(CoC-1) The Sanatorium

DAY 1 – THE ARRIVAL


The group made up of:

Former WW1 fighter ace / private investigator Horatio Campbell
Military man and now Antiques Dealer Reginald Appleton
Ex-Boxing champ “Metal” Mike McDowell
And
Colorado Smith, treasure hunter.

Set off by motor boat from Rockport, Maine at about 7pm on the 21st of June 1921.  By the time you reach North Island the sun has just dipped below the rocky cliff on the South Eastern side of the island.

Your pilot, Ebenezer Waite had nothing but good things to say about Aldous Brewer on the trip over.  Well into his eighties, he has spent nearly all his life in and around the sea.  In his youth he travelled the globe and now is semi-retired and performs handyman chores around the island.

When you finally dock on a small, rickety jetty, Ebenezer offers to carry your bags up the winding stairs to the sanatorium at the top.  When declined, he shrugs his shoulders, mumbles something under his breath and nimbly jumps back into the boat and goes about securing it for the night.

It is near dusk and a light fog rolls in, as it does every night at this time of the year.  The shore rises up steeply from the end of the dock and the sanatorium, its lights warmly aglow, can be seen high above.  From its vantage point atop the southern cliffs of the island, the huge Georgian Revival house seems safe from sea and storm.
A flight of stones steps cut into the steep hill lead to the sanatorium.  The stonework is recent and makes for a safe, though tiring climb.

Knocking on the front door elicits a response from a elderly female voice from inside, “Hold your horses, I’m comin’ I’m comin’

The door is opened by a lady in her late sixties with gray hair standing out on end, dressed in a shapeless, faded, print shift. “Good evening, my name is Blanche, how can I help you?”

The words have only just left her mouth when from out of nowhere a small, bedraggled looking man runs silently from the right hand corner of the porch leaping at Reginald with an angry twinkle in his eye.  Within seconds, he is sent sprawling on his back into the dirt at the bottom of the stairs.

“Leonard! Leonard Hawkins! You get back inside at once!” Screams Blanche, grabbing Leonard by the ear and dragging him back inside the property.

“Apologies for Leonard sirs, he’s a little uncontrollable at times.  Please follow me.”  Pushing Leonard through the doorway into the property, she turns “Dr. Brewer’s taking a nap upstairs.  I’m in charge right now, you can wait in there.”

Pointing to a door marked Library, then marches Leonard off towards a door at the back of the foyer, she turns and says “Please stay out of the living room, we've had a little accident in there.  I’ll be back in a minute to serve refreshments.  Coffee OK?  Good”  She turns and leaves without waiting for an answer.

The library is pretty much what you would expect, numerous books line the walls and it is comfortably furnished.  On a couch sits a young woman, engrossed in what turns out to be an illustrated version of Dante’s Inferno.  When approached and spoken to she curtly replies “Shhhh! We’re in the library” and says no more.

Not even Colorado's best 'moves' could distract her from her book.

Thirsty and with no liquor on hand except for Reginald’s private flask, the investigators decide to ignore Blanche’s request to stay out of the living room and enter the room anyway.

Again, this room is well furnished, although some object have been knocked off of a table and there is a lamp lying on the floor.  Extending from behind the couch are two white-stockinged legs, toes turned down.

The legs it turns out belong to Nurse Ames, whose body lies face down on the floor, in a large pool of congealed blood, closer examination reveals a pair of sharp, silver scissors protruding from her left eye socket.  Much to the distress of ex-boxing champion “Metal” Mike McDowell.

The investigators quickly return to the library just as Blanche enters the room pushing a trolley laden with finger sandwiches and jugs of coffee.  When questioned she explains Dr Brewer is still having a nap upstairs and shouldn't be disturbed.  She then leaves the room from where she entered.

After about 30 minutes the investigators decide to explore the downstairs area a little more thoroughly.  They find little of interest in the dining room, with seats set for twelve and a large well stocked kitchen.

