Solitary Whisper

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<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 3s t8n>>It's all moving in slow motion.<</timed>></span> <span class="slowfade"><<timed 4.5s t8n>>My surroundings spin at a snail's pace.<</timed>></span> <span class="slowfade"><<timed 6s t8n>>[[Everything is silent for just a moment.]]<</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "lighter" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I light my cigarette and inhale the acrid smoke into my aching lungs. <<next>>I know I'll pay for it later, but it's so hard to give it up. <<next>>Sitting outside this hospital, I can't help but be reminded of my father. <<next>>He smoked like a chimney and ultimately it caught up with him. <<next>>His death was difficult to deal with and it ripped my family apart... <<next>>Anyway, I've got to get out of here. <<next>>[[Find a taxi.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I breathe in the night air. <<next>>It's crisp and cool. <<next>>I've got to get out of here. <<next>>[[Find a taxi.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>[[Then everything is a blur.]] <</timed>></span> </div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1s t8n>>The impact occurs in less than a second.<<audio "crash" play>> <<next>>I feel the terrible force in my bones. <<next>>[[In the sheer violence of this moment, I must have hit my head.]] <</timed>></span> </div>

<div class="warning"><<audio "music1" loop play>><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I awaken to the smell of chlorine bleach. <<next>>My mind is foggy, but I have a decent idea of where I am. <<next>>The IV needle inserted into my vein aches as I stretch my arms forward, checking to make sure they still work. <<next>>The hospital room is empty, but the door is open. <<next>>[[•Pull out the IV and stand up.]] [[•Remain in bed and press the call button.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>Looking out I can see that there is no one present in the dimly lit hall. <<next>>I step out cautiously and make my way to the nearest elevator. <<next>>On the way down I check my jean pockets and notice that I have a pack of smokes and a lighter. <<next>>I don't know how long it's been since my last cigarette, but I'm tempted to light up right here in this metal box. <<next>>[[The doors open just as I'm about to light my cigarette.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning">Money: $<<print $money>> Ammunition: <<print $points>> ---------- JMPW 2019</div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The front desk staff glares at me with venom in their eyes. <<next>>Looking at the floor, I quickly make my way out the front door. <<next>>After that debacle, I'm not sure if I should even smoke. <<next>>I've been meaning to quit anyway. <<next>>[[•Smoke.]] [[•Don't Smoke.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music1" loop play>> <<audio "music1" unloop fadeout>> <div class="warning"> </div> <span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>> <<next>> <</timed>></span> [[Option that increases the number of points|Next][$points += 1]] [[Option that decreases the number of points|Next][$points -= 1]] <div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>> <</timed>></span></div> •

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>On the way down I check my jean pockets and notice that I have a pack of smokes and a lighter. <<next>>I don't know how long it's been since my last cigarette, but I'm tempted to light up right here in this metal box. <<next>>[[The doors open just as I'm about to light my cigarette.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I see a taxi parked near the entrance and walk in its direction. <<next>>I open the door and get in. <<next>>"Where you headed?" The driver asks. <<next>>I give him the address of my apartment. <<next>>[[Slowly, he pulls off the curb and makes his way out of the parking lot.]] <</timed>></span></div><<audio "music1" unloop fadeout>>

<<cacheaudio "crash" "music/Crash.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "lighter" "music/Lighter.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "shot" "music/Shot.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "shot1" "music/Shot1.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "loading" "music/Loading.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "cardoor" "music/CarDoor.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "door" "music/Door.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "door1" "music/DoorKnob.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "microwave" "music/Microwave.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "music1" "music/Fortress_Europe.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "music2" "music/Time_Illusionist.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "music3" "music/Jessica.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "music4" "music/Night_Drive.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "music5" "music/THE_BREAK.