Choose Your Character:
Remember each character will have advantages and disadvantages based on their profession and abilities to adapt.
[[Male: Noah Roberts ]]
[[Female: Sheena DiLione ]]
Fog filled the valley floor on the morning of October 25th. If anyone could see the Oakwell hilltop from the valley, no one said so. If they could above the thick clouds of heavy fog, they would have seen two limos winding their way down the mountain and settling into the park below each on opposite sides of the greenery.
Though this may not be such a big deal to anyone outside of Dawson, the people of Dawson knew no one every left the hilltop. Whatever supplies the caretaker Master Green and his wife Miss Lucy require are shipped once a month in an unmarked white milk truck. Other than the once a month delivery, no vehicle has ever been seen in or out of the Oakwell House.
That foggy morning was no different than any other Sunday morning until Sheena met Melanie Longstreth.
[[Start Sheena's morning]]Fog filled the valley floor on the morning of October 25th. If anyone could see the Oakwell hilltop from the valley, no one said so. If they could see above the thick clouds of heavy fog, they would have seen two limos winding their way down the mountain and settling into the park below each on opposite sides of the greenery.
Though this may not be such a big deal to anyone outside of Dawson, the people of Dawson knew no one ever left the hilltop. Whatever supplies the caretaker Master Green and his wife Miss Lucy required were shipped once a month in an unmarked white milk truck. Other than the once a month delivery, no vehicle has ever been seen in or out of the Oakwell House.
[[Start Noah's Morning]]
“Good morning, Jean,” Noah said as he walked in.
“Morning, Noah. The usual today?” Jean asked.
“You know, Jean, I think I’ll sit down inside today. The fog out there is horrible. I’m not even sure I can find my park bench. Were you able to drive in okay? It’s thick as soup out there.”
Jean tucked her pen and pad into her pocket and smiled. “Now you know you can see to the bottom of a bowl of soup. It’s like minestrone out there. Speaking of, sit anywhere. Ain’t no one crazy enough to go to church in this stuff anyway. I’ll find you.”
“Thank you, Jean. I will.” Noah turned and looked at the empty diner.
“I’ll bring you a bowl of that minestrone right away and your usual, too.” The kitchen door swung back and forth swooshing each time it passed by the rubber strip.
[[Sit by the window with the park view]]
[[Sit at the soda counter with your back to the door]]
Certain no one could navigate the fog to open the diner, Noah skipped his usual order of a cheese danish and large coffee to go and walked through the chilly air to the park. When Noah got to his bench, he found a woman bundled up in a fur coat with leather and wool gloves.
“Mr. Roberts, I presume?” she said through the fog.
Noah jumped at the sound of her voice. The fog muffled the sound. "Can I help you?" Noah stammered.
"Yes. You sure can. Let me introduce myself. My name is Melanie Longstreth. I am senior editing producer for National News Television. We've heard much about you, Mr. Roberts, and we'd love a chance to talk with you."
"Oh. Oh wow!" Noah could barely contain his excitement.
"My limo is waiting if you'd like a warm and private place to speak."
[[Follow Melanie Longstreth to her limo]]Noah settled into a booth near the window with a view of the park across the street. Only on that Sunday morning, even the street wasn’t visible.
It didn’t take Jean long to deliver a steaming bowl of minestrone soup and his favorite, a cheese danish to his table.
“I just put on coffee. I’ll bring you a carafe as soon as it’s done.” Jean smiled at Noah before pushing the kitchen door open with so much force it swished for up to a minute before stopping and quieting.
[[Sip soup]]
[[Gaze outside]]
Noah took a stool at the counter and watched Jean make a pot of coffee.
“Smells delicious,” he said.
“I’ll go get you a bowl of the minestrone and your favorite cheese danish in just a minute. I figured you probably walked here and need some warm fuel in your bones.”
As the coffee dripped, Jean walked into the kitchen leaving Noah alone. When she returned a minute later, she carried a steaming bowl of soup. “This has been cooking since yesterday morning. Jimmy got a pig the other day and spit roasted it out back. I swear, we’ve been picking off it for days. This is the last of it, what’s in this soup. Best I ever had, I tell ya.”
The bell above the door dinged as Jean turned around to pour a cup of coffee for Noah.
“Morning to ya,” she said without looking up.
“Mr. Roberts, I presume?” a voice from behind Noah said.
[[Turn and acknowledge]]
"Mr. Roberts. Yes, Noah. I'm talking to you."
Noah jumped at the sound of her voice. The fog muffled the sound. Yet, more than that, he’d never seen anyone like her in town, and she knew his name.
[[Look up and acknowledge]]“This has been cooking since yesterday morning. Jimmy got a pig the other day and spit roasted it out back. I swear, we’ve been picking off it for days. This is the last of it, what’s in this soup. Best I ever had, I tell ya.”
The bell above the door dinged as Jean turned around to pour a cup of coffee for Noah. “Morning to ya,” she said without looking up.
“Mr. Roberts, I presume?” a voice from behind Noah said.
[[Turn and acknowledge]]
“It's been cooking since yesterday morning. Jimmy got a pig the other day and spit roasted it out back. We’ve been picking off it for days. This is the last of it, what’s in this soup. Best I ever had, I tell ya," Jean said as she brought a cup and carafe to Noah's table.
"Jean? Do you see those limos out there?" Noah peered outside. Limos could mean anything, but in Dawson, they usually meant prom or politics.
"Is that what those are?" Jean asked. "I can't tell. It's so damned foggy out there."
"Could you do me a favor box this all up for me? I have to go." Noah dropped a twenty dollar bill onto his table and stood.
"Sure thing, Noah."
[[Walk toward the park]]
[[Walk to the limo]]"Yes?" Noah said. He turned and faced a woman bundled up in a fur coat with leather and wool gloves. "Can I help you?" Noah asked.
[[Get up to greet her]]
As he walked along his usual path, he noticed a dark bundle on his usual bench. A woman wrapped up in a fur coat with leather and wool gloves peered at him through the fog.
“Mr. Roberts, I presume?” she said through the fog.
Noah jumped at the sound of her voice. The fog muffled the sound. Yet, more than that, he’d never seen anyone like her in town, and she knew his name.
[[Walk to the limo]]
Noah couldn’t shake the eerie feeling that someone was watching him.
“I should be braver,” he mumbled to himself. Feeling less than brave in Dawson was silly. Zero crime town with families from generations. Regardless of the lack of crime, Noah had never been bold or brazen. It wasn’t in his nature to cause problems, and he was less likely to end them himself either. He’d never been in a bar brawl before because he’d never been in a bar. Politics was a dirty arena, but for the most part, unless one was in the midst of it, it was safe.
As he approached the limo, the window rolled down causing him to jump and almost drop his bag of soup.
“Mr. Roberts, I presume?” a voice from behind Noah said.
[[Keep walking]]
[[Stop walking]]“Mr. Roberts, I presume?” a voice from behind Noah said.
Noah, staring at the drive's window jumped again. The back window was down as well.
"Wha--?" Noah stepped back and looked at the woman staring at him from inside the limo and then at the driver again who rolled up his window.
"Mr. Roberts. I apologize. I didn't mean to scare you."
Noah nodded.
"Please, Mr. Roberts. Could I have a moment of your time?"
[[Get up to greet her]]“Mr. Roberts.” Melanie waved to the open limo door.
Noah peeked inside. Other than the driver, the vehicle was empty. He looked back at the woman, then the diner, and then at the park snuggled underneath a blanket of fog.
“National News Television?” he asked.
