ic Bloody Nora

[Supercape]

GM

Rummaging around and determination paid off. Mr. Drum had been committed several time to an old lunatic asylum, Fallowfield Hill. Fallowfield Hill was now a large brick manor, just south of Freedom City, half abandoned and used now as a Meat packing operation.

The records here were scarce. But he had clearly been declared insane and committed at least three times - in 1928, 1931, and 1932. He had died in 1933, in Fallowfield Hill itself, cause of death unknown.

[Tiffany Korta]

Fallowfield Hall huh, she promised to make it up to May, if there was some way you could apologise to a stone sphinx.

She sat on the steps and thought about this for a minute.

A meat packing plant, she wouldn’t would she?

It would be a perfect place to hide her, unique diet.

That if Lucy wasn’t chasing a ghosts around.

It wouldn’t hurt to go have a look around, it was unlikely they had any record still lying around but there was still that off chance.

After enjoying the feel of the sun on her face, she got up a hailed a taxi to the ruined sanatorium.

[Supercape]

GM

Later...at Fallowfield Hall

The old building was more like a mansion than anything else. It actually looked rather splendid. Much of it had been converted of course, but the remnants of the grand old architecture was still there. It was actually three, or maybe four buildings all vaguely connected.

The day was beginning to grumble on, it was now well into the afternoon, and the meat packers where looking forward to clocking off for the day. The last delivery of carcasses had now been delivered.

At the outside of the building were some wrought iron gates, and a short road lead up to the buildings proper. It would be a simple matter to slip inside, there was no security. On the other hand, the business might be quite approachable - there was a bell by the gates that rung through to the office.

[Tiffany Korta]

She spent a few moments taking in the architecture of the old building, whilst taking time to decide how to approach the building. Subtly would be useful she could easily sneak around the building, but the employees would have some knowledge of the site and maybe even those elusive records.

She felt thankful that in her rush she had naturally went for her suit, it made her look all tidy and respectable. Though official wouldn’t work, they could probably run rings around her knowledge of modern law. So someone interested in the historic site.

She rang the bell and patiently waited.

[Supercape]

GM

"Yerrr, whatisit?" came the drawl over the slightly crackling speaker.

"If yer selling something, come in, we can always do with some more meat!" laughed the voice, unpleasantly. "Nah, nah, just jokin' ya. Come on up, I'm Steve, the foreman 'round here. Dunno what ya want, but best talk face to face so I can git rid of ya more quickly! har har!"

A few moments later...

Steve the Foreman was fat, but in that kind of solid, tall, and strong way. He was a bear, not a sack of potatoes. He was dressed in a tank top and jeans, and going through some paperwork on his desk. He didn't look, or indeed act, particularly pleasant. And he didn't look particularly friendly.

"So what is it, little missy?" he asked when Lucy came in. "You be wanting to buy some prime meat?"

[Tiffany Korta]

She smiled her best smile “For now Steve, you’re all the prime meat I need.†Just for effect actually giggled.

“I’ve been tracing my family tree; I’m a decedent of Felix Drum. He stayed in this house when…†her voice took on a conspiratorial whisper “…this was an asylum.â€

She put on her best innocent and hopeful look “I was wondering if I could have a look round the old place, get a feel for what he went through.†She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible “Do you happen to know where all the old places records went?â€

[Supercape]

GM

"Sure you can" said Steve "But I cant let anybody just go through our factory. Even if she iz a pretty woman..."

He looked rather leery.

"Well, I'm not supposed ta..." he said, scratching his stubbled chin.

"But you know what, I guess I can show you round, its the end of the day anyway. Just be careful and don't touch anything sharp. I'll be in serious trouble if you get hurt. So, the old records is it? Best guess is the north building - the place is half ruined anyway, and I think that was where the staff hung out. May be some old stuff hanging around there..."

[Tiffany Korta]

Yeah I’ so sharp I’ll cut myself.

She wasn’t sure there was much here that could harm her, but better not to take any chances. She was especially concerned about the idea of something hanging around in the old parts of the building.

She hung onto his arm, trying to keep up the ditzy masquerade. “How about you give me the whole tour. They I can go have a look at all that dusty old stuff.â€

Lucy gave one of her winning smiles “I’m ever so thankful for all this help Steve.†ugh! But need musts.

She gently pushed Steve forwards to start his “interesting†tour of the slabs of meat.