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "music6" "music/Eddy.mp3">> <<set $points to 0>> <<set $money to 0>> <<run UIBar.unstow()>> <<click "<<">><<script>>State.backward()<</script>><</click>> <<click ">>">><<script>>State.forward()<</script>><</click>>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I notice a stack of clothes sitting on a chair. <<next>>It's strange that they would be here, but it's a stroke of luck that I need. <<next>>I enter the attached bathroom and quickly change my clothes. <<next>>I feel woozy, but Im able to keep my balance. [[After changing I cautiously approach the room's open door.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I press the call button and a nurse enters my room approximately 15 minutes later. <<next>>After a brief discussion involving various verbal tests of cognizance, she agrees to bring me my discharge papers. <<next>>[[I fill out the paperwork and give it back to the nurse.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>[[The whole of my experience goes dark.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The ride is quiet except for the radio. <<next>>I'm glad that the driver isn't trying to carry on a conversation. <<next>>I need this bit of silence, even if only for a few minutes. <<next>>[[I start to think about the events that have unfolded over the last week...]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I had been working a case. <<next>>A newly made widow contacted me about the murder of her deadbeat husband. <<next>>Her name was Lily Moss. <<next>>In life, his name was Jake. <<next>>He had been a heroin dealer. <<next>>Apparently, the police didn't have any interest in bringing his killer to justice. <<next>>[[So I started investigating.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music2" loop play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>It was a pretty clear cut case. <<next>>Jake crossed an individual named Anthony Delacruz. <<next>>Delacruz wasn't someone to be crossed. <<next>>He had a rap sheet a mile long. <<next>>Multiple felonies, most of them violent. <<next>>[[He was known to possess firearms.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>It wasn't hard getting his address with a history like that. <<next>>[[However, watching his apartment didn't yield any results.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I used my police contacts to look into his known associates. <<next>>I discovered that he was married to a stripper named Cindy. <<next>>[[I questioned Cindy Delacruz 36 hours ago.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>Somehow, he must have followed me. <<next>>I don't know if he was waiting for me. <<next>>[[All I know is that he found me.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I was at an intersection awaiting a greenlight. <<next>>I had just reached into the center console for a pack of cigarettes. <<next>>Suddenly, I heard an engine roaring toward me. <<next>>When I looked up I saw Delacruz a single moment before impact. <<next>>[[That's the last thing I remember...]]<</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I want to have a smoke. <<next>>I ask the cabby if he minds. <<next>>"Sure," he says, "Not my life." <<next>>After that comment I'm not sure if I should. <<next>>[[•Smoke.->Smoke1]] [[•Don't Smoke.->Don't Smoke1]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I light up my cigarette and inhale deeply. <<audio "lighter" play>><<next>>I roll the window down. <<next>>I exhale into the cool night air. <<next>>I can't help but think of the circumstances that led me to this case. <<next>>For 5 years I served as a sheriff's deputy. <<next>>[[I got a call one night for a domestic disturbance.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I decide not to smoke, but I roll the window down anyway. <<next>>I breathe in the fresh night air. <<next>>[[I can smell the rain coming.->Next1]]<</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music2" unloop fadeout>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The taxi pulls into my apartment complex and I direct the driver to my unit. <<next>>As he comes to a stop I tell him to wait here while I grab some money. <<next>>[["Hey now--" he protests, but I'm already out the door.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I arrived on the scene and called for backup. <<next>>I could hear them arguing inside. <<next>>Something came over me and I forced my way into the house. <<next>>Weapon drawn, I thought I heard him threaten me. <<next>>[[Looking back now, I realize his hands were empty, but at the time...]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>...I could have sworn I saw a gun. <<next>>So I fired. <<next>>The rest is history. <<next>>I lost my badge, my gun, and my wife. <<next>>The lawyer's fees cleaned me out. <<next>>I got licensed as a private investigator. <<next>>I already had a concealed weapon permit. <<next>>[[It just made sense.->Next1]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "cardoor" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I run up the steps to my second floor apartment. <<next>>I try the door but realize I've forgotten my key. <<next>>[[Frantically, I fish through my pockets.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>Somehow, by the gift of some divine spirit, my hand finds a key. <<next>>In the dim light I have trouble recognizing if this is the key to my apartment. <<next>>[[With nothing to lose, I attempt to unlock the door.