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Sunday morning Kel decided he wanted to run down the lead on the girl from the mental hospital.  That would require help, the kind of help Colin was always good for.

Kel struggles out of bed for the second time that weekend.  Once more though, it was worth it in so many ways.  Remembering the night before, he fumbles for his cell phone and flicks down through his list to Colin, he hits the call button and waits, when it picks up Kel growls over into the phone, "Got some info Colin, turns out Darla wasn't the only one.  There's some girl holed up cataonic in the nut house, I say we head over there and you work your voodoo so we can get these guys for sure."

Colin went back to bed after the paper route, but he has taken to never turn off the phone, in case of an emergency. It takes him a moment to get his bearings, as the dream he was into was one of those you never want to wake up from.

"Hello?" he says, without bothering to look who actually called.


"Oh, no. Give me twenty... mhhmm... make it thirty minutes, and I'll be at your door."

Colin yawns, and goes directly to the shower, as he tries to get a hold of the scraps of the dream he still remembers.


_____________


Twenty seven minutes later he rings the Stilley's bell, idly wondering if Sylvia, next door, is still sleeping.

Kel yanks the door open just as Colin is about to ring the bell and steps out, a tiny notebook in hand.  "Good timing." Kel says as he closes and locks the door, he then gestures for them to start walking again, "Samantha Meadows was the girl's name, found an old article in the Tribune on it."  He pulls out a few printed out pages from his coat pocket neatly folded and hands them over to Colin, "She's at Mentano Mental Hospital, big place, also happens to be where all the really crazy supervillains go.  Not that that has anything to do with this, but ya know figured it's be a fun tidbit to know.  It's a trip on the El then over on a commuter rail."  Kel yawns slightly as he walks, "Should be able to catch the next train."  Though Kel's voice is quick and punctuated, his body seems sluggish and his eyes are blood shot with bags under them, "How was your night?"

"Fantastic." Colin says in an apologetic tone, as if it was a crime to spend a nice evening with one's girlfriend in a world where horrible things happened all the time.

"Yours?" he asks out of courtesy, regretting it immediately.

He trots after Kel dragging his bike, and he chains it to a streetlight near the station.

Kel laughs at Colin's tone, "Mine was good too.  But you make it sound like you had a little guilty pleasure?"  Kel's voice is heavy with insinuation.

"A guilty pleasure?" he says turning at his friend the most innocent eyes. "I don't know. I don't think so. I had a thai dinner with Sarah, and then we went to dance. She's got an awfully early curfew, but the evening was... fantastic." he repeats. The word fits so well.

Kel rolls his eyes, frikkin' boy scout, "No Colin, that's completely normal, not guilty at all.  When you said it the first time, I might've thought, jeez...never mind."  Kel shakes his head.

"What did you think?"

Kel shakes his head again and lets out a low whistle, "Oh come on!?"  He nearly shouts it then his voice lowers, "Wouldn't it be obvious what I was thinking?  You were acting like you had something to be ashamed of, and I figured it's the weekend so you go out with Sarah."  Kel's hands are making various gestures as he speaks, "Maybe you know, get a little action."  Feeling that his point is going completely over Colin's head he just sighs and acts like he should just stick his foot in his mouth, "Never mind Colin, you're a sweet guy, and I think it's great that you can have a wondreful time without that.  I really do.  Feel it weird that you act like it's a bad thing..."  He trails off, shaking his head.

"Oh."

Realization begins to dawn on Colin.

"I wasn't ashamed because of... that."

He thinks about it some more.

"I don't think I would be ashamed of that. I could feel awkward, but not ashamed... I think."

Some more thinking.

"Oh, now I get it. I was feeling guilty because, well I went out and had a very nice evening. Samantha probably just wanted to do the same. And look where she is now. It's not fair." he explains.

"And you didn't look like you had a good night either." he says apologetically.

Kel bursts into a gut busting roar of laughter as Colin goes through the thought process, "Colin, you're a silly guy too, very silly.  Having a nice night is perfectly normal, just because we're out trying to make the world a better place doesn't mean we can't be normal when we want...within reason of course."  He adds the last bit without as much feeling as the rest of the statement.  Then he smirks at Colin, "Colin, I didn't have a good night, you're right.  I had a great night."

"Great means that you... oh, never mind. It's none of my business."

Kel bursts into a laughter and claps Colin across the back as he says, "If you say so Colin, doesn't matter to me."  He laughs as the El pulls in and he boards it.