“Executive producer, ” Melanie said with her arm outstretched toward the limo. “It’s just warmer inside, and if you accept my offer, we’ll be on our way. Mr. Roberts, I’m about to change your life.”
Noah slid across the smooth leather seat and settled into the limo.
“Hot chocolate? Coffee?” Melanie asked as she settled in without her fur and scarf.
[[Ask for hot chocolate]]
[[Ask for coffee]]
"Could you do me a favor and box this all up for me? I have to go." Noah dropped a twenty dollar bill onto his table and stood.
"Sure thing, Noah." In a flash, Jean handed Noah a paper bag with his soup container and danish and a large coffee with steam escaping the lid.
"You're a doll, Jean. I'm sure I'll be back later for more soup. If the weather is going to be like this all day, I think a minestrone dinner is in order." The door dinged as Noah opened it and stepped into the cold, wet air.
[[Follow Melanie Longstreth to her limo]]No matter the weather, Sheena spent her Sunday mornings running three miles and ending in the park. Her mother still lived in Brooklyn and waited each week for Sheena to tell her she was coming over. Living with dementia wasn't easy, especially from a thousand miles away.
Sheena didn’t know what had kept her there, but there was a force holding her in Georgia.
Running in the fog on October 25th wasn't in Sheena's plan. The thick moist air gave her a sense of dread she couldn’t shake as she crossed streets onto trails.
When she got to her usual park bench, she noticed a woman wearing a fur coat sitting where she normally sat. Though it wasn’t her bench alone, Sheena was surprised to see someone out and about on such a poor weather day.
[[Approach woman on bench]]
[[Walk away from bench]]
"Yes. You sure can. Let me introduce myself. My name is Melanie Longstreth. I am senior executive producer for National News Television. We've heard much about you, Mr. Roberts, and we'd love a chance to talk with you."
"Oh. Oh wow!" Noah could barely contain his excitement.
"My limo is waiting. I'd like to talk privately."
[[Ask Jean to wrap up your food]]
"Can I help you?" Noah stammered.
"Yes. You sure can. Let me introduce myself. My name is Melanie Longstreth. I am senior editing producer for National News Television. We've heard much about you, Mr. Roberts, and we'd love a chance to talk with you."
"Oh. Oh wow!" Noah could barely contain his excitement.
"My limo is waiting if you'd like a warm and private place to speak."
[[Follow Melanie Longstreth to her limo]]Choose your character:
Remember each character will have advantages and disadvantages based on their profession and abilities to adapt.
[[Female: Sheena DiLione ]]Remember each character will have advantages and disadvantages based on their profession and abilities to adapt.
[[Male: Noah Roberts ]]“The police have nothing. The case is open, but no one is working on it.”
Noah blew on his hot drink. “What does this have to do with me? I don’t know him or any of the Oakwell family.”
“Saylor Oakwell was the only heir of a family who has lived here in Dawson for hundreds of years. One rich, powerful family. One missing heir.”
“Okay. So, who wants to find him?” Noah asked.
“I do, Mr. Roberts.” Melanie said.
“And I want you to help me. This could be an opportunity of a lifetime. You'll need to find the Oakwell Grandfather Clock. It hides secrets you'll need to learn more about Mr. Oakwell."
[[Tell her you are in]]
[[Ask more about payment and this opportunity]]
"Saylor Oakwell was the only heir of a family who has lived here in Dawson for hundreds of years. One rich, powerful family. One heir. And he is missing.”
“Okay. So, who wants to find him?” Noah asked.
“I do, Mr. Roberts.” Melanie said.
“And I want you to help me. This could be an opportunity of a lifetime. You'll need to find the Oakwell Grandfather Clock. It hides secrets you'll need to learn more about The Oakwells."
“Grandfather clock?”
“Yes, Mr. Roberts. I cannot tell you more at this time. Are you willing to help?”
[[Tell her you are in]]
[[Ask more about payment and this opportunity]]Noah watched as Melanie poured milk into a glass, added a chocolate syrup, and steamed it with a handheld steamer.
“Careful, it’s hot,” she said as she handed it to him.
“Thank you.”
“Mr. Roberts, does the name Saylor Oakwell ring a bell to you?” she asked as she leaned back without a beverage for herself.
“Saylor Oakwell, as in the infamous Oakwells?”
“The very one,” Melanie said. “Were you aware Mr. Oakwell has been missing for more than a year now?” Melanie asked.
[[Tell her you knew about Oakwell’s disappearance]]
[[Tell her you know nothing about Oakwell]]
“Cream or sugar?” she asked as she held it up toward him.
“No. Thank you. Black coffee or none at all for me.”
Melanie nodded and handed over the cup. She poured one for herself, then leaned back and asked, “Mr. Roberts, does the name Saylor Oakwell ring a bell to you?”
“Saylor Oakwell as is the infamous Oakwells?”
“The very one,” Melanie said.
Noah felt hot nerves creeping up his spine.
“Were you aware Mr. Oakwell has been missing for more than a year now?” Melanie asked. She was poignant about sipping her hot beverage as if to tell Noah he was safe.
[[Tell her you knew about Oakwell’s disappearance]]
[[Tell her you know nothing about Oakwell]]"Good, Mr. Roberts. I promise you this is an opportunity of a lifetime, maybe even more than one lifetime." Melanie tapped the glass between them and the driver twice. The car started moving forward.
"Wait! Where are we going?" Noah asked.
"Relax. The weather is bad. It'll clear soon," Melanie said.
Noah sat back and tried to breathe through a panic attack as the limo drove up the windy roads toward the hilltop where the Oakwell House has sat for over two-hundred years.
[[Watch out the window]]"Payment, Mr. Roberts will cover any living expenses you'll have for many years." Melanie said.
"I'm not an investigator. I do political reporting. Really, I write columns about people who have nothing to do with Dawson in hopes that one day I'll get out of here because nothing political happens here."
"I know of your interests, Noah. This is history you don't want to miss."
"You said it was a missing persons case."
"Intriguing, isn't it?" Melanie asked. "Before I give you more, I need to know if you are in."
[[Tell her you are in]]
[[Tell her you are not sure]]"You don't have to be sure, Mr. Roberts. I wanted to give you a chance to make up your own mind, but it appears you refuse to give me that chance. She tapped on the driver's glass again, this time twice in a row.
The car started moving forward.
"Wait! Where are we going?" Noah asked.
"Relax. The weather is bad. It'll clear soon," Melanie said.
[[Watch out the window]]The limo wound its way through the fog and up the hill along winding roads. In a single moment, they were high above the valley and above the dense clouds that covered the ground below.
Noah leaned closer to the window and peered out at the property. It was much larger up here than it appeared from the bottom of the hill. Once the limo stopped, the driver, a spry elderly gentleman, hustled to open the door to let Noah out.
“I’ll leave you here with Master Green and check on you a bit later,” Melanie said. “He’ll give you everything you need.”
Noah stepped out of the limo and watched Melanie Longstreth walk toward a vibrant garden.
“Good evening, sire,” the old man said.
[[Follow to the house]]
Sheena approached the bench unsure why she felt drawn to it instead of sitting elsewhere.
“Good morning,” Sheena said. “How about this weather, huh?”
“Hello, Sheena. I was waiting for you.”
As if the words echoed through the mist, Sheena jumped. “How do you know my name?” she asked.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. I know your blogs."
“Oh. Yes. That’s me.” Sheena relaxed a bit. Of course her photo was on every blog.
“The bench is a little wet, but would you like to sit?” the woman asked as she slid over making room.
[[Sit down]]
[[Tell her you’re going to continue your run and leave]]
"Miss DiLione," the woman from the bench said as Sheena passed by. "Yes, Sheena. I'm talking to you."
