~~Child Voice~~: "Hey. Wake up."
You: . . .
~~Child Voice~~: "You aren't suppose to be here. Leave now, it won't end well."
[[//Continue to Sleep// -> Dream]]
[[//Open Your Eyes// -> Ceiling ]]You turn to your right side, pulling the blankets over your shoulders. You resume your dream about having a family trip with your parents. Everyone is smiling and giggling. Everyone is joyful.
Then everything is **silent**.
Your immediate reaction is to turn to see your parents but they are not there. Where have they gone?
~~Child voice~~: "Find them. You aren't safe here. Flee now!"
[[ Ceiling ]]You wake up in a shock. You scratch your eyes to focus on the ceiling to notice a crack.
You: "Has that always been there ?"
You observe your room and see that everything else is fine. The closet is closed. The trash can is overfilled with snack wrappers and the floor collective of empty water bottles. Clothes on the floor: nothing short of a teenagers room.
//sniff sniff//
You: "What is that smell ?"
You leave your room in a dash. You slip on your slippers outside your door and gallop down the stairs.
You stop before the living room. The couches are a different color and have a different design. There is no television.
You walk into the living room and see multiple frames with children smiling. You could almost hear their laughter.
~~Raspy Voice~~: "Oh good morning deary. A beautiful day isn't it?"
[[Unknown Voice]]You: "Um...hello ma'am."
An older woman stands before you: white hair and a pearly smile. She is wearing a pair of rounded glasses with a pink sweater that has kittens in the middle. She almost has a hunched back, making her seem really small and fragile.
~~Raspy Voice~~: "Ma'am? My word you are a kind young man."
You look behind her to see food laying on several plates. Scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, french toast! Bowls of different fruits, granola, and yogurt sit beside eachother. Your mouth is watering from all the food just sitting there.
She moves closer to you and clears her throat. Her smile comforts you and makes you feel warm.
~~Raspy Voice~~: "My name is Mrs.Sherbert. Who might you be ?"
Do you tell her your real name?
[[//Yes, She Looks Harmless// -> Walter]]
[[//No, Stranger Danger// -> Names]]You: "My name is Walter Eben."
You put your hand out and shake the little old lady's hand.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Ah Walter. What a fine, ''great'' name. Please, come sit down and eat. Now."
You walk towards the kitchen table and feast.
You didn't get to eat dinner last night. A [[fight]] broke out between you and your parents.
You: "My parents. Ma'am, do you know where my parents are?"
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Oh Mr. and Mrs. Eben. What a nice couple. They went out on a vacation this early morning. Just stormed right out and asked me if I could watch the house for a week or so."
You: "Oh..."
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Dont worry ''son''. You are in ''good'' hands."
You feel like a disgrace. Mother and Father left you behind. As you begin to stand up, she stands up before you.
You: "...I'm going to head to the [[restroom]] now. Thank you for the food."
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "The restroom is down the hall to your right dear."
As you walk away, she watches you. She observes your stride and giggles under her breath. You: "I'm...$names. Nice to meet you."
Mrs.Sherbert giggles.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "My, what an ''adorable'' name."
You: "Uheh, thank you ma'am."
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Please come, sit down and eat. Now."
You willingly walk towards the table and put sausages, eggs, and toast on a plate; a bowl with yogurt and granola was made as well. You can feel her eyes glaring at you, focused.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "''Son'', please eat more."
You: "This is quite a lot for me ma'am....[[Last night]] was a lot for me...and my parents. Of food! Last night was a lot of food for me and my parents. Do you happen to know where they are?"
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Oh. They left early this morning for a vacation. They asked me to watch the house for a week or so. They left as soon as they could.
You:"..."
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Don't worry, I-"
You stand from your chair and start walking to your [[bedroom]].
You: "Thank you for the meal, ma'am"You: "Oh god, I feel light headed."
Inside the restroom you notice the windows are gated. You open the medicine cabinet and see several bandages and bandage wraps. No medication or anything.
You turn the faucet on and rinse your face.
You: "Breath dude. Breath."
~~Child Voice~~: "She won't keep you alive for long. She is hungry."
You look down from the faucet and see a small boy sitting with his knees up to their chest.
~~Child Voice~~: "Please leave while you can mister."
Your rub your eyes quickly and open them again. He still sits, looking up at you with his big eyes. Immediately, you storm out of the restroom.
[[Hallway]]
Everyone was screaming, crying, and just plain mad. The dinning table was always a hazardous place when one person got upset.
Father: "Walter, can you just man up for once?! Your mother and I have encouraged you so much to take lead in your decisions and be strong in every way. But what do we get? A wimp who can't even defend himself."
