S3 E13: The Search for Meray

Michelle Kelly:

A string of disappearances has put Cypher City on edge. Ernesto, the proprietor of Comida del Corazon, offers Mama Amoretta a direct link to a recent missing person. Lamplight Investigations receives a mysterious phone call for JJ August, but it is put aside for the time being. Ernesto leads the investigators to the home of his friend Rafi, whose daughter Meray is missing. A daughter who happens to be the best friend of JJ's missing sister April.

In their search around the alleyways near Meray's childhood home, our detectives find a hidden entrance to the sewers below Cypher City. As they descend underground, who can say what they will find in the dark? Or what will find them?

Kenzie Tartaglione (Game Master):

The sun shines down brightly, which could either be a good omen or a bad one, depending on your superstition. Kids scream and yell as they run around the front of the gated schoolyard, waiting for the first bell of the day or hoping that it never rings. A hand comes to rest on the shoulder of a child outside the open gates.

Kenzie (JJ's Mom):

It’s going to be okay.

Kenzie (GM):

A refrain that a young JJ had heard repeated from her parents for weeks, as the family was forced to uproot their lives in Nova, moving across the bridge to Cypher. The words had lost any meaning, if they held any in the first place. Adults were naive enough to think children couldn't tell a lie when they heard it. Maybe it would be okay. Maybe it wouldn't. But that didn't much matter when JJ and her sisters were ripped from everything they knew and tossed into a new life, a new place. A place they had only heard talked about negatively since birth. Moving to Cypher? For Nova kids, there was nothing okay about that.

Her parents didn't tell them everything, of course, but raised voices and hushed arguments weren't inaudible in a house with three curious kids. May was the only one who pretended she didn't hear.

Kenzie (May August):

If they wanted us to know, they would tell us.

Kenzie (GM):

April, on the other hand, would pull JJ out of bed to listen around corners and at doors. Something to do with money, something to do with work, something JJ didn't realize she needed to be worried about as she played in the garden tree house.

Your mother nudges you forward.

Kenzie (JJ's Mom):

Go on.

Atlas Mathews:

I think JJ takes a deep breath and like holds the straps of her backpack really tight to hide any shaking in her hands and pulls away from her mother.

Atlas (June July August):

Bye.

Kenzie (GM):

As you walk through the gate, your sister's following behind. Almost immediately, a young boy with furry ears wiggling in excitement runs up to you and taps you on the shoulder.

Kenzie (Zion):

Tag, you're it!

Atlas (JJ):

No, I'm JJ.

Kenzie (GM):

Darts away from you.

Atlas (JJ):

Hey.

Atlas:

JJ will take off after him.

Atlas (JJ):

Hey, get back here. I'm not - I’m JJ. Who are you anyway? Get back here.

Kenzie (GM):

He turns around and puts his thumbs in his ears and waggles his fingers and sticks his tongue out at you.

Atlas (JJ):

Why are you doing that?

Kenzie (Zion):

It’s called playing a game.

Atlas (JJ):

Why?

Kenzie (GM):

He stops. And he comes up to you really close and looks you in the face.

Kenzie (Zion):

Have you never played games before?

Atlas:

And JJ will stick her face right in his face, mimicking what he did.

Atlas (JJ):

Not that game. So how do I know what I'm supposed to do?

Kenzie (Zion):

Well, I tagged you and I said you're it. So now you have to tag me back.

Atlas:

And JJ will like, without breaking eye contact, poke him in the chest.

Atlas (JJ):

You're it!

Atlas:

And then run.

Kenzie (GM):

As you run backwards you pass your sisters who are standing there watching you and Mei just goes,

Kenzie (May):

JJ don't start fights already.

Atlas (JJ):

You need to run, we're it! No, he's it! I'm... you're... ugh, run!

Kenzie (GM):

April starts running with you immediately as this kid starts running across the schoolyard again after you and ends up tagging April instead of you and April goes,

Kenzie (April August):

I don’t want to be it.

Atlas (JJ):

Well then tag me. I'll be it.

Kenzie (Zion):

Well, JJ, you said your name was. That's not how games work.

Atlas (JJ):

Well, you never told me how this game works, so I say it's how it works.

Atlas:

And then JJ will grab April's hand.

Atlas (JJ):

I'm it.

Atlas:

And charge after.

Kenzie (GM):

He starts running, you take off after him, you eventually grab him and tag him and he goes,

Kenzie (Zion):

All right.

Kenzie (GM):

And sticks his hand out.

Kenzie (Zion):

My name is Zion.

Atlas (JJ):

Hi, Zion.

Atlas:

And JJ will put her hand in his,

Atlas (JJ):

You’re it.

Atlas:

And then take off again.

Kenzie (Zion):

Okay, I see how you're doing this.

Kenzie (GM):

And takes off again and you play, you play, you play. Your sisters, Well, April joining in sometimes, May wanting to have nothing to do with this, standing in the schoolyard, clutching her backpack close to her chest, just watching. And eventually the morning bell rings and Zion pulls to a halt, a little bit of sweat on his brow.

Kenzie (Zion):

You're not bad at that game.

Atlas (JJ):

I know. Thank you for teaching me it.

Kenzie (Zion):

Also, you're pretty fast.

Atlas (JJ):

So are you.

Atlas:

And she'll grin and kind of like look to the side and then look back at May and like,

Atlas (JJ):

Come on.

Kenzie (Zion):

Wait, wait, wait. I also know that you're new. So we should eat lunch together. All right, have a good morning, bye.

Atlas:

JJ will turn back around to May and April.

Atlas (JJ):

We have someone to eat lunch with!

Kenzie (May):

I don't want to eat lunch with people I don't know.

Atlas (JJ):

Well, we don't know the table layout, so we don't know if we'll have a table that just us can eat at so we'll have to eat with somebody else probably just because like, three-person tables don't really exist. If there's empty tables. So I would rather sit with somebody that we kinda know, and I mean, at least he wasn't mean. I thought he was being mean, but he wasn't. You know?

Kenzie (GM):

April stomps her feet.

Kenzie (April):

Okay, but what if we don't have lunch together? I don't want to be by myself.

Atlas (JJ):

Why wouldn't we have lunch together?

Kenzie (April):

Because I'm in a different grade than you.

Atlas (JJ):

Okay, but you're my sister, so like, I'll just ask? Okay.

Kenzie (April):

Will that work?

Atlas (JJ):

Well, if May asks too, they're not gonna say no. No one ever says no to May.

Kenzie (April):

Okay.

Atlas (JJ):

Right, May?

Kenzie (May):

I mean, no one used to say no to me, but that was at the old school, so I don't know. Maybe people will say no to me here.

Atlas (JJ):

No, you just have to show them how smart you are. Duh, everyone likes the smart kid.

Kenzie (GM):

A smile just breaks across May’s face.

Kenzie (May):

Okay, we better go before we're late.

Atlas:

And JJ will like look, see if she can see where Zion disappeared off to.

Kenzie (GM):

All of the kids have started funneling through the front doors of the school. There's like a yard in front of it and then there are stairs up and you can kind of see his head poking up in this crowd of people but he's pretty far ahead of you.

Atlas (JJ):

Okay, let's go.

Kenzie (GM):

The building was really nothing to look at. Brick on the corner, racing locomotives on the golden mile above, but it matched the address on the card. So she entered, climbing the stairs and finding the frosted window with the gold lettering that read, Lamplight Investigations. She could hear voices behind the door muffled but amiable.

Danielle Halen:

Amaretta will be polite and do a soft knock at the door with her hands awkwardly behind her back, trying to look more confident than she actually feels right now.

