The Mystery of the Mystery House!

[The Eighth Doctor]

"Well," the Doctor looked a bit uncomfortable. "That's the problem with names, you try a few then lose track of them. Over the years they pile up behind the door and end up blocking the airway, perhaps even stuck in the ductwork. With each name you end up with junkmail and magazines you don't even remember subscribing to and don't even like. Before long people come calling that claim they've been researching their family line and they just happen to be your long lost second cousin to their aunt twice removed and wish to borrow money from you. Relatives." he made a slight face, gave a small wave of his hand then pretended to be more engrossed in the butler's wound. "Nasty bothersome things, names. I'm the Doctor, isn't that enough?"

[The Tenth Doctor]

Tyler shrugged. 'I guess....but most doctor's go by their last name...or first name.....so that people refer to them as Doctor someone...."

He paused for a moment before asking the Doctor, "Junk mail? Just what do you mean by that? And subscribing to magazines? I....I don't exactly know what that means..."

After a little more reflection, Tyler asked, "So you don't really have any relatives...or the ones that you do have, you don't like very well? I....doesn't that make things a little hard for you?"

Glancing from the injured man back to the Doctor, he let out a sigh, "And this conversation isn't doing anything for him," he nodded in the direction of the man on the bed.

[The Mentalist]

The room continued to buzz around the butler, laid down in the bed. He did not notice the world around him revolve, he didn't notice anything from the outside world. It made no difference to his dreaming mind, it was stuck in a nightmare.

"So. The time has come. The change is near."
The butler span around the black, his shoes clacking off of the surface he stood on. That voice wasn't familiar to him and the words meant nothing. What was this gibberish? Change? Near? He knew dreams were distorted but as his lady has rightly told him, they were a skewed representation of reality, the odd version of his mind. His fists clenched, his shirt ruffled as he turned and twisted, calling out.
"Who are you?! Answer me, now!!"
"As you wish, Nicholas. This is my simple answer."

The darkness quickly faded out, revealing a beautiful scene. The brown hills were roaming into the distance, the fallen orange leaves littering the dark green ground that lay beside a tranquil water bay. Two lone barren trees stood in the field, a small group of people sitting by them. The butler gazed over at them, listening to the sound of music coming from the group. There seemed to be four people in total, three adults and a baby. Two, dressed in very expensive clothing sat on a blanket, the male with his hand in a picnic basket. The female sat with a parasol over her, smiling kindly at the male across from her. The only other adult stood, heels together and back straight, with a violin in his hands. He played it beautifully and as Nicholas watched, he recognized the song. He knew how to play that song, he had played it often for his... master.
His eyes widened in shock as he finally recognized the child. She completed the picture. That man playing the violin, it was himself. Those people; they were his family, the one that he served. The male and female, they were Mr. and Mrs. Winchester and the child, the baby, was dear Annie.

The butler, watching from afar, felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't bear to see this. He knew exactly where this scene had come from, it was an old distant memory. It had been a visit, not long after the child had been born. Little Annie, a sweet little angel, she could only have been 4 weeks old as he saw her now. It wasn't long after that she had become so sick. The butler watched his other self finish the tune, smile and take a bow, the finishing of the movement creating a true nightmare.

The sky turned back. The figure, the butler, drew out a shotgun and fired. The shots rang out, the bodies of his family falling to the floor, only to be torn to pieces with a knife. The flesh turned to black and the water behind them went red. Thunder struck the landscape and the water started to turn choppy, started to overflow and came straight at the dreaming butler. His legs refused to move and he was swallowed by the red water. Except, as he was submerged in it, he realized that it was not water. It was too thick. This was blood.
He struggled desperately, trying to swim his way to the top of the blood river, but his hands and legs stuck in the mixture. It was too difficult. As he gazed up at the surface, someone walked over the blood and bent down to him. He cried out, the mixture bubbling, as he saw who it was. The figure leered down at him, grinning to reveal jagged teeth.
"In short. I am you. And just look at this mess we made."
A demonic laugh rang out through the liquid.
"Isn't it beautiful?"
He had to escape this, now, he couldn't stand this.

His heart thumped in his chest as the butler let out a scream, letting everyone know he was awake. Not only that, the scream had a tint of pain and whole host of fear in it. There were demons, everywhere. In his mind there were demons, in this house, there were demons. He was even beginning to think that he'd gone mad. Everything that he'd seen this night, everything was made of demons.

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(Charley hasn't posted in a while, sorry!)

