[Once you've created your character and PM'd me the details, post their entry into the diner here and interact with whoever else is there. If you're not sure what's going on here, read this thread for details]

Saturday night in Abramton.

Few people remember the name of the town that used to be at the crossroads near the Maine coast. The only reminder is the filling station and the diner, both run by the Gillespies, a family that has its roots in old Abramton.

These days, Saturday night at the crossroads means little more than a few extra bachelor farmers coming in for a meal they didn't have to cook themselves, along with whatever travelers happened to be passing through around dinner time.

It's Saturday night, around 10pm. The rain is pouring down outside, making the diner seem a refuge from the deluge.

The majority of the travelers have finished dinner and left, continuing their journey from point A to point B. A couple of farmers are still in the diner, along with a traveler who seems content to take her time.

Jacob Fishman sits at the counter, his bible open in front of him. He sips at coffee as he reads, an empty plate that once contained apple pie beside the book.

Larry Andrews also sits at the counter, talking animatedly with Mike Gillespie, the owner and head cook.

"I tell you Mike," Larry says, "It's all because of them Democrats, you give 'em an inch and they'll steal the fillings right out of your teeth!"

Mike nods and wipes at the counter, his attitude that of a man listening to a familiar recording.

The traveler is a young woman, probably college aged, with a backpack on the ground beside her and an open notebook on the table in front of her.

Lightning flashes, and thunder shakes the plate glass of the diner's windows.

As if she could see just fine, the blind waitress brought a cup of coffee to the girl sitting alone at a table. "Here ya go, sweetie. It'll keep your insides warm." She gave a smile and turned and walked over to the older gentleman, refilling his cup. "There ya go. Pie's good, isn't i?" She smiled to him and gave a wink, though, her face wasn't exactly looking at him. It was dark in that corner--very difficult to see the shadowy outline. She turned and headed back to Jacob as Larry began to wax political. "May I take your plate, Jacob?" She reached for the empty plate.

"It's all because of them Democrats, you give 'em an inch and they'll steal the fillings right out of your teeth!" Larry blurted. Rajka stifled a snicker.

"Oh, Larry! Everything's a conspiracy, isn't it," she teased him. "I bet you know who the second gunman on the grassy knoll was, don't you!" She gave a light chuckle and disappeared into the kitchen to put the plate and fork in the dishwasher. Re-emerging, she went over to Larry and Mike, leaning on the counter. "How about another cup of coffee, Larry? Or some more pie?" She smiled again and tilted her head slightly, listening.

The flash of lightning caused her to instantly cover her ears. As the glass shook from the concussion of the thunder, Ray (as she was called) winced slightly. Her hearing had become her sight--and thunder always made her head hurt.

Especially this kind of thunder.

The thunder died, and Larry scowled at the diner in general.

"You laugh, Ray," he says, "but the government's going to hell in a handbasket." Regulars knew that Larry was always good for a cliche filled evening.

"It's the rule of the Lord we should concern ourselves with," Jacob says, uncharacteristically breaking into the conversation.

Larry snorts, and drinks more coffee.

The front door opened and a man walked in, drenched from the rain. His long dark hair lay in flat strands around his head, dripping water onto his over sized trench coat. Stepping inside and closing the door his eyes quickly scan the room, looking unsure. His thick boots clunk less than one would expect.

"You still open?"

He speaks with a city accent, but not from any definite region.

Mike pauses in wiping the counter as the locals all look at the newcomer, only the college girl staying focused on her notes. Mike glances around at the diner, practically crowded for a Saturday night, especially in this weather.

"Yeah, we're open," he says with a nod. "Sit where you want, Ray'll be by to take your order."

Ray's ears twitch slightly as she hears the door open. She smiles in the direction of the new comer, then pushes off the counter to fetch a pot of coffee. "I'll be right with you, sweetie!" She offers coffee first to Larry and Jacob, then takes the pot over to the new guy, listening carefully for where he decides to sit.

"Coffee?" She asks sweetly before supplying him with a menu. "It's wet out there. This'll warm you up. May have a bit of a kick. Mike likes to make it strong," she gives a wink and pulls a place setting from her apron's pouch, feeling how many are left. "What can I getchya?"

Derek sits at a table putting his back to a wall and offering a good view of the room.

