In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 71):

Mr. Barker is maybe in his early thirties.  He's a cop of some kind you know.  Not real tall but broad.  He's like a chest high brick wall.  His blondish brown hair is buzz cut.  A small scar runs from the corner of his jaw up across the bottom right of his lip.  When he grins, the scar looks like it's going to cause his lip to seperate along the line.

He's not a bad guy.  He and his wife come over sometimes and talk to Mom.  But he's got that cop kind of vibe going on.  Levi says he's the kind of guy who'd say 'do twenty more' after you did twenty laps.

He looks down at you, one eyebrow raised.  "You okay Tyler?  Your Mom home?

"I heard someone bangin' around in the hallway just now.  Was that you?"

Tyler shakes his head, once, and then again, to the questions, his eyes widening at the latter of the two. "My mom's out, working late, and no, wasn't me. I was kinda freaking out because someone tried my door just a minute ago. I got it locked in time, but I saw the door handle turning. I was too scared to even look into the hall until I heard you," he admits, just a touch sheepishly.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:32, Thu 16 July 2020.

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 73):

Mr. Barker looks at you like he's trying to decide if you actually pistol whipped a nun or not.  But he does that a lot.  Levi calls it his 'cop stare'.

He nods.  "Yeah.  Someone tried our door too.  That's why I was askin'.  Okay.  I'll take a look around.  Don't worry about anything.  If you need me, you should have my cell."

Both Mr. and Mrs. Barker's cell phones are on a list of emergency numbers Mom keeps on the fridge.

"Lock up tight.  I'll come back by in a bit.  'kay?"

Your cell phone buzzes.  Mom.  Heard the lights went out.  You OK?

Levi buzzes too.  Dude.  This is frickin' awesome!  Street is flooded!

Confident that he didn't do anything wrong this time - and trusting Mr. Barker - Tyler doesn't feel nervous under that stare like he might with any other cop or if he'd broken some rule.

"Thanks," he says before closing and locking the door again.

Now feeling safer, he texts back as he moves to look outside again.

To his mom:

I'm ok. Someone tried to open the door but Mr. Barker is checking it out.

To Levi:

I saw the flash but not the lightning, window is too wet to see much. :( But yeah, awesome storm!

Then a second to Levi:

Someone here in the hall turning doorknobs, Mr. Barker's looking for them.

This message was last edited by the player at 02:09, Fri 17 July 2020.

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 75):

Mom takes less than a minute to call.

"Whaddya mean someone was trying the doorknob?!? What is going on?"

Levi texts at that moment.

Did you wet your pants?

"Are you okay?  Where are you right now?"

You totally wet your BVDs, didn't you?

"Is Ed-I mean Mr. Barker there now?"

Pants Wetter

"I'm gonna pack up now.  But...crap.  Looks like the storm's shut down the rail line..."

We'll have to get some pee sheets for your bed

"I'll get home soon as I can, 'kay?"

Tyler 'Pee Sheets' Thompson. Has a ring to it

I didn't mean to eat her eyes

The voice is breathy.  Soft.  There's a feeling of warm air tickling the back of your left ear.  There's a slight pressure on your shoulder, like someone's laid a very small hand on it from behind.

I was just so hungry

Outside there's a flash of lightning.  It must have struck real close, because the thunder blast feels like it shakes the whole room.

"I don't know, I just saw the doorknob turn and heard steps outside. Then after the power went out, Mr Barker knocked on the door and wanted to know if I'd been in the hall. Someone turned his, too. I'm fine, just watching the storm out of the window. Mr Barker said he'd be back after he looked around."

He still sounds relieved when she says she's coming home. "Okay, mom, thanks. Love you."

He hangs up the phone and is just starting to text Levi when he hears the voice and feels the warm breath... Wait, warm?

Somehow, the realization that this is some living being that somehow got into the apartment makes the whole thing scarier. Not to mention what the voice was saying. And, for the first time since he was cornered by a bully when he was seven, his fight or flight reflexes turns to fight.

He tries to spin around, pivoting on the point where the hand rests on his shoulder, lashing out instinctively with his arm.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:26, Sat 18 July 2020.

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 77):

At the moment you turn, lightning goes off outside.  It must have hit the street, because the noise is DEAFENING

In the flash, as you turn, you make out what looks like an old, thin woman with curlers in her hair.  But her face is missing. It's a hollow cave. There's nothing inside her skull except a Siamese cat, covered in gore, and licking something nasty off it's paws.

Then it's not there.

You can't hear anything.  The boom from the blast outside has your ears ringing.

The lights suddenly come back on.  The roar in your ears comes down a couple of notches.

