Ouch. Your head feels like it's on fire. Running your hand along the left side of your head, you discover not only has the hair been shaved, but that a (text-colour:red)[five inch scar has been cut into your scalp]. The wound has been sewn together hastily, and the skin pulls uncomfortably as you probe the extent of the injury. Just sitting up straight takes all of your strength. Looking around, you see that you are in standing in some darkened, dead end alleyway. The sky would be pitch black, if it weren't for a couple dimly flickering (text-colour:orange)[(text-style:"smear","fade-in-out")[yellow-orange lightbulbs]]. You scan your surroundings in the darkness, trying to give yourself some bearing of where you are, but you are certain you have never been in this alleyway before. You brace yourself against the grungy concrete wall, putting your hand on top of a cheap metal trash can to help you stand upright. This is when you first notice a (text-colour:yellow)[''small brass key''], tied by a string to your thumb. The key has no identifying features other than the abrasions that come with age. Rummaging through your pants pockets, you discover a note on an index card, neatly folded in half. "There's a pouch of neurotoxins in your head. Bring my $50,000 back to this alley by the end of the day and you'll get the antidote.(set: $Time to 1)"(set: $Bomb to true) (set:$HasBooze to false) (set:$HasCandle to false)(set:$HasKnowledgeofMurder to false)(set:$HasLight to false)(set:$HasKnowledgeofRitual to false)(set:$HasKnowledgeofSilverKey to false)(set:$HasNewspaper to false)(set:$GaveBooze to false)(set:$HasWallet to false) You can't help but feel like you've read this in a book somewhere. --- Maybe have a [[look around on the main road in front of you.->Main Street]] [[Inventory]] The bump turns out to be (text-colour:yellow)[''your wallet''], containing your ID and $166, bringing you a tiny bit closer towards paying off your own ransom. (set: $Money to 166)(set:$HasWallet to true)(set:$Time to $Time -1) [[Back to your apartment.->Apartment]] (set:$Time to $Time + 1)(if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"rumble")+(t8n-arrive:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:2s)(click-goto:?page,"Bad Ending")](else:)[(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] (if:$Time < 8.5)[Stepping out of the alley way into the main road, you can imagine it would be very busy in the daytime. But at this time of (text-style:"sway")[(text-style:"fade-in-out")[night]], any evidence of life has disappeared indoors.](if:$Time > 8.5 and < 45.5)[Somehow, in the washing glow of daylight, everything looks even dirtier. People move back and forth busily, some pulling luggage carts heavy with supplies.](if:$Time > 45.5)[The street is quiet again as the denizens have once again retreated to the warmth of their homes, just like when this surreal day began.] The cobblestone is well worn, heavily tread upon by thousands of footsteps. All the dingy shops that line the streets seem ancient. Through the windows, you can see all kinds of (either:"weird", "bizarre") things for sale. Exotic foods, some ragged handwritten books, and very strangely shaped rugs with holes. There's even a store for people who need to buy a replacement if they happened to lose one chopstick? You feel like you've read about this place in a book somewhere. --- (if:(history: where its name contains "Apartment")'s length < 1)[Interspersed between the shops are narrow brick apartment buildings. You can't seem to remember which one is yours. All you recall is that there were frequent visitors, all important and official looking people, walking through the second floor of your unit. You also remember hearing occasional violin melodies and the smell of (either:"permeating", "neverending") tobacco smoke. [[Apartment 186->186]] [[Apartment 217->217]] [[Apartment 221->Apartment]] [[Apartment 263->263]]](if:(history: where its name contains "Apartment")'s length > 0)[[Your apartment->Apartment]] To one end of the street is a large [[grassy field->Field]], with some large buildings nearby. If you slide past some buildings, you can walk down by the [[water->Oceanside Docks]]. At the other end of the road is a [[bank->Bank]]. Among the weird stores, the only one that may serve you in this time-sensitive situation is a [[sketchy pawn shop->Pawn Shop]] right next door to the bank. (if:$Time > 40.5 and < 59.5)[ [[Return to the shady alley with your total of $(print:$Money)->Get Money Ending]]] [[Inventory->Inventory]] ] (if:$Time < 8.5)[It is still dark from the night before.](if:$Time >8.5 and <15.5)[The sun is peeking over the horizon.](if:$Time >15.5 and <30.5)[The sun is directly overhead and the shadows are short.](if:$Time >30.5 and <45.5)[The sun is starting to go down, and the sky is tinted orange.](if:$Time >45.5)[It's getting real dark now. If there's any chance for you left, you better act quick.] //Checking inventory does not cause time to pass.