Eternal: The Void

Natey's Basement Presents... [[Continue...|Start2]]

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/NDgeu6u.png" /> Eternal: The Void Created by: Nate Lindberg, 2017 [[Continue...|Purgatory]]

"I'm... Dead?" you ask. An omninous voice echoes through the spacious, white nothing. "Yes. Where do you think we are?" "Where do I think //I am//??" you think to yourself. You realize you can't recall where you just were, what you were doing or who you may have been with. Every memory you have seems to be so distant, far in the past. [[Glance to either side.|Purgatory - Look side to side]] [[Look directly above you.|Purgatory - Glance Up]]

To your left, and then to your right. You quickly glance to either side of you. All you can see is an endless void of nothing. Blank, white nothingness. [[Glance up.|Purgatory - Glance Up]] [[Look in front, and behind you.|Purgatory - Look ahead and behind]]

You look up towards, what you have always known to be the sky. there is no perfect blue sky to be seen, nor is there a ceiling. You are greeted by endless, white nothing. [[Glance to either side.|Purgatory - Look side to side]] [[Look in front, and behind you.|Purgatory - Look ahead and behind]]

You squint your eyes, hoping to see something, anything in front of you. Just as you feared, there is nothing to be seen. There is no horizon, no city nor structure off in the distance. Simply nothing. You spin around, maybe there's something behind you? For a second, you think you see a slight glimmery glow moving in your direction. [[Continue...|Purgatory - Glimmer reveal 1]]

This is all too much for you to take in. Where am I? Am I really dead? How did I die? Fear. Fear and helplessness begins to overwhelm you, as that distant spherical glimmer moves closer. At this moment, all you can think about is how badly you wish Gus was here, by your side. That dog has celebrated with you during the highest points of your life, and has been your crutch through the bad. "I can't do this without him." you think to yourself. "Well?" There's that disembodied voice again. "Where do you think we are?" [[Judging at how empty this place is...|Purgatory - Where1]] [[Heaven?|Purgatory - Where2]] [[Hell?|Purgatory -Where3]]

You glance around in all directions again, trying to find the source of that voice. You don't see anybody at all. "Judging at how empty it is here," you say, "we've gotta be the only two idiots waiting for a Nickelback concert." [[Continue...|Purgatory - Nickelback]]

You look all around you. Whiteness. That's all you see. White. All of the stories you've heard about Heaven, and every artists depiction of it, shows heaven as a white place in the sky. There's no sky to be seen beyond the white nothing. [["If I'm dead, this must be Heaven. Right?|Purgatory - Heaven]]

"This must be hell. I've never been more afraid in my life." [[Continue...|Purgatory - Hell]]

The glimmering sphere does not seem amused. It's tone of voice is mellow, yet you sense anger behind from it. "No, my child. Never would I subject you to such a thing. Especially in a time as dire as this." [[Continue...|Purgatory - Revelation]]

The glimmer's voice echoes all around you. "Not quite, my child. Heaven, as you think of it, does not exist." [[Continue...|Purgatory - Revelation]]

The glimmer's voice echoes all around you. "The place you refer to as "Hell" does not exist, my child. I do not wish to torture mankind for all eternity. I wish to enhance the human experience, not make it suffer." [[Continue...|Purgatory - Revelation]]

By now, the glimmering orb is hovering directly in front of you. You can see that it's roughly the size of a baseball. "You no longer exist in your world, yet you exist." The orb begins ascending, glowing brighter and brighter as it rises. So bright, in fact, that you are forced to shield your eyes. You've never been so terrified in your life. Just then, you feel a warmth sweep over your entire body. Your terror instantly subsides, and the bright glow of the orb no longer hurts your eyes. You are calmed, comforted. [[Continue...|Purgatory - Revelation2]]

The glow from the orb is all encompassing. Just as you thought it couldn't be brighter, the glow intensifies... An energy emerges from the orb, swirling around you. And then... Blackness. The white nothingness has been replaced by a black nothing. You're reminded of the time your older cousins coaxed you into a large cardboard box and taped it shut. Even though you are sure your eyes are open, you cannot see a thing. The disembodied voice of the orb echoes in your mind, "You exist between life and death." Just then, emerging out of the black void, a woman. She is moving towards you, yet her legs are completely still. "I am Mila, Guardian of the Void." the woman says. You recognize her voice as the voice of the glimmering orb. You can now very clearly see a woman standing in front of you. The first thing you notice is her long, flowing golden hair draped over her shoulders. A black piece of cloth decoratively wrapped around her body is all that she wears. Her pale, ivory skin is a stark contrast to the dark make-shift robe. [[Continue...|Purgatory - Mila]]

Mila continues, "When a normal person dies, they cease to exist. That is the end of their story. Heaven and Hell do not exist, they are merely a human construct to provide comfort in the unknown." [[So, I'm not really dead?|Purgatory - Not Dead]] [[Then where the hell are we?|Purgatory - WhereAreWe]]

You ponder what she just told you. "So if you cease to exist when you die and I'm still here, I must still be alive?" Mila smiles. "No, my child. Your story reached it's tragic ending, I'm afraid." Confused, you say "Then where are we?" [[Continue...|Purgatory - Purgatory]]

Attempting to understand what is happening, you speak out. "You tell me that I'm dead and that there is no afterlife, no Heaven nor hell. How can that be if I'm standing here speaking to you? What is this place?" [[Continue...|Purgatory - Purgatory]]

Mila opens her arms wide, "We refer to this state of being as "The Void". [[Enough with this cryptic crap.|Purgatory - Crap]] [[The Void?|Purgatory - The Void]]