Sheena jumped at the sound of her voice. The fog muffled the sound. Yet, more than that, she’d never seen anyone like her in town, and this woman knew Sheena's name.
[[Acknowledge]]"You know who I am?" Sheena asked.
"I do, dear. I've read your research and your blogs. I know you are vastly interested in the paranormal." The woman shifted on the bench. "It's actually why I tracked you down today."
"Oh?" The hair on Sheena's arm stood despite the chill in the air.
"My name is Melanie Longstreth. I am the lead investigator for the Southeastern Paranormal Team. I've been hired to look into the disappearance of Saylor Oakwell."
"Oakwell? Like from that house way up on the hill?" Sheena asked.
"The very one, dear. I am hoping you'd like to help me," Melanie said. “Were you aware Mr. Oakwell has been missing for more than a year now?”
[[Ask for more information]]
[[Leap up with excitement]]
"I think I'll continue my run, ma'am. Good day." Sheena picked up her pace and the fog closed in around her.
"Sheena. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I am a fan," the woman said. "Let me introduce myself."
Sheena stopped and turned back to the woman who stood next to the bench almost a foot shorter than Sheena. Surely she couldn't be as dangerous as the conditions make her out to be.
"Sheena?"
[[Acknowledge]] "Saylor Oakwell was reported missing on May 18th, over a year ago by his housekeeper. She reported she hadn’t seen him in a week. Now, no one truly knows the Oakwell family. Saylor Oakwell was the only heir of a family who has lived here in Dawson for hundreds of years. One rich, powerful family. One heir. And he is missing.”
“Okay. So, who wants to find him?” Sheena asked. " And what's paranormal about a missing person?"
“I want to find him, dear,” Melanie said. “And I want you to help me. This could be an opportunity of a lifetime. You’ll start at the house. Master Green will show you the home and property. While you're there, you'll need to find the Oakwell Grandfather Clock. It hides secrets you'll need to learn more about Saylor."
“Grandfather clock?”
[[Ask for more information]]
[[Leap up with excitement]]
"Saylor Oakwell was reported missing on May 18th, over a year ago. Saylor Oakwell was the only heir of a family who has lived here in Dawson for hundreds of years. One rich, powerful family. One heir. And he is missing.”
“Okay. So, who wants to find him?” Sheena asked.
“I want to find him, dear,” Melanie said. “And I want you to help me. You'll need to find the Oakwell grandfather clock and the hourglass."
"Look, Ms. Longstreth. I don't know anything about a missing person or how to find one, but you had me at grandfather clock!" Sheena exclaimed. "When do we start?"
"I have a car waiting if you are ready."
"Yes! Let's go!"
[[Wait for Melanie to leave ]]"Look, Ms. Longstreth. I don't know anything about a missing person or how to find one, but you had me at grandfather clock!" Sheena exclaimed. "When do we start? I once heard about a clock that housed a spirit for generations, and it wasn't until the family threw it away and it shattered that the spirit was released."
"I assure you, dear, this is not that sort of clock. And I have a car waiting if you are ready."
"Yes! Let's go!"
[[Wait for Melanie to leave ]]The limo wound its way through the fog and up the hill along winding roads.
Security at the Oakwell House wasn’t as intense as it may have been had it been a newer property. Down below at the base of the upper hill, the property was gated with a lock and key anyone could break with a swift kick. The driver had a key, so there was no need for breaking anything.
Sheena leaned closer to the window and peered out at the property. It was much larger up here than it appeared from the bottom of the hill. Once the limo stopped, a spry yet elderly gentleman hustled to open the door to let her out.
“I’ll leave you here with Master Green and check on you a bit later,” Melanie said. “He’ll give you everything you need.”
[[Follow Master Green]]Master Green led the way through an oversized double front door. He pushed his way through the doors into a foyer that appeared to be larger than the home itself. Ornate decor of marble, gold, and brass gave the space a brightness the sun couldn’t offer the room.
“This way,” Master Green said.
Sheena followed the old man into another room twice the size as the foyer. “How does this all fit into the house I saw outside?”
“This house will surprise you, miss. I’ll leave you here for a bit. I will be back with the missus to give you a tour of the entire property. I’m afraid she had an issue with something just before your arrival that needs my attention. You’ll find some Scotch on the buffet.” Master Green didn’t make eye contact with Sheena. He walked out of the room leaving her alone in a hall filled with art, sculptures, and Scotch.
[[Explore art]]
[[Sheena: Pour Scotch]]
Master Green led the way through an oversized double front door. He pushed his way through the doors into a foyer that appeared to be larger than the home itself. Ornate decor of marble, gold, and brass gave the space a brightness the sun couldn’t offer the room.
“This way,” Master Green said.
Noah followed the old man into another room twice the size as the foyer. “How does this all fit into the house I saw outside?”
“This house will surprise you, sire. I’ll leave you here for a bit. You’ll find some Scotch on the buffet.” He walked out of the room leaving Noah alone in a hall filled with art, sculptures, and Scotch.
[[Explore the art]]
[[Pour Some Scotch]]
Each piece of art appeared as if it belonged in a gallery. No dust settled on any piece, and each was more exquisite than the previous.
“For an old house with just a caretaker and his wife, this place is immaculate.” Noah touched the bust of a sculpture. With his touch, the bust appeared to glow.
“What the--?”
As he took his hand away, a wall opened in front of him. The room behind the wall was dark but with enough ambient light to show pink and burgundy floors and walls.
“Master Green?” Noah asked, his body shaking.
[[Explore the pink room]]Noah wasn’t sure where he mustered his bravado. Along with the chills running down his spine, his veins felt wired with excitement.
“Let’s see what’s in here. A ladies’ parlor, by chance?” Each step he took felt slow and drawn out. The walls rippled and waved as he passed through into the darkness of the pink room.
Noah continued to walk the perimeter of the room. As he moved, the room came to life.
Two women sat quietly giggling in a corner. One in a bonnet and puffed sleeves sat at a desk with a quill in her left hand.
The scenes appeared, disappeared, and reappeared. No one stayed in the same spot unless Noah stopped walking and stayed near the women.
[[Have a conversation with someone]]
[[Maybe Scotch is in order]]
Each piece of art appeared as if it belonged in a gallery. No dust settled on any piece, and each was more exquisite than the previous.
“For an old house with just a caretaker and his wife, this place is immaculate,”
Sheena touched the bust of a sculpture. With her touch, the bust appeared to glow.
“What the--?”
As she took her hand away, a wall opened in front of her. The room behind the wall was dark but with enough ambient light to show pink and burgundy floors and walls.
"Whoa! Wicked cool!"
[[Explore the new room]]
[[Continue to look at art]]
Sheena entered the room with chills running down her spine. She could barely contain her excitement over the energy she felt.
The sound of breathing startled her in the darkness of the room. As she walked through, the walls rippled and waved. Light filled dark spaces, but not just light, women within the light.
“Hello, ladies," Sheena stammered. No matter how many ghost hunts she'd done, she was never less in awe with each experience.
Two women sat quietly giggling in a corner. One in a bonnet and puffed sleeves sat at a desk with a quill in her left hand. Her right hand hung to her side dripping blood onto her satin dress.
The scenes before Sheena appeared, disappeared, and reappeared.
[[Explore]]
[[Turn back to the Great Hall]]Sheena carefully studied each piece of art. As she walked past each one, she noticed the change of era. The first were thickly painted portraits with gold plates stating the names of the Oakwell family members. As she followed the wall of art, the images changed. Near the end of the hall, the images were of the modern day valley below with paintings of the Oakwell house peppered in between.
