Detour: Attn Cobrawax, Rix, Aeon, Dean

Riley, Liam and the Doctor resume the drive to Pennsyvania. They find that Mike and Dave have not discovered much in the club. Zeneviev and Dominik have slipped out of the hotel when you are away. You feel that ther isn't much more to do here in this hub of Cherub. You've gatehred that the vampire that you killed somehow managed this shadowy operation- and if his next stop was Detroit, you imagine there will be another cherub club there. As it was the end of the vampires line, hopefully it holds more answers than questions.

"So, what do we do now?" Mike asked.

"I was going to ask you the same question. Should we take another look at that club or just head on to Detroit. I'm not sure if we have that kind of time."
"Personally I think it's time to move on." Mike stated. "I'm much more at home shooting monsters than doing this exploration crap."

Liam shrugged. "Alright. Detrroit it is. Let's go."

"Should I sign out or are the others still staying?"


"Ask at reception about it." Mike suggested
Domini and Zeneviev's luggage was still at the hotel room.

Liam spots the luggage. "Oh wait. Their bags are still there. Screw it then. Let's just go. I'm sure they can figure it out."
[15:44:44] Seryna : "Great." The doctor sounded pleased. "Professor Donaldson and I will head up in the Lexus, you guys will head up in theJeep? Just follow us, I have the GPS."

Checking her Iphone, the doctor announced. "It is only 175 miles from Cleaveland, OH to Detroit, so it shouldn't be much farther than that. Call if you need to pull over for anything! We should probably stick together on the road." That said, the doctor waited for any one who wanted to drive up with her and pulled onto the freeway...
The drive was closing in on the two hour mark when the freeway began to change. At first, earth movers and heavy machinery were spotted alongside the road. Soon, there were signs announcing a detour- that the cars going through should get off at Prospect Drive and take the intersection to 5 north.

"So, how new is this car?" asked Liam

Liam's phone rings- Its Doctor Hollandale. "Have you seen the detour signs?" She mentions. "We're going to have to pull off.."

Liam turns to Mike. "She says we're going to have to pull off."

The doctor pulled off as directed; hoping that Mike would do the same. The orange signs quickly directed the convoy to make a left turn and enter onto another freeway.

The entire detour too about three minutes...

After a few moments on the freeway, the Doctor's gas light popped up. She muttered, upset that she hadn't thought to get gas when they had pulled off of the freeway before.

"I'm going to have to gas up." She said to Riley. Raising her eyes to the Jeep behind them, she hoped that Mike and Liam would notice her pulling off. She was nervous when she only had 10 miles of gas left.

"Dunham Springs..." She read the next sign. "Lucky that this pull off was right here. Want to call them and let them know why we're pulling off?"

The doctor pulled off of the main road, following the road off of the free way. After several minutes of driving, they passed a gas station with an unlit sigh and no cars about.
"Odd." The doctor muttered.

Continuing on revealed a handful of scattered businesses, mostly Ma and Pop restaurants. After about three minutes of driving, a sign by the side of the road read 'welcome to Whispering Falls.

"What happened to Dunham Springs?" The doctor wondered to Riley. "Was that gas station and all that it?"

The road continued on with nothing but trees for a quarter mile, until a small cluster of buildings rose on the horizon.
"There we go." The doctor replied, relieved.

Yet as the car pulled up, the gas station appeared peculiar. The stations were of an olden style that looked to predate hybrids, for on thing. The only car in sight was a '90 truck that was up on blocks. Pulling up to a pump, she looked over at the darkened gas station.

"Rather small town...'

From the gas station, you can see that the single road continues on,supposedly to the town proper. About fifty feet away, two small houses line the left side of the road. The ammonia smell of manure suggests that one of the houses likely tends a chicken coop.
As Liam nears the gas station door, he notes that all of the lights are off within. The door to the gas station is locked.

"No ATM prepay is set up." The doctor notes, having shut off the car and circled the gas pump. She looks over to Liam, curious.

"Is there a note that they've gone home for lunch or something?"


Liam spots nothing on the door besides peeling white paint.

Glancing around, Riley's first clue is the gas station pumps themselves. They have the rounded look so popular in pictures of the war- and we're not talking about the war in Iraq. The station itself is small- it looks to have one main room about thirty feet by twenty long. Now you an see that one of the side windows has been broken, possibly by a baseball.


As you take this in, a voice calls over to you.
"Hello! You new to town?" Glancing over, you spot a woman standing in the yard of the closest town. She appears to be in her middling thirties. She wears a homespun muslin dress that was once rose that had faded to a beaten peach color. She didn't appear to wear a lick of makeup and her brown hair was pulled into a neat braid that snaked down her back.

