What is your name?
(set: $name to " ")
(input-box:2bind $name,"=XX=",1,"What is your name?")
(set: $self to 0)
(set: $area1 to 0)
(set: $area2 to 0)
(set: $area3 to 0)
(set: $secret to 0)
(set: $teddybear to 0)
[[continue ->preBeginningsStory]] A wooden nameplate sitting in the far right corner of your desk reads "(text-colour:green)[$name]".
(set: $self to $self + 1)
[[back->BeginningsStory]] Sliding open the desk drawer to your left and glancing inside reveals a stack of files and folders. You recognize the labels on the folders as the names of known criminals. Maybe you're a (text-colour:green)[detective] of some kind.
(set: $self to $self + 1)
[[back->BeginningsStory]] Behind the (text-colour:yellow)[client] lies the door that enters your office. Written on the glass pane in the middle of the door are the words (text-colour:green)["Private Investigator"]
(set: $self to $self + 1)
[[back->BeginningsStory]] You reach into your pocket and pull out a colorfully decorated nametag. Doodles and squiggles litter the face of the nametag, it looks like it belongs to a child. Sharpied into the middle of it is a name.
(text-colour:red)["Corey"]
(set: $secret to $secret + 1)
[[flip over->BackOfNametag]]
[[back->BeginningsStory]] You flip over the nametag, and see scrawled in sharpie into the back of the nametag the number (text-colour:red)[14].
[[back->BeginningsStory]] You turn slightly red and admit to the client that you had been momentarily lost in thought.
(text-colour:green)["Could you please repeat that?"]
[[continue->Admitp2]] You act as though you know what the client just said, and choose to respond accordingly. You quickly try to guess what type of case the client has hired you for. You can investigate clues about the client to try and help shed light on what the case is.
[[facial expression->FacialExpression]]
[[frame->Frame]]
After choosing whether or not to try and learn things about the client, you guess what the case they have hired you for is.
[[kidnapping->Kidnapping]]
[[murder->Murder]]
[[theft->Theft]] After guessing that the client has hired you to investigate a murder, you state that you are going to start your investigation by trying to find the motive.
[[continue->Confusion]] After guessing that the client has hired you to investigate a theft, you state that you will need to know what exactly was stolen.
[[continue->Confusion]] After guessing (text-colour:green)[correctly] that the client has hired you for a kidnapping, you state that you will need to have access to the victims personal belongings to try and find leads.
[[continue->EndOfBeginning]] The client has a look on their face that is a mix of nervousness and annoyance, most likely because you are taking too long to respond.
[[back->Bluff]] The client is clutching a picture frame to their stomach, but the picture is facing away from you, and you cannot make out what it is a picture of.
[[back->Bluff]] You guessed wrong and the client gives you a confused look, then gets frustrated and asks that you take the job seriously.
[[continue->Reveal]] The client straightens up and informs you that they have hired you to investigate the (text-colour:green)[kidnapping of their son]. After learning this you inform them that you will need to look through the victims belongings to see if you can find any leads.
[[continue->EndOfBeginning]] The client gives you a questioning look and asks if your lack of ability to pay attention will affect the case at all. They then inform you that they have hired you to investigate the (text-colour:green)[kidnapping of their son].
You then inform them that you will need to investigate the victims belongings to look for leads.
[[continue->EndOfBeginning]] The client tells you that you can stop by their house later that day and search through their sons room for more information.
[[Continue to the victim's room->preToVictimsRoom]] A quick once-over of the room reveals nothing, but maybe a more in-depth look may reveal something important.
[[(Look inside the closet)->Closet]]
[[(Search the area around the bed)->Bed]]
[[(Peer into the trophy case)->TrophyCase]]
(if:$area1 is 1)[=
The victim's diary revealed that for some reason, they had been extremely excited to attend school the same day that they had gone missing. Coincidence? You think not! It's time to pay the victim's school a visit.
