Failed Prospects.v3.P2 Conclusion

Onward to Sica Hollow

2am, Sunday, 21 Oct, 1923- For those who handled the rune-etched coprolite stones, it was a fitful sleep of nightmares:

Dr. Harrison Bones (Tony), 46yo Paleontology Prof: You didn’t have much to drink Saturday, but you remember the spoiled food at the diner… did that cause you to throw up? As you lie in bed, you see your pile of vomit in the bucket beside your bed coalesce into strange fossil bones. You sit up mesmerized by the sight and sound of the rattling bucket from which a strange looking bipedal dinosaur emerges to jump onto your bed. It’s face as if it’s a reflection of your own. It speaks, “I am your ancestor, Darwin.” Your room suddenly becomes a dark tunnel in which you chase Darwin. You round a corner and run into… “Dr. Baker, what are you doing here?!” But you cannot understand his reply as pounding drowns him out. You wake up to realize someone is at your door.

Dr. Alaric Voss (Geoff), 39yo Anthropology Prof: You have a fitful night trying to sleep, tossing and turning as your mind cycles through the events of yesterday. You struggle to change subject… You climb the stairs to your hotel room and enter, except the wooden floor is much older and weathered. The furniture of a bygone age. You find someone already inside. Their back to you as they stare out the window into the night with a lantern raised high. Strange sounds from outside fill your ears. You can see his neck hair standing on end as he suddenly lowers the lantern to douse the light.

Elijah ‘Eli’ Merrick (Matt), 21yo Archaeology student: Eli had his own problems sleeping, worrying about his girlfriend Clara.

Raymond ‘Ray’ Carter (Duane), 26yo Geology Grad student: You have a fitful night, tossing and turning until you finally drift off to sleep. Strange how that terrifying childhood dream of yours suddenly returns after all these years. Being chased by something just on the edge of your vision. You cup your eyes to discern what it is, only to see the coprolite stone. Suddenly it grows legs like a milliped and gives chase. Three of them; nay dozens of them swarm toward you! And just like your childhood dream, your feet won’t respond… you can’t run! As if stuck in quicksand. You flail and fight, till you find yourself dumped on the bedroom floor, tangled in your sheet. Awake and sweating.

8am: They woke to the smell of breakfast as Mary had restocked her kitchen with fresh food from neighboring farmers. Dr Bones sent the students off to retrieve the truck and gather the supplies and gas from Ma’s Goods, as the professors gathered the extra gear from the hotel storage room. They departed around 8:30, waving goodbye to the Penman family heading off for church. “Say a prayer for Dr Baker’s team. Hopefully, they are not ill from food poisoning.”

Voss drove with Bones riding shotgun while the students sat in the truck-bed on the supply boxes. No roads north made for a slow and bumpy ride: at least the front bench seat had springs; Ray and Eli had to hold on as if riding a bucking bull and thus suffered bruised tailbones. At this slow rate, 7mph, it would take 3 hours to reach their destination. They gave up trying to find the first two sites as they were more focused on getting to Sica Hollow’s site #4 per the map found in Dr. Baker’s room.

11am: Maybe it was Ray’s geologist eyes studying the Morrison formations along the eastern ridgeline that suggested this would be a good area to dig. Or just the desire to stop and rest. Thankfully, Dr Bones spotted the cleared area of freshly turned topsoil to imply they stumbled upon Site #3. They also spotted crushed grass to imply where the tents were setup. As they stopped to stretch and have lunch, Eli found a broken coprolite stone. Like the one Dr Voss chipped back at the hotel, this one had a few old teeth throughout (human and animal). And also flecks of metallic paint. It took awhile for all to remember and conclude, “Baker’s crumpled letter and discussion with the sheriff said rocks were thrown at this site. Maybe this one broke when it hit one of the trucks. Young Matthew didn’t look strong enough to throw with such force. Maybe it was the Indians as Dr Baker suggested to the sheriff.”