Mother: "Roger! Don't talk to him like that. You will just bring him down!"
Your father kneels close to you. His face in your personal space.
Father: " ''Son'' you are VIP in varsity basketball and the top student in every class! What happened? What is all this for? We are trying to help you!"
You: "Help me with what?! Become the schools valedvictorian so colleges can accept me everywhere?! You don't care about anything else!"
Your eyes become blurry with water taking over your eyes.
You: "I happen to like to draw and paint. I express my feelings through them. But who cares right? That doesn't make me a man. All this muscle and brain is only what matters."
You take one glance at your father and move towards your mother. You give her a hug.
You leave the dinner table without having taken a bite. You sleep on your frustration.
[[//The Next Morning// -> Comfortable]]Everyone was quiet, stressd, and odd. The dinning table was like a confession closet in a church.
Dad: "''Son'', Mom is not in the best condition."
You: "What's wrong ?"
Mom sits quietly.
Dad: "Well, the doctor has told us, from her last visit, that your Mom has Alzheimer's Disease."
You: "....she is only 45. How could someone get it so soon?"
Your mom kneels down next to you and hugs you.
Mom: "Honey, it's going to be okay. I'm still going to be living just slowly losing memories and maybe taking a while longer to think. Still, I'm here and that is all that matters."
Tears overfill your eyes and you put your head down. Dad comes by and embraces you two.
Dad: "Let's continue to spend as much time together as we can."
[[//The Next Morning// -> Uncomfortable]] You land on your bed and stare at your ceiling.
That crack. Where did it come from?
//Knock Knock//
You sit up and look straight towards your bedroom door.
You: "Hello?"
//Knock Knock Knock Knock//
You get off your bed, open your door and stick your head outside the doorway. You look towards the right and notice your fathers office room door.
You: "Someone else is here ? They would've came out already, no?...They must've been uncomforable sleeping in Dads office. No bed or even a carpet. "
~~Child Voice~~: "Open the door."
That voice again.
A hand pops out of the door and wiggles its fingers.
You: "Hey! There is someone in Dads office!"
[[//Open The Door// ->Girl Bedroom]]However, this isn't Dad's office. White curtains hang in front of two big windows with a big bed in the middle with a white fluffy blanket. The walls are covered in pastel pink paint and a white wooden desk sits in the room. On the desk, there are folders and number two pencils.
You: " Great. I was sleeping in a strangers house. Fanatstic....But, I couldv'e sworn I heard a-."
~~Child Voice~~: "Over here."
You look past the white desk and see a closet with an Eiffel Tower poster taped to it. You reach for the door knob and slowly twist it. You pull the door towards you and see a teenage girl. She has two long braided pony tails and small hoop earings. She is wearing a long skirt with a tucked in cotton long sleeve and shiny black tap shoes.
You: "Um-m...what are you doing here?"
~~Child Voice~~: "My name is [[//Mary Apricot// -> Mary Backstory]]. This is my room, well was."
You: "What do you mean was?"
Mary looks at you and then proceeds to walk through you. You feel a slight shock go through your body as you see a small snippet of Mary and Mrs.Sherbert in the kitchen.
^^Mary^^: "Well, I'm not really here. I'm dead....Mrs.Sherbert said ma mère would come home someday."
You: "Oh my god, I need to get [[out]] of here."
You: "A kid !? How did he get in !? When did he get in !?"
Mrs.Sherbert walks in front of you and startles you.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Are you okay Walter? Is everything okay?"
She glares behind you and walks inside the restroom.
You: "Y-Yeah I'm fine. I-I just thought I saw a-"
He sits again, on the top of the stairs. He stares at you.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "''Son'' I don't see anything in here. Please come back to the table to chat."
She gestures towards the dining table but the small boy invites you to come up by tapping the floor beside himself.
You: "I think I'm going to take a nap til dinner time. Thank you, again."
Mrs.Sherbert stares at you going up the [[//stairs// -> Little Boy]]. She has lost her chance to know more about the young man. His likes, dislikes, strengths, and flaws all lost.
She walks down the hallway to a room.You make it up the stairs and see the little boy. He is indeed a small little boy with his backward baseball cap and denim overalls. His hair is short and he is also wearing old, run-down shoes.
~~Child Voice~~: "Hi mister. I'm [[//Curtis Jones// ->Curtis Backstory]]. You can call me Curt for short."
You: "Kid what are you doing here? I don't remember my parents letting any family members stay over last night."
^^Curtis^^: "Oh I've always been here. Haven't left for a good while."
As you look at him confused, Curtis walks past your room and gestures to you to follow him. He walks past the room next to yours and points upward.