[[To the victim's school->ToVictimsSchool]] You fling open the closet doors to reveal... nothing. Aside from a few colorful outfits, there's nothing in here that is out of the ordinary.
[[back->ToVictimsRoom]] You walk over to the bed, and notice two places that clues could be hiding. Either under the bed, or inside the nightstand drawer.
[[(Check inside the drawer)->NightstandDrawer]]
[[(Investigate under the bed)->UnderTheBed]]
[[back->ToVictimsRoom]] An incredibly diverse assortment of candy wrappers and toys lay inside the drawer, but not much else.
[[back->Bed]] Under the bed you find a piece of evidence that is every Private Investigators best friend. A (text-colour:green)[diary]. You flip through the pages until you find the passage written the day before the victim went missing.
"Dear Diary,
I know I've told you many times how much I hate school, but tommorrow is different. I've been waiting for tommorrow for years, and for the first time in forever, (text-colour:green)[I can't wait to go to school]. I'll let you know all about it tommorrow after I get back!"
This is exactly the type of lead you were looking for!
(set: $area1 to $area1 + 1)
[[back->ToVictimsRoom]] Peering through the dusty glass, you analyze row after row of trophies. For some reason you can't shake the feeling that you've seen them before. You look closely at each trophy and notice one standout detail. The name "(text-colour:red)[Corey]" is written on every single one. There's nothing here that seems to effect the case.
(set: $secret to $secret + 1)
[[back->ToVictimsRoom]] After going home for the evening and getting a good nights sleep, you awaken early in the morning ready to continue your investigation. After a quick breakfast, you head off to the victim's elementary school to investigate your lead. After stopping by the visitors office to get a hallway pass, you decide what to investigate.
[[Go to the victim's classroom->Classroom]]
[[Talk to the victim's teacher->Teacher]]
(if:$area2 is 1)[=
The teacher had pointed you in the direction of the (text-colour:green)[zoo], but you hadn't really found anything else of much import at the school. If this next lead doesn't pan out, you'll have hit a dead end...
Anyways, off to the the Zoo!
[[Go to the Zoo->ToZoo]] You enter the classroom and find that it is empty. It must be lunch. You better take a quick look around before the students come back.
[[Look at the victim's desk->VictimsDesk]]
[[Search the victim's cubby->VictimsCubbies]]
[[back->ToVictimsSchool]] You head down to the playground area and hear the cheering of children as you draw closer. A tall blonde woman stands supervising them. That must be the teacher. You walk up to them and ask them who they are. A quick response from them confirms that they are the teacher you are looking for.
[[Ask about the victim->AskingAboutVictim]]
[[back->ToVictimsSchool]] You notice a desk has been set aside in the back corner of the classroom. Perhaps this is their desk. You walk over and notice that the insides have been cleaned out. Just as you are turning to walk away, you notice something scrawled into the bottom right corner of the desk.
(text-colour:red)["Corey"]
(set: $secret to $secret + 1)
[[back->Classroom]] Rows and rows of cubbies lie in front of you, labeled by number. It's a shame, you won't be able to investigate the right cubby if you dont know number to search...
(if:$area2 is 1)[
But you do know which number to search! A quick glance into cubby number 14 reveals a single item. A dressed up (text-colour:red)[teddy bear] sits in the middle of the open space.
(set: $secret to $secret + 1)
(set: $teddybear to $teddybear + 1)]
[[back->Classroom]] You ask the teacher to tell you about the victim. The teacher starts by telling you their age and (text-colour:red)[cubby number (14)], but you stop them mid sentence and say that you are looking for more of a description of their behavior, and if the teacher ever noticed a certain shift.
She informs you that she noticed that the victim had been acting very strange ever since they had (text-colour:green)[returned from the zoo], and that he went missing very soon after that.
She had believed that his change in behavior was due to the fact that he had [lost his favorite stuffed animal] the same day as the field trip.
