[X] Old wives tale? Myth? Urban legend?
"Don't be dumb, Luce, I don't even have a wife." Owen shakes his head disappointedly.
[X] Pick up TOOLBOX
-[X] Use [DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] on TOOLBOX
It's relatively light, but also LOCKED. You consider KICKING IT, but you don't want to STUB YOUR TOE,and a good JUNIOR SLEUTH should avoid any danger that isn't strictly necessary.
The CLASS MACHINATION [DEDUCTION FOR DUMMIES] has been activated!
You can tell from the pattern of dust on it and where it's worn - this TOOLBOX has been here for a long time, and is never moved, but isn't used often. It's probably for ELEVATOR MAINTENANCE.
[X] Search the COUCH! Couch cushions always have stuff in their crevices. Like coins! Or pens! Or even snacks maybe!
[X] Ask the others about what their favorite TV shows are as you work. Maybe if you can find a remote...
Although the couch looks like a TEMPTING PLACE TO NAP, you've already had enough naps here in this life-and-death situation, so you instead lift up the cushions and look for anything of use. As you do so, you casually listen in to Owen and Mari's conversation. Perhaps they're getting along!
"Don't be so stupid, that's obviously not right!"
"Oh, wow, I, uh, I see, I'm the one being stupid, right, yeah, of course, yeah. Right."
Perhaps they're not getting along. Rolling your eyes, you call out a change of subject. "What's your favorite television show?"
"How It's Made," Mari says instantly, turning away from an indignant Owen who seems torn between continuing his argument with her and replying to the question. In an attempt to get him to choose the latter, offering him an encouraging smile.
"I like the show with the, with the..." He stomps a foot on the ground, gesturing wildly with his hands. You're about to suggest he's been watching Nike advertisements when Mari cuts in.
"Monty Python's Flying Circus?"
Owen frowns, and then grins. "Yeah! It's, uh, it's weird, and very old, and I don't always get it, but I just think it's funny, is all."
Mari seems to be smiling, just a little. "Oh, it is, isn't it? Maybe your tastes aren't complete rubbish after all. What about you, Calloway?"
You roll your eyes, and think. "Hmm... I really like that Sherlock Holmes one that's set in America, but they changed a lot of things from the books, but on the other hand there are very clever mysteries, but on another hand-"
"You have three hands, now," Mari points out with a smirk.
"
On another hand," you continue unfazed, "I really just like any show that has a clever detective in it."
At first, you're not sure what you've heard - then your brain is able to process, it wasn't the rustling of leaves, the whistle of wind. It was a voice. Kala suddenly stands among you. "I like the news. The people who read it are always calm. And safe. And warm. With nice clothes. That is how I would like to be. Safe, warm, calm, and wearing nice clothes while reading things."
You nod thoughtfully, thinking this over, before suddenly remembering you're supposed to be looking through the couch. Looking down, you see what you've missed - it seems like all you'll find here is a CHEAP HAIRPIN and what appears to be an INSTRUCTION MANUAL of some sort, as well as exactly SEVENTY-THREE CENTS IN LOOSE CHANGE. Wow, think of all the things you could do with that! You could buy a newspaper, or a chocolate bar, or one two hundred billionth of the International Space Station!
[X] Examine the PORTRAIT. Still Mari's dad? Any changes?
The PORTRAIT, seems to depict... wait, that's not Charles Brighton! That's not even a real portrait! It's a POORLY DRAWN CRAYON SCRIBBLE of a woman, with a speech bubble saying "BLUH BLUH, KLAUS, STOP WATCHING TELEVISION DURING WORK HOURS" that's been affixed to the wall with THREE PIECES OF BLU-TACK and ONE PIECE OF CHEWING GUM. Huh.
[X] Check the LOCKERS. Are they locked? They are probably locked. Still, assuming makes an ass out of you and- wait, is ass a curse word? Hmm.
You would never curse, of course, but in the context of a CLEVER SAYING, you're pretty sure it's acceptable. The TOP LOCKER is UNLOCKED, and contains a few ARTICLES OF CLOTHING, while the BOTTOM LOCKER is... huh. It FEELS like it should be unlocked, but it WON'T OPEN. Maybe the LOCK IS JAMMED?
[X] read the blood covered sign.
-[X] If you can't lift it up to a light, if that isn't strong enough use a flashlight.
The SIGN reads:
SIGN said:
IN CASE OF MALFUNCTION, RESET ELEVATOR WITH COD
The rest is COVERED IN BLOOD. You briefly consider trying to find a FISH to try and get it to RESET THE ELEVATOR for you, but then you instantly drop-kick that idea into the IDEAS GUTTER, to roaring applause from the referee. That's how SPORTS goes, right?
Instead, you try to prize the SIGN off the wall, but you can't! It's firmly affixed! You shine the FLASHLIGHT onto it, but to no avail. All you achieve is BRIGHTER BLOOD, which, while a GREAT NAME FOR AN INDIE BAND, is not very useful.
[X] Give Kala the box of CRAYONS
As you investigate, you see Kala standing in the corner of the room, occasionally flickering out of existence and flickering in again somewhere else. She seems... more than
lonely, like a person should be, she seems
alone, like a ship on the sea with nothing on the horizon, like an oasis in the middle of a desert. Slowly, you stop your investigation to gesture for Owen to give you the CRAYONS, before walking over to her and slowly, gently, as if petting a skittish animal, holding them out. She stares, tilting her head to one side, flickering between her position and one a few steps to the right, before speaking up.
"What."
"They're for you. If you want them."
She seems confused. "For me."
"... Yes." You're starting to feel a bit weird, holding them out in front of you with Mari and Owen staring, and your arm is getting sore. You wait what feels like a second, a minute, then an hour, the moment stretching on and on and on, until in one swift motion she snatches it from your hand, leaps forwards, and just as you're about to raise your hands above your head to defend yourself, wraps her arms around you in a hug.
It's a curious hug, flickering and shimmering and not quite there, but it's something - although after a few seconds she slips through your arms like water trickling between your fingers, back to the corner of the room, watching with dark and inquisitive eyes - as if nothing had happened.
[X] Examine the ELEVATOR DOOR
Well, it sure is a DOOR, and it belongs to an ELEVATOR. You might be CONCUSSED and looking at a GAZEBO WINDOW, though, you never know for sure. There's probably some sort of MECHANICAL FAULT going on here, but you wouldn't know how to recognize such a thing if there was. Maybe you should get SOMEONE ELSE to look at this.
And:
[X] Take sample of blood on SIGN
[X] Wipe SIGN clean, so we can read it
The BLOOD is too long dried to be wiped off, and you have nothing with which to take a SAMPLE.
