Witness Available

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Witness Available

Written and coded by Kitty Eden (meer-katnip)

Please be advised that there may be some disturbing dream imagery in here, as well as canon-typical violence and descriptions of blood and altered mental states. Stay safe, friends!

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[[So.]]

You remember walking through the woods looking for a cabin. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn't make out the face of the person walking besides you. Every few minutes the flapping of wings above my head forced you to duck. You thought they were bats at first, but then you saw one above you as it twisted and turned as if trying to reach the light of the moon. It was a giant moth: dark red underbelly, wide leathery brown fluttering wings. They flitted around constantly above your heads like small crows. You thought you heard the person beside you refer to them as "night birds," [[but you don't remember actually hearing a voice.]]

By the time the cabin appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, it felt like you'd been walking forever. You spun at the sound of a deep low cry, and when you turned back around, the cabin was there. [[Right in front of you.]]

You carefully stepped through the door and moved into a small wooden room. The person beside you-- you still couldn't actually see. You felt like you might be able to see them if you didn't look right at them, but you just couldn't make them out. There was something on the floor- a dark stain in the boards shaped exactly like a small woman in the fetal position. On a table next to a small bed: teeth at the bottom of a pitcher of clear water. Not false teeth, [[loose teeth.]]

You were suddenly very tired and had to lie down on the bed. You tried to stay away but the darkness slowly flowed over you like water, into your nose and throat, drowning you to sleep. [[You couldn't move.]]

Something was there, staring at you. And you understood that they had been your companion the entire time. It was a tall blur of a man wearing the head of a bird, the now-familiar mask of a medieval plague doctor. But as you sat up and looked closer, you realized it [[wasn't a mask.]]

[[Then you fell asleep.]]

You woke up in a burst of blood and radiant light. The bird-thing was nowhere to be seen. You rushed out of the cabin and ran as fast as you could through the fog-wreathed sleeping trees. But the moon disappeared somewhere and soon the darkness was complete. [[You could no longer see where you were running.]]

That's when you heard it coming up behind you. Clicking. [[Breathing.]]

[[And then you heard its wings.]]

And then you fell, and it was upon you. [[Wake up.]]

You are in the woods, like you have been for the past four days. It is the morning of the fifth day, but there are no birds overhead. The trees around you are completely silent. And- you need to ask yourself this every morning, because for some reason it seems very important to you- -who are you? > You are [[the Witness|1]]. > You are [[Nic Silver|2]]. > You are [[a seeker of truths|3]]. > You are [[lost|4]]. You need to [[get moving|get moving-1]].

Yes, that's it. You are the Witness. 'An occupation can be remembered, a name will be lost. So there will be no names.' That's what the Runner said. [[A memory stirs.|1.1]]

You are not Nic Silver. But you wish you knew who he was. Thoughts of him dart at the edges of your subconsciousness, half-hidden from you by the Blur. You don't remember what he looks like or how he acts. You wish you did, though. You know he's important. [[A memory stirs.|2.1]]

You don't remember much about why you entered the woods, but you know you came into them for a reason. Yes. You were searching for truth. [[A memory stirs.|3.1]]

Yes. That's certainly true. [[A memory stirs.|4.1]]

Witness Available Written and coded by Kitty Eden ([[meer-katnip|http://meer-katnip.tumblr.com]]) Please be advised that there may be some disturbing dream imagery in here, as well as canon-typical violence and descriptions of blood and altered mental states. Stay safe, friends! [[Skip past intro.|Wake up.]] [[Play]] [[Exit|http://archiveofourown.org/works/10093298]] Version 1.0

“So, off to college, then!” “Yeah! You going to miss me?” There’s two people standing outside a house, huddling together under an umbrella (what’s an umbrella) in the pouring rain. The girl’s much shorter than him, but they’ve got their arms around each other like they’re the closest of siblings. “‘Course I am, you idiot.” The girl’s eyes are a bit watery. That should mean something to you, you think, but you can’t quite place it. “We all are.” “I’ll be fine,” he promises, brushing at her nose with a finger. There’s a pause, broken by the rushing of the rain. “You’re not going to forget about me, are you,” the girl says, hesitantly. The other person sweeps her into a brief but intense hug. It must be nice, to care about somebody so intensely. “You’re impossible to forget. Besides, you’re coming too, in a few months! It’s not going to be that long.” “I’m holding you to that,” says the girl, kissing him on the cheek. “Stay safe, okay? And if anybody gives you shit about anything, call me and I’ll come and beat them up for you.” “Alex!” he exclaims, but he’s laughing. There’s a loud honk from nearby, and he picks up his bags. “Okay, time to go.” “Don’t do drugs,” calls the girl as he makes his way to the waiting taxi- what’s a taxi. “See you in two months!” he calls, and the girl nods, wiping away a couple of rebellious tears. The memory fades away… [[You are in the woods,|Nic Path]]

"We need to start moving," says the Runner, and the Zealot leaps to his feet eagerly. You finger the notebook in your pocket, suddenly reluctant. There’s so much you need to write down, still- half-remembered snippets from last night and the day before, and it takes you a while because of the Blur, still ever-present. The Novelist seems to have the same thought as you. “Is this really necessary? You still haven’t told us where we’re going.” “You will know when we arrive,” says the Runner cryptically, and looks over to a tree that is no different from maybe a thousand others. ”It won’t be long now.” The Novelist grumbles lightly under her breath, and you notice her words are duller than the day before. They had started out as a vibrant yellow, but have since faded to something closer to bronze. The Runner takes off at a brisk jog, not even waiting for the rest of you to follow. [[Start walking]] [[Stay where you are][$counter to $counter + 1]]

You are in the woods, like you have been for the past four days. It is the morning of the fifth day, but there are no birds overhead. The trees around you are completely silent. And- you need to ask yourself this every morning, because for some reason it seems very important to you- -who are you? > You are [[the Witness|1]]. You need to [[get moving]]. <<set $path to "Witness">>

“You know you cannot go back from this.” A long pause. “Um… no, actually, I don’t. Or didn’t. Until you mentioned it.” “Now you do.” “To be honest, this isn’t sounding too great. What do you mean, ‘I can’t go back’?” “You may return from the woods, but no matter what you do, you will leave something irretrievable, irreplaceable behind. You may never quite be the same. Or it might be that you will not return from the woods at all.” “So why would I want to go into the woods at all?” A short, sharp bark of laughter. “You want answers, right?” “I… I do.” “There are wondrous things, there are magical things, there are dangerous things- do you recognize those words?” “Well, yeah. It’s what the Cult of Tanis chants, isn’t it?” ”Not only them. But that is not the point. We get what we deserve, Nic. And I think what you deserve are answers. You have been looking for them for a very long time, haven’t you?” “I guess I have. I hadn’t really thought about it.” “You will only get what you deserve if you enter the woods.” A pause. “So I guess there’s only one way to go.” ”It is time to leave. No more names.” The memory fades away… [[You are in the woods,|Witness Path]]

You are in the woods, like you have been for the past four days. It is the morning of the fifth day, but there are no birds overhead. The trees around you are completely silent. And- you need to ask yourself this every morning, because for some reason it seems very important to you- -who are you? > You are [[the Witness|1-alt]]. > You are [[Nic Silver|2]]. > You [[don't know who you are any more|5]]. You need to [[get moving]]. <<set $path to "Nic">>

Yes, that's it. You are the Witness. 'An occupation can be remembered, a name will be lost. So there will be no names.' That's what the Runner said. [[A memory stirs.|1.1-alt]]

Everything's faded, jumbled. Things that you should really know make no sense anymore. You're pretty sure that you've never tasted people's words as colors before you entered the woods. [[A memory stirs...|5.1]]

“You know you cannot go back from this.” A long pause. “Um… no, actually, I don’t. Or didn’t. Until you mentioned it.” “Now you do.” “To be honest, this isn’t sounding too great. What do you mean, ‘I can’t go back’?” “You may return from the woods, but no matter what you do, you will leave something irretrievable, irreplaceable behind. You may never quite be the same. Or it might be that you will not return from the woods at all.” “So why would I want to go into the woods at all?” A short, sharp bark of laughter. “You want answers, right?” “I… I do.” “There are wondrous things, there are magical things, there are dangerous things- do you recognize those words?” “Well, yeah. It’s what the Cult of Tanis chants, isn’t it?” ”Not only them. But that is not the point. We get what we deserve, Nic. And I think what you deserve are answers. You have been looking for them for a very long time, haven’t you?” “I guess I have. I hadn’t really thought about it.” “You will only get what you deserve if you enter the woods.” A pause. “So I guess there’s only one way to go.” ”It is time to leave. No more names.” The memory fades away… [[You are in the woods,|Nic Path]]