Kenzie (GM):

You hear the voices peter out in muffled footsteps against the carpet. The doorknob turns, and you see a man with a strong jawline, faint scars across his face, a crooked nose, probably broken and not set right at some point, long flowing hair, one side black, one side white and an intense look in his eyes even though he's smiling. There's a tight dark blue button up, a couple buttons at the top undone and you can see a silver chain around his neck. And in his hands, he holds a pocket watch, just flipping it shut and tucking it into his pocket as the door opens.

Kenzie (Unknown Voice):

How can I help you?

Danielle:

Amoretta kind of looks at him a bit speechless at first. And then quietly composes herself and just goes,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I apologize for bothering you, but I’m in a need of your services.

Kenzie (Unknown Voice):

Well, that's what I'm here for. Please come in.

Kenzie (GM):

And he steps back and pulls the door open a little bit more to let you in. The office seems to be in a bit of a state of clutter. Cups and cutlery litter the desk where it's not covered by file folders and stacks of papers. Laying over the couch are a couple jackets, a belt. There are two other doors in the room, but they're both closed. And there is one other person in this room, one that kind of fades into the background, one that doesn't bring much notice to themselves. A gaunt face, short black, cropped hair, glasses with a green tint to the lenses and a cigarette smoking in his fingers. He quickly puts it out as you enter and nods towards you. You can see a sword resting in a scabbard next to him on the table. This individual who lets you into the office, kind of grabs the jackets off the couch, throws him over his shoulder and says,

Kenzie (Unknown Voice):

Please sit, I'll be right with you.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

All right.

Danielle:

She’ll just kind of walk over some of the probably papers that have been strewn about on the floor, quietly looking around and wondering how this man can even keep track of things.

Kenzie (GM):

He opens one of the doors, kind of tosses the jackets into the room and shuts the door.

Kenzie (Unknown Voice):

Can I get you, uh, coffee? Whiskey? A little bit of both.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

A little bit of both wouldn't hurt given the circumstances I'm dealing with at the moment.

Kenzie (Unknown Voice):

Let’s settle for a moment and we can get into it.

Kenzie (GM):

And he goes over and there looks to be a pot of coffee just made in a small blue mug that he pours a little dash of whiskey into, pours the coffee on top of it and hands it over, and he says,

Kenzie (Unknown Voice):

Since you are coming to me, I assume you know who I am, but the name is Dmitri.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Pleasure to make your acquaintance. You can call me Amoretta.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

It's lovely to meet you. This is just my friend over here. You may talk freely.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Right.

Danielle:

And she'll just awkwardly wave towards the friend in the darkened corner and just sip on her coffee whiskey mixture. It's bitter and it burns and she didn't know why she agreed to it. But the after effects kind of help a little bit with her nerves.

Kenzie (GM):

He pulls a chair from behind the countertop desk lobby area and brings it out in front and sits down, forearms against his knees, crosses them, and then looks up at you.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Please tell me how I can be of help.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Long and short of it is that someone came into the bookstore I worked at. Swiped a lot of books you wouldn't notice but the number of them that they grabbed was... well, it's made quite a dent on the profits and I'm being held responsible for the losses and I can't, I can't really afford it. So, um… I know it's something really simple and small maybe compared to what you usually do but I, I, I just need some sort of help figuring out where it's might've gone.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

No, we deal with things here big and small. But I don't think it's fair for you to be held accountable for something you didn't do.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I don't know how else they're gonna cover up for the losses. And I was running the store at the time when it was robbed.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

One moment.

Kenzie (GM):

And he turns around and grabs a notebook off the desk and a pen. And he starts scribbling some notes.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Is there anything more that you can tell me about the people who maybe have done this?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I don't know anyone who would want to steal a bunch of books.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

And they weren't books of no consequence, you think?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean, mostly. They were books that normally weren't in high demand, weren't any fancy first editions, nothing like that.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Interesting.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, they kinda came in and just started taking things and the number of them I couldn't exactly do anything about it after a certain point and I mean I guess I kind of sat there and watched.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Is this bookstore that you work at, is this a... used bookstore?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean old and new.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Okay. Sometimes I've found that people… hide things. I found that some individuals can look for things that maybe were hidden somewhere by somebody else if you understand.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You mean like a bunch of sacred books or something?

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Say I have a book and I just write a little note in it and I sell it. Tell somebody else about this book. They can then go and see the note. I don't know if that is what this is. Just my first thought.

Danielle:

Dmitri will probably see some of the gear start to spin in Amoretta's head. She doesn't have a reason that, I mean, beyond Dmitri suggesting it, she's like, I guess that makes sense.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

So maybe are they getting a bunch of books to hide a bunch of stuff in it?

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Or the things were hidden already.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Huh. Well then I guess I gotta find someone that wants to hide stuff in a bunch of books.

Kenzie (GM):

He kind of flicks the pen against the notebook and sits back in this chair thinking for a minute,

Kenzie (Dmitri):

I think I can do this.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I really appreciate your help then. Is there any form of payment I need to give, I don't know what the usual rates are for these kinds of things.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

My rates fluctuate.

Kenzie (GM):

And there is a laugh that is quickly covered by a cough from the other man in the room. And Dimitri throws a look his way but continues.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

I'm sure we can work something out that would be in both of our best interests.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I'd appreciate it very much,

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Let me just get some more information from you.

Kenzie (GM):

And he starts just writing down your name, the address of this bookstore, the time it happened, just more specific details. And then he says,

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Okay, um, what is the best way for me to reach you?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Probably just calling me.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

Oh, can I have your number?

Kenzie (GM):

And as he finishes writing down your phone number, he says,

Kenzie (Dmitri):

I will have more information for you in a couple of days. I've just finished a case. You have my full attention.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Thank you very much.

Kenzie (Dmitri):

It was lovely to meet you. I'm sorry it had to be under these circumstances. I'll be giving you a call.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I look forward to it.

Kenzie (GM):

The deep sound of a horn rings out, steam billows from the tracks filling the space as a train pulls into the station. It's early, the sun having just risen and sending beams of light through the tallest ceiling windows across the beautifully tiled floor of the station. A hissing sound as the doors open. A few passengers waiting on the platform look at it only to return to their morning paper or their coffee. The small speakers on the wall announce the new arrival and the next and the time of the next train departure from this platform. A few passengers disembark, doors being manned by attendants in purple and gold, bags in hand, and then, from the fifth car down, a heeled boot steps onto the tiled floor.

And Joanna Gilmore steps into Nova for the first time.

April Consalo: Jo clutches one small piece of leather luggage to her side. Wheels that she replaced herself. Not much in it though. Not much from her previous life that she wanted to take. In her coat pocket, there is one piece of paper. A newspaper article, folded and refolded multiple times. It is an article about one Detective Amoretta. A case that she had solved, a girl that she had found, and returned safely to her loving parents. Scrawled in thick black ink with a gorgeous cursive over top of the black and white picture is her mother's handwriting. “Thought of you, dear,’ is all it says.

As much as the timing of the article that was sent to her was poor, it stuck in Jo's mind. She thought about this woman investigating on her own, taking justice into her own hands, doing good. And Jo’s heavy, guilty conscience for the first time felt a little lighter. Something was possible for her.

She didn't know if Detective Amoretta needed a partner or an intern, but she was willing to cross an ocean to try.

Kenzie (GM):

The city, this city, is a whirlwind. Not because it's so different from where you came from, but because for the first time you are actually entirely on your own. No Mel, no mother, and no mother's assistant chasing you around. Your mother's money buying you friendships in bars and covering your head with a roof before you finally build up the courage to do what you came here for. A calling that maybe crossing an ocean would help you to find. The building looked exactly the same then, and you dipped inside. Dingy, same as your new apartment. Not well lit, same as your new apartment. Was it the want to be closer to Lamplight and a possible new job or a dig at your mother that you chose Cypher over Nova?

Upon reaching the door, a little surprised to hear a voice talking a mile a minute behind it, a tangent of words muffled by the wall between you, gets to make a choice now. She can turn around, use that money her mother sends for rent and buy a ticket back, or she can turn a knob.