The boiys ride the El to a central terminal and then take an Amtrac commuter train out of the city.  The stop for Mentano is pretty uch by itself, about four or five blocks from the front gate of the hospital.  They make their way to the gate, and explain they're here to visit someone.  They're directed to the lobby, where the duty nurse is.

The woman behind the desk seems absorbed in her magazine, but immediately looks up as the boys arrive.  "Can I help you gentlemen?"

Kel says with all the authority he can muster, "We're here to see Samantha Meadows."

Colin arrives just a moment later. He stopped to buy some flowers. As he doesn't buy cut flowers, he went for a little purple kalanchoe in a small pot.

"Oh?"  she says.  She swivels her chair and slides a computer keyboard out from under the table, tapping on it and looking at the surface of the desk.  You notice that the desktop is glass and there is a monitor mounted.  "Are you relatives of Ms. Meadows?"

Seeing Kel hesitate, Colin speaks.
"No, but it's like we were. We're friends of her. He's one of her classmates too. We really hoped we could see her, just a minute. We miss her. Can you let us see her, and give her these flowers? Please?" Colin shamelessly uses his puppy eyes on the nurse.

For a second she looks unmoved, then a soft shimmer of light ripples the air behind her and Colin sees a spirit take shape, placing a hand on her shoulder and whispering in her ear.  She smiles, "Of course.  She could use some visitors."  The nurse gets up and leads Colin and Kel down the hall through a set of double doors to a room marked '131'.  She opens the door and lets them in.  Inside you see a young girl laying on the bed, curled up in a ball.  Her blank stare fixed on the wall.  "I'll give you some time alone."  the nurse says, then retreats from the room.

Kel looks around the room and mumbles, "That was easier than I thought."  He then stares at the girl for a moment and sighs, "No end to it..."

"Thank you." Colin says sincerely, both to her and to the spirit behind her.


"Well, we had some help."

Colin takes a chair, and go sit between the bed and the wall the girl is staring at. He puts the potted plant on her bedside table, taking in the scent of the little flowers. Then he turns at the girl.

"Hello." he says, even though he's not sure she can hear him. "My name is Colin, and I'd like to be your friend. I'm here to help you if I can. And if you let me."

He doesn't want to scare her, so he doesn't take her hand, he just gently rubs the back of it with his fingers, trying to send her a message, wherever she hid herself.

You're not alone, I'm here with you. You can trust me. Let me help you. Give me your fears and your pain. I'll share them with you, and help you carry them. Just let them go.

Colin can feel the dim warmth of her soul at a distance.  His ghost site can see only the faintest glimmer of life in her.  It's almost as though she's been walled up inside herself.

Uhmm, I'm afraid you cannot hear me.

"Kel, this is different than with Darla. I'm not sure I can help her at all. But I'm gonna try. I just wanted to tell you it might take some time."

Colin reaches in his pocket for his lighter, and flicks it on. He stares at the flame for a moment, and lets it warm his hand.

I have an idea, but I wouldn't mind a hint, if you could give me one.

He touches Samantha's hand again, but this time he takes it, very gently, and puts it on his face. He lays his other hand on her face, caressing he softly.

Then he tries to imagine a landscape, and a wall, a sturdy brick wall, that hides her from his sight. He imagines himself, walking around this wall, prodding it, trying to find a weak point, a brick that could be carved off.

Samantha, can you hear me? he yells at the wall.

Hello?  It's not a voice so much as a sound on the wind in the empty world where Colin is standing.  Can youo hear me?

Colin examines the wall, walking along looking for the edge or a spot where he might be able to break a loose brick free.  Finally he sees a archway.  It's an ornate passage through the wall, but the thing standing in the doorway stops him cold.  It's obviously some kind of monster, or demon.  It's bright red skin and the fire leaking from it's eyes tell Colin it's certainly a good reason for Samantha to be stuck on the other side of the wall.

Samantha! Yes, I can hear you! I'm right here! I'm coming for you!


The Spirit Dancer frowns.

Who are you? he asks, putting himself in the relaxed defensive asset Jack taught him.

The response is a growl and a jet of flame from the things nose.  Like some sort of supernatural watchdog.

Colin squints at the beast.

Oh, no one snorts flames at me. You've kept that poor girl in way too long. Now you're in big trouble.

Outside the dreamscape, Colin doesn't open his eyes. Without breaking contact with Samantha, he takes her hand, the one that was touching his face, and holds it tightly. He offers Kel his other one.