"Odd, that the house changes over time. This looks like a time capsule. The house has changed a few times since it was built. If no one was allowed to live here, why bother with changes?"
She kept walking then turned the corner to a library. "This wasn't here before."
[[Turn the corner into the library]](set: $Noah to 'true')
(set: $Sheena to 'true')
Three decanters filled halfway with amber liquid. The idea that a drink might be tainted crossed his mind for the second time in one day.
(if: $Noah is 'true')[“No point in thinking too much.”]
(if: $Noah is 'true')[The crystal decanter lid made a loud pop. The liquid burned nose hairs as it sloshed into the small crystal glass.]
(if: $Noah is 'true')[Within moments, Noah felt woozy. Dizzy]
People gathered around (if: $Noah is 'true')[him]|(if: $Sheena is 'true')[her]and whispered amongst themselves as if (if: $Noah is 'true')[he](if: $Sheena is 'true')[she] wasn’t there.
(if: $Sheena is 'true')[Sheena walked over to the buffet. She eyed three decanters filled halfway with amber liquid. The idea that a drink might be tainted crossed her mind, but only for a moment.]
(if: $Sheena is 'true')[“No point in thinking too much,” she said to herself. Her voice echoed through the hall. "Cool!"]
(if: $Sheena is 'true')[The crystal decanter lid popped as she took it off. She sniffed the liquid allowing it to burn her throat, then poured some into a glass.]
(if: $Sheena is 'true')[Within moments, Sheena felt woozy. Dizzy.]
(if: $Sheena is 'true')[People gathered around and whispered amongst themselves as if she wasn’t there. A tower of spiral stairs formed before her.]
(if: $noah is 'true')[Ignore the hallucinations and explore more]
(if: $noah is 'true')[Have a conversation with someone]
(if: $sheena is 'true')[Sheena climbs stairs]The two ladies huddled in the corner didn’t leave room for a third, so Noah greeted the woman at the desk.
“My left hand. I have to do it with my left hand,” she said. “They tell me I am not allowed. It’s queer. And who am I to spoil their take of me?”
She didn’t make eye contact with Noah, and he wasn’t sure she knew he was next to her.
“My mother wrote with her left hand,” he said to her. He wasn't sure why he was talking to someone he knew wasn't present in today's world. His hands wouldn't stop shaking.
“I’ll show them, I will. I will march to town myself and get this deed signed all on my own.” She held up the bloody stump that was her right hand.
“Whoa!” Noah jumped back.
[[Maybe Scotch is in order]]
[[Look around the room]]
"Everything seems brighter in here. I can't believe all this art. These things must be worth millions."
Noah walked around the Great Hall. As he passed by the busts and artwork, a library formed before him. A ceiling thirty feet high or more grew before his eyes. Tomes appeared across each bookshelf and antique brass book stands lined the walls.
"Whoa!"
[[Back away, terrified]]
[[Explore the books on the shelves]]"I don't know what the hell is going on in here, but maybe that Scotch is a better idea after all," Noah said. He ran to the open wall only to find it closed again. “Master Green!”
The ladies around him grew in number and continued to talk. Noah explored the room further.
“The red door opens to the cigar room,” one woman said out loud. The moment she said it, a red door appeared in the center of a dark burgundy wall. It was so bright there was no way Noah would have missed it before.
He opened it hesitating as it creaked. Light flooded the pink room as Noah peered outside and into a vibrant garden. Noah looked up at the bright blue sky and watched as birds flew overhead. Something else fluttered up to him then flew away.
“Find the clock,” the creature said from behind the blossoms.
[[Run]]Noah ran back inside the pink room. A grandfather clock appeared next to the desk with the woman with the bloody stump. "The clock!"
"I tried to tell him not to cut off my hand," the woman from the desk told him. She greeted him in the doorway. "I think you want to go back out this way." She beckoned toward the wall which was open again.
"Your hand?" Noah asked.
"Master Green. He cut it off." She walked away from Noah and sat back at her desk, blood dripping from her stump.
[[Engage her more]]
[[Go back to the Great Hall]]
Noah followed her to the desk. "Ma'am? Um, Miss?" he asked. "Who? Who cut off your hand?"
"Oh dear," the woman said without making eye contact with Noah. "She's arrived. Don't forget the grandfather clock. It should be visible now." She turned and looked toward the opening in the wall. "The garden door always opens the clock."
A woman stood in the Great Hall staring at Noah. "Wow," she said. Her eyes widened as she looked around the room.
[[Go back to the Great Hall]]Panting as he left the room, Noah stepped into the Great Hall. The wall closed behind him.
"Hello," a voice said.
"Wha--?" Noah screamed.
"I've been told to find you," the woman said.
A tower of spiral stairs formed behind her.
[[Greet her]]Gasping, Noah backed away. "What was in that Scotch?"
The house changed before his eyes. Select books from the newly formed library floated down and settled on the stands. Noah watched as each fluttered open then sat inviting him to browse the text.
[[Go to the stands and read]]
[[Explore the books on the shelves]]Noah looked at the books lined up on the shelves. He couldn't count how many appeared out of thin air, but he knew they were old. Gutenberg himself may have printed them.
"//Odyssey//, //Iliad//, Oh my is that a //Mazarin Bible//?" Noah held his fingers out toward the books but didn't touch them. "I cannot imagine what is in here."
[[Pick up a book]]
"Um... Hello," Noah said. "Those stairs. They weren't--"
The woman turned and looked at the stairway she'd just descended. "I just came from them. It's a tall tower. Not much up there. Just enough for me to know to look for you," the woman said. She held a small hourglass in her hand.
"For me?"
"Well, other than Master Green, everyone else here doesn't seem to be real. There is a lot of energy here, sure, but it's all old energy. Have you seen a clock?"
[[Engage]]
The Oakwell House, built in 1798 on the highest hill away from the flood plains, has been a pillar of suspicion for well over a hundred years. Built by the founder of the county’s largest cotton supplier, it never left family hands but hasn’t had a resident since the early 1900s when the founder’s son, Thomas Oakwell passed away. Oakwell’s last will and testament granted the home to every heir to follow him with the deed of the plantation and the funds for upkeep with the stipulation that the home would not be occupied by anyone except the caretaker and his wife.
In 2018, Oakwell’s only heir, the single child of deceased William and Marny Oakwell, was reported missing. More than a year after his disappearance, the investigation remains open.
It’s 2020, and you are the investigative reporter brave enough to not only research the disappearance of thirty-year-old Saylor Oakwell but also enter the house where no one has entered in more than a century.
NEXT
Copyright Stella Samuel 2019 (Stephanie Batley) Noah is age 28. He is trying to break into network television. Noah believes in superstitions and never visits haunted houses.
Noah got his job at the Dawson Valley Gazette as the local political reporter right out of college. His dream had always been the world stage in the political arena. Six years into his career at the Gazette, he’s covered the Mayor’s race twice, each with the same two candidates. The political stage in Dawson, Georgia will never be as exciting as it was a hundred years ago when Thomas Oakwell built his mansion on the highest hilltop next to a small shed no one could trace back to any land owner and declared himself king of the land.
[[Keep Noah's Story Going]]
[[Switch to Sheena]]Sheena is age 25. Sheena is a paranormal blogger. She researches anything mystery and legend related. Sheena loves to dive into hauntings, the older the more exciting. She records activities she witnesses and shares her ghost hunts with her readers.
Sheena DiLione moved to Dawson, Georgia from New York just a year ago to be with her boyfriend who had taken a job in a peanut factory. After a six months of long hours and overnight shifts, Sheena moved out of their shared apartment and into her own. She didn’t go far. Dawson only had one apartment complex, but Sheena loved Bryce and held onto hope he’d divorce his job and come back to her.