[Supercape]

GM

The Meat was, predictably, meat. And uninteresting meat at that. A few workers nodded as Steve passed them, although they had stopped working and were heading off. The operation seemed to slow down, or even stop, in the evening, although a skeleton staff were on duty all the time, for security if nothing else.

Steve seemed to love his job, and gave the cooled carcasses a friendly pat as he passed them.

More interesting was the north building which was, as Steve had said, ruined. It was here that Steve seemed a little more on edge, or cautious. Scared even. He stopped gabbling as he had done, and looked around a little more. The setting sun did not do anything to diminish the creepiness of the ruin.

Down in the basement, after an hour or so of searching, Steve and Lucy found a locked room, marked "records", although it was concealed by a thin layer of dust.

[Tiffany Korta]

Lucy could feel the waves of fear rolling off the poor man. Thinking about it before this kind of situation would have given her the creeps, but not now. She felt a little guilty about doing this but any information could be vital.

“Wow it’s really spooky down her. Is this place haunted? Are there any ghost down her? My mother always said I was a little psychic.â€

A quick try of the door showed it was locked, and a look at Steve showed he wouldn’t be much help. A little force and the door opened easily.

“Oh look the door broke must be the rotten wood. If you want I could stay here on you own.†Her best gormless smile “You’ve been such a great help after all.â€

[Supercape]

GM

Steve started fidgeting as Lucy broke into the office, and looked around.

"Damn...not good...." he muttered under his breath.

The office was shambolic, dusty and mouldy at the same time. Old filing cabinets lined the walls, some having toppled over, although from what Lucy could see they still seemed to be in alphabetical order. Some wooden chairs and an old oak table dominated the centre of the room.

[Tiffany Korta]

Okay the ditzy flapper wasn’t doing her any favors. She straightened up and looked at Steve with a stern look.

“Look Steve, something’s going on here, tell what’s going on.†She made a sweeping gesture towards the door, and her face softened “Then if you want you can go, I know I’ll be fine.â€

“Unless you’d like to stay here with whatever here with us.â€

She looked around the two rooms confidently, partly to ensure the frightened Steve, partly to see if there was a dark figure lurking just out of sight.

As if it would be that easy.

[Supercape]

GM

"Ah no" replied Steve, uneasily "I'll come with you if its all the same..."

He looked around himself, shuffling from foot to foot and squirming. He wiped cold sweat off his brow, and entered the records room with Lucy, stepping over a rotten broken chair as he did so.

"So...ah..." he muttered. "What did you say you came here for, again?" he asked, quietly.

[Tiffany Korta]

The poor guy was terrified at something, so terrified he couldn’t even bring himself to say what he was scared off. Time to give the tree a little shake and see what fell out.

She moved into the room knowing that poor Steve would follow in very short order. Stopping by what she hoped was the appropriate cabinet she turned back to the man.

“Oh I’m looking for the case files of Felix Drum. Seem he had some dealings with someone called Bloody Nora.†She tried to sound as innocent as she could and watch Steve’s face for any reaction.

[Supercape]

(GM)

Steve's face didn't show any reaction to Felix Drum, but at the sound of Bloody Nora, it visibly paled, and he almost choked.

"What? What do you know about her...?" he gasped. He looked around, rather pathetically.

"You...you know to much...I tried to stop you...but ya had to go poking ya pretty nose in..." he was trying to act tough, but he looked petrified.

Steve picked up a broken chair leg and hefted it in his hand.

"...I'm sorry little missy, but yer just going to be another meal for her..."

[Supercape]

GM

Before Lucy could react, Steve leapt forward, the reluctance evaporating from him. He was surprisingly fast for such a big strong man, and the chair leg smashed against Lucy's skull.

Steve was big, and Steve was strong. And he looked and acted like he had been in more than a few street fights in his life. He was a man who could take care of himself. When Steve smashed a wooden club over a woman's head, he didn't expect her to stay on her feet.

"Wha...?" he said, completely bamboozled, and looking at the wooden chair leg in his hand, half expecting it to be a feather duster he had picked up by accident.

[Tiffany Korta]

Bingo!

Lucy was so happy that she had finally got a result from Steve that she didn’t notice the attack until she felt the chair leg shatter against her skull.

Taking advantage of his surprise she grabbed and hauled him off his feet, lifting him bodily off his feet and above her head as if he weighed noting.

“I’m a little unset you would do that. And I thought we were getting along so well. Normally this is the point I’d pretend my arm is getting tired, but in truth is I could do this all night. So let’s try this again, what do you know about Bloody Nora?â€

She gave an evil looking smile.

