\n\n\n<center><small>Special Thanks</small>\n\nAndrew Clabaugh\nCassandra Cuddy\nLester Mendoza\nStephen Ward</center>\n\n<center>[[Restart|Restart]]</center>

...\n\n[[...|A2-BackHome2]]

"It occurred to me... What's one instance of suffering, be it a week, or a month... compared to a lifetime?"\n\n[[It's hot out. You look thirsty.|SD-Spiked6]]

The doorway is lit.\n\nSitting in the driveway -- you've been here before.\n\nMarvin the answer-man. Explainbot 3000. Shruggy. The 'Never-Again' Friend Comin' Around the Bend just one more time...\n\n<<if visited ("A2-CaseyFuckOff")>>\s\n[[What?|A2-ReturnB2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[What?|A2-ReturnC]]\n<<endif>>

Casey's in bed.\n\n"So," she says. "What's up?" Pointed, but soft.\n\n[[I'm just all over the place lately.|A2-ReturnC2]]

The doorway is lit.\n\nSitting in the driveway -- you've been here before.\n\nMarvin the answer-man. Explainbot 3000. Shruggy. The 'Never-Again' Friend Comin' Around the Bend just one more time...\n\n[[What?|A2-ReturnA2]]

What? Playing pretend?\n\n[[It's not pretend. But it's coming from a bad place.|A1-DinB4]]\n[[Yeah. Exactly. She deserves better.|A1-Din6C]]

"Okay."\n\nNow what are you doing?\n\n[[I can't do this.|A1-Din6B3]]

"Nice catch. Get the door for me."\n\nJessica carries a squirming Christopher toward you.\n\nIt's a gap of about twenty feet, from the car to the front door, where she's visible to the neighborhood. No outside lights though -- it's completely dark. Even still, it's hard to say how she hasn't been caught yet.\n\n[[How have you not been caught yet?|B2-KC4A]]\n[[...|B2-KC4B]]

"The basement. Come on!"\n\n[[Lead the way.|AY-1]]

"Hey. I've been thinking."\n\nSuddenly, she gets up and out of bed<<if visited ("A1-21A")>>, kicking at her slippers until they're on<<endif>>.\n\n[[Where are you going?|AX-5B4]]

"You have a lot to learn. And don't you dare side against me again."\n\nShe smiles her best evil smile. Could still use a lot more sinister, but she's trying.\n\n[[I wouldn't think it.|AX-5B3]]

"This is mercy. You were killed in a violent robbery. The Duncan family mourns their loss. We all move on, not an angry thought spent to the past, to the deceased."\n\n[[Try it, bitch.|B1-KillingCasey11]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-LC2]]

You're throwing caution here.\n\n[[I want to make it to the other side. But I want to be //me//, when I get there.|A1-Din11]]

How noble.\n\n[[...|A1-Din11B]]

Get over yourself. There are worse things to be.\n\n[[There's gotta be another way.|A1-DinB5]]\n[[Maybe you're right...|A1-DinX]]

Shoot.\n\n<<if visited ("A1-D21B")>>\s\n[[I'll ask her to run away. A big... final, romantic fucking let's get the hell out of here.|A1-DinB6]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'll ask her to run away. A big... final, romantic fucking let's get the hell out of here.|A1-DinC]]\n<<endif>>

You're unbelievable.\n\nWell, here we... Oh God. Whoa -- lightheaded. //Swaying.//\n\nStay with me, man -- I’m getting all jumbly up here. Can you still see?\n\n[[Shit. This is bad.|BR-BreakinEnd5]]

Everything's blurry.\n\nYou're horizontal. Do you remember anything?\n\n[[I remember being knocked out by gas, in Jessica's basement.|Casey-Affair29]]

"..."\n\n"Yeah. Well everybody loves something. We’ll have this conversation later."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11B4]]

She stands by the table, examining the tray of tools.\n\n[[Casey, come on... We can't stay here.|Casey-Affair22]]

"Down here, Marvin."\n\nDown you go.\n\n[[...|Casey-Affair21]]

"I see that. And smell it, too. Somewhere... I'm guessing she left unfinished business."\n\n[[I will explain everything, just please... can we go?|Casey-Affair24]]

"What the hell is this?"\n\n[[Her name is Jessica. And she's a killer.|Casey-Affair23]]

"Oh God, I've really fallen in with a bad one. Marvin, you -- hey. Are you okay?"\n\n[[I don't know. I don't feel so good.|Casey-Affair26]]

"Wait a minute," she says, smiling. Approaching, her arms crossed. "Let's say this Jessica was home. And you drop the bomb. You knew I'd find her and confront her, because... how could I not? And she'd kill me."\n\n[[...|Casey-Affair25]]

...\n\n[[...|Casey-Affair28]]

"Yeah, I kinda got that too... //Whoa!// Stay upright, Marvin. Let's get out of here, I'll..."\n\nShe collapses.\n\nWhat the fuck...?\n\n[[Some kind of knockout gas.|Casey-Affair27]]