In the meantime, Sheena took on odd jobs to makes ends meet and then became a paranormal blogger. Selling her skills to investigative teams around the world, Sheena’s role as a blogger in the small world of the paranormal gave her the money she needed to not only get by but also to save for her future whether in Dawson or not.
[[Keep Sheena's Story Going]]
[[Switch to Noah]]Noah left the woman and her bleeding stump to practice her writing.
Just as when he walked into the parlor, the walls moved in waves and ripples. Paintings formed in the walls and bust sculptures appears on bronze stands.
"The grandfather clock!" Noah exclaimed. "I don't remember what I was supposed to do with it, but I found it."
[[Take a closer look]]
As Noah got closer to the old clock, it chimed. At first, it sounded a traditional Westminster chime then turned somber before chiming thirteen rings.
"Thirteen dings. I need to find Master Green. I don't know what to do with this clock."
[[Turn around]]
[[Leave the room]]Noah turned around. All the women of the parlor stood around him.
"It chimes again," the woman with the bloody stump said.
"Where is the woman?" another asked.
Noah froze. He had to act. What woman? Why thirteen chimes? He wasn't built for this.
[[Run]]
[[Inquire more]]Noah turned to leave the room, but the ghostly women came at him from all directions. None of them appeared solid. Noah ran through them, his hand covering his ears as they chanted.
"Find the woman. Find the woman. Find the woman."
[[Run]]"Look." Noah held up his hands as if to show his innocence. "I don't know what you mean. Why would a clock chime thirteen times? And what woman?"
The woman with the bloody stump spoke, her hand and stump animated as she told the story of the chimes. "This will be the fourth time. It only chimes thirteen times when a new pair come. The house beckons them. Master Green's wife, she let go. Sometimes they are done, and sometimes time... well, we don't know how it happens. For me, it was murder. My Thomas met the same."
"What are you talking about?" Noah asked.
"There is always a man and a woman. Find her. You'll be able to decide from there."
"Decide what?"
The woman floated back to their original locations.
[[Run]] Noah picked up a book with a blank spine and opened it.
"Magistrate," he said. "It's a list of voters from the 1832 election." He flipped through the pages. "Wait, what is this?" He read through both pages, then turned to another enthralled.
[[Engage]]Sheena climbed the spiral staircase one step at a time. The tower grew as the climbed, stairs and her ascending to the sky together. When she reached the top, she stepped out into an open room.
"The garden," a tiny figure said to her.
Sheena strained to see what appeared to be a dragonfly.
"Find the man and head to the garden. He won't be as open as you. He'll need convincing. We'll need you both to proceed."
"Excuse me?" Sheena asked. As she spoke, the figure flew out the window. As it fluttered above the garden below, a skeleton key dropped to the ground.
[[Descend back down the tower]]
[[Look out the window]]"Find the man? What the hell does that mean?"
She walked into the Great Hall which had turned into a massive library while she visited the tower.
"Whoa! Look at all these books. It looks like the lost library of Alexander in here."
As she explored, she noticed a man holding a large tome and talking to himself.
"Hello," she said.
[[Walk to him]]Sheena stepped inside the room. The hustle and bustle of the room she'd seen before slowed. The women disappeared. Whispers grew louder, but the moment she walked inside, the room emptied itself of all spirits.
Artwork from the ages appeared on the walls. Classics, Biblical, modern all appeared before sinking into the wall on which it hung. As each piece sunk back into the wall, another appeared in its place.
Sheena noticed pieces that stayed were her favorites. Van Gogh, Monet, Warhol, Lichtenstein, and Mondrian. It was as if room felt her likes and likes as it browsed through history's artwork.
[[Turn back to the Great Hall]]
[[Study each piece]]Sheena turned back to the Great Hall. The hall was empty too with the exception of a single hourglass in the middle of the floor. It stood over six feet tall. Sand fell quickly though the tight passage.
"Whoa!" she said as she walked up and touched the hourglass. With her touch, it shrunk in size and leapt into her palm.
A tower of spiral stairs formed before her.
[[Take the hourglass and walk the room]]
[[Climb the stairs]] She walked into the Great Hall which had turned into a massive library while she visited the tower.
"Whoa! Look at all these books. It looks like the lost library of Alexander in here."
As she explored, she noticed a man holding a large tome and talking to himself.
"Hello," she said.
[[Engage]]"Um... Hello," Noah said. "Those stairs. They weren't--"
"I just came from them. It's a tall tower. Not much up there. Just enough for me to know to look for you," the woman said.
"For me?"
"Well, other than Master Green, everyone else here doesn't seem to be real. There is a lot of energy here, sure, but it's all old energy. Have you seen a clock?"
[[Engage]]Beads of sweat formed on Noah's face and dripped down his neck. His breathing labored, and his hands shook with fear.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she said.
"That's okay."
"Sheena. My name is Sheena. I'm sure I was told to find you. How long have you been here?"
"Noah. And long enough to be freaked out." Noah picked up a book from an old bookstand that appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the Great Hall.
[[Acknowledge approaching footsteps]]
[[Keep talking]]"Do you hear that?" Noah asked.
Sheena turned.
Master Green waltzed into the room. "I see you have found one another," he said. "Please sit." He waved his arm in the air and two high back armchairs appeared.
"Whoa!" Noah said.
Sheena giggled. Of course you can make chairs appear out of nowhere. You're not of natural energy either, are you?"
[[Sit in the chair]]"What do you mean you were told to find me?" Noah asked. "I was told to find the woman. Is that you?"
"Well, I am a woman indeed. The woman? I don't know. But it makes sense. We are clearly the only among the living here. Have you found things of interest since your arrival?" Sheena held up her hourglass.
"I was told to look for the grandfather clock," Noah said.
"Pardon my intrusion," Master Green said. He stood directly behind them. Noah jumped as Sheena turned around almost giddy.
[[Engage with Master Green]]As she walked the room, she turned the hourglass over and over. The sand moved back and forth from side to side but never changed composition. One side was clearly fuller than the other. As she admired the hourglass, she read words imprinted around the intricate design along the base.
"Find the man? What the hell does that mean?"
She walked into the Great Hall which had turned into a massive library.
"Whoa! Look at all these books. It looks like the lost library of Alexander in here."
As she explored, she noticed a man holding a large tome and talking to himself.
"Hello," she said.
[[Engage]]"You have done as I asked, I see," Master Green said.
"You didn't ask anything of me except to wait until you came back. What the hell is this place?" Noah demanded.
"And you waited, I see. Now I ask for your patience. You will be given options, and you will need to decide together what you would like to do. I offer you the opportunity of a lifetime." Master Green approached Noah and took the book from him.
[[Noah: Hand the book over]]
"I see you have found one another," he said. "Please sit." He waved his arm in the air and two high back armchairs appeared.
"Whoa!" Noah said.
Sheena giggled. Of course you can make chairs appear out of nowhere. You're not of natural energy either, are you?"
[[Sit in the chair]]Master Green opens the book and reads out loud. "From the beginning of time, this property has held secrets. Thomas Oakwell discovered them and died protecting them."
"What do you want from us?" Noah asked.
"Please allow me to finish, sire. Mister Oakwell's brother discovered the secret Thomas himself harnessed and hid inside his great-grandfather's clock. This secret allowed whomever harnessed it to live out their life immortally without passing. Thomas's brother was selfish and managed to release the secret to his servant who, over generations, gave the gift back to the house. The property where the secret was born."
[[Inquire more about the story]]"What does all this mean?" Noah asked.