// =|= Inventory: $(print:$Money) dollars out of the $50,000 ransom (if:$Bomb is true)[*A pouch of neurotoxins in your head] (if:$HasWallet is true)[*A wallet with your ID] (if:$HasBooze is true)[*A large bottle of whiskey] (if:$HasWhaleBone is true)[*A weird bone carving] (if:$HasViolin is true)[*Your neighbor's violin] (if:$HasLight is true)[*Your neighbor's flashlight ] (if:$HasCandle is true)[*A small church candle] (if:$HasSilverKey is true)[*The silver key that you saw in your dream] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[*Blood (your own, coming from your hand)]] (if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[*Water (the lack thereof)]] =|= Knowledge: (if:$HasKnowledgeofMurder is true)[*Someone was killed recently.] (if:$HasKnowledgeofRitual is true)[*A secret ritual can save your life.] (if:$HasKnowledgeofSilverKey is true)[*A key is hidden in an attic.] |==| (set: $Time to $Time + 1)(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] (if:$Time < 7.5)[A sign on the door reads: Hours 8:00 AM - midnight You could ''withdraw all the money'' from your account when they open, but apparently no one else in this city has the same sense of urgency that you do. Return to the [[street->Main Street]] [[Inventory]] ] (if:$Time > 7.5)[(if:$EmptyBankAccount is true)[You've already withdrawn your entire savings from your account, and it was not quite enough to pay off the money you owe. There is nothing more for you here in the bank.] (else:)[The bank door swings open, and you are greeted with a line of people waiting to speak to the lone bank teller at the desk. ... (after:2s)[...](after:4s)[ ...] (after:6s)[(set:$Time to $Time+2)You find the patience to shuffle patiently forward, as people make their insignificant deposits and withdrawals. ... (after:8s)[...](after:10s)[ ...]] (after:13s)[(set:$Time to $Time+2)The ticking-time-bomb crisis has made the inconvenience of the wait feel like an eternity - but there is always time to be civil, you rationalize (incorrectly). You finally make your way to the front of the line. "(text-style:"expand")[Hello, how can I help you.]" the teenager unenthusiastically says, clearly out of forced obligation and not out of a desire to actually help you. "Withdrawal please." You look upwards, trying to make eye contact with the teenager. "(text-style:"expand")[ID please.]" Somehow, he manages to fit these three syllables into duration of a giant exhale. (if:$HasWallet is false)[You rummage around your pockets, and scrounge up only pocket lint. "(text-style:"expand")[You can't withdraw money without an ID. Next please.]" The person standing behind you in line overhears this, and uses it as her cue to budge around you.] (if:$HasWallet is true)[You pull your ID from your wallet. "All your money? Is this about taxes and mortgages and those other adult duties that just seems to consume society nowadays?" His red checkered hat hides most of his disshevled red hair, but a few loose locks seem to heave with his every word, as if his anger and disgust for societal pretenses could manifest like Medusa's coils. Really invasive small talk. But you figure by the end of the day you'll either be dead or just dead broke, so you humor him. "Yeah, it's just some boring grown up stuff," you lie; it's just easier than explaining the truth anyway. You feel like you've met this character in a book before. He hands you (text-colour:yellow)[''$47,352''] in neatly rubber banded bills.(set: $Money to $Money + 47352)(set: $EmptyBankAccount to true)]]] [[Exit the bank->Main Street]] [[Inventory]] ](set: $Time to $Time + 1)(if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"shudder")+(t8n-arrive:"rumble")+(t8n-time:3s)(go-to:"Bad Ending")] (if:$Time < 59.5)[(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] //Ah yes, this now feels familiar//, you think as you climb the stairs of the red brick Georgian terrace. Must be that "muscle memory" people keep talking about. The door to your upstairs apartment opens with a twist of your key revealing an entirely unremarkable one bedroom unit. For the second time, the fog of amnesia fades, and your surroundings feel familiar: The messy piles of papers and receipts on your office desk, the view of the street from a window, and even the vaguest aromas of a previous dinner. --- Crumpled on a cheap folding chair by the door are a pile of [[clothes->Suit]]. From the way they have been scattered on the chair messily, it seems like they were recently worn. There's a [[mattress on the floor->Bed]] in the corner, which is unkept and definitely yours. There is the unit [[downstairs from you->Neighbor Apt]], from which you sometimes hear weird sounds. If you are brave or desperate enough, you might be able to sneak into their unit and "borrow" a few things. Back to the [[street.->Main Street]] [[Inventory]] ](set:$Time to $Time + 2)(if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"shudder")+(t8n-arrive:"rumble")+(t8n-time:3s)(go-to:"Bad Ending")] (if:$Time < 59.5)[(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] A vast empty field covered in tall wild grasses. In the middle is a small dug up patch of dirt, and you get closer to inspect. (if:$Bit is true)[...but you've learned a valuable lesson on what might be the last day of your life: Don't go near bunny holes.](else:)[(if:$HasLight is false)[You put your face right down into the soil, close enough to smell the earth. But, you can't see anything. You think you might be able to catch a glimpse of something interesting inside, but it's too dark in the hole.](if:$HasLight is true)[The hole is deep, but your light is strong. You angle the beam into the darkness. Suddenly, an army of rabbits scatter to and fro. Furious flashes of hazel and pale gray silver fur blink quickly as timid rabbits dart around the grass away from you. You feel like you've read this in a book. Just when you think the rabbits are done fleeing, one of them lunges out of the hole and (text-colour:red)[bites your hand] before joining his comrades amidst the tall grasses. You are (text-colour:red)[''bleeding pretty badly''], and who knows what kinds of diseases rabbits carry. Not only is there the issue of the neurotoxin pouches set to explode in your brain, but now you also start worrying about mundane things like wild animal bites. (set:$Bit to true) ]] --- Far past the field, you see a tall steepled and drab looking [[church.