Branching Out

Branches of the half-dead tree slide and scrape against the window. You're looking beyond the tree, out at the street. It's quiet for a Monday, so maybe it's a holiday. Only a few cars have gone by in the time you've been sitting here. How long has it been? Your wrist is starting to hurt from propping up your head, so you shake it out and sit back in your chair. //ScccrrrAatcCcch//. The branches keep making their sound in time with the wind. Like a cat. The cat! Where's the cat? At the door. [[Go let the cat in.]] [[Stay by the window.]] <script> var audio = document.createElement('audio'); audio.src = 'https://sndup.net/4csm/dreams-become-real-by-kevin-macleod-from-filmmusic-io.mp3'; audio.loop = true; audio.play(); </script>

You push the chair back and take a few short steps from the desk to the doorway, then through the kitchen to your door. There's not much room up here, but it's enough for you and the cat sure doesn't seem to mind. There are a few light bumps on the door as she waits impatiently to come in. The hinges creak as you open the door. A black and cream dash from the little gap between the frame and the wood, and then the cat, sitting on your bed. "Hello," you say, and move... [[to the bed.]] [[back to the desk.]]

"You can come in later, kitty." The cat bumps its head on the door once and then stops scratching. You turn your attention back to the street. There's something down there, blowing around in the wind. It looks like a flyer of some sort, but it's the size of a poster and seems heavier than normal paper. Maybe it fell off the bullentin board outside the building. There's a car coming down the street now. It's going too fast. It's going to crash, it's going to crash, there's someone crossing the street, they're going to — "HEY!" you shout, but the window is closed. It doesn't matter. But the person moves out of the way and yells something. The car doesn't stop. Something or someone inside your building falls. A woman yells with so much force that the walls shake. It makes you jump. Time to go. [[Leave through the fire escape.]] [[Leave through the building.]]

You move to the bed and offer your hand to the cat. She sniffs it and then rubs her head against your arm. You sit for a while with the cat, listening to her purr. Someone outside yells and a car's tires screech. Closer, a woman shouts. The cat jumps and moves off the bed to the safety of the space beneath it. "There's always someone having a row here." There's nothing to do about it, and you'd rather not be around to see what the fuss is about, so you throw your journal, keys, wallet, and pocketknife into a backpack and open the window. The cat jumps onto the sill. "Oh, do you want to go?" You laugh, knowing it doesn't matter either way. [[Leave and close the window behind you|Leave through the fire escape.]] [[Leave and keep the window open |Leave through the fire escape 2.]]

You shut the door and lock it, then walk back to the desk. There's not much to see outside, just some piece of paper — no, not paper, maybe a poster? — blowing around in the wind. Another car is coming down the street. "It's going too fast," you mumble. The cat paws at your leg, and you look down before you can see more. After a few quick pets, she jumps into your lap and lies down. Content, she closes her eyes and starts to purr. You look back to the window, but the car is gone. Inside your building, something falls and a woman bellows furiously. The cat doesn't notice. Conflict makes you uneasy, so you usually leave whenever another tenant in your building has an outburst. The cat is asleep right now though, and you'd feel bad waking her up just to get away. [[Move the cat off your lap to the bed and leave. |Leave through the fire escape.]] [[Let the cat sleep.]]

You crawl through the window out onto the fire escape. The landing here is small, but it's a nice spot to sit and smoke at night. Perfect for watching the world go by. Before climbing down to the street, you check that you have everything you might need. And then you check again. It looks like everything is there, so you move down the steep stairs, being careful not to slip. You did once and it hurt to walk for a week. Once you're on the street, you see that poster from before, still blowing around in about the same spot. [[Go check it out.]]

You leave your apartment through the front door. It's quiet now, which is a good sign. Usually real fights end up in long shouting matches, but explosions of anger are typically brief. Locking the door behind you, you walk down the carpeted hall towards the stairs. This building is old, only four stories tall, and the only staircase in the building is a large, winding one. The stairs are worn with the tread of decades of residents and creak softly when you walk down them. Once at the bottom of the stairs, you make your way through the foyer, nodding at the man on duty at the front desk. You think he's new, but you could be wrong. It's not worth asking about in your opinion. The rotating door at the entrance is moving slightly from the wind. [[Walk through and go outside.]]

You stay where you are and listen to the woman. She seems to be berating someone, but you can't tell exactly what for. Maybe a kid knocked over a vase, or her partner broke a piece of fine china. As long as the conflict stays far from you, as long as you don't think too much about it, it'll be alright. Someone is knocking on the door. Shit. You sigh and... [[Open the door.]] [[Stay quiet. Maybe they'll leave.]]