"You mean the house is controlling the lives of those who stay here?" Sheena asked.
"And yours," Master Green said. "Take a look at the hourglass you're holding."
Sheena held up the hourglass. Hanging from an ornate buld design on the top was a skelton key.
[[Look at the hourglass]]
[[Ask about the key]]"It's almost done. The sand is falling much faster now," Sheena said.
"It is." Master Green took it from her and tipped it upside down. No matter which way he held it, each bulb remained the same. "Here are your choices. You have found the clock and the hourglass. Its secrets hide inside the clock. If you decide to stay, you'll need to go through the clock."
"What do you mean if we decide to stay? I was hired to look for Saylor Oakwell who has been missing for the past year," Noah said.
"Saylor Oakwell has never existed, sire. Thomas Oakwell had no heirs and neither did his brother. My wife and I have been caretakers here since 1832. My wife," Master Green paused and sighed.
[[Sheena: Reach out to him]]
[[Noah: Become impatient]]"Your wife. She's not here anymore, right? She's not even like you," Sheena said.
"She gave up. It's a long job with little reward. But our time here was nice. However, the house requires two people, one male and one female to be on location. Once my wife, uh disappeared, the house demanded replacements for us both." Master Green conjured another chair and sat as if defeated.
"If we agree to stay, we live here just as you and your wife did all these years?" Sheena asked.
"Yes. Something like that, miss."
[[Demand to leave]]
[[Ask what is happening]]"I don't understand." Noah stood up and walked to the bookcase. "This place has tomes full of the history of man. I could spend a lifetime here learning all the information we question every day. What is it you really want?"
"Sire, I yearn for you and this lovely lady to take my place and the place of my wife. I can pass on to be with her if the house is satisfied with the male and female who have taken our place."
"What happened to your wife?" Noah asked.
Master Green stared at the wall where the hidden parlor lie behind paintings of the Oakwell family.
[[Ask Green to open the wall]]
[[Noah: Insist Sheena come]]Noah stood. "I demand to leave now. I was brought here under false pretenses, and I want out now."
"You can choose to leave, of course, sire. But, it won't be easy. The house has chosen you." Master Green sighed.
"I'm leaving. You should come with me," Noah said to Sheena. He got up and walked to the large door where they'd entered the house. "If I have to walk down the mountain myself, I will."
"You need to decide together," Master Green said.
[[Noah: Insist Sheena come]]
[[Sheena: Encourage Noah to sit and relax]]"Noah, relax," Sheena said.
"I want to know more. He's asking us to commit our lives and beyond. I want to know why and what I get out of it. Actually," Noah said. "I want to know how the hell to get out of here."
Master Green waved his hand and the wall to the pink parlor opened. On the other side, a library appeared opposite of the Great Hall.
[[Go inside]]
[[Look at the books together]] "Sheena, look. I don't know you. We can't live like this. You can't want to live like this. In a house that controls us? Come on. We decide this together. We go back to our lives at the base of the mountain. Are you with me?"
"I'm in. I want to explore all there is to this house. The story here is so deep, I wish I could dive into it and live it. But a lifetime and more? I can't do that. Let's go. I can't do this." Sheena stood next to Noah and took his hand.
Noah looked down at her hand and grinned.
[[Run!]]Noah took Sheena's hand and pulled her along. Together, they ran to the front door. Noah reached for the handle, but it was locked. Noah kicked it and it flew open knocking him down and pushing him down the hall.
"I told you it wouldn't be easy," Master Green said.
"Noah! Get up. Let's go," Sheena said. She ran out the front door. The ground uprooted right in front of her.
"I'm a journalist, not a survivalist," Noah yelled.
"This isn't survival. It's not even real. We think it's happening because the house wants us to think it's happening. Just run!" Sheena squeezed his hand.
[[Keep running]]
[[Stop and look for Master Green]]It took several minutes to navigate the grounds with trees and roots falling and uprooting all around them. Noah tripped and fell, but Sheena held onto his hand tightly.
Together, they both ran as fast as they could past the driveway and beyond the gate. The large livestock gate at the end of the road was locked, but they scrambled over it and kept running.
[[Continue to run down the mountain]]
[[Sheena: Reconsider and go back to the house]]"What about Master Green?" Sheena asked. "We need to get him out of here." She stopped and pulled on Noah's arm.
"He's not alive, Sheena. You said so yourself. He wasn't one of them, and he wasn't one of us. He's in between." Noah pulled her arm back. "Let's go. I don't want anything to do with this."
"Noah. You don't understand. He is in the in between. We need to get him out of here so he can pass on the way we'd want to pass on. He'll be stuck here forever just like the rest of them unless we set him free." She let go of his hand and ran back inside the house.
[[Noah: Run ahead]]They kept running together until the valley appeared before them.
"It's still a long way down, but look. The fog has lifted," Noah said.
"You're right. Look how beautiful the valley is from up here," Sheena said.
The continued their journey down the mountain. The sun rose behind them giving them the only sign of the time of day. Noah led Sheena to the diner which was just opening. Jean greeted Noah with exciting news of the latest batch of minestrone stew. Sunday church-goers walked past on their way to service.
Melanie Longstreth sat in her limo shaking her head. "Let's find another couple, John. Hopefully the house will reset the time and allow us enough to find the right couple."
THE END
[[Start]]"I think I want to go back. I need to find Master Green," Sheena said. She let go of Noah and ran back over the mess of roots and branches to the house.
[[Sheena: Look for Master Green]]He stood and took Sheena in his arms. "Here we will stay. You and me."
[[Find Noah]]"The ladies parlor is behind that wall."
"It is," Master Green said.
"Open it," Noah said. "The clock is in there. I want to see the clock and its secrets."
Master Green opened the wall.
[[Go inside]]"This is all you need to know," Master Green said. "All the answers to every historical event are here. There are not enough lifetimes in today's world to absorb this information. Here, on this property, you will have as many lifetimes as you can handle. Your only goal is to protect the property and its secrets with your life. Maintaining privacy and keeping off the grid helps immensely. The house will evolve to your tastes, as you can tell with the spirits here for Sheena's inspiration and the library built especially for you."
"The hourglass," Sheena said. She held up the hourglass. All the sand had fallen from one side to the other and was now falling back through one bulb and into the other, but instead of landing, it disappeared before it touched the base.
[[Turn the hourglass over]]"It is time to decide. Once the sand has disappeared, our opportunities disappear as well. Right now, you have the chance to stay and protect this property and all of history. You have lifetimes to learn how to release what you have learned here, but you must be selective. I have released secrets myself." Master Green took the hourglass from Sheena. He set it on the floor and watched at it grew taller than he stood.
[[Ask what to do]]"If you choose to stay, we let the sand and my time here ends. Once the sand is gone, you will both go to the clock and reset the time." Master Green closed the wall to the parlor. The grandfather clock and hourglass stood alone in the room.
[[Turn away]]
[[Walk to the clock]]
"I don't want to do this," Noah said. "I'd love a chance to read those books. But I also want a chance to live a life outside in the real world. I want to go home."
"Noah, think about it. Jesus. Lincoln. Kennedy. Was Shakespeare a woman? All the answers anyone has ever wanted. We can have them. You and me! What else do you have out there? A job? A wife? Children?" Sheena implored.
"I have none of that," Noah said.
[[Ring the clock together]]
[[Run!]]As the sand disappeared from the hourglass and the clock struck one, Master Green disappeared. The room filled with modern furniture. Windows appeared and flooded the room with light.
"The garden," Noah said. "Earlier, I heard something about the garden."
"Let's go see it," Sheena said.
