First Investigation

[grimgrinningghosts]

[Nearly two weeks in the Haunted Mansion have passed. Parties were had, friends were made. In fact, maybe you've completely forgotten about the motive looming over all of you. However, as what might be dawn approaches the Mansion, you feel a strange feeling of dread as you wake up. Is it all in your head? There's only one way to find out.

Investigate?]

Comments

[folkscallmewander]

[After hearing the announcement, Wander jumps onto his feet and rushes into the foyer. Karolina isn't dead, she can't be dead, they were going to cook together and talk about Earth, everyone was getting along this past week, how is this real

The crowd gathering in the kitchen cannot be missed. He slides between the people already watching, trying to ignore the blood, but--

She's glowing. Why is she glowing, she can't be dead, it's just a misunderstanding.]

Karolina? Is that you? What's goin' on?

[thetimebomb]

Wander...

[Sylvia is just stunned. Karolina was just a kid, she didn't deserve this. Out of all the people she didn't deserve this.

And Wander didn't deserve to see this. She gently places her hands on Wander's shoulders and tries to gently move him out of the kitchen.]

We... we should get out of here. We don't need to see this.

[folkscallmewander]

No, I can't just leave her lyin' on the floor. Can't we do somethin' for her, move her somewhere better, check if she's dead or just...just astral projectin'? The light has to mean somethin'!

[thetimebomb]

That's her real form. I remember her showing me that last week.

[She's trying to hard to remain her composure for Wander, but the more she looks at Karolina's limp body, the more she wants to lose all hope.]

I'm... pretty sure she's dead.

[Her voice cracks as she says this. Don't cry, Sylvia, you got this.]

[folkscallmewander]

Real...

[He jerks his head back to Karolina's body. This is what humans look like? Or was she human? She said she was from Earth, which didn't have other species living on it.]

How?

[thetimebomb]

She's not from Earth, apparently. She was raised as a human but her true form is... this.

[Vague gestures to Karolina.]

I... I told her she shouldn't be afraid of her true self when she told me the truth.

[Grop is it her fault she's dead? She knows that humans are a little hostile to visitors...]

[folkscallmewander]

[Wander doesn't look away from her, but with Sylvia's hand on his shoulder, she can feel him breath in and out slowly. He's calming himself down. There's a lot of children here to need to hold onto hope that this will not divide them, and he cannot afford to break down in front of them.]

...Thanks, Syl. We're gonna get through this. Together. [He twists out of her hold.] I'm gonna head out now, see if there's anything I can do to help.

[thetimebomb]

[Sylvia is quiet for a long time as Wander moves away from her.]

... Wander, if you need anything, please let me know. I... I can help.

[She knows in her hearts that she can't help him, but she can't let him lose hope. Not now.]

[folkscallmewander]

[He nods. There's not much she can do other than be there for him, but for now, that's all he needs.]

[heartofold]

I... don't know exactly. That's what I want to find out.

[Something happened to Karolina and now she was no longer with them. But there were a lot of other questions.]

[folkscallmewander]

...We can't leave her like this. We need--if she's really dead, we have to make sure, we gotta say somethin'!

Like. Like.

[He walks over and sits beside her.] Why did this happen?

[heartofold]

Most likely... because someone was afraid their secrets would get out. That was the stipulation, if no one murdered by the end of the week... and... it's almost the end of the week...

[That seemed to be the most pressing reason as to why it should be happening now when until then they had been getting along just fine.]

...Once we've finished finding those answers we should do something for her. A memorial or something...

[It's the least they can do.]

[folkscallmewander]

Yeah, but--no, it shouldn't. Why should a secret be the one thing that does this?

[He lets a hand hover over Karolina's arm for a few seconds, then lowers it to mimic a comforting gesture. Even if he can't touch light, it has to mean something to her spirit.]

She wasn't tryin' to hurt anybody.

[heartofold]

We may not have those kinds of secrets but... maybe someone does. All I know is... it wasn't like this before we were told that.

[Sophie hangs her head.]

I never thought it would come to this.

[folkscallmewander]

[Wander withdraws his hand and hangs his head. They were so close to being a unified group and working together to break out or trick the ghosts into letting them free. All twenty-five of them were going together, but that fantasy has been replaced with the sadder one of twenty-four. Karolina, who had cooked with Wander. Karolina, who was sweet and kind and deserved to live. All of them deserve to live.

He pulls his knees up and rests his face on there.

For now, he doesn't answer and focuses on his breathing.]