And that’s when Dr Voss found a digging trowel with the initials “HB” etched on its butt-end. “What is Dr Baker’s first name?” Someone else suggested, “Henry Bates. Remember, he put one of the stones in his pocket. Maybe the frostbite caused him to drop his tool as he flinched at the pain. Serves him right for trying to take one for himself.”

Noon: It was another hour drive following the dry riverbed to reach the southern edge of Sica Hollow. Parallel narrow rows of crushed prairie grass confirmed Dr Baker’s trucks passed this way and headed toward a gap in the treeline. Dr Bones gasped at the sight of deer grazing nearby. 

The boils on their faces and flanks suggested poisoning, “Those damn coprolite stones!” [Natural World] It was Ray with a little hunting experience who explained, “Nothing more than deer warts. See it all the time back home.” But he couldn’t explain how the deer didn’t panic and run when the men yelled and rapped on the side of the truck. But the deer eventually got the message and slowly wandered back into the forest.

They followed the truck tracks into the trees and soon came upon a glade clearing where they found both of Dr Baker’s trucks and evidence of Site #4. There was a dig-site and flattened grass area where tents HAD been setup. They honked the truck horn and called out names without replies. They parked to check it out. Dr Bones wandered the edge of the glade looking for tracks as to where they might have gone: he found where one of the trucks had tried to drive into the thicker trees but came to a halt 6ft in and spun tires to retreat. Eli studied the dig-site to check their progress: staked and gridded with a few grids not touched yet.

Dr Voss and Ray checked out the crates in the bed of the trucks and found recently unearthed fossils. They called Dr Bones over who identified a 2ft long radial arm bone with a spiny ridge, “Too long for a dinosaur we know of. And VERY lightweight, as if not fossilized which can take thousands of years.” Eli questioned whether its weight could imply it was hollow like bird bones, “Or humanoid and bipedal not needing the thickness to support the weight of the creature.” Even more startling was the skull: almost Devil Toad in shape but larger: while the fossils found in the hotel storage implied the entire toad was bowling ball sized, this skull along was the size of such ball!

And that’s when Dr Voss screamed “Eureka” when he found an idol statue in the glovebox. “Thousands of years old to imply the bones you found was of an intellectual creature able to worship and perform rituals! Dr Baker will definitely put West Havens on the map and his name in the Scientific Journals. Like Darwin’s On the Origins of Species, this could be transitional fossils of man’s evolution.” Dr Bones had visions of a lost world as written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. [The silent movie The Lost World wouldn’t come out until 1925.]

And that’s when Eli was confronted by a racoon standing on its hind legs, hissing at him! Without a hunter’s background to recognize natural behavior, Eli immediately thought the creature was rabid and kicked it. It tumbled away, stood again, hissed, but then lowered onto all four and scampered away.

Country Gal Jane: And that’s when the others were startled by a female voice from the backside of the truck, “You boys sure do scare easy. Just a harmless, but tasty critter. I heard ya honking and thought Dr Baker done come back to his camp. I’m gathering mushrooms for a stew I can feed ya later. Coulda added racoon if ya hadn’t scared et off. Ya sure you don’t want to help chop wood to fire my oven for the stew?” They declined but couldn’t wait to ask Jane about Baker’s team, although Eli was more concerned about Clara, “She’s my girlfriend.” While the professors noticed Jane (50ish) wore layers of tattered clothes, she did have a nicer sweater underneath. Eli realized it was the sweater he gave Clara for her birthday. Jane proudly explained, “Such a sweet girl you have there. Gave me the sweater right off her back, concerned about the winter months approaching.” Eli already didn’t trust her. And Ray didn’t like mushrooms, “There’s poisonous ones out there if you’re not careful.”

In answer to their questions, Jane explained, “When they showed me dem bones they collected, I tolt them about the complete skeleton out there in the jail cell of the old mining town. They skedaddled so fast I never had a chance to say so-long. About 4 days ago I recon. The mine? Right thru there, kinda an animal trail, thata way about a mile yonder.”

