Gloomville Diaries - Gen 1 - Ch 11: The Ravens and a proposal

Ochana had met a few neighbours by now, but not all. And it was still very unclear to her what the secret Mission wanted her to do. Going back to Flock Hideaway might be the only wise thing to do!

Chad got up early to prepare some decent breakfast. They had cake for breakfast several days, and he could not allow it to go on.

Edith and Miranda loved dad's breakfast so much that they were late for school. Ochana didn't like the new breakfast idea so much, but she could eat whatever she wanted a soon as she was alone.

Kitchen sink was broken, so she couldn't even clean up anything. So, she exercised a little, then she did some gardening.

She got the crazy idea to fertilize the best potato plant with some wild rose seeds, and so she did! Ahem, well, these potatoes will be great!

She had better plans for the day though. She wanted to travel to Muggerdale hood, and there she would try to access Flock Hideaway again! She packed some food in case she would stay for many hours.

She knew she was not supposed to visit Flock Hideaway until she could bring her main heir. But somehow she thought the Secret Office was located there. What if Aileen Gleeson simply had forgotten to inform Ochana about the office? Aileen was dead by now, so Ochana could not ask her, that should justify her visit to Flock Hideaway!

It was easy to find the old tree, next to the Ravens' house, just like Aileen had described it. If Chad or the girls would ask where Ochana had been, she would tell them she was out digging up stuff to sell. So, she dug up a something just to bring back evidence.

Then, the old tree... Now, what had Aileen done to open it? Ochana viewed the special tree for a while, but nothing happened and in fact it just looked like an old tree. Could it not be opened? Did it never happen? The more Ochana thought of it, the more ridiculous it seemed...

Eventually she had to give up. Nothing happened! Instead she decided to have a talk with the Ravens. Maybe they could help, somehow?

Elderly Elvira and Tomas Raven were both at home, and so was their adult son, Ollie Raven.

- I won't stay long, Ochana started. - I'm pretty new in Gloomville, and someone told me that you might have a story or two to share from Muggerdale.

- Someone told you? Tomas Raven said. - I'll tell you a story, but first you must tell us who's that common friend of ours?

- Tomas...  His wife Elvira sent him a look saying - Not now, dear...

- Well, it wasn't really a friend...    Ochana didn't want to tell them about Aileen. First she wanted to ask a few questions. - I just wonder if you ever knew Flock? she asked.

- Oh, said Elvira and put down her glass. - No, no, no. We never knew Flock!
- I can tell you a story, Tomas said. - ehem..., but maybe not now.

- Don't talk about Flock, Elvira said. - Unless you want enemies, don't talk about Flock!
- We don't have any enemies, dear! said Tomas Raven and laughed.
- I think we are too busy for guests right now, said Elvira.

And Ochana knew it meant that she should leave. How could the Flock name be such a problem? It was obvious that old Elvira Raven knew something, but what?

When Ochana got back home, Edith and Miranda had been looking for her. Then Ochana put down two identical capsules.
- Now girls, you can open one each!

- Ah, thanks mom! said Miranda when she unpacked a green frog doll.
- Well, uhm, thanks! said Edith when she found a doll with sunglasses.

The girls put the dolls on a shelf in their room. Then they returned to Ochana and took a photo with Miranda's cellphone.
- Maybe I should put on something else, Ochana suggested.
- We're not taking your picture, mom!
- Oh...

Then Chad returned from work with a promotion. Miranda greeted him.

Chad's promotion was extremely welcome, because they will ned lots of money to equip the house. They got about §6.000, but Ochana wanted to suggest a wedding, and she knew it would not be cheap. And she wanted a dining room and another child, and then they would need to consider moving the beds upstairs.

- These rooms are nice, Ochana! said Chad. They had inspected most of the rooms.
- Yes they are, said Ochana. - And it's a pity we don't use them. If we only sleep up here we won't even need to buy lamps!

They walked into the hobby room, the long room with lots of windows. A perfect gardener's paradise, or a painter's atelier, or...

Then Ochana proposed marriage to Chad! It wasn't really planned, because she could have picked a place they had actually been to before. But it just happened, and Chad accepted!

- Oh, Ochana, we do match so well!

Then Chad froze. - Hey, dear, I see another door that we didn't check yet?
Ochana turned and noticed the door. She could not recall any door here in the hobby room!
- I better check, maybe it's just a small storage room.

When she opened the door she saw a narrow staircase leading up. - Oh...
- You said the house had only two floors, didn't you?
- Yes I did, Chad. I never was up here during the Sims by Numbers Show. In fact, I think the door might have been blocked.

She could feel the much cooler air as she walked up the stairs.

And what was that? Did she hear something move up there?