A Town called Fahrenheit

OOC: Added a character sheet for Octavia at information threadmark. Yes, I shamelessly ripped off the special system from Fallout. Also, HOLY SHIT THIS TOOK FOREVER.

[x] It's... A MYSTERY!
-[x] And you know what that means!
-[x] IT'S INVESTIGATING TIME!

Yeah! I'm gonna go get out of this car and investigate the shit of that crime scene currently overseen by a bunch of trained officers, break several laws in the process and get apprehended in the process all while annoying the shit out of my parents!

Sorry, but unless I have the power of invisibility or whatever I can't enter the crime scene. All I have to go on is a very limited view of the crime scene from my face pressed against the window.

To that end, I basically got nothing to go on for this mystery.

[X] Maybe one of the tires burst open?
-[X] Given what you said boss, I'm not that inclined to think that's all though it sounds like a good start potentially? tire busts, maybe it hits the road wall, flips from impact, upside down, and probably enough damage to start up the falling apart.

It could be a possibility. I read somewhere on the internet that when a tire blows out (or really any kind of car related malfunction or incident) the natural response is to slam the brakes as hard as they can humanly can which, ultimately, leads to the car spinning out of control before crashing or simply flipping over. Considering this is the highway where cars have to go fast by law, it's a possibility.

[Clue gained!]

[x] Maybe it crashed into another car.

I only see one car though, either they towed one car away (which I would think is unlikely) or the car that crashed into it immediately drove off for fear of retribution. Whatever the case, looks like we'll have to take the long way around.

My mind phased back into the world. Just in time for me to overhear certain facts in the conservation between my dad and the police officer. "...By the way ma'am... Have you seen any trucks passing by?"

"Well there's that one driver who hollered at me about having a nice ass but other than a few trucks passing me by... Nah, sorry sir. I can't remember every solitary truck that passed by me."

"Damn, at least it was worth a try. Have you at least seen any truck with a missing front license plate or a blank one?"

"A what now?"

[Clue gained]

"Oh, sorry ma'am. Just wanted to know. Oh, by the way. If you past by-"

"Hey Frank! Come look at this!"

"What is it?" He turned around to face a female officer who had walked over to him. Wait, isn't she a little too young to be an officer? Yeah... She's just my age! She was taller than me, maybe 150 cm to my 140 cm? She wore a brown trench over a school uniform with long blond hair tied up in a pony tail. She looked Caucasian and more importantly, a young girl from a private school dressing up like she was from a noir novel. Never thought I'd make that sentence.

"Look at this journal I found." She was holding a leather bound book. Her hands covered with latex gloves. The book itself looked worn, skin peeling off and blood spattered on the cover.

"Hey! Careful with that, it's evidence!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." She said as she skimmed through the book. "Hmmm... Starts off normally enough though..."

"What? Did the writer start writing smut or something?"

"Try wannabe Lovecraft, without the talent."

"The Cthulhu guy?"

"Ah yes, the 'Cthulhu guy.' Hmm?"

"What is it?"

"Strange. Last page ends abruptly. Written down are '22 1st St.' Know anything about that officer?"

"Ah... That house... Yeah... Sorry 'Detective' but we don't talk about that place."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Why not?"

"That place, it's full of bad omens."

"I never took you for a superstition sort."

"Hey, I'm not religious or anything but that place... Forget about it, something about it gives me the creeps. That, and one of our guys died in that place. Well... I wasn't part of the station at the time but still, cop dies in brutal fashion and ain't no one got an explanation."

"No explanation?"

"Well... There's an official one, but that's bull-crap. No one in town takes it seriously, just something they made up to put on the reports so they don't have to deal with it anymore."

[Clue gained!]

"Huh... I would like to ask you more but the dame driving the car there seems to be waiting for you."

"Yeah... You wanted to ask me something?"

"Oh yeah. Almost forgot it, you see if you want to come into town. You'll have to give your license plate number to the guys over at the post in Fahrenheit forest. We're trying to keep a record of who gets in and out of town. You know, for the investigation."

"Oh, that's fine then. Well, hope your investigation goes well." Saying their goodbyes, he rolled up the window, before we drove into the forest.

As the road started to split, I had a small window of opportunity to look at the crime scene form a different angle. From there I was able to notice three body bags. Two large and one small. Two adults and a child I think?

