Playt's Council

New York City, June 1963...

The sun was slowly setting over the bay. A light breeze blew across the empty streets. The wind cause some wind chimes to ring. The pleasant sound filled the air. The breeze then made its way through an open window on the fifth story of a building. The light breeze rustled the blue prints laid before him.

George quickly slammed his fist down to prevent the paper from blowing away. While doing so, he knocked over a cup full of pencils. The ten, sharpened pencils bounced across the wooden floor. The impact from the fall caused some of them to break. George sighed. Building the library was one of his biggest jobs. Little bumps in the road like dropping his pencils and the heat wave were beginning to stress him out.

“When is this wave going to stop?” He mumbled as he took a drink of water. A droplet of sweat trickled down the back of his neck. He sat the cup down as he took out a handkerchief from his shirt pocket. The wiped off the back of his neck. Then tossed the soiled piece of cloth to the ground. He began to pick up the pencils. Dong… dong… dong …dong…dong…dong…ding…George popped his head up but he hit his head on the table.

Wincing, George sat down. “Uh…seven already?” He got up and brushed himself off. He had an hour to go home and change. He and Jessica where going out to celebrate his birthday. He originally planned to leave the office at six but like always he got carried away in work. He closed the windows to prevent the wind from blowing things away while he got ready to go home. The office quickly began to get warm. He walked over to his desk and began to stuff his briefcase.

Papers crunched has he quickly tossed them into the case. Sweat began to develop on his forehead. He was growing dizzy from the raising temperature in the room. He locked one latch on the case before turning the lamp on his desk off. He walked out into the lobby. His secretary, Sally Stoutmen, was thumbing through some files.

“Good evening, Mr. Trevor.” Mrs. Stoutmen said as George locked his office.

“And a good evening to you too, Mrs. Stoutmen.” George slipped the keys into his pocket. “Don’t stay too much longer. It’s a scorcher tonight.”

“It’s been like that every day for the past week, sir. I’m quite use to it.”

“Just don’t get over heated.” George left to lobby.

He jogged down the five flights of steps. While doing so, he began to think of Jessica, his wife for eight years. He became distracted by thinking of her. He left through the front doors feeling as if he was walking on air. He was so distracted that he didn’t see another man walking up the front steps while he was coming down. The two men collided. George’s briefcase popped open. His papers fell to the ground.

“I’m terribly sorry.” The mysterious man said.

“No…no. I wasn’t looking.” George bent down to pick up his work.

“You’re Mr. George Trevor. Right?”

“Yes, sir, I am.” He stood up and held out his hand. “And you are?”

“Spencer. Ozwell Spencer.” Spencer shook George’s hand. “I’m from south of the Arklay forest. I have a job offer for you.”

George looked at the clock tower. “Mr. Spencer, I’m afraid I have an important engagement to attend. May we reschedule?”

“Yes, we can.” Spencer pulled out his organizer from his coat pocket. He licked his fingers. He flipped the pages to June. “Now, Mr. Trevor…I’m only going to be in town for a few days. When can we meet the soonest?”

“Tomorrow for lunch.” George rested his briefcase on his left arm. With his right hand, he unlocked it and took out a piece of paper and a pen. He quickly wrote down an address. “Here is a nice little restaurant. Meet me there at noon. We’ll discuss this then.” George gave the paper to Spencer. He turned around and began to walk to his car.

“Mr. Trevor.” Spencer called out. George turned around. Spencer folded the paper. He slipped it into his pocket. “You won’t regret it.”

The Next Day, Noon…

The sun hung high in the sky, shining down on the world below. The bay sparkled like a liquid diamond. It was crystal clear. The waves rolled onto the shore. The salty sea air was refreshing. A cool breeze blew across the dock. Sea gulls circled the tables of the restaurant hoping to eat crumbs left behind from the dinners or to eat leftovers sitting on the tables before the bus boys could clean up.

George gazed around the dock in hopes of seeing Spencer. He didn’t find the man, he decided to relax. He rested his feet on the chair next to him. The shade from the umbrella attached to the table kept the sun’s rays off of him and the breeze kept him cool. The soft sound of the ocean relaxed him greatly. He was so exhausted from last night. He and Jessica spent the night at a ball, dancing and carrying on conversations with old friends while a babysitter watched their six year old daughter at home. They returned home after two in the morning and the heat made it difficult to sleep. He then had to get up at dawn for work.