(set:$area2 to $area2 + 1)
[[back->ToVictimsSchool]] Thankfully, it's still early enough that the Zoo will still be open for a while. You drive over, quickly buy tickets, and head inside. It's a busy day and crowds of people flock from exhibit to exhibit. You are able to spot a Zoo worker standing next to a nearby warehouse.
[[Go over and talk to the worker ->SecurityRoom]]
[[Explore the exhibits->Exhibits]] You show your credentials to the worker and explain the situation. They escort you to the security room where the security camera controls and tapes are held, and an on-site police officer stands next to you as you investigate the various pieces of evidence.
[[View the past security tapes->Tapes]]
[[View the live feed->LiveFeed]]
[[back->ToZoo]] When looking through the recording of the day the victim went on a field trip, you see that nothing out of the ordinary occured. He went with his class on a path through all the exhibits, and seemed to have a fun time.
[[back->SecurityRoom]] You happen to glance at the live feed, as it switches between exhibits, and you notice something strange in the bear enclosure. Right in the middle of the exhibit lies a (text-colour:red)[teddy bear].
(if:$teddybear is 1)[
The teddy bear looks almost identical to the one you found in the victims cubby! Maybe you should get a closer look at it...]
[[back->SecurityRoom]] You choose to explore to various animal exhibits at the zoo.
[[Monkey exhibit->Monkeys]]
[[Zebra exhibit->Zebras]]
[[Lion exhibit->Lions]]
[[Bear exhibit->Bears]]
[[back->ToZoo]] The roaring lions seem to speak to you from their tiny enclosure, begging you to let them take a bite. Aside from the magnificent beasts, there's nothing else here of notice.
[[back->Exhibits]] The primates swing from branch to branch and hoot loudly at the people watching. You look around the observation area and glance into the enclosure, but there's nothing here worth noting.
[[back->Exhibits]] You walk over to the Zebra exhibit, and can hear sounds of excitement as you draw closer. You push your way through the crowd to get a clearer look at the spectacle.
Dry grass surrounds a small oasis, and you can just make out a baby Zebra peeking their head through the grass and drinking water. Sadly, there is nothing else of import here.
[[back->Exhibits]] The bears mull around the enclosure with relative apathy to their very large audience. You peer in through the glass and notice something strange lying in the middle of the enclosure. A familiar looking (text-colour:red)[teddy bear] sits there, staring at you through the glass.
[[continue->Bears2]]You choose to wait until the Zoo has closed down to try and gain access to the exhibit. When you return later that night, you see that the teddy bear is suddenly not there anymore. You go to the security room and consult the tapes to reveal that the teddy bear had never been there in the first place...
[[continue->Ending1]] After finding that the zoo was a dead-end, you return to the victims school to look for more clues, and the victims house after that. After months of investigating, you dont find any substantial new leads, and you are forced to abandon the case. You live out the rest of your days as a very successful private investigator. But for some reason you never forget the case of the missing child Corey, and it haunts you until the day you die.
(text-colour:green)[THE END]
Achievement unlocked: Bad EndingYou steal the workers keys, unlock the door to the exhibit, and dash for the stuffed animal as onlookers scream and panic. You reach over and pick up it up, and are able to examine it closely. It is just a regular teddy bear dressed up as a detective. You notice that there is a (text-colour:red)[colorful nametag] pinned to the teddy bears chest, and you squint to read it.
The nametag reads (text-colour:red)["$name, Private Investigator"]
[[continue->Ending2part2]]Perhaps through examining your surroundings, you might be able to remember what exactly it is you are doing here.
[[Nameplate]]
[[Drawer]]
[[Door]]
[[Pocket]]
(if:$self is 3)[=
Through using your detective skills, you have remembered that you are a (text-colour:green)[Private Investigator]. This is your office where your many clients come to meet you and present their cases. The person sitting across from you right now had most likely just presented their case to you.
The only problem is, you still can't remember what they were talking to you about! They are still staring at you expecting an answer, do you admit that you were daydreaming and forgot what they had said, or do you try to bluff and act as though you know what they asked you?
