Crossroad

You stand on an empty dirt crossroad, framed by trees. The wind blows softly. In the north, there is a weary obelisk of a colour you don't recognise. Something hums in the distance. [[Go north->North]] In the east, the road seems to stretch on forever. [[Go east->East]] In the south, buzzards circle around a stone house that somehow seems both too large and too small. [[Go south->South]] In the west, there is darkness. The only source of light is an old lamp on a wooden stump. [[Go west->West]]

You begin to approach the obelisk. The hum grows slowly louder. [[Continue walking->North 2]] [[Return to the crossroad->Crossroad]]

You begin to walk the road. There are no trees. You hear a rustle behind you. [[Look behind you->Demo]] [[Continue to walk->Demo]]

You begin to walk towards the house. If is further away than it seems. [[Continue walking->Demo]] [[Return to the crossroad->Crossroad]]

You walk to the stump. It is young and seems to have been cut recently. [[Pick up the lamp and venture onwards->Lamp west]] [[Return to the crossroad->Crossroad]]

You walk to the obelisk. The hum does not increase in volume. The obelisk seems to stretch taller. A line of red, rusted metal marks a circle around the obelisk. [[Step across the line->Step line north]] [[Walk the perimeter of the line->Walk line north]]

You take a deep breath, and step across the line. Electricity crackles. A flurry of //something// rushes around your head. The hum turns to a cry and then a scream and then a sound that you feel in the depths of your soul which somehow reminds you of All That Could Have Been. [[Step out of the circle->Step out line north]] [[Stay where you are->Stay circle north]]

You walk slowly around the edge of the line. The hum quiets, realising that you mean no harm. [[Step across the line->Step line north]] [[Continue walking past the obelisk->North cliff walk]]

The demonstration has ended. Thank you for participating. Leave your feedback at the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe8bVEEsFVcDbjv4l9UEFLZV9dMAWvNRgBbIvT_SZA9giUh8w/viewform?usp=sf_link (Copy and paste link to view) [[Return to the crossroad->Crossroad]]

You quickly step backwards, outside of the circle. The hum quiets, realising that you mean no harm. However, you still feel as if Something Has Changed. [[Continue walking past the obelisk->North cliff walk]] [[Return to the crossroad->Crossroad?N]]

You stay in the circle, although all rational thought suggests you do otherwise. The wind shrieks at you. The hum lets out an unearthly sound. A trickle of moisture runs down the side of your face. Blood. You raise a hand to your ear. Your hand comes away slick and red and your ears ring. You shouldn't be able to hear anything, yet you can. Hear one thing. The only sound left in your head is the hum and the only sound left in the world if the hum and as you sink to your knees, head heavy, the only sound you can hear is the hum. And the world [[tips sideways->North death circle]]

You walk a few feet past the obelisk. There are cliffs ahead. You cannot proceed. [[Stay and become one with time->Ending Cliffs]] [[Return to the crossroad->Demo]]

You stand on an empty dirt crossroad, framed by trees. The wind blows softly. In the north, there is a weary obelisk of a colour you don't recognise. Something hums in the distance. [[Go north->North]] In the north, there is a weary obelisk of a colour you don't recognise. Something hums in the distance. [[Go north->North]] In the north, there is a weary obelisk of a colour you don't recognise. Something hums in the distance. [[Go north->North]] In the north, there is a weary obelisk of a colour you don't recognise. Something hums in the distance. [[Go north->North]]

No, //you// tip sideways, the hum filling the entirety of your being. It grows [[louder->North death circle 2]]

(text-style: "shudder")[AND LOUDER] [[`>`>`>`->North death circle 3]]

(text-style: "rumble")[AND LOUDER] [[`>`>`>`->North death circle 4]]

And then there is [[nothing->Ending Circle]]

You have reached the end of your story. You recieved the ending: ''Northern circle'' Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad. Click [[here->Ending Circle Certificate]] to recieve saveable proof of your ending. From //The Book Of Stone and Rust//: "a rusted circle is not something to be taken lightly" https://thebookofstoneandrust.weebly.com/

This certificate certifies that `____________` has recieved the ending of ''Northern Circle''. Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad.

You stay at the cliffs until your bones crumble to sand. You linger until the earth is no more, and then a while longer. You have reached the end of your story. You recieved the ending: ''Cliffs'' Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad. Click [[here->Ending Cliffs Certificate]] to recieve saveable proof of your ending. From //The Book Of Stone and Rust//: "if you are to become one with time, first consider the place in which you currently stand." https://thebookofstoneandrust.weebly.com/

This certificate certifies that `____________` has recieved the ending of ''Cliffs'' Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad.

