The elaborately carved eaves, shutters and railings hint at the master carvers work inside the great house. Only one name appears on the gate post: GEPPETTO. They say an old man lives there by himself. He is a wealthy recluse having retained a partial financial interest in children's toys he designed ages ago. Supposedly, Disney and Children's Television Workshop have acquired most of his creations, and pay him handsome royalties. To this day the man has no visitors. Packages - including groceries are delivered to his door, and he collects them, but no one but he ever enters the great house.
Still on quiet nights, otherwise sane people have insisted that they saw evidence of parties going on at the house. Loud voices and music could be just the television or stereo, but the odd shadowy figures reported moving behind the closed drapes cannot be explained or denied.
Damon Wood pedaled his bicycle to near the main gate, and stashed it in the bushes. He stood in the shadows and waited. Ashur Ketchum, and Elam "Brock" Samson rode up together on their bikes. Taylor Brooks glided up on his skateboard. Then out of the shadows from behind Damon emerged Brody Chandler, had he been there all along?
"Okay, we're all here, and we're all agreed, we're going to find out what's really going on in the Geppetto House tonight," Damon said.
"We're not all here," said Brody clearing his throat.
"Well, we're not waiting for-" Damon started to say.
"We're here!" said Candace and Emily in unison.
"Me too," added her kid brother Billy.
They were all just graduated from high school (most were 18 or 19), and would be starting college in the fall, except for Billy, who had just turned 18, and was to be a senior at the high school.
"Right. Now how do you propose we prove what's going on? Just walk up and knock on the front door?"
"Yeah, but only after the party's started, and maybe after we've peeked in a couple of windows. If he invites us in great! If not, we bid our adieus, and sneak around back to the cellar entrance. According to the blue prints at City Hall, that should be the best way inside."