Pathic game

"NO. No more of any of that! I'm Tired. I just can't take it any more," Suzan started crying. "Ive been on the run for too long. On this most recent crime. I robbed a lady. Some middle aged wealthy lady. Nice house, nice job, knows every person in the district type, you know. But when i robbed her...I was.... I.... was taken by suprise by how shocked she looked. Like she was loosing more than just some money she can make back in a couple weeks... I didn't get it. How could a few dollars mean so much to someone living in a place so nice... I checked the local community board a couple of weeks later.... She had Cancer... She was dying She didn't have the time to make that money back," Suzan was now balling with tears all across her face "and she has a daughter. Did I stop a mother from spending her last few days with her daughter the best they could be... I need to leave" Suzan ran out of the building. [[call emergincy services]] [[do nothing]]

Alright, come on, come on, come on. Show me the money spot. Show me that park of a lifetime....... Please..... please... PLEASE COME ON ANYWHERE, PLEASE!! [[circle the lot again]] [[stop in the middle of the road]]

"It's going really rough. I robbed this one girl... I can't get into it, but it went horribly, and I don't know what to do with myself anymore... I feel broken, and I'm... I'm just glad you listened to me. But what do I do, Amanda? How can I fix this?" [[do nothing]] [[tell her she has to stop running]]

"Driving into work is always so busy. Dammit, Why do I always leave so late when I know I'll end up in the same situation every time? I think I see the parking lot just above." [[well, no time to waste let's get a move on!]]

Suzan stood still in shock. Empty tears started rolling from her eyes "i've got to leave", she said before opening the door. I never knew what happened to her after that........ [[until?]]

Suzan opens the door. "Wow, this place is filthy." You could have cleaned the place up a bit, Amanda. Is this a therapist's office or a rubbish tip? I guess both places end with people dumping things on you, hehe." There is an awkward pause. [[well, it's good to see you have a seat]]

You calmly told the officer what Suzan had told you, but you said she was no threat and felt confident she would hand herself in. 6 months later, you get a note in the mail "hi Amanda. they played your message at the hearing. I was very angry at you but I understand why you did what you did. i'm currently in a mental hospital but they are about to send me to prison for the next couple of years. While part of me wanted nothing to do with you ever again, another part of me is glad to have had you in my world. Im finally glad to be alive. at leist a little. And i wouldn't be here without you. So thank you. I think? I still don't think i can ever trust you again though. theres got to be a better way. And I know you know that. Anyway Goodbye Amanda. From Suzan" [[put the letter down]]

You screamed at the emergency services guy that Suzan was an imminent threat that must be dealt with by any means necessary as soon as possible. 6 months later, you get a letter in the mail "They played the tape at my hearing. How could you do this to me. You betrayed every part of my trust. I dispise every part of you. rotten to youre core. Every day i'm going to think about how much a hate you and I hope every cliant you have leaves you and you go backrupt. From Suzan" [[put the letter down]]

On the other side, a voice could be heard: "emergincy services how can we help you?" [[be mean]] [[be caring]]

I press the button. "hi it's Suzan. I think i'm going to be a little early today if that's alright with you?". Oh, damn, ok. Just as the voicemail ends, you hear a knock at the door. [[answer it]]

After circling the lot a few times, I see a car leaving. Ugh, where was this guy 10 minutes ago? I guess it doesn't matter now. Let the past be the past [[take his spot]] [[zone out]]

You start cleaning the place, but then someone opens the door behind you. [[turn around to see who opened the door]]

I just stood there in shock. Unsure of my next move. I never heard from Suzan again. [[until?]]

(revving engine sound) Oh no... It looks like he was serious. Am I too deep in? [[lets run back to the car]] [[no he's just bluffing. try me son! bet you won't do anything]]

Each step feels longer than the last! [[oh i think i finally see it in the distance]]

Alright, I'll just park here. I guess it at least guarantees I get a spot. [[park and get out]] [[you know what i change my mind]]

whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy [[it's really not that bad]]

I made it! Fear Nothing Psycology Clinic. It looks like I have a full day, but I can probably get something quick done before my first client arrives. [[check voicemail]] [[clean the office]]

I ran back to the car, turned on the engine as soon as possible, and drove off. Phew, that was a close one. I think everything's okay now. [[circle the lot again]]

VROOOOM. The driver behind Goes full speed ahead and SLAMS into the back of my car. We get into an extensive argument over who was in the wrong. He takes me to court, and I win, but insurance refuses to cover either of us. Also, the argument seemed to have made it onto "CasualFails.tv" Now everyone in the state has seen me call some driver "a braindead loser". I got a letter next week telling me I'm fired for "reputational damages". It's not my fault this town is full of idiots. I don't know how i'm gonna make it from here though......... Game Over