Into the Woods, Dark and Deep: They packed light to include water, simple rations, and their first-aid kits. Ray took the lead as they entered the woods. Barely 100ft in, they came upon a creek bank where Dr Voss spotted shoeprints. As for the red water, Ray suspected and soon confirmed it was tinting from iron minerals. “So much for the Indian belief it was the blood of their ancestors.” No-one pointed out blood also has a high iron content. They pressed on, slowed by the underbrush and roots that threatened to trip them.

It took them almost an hour, the terrain slowing rising out of the woodland valley, before they spotted a weathered old sign dangling from an old post: Mel’s Creek est 1860, population 113, 97, 84, 1. Ray pulled out his penknife and carved a 3 after the 1, “Dr Baker’s 8 man team and us 4 just grew the population.” They spotted rooflines in the distance and pressed forward into Mel’s Creek where they began calling for “Henry” and “Clara”! Silence, not even crickets.

2pm, Mel’s Creek: They ignored the dilapidated church to their right and hustled past the row of stores on their left as they focused on the whereabouts of the jail. But Ray diverted from the path and entered the 2-story General Store on his right at the intersection. He noticed the large bay-window was busted inward, glass littering the interior along with what few store items remained that were also strewn on the dusty floor. “I got fresh shoeprints!” Eli entered and noticed the empty gun rack behind the counter. But the cash register was still there, “Jackpot! $23.58 in old coins and bills. Probably worth more to a collector.” But rather than take time to explore why the store was deserted so hastily, leaving the cash, they joined the others still looking for the jail.

The Jail: It was on the side street behind the hotel, its roof caved. Inside, they found the jail cell empty. Its chain and padlock still dangled from the iron bars. Eli realized the chain had been recently cut. Obviously, whatever WAS in here had been removed. Except for the 4ft long spear left behind. Dr Voss examined it, “Too short for the traditional Indian weapon. Nor the flint tip they use. No, this is older and more ancient.” He went into excruciating detail that the others missed as they already walked away. They divided up:

Dr Bones and Ray: explored the area behind the jailhouse and easily recognized the pressed grass to indicate tents had been set up. Where were they now? Ray happened to shine his flashlight into the nearby well and could only vaguely make out shapes. He lit a torch and tossed it in: canvas material caught fire to reveal tent poles and other gear also inside! And that’s when they noticed the drag marks so easily missed before. They followed the marks back to the street and north between abandoned houses and soon found a pile of the remaining tent canvas and gear tossed into the woods!

Meanwhile, Dr Voss and Eli entered the Grand Nugget Hotel: a staircase to the right and a registration desk to their left. As Eli rang the brass bell, Voss checked the opened book and noticed signatures in fresh ink: Dr Baker and Dr Tucker, room 6. A faint noise from above caught their attention. Dr Voss slowly climbed the stairs. The boards creaked and snapped under Eli’s weight [SIZ 80]. At the top of the stairs, they found several boxes of fossils: two labeled “Jail skeleton”, one labeled, “Church”, another “Store”. Eli took the 4ft long spear that was propped against the wall.

They continued down the hall toward the noise that proved to be a door swinging on its hinges. Room 7 faced the street. Dr Voss’ morning dream flooded back to him: the chair and lantern in the middle of the room faced the broken window. A spear was imbedded in the back wall. 3 black stones littered the floor. They turned to room 6 across the hall and found Baker’s and Tucker’s clothing and gear still there. 

Along with an old-time photo etched on metal (tintype) of Mel and his 11yo daughter Jane. “1861? That Jane would be 73 years old today. The Jane we met must be her daughter.”

Did I mention they also found Dr Baker’s journal?

All rejoined out in the street to compare discoveries. And that’s when they heard Jane humming a pleasant tune as she approached from the south, carrying a pot of stew. Eli was in her face before the others could react, “You bitch! You know where my girlfriend is. Where is she?!” Jane had no idea what he was rambling about. He pressed his Intimidation, knocked the pot from her hands, and shoved her. Jane took off running back south, “You’re crazy! Stay away from me!” Eli gave chase. The others paused before they reluctantly followed.