->Church]] There is also a narrow pathway that leads into a lush [[forest.->Forest]] Across the plain in the distance looks like a [[farmhouse.->Jones Farm]] Back to the [[street->Main Street]] [[Inventory]]](set:$Time to $Time+1)(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] (if:$HasWallet is false)[ These clothes are...unique, to say the least. You never thought of yourself as "ostentatious," and this outfit doesn't seem to fit your style: but it fits your body perfectly, every single piece, from the oversized top hat and the collared button-up, all the way down to the matching pants and tall brown boots. The yellow is just //(text-colour:yellow)[so loud]//, you can barely hear yourself think. You feel like a character from a book. It doesn’t take more than a momentary glance in the mirror to realize this ensemble doesn't fit who you are. The only upside of the maniacal brain surgery so far is a return to a normal sense of fashion. (if:(history: where its name contains "FindWallet")'s length <=0.5)[You notice an awkward [[bump in the back left pocket->FindWallet]].]] (else:)[There's really not a lot of time for monkeying around with an obnoxious bright yellow outfit that has absolutely no appeal to you.] --- Back to the [[apartment->Apartment]]. [[Inventory->Inventory]](set:$Time to $Time + 2)(if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"shudder")+(t8n-arrive:"rumble")+(t8n-time:3s)(go-to:"Bad Ending")] (if:$Time < 59.5)[(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] It's really hard to see much beyond your immediate surroundings through the (text-style:"smear")[dense fog], which is eternally rolling in from the water. Add to that the overwhelming stench of (text-style:"fidget")[(text-colour:green)[rotten fish]] that seems to have clouded your brain's ability to see. Several rows of houses face out towards the water. Their gambrel roofs and peaked gables slope steeply, giving you the feeling of a Rhode Island coastal town. But, despite all of these presumed residences, the water's edge is surprisingly devoid of humanity. You feel like you've read this in a novella. --- On a bench nearby, you see an older [[man->Guy on Bench]], who briefly makes eye contact with you before turning away. Among the many boats docked here, the most interesting is an older looking [[wooden boat->Boat]], massively oversized compared to the other tiny boats. You could probably sneak on and look around. You can also walk down to the [[beach->Beach]] and stroll along the sand on the water's edge. Return to the [[street.->Main Street]] [[Inventory]] ](set:$Time to $Time + 1)As you approach the building, you discover, in a stroke of luck, it is a medical clinic! Hopeful someone here would be able to help you with your "ticking time bomb in the head" problem, you walk through the automatic doors only to find at least twenty patients sitting in chairs all around the room. (if:$Bit is true and $Dehydrated is true)[The severe (text-colour:red)[bloodloss] from an earlier encounter with a wild rabbit has really started to affect your ability to stand up straight. Add to that the dehydration from trudging across dunes of sand under the merciless sun, and you look like a piece of beef jerky dipped in ketchup. Just as you make your way to the receptionist desk, you collapse in right in front of them, adding a coarse whimper for added drama. "Someone put this person on the list." The reception says impassionately. They probably see this kind of show several times a day. I guess no matter how serious you think your injuries are, there's always a [[waiting room.->Waiting Room]]] (else:)[As you approach the receptionist, you are warned that they are severely understaffed, and they are only seeing patients with major emergencies. "You are still healthy, you probably won't get seen today." Even if you told them you needed emergency brain surgery to extract some pouches of neurotoxin, at best you would get a consult for a visit to a psychiatrist in a week. Then you notice even the people in waiting chairs have (text-colour:red)[''very''] severe injuries. You're going to need to be in really bad shape to even get seen here.] Back to the [[beach.->Beach]] [[Inventory]] (set:$Time to $Time + 1)(if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"shudder")+(t8n-arrive:"rumble")+(t8n-time:3s)(go-to:"Bad Ending")] (if:$Time < 59.5)[(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] (if:visits >= 4)[Damn this "(text-colour:red)[dry heat]". Your throat feels as if all the water from your body has evaporated from your shriveled up skin.