[h2][b][i][color=008000][center]In This Fine Town Of Arkham[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h2]
[h3][b][i][color=008000][center]A Night At Wilde Hall[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h3]
[hr]
[center][img]https://s3.eu-central-1.wasabisys.com/devonilx7/2020/04/forest_path_dark_150398_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg[/img][/center]
[hr]
[center][b]"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown"[/b] 
- [i]H. P. Lovecraft[/i][/center]
[hr]
[center][@Eviledd1984][/center]

The carriage shifted slightly as [b][color=0054a6]Benjamin Zebrowski[/color][/b] climbed aboard, but it quickly settled again. The warmth within was a welcome change from the biting chill of the Arkham night, and as Benjamin's eyes adjusted to the lamplight, he could see that Doctor Green's eyes were still fixed on the two guests that had not proven as keen on his invitation. No, not on the two of then. On Miss White. Benjamin's voice seemed to shake the Doctor out of his trance, and he glanced across at the other man, the beaming smile returning to his face. 

	[b]"Why do any of us attend parties? I'm sure my reasons are not so different from yours, my boy."[/b]

	His gaze darting back to beyond the carriage, Doctor Green leant forwards, shifting his heavy frame as he reached out to grip the handle of the door. One last glance, and another broad smile, and Doctor Green spoke, his voice booming.

	[b]"I hope to see you both at Wilde Hall. Good luck."[/b]

	With that, the Doctor swung the door closed. A cane appeared in the man's hand, and he knocked on the carriage ceiling three times with the heavy metal handle. There was a moment's pause, and then the carriage jolted forwards, and they pulled away, leaving Miss White and Mister Blue behind them in the night. 

	Doctor Green took a few steady breathes, before seeming to remember his company, his gaze falling back onto Benjamin, one eyebrow raising behind his mask.

	[b]"You had some unusual companions. Tell me, did you know either of them well?"[/b]

[hr]
[center][@Prosaic][/center]

It seemed as if their excuses had been convincing enough for the stranger in the carriage, and [b][color=7ea7d8]Simon Hart[/color][/b] had to stop himself from breathing a sigh of relief. Mister Strawberry may have taken up the invitation, but with Miss White at his side, Simon couldn't help but feel her tension. The glance that she had cast him was a hint of reassurance, but with the beaked mask still watching, he still bit his tongue. As Mister Strawberry dissapeared into the carriage, Doctor Green reappeared in the doorway, and his voice boomed out through the dimly lit street once more. 

	[b]"I hope to see you both at Wilde Hall. Good luck."[/b]

	Before either Simon or Miss White could even think to muster up a reply, the carriage door slammer shut, and the shadowed coachman cracked the reins, the carriage lurching forwards. Simon watched as it moved away, before being lost in the deep darkness of the Wilde Woods. 'Good luck'. Had that been a threat, or simply a genuine concern? Something about the night, whether it was Miss White, or his own reasons for travelling to Wilde Hall, had Simon jumping at shadows, and on the narrow street, he was surrounded by them. 

	A sing-song voice at his shoulder, quieter than before, softer, pulled him out of his own thoughts, and Simon turned to see Miss White facing him, blue eyes watching his face. 
	
	[b]"Thank you, sir. I..."[/b]

	For the first time, the pale-haired woman, her face almost entirely obscured by her elaborate mask, seemed to falter, and Simon noticed how young she was. Her gaze flickered down the path, into the shifting depths of the Wilde Woods, after the path of the carriage, before coming back to Simon, her eyes focusing on his own. 

	[b]"Thank you. I hope I have not delayed you for too long."[/b]