It's that older lady who lives a floor below you. You don't go out much, but she came to say hello when you first moved in and she always greets you warmly when she sees you around. "Hey, how are you? Everything good?" you ask her. "Oh, I'm just fine. I heard the shouting downstairs and got worried. Do you know what's happening?" "No. Stuff like that freaks me out so I try to stay as far from it as I can." "I understand, dear. I was going to ask if you'd check to make sure everything downstairs is alright, but I won't." [["Thank you for understanding."]] [["I can't, I'm sorry. Someone living on the floor below might be more help."]]

You stay where you are and hope they'll leave soon. There's another knock, but you've made up your mind not to answer. After a few seconds, soft footsteps move away from the door and the stairs creak as the visitor descends. Once you're sure the person has left, you lean back in your chair. It's not late, but something weighs on you, pulling you down into the stupor of exhaustion. It's horrible and unavoidable. Usually it fades away if you push through it, but today you aren't sure if you'll be able to. You decide to... [[move to sit on the desk and look out the window.]] [[sleep on the bed.]]

As you walk down the street, the poster is easier to see. It looks heavy, like thick, old paper, or maybe another material entirely. There doesn't seem to be anything printed on it, either, which strikes you as odd. You reach down to pick it up. It's weight is surprising — it's substantial but not heavy. The side facing you is blank, so you turn it over and inspect it. It looks like some weird, old-timey map, like the ones they use in pirate movies. [[Look at the map.]]

"Sure." She smiles thinly, pitying, at you. You look away from her. She's still standing there, why? Maybe there's something else you're meant to say to her. "Uh, well, thank you for coming by. I'm sorry the yelling disturbed you." Is she looking at you funny? You shift a little, now uncomfortable with her attention. She smiles again. "Don't be sorry, it's not you doing the yelling. I'll leave you to your business, dear." "Oh. Yes, thanks. Have a good day." You close the door as she walks away and breathe deeply. It's always a little stressful, talking with the other residents. You're one of the younger tenants and the only one without a family or housemate, and you think maybe the other people here think differently of you for it. It makes you sad to think about. Now your head feels too full, like it'll burst at any given moment. [[Take a walk to clear your head.|Leave through the building.]] [[Try to rest and take your mind off of everything.|sleep on the bed.]]

<img src="http://judydeatherage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/imageonline-co-transparentimage-2048x1510.png" class="responsive"> The map is strange, and you don't recognize either of the roads on the map. The coastline does seem somewhat familiar, but you aren't sure exactly where those tide pools are. At least, not until you see the structure at the far bottom of the map. A chill runs down your back as a faint memory worms it way forward. You know this church and cemetery. Long ago in your childhood, your grandmother took you, saying that it would save your soul. She's there now, interred forever under six feet of dirt and a concrete slab. [[Go to the cemetery.]] [[Visit the library to see if you can learn more about the map.|Go to library.]]

The woman looks kindly at you. "Don't be sorry, it's alright. I'll go ask David downstairs and see if he knows anything. You take care now." "Thank you," you say, "I hope you're able to find out what's going on." "Me, too. 'Bye now." You call out a faint farewell as she walks down the hall, then you close the door and sigh. It's always hard talking to people, but she was nice enough. It's been a long day and you're feeling tired and hungry. The pantry is practically empty and there's not much in the refrigerator either. "Damn it," you mutter, "I guess I should go to the store." As much as you'd love to stay inside all day, you do need to eat, so you grab your stuff, throw everything into a bag, and head out the door. [[Go outside.|Leave through the building.]]

Welcome! For the best experience, play with sound on. [[Begin.|beginning]]

You lift yourself out of the chair and onto the desk, pressing one side of your body to the window. There are a few people walking outside and a cab is rounding the corner of the next street. That strange poster is still flapping around outside. It's surprising that it hasn't been picked up or blown away yet. It's been a while since you left your apartment for longer than fifteen minutes. Maybe it would be good to get out. People-watching hasn't helped get rid of that heavy tiredness, so why not go be out in the world? "Even if it doesn't work," you say to yourself, "at least I'll have stretched my legs." Once you've slid off the desk, you start gathering your stuff: wallet, keys, journal, pocketknife. Check. Everything goes in your bag and you're on your way out the door. [[Leave through the building.]]