(set:$Dehydrated to true)] Some beaches are dotted with blankets, each one acting as a home base for a family on their dream getaway vacation, kids laughing and splashing while their parents (either:"lounge in luxury.", "sip frozen margaritas out of oversized cups.") This is not one of those beaches. With each rhythmic step, tiny daggers of stone steadily threaten to rip through your shoes as you march arduously over the never ending hills of sand. Rocky crags jut out of the sand in the distance, giving the illusion that this beach extends for miles. Not to mention the still heat. (if:$Time < 8.5 or $Time > 45.5)[Even though the sun is no longer in the sky, the waves of nauseating heat hit you from below, as if the sand were a giant battery storing energy.](if:$Time >8.5 and $Time < 45.5)[The sand absorbs the sun's rays.] Even though you've just been walking through the sand for mere minutes, you get the feeling that staying here too long might pose a threat to your wellbeing. You feel like you've read this in a book. --- Beyond is the entrance to a [[dark cave.->Cave]] Through the (text-style:"fidget")[waves of mirage heat], you see the vague outline of a boxy-looking [[building.->Hospital]] Return back to the [[docks.->Oceanside Docks]] [[Inventory]]](if:$Money <50000)[You count the money in your wallet, the whole sum of $(print:$Money). Looking around, you wonder if your blackmailer wouldn't notice that you are short of their ransom. "You don't accept credit card, by chance, do you?" [(t8n-depart:"rumble")+(t8n-arrive:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:2s)(click-goto:?page,"Bad Ending")]] (if:$Money > 50000)[You walk down the alley to where you started your nightmare of a day, looking to make the exchange for your life. You don't explicitly see your blackmailer, but you nonetheless pull out $50,000 in assorted bills, and place them on top of a trash can. You turn circles to see if anyone is here to honor this life-or-death agreement, and just as quickly as you turn back, the pile of money is gone. In it's place is a small cup, with an even smaller piece of paper hanging around it which reads simply (text-colour:yellow)["DRINK ME"]. The antidote doesn't taste terrible at all. It's a bit (text-style:"buoy")[bubbly], salty, and unexpectedly, olive-y. You feel like you've read about this drink in a book. And just like that, the antidote neutralizes the toxin. You're alive. Quite a bit poorer, but alive. [[The End]].] (set:$Time to $Time +1)(if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"shudder")+(t8n-arrive:"rumble")+(t8n-time:3s)(go-to:"Bad Ending")] (if:$Time < 59.5)[(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] The two story church looks much larger up close. The steeple's lone window overlooking the grassy field has been shattered and has since been boarded up with large wooden planks. The doorway into the church is huge. Within are rows of perfectly-spaced pews and massive stained glass artwork, depicting various scenes from that one Book. Above you are all sorts of bells: some silver, twinkling with delight, others gold ringing out harmoniously, and yet others iron, tolling menacingly, though you know not for whom they toll. Just when you think they are about to stop, they keep ringing and ringing and ringing and ringing and ringing and (text-style:"rumble")[ringing]. You feel like you've read this in a poem. --- (if:$HasCandle is false)[You are just another face in the congregation as you sit in the last pew. While everyone has their attention towards the front, you pick up a (text-colour:yellow)[''lit candle''], one of hundreds adorning the back wall of the church. (set:$HasCandle to true)] (if:$Time > 10 and $Time <20)[As you walk by, you see the congregation disperse. Listening closely, you hear some people// lamenting over the mysterious death of someone in town//.(set:$HasKnowledgeofMurder to true)] (if:$Time <30.5 and $HasKnowledgeofSilverKey is true)[You look up at the strange attic, windows boarded up. I wonder if this is the attic you heard about in your slumber? Unfortunately, there is still too much activity in and around the church, making it unwise to go poking around.](if:$Time > 30 and $HasKnowledgeofSilverKey is true)[Everyone has left the church, and it's quiet. Now would be a great time to sneak into that [[mysterious attic.->Attic]]] Return to the [[grassy field.->Field]] [[Inventory]] ](set:$Time to $Time +1)(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]](if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[ You are bleeding.]] (if:$SoldWhaleBone is true or $HasWhaleBone is true)[You've already snuck on the boat once, and you decide it is far too risky to keep dicking around on someone else's property. Back to the [[docks->Oceanside Docks]].] (else:)[The old looking boat has seen it's share of damage. Although the decks are (text-colour:orange)[worn and weathered], the sails are clearly new, cloth unexpectly fresh compared to the heavily battered hull. Crouching behind the cargo boxes, you scrounge for anything that might be helpful in your neurotoxin predicament. You find crates full of various clothes, candles, dried meats, and even one full of weapons. While these giant spears may be helpful for someone much stronger than you, it would raise unwanted attention to be seen carrying one of these around the town - that is, if you could even lift it. You feel like you've read about this boat in a book. --- Ironically, the only thing calling to you seems to have no immediate application to your situation. Around the main cabin you find various carvings made out of, spookily enough, (text-style:"shadow")[bone]. Although there are many various pieces scattered along a large ivory-inlaid table, the only one you grab is (text-colour:yellow)[''a carving of a small fish'']. Well, at least it looks like a fish? It's not very well made, and who knows if it's even a fish. Might be worth some good money, at least to a collector of bizarre trinkets, or someone who REALLY loves the sea. (set:$HasWhaleBone to true) Back to the [[docks.