Frustrated, angry and confused you lash out, "Enough with this cryptic, engimatic bullshit! Where the fuck am I? What do you want with me?" "Your anger serves you no purpose, my child. Your destiny is no longer in your control." [[Continue...|Purgatory - The Void]]

"In your world, the closest comparison that can be made is Purgatory. As I told you, when an ordinary person dies they cease to exist and their story concludes. You are here because you are not ordinary. Your mortal story may have come to an end, but that is not the last chapter." You have more questions now than you did a moment ago. "Excuse me, Mila, Guardian of the Void." you snidely say, "but I think you have me confused with someone else. Everything about me is ordinary, always has been. I've never been the most popular or the smartest. I've always driven a used car, and barely survive paycheck to paycheck." [[Continue...|Purgatory -- The End]]

Mila closes her eyes. "You are the chosen." She raises her left hand, and points at you. "You are the light." A familiar glow surrounds you as Mila's human form disappears, and you see the glimmering orb once again. All of a sudden, you begin to fall into the void below. You scream, and look up towards Mila. "Seek out the Aviator." You fall faster, watching Mila disappear into the void. And then... You lose consciousness. [[Continue...|Rebirth]]

//slurp, slurp, slurp// //Whimper// WOOF! WOOF! Gus barks loudly in your ear, and licks at your face. You open your eyes, to see your faithful canine companion staring back at you, panting. You're flat on your back, on the cold tile floor of your laundry room. "GUS!" You exclaim, and quickly sit up to embrace him. Excitedly, Gus jumps all over you, licking your face and head. Clearly, he's very glad to see you. After playing with Gus for a moment, you begin to stand up. Your head is pounding, and you feel foggy. "What just happened? Why am I on the floor?" you think out loud. You're having a bit of trouble remembering the events of the day. Hell, what day is it? You reach in your pocket and grab your cell phone. On the phone's display, you see "2:31am, July 11th." [[Continue...|Rebirth2]]

"JULY 11TH?!" you cry out. Even though your head is still foggy, you know for sure that you had 4th of July plans with your friends. It was tradition, every year you'd get together with your old elementary school friends. You'd fire up the grill and have a cook out before watching the local fireworks display. Last you knew, Independence Day was three days away. How could it be that an entire week had passed since you should have been grilling burgers with your buddies? [[Investigate Cell Phone|Rebirth - Cell Phone]] [[Walk into the kitchen|Rebirth - Kitchen]] [[Walk into living room|Rebirth - Living Room]] [[Go to bed|Rebirth - Bed]]

Hoping to find some clues in your cell phone, you open your text messaging app. 176 new text messages?! No, that can't be right. You start scrolling through and see that a majority of those texts are from different people. Some people that you see and talk to regularly, and some that you haven't talked to in years. You begin opening the messages, and your eyes grow wide. You get a very uneasy knot in the pit of your stomach. [[Continue...|Rebirth - Cell Phone2]]

//WOOF WOOF!// Gus gives you that look you know all too well. He's hungry! "Hey, you wanna eat, bud?" you ask Gus. Before you can even finish your sentence, Gus is already halfway to the kitchen. You follow. July 11th... July 11th... Today can't be July 11th. You look down at your phone again while walking towards a famished golden retreiver. "This piece of shit phone, it's not the first time the date's gotten out of whack!" A few months ago, the date on the phone was changed by a faulty software update. At the time, you thought it was April 4th, and went about your day as if it truly was April 4th. However, the date was off by two days. It was really April 6th. As in -- April 6th, the date of your bi-annual meeting with your biggest client. The client who had been unhappy with your company anyways. The meeting in which you had planned on offering considerable discounts in an attempt to placate them. Well, you missed it. You also now miss having a job. [[Continue...|Rebirth - Kitchen2]]

You walk into the living room, and sit down on the couch. Gus jumps up right beside you. "Good boy." you say, while scratching his ears. You're very uneasy about the events of tonight, but you find comfort in your four legged friend. He's just about the only thing you're comforted by right now. You grab your laptop off of the coffee table, and power it on. Immediately, your eyes zone in on the date. July 11th. You slam the lid. "Holy fuck, it's the 11th!!? My phone wasn't wrong, it's really the 11th! Oh man..." To say that you were "freaking out" would be an understatement. You feel like your entire world has been rocked to the very core. You get that knotted feeling in the pit of your stomach. [[Continue...|Living Room2]]

You look at your phone. It's way past 3am. You know you should get to bed soon. Are you sure you want to go to bed now? [[No|BedNo]] [[Yes|BedYes]]

"RIP, my friend. You will be missed!!!!!" "I can't believe you're gone... RIP" "Words can't describe how much I will miss you." Each and every text you've gotten are your friends and family saying goodbye to you. You sift through each and every one. All of them... they all think you're dead. Voicemails! You dial your voicemail, and begin to listen to the first one. *sniffle* "It's me." You'd recognize that voice anywhere. Your mom's voice. "I... I just can't.... why did this happen to my baby...."*sobs uncontrollably* You quickly hang up the phone. The pain in your mother's voice is too much for you to handle right now. [[Walk into the kitchen|Rebirth - Kitchen]] [[Walk into living room|Rebirth - Living Room]] [[Go to bed|Rebirth - Bed]]

Gus is frantically running circles around his food and water bowls as you bend down to pick them up. You open the pantry. "You've gotta be fucking kidding me. I'm out of dog food? Christ... Sorry, boy, but there's no place I'm gonna be able to find some grub for you at this time of night." You walk over to the fridge. "Well, while I'm in here, may as well get something for myself." You open the refrigerator door. Dog food isn't the only thing you're out of. "I really need to learn how to 'adult' and keep this thing stocked." [[Uncover tin-foil wrapped plate|Kitchen FoilPlate]] [[Open tupperware.|Tupperware]] [[Open left crisper drawer|LeftCrisper]] [[Open right crisper drawer|RightCrisper]]