He slowly drifted off to sleep. The sounds of the sea and a chatty crowd grew silent as he fell deeper into sleep. However, his slumber was disturbed by an unusual sound. The sound of iron being dragged across stone. He opened his and glanced over at the source of the sound. He saw Spencer pulling a chair out.

“My apologies, Mr. Trevor.” Spencer said while sitting down. “The cab broke and I had to walk.”

George looked at him. His face was red and sweat covered. He could tell Spencer walked a long distance. “It’s ok, Mr. Spencer.” He put his feet back under the table. The waiter came and gave them some ice tea. Spencer drank his glass within three gulps. He then asked for anything glass. George looked at him. “You’re not use to the heat are you?”

“No, I’m not.” Spencer said after chugging another glass. “I haven’t been in hot climate since I graduated college years go. Raccoon City has nice weather. Cool mornings and evenings and warm afternoons. We have a lot of fog too. Starts to appear around sunset and disappears by mid-morning.”

“Raccoon City?”

“That’s the name of the small town we’re beginning.”

“We’re? Who is the we?”

“Myself, Dr. Edward Ashford, and Dr. James Marcus.”

“I see. Now how did you come up with the name Raccoon City?”

“Names after those dirty, rotten ring-tailed bandits! They’re every where! They got into the trash cans. We’d wake up each morning to find our yards would be covered in litter. We tried putting bricks on the lids, but those critters just knocked them down. So we locked the lids onto the cans. You know what they did? The got into the house through the dog’s door! Since they thrive in the area, we named it Raccoon City.”

“I see…That’s very interesting. Now, let’s order and you can tell me all about this job offer.”

Spencer nodded to show he agreed. The waiter walked over to the table when George waved. He order the sea food pasta while Spencer got an Italian sandwich made with Italian sausage. As the men ate, Spencer told him about the job… “James, Edward, and myself have made a medical break through and are building a company to support our research. We have a training facility but I want a weekend get away for the scientists and I hear you like a challenges.”

“Yes I do.” George poked his fork into the bowl of noodles.

“Good because I’ve got one for you. I want you to build me a mansion. A huge one with secret passages and puzzles in all the rooms.”

George dropped his fork on the table. He was shocked at what he heard. Does he want me to build a mansion or a fun house? “That is…a very unusual request.”

“I have my reasons, Mr. Trevor. Mainly for security purposes. I don’t want anyone to find out about the medical break through.”

“What is this ‘medical break through’?”

“Classified information.”

“Hmmm…”

“Now, I’m willing to pay.” Spencer pulled out his check book. He flipped to a blank page. He sat it in the middle of the table with a pen. “Go ahead, Mr. Trevor. Right down any amount. Include the cost of a trip to Raccoon so you can survey the area, the cost of materials, the salaries of men, and add some extra zeros for you and your family.”

George gulped. He looked at Spencer and met his eyes. There was something disturbing about him but George didn’t know what. There was a darkness in Spencer’s soul. George could tell for his eyes were dark and cold. Even though he had a terrible feeling in the stomach, he couldn’t pass up this offer. Too much money was in his reach. He, Jessica, and Lisa could be set for life. They could buy land out in the country and he could build the house of their dreams. He took the check, ignored the feeling, and wrote it out for a few hundred million dollars.

Spencer nodded and smiled with joy. “You can cash it tonight.”

“Tonight?”

“Yes, the money is in there already.” Spencer waved a server over. “Get me your finest wine.”

The server walked away and returned with a bottle. Spencer checked the date. He nodded approval. The server opened the bottle. He took two glasses and pour the velvet colored liquid. He then placed the bottle in a tub of ice. He walked off as Spencer picked up a glass.

“A toast.” He said cheerfully. George picked up his and held it evenly with Spencer’s. “A toast, Mr. Trevor…to the companies future, your family’s, and yours.” The two glasses collided and made a soft cling. Then the men drank to a future that looked brighter than it really would be.

October 1966, Ten O’clock at Night...

Rain poured down on the construction site. Lightning flashed across the sky causing the forest to light up. Thunder rolled. He wasn’t sure why he had been called but he knew he was getting paid plenty of money. He had been home when Spencer called, asking him to come over right away. He was told that a pay check of hundred thousand dollars was waiting for him. So he immanently came over.

