(Recommended ambiance while reading)
The following piece of fiction was played out in a tabletop roleplaying game by me and my friends; @chr7is, @xramonahx and @teachertrudi. Everything you are about to read happened in roleplaying situations and all decisions were made by the players in real-time.
This is their story.
Chapter 2 – 30 Nails
The smell of alcohol pierces their noses as the three enter the pub. The sign, consisting mainly of nails, spells out the number 30 with the word ‘Nails’ painted underneath. The lighting inside seems dimmer than it should be for the inside of a building and give off an orange glow. There was an attempt at a biker themed pub, but the budget clearly ran out before they could finish decorating. The tables seem empty except for one in the corner with a thin man in a suit and a couple of guys playing darts on the right side of the bar.
“There she is, come on”
Iris leads them towards a woman sitting at the bar with her head hanging from her shoulders drunkenly.
“Can I get you anything?” they hear from the bartender.
“You c’n ged ME sumthin!” the woman yells.
“I’ve already cut you off miss, you need to go home”
“Jenna Harvey?” asks agent van Hellsing.
“Yeah?” she responds.
Oh god, she smells putrid.
“I’m agent Chris van Hellsing, this is my partner agent Arya Ivy, and we’re here to ask you a few questions.”
“Ah, finally! I’ve bin waitin four you and the answer is yes, yes I am.”
“What?”
“Drunk”
“I can see that… and smell it too.” Chris reconsiders sitting next to her, she’s not the only thing that smells in here.
“Why don’t we take you back to the inn? We heard you were staying there.”
“Please, she’s giving me a headache” the bartender chips in.
“And HE’S giving me another BRANDY!!” she yells as she points toward the bartender.
He sighs and looks towards the three for help. Arya nods toward him.
“Come on Ms. Harvey, let’s get you home. Chris get that side” she gestures towards Jenna’s left side.
“Oh mai gah, you gais! I love yu too!”
Chris rolls his eyes.
I don’t think I can hold my breath all the way to the inn.
Iris fumbles for Jenna’s room key in her purse, trying to spot the number 6. Standing in front of the door are the four of them, each struggling with something else. Iris is, aforementioned, trying to find a room key with one hand in dim lighting. Arya is struggling to keep Jenna on her feet, if she could use her brain muscles she'd be holding her above her head. Chris is struggling not to throw up due to the smell this woman is giving off and Jenna is struggling with her current state, which is fantastically drunk.
“Would you hurry, she’s heavy” Arya’s complaining.
“This stench is heavy” Chris says facing the other way.
“I’m trying, I’m trying, I just don’t understand why they have to be so tiny. Maybe we can ask at the fro- I GOT THEM!”
“WHOO!” Jenna cheers
“Yeah, whoo, now open up” Arya says heavily.
As they stumble into the room Arya and Chris put Jenna down on her bed while Iris closes the door behind them. Arya looks for a seat, clearly tired of the ordeal.
“Ok, I think we’re good” Iris says looking through the peephole.
Chris takes a chair, puts it in front of Jenna, sits down and leans toward her.
“Jenna, what happened in your home that drove you out?”
“You happened.”
Confused, the three look at each other.
“We happened?” Asks Arya.
“Yeah, I was just about to hav a nother brandy then you pickd me up ‘nd rhan!”
“Jenna, we’re talking about your home, where you and Susan live?” Iris tries to remind her.
“Susan?” Chris interrupts
“Her daughter”
“She has a daughter?”
“She’s in LA with her father, don’t worry” Iris reassures him.
“..no… she’s not…” Jenna whispers “..she’s still… inside…..”
A brief silence settles. A temporary moment of shock as it feels as if an entirely new person has switched bodies with Jenna Harvey.
“Inside where?” Chris asks urgently “Jenna, inside where?”
Her head cocks back as if she can’t get enough air into her lungs.
“…its lair…”
Iris feels uneasy and disturbed. She hasn’t seen anything like this before. Forums and chat groups didn’t prepare her for this at all. Chris and Arya keep a level head. They’ve had encounters like this quite a number of times. It is their job after all.
“What happened inside that house?”
“…”
“Is it breeding?”
“…”
Jenna’s eyes turn a mild red as they start to water. Streams of salty water run down her cheeks as she stares at the ceiling.
“Jenna, where is Susan?!” Arya asks loudly.
In an instant Jenna faces them, looking her dead in the eyes and for a second seems as if she has an intent for murder. It passes.
“Who?” Jenna asks.
Confusion. Momentary disbelief across all three of them.
Joking at a time like this? This woman needs help.
“…your daughter, Jenna. Susan?” Iris breaks her silence.
“Mmm, no. It doesn’t ring a bell.” She says with a smile.
In an instant Jenna has seemingly sobered up as she no longer slurs her words. She’s wearing a tight, wide grin on her face that’s extremely out of place. Her eyes are still watering, red with strain.
“You have a daughter named Susan. She’s eleven years old. She goes to Witherford Middle School?”
“Sorry, I don’t know who you’re talking about.” Jenna says, though her eyes state otherwise. “Now if you excuse me, I’m already late for work.”
Jenna stands up, walks across the room as if she wasn’t heavily intoxicated a few minutes ago.
“If you’d be so kind as to leave. I need to dress.”
“We just have a couple mor-”
“If you’d be so kind as to leave. I need to dress.” She repeats.
They get the picture. They aren’t going to get anywhere with her today.
She’ll cool down. We have other issues.
“Fine. Let’s go” agent van Hellsing says.
“Are you seriously not seeing this shit?!” Iris utters, clearly scared.
“Iris. Let’s. Go.” Arya states, thinking the same as her partner.
They walk out. The door slams behind them. The agents keep walking. Iris takes a moment to absorb what just happened and how unnatural it seemed. She follows them outside.
“WHAT WAS THAT SHIT?!” Iris explodes. “That was unnatural! That’s not supposed to happen, this is all real?!” Iris continues, struggling to wrap her mind around this new world under her feet, disgusted and excited at the same time.
“It’s about to get a whole lot worse” Chris wickedly reassures her.
And I hope we’re ready for it.
Thanks for reading. The story doesn't end there, follow me, @lordnigel93, for future chapters.
I intend to keep this series going as long as our little RPG group keeps playing.
I set up the stories and they play them, deciding how it'll turn out is up to them.
The players are:
Agent Chris van Hellsing: @chr7is
Agent Arya Ivy: @teachertrudi
Iris Winter: @xramonahx
The game we're playing is Monster of the Week.
Image: source
You had me at tabletop RPG! I am now a follower and will love reading the next chapters.