^^Curtis^^: "This is a great hiding spot. We are all jumbled up in there."
You walk to where Curtis is and look upwards.
You: "The [[attic]]? Wait a second, this is my house. You guys can't be in our house playing hide and seek. You guys are intruding."
You walk out the room and look left and right to see if Mrs.Sherbert is nearby.
You: "Mrs.Sherbert?"
Silence. You begin to head out the room slowly and walk towards the top of the stairs. The front door...it's open.
^^Mary^^: "She is testing you."
What do you choose to do?
[[//Dash Out the Front Door// ->Dead End]]
[[//Investigate the Kitchen// ->Weaponary]]Curtis appears in the attic unexpectedley and the attic stairs fold upwards, closing.
You: "Hey!"
^^Curtis^^: "Can you see us now, Walter?"
The attic light turns on. The white sheets fall off the objects and reveals jars filled with children bodies and others with mixed body parts.
You: "What the hell are you!?"
^^Curtis^^: "Just a boy who never saw the outside since I was seven. We weren't enough for her, she continues to search for more of us to live."
You run to the attic window and start banging. You scream in hopes that someone would hear you.
^^Curtis^^: "Shh Shh dont worry. Mrs.Sherbert will take care of you."
You ignore the child's words and continue to bang the window and scream. Finally, the attic window breaks! Blood is everywhere on your hands but you don't care!
What do you choose to do?
[[//Climb Out the Window// ->"Freedom"]]
[[//Throw Curtis Out the Window// -> Ghost]]You pull down the attic door and a set of stairs fall down. The stairs are dusty, surrounded by spider webs and dead moths. At this point, you are more flustered. You climb the stairs and peek your head in the attic. The window attic shines some light.
^^Curtis^^: "Do you see [[them]]?"
You: "I don't see anything Curt."
^^Curtis^^: "Do you see [[them]]?"
You: "I said I don't see anything."
You climb further into the attic and look around. Objects are covered in white sheets. As you investigate, your foot hits an object. You can't see what it is.
^^Curtis^^: "Do you see [[them]]?"You make it through the window and fall to the ground. Your hit the ground with your stomach; you landed so hard that your vision went blurry.
You: "Im out! Someone, please, help! Anyone!"
You pick yourself up but begin to wobble, losing your balance. You see a dark figure in the distance. It's someone, it's help!
You: "Excuse me! I'm hurt! Can you take me somewhere safe please?"
The figure gets closer to you and your vision begins to adjust. You rub your eyes twice and quickly glance upwards. The unkown figure grabs your arm with it's right and touches your face with the left. Their hand runs through your hair and moves over to your eyes.
You: "AHHHHHHH!"
The figure stabs a pair of scissors into your left eye and pulls out your eye.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Don't take anything else out dear. We want him in one piece, remember?"
The figure grunts. The figure stabs the scissors into your jugular and you bleed out. Your vision is blurry again. Everything is black. You are dead.
[[//Try Again?// ->Unknown Voice]]You run towards the evil child and put your hands out to grab him. You and the floor meet face to face.
Curtis grins with an evil smile and giggles maliciously.
You: "Owww!"
Curtis: "I'm not really here you idiot. I'm dead. "
Your head is pulled off the ground and your neck is pressed against something sharp.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Let's keep you here forever, Walter."
The sharp object slits your throat. Your body hits the floor. Blood is flowing everywhere. You are dead.
[[//Try Again?// ->Unknown Voice]]You run down the stairs and out the door you go. Once you make it to the porch, you notice there aren't any neighbor houses. There is simply dirt and some patches of grass. This house sits alone in the middle of nowhere. Dead end.
You: "I'm stranded...."
// Creak....Creak//
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Yes, you are ''son''. Come back inside, please."
You turn slowly towards her and look at her smile. That damn pearly smile. She knows you can't leave. It's practically impossible.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Dinner is ready anyways. Roast chicken with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes. A grand meal for a ''fine'' young man."
She grabs you by the arm and you willingly let her take you to the ready dinning table. You cry in fear.
[[Kitchen]]The kitchen is lit. There seems to be something in the oven cooking. Oh, it's almost dinner time. You look through the drawers: knives, forks, and spoons. You look through the cabinets: plates, bowls, cups. You look in the fridge: jar of olives?, stick of butter, and a small ax. A small ax?
You: "Definetley taking that."
You grab the ax out of the fridge and move into the hallway.
You: "Mrs.Sherbert ?"
Silence. You walk down the hallway and past the restroom. You move left and stumble upon a door. You grab the door knob and slowly open the door. It's dark, you can't see anything.