"We need to start moving," says the Runner, and the Zealot leaps to his feet eagerly. You finger the notebook in your pocket, suddenly reluctant. There’s so much you need to write down, still- half-remembered snippets from last night and the day before, and it takes you a while because of the Blur, still ever-present. The Novelist seems to have the same thought as you. “Is this really necessary? You still haven’t told us where we’re going.” “You will know when we arrive,” says the Runner cryptically, and looks over to a tree that is no different from maybe a thousand others. ”It won’t be long now.” The Novelist grumbles lightly under her breath, and you notice her words are duller than the day before. They had started out as a vibrant yellow, but have since faded to something closer to bronze. The Runner takes off at a brisk jog, not even waiting for the rest of you to follow. [[Start walking]] [[Stay where you are][$counter to $counter + 1]] <<set $path to "blank">>

The television (what’s a television?) is on low- faint voices just below your range of hearing- and there’s unopened cans of beers resting on the table. ”So, you want to get this, uh, interview started?” There’s two men on the couch, and one of them has a voice like deep, rich earth- soothing, you think. ”Is it really an interview? That sounds kind of, um… impersonal?” He laughs. It’s a nice sound, like water crashing over a waterfall. ”Not an interview, then. Two friends talking.” ”Two friends talking. That sounds good.” There’s a brief pause, as if the man- and you can’t see his face, and you can’t work out who he is- is trying to decide what to say next. “We’re friends, right?” The other man laughs again. It sounds, if possible, even better. ”Yeah, man, we’re friends. Unless you invited me over to your house so you could murder me when my guard wasn’t up?” ”Um, no, I don’t think I’d- that wasn’t what I was planning.” The other man’s still chuckling. “Well, good.” There’s a short pause. “So, an interview?” ”Uh, yeah! It’s for the podcast.” (What’s a podcast?) “Okay, sure. What do you want me to do?” “Ask me questions about Tanis. I mean, I’d usually get Alex to do it, but- she’s busy with her own podcast. Something about a man’s missing wife suddenly appearing after almost a decade.” “Wow, man. I can’t believe you’re stuck with the boring podcast.” “Gee, thanks.” ”So, what sort of things should I ask about?” “Anything you’re curious about, I guess?” “Hmm.” There’s a brief silence as he spins his finger around the rim of a beer can, staring at the wall. “Okay. What are you expecting to find at the end of all of this?” This question, somehow, stops the conversation short. “Um. I’m not really sure what you mean by-” “You’re searching for Tanis, right? What will you do when you find it?” “I’m not… really sure.” It’s quiet, and almost reluctant. “I guess I’ve been looking for the truth for so long, I’ve lost sight of what it might turn out to be.” A sigh. “You’re asking the wrong questions.” “Hey, wait. You’re the one who’s supposed to be asking the- what do you mean, the wrong questions? What questions should I be asking?” Tap, tap. The larger man stares at nothing again. “I think… you should be asking… what is Tanis, really?” Awkward laugh. “I, uh. I don’t really know what you’re talking about.” “You’ll understand later.” The white noise of the television, although you couldn’t quite say what exactly a television is, fills the room. “I don’t think I’ll include this on the podcast.” “Yeah,” says the other man. “That’s probably a good idea.” The memory fades away... [[You are in the woods,|Geoff Path]]

You are in the woods, like you have been for the past four days. It is the morning of the fifth day, but there are no birds overhead. The trees around you are completely silent. And- you need to ask yourself this every morning, because for some reason it seems very important to you- -who are you? > You are [[Nic Silver|2-alt]]. > You are [[a seeker of truth|3]]. You need to [[get moving]]. <<set $path to "Geoff">>

You are not Nic Silver. But you wish you knew who he was. Thoughts of him dart at the edges of your subconsciousness, half-hidden from you by the Blur. You don't remember what he looks like or how he acts. You wish you did, though. You know he's important. [[A memory stirs.|2.1-alt]]

“So, off to college, then!” “Yeah! You going to miss me?” There’s two people standing outside a house, huddling together under an umbrella (what’s an umbrella) in the pouring rain. The girl’s much shorter than him, but they’ve got their arms around each other like they’re the closest of siblings. “‘Course I am, you idiot.” The girl’s eyes are a bit watery. That should mean something to you, you think, but you can’t quite place it. “We all are.” “I’ll be fine,” he promises, brushing at her nose with a finger. There’s a pause, broken by the rushing of the rain. “You’re not going to forget about me, are you,” the girl says, hesitantly. The other person sweeps her into a brief but intense hug. It must be nice, to care about somebody so intensely. “You’re impossible to forget. Besides, you’re coming too, in a few months! It’s not going to be that long.” “I’m holding you to that,” says the girl, kissing him on the cheek. “Stay safe, okay? And if anybody gives you shit about anything, call me and I’ll come and beat them up for you.” “Alex!” he exclaims, but he’s laughing. There’s a loud honk from nearby, and he picks up his bags. “Okay, time to go.” “Don’t do drugs,” calls the girl as he makes his way to the waiting taxi- what’s a taxi. “See you in two months!” he calls, and the girl nods, wiping away a couple of rebellious tears. The memory fades away… [[You are in the woods,|Geoff Path]]

“And that’s basically all I’ve got on the TeslaNova situation.” Her voice is grey like yours is now- but perhaps hers is slightly darker- and it spills easily out of her mouth with a dark sort of sarcasm in every word. unlike yours, you can tell that her voice has always been this way- or at least, for as long as you’ve known her. “‘Basically all you’ve got’?” The other voice is unfamiliar and familiar at the same time, like the voice of a long-lost cousin that you saw once at a family reunion when you were six years old. (What’s a cousin? What’s a family reunion?) (What’s a family?) " well. There’s something else.” ”Something else?” A sigh from the woman with the grey grey voice. "Nic, if you’re just going to stand around, parroting everything I say, I’m going to hang up before we have a change to get to anything interesting.” Nic. That’s the person you’ve been looking for. Is this him? The unfamiliar (?) voice laughs, genuine but awkward. “Okay. Wow, you’re really getting good at this whole ‘cryptic’ thing.” “ sure. Cryptic. That’s me. Want to hear this or not?” “Okay. Go ahead, then.” “TeslaNova’s system is pretty closed up. I doubt even I could get into there, even if I was stupid enough to try. But they had a shadow system too that had been left pretty much wide open, presumably from when the company shut down. I went into there and managed to snatch up the last few files the staff had exchanged before everything shut down.” Another laugh from Nic. You wish you could remember his face. “Okay, cool. You’ve sent the files-?” She interrupts. “Yep. They’re in your inbox already. I don’t know why you even bother asking at this point.” “ neither do I, really. Thanks, MK. I’d be lost without you.” “Isn’t that the truth,” she replies flatly. The memory fades away… [[You are in the woods,|MK Path]]

You are in the woods, like you have been for the past four days. It is the morning of the fifth day, but there are no birds overhead. The trees around you are completely silent. And- you need to ask yourself this every morning, because for some reason it seems very important to you- -who are you? > You are [[the Witness|1-alt2]]. > You are [[lost|4]]. You need to [[get moving]]. <<set $path to "MK">>

Yes, that's it. You are the Witness. 'An occupation can be remembered, a name will be lost. So there will be no names.' That's what the Runner said. [[A memory stirs.|1.1-alt-2]]

“You know you cannot go back from this.” A long pause. “Um… no, actually, I don’t. Or didn’t. Until you mentioned it.” “Now you do.” “To be honest, this isn’t sounding too great. What do you mean, ‘I can’t go back’?” “You may return from the woods, but no matter what you do, you will leave something irretrievable, irreplaceable behind. You may never quite be the same. Or it might be that you will not return from the woods at all.” “So why would I want to go into the woods at all?” A short, sharp bark of laughter. “You want answers, right?” “I… I do.” “There are wondrous things, there are magical things, there are dangerous things- do you recognize those words?” “Well, yeah. It’s what the Cult of Tanis chants, isn’t it?” ”Not only them. But that is not the point. We get what we deserve, Nic. And I think what you deserve are answers. You have been looking for them for a very long time, haven’t you?” “I guess I have. I hadn’t really thought about it.” “You will only get what you deserve if you enter the woods.” A pause. “So I guess there’s only one way to go.” ”It is time to leave. No more names.” The memory fades away… [[You are in the woods,|MK Path]]

You are awake. [[You are in the woods,]] <<set $hasStone to false>> <<set $counter to 0>> <<set $hasName to false>>

VOICE TESTS This is narration text. This is the voice of the Witness. This is the voice of Nic Silver. This is the voice of Alex Reagan. This is the voice of Geoff Van Sant. This is the voice of Meerkatnip. This is the voice of Veronika Pilman, or perhaps the Runner. This is the voice of Morgan Miller, or perhaps the Novelist. This is the voice of Sam Reynolds, or perhaps the Zealot. This is the voice of Tara Reynolds. This is the voice of Cameron Ellis. THIS IS THE VOICE OF THE BLUR. I am the voice of the Author. Hello! (If you've ended up on this page, something has gone terribly, drastically wrong. Either that or you've hacked into the code of the game. Who do you think you are, some sort of information specialist? Go and play this thing like a normal person, sheesh.)