One of the few things inside the fridge is a plate wrapped in tin foil. Probably an unfinished dinner that you meant to come back to later. You unwrap the foil. "Whadda we got here? Oooo, meatloaf!" It looks a little old, but still edible. Probably. You don't remember making meatloaf. [[Put plate aside.|Kitchen FoilPlate2]]

Pushed all the way to the back of the fridge is a lone tupperware container. You pull it out, and open the lid. "Score! It's Kyle's left over birthday cake!" Your cousin Kyle just turned 21, and you threw a little birthday bash for him the other day. Or the other week? Man, how long had it been? Your brain hurts a little... [[Put cake aside|Tupperware 2]]

You slide open the left crisper drawer. This is where fresh fruit goes to die. "Ew. I gotta get around to cleaning this..." [[Uncover tin-foil wrapped plate|Kitchen FoilPlate]] [[Open tupperware.|Tupperware]] [[Open right crisper drawer|RightCrisper]]

You slide open the right crisper drawer. This is where fresh veggies go to die. The rotting, putrid goo at the bottom of the drawer sloshes around as the drawer moves. You close it. Out of sight, out of mind. Right? [[Uncover tin-foil wrapped plate|Kitchen FoilPlate]] [[Open tupperware.|Tupperware]] [[Open Left crisper drawer|LeftCrisper]]

You place the plate on the kitchen table, and Gus stares at it intently. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he was about ready to pounce you for it. [[Open Tupperware|Tupperware 3]] [[Open left crisper drawer|LeftCrisper]] [[Open right crisper drawer|RightCrisper]]

Gus licks his chops as he watches you place the cake down on the kitchen table. The way he's looking at it, you'd think he hadn't eaten in days! [[Uncover tin-foil wrapped plate|Kitchen FoilPlate3]] [[Open left crisper drawer|LeftCrisper]] [[Open right crisper drawer|RightCrisper]]

Gus licks his chops as he watches you place the cake down on the kitchen table. The way he's looking at it, you'd think he hadn't eaten in days! [[Continue...|Kitchen ChooseFood]]

The only two edible things you were able to find in the fridge were the meatloaf and some birthday cake. In which the age of both was in question. You hold the plate of meatloaf in one hand, container of cake in the other. "Which one you want, Gus?" [[Gus sniffs at the meatloaf, and barks.|Kitchen ChooseFood2]] [[Gus paws at the cake profusely.|Kitchen ChooseFood3]]

You place the plate on the kitchen table, and Gus stares at it intently. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he was about ready to pounce you for it. [[Continue|Kitchen ChooseFood]]

"Heh. Once a carnivore, always a carnivore, eh? Alright, you have the meatloaf. My sweet tooth's calling out for some frosting, anyway." You dump the plate of meatloaf into the dog dish and place it down on the ground. As soon as it hits the floor, Gus starts chowing down. At least he doesn't seem to mind that it's cold! Mmm. A cold meatloaf sandwich sounds good right now. But cake sounds better! You grab a fork, and take a big ol' bite of your cake. It's a bit stale. [[Investigate Cell Phone|Rebirth - Cell Phone]] [[Walk into living room|Rebirth - Living Room]] [[Go to bed|Rebirth - Bed]]

"The cake, huh? Sugary sweets really aren't very good for dogs, bud." Gus looks at you as if to say: "Yeah... and your point is?" "Allllllright, fine. I don't blame you, Gus. It's hard for me to resist that funfetti frosting too!" You put the cake in his dog dish, and place it on the floor. Gus is in a funfetti paradise. You open the microwave and place the meatloaf inside. After a couple minutes, you take the steaming hot pile of meaty goodness out, and sit down at the kitchen table. One bite later, and you remember why you don't typically like meat loaf. It tastes like shit. [[Investigate Cell Phone|Rebirth - Cell Phone]] [[Walk into living room|Rebirth - Living Room]] [[Go to bed|Rebirth - Bed]]

It's not like you have to be at work in the morning. Granted, you'd sell your right arm if it meant finding a steady job again. You decide to stay up a little longer. [[Investigate Cell Phone|Rebirth - Cell Phone]] [[Walk into the kitchen|Rebirth - Kitchen]] [[Walk into living room|Rebirth - Living Room]]

Now isn't the time for bed... Maybe you should look through your cell phone? Or perhaps investigate the kitchen or living room? [[Investigate Cell Phone|Rebirth - Cell Phone]] [[Walk into the kitchen|Rebirth - Kitchen]] [[Walk into living room|Rebirth - Living Room]]

A flood of questions fill your brain. You do your best to try and slow down and analyze them one at a time. [[What's the last thing I can remember?|LastThing]] [[Why does everyone think I'm dead?|ThinkDead]] [[Where have I been this entire time?|WhereTime]] [[Who is on first?|WhoFirst]]

You wrack your brain attempting to look back and remember the hazy last couple of weeks. "Let's see... July 1st, what can I remember about July 1st?" You can't recall much, but you seem to remember talking to a man in a suit. A green suit. That's right, you had a job interview. But where? What hiring manager wears a green suit to an interview? That's gotta be some sort of fashion feax pas. "I'll have to dig out my VHS tapes of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy". Lord knows they'd never let someone out in public in a hideous mint green suit." You feel like maybe you're going a bit crazy. [[Crazy? I was crazy once. They put me in a room. A rubber room. With RATS. RUBBER RATS. It drove me crazy. Crazy? I was crazy once...|Questions]]

