Part 5: Woods, Traps, and Ten Foot Poles

Off to Greenfield! Wait, no, Eddie wants to climb down the well. As Esme, Dr. Schreber, Gerti, and Cheri all head off to Greenfield, Gerti firmly instructs Charlie: "Darling, keep Eddie from doing anything stupid." Eddie tries for hours to convince Charlie that going down the well isn't stupid, but Charlie sticks to his guns.

Gerti and Cheri go to the deeds office, where Gerti turns up a meets and bounds deeds. (Charles seems to know what this is). Cheri asks Gerti about the various guys in the party. Gerti basically says that Eddie isn't available, Charlie certainly isn't available, and Dr. Schreber is probably not interested (and despite being a doctor, Gerti doesn't think he makes a lot of money). Cheri doesn't find this very promising.

Tommy, Charlie, and Eddie go to visit the Grays. They are spurned by the son at the front door. "What part of 'go away' did you not understand?". Eddie makes another try for the well, and Tommy takes point on arguing him out of it this time. Tommy's main claim is that if there is something in the well worth knowing, that's because it's bad, and then Eddie will be eaten. A compromise is finally reached, and the group searches the woods near the graveyard, but doesn't climb in the well. They find a shoe.

Dr. Schreber and Cheri talk to the coroner, but Cheri is quickly shooed away, as the coroner is a bit uncomfortable talking about bodily trauma in front of her. No, nothing further has come of the "where is the missing blood" question - the coroner added that to the report, but the report mostly says "they got obviously and brutally killed" and it's not like there's any actual explanation for where the blood went.

Tommy and Eddie figure out on Tommy's map where the old Schergen farm is, based on the meets and bounds deed Gerti turned up. It's getting towards dark, though - perhaps they should wait until tomorrow.

The group goes to dinner at the diner, hoping to overhear what they can about oddities. The owner of the general store mentions that Robert Bascomb bought pretty much every bear trap he had. There's also people gossiping about the Oakeses, that hushes up when they see the group, but Cheri goes over, bats her eyes at them, and gets them to talk more (mostly, it's that Mrs. Oakes hired some people). Later, Eddie gets the Bascomb's address from Mrs. Apcott, who says to tell Finola (Mrs. Bascomb) to drop by for a visit. Dr. Schreber declares that Finola is "dead dead dead dead."

Tommy wavers again towards letting Eddie climb in the well. Dr. Schreber has a relaxing evening that he doesn't mention to anyone. Eddie and Roderick construct a dowsing pendant using Emil's ring and a magnet, though right now it seems to be only pointing north.

Tuesday, October 18
Everyone but Cheri and Junior head to the Bascomb's. No one answers the door. The barn has unhappy cows in it, that look as if they haven't been milked in a little while. The outbuildings get searched - everything looks normal, though the grain silo is locked. Just about everyone tries to pick the lock on the door to the house, but it resists their efforts. Dr. Schreber points out that the Bascombs not being home does not really give the group the legal right to break in, but he's ignored. Eddie puts a ladder up against an upper story window, and climbs in.

Searching the house turns up no Bascombs, but there is something of a stench in the basement, coming from the woodpile. Moving the wood turns up the body of a somewhat squashed and mutilated woman, presumed to be Mrs. Bascomb, who is also missing her blood.

Esme, Tommy, and Eddie head to the sheriff's HQ to inform him while everyone else stays back at the Bascomb house to guard it. Searching the rest of the farm turns up nothing interesting, including no bear traps. Why would he put her under the woodbpile? Nobody can think of a good reason. Current popular opinion is that Bascomb has become a Vampire Hunter, hoping to avenge his wife. Incidentally, this seems to have garnered them some credit with the sheriff, as they've proved themselves useful.

The party heads back to town - no, wait, it doesn't, it just says it's going to to the sheriff to throw him off the trail. After temporarily throwing the GM off the trail as well, the group strikes out towards where they think the Schergen farm is. The Emil-dowsing pendulum is still resolutely pointing north.

The group gets to Tommy's best guess at the closest approaching road, and starts through the woods, at about 3:30. They're making slow going, as everyone is carefully probing in front of their feet with ten-foot poles. About 4:15, as a clearing and a run-down house is becoming visible, Gerti sets off a bear trap with her pole. Moments later, dogs start barking from the direction of the house.

Dr. Schreber finally decides that it's a good time to mention his dream.

The group is sitting around Peter's house, when Cheri declares that she's going to go off and find the nosferatu for Dr. Schreber. She heads out, into the woods. A while later, she's approaching a clearing and a run-down house, when she screams and falls, clutching her foot. As she lies on the ground, writhing, enormous dogs run up and fall upon her, and she stops screaming. Then, later, when night falls, two figures come out and begin to feed...

Cherie, Junior, Roderick, and Mel Razen are discovered to be at Peter's house when the rest of the group returns. Cheri appears to have filled Mel in about "ze nosferatu." It's not clear whether he believes them or not. They throw him out and tell Cheri not to let him in! Cheri says but they told her before not to take Junior outside before! Cheri pouts over this unfair restriction on who she can talk to. Someone swings by the general store to ask about the bear traps - how did Bascomb take them away? With a wheelbarrow.

Dr. Schreber thinks there should be more protection at the Donovan's, but it's unclear how to arrange this. Eddie goes to talk to Mrs. Apcott and tells her it's a vampire. She doesn't seem particularly fazed. Charlie talks the Donovans into fleeing town!

Night falls. Watches are set. First watch: Gerti and Charlie. Second watch: Eddie and Esme. Third watch: Tommy and Dr. Schreber.

Part 4

Part 6