Luke's Birthday Surprise
Professor Hershel Layton sat in his quaint study, surrounded by stacks of books, intriguing artifacts, and crumpled pieces of notepaper. The only sounds that could be heard were the gentle ticking of his antique wall clock, and the muffled noise of the hectic London traffic below. Leaning back in his worn, comfy chair, he took a sip of his tea and glanced at his morning crossword puzzle, which was one word shy of completion.
"Hm, seven letters… the gift of today…" he pondered, playfully twiddling his pen.
A faint creak resonated through the room as his door was slowly opened. Glancing up, he saw Flora Reinhold standing in the doorway, her eyes bright with excitement.
"Professor…" she began, a hint of mischief in her voice, "you do know that Luke's birthday is tomorrow, right?"
The professor gave her a friendly smile. "Indeed, Flora. How could I forget? Our young apprentice has been subtly reminding us every chance he gets."
Flora giggled and bounced into the cluttered room. "Have you got him a present yet?"
Layton's eyes twinkled as he looked back at his crossword. "Present… the gift of today. Marvellous work, my girl," he smiled, scribbling down the answer that Flora had helped him with.
"Uh, hello? Earth to Professor?" the young girl teased, strolling closer.
Setting his newspaper down, Layton stood up and walked over to one of his dusty cabinets. "My apologies, Flora," he chuckled, "sometimes even the simplest puzzles can prove surprisingly distracting."
He opened the cabinet door and reached inside, pulling out a small, wooden box. It was decorated with intricate patterns. Flora was captivated immediately.
"Ooh, what is it?" she asked with genuine excitement.
"It's an antique puzzle box," Layton replied, handing it to Flora, "I came upon this during my recent excavation in Scotland. There's a trick to opening it, you see,"
Flora determinedly prodded and scraped at the edges and underside of the box, to no avail. With a frustrated grunt, she gave up. "I'll bet you've already got it figured out, huh?" she said, sarcastically.
The professor laughed warmly. "Whether or not I have, I think this puzzle would be a perfect gift for Luke, wouldn't you agree?"
"Absolutely!" Flora exclaimed, "Plus, I've got another great idea to make his day extra special!"
"Oh? Do tell," Layton replied, adjusting his hat.
"Well, I was thinking," Flora began, swaying a little, "Luke's on that school field trip all day today, right? Why don't we set up a surprise birthday party for him? I bet he'd love that!"
"A splendid idea," Layton mused, though his smile faltered slightly. "But, Flora, I must admit, I have never organised a party before. I fear I may not be up to the task."
"Don't worry, Professor!" Flora assured, "I'll help you! We can do this together. First things first, we'll need balloons, decorations… oh, and a cake, of course!"
Layton nodded, relieved. "Very well, Flora. With your expertise, we can't go wrong."
Half an hour later, the would-be party preppers arrived at a charming shopping centre. All manner of shops and conveniences stretched far and wide, all around a brick-paved central plaza. Stepping out of the Laytonmobile, Flora giggled with excitement.
"Okay, Professor!" she exclaimed, "If you go get some party decorations, I'll go to the bakery and see if I can order a special cake, just for Luke!"
Locking the car, Layton looked a little apprehensive. "Ah, Flora, hang on a moment. What sort of…"
But it was too late. The excitable girl was already skipping across the plaza towards the bakery. Layton sighed and began walking towards the sprawling row of shops. A particularly colourful storefront caught his eye, aptly named 'Party City'. The windows were filled with balloons of all sizes, along with streamers, ribbons and countless other party essentials. Straightening his jacket, he entered, accompanied by a pleasant tinkle from the bell above him.
He tipped his hat to the tired-looking teenage girl behind the register. She responded by popping the bubble of gum in her mouth.
"Good afternoon. I'm looking for party decorations," Layton said politely.
The jaded girl sighed loudly and gestured to the many rows of aisles that filled the shop.
"Ah, thank you," he said, accepting the fact that he wouldn't be getting any meaningful help from this employee.