Finally, damn, I regret that. [[let's go into work]]

I hate walking, this sucks [[keep going]]

The next client knocks on the door [[let him in]] [[Sit still]]

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" I hear from behind. BEEP, BEEP, BEEEEEP!!! "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" "YOU GET BACK IN OR I'LL TURN THAT CAR INTO EVEN MORE OF A PEICE OF JUNK THAN IT ALREADY IS." Bad mistake. Guess I better get back in. [[circle the lot again]] [[double down]]

Ok Perfect. [[let's go into work]]

"But how?" she said. I'm going to call the emergency services. You have to turn yourself in," I replied. It hurts, but you'll get better. Trust me." Suzan slowly stood up and sadly walked out of the office. [[call emergincy services]]

It's Suzan. She says, "what do you ignore your voicemail or something. I left a message yesterday. Geez, all i pay you is to listen" (there is an awkward pause) "well i guess it doesn't matter too mcuh. todays session starts early." [[well, it's good to see you have a seat]]

Six months later, I got a letter from the police. It read, "We believe a wanted criminal is in contact with you and has used this office to confess their crimes. No medical professional is longer covered by confidence privileges after bill 1984834, section 5, paragraph 6. You are currently under arrest and must hand yourself into prison by next week. Failure to do so will result in a warrant for your arrest. I handed myself in a week later and was put on trial without a proper lawyer or a jury and instantly given 3 years of jail time for assisting in criminal operations. I don't know what to think..... I don't know..... I... I don't even know what I did. Game Over

Oh, damn it. I guess I zoned out. Come on, Amanda, keep it together. Think think think [[well, no time to waste let's get a move on!]]

"so, Do you have anything particular you want to talk about today?" I ask her. Suzane replies, "Well... um, I don't know how to say this... Ever since I got kicked out of my place in the city... It's been hard to pay the bills. These jobs... they just don't pay enough for... For anyone to live their life. I don't know how to say it. It's dumb...... Anyway, I just want to get by and spend my time travelling and going somewhere. Going anywhere outside of these lands! But I.....I just couldn't. I just couldn't find the cash to pay the rent or get the money to eat something outside of Cereal! Do you know how tiring it is to prepare Cornflakes for the thirtieth meal in a row!.......... So, In a moment of desperation......I've... I've fallen into crime. [[What's wrong with you. How could you do that you selfish peice of crap]] [[So. How is that going for you]] [[you made the right choice. I complely support you]]

Okay, okay, let's do this. Daaaaaaamit. The lot looks so full. But maybe everyone's just going somewhere different from me? I could just get one of these early parks here, but perhaps it would save me time walking if I try to get a spot close to the office. [[just park here]] [[No, go for gold, try park up close]] [[uuuuuuuuum....uhhhhh]]

errrrrrrrrrk!!! The car slams to a stop. As I start moving back, an orchestra of Horns can be heard from other vehicles. Damn, I really don't know. Why can't everybody just get along? I need to get a move on. Should I just forget it and park? [[park and get out]] [[No, go for gold, try park up close]]

"What? Wha-- What does that even mean?" Suzan replied, "I don't want your support. Matter of fact, I resent your support. I just...... Why won't you just listen? Why won't anyone listen? I am so sick of you and everyone else's opinions. I just want... I just want to breathe." [[I think you might need to take a deep breath]]

Nononono! I missed the slot. This is reeeeeally, really bad. Alright let's try and stay focused this time. [[well, no time to waste let's get a move on!]]

The door opened, and Xenon walked through. "hi Xenon," I said calmly, trying to get my focus back after what happened before my eyes. He sat down on the couch and took a big sigh of disappointment [[what seems to be the matter?]] [[geez Drama Queen alart]]

You hear someone on the other side fail to open the door several times in a row. Always failing to push the handle in a bit before twisting it [[let him in]]

Xenon paused briefly, thinking what to say before replying, "it's just.. I had a meeting with my ex wife a few days ago and i can't stop thinking about what she said" [[what did she say?]]

"sarah used to say that all the time too. It alwats got me down, you know? Like I have all these feelings... Shouldn't I be allowed to feel them sometimes. It just dosen't seem right to me. She said a lot of other things too," Xenon replied. [[what did she say?]]

"she said i'ma..... i'm a dragon. And that I will never find anyone because of that. They'll get close but eventually it'll just end like this one did" [[What's wong with Dragons?]] [[Do you think she's right?]]

"Are you kidding me!? They're disgusting. Full of scales and with a bad temper, too." he replied [[So how can I help?]]

