<???'s POV>
Ugh, my head... Everything seems so distant and foggy... Where am I... WHO am I? Why can't I remember anything? ...And that piercing headache isn't going away... Dammit! I need to figure out what's going on...! I opened my eyes, and found myself in a hallway like a maze. The brick walls seem well worn, and there are cracks visible in some places. The shaggy green carpet is torn in some places, revealing the bare, wooden floor underneath. I noticed a fireplace, which was the only source of warmth in this desolate room. To the right of the fireplace, a basket of tomatoes and a basket of cucumbers leaned against the wall. They look ripe and fresh. They must have been brought here recently, hmm... I looked to the left, and noticed an empty trash bin and a crateful of potatoes. There was no visible sprouting yet, so they must've been harvested recently. Turning around, I noticed a cracked sink filled with some murky liquid I couldn't identify. It's rather disgusting... To the left of the sink, I spotted an empty plate. Oddly enough, it's very clean. I then spied two empty bottles of wine. Chateau Belmonté, the brand sounds vaguely familiar. I headed into a room across from the one I was in. Almost immediately, I saw a grilled fish on a nightstand. It brings back bad memories for some reason... On a table next to the nightstand, I saw a messy pile of trinkets. Nothing in particular caught my eye, though. Nearby, I saw some chain link necklaces and jewelry. Who could they have been for? I noticed a wall mounted clock. The ticks were rapid, something wasn't right... The back panel was locked, and a keyhole was visible. Next to the clock, I spotted a landscape portrait of a lakeside. It looks familiar for some reason... Turning around, I saw a large table. On the left most part of it, I noticed a box full of unmarked bottles with a variety of colored liquid in them. I decided to ignore them for now, since I don't know what's in them. I then spotted a bundle of colorful fabric. I turned away from it for the time being, as I have no need for cloth right now. At the end of the table, I spotted an ornate lamp. Wait, what's that rope-like thing behind the table? I decided to check, and noticed a laptop power cord just dangling there. I picked it up. I walked into the next room, and saw a cabinet. The door was either locked or stuck, and it won't budge. There is an ornate keyhole visible. Next to the cabinet, there was a bookshelf filled with trinkets and books. I noticed one book with an obvious marking on it. "The Riddler" A bookmark led me to a page with a single riddle circled in red. Oh, a note is scribbled on the page. "I know how you like to forget your own password. The riddle is a hint." I read the riddle. "Tall I am young, short when I am old. While with life I glow; But wind is my foe. What am I?" I pondered that for a moment, and figured out that the answer is a candle. I then walked over to the laptop, plugged it in, and turned it on. Moments later, a login screen appeared.
<<PowerOS Login>>
User: family-PC
Pass: __________
I entered candle into the password box, and got signed in. Immediately, a file appeared named happyfamily.txt. I opened the file, and read the document. "A happy family had boys and girls. All the boys had an equal number of brothers as they had sisters. All the girls had twice as many brothers as they had sisters... HOW mAny chiLdreñ wErĒ $LÄÛGHTERËD ÏÑ ÃLL?!?!¿¿ HahAHAhahaæha ♀ ♂ SAY çheese för the ¢ÃMERÁ!!!!!" After I recovered from the shock, I figured out that the answer is 7.
My attention turned to a door with a combination lock down the hall. I entered 7, and to my surprise, I heard a latch click open. The door was unlocked! It appeared to be some sort of closet, and I spotted an old fashioned key laying on the closet floor. I immediately picked the key up, knowing that it would be used for something. I entered a room on the opposite side, and my attention was immediately drawn to a creepy looking branch on a nightstand. I decided to take it, since you never know when you might need something like that. I saw a pair of white doors, which as could be expected, were locked. I suddenly saw a skull placed atop a wooden desk. How morbid... There's a faint carving on the desk: "sinful sloth" On the other side of the room, I spotted a potted plant, with a sturdy straight stem. Wait, letters seem to be carved on the stem: "D.D." Someone's initials? Back in the hall, I saw a totally destroyed door. I tried to peer in through the gaps but it was pitch black inside. I spotted a gigantic crack in the wall next to the door, what could have created it? I then thought about something. Maybe that antique key opens the keyhole to the clock's back panel? I tried it out, and sure enough, it unlocked the panel. I remembered how the clock was ticking so much faster than normal, and I adjusted it until it began to tick properly. I went back to the white doors, and they suddenly swung open. Inside was... A dead body?! Oh my god... What have I gotten myself into?! A note laid next to the corpse. It read: "Fetch for that which you seek, in the gutter of gluttony." I assumed that the cracked sink was the gutter of gluttony. I'd rather not reach into it with my bare hands. Maybe I can use the branch to make a makeshift net, but I'll need more materials. I grabbed a necklace and some fabric, tying them to the branch. Here goes nothing... I think I snagged something! I pulled out an ornate key. I then tossed the net into the trash bin. I went over to the cabinet, and used the ornate key to unlock it. I found an SD card and a normal looking key. I of course pocketed them. I inserted the SD card into the PC, and found a file named diary.txt. I opened the file, and read it.
