rather unhinged widow of Mr. Cox, who had been provided for by Auntie Tilda. They proceeded to Sylvia Rosenstein, whom they found sitting in the porch swing enjoying the fall day. She excused herself for not getting up, but greeted Chester and Pollack warmly and shared her experiences of that strange summer of 1923. She told the gentlemen that she had been quite under the weather for most of the summer, and that may very well be why she stepped out in front of the automobile that crushed her legs. Following the conversation with Miss Rosenstein, the gentlemen went to 110 Elm Street, where Joseph West supposedly boarded. Mrs. Nye, his rather plump landlady opened the door, and she assured the gentlemen that Mr. West was unwell and could not accept visitors. However, Pollack and Chester insisted on seeing West, and after ten or so minutes a miserable wretch opened the door. West assured the gentlemen that he wasn'r contagious, but that he was suffereing from some fatigue-induced malaise. He said that he was getting better, but that the summer had been most taxing. Finally, the visit to the incredibly sympathetic Simmons in his extraordinarily bucolic house did not lead to much more than confirmation of what was already known.
As the investigator gathered over supper, they decided to send out an invitation to commemorate Matilda Berkeley on Friday, October 13, via advertising in The Essex Examiner, which was the local newspaper. Henry Chester proceeded to inspect the basement a bit further, but besides admiring the solid workmanship of Batholomew Pickman, who built the house back in 1850, nothing was found, except for a dozen or so letters from Joseph West's relatives in Inssmouth, who beckoned him to come home.
The intrepid investigators slept soundly that night, and although there were some concerns about finding the spectre of Mrs. Abigail Cooper, who had owned the house for some sixty years, night offered nothing but rest, peace and quiet.
Next morning was dreary and cold with gusts of widna and intermittent rainfall. The companions had breakfast at The Essex Diner, enjoying flapjacks, sausage links, hash browns and bacon before visting the St. Agnes Epsicopalian Church, although Jules Pollack departed to deal with the substantial logistics for the upcoming event. The investigators were hoping to meet with pastor Moore, but he was travelling. They did, however, visit the very spartan grave of Mrs. Abigail Cooper. Following the col walk across the cemetary, they investigators Went to visit Mrs. Patricia Abernathy, who actually turned out to run a legal practice on Main Street. Mrs. Abernathy was a vivacious woman in her early forties, and she could guess who the investigators were, although she confused Mr. Spencer for Mr. Pollack. She gladly shared some of the many conversations she'd had with Matilda Berkeley about the history of Essex Falls, and Hampton Hill in particular. It turned out that she had found an odd note inserted into the town ledgers from the year of 1760. The note hinted at a gruesome lynching of a person named Zebulon May, apparently after some dreadful deeds done on or near Hampton Hill.
The companions headed to the Essex Constabulary, where they met Constable Arthur P. Vaughn, who after offering his condoleances escorted Jules Pollack to the earthly remains of Matilda Berkeley. The solemn occasion did eventually find the companions quite famished, and they had a very good lunch at Rosie's Tavern, an old and rustic restaurant that was serving lunch to half a dozen patrons. The waiter did tell Mr. Pollack that Matilda Berkeley often enjoyed meals at Rosie's Tavern, and often in the company of Patricia Abernathy, the chair of the Essex Historical Society, and Egon Wierzbowski, a nobleman from Poland.
Following lunch, the investigators drove up to Hampton Hill House. The hill itself was not steep, but it did form a a natural vantage point overlooking many square miles of New England. The house itself was stunning, and although in need of a good airing out, well maintained and nearly immaculate. Large windows and several mirrors reflected the fall light and created a cozy and comfortable feeling, but that did not distract the investigators as they did a quick survey of the house before splitting forces. Mackie MacKenzie and Moira Baker decided to give Hampton Hill House a more thorough examination, while Jules Pollack and Henry Chester drove out to have a chat with the widow of Ephraim Cox, Mr. Simmons the part-time gardener, Joseph West the butler and Sylvia Rosenstein, the former maid.
