Hastening to the House of Usher based on an urgent request from my dear old friend Roderick Usher, my companions and I were oblivious to the horrors that awaited us. Weary from our travels, my companions and I stopped in a village right outside the Usher mansion. During our visit, we found out that the situation was even more unnerving than Roderick's letter described. The villagers told us about an ancestral curse that hovers over the mansion and provided additional insight to our friends incurable and peculiar maladies. The villagers also informed us that they had not seen either Madeline or Roderick leave the house in many months because of their situation. My companions and I were horrified to hear about the distressing situation of our friends, so we hastened on in the morning to the house to see if we could help.
Arriving at the Usher mansion, my friends and I were astounded by the condition of the house. The exterior was dilapidated and eerie. We hesitantly entered the house and continued to the upstairs section where we encountered our dear friends. They greeted us with gracious welcome and expressed their sincere happiness that we were able to come visit them.
After pleasantries were expressed, I asked Roderick to explain more about his letter and why he summoned my companions and I there so urgently. I wanted to know what he thought we could do to help his sister and him. Roderick then explained about their situation. He said that their situation became worse after their mother's death and the family is now plagued by economic problems. They also believe that the house is haunted by a spirit and if they go outside the curse will kill them. For this fact, Roderick and Madeline do not go outside. We tried to convince the Usher's that there was no curse, but they would not believe otherwise, so we decided to investigate the house, while the Usher's rested.
With Roderick's permission, to investigate his house, my companions and I tried to find the sources of the Usher's beliefs about a curse and the house being haunted. My friends and I all took turns following Madeline around because Roderick told us that her illness was worsening and baffling her doctors. We wanted to make sure no harm came to her. Madeline's declining health, was one of the main reasons that Roderick called us to his home.
We needed to keep tabs on Madeline so while one watched her, the others explored and questioned Roderick. Opening up, he told us all about his mother's passing and how hard it was on his sister and him. They have not been the same since. He showed us a picture of her in the house and is convinced her ghost is haunting the house. There were some oddities about the house and we did randomly hear screams and objects moving when no one is around, but I was convinced that there was no ghost.
All the signs pointed to the fact that the Usher's have just been in the house too long, because no matter what I told them, they would not be convinced of anything else, but that they were cursed. So to ease their suffering we just followed them around and talked to them, and tried to take their mind off all their issues. I think it worked because the random screams in the house started to diminish and the house seemed habitable again.
As the end of our visit drew near, both Madeline and Roderick seemed to be doing better. Madeline was did not seem to be aimlessly wondering around anymore and was in better spirits. I was hoping to help the escape the faith that I found in the basement. The skeleton was scary. I don't know who it was but I did not want it to happen to either of my friends. My companions and I were going to restore health to the Usher house. We seemed to have completed that mission.
Madeline was alive when we left the Usher house, so it seemed like we successfully saved her from being buried alive like in the actual story written by Poe. We did not cure the Usher's, but I think that we did help them in a small way but showing them that they have friends to count on and help them. Our trip to the Usher house was successful.
In hindsight, the actor's playing Madeline and Roderick were very good. They were very believable and never once faltered in their character roles. However, the role play would have been even better if verbal communication was possible. Their roles could be expanded by being able to verbally speak in the diction of the times. There was also some delay in the actor's typing so they could not move and type at the same time. That was a little cumbersome, but manageable. There also could have been a doctor in the simulation to speak about Madeline's condition. Roderick could have also read tales from the book mentioned in Poe's real story. This are all things that could expand the Usher's roles.