"You won't get any gas today. Ol' Phil knocked off awhile back."

"Oh, you mean the gas station?" The woman asked. "Well, we don't get too many visitors. Folks here don't need gas; we just walk around some. So if no one comes by by noon, ol' Phil heads on home."

The woman turns and points at the road.
"You're just a few minutes walk from town proper. I bet you're plumb tuckered out. How about I get you some cold milk before you're on your way?"

"Well, you're looking at it, sugar. Just need to prod Ol' Phil up from his rocking chair, is all."

*Riley adjusts his glasses thoughtfully at the gas pumps, and at the woman's style of dress.* We're not likely to get very far without gas, miss. Is there a hotel or anything in town if we can't get gas today?"

"Why don't I take you over to Phil's?" The woman suggests, crossing the street and walking over towards where Riley and Liam stand.

"He's just up the road here, likely taking his afternoon nap. Yes sir, Mrs. Curry rents out her extra rooms. She has the largest house in town. It's right across from the Pattersons and every one who comes through lets us know that they have the best pie in the state."

She extends her hand to Riley and then to Liam.
"I'm Myra Meeker."

"Good to meet you, Liam." Myra replies. "I take it you want to head to Phil's? You might as well leave your automobiles, there isn't much room for them in town. Hello, miss."

She says to Dr. Hollandale, who has given up on the gas pump to join Liam.
"I'm Dr. Hollandale." The women shake hands and Myra looks surprised. "Why, I'll be. " Myra begins the walk into the town proper at a nice pace, chatting away.

"Haven't had folk over in awhile and now we have you folk and Alyssa. Isn't that an odd name?"
Myra laughed.
"Alyssa came to the Whispering Falls festival last night. 'Spect she's settling in with the Talbots now, pleased as punch to be here."

Within a few moments, more houses come into view, lining both sides of the road now. As you walk by people walk out onto their porches, smiling and waving to you as you pass them by. The road widens a bit here and half a dozen more homes clustered around a larger house. You see a large farmhouse with two old women on the porch, embroidery in their laps. They look up as you approach, surprise in their eyes.

"Sounds fun whatever it is." Mike commented.

"It was just a lil' celebration welcoming Alyssa into the township." Myra replied. "It isn't every day we get new folks who decide to stay. Alyssa joined us just yesterday and now look at all of you!" She smiles at you, obviously glad that you had stopped by, however brief you intend to stay.
"Are you telling me that she came through this town, made the decision to stay, and then you started a festival, which welcomed her into the town all in the course of one day?"

"Must be one hell of a town." Mike stated.

"Well, Alyssa came to town 'bout three days ago." Myra replied to Liam cheerfully. "But when people decide to stay, we just have to be hospitable! Mrs. Curry!" She raises ehr voice, calling to one of the old women on the porch. One of the women in a flwoered dress and faux pearls gets up and totters down the steps towards you. "Whose this?" She asks in a thin voice.

"Seriously, what's so great about this town?" Dave asked, bluntly.

"Name's Mike." The large aussie introducted himself. "And you ma'am are...?"

"Well, what *isn't* great about the town?" Myra replied to Dave. "Come up onto the porch, sit a spell. We don't have any of the problems of those big ol' cities."

"Makes sense." Liam looks around. "Where's Phil? "
"What about 24 hour chicken? You have that?"


"I'm Mrs. Cury." The old woman extended a firm hand out to Mike, then to Dave and Liam. "Where you from, son?" She eyes Mike closely over the rim of her glasses. "Oh, I reckon Phil's over taking a nap. He does that 'round this time. I'll just head over and see if he's up yet." Myra replies, turning to head across the street. She moves towards one of the houses nearby.

Dave shakes the old lady's hand and scratches his chin. He looks at the others. "There something in the water here?" he murmurs.


You folks hungry?" Mrs. Curry wonders. "I heard you mention chicken. As it so happens, I just pulled out some of my baked chicken out of the oven. Why don't you come on in. Phil can get to your automobile just fine without you hovering." The old lady makes her way back up the steps, opening a screen door that protested with a metallic squek. She gestures for you to follow as she steps inside the house.
"Baked chicken, huh?"