The maid, in the other room heard this scream come from through the house. A shiver ran down her spine and she spoke to the lady that she'd rambled to before. Turning between the door and her, the maid spoke.
"I'm terribly sorry! I'm so sorry, I'm going to have to leave you, I'm so sorry! Please excuse me!"
Lily then tore out of the door, running as fast as she could his her shoes and skirt. That scream was Nicholas's, the tone and pitch was his, but the fear was not. Lily was now very nervous, she regretted not moving earlier. Just what had happened to him?!
Sprinting down the corridor, she got to the right door and knocked on it. Calling out to Tyler, Eight, her lady and anyone else who was in there, she almost pleaded to be let inside.
"Hello? Excuse me, may I be allowed in? I heard a scream, is he alright? Please, someone let me in! I'm sorry I didn't get here earlier, I'm so so sorry!"
She waited outside the door, fidgeting and wanting desperately to get inside.

[The Eighth Doctor]

The sudden scream took the Doctor completely by surprised but he was quick to recover and tried to calm the man down. "Easy! Easy!" he said as he tried to keep the man covered. He wasn't sure if the butler was going to start thrashing about but he was going to try to prevent it if he could. "Take it easy now, you'll start bleeding again if you move too much! It's all right, you're among friends!"

"You see?" Mrs Winchester said in a matter-of-fact tone. "It starts even now, Enigma!"

"Stop calling me that!" the Doctor muttered between clenched teeth. "I told you, I'm the DOCTOR!"

"And the fourth person will be joining us soon." The lady of the house stepped back to allow the maid inside the room. "Have you seen anyone yet, child?" she asked her, the dark eyes sharp and piercing in the aged face.

[The Tenth Doctor]

Tyler frowned, leaning over to the Doctor and whispered as softly as he could, "Where did Mrs. Winchester come from? I thought she had retired to bed ..."

Tyler sighed. He supposed that the scream had awakened to woman, and she had managed to reenter the room without his notice. Time had seemed to stand still as the person on the bed had let out a horrible scream. Tyler had panicked, not quite sure what to do. He looked to the Doctor.

Clearly angry, he glared at Mrs. Winchester, "That man right there is seriously injured. He still hasn't gotten the proper medical treatment yet. Forget about this fourth person right now, and go call for a proper doctor with medical supplies. This Doctor doesn't have his bag with him, but right now he's all we've got. Unless the fourth person is a doctor, just leave the witchcraft and demon calling until later."

Tyler watched as the maid reentered the room.

[The Mentalist]

The butler still stayed upright, his expression one of fear. His hands gripped the undercover, his eyes wild with fright. He stared, even as a guest tried to coax him down. He even ignored his lady's words, totally disregarding Mrs. Winchester and every other person in the room. The sweat poured off of him like water, the blood soaking through the dressing profusely. The scream had done him no good.

Meekly stepping in, the maid gave her lady a small curtsy before being bombarded with a question.
"Have you seen anyone yet, child?" she asked her, the dark eyes sharp and piercing in the aged face.
For a second, the maid thought. She was a little confused to the meaning of the question. Of course she had seen someone; she worked in the kitchen, she saw everyone! But, as Lily considered it more, she realized her lady probably meant spirits. The image of the horrid spirit from the basement came into her mind. It's maddening look, it drove her to near tears, it was that terrifying. But, instead of crying, the maid replied.
"No my lady. I have seen no-one, apart from the other servants and our guests..."
She waited fro a reply from her lady, the maid looking around.

There were two people here she didn't recognize. Someone, who'd called himself a doctor, was standing nearby, dressed in an eclectic mix of clothing. She took him in, noticing that there was something... different about this man. His attire certainly fitted with the time, but the colors, they were very bold. His long dark velvet-like jacket was beautiful, his gold waistcoat was striking and his tie matched perfectly. Even his hair was of the time, but, there was something about eyes. They had looks of maturity well beyond their years. She gave him a cautious look, intrigued by him.

Turning to the next person, she saw a dashing young man standing near to her. She took him in and tried not to stare at him for too long, going a little red. He was handsome and his voice was certainly something too. She took in his words, trying to keep her face a normal color;
"That man right there is seriously injured. He still hasn't gotten the proper medical treatment yet. Forget about this fourth person right now, and go call for a proper doctor with medical supplies. This Doctor doesn't have his bag with him, but right now he's all we've got. Unless the fourth person is a doctor, just leave the witchcraft and demon calling until later."