Not only do you seem to have some sort of amnesia, but all of your loved ones think you are dead. That voicemail from your mother, it breaks your heart even thinking about it. You scroll through your text messages again, looking for any sign of WHY everybody believes you to be gone. After what seems like an eternity of searching, you can't find clues in your texts as to what happened. [[Open the "FaceSpace" App on your phone|FaceSpace]] [[Open the "Froogle Search" App on your phone|Froogle]]

Where have you physically been during these lost days? If people are under the impression you have died, they surely could not have seen you recently. You know you've lost your memories over the last two weeks at least. Where were you before you died? Where have you been after? So many questions, but hardly any answers. [[Back to the drawing board...|Questions]]

When you were a small kid, you fondly remember your father popping a cassette tape into the tape deck in his truck. On it, the infamous Abbott and Costello "Who's On First" comedy routine. You can't recall why, but on the day he had you first listen to it, you were unhappy about something. You think somebody stole your Pokémon cards in the playground, but can't remember for sure. It's been a long time. While listening to Abbott and Costello banter about befuddling base-ballers, your young self forgot all about being unhappy, and laughed at the routine. Now, any time you are nervous or uncomfortable, you recite the infamous skit in your mind. Or maybe you're channelling your inner Rain Man? You can't be sure. [[Who might be on first, but you've got bigger fish to fry.|Questions]]

Maybe your social media can shine some light on all of this. You open FaceSpace and are flooded with notifications. Everyone you know, saying their goodbyes to you. You begin frantically reading your news feed. Somebody has to have mentioned how you died. Or at least drop SOME sort of information that would be of use. Nope. People complaining about the president, cat pictures and selfies galore -- but nothing useful. [[Unfortunately, you couldn't find an answer on Social Media. You decide to try Froogle instead.|Froogle]]

You open up Froogle, your friendly neighborhood search engine. You type your name into the search bar, followed by the word "Obituary". The first result is for Roger Paul and Son's Funeral Home. "That's my name... that's my obituary." It was just posted, only a few hours ago. As you read the few paragraphs about your life, you find out that you died on July 9th, less than two days ago. And your funeral is today, July 11th. 11:00 AM at St. Lion of the Snoop's Church. [[Continue...|Froogle2]]

A few years ago, during his reggae days, Snoop Lion's tour bus broke down right outside of an old abandoned church in your town. It was a cold, rainy day and the bus needed to be vacated. Snoop Dogg... er, Snoop Lion, and his entourage saught out shelter inside the abandoned building. While waiting for help to arrive and repair the bus, 42 joints were smoked around the decaying altar. Legend states that as the 42nd joint's final puff took place, Snoop and his men heard a loud noise from outside. The bus had miraculously repaired itself, and the engine roared back to life! Snoop Lion declared this to be a miracle, and vowed to purchase and restore this once before hallowed place of worship. Thus, St. Lion of the Snoop came to be. [[Continue|Froogle3]]

You're delighted that your friends and family would know to hold your funeral service under the grace and glory of Snoop's holy trinity. The Ganja. The Bong. And the Rolling Papers. Ya, man. [[That's enough Froogling for now.|Questions]]

[[What's the last thing I can remember?|LastThing]] [[Why does everyone think I'm dead?|ThinkDead]] [[Where have I been this entire time?|WhereTime]] [[Who is on first?|WhoFirst]] [[Your brain feels like mush. Maybe it's time to stop hunting for clues, and take a break?|Questions2]] Or maybe you want to head to the kitchen? [[Investigate Kitchen|Rebirth - Kitchen]]

Are you sure you want to take a break? [[No, I think I need to look things over again.|NoBreak]] [[Yes, I need to think over what I've found.|YesBreak]]

[[Break?! How can you even think about taking a break at a time like this?|Questions]]

It's really late. Well, very early in the morning. You figure you can lie down for a few hours and try to sleep. No sense in calling everyone you know right now and waking them up. You can get answers tomorrow. For the moment, you appear to be safe. You walk to your bedroom, and close the door behind you. Gus jumps on up, and rests on top of your pillows. [[Look in the mirror.|Mirror]] [[Move Gus.|MoveGus]] [[Don't move Gus, curl up at the foot of the bed.|NoMoveGus]]

Opposite your bed is a dresser with an attached mirror. You walk towards the dresser with the intent of digging out some underwear for tomorrow, when something catches your eye. You are staring directly into the mirror, yet your reflection is not staring back at you. In place of your reflection is a dark, hazy silhouette with a golden, glowing aura surrounding it. You cannot discern any recognizable features, such as a mouth, eyes, hair color or nose. [[You panic|Panic]] [[You stare into where you assume the silhouette's face would be|Staredown]]

"Hey, you know that's where I sleep." You lightly grab Gus's collar and move him off of your pillows down to the foot of the bed. Your funeral is in a few hours at this point. You're hoping to get a small nap in before trying to piece together everything that's transpired over the past couple of hours. You pull the blankets back, and crawl into bed. Thankfully you've never had much trouble passing out. [[Continue...|Dream]]

Gus looks so comfortable curled up on your pillows. That dog has, unknowingly, done so much for you that you can't bring yourself to move him. You pet him on the head, and curl yourself up near the foot of the bed. Your funeral is in a few hours at this point. You're hoping to get a small nap in before trying to piece together everything that's transpired over the past couple of hours. After a few minutes with your eyes closed, you drift off. Thankfully, you've never had a problem falling asleep. [[Continue...|Dream]]

Immediately, you panic at what you see. Your instinct is to get the fuck out of there. Sensing that something is out of sorts, Gus jumps down off of the bed and barks sharply. In a frenzied state, you clumsily rush to your bedroom door and turn the doorknob. [[Continue...|TurnedDoorknob]]