They walked outside a bright red door into the garden. Birds chirped, flowers bloomed before their eyes, and within no time, they forgot who they were and what their goals were except to protect the house and its secrets.
Melanie Longstreth stood on one side of the garden watching, then turned into a fairy and flew into her hole inside the garden. She'd held the secrets of all time once again.
THE END
[[Start]] "Let's do this. My life is miniscule compared to what history I can learn here," Noah said.
"If I disappeared from life below, my mother would miss me, but she's getting old and won't be around much longer. I think with enough research from here, I could still communicate with here using spirits. This place is filled with them. I'd like to stay." Sheena stood by the clock with Noah.
Together, they hold the key and open the door to the pendulum.
[[Ring the clock together]]Noah ran away from Sheena, but she called him back. "Sheena, he said it. We have to decide this together. I am not staying here. I cannot. Think about what you are doing."
Sheena looked at Noah, frantic. She ran back to the house calling for Master Green. When she returned to the parlor, Master Green sat in his chair looking weaker by the second.
"The clock, Master Green. Where is the clock?"
The parlor wall opened, and the clock appeared before her. Sheena walked up to it and pulled the chains. The clock struck one. As it did so, the old man became young again.
[[Sheena: Look for Master Green]]
Sheena ran back to the iron door. The hourglass behind her empty of sand. Noah was nowhere to be found. She called him. As she yelled his name, the front yard recreated itself and the house filled itself with riches and ornate furniture.
"He is gone. One male and one female. That's all the house needs." Master Green was her age. "Call me John from here on," he said.
THE END
[[Replay]] The Oakwell House, built in 1798 on the highest hill away from the flood plains, has been a pillar of suspicion for well over a hundred years. Built by the founder of the county’s largest cotton supplier, it never left family hands but hasn’t had a resident since the early 1900s when the founder’s son, Thomas Oakwell passed away. Oakwell’s last will and testament granted the home to every heir to follow him with the deed of the plantation and the funds for upkeep with the stipulation that the home would not be occupied by anyone except the caretaker and his wife.
In 2018, Oakwell’s only heir, the single child of deceased William and Marny Oakwell, was reported missing. More than a year after his disappearance, the investigation remains open.
It’s 2020, and you have been invited to look into the disappearance of thirty-year-old Saylor Oakwell. You will also be the first to enter the house where no one has entered in more than a century.
[[Play]]
Copyright Stella Samuel 2019 That foggy morning was no different than any other Sunday morning. Noah walked in the chilled air from his office where he’d arrive at 4am to help bundle the Sunday papers for delivery. The bundling task hadn’t been discussed when he took the reporting gig, but he continued to do it. For Noah, it was a way to give back to the man who'd employed him in a time when local newspapers where disappearing. Noah understood paying his dues here might not ever get him on television.
After helping set up the delivery routes for the Sunday papers, Noah always took the same walk from his office to the local diner just opening for the early church breakfast rush. Each week was the same. Every Sunday for six years, Noah kept to his routine never missing, even when his was sick.
Certain it was the fog, Noah made a choice that October 25th that may have changed his life forever.
[[Walk into diner]]
[[Skip the diner and go straight to the park]]“Good morning, Jean,” Noah said as he walked in.
“Morning, Noah. The usual today?” Jean took her order pad out of her apron pocket and touched her pen to it waiting for Noah.
“You know, Jean, I think I’ll sit down inside today. The fog out there is horrible. I’m not even sure I can find my park bench. Were you able to drive in okay? It’s thick as soup out there.”
Jean tucked her pen and pad into her pocket and smiled. “Now you know you can see to the bottom of a bowl of soup. It’s like minestrone out there. Speaking of, sit anywhere. Ain’t no one crazy enough to go to church in this stuff anyway. I’m sure I’ll find you.”
“Thank you, Jean. I will.” Noah turned and looked at the empty diner.
“I’ll bring you a bowl of that minestrone right away and your usual, too.” The kitchen door swung back and forth swooshing each time it passed by the rubber strip.
[[Sit by the window with the park view]]
[[Sit at the soda counter with your back to the door]]EXTRA WORDS
You’ll start at the house. Master Green will show you the home and property. While you're there, you'll need to find the Oakwell Grandfather Clock. It hides secrets you'll need to learn more about Saylor."
“Grandfather clock?”
“Yes, Mr. Roberts. I cannot tell you more at this time. Are you willing to help?” She knocked on the window between them and the driver.
Noah didn’t understand what she’s communicated to the driver, and he still wasn’t sure what made looking for a missing rich guy an opportunity of a lifetime.
Sheena stepped out of the limo and watched as it drove away.
“Good evening, miss,” the old man said.
Sheena clapped and looked around. The main house appeared to have aged, but at well over 200 years old, it held up nicely. She could hardly contain her excitement.
“I’ll show you to the Great Hall, miss. You may look around as I gather your necessities.”
“Are you... Mr. Green?”
“Master Green at your service, miss. Indeed.”
Noah walked over to the buffet. He eyed three decanters filled halfway with amber liquid. The idea that a drink might be tainted crossed his mind for the second time in one day.
“No point in thinking too much,” he said to himself. “If I ever want to live in the untrustworthy world of politics, I have to be willing to take a chance,” Noah said out loud. His voice echoed in the empty hall.
The crystal decanter lid popped as he took it off. He sniffed the liquid allowing it to burn the hairs in his nose, then poured the tiniest amount into a pristine clean glass.
Within moments, Noah felt woozy. Dizzy.
People gathered around him and whispered amongst themselves as if he wasn’t there.
[Have a conversation with someone]]
[Ignore the hallucinations and explore more]]Three decanters filled halfway with amber liquid. The idea that a drink might be tainted crossed his mind for the second time in one day.
“No point in thinking too much.”
The crystal decanter lid made a loud pop. The liquid burned nose hairs as it sloshed into the small crystal glass.
Within moments, Noah felt woozy. Dizzy
People gathered around him and whispered amongst themselves as if he wasn’t there.
[[Ignore the hallucinations and explore more]]
[[Have a conversation with someone]]
Sheena walked over to the buffet. She eyed three decanters filled halfway with amber liquid. The idea that a drink might be tainted crossed her mind, but only for a moment. “No point in thinking too much,” she said to herself. Her voice echoed through the hall. "Cool!"
The crystal decanter lid popped as she took it off. She sniffed the liquid allowing it to burn her throat, then poured some into a glass. Within moments, Sheena felt woozy. Dizzy. A tower of spiral stairs formed before her.
[[Climb the stairs]] (link:"Start Over")[(goto:"Start")]
Starting from right to left, Noah looked at each open book laid out open in the brass stands. He was careful not to touch them. They were originals. Noah just knew it. He could feel it in his bones.
"//The Mazarin Bible//!" He refrained from flipping the pages. "I can't believe this is here."
[[Move to next stand]]
[[Explore the books on the shelves]] Noah moved to the next stand. A book just as large as //The Bible// from the other stand laid open on the next stand.
"The bloodless spirits wept as he spoke, accompanying his words with the music," Noah read out loud. "//Metamorphoses.//" He wanted to turn the page to find the next line he knew would be tied to this strange house. He didn't know why, but...
"Still, as it is, you are immortal, and whenever spring drives winter away, and Aries follows watery Pisces, you also rise, and flower in the green turf," a woman's voice finished reciting the poem behind him.
[[Greet her]]
[[Ask about the poem]]"How did you know I was reciting that poem?" Noah asked the woman.
"I know nothing of the sort. It was on a parchment up in the tower with this hourglass. You appeared to be saying something, and it seemed to fit. I don't know what it is," she said.