He slicks his hair back as best he can and answers, "Yeah, I could use some coffee."

The door whipped open again and in walked a large, stocky man wearing a pair of dirty coveralls. He had a red baseball cap on his head that was turned backwards. The sleeves of his coveralls were cut off at the shoulders so his tree trunk arms were naked except for the grease and oil and sweat that covered them.

"Oooh wee. That sure is a gulley washer out there."

"Is that Zeke McCabe?" the waitress asked.

"None other, Darlin'. Give me the usual please." Zeke said as he sat down at the counter. "What brings you out in this mess, Zeke?" the waitress asked as she poured him a coffee with a little Kentucky bourbon in it.

"Well, little Momma, I was out pulling a car from a ditch down the road a piece and figgered I better get my butt into the diner to warm my bones for a bit before heading back to the garage."

He sipped his coffee and talked to the waitress as she served him a big slice of pecan pie. "A lot of people tonight, huh? Storm bring them all in?"

Ray had no sooner finished pouring the newcomer's coffee when she heard Zeke. She gave a faint grin and a wink to the newcomer, calling over her shoulder in the direction of the door. When asked for his usual, Ray just chuckled. "I'll be right back with you, sweetie," she smiled to the new one then spun around and navigated her way over to Zeke. She listened as she poured the coffee and set the pie on the table in front of him.

"Looks like. Of course, Jacob's always here...and Larry. I think they live here, sometimes!" She chuckled and nodded in the direction of the new comer, "He just seems chilled to the bone, poor thing. Just try not to scare 'im off, Zeke!" She gave a wink and a grin, then excused herself back to the new one. "So, how's a slice of pecan pie sound? If you don't like that, we've got apple, a slice of cherry left, and ...I think sweet potato. I can heat up any of 'em if you want them warm."

Derek followed Zeke with his eyes, sipping his coffee. One hand slowly drifts under the table.

"Cherry's fine. I don't mind it cold."

Larry sees Zeke come into the diner and raises his voice a bit to carry.

"Zeke, what do you think about those thieving Democrats?"

A few moments later the door opens up again and a man enters in the diner. He currently is wearing a brown trenchcoat and hat and takes them off and sets them to hang and dry. What reveals is an average looking man about six feet tall, a little built, average looking with clean haircut black hair. Wearing a button down shirt and black jeans and in plain view shows a gun holster with a gun in it and safely clipped to him. He makes a quick scan of the diner and sits at the counter one seat aprt from the girl.

"Wow....sure is pouring out there. Can I still order something or is the Diner closing up for the night?"

"Cherry pie comin' right up, sweetie," she spins on her heels and heads for the kitchen. She goes to where she last placed the cherry pie and picks up the last slice, taking it over to the man.

The door opens again and another man enters. She sets the pie down on the table and smiles, "Don't mind Larry, by the way. He always waxes political." She gives him a warm smile, "Just hollar if you need somethin', darlin'. Name's Ray." She turns and walks back to the counter and smiles in the direction of the newcomer. "You can order whatever you'd like, sweetie. Oh, except cherry pie. We're fresh out." She heads toward the coffee pots and pulls out a fresh pot and sets the other to brew. "Coffee?"

Nods "Please, and I'll take a slice of apple pie if you have some"

"Weel, Zeke? How do you feel about the Democrats?" Larry shouted to Zeke.

"Aaaww Larry you know I dont know nothin' about that stuff. I know that I am still waiting for my food, though." Zeke said loud enough for Ray to hear.

"Now don't you be gettin' sassy, Zeke. Your food will be right up. Toothsweet."

No sooner did she finish speaking, Ray was startled by the slamming of a plate on the counter behind her. It was from the cook and it was Zeke's heaping pile of french fries smothered in gravy. She handed Zeke the plate and he started right in on them.

Suddenly he stopped eating, took off his hat and began to pray and giving thanks for the meal. When he was done, he attacked the plate again.

"Hey Ray, tell Cookie back there that these fries are almost as good as your possum pie." Zeke shouted out loud enough for the cook to hear him and kind of snarled in reply. Everyone in the diner chuckled at the exchange.

"That's whats wrong with this country," Larry mutters, "nobody cares about who's running the show."

Jacob looks up from his bible, but Larry interrupts whatever comment he was about to make.