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "door" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I step through the door and turn on the light. <<next>>I make my way around the couch, past the dining table, and into the kitchenette. <<next>>There atop the refrigerator is my favorite coffee can. <<next>>[[I peel off the plastic lid and rifle through the collection of bills.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "loading" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I grab 6 rounds of ammunition from a box and snap out the Rossi's cylinder. <<next>>I load the rounds and close the cylinder. <<next>>I take my neoprene waistband holster out of the drawer and fit it to the revolver. <<next>>I clip the secured firearm to the rear of my pants and pull my shirt over it. <<next>>I close the drawer and exit the bedroom. <<next>>[[With my money in my pocket and my revolver in my waistband I leave the apartment.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I decide to leave the revolver behind for now. <<next>>I head out the door and down the stairs to pay the taxi driver. <<next>>As I approach the driver's side of the car, he rolls down the window. <<next>>I ask how much I owe. <<next>>"That'll be 30 bucks, boss." <<next>>[[I count out $40 and hand it to him.][$money -= 40]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>To be continued... <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The hallway is empty. <<next>>[[I make my way to the elevator.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I notice a stack of clothes sitting on a chair. <<next>>It's strange that they would be here, but it's a stroke of luck that I need. <<next>>I enter the attached bathroom and quickly change my clothes. <<next>>[[Slowly, I walk out into the hallway]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<set $money += 200>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I quickly count out $200. <<next>>Then, I walk to the bedroom. <<next>>There, I locate my Rossi .357 in the nightstand drawer. <<next>>[[•Grab the revolver and load it.][$points += 6]] [[•Leave the revolver and go pay the cabby.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I tell him to keep the change. <<next>>"Hey thanks, man," He says as he rolls up the window. <<next>>I walk back up the stairs to my apartment and enter, closing the door behind me. <<next>>I realize that I don't know how long it's been since my last meal. <<next>>I think I have cereal in the cupboard, but I know I'm out of milk. <<next>>I could walk to the convenience store down the road. <<next>>[[•Eat dry cereal.]] [[•Go to the convenience store.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>For some reason, I decide to just stay in and eat the cereal dry. <<next>>I don't know, maybe I'm depressed. <<next>>I walk to the kitchenette and grab the cereal box. <<next>>Like some kind of animal I just stick my hand in the box and start eating. <<next>>After I've had my fill, exhaustion falls over me like the towering wave of a tsunami. <<next>>[[Awash in this sea of fatigue I head to the bedroom.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I decide to go to the convenience store down the street to pick up something approximating real food. <<next>>I leave the apartment and shut the door. <<next>>[[I decide to smoke a cigarette.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music5" loop play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>My nightstand drawer is still open. <<next>>I see the unloaded Rossi sitting there next to a box of ammunition. <<next>>With everything that's happened recently, it would be wise to load it. <<next>>Then again, I'm so tired I could just close the drawer and go to sleep. <<next>>[[•Load the revolver.][$points += 6]] [[•Just close the drawer and go to bed.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "loading" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I grab 6 rounds of ammunition from the box and snap out the Rossi's cylinder. <<next>>I load the rounds and close the cylinder. <<next>>I place my revolver on the nightstand. <<next>>I close the drawer and fall into the comfort of my mail-order matress. <<next>>I roll on my side and put my hand under the pillow. <<next>>[[In mere seconds I'm asleep->home]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I close the drawer and fall into the comfort of my mail-order matress. <<next>>I roll on my side and put my hand under the pillow. <<next>>[[In mere seconds I'm asleep]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "door1" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>What the hell is that...? <<next>>I groggily get out of bed. <<next>>[[I walk to the bedroom door.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music5" unloop fadeout>><<audio "shot1" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>A searing pain drives through my chest. <<next>>I feel it like a hot knife through the heart. <<next>>I crumple to the floor. <<next>>I feel the warm gushing of blood leaving my body. <<next>>[[I look up just as I'm about to lose consciousness.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>Anthony Delacruz stands over me. <<next>>"This is what you get, motherfucker." <<next>>Slowly, I feel the life leaving my body. <<next>>If only there was something I could have done... <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "door1" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>What the hell is that...? <<next>>I groggily get out of bed. <<next>>[[I grab my revolver and call out into the darkness.