Jane’s Cabin: Jane was already inside her cabin and locked the door before Eli arrived to bang on it, “Where’s Clara?” [failed opposed POW-Sleep spell] Eli was so angered, his blood boiling, he passed out. The others arrived to see Jane pointing a pistol out of the window, “Stay away from me I said!” Dr Voss was the fastest and first to rush forward to grab Eli to drag him to safety. The shot just missed him. Ray tried to distract Jane by showing concern, “Jane, are you OK? Eli didn’t mean to hurt you; he’s just crazy about his girlfriend.” Dr Bones shouted, “Stop shooting, he’s had a heart attack.” He then tried to sneak around the cabin.

Bones noticed the second building behind the cabin: a shed? Maybe tools to break into Jane’s cabin, he opened the door… the smell of incense alerted him to the burnt candles that lined the interior. A pile of clothes, newer on top of older, in a corner. Clara hung naked from a beam, streaks of blood oozed from runes carved into her skin. But she was still alive, barely. Another unoccupied chain hung before Clara. Bones grabbed a chair to be able to lift her down and performed first aid. Clara’s eyes fluttered before she started screaming at (who she thought was) Jane to get away, “I watched as you carved up Eugene. Why?! And why are you suddenly younger? Please, I just want to go home.”

Ray continued to distract Jane with soothing words of concern. Silence. Maybe she was listening. And that’s when he heard Dr Bones yelling how he found Jane. Dr Voss had already slapped Eli awake; Eli rushed to the smokehouse and cradled Clara in his arms. When he heard what Jane had done to her, he rushed toward the cabin to pitchfork the bitch. But she had escaped out of a trapdoor access to the root cellar and an escape tunnel that emptied into the woods. At least they found a map of the mine on her wall.

When they got back to Mel’s Creek, Eli had what he came for and was already leading Clara back to the dig-site and truck. “I don’t care about Dr Baker or my grades. Fail me. I’ve got to get Clara to medical care back in town.”

[Geoff had to leave early; so, Matt took over playing Dr Voss.]

5pm, Towards the Mine: The others took the western road out of town and soon came upon a broken set of glasses. Dr Bones recognized them as Baker’s. They walked about a half-mile before they came upon the mine entrance dug into the side of the hills. Narrow-gauged rail lines entered the mine, an old rail cart was left outside, an old tool shed beside the entrance. Inside the shed, they found sets of old miners’ headlamps, and a box of old dynamite. Ray quickly pointed out how old the dynamite was and thus unstable. He carefully inspected the box and found 6 useful sticks and a decent string of fuse they cut to prep the sticks. Ray put one of the fused dynamite sticks into the remaining box that was moved near the mine entrance.

Into the Darkness: With their flashlights on and weapons readied (digging trowels, archaeologist hammers or picks, Dr Voss’ luger), they cautiously entered and followed the tracks left in the loose dirt floor. While they took time to look and listen at each side passage, they continued to follow the tracks until they came upon the cave breach marked in tunnel T6A. They stepped thru the breach and entered natural cavern passages about 8ft tall. Eli used his hammer to mark the walls as they moved along, still following tracks. Ray began to worry about passages they passed as possible routes for attack from behind.

They came to a “T” intersection [3]. The wall ahead was covered in disturbing art images of a massive creature hovering over gathered smaller toad figures. But what was most concerning and a shock to their sanity was the art recently painted with fresh blood! They almost had to pry Dr Voss away from the painting as he stood transfixed on the implied ritual of the scene. They should have been concerned about attracting something with all their flashlights beaming. They pressed on.

Whose There? Eli heard it first: a low humming, almost croaking sound, coming from the passage to their left. But the tracks led straight ahead. They followed. As the passage seemed to curve left, they came to another passage to their left. Dare they look? Ray inched forward to shine his light and spotted a crude gate crafted of branches and rope. And behind that, movement! A voice answered the light, “Whose out there? Jane?” Ray recognized a fellow geology student, “Henry, is that you?! Hang on.” Ray easily dismantled the gate and soon found four members of the original team, all malnourished, dehydrated, and traumatized. “Where’s Dr Baker and Tucker?”

