FLOORBOARD
You’re continuing your perusal of McDermott House, when you pause, your foot not quite touching the floor below it. There is… something here. There’s a sense of ownership, but hushed. Someone has hidden something. Curious, you gently pry at the floorboard and discover a hidden compartment! You reach down and recover a couple of items from the darkness: a journal and a small tin case.
As you run your fingers along the spine of the journal, a familiar jangle of emotions trembles up your arm. You aren’t surprised when a disapproving cough comes from over your shoulder. You look up to see a young man standing next to the hidden floorboard compartment.
“What do you think you’re doing?” asks the spirit in a purposefully deepened voice.
“I meant no harm. You must be the young Mr. Virgil, Elsie’s brother.”
“Stepbrother! I’m Elsie’s stepbrother. What are you doing with my journal?”
“I wanted to ask you about some things.”
“Ah, so you think you’re going to solve our murders?”
“If I tell you the truth, do you promise to help me? I saw what Charles – my stepfather – is doing with that candle. He’s planning on getting revenge on whoever killed Elsie! I didn’t do it, but I’m worried he thinks it was me! If I tell you what I remember, do you promise not to let him?”
“I will do everything in my power to right all the wrongs here.”
“Okay… I was bored that day. I went for a walk in the neighborhood, and maybe I did something bad. Not awfully bad, I promise! Just some mischief. I knew I might get in trouble, so I ran home. My mom was leaving on some errand with that awkward Mr. Emmett and Aunt Jane. I hopped in to get away from the house, but the car broke down just a ways down the road! That’s when that strange fellow, Otto, happened to drive by, almost like he knew what would happen. It had started to storm, so he gave us a ride back. I don’t know why, but mom invited him in. That’s… all I can remember, promise.”
“Ugh. Mom and I were, until Charles came into the picture. Then it was nothing but “family dinners” this, “play with your new sister” that. And Elsie would never leave me alone! She always came barging into my room, wanting me to stop whatever I was doing and play with her and her toys. She never got that I was too old to play kid games with her. Jane acts normal sometimes, but then sometimes I hear her in her room just crying over nothing. All that, and then this, and being stuck with them forever? How would you like it?”
“Oh, please. You sound just like the school administrators. You old folks always act like you were never kids, like you were all stodgy and laced up from the time you were born. So I wouldn’t let those boys say those things to me without teaching them a lesson. So I wasn’t afraid to show a teacher they weren’t perfect. They had the nerve to blame my real dad for my “temper”, then tried to say I was the one acting inappropriately?”
As you run your fingers along the spine of the journal, a familiar jangle of emotions trembles up your arm. You aren’t surprised when a disapproving cough comes from over your shoulder. You look up to see a young man standing next to the hidden floorboard compartment.
“What do you think you’re doing?” asks the spirit in a purposefully deepened voice.
“I meant no harm. You must be the young Mr. Virgil, Elsie’s brother.”
“Stepbrother! I’m Elsie’s stepbrother. What are you doing with my journal?”
“I wanted to ask you about some things.”
“Ah, so you think you’re going to solve our murders?”
“I meant no harm. You must be the young Mr. Virgil, Elsie’s brother.”
“Stepbrother! I’m Elsie’s stepbrother. What are you doing with my journal?”
“I wanted to ask you about some things.”
“Ah, so you think you’re going to solve our murders?”
“If I tell you the truth, do you promise to help me? I saw what Charles – my stepfather – is doing with that candle. He’s planning on getting revenge on whoever killed Elsie! I didn’t do it, but I’m worried he thinks it was me! If I tell you what I remember, do you promise not to let him?”
“I will do everything in my power to right all the wrongs here.”
“Okay… I was bored that day. I went for a walk in the neighborhood, and maybe I did something bad. Not awfully bad, I promise! Just some mischief. I knew I might get in trouble, so I ran home. My mom was leaving on some errand with that awkward Mr. Emmett and Aunt Jane. I hopped in to get away from the house, but the car broke down just a ways down the road! That’s when that strange fellow, Otto, happened to drive by, almost like he knew what would happen. It had started to storm, so he gave us a ride back. I don’t know why, but mom invited him in. That’s… all I can remember, promise.”
“I will do everything in my power to right all the wrongs here.”
“Okay… I was bored that day. I went for a walk in the neighborhood, and maybe I did something bad. Not awfully bad, I promise! Just some mischief. I knew I might get in trouble, so I ran home. My mom was leaving on some errand with that awkward Mr. Emmett and Aunt Jane. I hopped in to get away from the house, but the car broke down just a ways down the road! That’s when that strange fellow, Otto, happened to drive by, almost like he knew what would happen. It had started to storm, so he gave us a ride back. I don’t know why, but mom invited him in. That’s… all I can remember, promise.”
“Ugh. Mom and I were, until Charles came into the picture. Then it was nothing but “family dinners” this, “play with your new sister” that. And Elsie would never leave me alone! She always came barging into my room, wanting me to stop whatever I was doing and play with her and her toys. She never got that I was too old to play kid games with her. Jane acts normal sometimes, but then sometimes I hear her in her room just crying over nothing. All that, and then this, and being stuck with them forever? How would you like it?”
“Oh, please. You sound just like the school administrators. You old folks always act like you were never kids, like you were all stodgy and laced up from the time you were born. So I wouldn’t let those boys say those things to me without teaching them a lesson. So I wasn’t afraid to show a teacher they weren’t perfect. They had the nerve to blame my real dad for my “temper”, then tried to say I was the one acting inappropriately?”