...\n\n<<if visited ("A1-21A")>>\s\n[[I've learned to believe in magic on Earth, and in return, I appreciate the Earth part of that equation.|A1-RD36A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I've learned to believe in magic on Earth, and in return, I appreciate the Earth part of that equation.|A1-RD37A]]\n<<endif>>

"Don't make me wait."\n\nWhat are you doing?\n\n[[The guns in the living room.|B2-GetGun2]]\n[[Never mind. Let's head downstairs...|B2-32A8]]

Feels good in your tightening grip, huh?\n\n[[...|B1-RondoC2]]

"Hey."\n\nShe's got her little goggles on. Hacksaw in hand. Wait till she's really in it. You still need to know how she gets rid of bodies.\n\n[[So you... hack the body up into pieces. Then what?|B1-KillingJessica2]]

"She’s miserable or she’s dead. Jessica set the tone, not you."\n\n[[Responsibility wasn’t really my issue.|A1-AfterDinner]]

"I still need to say what I'm gonna say."\n\n[[Go ahead. Please.|A2-SBUA5B2]]

"Well," Candice says, dabbing her mouth with a napkin, "this dinner has clearly become... //hostile//."\n\n"..."\n\n"He's right, Mom. At some point you're gonna have to let go."\n\n[[...|A2-PissOffParents2]]

Okay. Keep it still. You're just a guy at the mall, looking for your girlfriend and her killer.\n\n[[She's not around here. Gotta keep looking.|B1-C13]]

Calm down. You got that stare in your eyes. The preteens are unsettled.\n\nAhead -- food court. And //yes//, off to the side, a bridal shop.\n\n[[I see them.|B1-Con1]]

Easy, easy. Don't do anything too rash. Just see what's up.\n\n[[...|B1-C11]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-C12]]

She moves to the kitchen table, silent -- true to her word. Pores over a... copy of //Gray's Anatomy.// Delicious.\n\n[[Hello?|B1-12]]

"We had a good time though, right?"\n\n[[If not, I'm sure you'll make up for it.|Credits]]

"Here it is."\n\n[[...|A1-Home9]]

Kneeling, she inspects a box. Non-descript.\n\n"If I’d kept it in my room... It would eventually be found."\n\n[[What is it?|A1-Home10]]

"I'll respect your wishes, Marvin, and make it a sacrifice for the ages."\n\n[[Thank you.|B2-9A2]]

"I think I would've liked you, Marvin."\n\n[[Most people do.|Credits]]

Her friend Charlotte doesn’t talk much. It’s possible that, even with a terse hello, there was the picking of old wounds.\n\nShe stops now, parking in the street.\n\n[[...|A1-Home3]]

"I’ll be here," she says.\n\nYou and Casey get out. Casey leans her head back in. "Don’t want to come in?"\n\n[[...|A1-Home4]]

Inside, little relief from the cold. Wind's vanquished at least.\n\n[[...|A1-Home7]]

She moves through the space efficiently, not shoulder-checking papers and trinkets off of tables and dressers. As you -- you clown -- pick up after yourself, she scoots ahead into the white light of a porch, its big windows opening onto a sprawling backyard.\n\n[[...|A1-Home8]]

You weren’t looking, but apparently Casey got an answer.\n\nTrue to her worry, and New England temperament... It’s winter alright. A pastoral orange is made Alaskan with the snap of fingers, and that was months ago. Half a year dedicated to the cold.\n\n[[...|A1-Home5]]

Casey lived in this house for twenty-two years.\n\nFollowing her as she crushes footsteps into the path to the front door, you’d think it was some haunted aunt’s manor.\n\n[[...|A1-Home6]]

What do you think -- examine the basement?\n\n[[The kill room? Yeah sure.|BR-Basement2]]\n[[The kill room? No way.|BR-BreakinReview]]

The waitress flits in, sets each plate down.\n\n"Enjoy."\n\n[[Thank you.|SD-Caught10-2]]

"Well, now..." the waiter says upon his return. "She doesn't look so bad."\n\n[[Excuse me?|SD-2CWaiter2]]

She stands, clapping her hands of the dirt. Eyes adrift.\n\n"I graduated college. Despite the division of my attention. But as you can imagine, that was only first on the list."\n\n[[If there’s //anything// you really need to do between now and then, I... understand.|Casey-16]]

"My parents called this morning. They’ll be here Monday."\n\n[[This is only the beginning, Case. But I’ll be with you. Every step till ‘kiss the bride.’|Casey-14B2]]\n[[What’s wrong with your parents?|Casey-14A2]]\n[[Sorry, I don’t have time for <<if visited ("Casey-14_2A4")>>that<<else>>this<<endif>>. I have to go.|CaseyFastEnd]]

"Hey, if you’re going out, can you pick up stuff for Monday? I was thinking about cooking up some //Panaeng//..."\n\n[[You can get those ingredients at the store?|Casey-18A]]\n[[Sure.|Casey-18B]]

