254. On the Trail
Amy decides to read the notebook. Maybe this will contain some clue as to what’s happened to Shannon! Amy leafs through the book. It mostly seems to be a log of various experiments, with Doctor Carluzzo’s personal notes scattered throughout. Each experiment has pinned to it a picture of the test subject, both before, generally a young woman wearing nothing but a pair of panties, and after, usually some sort of pile, puddle, or pool, usually containing the panties seen in the before picture. Amy throws up in her mouth a little as she realizes that the panties seem to be there solely for identification, since the doctor’s experiments usually don’t even leave teeth behind for dental records.
Amy’s heart sinks as she turns to the page for last Sunday. There, attached to the page, is a picture of Shannon, wearing nothing but a hot pink, leopard-print G-string. Amy nearly bursts into tears at the thought that her friend Shannon had been reduced to a sticky goo, and, what’s worse, that it had happened while she was wearing something so tacky. Then Amy notices that there’s no after picture. Her heart pounding in her chest, Amy reads Doctor Carluzzo’s notes-
“Experiment #9F32. Test subject was prepped for viscosity experiment when my landlord, the “honorable” Geoffrey Stephenson, “Esquire,” interrupted. I never see the bastard, but when I do he’s always a nuisance! He appeared quite taken with the test subject and demanded I give her to him. I objected, but he reminded me of the terms of my lease and I gave in. If it weren’t for the fact that no one else could provide the electricity I need and turn a blind eye to my activities, I would leave here in a heartbeat! Why-“
Amy stops reading as she realizes the notes are turning into a pages-long screed/manifesto. “What’s important,” Amy thinks, “is that Shannon’s alive! Or at least, she was last week when these notes were made. She must have come to the house, rang the doorbell, and gotten caught up in one of Doctor Carluzzo’s insane experiments. From there, the lord of the manor, this Geoffrey Stephenson, took her… somewhere.” Amy now realizes that she has to see this Geoffrey Stephenson. He definitely has Shannon, or at least knows what happened to her! She returns her mind to the present. Now, what should she do about that death ray?