"Yeah, I know who you think is running the show."

[A note on the setting, the diner in the middle of nowhere is now placed a bit more precisely...it's in the middle of nowhere, Maine, about a mile from the coast.]

As the door opens to admit yet another customer, the wind blows the rain through the open doorway. The college girl clutches at her papers on her table as they threaten to blow all over the diner. The wind ruffles the pages of Jacob's bible, causing him to look sternly at the person entering.

A young man enters, in his early twenties, dressed in jeans and what was probably a nice leather coat, before rain and mud had their way with it. He's soaked through, water dripping from his hair, mud caking his shoes and pants.

He closes the door behind him and trudges to the stool at the counter nearest the door, leaving muddy footprints all the way there.

"Coffee," he says, fishing in his coat for a wallet.

John notices the man walk in and digs into his pants pocket and pulls out a little note pad and makes a few notes into it before putting it back into his pocket. He then turns towards Ray and asks "Have you seen this girl by chance?"

He then pulls out as he asks a picture of a teenage girl about to be 16 years of age. On the picture is her wearing a red and white stripe sweat shirt. curly brown hair, blue eyes, dimples, and small braces as her smile shows her teeth.

Derek sips his coffee, seemingly not interested in the pie. He watches the room and listens to the conversations, but doesn't say anything himself.

Ray's eyes widen as the plate slams behind her. She laughs it off and places it in front of Zeke. She's feeling a bit of tension mounting in the room. Still, she smiles sweetly.

She shivers as the door opens and listens as the new person trudges in and sits. "Coffee..." and she obliges with a warm cup. "Anything else you need, you just holler, sweetie. Name's Ray." She smiles and then flits over to the college girl to make sure she's set, then the older man in dark, the man with the cherry pie, Jacob, Larry, and Zeke.

"Have you seen this girl by chance?" she hears someone ask. She keeps on about her business, filling coffee pots and checking on the patrons. She does, however, until she hears Zeke's booming voice...

"Ya talkin' to Ray, boy-boy?" he laughs. "She ain't seen nothin', son! She's blind as a bat!"

"Thank you, Zeke," she smiles a little awkwardly. "Yes, I am, actually, blind. So, no, I've not seen anyone at all. But, if you have a personal item, I may be able to sense them..."

Jacob looks up and gives her a glare. Not that she could see it, but she could certainly feel it. She smiles in his direction. "...maybe later, though. I still am on the clock."

Derek frowns at the way Zeke and Jacob act toward Ray, but still says nothing.

"My apologies ma'am I did not know", as he lays the photo on the counter and looks at it for a good while.

Ray speaks as brightly as ever, "Oh, it's alright, sweetie! My sight went gradually. And, actually, Zeke, I'm not as blind as a bat. I can see shadows and light." She smiles and makes another sweep of the diner. "Mike, you may want to put another roast in the oven. We're gettin' full-up!"

As she walks by Larry, she reaches a hand to tousle his hair.

Rather than complaining or exploding, Larry stammers and actually blushes a bit at this treatment. He finds his coffee intensely interesting for a few minutes.

Derek mutters something about bats not being blind. He watches Ray with his eyes as she moves about the room.

Takes a sip of his coffee and begins to eat on the slice of pie.

Ray makes a note on how to silence Larry and chuckles. She checks on the college student and the older man again, then heads over to the man whose eyes she's felt following her. "More coffee, sweetie?" She smiles to him, then asks, "I don't recognize your voice. What brings you here? I mean besides the weather?"

"Nothing. Just the weather. Its not a fit night out there. And yes, I will have a bit more coffee please." the man said without looking up at the waitress.

She poured him some coffee and walked over to Zeke to refill his cup. "That guy over there. He's a bit of an odd duck, isn't he?"

"Oh I don't know Ray. Aren't we all a bit odd at times?"

Indignantly she replied, "Some more than others Mr. McCabe. Some more than others." With that, she just huffed away from Zeke. Zeke just smiled and sipped his coffee.

On Ray's next round through, the college student hesitantly says, "Can I ask you a question?"

"I'm studying towns that disappear, like old Abramton. Do you know anyone whose family would have been around here in the twenties or thirties?"

The muddy young man at the counter glances their way at that, looks at his watch, then returns to his coffee.