You catch up to the Runner, twigs and leaves crunching under your feet. She barely glances back, but that isn't unusual. She's always focused solely on her goal. "What do you want?" she says, terser than usual. (What do you want to know?) <<textbox "$talk" "">> [[Talk|Input]]

<<if $talk is "What is Tanis, really?">>"You will find out, in time. But since you are so eager- and you have probably forgotten by now- we are seeking Tanis. Keep up, or you will be left behind." <<set $questionachievement to true>> <<else>>"You do not need to know that. Keep up, or you will be left behind." <</if>> [[You guess that's all she's going to be telling you.]]

> [[Continue]]

“Nic- oh my god, Nic!” You look around quickly, trying to spot the elusive Nic Silver, who you’ve been thinking about and looking for so long you can’t remember at all. But you can’t see him. All you can see is the flashing of sirens and the blood, staining the ground for metres out of the cabin that you’ve just emerged in, and a short woman fighting her way out of the small, reluctantly dispersing crowd. Her hair’s brown and her eyes are wide and her voice is the brightest you’ve heard (seen?), a light, vibrant green that soars high through the air. <<if $hasStone is true>> Her voice, you realize, is the exact color of the stone that's looped around your neck. <</if>> And she’s looking directly at you. [[Return to the cabin|Alex is there]] [[Walk towards her]]

Your movements are jerky, uncontrolled, and you feel like you’re a puppet whose strings have just been cut, in the most violent of manners. You stumble in the woman’s direction, and she’s dashing towards you. “Nic!” You wonder why she keeps saying that name, [[over and over.]]

She crashes into you, practically knocking you over, and she’s so short that her head only just reaches your chest. But she’s hugging you fiercely nonetheless, and her tears- oh, she’s crying- are soaking your half-ripped shirt. “You just disappeared- and we were so worried- and- you idiot, if you ever do that again, I swear to God-” She’s so familiar, but you can’t even remember her name. “Who-” you begin. She raises her eyes to you, and they’re puffy and red and slightly hopeless. “Your voice- your voice- it’s all wrong.” “My voice?” It’s almost a whisper. “Nic, what’s happened to your voice?” > [[It’s gone grey]] > [[Everything’s wrong]]

"It's gone grey," you mutter, arms stiffening for a moment. "Everything faded in the woods, in Tanis." "Oh, Nic." The woman hugs you, if possible, even tighter, and you both sink down to the ground in a tangle of limbs. "Alex," you say, and freeze, because something just clicked in your head. "Alex. That's your name. Alex." She half-laughs, half-sobs into your shirt. "Yes, my name's Alex. I'm Alex Reagan, you're Nic Silver. You're my best friend, remember?" [[What?]]

"Everything's wrong," you mutter, fingers twitching. "Nothing's alright. I don't- I don't- I don't even remember your name!" She lets out a quick, shuddering sob into your shirt, and raises her eyes to look you in the eyes. "Alex. My name's Alex. I'm Alex Reagan, you're Nic Silver. You're my best friend, remember?" [[What?]]

It takes a while for your group to start moving, but when you do, you all fall into a rhythm. The Runner leads. The rest of you follow. This is how it's been for the last four days, and nothing's changed now except for a marked weariness in all of you. After a while, you move out of the deep woods into an area where thin birch trees towered to the sky, and a strange moss grows on the ground around each tree. Slugs and snails and insects are everywhere and there's a buzzing coming from... the air, or the ground; it's impossible to tell. "There are dangerous things," says the Zealot, in barely a whisper. [[Continue]] [[Stop]] <<if $path is "Geoff">> [[Speak to the Runner|Runner Talk]] <</if>>

YOU CAN'T. [[Start walking]] [[Stay where you are][$counter to $counter + 1]] <<if $counter is 10>> <<goto [[BAD END]]>> <</if>>

The Blur vibrates through your head, and not just like usual, either. It's increasing in intensity, speeding up. Everything goes black. [[>]] <<set $suddendeath to true>>

You move into a small clearing. There's a steep rocky hill on one side. In between two large rocks, there's an opening. A cave, maybe? A tunnel? Whatever it was, you know that the sound, or half the sound, the half that isn't within you, is somewhere inside that cave. <<if $path is "Nic">> [[Enter.|enter the cave]] <<elseif $path is "MK">>[[Do not enter.|do not enter the cave]] <<elseif $path is "Geoff">>[[Do not enter.|do not enter the cave]] <<elseif $path is "Witness">>[[Enter.|enter the cave]] [[Do not.|do not enter the cave]] <<elseif $path is "blank">>[[You see a flash of light.]] [[Enter.|enter the cave]] [[Do not.|do not enter the cave]] <</if>>

<<if $path is "blank">> YOU CAN'T [[Continue][$counter to $counter + 1]] <<else>> You suddenly stop, legs too sore to carry you any further. This is strange. You've been walking for days and although you've been fatigued, it's [[never been like this before.][$counter to $counter + 1]] <</if>> <<if $counter is 10>> <<goto [[BAD END]]>> <</if>>

Your eyes adjust quickly to the darkness, but the moss on the walls appears to be glowing slightly, just enough to illuminate the way. The only way to go is down. Immediately, the tunnel or cave, or whatever it is, starts sloping down. It starts to get steeper. You descend beneath the forest for what feels like hours, miles into the earth, when your group comes to some roughly hewn stone steps. You start down the stairs into complete darkness. They're stone, long and thin, and they go on forever. And after four, five hours of walking, the wall slowly startes to change. The deep green moss continues to light the way, providing just enough of a phosphorescent glow to reveal... more stairs. "There are magical things," the Zealot says. You almost don't hear it. [[You continue on.]]

"I don't- I don't think this is a good idea," you say, taking a step back from the entrance of the cave. The Runner turns her gaze onto you. It's cold. Steely. She says nothing, only inclines an eyebrow in the direction of the cave. "You've got to be kidding me," the Novelist explodes. "We've been here for weeks!" "Days," the Zealot corrects. "Days, sure, whatever! We can't just stop now!" You bite your lip, unsure. "You can go on if you want," you offer. "I just feel like this would be a bad idea." "You may stay," says the Runner. Her voice is flat, emotionless. "You will die." "I- I think I'll take my chances," you say. You're pleased to notice that your voice only shakes a bit. "Suit yourself." The tone is just as flat as before. The Runner turns her back on you, and enters the cave. The Novelist and the Zealot both give you anxious glances, but follow, apparantly unwilling to lose sight of their guide. You are alone in the forest. [[Leave the cave behind.]] <<if $path is "witness">>[[Enter the cave|enter the cave-change]] <<elseif $path is "blank">>[[Enter the cave|enter the cave-change]] <</if>>

Your eye catches on something bright and green, completely unlike the forest around it- which is darker, darker, dark like the Runner's voice. It's just to the side of the cave, hanging from a tree. "Wait," you say. The Runner stops. "We are close. We cannot stop now." "I think I saw something. Hang on, it'll only take a- second..." You feel something stirring with you as you head towards the light, and it takes you a moment for you to recognize it as curiousity. [[You haven't felt that in a very long time.]]

It's a stone, bright green. You think it might be jade. It's attached to a length of twine, threaded through the hole in its centre. The Runner is watching you impatiently. "Is this important?" "Maybe," you offer, holding the stone up to the dim light. It reminds you of something, although you aren't sure what. After a second of indecision, you tuck the length of string around your neck. The stone rests, a cool weight, against your chest. [[Enter the cave|enter the cave]] <<set $hasStone to true>> <<set $stonegain to true>>

It's been days since you've seen light. You knocked over the single lamp in the room almost instantly, and the bulb shattered. Since then, you've been alternating between walking around the room, feeling your way along the smooth, flat walls, and curling up on the bed, wrapped in a thin blanket. You want your mother, but she's not here. But that's okay, because you've got the next best thing. A friend who will talk to you, reassure you, tell you everything's going to be okay. And it will be. Because it's always right. The Voice. In the darkness. It whispers to you. [[You are in the woods,|Nic Path]]

The Runner looks on, impassive. "We need to keep moving." "Tired," you manage to gasp out. "We all are," snaps the Novelist. "What makes you so special?" "Give me a second," you say. "I just- need a second-" [[The Runner nods.]] <<set $tiredachievement to true>> <<if $counter is 10>> <<goto [[BAD END]]>> <</if>>

"You came back," says the Novelist as you catch up to the group. "Yeah," you say, and thankfully nobody else seems to want to talk about it, not even [[the Runner.|enter the cave]]

For a moment, you stare at the cave entrance, wondering if you should hurry after your companions, catch up to them before it's too late. But you've made your choice now. There's nothing to do except [[start walking.]]

After another hour or so of walking, you come to an old wooden door. The Runner puts her ear against it and listens. The Runner doesn't speak. None of you speak. [[You're all exhausted.]]