With those words, her attention turned totally to the final man. She stared at the butler sitting upright in the bed, who was fixated on some distant point in front of him. She gasped quietly as she saw him, thinking to herself, her worry increasing as time went on.
"Oh my lord..."
She shook her head of her creeping thought.
"No! That is not the specter from before... It's just Nicholas... but he's in such a bad way, I've never seen him so unwell... or frightened. I have never seen a man so terrified in all my time. Just what is going on around here?! Nicholas can handle anything, he's our head butler, but what could be so bad that it scares him to that....did the specter return?! No! Never! They cannot do such things.."
Now scared, she shuffled uneasily, thinking of what the young pilot had said.
"The guest is very right...Nicholas does need medical attention, but the only local physician is at least five miles away.... and goodness knows if Mr. Aubrecht is still awake, it's three o'clock in the morning... who knows if Nicholas will even hold out that long..."

the maid watched Nicholas, who started to cough. His eyes went to the covers, the wound to his throat getting even worse. The blood had nearly soaked right through the dressing and the cold compress he'd had, had flopped on to the bed. the maids hands fidgeted, turning over and over. She HAD to help him and at least settle him until the doctor could be called over, if only her lady would allow her.

[The Tenth Doctor]

As the woman came in, this Lily, Tyler nodded towards her. He couldn't help but notice how she had looked both himself and the Doctor over. When her eyes turned to him, he felt himself blush slightly, becoming uncomfortable and self-conscious. Women often looked at him that way, and it always made him uneasy.

When she finally turned her attention towards the butler, Tyler relaxed slightly, but only slightly. "I....I'm sorry," Tyler tried to speak to her, hoping that it would comfort the woman. "Something IS going on in this house, and I don't like it. Perhaps it would be better if no one actually tried to consult these spirits? Anyone think of doing an exorcism and getting rid of them all so that they no longer bothered anyone?"

At this point he turned directly to Mrs. Winchester. "People are getting hurt -- these spirits are nothing to play games with. You need to stop consulting them and instead git rid of them!"

Tyler frowned at the woman's words. "Do you have a phone? I assume that any physician would have a phone...doctors should be used to getting late night calls. That is part of their job."

Tyler was speaking as someone who lived in that time period. At least where he was from, doctors were often summoned at any hour, even at night. They visited the house of the patient, although that might mean that someone would actually have to go out and knock on the doctor's door.

"I'm willing to go, but I'm not from here...if someone can give me the directions and a means to get there, I will go."

[The Eighth Doctor]

"No no no that won't do at all!" The Doctor stood up as if coming to a decision. "I'll have to do something right now. I know there's only a few medical instruments about but they will have to do. Surely you have scissors, sharp knives, needles, stout thread and all that can be sterilized? I can't just sit here and watch this poor man bleed to death. C'mon Tyler." He began to shrug out of his jacket and roll up his sleeves. "I hope blood doesn't bother you? You're going to have to assist me. You!" he turned to the servant girl. "I need all the clean cloths you can get. Basins of HOT water, right out of a boiling kettle! Soap, a few nice sharp knives, any sewing scissors you can find, silk thread if you have any, a nice fine needle and all of that will have to be soaked in that HOT water. Understand? Oh, and please make sure your hands are as clean as you can possibly get them. Everything MUST be clean! Spotless!"

He did a quick survey of the room. "Table, table, table, you must have a nice strong table around here somewhere! Nothing that wobbles or creaks, it must support this man's weight!"

Mrs Winchester looked a bit taken aback at first but she quickly recovered and nodded. "The dining room table is very strong, I had it made specifically to the spirits' instructions out of the best oak and walnut. They must have foreseen its use for this. This way."

The Doctor had to almost forcibly keep from rolling his eyes at that. "Why am I not surprised to hear that?" he murmured to Tyler.

[The Tenth Doctor]

Tyler glanced at the Doctor, unsure of what the Doctor was asking him to do. "I....I've never really done anything like this before -- just piloting...but...if you think I could help...sure."

Although Tyler didn't like the idea of seeing a lot of blood, it wasn't something that he couldn't handle. "And....I think I'll be all right with the blood. I'll do anything, if it means saving this man's life. I will be your assistant."

Tyler nodded in agreement at Mrs. Winchester's answer. Everything that had to do with her seemed to be about those spirits. "Well, at least there is a table. I'd rather not ask her about the story of how it came to be...."

He, too, had rolled his eyes at the mention that the spirits had instructed it. Tyler really hoped that they wouldn't find out who this fourth person was that was supposed to be joining them. And where had that girl who had come with them gone? He hadn't seen Charlie in a while.