A nap sounds nice today. You shuffle from the desk to your bed and bury yourself under the weight of the blankets. The blankets offer up their warmth and shelter, and you accept. The cat jumps onto the bed with you and curls up near your feet. Her purrs fill the small room and become white noise as your eyes slide shut. [[sleep.]]

In your dreams you see caves off a rugged shoreline. Birds wheel overhead, but their cries sound wrong, almost human. Too alive, like they're in pain. You're pulled toward a cave, into the darkness. A light flickers on. A lamp. It bobs in front of you and you follow until the darkness swallows you. It's harder to breathe here. The light is moving faster. You have to run to keep up. You're gasping for air. Drowning. Then, like breaking through the surface of the water, you can breathe again. The cave isn't as dark now, but the lamp you were following is gone. You glide towards this new light and find a door in the middle of an empty chamber. It glows from the inside so brightly you can hardly stand to look at it. You walk through into the light and you feel warm. [[End.]]

You've completed the game. I wonder, what would happen had you chosen differently? If you'd like, you can return to the [[beginning]] and find out. Thank you so much for playing! The [[reflection|Reflection]] is here.

The door always sticks at first. You push your shoulder into it, hard, and it moves. After years of living here, you've figured out exactly how hard you need to push it for it rotate enough so that you can walk through without needing to push it the whole time. It's disgusting how many people put their hands all over the door. Just thinking about it makes your hands feel itchy, like there's invisible dirt all over them that needs to be scrubbed off. You rub them on your jacket and make your way outside. It's windier than you thought. The wind pushes through your hair, ruffling it like your mother used to. Irritating, but comforting. To your left is the building's bulletin board. Past that you can see that poster blowing in the wind. To your right there's a shopping center a few blocks down the road. [[Go left.]] [[Go right.]]

You walk over to the bulletin board. There's a few announcements for gatherings, a poster for someone's kid's dance recital, and a couple listings for tutors and babysitters. All boring. The poster on the ground is easier to see now. The wind has pushed it a little farther down the street now, it's dance in the wind becoming more aggressive. Someone should throw it away. You suppose it's up to you to take care of it. [[Walk down the street and pick up the poster.|Go check it out.]]

Turning to the right, you start off down the street. The wind pushes on your back, making your hair fall into your face and propelling you forward. As you pass by the shops and restaurants along the street, you look into the windows. Nothing catches your eye, but it's still fun to look around. After about five minutes you reach the shopping center. The shops near the entrance are mostly for novelties, and they're not worth your time. There's a clothing store you quite like, so you stop in to look at their fall offerings. You find a sweater you like and pay for it, then leave and push on towards the back of the shopping center. "Right, groceries." The grocery store is small and you make your way through the aisles buying what you need. Vegetables, fruit, pasta, bread, a few snack foods, and a selection of meats from the butcher. You go through the self check-out and make your way back towards the entrance. [[Leave the shopping center.]]

You call a cab and ask the driver to take you to the old church on the coast. He shoots you a glance and shakes his head in a weird way, but he puts the car in gear and starts driving. "You know that place is abandoned, right?" "Yeah, I know," you say shakily. You press your backpack close to your chest as if it'll reassure you. "So why go?" I don't know. Just a feeling." The driver seems dissatisfied with your response so you add, "My grandmother is buried there." He looks at your reflection in the mirror. "Really? Hadn't heard of nobody being buried there in at least twenty years." "Yeah, uh, she died when I was really young. Her death wasn't published anywhere. Only the man who gave the service and my family know she's there. And you, I guess." "Hmph." He looks back at the road. With the conversation over, you turn back to the window. The buildings change from tall, thin streaks of steel and glass to squat, broad smears of concrete and wood as you make your way out of the city. After a while, the driver slows and turns off of the road onto the dirt shoulder. "The church is a short walk that way," he instructs as he points to the coast. "That's thirty dollars." You pay and get out of the car. [[Start walking to the church.]]

The city's library, located ten blocks from your apartment building, holds all public records dating back to ten years after the city's founding. Assuming that this map is less than two hundred years old, it's a safe bet that there will be some record of the roads and church depicted on the map. You arrive at the library about half an hour after you set out. After speaking with one of the librarians, you're brought into a back storage room. "This row has about thirty years of records from shortly after first ground was broken on the first building. Use any of the call buttons on the walls if you need anything." She leaves and silence falls over the vast space. [[Start looking through the file boxes.]]