You feel like The Runner wants to say something as she moves to look over each of you in turn. She gives the Novelist a steady look, purses her lips over the Zealot, and hovers over you, biting her lips, for an excruciatingly long amount of time. But she seems to see what she wants behind your eyes, because without a word to any of you, she turns around and opens the door. <<if $path is "blank">>[[Don't follow.|don't follow the Runner][$counter to $counter + 1]] <<else>>[[Follow.|follow the Runner]] [[Don't.|don't follow the Runner][$counter to $counter + 1]] <</if>>

You step into a large ornate room. It's empty, but it feels like it might have been some kind of banquet hall at some point in time. The hum and the smell are overwhelming, staggering. Is the room humming? Or is the air humming around it? Wherever the sound's coming from, you can all feel it- deep inside. It's strumming a chord, like hands across your rib cage, from the inside. The Blur is responding, vibrating within you. It's invasive and disconcerting. Everything's blurring, moving in slow motion, [[like weeds at the bottom of a dark green lake.]]

YOU MUST. [[Follow.|follow the Runner]] <<if $counter is 10>> <<goto [[BAD END]]>> <</if>>

The Novelist is the first to see it. Her eyes go huge, and she's running before you see anything. "It's here! I see it!" "What are you talking-" you begin, then spin, and see it too. There's an open door on the far wall. And beyond the door, there's light, bright and spilling into the cavern. The Zealot, the Novelist, and the Runner have already exited before you, but you're frozen in place. After walking at least nine miles into the earth, you've arrived, somehow, back where you started. Through the open door are familiar trees, green like the Runner's voice. The Blur is pulling you towards the door. [[You don't resist.]]

Things are strange here. "Nic? Nic! Where are you? We've been looking for days!" "This isn't funny, man. Why would you go off into the forest like that?" "I swear to fucking god, Nic, they'd better find you alive so I can kill you myself." They're all looking for the same person you are. You wonder if he went into the woods, too. Maybe you'll meet him, wherever you're going. [[Wake up.|wake up 2]]

All four of you step out into the clearing. The familiar tall birch trees, the insects, everything is the same. You'd been in this clearing before, only now... there's no rocky wall or cave. Instead- behind us where the cave had been- is a small, ten by ten hut. A small hut you'd just stepped out of. A hut that contains a vast hall inside that's at least a thousand feet long, and a ceiling that's at least ten times as tall. [[Re-enter.]] [[Don't.|don'tre-enter][$counter to $counter + 1]]

You expect the dimensions to match. You expect the inside to be exactly the same as the outside. You should honestly know better by now. Inside that tiny ten-by-ten square structure, the enormous hall remains, cool and dark. [[The thrumming.]]

YOU MUST. [[Re-enter.]] <<if $counter is 10>> <<goto [[BAD END]]>> <</if>>

It's awful. It coarses through your mind, filling everything with static, almost drowning out the screaming in the room The Runner sees her first. She's lying in the corner of the room, hands balled up to her head, eyes squeezed tightly shut. She's covered in blood and scratches, and her screams are at first unintelligible. Then they become recognizable as words, flashing and flickering and mingling with the Blur. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE," screams the girl in the corner. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?" A name, four letters long, forms in your head, unbidden. <<textbox "$name" "">> [[Name the girl.|Tara]]

<<if $name is "Tara">> Tara Reynolds. That's her. You don't know where the name came from, but it's there, [[somehow.]] <<elseif $name is "tara">> Tara Reynolds. That's her. You don't know where the name came from, but it's there, [[somehow.]] <<else>> [[WRONG.|Name the girl.][$counter to $counter + 1]] <</if>>

<<textbox "$name" "">> [[Name the girl.|Tara]] <<if $counter is 10>> <<goto [[BAD END]]>> <</if>>

Her screaming has become unintelligible again, apparantly in reaction to your presence in the room. She's still screaming when the light, dim and faint and emanating from the moss on the walls, [[goes out.]]

There is a door, spilling bright light out of it. <<if $path is "blank">> [[You stumble towards it.|Alex Ending Start]] <<else>> [[You stumble towards it.|Witness/Nic Ending Start]] <</if>>

Oh. It's- [[It's so bright out here.|somebody help him]]

It's so bright out here. You're still in the woods, you know that, but there's crowds of people around you, yelling and shouting. You think you can hear somebody crying. [[It's far too much sensation at once.|Alex is there]]

You freeze. "What?" "I'm Alex," she repeats, clinging to you still, like she's trying to ground you, keep you there with her forever. "and you're Nic." You swallow. the Blur might be gone, gone from your mind and body, but your thoughts are confused. "I'm- I'm who?" [[You are Nic Silver.]]

You have failed. The end. [[Replay from beginning.|Play]] [[Replay, but skip introduction.|Wake up.]] [[FAQ|http://meer-katnip.tumblr.com/witnessgamefaq]] [[Achievements]] [[Exit|http://archiveofourown.org/works/10093298]] <<set $hasStone to false>> <<set $counter to 0>>

The Novelist yells, short and sharp. The Zealot starts laughing madly. The Runner says nothing, but Tara's still screaming. [[Move.]] [[Stay still.]]

You dash blindly across the room in the direction of Tara's screams, hands hitting a wall that doesn't feel like a wall anymore. It's pulsing underneath your skin, in perfect time with the Blur. [[A hand grabs your wrist, and you can suddenly see again.]]

"There are dangerous things," says the voice of the Zealot, suddenly right next to you and in your ear. You can hear his breath, tickling the back of your neck. "We're going to get what we deserve. Aren't you excited?" [[No, you want to say, but]]

"Alex. Alex. Oh my god, Alex!" Alex Reagan, bright and sparkling and curious, you remember her now. How could you ever forget? "I missed you, you idiot," she chokes as the police and sirens move in to surround you both. "Why would you go and do something like that?" "I was looking for- I mean, I was-" Your voice breaks, and you shake your head. "I don't. I don't know." [[She takes your hand,]]

and pulls you to your feet. "Come on, Nic." [[>|We're going home.]]

"We're going home." [[END.]] <<set $alexachievement to true>>

The end. [[Replay from beginning.|Play]] [[Replay, but skip introduction.|Wake up.]] [[FAQ|http://meer-katnip.tumblr.com/witnessgamefaq]] [[Achievements]] [[Exit|http://archiveofourown.org/works/10093298]] <<set $hasStone to false>> <<set $counter to 0>>

Your vision is tunnelled, cropped, and you can only see the face of Tara Reynolds, her eyes wild and boring right into you. "You came," she whispers, and she might have been about to say more, but everything is suddenly engulfed is black again. It's not the black of darkness this time. [[It's the black of thousands of feathered wings.]]

Everything's strange again. White. Not like the Blur and half-darkness you're now used to. <<if $path is "Nic">> "Will you remember me, when you leave?" You turn to see a girl, standing in the white. You can't make out her features, but her body language is sad, abandoned. "I don't understand," you begin, but the girl- woman?- speaks again. "You promised, when we were kids. You promised you wouldn't forget me." You don't know what to say, so you don't speak. Abruptly, she turns to the side, as if noticing something in the blankness, although there's nothing there. "Nic? Is that you?" She fades away, leaving you alone again. <<elseif $path is "Witness">> "Do you know who you are?" the Runner asks you. "I am the Witness," you answer, almost automatically. It's been engrained into you by now, after days of repetitive conditioning. She looks at you with an emotion you can't interpret. "No. That is not quite true." "It isn't?" You feel lost, like you're drifting somewhere you can't quite place. "I'm the Witness. That is all. That's what you told me. What are you talking about?" Her eyes are full of pity. "You'll find out soon." <<elseif $path is "blank">> You feel as if something should be happening, here in this state of non-existence. But nothing does. <</if>> [[Wake up.|Wake up 3]]

You wake up in a burst of blood and radiant light, feeling as if some time has passed since you fell unconscious that you can't remember. You are still in the hall, but something akin to daylight is streaming in from a source that you can't see. It's dim and watery, but fills you with something close to determination. Blood surrounds you, but a cursory check of yourself reveals that it's not yours. It's days old and still sticky. You feel slightly sick at this realization. "We were wondering when you'd wake up," says somebody from across the room. <<if $path is "Nic">> For a second, you think it's the girl from the dream, because of her voice. But it's far too dark, not the same. <<elseif $path is "Witness">> You feel a sudden sense of deja-vu, recognizing the voice from your dream. You're almost afraid to look up, but you do. <<elseif $path is "blank">> For a second, you're not sure who it is, but then you look up. <</if>> It's the Runner, standing there. Her face is pale and her hair hangs loose around her shoulders. "Well?" she says, eyebrow raised, as you struggle to your feet. "They are waiting for you." [[Who is waiting for me?|she is evasive]] [[Where are we going?|she is evasive]]

She gives a familiar huff, half exasperated and half tired. "I forget you keep losing time." "I do?" "We need to start the next part," she says, turning her back, and making her way towards the one exit in the room. "Everything's ending. We must be ready." [[You follow her.]]