[The Mentalist]

The serving girl, who'd been barked at, shied away for a second. This man couldn't be serious! This type of job had to be left to the professionals- she paused. She had no right to judge this guest. He was but a man passing by. He may be a professional, she did not know. Her world was so localized, it made her feel ashamed. Everything was either in with the family she served or outside. Bowing her head, she took not of everything she needed, reciting it in her head.
"Clean cloths, right. Lots of boiling hot water, soap, sharp knives, sewing scissors, silk thread and a couple of fine needles. Everything needs to be soaked in the hot water. And my hands must be clean..."

Looking up, she nodded quietly and exited the room. Taking a candle from the wall, the maid quietly ran down the stairs and entered into one of the many corridors. She knew her way back from here to the kitchen. Lily ran quickly, nearly tripping and getting slightly frightened at the paintings. She had never truly been comfortable with the portraits on the wall; all those cold glaring eyes upset her. Even if the subjects were long dead, there was something about the eyes that made them feel alive. She could swear they watched her as she walked.

She kept scuttling down the corridors, until she got to the kitchen door. Barging in, she took a lance around. No-one else was working. Taking a look at the clock, it was no wonder. It was 3:15am. Most servants were asleep and those that weren't, were resting in their beds. The big kitchen would have everything she needed and even though she didn't have an extra pair of hands, she could do it.

Grabbing a huge steel bath-like tub, she placed it on the table. She then cleaned her hands with a light soap, then started work. Hurrying around the kitchen, she pulled and yanked every drawer open, rummaging through for the tools the guest needed. Throwing in a pair of small sewing scissors, the clang rang out through the kitchen. shortly following, a bundle of different, freshly sharpened knives hit the floor of the tub. Wasn't it ironic that Nicholas himself had sharpened most of these... A bundle of cloths were thrown in after, making a soft hit. She then put the fine needles through her dress to hold them, the silk thread also going in a pocket. The maid was meticulous, filling the many kettles and throwing them on the cooker, before washing her hands AGAIN. Tossing the soap in, she let the water boil and it then went in the tub.

Grabbing the heavy load as best she could, she carried it from the kitchen, trying not to spill any of it in the corridor or on the portraits. She fumbled her way through them until she reached the stairs. she nearly jumped out of her skin and split some of the water on the ground, as a strong female voice spoke to her from behind.
"May I interrupt you there? I must ask. Your- the butler of this house, he is a talented musician, yes?"
She spoke uneasily, not turning around and continuing up the stairs.
"Yes, but he is... not available right now... can I pass on a message- Wait. How did you get in this house?"
"I hardly see how that matters. I was just asking. Now, can he play Tartini's violin sonata in G minor? Oh... you may know it as the Devil's Trill Sonata."
Lily continued up on the stairs. This was getting a little frightening. She had never heard such a violin piece and this new guest was scary. The maid kept walking, the voice continuing to talk.
"Hm. I expected that. Such things of beauty mean nothing to you. They usually don't, not to uneducated ephermals like you. No matter. You ask him later then, Lily. See what kind of reaction that gets... You may forget. You just want a dance with him. That's all you ever want, his attention. Such a simple minded little human being. You were far more complex, once upon a time. You used to have such mixed feelings, you were like a yoyo. One minute, you couldn't stand the sight of him, the next, you wanted nothing more than him, knowing fine well it was wrong! I mean, to love a murderer, it was such taboo. I could see it so well when you wanted him though, you adored him. The real beauty was though, he wanted you too. Ah! Such emotions, they are so fleeting, so much fun! But don't you worry little girl, you shall have your second dance, so very soon! And then I shall have mine. It will be a true spectacle, his dance with death."
The maid had reached the top of the stairs, fear striking her right to the very core. This was very strange. Some of it was so true, yet, the maid had never confessed it to a single soul. How could this woman know and also, this woman spoke nonsense yet... some of it felt like it made sense. She couldn't connect it, but it made sense... but how? The maid spun round at the top of stairs, yelling.
"STOP IT! IMMEDIATELY! WHO ARE YOU TO-"
She was stopped dead by a horrid looking woman on the step below her. The figure in front of her, gowned in black, as pale as the white china, eyes as black as night, grinning a yellow toothed smile.
"Who am I? Take a guess, little girl. Ah. You and him are full of mistaken identities."
The maid stared at the black haired monster. She was ... death. There was no two ways about it. No human could personify death to that extent. The maid screamed out in fear, as another figure stood on the chandelier, raising a violin and playing some of the most horrid music she had every heard. It scratched and ripped her inner ears, the maid running away with the water, screaming as she went. A nasty laugh rang out, calling out to the depths of darkness.