Jacob also looks up, puts a marker in his bible before closing it and returning it to an inner pocket in his coat. He walks over to the table and nods to the girl.

"My name is Jacob Fishman, and my family has been in the area since the Depression."

The college girl excitedly begins to question Jacob, trying to draw out whatever his parents might have said about old Abramton in those days.

Derek looks at Ray, "No, thank you. I'm just passing through."

The muddy young man at the counter checks his watch again, just as the storm outside builds to a crescendo. The thunder is more like the finale of a major fireworks show than a storm, but strangely enough there's no lightning to go with it.

And then abruptly there's a lightning flash to end all lightning flashes, temporarily blinding everyone in the diner save Ray, who was already deafened by the thunder.

As their sight recovers, the diner's inhabitants are greeted by daylight streaming in from diner's windows.

[For those of you new to Call of Cthulhu, now and then something will happen that is totally outside a character's experience. These result in sanity checks, which area basically a way of seeing how the character is doing at adapting to a reality that isn't the way they have always assumed it is.

The more sanity the character loses, the more they're accepting the way things really are, as opposed to the way they thought thing really were. When your character's sanity gets low enough, I'll PM you with info about how their personality might have changed, or new obsessions they may have gained.

In the future, every time that something happens that requires a sanity check, I'll use the words Sanity Check, and then list the characters to whom it applies. In this case, because of the abnormality of the storm and the daylight at around 10:30pm, that would have looked like this:]

[Sanity Check: Everyone]

The muddy young man is the first to react, stepping down from his stool at the counter and leaving by the front door of the diner.

Derek quickly recovers and looks around, blinking. He checks his possessions, such as they are, and moves to look out a window for the light source.

Ray covers her ears and drops to the floor, eyes tightly closed and whimpering. As everything seems to calm down, she slowly stands, still whimpering slightly. Her eyes open and she blinks a few times, furrowing her brow. "Larry? Is it brighter in here? Or did the thunder just rattle my cage?"

She wants to run to Mike, but doesn't know where everyone is at the moment. She's a bit disoriented.

Larry comes over and puts a hand on Ray's shoulder.

"Damnation," he says, looking out at the sunlight streaming in the window, "they've gone and done it. A nuke-lear war."

Derek, peering out the window, sees nothing but a uniformly pink sky, with a slightly brighter spot nearly directly overhead, as if it were noon, with the sun hidden behind light cloud cover.

John follows the muddy man outside and begins to look around "This can't be right. It was night time....now its day light?"

Derek looks at Larry, "That's no nuke, dumb***. There's something over us."

Ray relaxes slightly and puts a hand on Larry's, just happy to have some comfort. Her face turns in the direction of the gruff man. "Aww, I know Larry can be a little much to take at times, but he's a sweetheart. No need for name calling, darlin'." She smiles to him. She looks back to Larry and takes his arm, "Larry, sweetie, could you point me toward the counter? I'm not quite su--wait, something's over us?!" She looks back in the direction of the man at the window.

The pink sky stretches in all directions as far as John can see, the slightly brighter spot nearly directly overhead.

The muddy young man stares upward and all around, turning as he does so, a look of wonder on his face. He throws his hands into the air and yells triumphantly, then starts jogging toward the coast.

Larry scowls at Derek, but takes Ray's hand and leads her to where she can feel the counter and orient herself. Mike, from behind the counter, asks, "You doing okay Ray?"

Jacob and the college girl look out from their table at the window, shocked at the bright light and pink skies.

With a bright smile, and a bit of a relieved sigh at feeling the counter, Ray brightly chirps, "Yep! Doing wonderfully w--" she's cut off by the yell from outside and frowns. "What's going on? My Spidey-senses are tingling, but I don't know why." She pauses a moment and sniffs the air. "And where's Zeke?!"

Derek turns to watch the muddy man run off and scowls. "Mr. Pigpen is particularly happy about the new fluorescent pink sky. He checked his watch just before it happened. He's got somthin' to do with it."

"I'm here. That blast sent me over the counter and I was out momentarily. Anyone know whats going on?" Zeke said as he climbed to his feet and was rubbing the back of his head.

Ray grins and chuckles, "It's okay to admit you were terrified, Zeke. No'll think less of you. 'Cept maybe Larry. But, I don't think he thinks much of you, anyway." She grins and gives Zeke a wink, then squeezes Larry's arm.