Things start to fade as you walk down the hallway outside the door- far, far too long to fit in the cabin- and things start to blur together again. You remember a masked figure, crows nesting in the roof of a chapel, the Novelist sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth and muttering to herself. You remember people chanting. Which people, you aren't sure, but the words stick in your mind. There are wondrous things. There are magical things. There are dangerous things. We get what we deserve. [[Wake up.|Wake up 4]]

Aren't you already awake? <<if $path is "blank">>[[Yes.]] <<elseif $path is "Nic">>[[No.]] [[This is ridiculous.|Easter Egg Ending]] <<else>>[[No.]] <</if>>

"So, you finally made it, did you?" The tone is sardonic but comforting somehow. "I don't understand," you say carefully, because you don't. She laughs. It's a bit condescending. "You never do." "Where am I? Who are you?" There's pity in her eyes, and she purses her lips. "You're dreaming again. You really need to stop that." "Stop...? Stop dreaming?" "Yep." She pops the 'p'. "Time to get moving. We're all waiting for you outside." Outside where? you want to ask, but then you [[Wake up.|Wake up 5]] <<set $mk to true>>

<<if $hasStone is true>>The stone around your neck is cool. You feel like it shouldn't be- that it should be warm, like your body temperature- but it's yet another one of the impossible things that you've experienced in the woods. Or maybe it's your body temperature that's matching the stone, and you're freezing to death. <</if>> [[It's so very cold here.]]

"Have you been looking for me?" You turn. Tara Reynolds is sprawled on the ground, covered with blood again. The Runner is nowhere to be seen. Tara grins up at you, bright and cheerful. "You've been looking for someone, haven't you?" You take a moment to respond. You aren't as disturbed by this sight as you should be, and that in itself unnerves you. "I've been looking for someone," you admit. "But I'm not so sure it's you." Tara's shoulder's slump slightly, but her bright, genuine smile remains in place. "That's a shame. I was hoping somebody would search for me. I've been mapping this cabin out, you see." Her words are so strange and red. "It's taken me a long time, but I think I've figured out the secret." You move closer. "What secret?" She stares at you. [[Her eyes are bright and intelligent.]]

Instead of answering your question, she counters it with another. "Who have you been looking for?" "I think," you say carefully, "his name is Nic Silver." [[To your astonishment, she begins to laugh.]]

You don't see what's funny, but she can't seem to stop. "I think he's lost in this place," you say urgently. "If you've mapped it out, maybe we can-" "No," she replies, giggles still wracking her body. "No, we can't do that. For starters, I can't move from here." You're confused, but try not to show it. "But as long as we're here..." she says, trailing off. "You look very hungry. When was the last time you had something to eat?" "It's been a while," you admit, taking a step towards her. "Would you like something to eat? I have plenty to go 'round." [[You nod, cautiously.]]

She motions for you to come closer, and you do. She very carefully pulls her severed right arm from where it's resting next to her- hidden from sight- and offers it to you with her left. It's still dripping blood, and you can see muscle and bone from where it was bitten into. "Eat up," she tells you cheerfully. "You've got a big day ahead of you!" You feel dizzy for a moment, like you're falling down a vast rabbit hole that you can't ever hope to emerge from. [[Then you pass out.]]

"There are wondrous things." "There are magical things." "There are dangerous things." [[We get what we deserve.|Door]]

As you make your way through the woods in no particular direction, you notice that the trees around you are different. Things have changed. Everything seems a little more... dull. Faded. The title of 'the Witness' hangs even more heavily [[on your shoulders.]]

The fog gradually begins to clear as you make your way towards the light, pulsing a dim grey admist the colors of the forest. You're lost, so lost, but the only thing pulling you now is that light. Your eyes are caught by the red string on the tree nearest to you, waving in the breeze. The same string that the Runner had tied, days ago. Days ago? Was it weeks? You can't tell. You take it to mean that you're on the right track, and grimly [[push forward.]]

There's a tree up ahead. [[You think you recognize it.]]

You're running. Down through the coridor, the Blur pulsing in your mind, pulling you, tugging you. You need to keep moving. You need to. There's something chasing you. You aren't sure what it is, but you hear wings. [[There's something up ahead.|Door]]

you suddenly notice what the black is. It's not the black of darkness this time. [[It's the black of thousands of feathered wings.]]

"I can't believe you made it." There's a girl leaning against the tree up ahead. She has a calculatedly bored expression on her face that only occasionally cracks to show the concern burning underneath. "The woods are pretty dark this time of night. It's not like I'd know, though, right? You're the one who was rambling through them for nearly two weeks." You reach the tree, and catch yourself against it, almost falling over. You take a moment to breathe, and then choke out, "do I know you?" "That's the wrong question," she says, sharp and flat. [[What's the right question, then?]]

She takes a moment to respond. "The others came out of the cabin nearly a week ago," she tells you. "The others-?" "Yep. Veronika, Sam, Morgan... Tara." You feel like you're drowning. Your thoughts can't quite keep up. "I don't know who those people are," you admit. The woman gives you a look. You think you ought to remember it, it's the sort of look that you only give somebody if they've done something remarkably stupid, many times. "You're acting weirder than usual." You don't know how to respond, at first. [[There's something about the woods.]]

"It changes you. Changes your thoughts, the way you think, the way you," you swallow, hard. "Remember." "So what do you remember?" You nearly laugh. "I don't, mainly. I- I know I lost somebody, along the way. Lots of people. I just remember their voices. Snippets of them, anyway." "Voices?" Her voice has suddenly gone soft. "Yeah." [[I think I remembered your voice.]] [[I can't remember any of them.]]

"Yeah?" A look flickers across her face. "What'd I say?" "Lots of things," you admit. "Can't remember all of them. You said I'd get out of here. Something about me being lost without you? And, um-" You think wildly, but it's gone. "-that's it." "Lost without me." Not a question. "Yeah." She looks off into the mist. "Well, I guess it's kind of accurate." "What do you mean?" "Well..." She looks vaguely uncomfortable at first. "...you were lost in the woods before you saw me. Now you're not.' [[So I can leave the woods now?]] <<set $hasName to true>>

"I don't know any more," you admit. "Sometimes I thought- but, no." "Okay," she says, "okay. That's fine." [[So I can leave the woods now?]] <<set $hasName to false>>

She seems to deflate a bit. "Yeah. Yeah, we can leave the woods. We're nearly out, anyway. I parked my bike over there." She sets off into the light of the area beyond the trees, and you follow her, feeling almost like you're following the Runner again- except now in reverse. "Your bike?" "I don't have a car like you do. Us information specialists have to make do with crude methods of transportation. Like motorbikes." [[Things are beginning to slot together in your head.]]

"MK," you say out loud. "Yeah?" she says, glancing back at you. "No, I mean- MK. That's your name." She pauses. "That's right. It is." "What's it short for?" "Meerkatnip." She starts walking again. "But MK's fine." "Okay," you say, and think about it for a bit until you both reach her bike, which is small but looks sturdy enough to carry both of you. "Hop on," she tells you, unhooking one of the helmets from the side of it and offering it to you. You stare at it blankly for a couple of seconds before she sighs and helps you strap it on. "Right," she says as she starts up the engine. [["Off we go."]]

She steers it out of the gravelly parking lot and onto a dusty road that winds around the edges of the forest. She glances back at you, quickly. "You okay back there?" [[Yeah.]] <<if $hasName is true>>[[I missed you.]] <</if>>

She laughs derisively. "Wow, even as an amnesiac you're ridiculously sappy." You should probably take this offensively, but you don't. You hold onto the seat of the motorcycle and revel in the feeling of clear, dry air rushing into your face. "But yeah," she says, quieter. "Missed you too. Nerd." [[Where are we going?]]

You feel like you've asked the question too many times recently, and you're actually surprised when you get an answer. "Home." "Home?" "Your home. Or maybe Alex's. She was worried about you." "Alex?" Another sigh. "Okay, wow. Looks like we have a lot of work to do here." [[You continue down the road,]]

MK picks up the speed as you go. "Oh, and- Nic?" You take a second to respond your name- and it is, it's yours now and you're not going to forget it. [["-what?"]]

"I'm glad you survived the weird death forest." "Yeah." [[>|>1]]

"Yeah, so am I." [[END.]] <<set $mkachievement to true>>

You stop for just a second, looking around to gather your bearings. Everything around you is identical, a blur of leaves and shaodws. Even the way you came is no different from any other part of the forest. You're lost. <<if $path is "Geoff">>[[Keep walking.]] <<elseif $path is "MK">>[[Get help.]] <<else>>[[Keep walking.]] <</if>>

Up ahead, you see a piece of red string. It stands out in the gloom, and you latch onto the sight of it like a lifeline. You stumble through the dense foliage, and your hands slam into the bark of the tree. With trembling fingers, you untie the strip of string that the Runner had attached to the tree several days before, while you were passing. <<if $path is "Geoff">>You don't know what this means, exactly, but you're [[sure you're onto something.]] <<else>>You don't know what this means, exactly, but you're [[sure you're onto something.|sure you're onto something]] <</if>>

You wish you could, but there's nobody around to help you. The Runner, the Zealot, the Novelist- they're all gone now. They're not coming back. <<if $path is "MK">>And there's nobody else. [[Is there?]] <<else>> [[And there's nobody else.]] <</if>>

"Oh god, I'm not doing this. Not now." It's a familiar voice, but you can't quite place it. "Weird dream imagery and debatable sanity is Nic's area. This is so not my department." "Is somebody there?" you venture, after a second of staring into the whiteness and seeing nobody there. There's a brief pause. "Nic?" The woman's tone is incredulous. "Now I know I'm dreaming." [[Dreaming?]]