April:

Jo leans in close to the door and listens for a beat before knocking once, twice, and then stepping back and automatically straightening up into the posture that she was trained to have. First impressions are everything.

Kenzie (GM):

Inside the office is both Mama Amoretta and JJ. You hear the knock.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Did we - did we have an appointment today?

Atlas:

JJ will like scramble through all of her stuff on the desk like,

Atlas (JJ):

I don't have anything written, I mean I don’t - so I don't think we do but let me just…

Atlas:

And she's like going through papers

April:

Jo knocks again.

Danielle:

Jo will hear the footsteps along with the thump of a cane approaching the door as it finally unlocks and opens. And she's met with the stout figure and the graying hair of Mama Amoretta, who has very much kind, dark eyes and kind of looks her up and down with a soft smile and says,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, hey, come right in, come right in. I don't know what your business is, but do you want anything? Tea -

April (Joanna Gilmore):

Um, hello, I'm sorry. My name is Joanna Gilmore. I, I'm quite fine actually. Thank you. I...

April:

And Jo like kind of looks around for like where to sit.

Atlas:

JJ’s gonna jump up like almost between Mama Amoretta and Jo and be like,

Atlas (JJ):

Hi, did you happen to see one of our new posters? Is that why you're visiting? If you saw on our poster, we have a new phone number that we just added so then you can call ahead and schedule and then I can put -

April (Jo):

I actually, I know, I wouldn't have seen a poster. I just arrived. Just only a few days ago. I haven't really been around in the city much. I actually -

Atlas (JJ):

Oh, just arrived here I was like you're older than a baby not that you're old you're not old at all

April (Jo):

Pretty sure that we are the same age.

Atlas (JJ):

Walk-ins are fine, actually. We have a couch.

April (Jo):

Sure, might I sit on it?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, of course, of course.

April (Jo):

Thank you. Thank you.

April:

Jo sits and for the first time is like at eye level with the two of them as opposed to like towering over both of them. She's like acutely aware of her clothing, of the way she's holding her body. She's self-conscious in a way that she hasn't been in years. And she realizes that this uncomfortable feeling is that she wants to impress these people, which is something that she usually doesn't give a fuck about.

April (Jo):

Sure, right. I actually, I don't... I know that you help people. I'm not in need of help. Actually, I was wondering if perhaps you were in need of help.

April:

And Jo reaches into her pocket and pulls out the newspaper clipping. She's ripped the top part off so that you don't see her mother's writing on it anymore, but she holds out the article towards Amoretta.

Danielle:

Amoreta will well-leaning close kind of like an older person does and kind of does that little squint of like what is that? And scans over the article briefly. Is this like definitely from an overseas -

Kenzie (GM):

Interestingly enough, the papers of Nova don't necessarily cover a private detective agency’s workings and dealings a lot. But there was one case specifically that got Mama Amoretta mentioned, about a girl that was found in return to her family in Nova that made it across seas.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I'm real flattered I guess that you decided to come all the way over here now for your services? I guess I gotta ask what your skill set is.

April (Jo):

Well, I just left school, so I don't have lot of experience, professionally speaking, but I am smart and I'm capable and driven and I can build things. I don't know if you have a need for that exactly, but I - I’m an inventor and I can keep track of things in my head pretty well and there was... there was a girl that I found on my own. And I think that I could do it again.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

That's definitely quite a bit of a skill set. Do mind if I ask what you were studying in school?

April (Jo):

Nothing of importance.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I mean, you never know. You'll learn what might come in handy somehow, someway.

Atlas:

I think after Jo asks if we need help, she kind of crossed her arms and started tapping her foot and at the reluctance to share what she did in college,

Atlas (JJ):

You know, we're good at most of those things too and I can keep track of a lot of things outside of my mind, but I think it's cool that you came over to see us.

April (Jo):

Right, well-

Atlas (JJ):

I- I'm gonna do some paperwork.

April (Jo):

Sure?

Atlas:

Very blunt and in the middle of everything and just kind of like...

April (Jo):

Well, I suppose I had what you would call here double major. I was working in physics and also studying, um, historical literature, things like that.

Atlas (JJ):

What? I'm doing paperwork.

Danielle:

Amoretta will just chuckle a little bit at JJ's antics and just go,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Don't mind her, she just tends to get a bit worked up sometimes. But if you are offering your help and you know, you're a fresh face in city looking for a job, something to maybe put on your resume, I don't see why why not. I mean, I can show you the ropes. can follow me around a few cases, put your input in.

April (Jo):

Sure. Yeah, I mean, I don't... I don't really even care that much about the pay. I just... I want to help. I want to be of use to you. If you could use me.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

The best way of being helped is to make sure you take good care of yourself which means you're going to get paid honestly for your work, okay?

April:

Jo grins a little bit.

April (Jo):

Sure. Thank you. I do. I appreciate it.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

And you sure you don't want a drink or nothing? I got biscuits, I got, you know, anything you can think of.

April (Jo):

Do you not have a coffee machine?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well…

Atlas (JJ):

It's broken.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah...

April (Jo):

Oh! Well could I look at it?

Atlas (JJ):

Yeah, but it's like a piece of junk and it totally should be able to withstand getting kicked once.

April:

Jo, like, stands up again, towering over them, and, like, looks around before she, like, identifies the mess that is the coffee machine in the corner. When JJ hints about kicking the machine, she definitely, like, side-eyes her. Like, who is this little creature?

Atlas (JJ):

We were trying to prove something for something else and then Mama was like, “Don't stand on that while you're doing that.” And I said, “What?” And then I… okay, so I kicked it once and then it fell off of the counter and then onto the coffee table and then off of the coffee table. And then maybe I kicked it again because I got mad, but!

April (Jo):

I mean, surface floors aside, I think that you just disconnected… well, okay, here.

April:

And then Jo like flicks out from a bracelet, like a little screwdriver end piece and holds it between her fingers and starts unscrewing things and like fixing it while JJ monologues. And then by the time JJ has finished talking, Jo presses the button and it wears to life.

Atlas (JJ):

Holy shit!

April (Jo):

Do have coffee in the pantry?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, yeah.

Atlas:

JJ will hop up and like grab mugs and...

April:

Jo looks around and being able to fix something feels really good.

April (Jo):

Thank you. Thank you.

Atlas (JJ):

Thank you!

April (Jo):

Truly sorry to invade your space. I just,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Oh, no, no, you’re fine, I mean we just didn't have any appointments today. I got a little confused, someone knocking on the office door, you know, any kind of fresh face looking for help or you know, some sort of place is always welcome.

April (Jo):

I'd love to help. What are you working on?

Danielle:

I think then Amoretta would divulge the case to Jo a little bit, you know, kind of keeping things a bit more private because even though this person's brand new and Amoretta does want to trust her, she does need that sense of reservation. But ultimately Amoretta just kind of sees Jo's face and she just kind of... the mom instinct is kicking in. It's just like, oh, lost child looking for a place to stay, of course! Of course you can stay with me, of course you're welcome! I will give you so much food!

Atlas:

JJ’s like flitting about the office, butting in here and there to be like, Mom, don't forget me.

April:

At some point, Amoretta calls her Joanna, which is how she introduced herself, but she kind of smiles into her coffee and says,

April (Jo):

Actually you can call me Jo.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Jo then. I like that.You think I could call you JoJo sometimes or just Jo?

April (Jo):

Um, please don't. Just Jo.

Atlas:

JJ who has been antagonistic mainly towards Jo.

Atlas (JJ):

Yeah, I like Jo better.

Kenzie (GM):

With the help of Jo's headlamp, you climb down this ladder. The iron is cold to the touch, slightly damp, leaving a gritty residue on your skin as you go. As you reach the bottom, you find that there's a couple feet until the actual grounds. So you have to kind of jump off, boots splashing in a small puddle of water, and behind you, hear another set of shoes splashing in that water as JJ also lands down next to you.

