Cabin in the Woods

[Darby Keene]

”It smells like someone died in here.” Darby complained, hand trying to block his nose from the stench that was almost as thick as the dust that he managed to disturb as he took a few paces into the cottage. Why they were always called out to the most remote, five-years-in-a-row-most-likely-to-hide-a-serial-killer award winner properties, he’d never fathom. Well, it was probably their superiors being twats again and taking all the cushy jobs involving Mayfair houses and hostesses who couldn’t help but press tips and endless cups of tea into their hands. Assholes.

“Make that something.” He corrected, nudging the skull with the tip of one foot. “Poor Mr. Fox.” Well, it was better than a dead person, and significantly less alarming when it came to evaluating his own chances of surviving the day (odds that were always dramatically lower when he was working with Fidelia). “Where do you fancy starting?” He asked over his shoulder- not that the tiny dwelling exactly had many options open.

@'Fidelia Lochrin'

  

[Fidelia Lochrin]

"Probably because someone did die in here," Fidelia replied, her voice somewhat muffled by the terrible smell. Terrible smell meant she tried to breathe as little as possible, and little breathing meant she didn't have her usual booming smell.

"The bedroom? That's where a ghost of a young girl would hide, don't you think?" If there was such a ghost. Apparently the muggles who cut lumber nearby had seen such a thing and had made such a big fuss that the Ministry was called to investigate. Fidelia thought their reactions stupid, but she also knew that ghosts were harmless. The worst they could do to you was make you feel cold. Oh no. Such terror.

  

[Darby Keene]

Wishing he’d thought to pack some gloves, Darby hesitantly pushed open a nearby door, disturbing its veil of cobweb and sending the spiders scuttling back into the cracked plaster and timber. Just once, could they not investigate somewhere that wouldn’t be aptly described as ‘decrepit’ or ‘death trap’ or ‘ill-advised’? He wondered if they’d ever had to deal with the spirit of a former employee who died on a mission.

“Hello?” He called out softly, not wanting to breathe in any more of the dust-laden air than strictly necessary. The room had certainly been a bedroom once, but between the stripped bare iron bed frame, and the furniture looked like it had been emptied in a rush- which it probably had. Darby picked his way over the piles of abandoned clothes and what might have once been some books, and a rag-doll, to peer under the bed. “Not here.” He informed Fidelia over his shoulder.

  

[Fidelia Lochrin]

"I can see that." Fidelia said. She poked on a laying ragdoll with her foot, wondering if the creepy house could possibly be a home for ghouls. Nothing jumped out of the doll, however. Fidelia continued with her foot-poking investigation, but, other than dirty, none of the items in the room were out of the ordinary.

"I wonder if we should look for like... signs of violent murder." That would make for a fun investigation.

  

[Darby Keene]

Word count: 94 | Outfit: Here | Tag: @'Fidelia Lochrin'

Darby nodded, trying not to think too much about what that might exactly entail. He’d eaten breakfast far too recently for him to have any prepossessing desire to find a meat cellar full of severed heads or a wood store stained stickily red. Before he could suggest checking the cellar, however, there came a tiny creak from the attic space above the cottage, dislodging a small cloud of dust through the gappy floorboards above their heads. Darby froze.

“Hominem revelio.” He muttered, but no marker came back. “Rats?” He suggested rather feebly to Fidelia.

  

[Fidelia Lochrin]

Fidelia wasn't a jumpy person, but even she was started by the ceiling's actions. Merlin, she was letting Darby's worries get to her. The Ministry wouldn't send them to investigate a murder, as much as she liked to joke about it. There was a whole damn department dedicated to that job.

"Or bats." Fidelia shrugged. "Why don't we look for that lassy outside? The men did see her in the woods."

  

[Darby Keene]

Word count: 73 | Outfit: Here | Tag: @'Fidelia Lochrin'

“I think that’d be best.” Darby agreed, eyeing the ceiling nervously. At least out in the open they weren’t going to be entombed should someone sneeze vigorously and cause the walls to cave in, which looking at the state of the cottage, he was surprised hadn’t already happened.

Once outside, he rotated slowly on the spot, scouring the trees for any trace of a ghostly figure. “Hello?” from the other side He called.

  

[Fidelia Lochrin]

Fidelia breathed some fresh air when they finally walked outside. Merlin, you didn't realize how much it stinked in there until you were out in the open.

"Dead girl?" Fidelia's voice joined Darby's. They didn't know what the girl's name was, and Fidelia saw nothing rude about calling her 'Dead Girl'. She was dead, and she was a girl. Nothing offensive there. It was the perfect way to describe her.

A flash of white appeared among the trees, only the the slightest of seconds. Fidelia tugged on her partner's sleeves. "There!"

She started running towards it.

  

[Darby Keene]

Word count: 69 | Outfit: Here | Tag: @'Fidelia Lochrin'

The wizard span around when Fidelia tugged on his sleeve. He didn’t see anything and wasn’t ruling out her trying to pull a prank on him, but the witch had already taken off, and so Darby began running after her, more than after anything vaguely ghostly.

”Wait up!” He shouted as he gasped for breath- whether that was directed at his co-worker or the girl, he couldn’t honestly say.

  

[Fidelia Lochrin]

Outfit: This | Tag: @'Darby Keene' 

Fidelia didn't even slow her pace. She even giggled a bit upon hearing that her partner was struggling to keep up. They were both two adults, practicing their jobs and she was still acting like a child.

Suddenly, she lost the earth below her feet which caused for her to cry out in surprise. She fell on a puddle of mud and a girlish laughter greeted her.

"Darby I think we found her!"

  

[Darby Keene]

Word count: 36 | Outfit: Here | Tag: @'Fidelia Lochrin'

”I think you found the puddle at the least.” He replied under his breath as he gasped for air, before turning to find the little girl. ”Peggy?” Darby called softly as he spotted her.