You have reached the end of your story. You recieved the ending: '' Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad. Click [[here->Ending __ Certificate to recieve saveable proof of your ending. From //The Book Of Stone and Rust//: " https://thebookofstoneandrust.weebly.com/

This certificate certifies that `____________` has recieved the ending of '' Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad.

Double-click this passage to edit it.

You walk to the stump and pick up the lamp. Something in the air shifts as chimes play. You look around. No-one is there. You look back at the stump. It is old and rotted, crumbling to dust and crawling with bugs. [[Continue into the darkness->Continue dark west]]

You walk forward, lamp showing the way. All is silent except for your footsteps. [[Continue walking->Continue dark west 2]]

You continue to walk, footsteps crunching on dirt and gravel like metal on bone. There is a slight rustle behind you. [[Turn around->Turn around west]] [[Do not->Dont turn around west]]

You turn around. There is nothing behind you. You breathe a sigh of relief, and turn back. You [[continue to walk->Keep walking east2]], feeling uneasy in a way you can't //quite// pinpoint.

You ignore the rustle. It's probably nothing. Probably. It's a rather uncertain word, and it leaves you eerily aware of your heartbeat. You [[continue to walk->Keep walking east2]], feeling uneasy in a way you can't //quite// pinpoint.

You continue to walk, losing all concept of time. You go to check your watch, but your wrist is bare. Did you even have a watch at all? You aren't sure. Rustling comes from all sides, and a balloon floats into view. [[Examine the balloon->West balloon]]

You raise the lamp to get a proper look at the balloon. It is dark red, almost black, and it radiates an energy that You Don't Recognise. You shiver, although you are not cold. [[Take the balloon->Take balloon west]] [[Do not->No balloon west]]

You reach for the balloon, feeling electric waves through your veins. The moment you touch the balloon's string, it dissappears. No, //transforms//. Into a mass of black darker than the night and the ~~mass~~ swarm rushes towards you and there are [[spiders->West spiders]]

You walk for only a few minutes before there is rustling again. Rustling from all sides, and then once more, a balloon floats into view. [[Examine the balloon->West balloon3]]

crawling on your skin and in your hair and you sink to your knees, lamp rolling away into the dark. then you [[feel yourself change`,` somehow->West spiders 2]]

the world gets bigger and the mass gets bigger and your sides feel like they're going to split and the pit of your stomach feels //wrong// and something //bursts// free and then, [[nothing->West end spiders]]

You have reached the end of your story. You recieved the ending: ''s pid er s'' Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad. Click [[here->Ending Spiders Certificate]] to recieve saveable proof of your ending. From //The Book Of Stone and Rust//: "do not trust the spiders" https://thebookofstoneandrust.weebly.com/

This certificate certifies that `____________` has recieved the ending of ''s pid er s'' Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad.

You raise the lamp to get a proper look at the balloon. ~~again. you wish you had chosen differently~~ It is dark red, almost black, and it radiates an energy that You Don't Recognise. You ~~why did you choose west~~ shiver, although you are not cold. [[Take the balloon->Take balloon west]] ~~why prolong the inevitable~~ ~~nonono no NO NO NONONONO~~ [[Do not->No balloon west2]]

You walk ~~NO~~ for only a few ~~NOT AGAIN~~ minutes before there is rustling ~~PLEASE~~ again. Rustling from all ~~WHY~~ sides, and then once more, a ~~PLEASE NO MORE~~ balloon floats into view. ~~DO NOT~~ [[Examine the balloon->West balloon4]]

~~NO NO NO NO NO NO NO no no no n o~~ crawling on your skin and in your hair and you sink to your knees, lamp rolling away into the dark. then you [[feel yourself change`,` somehow->West spiders 5]]

the world ~~no~~ gets bigger and the mass gets bigger and your sides feel like they're going to split and the pit of your stomach feels //wrong// and something //bursts// free ~~please~~ and then, [[nothing->West end spiders6]]

You have reached the end of your story. You recieved the ending: ''s pid er s'' ~~no~~ Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad. ~~i wanted something to change!~~ Click [[here->Ending Spiders Certificate2]] to recieve saveable proof of your ending. ~~i'm supposed to be in control~~ From //The Book Of Stone and Rust//: "do not trust the spiders" ~~SHUT UP~~ https://thebookofstoneandrust.weebly.com/ ~~LEAVE ME ALONE~~

This certificate certifies that `____________` has recieved the ending of ''s pid er s'' ~~NO~~ Click [[here->Demo]] to return to the crossroad. ~~what if i dont~~ ~~what if~~ ~~i just stay here~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~as if anything would change if i did~~ ~~en~~joy~~ yo~~u~~r ga~~me.~~..~~ [[..->Demo]]