April (Jo):

Bit of a fall for you. You alright?

Atlas (JJ):

I’m fine.

Atlas:

And JJ like takes a like stumble, shakes out.

Atlas (JJ):

What do mean it was a bit of a fall? I'm not that much shorter than you.

April (Jo):

You’re at least a whole foot shorter than me.

Atlas (JJ):

Not with my boots on.

April (Jo):

I don't think the platforms are helping you in this scenario.

Atlas (JJ):

So, what -?

April (Jo):

Anyway, can you see anything?

Atlas (JJ):

Well, if you shine the headlamp around.

April:

Jo like swivels her head with attitude for JJ's benefit but also shines the lamp that she had carried down around.

Kenzie (GM):

You look around and you see ahead of you a sewer tunnel that you're kind of in a little offshoot where this ladder came down and so in front of you is a tunnel that goes both to your left and to your right and the light shines off this stone that just looks sludgy and like it would be slick to the touch. There's also oddly enough seems to be like a thin fog here that just hangs in the air.

It looks like there's one sewer tunnel and then you're licking an all little offshoot off of it. So like when you come to the edge, just, it's one tunnel. It just goes to the right or to the left.

Atlas:

Can we hear anything?

Kenzie (GM):

Outside of the sound of dripping water and the vague or the faint sound of the rain from up above where you came, just your own breathing.

April:

Jo will take a match out of her pocket and light it just to see if anything weird happens to it to make sure that they can breathe.

Kenzie (GM):

You strike the match and the flame pops up on it big and then kind of goes back to how - a smaller flame But it doesn't go out. It just kind of stays and it does move. There's some wind is not the right word, but there is airflow down here

April:

Jo brings it to her lips and gives it a little

April (Jo):

(blows out match) Alright I think we can go further.

Atlas (JJ):

Which way?

April (Jo):

I don't know JJ how am I supposed to know which way to go -

Atlas (JJ):

I don't know you lit a match so I didn't know -

April (Jo):

I've been down here like 0.2 seconds longer than you have. Do you think I have any extra information?

Atlas (JJ):

You lit a match and I don't know why! You just kinda lit it and then you looked all pensive

April (Jo):

I just wanted to make sure we could breath! I forget that you never took any science classes, did you?

Atlas (JJ):

Well, I took science classes. I didn't pay attention in science classes. There's a difference.

April (Jo):

Right or left?

Atlas:

Is there a rock?

Kenzie (GM):

There’s like a debris of some stone that has crumbled off the old walls that are also made of stone. So you can grab something like that, of course.

Atlas:

I’m gonna pick up two and I'm gonna throw one down the right hallway and run one down the left.

Kenzie (GM):

They go. They both kind of clatter against stone. One of them hits a puddle of water as it goes.

Atlas (JJ):

We should go to the left, the right is wet. I don't have a better reason.

April (Jo):

Not the most - not the most scientific reasoning, but a choice nonetheless. Let's do it.

April:

And so Jo follows JJ's directions.

Atlas:

JJ will also offer to take the lanterns that she has a light instead of just continuously being like, hey, can you shine over there?

Kenzie (GM):

You embark down the left passageway and you walk for a bit, a few minutes, before you see half of a muddy footprint on the ground. You walk for another few minutes and you see a damp, discarded green fabric. So there are signs of passage here.

Atlas (JJ):

I’m concerned.

April (Jo):

About?

Atlas (JJ):

It is dark. We don't know what we're looking for. Well, we're looking for a girl, but we don't really know, like... Wait, do we remember what she was wearing?

Kenzie (GM):

You have the scrap of fabric I think and it doesn't match that one on the ground.

Atlas (JJ):

I don't know. I don't like it.

April (Jo):

Look, we're just hoping to find someone alive, alright?

Atlas (JJ):

Alright, what if we find someone alive and they don't want us alive?

April:

Jo taps the hilt of her sword, says,

April (Jo):

Honestly, that's the outcome I'm most prepared for.

Atlas (JJ):

Well, in Nova there was this kid and he said that he got a pet crocodile for Christmas and that he flushed it down the sewer and that it still lives there.

April:

Jo like almost laughs.

Atlas (JJ):

It's unlikely but not impossible.

April:

She just like turns her head really slowly towards JJ and you can like really see it with the headlamp light.

Atlas (JJ):

I'm just saying, if I were that alligator, I'd be very hungry.

April (Jo):

If there's an alligator, I will save you.

Atlas (JJ):

(Sighs) That’s what everyone says before they get eaten by an alligator.

April (Jo):

JJ, let's go.

Kenzie (GM):

You continue walking a bit and you get to a point where another sewer tunnel intersects so you can go straight or you once again can turn left or right. The odd thing is as you were talking about this possible crocodile, you've realized you don't see any other living soul, any other life forms at all. Not a rat, not a spider, nothing.

Atlas (JJ):

Jo, do you have any more of those, matches?

April (Jo):

Good idea.

April:

And she pulls one out and lights it.

Kenzie (GM):

It doesn't light any differently than normal.

April:

She notices that it lights the same and then again blows it out with a little breath.

April (Jo):

(blows out match) It’s fine, JJ. We'll be fine, alright?

Atlas (JJ):

Okay.

Kenzie (GM):

Mama Amoretta who is kneeling in this alley. Rafi has an umbrella held over your head and you hear them hit the ground. You hear their voices travel up as they argue a little bit and then you hear them depart. And it's been a little over 10 minutes at this point.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I’m gonna go try and ask some people around and let's check back later and see if they've resurfaced if not I might... Well, I don't know if I can check on them depending on how far they wander.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Do mind if I come with you?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, of course. You might have some better questions to ask them myself.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Lead the way.

Danielle:

Amoretta will stand up and use hurricane to walk over to the... the Underground Arch General Market.

Kenzie (GM):

You walk in and you see her down one of the aisles. Julietta is a wisp of a thing with pointy ears, long white hair, and always dressed like she's going to a party rather than to work. She has this navy blue pantsuit with gold trimming on it, a beautiful white blouse, a shoulder cape, gloves, and these large wire-framed round glasses.

And the Isthmus, or Izzie’s, might be JJ's go-to for gossip, but Julietta is definitely Mama Amoretta's. She looks to be just down an aisle restocking from a cart at her side.

Danielle:

Amoretta will kind of approach the little king, clacking against the ground, and give away to Julietta, and she's like,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Hey, how ya been?

Kenzie (Julietta):

Oh my god. Hello?

Kenzie (GM):

She drops what's in her hands clattering to the tiled floor and she rushes over and gives you a hug.

Kenzie (Julietta):

I feel like I haven't seen you in so long.

Danielle:

Amoretta will give her a hug back and go and try and help with the box that she just dropped. She'll just say,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well I know it's been a bit but I still come here for my groceries. It ain't been too long.

Kenzie (Julietta):

Anytime that's longer than like three days is a long time.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

To you maybe. I'm still alive though, so... I ain't gotta worry you too much yet.

Kenzie (Julietta):

Well I would hope so.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You already know the business that's been happening around town with folks... up and turning ghost?

Kenzie (GM):

She… takes in Rafi at your side by this point and says...

Kenzie (Julietta):

Oh, it just breaks my heart to hear about Meray. I'm so sorry. Yes. I've heard about it. We all have at this point.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You mind us asking... what you've heard so far?

Kenzie (Julietta):

I’ve seen some things in the dark after I close up at night. Strange people. But you know, I just usually put my head down and walk home quick.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Anything stand out about these strange people? Any shared feature?

Kenzie (Julietta):

They wear masks. And they feel like ghosts. The way they move and run about in the dark.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Were these masks kinda white and blank in color?