It was oddly quiet in the shop and, despite his sharp intellect and keen observational skills, Layton quickly found himself out of his depth. He was soon stood before an aisle brimming with balloons, each one more vibrant and colourful than the last.
"Hmm," he murmured, stroking his chin in thought, "should I go with the traditional balloons or the more elaborately-shaped ones? Perhaps a mixture of both would be most appropriate… but then, would the resulting effect be a little overbearing?"
Picking up two packs of balloons, he continued to contemplate. "Ah, but the colours. Should they be coordinated? Luke's favourite colour is blue, after all… though a mix of colours may be more vibrant…"
After a while, Layton heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned to see Flora. She was holding a large box, looking at him with a perplexed expression.
"Um, Professor," she began, "are you okay? You've been in here for forty-five minutes now."
"Oh, Flora!" Layton replied, snapping out of his trance, "My apologies, I seem to have gotten myself entangled in quite a formidable puzzle."
Flora tilted her head, confused. "Uh… a puzzle, Professor?"
"Yes," he replied, gesturing to the array of inflatables. "The choice of balloons here is overwhelming, to say the least. I don't know which combination would be best for the party."
Flora suppressed a laugh. "Oh, Professor. They're just balloons. Any of them will be fine, really. Luke will be happy with whatever we choose."
Layton raised an eyebrow. "So… you're essentially saying that there is no incorrect solution to this problem?"
Flora rolled her eyes with a playful smirk. She passed him the box and quickly grabbed a handful of balloon packs without even looking at them. She took them to the counter, snatching some streamers and ribbons on the way. Layton smiled in admiration, and followed swiftly after her. As they walked back to the Laytonmobile, the professor looked down at the box in his hands.
"I assume this is the cake you were talking about, Flora?" he said, lifting the lid. Inside was a delicious-looking sponge cake, decorated with blue and white frosting. Written on the top with icing were the words 'Happy Birthday Luke'. He smiled warmly. "How lovely. I'm sure he will be delighted with this."
Flora turned to the professor and smiled, but then something crossed her mind.
"Oh, Professor! I didn't think about where the party should be held! I got so carried away, I never thought. Your house is a bit too small… um, I mean, cosy for a party."
Layton chuckled. "Not to worry, Flora. In fact, I think I have a perfect place in mind."
The very next morning, the nine o'clock bus pulled up outside of Gressenheller University. Among the students and pensioners stepping off onto the pavement was Luke, fully charged with birthday energy. With a huge smile, he bolted through the doors and ran up the stairs. He skidded to a halt outside of a door all too familiar to him, marked with the symbol of a top hat. Despite his eagerness, he still made sure to knock politely.
"Professor? It's Luke! Are you in?" he said, but there was no response. His smile faded a bit as he pushed the door open.
To his surprise, his mentor was nowhere to be seen. His eyes lit up, however, when he saw a blue balloon tied to the professor's chair, swaying in the air in an almost enchanting way. He approached the chair tentatively, and saw an envelope resting on the seat. Luke's name was written on it.
"Just what is going on here?" the young boy said, a slight smile appearing on his face. He opened the envelope and inside was a simple message:
A surprise to be found,
But first you must explore,
A place where music and sound
Are played for those who adore.
Luke beamed. "Ah, a puzzle is it then, Professor? I couldn't think of anything better!"
Setting the envelope back down, he scanned the room. "Let's see… where music and sound are played. Hm, that can only be…"
His eyes landed on the professor's antique gramophone, it's shiny brass trim glinting in the morning sunlight. He approached it with confidence and reached inside the large sound horn. His fingers brushed against something and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Aha!" he exclaimed, pulling out another envelope. He opened it with excitement, and he immediately started reading the message inside:
The next clue lies high and hidden,
In a place not far away,
Where numbers and times are written,
To help people travel every day.
"To help people travel?" Luke repeated, stroking his chin. "Let's see… people who need help travelling around London normally just use… oh!" he exclaimed, running excitedly out of Layton's office. "Of course! The bus stop!"