She laughs.\n\n"No, nothing crazy, Marvin."\n\nShe brushes by, like the breeze.\n\n"I love you."\n\n[[I love you too.|Casey-17]]

To your left. Casey, crouching in the garden. Weeds in her bare hands. The edges of tattoos visible under rolled-up sleeves.\n\n"I was... gonna wait to see how long you’d stand there."\n\n[[Oh. Just uh... contemplating.|Casey-12]]\n[[I’m a little busy, right now -- we’ll talk later.|CaseyFastEnd]]

"Marvin?"\n\n[[...|Casey-11]]

"Oh, you know. I... found myself gardening, suddenly. That happens to people, right?"\n\n[[You okay?|Casey-14]]\n[[I have to go.|Casey-14_2A]]

"There’s a lot going on."\n\n[[Well. What are //you// doing?|Casey-13]]

"Make a scene or don't -- you're going in my trunk."\n\n[[Okay, okay -- I'm sorry! I should've been honest with you from the start.|SD-2AA4BBFail3B2]]\n[[I guess I deserve it.|SD-2AA4BBFail3AB]]

Still silent, Casey turns to look at you -- her eyes are gleaming, and she smiles.\n\n[[...|A2-LC5]]

She pops her head out of the passenger window, and the Duncan car backs out of the driveway, and disappears down the road.\n\n[[...|A2-LC4]]

It's already dark out, but it's still warm.\n\nYou didn't dare stand within //harsh whispher distance//, as Casey sees her parents off.\n\n[[...|A2-LC3]]

She shakes her head. Still pissed. "So close to getting away with it, huh?"\n\n[[I don't expect to be scot-free with you, but can it wait till I get home tonight?|B2-33C2]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-31A3]]

"Fine."\n\n[[I'll make things right. I promise.|B2-33C3]]

"Yeah."\n\n[[You know where I can... score some weed?|Hun1-12A5]]

"That's not me, man."\n\n[[Look, I'm just trying to get with your broker. Alright?|Hunt1-12A8]]

"I'm not the one selling around here. And I haven't talked to anyone who does in a long time."\n\n[[If you want to convince me, I'll need a name.|Hunt1-12A7]]

Anything else on your mind?\n\n[[I'd prefer silence.|SD-NoSpike2]]

Yeah.\n\n[[Yo, Glen. You're Brian's friend, right?|Hunt1-12A4]]

Is this our guy?\n\n[[...|Hunt1-12A3]]

<<if visited ("SD-2A4B4B4")>>What the hell were we talking about?"<<else>>"'It's why I'm here.' That's true, Marvin?"<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("SD-2A4B4B4")>>\s\n[[The promise of something better.|SD-2A4B4B5]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I like you. But... obviously, that has limited value.|SD-2A5C3]]\n<<endif>>

"I know what that means. His name is Tory Caplan. Send him a message from me."\n\nYou got it, good work.\n\n[[Let's talk to this asshole.|Hunt1-13]]

"That's cute. He's a fucking pusher is what he is. But too scared of the streets to be real about it. So what, you're gonna go kick his ass?"\n\n[[I just want to talk.|Hunt1-12A9]]

"I think we're a bit below 'impress.' The remedial class is in session."\n\n[[You're too hard on yourself.|AX-5B3]]

<<if visited ("BR-BreakinEnd12B3A")>>"But for now... I mean, what do you think? Does she have it in her?"<<else>>"Do you think she has it in her?"<<endif>>\n\n[[No. Hell no.|BR-BreakinEnd12B5A]]\n[[People are animals.|BR-BreakinEnd12B5B]]

Casey stands suddenly, and the scrape of her chair along the floor streaks to the far corners of the room.\n\nTo Jessica.\n\nAnd she even passes her on her way out, and soon she's a silhouette on the beach.\n\nHoly shit. What happened? //Go after her!//\n\n[[...|A1-Endy2]]

"Hm. Well now I’m starting to think."\n\n[[Yes...?|BR-BreakinEnd12B3]]

"Not that it was Peter’s death that started me off, but... I //was// just gonna dissolve your body. Now I’m wondering if I should deliver your head to Casey, and see if she, like a few others — a rare and valued few — comes after me."\n\n[[//You are not// — okay, fine. Kill me. But don’t touch my fiancee, I swear to God...|BR-BreakinEnd12B3A]]\n[[Shit. Go for it.|BR-BreakinEnd12B4]]

"Saw someone. Like a date?"\n\n[[Yes.|Casey-Affair3]]

"Why are you telling me this?"\n\n[[Because you deserve to know.|Casey-Affair4]]\n[[I'm not sure...|Casey-Affair5]]

"Jesus..."\n\n[[Please, Casey...|Casey-Affair7]]

"We'll talk about this later. I have to run an errand."\n\n[[I love you.|Casey-Affair8]]

"So this whole thing... What's it meant to you?"\n\n[[This was an obvious lapse in judgment -- it will never happen again, and I am so sorry.|Casey-Affair6]]