Kenzie (Julietta):

I never got it up close, but they always shown in the dark, so I assume they're... pale.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Julietta, you best be careful. Um, make sure you have someone that can walk home with you when you close up, okay?

Kenzie (Julietta):

I know that maybe I should have... told somebody about this, but I don't trust the Enforcers as far as I can throw them, which is not very far. So I didn't really know who I was supposed to tell about this.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well Julietta, I'm almost offended you didn't think of me first.

Kenzie (Julietta):

You always have your own business to be dealing with and I didn't want to be any trouble.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well Julietta, it ain't trouble when it comes to part of the community and besides, looking for you this actually happens to be connected to a case I'm working on anyway.

Kenzie (Julietta):

Oh, Rafi is that way you're here, you're helping ‘em? That's so kind.

Kenzie (GM):

And she crosses her ankles and she puts a finger up to her lips and taps.

Kenzie (Julietta):

I want to make sure I tell you everything I think you might want to know. I don't know if it's related, but I've been hearing about something new around town? Something I don't ever get my hands dirty with, but I feel that if it's as popular it’s become that it's reached my ears, could develop into quite a big problem. I hear that it's a new mix of something that people are taking. And I hear... that it... it kind of takes you inside your own mind.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean, I'm not exactly one for seeking out those kinds of experiences, but that doesn't exactly sound pleasant.

Kenzie (Julietta):

No, I've heard those who get the worst end of it, are those that are currently in the clinic. But I do know of someone who hasn't made it that far. I think they could be persuaded. Let me write it down for you.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I’d appreciate that.

Kenzie (GM):

And she - heels clicking against the tiled floor, she walks up to where the cash register is and pulls out a slip of receipt paper and begins to scribble down both a name and a place. The name she writes down is Ari, and it's not exactly an address that she gives you, but a street and like a couple nearby buildings.

Kenzie (Julietta):

They're little... nomadic. But whenever I run into them, that's where I run into them.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I appreciate you letting me know. Did Meray happen to stop by at all before things happened?

Kenzie (Julietta):

Oh, I mean, her or... Rafi and Marta used to come in... every week to buy paperita from me. Keep it in stock just for them.

Kenzie (GM):

And Rafi says,

Kenzie (Rafi):

But did Meray come in?

Kenzie (Julietta):

I haven't really seen her since she moved.

Danielle:

And Amoretta will kind of look to Rafi because Amoretta not sure if that's unusual for her or not.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I mean, she probably has her own market closer to where she lives now.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean, I guess we could check the place out, see if there's some place nearby and see if they saw anything else.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Yeah, we can do that. It's a bit of a ways.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

That's alright. Uh, Julietta, is there anything else you can think of at the moment that you think might be relevant or just anything strange at all?

Kenzie (Julietta):

Yeah, can you follow me back?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Sure.

Kenzie (GM):

She takes you through the rest of the store into the stock room and out a back door.

Kenzie (Julietta):

Well, when I had some issues with vandalism, as you know, I kind of got rid of most of it on the front facing side, but this doesn't come off.

Kenzie (GM):

And you see a visage of glowing paint along the brick on the back of the general store.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Jeez.

Kenzie (Julietta):

Yeah, I don't know what it means, but I've tried to wash it off and I can't scrub it enough for it to do any damage to it really.

Danielle:

Amoretta’s gonna pull out her journal and start sketching it down.

Kenzie (GM):

Some of the runes and the figures in this look familiar to what you've seen before. You also can notice that the brick where the paint is on is starting to like decay as if it's an organic substance.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean I wouldn't know how to fix that but you need to be careful about how those bricks are looking. I don't want your store collapsing in on your head.

Kenzie (Julietta):

I'm worried about the structural integrity of it as well but I can't get it off.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I mean I've seen stuff like this around town and I have an idea of what it is but I don't know, think I need to get some more eyes on this that know more about this than I do.

Kenzie (Julietta):

Okay, well, that's pretty much the only other strange thing I've noticed.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

You mind if I try and scrape a little bit off?

Kenzie (Julietta):

Be my guest.

Danielle:

Amoretta’s just get some cloth and then see if she can like, scrape a little bit off and like, be able to send that to the professor.

Kenzie (GM):

So when you do that, the pieces of the brick that have almost turned sponge-like come off, but then the paint is just on whatever is behind that. Like the paint doesn't come off, it almost like just replaces itself on whatever surface is still there.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Just make sure you don't close up alone anymore, okay?

Kenzie (Julietta):

Oh, well, I'll have to find somebody, but okay.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Okay, um... If you need, I can help you close up tonight, too.

Kenzie (Julietta):

I won't say no to the help.

Danielle:

Amoretta’s gonna wave goodbye to Julietta probably coming back in a few hours to actually help her close up shop and make sure she gets home safely. And then circle back around to the sewer entrance.

Kenzie (GM):

Your voice echoes down into the tunnel, but there is no response.

[ad break begins]

Kenzie:

Pardon the interruption but here’s another show we think you’d like.

Once upon a time in a county called, Sublime, there was a child lost in the woods. He was odd boy with a mind full of stories and possibilities. Tall tales and unending curiosities. Yet, despite the boy’s marvelous imagination, there was no one around with whom he could share his ideas, or at least, no one that would listen. So he was lost and alone, frightened in the wood. Until along came The Stranger who said he understood. He was the guardian of the Sublime, the keeper of children lost before their time. And it was his duty to watch over those who had wandered into his land, to keep the safe and help them thrive, with his guiding hand. And so he gifted the boy two things, quite peculiar: a roll and a machine - that both made him the ruler of all the stories and lives deep within the wood. Now all must listen to the boy just as they should.

Our Lives in the Wood is a horror actual play series exploring the tragic lives and stories of the citizens of Sublime county, orchestrated by on of The Stranger’s most devious of servants, The Writer. Witness the everyday lives of those lost within this terrible wood and glimpse the hope shining dimly in the dark.

Enjoy tightly edited episode with immersive sound design, and a rotating cast of guests playings a wide variety of indie TTRPGs. Brought to you by Tales Yet Told, wherever you get your podcasts.

Kenzie:

You can find the links to this show in the description box below.

[ad break ends]

Kenzie (GM):

Back in the sewers, at a crossroads, you have three choices, left, straight, or right.

April:

Jo glances down each one, her headlamp only illuminating a few feet in front of her.

April (Jo):

Meray?

Kenzie (GM):

Your voice echoes.

Atlas (JJ):

Well, we should go straight, because then if we have to turn around, we know which way we came out.

April (Jo):

Sure. Yeah, that's as good a choice as any.

Atlas:

JJ will pick up a rock and throw it down. She won't do all three this time, but she will just throw it.

Kenzie (GM):

It clatters the stone echoing through the tunnel.

Atlas (JJ):

There’s nothing in that exact spot.

April (Jo):

Perfect. Thank you.

Kenzie (GM):

You watch in the headlamp light the stone come to rest as you continue onward. As you continue to traverse, Jo, something catches your eye that is - the light from your headlamp bounces off of near the bottom of one of the walls that kind of slope up from the floor.

April:

I glance over at it and make my way over to it.

Kenzie (GM):

From far away, it just did not take the light the same way as the stone around it did. But as you get closer, you see that there is a piece of iron embedded in the stone. And it is a horizontal piece with two vertical pieces running through it. And it's probably about two inches by two inches and it is inserted into the stone.

April:

Like embedded or like slotted?

Kenzie (GM):

Like embedded.

April:

Jo squats down to this piece of metal in its odd shape. Everything around is pretty organic besides the circular shape of the tunnel. So this stands out quite a bit as being human made. She runs her fingertips over it. Maybe tries to pick at the edge to see if it's loose at all.

Kenzie (GM):

It does not come free. And unlike in the tunnel, passing your finger over it, pressing it, it doesn't click in. It doesn't open anything.