You feel like you should be frozen with fear right now, yet your curiosity gets the better of you. "What the hell is that thing? And more importantly, where is my reflection?" you think to yourself. At first, you think that this silouhette could be an altered perception of your own reflection. You raise your arm, expecting that the dark, shadowy figure in the mirror would do the same. It does not. "What the...?" You quickly realize, that is not you. [[Reach out and touch the mirror.|TouchMirror]] [[Continue observing at a safe distance.|NoTouchMirror]]

Just as you pull to open the door... //CRASH!!!// //SHATTER!!!// You turn around just in time to see Gus running at a full sprint away from where the mirror had fallen. This appears to snap you back to reality. Your fear subsides. "Dammit, Gus! Now I've gotta vaccum up all this glass before I can lie down." Normally when you scold him, he'll cower and hide out of shame. This time, he stays alert, standing close by you. Seemingly ignoring what you have to say. You walk out into the hallway, and retrieve a vaccum cleaner from a closet. The next 20 minutes are spent making sure every shard of glass has been picked up. Between picking up shards of glass, and the mental exhaustion of the last few hours, you have no trouble drifting off to sleep the moment your head hits the pillow. [[Goodnight, sleep tight.|Dream]]

With one finger extended, you reach forward and touch the glass. You aim for this figure's arm, and make contact. As the cold glass presses back against your finger, you can no longer see anything around you. Blackness. Darkness. A familiar darkness, but you are unsure of why it's recognizable to you. Maybe you're thinking of getting taped shut inside that box. Your cousins suck sometimes. You really don't like what's going on here. [[Continue...|TouchMirror2]]

Although you aren't overly alarmed by what you see, you still keep your distance. Danger is not something that you currently sense. Besides, Gus seems to be alert enough for both of you if shit goes down. All of a sudden, the temperature of the room plummets. It's so cold that you can see Gus's breath as he pant's away. The dark silhouette in the mirror begins to fade away. Rather than seeing the reflection of the room, the mirror appears to have lost it's reflective abilities. Blackness. Nothingness. [[Continue...|NoTouchMirror2]]

A moment later, a set of numbers appear scribbled across the mirror. They appear to be inside the reflection, not sitting on top of the glass. 1 22 9 1 20 15 18 Even though you have always had a knack for remembering numbers, you grab a notebook off of your desk and scribble them down. As you write the last of the numbers, they fade away. The temperature rises back to normal. What just happened? You aren't sure what's real, and what might be in your head. "I think I need to lie down..." Before you finish a step towards your bed.... Blackness. Nothingness...... [[Continue...|WakeUp]]

Emerging from the darkness, you see beams of energy swirling towards you. Red, green, pink, blue -- every color, known and unknown represented in these beams. The beams begin to converge together, forming some sort of pattern floating in thin air in front of you. They seemingly get into place and stop moving, as the pattern is revealed. Numbers? A set of numbers? 1 22 9 1 20 15 18 You repeat the sequence to yourself, hoping to commit them to memory. You have a knack for memorization. //Who has a knack for memorization?// //No, Who is on first!// //I don't know!// //Third Base!// The numbers begin to fade. You feel tired. All of a sudden... nothingness. Blackness. [[Continue...|WakeUp]]

Shortly after you fell asleep, you suddenly have a sense of consciousness. Your eyes flutter open, and you glance around. This isn't your bedroom. You're in, what you think to be, a medieval dungeon or jail cell. Grey stone bricks line the walls, and steel bars block off the entrance to your small cell. [[Look around.|LookAroundCell]] [[Cry out for help.|HELPMEPLEASE]]

You get up off of the uncomfortable stone bed you awoke on. It's certainly not your amazing foam mattress you have at home. Your back hurts just a bit. Glancing around the small cell you see: [[An unlit torch hanging on the wall.|Torch]] [[In the corner of the room, a lone wooden chair.|Chair]] [[A bucket.|Bucket]]

You've had enough. Everything you've been through recently was too much for you to handle. "WHAT THE FUCK?! WHERE AM I?! HELP ME!!!!! HELP!!!!!! GET ME THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Off in the distance you hear footsteps. They're moving very quickly towards you. Instantly, you regretted your decision to cry out for help. Those don't sound like helpful, light footsteps. They're more like stomps, angry stomps. [[Continue...|Guard]]

An unlit torch hangs on the wall, over the stone bed. It's rather dark in your cell. "I wish I had a way to light this. I could use a little light and the heat wouldn't be so bad either." [[Take a look at the chair.|Chair]] [[Check out the bucket.|Bucket]]

In one corner of the room, is a small wooden chair. It looks very old and it's decaying in some spots. Upon closer inspection, you see termites eating away at the wood. You decide not to sit down at the chair. Termites give you the heebie jeebies. [[Inspect the torch.|Torch]] [[What's up with this bucket?|Bucket]]

A few feet away from the stone bed, is a small metal bucket. There's nothing overly special about it. You kneel down, and take a peek inside. That's when it hits you. The rancid stench of decomposing human waste. You can't help but gag. It's one of the most fowl things you've ever smelled. [[Move the bucket.|MoveBucket]] [[Leave the bucket alone.|AloneBucket]]

Desperate to find something to help you either escape, or survive, you make the decision to try and move the bucket. You take the thin sheet off of the cold, stone bed, and use it to shield your hands from all the nasty grime and human excrement that encrusts the bucket. You pick it up, and set it down as far away from you as possible. Which isn't that far, it's a very small cell. Where the bucket once was, is a small box. Small enough to fit under the bucket without making it look too conspicuous. Looking at the box, you realize it's a small box of matches. [[You put the matches in your pocket. Might be usefull later.|FoundMatches]]

