The reception hall has several OSHA violations.
Jerry stood dutifully at his post. Truth be told, he was starting to feel uneasy. There had been quite the commotion upstairs, and he couldn't help but wonder if he wouldn't be of more use there than at his post. He wasn't much help on his own, and the whole point of his position was to direct fire towards spirits that entered the foyer, which hadn't been happening nearly as often as they'd expected.
Suddenly, a strange noise caught his ear He glanced toward the passage to the reception hall. It sounded like the flutter of wings. He looked to Jonny, and motioned to the hall with his left arm. He drummed the signal for 'disturbance in the area, moving to investigate' which was not actually as long as it sounded. Jonny nodded, and gave a thumbs up before training his gun on the left side of the foyer. He wasn't quite ready for action yet, so he'd have to wait to catch up. Fortunately, that part of the house was only two small rooms, so it was unlikely he'd be too far away to call for help.
Jerry moved into the waiting room area. It was a small rectangular hallway with a small fifth wall in the top right corner lined with two marble pillars, and a small alcove along the south wall. Four picture frames lined the wall to the north, mostly photographs. Velvet roped poles roped off an area with wooden crates and a candelabra on the wall. It, along with another on the other side, would illuminate the room normally. There was a red sofa next to the north wall, with two wooden chairs with built in velvet cushions. Jerry noticed that one Candelabra hung above the couch, which seemed to be a poor choice given the fact that candles dripped wax. The only other notable decorum was a potted plant between the doorway and the poles holding up the velvet ropes. The doorway itself was set into an arch of white stone surrounded by two more marble pillars. Personally, Jerry thought the room could do with a bit more pizazz. Regardless, there was nothing in this room, so the disturbance must be further in.
Jerry opened the door to the reception room. The room was a cozy, comfortable one where the Doctor presumably spoke with patients. Two leather couches were in the center of the room over a large rectangular carpet with a rectangular coffee table in the center. A large crow sat atop it, eyeing Jerry curiously. How did you get in here?
The right side of the room has another potted plant in the corner, with several glass display cases containing jewelry next to it. The right Had a chess table with two chairs with white leather cushioning and backing. Behind the chess table was a wooden pedestal with a phonograph. There was a burning fireplace on the far wall, which seemed like a bad idea given that there was no one in there. Above the fireplace was a candle, a photo in a picture frame, and a small clock. A stuffed deer head hung on the wall over it. Two windows on either side overlooked the courtyard. The wall next to the right window had two frame photos as well as a hat stand and wardrobe. while the left had a painting in a golden frame that for some reason, seemed to be at ground level. Jerry noticed a faint shimmering object atop the wardrobe. Jackpot!
Jerry placed his drum set on the table and headed over to the chess table to grab one of the chairs. One of them suddenly slid out along the wooden tiling. Jerry jumped back, then carefully inspected the area. Jerry cautiously approached the chair and winced as he placed his hands on it and started to push. Fortunately, it seemed harmless enough. As he pushed the chair past the fireplace, heard a strange voice. It sounded like someone was sobbing. He shook his head rapidly and refocused on his work. He slid the chair up to the wardrobe and stood on it, grabbing what appeared to be an old key.
Finally, he turned his attention to the painting. It was a vibrant, immaculately detailed portrait of a rather depressed looking woman with wispy gray hair. It was quite moving, Jerry had to admit. The woman almost looked real.
Suddenly, something burst through the painting, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. Jerry dodged the ghoul in the nick of time, and it crashed to the ground. The ghoul was the spitting image of the woman, albeit in a far worse-off state. In her hands was a carving knife. The woman crawled on the floor, turning towards Jerry, and letting out a growl of rage. She charged him. Jerry fled to the fireplace, keeping his eyes on her at all times. Sadly, this meant he could not run very fast. The woman tackled him and prepared to plunge the blade into his chest. Jerry reached up and grabbed the knife by the handle, clasping his hands around the woman's. He put all his strength into his arms in a desperate effort to keep it at bay. The woman's face thrust into his, and he nearly vomited at her foul breath. He headbutted her away from him, and while she was staggered, he let go of the knife and gave her a left hook to the side of her head. She brought the blade down and Jerry rolled out of the way, causing the knife to stab into the wooden tile.
The woman grasped the knife with both her hands in an effort to pry it free. Jerry used the distraction to scramble out from under her and rush to his feet. The woman turned to him, abandoning the knife, but it was too late. Jerry strafed to her left and kicked her into the fire. The woman let out a bloodcurdling shriek as the flames engulfed her, her dried flesh quickly disintegrating in the flames. Her struggles to get upright only pushed her further into the fireplace. Soon the woman ceased all movement, the flames claiming her form in this world. Soon, she would be nothing but charred bone and ash, and then nothing at all.
Jerry let out a sigh of relief. Just when he was about to depart, he heard the strange sobbing from the fireplace go silent. He listened intently.
"I-is someone there? A strange voice came from the fireplace. Jerry wanted to respond, but he doubted she'd recognize his drum signals.
Suddenly, the door flew open to reveal Aya, Jonny and Reginald.
"What the blazed is goin' on in 'ere?" Jonny spoke.
"Are you alright?" Aya's voice was filled with concern.
"What's the situation, Daniels? Is everything alright? Is that a crow?"
"There's a bunch o' 'em in 'ere. They seem harmless enough." Jonny replied nonchalantly.
"Oh yeah, wasn't there one in the hall upstairs?" Reginald responded.
Jerry quickly retrieved his drum set and drummed out a very long and extremely complex signal. Aya stared in confusion as the drumming got quicker and more complex. To her, it was an unending cacophony of madness.