April (Jo):

Hey JJ.

Atlas (JJ):

Yeah?

April (Jo):

Come look at this. Not important, maybe, but I wanted you to see it.

Atlas (JJ):

I didn't bring my... I didn't bring anything to write it. I can't.

April (Jo):

I'll remember, but you remember too?

Atlas (JJ):

I will try.

April (Jo):

Alright.

Atlas:

JJ will, like, spend an extra minute, like -

April (Jo):

Okay, JJ, it's like three lines. I think we can- I'll- actually, I- it's fine. I just wanted you to see so that we had the same information. We can move on now. I'm sort of getting the creeps in here, so let's keep moving.

Atlas (JJ):

(Sighs) Yeah, this is real alligator weather.

Kenzie (GM):

That one extra minute you spent looking at this little iron symbol in the wall helps you out because as you continue to go, you find another one and another one. All along the base of the corridor, every hundred feet, when you reach another intersection, you can see that only one of the three paths have it.

Atlas (JJ):

I think we should follow it.

April (Jo):

JJ, of course we're going to follow it. Now scoot.

Atlas:

I think you like turn and see JJ giving like a shit eating grin.

April (Jo):

Good god.

Kenzie (GM):

These seem to be small signs that were made just for people who already knew they should be there.

Atlas:

Do the symbols... spark anything? Do they seem similar to any of the markings from the masks, any of the...

Kenzie (GM):

I would say that you have seen this symbol in cohort with other symbols but not by itself before. When Yarrow has been going through and like trying to figure out if there's like an equation here, it's been used like embedded in other symbols but it's never just been by itself on a page or on a wall.

So you pick these out and you follow for a bit until you hear a distant whirring sound. And a door opens up ahead in this tunnel out into the tunnel.

Danielle:

After the market and checking on the sewer area, Mama realizing she probably doesn't have a means of tracking them down there. So for now, she's just going to continue on the lead of checking Meray’s house and seeing what can be found there.

Kenzie (GM):

Rafi takes you back to their home and you have a look around and you find the same thing Jo found. That in Meray’s room, you open a chest on the ground and there are runes across the top of it.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

That’s not a great sign. I have a feeling I know who's involved. But that doesn't exactly make me know where she is at the moment. Just know who we're looking for now.

Danielle:

She’ll say she's kind of scribbling down this other rune as well. And just kind of looking at it and just wondering if she herself got involved because that's kind of the only logical explanation unless some Faceless were sneaking into people's homes and painting these runes, which is also kind of a horrifying implication that they have the ability to do that and get away with it, if that's the possibility that's going on here. So that's not exactly great news, seeing that.

Kenzie (GM):

As you're copying this rune down and you're kind of flipping through to all the other ones that you have copied so far, kind of flip back and you flip forward and flip back again. You didn't catch it right away. But there is one singular room that has been at the center of all of these things that you have copied. The image on the top of this chest, the image in the paint shop back room, the image on the back of the Underground Market. One specific rune that is the same and has the same placement in all of these, that kind of looks like it has a prominent central placement in all of these.

Danielle:

Amoretta’s gonna kind of tilt her head upon the realization and try and mentally separate that rune out and put it on a separate page just clearly in that position.

Kenzie (GM):

I think with the time that you've spent looking at these and spent with Yarrow, you can't be a hundred percent sure you got just that one rune, but you’re like, in the 90% sure that you have managed to isolate just that.

Danielle:

So she kind of sits there for a moment and she just stares at that one rune, that’s everywhere. And now she wonders where else she can find it because she has a feeling it started with just this and expanded out. So she can find where it just starts with that. Maybe she'll find the source of this. But it's definitely something she needs to consult with experts on this thing. Because they know what this rune actually means. Because this is part of, Weatherby’s Cypher. Arthur would for sure know what this means.

And now she really wants to go see Meray’s actual apartment, because that'll probably maybe they'll find more there, unfortunately.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I can take you there, if you could drive.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, of course.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Give me one moment.

Kenzie (GM):

And he kind of walks out of the room and into the kitchen and you can hear him conversing in a low tone to Marta. And then he comes around and they're like,

Kenzie (Rafi):

All right. yeah, I'm set.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Okay.

Kenzie (GM):

You go outside back into the pouring rain, hurry into the parked car, and Rafi directs you through The Bridge neighborhood to the opposite side of the Golden Mile. It's probably about a 20 minute drive from where they live, which means, hour or more walk if Meray was walking to their place and she doesn't have a car and the trolleys aren't running or they at least aren't reliable. That would be the way she would get there. So it's a long walk. If anything is to go by that piece of fabric you found, she made it almost right on her doorstep before whatever happened to her happened to her. Either coincidence or it was on purpose.

You pull up outside of the apartment building that Rafi points out. It's not much different than the one that they live in. Pretty nondescript, just another building on a street full of buildings. There seem to be more floors in this one though, maybe a couple more apartments as well.

Kenzie (Rafi):

This is so stupid of me to not think about I don't have a key.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Is there a place you guys usually place spare keys?

Kenzie (Rafi):

We don't have spares for our place. I don't know if she had one for hers.

Danielle:

Is there like a doormat or like a like outside decoration?

Kenzie (GM):

There is a mailbox, a doormat and a little lantern that is affixed to the side of the building.

Danielle:

I think she'll try and check the doormat first and then the lantern and then mailbox might be the hardest one to look through but it's worth looking through.

Kenzie (GM):

It’s just one of those small like you pull the top up and the mail is right there. Unfortunately you don't find a key in any of those places.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Maybe we can ring a bell and at least get inside the building.

Kenzie (GM):

You see that there is a little chain. It doesn’t specify a specific apartment, but it looks like there is a bell for the building.

Danielle:

Amoretta will ring the bell and she'll just say,

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I’ll let you speak because, I mean, I assume they might recognize you bit more if you came to visit.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I visited a couple times, yeah, okay.

Kenzie (GM):

You can hear the ringing of it inside the apartment. But no one comes and Rafi says,

Kenzie (Rafi):

Try one more time, try one more time.

Kenzie (GM):

After you pull it the second time, you do hear a door close inside the building. And then the front door opens and there is this like probably late thirties woman, who has her hair all up in curlers and she has on this floral sundress looking type clothing. And Rafi just immediately becomes so apologetic. They're like,

Kenzie (Rafi):

I’m so sorry. I was just looking for my daughter and we wanted to see if she was home and we couldn't get ahold of her. So I was hoping that somebody could at least let us inside and I could go see.

Kenzie (GM):

And the woman's like.

Kenzie (Neighbor):

Yes, please, come in, just come in.

Danielle:

Amoretta will help escort Rafi inside, who's probably flustered.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I’m so sorry, I'm so sorry.

Kenzie (Neighbor):

Just don't bother me again, okay?

Kenzie (GM):

And she shuts the door and she goes back into a door that's on the first floor here and slams it closed behind her.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Yeah, I was not familiar with her. But that's okay, we gotta go upstairs.

Kenzie (GM):

You climb up to the fourth floor in this apartment building and there are two doors up here and he goes to the one on the left side of the hall and knocks.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I-I-I know she's not gonna be here, but I just thought Maybe... I‘d try.

Kenzie (GM):

And there's no sound from inside the apartment at all. And then he jiggles the knob. And then he turns the knob and pushes the door in.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Oh.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Oh? That's weird.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I think so too.

Danielle:

Amoretta will cautiously step in, kinda hand tightly on the cane.

Kenzie (GM):

You come in, and it is a fairly small apartment. There's a common area with like a half kitchen in it. There is a door to a bedroom and an off the bedroom. There is a door to the bathroom. In the common area, one of the windows is open and rain is just roaring inside and there's like a puddle on the ground in front of the window and the wood of the floor is pretty soggy. Rafi kinda rushes over and shuts it.