By now the others had come forward and passed out water and their meager rations. They soon learned about the toad creatures that had captured them. How Dr Tucker was taken that first day and never seen again. Dr Baker was taken away just minutes ago. Dr Bones took charge, “We’re getting you out of here. Be quiet as you can but follow closely.” The professors led the way with their flashlights with Ray taking the rear to keep everyone in front of his light. Henry had to ask about Dr Baker; Dr Voss answered, “Mid-60s, he’s led a good life. We’ll record everything found in his name.”

Flashlights. Silence does not hide light. Dr Bones and Voss entered the main passage and came almost face-to-face with two Cave-Dwellers (Toadmen) wielding spears! [Sanity: Voss failed and lost 6 points, passed his INT check; thus, BOM: rage] Dr Bones was the first to act as he stabbed with his own spear. Dr Voss cursed as he drew his Luger, blinded the beast with his flashlight, and fired 3 quick shots: 2 hits dropped the other Toadman. Illuminated, the surviving dig team finally saw the creatures that had captured them. They ran. Ray had to get ahead of them to lead the way with his flashlight. The surviving Toadman stabbed but missed Bones who them flashed his own light into the creature’s eyes to allow a confirmed kill with his spear.

Run Away: Ray led the others past the passage with the humming, croaking sound. Dr Bones followed but quickly stopped when he realized Dr Voss entered the other passage, screaming, “Damn you creatures! You’re supposed to be pre-human and thus no need for rituals that are tools for interacting with non-human intelligences! By God, we’re human!”

Dr Bones followed his fellow professor and stood in shock at the sight before them: a huge cavern filled with stacks of coprolite stones. Almost 2 dozen Toadmen stood before a large stalactite that hovered over a shallow pit filled with bones. Why were tentacles dangling from the stalactite? Why were the tentacles caressing 4ft long maggots that moved thru the bones, eating them as they shit coprolite stones? Why was Dr Baker standing there transfixed?! [Sanity: Voss was already suffering a BOM. Dr Bones fumbled 100: lost 7 points of sanity, 20% loss accumulation, BOM: hysterics]

Dr Voss lit his fuse and tossed the dynamite towards the pit: it fell short, bouncing off a maggot. Voss was already raising his Luger as Bones charged to grab Dr Baker as he flashed his light into the creatures’ eyes hoping to buy time. Bones could only hysterically laugh at the sight of the burning fuse nearby, “Look at it sputter. I wonder how long we have before we die.” He had to physically drag Baker from his stance and almost made it back to Dr Voss’s side when the dynamite exploded. While the old dynamite did not cause a full explosion, the concussion was enough to knock the professors down. [Bones took 5 wounds while Voss suffered 8.]

As they stood, they noticed all of the Toadmen in a panic, exiting the cavern by other exits. That’s when they saw the stalactite retract to reveal an open sky of strange stars. Before the face end of the Brood Mother revealed herself! Dr Bones didn’t have to be told twice as he saw Dr Voss reveal his own stick of dynamite that he lit and tossed, “I’ve had a good life. Go make one for yourself.” Bones drug Baker away to the sound of gunfire behind them until another explosion ripped through the passages.

Caked in dirt, Bones and Baker exited the mine and found Ray at the ready to light the box of dynamite. The other rescued teammates had already run towards Mel’s Creek. Ray was about to ask what took so long when he was interrupted by Dr Bones’ command, “Light it!” 

They barely made it 15ft away when the fast-fuse reached the stick, “KABOOM!” Enough to collapse the mine entrance but weak enough not to kill them.

EPILOGUE

Eli found his way back to the clearing and helped Clara into the passenger side of the truck. He sped away back to West Haven, arriving at sundown, to report to the sheriff. After he stopped at the train station to ask about the next inbound.