->Oceanside Docks]] [[Inventory]]](if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] (set:$Time to $Time +1) (if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"rumble")+(t8n-arrive:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:2s)(click-goto:?page,"Bad Ending")](else:)[ (if:$Time < 7.5)[A sign on the door reads: Hours 8:00 AM - midnight This appears to be one of those pawn shops where you could probably unload your valuables, but you'll have to carry these things around until the store opens. Back to the [[street->Main Street]]. [[Inventory]]] (if:$Time > 7.5)[(if:$HasKnowledgeofMurder is false)[You can buy a [[newspaper->Newspaper]] here if you want. It'll only cost a dollar.] The interior is organized just like a pawn shop - that is to say, not organized at all. On one shelf are an assortment of creepy decorative wooden masks right next to automatic rifles; the other shelf holds sacks full of gems, spray bottles, and what you presume are oversized marbles, brightly painted with vibrant colors. You feel like you've seen this kind of store in a video game maybe? From nowhere, a deep raspy voice says: "So, whatta ya sellin?" (if:$HasWhaleBone is true)[[[Whale Bone Effigy->Sell WhaleBone]], weird enough to be worth money to someone.] (if:$HasViolin is true)[[[A violin->Sell Violin]], definitely valuable.] (if:$HasTreasure is true)[[[Bag full of treasure->Sell Treasure]], an assorted pile of gold and gems, obviously worth a lot.] Back to [[Main Street]] [[Inventory]]]](set:$Time to $Time +1)(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] A sign greets you as you approach: "Jones Farm", beneath which is a poorly drawn logo of a windmill. A large barn stands tall against the flatness of the plain. Using colors that nature reserves as warning signs, the barn has been painted haphazardly in (text-colour:red)[red] with a thin (text-colour:yellow)[yellow] trim. Many of the animals seem to be headed into the barn, like humans adhering to a strict work schedule. Between the pigs loudly squealing, horses neighing, and chickens clucking, you get the feeling that the livestock here is just a little bit agitated, but you can't quite figure out why. Although you don't see any other humans around, there are several pieces of equipment that have been left out in the soil, including a dinged-up construction hammer and various tools for cutting wheat. You feel like you've read this in a book. (if:$GaveBooze is true or $HasBooze is true)[You've secured everything from this area that you'll need. You don't want to risk spooking the already unruly animals on the farm.](else:)[(if:$HasBooze is false)[You sneak up to a window of the main house. Peeking inside cautiously, you also find the indoors abandoned. You reach in through the kitchen window and pick up a(text-colour:yellow)['' bottle of booze'']. (set:$HasBooze to true)]] --- Return to the [[grassy field.->Field]] [[Inventory]](if:$Money < 1)[You check to see if you have the dollar to pay the weird shopkeeper man, but you can't. [[Pawn Shop]]] (else:)[ (if:$HasNewspaper is false)[(set:$Money to $Money -1)Just when you thought print media had died, //The Daily Clarion// persists where so many other newspapers have folded. As you flip through the pages, all you find are poor journalistic practices, from fear mongering to wildly untrue sensationalist headlines. On every other page, there are reminders that the tabloid is paying for pictures of various cryptids, the kind that don't exist outside of the imagination. You feel like you've read about this in a book. --- Buried near the back page is a brief obituary, describing the(text-colour:yellow)['' mysterious death of a man in the city'']. (set:$HasKnowledgeofMurder to true)] (if:$HasKnowlegeofMurder is true)[You've already gotten all you need from today's news. Reading more news wouldn't be a great use of your time.] Back to the [[pawn shop.->Pawn Shop]] ](set:$Time to $Time +1) (if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] The man slumped on the bench is easily in his nineties, face leathered with age, draped with a predictably unruly white beard. (if:$GaveBooze is true)[While the man is probably full of more interesting stories, it'll take him a really long time to get to the point and he probably won't describe anything clearly. Plus, he's probably racist. Return to the [[oceanside docks->Oceanside Docks]]](if:$HasBooze is false and $GaveBooze is false)[As you approach him to speak, the (text-style:"emboss","buoy")[(text-colour:orange)[stench of old whiskey]] overwhelms your senses. Standing near him would be a great experiment to test if it were possible to get secondhand-drunk. "Excuse me," you ask, not actually knowing what questions you have for this man. Without even turning to acknowledge your presence, he ignores you and continues muttering into the void. A bit of alcohol could probably get his attention. Return to the [[docks->Oceanside Docks]].](if:$HasBooze is true)[The man's eyes widen at the sight of the comically large bottle of whiskey in your hands. With the speed of a nonagenerian, he snatches the bottle and gulps it down thirstily, like a man-fish drinking water. In a drunken slur, he begins a fantastical and mostly incoherent ramble about the town's history, complete with visual aids as spit goes flying out of mouth. Even without real life closed captioning, which this conversation would have benefited from, you gather a few pieces of information about the secrets of the city. It is rumored that by taking (text-colour:yellow)[''an object of man's obsession''] and (text-colour:yellow)[''an object from your dreams''] to the deepest heart of the forest, it is possible to(text-colour:yellow)['' perform a secret ritual''] that won't just save your life, but can also exact revenge on whoever cursed you with the neurotoxic promise of death.