He approached Spencer’s residence that was located outside the site. It wasn’t the best place but it was good enough for him till the east wing of the mansion was completed. He walked up the steps. They creaked under his boots. He knocked on the door. Spencer answered. “About time you got here.”

“Sorry but the road were wet.” He said in a Russian accent. He entered the building. His footsteps echoed while he walked. He took off his wet coat and hat. He hung them on the hooks by the door. Spencer closed it. “Anyone here?”

“No. Edward went to visit his family while James moved into the training Facility the other day. I’m alone.” Spencer started down the long corridor. “This way.”

He followed Spencer into an office. He sat down in a armchair and looked around the room. Spencer was a loner. He had no pictures of a girlfriend or wife hanging on his wall or sitting on his desk. No family to brag about. His walls were bared except for his degrees and a clock. The desktop was pretty much as empty was the walls. No pictures. Just a cup with pens, some papers, and a lamp.

“Mr. Spencer?” He asked.

“Yes?” Spencer walked behind his desk.

“My check please.”

“You’ll get it before you leave. We have business.”

“Business?” He shifted in his chair trying to get comfortable.

“That’s right.” Spencer bend down to a safe. He fumbled with the lock. He stood up with two large papers. One of them blue. He spread the blue one open on his desk. “Do you see this?”

He stood up. “Yes, I see…”

“This is a copy of Trevor’s blue prints.”

“Hmm...What about them?”

Spencer unrolled the other paper. “This is a map of the cat comes the lie beneath the property. The ones in yellow are the ones that Trevor knows about. The white ones, remain unknown to him.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to build me an entrance into the mansion via the catacombs. Make sure that Trevor can’t find it.”

“Shall I begin building?”

“No. Wait a few months to plan out what you want to do.”

“Oh, Mr. Spencer, I already have an idea. You see this cabin crossed out here on the print? I’m guessing Mr. Trevor cancelled the project. Am I correct?”

“Yes…”

“I shall begin building there. My team and I shall follow this catacomb.” He moved his hand over the paper. “We’ll have an entrance here. Under the waterfall. We’ll also follow this catacomb and have one last entrance in the basement of the mansion.”

“You’re quite fast when it comes to designing a plan.”

“That’s why I’m not cheap.” He looked at Spencer. “I want a raise.”

Spencer thought for a moment. He sighed and paced behind his desk. “Alright.” He took the check and ripped it. He then wrote another one for twice the amount. He sat it on the desk.

“I shall not disappoint you, Mr. Spencer.” He said while he picked up the check. “If you excuse me, I shall be going. I’ll return in spring to begin work.” He folded the check. He slipped it into his shirt pocket. He walked to the door. He put his coat on and opened it. Spencer stood and watched as he placed the hat on his head. He walked out into the darkness and fog. He was not seen again till April of the following year.

Fall 1967...

The sun slowly crawled up from it’s eastern bed. It climbed the mountain and sat on the top, casting long dark shadows on the ground. The shadows reached for the dark western side of the forest in hopes of escaping the morning sun. Fog filled the valley and the forest. Darkness slowly became light.

A doe and her fawn left the safety of their thicket and entered the clearing. She stood the for a second and listened. Silence. The only things she heard were sounds of the wilderness. No hammering. No sawing. No humans shouting commands at each other. The forest was for once, peaceful. She and her fawn walked along the edge of the field when they saw something shining in the distance.

It was numerous windows located on the eastern side of a mansion. They glistened in the morning sun light. The fog lifted as the sun rose. It revealed a large mansion. It had three stories, an attic, and a basement. A courtyard stretched for a few acres behind the mansion.

The walkways were made of granite. All neatly placed together from the mansion’s back door to a shed and then through out the courtyard itself. A beautiful fountain sat in the middle of a meeting area. A waterfall was close by. The water thundered down upon the earth till it seeped into the ground. A residence remained empty and a cabin sat unfinished.

The garden in the courtyard was bare. Weeds and dying bushes lined the paths. No flower remained. The trees were leafless. The wind blew. Dried leaves rolled across the ground.

The sun rose high into the sky. The mansion sat there in the light just like another mansion. However, no one knew what would happen in it. No one knew what would come from it. No one knew what terror it would one day hold.

The Spencer Mansion was complete and Spencer’s plan had just begun…

November 10, 1967...