Moira and Mackie were indeed thorough in going over the house. A couple of items did pique their interest, usch as the generous amounts of sleeping pills on the nightstand of Auntie Tilda, a spectacular blunderbuss in the basement, and a double-barrelled shotgun in a closet. Besides that, the house was well kept, and it seemed as if three of the upstairs bedrooms had been occupied: one by Auntie Tilda, one by Joseph West, and leaving one room for Cox. Auntie Tilda's affairs did seem to be in order, and although she had several interesting mementos and books from her extensive travels, bothing seemd to be out of the ordinary. She did seem to have spent some time and and energy researching local history, and her final journal entry was simply "remember to talk to Patricia about town ledgers".
Meanwhile, Chester and Pollack visited the rather unhinged widow of Mr. Cox, who had been provided for by Auntie Tilda. They proceeded to Sylvia Rosenstein, whom they found sitting in the porch swing enjoying the fall day. She excused herself for not getting up, but greeted Chester and Pollack warmly and shared her experiences of that strange summer of 1923. She told the gentlemen that she had been quite under the weather for most of the summer, and that may very well be why she stepped out in front of the automobile that crushed her legs. Following the conversation with Miss Rosenstein, the gentlemen went to 110 Elm Street, where Joseph West supposedly boarded. Mrs. Nye, his rather plump landlady opened the door, and she assured the gentlemen that Mr. West was unwell and could not accept visitors. However, Pollack and Chester insisted on seeing West, and after ten or so minutes a miserable wretch opened the door. West assured the gentlemen that he wasn'r contagious, but that he was suffereing from some fatigue-induced malaise. He said that he was getting better, but that the summer had been most taxing. Finally, the visit to the incredibly sympathetic Simmons in his extraordinarily bucolic house did not lead to much more than confirmation of what was already known.
As the investigator gathered over supper, they decided to send out an invitation to commemorate Matilda Berkeley on Friday, October 13, via advertising in The Essex Examiner, which was the local newspaper. Henry Chester proceeded to inspect the basement a bit further, but besides admiring the solid workmanship of Batholomew Pickman, who built the house back in 1850, nothing was found, except for a dozen or so letters from Joseph West's relatives in Inssmouth, who beckoned him to come home.
The intrepid investigators slept soundly that night, and although there were some concerns about finding the spectre of Mrs. Abigail Cooper, who had owned the house for some sixty years, night offered nothing but rest, peace and quiet.
St. Agnes
Next morning was dreary and cold with gusts of widna and intermittent rainfall. The companions had breakfast at The Essex Diner, enjoying flapjacks, sausage links, hash browns and bacon before visting the St. Agnes Epsicopalian Church, although Jules Pollack departed to deal with the substantial logistics for the upcoming event. The investigators were hoping to meet with pastor Moore, but he was travelling. They did, however, visit the very spartan grave of Mrs. Abigail Cooper. Following the col walk across the cemetary, they investigators Went to visit Mrs. Patricia Abernathy, who actually turned out to run a legal practice on Main Street. Mrs. Abernathy was a vivacious woman in her early forties, and she could guess who the investigators were, although she confused Mr. Spencer for Mr. Pollack. She gladly shared some of the many conversations she'd had with Matilda Berkeley about the history of Essex Falls, and Hampton Hill in particular. It turned out that she had found an odd note inserted into the town ledgers from the year of 1760. The note hinted at a gruesome lynching of a person named Zebulon May, apparently after some dreadful deeds done on or near Hampton Hill.
Patricia Abernathy
As the companions assembled for supper on Thursday, October 12, there were many more questions than answers. What was this note found inserted into the town ledger? Who was Mrs. Abigail Cooper? Why was her daughter Agatha estranged? Why did Bartholomew Pickman sell the house a mere ten years after finishing such a fantastic house? What was with Bishop Innocentius of the Unitarian Church?
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