"Kel" he says in a very distant voice "I think I could use some help here. Please take my hand first, and then Samantha's. Just relax and take my hand."

Kel shrugs, "Sure thing, whatever helps out."  He lets his hands slip into Colin's and then Samantha's.  He stands there and then says jokingly, "So this is magic, eh?"

A second passes and then the world is swept away in a shower of fragments like the universe just broke.  Kel is standing with Colin, at the wall.

Sort of. I'm just warming up.

He shows him around.

This is... Well I'm not exactly sure what it is. I guess we're someway between my dreams and Samantha's. She is beyond that wall, and can barely hear me if I shout. I'd try to reach her, or have her reach me, but there's a problem.

He points to the hellish beast.

That's the only door, and it's not letting her out. And it doesn't look like the talkative type either. I figure we have two way of doing this. Either we face him together, or you distract him while I go in. I think Samantha can put an end to all of this, if I manage to help her.

Kel says, "Well I do like a challenge, I say you go for the girl, I'll take the demon."  Kel then thinks about it and says, "How exactly do I uhh, go for the demon."

It's not like I have this big experience with demons, if that is a demon after all. Though...

If this is a place of dreams, he thinks, and the wall appeared because I imagined it, there must be something else I could do.

He concentrates for a moment, then starts whispering and singing in his special language. He outstretches his open hands towards Kel, actually towards his clothes. He asks his magic to protect him from fire.

Alright, I'll just give it a go..."  Kel trots over to the Demon, keeping a few yards between him and the beast, then says, "Hey there, mind stepping out of the way, 'cause if you don't, I might have to kick your ass."

Well you don't lose time, do you?, Colin says hoping he's right and his magic works.

He prepares to run for the archway. All those rolls Jack makes him do must surely do at least some good, beyond breaking his ribs.

Acrobatics roll (1d20+4=18) (http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=863861)

The beasts eyes Kel, and a tooth filled grin spreads across it's face.  "Bring it little man."

The beast moves towards Kel.

OOC: Kel, give me three attack rolls and three thoughness Saves.  Let me know anything you plan to do in particular for thse initial moments of the fight.

((http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=864793  Attacks
http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=864797 Toughness))

Kel springs into action, leaping about, trying hard to make sure he's a tough target, while letting his fists and kicks fly out.  He's trying to remember if there's any good ways to take down someone a lot bigger and probably stronger than you.

((Knowledge (Tactics)-- http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=864799 oh why can't I roll you for an attack, basically trying to think up some basic tactics on taking down something like that.  Also, going to make use of Acrobatics, and Leaping to make Kel a helluva tough guy to go after, if there is any set rule for that.))

Round One

Kel and the beast move into one another.  The beast swings with it's mighty arms and Kel becomes a reed in the wind, bending and shifting to stay clear of the claws and gouts of flame the beast spews forth in frustration.  A dervish of limbs and attacks Kel strikes the monster repeatedly in the first few moments, testing it's toughness and speed.

OOC: I assume Colin tumbles past the beast threough the doorway.

Once past the door Colin is greeted by a blackness so think he can feel it like spider webs on his skin.  He can hear the fait sounds of wings flapping, and a moment later the blackbird is on his shoulder.  Be ready, the drowning will often drown those who try to rescue them.  It says, then it's eyes glow for a brief moment and the light begins to fill it, then radiate outward until it glows with a stark intensity to the black surroundings.  Colin stands in the center of a ring of light that casts no shadows, the blackbird perched glowing upon his shoulder.

OOC: Colin, make a Search Check DC 12

Colin nods to the blackbird and starts moving around in the darkness, hoping to find some signs of Samantha in his ring of light.

Samantha, it's me. You heard me before. I'm here to help you. Please trust me.

Search roll (1d20+3=16) (http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=864947)

Colin moves around looking for Samantha and finally finds her.  she's wearing a blindfold and walking around in the dark with her hands outstretched in front of her.

"I can hear you, where are you?, can you help me?"  she calls out.

Round Two

Kel and the beast have exchanged a flurry of blows and Kel has been watching it's moves, getting a feel for what it will do based on what Kel does.  It's very strong, and Kel knows he'd rather not get hit head on by it.  But it's slower then Kel and seems more interested in smashing him then anything else.

