Pearl Raccoon 2

> It's Joanne's voice. "Is that you Pearl? Come out to the backyard!" she says.

You open your eyes and look out the window. Joanne stands by the door, holding
 a shotgun. She seems very nervous.
"Come on, let's go!", she shouts.
You stand up and walk towards Joanne.
"Let's go, we have to talk".

> You walk with Joanne. "Why do you have a gun?" you ask. "Something funny is going on, Pearl. As soon as I hung up the phone, I got a strange letter. I think someone doesn't want you to find Byron," she says. You frown with concern. "Come on, I need to show you something," Joanne continues. You follow her and she points to an object.

It is a small black box. Inside is a small key.
"This is what's in the box"., Joanne explains.
Inside the box is a large set of keys. There are several different colors and
 patterns. Some are shaped like hearts, others are circles, some are squares,
 and some are even more complex shapes. Each key has a number on them.

> You ask, "Where did you find this?" Joanne replies, "I was researching the bandits that were in town when Byron vanished. There's not much known about them, but this box has their symbol on it." You ask, "What are the keys for?" She shrugs.

"I don't know. Maybe they'll unlock anything".

> You ask, "Can I keep these?" She replies, "Of course. You have more right to them than I do." Joanne shifts her eyes uneasily. "Be careful, Pearl. I have a feeling we're onto something we might not be able to handle," he says.

You smile and nod. "Alright then", you reply.
She walks into the kitchen and returns with a pot of coffee. She pours some into
 a mug and hands it to you.
"Here, drink this while you talk to me".
You take the mug and sip the hot beverage.
"So... what does this mean?

> "I don't know. But I don't think we're safe," she says. You think this over a moment and say, "Joanne, as far as anyone knows, you're the only one looking for Byron. They don't know I'm involved, at least I don't think so. They won't come after me yet."

"That's good. That means they can't hurt you".
"Yes, but they can still kill you if they feel like it. And I don't mean just
 Byron. I mean everyone else who's been looking for Byron. If they decide to
 make an example of you, then they can do whatever they want".

> You say, "Why don't you come back with me to my house? You'll be safer there." She agrees.

"Okay, I guess we can do that"., she says.
She smiles and hugs you tightly. She tells you to stay close to her and kisses
 you on the cheek. Then she turns around and heads back into the house.
You sit down on the couch and wait patiently for Joanne to return. Eventually
 she comes back with a suitcase.

> "Just a few essentials," she says. You both return to your home in a carriage. Your butler Cecil waits for you at the front door. He wrings his paws together nervously. "Are you alright, ma'am?" he asks as you step inside.

(save file lost?? starting over…)

- You are Pearl the raccoon, the flirty, gray-colored noblewoman. Years ago, your husband Byron disappeared without a trace. You recently learn that he was captured by bandits, and last night you had a strange dream where you found yourself in the Dreaming Forest, where you met a wolfess who told you that Byron was still alive. You read a strange book that you didn't understand. Your companions are Joanne, a raccoon like you and your closest friend, and your loyal butler Cecil, a badger. They're both helping you search for more clues.

- You arrive back home with Joanne, carrying a small box filled strange keys covered with symbols. Cecil waits for you at the front door. He wrings his paws together nervously. "Are you alright, ma'am?" he asks as you step inside.

"I'm fine," you say. "We just need to find Byron".

Cecil nods and heads into the house while Joanne follows behind you. You open
 the door to reveal a large living room with a fireplace, a table full of books,
 a large coffee maker, and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

> Cecil leaves to brew some tea. You and Joanne sit in front of the fireplace and open the box to examine the keys.

The first key is a silver key, the second is a gold key, and the third is a black
 one with a red stone on it. The red stone looks very familiar to you. It's the
 same color as the ruby that Byron gave you before he vanished.

> You show the key to Joanne.

Joanne takes the key and looks at it carefully. She frowns and then looks at
 you. Her eyes widen when she sees the key. "What... what is this? This isn't
 anything we have here!"

> "It's the same kind of stone as the necklace Byron gave me," you say. Joanne responds, "Do you suppose that means they both have something to do with the bandits? This is supposed to be their box."

You nod. "Yes, I think so". Joanne sighs and puts her head down on her hands.  "I don't know what to make of all this. We should find out who these bandits are and where they are." You nod and agree.

> Cecil arrives with the tea tray.

Cecil comes walking into the kitchen with a tray of tea. "Here you go". he says.
 "This will help calm you".

> You take a sip of the tea. It's warm and soothing. You return to the task at hand and look more closely at the symbol on the box's lid.

The lid has a single word written in a script font:  "DREAMS".
A dream? A nightmare? Something else entirely? You can't tell. All you know is
 that it's important. What is the meaning of the words on the lid? Are they part
 of the message or just there to confuse you?

> You take a closer look at the symbol above those words, remembering that Joanne told you that it represented the bandits' clan.

As you turn the lid over, you see a simple symbol carved into the metal. It's
 not very complex, but its simplicity makes it seem even less mysterious. It's
 an eye staring right at you. You stare back at it, wondering if it's angry.
 Is it sad? Happy? Angry? Or something else entirely?

> "I wish I knew where else to look. If we could just find out more about them..." you wonder aloud.

You close the lid and put it away. "We'll keep looking".

> "At least I have you two to help me," you say.