Throwing the door open with her foot, the maid ran into the room where Nicholas and the guests lay. Quickly dropping the huge tub at the side of Nicholas's bed, she fell to her knees. This house was so full of drama, her nerves could no longer take it. Tonight had been FAR too stressful for the girl. As he was on he knees, she buried her head in her heads, sobbing and wailing like a small child. Quickly, she reached over to eh bed and snatched up the butler's hand in her own. she cried into that, wailing into it.
"PLEASE, DON'T GO! don't go, just don't go, don't let her...."
The maid broke down, no longer able to form words.

The butler, painfully, turned to gaze at Lily. She was hazy, everything was a little hazy, he didn't have enough blood. but he could hear her cries and was shocked by it. Wrestling his hand out from her grasp, he tried to make her stop crying so much. This night had really wound her up. Gently placing his hand by the back of her head, he stroked it, trying his best to comfort her.
"...I'm not going anywhere...now... hush... hush... let's not cry in front of the guests.... quieten down.."
He suddenly felt light headed again, his hand going a little limp. he spoke to the two guests and his lady.
"...I am terribly sorry for this...please...operate if you must... I will deal with any pain... though... I am mostly numb now.... just...sort this out... terribly sorry my lady..."
Trying his best to settle down, the butler found it very difficult to keep his eyes open. Nicholas tried his best to do both things, settle the maid down and stay awake.

[The Eighth Doctor]

(Darn. forgot to respond to Tyler's remarks to Mrs Winchester and the phone. )

The last thing the Doctor expected was for the door to be flung open, the maid practically dropping the washtub of hot water on his feet and then flinging herself on the bed. He stood there for a moment, blinking in total surprise while Mrs Winchester didn't even flinch.

"You saw her then, girl? The Fourth Person. She has come." With that announcement the old lady stepped back and raised her chin in quiet triumph. "As has been foreseen, this night is coming together."

The Doctor recovered enough to feel more exasperated at the mysterious droning of Sarah Winchester but knowing at this point nothing he could say would make her see any reason. He strode over and picked up the washtub carefully. He set it alongside the table and turned back. He still needed the rest of the materials but it was clear something had happened to the servant girl that had shocked her to the core. If he was going to get what he needed he was going to have to ask another servant.

[The Mentalist]

The butler, still having his hand held, frowned. He was getting a little annoyed with Lily. She was just so upset. Sighing, he gently took his hand (that was being held) and tilted her head back. Rolling over, he took the needles from her dress and took out the thread from her pocket.

Picking them up, he put them on the bed and spoke to Lily.
"Lily, just go to bed. You're just tired... don't worry."
She looked up at him teary and went a little red. She was embarassed by her actions and carefully slipped out of the room, silently leaving. The butler rolled back over onto his back.
"Terribly sorry... Here you go sir...patch me up please."
He held out the needles and thread, signalling also to all the items he needed in the bath. This would hopefully be painless.

[The Eighth Doctor]

(Sorry for that short suckish entry but it looked like the site was a bit wonky and I wanted to put -something- in! )

The Doctor gave a short nod as the butler sent the distraught girl away. He would need everything to be as calm and smooth as possible if he was going to help the man. There would be time enough later to find out just what had set her off. The needles, silken thread, and the knives had all gone into the tub and he carefully set the clean cloths on the table. Spreading out a sheet over the surface he rolled up a small towle for the man's head to rest on. Might as well make him as comfortable as possible, the Time Lord thought.

Aloud, he tossed over his should to Mrs Winchester "I don't suppose you have any good quality scotch about? As crude as it may seem, that would be the best sterilizer we could get."

The ruler of the house didn't reply but made a simple motion to another servant and they quickly scuttled off.

"All right, come on, let's try to get you over to the table. Help me, Tyler."

[The Eighth Doctor]

(Hmm, just realized that they should be a bit more concerned. After all, someone attempted murder in the area and they don't know who! )

The Doctor paused, then added another order over his shoulder to Mrs Winchester. "I'd alert the local law authorities if I were you. After all, someone somewhere tried to kill this man! He, or she, could very well strike again!"

He almost got a tart reply but the owner of the strange house was wise enough to know good advice when she heard it. "I'll go inform the servants and the caretakers." she said as she left.

The Doctor gave a worried glance to the door and nervously chewed his lower lip. "Please be safe, Charlie!" he murmured.