The pair seperate after a storm of swings and dodges and Kel slips into a crouch.  The beast's mouth splits in a grin and it leans forward as if to charge.  A second later Kel launches himself into the air, flipping over at the apex he comes down feet first towards the beast.  It draws it's hands wide and then brings them smashing together, catching Kel in between them, but not in the way it had expected.  Kel was between it's hands, with his feet in it's palms in a wide split.  The look of displeasure in the monster's eyes brings a grin to Kel's face, and he drops his legs, and reaches out with his heands, catching hold of the things wrists, then pivoting his boots upwards into it's jaw.  the perfect execution of the pivot and the force he musters are enough to snap the beasts head back and knock it over.  As it falls backward like a felled oak Kel follows through on the pivot and pulls himself into a reverse sumersault, landing on his feet.  The beast is about halfway to the ground when Kel bolts forward in a run, throwing himself into a forward sumersault, pulling his knees up.  As he ends the flip his knees come down on the monsters chest, driving the air and a burst of flame from it.  They crash to the ground and Kel slides off the monster, twisting back up to his feet and spinning to see the creature.  The fire in it's eyes begins to fade and smoke begins to rise from it's corpse.  As Kel watches he sees the beast dissolve into nothing.

Samantha...

Colin frowns out of pity. Such a darkness all around her, and the blindfold too. She desperately doesn't want to see. What she has seen must have been truly horrible.

I'm here.

He stands in front of her and lets her hands find him.

I think I can help you, but you have to trust me. Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I'm here to set you free.

He gently unties her blindfold, hoping she doesn't notice. Then he takes her hands, and opens himself to her. Whatever she saw, the horror that caused her to shut herself from the world, he braces himself and prepares to take it. The fear that built the wall all around her, he's ready to take his light against it.

Now, Samantha. Open your eyes. Give it to me.

Kel gives a loud hah when he sees the corpse, "Brought it ya bitch!"  He then notices no one was around to see his astral triumph and he sighs, looking about.

Colin is blasted by a stream of pain that rushes from her eyes.  It scorches the world like a nuclear blast and lays waste to everything.  A wind that screams of pain blows the ashes of the debris away, and then a dead cold snow of suffering begins to fall.

OOC: Colin and Kel make Will Saves DC 14

Kel smirks doing a dance over the demonic corpse

((http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=865363 Oh yea, I love having no will save))

OOC: Will save (1d20+4=23) (http://invisiblecastle.com/find.py?id=865607)
When I say he prepares, he prepares. I'm sorry, Kel.  :-[ (You still have your hero point for this thread, though.)

Colin tries to absorb her pain as much as he can, fearing such a violent, uncontrolled wave of destruction could hurt her too. His thoughts goes to Kel too. If there was any way for him to shield his friend from the worst of it, he'd try it.

With a sound like a concert of broken glass the world explodes into daggers of light.  It blots out everything else, and then there is darkness again, but it's cool and soothing.  A pulse of air throws Kel, Colin, and Samantha in opposing directions, until they hit the walls of Samantha's room.

Kel and Colin have bright dots in their vision, which they reflexively try to blink away, and Kel is sore from his fight with the demon.  Colin's forearms hurt, like a first degree burn, and Samantha moans and sits up, blinking at her little blots of light and crying.  "Mom."  she says weakly, "MOM!"  again with more force.  A moment later the door opens and a nurse comes in.  "Mom, where's my mom?"  When Smantha asks for her mother the large black nurse's eyes go wide and something that is probably a prayer escapes her lips, followed by her hand crossing herself.

"I'll call her child, ,you just hang on babygirl."  She rushes from the room and Kel and Colin can hear her yelling up the hall, "She's awake, Samantha's awake, call her momma, it's a miracle."

OOC: are there really burns on his arms, or he just feels like they're there?

Colin grimaces and a moan escapes his lips. He shuts his eyes and grits his teeth as he gets used to the pain, then he gently rolls back his sleeves, to inspect his hands and his arms. He tries to blow on his forearms for some relief.

He gets on his feet trying not to touch anything, and goes check on Kel. He kneels beside him.

"Are you all right man? I'm sorry, I had little control on what happened there. In case you were wondering, this is magic."

He stands up once more to check on Samantha.

"Hi, Samantha. I'm Colin. How do you feel?"

As Colin blows on his foreamrs he sees marks begin to take shape.  They look like tattos, on the tops of his forearms, like two halves of a whole.  The image is some sort of symbol that he doesn't recognize.  It's whole if he places his forearms together in front of him, with his palms towards him.  The image is on the outside of his arms, facing away from him.


Samantha looks up at Colin for a moment, then recognition flashes in her eyes, "You came to rescue me.  You saved me."  She leaps from the ground and flings her arms around Colin, holding him close, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."  she keeps repeating it over and over.

