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//Early summer evening
Fifteen-story building.
You come to the rooftop to catch a breath of a sunset breeze.
You see a young, anxious man standing on the ledge. //
[[-(Say nothing. Lean against the barrier and look into the far.)]]
[[-Hi.]]
[[-You're not gonna do this.]]
[[-Just do it, get over with it.]]
//The suicide hears you but ignores you.//
[[-Whatever happened, it must be irreversible if you decided to do this.]]
[[-You may think I'm trying to endear you but I was there before.]]
//The suicide turns his head startled.//
[[-You've been sitting there for too long.]]
[[-Why are you staring? Jump!]]//After a while, the suicide turns his head as if he sensed your presence. He seems surprised and abashed.//
[[-Whatever happened, it must be irreversible if you decided to do this.]]
[[-You may think I'm trying to endear you but I was there before.]]
//Embarrassed//
Leave me alone.
[[-(Do nothing.)]]
[[-Alone with your thoughts? Thinking might be dangerous especially while standing in front of a void.]]
[[-Alone? Why? To think something through? Second thoughts?]]
//Embarrassed//
Leave me alone.
[[-(Do nothing.)]]
[[-Alone? Why? To think something through? Second thoughts?]]
[[-Alone with your thoughts? Thinking might be dangerous especially while standing in front of a void.]]//Indifferent//
What makes you think so?
[[-You may think I'm trying to endear you but I was there before.]]
[[-You've been sitting there for too long.]]
[[-Why are you staring? Jump!]]//Aggravated//
Leave me the fuck alone!
[[-Alone? Why? To think something through? Second thoughts?]]
[[-Just end this drama. It doesn't matter whether you're alone or if there is an audience.]]//Embarrassed//
Leave me alone.
[[-(Do nothing.)]]
[[-Alone? Why? To think something through? Second thoughts?]]
[[-Alone with your thoughts? Thinking might be dangerous especially while standing in front of a void.]]
[[-Just end this drama. It doesn't matter whether you're alone or if there is an audience.]]
//Guilty//
I... I pushed him.
[[-(Do Nothing)]]
[[-What? ->-(Do Nothing)]]
//Weeping and stuttering//
I... it was an accident. I failed t-two tests that day. On the way back home... I came across B-Billy. I was hoping that he would leave me alone. Just this one time. But he... Just. Couldn't. Resist.
I snapped.
//Speaking very fast and misarticulating//
Split second... I found myself charging at him with all my strength. He fell down. I heard a crack. Then I realized that once he gets up, I'm fucked.
But he didn't.
He was lying still. I came closer... His breathing... Oh god... I p-panicked and ran away.
Next day, the whole school was talking that Billy is in a hospital... and... and... and his condition is critical... and that he slipped into a c-coma.
I prayed. I never pray. I wanted him to never wake up again. I feared that once he wakes up, I'm done.
Several weeks later, I was passing his house. I noticed three paramedics putting him on a wheelchair. His head hanging loose... Like a lifeless puppet. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move... but I knew, I knew he was looking at me.
I... I... I killed. I k-killed a man.
//Wailing//
[[-(Remain silent)]]
[[-I didn't see that coming. ->-(Remain silent)]]
//Furious//
But it was HIS FAULT!
He made me do this!
He brought this to himself!
//Whispering//
Years of humiliation...
[[-Do you regret it?]]
[[-Fuck him, he deserved it.]]
I don't know. He deserved it but... His family is a mess now.
Father started to gamble and he uses the expensive treatment to justify his addiction. His mother is an empty shell. His little sister... she disappeared yesterday... Now the whole town is looking for her.
Every fuckup leads the another... it doesn't stop...
AND IT"S NOT EVEN MY FAULT!
[[-It's nobody's fault. Neither yours nor his.]]
[[-It's not your fault. He brought this to himself in the same way as his parents did by letting him be a douchebag.]]
[[-It is your fault! You did nothing to prevent him from bullying you and now innocent people have to suffer.]]
[[-(Come closer) Well kid, I wasn't expecting such a plot twist but I have to admit... the whole case sucks. Badly.]]
But now it's even worse. People start suspecting that I might have something to do with it...
He's been bruising me mentally for years! I hit him just once...
//Infuriated//
It's so FUCKING UNFAIR!
[[-Sometimes... it's beyond our power to control the chaos that fortune creates. Some forces cannot be stopped. We cannot control it... but we can react.]]
[[-You had a lot of options, yet you chose the worst one. I think that making that one step forward is the best choice you can make.]]
[[-You have to move on. Start from the beginning. You are not responsible for all the misfortunes that happen. Let-it-go.]]But now it's even worse. People start suspecting that I might have something to do with that...
He's been bruising me mentally for years! I hit him just once...