[[Admit]]
[[Bluff]] Later that day, after doing some paperwork and grabbing a bite to eat, you stop by the clients home to investigate the kidnapping victims room. Upon ringing the doorbell, the client opens the door, and after glancing in both directions, motions to invite you inside.
(text-colour:yellow)["His room is upstairs, the first one on the left."]
You thank the client for their instruction and make your way upstairs and into the victims room. The air inside is stale and unmoving. It is clear that your client hasn't stepped foot in this room since the kidnapping of their son.
[[continue->ToVictimsRoom]](text-colour:yellow)["Hello? $name, can you hear me?"]
You snap back to reality as your daydreaming is cut short. You sit in a dimly lit office at a desk that appears to be yours. Across from you sits someone who appears to be your (text-colour:yellow)[client].
You stare blankly at this person as you try to remember what they had been talking to you about. In fact, you seem to be having trouble remembering who you even are!
[[continue->BeginningsStory]]You walk over to a nearby worker and ask if they can fetch you the teddy bear from inside. They tell you that items lost in enclosures can only be fetched and returned after the zoo has closed down for the day. He tells you to (text-colour:green)[come back later]. What do you do?
[[Leave the zoo and come back near closing time->Ending1part0]]
(if:$secret > 2)[=
But a strong compulsion to have the teddy bear (text-colour:red)[now] grips you. You need to get into that enclosure. The jingling of the keys attached to the workers waist is very alluring. You (text-colour:red)[need] that teddy bear.
(text-colour:red)[[[Steal the keys and break into the enclosure->Ending2]]]You look down at your hands and recoil in horror as you realize that they are made of (text-colour:red)[cotton and synthetic fur]. You run over to the watering hole where the animals drink from and gaze at your reflection. A teddy bear gazes back at you. The reason the teddy bear you previously saw had looked so familiar was because it is the (text-colour:red)[spitting image of you].
[[continue->Ending2part3]] Before you have a chance to take all of this in, you are shoved to the ground with tremendous force, and you look up as a real bear stands on its hind legs above you and roars. The crowd screams as the bear claws into you, and stuffing goes flying into the air.
As the sound of the screaming crowd fades away and your vision fades to black, a (text-colour:yellow)[new voice] comes into focus.
(text-colour:yellow)["Corey."]
(text-colour:yellow)["..."]
[[continue->Ending2part4]](text-colour:yellow)["Corey I know you're in there somewhere."
"I know you can hear me"
"Please just give me a sign"
"Any sign"]
[[continue->Ending2part5]]You open your eyes to see a (text-colour:yellow)[woman] staring down at you. She tears up and runs out of the room. You are lying in a hospital bed hooked up to a life support machine. You feel that you are clenching something tightly in your fist, and relax it to examine what is inside.
A colorful nametag lies crumpled in your palm, and as it slowly uncrumples you can make out the name "Corey" on it.
A doctor walks into the room followed by the same teary woman who had rushed out moments before.
[[continue->Ending2part6]] "Corey can you hear me", the doctor asks.
You open your mouth to respond but no words come out.
"That's ok you don't have to respond, let me walk you through what happened."
The doctor informs you that (text-colour:cyan)[you are Corey], an elementary student who had gone on a field trip to the zoo. Because of your strong love for your favorite stuffed animal (text-colour:cyan)[(text-colour:cyan)["$name"]], you had tried to enter the bear enclosure believing them to be as friendly as your teddy bear. The animals attacked you, and you have been in a (text-colour:cyan)[dream-state coma] for 27 days.
[[continue->Ending2part7]] You've been dreaming this whole time. There never was any "private investigator $name", he was your teddy bear that you loved. While you were in a coma, you took on the identity of your imaginary friend. There never was any kidnapping case. But there was most definitely a detective. (text-colour:cyan)[You]. Through your investigative skills that went above and beyond the call of duty, you were able to solve the real case, and free Corey from his mental prison.
(text-colour:cyan)[THE END]
Achievement unlocked: True Ending