"Do I bore you?"\n\n[[Yes.|Casey-Affair7]]\n[[No.|Casey-Affair5A]]

She goes.\n\nHappy now?\n\n[[Hey -- I'm only trying to do what's right!|Casey-Affair9]]

Picking up after past mistakes. What a hero.\n\n[[Fuck off. I want to be a better person.|Casey-Affair10]]

"Alright..."\n\n[[...|A2-SBUB4]]

<<if visited ("SD-Waiter2AWaiterBad")>>"Very good. And somebody else... will be back with that."<<else>>"Very good."<<endif>>\n\nHe leaves<<if visited ("SD-Waiter2AWaiterBad")>> in a hurry<<endif>>.\n\n<<if visited ("SD-Waiter2AWaiterBad")>>\s\n[[...|SD-2AWaiterBad]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|SD-2AWaiter6X]]\n<<endif>>

"Come here..."\n\nShe closes in for an embrace.\n\n[[I promise to you... I'll make things right.|B1-ICA2]]

"..."\n\n"Some things don't change. I mean, //they// never did. But... for once I'd like not to sound like a child. Despite this philosophy of mine."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11AX2]]

"You're afraid right now."\n\n[[No...|SD-Caught]]

Wrong in what universe? Marvin... this transformation was inevitable, from unresponsive zombie to engaged and interested partner. In a relationship, each person affects the other. Your only sin is hastening the process.\n\n<<if visited ("AX-11")>>\s\n[[Goddamn it.|A1-Din11]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Goddamn it.|A1-Din11B]]\n<<endif>>

A trunk closes softly nearby.\n\n"Hey."\n\nJessica's pulled in. Christopher lies at her feet. He's quiet now, muffled.\n\n"Keys."\n\n[[...|B2-KCA9BX3]]

He hands over the pills.\n\n"Because no matter what, we're gonna do as we do. We're animals. We choose to be, never forget that. If that sits right with you..."\n\n[[You do not know me, or what I'm doing.|Hunt1-13A13]]\n[[Jesus, you're a terrible salesman.|Hunt1-13A13]]

"Interesting."\n\n[[Phone slip must've come from that guilty thing in my brain.|SD-2A2]]

"And these //things//... don't much get a say?"\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[If I could've phrased that better, I would have.|SD-2C2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[If I could've... //could, could, could've//...|SD-2CV]]\n<<endif>>

"Really?"\n\nShe narrows her eyes.\n\n[[...|SD-2Bandahalf]]

"Must be a good reason."\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[I'd say there is.|SD-2CWaiter]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'd... say that... there ab-absolutely is.|SD-2DD]]\n<<endif>>

Jessica, her hair and clothes fluttering in the breeze, turns against the wind, to you.\n\nYou notice it -- in her eyes, something distant and sad.\n\n"What if I told you things about myself that were unacceptable?"\n\n[[I'm not entirely sure.|A2-Beach2]]\n[[Is this one of those... would you still like me if my dick was corroded?|A2-Beach2]]

"How romantic."\n\n[[I... should've practiced more deliberate speech...|SD-2C2]]

"..."\n\n[[I know you, and I see you every night, smiling even through that brutal, moping stare you do.|AX-17A4B]]

Jessica is staring, hard -- at you.\n\nThe waiter recoils. "It was... he just... //bad joke//, sorry. I thought he'd... go along with it. I got five minutes before my shift is done -- I am //shot//. Why don't I take your orders real quick?"\n\n[[...|SD-2AOrder]]

"I can’t talk to you right now. Go home, I’ll stay here, clear my head."\n\n[[I...|B1-ConFailure3A]]

"I never said this wasn't an ugly business. But this is the price of entry."\n\n[[I see.|B1-JM16]]\n<<if visited ("B1-JM15")>>\s\n[[So how does an apprentice figure into this?|B1-JM15]]\n<<endif>>

Back at Jessica's. The conspiratorial kitchen. She hangs over the table like a detective interrogating -- even the light above is dangling low, just above eyeline. Stop sweating.\n\n"I let Robert out of my sights for a while because he's doing better. But I think his time has come."\n\n[[How many... kids was it?|B2-34]]

I mean... //You// -- having to make things up. And //her// -- accepting it.\n\n[[I can't think about this right now.|B2-31A3X]]

Come on. It's not a big deal.\n\n[[Leaving me out of the loop? We're about to get married!|A1-15A10]]

Not in the guest room. Her computer is unattended to, all the variety of gadgets and illustrator pad things -- equally so. And the crib, sitting expectantly.\n\n[[Still trying. I’ll go downstairs, check the kitchen.|A-44A3]]\n[[Still trying. And this is over, I’m making the call.|A-45]]

"..."\n\n"Oh God... Jessica. I’m so sorry. I’m acting absurd. Caught up in the moment -- though my disrespect is inexcusable."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A4]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[We’ll have our little video, our album, but... we’ll be laughing at everything just like we did back when it was so far away. It’s bullshit, it always has been. Fine, dandy, and a good time, but... nothing to kill people over.|B1-Con11A3]]