"Pink fluorescing sky, you say? Is it pretty?" She smiles, trying to picture what the sky might look like.

Ray's comment shakes Jacob out of his shock.

"Pretty?" he says. "Pretty in the way the devil is pretty. The end times are here, and I must prepare."

With that pronouncement, Jacob stands and leaves the diner, walking with a steady pace in the direction of his farm, a good five miles out of town.

Larry, for a change, doesn't say anything about Jacob's religious views, but glances outside at the pink sky again, as if trying to decide if Jacob might not be right.

Ray frowns at Jacob's words, then starts to rub one of her arms. She closes her eyes and stands still a moment, then starts to tremble a little. "You sure you're okay, Ray?" Mike asks.

She opens her eyes and smiles, but doesn't move her head. "Mmhmm. I'm fine..." She coughs slightly, then musses Larry's hair again. "So...wh-who needed more coffee?"

John quickly tries to catch up to the man jogging to the coast yelling, "HEY! HEY! SLOW DOWN! WHERE ARE YOU GOING!" While at the same time looking up at the sky feeling a bit of peace but also very disturbed.

John manages to catch up to the young man just as he is shrugging off his leather coat and dropping it to the ground. The man continues jogging at the same speed, and seems to be ignoring John.

Derek watches the two men run. "What are those damned fools doing?"

Larry sits at the counter again, looking out the windows at the light and the sky.

"I could, and make it black," he says.

Mike pats Ray's shoulder as he steps out from behind the counter. "Be right back, Ray, gotta make a call." Mike heads to the pay phone in the far corner of the room, inserts a quarter, and dials. After a moment, he shakes his head and hangs up.

"Phone's dead," he announces as he heads back behind the counter.

Ray smiles slightly and speaks in Derek's direction, "I guess they're running away?" She chuckles slightly then smiles as Mike pats her shoulder and she nervously pours a cup of coffee for Larry. "Here ya go, sweetie."

At the announcement of the phone being dead, Ray winces slightly--trapped... Finally, she whispers to Larry, "Larry, there's nothing behind me, is there?"

Larry glances behind Ray reflexively, then shakes his head.

"No, nothing behind you. Don't worry, Ray, I've got the creeps, too."

Damn fries and gravy all over my Sunday-go-to-meetin' t-shirt." Zeke muttered indignantly.

"Anyone know what the blast was yet? Was it Jesus coming to destroy the whore of Babylon or something or maybe just a propane tank?"

"I...thought it was thunder?" Ray frowned. She had mixed feelings about being able to see. Part of her wished she could, again, just so she had a clue of what was going on. But, from the sounds of everything, she was glad she couldn't.

...except for that nagging feeling that she was being watched...

"Larry," she whispered, "is that really gruff guy staring at me? I feel like I'm being watched..."

Derek turns to glance at Ray, "That wasn't thunder. There was no lightning, and thunder doesn't turn the sky pink. My guess is whatever's hovering over us caused it. I'd bet anything that guy who ran out knows something."

John grabs the man and says, "Hey..where are you going don't you realize what is going on here?" John points up at the sky "You're acting strange the moment the sky lit up and all and I think you know something we don't so I want some answers now."

Larry glances around.

"Nope, Ray, everyone is looking outside. You don't worry none, Mike and I will make sure nobody bothers you."



The young man stops, surprised. He'd apparently not even noticed John yelling and running behind him.

"Answers?" He seems to think, then nods. "I can understand that. You'll get your answers at the tower, which is where I'm heading."

He starts moving again toward the coast, this time at a walk, glancing back as if expecting John to follow.

Ray chuckles to Derek. "No lightning or thunder, eh? Why else would I have been curled on the floor covering my ears?" With a giggle and a playful stance with her hands on her hips, she asks plainly, "Are you deaf and blind, sir?" She gives him a wink, then smiles to Larry and gives him a hug. He needs one. So does she. "Thanks, Larry." She gives him a smile, then grabs her coffee pot and tries to go back to work 'as normal.' "Wait..." she pauses and listens closely. "Where are the last two people that came in?"

Derek scowls at Ray. "Those two idiots are running, as I just said. And one of them knows something."