As you leave and start your walk home, you think about the mundanity of your day-to-day life. A cycle of doing nothing beyond work, one that you can't seem to change or break. You feel stuck and suffocated, like you're drowning in something invisible and endless. It's draining, but it's as if you've been in it for so long you forgot how to leave. Sometimes you find yourself wishing you could escape or go back and dig yourself out. You're back at your building now. It's been nice to be outside, so you decide to go quickly back up to your apartment, put everything away, and come back outside and take a short walk to end out the day. You climb quickly up the stairs, feeling more energized than you have in weeks. Groceries go quickly into the pantry and the refrigerator, the sweater into the laundry basket. You check your backpack and leave the apartment. Once back outside, you see a few brightly colored announcements on the bulletin board, so you walk over to take a look. [[Look at the bulletin board.|Go left.]]

The light is a strange light green and pulses softly. You feel called toward it. As you approach, the light becomes brighter, so bright that you have to squint to see the cave walls around you. You finally reach the end of the long tunnel you were in and step into a large, open cave. It's the largest one you've seen on your journey. It feels like you've come a long way since you first entered the caves. You're exhausted and sore, but somehow this light makes you feel energized. It fills the space, illuminating the furthest recesses of the cave. As your eyes adjust, you finally see the source of the light. Embedded into the wall of the cave directly across from you are two doorways. One shines with a blue light, the other yellow, and both have a quiet sound emanating from them. Questions circle in your mind. There is so much unknown about this place, about the history of the mines. Why here, why you, why now? How did any of this happen? You cross the cave floor and stand before the doorways. There are no markings on or around them. This seems to be the end of the road. No way back and nowhere else to go. [[Go through the blue-lit doorway.]] [[Go through the yellow-lit doorway.]]

You step towards the blue light and hope to yourself that this is the right choice. Faith seems ironic now, given what you've been through. Taking a deep breath, you walk through. It's dark. What? You feel in front of you. The cold metal of a doorhandle greets your searching hand. You turn it and there's light on the other side. Pushing the door open, you see a familiar sight — you're now standing on the sidewalk of the street in front of your building. You turn around to see if the door is still there. It is, but when you try to open it, it's locked. A sign on the door says "Maintenance Entrance Only." You turn to the left and start walking in the direction of the building's entrance. Before entering the building, you glance quickly at the bullentin board. It's different than it was earlier, completely different. You check the date on one of the postings. A year earlier than when you left. "What the hell? How did I-" you stammer as you try to reason with this new development. "What am I supposed to do for a year?" You think back to your job, how miserable and beaten down you felt. "Maybe I can have a fresh start, try something new. Take time for myself and figure out what I want." You walk away from your building, feeling content for the first time in a long time. [[End.|Ending]]

You step towards the yellow light and hope to yourself that this is the right choice. Faith seems ironic now, given what you've been through. Taking a deep breath, you walk through. It's dark. What? You feel in front of you. The cold metal of a doorhandle greets your searching hand. You turn it and there's light on the other side. Pushing the door open, you see a familiar sight — you're now standing on the sidewalk of the street in front of your building. You turn around to see if the door is still there. It is, but when you try to open it, it's locked. A sign on the door says "Maintenance Entrance Only." You turn to the left and start walking in the direction of the building's entrance. In the distance, a bell tolls. You count the hours and freeze. The count is wrong. There were too few. The clock is never wrong, but it's two off from the correct time. You didn't leave your building this early, so how can you be back so - "oh." "What the hell? How did I-" you stammer as you try to reason with this new development. "What am I supposed to do for two hours? I can't just walk into my apartment and say hello to myself." You think for a moment. "I guess I have more time for myself. How about I go treat myself to something nice? It's high time to take care of myself." You smile and walk away from your building. You drop the map on the ground and step onto the road. As you cross the street, a silver car barrels down the road. Brakes screech. "Holy shit!" You yell and hit the hood of the car. "Watch where you're going!" The car speeds off and you look after it as it goes. You shake yourself off and continue down the road. [[End.|Ending]]

You made it! Thank you so very much for playing. I really hope you enjoyed it. [[Reflection]]

The ground crunches under your feet as you walk further into the field separating the church from the road. The breeze from the water is cool, and you shiver slightly. Bringing a sweater would have been smart. Walking should help warm you up, so you'll just have to endure a few minutes of discomfort. As you approach the fence surrounding the property, you see birds perched on the roof of the church and wheeling in the sky. They seem to be looking at you. You feel another chill down your back, but shake it off and walk faster. You finally reach the fence. The gate is rusty from disuse and creaks when you move it. It's screeching complaint agitates the birds and they take flight in one silent motion. [[Enter.]]