"I'm not offended or anything, really. But as Marvin so put it, this is my job. So now, fallen upon your mercy, I have to try."\n\n"It's just that... I don't know. The expenses, the vanity..."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A8]]

"..."\n\n"She's still our daughter, and we love her -- we love you, Casey."\n\n"..."\n\n[[What kind of love?|A2-RunGood12A2]]\n[[What do you think, Casey?|A2-RunGood12B]]

"Maybe... we should think about it."\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A2-RunGood12B2]]

"Oh, please. You think you're bad? Though I must interject to say that... Marvin is saying a lot of things..."\n\n"No, he's totally right." She looks at you -- soft. "You're totally right. I never //ever// imagined a wedding like this. Honestly, if I could've just signed the docs..."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A5]]

"Not an uncommon scenario, but it sounds like it bothers you."\n\n"To be honest... look, the thing is, my parents are great. Just old fashioned. Even as a kid, we used to argue about my future. And my side would always change over the years, but the conviction maintained."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A10]]

"You feel as if you don't deserve it."\n\n"Heck no -- really. I mean, my parents did everything they could to enshrine me as a living golden statue... And, //gosh//, it was only ever them who wanted this in the first place. I'm down with spending my life with Marvin -- I just want to //do it//. Sooner than later."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A9]]

This is the reason she's dating you. I get it.\n\nOf course, a woman serial killer would choose this method as her recon. Masquerading as an interested party...\n\nIt's all been a lie.\n\n[[And I'm dead. Sooner or later, I'm fucking dead.|A-26]]

"In a funny way, too."\n\n[[...|SD-2A6]]

"This one's yours."\n\n[[In what manner?|B1-RobertA5]]

"Okay -- I got a question."\n\n[[Shoot.|SD-2D4C2]]

"Robert here, I've been hunting for a month now. He's gotten better, so I considered letting him go. But I needed someone for your first attempt. Stabbing a mannequin's heart isn't quite the sane thing."\n\nHe continues to test his bonds. Rope soaked through but still serrated, sawing through his wrists...\n\n[[You want me to kill him?|B1-RobertA6]]

"You were damaged goods on arrival, I just didn't realize. You allowed my imagination to fill in as much as I needed."\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaiter]]

"You're afraid of me."\n\n[[You are jumping to a premature conclusion...|SD-2AWaiterBad2B4]]

"What's wrong with you?"\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaiterBad2B3]]

"That's true..."\n\nShe's drifting.\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[...|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6B]]\n<<endif>>

"I'm such an idiot. You're afraid of me because I'm a killer. And obviously I'm gonna kill you..."\n\n[[It's not an unreasonable question.|SD-2AWaiterBad2B5]]

"I shouldn't have to explain it... Or, maybe I'm embarrassed to. Why don't you come over."\n\n[[Really?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B8]]

"I can't kill you, Marvin."\n\n[[Why?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B7]]

"Follow me home. We can talk."\n\n[[Okay.|B2-1]]

Back home, inside.\n\n"Hey."\n\n[[Hello.|A1-15A2]]

"Why would you ask that question?"\n\n[[I don't know. Curious about you.|SD-2A4B2]]

"Very good."\n\nHe leaves.\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaiter6X]]

Like a mathematician, you make bubbling incisions in key places. He rattles each time, surprised and not expected another. Puncture arms, legs, shoulder. He writhes violently. Jessica has him locked down good, but he's in animal mode.\n\n[[I'll slash up his face.|B1-GougeStabSlash]]\n[[Jesus -- fuck this.|B1-Heart]]

<center><big>Off to talk with "Jessica"\n- Casey</big></center>\n\n[[Oh my God.|B2-32B1]]\n[[Good riddance.|B2-32A3]]

Hate to break it to you, but once she's done with Casey, you're next.\n\n[[Shit.|B2-32A4]]

...\n\n[[...|BR-Daylight]]

Jessica appears.\n\n"Come in."\n\n[[...|B2-32A7]]

"I'm... pretty sure I was awakened by your spying. Find anything good?"\n\n[[I...|WokeCasey2A2]]

Driving now.\n\nKeep it steady.\n\n[[...|B2-32A5]]

Knockng on the door...\n\nThis is all happening too fast.\n\n[[...|B2-32A6]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-15X]]

"That's what we're here for tonight."\n\n[[I'm not so sure anymore.|B2-Save]]\n[[Yeah. Let's see if there's something else.|B2-Kill]]

It's Casey. Bound and gagged, tied to a chair. She's bruised, bloody...\n\n"Curious girl, you've got here. She was pissed alright but... says she came because... //that's just what you do.//"\n\n<<if visited ("B2-32B2")>>\s\n[[This isn't right...|B2-32C1]]\n<<if visited ("B2-GetGun3")>>\s\n[[DIE!|B2-Gun2B]]\n<<endif>>\n<<else>>\s\n[[This isn't right...|B2-32C1]]\n[[I love you, Jessica.|B2-32A9]]\n<<if visited ("B2-GetGun3")>>\s\n[[DIE!|B2-Gun2B]]\n<<endif>>\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[...|A1-15BX]]