(set:$HasBooze to false)(set:$HasKnowledgeofRitual to true)(set:$GaveBooze to true) Armed with this new knowledge, you leave the man alone return to the [[oceanside docks->Oceanside Docks]].]A strange sensation begins to overtake your body. At first, your fingertips feel cool, then tingly, then a little bit numb. Your feet are the next to go. The loss of feeling causes you to stumble and collapse rather gracefully onto your back. The sky, already dark, becomes more and more blurry until it becomes totally black. It's not nearly as awful of a death as you had been fearing for the past 24 hours. In fact, the surging rush of fatal neurotoxins coursing through your blood is actually quite peaceful - at least compared to the horrid deaths you've read about in books. (t8n-time:3s)(click-goto:?page,"The End")(set:$Time to $Time +1)(if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"shudder")+(t8n-arrive:"rumble")+(t8n-time:3s)(go-to:"Bad Ending")] (if:$Time < 59.5)[(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] It smells like a combination of salt water and smoke off in the distance, as if part of the forest has been recently burnt, probably by forest fire. It's quiet, save for some distant animal noises, the occasional tones of a conch horn far away, and the persistent buzzing of flies. You feel like you've read about this forest in a book. --- (if:$HasKnowledgeofRitual is true and $HasCandle is true)[Didn't the old guy by the ocean mention some long secluded forest altar? You might benefit from exploring the [[deep woods->Deep Woods]] a bit further.](else:)[You decide the outer periphery of the forest is probably the safest at this point, since the woods are dark and full of terrors.] Back to the [[field.->Field]] [[Inventory]] ]You awaken, and the whole world is a blur. You start to wiggle your fingers and toes, then you say a couple words aloud to the room full of eager medical staff. Looks like the surgical intervention was successful. The head surgeon greets you. "Let me just say: today was to be my last day as a neurosurgeon. In my short time, your remarkable case was the one I choose to retire on. As satisfying as surgery is, I need to spend time with my family. Maybe I'll even write a book. "Your case is certainly the most memorable of all the operations I have performed, or even read about. It almost feels like it's from a sci-fi book or something. Your calmness in the face of death fills me with a sense of what makes a life worth living. "So, the immediate risk of the neurotoxin is dealt with. We had to remove large sections of your temporal lobe. What this means, in short, is that the surgery will have a profound effect on your memory. "You know how sometimes you get a sense of (text-style:"blink")[//deja vu//], as if you've experienced some feeling before? Well, due to the extensive damage to your brain, you'll never experience that again." The surgeon is right. You definitely don't remember reading about him in a book. [[The End]].(set:$Time to $Time +1)(if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"rumble")+(t8n-arrive:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:2s)(click-goto:?page,"Bad Ending")](if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] (else:)[(if:$SoldViolin is true or $HasViolin is true)[You've already broken in once, and you really shouldn't be messing around in people's Homes, even if you are Sure the Lock doesn't work. [[Apartment]]] (else:)[You walk down the stairs quietly, listening intently to see if your downstairs neighbors are home. (if:$HasKnowledgeofMurder is false)[Although you can't recall if you've ever met them face to face, you remember one thing about them: They are dangerous, and don't always leave the unit unless something newsworthy has happened around the town. You need to be sure they are out of the unit, and not just sleeping inside before attempting to sneak in.](if:$HasKnowledgeofMurder is true)[You recall this interesting pattern of their behavior. Whenever someone dies around the city, they tend to leave their unit, sometimes for the whole day. You turn the door handle furtively: surprisingly, it hasn't been locked. The air is stale, thick with lingering with tobacco smoke. You scan the room for valuables, but you are overwhelmed with the plethora of knicknacks, so numerous they are practically balancing on top each other. Old books, pictures on the wall of various people none of whom you recognize, glass bottles, and just when you thought it couldn't get more weird, a skull? Just out in the open? The only things that seems to be of value are a ''(text-colour:yellow)[violin]'' and a (text-colour:yellow)[''small flashlight''], both of which you grab. You feel like you've read about this apartment in a book. Worse, you feel like you'll eventually get caught for stealing their stuff. (set:$HasViolin to true)(set:$HasLight to true)] [[Apartment]] ]](set:$HasWhaleBone to false) (set:$Time to $Time -1) (set:$Money to $Money + 2400) The man's posture shifts dramatically as you place the carving on the glass counter. He seems excited and wholely unable to hide his emotions. You are actually surprised at how much he offers for this, as the man counts out (text-colour:yellow)[''$2,400 dollars''] and puts it on the table for you to take. Maybe you just gave away something much more valuable than money, but right now, given your circumstance, there's not much time to think. (set:$SoldWhaleBone to true) Back to the [[pawn shop.