Spencer, Ashford, and Marcus just entered the top balcony of the Great Hall. Their footsteps silenced by the red plush carpeting that covered the whole balcony and lead down the stairs. They had just finished a small tour through some rooms with the art work.

“The place is excellent.” Marcus said. “Trevor lives up to his name.”

“Indeed.” Ashford agreed while wondering around the balcony.

“Marcus, did you take care of business in New York?” Spencer asked.

“Yes, I did. In a few hours all the records of you and the blue prints of the mansion will be ashes in a burning pile of rubble. This should also set Trevor‘s return to Raccoon back by a few days.”

“Excellent.” Spencer walked over to the oak railing. “Everything is going according to plan.”

“Plan?” Ashford wondered over to the group. “What plan?”

“Didn’t Spencer tell you?” Marcus slapped Spencer’s back. “Ol’ Spence has a plan on how to test the Mother Virus. He’s going to use Trevor’s family as the first subjects.”

“You are?”

“Yes, I am.” Spencer took out his pocket watch. He checked his watch. “Ah…they should be arriving soon. If you excuse me, gentlemen, I better get ready to meet them.”

Spencer bid the men a farewell. Ashford and Marcus went their separate ways while Spencer headed down to the first floor. He sat down on the bottom step and waited. He rolled his neck when he heard the soft clinging noise of the brass knocker on the door. He slowly stood up. He brushed himself off as he walked calmly to the door. He wore a sick grin on his face till he opened the door to a woman and her daughter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

George was shaking as he drove quickly down the road. He had seen the smoke when he stepped out of the house. He noticed that it was coming from the area near the office building. The building was old and made mostly of wood. It was like a candle waiting for the match…it was ready to burn.

His heart pounded in his chest as he grew closer to the site. He could smell the scent of burning wood as it began to fill his nose. The air was hot and thick. He could see the red and blue lights ahead of him. He slammed on the breaks. His heart stopped. It was the office building.

He pulled over. He got out while he tried to hold the tears back. Everything was gone. All his records, blue prints, files…all up in smoke. He’d have to use the extra money Spencer gave him for a new office building. So much for a new house… he said to himself. Even worse, I can’t get to Raccoon till the 13th now…

He glanced at the burning building. He wondered just how it had started and why. He was a good man. Never did anything wrong. What did he do to deserve to lose all of the information he needed for his career? He sat back down and pondered his problem.

The woman wasn’t very old nor very tall. She was a good six inches shorted than Spencer. She had a sweet smile on while she held her daughter’s hand. The little girl standing next to her had to be about ten. She was a shy little girl. She remained quiet when the door had open and had even taken a step behind her mother.

“Ah…Jessica, Lisa, it’s a pleasure to see you both again.” Spencer tried to act as kind as possible but it was hard. Kindness wasn’t one of his qualities.

“Mr. Spencer, it’s been awhile since we last saw you.” Jessica looked a Lisa. “Right, honey?” The girl just stood there refusing to look at Spencer. “Oh please forgive her. She’s quite shy and tired. The train ride was very long.”

“Indeed it is.” Spencer saw their suitcases. “Mind if I carried those for you?”

“Thank you.” Jessica stepped into the mansion. Lisa wasn’t far behind. The two gazed around the huge Great Hall. This was the first time they had seen the mansion since it had been completed.

The floor was made of white marble with a gloss over it. It wasn’t scratched and fresh. When Jessica looked down, she could see herself staring back, like a ghost trapped in the stone. Her eyes wondered around the hall.

The pillars holding up the balcony were pure oak just like the railing above it. The doors located on both sides of the hall where made of oak as well. They had square-like curving on them. The curving were plated with gold foil making them look more valuable then they really were. The room was light up by a giant chandelier hanging high above the floor. Various small lamps hung on the walls and above the and tall candle stands lit up small nooks.

The staircase in front of her lead up to a small platform. Then it split in two smaller cases. One on the left and one on the right, both of them leading up to the second floor. Hanging on the wall between the two cases and above the platform, was a giant picture. Sticking out of the picture was a golden rod. The rod was the handle of the door. Spencer had wanted secret doors and passageways in the mansion. A door hidden in the painting was one of George’s ideas. Another, laid beneath the Grand Stair Case.