"There's no way I'm getting anywhere near that thing..." You stand up, trying not to vomit from the smell. [[Investigate the torch.|Torch]] [[Investigate the chair.|Chair]]

[[Investigate Chair|Chair]] [[Investigate Torch.|Torch 2]]

An unlit torch hangs on the wall, over the stone bed. It's rather dark in your cell. The matches! Maybe you can shine some light on the situation at the very least! You take the box of matches out of your pocket, and strike one against the rough surface of the box. It ignites. You hold the lit match to the torch, and the torch instantly erupts into flame. "Yes!" you quietly say aloud. However your celebration is short lived. The light from the cell has attracted some attention. [[Continue...||Guard]]

You peer out of the steel bars of the cell, awaiting your fate as the footsteps draw nearer. A figure turns a corner into your view. You were expecting to see a guard of some sort. You weren't expecting what stands before you. This figure is standing directly under a lit torch outside of your cell, yet the figure remains completely black. It's as if you are staring at a living, moving shadow. You are frozen in fear, trying to process what you are seeing. The figure extends it's left arm, and points at you. Materializing in it's hand, a dagger of some sort. "Great," you joke to yourself, "This must have been how I died..." [[Continue...|Guard2]]

You slowly back away from the front of your cell. Even though the figure's arms are much longer than yours, you don't think he'd be able to reach through the bars and slash you with the dagger. The figure moves closer to the bars. "Ohhhh shit...." you say aloud. Like they weren't there, the figure walks right through the steel bars that are confining you to this very cell. The figure raises the dagger, and stabs the solid stone wall to his left. As the blade penetrates the stone, an energy erupts from the blade and crawls along the walls. You notice that the beams of energy look to be forming a picture or symbol. But, you don't want to take your eyes off of your new cell mate, even though it's barely moved an inch since stabbing the wall. Glancing back towards the dagger, the beams of energy did form something... Numbers. 1 22 9 1 20 15 18 [[Continue...|Guard3]]

You recite the numbers out loud, hoping to remember the sequence. "1, 22, 9, 1, 20, 15, 18." After the word "Eighteen" escapes through your lips.... blackness. Nothingness. [[Continue|WakeUp]]

The sun shines through your bedroom window, landing on your face. The bright rays are enough to wake you up. You throw the covers off of you, and look around your bedroom. Everything looks as normal as normal can be. As the grogginess of morning wears off, you look at your phone. It's 9:30am, mere hours from your funeral. You walk over to your closet, and pull out some jeans and a t-shirt. As you're getting dressed, you can't help but repeat in your head, over and over, "1, 22, 9, 1, 20, 15, 18" It all seemed like a dream. The shadowy figure, the numbers forming out of some sort of energy... What did all of this mean? You try to push it out of your mind for now, there are other things to try and figure out. [[Continue...|WakeUp2]]

Before leaving, you look at Gus, still asleep on your bed. "Hey, you gotta go outside?" Gus opens his eyes, and jumps out of bed and runs to your feet. "I guess your answer is, 'Yes!'" You open the door to your bedroom, make your way through the hallway and down the stairs. Next to your front door, Gus's leash hangs on a hook. Gus immediately runs over to, and sits next to the leash. You grab it off of the hook and attach it to his collar. He's jumping around, tail wagging profusely. You've never seen him so excited to get outside. [[Go Outside...|OpenDoor]]

You unlock your front door, and attempt to pull it open. It doesn't budge. "What the heck...?" Maybe the door didn't unlock when you tried it the first time. You check again. It's definitely unlocked. You pull on the door. It's stuck. You can't get out! [[Try opening the window.|Window]] [[Run to the back door|BackDoor]] [[Run Upstairs|BackDoorToUpstairs]]

Next to the front door is a window. Your ex adorned it with curtains when they moved in years ago. You always hated the floral pattern, but never said anything. After the break up, the curtains remained. You were hoping they'd be gone when your ex's father came to grab the last of their stuff. You open the curtains, revealing the window. It's dark, you can't see through it. "Huh?" You look at your phone, and see that it's still early morning. The sun should be shining, and you should be able to see Mr. Murphy's house across the street. But you can't. You try opening the window. It doesn't budge. You check to make sure the lock on the window wasn't engaged. It wasn't, the window is unlocked. You try to open the window again before realizing the attempt was futile. Gus is growing increasingly antsy the longer he has to wait. [[Check the back door|BackDoor]] [[Run upstairs.|BackDoorToUpstairs]]

You make your way through the kitchen, to the back door of your house. You're hoping the door will open without issue, but knowing your luck lately, you fully expect the same result as the front door. With Gus following close behind you, [[You turn the doorknob.|BackDoor2]]

"Of course! This door's locked too..." you remark. You pull the handle again, and even though it seems to be stuck closed, there's a little give as you pull. It's like the door wants to open, but something is preventing it from doing so. [[Pull harder|BackDoor3]] [[Run upstairs. Maybe a window up there will open?|BackDoorToUpstairs]]

You can't believe your luck at this point. Or lack thereof. Gus is running in circles behind you. Damn, that dog's gotta go! Grasping the doorknob with both hands, you pull with all of your might. You hear the door frame creaking from the strain you're putting on the knob. A loud //CRACK!// and the door flings open! Gus bolts outside, and you follow behind. [[Go Outside...|Backyard]]