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>"This is what you get, motherfucker," is the only reply. <<next>>[[I fire a single shot toward the figure at the bedroom door.][$points -= 1]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music5" unloop fadeout>><<audio "shot" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I hear a cry from the other room. <<next>>A body crumples to the floor. <<next>>I get out of bed and walk through the bedroom door, my firearm aimed in front of me. <<next>>There, on the floor, lies Anthony Delacruz. <<next>>[[I kick away his weapon.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>Better luck next time, I say, standing over his corpse. <<next>>I unload my revolver and set it on the coffee table. <<next>>I grab the cigarettes from my pocket. <<next>>I know someone's called the cops by now. <<next>>[[I open and step through the sliding glass doors on to my balcony patio.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "lighter" play>><<audio "music6" loop play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I light the cigarette in my shaking hand. <<next>>I inhale until I cough. <<next>>[[I stand there smoking, waiting and watching the blue and red lights in the distance.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>This isn't how I wanted things to end. <<next>>I'd hoped to resolve this whole thing tomorrow. <<next>>But hey, I guess you can't plan everything.<<audio "music6" unloop fadeout>> <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music3" loop play>><<audio "lighter" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I light and inhale in a single motion. <<next>>The night air sits heavy with moisture from low hanging clouds. <<next>>I'm reminded of the life I had before. <<next>>Zoe’s warm embrace and the nights we spent together. <<next>>I doubt I’ll ever feel her soft lips against mine again. <<next>>Nor will I smell her sweet scent in the comfort of our shared bed. <<next>>[[It doesn't seem fair in retrospect, but I can't really blame her for leaving]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>As I walk I hear people yelling in the distance. <<next>>It sounds like some kind of party. <<next>>I wish I had something to celebrate. <<next>>Maybe if I wrap up this case, I will. <<next>>[[The convenience store is just around the corner.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I throw out my cigarette as soon as I reach the parking lot. <<next>>I walk to the door and peer through the glass storefront. <<next>>All's quiet as I step inside. <<next>>[[I walk down the food aisle and look for something to eat.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music3" unloop fadeout>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>There's quite a selecton, though none of it particularly good. <<next>>To be honest I'm having trouble deciding what to get. <<next>>[[•I grab yakisoba.]] [[•I grab a few beef jerkies.]] [[•I decide to grab a sandwich.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>Having grabbed my favorite Japanese noodle dish, I'm quite pleased. <<next>>I should probably get a drink, since I don't have anything at home except tap water. <<next>>[[•Get a drink.]] [[•Just drink tap water tonight.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I'll make do with dried beef for tonight. <<next>>[[With the toughness of the meat, I'm going to need a drink.->jerky]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>This place has some of the worst sandwiches around. <<next>>Despite that fact, I grab one from the deli cooler. <<next>>I should probably get a drink, since I don't have anything at home except tap water. <<next>>[[•Get a drink.->drink1]] [[•Just drink tap water tonight.->water1]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I walk to the beverage wall and pick out my favorite iced coffee. <<next>>It may seem odd to some, but I could have coffee with every meal. <<next>>[[I make my way to the cash register.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I decide to be as frugal as possible and skip the drink. <<next>>[[I turn and make my way to the register.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I decide to be as frugal as possible and skip the drink. <<next>>[[I turn and make my way to the register->register2]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The cashier looks at me indifferently and takes my items. <<next>>"That'll be $8," she says in a monotone voice. <<next>>[[I hand her a $20 and wait for my change->paid noodle drink][$money -= 8]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The cashier looks at me indifferently and takes my items. <<next>>"That'll be $12," she says in a monotone voice. <<next>>[[I hand her a $20 and wait for my change->paid sandwich drink][$money -= 12]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The cashier looks at me indifferently and takes my item. <<next>>"That'll be $5," she says in a monotone voice. <<next>>[[I hand her a $20 and wait for my change->paidwaternoodle][$money -= 5]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The cashier looks at me indifferently and takes my sandwich. <<next>>"That'll be $7," she says in a monotone voice. <<next>>[[I hand her a $20 and wait for my change->paidwatersandwich][$money -= 7]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I sort my change and tell her to have a nice night. <<next>>I'm not sure if she heard me, but I'm sure her silence would have been the response either way. <<next>>[[I leave the store and start walking back in the direction of my apartment.