->Pawn Shop]] (set:$HasViolin to false) (set:$Time to $Time -1) (set:$Money to $Money + 450) (text-colour:yellow)[''$450 '']doesn't seem like much, especially knowing that you'll eventually be caught for stealing your neighbor's prized violin. Desperate times. (set:$SoldViolin to true) [[Pawn Shop]] (set:$Time to $Time +1)(if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"shudder")+(t8n-arrive:"rumble")+(t8n-time:3s)(go-to:"Bad Ending")] (if:$Time < 59.5)[ (if:$HasCandle is false)[It's too dark to continue further. Plus, you'll likely need a candle, since all good unholy rituals require at least one candle. Back to the [[forest->Forest]]] (if:$HasCandle is true)[You path through a dirt trail, cross a tinkling stream by lightly tiptoing over pebbles. Generally quiet, the air is sometimes livened up with the call of exotic birds. Many of the trees are hollow, and because the leaves block everything overhead, time seems frozen in these woods. You might have never thought about this land, if you hadn't read it in a book. --- This seems like a really good place to conduct an occult ritual. Not only is it peaceful and secluded from the eyes of society, but beneath a great oak tree you see a conveniently placed ebony altar emblazoned with a pentagram made out of crystals.] (if:$HasWhaleBone is true and $HasSilverKey is true)[You climb up onto the altar, which despite it's uncomforable appearance, welcomes you like a warm hug. You set the (text-colour:yellow)[''silver key''] and the (text-colour:yellow)[''bone carving''] right next to you as your head reclines on the stone and then... (after:10s)[You black out. How typical and completely expected. ... [[Wake up.->Revenge ending]]]](else:)[Although you can admire the altar for it's regal and forboding appearance, you don't really know what do from here. Back to the [[forest->Forest]] [[Inventory]]]](set:$Time to $Time +1)(if:$Dehydrated is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are really thirsty.]] (if:$Bit is true)[(text-colour:red)[You are bleeding.]] All your years of knowledge and experience about caves have taught you one thing: they are dark. (if:$HasTreasure is true or $SoldTreasure is true)[I know you think this is all some colossal adventure, but you've read enough books to know you don't need to explore down this deep dark hole any further. --- Back to the [[beach.->Beach]]](else:)[(if:$HasCandle is false and $HasLight is false)[In fact, it is far too dark to be spelunking around without any source of light.] (if:$HasCandle is true or $HasLight is true)[You walk in through the mouth of the cave, wide like a yawning mouth eager to swallow visitors. As far as shelter from the desert heat goes, the cool breeze is actually quite refreshing. You don't have to go very far until you find a small X on the ground. Kicking the dirt a little bit, you find, much to your surprise, (text-colour:yellow)[''a box full of gleaming gems and shiny cups'']! This stuff must be worth something. Imagine that. Someone really should write a book about burying treasure under an X.(set:$HasTreasure to true)] --- Back to the [[beach.->Beach]]]So, did you survive? Did you know, other than the bad ending where you succumb to neurotoxin, there are three possible endings depending on your choices? Refresh the page to try again. There are at least twenty literary references scattered throughout this adventure. How many did you find? (link:"Reveal checklist")[= * Adventures of Tom Sawyer * Alice in Wonderland * Animal Farm * The Bells * Catcher in the Rye * Curious George * The Diary of Anne Frank * Dune * Harry Potter * The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy * Lord of the Flies * Metamorphosis * Moby Dick * Neuromancer * Peter and Wendy * Shadow Over Innsmouth * Sherlock Holmes * The Shining * Spiderman (Marvel) * Watership Down * When Breath Becomes Air (set:$HasTreasure to false)(set:$Time to $Time -1) (set:$Money to $Money + 48000) A literal pile of gold, it's suprising that anyone accepts this any more. Conveniently, this broker hands over (text-colour:yellow)[''$48,000''] dollars in cash. Who even carries this much money? There must be a really good insurance policy on this place. (set:$SoldTreasure to true) [[Pawn Shop]] (if:$HasKnowledgeofRitual is false)[As fatigued as you might be from being awake since the early morning, are you absolutely [[sure->Nap]] you want to spend your last neurotoxin-free day sleeping? Return to the [[apartment->Apartment]]] (if:$HasKnowledgeofRitual is true)[(set:$Time to $Time+8)You fall asleep. You dream vividly of flying cats, bat monsters, and unspeakable things, but you're not sure if it's a real dream or if a squirt of neurotoxin has seeped into your brain. Regardless, the dreams feel like dreams that you've read about in several short stories. ---(set:$Time to $Time +6) Despite the surrealist images which faded quickly upon waking, one fact remained in your waking mind: You learn that a ''(text-colour:yellow)[silver key is in an attic somewhere]''. (set:$HasKnowledgeofSilverKey to true) Back to your [[apartment.