Doctors Bones and Baker finally made it to the clearing where they found the other 4 team members gathered around the trucks. Seems someone [Jane] disabled them by pulling out the wiring. The sun had already set and they weren’t going anywhere. Which made for a frightful night as they expected Toadmen to descend on them at any moment. Or that crazy bitch, Jane! A restless night of Dr Baker clearly insane as he repeated some unintelligible chant as he stared straight ahead. At least Henry was enough of an electrician to get one of the trucks started in the morning.

BEHIND THE SCREEN

Mel’s Creek

Established in secret in late March 1860 to support an illegal gold mining operation within the border of the Lake Traverse Reservation, Mel’s Creek was named after its founder, Jason Mel, and the red-colored creeks that flowed throughout the area. The gold mine was dug another half-mile west of the settlement.

The mine failed to yield large quantities of the hoped-for gold. Yet the miners dug deeper into the side of the hills. And that’s when they broke into a small chamber filled with black stones that fit within the palm of the hand. These stones were ridged and unnaturally cold to the touch. No application of heat seemed to change its temperature. Jason realized its potential use in refrigeration and convinced the town to focus on harvesting this new material. They never got the chance to market the stones.

And that’s when Mel’s Creek became plagued with problems: non-canned food spoiling, anxious animals, and widespread insomnia and nightmares. Yet the lure of wealth drove them on as they continued excavating the chamber. After several days, they breached a series of caverns. “The motherlode; stones littered the floor and stuck out of the walls.”

And that’s when hordes of toad-like Sand-Dwellers emerged from deep within the caverns and attacked the miners. They burst out from the mine and overwhelmed Mel’s Creek.

The Horror Below

The residents were rounded up and taken into the caverns. Over the next few weeks, they were sacrificed to a being that the Sand-Dwellers worshiped called The Brood Mother: a great old one that tore into this reality to build a nest for its gestating larvae. This nest was built from ridged, black stones excreted by the larvae as they grew. The Brood Mother hung down from the ceiling of a vast cavern, watching over the pulsing larvae below.

Those who were not sacrificed immediately watched as the Sand-Dwellers prepared them one by one to be eaten alive by the larvae. Starvation and desperation settled in amongst the captives.

A survivor and cannibal

Jason Mel’s 11-year-old daughter, Jane, was driven mad by witnessing the ritualized preparation and devouring of her family. As her sanity slipped away and her hunger grew, Jane turned on her fellow captives in a cannibalistic frenzy, joining in the worship of the Old One. Through her assistance in finishing off the rest of the settlers, Jane was spared. 

Jane is the only survivor of Mel’s Creek and, through magic, learned from the Sand-Dwellers, lives to this day through cannibalistic rites that restore her youth. In 1923, she should be 73 years old. Yet to Dr. Baker’s team, she looked to be 60ish, having sacrificed other intruders of the woods. And when the investigators see her, she looks to be 50ish, having feasted on Eugene Stewart.

As for Dr. Baker’s complaints of thrown rocks, that was Jane. She knew they’d collect them. And follow a trail of them towards Sica Hollow. Closer and less distance to drag them if necessary. Plus, she knew the stones’ corrupting effects, such as food spoiling. She hoped with food poisoning, it would be easier for her to capture some of the members for her ‘youth’ ritual.

Disappearance

At the new camp, the secret lovers Eugene and Clara slipped into the woods for a little ‘romp’. With Dr. Baker’s team camped at Mel’s Creek (Baker and Tucker roomed in the hotel, while the others endured the tents), Jane led the Sand-Dwellers to town where they attacked in unison. As the Sand-Dwellers quickly overpowered and captured the scientists, Jane subdued the lovers. The latter to be cannibalized in her ritual, the former to be fed to The Brood Mother.

With her unconscious captives in tow by two Sand-Dwellers, Jane returned to her cabin where she carved runes into their bare skin, chanted a spell learned from a Sand-Dweller shaman, then butchered and devoured Eugene. Clara still hangs in the smokehouse (alive) because the new arrivals interrupted Jane’s ritual sacrifice. Under her own tattered clothing, she now wears layers of her victims’ clothing for the cold weather season.