<h1>Let us in</h1>
By Florencia Rumpel Rodriguez
Music by John Badger & The Moustache Riders of Doom
[[Wake up?]]clack
(live:2s)[clack(stop:)]
(live:3s)[clack(stop:)]
(live:5s)[You can [[hear noises]] near the window.]You're sure it's only the wind.
[[Go back to sleep->sleep-1]].Your dreams are the color of the darkest night. You [[prepare for the day]] ahead.You're back home.
(live: 2s)[The wind howls.(stop:)]
(live: 3s)[The window clacks.(stop:)]
(live: 4s)[You're tired. You should [[go to sleep->sleep-2]].]There's a woman standing at the edge of the bed. Her hair is like wildfire. Her mouth is an absence.
(live: 2s)[*Let us in.*(stop:)]
(live: 3s)[She whispers.
Even if she has no mouth, you're sure it was her. It has to be.
There's no one else.
You try to [[stand up->morning-2]]. If you leave now, she might not catch you.(stop:)]You woke up to a long, but uneventful day. You counted the minutes to be back home. Now that you're here, all you want is to [[go to bed->morning-3]].
The window clacks again, but you're getting used to it.You feel as if you dreamed with the red haired woman again, but you can't really rembember. You should [[get ready for your day]].The day was long and you felt tired. You can't really remember the last time you didn't feel exhausted. It's okay. You're home now. You can [[go to sleep->sleep-3]].You [[fall asleep->sleep-4]] to the howling of the wind and the clacking of the window. The wind sounds *almost* human tonight.You're lying in bed when your boyfriend gets out of the shower. He looks at himself in the mirror before finally turning his gaze to you. Neither of you smile.
He sits by the bed and tries to kiss you lightly on the lips. [[You pause]]. He pauses.You remember that you broke up six months ago. (click-append: "You remember that you broke up six months ago")[. You kicked him out] (click-append: "You kicked him out")[. [[You don't want him in the house]]] *Don't fret. I was just getting a quick shower. I can leave you alone if you want to.* He says.
His voice sounds familiar, but it's not *his*. You can't quite place together whose voice this is. You need to [[leave]].The red haired woman is standing under the doorframe. Her arms are crossed. She doesn't have a mouth, but you can see her scowling at you.
*Where do you think you're going? You have to let us in.* She says.
You really need to leave. (click-replace: "leave")[(link-goto: "wake up")]You feel as if your body is falling down into the void.
(live: 2s)[You wake up.(stop:)]
(live: 3s)[You feel shaken.(stop:)]
(live: 5s)[Maybe you should [[grab breakfast]].(stop:)]You can feel the smell of toast and fresh coffee coming from the kitchen.
Your mother is here.
(live: 3s)[She doesn't look like your mother, but it has to be her.(stop:)]
(live: 4s)[Who else could it be?(stop:)]
(live: 5s)[This mother seems kind. Is she really yours?(stop:)]
(live: 7s)[Are you truly awake?(stop:)]
(live: 8s)[[[Wake up->wake up ending]].(stop:)](set: $awake to 0)\
(link: "Try to wake up.")[(set: $awake to it + 1)(text-style: "strike")[Try to wake up.]
(link: "Make an effort to wake up.")[(set: $awake to it + 1)(text-style: "strike")[Make an effort to wake up.]
(link: "Wake up.")[(set: $awake to it + 1)(text-style: "strike")[Wake up.]
(link: "Wake up.")[(set: $awake to it + 1)(text-style: "strike")[Wake up.]
(link: "Wake up.")[(set: $awake to it + 1)(text-style: "strike")[Wake up.]
]
]
]
]
]
(live: 1s)[(if: $awake >= 5)[(go-to: "ending")]]Your mother(click-append: "Your mother")[ that is not your mother] offers you toast and some coffee. Her voice is pristine like the howling wind that you hear every night before going to bed.
If you can't wake up maybe you're already awake. Maybe this mother will be kind to you. What harm can be in sitting down for breakfast?
[[Have some breakfast]].
(link: "Try to wake up anyways")[(text-style: "strike")[Try to wake up anyways]].clack
(live: 2s)[clack(stop:)]
(live: 3s)[clack(stop:)]
(live: 4s)[(go-to: "the end")(stop:)]As you [[sit down]] for breakfast you can hear your bedroom window clacking in the distance.
Your mother(click-append: "Your mother")[ that is not your mother] smiles, but she has no mouth.{
(print: "<script>$('html').removeClass(\)</script>")
(if: (passage:)'s tags's length > 0)[
(print: "<script>$('html').addClass('" + (passage:)'s tags.join(' ') + "'\)</script>")
]
}
The clacking stops.
(live: 2s)[They're in.
~.Florencia Rumpel Rodriguez.~
- October 2018 -(stop:)]