You: "Damn, I wish I-"
~~Raspy Voice~~: "AHHHHHH!!!"
A figure jumps on you unexpectedley. You struggle to get them off you. You can't move your hands, you can't use the ax.
What do you choose to do?
[[Attempt To Use Ax]]
[[Throw Person Off]]You sit down. A plate is filled with roast chicken, green beans, and some mashed potatoes. The aroma of the food doesn't help you to stop crying.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "''Son'', please eat. It will make you feel much better. I promise."
You take a spoonful of mashed potatoes and green beans and chew. Suddenly, your face begins to twitch. You look down at the food and smile. Your crying has stopped. You put the spoon down and start eating the food with your bare hands quickly.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Good boy."
Your mouth is stuffed. You begin to laugh.
You: "I'm never leaving this place! I'm going to stay here forever and ever and ever and ever!"
Mrs.Sherbert smiles. Her plan has worked.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "I'll take good care of you my dear."
You failed to escape. You gave in to failure and did not leave the house. Mrs.Sherberts hunting and eating of children continues.
[[//Try Again?// ->Unknown Voice]] You grip the ax in your hand and force your arm to move towards the figure. You toss the ax towards what you think is a person and hope for the best.
//Thunk//
The ax hits the wall. The figure has your hands behind your back and pulls you into the unknown room.
You: "Get.Off.Me!"
You launch your head backwards. The figure yells in pain, giving you time to retrieve your ax. You grab the ax and continously swing the ax in every direction.
//Splesh//
You hit something solid and continue wacking the ax in that direction.
// Splesh Splesh Splesh//
You: "S-Stay there."
You find a light switch on the wall and reveal to your eyes an old man. He is wearing denim overalls, is partially bald, and now no longer has a beating chest. You take the ax and leave the room.
Down the hallway, past the restroom, and up the stairs.
You: "[[Mary]] !"
The figure is off of you. Now is your chance. You swing the ax in front of you and hit something solid.
//Splesh//
//Thud//
The figure has fallen. You turn on the light switch atatched to a wall and see an old man.
You: "Sorry sir..."
You leave the murder scene, walk down the hallway, pass the restroom, and go up the stairs.
You: "[[Mary]] !"^^Mary^^: "Could it be?"
Mary pops her head out of her bedroom door and gives a small smile.
^^Mary^^: "You are alive! I thought Mr.Sherbert killed you."
You meet Mary at the entrance of her room.
You: "So thats who it was. Anyways, what is the fastest and safest way to get out of here?"
^^Mary^^: "The only way out of here is to kill Mrs.Sherbert. She is the key to this whole house, setting, and atmosphere. Once you do that, everything will go back to normal. Trust me."
You: "Well I didn't like the hag anyways."
You leave the room and close the door behind you. You start breaking down the walls with your ax.
You: "Oh Mrs.Sshherrbberrt!"
[[Drag the Ax Down the Stairs]]
Mary Apricot was a French teenage girl, born in Louisianna. She attended a nearby highschool and had the dream of becoming a vet. She didn't have a father but she had a hardworking mother with two jobs.
One night, her mother had to work extra hours after her shift. So she made her own dinner, microwaved cassoulet, and headed for bed. She walked up the stairs and entered the room beside her mothers. She got under the blankets and slept.
The next morning, Mary woke up in a good mood. She was excited to see her mother. She jumped off her bed and knocked on her mothers door.
Mary: "Mère, Mère."
No one answered. She assumes mother is very tired from last night so she headed down to the kitchen to make some breakfast. Once she made it downstairs, she noticed a little old lady.
~~Raspy Voice~~: "Good morning sweety. Breakfast is ready."
Mary doesn't care to ask who she is, maybe it's a friend of mother's from work. The food, however, entices her to eat; the cassoulet from last night didn't fill her up. Mary sits down and starts eating.
~~Raspy Voice~~: "Your mother will be home later today, darling. She is very busy."
Mary continues to eat joyfully, waiting for her mother to come home.
But, her mother never came home. Mary cried herself to sleep in her bed and [[//died// ->Girl Bedroom]] shortly. She died from small ounces of poison that were deliberately put into her meals. Curtis Jones was a young Scotish boy, born in New York City. His mother was a stay at home mom and his father worked in a "business" company. This "business" was drug and gun trading; his entire family was notorius in the drug and weapon trade. Everyday, people would come to his house with a big envelope, knock three times, and wait for your father to answer.
One evening, Curtis was in the living room playing with toy cars and watching television. Someone knocked on the door; they knocked five times. Curtis was curious and so he got up and went to the door. He gently turned the knob and opened the door.