You resume walking. You don't know which direction you're going in, but you know there's going to be someone waiting for you when you get close to the exit. The thought comforts you, somehow. [[Continue.]] [[Stop.][$counter to $counter + 1]]

"I'm not Nic," you say. "I was looking for him but- I don't know who I am. Who you are. Who- who are you?" A sigh, a sound like a hand being smacked across somebody's face. "Oh, jesus. You really got in deep this time, didn't you? Fuck." Deep breath. "What am I saying. This is a dream. Looking for Nic has made me even crazier than I thought. Must've fallen asleep in front of the computer, fuck." Everything's white, still, but her voice echoes around you like she's standing right next to you. This isn't unusal. Dreams in the woods are different, although you can't think of any other type of dream to compare it to. "You're real?" "Of course I'm real. I don't really buy into that philisophical metaphysical bullshit and you know it." "I-" You're overcome with a sudden wave of something close to nogalstia, and swallow. "-okay. Okay. But if you're real- could you help me?" She laughs. "Okay, sure. Why not? Helping out dream Nic. How?" [[I'm in the woods.]]

"I need to get out. I think it wants me to get out." "'It'?" "The woods. They're alive- I mean- it's alive." "Of course they are." You can tell she doesn't believe you, and you feel like you're about to choke. A name bubbles up to you lips, and you spit it out at her, wherever she is. "MK, please." There's utter silence, the sort you never get anywhere natural. "I'm scared," you say. "The others aren't here any more. Get me out of here, MK. Please." She's quiet for a moment. "Okay. What do you want me to do?" [[Wait for me.]]

"I'm going to try to get out. It might take me a while, but-" You suck in a deep, ragged breath. "I... don't know. Just. Come find me?" Her voice is soft. "Okay. Okay. I'll be outside the forest when you get out." You feel like crying. "Thank you." [[Wake up.|Wake up 6]] <<set $mk to true>>

You're sprawled roughly on the leafy ground. There's a twig digging into your spine, and your entire body hurts. You struggle to your feet. You hate dreaming in the woods, but this dream- it's filled you with something unusual. [[Hope.|And there's nobody else.]]

A loud call from a tree near you draws your attention. For a second, you think it's human- but then you hear it again and you wonder how you could have ever thought that. The crow perched in the tree next to you turns to meet your gaze with beady, souless black eyes. It inclines its head at you, and your hands twitch, minutely. This place is messing with your head again. [[You need to get out.]]

YOU CAN'T. [[Continue.|Con.]] <<if $counter is 10>> <<goto [[BAD END]]>> <</if>>

(If you've restarted your browser and possibly your game, these achievements will probably not display the results from your last session.) <<if $suddendeath is true>>SUDDEN DEATH. You died, rather tragically, on account of the Blur <<else>>SUDDEN DEATH. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $stonegain is true>>STONED. You picked up the strange green stone outside the cabin. <<else>>STONED. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $tiredachievement is true>>YOU NEARLY DIED. You almost collapsed from exhaustion. Congratulations. <<else>>YOU NEARLY DIED. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $mk is true>>SO NOT MY DEPARTMENT.You chatted with MK in her dreams. <<else>>SO NOT MY DEPARTMENT. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $questionachievement is true>>ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. You asked Veronika the right question, based off what you remembered from your dreams. <<else>>ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $alexachievement is true>>ALEX ENDING. You made it out of the forest and met up with Alex with your memories intact. <<else>>ALEX ENDING. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $mkachievement is true>>MK ENDING. You made it out of the forest and met up with Meerkatnip. <<else>>MK ENDING. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $geoffachievement is true>>GEOFF ENDING. You got rescued by Geoff Van Sant. <<else>>GEOFF ENDING. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $witnessachievement is true>>WITNESS ENDING. You made it out of the forest but did not regain your memories. <<else>>WITNESS ENDING. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $nicachievement is true>>NIC ENDING. You made it out of the forest, got kidnapped by Cameron Ellis, and got rescued by your friends. <<else>>NIC ENDING. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $trappedachievement is true>>TRAPPED ENDING. You did not make it out of the forest. <<else>>TRAPPED ENDING. Not achieved yet. <</if>> <<if $easteregg is true>>SUDDEN DEVELOPMENT. You somehow managed to con your way into the development room and argue with the game creator. She granted you this achievement as a way of placating you after she completely ruined your life. <</if>> [[Back|END.]]

You push yourself to your feet. "Okay. Okay. I'm good. Let's go." [[Continue.|Continue]]

The red string is a burst of color in the otherwise completely dim world around you. You wrap it around your wrist, tying it in a clumsy knot. [[Nice.]]

... [[...]]

It's thrumming in your head again. But this time it's different. the Blur isn't trying to pull you forwards. It's trying to push you [[out.|Continue.]]

And suddenly it's foggy again, and you can't see more than a few metres in front of you. You swear vaguely under your breath, and push onwards, trying to squint through the blurriness of reality. The thrumming's getting louder. There's a figure in a mask standing in the shadows. The mask is shaped like a crow's beak. The man is not real. The same cannot be said [[about the mask.]]

They are there, staring at you. And you understand that they have been your companion the entire time- a tall blur of a man wearing the head of a bird, the mask of a plague doctor. "There are dangerous things." You stare at the figure for half a second before [[making the most rational decision you've made all day.]]

"Nope," you say, and turn away from the figure and run as fast as is humanely possible in the other direction. [[Yeah, that was definitely the better choice.|MK Ending Start]]

There is a clearing up ahead. [[Go towards it.]] [[Don't.][$counter to $counter + 1]]

Two strong arms grab you by the shoulders and pull you up. You gape up at the man who's peering down and you with a worried expression on his face. "Nic?" [[Who?]]

You swing around the passageway to the side of where the Runner entered, and are brought up short at the sight of a large, bright blue door. [[Enter.|Enter the dev room]] [[Do not.|Enter the room anyway]]

You push open the door, which swings open easily. Inside, hundreds upon hundreds of scraps of paper are scattered loosely over the floor. There's a girl sitting in the center of the chaos, staring at her laptop and sobbing in what appears to be physical pain. "It's never going to be finished!" she wails. "I'm going to be trapped here forever!" You stare at her. "What," you say. She spins around, looking guilty. "Shit, you've found me." [[You have no idea what's going on.]]

Nope. You've made your decision now. There's no going back from this. [[Enter.|Enter the dev room]]

"Why is this room all-" You wave helplessly at the walls. "Yellow?" the girl offers, and looks around. "Probably some sort of glitch in the coding. I still haven't ironed out all the wrinkles in the game, which means there's still some really weird bits in it. Like this ending." "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Neither do I, most of the time." [[Who even are you?]]

"I'm the game developer," the girl says, yawning. "I'm also not affiliated with Pacific North West Stories or any of their derivatives in any way, shape or form. So please don't sue me." "-um. What are you doing here?" "Developing a game, mainly." You blink. "-exactly how long have you been in here?" She flaps her hands vaguely. "Weeks. Days. Months. I have no idea. I've lost all semblance of time and I cry a lot as I attempt to get this game ready for its final release. Sometimes I contemplate leaving it behind to work on another project, but I always, always end up back here." "Um-" "This is hell, Nicodemus," she says flatly, looking directly into your eyes. "Actual, proper hell." [[who the fuck is nicodemus]]

She rolls her eyes. "Okay, the easter egg's over. Time to go back to the actual story. Speaking of which, you need to go back to the beginning and start all over again." "What?" you demand. "Oh, don't worry. I'll give you a nice, shiny achievement for you to access in the after-game menu." [[>|>2]] <<set $easteregg to true>>

THE END???? [[Okay sure why not|END.]]

There's people screaming outside, and the light's blinding your eyes. "Nic!" you hear somebody yell. Somebody else grabs your arm roughly, and you're tugged away. Everything's a blur for a few minutes, then you hear raised voices and smell metal- cold, hard, enclosed. It's all around you and pressing into your back. You're moving. [[You pass out.]]

[[This time, you don't dream.]]

"Nic." You open your eyes. Things are... different? But you can't pin down how. There's a man sitting in front of you, and you can't remember him in the least. You glance around, and realize that you're in some sort of meeting room. Blank, flat walls, one door, and a few chairs clustered around a bare table. There's a single security camera bolted rougly to a wall, right next to a speaker that probably serves as intercom. (And now you're out of the Blur, out of the woods, out of the cabin, everything's coming back. You can remember things.) "The police wanted to talk to you, but I decided against it. I didn't think they'd understand." "I don't-" you begin. "I told you it's easy to become obsessed," he cuts over you flatly. "You went too far, Nic." [[I don't understand.]]