Further investigation of the downstairs Patients Wing reveal 5 single rooms for various patients,

(Blanche, a Colonel Crandall Billings, gender fluid Henry Barber and a Mrs Randolph)

A laundry where investigators see the back door has somehow been blown outwards and left in splinters on the ground.  Lying with her back against one of the industrial washing machines they come across the badly disfigured body of Melba, the maid.

Her eyes stare blankly in front of her, her mouth frozen wide open.  Her upper body seems to healthy but her feet and legs are withered brown sticks – dried dead limbs, split open like old and rotting leather to expose the bones within.  “IT! IT!” is all she can mutter before dying of suspected cardiac arrest.  Much again to the distress of ex-bare knuckle boxing champion “Metal” Mike McDowell.

On closer examination, Colorado Smith notices some strange looking burn marks on the floor near the door, almost unnoticeable in the failing light.

In the desk area, the investigators came across yet another corpse, this one occupying a chair in the Desk Area of the lower floor.  The body slumps in the chair with its head twisted around to face backwards.  It hangs down at an awkward angle.  “I think he’s dead” murmurs Colorado as Mike starts turning a little green around the edges.



THE BASEMENT

Investigating the basement reveals  a large boiler, storage areas, a bedroom, four more patient cells, and a restraint room.  Three of the four patient cells are occupied.  One by Leonard Hawkins, who again, attempts to manhandle Reginald but is instead knocked unconscious by Mike who had, by now almost had enough of this place.

Another room is occupied by Darlene, the young lady who was reading in the library earlier.

The last occupied cell is that of Allen Harding, on entering the cell the investigators immediately notice that he has been clawing something on the wall in such a frantic manner that his fingertips are nearly worn down to the bone.  He is currently huddled in the corner, streaked with blood and shaking violently.

“It’s coming!” he screams “It’s got them and it’s going to kill us all!”

“You, you, you, then youuuuu” he screams, pointing a bloody stump of a finger at Reginald before losing consciousness.


SECOND FLOOR

By now it was getting late, but the investigator decided it was best to try and find Dr Aldous Brewer and try and get to the bottom of this.

On the second floor the investigators found rooms, that had been set aside for their stay, the bedrooms of Nurse Ames, Dr Aldous Brewer (which was unoccupied) and Nurse Bobby.  “The stiff fella from downstairs” according to Smith.

The second floor was also home to a shock therapy room, which looked like it hadn't been used for a while, a bathroom, an examination room and what turned out to be a room straight from Mike’s nightmares, which left the undefeated, bare-knuckle, heavy weight boxing, ex-champion squirming on the ground in a foetal position whimpering like a child.



Dr Brewer’s Office….

The room contains the mutilated corpse of Dr Aldous Brewer.  The furniture of the office had been pushed back against the walls and Dr Brewer apparently staked out on the floor hand and foot.  An unidentifiable cryptic symbol painted on his forehead in his own blood.  It appears his arms and legs were removed one-by-one with a bloody bone saw which in now lying on the floor.  The doctor had also been disemboweled and huge pool of blood soaks the oriental rug on the floor.

“I need a drink” muttered Reginald, reaching into his inside coat pocket, only to find it empty.

“Leonard Hawkins, you son of a bitch!”

Once everyone had calmed down and ‘Metal’ Mike had been escorted from the room, the remaining investigators went about searching Dr Brewer’s office.  Among the clutter, the result of an obvious struggle, they found a locked safe and various files and reports of the current patients at North Island Sanatorium.

The Sanatorium it seems was ‘home’ to seven patients and six members of staff including Dr Brewer. The investigators decided to focus mainly on the file of Allen Harding.  A poet, an alcoholic and a drug abuser.  It seems he was the focus of most of Dr Brewer’s present research.  His notes include reports of horrifying dreams, voices in his head and while undergoing therapy Harding has seemed possessed, taking on odd mannerisms and speaking in a voice distinctly not his own.  There was also a book of poetry, written by Allen Harding, horrifying to say the least, reading it left Colorado Smith shaken and a little stirred.