You'll do fine. Knock on the door, will you?\n\n[[Yep.|B1-RobertX4]]

Well. That probably explains why you're tied to this table.\n\nSee it now? Feel it?\n\nAnd to your right, Casey is also tied down -- to a stretcher. Hasn't woken up yet.\n\n[[We're gonna die.|Casey-Affair30]]

I wish I knew what to tell you. Knock on the door already.\n\n[[Yeah.|B1-RobertX4]]

"What's going on here?"\n\n[[We're just talking.|SD-2AA4BBFail2]]

"You see this?"\n\nShe drops him at the edge, straddles his back and clutches the binds on his wrist with one hand, and with the other pulls his head back by the hair for an adequate view.\n\n"This is where I planned to dump you. But I'm giving you a second chance. Find the road and walk with the traffic. It'll give you enough time to come up with a story. Turn yourself in within the next 24 hours starting now, or I will find you again. And... I won't kill you."\n\n[[...|B1-SavingRobert11]]

"I'll //keep// you, and torture you daily. Removing parts, adding parts, rearranging things and making you as terrifying as the pain itself. Got it?"\n\nShe conjures the knife once again, and cuts him loose.\n\n[[Let's go.|B1-SavingRobert12]]

"Yeah."\n\n[[...|B1-SavingRobert13]]

A silent walk back through the forest.\n\nAt the car, she takes a breather.\n\n"I've been doing this since I was nineteen."\n\n[[...|B1-SavingRobert14]]

"This won't just stop."\n\n[[Not overnight, no.|B1-SavingRobert15]]

"So what do I do?"\n\n[[This. Catch and release. Only... maybe wear a mask next time, conceal the identity.|B1-SavingRobert16]]

"Like a superhero."\n\n<<if visited ("B1-JM14")>>\s\n[[To the observer, if you'll have it.|B1-SavingRobert17A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Of a sort.|B1-SavingRobert17B]]\n<<endif>>

And meanwhile, you have to bide your time. No instant fix on this.\n\n[[Split from her peacefully, without incident.|B2_4]]

Because he owns a gun? Were you paying attention -- Jessica was egging him on pretty hard.\n\n[[What if one day he killed Mendoza?|B2-Rondo6A4]]

So you think, but here you are. Look, there's a maybe 4% chance you'll actually use them. It's just about having some kind of backup. Any kind of plan at all.\n\n[[Beyond 'be charming?'|Hunt1-5B2]]

It'll be worth it, I promise. I doubt you'll use them, but just having them on hand will strangle your nervousness.\n\n[[Don't say 'strangle.'|Hunt1-5A2]]

Hm. And who knows that other crimes he may have committed. In the past -- and in the future.\n\n[[Not so hard to see how truly //capable// of things we are.|B2-Rondo6A6]]

"Yeah, I'm fine. You shouldn't have had to see that. Somehow I don't like being infantilized in front of the man I'm about to marry."\n\n[[Why not? You got me. No need to impress.|A1-AD4B2]]\n[[It's okay.|AX-5B3]]

"This is really embarrassing."\n\n[[What?|A1-AD4A2]]

Alright, alright, so what's the plan?\n\n[[Well, she likes me. That's what's gonna keep me alive for now.|B2_3]]

Like //her.//\n\n[[Time to talk.|B2-BreakUp]]

Okay... Easy. There she is, sleeping. <<if visited("B1-3B")>>God, she hogs the whole freaking bed.<<endif>>\n\nLook. What's this? Gym clothes on the floor next to her. Sneakers so bright they find light to glint off in the pitch black.\n\n[[I can't believe I never noticed. She runs every morning? Must be along the damn trail!|B1-OfficeBedroom2]]

"How flattering. You want to be my apprentice."\n\n[[If that's how you'll have it.|B1-3A5]]

"It doesn't seem fair... but I always get my way. Meet up at my place tonight."\n\nLook at that.\n\n"If you're a no-show, Marvin... It's gonna be her head in your mailbox."\n\n[[It's a date.|B1-4andahalf]]

"Oh, I'd love to not do things. But my hands are //just tied//... toward activity."\n\nJust stall her.\n\n[[What if... What if //I// did it instead?|B1-3A3]]\n[[There's nothing I can do?|B1-3AA3]]

"You? You kill your girlfriend?"\n\n[[How do you know it's so beyond me?|B1-3A4andahalf]]

Why?\n\n[[Because I'm fine on my own.|Casey-5A]]\n[[Because I don't want to associate with //roofies// nor the trash who peddle it. It's incredibly fucked up, and fuck you for even thinking about it.|NoDrugs]]