It seems to be fine.  There's nothing there.  You're alone.

Note:  we won't be playing a horror game.  But I'm laying some ground work here.   Thanks

Tyler’s scream is drowned out by the thunder, and by the time the lights come back on, he’s cowering in the corner with his knees pulled tightly to his chest and his hands to his ears.

As it becomes apparent that nothing is there, he slowly uncurls to stand up again. He’s no less scared, this time, but a tiny spark of bravery was lit when he turned to face the ghost, and it lets him start to check around the apartment to be sure it’s gone.

No problem! A bit of horror never hurts, and gave me a bit to work with to nudge Tyler along his development. Just a nudge, but it’s a start. :)

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 79):

As you look under the Brillo pads on the sink and under the sofa cushions, you realize it's probably gone.

There's a knock at the door.  It's Mr. Barker.

"I didn't find anything.  But someone was in the empty apartment.  The door was open.  No one's there now.

"You okay Tyler?  You look kinda shakey.

"Anyway, your Mom called me.  She's gotten stuck cos the storm has the trains fu-bunched up.  So if you need anything, we're both in tonight.  Come down and knock or give me a call.  'kay?"

Mom texts, pretty much saying the same thing and telling you she'll be home as soon as she can.

Levi is more straight forward.  did you pee yourself to death?

The storm settles into a normal rain.  Mom doesn't get home until 11.

It rains all night long.

---

Reggie steps on the train the next morning.  You happened to see him on the platform as the train was pulling in and moved up a car to meet him.

The morning commuters are cramming in space, but for once being short has an advantage.  You slip through until you're able to get to him.

"Hey." Reggie says, still yawning.  "How'd you like that storm last night?"

"I'm okay, that last lightning just really startled me, I thought a nuke went off for a second," Tyler lies, not wanting to admit what he saw.

He texts his mother that he's fine. Then he sends one to Levi.

No peeing involved, but I just saw a fracking ghost!

Yes, he types fracking, the closest thing to a swear word he feels comfortable using.

---

Tyler grins to Reggie and says, "The storm was awesome! A bit scary when lightning got close to my place, though. And I told you I heard thunder yesterday."

He'd already decided not to tell anybody about the ghost, except Levi. Even with his jokes he trusted his best friend, but he didn't expect anybody else to believe him.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:28, Tue 21 July 2020.

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 81):

Levi seems weary about it.  But he's not dissing you when he texts back describe said ghost

---

The bell rings, and Zhan goes back over what he talked about yesterday, doing a short explanation of Hooke's Law.

"Alright Kiddos.  Get in your groups and design those experiments.  From prior experience, you want to hash it all out today.  Because you have to do the design work tomorrow and run the experiment no later than half way mark through class Thursday."

You, Reggie, Bian, and Aldo are seated around a lab table.  Reggie has written out F_S=KX on a sheet of paper between you all.

"Okay.  So it's the spring force equals the spring's constant times the spring's stretch.  I get it...sorta.  Anyone got a clearer way to explain it?"

You all start to discuss possible experiment designs to demonstrate or test Hooke's Law.

Let me know how Tyler describes the ghost to Levi.

If you want to give the experiment design a try, go ahead.  If not, we can fudge it.  Thanks

An old woman, with curlers in her hair, but her face wasn't there anymore! A cat had eaten its way into her head, and was sitting inside licking its paws. Way more real looking than any horror movie.

Not that he's ever seen many horror movies.

---

In physics, Tyler comes prepared with an idea, "If we use pulleys to split a  weight evenly, we can show how different materials will stretch different amounts, but adding extra weight bends each of them the same percentage on top of the original bend. We just need something that we can get in different materials that are about the same size and shape."

Grinning, he pulls out a plastic ruler from his bag. Then, he points around the room, to different tables, "We can get them in wood, plastic, and metal. I bet there's even some in steel and some in aluminum."

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 83):

Are you sure you're not high?

Okay.  Let's say you didn't just get storm spooked.  You think it's that crazy cat lady who used to live next door come back from the dead?  Why would she be after you?

You do something to her?

---

The other three look at you and then at the tables.

You did mean the tables and not the rulers, right?

Reggie glances around at some of the hooks and cables suspended from the lab's ceiling.

"We should be able to rig it up...if the springs are sturdy enough..."

"So we're gonna weight different tables?"

Bian claps her hands and answers Aldo's question.  "Yes and no.  We're gonna determine how the different materials effects the springs.  Right?"

Her door was open when Mr. Barker looked. But I'm not sure she was after me. She didn't attack me, she just scared me.

Maybe she (or someone really good with holograms) was trying to scare me, or maybe she was just trying to say she forgave her cat.