It was short live as I lost sight of them before I can get anything else. Drat.

[Clue gained!]

So we drove in silence. At least now I have a different kind of scenery to look at.

I can see why it would be easy to get lost in this forest. All the trees look the same. In fact I think there's only pine trees in this place. It's also surprisingly dark here.

No... Not dark... It's foggy? I never heard of a place this foggy in Canada and this far in land. Damn, this forest is weird.

After a while we found our selves at the police post. It was this old building, less a concrete structure and more like an old forest cabin converted for police use. We met a woman at the front of the building as she waved us over. "Hello ma'am, mind if I check your license plate?"

"Sure, go ahead."

The officer walked over to the front, writing down the number before nodding and giving us the go ahead to move forward.

Deeper into the forest. The fog deepening as we went. Dad had to open up his high beam lights just to see the road in front of him. The place was making my skin crawl, even my aunt stopped sketching to look around herself worriedly.

No one dared say anything. The sheer eeriness of the felt like it was keep our mouths shut. The weight getting heavier as time passes. I almost thought the mist would come inside the car and swallow us all whole.

Finally, after what seemed like an endless drive into some irrational misty landscape, the car drove out of the fog and into a forest clearing. The features of a small idyllic Canadian town obstructed by walls of tree came into view.

"Heh, looks like we're almost there!" Slowly, the trees parted and we were greeted with a pristine town, lively with people and brimming with energy. "Ah! What a lovely place isn't it?"

It never left, while this place was already a better change of scenery than that wall of fog, I couldn't help but feel something odd about the place. An odd, tense undertone hiding beneath the town's playful scenery. Eh, it' might just be me.

Our dad drove for a while until we passed by a hotel, it wasn't anything extravagant, it was one of those more cozy hotels. Great food and rooms and all but you don't feel like you're spending a billion dollars for every cup of water you order. Not sure if any of those sentences made sense but that's what I feel.

We went inside, stretching our legs as we drink in the homey atmosphere of the lounge. We resting at the sofas while dad was talking with the manager there. After a while he came back and said to us, "Okay, so since our luggage is going to come a bit later we'll just have to sleep at this hotel for a bit. Don't worry about the luggage we have in the car, the guy's here will bring them up to our rooms. Here Octavia catch!"

He threw to me a small key with a little number tied to it, '35.'

"Thanks dad."

"Heh, I know you sweetie. You'd rather go explore this town then sit in one place right? Stretch your legs kid."

"Really honey?" Said mom.

"What? She's punctual and responsible enough to go on her own."

She sighed. "Fine, just come back by 8 sweetie."

"Don't worry about me! I'll be fine!" I walked out the door, before taking out the brochure I had with me. It's a good thing that it has map on it. "Now... Where to go?"

Suggestion:

[] Let's go eat!

[] Let's just explore the town.

[] Wanna check that 22, 1st St. Place?"

[] Write in

OOC: Profiles updated.

[X] Wanna check that 22, 1st St. Place?
-[X] You should probably grab something to eat on the way though, no good investigating on an empty stomach.

I am a bit curious about that place but... Yeah I just got off a several hours long car trip and I'd rather stretch my legs at the moment. I am very hungry though, wonder what's there to eat around here.

[X] Let's just explore the town.
-[X] ...Actually, wasn't there supposed to be a lake here? Let's try and find that!

Yeah that sounds good.

[X] Let's go eat!

Uh... Isn't that what I was gonna do? Well, I guess there might be good food stands there at the lake since I've read that there was a beach as well. Better check.

After some time walking around town I managed to find the man made lake the brochure was talking about so much. It have to say it was quite large. Located just North East of town. The forest itself is quite large as well, stretching all the way from the North West to Far North East of town. Apparently the lake is connected to Red River via artificial means or in laymen terms, lots of digging.

There was a large beach area with shallow waters that extended out of the lake. Past that though there were warning signs and even floating dividers that cut off the shallow water from the rest of the lake. Dangers signs warning about the main lake itself being too deep to swim in and anyone who ignores the warnings have chosen to do it of their own free will and that the coast guard and officials while willing to save anyone attempting said action is not responsible for anyone dying of extreme deep water pressurization.

What.

Yeah, I think I just gonna ignore that for the moment.

I walked looked around the beach. Passing by people bathing in the sun, kids making sandcastles and a few people playing beach tennis. In fact, it was near the those tennis players that I found a hot dog stand just nearby their game. Jackpot.