"C'mon, Gus! Let's go!" you say to your furry friend as you hurry up the stairs. At the top, you walk into the hallway. Your bedroom door is on the right, and there's a bathroom door to your left. At the end of the hallway is a single window. That window appears to be blacked out as well. You peer down the length of the hallway, deciding which way to go: [[Right, to the bedroom.|Bedroom]] [[Walk towards the window.|HallWindow]] [[Left, to the bathroom.|Bathroom]]

Gus speeds past you into the yard, stopping next to his favorite bush. He lifts his leg and relieves himself. You're pretty sure you see a sense of relief in his eyes. The yard isn't fenced in, and you don't want him running away. You grab his leash and wait for him to finish his business. "You really had to go, huh?" Gus finishes, and you lead him back into the house. You contemplate taking him with you while you go out, but you don't want to risk putting him in harms way. Although, after getting trapped inside the house just now, you aren't fully convinced he'll be safe there either. You take your chances, and decide to leave him at home. Hopefully he'll be safer here than anything else you may encounter. [[Continue|Backyard2]]

You open the bedroom door and walk inside. Gus runs past you, and jumps onto the bed with his leash trailing behind him. Almost immediately, you notice the bright rays of sunshine gleaming through the window. "That's right!" you recall. The sunshine woke you up this morning. Making your way to the windowsill, Gus watches your every move intently. You open the blinds, and lo and behold! It's your backyard! Seemingly, every other door and window has been "blacked out" some how. All but this one. "I think we got it, Gus!" You open the window with ease. [[Continue...|Bedroom2]]

The window in the hallway is locked. You can't open it, and you see nothing but blackness when peering through it. [[Right, to the bedroom.|Bedroom]] [[Left, to the bathroom.|Bathroom]]

You open the bathroom door. Immediately you notice the window is also blacked out. You cannot see a thing on the other side of that window. You try opening it... It's stuck. Just like all the other ones... [[Head to the bedroom.|Bedroom]] [[Walk towards the hallway window.|HallWindow]]

The cool morning breeze rushes over your face, and through your hair. After feeling like you may never escape your house, you're ecstatic to see the outside. There's a tree within your reach. A while back, you locked yourself out of your house, and had to climb this tree up to your bedroom window to let yourself back into the house. You don't think there will be any issue climbing down to the yard. //WOOF WOOF!!// Gus! He can't climb down himself, nor can you carry him down without hurting yourself. "I'll be right back, I promise!" Gus stares back at you. You hope he understands that he's not being abandoned with a full bladder. You reach for the nearest branch, and climb down. [[Continue...|BackyardFromRoom]]

You successfully climb down the tree, into the back yard. Surprisingly, you aren't winded from the physical extertion. Looking towards your house, you are a little confused. None of the windows and doors are blocked off. In fact, you can see inside your house through the glass. Odd, considering every Window and Door was blacked out, and somehow stuck shut. You walk over to the back door. "Well, here goes nothing..." You turn the doorknob, and the door swings open. Gus comes running down the stairs and bolts out the door. [[Continue...|Backyard]]

Reluctantly, Gus obliges and walks into the house. You take his leash off, and put it away. "I'll be back soon, okay? You're in charge here!" Gus wags his tail. You step back outside. Your funeral starts in less than a half hour. [[Head to Funeral|FuneralWalk1]]

Roger Paul and Son's funeral home was less than a mile from your house. You could use the walk to clear your head. Well, as clear as the mind of a man walking to his own funeral can be. You aren't sure what to expect. Everyone thinks you're dead, what's going to happen when you walk into your own funeral? It's not like you can just say: "Hey guys, Gotcha! I ain't dead!" That probably wouldn't go over well. As you walk, you start thinking over some of the information you've uncovered since last night. [[Where was that interview with the man in the green suit?|WalkInterview]] [[What is the significance of these numbers 1 22 9 1 20 15 18?|WalkNumbers]]

Last night, you tried remembering what happened on July 1st. You don't know the point in which your memory loss starts, so you figured the beginning of the month was as good of a place to start as any. Only one memory of the 1st came to mind, the job interview with a man in a mint green suit. So far, it's the only memory you have during these "lost days", as you're beginning to call them. After losing your job a few months ago, you've only been able to get a few interviews. No offers yet! Or, at least you don't think so. "If there was one, I'm sure it was rescinded when they heard I was, you know, //dead//." You've lived in this town nearly your entire life. It's small enough where you can say with confidence that you have patronized nearly every shop and store in the area. Unfortunately, you can't think of a business owner with a fashion sense so poor that they'd interview a prospective candidate in an ugly green suit. You feel like you aren't getting anywhere with this. Maybe it's time to think about something else. [[What about those numbers? What do they mean?|WalkNumbers2]]

Your mind wonders back to those numbers. 1 22 9 1 20 15 18. What could they be? Too many numbers to be the winning lottery pick tonight. Too bad, too. You could certainly use some extra cash. Was all of that a dream, though? Did some shadowy figure ACTUALLY create numbers out of some sort of energy, just to try and give you some sort of information? It felt really real, that's for sure. Unlike the events over the last couple weeks, you can vividly recall your experience with that shadowy silhouette. There's no way it could be a dream. But, then again, there's no way it could have been real either, right? None of this makes sense to you. You've never really been one to believe in the supernatural. You don't know what to think anymore. You decide to push this thought from your mind, and focus on what's about to come. A little bit down the road, you see dozens of people mulling about outside of St. Lion of the Snoop, most of them dressed in black. You look at your phone. 10:56am. Your funeral is about to start. [[Continue...|ArriveAtFuneral]]