This whole thing is weird. I think I need to research.

---

I… wrote that on a day where I was entirely sleep deprived. I really have no idea what I was getting at. Can we fudge the experiment after all?

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 85):

What's to research?

You may have just had a scare.  Maybe you were half asleep.

Not saying you didn't see it.  But don't rush into a Scooby mystery.

I'll come over tomorrow.  We'll make plans.

---

Do they/Did they have Carvel Ice Cream shops in Canada?  Because I'd love to make a Fudgie the Whale cake reference.  But if you're too young or they never had them in Canada, it would be a complete loss.

The four of you hash things out and decide using the tables might be too problematic.  But you find some kettleballs and work things out.  Tomorrow you'll have to put the experiment together and then on Thursday, perform it.

The rest of your school day goes alright.  No one really talks to you.  But it's not a hostile kind of quiet.  It's more ambivalent than that.  Mostly, people act like you aren't even there.

That changes when you get to Drama.  Tanya seems to be waiting at the door for you.  She quickly whisks you over to the Tech corner.  <Aqua>"Here he is!"

Tim and Tom have a sheet of lined legal paper spread out before them.  They've drawn a half circle on it and are making little marks on it.

"There you are," says Tim or Tom.

"Okay.  So what do you think?  Should we go with a table with wheels or a fixed table?" asks the other one.

"He has no idea what you're talking about guys."  Sasha plops down in the chair next to you.  "Somehow, Baskins talked the Principal into green lighting the Rocky Horror show.  Since it's for Halloween, it's first up.  Which means we don't have a lotta time.  The costumes will be a nightmare.  And since it's a musical, so will the lighting and sound.  But before we can do any of that, we need to decide on the set."

Tim, or Tom, nods his head.  "The set will decide a lot of things about blocking.  Lighting.  All that stuff."

His brother nods as well.  "We'll have to keep it kinda sparse.  Cos the stage ain't all that large.  Also, we've never figured out all the lights.  So we only know how to light certain areas of it."

Sasha chuckles.  "Before you ask Tyler, no.  Baskins can't help with that.  She knows jack and shit about the technical stuff.  How the hell she got this job I dunno.  Anyway.  You good with electronics?  Cos after role, we're gonna go over to the theater and figure stuff out."

She leans closer.  "Also.  The rest of the week will be auditions.  You don't wanna be here for auditions.  It's always a complete cluster fuck.

Good point, not thinking great right now. Too excited. And I need to do homework. But I AM gonna figure this out! See ya tomorrow!

---

Tyler nods with a smile to the question, "Yeah, I'm great with electronics. As long as I can get some time to play around with it, I'll figure out how to make the lights do whatever you need them to do!"

Posting will be a bit slower and shorter this week, my voice is shot so only able to post when my pain level is low enough that I can type on my phone.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:44, Tue 28 July 2020.

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 87):

So noted.  I'll try to give you situations that won't require a novel length reply. But take your time.  Hope you get to feeling better.

Sasha nods.  "Okie dokie then.  We'll leave the lights to you."  She stands up.  "I already got the key to the theater from Baskins.  Let's head over there..."

The school has both an auditorium and a small theater.  It appears the Halloween show will be in the latter.

'Small' is relative though.  It would probably hold as many people as would a first run upscale movie theater.

Tom and Tim head for the stage while Tanya heads for back stage.  "Gonna take a look at the costumes," she says.

Sasha frowns but then looks at you.  "Alright.  Guess I'm tour guide.  Lemme show you the booth."

There's a door set in one side with a NO ADMITTANCE sign on it.  Sasha ignores the sign, using a key to unlock the door.  Inside is a stairwell.  Taking it up and going down a short hall leads to the 'booth'.

It's a suprprisingly cramped space, mostly because there are so many boards stuffed up into the room.

"Supposedly this stuff was all top of the line.  At least it was four years ago.  I dunno if it is.  But it's good, I'll give 'em that.  Which is kind of the problem.  There's so much shit and lights and stuff that we can't figure out what half of it does.  Now this..."

She waves a hand at the boards closest to the door.  "...is the sound system.  All the controls for the speakers and tape decks and sequencers and stuff is here.  The lights are..."

She points at the boards farthest from the door.  She taps the center section, which looks like it has docking for a lap top.  <Red>"Baskins usually sits here during production with her lap top.  Well.  She's the only one who's supposed to be able to plug into it.  Let's turn on the house lights..."

She fiddles with a switch and a knob and the house lights in the theater come up.  "For some bizzare ass reason, the only things we can't control from here are the curtains and a secondary set of lights that run behind the stage.  Though I guess I should say if we can, we don't know how.  Usually I have to sit backstage and run those at the board there.  We use our cell phones to queue each other.