Colin's eyes blush for him.
"Hey, you're welcome, but it was him-" he points at Kel "that slew the monster and saved you. I only showed you the way out. I am really happy that you're fine now."

He gets her to sit on her bed.

"Samantha, you heard the nurse, your mom is coming. We... well we hoped you could help us, we are... investigating. Do you remember what happened to you?"

Her eyes darken immediately.  "Yes."  her voice is soft and strained, "I remember them and what they did to me.  You'll stop them, wont you Colin.  Keep them from doing it again, please tell me you're stop them."

Colin caresses her forehead, picking her memories, looking for a confirmation to what they suspected all along. He finds it... and then something else too. He frowns for a moment, unsure if it's just a distorted memory or something more important.

Anyway, he looks at her reassuringly.
"Yes. I will."

The large black nurse returns with another nurse and a female doctor.  The doctor moves to Samantha, "Honey, I'm doctor Holmes.  We've called your family and they're on the way."  She proceeds to examine Samantha and the black nurse touches Colin and Kel on the shoulders, nodding towards the door she takes the boys outside.  Smanatha holds onto colins hand until the last second, letting it slip from her grasp and she follows hinm from the room with her eyes.  She smiles and mouths a silent 'Thank You' as they go out the door.

"You boys need to go now.  She can't have no more visitors 'til her momma gets here."

Colin squeezes her hand before they have to go.

"Goodbye, Samantha. You'll be fine now."

As they walk towards the exit, Colin turns to Kel, a very serious expression on his face.

"You were right. It was... them. Again. Do you know if they did it to someone else? Do you know their names? One of them... There's something wrong about one of them. In Samantha's eyes... he wasn't even human."

There's running behind them.  Kel's sensitive ears might recognize its pace and stride--and the clacking of an empty can of keychain mace--as Sylvia's.  She's coming down the stairs, down the hall toward the lobby, pausing to look into rooms to see where she can find the inevitable broken glass and carnage.  She's calling their names, but perhaps not loudly enough for Colin to hear.

Kel is shaking out his joints and trying to get the cricks out of his neck as they leave the room, "I don't know their names, but I think I got a look a them.  There is one who is creepy as all hell, he's definitely not right.."  Kel sighs, then smiles, he knows what comes next for these guys and he can merely smile.  Then he hears the sound and turns, "Hey Syl, fancy meetin' you here."

Sylvia's looking at them, looking around, wondering where the ninjas are.  "What are you guys doing here?" is her greeting.

Colin grimaces again. Whatever it's happening at his arms hurts a lot, but he'll never admit it in front of Kel.

"Then it's not just Samantha. I don't like it. I don't like one bit. I've got to see him."


"Sylvia?!"

Colin quickly rolls down his sleeves, stifling a groan.


"We're... Darla wasn't the only victim."

Sylvia blinks, processing.  "What did you do, talk to another victim here?"

Colin looks at Kel with a slight smile.

"Yeah, we did a... sort of talking."

Sylvia gives Kel a frank look.  "Who did you punch?"

"A sort of demon. I asked him to." he whispers to her.

"What about you? What are you doing here?" Colin asks as his eyes fill with worry.

Long pause.  "Candy-striping," she says with all the unbelieveable innocence she can muster.

Colin is perplexed. He looks at her, with a slight frown, trying to figure out what's wrong.

"Ehmm.... Sylvia... I didn't mean to be nosy. If you don't feel like talking about something, you can just say that. I would respect your privacy."

She grimaces, the issue of lying fresh in her mind.  "I was visiting my uncle," she says, which is closer to the truth as far as the nurse at the front desk is concerned.

"Oh. I'm sorry."

A moment of awkward silence.

"...Is he well? ... I mean ... Do you think I could do anything for him?"

It's only a half-hearted offer, his arms hurt like hell, and he would rather get out of there and not meet any demons for a looong time, but he has to ask her all the same.

"Tap dance?" Sylvia says, shrugging a little.  "He doesn't get out much.  He could use some culture."

Kel laughs at the whole situation and says, "So we're all doing suspicious things in a mental hospital, seems perfectly normal to me.  C'mon let's get out of here though, gives me the heebie jeebies."  He then laughs again.

"No, I mean..."

He stops, looking at her.

"You know what I mean. Never mind."


"Good idea." Colin says, though he cannot share his friend's hilarity.

Good-bye, Sylvia thinks as she follows them out.  Thanks.