//Infuriated//
It's so FUCKING UNFAIR!
[[-(Come closer) You are a victim! Not Billy, not his shitty family or no-matter-how-cute sister. You've suffered a lot and karma finally got him.]]
[[-Sometimes... it's beyond our power to control the chaos that fortune creates. Some forces cannot be stopped. We cannot control it... but we can react.]]
[[-You have to move on. Start from the beginning. You are not responsible for all the misfortunes that happen. Let-it-go.]]//Bewildered//
What? He's been bruising me mentally for years! I hit him just once...
//Infuriated//
It's so FUCKING UNFAIR!
[[-You had a lot of options, yet you chose the worst one. I think that making that one step forward is the best choice you can make.]]
[[-(Come closer) You are a victim! Not Billy, not his shitty family or no-matter-how-cute sister. You've suffered a lot and karma finally got him.]]But now it's even worse. People start suspecting that I might have something to do with it...
He's been bruising me mentally for years! I hit him just once...
//Infuriated//
It's so FUCKING UNFAIR!
[[-(Come closer) You are a victim! Not Billy, not his shitty family or no-matter-how-cute sister. You've suffered a lot and karma finally got him.]]
[[-You had a lot of options, yet you chose the worst one. I think that making that one step forward is the best choice you can make.]]//Silence
The Suicide hangs his head and covers his face in hands//
[[-(Push him.)]]
[[-You won't wash this away. It's gonna haunt you for the rest of your life.]]//With hope//
You mean... Can I fix it?
[[-Fix it... I doubt it but you can redeem yourself. You have to start with yourself. Just make a tiny step back.]]
[[-You have to move on. Start from the beginning. You are not responsible for all the misfortunes that happen. Let-it-go.]]//Silence, the suicide turns his head and looks at you confused and troubled, as if you've sentenced him.//
[[-You won't wash this away. It's gonna haunt you for the rest of your life.]]
[[-(Push him.)]]
[[-(Do nothing)]]
//The Suicide looks at you miserably.
He makes one step forward and disappears.////You rush towards him and push him off the edge.//
N-no, I don't...
//You watch him falling.////The suicide stares at you miserably//
[[-Just a one step back... to make two steps forward.]]
[[-(Do nothing)]]//The suicide looks at you.
He stands up and hesitates for a while.
He makes one step forward and disappears.////With hope//
But... c-can I fix it?
[[-You won't wash this away. It's gonna haunt you for the rest of your life.]]
[[-(Do nothing)]]
[[-Fix it... I doubt it but you can redeem yourself. You have to start with yourself. Just make a tiny step back.]]//Twenty seconds of awkward silence pass.//
//Irritated//
What do you want? Are you too shy to ask if I can blow you since I have nothing left to lose? Or are you just waiting till I jump and then you gonna jack off?
[[-You don't know that for sure but if this image will keep you from jumping... I just want to talk.]]
[[-Once, there was someone who played a savior for me. Thanks to him I can be one for someone else right now.]] //Perplexed//
I... You don't... Why are you even here?
[[-Once, there was someone who played a savior for me. Thanks to him I can be one for someone else right now.]]
[[-I came here because I didn't want to listen to the boring people's workplace drama. After all, it seems that I did the right thing. Your story must be at least ten times better.]]//Cheeky//
You think you can help me... but it's just you acting like a savior. Why are even you here?
[[-Once, there was someone who played a savior for me. Thanks to him I can be one for someone else right now.]]
[[-I came here because I didn't want to listen to the boring people's workplace drama. After all, it seems that I did the right thing. Your story must be at least ten times better.]]//Confused and annoyed//
So what exactly do you want to tell me? That life isn't that bad after all? That I should eat healthily and exercise more? Spare me.
[[-I don't want to tell you anything. I just want to listen to what you have to say.]]
[[-Listen... I did a lot of wrong things in my life... I just want to help you out of my own selfish reasons. If I convince you, It'll make me feel better.]]
//Bitter//
So tell me, Forgotten Avenger, how exactly do you want to save me? What is your superpower? Lying to people that life isn't that bad after all without them noticing? Telling people to eat healthily and exercise more?
[[-I don't want to tell you anything. I just want to listen to what you have to say.]]
[[-I don't know. It just feels natural to have a conversation in such a... situation.]]//Resigned//
And what makes you think I want to talk with you?
[[-I don't know. It just feels natural to have a conversation in such a... situation.]]
[[-Listen... I did a lot of wrong things in my life... I just want to help you out of my own selfish reasons. If I convince you, It'll make me feel better.]]
[[-(Light a cigarette) For all I care, either we talk or you make one more step and nobody finds out what bugged you. Did you leave a note?]]
//Resentful//
Why would I share anything with you?