"Now.  With Rocky bein' a musical...would you rather start off on sound or lights?"

Tyler looks awestruck as he looks around at all of the controls. "This is awesome!"

He hesitates at the question, conflicted. "Sound's probably important, and you said yesterday you don't have anybody to specialize in that yet. But I'll still help you figure out the light controls. I bet there's something here to even synchronize a light routine with music! Just gotta play with it until we figure it out."

Then he asks, "Is there a manual?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:38, Sat 01 Aug 2020.

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 89):

Sasha cocks an eyebrow.  "Did Baskins strike you as the type who'd keep track of the instructions?"

She leans against the doorway, arms crossed.  "I gotta say.  I'm a bit surprised.  You don't strike me as the drama type.  Even with the tech-y side of things.  Did you join drama because you wanted to do tech stuff?  If you wanna act...well. Don't let Tanya bully you into something you're not intrested in."

Tyler climbs onto the chair, kneeling so he has extra reach, and he starts to experiment with different buttons, switches, and levers.

Explaining himself, he talks more seriously, in a slightly quieter tone of voice than his normal, as if confiding, "I didn't even know the tech side was a thing! I've never done drama before, I didn't know what it would be like. But I wanted a class where I wouldn't be just the smart kid who got skipped a year. The kid who reads all the books before class starts and tries not to get upset when the rest of the class can't figure things out as quickly."

He looks up, and says, "I'm not actually as far ahead of everybody else here as at my old school, but I didn't know what the school would be like when I picked my classes. Anyway, I wanted a class where I couldn't read ahead and can just learn like a normal kid. Drama seemed the most fun of those; since I like stories."

If you haven't guessed from the post length, I have my voice back, though maybe not for long after this post. ;-)

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 91):

Sasha chortles.  "An idealist, huh?  Whatever floats your boat.  I'm just glad to have somebody sane around.  Lemme show you what I've figured out..."

She sits next to you and runs you through part of the board.  Within a half hour, you feel like you've figured out about 60% of it.  But some of the switches don't seem to do anything.  Like there's a fuse blown or something isn't plugged in somewhere.  The only way you can think to figure it out is to crawl around the lighting rig.  And while it doesn't look dangerous.  It is...high.

Tom, or Tim, pokes his head in after a while.  "Hey.  Bell's gonna ring soon.  We need to get back.  Sasha?  You still got the keys?"

Sasha frowns.  "I left 'em hangin' in the door."

You recall her opening the door and...yeah.  She left the keys inserted in the slot.  But they aren't there now.

"Oh shit.  Baskins is gonna have a cow."

"Okay," Tyler says, as he gets the hang of the board, "I think this isn't hooked up right. I think I gotta check out the lighting rig," he adds, with a bit of nervousness at the prospect.

But then, there's the issue of the missing keys. He frowns, and says, "Yeah, you left them there, I saw it."

What's the layout? Could someone have gotten up to the room to take the keys without the ones on the stage noticing?

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 93):

So I really suck at maps

Glancing down through the booth window, you see that it is possible someone came in and snuck upstairs to take the keys.

There is an alley that runs east west across the back of the auditorium.  The doors you all came in from are at the eastern end of that alley.  The stairs up to the booth are at the western end.

The stage is at the other end of the auditorium from the alley.  If Tim and Tom weren't paying attention, someone could have come in the eastern door, gone down the alley, come up the stairs on the western end, and taken the keys out of the lock while you and Sasha were busy messing with the controls.

Tanya is still backstage.  She couldn't see anything unless she had come out during that time.

Tyler steps quickly to look out the window, though not expecting anybody to actually be visible. Then he looks back at the equipment, in confusion. "Who would want to steal a key, and would even know it would be there in the lock? They can't expect to steal stuff, everything's so big in here. No way they can get it out without being on some security camera somewhere."

That's when an idea occurs to him, and he says, "The actors knew we were here. Could one of them be trying to get us into trouble?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:51, Sat 08 Aug 2020.

In reply to Tyler Thompson (msg # 95):

Tim, maybe Tom, frowns at the suggestion.  "I dunno.  I mean...yeah.  They're assholes.  But they're not really the kind to screw with us like that."

"Oh yeah?  I think they are." Sasha considers it a moment.  "I think I know who it might be.  I'll handle it.  But I'm gonna need you guys to distract Baskins for me.  Is she's there when I confront Scroggins, she'll try to get us to hug it out."

At the name 'Scroggins', Tom, perhaps Tim, rolls his eyes.  "Oh.  Yeah.  That turd.  How do we distract Baskins?"