Two archways lead down to a lower floor. Underneath the stairs, was an iron gate with two doors. The gate was locked tightly and could only be opened if both crests were placed in the slots. One on each door. Spencer had both crests. He carried them with him at all times.

Jessica nodded with much approval. “Defiantly George’s work. By the way…Where is he?”

Spencer walked up to her. “I’m afraid he’s caught in New York. Tied up in work again. He called me this morning.”

Jessica sighed. “He just finished this mansion a few months ago, why can’t he relax? That’s George for you.” She turned at Spencer and looked at her luggage. She pointed at a long rectangular box wrapped in white paper. “That is for you, Mr. Spencer. A little token of the Trevor family’s appreciation for you allowing us to stay here for a few days.”

Spencer sat the stuff down and held the box. “You didn’t have to get me anything.” He pulled the paper off revealing a cardboard box. He opened the lid. He then gently pulled out a shotgun. He examined the weapon careful. “It’s a beautiful gun. Well crafted and sturdy.”

“George told me you were a hunter and in need of a new weapon. The Arklay forest seems like perfect hunting ground.”

“Indeed it is. I’m planning a hunting trip for next week. I can guarantee you that this weapon will be with me but my plans aren’t important right now. You and Lisa both look very tired. Why don’t I show you to your room so you can rest up and clean up before supper.”

“Thank you, Mr. Spencer. I could use a nice shower.” Jessica looked down at Lisa. She had been silent ever since they arrived. Her eyes were droopy. “Honey, would you like to go lay down?” The little girl looked at her and nodded a yes.

Spencer picked up the suitcases. He lead them to the left through double doors. They entered a dinning room with a long table in the middle. Chairs sat around the table. Nice china dishes sat in front of the chairs. The silverware glistened in the candle light. A fire place sat in the far end of the room. A fire blazed in it casting shadows of objects sitting near it.

They three of them walked to the end of the room. They left the dinning room through a door near the fire place. They crossed one dim hallway to enter another door. They then entered another poorly lit hallway. This one was very dark and rather dusty.

“Momma…” Lisa snuggled up to Jessica. “Why is it so dark and scary?”

“You have nothing to fear, Ms. Lisa.” Spencer stopped in front of another door. “Some of the wires haven’t been connected yet. An electrician is stopping buy later this week to fix it.” He opened the door that led into a small room. “This is the keeper’s room.”

“The keeper?” Jessica asked.

“Yes, I’m getting some animals shipped in next year. This room was made for the keeper of them. However, I don’t have anything for him to keep nor have I hired someone. Therefore you can stay in here. Supper will be ready in an hour.”

Spencer left the two girls in the room. He went back into the first hallway they crossed. He turned left and began to make his way to the kitchen. While doing so, he pulled a bottle filled with a nasty brown colored liquid out from his pocket.

Spencer walked down the concrete steps to the basement where the kitchen was located. As he approached the door, the smell of ham filled his nose. He breathed deeply then exhaled. His mouth began to water. He gently opened the door. He entered in time to see his personally chef walk passed the door.

Paul Kingston was in his mid thirties. He wasn’t very old and was always running around the kitchen. He would stir the soup then dash over to the oven to check the baking meat. He’d then dice up a vegetable.

“Ahem” Spencer cleared his throat.

Paul looked up, “Lord Spencer…What can I do for you?”

Spencer walked over to the counter. He sat the bottle on it. “I need you to knock out Jessica and Lisa with this.”

“What is it?” Paul picked the bottle. He swirled it around. The brown liquid seem to stick to the sides.

“It’s homemade chloroform. When you go to serve them, dab it on a cloth and cover their mouth and nose. Got it?”

“Yes sir.”

“Use a very small amount.”

“Yes sir.” Paul slipped the bottle into his apron pocket.

Spencer turned around and left. He had about an hour to wait before he could finish the next step of his plan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

George sat at home alone. He had warmed up some left-overs from the night before for dinner. He sat at the kitchen table and poked at his food. He felt like a child refusing to finish his meal but George couldn’t stomach the reheated meal. He was still getting over the fact that his life work was now ash. Plus he was missing his family. He missed Jessica’s warm, fresh meal and her even warmer smile. He missed Lisa’s little voice as she told him about school or about her day at the park. He eventually pushed the plate away and leaned back in his chair.