->Apartment]]]The narrow staircase squeezes your shoulders as you start climbing the rickety wooden ladder leading upstairs. You push up a trapdoor, then stand up fully in the tall attic. The walls show signs of fire damage. Although it seems abandoned, there is some evidence that someone had at one point lived here: there are piles and piles of books in the corner. Stacks of handwritten papers are scattered across the floor, many of them tied up neatly with ribbons. You peek between the boards that covered the window and see everything laid out like a map: The Jones Farm with the bright red barn, the lush forest; even the busy street. It feels like at least one or two attics you've read about in a book. As you return to climb down the ladder, you notice a shiny glimmer on top of an old dresser, its sparkle surprising amidst the dusty surroundings. Weird - it's the (text-colour:yellow)[''key you saw in your dreams'']. You grab it, and drop it in your pocket.(set:$HasSilverKey to true) Back down to the [[church.->Church]]Hours later, when you wake from troubled dreams - you remain yourself. In your own bed, nonetheless. Someone must have carried your unconscious body back from the altar in the deep forest. Light droplets of rain patter against the window, as you squint your eyes to look outside. Although it is quite dull outside, it's clearly morning, so apparently the ritual had worked and had saved your life. Just when you start to roll out of bed to celebrate your new lease on life, you discover something unusual. You have more legs than normal. At least six, all of them tiny and wiggling. You crane your head forward, and you look down at your own stomach, only to discover it has been divided into stiff sections, with large brown plates covering each section. You have become a character from a book. [[The End]].(set:$Time to $Time +1) This particular building is yet another old apartment along the street, with residential units above a barber shop. At the top of the concrete steps is an ornate brass doorknob, which is unpersuaded by your key. Back to the [[street->Main Street]](set:$Time to $Time +1) This apartment unit seems older than the others on the block, if that were even possible. The bushes are untrimmed, the door slathered in grime, and the handle is dangerously rusty. The windows to the side of the door are so dusty, you could write messages on the glass for someone inside to read. There's something about the number 217 that you've read in a book. Regardless, your key is not the right size for this lock. Back to the [[street->Main Street]](set:$Time to $Time +1) This building is a large, four story building. The windows are tall and open, allowing you to see a sprawling workshop on the ground floor, and some offices piled with boxes and very heavy-looking bookshelves placed perfectly against the walls on the upper floors. The back of the building is a recently constructed annex extending backwards away from the main street, making it really difficult to judge just how large these apartments are. This building feels vaguely like something you've read in a book. Your key is the wrong size for the lock, so you turn back to the [[street->Main Street]].(set:$Time to $Time +8)[You lie down, close your eyes, and wish this whole bomb-in-the-head thing was just a weird nightmare that would go away with a quick doze. It's not. --- [[Keep sleeping.->Nap]] Back to the [[apartment->Apartment]].](if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"shudder")+(t8n-arrive:"rumble")+(t8n-time:3s)(go-to:"Bad Ending")] (if:$Time < 59.5)[ back to [[Apartment]] ](set:$Time to $Time +1)Signing in, you figure you've still got some time to waste before the neurotoxin destroys your body from the inside...right? You take one of the empty seats, right between a woman with major tears in her clothes as if she were attacked by a mountain lion and a man with scorch marks on his pants who walked with a limp. ... (after:8s)[(set:$Time to $Time+2)A few patients go through the back, while other patients leave the clinic. ...] (after:13s)[(set:$Time to $Time+4)Your anxiety has certainly reached a high point with all this waiting. ...] (after:18s)[(set:$Time to $Time+4) "Come on back. Someone will take a look at you now." You can't help but wonder if you really spent the last several hours of your life in a waiting room. [[Stand up]] ] (if:$Time > 59.5)[(t8n-depart:"rumble")+(t8n-arrive:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:2s)(click-goto:?page,"Bad Ending")](else:)["IV fluids and antibiotics." Says the staff, after seeing your condition. Then you explain the real reason you are here. It sounds more and more crazy as you describe your history of gambling, how you got into debt with some serious fans of science fiction, how neurotoxin sacs have been surgically put into your brain, and your inevitable fate - and you wouldn't be surprised if no one believed you. For whatever untold reason, the surgeon believes you and you are quickly rushed to the operating room. You lie down on the table, and the anesthesia mask goes over your face. (t8n-depart:"fade-left")+(t8n-arrive:"fade-right")+(t8n-time:3s)(link-goto:"[[Breathe deeply.->Surgery Ending]]","Surgery")]