They also found a journal of Dr Brewer’s among other letters, papers and shorthand notes.  In a drawer in the Doctors desk they also found a loaded .38 revolver and a box of shells.  “This will come in handy” thought Horatio, who had inexplicably left his own firearm at home, although he had packed ammunition.

The investigators had decided to call it a night and where about to settle down when they heard loud, blood-curdling screams coming from outside the mansion.  Piling into the garden they listened out for any re-occurrence of the sounds they had just heard, but all was silent except for the sound of waves crashing into the rocks and the occasional seabird screeching overhead.

Day Two

The rest of the night passed uneventfully.  The investigators woken by Blanche ringing a bell signalling it was time for breakfast as if nothing untoward was occurring.  Although the weather outside threatening rain the investigators decided it would be best to explore the island immediately for what had been making that terrifying noise the night before.

They started by exploring the outbuildings of the sanatorium.  There were five buildings in total. A shack that was obviously belonging to Ebenezer Waite, he wasn't home but upon a quick search of his cabin they found a letter describing a ruined boat and warding amulet.  Also among the outbuildings they found a maintenance shed, the maids quarters, a diesel generator shed and an outhouse.  While traversing the short distance from the rear of the sanatorium to the gravel track Colorado caught glimpse of a strange object lying in the grass near the destroyed rear doors.

On the ground surrounded by the same strange scorch marks he had seen in the laundry room, he came across the scorched body of a small cat.  Most of it’s fur had been burnt off and it crumpled to dust at the slightest touch, leaving behind only a small collar with the name tag ‘Cicero’.

The investigators decided to follow the gravel track towards the North East part of the island.  After a few hundred meters they came to what could only be described as a stone table, overlooking the cliffs on the Eastern edge of the island.  On closer examination the table resembled more of a sacrificial altar.  Soaked with blood while various parts of human anatomy litter the area.  Insects, birds and small mammals have been attracted in great numbers and the stench is overwhelming.  Again, Mike started to feel a little uneasy.

After carrying on along the path they eventually came across the remains of a camp, obviously belonging to the graduate student from Princeton, Mr James Shelley.  The camp was an obvious scene of a struggle and some amount of bloodshed.  The tent was ripped and all of Mr Shelley’s belongings scattered over the ground.  Among the debris the investigators found some drawings of a strange lighthouse, an abundance of bird drawings and a loaded .45 pistol in a knapsack along with James Shelley’s journal.

Fearing the worst for Mr Shelley, the group quickly continued up the path until from behind a copse of pine trees they came across a lighthouse, almost a perfect match for the drawing found in the camp some five hundred yards behind them.

The well worn building looked abandoned, the light on top obviously inoperative.  The investigators decided to take a look anyway, on entering the lighthouse they found the ground floor to be completely empty with a distinct lack of any kind of life.  Not even an insect scurried across the floor when they entered.  At the far end of the room was a steep wooden staircase that led up to a closed trap door in the ceiling.  Horatio, being the strongest and least scared moved over towards the stairs, climbing them carefully.  Then, with a burst of expletives he barged the stuck trapdoor open with all his might.

Sticking his head through the opening he was confronted with something he had never seen before.  Filling the entirety of the second floor of the lighthouse was a slowly roiling mass of gassy spheres, nearly transparent but with a shifting, oily iridescence.  Red veins of light flickered through its mass.  The lights started to pulsate as Horatio stood awestruck, his mind struggling to comprehend what his eyes where seeing. 

Without warning a large, oily tendril struck out at Horatio’s head.  In a blink he managed to duck down, avoiding the thrusting tendril above his head, he could feel the prickling heat it emanated. 

His fortune and lightening reflexes that saved him from a terrible fate also caused the trapdoor to shut and sent him flying backwards down the steep, wooden steps winding him temporarily. 

“Run fools” he shouted while clambering back to his feet.

And they did.