Danielle:

Amoretta’s gonna pull out something to kind of dust the window pane with, cause someone had to open that window. She knows where Rafi shot it, so she's not going to try and bother touching there. And see, maybe sprinkle things on the floor and see what footsteps are left behind as well.

Kenzie (GM):

You don't find footprints, but you find the same residue you found in the alley. The residue of the burning crystals from the hoverboards. The tyutorite.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Someone came in a hoverboard, in here, through the window, grabbed her and then flew all the way down to the sewers? That’s a really long way to go so something tells me that maybe, unfortunately, part of it might have been willing. But I need to see if there's something similar to what I found before around here.

Danielle:

And Amoretta’s gonna very intentionally try and look for any signs of runes within the apartment.

Kenzie (GM):

It sticks out to you odd, because there is not. You rifle through drawers and notebooks and cupboards and closets. There is not a single rune on anything in here. There's not a single speck of that strange paint. The only thing tying the two scenes together is the fact that there was a hoverboard in here at some point.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Does your daughter have a hoverboard?

Kenzie (Rafi):

Sorry, no, no. They were always a little bit out of our price range.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Yeah, I was gonna say it's not exactly a cheap hobby. So, someone came with the hoverboard then. Dragged her all the way near to your house.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I still think that's a long way and like...cCan you carry that much weight on one of those things?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I'm not quite too sure. I don't know one of those things either. I'd have to ask somebody who knew a bit more about that stuff than myself.

Kenzie (Rafi):

They would have traveled like 20 minutes and no one noticed?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, I mean if no one's looking up...

Kenzie (Rafi):

I suppose.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Not quite sure, to be honest. I think maybe there might be more answers when we found that entryway. But we're definitely getting somewhere at least.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Is this how it always works? You just like keep racking up clues until it drives you crazy.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, you gotta be a little crazy to do this in the first place, I think.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I don't think I'm cut out for it.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

No, I don't blame you. If you want to go home, I'll take you home.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I want to help, but I don't know if I can... much anymore.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Well, you've done what you can, and you know, you can keep your eye out. If you think of anything at all, that could help too.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Do you think that there's another way down there?

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

It's entirely possible. It's gotta go somewhere, right. But maybe another way you could help out is making sure other folks, so many are disappearing lately that we all gotta stick together more.

Kenzie (Rafi):

I can do- I can go around the neighborhood and talk to people.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Make sure folks aren't walking home alone, things like that.

Kenzie (Rafi):

Well, I heard what you were talking to Julietta about. I can do that tonight so you don't have to.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

I think she'd appreciate that.

Kenzie (Rafi):

If you wouldn't mind taking me back home.

Danielle (Mama Amoretta):

Come on, let’s go.

Kenzie (GM):

You drive Rafi back home. He says goodbye and thanks you again and then they walk inside.

Atlas:

JJ will pull out her taser and like click her hand together so her brass knuckles and she won't take off her boot.

April:

Jo draws her sword.

Kenzie (GM):

As that reverberates, you hear,

Kenzie (Faceless):

Shit.

Kenzie (GM):

A whisper. And you see appearing around this doorway are two individuals with masks shoved up to sit on top of their head so they're not wearing them right away. And one of them looks around the door, you then hear that the whirring noise was the sound of hoverboards as it was getting closer to that door and they both jump on, slam the door and start down the tunnel away from you guys.

April:

I start running.

Atlas:

JJ will start running.

Kenzie (GM):

You guys are chasing after, you can hear your own footsteps echoing small splashes in the shallow water every now and again. At one point you hear a clicking and your headlamp lamp shows that one of them is starting to wobble as the hoverboard has lost power and falls to the ground and they kind of like tumble just fully drenched and scrabble back up to their feet and start running as well and now are lagging behind their partner in crime.

April:

I got long legs. I run even faster. I got a target now.

Atlas:

Can I try to throw a rock? At the one still in the air?

Kenzie (GM):

So you throw this rock, it hits them in the back of the back and they become frightened and in doing so they stumble even more and Jo, you catch up to them.

Atlas (JJ):

Sorry, I was aiming for the other- wait, I'm not sorry.

April:

Jo just like jumps on their back and like knees, pressing them into the ground and then grabs with one hand the back of their head and like pulls them up by their hair just so that their head is off the ground.

Kenzie (Faceless):

(grunts) What do you want?

April (Jo):

Do have a girl with you?

Kenzie (Faceless):

Not right now.

April (Jo):

Do you have one hidden somewhere in here? Her name is Meray.

Kenzie (Faceless):

There's a lot of people hidden here. I don't know all their names.

April:

Jo looks over her shoulder to make eye contact with JJ.

Atlas (JJ):

(Huffing)

April (Jo):

Well what's your name?

Kenzie (Faceless):

It’s not important.

Atlas (JJ):

How do we get into that door?

Kenzie (Faceless):

By opening it, I suppose.

Atlas (JJ):

It just opens, that seems like a shitty way to hide something.

Kenzie (Faceless):

With the fucking door handle! How else do you open a fucking door!?

April (Jo):

Hey! Hey! No need.

Atlas (JJ):

Excuse us for thinking that you might be a little bit more sophisticated? And have like a lock?

April (Jo):

JJ.

Atlas (JJ):

Sorry. Secret society! They should have a fucking lock!

Kenzie (Faceless):

Secret society? Huh, sure.

April (Jo):

Are you not with the Faceless?

Kenzie (Faceless):

No, no. Just... society gives it a sense of importance. I didn't realize it was deemed that way yet.

Atlas (JJ):

You're called the Faceless!

Kenzie (Faceless):

I was hoping for one day it would be. Happy to know it already is.

Atlas (JJ):

Oh, Jesus Christ, you have a uniform!

April (Jo):

And you're kidnapping children.

Kenzie (Faceless):

I haven't kidnapped anybody and as for the masks... Well, once you’re... once you really believe, you don't need to be anyone anymore.

April (Jo):

No?

April:

And then Jo holds her sword to his throat.

Kenzie (Faceless):

Ugh.

April (Jo):

Then perhaps you don't need to be anymore.

Kenzie (Faceless):

I'll just get a new face soon. Go ahead. Do your worst.

Atlas (JJ):

What?

Kenzie (Faceless):

Go ahead. Do your worst.

Atlas (JJ):

Wait, so are the- Who are you? Wait, Jo, well who are you? Who were you? Is that how all of you work? Are you all- Are you dead?

Kenzie (GM):

Grabs Jo's hand that is holding the sword and brings it to his chest. No, not stabbing himself, brings it to his chest and you can feel a heartbeat.

April (Jo):

Well, he’s not dead.

April:

And she yanks her hand out of his grasp.

Kenzie (GM):

And this sword just catches right under his chin and leaves a little trail of blood.

Atlas (JJ):

Is that your heart? Is that your face?

Kenzie (Faceless):

It is.

Atlas (JJ):

Was it always your face?

Kenzie (Faceless):

Yes. And the next face I get will always have been my face.

Atlas (JJ):

What the fuck does that mean?

Kenzie (Faceless):

It's impossible to explain to people who don't want to believe.

April (Jo):

Explain it to me like I do.

Kenzie (Faceless):

There are some things greater than an individual. You have to be willing to be no one. I was. And so my reward is to be reborn.

April (Jo):

Reborn into someone else's body.

Kenzie (Faceless):

You're thinking too scientifically.

April (Jo):

I'm a scientist.

Kenzie (Faceless):

Well, that's why I said... You don't need to explain to somebody who wants to believe.

Atlas (JJ):

If it was always your body, what happens to the person that was using it before you? Am I getting closer? You're talking in circles and then asking me to draw a square.

Kenzie (Faceless):

A person exists... always.

April (Jo):

Are they in there with you?

Atlas (JJ):

Or are you all one person? Like some weird mushroom.