Last night, you tried remembering what happened on July 1st. You don't know the point in which your memory loss starts, so you figured the beginning of the month was as good of a place to start as any. Only one memory of the 1st came to mind, the job interview with a man in a mint green suit. So far, it's the only memory you have during these "lost days", as you're beginning to call them. After losing your job a few months ago, you've only been able to get a few interviews. No offers yet! Or, at least you don't think so. "If there was one, I'm sure it was rescinded when they heard I was, you know, //dead//." You've lived in this town nearly your entire life. It's small enough where you can say with confidence that you have patronized nearly every shop and store in the area. Unfortunately, you can't think of a business owner with a fashion sense so poor that they'd interview a prospective candidate in an ugly green suit. You feel like you aren't getting anywhere with this. None of it seems to make sense. Good timing, though. A little bit up the road, you see dozens of people mulling about outside St. Lion of the Snoop, most of them dressed in black. You look at your phone. 10:56am. Your funeral is about to start. [[Continue...|ArriveAtFuneral]]

As you approach the church, you start feeling sick to your stomach. You keep wondering what they are going to do, what they'll say, when they see you. You stop walking about 50 yards away from the church, and turn around. Standing there, with your back facing a building full of everyone you've ever known, all you want to do is run. You just want your life back. You're supposed to be dead. You died. And the answer to how lies with the people inside that church. That's a large pill to swallow. Facing your mortality head on is no easy feat. //But what's the name of the guy's name on first base? // //No, what is on second...// "Come on." you say, giving yourself a pep talk. "There is no turning back now." You need to find more answers. [[Cross the street, and observe before walking in|CrossStreet]] [[Walk straight into the belly of the beast. Approach the church. Face your mortality.|NoCrossStreet]]

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"I'm... not ready yet." You think to yourself. Right this moment, you are the only one who knows the truth. You aren't dead. Were you, though? You feel like you'd know if you died. "Grrrr. Why can't I fucking remember?!" You know that once you walk into that church, this becomes real. Not that it isn't. Right? I mean, it certainly feels real. But, once everyone realizes you aren't dead, that's when the commotion begins. That's when everybody's emotions overcome them. All the attention is now focused on you. No longer on dead you. There's nothing you dislike more than being the center of attention. You're the type who'd rather sit at home on his computer than go out with people. Yet, you had plenty of friends and people who care about you. You never had trouble meeting people wherever you went. Living in a small town helps. You quickly cross the street, and then begin walking towards the church. You do your best not to bring attention to yourself. It's 10:59am. Everyone has filed into the church. Your funeral is about to start. [[The clock strikes 11:00|CrossStreet2]]

"Fuck it." you say. You need to walk right in there, and let all of your loved ones know you are alive! You look at your phone. 11:00 on the dot. Most of the people have filed into St. Lion's by now. This is it. You walk briskly towards the church. Suddenly, you hear organ music faintly coming from inside. You now stand in the spot where Snoop Lion's bus broke down, directly in front of this newly renovated brick church. [[Go in through the front door|ChurchFrontDoor]] [[Use the side door.|ChurchSideDoor]]

Up the three stone steps, and through the front door to the church you run. The doors make a loud noise as you open them, but nobody seems to be bothered to turn around. Pews. Rows and rows of pews, filled with your friends, family, coworkers. Even your dentist sitting in the back row. You knew you always liked Dr. B. When you were a kid, he'd always slip you an extra few stickers after your cleanings. Okay, who are you kidding. You got extra stickers last month. Who doesn't like stickers? The minister stands at the front of the church, up by the altar. He's droning on with some cookie cutter, religious speech about how good of a person you were, and how much you were loved. You were a good person, and you're pretty sure you were well loved. But this run of the mill, religious nonsense seems so....cringeworthy. That's when you notice it. Your casket. Your OPEN casket. [[You sprint towards the altar.|Altar]]

Rather than enter through the front door, you run down the right side of the church building and come to a side entrance. You know that the door leads to the altar. When you walk through, everybody will see you... There will be no turning back. [[You charge through the door...|Altar]]

You stare across the street at the church, as organ music begins to play. It sounds somber. You hate funerals. Death in general, really. You listen to the music until it stops. 11:02am. Sorrow overcomes you. Your loved ones believe you are dead, yet here you stand, not 200 feet away from them. All you have to do is walk across the street and into that church to make their pain go away. [[11:03am.|CrossStreet3]]

To make your mother's pain go away. Your mom. That voicemail. You still hadn't listened to the entire thing. You couldn't bring yourself to do it after hearing the first few seconds. Just thinking about it makes your chest hurt and makes you dizzy. You can't let her believe you are dead any longer. You have to do this. You sprint across the street, and stop directly in front of the building. The very spot you stand is where Snoop Lion's bus broke down years ago. [[Go in through the front door|ChurchFrontDoor]] [[Use the side door.|ChurchSideDoor]]

"HEY! Its me! I'm alive! I'm not dead, I'm right here!" you shout, running towards your casket. All eyes are now on you. Damn, there's a lot of people out there. You hate being in front of people. The minister had stopped talking as you were shouting. There's a loud, communal gasp that echoes through the building. That gasp, accompanied by screams and tears. A few people bolt out of their seats, and into the parking lot. You're now standing in the center aisle, in front of your casket. "I'M NOT DEAD!" you shout again. More screams, and sounds of a chaotic congregation. To your immediate left there is one cry, one gutteral, painful cry that is different from the rest. [[It's your mom.|The End]]

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/NDgeu6u.png" /> Created by: Nate Lindberg, 2017 [[Continue|TheEnd2]]

What happens at your funeral service, now that everybody know's you're alive? Why can't you seem to remember the last two weeks? Who is that man in the green suit, and why is he the only thing you remember from these lost days? Is Gus safe back at home? Those numbers... [[Coming Soon|TheEnd3]]

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/UTVshPA.png" /> [[Play Again?|Start]]