He sprinted downstairs and back out through the doors of the university. Not slowing down, he made his way to the bus shelter just outside the gates. He examined the large sign, where all the bus times and prices were displayed. He initially couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but then he remembered the clue.
"Hm… 'high' and hidden…?" he whispered.
He looked upwards. There, taped the ceiling of the bus shelter, was another envelope. Luke grinned widely and hopped onto the bench to grab it. He opened it, and inside was a five-pound note and another mysterious message:
If you use this gift,
In full with no change,
You can get a lift
To a town most strange.
"Okay, so I have to use this money… and all of it, too," Luke mused. He looked at the five-pound note, and then up at the bus schedule. Prices were listed next to each stop. Luke's eyes scanned the timetable intensely. Suddenly, he spotted it- the only stop which cost exactly five pounds to travel to.
"St. Mystere…" Luke whispered, his eyes twinkling with excitement, "No way!"
Incredibly, the bus to St. Mystere was set to arrive at that very stop in just five minutes. Luke smiled knowingly. "You knew I'd solve those puzzles in time to catch the bus, didn't you Professor?" he said to himself.
Sure enough, after a short wait, the bus came trundling around the corner, and Luke hopped on with gusto. The driver looked oddly familiar, but Luke couldn't quite place him. He was short, round, and his mop of brown hair obscured his eyes.
"Keh, heh! It's been a while, eh boy?" the little man chortled, twiddling his moustache.
"Um… do I know you, sir?" Luke replied hesitantly.
The man grumbled. "Hmph! Shoulda known! Kids like you don't remember kindly old folk like me. Casting aside your dear friend Stachenscarfen like an old boot…"
"Um, I'm sorry, but I'm in a bit of a hurry," Luke said, waving the five-pound note. "Please can I have a one-way ticket to St. Mystere?"
Stachenscarfen took the money and grinned. "Sure," he said, handing him the ticket.
Luke smiled and skipped to the back of the empty bus. Luke gazed out of the window as it trundled through the city. Soon, the buildings and road signs of London faded away into lush green fields and beautiful country roads. After a short while, Luke could see the quirky rooftops of the whimsical village, just above the treetops. The bus came to a halt, and Luke excitedly ran to the front.
"Thank you very much!" he exclaimed as the doors hissed open.
"Don't mention it, kid," Stachenscarfen replied with a grin, "Oh and, by the way… happy birthday, kiddo."
Luke's smile grew even bigger as he leapt from the bus onto the cobbled path. He strolled down it, taking in the beautiful views around him. Soon enough, he was approaching the entrance of the village, its large drawbridge already lowered in a welcoming way. Luke's eyes widened with excitement as he saw the colourful tips of balloons swaying just beyond the entryway. He took a deep breath and crossed the bridge. As he turned the corner, he was met with a wonderful surprise.
"Happy birthday, Luke!" came all the voices of his dear friends, from home and St. Mystere alike. They were all stood in a large group, clapping and cheering for the young apprentice. Luke's face turned red and he didn't know where to look first. Several large tables had been decorated with colourful ribbons and laid with sweets, cakes and other delightful treats. Balloons of every size, colour and shape danced around in the warm, summer breeze. At the centre of the group, he saw the professor and Flora, beaming at him.
"Oh, wow! This is… I don't know what to say, everybody! This is amazing!" he stammered, his voice full of wonder and surprise.
"Well, my boy," Layton said, as he stepped forward with a smile, "after a long time deliberating, and a lot of help from a certified professional…" he glanced backwards at Flora, who smiled knowingly. "We decided that we should have a very special party for the world's best apprentice. With a few crafty puzzles thrown in, of course!"
Luke jumped towards his beloved mentor, hugging him warmly. "Thank you, Professor!" he exclaimed, "I couldn't have asked for a better surprise!"
The afternoon was filled with laughter, party games and, of course, many fun and entertaining puzzles devised by the professor. Everyone reminisced fondly about their time in the curious village, and Luke spent almost an hour trying to crack the mysterious box that the professor had gifted him. Little did he know that their next adventure would revolve around another, more sinister box…