<img src="http://judydeatherage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DBB07CCE-9C1B-43FC-A4A4-50AFF8E36A70.jpeg" class="responsive"> "What a dump. Ah, that's probably disrespectful. Sorry," you whisper to the dead. The cemetery is overgrown with weeds and dead flowers decorate some of the mossy headstones. You make your way through, glancing quickly at some of the graves to read their inscriptions. Only a few are legible. The grass near the end of the cemetery rustles. You freeze. There didn't seem to be anyone else here when you opened the gate. [["Who's there?"]] [[Approach cautiously]]

A man pokes his head up from the weeds, then stands quickly. He's old, and one of those old people who looks like the weight of their life is pulling them down into the ground. He doesn't meet your eyes as he hurries quickly out of the cemetery and into the field. You walk toward the headstone he was crouched near. The inscription has a man's name on it and the death date reads about forty years prior. You look back but the man is gone. Weird. [[Continue into the church.]]

You move the left and start walking slowly towards the source of the sound. A man pokes his head up from the weeds, then stands quickly. "Shit!" He grimaces but doesn't meet your eyes. He's old, and one of those old people who looks like the weight of their life is pulling them down into the ground. As if in a rush, he hurries out of the cemetery and into the field. You walk toward the headstone he was crouched near. The inscription has a man's name on it and the death date reads about forty years prior. You look back but the man is gone. Weird. [[Continue into the church.]]

The stairs leading up to the church's entrance are rotted, but one step seems to be intact. You test it lightly with one foot. It holds, so you put your weight on it and step up. As you step onto the landing next the door, the beam gives out and you lurch backwards but quickly stabilize yourself. Your ankle hurts a little bit now but you seem fine otherwise. What was once a door is now a gaping mouth of an entrance. The doors are long gone, likely stolen or rotted away. It stinks inside, like wet paper and old sweat. You try to breathe through your mouth. Most of the stained glass window is still there. The empty spaces create a strange collage of colorful exaltation and cold nature. The pulpit is also exactly where it should be. You take a few steps toward it. Too late, you realize that the floor inside is also rotted. It gives way, falling down into nothing and taking you with it. Your head cracks against something hard and everything goes dark. [[wake up.]]

Something wet drips onto your face. You sit up, disoriented. The back of your head throbs and it feels like one of your ankles is sprained, but you're otherwise unharmed. The only light comes in from the hole you created in the church floor, and it doesn't allow you to see much. You're definitely underground, probably in one of the caves, but you can't see light coming from anywhere else. Using one of the beams from the collapsed floor, you lever yourself up. Your leg buckles almost immediately. There's a floorboard next to your left hand that might function as a cane or crutch, so you pick it up and try to stand again. The makeshift crutch works fairly well, so you start walking, following the wall of the cave. [[Look for a way out.]]

Starting with the box dating back the furthest, you scan through documents and newspaper clippings trying to find any mention of a church or the two roads on the map. Nothing seems to be coming up. There are plenty mentions of the city's founding family, the way they came into their wealth, the large deposits of valuable ore in the ca- Wait. You look back at the map. Sure enough, there's a small arrow labeled "caves entrance" pointing toward the cliff near the church. You continue to scan through the articles mentioning the caves. A mining accident. Tunnels collapsed after a find that could send the town's trade skyrocketing. "A tragic accident," one article states. "Suspected foul play," claims another. Questions fill your mind. What's down there? How did the collapse happen? Why was this map just out on the street? Papers fly as you jump to your feet. You gather them and shove them haphazardly into a box. As you make your way out of the library you mumble a quick "thanks" to the woman who helped you earlier. [[Call a cab and head to the coast.|Call a cab.]]

You call a cab and ask the driver to take you to the old church on the coast. He shoots you a glance and shakes his head in a weird way, but he puts the car in gear and starts driving. "You know that place is abandoned, right?" "Yeah, I know," you say shakily. You press your backpack close to your chest as if it'll reassure you. "So why go?" I don't know. Just a feeling." The driver seems dissatisfied with your response so you add, "I want to explore the caves on the coast." He looks at your reflection in the mirror. "Really? Didn't know there was anything there except that shitty old church." "Yeah, uh, they're really old. It makes sense that you wouldn't know about them since nobody ever visits the church." "Hmph." He looks back at the road. With the conversation over, you turn back to the window. The buildings change from tall, thin streaks of steel and glass to squat, broad smears of concrete and wood as you make your way out of the city. After a while, the driver slows and turns off of the road onto the dirt shoulder. "That's thirty dollars." He turns to you and gestures for your money. You pay and get out of the car. [[Walk to the coast.]]