“And just remember right now I’m here, and she isn’t.“

[Supercape]

GM

"Argh! get off me!" screamed Steve, struggling against Revenant's steely grip. "What are you? some steroid freak? how did you get so strong?" he moaned, still trying to pry himself free, to no avail.

"Bloody Nora...she lurks here...she is some crazy ass woman...homeless vagrant...gives us the creeps..." he panted.

"...and gives us meat...the stuff you don't really want to ask about...she eats it...raw!"

He continued trying to worm himself out of Revenants grip, to no avail.

"...She done good by us...any problems we have...the mob...tax men...they just...go...she deals with them for us...and we don't ask no questions..."

He looked Revenant straight in the eye.

"...I don't know why...but there is something that just makes us obey...I think there is a man with her sometimes, well dressed, but I can't remember. Something about him...just fills my head with fog...I...can't remember..."

[Tiffany Korta]

After several days searching she had actually found what she was looking for. She stood stock still for a moment not quite sure what to do next. Steve’s struggling bought her back to her senses.

“Where does she normally live around the site?â€

She listened to his response and then considered her next step first to get rid of any civilians.

“I’m going to let you go now. You and anyone else who’s here tell them to go home. In the morning I’ll be gone, and this…†she gestured round the room “…never happened.â€

She gentle lowered him to the ground.

[Supercape]

GM

"Hell lady" said Steve as his feet touched the floor "I dunno! she just lurks. And Nora, she don't get found. She finds you..."

And with that, he started scrabbling over the broken furniture and out of the room. Just as he was reaching for the door, he paused, his face whiter than ever.

A tiny voice whispered through the air...

"Bloody Nora, you better run,

Bloody Nora, If she picks you!."

"That's it, I'm running!" screamed Steve, flinging himself through the door as fast as he could.

[Tiffany Korta]

Lucy followed behind Steve at a safe distance and watched him leave the house safely. Despite him trying to carve her head in she bore him no ill will. She them checked the meat packing plant and made sure no one was still in the building.

Then she returned to the records, if she had to wait she might as well have something to read. She had a search through the cabinets for Felix’s records.

Taking a relatively comfortable seat on top of the cabinets she made sure she was in a relative safe position.

“Okay Auntie Nora I’m ready when you are.â€

[Supercape]

GM

The sound was certainly nearer, but not near. It sounded...dry...somehow, like old parchment flapping in the wind.

"So...thirsty..." came the voice.

"And you are such a tasty morsel. Decades I have waited for you. I was so thirsty, like dust, I was. And you are so strong. But I have eyes everywhere, you have seen them. And I learned from him. Yes I did. Not quite like him. He says I was right, but wrong....he fed me, but now I am always hungry..."

The voice was rambling, and didn't sound quite sane. It had a sing song, meandering quality to it.

"...but you really are very strong, and I am so dry and thirsty. I think my dear Steve will need to quench my thirst first, so I will be strong enough..."

[Tiffany Korta]

“Don’t you dare! You have a problem with me you come out and meet me.†Unusual for Lucy she actually sounded angry at Nora’s comments.

She forced herself to calm down.

“I tell you what if you want me so badly her you go. Take a bite I won’t resist. Then we can talk.†she held out her wrist as offering them for Nora to feed. She just hoped she could survive Nora snacking.

She scanned the area trying to spot Bloody Nora to try and intercept her before she could harm anyone else. She didn’t want her little crusade to get anyone hurt, everyone her seemed to be a pawn of someone else, even by the sound of it Bloody Nora.

[Supercape]

GM

"You are so very tasty..." mumbled the dry voice "...but I don't believe you...much as would want to suck that flesh from your bones..."

Bloody Nora paused.

"...no...no...and you are so strong. Stronger than Nora...I need to feed first...so dry..."

Revenant could hear the Steve scream from outside the room.

"Aaaaargh! Noooooo! Please! not me! I gave you want you wanted! We... we had an arrangement! Nooooooo! Noooooo!"

[Tiffany Korta]

No no no no

There was no way that Bloody Nora was going to win this one.

She kicked off and accelerated forwards, not letting anything in her way slow her down. The door shattered into pieces as she threw herself bodily through the wood, continuing to pick up speed.

As she came out into the open she saw Steve struggling with someone else, she couldn’t make them out in the scuffle but she assumed the other would be Bloody Nora.

She set her face in a look of grim determination and aimed herself towards the struggling assailants.