As you look after Mrs. Curry, another woman approaches you. She looks warily at the remaining old woman, who remains embroidering in a rocking chair on the porch. Alyssa was remarkably different from the other townspeople. While they wore threadbare floral dresses, she wore a comparably new purple tank top. A woolen shawl was draped over her suntaned shoulders and clipped with an ugly looking broach. Neither the shawl or broach looked to be her style. Her brown hair was chopped in a short, modern style. She looks at you with uick furtive looks before glancing at the older women around you, as though worried she'd be overheard. "You waiting on Phil?" She asks, knowingly.

"You betcha." Mike said, smiling friendly.

Dave continues to feel out of place, scratching his chin conspicuously as though signalling.

"I've been waiting on Phil for three days. For an old geezer, that guy gets around. Apparently he has to fish, tend the cows, slaughter a pig- I finally just said fuck it, I'll stay and wait for him. Old man has to fix my lil' Honda."

"She's been gone a fair while for just checking on a sleeping guy." Mike commented. "Three days and he can't spare a pretty lady five minutes of his time? Most old folk I know'd be jumping at the chance."

The woman smiles at Mike, although it fades as she glances to the old woman. She is frowning at the pair of you disapprovingly. "Well, I'd best be getting back to the Talbots... it's just across the street, if you want to stop by. " She smiles winningly at Mike before departing. The old woman tuts after her, shaking her head as she goes.

"Most old folk I know don't have junk that works," Dave mumbles. "So you guys want chicken?"


"If it comes with a beer I'm in." Mike grinned.

Liam shrugged. "I guess."

Mrs Curry reappears at the door, gesturing for you to come inside. The door opens up into an olden style kitchen with a squat fridge and an attached dining room with a wooden table, set for six. "Settle on in." Mrs. Curry replies, smiling. "You'll take milk or water?"

Liam glances at Dave. "Uh, I think I'll go with milk."

"Nothing stronger?" Mike asked, dreading the fact the answer wouldn't be positive.

"Water's good." Dave adds.

"We don't serve spirits for dinner here.." Mrs Curry replies, taking it upon herself to fill three glasses with milk and water, respectively. She totters over, depositing one by each plate. " The Alberts sell some of that stuff in thier store, if you're fixing for some later. So, where you folks from?"

"The good ole' Outback." Mike informed her.

"We're from Salem." said Liam as he drummed his fingers along the table. "So, around when is Phil going to be finished? It's not like the car has some kind of complicated problem. "



Mrs Curry totters back to the kitchen, bending her wiry frame down to open the oven. She lifts out a glass pan that fills the kitchen with the delightful smell of baked chicken, seasoned just right. She adds a pair of tongs and brings the pan over, depositing it at the center of the table. She moves about the kitchen experly, soon adding a basket of warmed corn bread, a steaming bull of green beans and a cool plate of butter. The woman settles herself beside Mike, eying him with curiousity. "Never had someone from there through here, before. What sort of work did you do in Salem?" The last question is directed to the group. She frowns at Liam for a moment. "Well, just as fast as it takes him to get out there."

Liam sighs. "Alright. Don't mean to rush him. Just wondering. Thanks for all this by the way."

"In Salem?" Mike didn't think mentioning mercenary-for-hire would go down so well, nor his Hunter work... "Oh I worked for many businesses where my talents were required. Layoffs, payroll reduction, that kind of thing."

"Of course. The road is a hard thing, not enough good home cooked food." she looks at Mike blankly for a minute before nodding slowly. Suddenly, the screen door slammed open. A young girl of about seven races inside, flushed. "Nana-" "Hush." Mrs. Curry said sharply to her. "Can't you see we have company?" The girl glances at you, her eyes widening with shock and wonder.

Liam tries to figure out what's going on with the little girl. Maybe he could figure out what all the townspeople were staring at. (Going for an empathy roll with risked willpower.)

"Nothin' wrong with children being seen and heard." Mike smiled at the little girl.
As Liam looks to the girl, he has to deduce that she's simply shocked to see you. Shocked and mroe than a little afraid. The fear pulls at her eyes, makes her lips pull tight as her grandmother chastises her. There's something that she's holding back, by how she's biting her lip. "We'll ecuse ourselves." The old woman declares, standing and gently guiding the girl out onto the porch. "You go on with dinner..."

Liam whispers today. "You see that girl? She was scared shitless. They're hiding something. Something's wrong here."

*Riley had thanked Myra and followed the rest, but otherwise stayed quiet the whole time, until dinnertime, where he gratefully accepts water.* "You're absolutely right that the road is a hard thing. Still, it must be difficult for the town with the freeway being so far to get businesses and everything else in or out." *He casually says to Mrs. Curry."