"I just. Maybe, possibly. It dosn't make any sense but it won't leave my head. Ive tried to get rid of the though it just keeps coming back, it just.... stays...." [[So how can I help?]]

"Amanda I.. I need you to tell me.... Am I a dragon?" [[Tell him he is]] [[Tell him he's not]] [[refuse to answer the question]]

Xenon started crying a bit. "ok... Well what now?" he replied [[send him to a specialist]] [[refuse to answer the question]]

"you're not Xenon. If you want my thoughts that's what they are. youre just that. A guy with some questions". Xenon smiled and left the office with a confident look. A while later, he missed his next appointment. I tried to look into why he couldn't make it. Turns out he went into a coma after a public mental breakdown in a K-mart. He kept screaming and breathing fire everywhere. It's not looking good for him. Even after he leaves the hospital, the legal fees will pile up. [[Keep going with your day]]

"listen. I umm. I don't know... It's not my place to tell you," I replied. Xonon left the office unsatisfied that day. He came back a couple of times after talking about everyday issues, such as how to come off as less intimidating and be less fired up with rage, but he always talked with such purposelessness after that. I hear a rumour now that he's known as the "crazy dragon dude" who just goes up to strangers and asks them how they know who they are before asking them a series of increasingly incomprehensible riddles. [[Keep going with your day]] [[leave work]]

I hear a couple of coughs at the door. I open it. It's James. James walks in and sits before grabbing a box of tissues. [[what's the matter you look sick?]] [[continue session like nothing happened]]

I left work that day because, Frankly, I was tired. Later that day, my boss discovered what had happened and that I had left early. She sent me an Email telling me I was fired. Not even a call... After everything I gave for this job, this is how it ends............ Game Over

I gave him a letter of recommendation for the best dragon psychologist I know. About a year later, I got a pamphlet in the mail. Turns out he's into politics. He's running on the platform of being the first dragon mayor. I checked his numbers, and he's doing well in the polls. Power to him, I guess [[Keep going with your day]]

"no, I'm... I'm not sick," James replied. It's just allergies (holding back vomit sound)," James replied [[what kind of alergies do you feel?]] [[have you taken any medicine?]]

I continued the session as if nothing was going on. He rambled about how he and his cousin argued about jazz music before James screamed that he never wanted to see him again. He told this story in between coughs and gags, trying not to vomit. He left that day looking up. I later got a call from the hospital. He died that week from a preventable brain disease. I don't know why I didn't ask him to go to the doctor. I don't know... [[let the next person in]] [[leave work]]

Just as I opened the door, I saw Joanna waiting outside, so I let her in. She sits down [[stay serious]] [[tell a joke]]

"Oh, you know the usual stuff: bloacked nose, sneezing all the time, coughing blood a little, intense headaches, a bit of trouble breathing every now and then. But it's not serious; it's just life. Everyone does that every now and then." [[why are you so scared of going to the doctor?]]

"nah i'm on lifes medication, Time and the great outdoors. No doctors for this guy," James replied [[why are you so scared of going to the doctor?]]

"well i'm not ok! I just feel like i'd rather trust in myself then some lame doctor. and it's like if he tells me somethings bad then i'm gonna have to spend so much time focused on that (coughs loudly into tissue). But it's like i'd rather focus on the things important to me. And it's like if even worse comes to worse it's like............... Who cares. I don't feel like anyone really wants me around. I don't know, you know?" James replied. [[Tell him he needs to go to the hospital and get help]] [[Tell him he's right and it's no big deal]] [[continue session like nothing happened]]

"James you need to go to the hospital. The first step of fixing a problem, is acknowledging it. Even if it ends up being not serious, you sound very sick, getting a test could help you in ways that change your life forever. Also I appreciate you, And I bet your friends, coworkers and family all appreciate you even if they're not the best at always showing it," I said to James. Then I ended the session early, so he realised how serious I was being. A couple of weeks later, he sent me a message. He just got out of the hospital. It turns out he had a significant brain disease condition. It was looking awful, but after a few days of intensive surgery, things were finally starting to look up. He said he was grateful for our meeting and finally planned to take things seriously. Finally, start respecting himself. He said he will finally try to do more than simply exist. [[let the next person in]]

I told him that he was probably right and that it was most likely no big deal. For the rest of the session, we chatted about unrealized topics. He died that week from a preventable brain disease. [[let the next person in]]

"What do you call a factory that makes okay products? A satisfactory one." She doesn't laugh. "Amanda, I think I hear voices", she says [[what do you hear?]]

She paused for a moment, thinking about what to say "the vibe feels a little dark today. Is everything ok with you?" she says [[tell a joke]] [[i'm ok, but this time is about you. Are you ok?]]