I walked over and ordered a chilly dog with a bottle of root beer. Man, I should've brought an umbrella or something, this sun is killing me. Though people might go and call me a vampire again. I hate it when that happens.

I decided to watch the tennis game a bit. From what I can tell, one side was basically being dunked on. The girl on the other team was just too good from them. In fact, her teammates aren't even helping her. They're just on the sidelines watching her as she does all the work for them.

It's easy to see why, she's quite agile for a person of such lithe yet tall build. Dark skin, blond hair styled in a unique six ponytail design which end in curls and dressed in a white tennis outfit. She moved like her body was air, swinging with the strength and finesse of Muhammad Ali and the vigor of a hyperactive four year old who just had a great night's sleep. She was drenched in sweat, most likely from her taxing performance but man does she make it look easy.

Too bad on that last round though, the wind started to pick up a bit and it curved the ball slightly out her range losing that round. Though to be honest it was one lost round compared to a mountain of wins so no worries.

Huh, already on my fifth order of chilly dogs? Man I really am hungry.

I went to order another chilly dog when I noticed the tennis player I was watching was now next to me. Damn, I knew she was tall but I never knew how by how much until I was near her. "You... You're like new here in town, right?"

"What? Was it the clothes that gave it away?"

"Actually, yeah. I like know just about everybody in town. So when I notice someone I don't recognize, especially one who sticks out like a mantis shrimp shoved on top of a vanilla cake, I just totally know they're from out of town."

"I guess that makes sense," I said while eating.

"So uh... You come here from the east?"

"From Ontario. How did you know?"

"I didn't, I was just asking a question." She seemed like a very different person from the tennis player I saw on the court, more aloof, standoffish and most of all, kinda bratty.

"Don't you have a game to attend to?"

"Oh that?" She pointed behind herself. "Yeah, they're just packing up now. Just some practice we're doing to keep in shape for next year. You know? Your muscle will just go all flabby if you don't use them enough."

"Okay so... You here for the food?"

"Sorry, I'm all vegan. I don't eat vendor trash. The water here is okay I guess."

Scratch that, very bratty.

"The water is okay?"

"Yeah, all natural. Not like that stupid distilled water shit my teammates drink."

"Okay so... Uh... I guess I'll be-"

"So uh... You passed by that place?"

"Sorry what?"

She gave an annoyed grunt before replying. "The car crash stupid, gees. Are you deaf in the ears as well as fashion?"

"Yeah uh.. About that, I'm of the opinion that one does not talk about terrible incidents as if they're just another odd happenings of the day."

"Yeah well, have you seen anything? Heard anything odd? Come on, tell me!"

"You're really starving for a story are you?"

"Come on! Give me something to work with! Nutjobs, ghosts, that one haunted house-"

"Haunted house?"

"Oh yeah, there's like a haunted houses over at 1st St. Practically falling apart but what other than that it's pretty boring. Anyways back to-"

"Oh! Look at the time, it's almost my curfew. See you later alligator!" I quickly chomped down what remained of my chilly dog and got out of the beach as fast and politely as I can.

"Yeah, be a bitch and run. I was just curious sheesh... Who the hell has curfew at 3:40?"
Looking both ways, she pretended to walk the other way...
Mood soured but not ruined, I made my way towards 22 1st St. Haunted was it? Well, time to see for myself.

It wasn't hard finding the place. I'm guessing this area is the oldest part of town. The houses here looked like they're dated by a good few decades though still taken well care of.

22 1st St. on the other hand? Yeah, the place looks like it's practically falling apart, just like she said. Paint almost completely peeled off, rotting wood, a front porch that looks like it'll fall over at any second. I'm surprised they haven't mowed torn this place down yet.

There's a warning sign telling people to stay off private property of the town hall but... Huh... Strange... The front fence gate seems to haven't been locked. Odd, guess people are too scared or something.

I spared a gaze up at the second floor windows and caught a glimpse of something. Damn, so this is what it feels like to being watched from nowhere. Now... How do I go about this?

Suggestion:

[] Hey boss, how about we DON'T be a dumb stupid teenager and walk straight to her doom?

[] Psst, boss. Ignore that guy and just go through the back. Whoever's in there will never see it coming.

[] Ring the bell?

[] Write in