May 12, 2006 (afternoon)

If I die, it's because I accidently poisoned myself. I was hungry. I was not thinking. So I ate part of an apple which was laying out on a counter. It was only after I had devoured it that I realized that I had eaten a piece of fruit which has been sitting out on a counter since who knows when. Not that anyone is going to go poking around Ravenhearst Manor looking for me, but if they do, you now know how I met my end. On a different note, I have been granted access to the entry hall, kitchen, music room, pantry, and the widows walk. The music room remained unchanged, though now it seems that more journal scraps have magically sprouted in new crevices. And then there's that skull…still staring at me…The entry hall, aside from new pieces to hunt for, has undergone no noticeable change, and the kitchen is as I left it last. The pantry was interesting enough I suppose, but no more so than any other cluttered and dilapidated chamber I've come across. Also, cockroaches. So. Many. Roaches. However, it seems that that problem will soon be eradicated due to the small colony of bats (four or five if I am not incorrect) which have taken residence in the pantry. I gathered what I came to search for and left without hesitation. The widows walk was a welcome change, a chance to get out into fresh air. It's really a stone walkway some thirty feet from the ground, crowded with all sorts of flotsam and jetsam and several foreboding gargoyles, carved with fangs, clawed bat-like wings, and mocking sneers. Despite this, the view of the grounds was lovely! I could see for miles it seemed, and the clouds had dispersed enough to make out a few scant rays of light permeating the gloom in the distance. Interestingly enough, this leg of my journey had no locks, and I say thank goodness for that. Having enough information to recover another glimpse into Emma's life, I pieced together the following (quite literally): May 23, 1895- Emma receives a letter from her mother in Iowa concerning her father. It is disclosed that he has fallen quite ill and the Emma must return home as soon as possible. She will make arrangements with the head mistress for her departure. Her distress threatens to overwhelm her, but she keeps the darkness at bay. Her greatest disappointment is bidding farewell to Charles for a while, if not for good, but, obviously, family takes presidency to all other relations. My insatiable desire to discover the rest of this conundrum drives me to set out again on my quest.