*set meet_s true
[i]January 3rd[/i]

[b]$!!{last_name}[/b]

The sign catches your attention.
It doesn't hurt that this airport, with a total of three gates, is about the size of a basketball stadium.
The man holding it meets your eye.
He's middle-aged, though there's not a trace of gray to be found in his short, dark hair.
His clothes fit him closely but not tightly, the muted-earth tones and subtle patterns complementing each other.
He is the picture of classic taste, and you wouldn't be surprised to learn that he wears sock garters.
You half expect him to pull out a fedora to complete the look.

"${mx} ${last_name}?"

"Mr. More?"

He steps forward and extends his hand toward you.
"Please, call me Sebastian!"
He flashes you a wide smile, his bright, white teeth contrasting against his dark skin.
Your whole body jolts with the force of his handshake.
"And who is this?" he asks, turning to Alex.
*fake_choice
  #Make the introduction.
    *set awk %- 5
    *set a +1
    "This is Alex," you say.
    "I convinced ${a_them} to join this little adventure."
  #Let Alex fend for ${a_them}self.
    *set awk %+ 5
    When it becomes clear that you're not going to do it, Alex steps forward and clasps Sebastian's hand, throwing you venomous stare.

    "I'm Alex," ${a_they} says.
    "${nickname} invited me to come along.

Sebastian's smile grows even larger.
"Oh, that is simply excellent—" he grabs a bag from each of you "—simply excellent!"

"So will it take long to get to the estate?" you ask.

"Not at all!
We'll be on the evening train and should arrive in Talverton shortly after dark.
Right this way," he says, gesturing toward an escalator that leads to the connected train station.
He shuffles you and Alex toward the platform.
"It is such a pleasure to finally meet you, and I am so pleased that you brought someone to help you—the government will be sure to approve your grant application now!"

"Grant application?" you ask, glancing back at Alex, who answers you with a wide-eyed stare.

Sebastian pauses.
"Well yes—you see, I took the liberty of applying for federal funding to restore the property on your behalf."

You frown.
"If I've learned anything from graduate school, it's that grants don't come no strings attached...
So what's the catch?"

"Well, it's nothing so—so difficult?" Sebastian answers.

Alex drops ${a_their} bag onto the ground and crosses ${a_their} arms.
"You don't exactly sound convinced."

"You just have to generate a profit within five years."

*if (headscarf)
  You reach up and wrap your index finger around the bottom of your headscarf.
*if (bald)
  You reach up and tug on your earlobe.
*if ((headscarf = false) and (bald = false))
  You reach up and curl a strand of hair around your index finger.
"And if we don't?" you ask, glancing over at Alex.

"Well, you'll have to pay back the grant..."

You groan.

*fake_choice
  #"I should have known that before having to make a decision!"
    *set hum %+ 5
    *set org %+ 5
    "I should have known that before having to make a decision!" you say.
  #"How could you do that without even talking to me?"
    *set dir %+ 5
    "How could you do that without even talking to me?" you ask.

Sebastian rubs the back of his neck and flashes you a crooked grin.
"It's not so bad!" he says.
"Why, the manor is in great condition... it just needs a little love.
You'll have it up and running in no time, I'm sure!"

"That's not the point," you groan.
"I didn't know what I was getting myself into."

Sebastian's grin fades.
"I'm sorry," he says.
"The manor's been empty for nigh on seventy years.
It needs someone—someone like you and your friend.
And who knows?
Maybe you need it too."

You frown.

"It's a... surprise," he admits.

"A little bit," you agree with an acerbic laugh.

*page_break

When Sebastian walks over to the counter to buy your tickets, you turn to Alex.
"What am I supposed to do now?"
You wring your hands.
"I went through with this estate thing because I couldn't find a [i]real[/i] job, and now if I mess this up, not only do I have to worry about student loans, I've gotta deal with this stupid federal grant too!
A grant I didn't even apply for!"

Alex grabs you by the arms and shakes you.
"Hey!
We're gonna figure this out.
How bad could it be?"

*page_break

Although it's barely after 6:00 when Sebastian's car pulls up to the manor, the winter sun has already disappeared from the sky.
The headlights illuminate the wooden doors, but like the countryside you grew up in, the only lights are the moon and stars above.
You and Alex climb out of the car and grab your bags from the back.