He looks at you for a very long time. You can't read his expression. "It's not an easy thing," he says eventually, turning away, "to understand." Your throat's suddenly very dry. This situation has become very ominous all of a sudden, and you're not sure if you like it. "We're going to have to keep you here for a while, of course," he says, spinning back to you. "We need to keep you under observation. Who knows what you could have picked up, in the Breach?" "The Breach?" [[Do you mean... Tanis?]] [[I don't know what you're talking about.]]

He waves his hand dismissively. "Tanis, the Breach, Xanu, whatever you want to call it. It's a veey dangerous place." "Yes," you say. "I know." "Yes. I rather thought you would." [[You're about to speak, but|MK you are a saint]]

He regards you in a slightly superior, pitying manner, like you might look at a beloved dog that's lost the use of its legs. "Amnesia," he diagnoses after a moment. "Of course. That's been a known effect of the Breach." "Please," you say. "I need to leave. There's people I need to find." "Doubtful," he says, turning away. "If you really can't remember anything-" "I remember some things," you blurt, then regret it, because you really don't trust this man. He looks at you again. "I see," [[he says evenly.]]

The camera on the wall suddenly whirs into life, twisting back and forth at breakneck speeds before coming to settle, looking directly at you. The man glances up, brow furrowing. The speaker next to it crackles, spitting out static, and the man's hand leaps to the walkie-talkie clipped to his belt, already pressing down on the 'talk' button. "Wouldn't do that if I were you," says a voice from the speaker. "I've currently got your entire security system right where I want it- completely under my control." "Who are you?" the man across from you snarls. "A friend." The voice is female, sardonic, dark grey, so familiar, and you're wracking your brains but you can't come up with a name to put to it. "But not yours. Let him out of there, Ellis, or I swear to god I'll unleash hell on this place." "What could you possibly do to me?" the man- Ellis- spits. [[The woman laughs.]]

"You really have no fucking clue, do you? I'm completely engrained in your system. Everything. I could ruin you, Cameron Ellis." "You wouldn't," says the man, but there's a flicker of doubt in his voice. "I wouldn't," agrees the woman. "If you let Nicky here go." The man lets out a sharp, short bark of laughter. "You can't do anything to me!" "Ooh, feisty. Well, I beg to differ. I can do plenty to you. You have so much money in your bank account, you know? Wouldn't it be a shame if it just... slipped into mine?" "Hacker," Ellis snarls. [[No.|never a hacker]]

"Not a hacker," you say, surprising yourself. You can feel the color seeping into your words as you speak, and some memories as well. It's invigorating, somehow. You feel like you could run a marathon right now if given half the chance. "Never a hacker." "Well, somebody's got the right idea," says the woman wryly. "Took you long enough." You grin at the camera, and wiggle your fingers in a greeting at the woman behind it. "Hi, MK." "Hi yourself. Welcome back, by the way." The camera swivels back to face Cameron Ellis. "Now, are you going to let Nic out of your crazy underground base, or do I need to send in backup?" Before you can take a moment to figure out what she means by 'backup'- "We need to keep him in here," Ellis insists. "For his own safety as well as yours. It's non-negotiable." "Shame," Meerkatnip sighs, but she seems to be enjoying herself. "Geoff it is then." [[The door crashes open.]]

You have enough time to see a tall figure standing in the doorway before the lights- inside and outside the room- flicker out. "I can keep you covered for at least ten minutes before they'll be onto me," MK shouts from the speaker. "Go, go!" "Gotcha!" calls the figure in the doorway, grabbing at your arm. "Nic, come on!" Over Cameron Ellis's yell of outrage, the two of you stumble out of the room and into the hallway. The unexpected visitor seems to know exactly where he's going, so you decide to just follow him, since the light around you is pretty dim and you're not sure you could find your way out on your own. You catch up with him- although it's hard- and chance a glance at his face. "-Geoff!" He grins at you. "Hey, buddy. Looked like you were in a bit of trouble, yeah?" [[You could say that, yeah.]]

"Good thing we saw where you were going." He winks at you, and grabs your hand to pull you both around a corner. Sirens are blaring loudly in the distance, and people are yelling, although you can't make out the words. "How did you-" you manage to gasp out. "A weird combination of Alex's driving skills, MK's hacking skills, and my brute force. It was pretty on-the-spot, actually. But hey, it worked, right?" There's a set of stairs up ahead of you that you appear to be heading towards. You glance at him again, and his slightly-forced jovial expression's kind of collapsed into something else. "Why would you do that, man?" You take the stairs, two at a time. There's light up ahead. "Do what?" He makes a weird choking noise as you near the top. "Go into the forest like that! You knew it was dangerous, people died in there, and you just-" [[You don't know what to say.]]

He shakes his head, as if to clear it, and pulls you out of the building into the cold night air. You cross to the perimeter fence with him, ignoring the yells and signs of general chaos that MK probably had caused by hacking TeslaNova's system. There's a hole roughly cut into the fence which is just wide enough for the two of you to wriggle through- so you do. Geoff's phone rings, and he presses it to his ear as the two of you start running again. You're panting heavily but he hasn't even broken a sweat yet. "Yeah," he says after a second. "We're out. You can get out of the system now." "MK?" you venture as he shoves it in his pocket, and takes your hand again. He nods. "She wants you to know that you're paying double for this." [[Of course.]]

A vaguely familar large blue van is looming in front of you, and Geoff grabs you again and shoves you into the back seat, piling in behind you. "Idiot!" screams Alex Reagan, and slams her foot down on the acceleration as hard as she can manage, sending the car careening down the road and your head slamming into the side of the window. Help, you mouth at Geoff, panicked, but he just shrugs at you. "Seatbelt," he advises, buckling in himself. "How could you?" she demands, twisting around in her seat as soon as you're on the main highway back to Pacific North West Studios. "We were searching for days, and then I found your journal- and your recorder- and I thought you were-" "The road!" you yelp. "Keep your eyes on the road!" [[She glares, but swivels back.]]

"We missed you," Alex says. You pause, surprisingly choked up by this. [[>|>3]]

"...I missed you guys too." [[END.]] <<set $nicachievement to true>>

"If you even think about going back into those goddamn woods ever again, I swear to god you're going to have worse things to worry about than the road." "I'm back, though," you say. Your voice is smaller than usual, you notice. "I- I didn't mean to be gone for so long." She suddenly sighs. "Yeah. Yeah, I know. Sorry, I shouldn't be yelling at you, it's just-" "Five days," Geoff interjects. "We were worried, Nic, really worried." "Everyone was looking for you." Alex's eyes are still fixed on the road, but you can see how watery they are in the reflection of the windscreen. "Even Richard came out and helped for a few days. He complained a lot, but-" She sounds close to tears. "So, uh, we're going home." "We are," agrees Geoff. "And you aren't allowed to so much as mention anything to do with Tanis or your bloody podcast for at least two weeks. Got it?" Your eyes widen. "Oh god, the podcast!" "I'm warning you," says Geoff flatly. [[Okay. Yeah. Sorry.]]

In the darkness. Again. Somehow, you know that there's not going to be any escape. No last-minute rescue, nobody rushing to save you. You stand up to check, but the door's locked tightly, and it's too thick to break through. And you've seen that there's no other exits in the room. Everything's sealed up incredibly tightly. You'd be impressed at how thorough it is, if you weren't trapped. You sit down on the flimsy plastic chair, worried at how blank you feel- [[like you were expecting everything to end this way.]]

You don't know how long you're going to be here, but you assume you won't be let out any time soon. The man who just left the room doesn't seem very lenient. You close your eyes, and try to recall the people in your dreams; try to remember the color of their voices. [[Green.|c1]]

You don't know how long you're going to be here, but you assume you won't be let out any time soon. The man who just left the room doesn't seem very lenient. You close your eyes, and try to recall the people in your dreams; try to remember the color of their voices. Bright green, brighter than the forest. [[Brown.|c2]]

You don't know how long you're going to be here, but you assume you won't be let out any time soon. The man who just left the room doesn't seem very lenient. You close your eyes, and try to recall the people in your dreams; try to remember the color of their voices. Bright green, brighter than the forest. Dark brown, like the earth but somehow deeper. [[Grey.|c3]]

You don't know how long you're going to be here, but you assume you won't be let out any time soon. The man who just left the room doesn't seem very lenient. You close your eyes, and try to recall the people in your dreams; try to remember the color of their voices. Bright green, brighter than the forest. Dark brown, like the earth but somehow deeper. A darker grey than your voice, sardonic and warm at times. [[And...|c4]]

You don't know how long you're going to be here, but you assume you won't be let out any time soon. The man who just left the room doesn't seem very lenient. You close your eyes, and try to recall the people in your dreams; try to remember the color of their voices. Bright green, brighter than the forest. Dark brown, like the earth but somehow deeper. A darker grey than your voice, sardonic and warm at times. [[Blue.]]

