Everyone followed Kevin as they made their way to Ralph's house to conduct some neighborhood surveillance. It was autumn and with Halloween starting tomorrow, leaves were covering the neighborhood.

Red, orange and yellow, in various different shades. All of them were floating gracefully on the soft breeze. It was as if a friendly hand was gently lowering them to the ground. Whispers between these leaves filled the air, whispers and mutters. The air was cool and crisp, like a refreshing drink of cool water after hours in a desert. The breeze fluttered around, gently caressing everything it touched with fingers that had been a comfort to so many over their long, lonely years.

And then Ralph's house came into view.

With such beautiful weather, and the calmness of the leaves falling, Kevin seems quite happy and relaxed as he leads the way. He even reaches out to catch a couple of the leaves.

As soon as the house comes into view, though, he grows more serious, "There it is." As they approach the last bit, though not leading them too close until they decide how to do this, he checks if he can see through the windows.

Kevin attempted to peer through the windows. They seemed to have a brown, muddy tint to them. As if they had somehow aged or weren't cleaned properly. It was a detail about Ralph's house that he hadn't noticed before.

Then Kevin saw something that he definitely hadn't seen before.


A man suddenly stepped through the front door of the house. The man's hair was disheveled onto one side of his head. He exited through the front door and tripped a bit on his own feet as if he was in a hurry. He looked around as if he was checking to see if anyone was watching. Then he hurried down the street and away from the house.

Sara was impatient, frowning throughout. "Well?" she asked Kevin after he peered through the window.

Kevin gets a confused look on his face at what he sees, but dives for the nearest cover as the man comes out of the house.

After the man is gone, he says, "That was my dad. Maybe he's investigating too, but... He was putting on his belt. Why would he take off his belt?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:32, Sat 11 July 2020.

"Belt!?" Jimmy asked in surprise. "Ha! You're Dad's like a Batman person, with a utility belt. HA-HA!" He poked fun at Kevin and his Dad for a second.

"Ha! You're Dad's like, investigating the Batcave! Hahaahh!"

Gary sighed in annoyance at Jimmy's comment. "Well, did you see the old woman? Ralph's Mom?"

Though Kevin has, until now, found Jimmy's jokes funny, this time he just rolls his eyes.

Looking back to Gary, he's nodding almost before the question is finished. "Yeah, I saw her sitting at the kitchen table. Looked like he was talking to her. But I didn't see Ralph."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:04, Wed 15 July 2020.

"What would they be talking about?" Sara asked, ignoring Jimmy.

Thinking about that for just a moment, Kevin says, "I guess the missing kids? He's probably investigating that for the newspaper."

He still sounds unsure, however. "Ralph told us not to eat anything there. Maybe dad did eat something, and it's making him act weird?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Sat 18 July 2020.

Gary seemed worried. "Let's get closer." He said. "We have to find out what's going on, otherwise Edith will get upset with us. She wants us to find out stuff." Gary noted, as if what Edith thought of and wanted was the most important thing.

"Ha!" Jimmy cried out. "Edith-smeeedith. Let's get closer to the house just to find out what is going on. I bet it smells in there. I bet she's some kind of witch. I've never seen a witch before. I want to see."

Kevin nods emphatically to Gary and turns to sneak closer to the house, but adds to Jimmy in a softer voice so he's not overheard as they get closer, "Yeah, she smelled like a really dusty old person's closet. Maybe she doesn't know about washing clothes, that's a human thing. But I still think alien."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:26, Tue 21 July 2020.

Sara follows the boys, examining the house as she does so. Are there any ways in other than the front door?

The kids got closer. The autumn breeze tousled Sara's hair and pinked her cheeks. The warmth that had been in the wind just an hour ago had either evaporated into the sky or leached into the earth.

As the kids got closer they could see Ralph's Mom in the kitchen window. The old woman was wearing a long, white sleeping gown. Trailing behind her was the fabric of the large garment. And underneath the ends that dragged along the floor what looked like cables. Wires. Yellow, green and blue. It was like they were just sticking out from under neath the dress.

The doors to the house appeared to be locked. Or unlocked. No one could tell from their vantage point. The windows closed.

Gary seemed worried. "Do you see that?" Gary asked in a sharp whisper, pointing at the old woman who didn't seem to notice, the kids so far away. "Those look like wires under her....her....sleeping thing." Gary said

"A robot..." Jimmy said, all the laughter and joking around suddenly gone from his mood.

"A robot!" Kevin echoes, though with excitement in his voice. "I never even thought of that! She's an android, like Data! But maybe more evil, like Lore. I wonder who built her?"

Kevin looks to the others, and says, at a bit of a loss, "But why would a robot kidnap a kid?"

Sara blinked as she stared at the window, then gave Kevin a judging look. "Because whoever built her told her to." Duh.

"Who built her?" Gary asked, a bit worried, the momentum of the story gaining steam, changing the perspective of what was going on.

"The same person who wears army boots...." Jimmy said, cutting the tension.

"...Your Mom."

Kevin sighs at Jimmy's joke, but nods to Sara and Gary, "We gotta find out. Somehow. Maybe someone else will come see her? 'Cause I dunno if a robot will go out shopping so we can sneak in and look around."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:51, Sat 01 Aug 2020.