Something didn’t feel right to him. He knew his family was safe with Spencer but a feeling was developing inside of him. He wasn’t sure what it was or why it was coming but it bothered him. He wanted to call Spencer but he had already called either today. He called sometime this morning to let Spencer know he wouldn’t be in Raccoon for a few more days.

“You’re worrying too much.” He said out loud to himself. “Get over it, Trevor. They’re fine. You just need a shower and sleep.”

George got up. He threw away his dinner. He placed his plate in the sink. He then went into the bathroom and ran the water for a shower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jessica, Lisa, and Spencer sat at the dinning room table next to the fire place. The heat from the fire warmed them up. The room was silent. Spencer wasn’t a talker. Never was and probably never would be. He always seemed to keep to himself and to keep his mouth shut unless he was explaining something. Jessica didn’t know what to talk about. She knew Spencer wasn’t interested in the latest New York gossip. Then there was Lisa. She never said a word.

Spencer had his head turned at the fire. The flames danced on the burning log. The fire also seemed to dance in his eyes. Jessica stirred cream into her coffee. She took a drink. Lisa sat there staring at the wall.

The door opened and they all glanced at it. Paul entered the room with a tray. He sat the tray down. He placed a bowl in front of each of them. He turned and walked behind Jessica and Lisa. They were too busy eating to pay attention. Spencer kept his eyes locked with Paul’s. Paul pulled out the bottle and a cloth. He carefully opened the bottle. He tipped it over with the cloth over the top.

The liquid seeped onto the cloth. He placed the lid back on the bottle. He stood behind Jessica. He then quickly placed the cloth over her mouth. She passed out before reacting. “Momma!” Lisa cried out in fear. Before the girl could get up, Paul did the same to her. Both of them laid helpless as Spencer’s servants carried them away.

November 11, 1967...

It was a dim lonely room. The air in it was stale. It was easy to tell that fresh air never entered the room. The smell of fresh blood rose from test tubes. The room was hot. Warm air rushed into the room through the air vent. It was silent except for the heavy breathing of a young girl.

Jessica was slowly coming to. Her head hurt terrible. She opened her eyes to discover that her vision was blurred. She blinked a few times to clear it. A nauseating smell filled her nose. It was the smell of dried blood and chloroform that had dripped off the cloth onto her dress. She couldn’t remember anything. She began to think but her concentration was interrupted by the short gasping breaths of her daughter. She turned her head to see Lisa strapped down to an operation table. The girl’s face was red. Sweat covered her skin. She tossed her head to the side, gasping. She was having a hear flash. A small reaction to the chloroform.

“Lisa, sweetie.” Jessica kept her voice low and calm even though she wanted to yell out and scream. “It’s ok. Calm down, honey.”

The door opened and three large men walked in. All three of them dressed in white lab coat while blue button up shirts underneath the light white clothe. They approached the two women who were both strapped down. Two of the men walked over to Lisa.

“Easy, girl.” One of them said as her pushed her hair back from her forehead. The second man got a moist cloth and dabbed her face. The cool water lowered her temperature which then helped her to relax. Jessica turned her head to see the last name standing at a counter. He filled two needles with a greenish substance. He then walked over to the other two.

He handed each men a test tube. He stepped back as one man stood by Lisa and the other stood by Jessica. The man in the back walked over to the counter. He took a fine point pen out from his pocket. He gazed down at a blank page of an open notebook. “Doctor, ready to take notes.”

“Good.” The scientist beside Jessica said as her glanced down at her. “Write this down…November 11th,1967- Mother Virus is injected into Subject A and Subject B.”

At the same time, both men stuck the needles into Lisa and Jessica. The substance known as the Mother Virus entered their bodies. It entered the blood stream, quickly spreading through their body. The new, unknown substance caused them to go into shock. They both passed out but didn’t know that only one would wake…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A light drizzle fell upon the world. The sun was raising over New York City, lighting up the sky. George stood at the train station as the Ecliptic Express pulled up. The train was large and elegant. The gold framed door opened. George picked up his suitcase as he stepped aboard the train. The burgundy carpet cushioned his footsteps. He sat down in the first chair on the left side.

The chair was large and burgundy as well. He picked up a copy of Raccoon City Times sitting on the chair next to him. The paper was very small and had very little information in it. The city had barley over three hundred people. He read a few small articles in it. He had to find a way to keep his mind off his family. He was growing worried. He tried calling Spencer before getting aboard the train but couldn’t get through.