You look up at the manor, silhouetted against the night sky.
Despite it's relatively small size, it imposes on you in the darkness, and you take an instinctive step backward.

"So," Sebastian begins, "there's no electricity..."
You stop in your tracks.
"...Or running water..."

Alex groans.
"It's January!
We'll freeze!"

"N-n-not necessarily—you could build a fire!"
He glances between the two of you.
"It could be... romantic?"
Alex's face turns a deep scarlet, and ${a_they} looks away.

You grip your bags more tightly as you follow Sebastian into the foyer.
"How are we supposed to... use the bathroom and, uh, shower without any running water?"
Your teeth begin to chatter, and you hurry into the ancient building.

"There's a well near the kitchen entrance as well as an outhouse—I inspected them [i]myself[/i]," he adds, and you don't know whether that makes you feel better or not.
"They should do until the renovations are complete.
Daisy, that's my wife, we brought in some water and firewood to get you through the first night."

"We appreciate it," Alex says, though right now you'd just as soon strangle the man for getting you into this mess as shake his hand.

"Well, I guess that's my cue.
I best be getting home to the family.
I'll be 'round tomorrow morning to go over more of the details with you."
Sebastian holds out his hand to you.
*fake_choice
  #Shake it.  He means well.
    *set gen %+ 5
    *set yie %+ 5
    *set s +1
    You take Sebastian's hand and shake it.

    "Again, it is [i]such[/i] a pleasure to meet you," Sebastian says
    "I just know that you'll be able to turn this old place into something really special and put Talverton on the map."

    You rub the back of your neck.
    "Well... I'll do my best anyway.
    [i]We[/i] will, that is."

    You see him to the door before turning back to Alex.
    "Well.
    Here we are."
  #Shake it.  There's no use in holding a grudge.
    *set per %+ 5
    *set yie %+ 5
    *set s +1
    You sigh and take Sebastian's hand and shake it.

    "Again, it is [i]such[/i] a pleasure to meet you," Sebastian says
    "I just know that you'll be able to turn this old place into something really special and put Talverton on the map."

    You sigh.
    "It seems like we don't have much choice."

    Sebastian smiles at you.
    "You can do it, I know you can, and everyone will be so excited."
    His smile disappears for a moment as he grips your hand more tightly.
    "You won't be in this alone—that I can promise you."

    You see him to the door before turning back to Alex.
    "Well.
    Here we are."
  #Don't shake it.
    *set per %- 5
    *set yie %- 5
    Alex sees the the resentment in your eyes and steps up to shake Sebastian's hand in your place, leading him to the door before he can turn his attention back to you.
    $!{a_they} sees him out before turning back to you.
    "What was that?" Alex asks.
    "How is snubbing the mayor of this tiny nowhere town gonna help us at all?"

    You groan.
    "It's not, but cut me some slack!
    No electricity, no water?
    And a government grant that I didn't sign up for!"

    "Did refusing to shake his hand make you feel any better?"

    "No," you admit.

"Let's just call it a day," Alex suggests.
"Tomorrow we can figure this all out.
And hey—" a wicked smile dances across ${a_their} features "—tonight we're going to sleep in a real English manor!"

You grunt.
"It's probably haunted, the way this is going so far."

Alex punches you in the shoulder.
"Hey! 
Don't put ideas like that in my head while we're alone in the dark."

You shake your head.
"Let's take a look around."

*page_break

You and Alex scout out the rooms off of the foyer.
With the sun already down for the night, you can't see a whole lot.
The moonlight that shines in from the windows isn't even enough to show you where you're going, so you pull out your phone and turn on the flashlight.

A glance around the room you're in reveals the firewood and water that Sebastian mentioned earlier, and you walk toward a dusty, long-empty fireplace.

"Do you know how to build a fire?" you call out to Alex in one of the other rooms.
"That wasn't one of the skills in the liberal arts curriculum."

Alex joins you in what you imagine is a sitting room.
"It's been a while—" ${a_they} shrugs "—but I don't see as we have any other option, so I guess I'll have to give it the ol' college try."
$!{a_they} crouches down in front of the fireplace and begins laying the logs in what you can only assume is a strategic pattern.