// BANG //
A hit and run. A woman jumps out of her car and lifts his body, taking him to the trunk of her car. The car speeds off.
Curtis's mother comes down stairs. Splotches of blood but no body. She mourns and calls his father. Curtis went missing for fifteen years. His mother hung herself and his father overdosed on drugs.
~~Lady Voice~~: "I'll take good care of you [[//little boy// -> Little Boy]]."The shuffling of utensils and plates comes from the kitchen. You cautiously walk in with the ax behind your back. You see Mrs.Sherbert's back.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "He always tried to protect me, he really did. He loved me."
You slowly creep behind her and pull the ax behind your head.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "''Son'', I don't think you want to do that."
Mrs.Sherbert turns around and quickly stabs you on the left side with a needle, injecting lidocaine. She scampers from the kitchen and into the restroom.
You: "Damn lady!"
Your left side feels heavy and you begin to shrug. You put the ax in your right hand and chase after Mrs.Sherbert. You make it in time to bash the door open from your speed and weight, causing her to fall back.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Please. I'm just a little old lady!....I never had the chance to have children of my own....I promise not to hurt you, I'll be good to you [[''forever'' -> scalpel]]."^^Mary^^: "It's time for you to sleep. This will make everything go back to how it was. You will finally be able to see your parents."
You head up the stairs. Before you go through your bedroom door, you peek in Mary's room.
You: "Thank you. I hope you can rest well."
^^Mary^^: "Now that she is gone, all the children can sleep well. Thank you."
You jump into your bed and turn off all the lights.
You [[sleep]].
You [[pass out->Didn't Work]].
You [[slumber->Dead Kid Coma]].You gain tiredness and your breathing is heavy. Just end it now. Mrs.Sherbert slowly stands up with one hand behind her back and puts out one arm. She smiles.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "Please."
You look her dead in the eye. That damn pearly smile.
You: "AGHHH!"
You slice Mrs.Sherberts head from her body. Her body collapses to the floor and the head falls beside it. Her head still has a smile, so you kick it and smash it until there is no longer a face. You catch your breath.
You drop the ax next to the body and walk out the restroom. You look around and see that nothing has changed.
You: "M-Mary....H-hey, what now?"
[[You Are Almost There ->End]]Using your real name shows honesty and trustworthiness.
You were given the name [[//Walter Eben// -> Comfortable]] at birth.This old lady is suspicious. Just act kind and friendly.
You were given the name Walter Eben at birth.
You: "What is a [[//name// -> Uncomfortable]] I could use?"
~~Pete Thompson?~~
~~Jacobo King?~~
~~Robert Hull?~~
~~Adam Finch?~~
~~Dominic West?~~
(set: $names to (either: "Jacobo King", "Robert Hull", "Pete Thompson", "Adam Finch", "Dominic West"))
It's the next morning. You hear rustling in the kitchen and voices talking.
You: "Mom, Dad?"
You jump off the bed and slide down the stair rail. It's your parents having a normal conversation.
Mom and Dad: "Goodmorning Walter."
You smile and begin to cry.
You: "T-They're home. I'm home."
T H E E N DThe sun rises and shimmers onto your eyes. You feel calm. Everything feels right. You stretch in your bed and hear voices.
You: "Mom? Dad?"
You casually walk down the stairs with your eyes half opened. Once you get to the living room, you freeze. A young boy sits at the dinning table, eating breakfast right next to Mrs.Sherbert.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "How nice of you to visit. I really missed your company."
The young boy turns around with food in his mouth.
~~Little Boy~~: "Hiya! This old lady sure is nice. Look at all this food!"
You can't move your body. You have been overcomed by fear. Mrs.Sherbert stands up from her seat and walks towards you. She gently pulls your shoulder down and whispers in your ear.
*Mrs.Sherbert*: "You can't get rid of a lil old lady like me, ''son''."
T H E E N D ~~Child Voice~~: "It's time to wake up."
~~Child Voice~~: "Open your eyes, fool."
~~Child Voice~~: "Aw man, she won again."
You open your eyes slowly and see nothing but darkness. Wait, what are those figures floating? Are those kids?
You: "Hey! Where are my parents!? Where am I!?"
~~Child Voice~~: "You are in purgatory mister. Just like you, we couldn't escape."
You: "No no, I did escape! I listened to Mary and she told me the way!"
~~Child Voice~~: "T-There is no way out. E-Every kid comes here after they have died....or are lost."
~~Child Voice~~: "You are lost dude! Lost in your mind, that's why you never made it back home."
You sulk into a ball and weep. Your soul is not at ease, you don't know what is real anymore. You tried your best.
T H E E N D