->noodlecoffee]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The cashier looks at me indifferently and takes my items. <<next>>"That'll be $11," she says in a monotone voice. <<next>>[[I hand her a $20 and wait for my change->paid jerky drink][$money -= 11]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music4" loop play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I start walking toward my apartment. <<next>>The rain is just a few minutes away now. <<next>>There isn't any thunder approaching, but the weight of the air around me is oppressive. <<next>>[[Oh well, I guess this city needs the rain to wash away some dirt.->noodlecoffee1]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music4" loop play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>As I start walking, I tear into the pack of beef jerky. <<next>>The meat is dry, but I can feel my body doing it's best to consume its nutrients as soon as it hits my stomach. <<next>>I crack open the coffee drink and gulp it down. <<next>>[[This is what my body was craving, but I could have made a more filling decision.->ate and drank]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music4" loop play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>As soon as I start walking, I slip the sandwich from its plastic and paper sleeve. <<next>>It's not quite as lage as it seemed in the packaging, but it'll do the trick. <<next>>I take a bite and as always I'm surprised by how good a convenience store sandwich can be. <<next>>In 3 more bites I've finished the whole thing. <<next>>[[I continue walking toward my apartment.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music4" loop play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>As soon as I start walking, I slip the sandwich from its plastic and paper sleeve. <<next>>It's not quite as lage as it seemed in the packaging, but it'll do the trick. <<next>>I take a bite and as always I'm surprised by how good a convenience store sandwich can be. <<next>>In 3 more bites I've finished the whole thing. <<next>>I crack open the coffee beverage and gulp it down. <<next>>[[That was a decent meal.->ate and drank]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I continue walking toward my apartment. <<next>>The rain is just a few minutes away now. <<next>>There isn't any thunder approaching, but the weight of the air around me is oppressive. <<next>>[[Oh well, I guess this city needs the rain to wash away some dirt.->ate and drank1]] <</timed>></span></div>

<div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>The rain is just a few minutes away now. <<next>>There isn't any thunder approaching, but the weight of the air around me is oppressive. <<next>>[[Oh well, I guess this city needs the rain to wash away some dirt.->sandwich water]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music4" unloop fadeout>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I make it back to my apartment just as the rain starts to fall. <<next>>I hurry into the covered hallway and jog up the stairs. <<next>>I unlock my apartment door and head straight for the kitchen. <<next>>I open the noodles and pour some water in them from the faucet. <<next>>[[Ready to cook, I place it in the microwave and set the timer.->noodlecoffee2]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "microwave" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>As the microwave beeps I grab the coffee drink and twist off the cap. <<next>>I set the hot noodles and cold beverage on the counter and start digging in. <<next>>The noodles are burning my mouth, but I'm so hungry that I make do with a little bit of blowing to the cool them as I shovel them down. <<next>>Between mouthfuls of noodles and gulps of coffee, I'm done in less than two minutes. <<next>>[[I place the containers in the trash and head to the bedroom->Awash in this sea of fatigue I head to the bedroom.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "microwave" play>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>As the microwave beeps I grab a glass from the cupboard and fill it from the tap. <<next>>I set the hot noodles and lukewarm water on the counter and start digging in. <<next>>The noodles are burning my mouth, but I'm so hungry that I make do with a little bit of blowing to the cool them as I shovel them down. <<next>>Between mouthfuls of noodles and gulps of water, I'm done in less than two minutes. <<next>>[[I place the container in the trash and the glass in the sink and head to the bedroom->Awash in this sea of fatigue I head to the bedroom.]] <</timed>></span></div>

<<audio "music4" unloop fadeout>><div class="warning"><span class="slowfade"><<timed 1.5s t8n>>I make it back to my apartment just as the rain starts to fall. <<next>>I hurry into the covered hallway and jog up the stairs. <<next>>I unlock my apartment door and head straight for the kitchen. <<next>>I grab a glass from the cupboard and fill it from the faucet. <<next>>I drink it in a single gulp and set it in the sink. <<next>>[[I head to my bedroom.->Awash in this sea of fatigue I head to the bedroom.]] <</timed>></span></div>