"Orpheus. //Metamorphoses. Ovid//," Noah said.
"That clears it up, I'm sure," she replied.
[[Ask about the tower]]
[[Ask if she's seen other things]]"Those stairs weren't there before. You said you were up there? In a tower? Like a turret?" Noah asked.
"If a turret is a tower, then yes," the woman said. "My name is Sheena. I was brought here to --"
"To find the missing Oakwell heir?" Noah asked.
"Yes. You too?" Sheena asked.
"Yes. And more I suppose."
[[Explore the books on the shelves]]
[[Ask if she's seen other things]] "Have you been anywhere other than the tower?" Noah asked.
"A wall opened, but it opened to an empty room. Right there," Sheena said as she nodded to the parlor.
"I've been in there. I'd rather not go back, thank you very much. It wasn't empty when I was in there."
[[Ask if she wants to explore it together]]
[[Tell her you'd rather not explore any more]]"Want to try to get it to open again? Together?" Noah asked.
"Sure. But I tell you, there's nothing in there. Grab your book." Sheena said. From her pocket, she took a small hourglass and held it up for Noah to see. "I imagine we both have something to take in."
They walked together, Noah peering back at the collection of books almost calling to him. The moment they crossed the threshold from the new library to the Great Hall, the wall opened.
The sounds of giggling met them as a cold wave of stale air washed over.
[[Go inside the room]]"I don't want to explore," Noah said. "I want to get out of here."
"Noah, relax," Sheena said. "Let's just figure out what's going on here."
[[Acknowledge approaching footsteps]] As soon as they entered the room, the giggling stopped and a soft yellow light rose as if the room were the setting for a stage play.
An old grandfather clock appeared out of nowhere. Master Green's arm popped out of the glass in front of the pendulum as it opened the compartment. He stepped out of the clock.
[[Engage with Master Green]]
[[Talk to Sheena]]"Look. I don't know what's going on here, but this is freaking me out. This house -- I don't know what to think," Noah said.
"I haven't seen anything about an heir, that's for sure."
"I want to get out of here."
"We should wait until we see Master Green again. Oh, look. Sheena nodded to the doorway where Master Green stood listening to their conversation.
[[Demand to leave]]
[[Engage with Master Green]] The Oakwell House
Narrative Play
Written by [[Stella Samuel| https://stellasamuel.com/]]
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[[Start]]
[[Credits]]
(open-url: "https://stellasamuel.com/")
[[Go Back]]"The bloodless spirits wept as he spoke, accompanying his words with the music," Noah read out loud. "//Metamorphoses.//" He wanted to turn the page to find the next line he knew would be tied to this strange house. He didn't know why, but...
"Still, as it is, you are immortal, and whenever spring drives winter away, and Aries follows watery Pisces, you also rise, and flower in the green turf," Sheena said behind him.
[[Noah: Become impatient]]Sheena walked over to each hanging piece of art and studied one by one. The lines in the Mondrian moves in ripples and waves before shattering to the floor before her.
Whispers from the wheat fields in the Van Gogh urged her to keep the secrets of history and find the hourglass.
[[Search for the hourglass]]
Sheena walked the room again searching each painting and each dark corner for the women from earlier or for an hourglass. "What could it mean? find the hourglass," she asked the room.
A second pass through the room found no hourglass in the room or within any of the paintings.
"I don't understand," she whispered to the Van Gogh.
[[Turn back to the Great Hall]] Sheena peered below looking for the dragonfly. She could have sworn that voice was Melanie Longstreth's voice. But where was she? And what was she to do with an old key? She'd found no doors or old hutches.
"I'm sure it goes to something. The paintings led me to the hourglass. Maybe the garden can lead me to wherever this key goes." She leaned out the window and heard a squeal. It was not the dragonfly or Melanie's voice but that of a man.
"Find the man," she repeated. Just as she pulled her head back into the tower, she saw the man running through the garden, his voice raised as he mentioned a clock.
[[Descend back down the tower]] Sheena holds up the key. "I found it in the tower. What is it for?"
Master Green smiles at her and looks around the Great Hall. The walls of the house move in unison creating a modern space with clean lines and bright natural light. Windows grow from within the walls and look out onto the vibrant garden.
"It's happening. All three pieces have come together. This has only happened once," Master Green says. "Time is short. You must decide soon, or the house will have you regardless."
[[Throw the key at him]]
[[Ask what is happening]]Sheena holds the key up and tosses it at Master Green.
"It doesn't matter who has the key, miss. All that matters is the house is ready for you. I have allowed my wife to bleed out, and I wish to reunite with her. We shall leave you alone and resign out fates to the closed sections of the house. Once I drink my poison and you open the clock."
"I don't want anything to do with the clock," said Noah.
"You may not have a choice, sire, but I am happy to open it for you."
[[Demand to leave]]
[[Noah: Become impatient]] "What is happening?" Sheena asked.
"Isn't it clear?" Noah replied. "The house is changing. Look at it. What about this space do you notice? I see the library built straight from my dreams with every piece of knowledge of all time." He walked to the large window and looked outside.
"These modern museum-like lines are what I'd like to have in my dream house one day," Sheena said.
"The house is turning itself into your style. It will give you everything you want and anything you need," Master Green said.
[[Ask about the three things]]
[[Inquire more about what's to come]]"You said the three things have come together. What does that mean?" Sheena asked.
"Sire Noah here found the clock, and you have the hourglass and the key. The house wants you. It's chosen you." Master Green continued to read from the book.
[[Noah: Become impatient]] House Photo
DarkSouls1 (Creator). (2017). [digital image]. Retrieved from
[[https://pixabay.com/photos/house-cemetery-haunted-house-2187170/ | https://pixabay.com/photos/house-cemetery-haunted-house-2187170/ ]]
Mr45. (2018). Horror Ambient. Retrieved from
[[https://freesound.org/people/mr45/sounds/492956/ | https://freesound.org/people/mr45/sounds/492956/]]
[[Go Back]] (open-url: " https://pixabay.com/photos/house-cemetery-haunted-house-2187170/")
(open-url: "https://freesound.org/people/mr45/sounds/492956/")
"Master Green?" Sheena asked. "I could stay here forever and be happy living in this space with the energies of the past we'd share this house with. But, we have lives outside of here."
"Besides," Noah inquired. "What is the point of having vast amounts of knowledge and no one to share them with on the outside?"
"Knowledge is the secret to life. Once all is known, there is no point of continuing. The secrets this house holds are infinite. This is the portal to the universe. Protecting this house must come at all costs."
[[Ask to define 'at all costs']]
[[Ask to explain more]]"What exactly do you mean by at all costs?" Noah asked.
"There is white magic and dark magic in this house. It is protected. Its growing walls are secure and hidden. No one can enter here without an elicit invitation." Master Green paced, and as he did, the walls surrounding changed before them.
Misty flashes of history form across each appearing and disappearing wall. Jesus' thorns, Jackie Kennedy crawling across the Lincoln Conteniental, a ship breaking apart as it sinks into the ocean. Sheena stood mesmerized.
[[Ask Green to open the wall]]"You aren't making sense," Noah said.
"Could you tell us more?" asked Sheena.
"There is always more to tell. But, all that matters is that the house chooses people. The house brought you here. It searches the universe for the souls it knows can handle the mission of keeping the secrets, live a fulfilled life inside, and a evovle as souls themselves to live an eternity. The house has never had an eternal resident. We are only human, after all. It won't give up trying. Maybe once someone here last longer enough, the world's secrets won't need to ne kept any longer. I do not know. I was only a mere mortal myself."
[[Ask Green to open the wall]]