Inside The Hatt

Previous

Dr Helen Jekyll: OH MY GOD, HELEEEEEN!!! *yells, closing her eyes tightly, staying that way for several seconds before opening her eyes, gasping* Where did all the water go... Catt? *frowns, unsure of where she was*

Catt Hatter: *Despite the total darkness, you sense that you are in an enclosed space about the size of a small bedroom. Fumbling around you find a small table that seems to have a lamp placed on it. Exploring the table further, lightly tapping the surface with your fingers you find a box of matches. At least it sounds like matches when you shake it.*

Dr Helen Jekyll: *carefully opens the box and strikes a match a few times, the fire catching on her third attempt, and she carefully lit the lamp with the tiny flame, blowing it out and pocketing the now useless piece of wood* Well, this is quite a cozy place... *picks up the now burning lamp and raises it high to get her bearings*

Catt Hatter: *There is no ceiling or walls in sight, just blackness that stretches on forever. The floor is smooth, flat, and hard, but refuses any features beyond that. Next to the table is a high backed armchair that faces a cabinet filled with books. Behind the chair is another cabinet that has a strange variety of knick­knacks on it's shelves. Next to it is a small white box that appears to have a door, it hums softly.*

(It's a mini­fridge.)

Dr Helen Jekyll: *shivers as a chill goes down her spine, eyeing the darkness warily before going to examine the collection of furniture closely* I wonder where I could be... Dead, perhaps... Or maybe just inside of some sort of contraption... *sighs, running her hand along the smooth surface of the table* Perhaps I shouldn't have closed my eyes...

(*gasps* A mini fridge?! And it seems to be electronic too!!! I guess breaking the rules of time travel didn't occur to Catt as she saved Helen...)

Catt Hatter: *You hear Catt's muffled and spluttering voice from the floor behind you ask "Who a­-*gag* are you?!" Turning to find the source of the sound, you see what appears to be the top of Catt's head poking through the floor. There is some water around it and her hair is wet.*

(Catt would probably explain it away as magic, seeing as there are no outlets or cords inside her hat. You mean the contamination of the past with modern technology? Yeah, she is no great respecter of rules. If breaking one will help her friends, she'll break it twice. Though, I put the fridge there as a comedic device, looks like I need to avoid breaking time­travel rules!)

Dr Helen Jekyll: *blinks and slowly approaches, recognizing the hair as Catts* I suppose that rules out being dead... *mumbles to herself then raises her voice* Catt? Is that you?

Catt Hatter: *You hear rushing water and gurgles, it seems she can't hear you. Suddenly you hear a t­tap-tap from the bauble cabinet. It's almost as if someone is knocking on the glass from inside.*

Dr Helen Jekyll: *glances back at the cabinet, hesitating before stepping away from the top Catts head, cautiously approaching the cabniet* Hello? Is anyone there?

Catt Hatter: *T­t­tap­tap­t­tap is the only reply.*

Dr Helen Jekyll: *raising the lamp high, she paused, taking a moment to collect her courage and proceeded to advance towards the cabinet, her eyes shinning from the light of the lamp* I'm going to open the door, so if anyone is in there, please say so... *requests in a soft tone, not wishing to frighten whatever it was that was making such a noise... Although it was a bit unnerving. The whole place was.*

Catt Hatter: *When you open the cabinet door a small glass ball, no bigger than a billiard ball, falls to the floor with a soft thud. It starts rolling in circles around your feet, occasionally hopping.*

Dr Helen Jekyll: *jumps for a moment then bends down, observing as the the ball went round and round* Oh, are you the little fellow who was causing all the noise? *reaches out to touch it, setting the lamp down* How curious...

Catt Hatter: *It rolls against your extended hand and somehow manages to twist itself back and forth, like it's nuzzling your fingers.*

Dr Helen Jekyll: Hmm, it's like a pet, almost... *sits down and places her hand flat against the ground, watching it attentively* Is that what you are? Catt's pet?

Catt Hatter: *It hopps twice before rolling into your hand.*

(Awaken the plot device!)

Dr Helen Jekyll: *smiles and runs her fingers over its smooth surface, glad she was being provided a distraction to help her ignore the lurking darkness surrounding the sphere of light the lamp produced*

(How? XD)

Catt Hatter: *Looking into the giddy little ball, instead of seeing your fingers you can see water rushing towards you. But the strangest thing is that you are looking at the ground.*

(It was more of a dramatic announcement than an instruction. XD)

Dr Helen Jekyll: Is that... Water? *peers into it closer, blinking* I can't see my hand... *smiles and continues to study the ball with interest* I really must speak to Catt about this, if I ever get out of here...

(Oh, silly me. Helpless as always. XD)

Catt Hatter: *Something flashes across your field of vision, and again. It looks to be an arm in a brown  sleeve, the perspective dips and swerves around the wall of water. You recognise the arm as Catt's, she appears to be doing her best to keep her head above water. An errant dip in the perspective shows you a glimpse of Mz. Hyde standing at the bottom of the wall of water. She still looks mad as ever.*

(You can see what's going on outside through the crystal.)

Dr Helen Jekyll: Oh! *her eyes widen with realization as she sees what's taking place outside, concerned for Catt... If only she know how to get out of this strange room, she needed to help her find as she had helped her!*

Catt Hatter: *Catt stops thrashing as the view is strangely tinted red from some unknown source. You watch as she is raised out of the river and dropped on the shore. Without the interfering sound of rushing water, you hear Catt agree to stay put in a shaky voice. The view unexpectedly tilts until the ground takes up half your field of vision.*

* Breathing heavily, you hear Catt call your name.* Hey Helen? How you doing in there? You land all right?

(She'll get a chance to help Catt, don't worry.)

Dr Helen Jekyll: *grasps the little ball tightly and peers into it closer, relived to see she wasn't about to drown anymore* Nevermind me, I'm concerned about you! *frowns, her tone worried* Are you okay? Did you swallow a lot of the water? How cold was it? Do you have anyway to dry off?

Catt Hatter: Relax, I'm a pretty good swimmer and I don't think I swallowed any water. That w-­would be disgusting! *She laughs, and is then interrupted by a cough.* The wat­-ter was ref-­fresingly chill. H­-heh, it s­seems that I n-­n-­need to ad-d­d a t­-towle to my emergency sup­plies after all. *Her voice stammers, shaking from the shivers.*

Dr Helen Jekyll: Oh dear, we need to get you warmed up and dry immediately! *she stood, the lantern in one hand and the ball in the other, watching what she could see of her trembling friend with concern* How do I get out of here, Catt?

Catt Hatter: Th-­the same way y­-you got in. Just­-t l-­let me take my hat­t off. *The scene in the crystal shifts and tilts until the ground now takes up the top half of the view. Light starts pouring in through the now vacant hole in the floor.* I'd rec-com­mend crawling out h-­head *breath* first-­t. Oh, and p­-please put out the l-­light before you leave? *yawn* Mz­z. Hyde is g-­getting mauled by a woman in a grey suit with g-­giant scissors, b­-by the w-­way. Y-­you should, p-­probably do something.

Next