“Calm down.” He said to himself. “You’ll see Lisa’s smiling face and hold Jessica in your arms in two days.”

Even though he wanted to believe he would see them, he had a terrible feeling that something bad was going happen.

November 13, 1967...

It was late into the afternoon when the beat up pick up began down the country road. It was a rusty piece of metal on four wheels and seemed like nothing more. It was from the forties. It belonged to a farmer not far from the Raccoon City limits. George had paid ten dollars in order to borrow it for the next few days.

The truck didn’t have heat. So George was bundled up as much as he could. He kept his hat on and drove with wool mittens on his hands. His teeth chattered as he rode through the country side. He gazed around at the world. The forest seems so different since his last visit.

George was last in the woods in April. The forest was lush and green back then. Now it was dead and lonely. The white snow covered the ground as if it was a blanket. There wasn’t much snow, but it was enough to remind him of how cold it was.

George pulled up in front of the mansion about five o’clock. He stopped the truck and got out. With his suitcase in hand, he jogged across the gravel road. Snow clung to his new leather shoes and light gray pants. He stomped up the stairs to the double doors that lead inside. Spencer never kept the doors locked. No one knew about the mansion being here and it was well guarded by Spencer’s pack of specially trained Dobermans.

He opened the doors and entered the Great Hall. He was surprised to discover that the hall was warm. He figured the hall would have been cool. After all, there weren’t any air vents in the hall.

George sat his suit case down as he began to walk out into the middle of the hall. He heard the soft sound as if something was rubbing up against a pole. He looked up to find a young boy polishing the oak railing. “Excuse me, lad!” He yelled up to the boy.

The boy looked over the railing. “May I help you?”

“Do you know where I might find Sir Spencer?”

“He’s gazing at his art gallery. Just go through the door there on your right.”

“Thank you, son.” George left his case in the hall. He entered the room to find Spencer walking around a marble statue. It was of a woman holding a vase on her left shoulder.

“Isn’t it something?” Spencer said when he saw George enter. “It’s a water-bearer. I had it imported from Greece. Arrived just yesterday.”

“Yes, it is lovely.” George walked up to Spencer’s side. “Where is Jessica and Lisa?”

“Ah, yes. I’m afraid they aren’t here. You see, your aunt Emma has fallen terribly ill back in New York. Jessica thought it would cheer Emma up if she and Lisa went to visit. They left the other day. I tried to call you but you were already on your way here. They shall return by next week.”

George seemed disappointed. He longed for his family but he knew they were at least safe. Spencer and George returned to the Great Hall. George grabbed his suit case as Spencer lead him to the Keeper’s Room. While on the way, Spencer informs George that this was the room Jessica and Lisa were in. He told George that most of their stuff was probably still there. Jessica wasn’t planning on staying with Emma for long. “Here you are, Trevor.” Spencer said as he opened the door. “Dinner will be ready in an hour.”

George was left alone in the Keeper’s room. He stood there for a moment and glanced around the small room. It was poorly lit by a small lamp located on the desk on the other side of the room. A queen sized bed sat in the middle of the room with the headboard by the wall. A closet stood across from the desk and a cabinet covered in a thin layer of dust stood beside the entrance.

Feeling warm, he took his coat off. He sat his suitcase down on the unused bed as he made his way to the closest. The closet doors creaked as he opened then. He took a coat hanger off the rack. He slipped the sides of the hanger into each sleeve before putting it away. A sigh escaped his mouth as he opened his suitcase. He was exhausted from the trip and missed his family.

He opened the cabinet. With the palm of his hand, he dusted off the shelf. He opened the next door to find a pile of Jessica and Lisa’s clothes. All nicely folded and stacked up on top of each other. The smell of lavender filled his nose. Jessica always liked her clothes being fresh. Every time she would put her clothes away, she’d spray perfume so that they would smell fresh when she pulled them out again. The smell helped relieve his stress. He knew that Jessica and Lisa would be back since most of their clothes were here.

Once he finished unpacking, he decided to begin write in his diary. He walked over to the desk to find a few poorly drawn pictures. They seemed to have been drawn by a young child. George smiled and wipe a tear from his eye. “My little Lisa…” He picked up the pictures and examined them. While he stood there, he heard a knock at the door.

