DRYH - Mad City Machinations

[misterecho]

[Darrel Anderson]
Contemplates turning to run, but the fear has overcome him. It takes him many seconds, which feel like minutes, for Darrel to turn tail and sprint in an uncontrolled panic.

Darrel is used to running for his life, from other criminals, from mugging victims or the police. This time he's running like he has never felt.

[Rotku]

Two and two slowly start to fall together in the Father's tired mind. Strange hallucinations of weird cathedrals, with never ending stair cases, and now this.

"Look, slow down, please. I'm too tired for this. Who are you talking about? There's someone after me? Why?"

[koipond]

[Darrel Anderson]

Darrel runs for an eternity through the rain, with the sound of the clock booming behind all around him. It clangs once, and he feels that he is making some headway. It clangs a second time and his feet feel leaden, and his legs overburdened. It rings for a third time and the land beneath his feet seems to move. A fourth chime signals a change in the scenery. There seems to be more building around him. The fifth bell has the rain slackening slightly, to the point where Darrel can see that there are buildings all around him. The sixth bell has a plane zooming overhead, booming loudly with it's engines and it's noise. The seventh gong has the plan crashing into the ground, destroying buildings. The eighth bell shows the buildings rising up and eating the plane. The ninth chime has the rain turning into a drizzle. The tenth one shows the people in the city running for their lives. The eleventh buzzer has them slamming their doors. The twelfth peel has Darrel only hearing the slam of his feet on the paving stones on the street.

The thirteenth sound is followed by laughter. Loud, long and condescending. That is when Darrel stops to get his bearings, and they are not good. He is on a cobbled street, with houses all around but no one is out on the street. The signposts all read Here, and the only interesting thing is the carnival like tent in the distance.

He can still hear the sound of clockwork feet in the distance.

[koipond]

[Father Gregory]

The woman in front of the father scoffs, "Why? A man of the cloth has to ask when the devil comes breathing up behind him?" She pokes him in the chest, "Not a very good priest are you? The man in the black hat is looking for you and you ask Who and Why?"

The clock chimes and she starts. Then, quicker than the father can believe, she stands up straight and screams. "Thirteen! Thirteen! We have to flee! We have to flee!" She then runs for the door as fast as she possibly can.

[misterecho]

[Darrel Anderson]

Darrel is in a state of abject panic. He runs as fast as his crazed and exhausted body will carry him He heads straight towards the tent.

"Their must be people there."

[koipond]

[Darrel Anderson]

The closer Darrel gets to the large tent, the fainter the sounds of the clockwork footsteps get. He pauses and breaths a sigh of relief as he passes the large, ornate gate that leads here. It just has the simple word Bazaar over top of it's wrought iron frame.

Inside there is a large riot of people laughing, buying, selling and gambling. He hears the sounds of "Dreams! Dreams for sale! Fresh Dreams! Great prices!" and "Place your bets folks! The Wheel is about to spin!" as they pop out of the general cacophony of the crowd.

[Rotku]

Father Greg stands to his feet as the woman screams. He stands still, counting the clock strikes as they ring through the hall. His face paling as the thirteenth strike echoes around.

"What's happening? It's never done that before. Where can we go?" he asks, in a timid tone.

[koipond]

[Father Gregory]

The last chime happens just as the woman gets to the door, and she slams her fist against it as hard as she can. The strikes that come from her fists seem to be getting faster and faster, and the door seems to be taking more and more damage but it's not opening. Eventually her hands are a blur and the woman's eyes are wide to the point where she seems to be beyond panic or reason when it suddenly stops and she slumps down to the ground.

That's when she hears Father Gregory's timid, "Where can we go?"

The woman turns and glares at the priest with a look that is scathingly exhausted. "No where," she says, "The clock has struck 13 and we're in his territory. We can only hope he doesn't notice us."

[misterecho]

Darrel heads into the tent and explores the weird and wonderful inside.

[Rotku]

Greg walks over to the alter, still pale as a ghost, and picks up the largest candle he can find, holding it like a batten.

"We hide here then" he half asks, half states.