...\n\n<<if visited ("A1-ImpressCasey")>>\s\n[[Casey, I love you.|A1-End4]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Casey, I love you.|A1-End2]]\n<<endif>>

Closing the front door behind you, ending the distant, silent screams.\n\nThe sun is booming. It wasn't this bright out before.\n\nThere's nothing you could've done.\n\n[[I don't know.|Credits]]\n[[Nothing.|Credits]]

"Oh, these questions. The great questions. Like trying to rationalize love, despite that it doesn't come from anywhere familiar. Maybe it's an animal thing<<if visited ("B1-JM5")>>, like you said. <<else>>. <<endif>>Good-bye, Marvin."\n\n<<if visited ("B1-Rescue3X3")>>\s\n[[Time to die.|B1-Rescue3X8]]\n[[...|B1-RescueAA6]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|B1-RescueAA6]]\n<<endif>>

"Well, there's gotta be some kind of punishment."\n\n<<if visited ("B1-Con15")>>\s\n[[You're killing her because you've fallen for me.|B1-RescueX]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Please... Why can't you just kill me instead?|B1-RescueAA5]]\n<<endif>>

"I'm sparing your life."\n\n[[What kind of life would that be?|B1-RescueAA4]]

"At least say good-bye to her."\n\n[[Not a problem.|B2-32A11]]

She looks up at you, but it isn't anger -- she's not even wasting time on confusion. Somehow this all clicks together, and produces a very simple sadness.\n\n[[I mean... come on. If we got married... This was bound to happen eventually.|B2-32A12]]

She blinks, cocks her head.\n\n[[It's how it happens. A wife nags--|B2-32A13]]

//AGH// -- everything's red. Look at that! //A knife is poking through oh my God the throat can't breathe Casey splattered can't breathe hands fly up//\n\n[[//KLRRKK//|Credits]]

In an instant, she's on her feet, wrapped around you -- //a hug//.\n\nA desperate, gasping embrace.\n\nShe's so tall and overwhelming, you've nearly snapped your back. And you suffocate in her shoulder as she holds on for dear life. A wordless promise...\n\nYou're so certain she'll never kill you?\n\n[[I love her.|Credits]]

Okay... Easy. There she is, sleeping. <<if visited("B1-3B")>>God, she hogs the whole freaking bed.<<endif>>\n\nLook. What's this? Gym clothes on the floor next to her. Sneakers so bright they find light to glint off in the pitch black.\n\n[[I can't believe I never noticed. She runs every morning?|B1-Bedroom2]]

Again.\n\nAnd again.\n\n[[...|Credits]]

"Strikes your fancy?"\n\n[[I guess we'll see.|B1-18A3]]

It’s okay. What’s the plan?\n\n<<if visited ("A2-5C")>>\s\n[[I’m free and clear. She grabs Casey, and the phone rings and rings, summoning me back.|A2-5C3]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Time to grab Casey and disappear.|A2-EarlyRun]]\n<<endif>>

"Come on," she says, indicating the beach below, its sand blue in low moonlight.\n\n[[...|A2-Beach]]

"What's going on?"\n\n[[Look, I'm really sorry I snapped on the phone. I just... I'm not that guy. And I don't want to be that guy.|B2-29C1]]\n[[I'm done.|B2-29A3]]

"Done? With what?"\n\n[[You, Casey.|B2-29A4]]

She leaves, crying.\n\nWhat the hell are you doing?\n\n[[I choose Jessica. It's that simple.|B2-29B2]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\nCasey drops her knife and it clatters into the plate, spoon -- "Christ, I'm the bad guy now."\n\n[[...|A2-Disagree2]]

"This is it? It's over? Just like that?"\n\n[[Yeah.|B2-29A5]]

"I don't understand you Marvin, and clearly I never did."\n\n[[Fuck you.|B2-29A6]]\n[[Don't blame yourself.|B2-29AB1]]

Casey doesn't want to see you now. Give her time to cool off. Wait till tonight.\n\n[[...|B1-Run3X]]

"Yes, I can imagine that. We're doing fine."\n\n"Glad to hear it. What can I get for you?"\n\n[[...|SD-2A5COrder]]

"So you've given it time, and this is who you are."\n\n[[Yes. Now please. Let me prove it to you.|B1-Rescue5B2]]

Sleep on it. <<if visited ("B1-WokeCasey10")>>She'll be waiting.<<endif>>\n\n[[The morning will... clear my head.|B1-MorningAfterIntel]]

"Very good. I will be back with that." He leaves.\n\n[[...|SD-2A5CWaiter6X]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-Run2]]

Casey.\n\n[[//She took it?//|Casey-Affair15]]

And now they both know about each other.\n\nYou'd better get a move on.\n\n[[Holy shit...|Casey-Affair16]]

...\n\n[[...|Casey-Affair17]]

And indeed, Casey's car is in Jessica's driveway.\n\nWindow next to the door -- smashed.\n\n[[Jessica's gonna be real happy about that...|Casey-Affair18]]