The ground crunches under your feet as you walk further into the field separating the church from the road. The breeze from the water is cool, and you shiver slightly. Bringing a sweater would have been smart. Walking should help warm you up, so you'll just have to endure a few minutes of discomfort. <img src="http://judydeatherage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/FF6B6601-BAED-448D-9755-C1089D9F7F1C.jpeg" class="responsive"> As you approach the cliffs, you hear birds calling. There's a flock near the church and a few stray birds circle overhead. They all seem to be looking at you. You've never seen birds like this. They seem too intelligent, almost human. You look away. The ground drops away ten feet ahead of you. There seems to be one path leading down to the beach. It's narrow and steep, but seems manageable. Halfway down the path a rockslide has obstructed the way. You... [[try to move some of the rocks.|Move rocks]] [[try to climb over.| Climb over.]]

You begin with the smaller rocks, dropping them down the side of cliff. Most of the rocks are medium-sized and heavier than they look. You move each rock delicately off of the pile and set them down off the path. They tumble down the step slope and rest where the beach meets the cliff face. As you work, you become increasingly impatient and less cautious. Your hands slip on one the last rocks and a sharp edge slices into your palms. Blood rushes forward, making the rock slippery. It falls loudly down. The birds above you screech, agitated by the disruption. By now your body has registered the injury and your hands begin to sting. You fumble around in your backpack searching for your pocketknife. With it, you cut off part of your shirt and try to bandage your hands. Shoddy bandages in place and cursing in pain, you step over the last of the rocks and finish your descent. [[Approach the caves.]]

You scramble over the rocks, doing your best not to send them rolling down the cliff. As you climb down, your hands slip, and a rock slices roughly into your palms. Pain makes you cry out and you jump off down to the other side of the path. Cursing quietly, you use your pocketknife to rip the hem of your shirt in a hasty attempt to make a bandage. Using the torn fabric you wrap your hands and hold them close to your chest. Irritated, you complete your descent and march across the beach to the mouth of the caves. [[Approach the caves.]]

The cliffs are dotted with holes, the scars of mining projects from a century prior. There seems to be one entrance on the beach, partially covered by the rising tide. You remove your shoes and socks and roll up your pants before wading out to the opening. The water is cold and the waves slap on your skin, leaving a salty sting. It doesn't take long to reach the cave. The cave floor is rocky and slopes gently up. Slipping occasionally, you make your way up the rocks and sit. While you put your shoes and socks back on, you think you hear someone call your name. You look back. Nothing is there except for a tunnel leading off into the dark. [[Explore inside the cave.]]

<img src="http://judydeatherage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/imageonline-co-transparentimage-2048x1510.png" class="responsive" width="750" height="500"> The map is strange, and you don't recognize either of the roads on the map. The coastline does seem somewhat familiar, but you aren't sure exactly where those tide pools are. At least, not until you see the structure at the far bottom of the map. A chill runs down your back as a faint memory worms it way forward. You know this church and cemetery. Long ago in your childhood, your grandmother took you, saying that it would save your soul. She's there now, interred forever under six feet of dirt and a concrete slab. [[Go to the cemetery.|go to cemetery 2]]

"What a dump. Ah, that's probably disrespectful. Sorry," you whisper to the dead. The cemetery is overgrown with weeds and dead flowers decorate some of the mossy headstones. You make your way through, glancing quickly at some of the graves to read their inscriptions. Only a few are legible. The grass near the end of the cemetery rustles. You freeze. There didn't seem to be anyone else here when you opened the gate. [["Who's there?"|who's there 2]] [[Approach cautiously|approach cautiously 2]]

Something rough scratches your face. When you open your eyes, two eyes stare back at you. You sit up, disoriented and frighetened. As your awareness returns, you see the cat sitting in front of you. It tilts its head to look at you and meows. It sounds like a question. What the hell? How did the cat get here? The back of your head throbs and it feels like one of your ankles is sprained, but you're otherwise unharmed. The only light comes in from the hole you created in the church floor, and it doesn't allow you to see much. You're definitely underground, probably in one of the caves, but you can't see light coming from anywhere else. The cat trots over to a beam on the floor. You reach for it. Maybe it'll help with your ankle. Using it as a crutch, you stand up. The makeshift crutch works fairly well, so you start walking, following the wall of the cave. As you step forward, you feel the cat bump against your leg. It walks across the room, stopping in front of one of the walls. "Am I supposed to know what you want me to do?" It meows, sounding almost frustrated, so you follow. There's a tunnel here! "How did you know?" You look for the cat, and it's already walking away. [[Follow the cat.]]