“Come in!” He called as he folded the pictures and slipped them into his blank book.

One of Spencer’s butlers entered. “Excuse me, Mr. Trevor, but Mr. Spencer told me to tell you that dinner is being served…”

“I’m coming.” George tossed the book onto the desk and followed the butler back to the dinning room. Spencer was there at the table waiting. George sat down. At first, they only stared at each other. Then, George spoke. “I guess I should tell you the secrets your mansion holds within its walls.”

“Yes,” Spencer took a drink of his wine. “I would like to know those secrets.”

“Anyone here?”

“No, I’ve given my butlers, waiters, and maids the night off. No one is close enough to this room to hear you.”

“Good.” George took a deep breath and told Spencer everything he needed to know about the mansion.

November 14, 1967...

Cling The soft sound of the metal spoon hitting the glass side of the hot tea echoed down the empty hall. Spencer slipped the spoon into his pocket as he took a sip of his evening tea. He was on his way to the Art Gallery where he and George were going to view the new European painting that arrived yesterday. He entered the Art Gallery where a few of his butlers where unwrapping the paintings.

“Good evening, Lord Spencer.” They all said at once.

“Evening.” Spencer stood in the middle of them room. He pointed to the first butler who was standing beside a large painting. “That one is crooked. Tilt it to the left a bit.”

The butler did as he was told, “Is this alright, sir?”

“Yes, that’s perfect.”

Just then, George entered the room. Spencer ordered everyone out. When the room was empty, the viewing began. Spencer lead George around the room and explained how he got each one. Every painting was the original and every painting was imported from Europe. George was amazed. That must have cost thousands of dollars! How did he get all of this money? The question slowly ate away at George since it didn’t make sense. Spencer was just a young entrepreneur. How could he have made so much money so quickly?

Spencer caught George deep in thought. “Is something wrong, Trevor?”

George glanced up. He didn’t want to ask Spencer the question because he didn’t think it was his business. So, George said whatever came to his mind first. “I’m just wondering about Jessica and Lisa.”

“Ah.” Spencer grinned a bit. “They are fine, Trevor. No need to worry. Jessica called me earlier this morning while you were asleep. I didn’t want to disturb you so I took a message. She said that she and Lisa have arrived at Emma’s and will be there for a few days.”

“It’s good to know they’re alright.” George nodded. “But please, not time she calls, let me talk to her.”

“Yes, of course.” Spencer walked over to the door. He opened it and checked the hallway. When he saw that it was empty, he shut the door. “Listen, Trevor, what I am about to tell you must never speak of unless it’s to me, Dr. Marcus, or Dr. Ashford. Is that clear?”

“Yes…”

“Dr. Marcus, Dr. Ashford, and myself discovered a medical break through.”

“What kind of break through?”

“I can’t tell you that but I can tell you about the pharmaceutical company we’re building. It‘s called Umbrella”

Umbrella? What kind of name is Umbrella? George thought to himself.

Spencer went on telling George about the plans he, Marcus, Ashford had from the new company. He glanced at his watch while he spoke. “Ah, I must be going.”

“Going? Where to?”

“The residence of course. It’s seven o’clock on Friday.”

“What’s at seven?”

“That’s when a few of the guards and our new scientists play poker with Marcus, Ashford, and I. You’re welcomed to come if you wish.”

“Sure, I have nothing else to do.”

“Very well. Please follow me.” Spencer started for the door with George close behind. Spencer stopped and turned to George. “Remember, don’t talk about anything I told you. You know enough about the mansion as it is.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lisa sat in the corner of the room with her head resting against wall. She was on the bed but decided to try and walk. However, she got so dizzy that she fell. Feeling alone and sick, she crawled over to the corner to rest. “Where are you Mommy?” She said in a weak voice. Lisa had woken up a few hours ago to discover that she was still in the small but Jessica was no where to be found.

Her eyes began to burn as the tears developed. She looked around the room when something on the floor caught her eye. She crawled over to it. She gasped.

“It’s Momma’s family picture.” She found a pen under the bed. She turned the picture over and wrote:

Nov. 14, 1967

I feel dizzy after that shot they gave me. I don't see Mom. Where did they take her? She promised that we would escape together. Did she escape alone and leave me behind?

Lisa took a deep breath. “Please come back, Momma.” She climbed up into the bed. Then went to sleep.