[[-Sometimes we... need to hear our emotions spoken out loud. Then we realize what's the true cause of it.]]
[[-I don't know. It just feels natural to have a conversation in such a... situation.]]//Mocking//
And then what? I tell you everything, you nod, then you pat me on the shoulder, say "there, there", I sell all my stuff, buy a ticket to Lesotho and build houses for the poor people?
[[-It didn't come to my mind... but it sounds like a plan.]]
[[-Listen... I did a lot of wrong things in my life... I just want to help you out of my own selfish reasons. If I convince you, It'll make me feel better.]]//Mocking//
And then what? I tell you everything, you nod, then you pat me on the shoulder "there, there", I sell all my stuff, buy a ticket to Lesotho and build houses for the poor people?
[[-It didn't come to my mind... but it sounds like a plan.]]
[[-You know... that is a bold decision. To jump. To end your life. If you have enough courage to do this you might as well start all over again. With a clean sheet. Somewhere far from here.]]//Sceptic//
It won't change shit. Live is unfair everywhere. People suck everywhere. Same shit, different country.
[[-Unfair?]]
[[-If you say so... You must have a good reason to think like that.->-Unfair?]]//Disillusioned//
People are superficial. They don't want to hear the truth. It's uncomfortable. Your efforts don't matter. Your kindness doesn't matter. Your...
//The suicide gasps//
Fucking Billy...
It's... it's his fault!
[[-There is something else...]]
[[-Who's Billy?->-There is something else...]]//Hostile//
A million buildings are in this town yet you had to choose this one... What the fuck do you want from me?
[[-I came here because I didn't want to listen to the boring people's workplace drama. After all, it seems that I did the right thing. Your story must be at least ten times better.]]
[[-I came here to enjoy the evening while smoking a fag but... once I saw you I thought that since you gonna die anyway and you have nothing left to lose you can entertain me with your hopefully-not-so-sad story.]]//Angered//
And what makes you think I want to talk with you?
[[-I don't know. It just feels natural to have a conversation in such a... situation.]]
[[-(Light a cigarette) For all I care, either we talk or you make one more step and nobody finds out what bugged you. Did you leave a note?]]//The suicide starts to sob//
[[-...isn't it?]]
[[-(Remain silent)->-...isn't it?]]//Amused//
All my life I've been running away from people like you - cynics, bullies... You are the reason why I'm standing here. And still, you are here in my last minutes. What a joke.
//Breaks down in tears.//
Fucking Billy...
It's... it's his fault!
[[-(Light another cigarette)->-...isn't it?]]
[[-Who the fuck is Billy?->-...isn't it?]]//Hopeless//
Sorry pal, I can't let you redeem yourself. My situation is beyond repair.
[[-W-wait!]]
[[-You know... that is a bold decision. To jump. To end your life. If you have enough courage to do this you might as well start all over again. With a clean sheet. Somewhere far from here.]]//Surprised//
Huh?
//The suicide looks at you.//
[[-For a moment I thought that... you gonna jump.]]
[[-You know... that is a bold decision. To jump. To end your life. If you have enough courage to do this you might as well start all over again. With a clean sheet. Somewhere far from here.]]//With remorse, slurring//
Now, h-he can't speak.
Or walk.
I crippled him.
For the rest of his life...
[[-What happened?]]
[[-What are you talking about?->-What happened?]]//Sceptic//
It won't change shit. Live is unfair everywhere. People suck everywhere. Same shit, different country.
[[-Unfair?]]
[[-If you say so... You must have a good reason to think like that.->-Unfair?]]
//Slightly amused//
I've been coming here for the last three days trying to jump... complaining about how people and the whole world,in general, is unfair. Perhaps I'm waiting until things get much worse... as if they could. Maybe today is the day...
[[-Unfair?]]
[[-You must have a good reason to think like that.->-Unfair?]]//The suicide looks at you.
He stands up and hesitates for a while.
He steps back on a rooftop, lays down and breathes a sigh of relief.//The purpose of this interactive story is to imitate a quest from a video game.
Its content is optimally condensed to provide the audience with a sufficient context for an interpretation yet not to overwhelm with text.
[[START->Early summer evening]]He deserved it but... his family is a mess now.
Father started to gamble and he uses the expensive treatment to justify his addiction. His mother is an empty shell.
His little sister... she disappeared yesterday... Now the whole town is looking for her.
Every fuckup leads the another... it doesn't stop...
AND IT"S NOT EVEN MY FAULT!
[[-It's not your fault. He brought this to himself in the same way as his parents did by letting him be a douchebag.]]
[[-It is your fault! You did nothing to prevent him from bullying you and now innocent people have to suffer.]]
[[-(Come closer) Well kid, I wasn't expecting such a plot twist but I have to admit... the whole case sucks. Badly.]]