My primary strategy while writing this game was to create a world that felt real. I tried to incorporate small details like in //Solitary// and //Life is Strange//. When writing the player's character, I wanted to create as broad an image as possible, so I didn't use a name or gendered pronouns in order to allow the player to graft themselves onto the character (or imagine the character their own way). Although it's not developed much throughout the game, I tried to leave hints regarding the protagonist's mental well-being as a way of incorporating a relatable struggle. However, those details apply more to my own experiences with mental illness as I felt that it would be wrong to write about the general experience of having depression or anxiety given that they're so different for each person. Getting feedback was a great asset for me. I realized that a few of my initial passages forced players to go down one path even if they chose something else, so I went back in and added the dream sequence ending. I also received a couple questions about the significance of the cat and leaving the window open. I had been planning from the beginning to incorporate the cat but it was nice to see some curiousity regarding those choices. I hope that players will, most importantly, enjoy this game. I think a lot of people want an "escape," and that can mean lots of different things, but I'd like for this game to inspire an escape — a trip, a day for yourself, and so on — whatever people need to get some distance from the turbulance of the world.

Before setting off further into the caves, you look back one last time. The water has come up even more, almost all the way to the cave floor. <img src="http://judydeatherage.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/B96B47DE-83E1-4BFF-925E-EBF53C6C7B37.jpeg" class="responsive"> You walk into the tunnel leading away from the entrance. Holes scattered in the ceiling provide some light, but the tunnel otherwise remains in a quiet twilight. The way is narrow and winding. Every fifteen feet or so the tunnel branches off into smaller caves or mineshafts. Many are blocked or caved in. A few only go out a foot or so and then stop. Lanterns, darkened by dirt and age, hang unlit from the ceiling. You reach for one, thinking it might be helpful later on. It's heavy, and the oil at the bottom sloshes loudly when you move it from its post. Strangely, the wick looks unused and the lantern is fairly clean. You hold it near you and continue to walk. [[Continue moving forward.]]

By following the gently curving wall, you reason that this cave is fairly circular. If the cave is circular, then, you should be able to see a way out. "There could be a way out around a corner I can't see. Let's not lose hope yet," you say, trying to keep your spirits up. It seems strange for there to be such an large cave with no connecting tunnels. There used to be a mine here. This is probably where one of the ore deposits was. Your free hand has been gliding along the cave wall, but now it wavers alone in an open space. "Yes!" There was a way out, you just couldn't see it from where you fell. Hope propels you forward into the tunnel. There's a light at the end, a way out! You hobble as quickly as you can, desperate to leave. You've had enough exploring to last you a month. You reach the mouth of the tunnel. Dismay rises up, suffocating the excitement you felt just seconds prior. From here, the cliffs guarding the beach are wardens, trapping you on the beach. There's a path leading up to the field, but it's far too steep for you to navigate with your present injury. Heart heavy, you turn back around. [[Go back into the caves.|Explore inside the cave.]]

As you walk further into the tunnel, the light coming in from the ceiling becomes increasingly faint. Your eyes adjust as the tunnel becomes darker, but soon you'll need another light source. "It's lucky that the lantern was there," you think to yourself. You reach into your backpack again, but can't find what you're looking for. Next, you pat your pockets. There it is. You produce a lighter from your front pocket and light the wick of the lantern. It glows warmly, illuminating a three or four foot circle of space. There's a whisper coming from somewhere further down the tunnel. Wind, probably, but it sounds like someone reciting a prayer, a repeated pattern of breathy syllables. It's eerie, but if there's another person down here maybe they can help you. The lighter returns to your pocket and you shuffle through the tunnel, trying not to hit the walls or trip over any loose rocks. Whatever you heard is louder now, so you stop and try to listen. [[Keep following the sound.]] [[Call out.]]