The two other soldiers seemed to understand though, and explained the situation to her.
"A hole in the fireplace?" Was all Aya could say in response. Normally she would have had more to say on the matter, but she was becoming numb to this surprisingly fast.
"It would seem so" Reginald said. "Could it lead to the furnace perhaps?"
Aya shook her head. "I'm not sure if that'd be safe, we burn medical waste there. It has its own chimney."
"Maybe we should try askin' the voice." Jonny chimed in. Jerry nodded vigorously in agreement. Whoever was down there sounded afraid.
"Right then, lets see what the voice can tell us, shall we?" Reginald said, marching over to the fireplace. "Hello down there!" He shouted.
"He-hello?" The voice responded. It sounded like a little girl.
"This is Corporal Reginald Smith; do you need help?"
"Y-you're a soldier? Are you with the military?"
"I-in a manner of speaking." Reginald wondered whether three people could constitute their own military.
"Can you help me? Please… the Doctor he- he took my eyes!"
The others listened in on the conversation. Aya interlocked her hands and looked down at the floor. Jonny and jerry exchanged a glance.
"Your… eyes?" Reginald repeated.
"Yes… I can't see anything."
"Okay, we'll… look into that." He cringed at his phrasing. Jonny would have laughed in other circumstances. "Can you… reattach them?"
"I-I thinks so. I'm a ghost you see, not everything makes sense for us." The girl was remarkably forthcoming with her spectral nature. Some would have hidden that information, so that they'd be believed. Then again, there wouldn't be much of a reason to search for the eyes if she couldn't put them back in.
"Do you know where you are?"
"No, I'm sorry. We all just showed up here today. I don't know where I appeared."
"Are you in the basement?" Aya chimed in. "We're talking to you from a hole in the fireplace, so you're below us."
"Th-that would make sense. It's cold and damp down here. And there's ash on the floor I think, I fell in some earlier. W-Who are you? Are you with the soldiers? "
"I- "She sighed and braced herself. "I'm Aya Drevis. My father he… he's the one who took your eyes. I'm sorry." Jonny and Jerry put their hands on her shoulders.
"I remember you! The little girl in the blue dress!" Aya's wardrobe didn't have much variety.
"Yeah, that's me." Aya smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry for what happened; I should have told someone what he was doing. Th-they told me not to, they said bad things would happen if I did." She felt tears welling up once more.
"I-It's okay. You didn't know any better. Some of the other ghosts, they're too angry to see that. W-we all make mistakes. That's what my mother used to say."
"Thank you… that means a lot to me. We'll look for your eyes, I'm sure Father still has them." If he didn't already use them for dolls, that is.
"R-really!? Thank you! They're blue, kinda silvery. I-I think that's why he wanted them."
"Okay, we'll keep an eye out for them."
Aya stepped away from the fireplace, toward the ruined painting. She looked through the hole where the ghoul had come from. Suddenly she remembered something.
"What're you doin' miss?" Jonny asked as Aya pulled down the painting.
Behind the painting, there was a safe set into the wall. Upon spotting the safe, Jerry fished the key from earlier out of his pocket. He rushed over and handed it to Aya.
Aya turned to face Jerry, who held out the old key expectantly. "Oh? Hey, yeah! This looks like the key! Where'd you get this?"
Jerry pointed to the top of the wardrobe, rolling his eyes. That was an awful place to hide it, why would you keep it in the same room?
Aya groaned. "Yeah, Father either has needlessly complicated security, or terrible security. No in-betweens. I think you guys are the first time he managed something that makes sense." The three soldiers looked flattered at the response.
Aya inserted the key into the safe and turned it. Inside was a shiny steel dagger. Aya smiled enthusiastically as she grabbed the knife and held it in her hands.
"Watcha got there?" Jonny asked uneasily.
"It's an heirloom from my grandfather! Pretty cool, right?" Aya said, pocketing the knife.
"Um, yeah, sure." Reginald said, exchanging a nervous glance with Jonny.
Jerry suddenly recalled the knife the ghoul had stabbed into the floor. He spotted it by the fireplace and pried it from the floorboards. He maneuvered it deftly, flipping and twirling it in his hand, before tossing it to his other hand and striking a pose.
Aya smiled and gave a thumbs up, cracking up a little. Jonny looked on in astonishment at his partner's skill. He'd never seen him do that before.
"Alright, Alright, enough showing off." Reginald said, amused. He patted Jerry on the back. Jerry put away his knife, happy to have a weapon at last. "So, miss, you said something about a safe?"
"Oh, right! Yeah, we need to check the cafeteria, the dressing room, and the bathroom. We need to count the hats in the dressing room, the planters in the bathroom, and the barrels in the cafeteria. Subtract the plants from the hats for one number, the barrels are good on their own for another.
"And what about the dolls? Are you sure you got the right number?"
"I'm pretty sure, I guess we'll find out."
"If ya don't we could just guess. No way I go back in there. Er, unless you order it of course, corporal."
"No no, Jonny's right. I'm not setting up that barricade again."
Jerry just wanted to know why that barricade was even for. He drummed out the question. For simplicity's sake, he kept it short. "What?"
It was Jonny who replied. "Oh, right. The dolls are alive and dangerous. If ya see any, break 'em."
Jerry wasn't even surprised at this point.
Jerry is probably the trickiest character to use here. Not because he's mute, but because he's meant to work in tandem with the others, and that's a bit tricky to do atm.
I couldn't justify anyone suddenly remembering the plants and hats like with the dolls.
I know I switch between full names, titles, and nicknames a fair bit. I figure which I should use depends on the situation.