[color=gray][color=cecece]“Linda.”[/color] A kind smirk came towards the man. Bernard reminded her of the good Doctor in a sense, but others not. It was strange seeing him and the others like this. Linda had spent countless nights studying all of their psychological profiles and evaluations. In one way, they were as far removed from being human as one could get. Yet in another way, she had become accustomed to the group akin to regular people becoming accustomed to their idols in entertainment. It was a bizarre mixture of perception. The Doctor had explained this phenomenon to her on more than one occasion. He had explained the necessity of creating distance between yourself and the patient. Mia was one of the better examples for himself. Even if he wanted to see her as a daughter, such a perception would harm every process and progress they could possibly have. The doctor felt for that poor girl unlike any other. Another such example was Keandre. Much of that young man reminded the Stanton of his own flesh and blood, his own son that had perished. And not to mention Emily. The Doctor explained that such a girl and personality could easily creep underneath one’s own sense of direction and priority. Infatuation was the word, he explained. Or perhaps it was fascination? Linda could not remember at this moment.

[color=cecece]“N.Y.C. winter is in its own league.”[/color] Linda chuckled in unison with Keandre’s comments about not being suited for this kind of weather. All the members of the group were stacking almost like clockwork. Even if Linda did recognize most of them up close with facial features at hand, those in the vicinity would have escaped her notice — Serena, for example, who was not far removed, but hidden by the eerie whirls of snow. Linda gave a kind and warm nod at Russell’s arrival. She had not given it much thought before, but there were two people in the group working in law enforcement. The good Doctor had never commented it in their private discussions. Linda made a mental note of having to ask if it carried any significance in relation to the others and progress in the group. With that in mind, Linda reminded herself to occasionally have a look around to see if any others had come. Some of them were not particularly adept in social matters, which had been unmistakably noted in their profiles — all things psychology was awfully concerned with social matters. Linda had managed to take note of Alex’s presence and thrown a smile her way, indicating for the young girl to keep close, as they began to slowly move.

Linda also noticed that Valerian had arrived. She gave a slight gesture for him to come closer as well, although it was overshadowed by Emily’s prompt entrance. The girl was certainly the balance this group needed. It was a determined and warm presence. [color=cecece]“We’re heading in right now. I haven’t been able to get Richard on the phone, so he’s most likely busy with something.”[/color] Linda made sure to wait for everyone in the group to step inside before herself — perhaps it was a minor detail, but for these people it could be the difference of good and terrible night. Luckily, Serena had made herself visible just in time. Linda gave Serena a warm smile and indicated that it was good to see her again. A last look around outside on the street for any remaining members resulted in none. They were not all accounted for, but it was also not unusual. 

The reception area was brightly lit and mellow. There was no receptionist in at this time. It was a bit peculiar, but Linda thought nothing of it as she briskly walked past the group towards the elevator. She used a special key to call the elevator to them much faster. Besides being able to take them to the penthouse level of the building, the key also forced the elevator to bypass all other stop and call requests. She did not want to keep the Doctor waiting, as the clock had struck 8 PM. The elevator itself was spacious. All of them could fit in there without touching each other too much. Linda was the last one to board. [color=cecece]"Okay, hang on everyone."[/color] The ride was short and completed in less than half a minute. Everything up to this point had transgressed without any kind of suspicion in Linda’s mind, even if a creeping sensation had crawled along her spine ever since she arrived outside and met the group. It was not until the elevator doors slid open on the fifth floor out of the eight floors of the building that the strange feeling was validated. The hallway before them looked bizarrely misshaped. Bits of the walls were peeled and almost decayed. Many of the lights throughout the hallway had burned out. The light bulbs were sooty and nearly cracked. Whatever light that remained was dimmed or flickering. Something was clearly wrong here.

Linda remained within the elevator for a moment with the others. It took a good while before she stepped into the hallway. Each step made the floor crackle and squeak as if made out of aging wood even if such was clearly not the case. It was surreal and slightly off putting, which prompted Linda to hasten her pace towards the Doctor’s office. Perhaps it was unfair to call it an office. The space they worked out of was an apartment that had been redesigned as an office for the Doctor’s purposes. To Linda’s surprise, or maybe lack thereof, the front door was slightly open. There was no discernible sign of a break in. However, Linda was not a police officer, so she would not know what to look for. Luckily, they had two cops with them that could surely tell if the front door had been forced open. The first thing that one sees when entering is a wide, spacious room that is used as both reception and waiting area for patients. Linda did not know what to expect, so she called the Doctor’s name as she slowly pushed the front door open. “Richard?” Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to see.

The therapist had become a God. He sat tranquil and serene on the floor of the wide room. A fine powder of dark quality had been evenly spread all around him. His legs were positioned in the lotus formation often seen in Eastern meditation. The spine had been set straight by being attached to slim, metal rods impaled in the floor. His left arm was folded — its elbow graced one of the legs, the wrist reached upwards, and two fingers and the thumb were erect with the remaining digits collapsed — it was the gesture of benediction. The right arm and hand rested in his lap. The man had been stripped completely naked and his eyes had been removed. Two, delicate streams of blood had trailed down his cheek, neck, and chest from where the eyes used to be. A ripped piece of paper with burnt edges lay before him. It had a note that read: Communion Ends. Disperse.

Linda stumbled backwards upon seeing the spectacle. A hand quickly covered her mouth to prevent unnecessary screaming or uncomfortable noises. Her heart raced and was audibly unsettling in her head. In that moment, a loud bang from a door closing down the hall towards the stairwell was heard. A dark figure could be momentarily seen moving out of another exit of the Doctor’s office. The figure moved towards the stairwell. Linda was in shock and backed against the wall opposite to the front door where she had just been. So many things rushed through her head. She forced herself to think about the others. They were the ones who were supposed to be fragile in this endeavor, not her. Linda had never seen a murder before except in films. However, this was unlike anything she had seen in fiction. This was awfully disturbing. Not to mention that the victim in question was her employer, mentor, and dear friend.
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N O T E S
[color=#726666]There are essentially four parts here: entering the building, elevator ride, walking down the hallway, and the discovery. Write things out and react as you think your character would. I will detail any complications in my next post based on your Actions in your character sheets. There is a suspect that is moving towards the stairwell at the other end of the hallway. It is moving quickly and the entrance to the stairwell is about 20 meters/65ft away. The rest of the Doctor’s office is unknown at this time. There are five additional rooms beyond the large reception/waiting area. The black powder spread on the floor around the Doctor is completely unknown and will remain as such despite any expertise in the group.[/color]