"I think we best hunker down for the night and save our exploration for tomorrow.
We're not gonna be able to see anything in this light, and our phones will die soon."
You curse yourself for choosing not to charge your phone during your layover in Paris.

"Fine by me.
I'm beat."

You walk off toward the other end of the large room.
A brown stain on the ceiling overhead indicates some moderate water damage, but from what you can tell everything else looks fairly... normal.
The wood paneling could use a new coat of stain, but when you knock your fist against them, a satisfying [i]thunk[/i] answers you.

"Solid wood," you call back to Alex.

Whatever furniture was here originally has long since disappeared, leaving only the intricate woodwork to break up the lonely space.
You take a look at the floor below and notice a few chips in the boards here and there, but even you, with only your HGTV shows to rely on, can tell that the boards can be patched pretty easily.

*page_break

A spark of fire draws your attention back to the opposite side of the room.
You grin back at your friend and watch the flames dance across ${a_their} face.

"What would I have done without you?"

"Froze to death in the dark, no doubt."

"Well, we've got heat, but something tells me that hot water is a little too much to ask for."

"Got any wet wipes left?" Alex asks, a note of desperation creeping into ${a_their} voice.

You scowl.
"[i]Maybe[/i] if [i]someone[/i] hadn't used them all in Paris, I would."

Alex has the sense to look ashamed until ${a_they} notices the grin peeking out from underneath your frown.

"Hey!" ${a_they} protests, poking you in the ribs with ${a_their} elbow.

You laugh. 
"Well what's it gonna be?
No shower, or ice cold water?"

Alex eyes the bucket of water.
"I'll pass... for now.
Maybe we could join a gym tomorrow?"
*fake_choice
  #"Suit yourself!  I won't let a little cold water scare [i]me[/i]!"
    *set org %- 5
    *set yie %- 5
    "Suit yourself!  I won't let a little cold water scare [i]me[/i]!" you call over to your friend.

    Alex sticks ${a_their} tongue out at you.
    "Don't complain to me when you get hypothermia."
    $!{a_they} plops down in front of the fireplace, and you begin to pull off your clothes,
    *if (org <= 50)
      leaving them in a messy pile near the growing fire
    *if (org > 50)
      leaving them in a neatly folded stack near the growing fire.
    
    Your teeth chatter as you pull a washcloth and towel out of one of your bags.
    A yelp escapes your lips when the cold water hits your bare skin.

    "Not scared of a little cold water, eh?" Alex calls over ${a_their} shoulder.

    "Sh-sh-shut up!" 
  #"I think you've got the right idea.  One night without a shower won't kill us."
    *set yie %+ 5
    "I think you've got the right idea.  One night without a shower won't kill us," you agree.

    "I'm glad you've come to your senses," Alex says.

    "We're in a manor without electricity and running water.
    I think my 'senses' are long [i]sense[/i] gone.
    But you're the [i]real[/i] crazy one for following me out here."

    "This, too, shall pass—at least that's what my mamaw would say."

    "I hope she's right."

*page_break

You and Alex settle in front of the fire.
"I guess this wasn't what you expected when I invited you to come live on an estate in Europe with me."

Alex shoves you with ${a_their} elbow.
"It'll get better."

"It could hardly get worse."

"You sure you wanna tempt God like that?"

You roll your eyes at Alex.
"Come on, we've got to come up with a way to pull a mattress out of thin air."

The two of you begin to raid your bags for any scrap of fabric you had enough foresight to pack, which unfortunately doesn't include your great aunt Gertrude's mink coat.
What you lack in quality, however, you make up for in layers: tons of them.
You pull on as many t-shirts, sweaters, and scarves as you can manage and use what you can't fit to make a makeshift bed on the floor.
It won't be soft, but it'll probably be warmer than lying on the bare floor.

When you're finished, you settle onto your half and follow the wooden beams on the ceiling above with your eyes.
"I don't know how long a renovation is gonna take, but we can't live like this for long."

At first you think Alex has already fallen asleep, but eventually ${a_they} answers you.
"You're right.
But there's no sense fretting over it right now—just think of it like camping."

You snort.
"A [i]tent[/i] in the middle of a snow storm'd be warmer than this."

Alex kicks you. 
"I'd have a much easier time forgetting how cold it is if you'd stop reminding me!"

Despite the cold, the hours are catching up to you.
You haven't slept since leaving JFK.
Your eyes flutter shut...