Ray simply smiles in Derek's direction and walks toward him, coffee pot in hand. "You're awfully tense. And, I'm sorry, I didn't know to whom you were referring. It takes me a little bit to readjust after I've been rattled. I'm not like you, you know. I can't see everyone or everything that's around. I have to use my other senses. If I get disoriented, well...forgive my stupid questions, sir." She smiles again and shrugs happily, "More coffee?"

She seems the type to not let things bother her.

Derek looks back up at the sky, "I'm fine."

He's thinking, "Damn, this one is gonna be nuthin but dead weight."

John nods and follows the man to the coast on the way there John asks, "What is your name?"

"Jack Morgan," the young man says. "And you?" He seems perfectly reasonable, if still a bit euphoric from his excitement over events.

"Oh," he continues after John introduces himself (or fails to do so), "you might want to take your coat off. I'm waiting on my shoes until we're ready to swim, but you don't want any extra weight. It'll be a bit more than a mile."

In the diner, the others who are watching can see John and the young man heading off for the coast at a walking pace.

Behind the counter, Mike pulls out a small battery powered radio, and turns it on, hoping for news. He hunts up and down the channels, but finds nothing but static.

"I figured we'd at least be able to pick up the local news from Steuben," he says, discouraged.

In the diner, the college girl, Clarissa, collects her papers together and repacks her backpack.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to drive down to Steuben and see what they know. Tell Mr. Fishman I'll be back to ask more questions later."

"If there is a later," she says, glancing out at the pink sky that stretches in all directions.

Derek turns back to the crowd in the diner. "I get the feeling we should follow those two. At least one of them has answers, and I don't like just sitting around doing nothin'."

Ray smiles sweetly, "Okay, but I get Larry as my bodyguard!" She giggles and musses Derek's hair, "I just get the feeling you'd run me into a wall!" She gives a wink and heads back to Larry.

Derek looks at Ray, then checks his belongings and moves to the door. "Don't touch me."

Ray frowns slightly, looking a little hurt. "...if...if that's what you want, sir... But, if we're leaving the safety of this diner, I'd prefer to have some way of finding you if something happens and I don't have a personal item." She reaches for Larry's hand, then speaks to him, "You're coming with us, right? Or are you pawning me off on Zeke?" She gives a quirky grin and twitches slightly, unable to shake the feeling of being watched.

Larry looks at Derek, frowning slightly.

"I don't know about leaving the diner, but if you're goin' Ray, I'm goin' with you."

Mike looks toward the phone and the radio. "I'll stick here and try to get in touch with someone who knows what's going on. Whatever took out the phone and radio can't last."

Outside, Clarissa gets into her car and heads south along the road, toward Steuben.

Ray frowns again, "You sure, Mike? Who's going to look after you and protect you from the end of the world?" She grins slightly, trying to keep the atmosphere light. She clings tightly to Larry's hand--the only physical indication that she's starting to get worried and a bit frightened.

Answers Jack, "My name is John Rader,and what do you mean we have to swim? Isn't there a boat we can rent or something?" Takes notice how Jack is behaving and becomes suspicious of him.

"Thanks, Ray," Mike says, "but I'll be fine. I'll just stick here and try to get through to someone. If you all find something out, come back and let me know and we'll figure out what to do from there."



Jack shakes his head.

"Hasn't been a boat rental around here since the thirties. Nothing here now but the diner and gas station. Oh, in its day Abramton was filled with people, but not now."

"Anyway, I don't expect to find any boats. There might be a shack yet up or down the coast, but I don't plan on hunting for it. A mile swim won't do me any harm."

John takes off his coat and lays it on the ground and continues to follow Jack. While walking he begins to think to himself, "How could she possibly be here? I didn't see any thing on the way to the diner except for a few farms...maybe she is hiding there..." Shakes his head and continues to follow Jack. Right now John needs to figure out what is going on here.

[It looks like everyone except for Mike has decided to follow Jack & John to the coast. I'll start a new scene that begins at the coast. If you have last interactions to do in the diner, go ahead and do them at the same time that we're starting the next scene. Vance, if Zeke decides to stay at the diner, let me know. I won't name names in the new scene right away.]

[so is the story going to continue here or is a new forum section or new topic going to be created?]

[There's a new topic, here: Scene 2 ]