"Amada. I don't know how to put my words together but I think ive been hearing things" she says [[what do you hear?]]

"I keep hearing voices in the walls. And I feel like i'm being watched. Theres someone after me. I'm in danger. I just feel it. There after me. What do I do?" Joanna stated [[tell her the voices are real]] [[tell her the voices are fake]] [[tell her you can't answer that question]] [[scream agressivly at her]]

Time went by after that, and then, one day, I read the newspaper. I read a story and couldn't look away thinking about it. The story was about a woman who matched Joanna's exact description and felt like she was being stalked. After her therapist held her, the voices she had been hearing were authentic. She went home and started destroying her whole house, looking for where this guy was hiding. Eventually, she found him, and the two got into a big fight. As the two were fighting, one of her neighbours overheard the fight and called the authorities. The police came as soon as possible and when they arrived they didn't know what to do so they started firing into the building. Both the woman and her stalker died. And I never heard from Joanna again. As I finished reading, I couldn't get the thought out. Did I enable this in some way? [[Stop and think about what you've done]]

Time went by after that, and then, one day, I read the newspaper. I read a story and couldn't look away thinking about it. The story was about a woman who matched Joanna's exact description and felt like she was being stalked. Her psychologist told her everything was ok, so she lived the next few weeks in peace. Then, randomly, she killed her stalker in a sudden and swift movement. He fled the scene, and his identity is yet to be known. I never heard from Joanna again. As I finished reading, I couldn't get the thought out. Did I enable this in some way? [[Stop and think about what you've done]]

Time went by after that, and then, one day, I read the newspaper. I read a story and couldn't look away thinking about it. The story was about a woman who matched Joanna's exact description and felt like she was being stalked. After everyone refused to take her seriously, she became consumed by her paranoia. One day, her stalker finally decided to reveal himself. He bashed open her door, but from some miracle, she was prepared. The two got into a giant fight before Joanna pinned him to the ground, and she called the police. He's now serving a 7-month prison sentence. As I finished reading, I couldn't get the thought out. Did I enable this in some way? [[Stop and think about what you've done]]

I shouted at her that she was crazy. Joanna then got up. She slowly left my office and went to my boss's room, shaking with every step. She told my boss everything that happened. I was fired immediately. I don't even know what came over me. Game Over

The emotional weight had become too much. After that day, I didn't know what to do. It was just too overwhelming. Was it all my fault? What happened to Suzan, or what happened to Xenon, or James and now with Joanna. It's too much. I can't take it anymore. I've been replaying the day over and over and over. I don't know what to do. WHY IS EVERYTHING IN LIFE ALWAYS SO PAINFUL!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! [[accept responcibility and cry]] [[accept responcibility and just keep going like nothing happened]] [[deny responcibility and just keep going like nothing happened]] [[quit you're job]]

I sat down and cried. Probably the hardest I've ever cried in my life. But I needed that. This job has been eating away at me, and I've just let it break me for too long. Sometimes, it feels like you can find solace in a lie and that there's only fear in the truth. But I guess that's a bit ironic because that also feels like a lie. While help may be painful, it's worth it in the long run. Connection is one of the greatest gifts we have as humans. And sometimes, we need to love and respect ourselves enough to reach out when needed. I grabbed my contact list and booked a psychologist appointment for myself. It's hard work, but it's going better. I finally feel a bit of internal peace—not a lot, but sometimes all you need is a flash of light to see in the dark. The End

I kept going to work. Trying to move past it. Sure, I made some mistakes back there, but that was just the past, and there's no point dwelling on that old thing for too long. Every day felt more extended than the last. I now wonder how that could affect their lives with every word I say to a new client. The paranoia grew more and more day after day. I sat there thinking about what I could do to fix it. I thought the best option would be to keep going, but now I'm more lost than ever. Is this what I wanted, or Should I have done something else? I can't even tell anymore.................................................... Game Over

I kept showing up to work every day like everything was fine. Each day gets a little harder to stomach. The same stupid parking lot. The same insufferable people. One day, I just couldn't take it and stopped caring about everything. About life, about work, about people. It felt freeing for a moment. Then, life caught up with me. I was invited into my boss's office, and she broke the news. I had been fired for a poor effort. I don't know how I'm going to pay my bills now. Should I even care? It all feels the same. Game Over

I decided that was enough work for me. I handed in my two weeks' notice and started looking for work. I've got no idea where I'm going to go next. I'm scared. But I can't give up. I can't just let that place eat away at my soul. Where life is going to take me is completely unknown, but I've got to make a change now. I've got to make something better. The end

It all went wrong on that day. I can't stop it from replaying. It just keeps coming back...... [[Start the story]]