Puzzle 009

[tapshoetomove]

[Ever since the whole zombie incident, Luke's been a lot quieter then normal for the past couple of weeks. Anyone who enters Luke's room will see why: a journal, along with a mess of notes are scattered across the desk in his room. The journal seems to detail Luke's stay in Mayfield, and the notes are all information he's collected on Mayfield and

Comments

726 Anderson Lane

[strike_you_out]

[Knives, bucket, multiple large squash. Slugger ponders each of these items briefly from the top of the porch before turning to Luke.]

What are you doing?

[tapshoetomove]

[Luke tears his attention away from the pumpkin to look up at Slugger.]

Oh, hi Slugger! I was just about to do a little pumpkin carving.

[strike_you_out]

[Taking a couple steps down, he stops to examine the marker in Luke's hand then picks up a knife.]

Wouldn't this work better?

[tapshoetomove]

It would, but I'm trying to decide what to carve on it first. Hm, maybe a cat...?

[Luke glances over at the other pumpkins sitting out.]

You can have one for yourself, if you want.

[strike_you_out]

[He takes a seat on the porch after selecting a pumpkin and a knife. Having no prior pumpkin-carving experience, the first thing he does is plunge the blade into the pumpkin after a moment's hesitation, then pull it free and repeat. The actual "carving" part seems to have gone over his head as he tries to find a good starting point. It doesn't help when the pumpkin escapes his grasp with a heavy thump onto the porch.]

[tapshoetomove]

[Oh mai.]

A-ah, wait! You're supposed to remove the insides first before you start carving!

[strike_you_out]

[The pumpkin is caught just before it can roll off the porch. Once it's secure, Slugger pauses to stare at Luke.]

...Insides? How do I do that?

[tapshoetomove]

You've got to cut a circle at the top, to make a lid.

[To make a point, he traces a small circle with his marker at the top of the pumpkin.]

Once you remove the lid, you can take out the insides.

[strike_you_out]

[With a dutiful nod, Slugger sets to work. He starts by jabbing his knife into the pumpkin, roughly where Luke had drawn the line, then saws and saws until the "cap" comes off.

What's inside is a strange-smelling mess of seeds and stringy, orange slime. Hesitant, he rolls up his sleeve, reaches in and squishes his hand around inside. Eventually, he rips out a clump and examines it.]

...Gross.

[tapshoetomove]

[Luke nods.]

It is pretty gross, huh? I think we ought to save the seeds.

[strike_you_out]

[The handful of pumpkin innards is dropped into the bucket.]

why?

[tapshoetomove]

We can cook and eat them, that's why!

[strike_you_out]

[He pauses to stare uncertainly at Luke, another handful of pumpkin slime dropping into the bucket. ...Cook them?]

You can have mine.

[tapshoetomove]

[Luke raises an eyebrow.]

Have you even tried roasted pumpkin seeds before?

[strike_you_out]

[Head-shake.]

What do they taste like?

[tapshoetomove]

They're kind of salty, and chewy too.