You don't know how long you're going to be here, but you assume you won't be let out any time soon. The man who just left the room doesn't seem very lenient. You close your eyes, and try to recall the people in your dreams; try to remember the color of their voices. Bright green, brighter than the forest. Dark brown, like the earth but somehow deeper. A darker grey than your voice, sardonic and warm at times. Bright, vibrant blue, brighter than your voice will ever be, and so familiar, too. [[You wish you knew whose voice it was that was so very blue.]]

You close your eyes on the darkness, and think and wonder and hope. Maybe. Just maybe. The owner of the blue voice will come and rescue you. [[>|>4]]

One day. [[END.|>]] <<set $witnessachievement to true>>

You can remember things about the voices. [[Green.|cc1]]

You can remember things about the voices. Bright laughter, insatiable curiousity. Friendship. [[Brown.|cc2]]

You can remember things about the voices. Bright laughter, insatiable curiousity. Friendship. Genuine smiles, cheerful demeanour. The taste of some unidentifiable drink you can't remember. [[Grey.|cc3]]

You can remember things about the voices. Bright laughter, insatiable curiousity. Friendship. Genuine smiles, cheerful demeanour. The taste of some unidentifiable drink you can't remember. The sound of fingers clicking against a plastic surface, sardonic smiles out of the corner of the eye. Voices, talking late into the night. [[...blue.|cc4]]

You can remember things about the voices. Bright laughter, insatiable curiousity. Friendship. Genuine smiles, cheerful demeanour. The taste of some unidentifiable drink you can't remember. The sound of fingers clicking against a plastic surface, sardonic smiles out of the corner of the eye. Voices, talking late into the night. ...kindness? Trust? ...friendship? [[This one's hard to pin down.|blue voice]]

"This is a sterile environment. If anything has happened in the Breach, then you shouldn't cause too much damage in here." "Damage?" you wonder aloud, but he doesn't respond, instead choosing to turn around and head for the door. Like a fool, you stand and watch him go. The door slams shut, and the light clicks off. [[You're left alone.]]

[[END.|>]] <<set $geoffachievement to true>>

You remember a story from what feels like a very, very long time ago. It's a story about a man who had lost his daughter- she had gone out to fetch water from the well and did not return. The specifics of the story evade you, but you remember that the story did not end well for the man at all. The Blur [[continues to pulse, fiercer this time.]]

The thing is, you've felt for a while that it was going to end this way. It was far too improbably, far too unlikely that you would ever make it out of the woods, and much less likely that you would do so alive. So now it's certain- you're not going to be leaving. Instead of regret or anger or frustration, [[you feel a dull sort of satisfaction.]]

[[So you lay down,]]

So you lay down, [[on the dirt and and leaves that cover centuries' worth of bones and blood,]]

So you lay down, on the dirt and and leaves that cover centuries' worth of bones and blood, [[and you look up at the sky that's not a sky.]]

So you lay down, on the dirt and and leaves that cover centuries' worth of bones and blood, and you look up at the sky that's not a sky. [[It's green, like the Runner's voice,]]

So you lay down, on the dirt and and leaves that cover centuries' worth of bones and blood, and you look up at the sky that's not a sky. It's green, like the Runner's voice, [[but also red-black-red like the Blur.]]

So you lay down, on the dirt and and leaves that cover centuries' worth of bones and blood, and you look up at the sky that's not a sky. It's green, like the Runner's voice, but also red-black-red like the Blur. [[You close your eyes,]]

and you feel layers of dirt and history settle across your body and closed eyelids like a second skin. [[And you]]

[[dream]]

into eternity. [[>]] <<set $trappedachievement to true>>

... ... ...[[you're not.|TRAPPED ENDING START]]

He looks even more worried for a moment, and then pulls you to your feet properly, so you're being half-held up by him. "You, dude. You're Nic. Nic is your name. Are you- are you all right?" You struggle to keep both your feet underneath you, and manage to stand up a bit straighter. "...I don't think so. I've been in these woods for a couple of weeks and-" You pause, look at the man. [[Do I know you?]]

The man (his name, it begins with-- J?) looks like he's on the verge of a nervous breakdown. To be fair, you probably look worse. "Nic- buddy- it's been, like, five days? Maybe four. Less than a week definitely." You try to line this information up with the memories inside your head, and it doesn't fit. "That can't be right. There was- I saw-" You trail off. "What's your name?" "Geoff," he says after a moment, quietly. [[Geoff.]]

"Yeah." He sighs. "God, I hope you found what you were looking for in these fucking woods, because it sure as hell wasn't worth it." "I- I think I might have." You swallow. [["But I want to leave now."]]

She turns again to look at you, and for a moment you think she almost looks worried, but then she's turning back to the road again and you can't see her face. "We'll be out of here soon." [[Where are we going?]]

He smiles. It's not entirely happy, but it's genuine, and you think it would be a lovely smile under different circumstances. But right now you're tired and exhausted and all you want to do is get out. "Yeah," he says, "yeah. Come on, let's go home." [[Sling an arm over his shoulder.]] [[Hesitate.]]

He looks surprised for a moment, but then he reaches over your shoulder too, mirroring the movement, supporting you. [[The two of you turn to the grey twilight of the world beyond the forest,]]

"Come on, you," he says, and weaves an arm around your back, holding you almost bodily up. He grimaces. "God, you're skinnier than I remember." [[The two of you turn to the grey twilight of the world beyond the forest,]]

The tree closest to you- the one that marks the beginning of the clearing- seems like a good target to go for. You stumble towards it, and slide down it, fingers catching on the bark. It's rough and keeps you grounded even as you slide onto the dirt. You notice several things. [[There is a length of red string wrapped around the tree's trunk.]] [[You can see a way out of the forest.]] [[You can hear footsteps.]]

YOU MUST. [[Go towards it.]] <<if $counter is 10>> <<goto [[BAD END]]>> <</if>>

[[and leave, together.]]

[[and leave, together.|alt]]

"So why did I enter the forest?" you ask. "You don't know?" Geoff seems almost surprised. "It's vague," you admit. "My memories, I mean. I can't remember much from- you know. Before. Sorry," you add when he begins to look at you strangely. "It's nothing personal that I can't remember you. I can't remember anyone, really." He hums. [["Not your fault."]]

You feel like arguing- yes, it kind of is your fault, actually- but he breaks through your thoughts. "How do you feel about stories?" You think for a moment. "Stories... they're good, I guess. I mean... I wrote down a lot of things when I was in the forest. But I lost my journal, so I won't be able to remember if they're real or not." You're aware that you're not making much sense, but Geoff seems to understand. "That notebook? Yeah, we found that. It wasn't exactly bedtime story material, but... it was something." [[Yeah.|ye2]]

He takes in a deep breath, and releases it with a sigh. "It's my turn to tell the story, then, I guess." You walk for a few minutes before he speaks again. "This story's not the sort of one that's completed yet. And, let's be honest here, I don't know if it ever will be completed. Not after- this. It's complicated and ridiculous and unbelievable, but that's okay, because the story's narrator is the best there is." [[You're confused at some level, but this makes perfect sense to you right now.]]

"This is a story about a mystery," says Geoff, "and it's the story about the man who was brave enough to seek it out for the simple purpose of unravelling this mystery, and it's the story about how this man managed to get himself lost in a forest for what felt like forever." "That sounds like an interesting story," you say. Your voice seems unusually loud. Everything else in the world seems to have dwindled off into silence. "It is," he says. "Interesting and frustrating and infuriating. [[And then he talks.]]

And things fall into place, and it's not like everything's all right, but it feels better than before. "So what do you think?" Geoff says when you're back in his car and you're driving home and the smell and feel of the forest is beginning to fade away from you, finally. "Is everything-?" He waves a hand vaguely- first at his ehead, then yours. The meaning is clear. You think about it for a while. [[...yeah.]]

"Yeah. I think it might be." [[>|>5]]

The tree closest to you- the one that marks the beginning of the clearing- seems like a good target to go for. You stumble towards it, and slide down it, fingers catching on the bark. It's rough and keeps you grounded even as you slide onto the dirt. You notice several things. There is a length of red string wrapped around the tree's trunk. It perfectly matches the one wrapped around your wrist, down to the fraying of its ends and the length, which you doubled up several times in order to get it to stay on your arm. [[You can see a way out of the forest.]] [[You can hear footsteps.]]

[[but you're too tired to track them.|Geoff Ending Start]]

The tree closest to you- the one that marks the beginning of the clearing- seems like a good target to go for. You stumble towards it, and slide down it, fingers catching on the bark. It's rough and keeps you grounded even as you slide onto the dirt. You notice several things. [[There is a length of red string wrapped around the tree's trunk.]] You can see a way out of the forest. There is grey twilight peeking out from between the trees in front of you, and you can hear the sound of the birds that don't exist where the Blur does also. [[You can hear footsteps.]]