*page_break [i]"Did you hear that?"[/i]

"What?
Hear what?"
You lie still and listen to the wood crackle in the fireplace.

"There it is again!"

"Are you messing with me?
I was only joking when I said the place was haunted, so knock it off."

The floor boards above you creak and moan, and something metal clangs against the floor.

"Do you think I'm messing with you [i]now[/i]?" Alex hisses, gripping your wrist.
$!{a_their} nails dig into your skin.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know!
This is [i]your[/i] manor!"
*fake_choice
  #"Fine!" I say, getting up to investigate.
    *set yr1_01_03_20 1
    *set cha %- 5
    *set hum %- 5
    *set yie %+ 5
    *set a +1
    You pull the layers away and climb up off the floor.
    "Fine!" you mutter.
    Heading toward the doorway, you grab one of the empty water buckets.

    "What are you doing? 
    How's a bucket going to help you?!"

    "Have you got any better ideas—I don't suppose you smuggled your daddy's shotgun through airport security?" you hiss.
    Alex shuts up.

    You creep out of the room you and Alex have made camp in, looking around each corner as you go.
    The sound came from upstairs, but you don't even know where the staircase is, and you stub your toes multiple times stumbling through the dark before you find one.
    When you step onto the first stair, the resulting squeal of the old wood echoes through the dark manor, and you wince, convinced that you've given away your position to whatever lurks in the dark, waiting for you.

    [i]Mamaw was right[/i], you think to yourself, [i]a Mediterranean scoundrel is gonna get me.[/i]

    When you reach the top of the stairs, you scurry down the hallway, unsure which direction to go.
    "$!{shit}!" you hiss, when your phone battery dies and you lose your only source of light.
    
    *page_break

    Then you see something move out of the corner of your eye.
    You spin around on the spot, holding up your bucket in a paltry defense.

    "Stop right there!" you shout.
    The creature runs through the beam of moonlight drifiting in through one of the windows, illuminating its small, furry body.

    "ALEX!" you shout at the top of your lungs.
    You let out a string of curses as you find your way back downstairs in the dark.
    When you round the corner of the door frame, something bashes your nose.
    You drop the bucket, which clangs against the floor, and grasp your bleeding nose with both hands.

    "What the ${fuck}?!"

    "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!
    What happened?
    I thought... I don't know what I thought.
    I don't think I thought at all."

    "What did you even hit me with?" you ask.
    
    "It was my umbrella," ${a_they} says, tossing it aside.
    
    "Well thanks for the assist back there," you grumble.
    "Got out of [i]bed[/i] to scare away your mouse, and this is the thanks I get."

    "Hush," ${a_they} says, pulling your hands away from your nose.
    $!{a_they} touches it gently, and you wince.
    "I don't think it's broken, but you'll probably have a bruise tomorrow morning.
    So just a mouse, huh?"
    
    "And a lot less dangerous than the maniac who ambushed me when I got back."

    "At least we'll have a funny story to tell back home."

    "If you think I'm gonna tell my family that this is how my time at Darbury began, you are crazier than you look."

    "Come on, let's just try to go to sleep."

    "Agreed."
  #"If it's bothering you, why don't [i]you[/i] check it out?"
    *set yr1_01_03_20 2
    *set hum %+ 5
    You've been up more than 24 hours by this point, and you [i]just[/i] closed your eyes.
    "If it's bothering you, why don't [i]you[/i] check it out?" you hiss in the darkness.

    "I don't know..."

    "I'm not getting out of this—whatever the hell this pile of clothes is."

    You hear something scratch against the floorboards on the floor above you.

    "Alright," Alex squeaks.
    "I'll go."
    $!{a_they} crawls out of the nest you've created, sending various articles of clothing cascading to the floor.
    $!{a_they} unzips one of ${a_their} bags and roots through it.

    "What are you looking for?" you ask.

    "This," ${a_they} says, pulling out a small, cylindrical object.
    $!{a_they} pulls the top upward, and the object quadruples in size.
    "My umbrella."

    "You think the rain is what's making that noise?"

    "Shut up—unless you have a better idea?"

    Alex disappears through the doorway, leaving you alone with only the fire for company.
    You count each breath you take, trying to gauge the length of time Alex has been away.