Kenzie (Faceless):

Talking about it, scientifically then, matter cannot be created or destroyed. It just is. So I was, I am, and I will be.

Atlas (JJ):

I’m not a scientist, so if you don't want to talk science, fucking paint me a picture. What are you talking about?

Kenzie (Faceless):

You will never understand because you aren't a believer.

Atlas (JJ):

Make me believe.

Kenzie (Faceless):

You can't force someone to do something they don't want to do.

April (Jo):

No?

Kenzie (Faceless):

No.

April (Jo):

Take us to where these other people are.

Kenzie (Faceless):

See, I don't want to do that.

Kenzie (GM):

This time he twists and he grabs the sword around the blade and you see just crimson blood begin to drip onto the ground from where he's grasped it.

Kenzie (Faceless):

I think that you're close enough without me. Go ahead.

April (Jo):

Well fine, if we don't need you.

Kenzie (GM):

And what is left over is an undamaged faceless mask and the body of this person.

April:

I definitely take the mask and put it on.

April (Jo):

Well, he said there's a lot of people here. One of them might be Meray. I didn't see the other one carrying a body or a person. I think they're alone. JJ, what are you thinking?

Atlas:

JJ’s staring at the dead person because JJ is a little bit convinced that this is her sister and like they're all her sister and... is confused and a little bit just like...

Atlas (JJ):

I’m not thinking.

April (Jo):

JJ!

Atlas (JJ):

Jo.

April (Jo):

I need you to focus with me, alright?

Atlas (JJ):

Mm-hmm.

April (Jo):

Are you okay?

Atlas (JJ):

I’m fine.

April (Jo):

Truly sounds like you're not, but we don't really have time for you to not be, so can you just pull yourself together?

Atlas (JJ):

You are the one making a deal of this.

April (Jo):

You're the one that hasn't looked away from a dead body for... a solid two minutes. Anyway… I’m gonna go back to the door. Are you coming with me?

Atlas (JJ):

Mm-hmm. One second.

Atlas:

JJ’s gonna walk over and like kneel down and then just go through all of the pockets.

Kenzie (GM):

The only thing that you find in the pocket is a little control for the hoverboard that is dead on the ground.

Atlas:

I’ll take it. I'll take the hoverboard.

Atlas (JJ):

Let's go.

Atlas:

And JJ will try a smile to like, be like, okay, Jo, I am okay. And it is like grinding her teeth, eyes fully open just,

Atlas (JJ):

Let's go.

Kenzie (GM):

You go back to this door that is a fully metal door in the middle of this stone wall. You open it. You're looking at a room that's maybe, let's say, seven by ten. There are a couple lanterns with burning flame in them and two sets of bunk beds. But other than that, the room is empty. And there are no other doors or hatches or anything.

Atlas:

Can I go through the bunk beds?

Kenzie (GM):

You rifle through the sheets that are a little dank with the dampness of being within a sewer and you find no personal items at all. The only thing you do find are these small, this bag of small white tablets.

Atlas:

Can I pocket those without Jo seeing?

April:

Jo was stalking around the room and looking, running her hand along the walls looking for anything that could be a door or latch and when she doesn't find anything she lifts the mask up off of her face and rubs her face tiredly.

Kenzie (GM):

I think in that time of Jo searching, you can slip them into your pocket.

April (Jo):

(sighs) Fuck. I... There's nothing here. She's not... She's not here.

Atlas (JJ):

Let’s keep going. Let's keep going then we can - they were running from something I didn't they wouldn't have left a hostage there they might have been going back.

April (Jo):

They were running from us.

Atlas (JJ):

But they were probably going go in that direction anyway.

April (Jo):

We could keep going.

April:

Jo sinks down onto one of the bottom bunks.

April (Jo):

(Sighs) JJ, should we just... I feel like you should go back to Mama Amoretta.

Atlas (JJ):

Why? We haven't found her yet.

April (Jo):

There's only one mask. I can keep going and looking for her. You can go back and tell Mama what we know now.

Atlas (JJ):

No.

April (Jo):

Look, JJ, it's only going to get worse from here.

Atlas (JJ):

We haven't found her yet.

April (Jo):

And we might not.

Atlas (JJ):

But fuck, if we find her, I'm gonna be there. I'm gonna be there to see it -

April (Jo):

What happens when we actually get to kill more of these people, the Faceless. They just regenerate. They're impossible to kill. They take young girls without any thought or repercussion that nothing that we do really matters. So I'd rather you just be safe.

Atlas (JJ):

You told me that we didn't have time for a meltdown.

April (Jo):

This isn't a meltdown. I'm telling you to go and be safe and I will keep going.

Atlas (JJ):

I’m telling you to shove it up your ass. You don't get to walk into danger alone. Not anymore.

April (Jo):

Is something going on? There's something you're not telling me. I -

Atlas (JJ):

You're going on!

April (Jo):

Sure, but I know you and I know there's something that you're not telling me about this.

Atlas (JJ):

You can't tell Mama.

April (Jo):

Of course.

Atlas (JJ):

You can't tell Mama. When we robbed that art store, I saw my sister.

April (Jo):

You're... Which one?

Atlas (JJ):

April. She was wearing a mask and riding a - Well, she wasn't ri- Well, she was riding a hoverboard and then I threw my shoe at her and then she fell off the hoverboard. And then the mask broke and then she ran away and then she killed our witness. And I saw her kill our witness.

April (Jo):

You saw April.

Atlas (JJ):

And so I really don't care that you killed that guy, I do care that you killed that guy, I don't want us to just like kill anybody, but I'm kinda scared that that guy was my sister. And so I'm having a freakout, but we're not allowed to freak outs right now, which makes sense because there's a little girl that is missing. Well, she's not a little girl anymore, but-

April (Jo):

That's true. No freakouts. But, are you sure... Are you sure it was your sister?

Atlas (JJ):

As sure as she knew it was me.

April (Jo):

Inside. Not just a face.

Atlas (JJ):

She hated me. I'm positive it was her.

April (Jo):

Alright. I suppose you can't go back then.

Kenzie (GM):

JJ, you can move your feelings down to zero.

You exit the room, the door closes behind you, you pass the body that is bleeding out into the water on the ground, and you continue on.

Atlas:

Is the face still on it?

Kenzie (GM):

Yes, it still looks like the same individual that you killed. So as you keep going, five minutes, 10 minutes, 12 minutes, you hear the mechanical click before you see anything. And you feel the wire biting into your ankle. And there's a loud popping sound and your vision goes white as light blasts into this tunnel like a flare in your face. And then -

And I need you both to roll me defy disaster.

Atlas:

I’m gonna argue daring, because I got a 2 and a 3, so that takes my 5 to a 6.

April:

I got a five.

Kenzie (GM):

As these explosions go off across the ceiling and you can see rock beginning to tumble, JJ, you go to jump back, but the explosions have made this entire hall the whole thing unstable. So you see behind you as you jump back, it's starting to rain down from above you as well. And you're just getting smashed with rock.

Jo, you go to dodge out of the way, you're hit with a piece of rock, you kind of stumble forward across, stumble forward with the force of that. And then you feel a hand grab at the front of your shirt and shove you up into the side of the wall. Raised voice trying to shout above the sound of tumbling rock and debris.

Kenzie (Unknown Voice):

Joanna, I need you to go.

Kenzie (GM):

And then shoves you out of the rock and this individual jumps like through it and continues running down away from you guys and away from the direction from which you came.

Kenzie:

This series stars Kenzie Tartaglione as the Game Master, Atlas Matthews as JJ August, Danielle Halen as Mama Amoretta, and April Consolo as Joanna Gilmore, with Michelle Kelly performing our episode recaps. You can help us out by listening and sharing, rating and reviewing, or coming over to our Discord. Also, you can join our Patreon to get access to our episode talkbacks and more. Thank you for listening!