You walk into the tunnel leading away from the entrance. Holes scattered in the ceiling provide some light, but the tunnel otherwise remains in a quiet twilight. The way is narrow and winding. Every fifteen feet or so the tunnel branches off into smaller caves or mineshafts. Many are blocked or caved in. A few only go out a foot or so and then stop. The cat continues along the main tunnel, so you follow, trying not to stop too often. Lanterns, darkened by dirt and age, hang unlit from the ceiling. You reach for one, thinking it might be helpful later on. It's heavy, and the oil at the bottom sloshes loudly when you move it from its post. Strangely, the wick looks unused and the lantern is fairly clean. You hold it near you and continue to walk. [[Continue moving forward.|continue forward 2]]

As you walk further into the tunnel, the light coming in from the ceiling becomes increasingly faint. Your eyes adjust as the tunnel becomes darker, but soon you'll need another light source. "It's lucky that the lantern was there," you think to yourself. You reach into your backpack again, but can't find what you're looking for. Next, you pat your pockets. There it is. You produce a lighter from your front pocket and light the wick of the lantern. It glows warmly, illuminating a three or four foot circle of space. There's a whisper coming from somewhere further down the tunnel. Wind, probably, but it sounds like someone reciting a prayer, a repeated pattern of breathy syllables. It's eerie, but if there's another person down here maybe they can help you. The cat hisses and the whisper stops. How bizarre. The lighter returns to your pocket and you shuffle through the tunnel, trying not to hit the walls or trip over any loose rocks. The noise you heard earlier begins again, this time louder. Its intensity makes you freeze. The cat also seems on edge but continues to creep forward, making a low, angry noise. You sense that it's wise to be quiet now. [[Keep following the sound.|follow sound]]

"Hey!" Your cry echoes in the tunnel, almost deafening compared to the silence you've been surrounded by. From the relative direction of the whisper comes a sharp screech and a whip-like flapping sound. Bats, bigger than any you've ever seen, come pouring out of one of the smaller caves. You duck, trying to cover yourself as they move past, but it doesn't help much. Something sharp cuts you on your arm. Another strike on your side. On your leg, on your neck, on your back. The bats are cutting into you, their wings and feet like knives. Most of the cuts are shallow, but there are dozens of them. Once the panicked shrieks have faded, you move slowly, shaken and bleeding. Despair seeps in and tears begin rolling down your face. You feel genuinely hopeless, lost, alone. There's a pressure on your chest, clamping down on your throat. You feel buried, joined with the unlucky dead in the cemetery above you. The weight on your chest now covers your entire body. You're going to be here forever. You don't have the energy to get up. [[You collapse.]]

As you continue down the tunnel, the sound becomes louder. It's still barely a whisper with no audible words, but you can tell now that it isn't being made by wind. It's a repeating, measured sound that feels like speech, perhaps in another language you can't understand. The cat is now visibly agitated, it's tail puffy, ears back, and eyes large. It stops, looking to the right into a small cave. Using the lantern, you peer into the empty space. It's full of the largest bats you've ever seen. They're the size of large birds, and their wings look sharp. You reel back quickly. "Come on, kitty, let's move. We don't want to stir them up." The cat remains on edge, so you kneel as best you can and offer it your hand. It looks at you and darts away back to where you came in. You're sad to part with the cat, but something tells you you'll see her again. Now alone, you continue through the tunnel. You round a corner and can see light. It's puzzling to you. Being so far away from the coast, it doesn't make sense for there to be any kind of light down here. "Maybe a cave collapsed or there are other entrances," you reason, "that would make sense." The light seems to follow a pattern much like the sound does, and it crosses your mind that it could be a machine of some sort. "But nobody could be down here to operate it, so that's not right," you murmur. "Might as well just see what it's coming from. I'm sick of being down here." [[Follow the light.]]

The next time your eyes open, you're in a white room. It's cold and smells clean. A woman stands over you, reading something from a chart. She looks at you and smiles. "You're awake, I'm glad." "Where am I?" "You're in the hospital. You've been out for a couple days. Some of your injuries were infected." "My- What?" "A search and rescue team found you unconscious in an abandoned mining system. Someone in your building, I think your landlady, called the police when you hadn't shown back up after a few days." "Days?" "Yes, days. Nobody is sure how long you were missing for." "Oh." "Don't worry about it now, okay? Get some rest. There'll be another doctor here in a few hours who can give you more details. I don't know much beyond what's in here," she says as she gestures toward her clipboard. Your eyes slide closed again. The caves feel like a dream. What happened there? [[End.|thanks]]

Thank you for playing! There's another ending where things happen a little differently, so if you'd like to check that out you can go back to the [[beginning]]. The reflection is [[here|Reflection]].