    *page_break [i]Then you hear a scream...[/i]

    You forget your pledge to stay in your makeshift bed and vault out of the room, grabbing one of the empty buckets as you go, like your life—or Alex's—depends on it.
    The cold and darkness doesn't seem to matter, and you don't care if you have to fight the boogey man or the phantom of the opera or Satan himself—you're going after your friend.

    "OOOF—"

    The force of the collision knocks the breath out of you.
    Your hands shoot to your nose—dropping the bucket to the floor with a resounding clang—and they come away warm and wet.

    "IT RAN ACROSS MY FOOT!" Alex shrieks.

    "What are you talking about?!"

    "The rat!"

    "You broke my nose over a rat??"
    Your question goes unanswered as Alex scurries back down the corridor.
    When you catch up, ${a_they}'s changing her socks and cringing.
    
    "It was huge—[i]and disgusting[/i]!"

    "It had better been!" you grumble.
    "You owe me a nose job."
    You walk over to one of the full buckets and begin to dab your sore nose with a washcloth.
    "I don't want to hear anything else about ghosts or rats or [i]scoundrels[/i]."

    To your surprise, Alex throws the soiled socks into the fire.

    "That's a little much, isn't it?"

    "You didn't see the rat," Alex answers in a solemn tone.

    "Just go to bed," you grunt, lying down with your washcloth still pressed against your wretched nose.
  #"It's probably nothing..."
    *set yr1_01_03_20 3
    *set hum %+ 5
    *set per %- 5
    Your heart rate picks up.
    "It's probably nothing," you say, as much to convince yourself as your friend.

    "I don't know..."

    "I'm not getting out of this—whatever the hell this pile of clothes is."
    You hear something scratch against the floorboards on the floor above you.  
    "It's probably just... just—"

    "Just what?" Alex hisses.
    "Just the ghost of the murdered Lord of the manor."

    Unable to help yourself, you answer, "More likely the ghost of a Nazi POW."

    Alex grips your wrist more tightly, and you begin to fear that ${a_they}'s cutting off you're circulation.
    "What are you talking about??"

    "This place was some secret Allied garrison back in World War II.
    British and French, mostly."

    *page_break[i]Something rattles in the corridor outside...[/i]
   
    Alex whimpers, and you're beginning to catch ${a_their} hysteria as well.
    "Ghosts aren't real," you insist.

    Alex pulls ${a_their} bags closer to the fire.

    "What are you doing?" you ask.
 
    "Building a barricade."
    $!{a_they} begins to rifle through the larger one and pulls out a travel umbrella.

    "Do you suppose umbrellas are one of those special materials like silver that are capable of hurting supernatural creatures?" you jeer.

    "Oh, and you have a better idea?
    Maybe you prefer your fists?"
    Alex pushes a bucket toward you.
    "Here."

    "And what exactly am I supposed to do with this?"

    "Wear it as a hat for all I care!"

    The manor has fallen silent again but for the crackle of the fire.
    The emptiness of the building allows for an eerie echo of even the smallest noises, and it's putting you on edge.
    You can feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up in anticipation of whatever is going to happen.

    *page_break [i]"Did you see that??" Alex shrieks.[/i]

    Alex crashes into you, and you take an elbow to the nose.
    You see stars, and your hands shoot to the blood gushing out of your face.
    Alex screams again, but your world is dark.

    "What the hell's going on?" you demand.

    "Get it, ${nickname}, get it!
    It's there in the corner!"
    Alex has practically crawled over you.
    
    You jump up, one hand holding your bleeding nose, the other grasping the handle of your bucket.
    But you don't see anything.
    "Where is it?" you ask Alex, beginning to lose your nerve.

    "Over there!
    In the corner!"

    You plod forward, and then you see movement... on the ground.
    A small, furry creature scurries across the floor.

    "ALEX!" you shout.
    "I'm gonna kill you!"

    As the mouse edges away from you and closer to Alex, you hear ${a_them} whimper again and decide to take pity on your friend.
    You shoo the creature out of the room and even manage to chase it toward and out the front door.

    When you return to camp, Alex asks in a small voice, "Is your nose okay?"

    "No thanks to you," you grumble.
    
    "Sorry," ${a_they} whisper.

    "Just go the ${fuck} to sleep."  

*finish