With all the effort that takes?\n\nWith you?\n\nThat'll be a long-term project, my friend.\n\n[[You have absolutely no confidence in me.|Casey-Affair11]]

I used to.\n\n[[Yeah?|Casey-Affair12]]

Look, I know it's fucked up, but you're gonna have to deal with a measure of shit on this one.\n\n[[I know.|Casey-5A]]

How sure?\n\n[[Fucking enough! Both ways: enough sure, and enough outta you!|Casey-5B]]\n[[Not sure.|Casey-4B3]]

Jessica's house.\n\nWell. I know what you’re thinking -- a serial killer lives here. If she can serial kill without anybody noticing, surely you can sport a lite B&E.\n\n[[We haven’t started calling her a serial killer just yet.|BR-2]]

Through the window -- try not to cut yourself.\n\n[[...|Casey-Affair19]]

The basement door is open.\n\n[[Casey?! //Casey?!//|Casey-Affair20]]

"Or is it self-preservation...?"\n\n[[Jessica, look at me...|SD-Caught12C4]]

"You'll say anything, won't you?"\n\n[[If I mean it, Jessica.|SD-Caught12C3]]

"Oh?"\n\n[[I don't love this woman next to me. I practically sent her off to die at your hands.|Casey-Affair32B3]]

"Is that true?"\n\n[[I want you to kill her.|Casey-Dead]]\n[[I think I've fallen for you, Jessica.|Casey-Affair32B4]]

"I don't know. And what?"\n\n[[I'd ask you only kill me. I don't want to be with her, but I want her to know that. And I want to die by your hand.|Casey-Affair35]]

"..."\n\n[[So what's gonna happen to me?|SD-Caught12C7]]

"Why else would you say everything I want to hear, so conveniently..."\n\nShe looks away, closes her eyes.\n\n[[...|SD-Caught12C6]]

"You've known all along."\n\n[[Known what? I know nothing!|SD-Caught12C5]]

"But you know that I kill people."\n\n[[//Shit//...|SD-2A5C9]]

//What// -- you're going for it?\n\nShe -- a snap motion, something imperceptible--\n\n[[//AGH!//|B2-32D2]]

"I just have to say it."\n\n[[...|A1-D]]

"I know you never would, but... it //has// been a while. Just... //with the language//."\n\n[[Please.|A1-Dinner3]]

Distracted?! This was //all you had to do// and you //still// fucked it up!\n\n[[Hey! I'm doing my best to crawl out of this hole -- it's an unusual position.|SD-B1Mon4A]]\n[[I know.|SD-B1Mon4B]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-Robert01]]

She leads you back into her house.\n\n"Your shaking's intensified with proximity to the kill house. I guess saying 'surprise' was kinda callous."\n\n[[...|B1-RobertA2]]

Christopher -- looking right at you again. "You hearing this bitch? This is unprecedented..."\n\nHe takes a moment to laugh but cuts himself short -- //"Fuck this--"//\n\n[[--|B2-Chris20]]

"But I shouldn't be doing this. I should go."\n\n[[What? Really?|SD-2D4A10B3B3]]

"Good-bye, Marvin."\n\nWithout meeting your eyes, she zips off.\n\n[[...|SD-2D4A10B3B4]]

What the hell was that?\n\n[[I guess I won...|A2-1]]

Jessica's eyes narrow.\n\n"Very good. I will be back with that." He leaves.\n\n[[...|SD-2A5CWaiter6X]]

"You're a special kind of normal, if that follows. You can at least... //do// sanity, where I just pretend. I mean, what you saw me do... how did you not run away?"\n\n[[That would've been suicide, right? Besides, I could use a bit of spice in my life.|B2-10X]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-RobertX2]]

"Hey! You probably just got home... I should've called earlier."\n\n[[Where are you?|B1-C5]]

"I... am actually at the mall! Your wedding planner called me up after work -- color me //surprised// first and //impressed// second -- where did you find this girl? She's so cultured!"\n\n[[Who?|B1-C6]]

"Yeah, okay. Why don't you come by, we can all get in on this."\n\n[[What... name did she give you?|B1-C7]]

"Jessica."\n\nSaw that coming.\n\n[[...|B1-C8]]

Hey, you're doing pretty well considering. Haven't broken down and cried yet.\n\n[[Give it time.|B1-C2]]

Alright... Hm. Casey's not home yet?\n\n[[Just the parents.|B1-C3]]

"That's right."\n\n[[Tell me we're doing the right thing.|A2-RunEnd4]]

You lacerate his face seven times. Each time he screams, eyelessly, the noise is less human, becoming something else. You could actually lift a few skin triangles right off him.\n\n[[I'll stab him in non-fatal areas.|B1-GougeSlashStabbing]]\n[[Jesus -- fuck this.|B1-Heart]]

"Hello?"\n\n[[Nothing -- sorry. I'll be right there. Call me if anything happens.|B1-C9]]

So what is this? She's punishing you for not getting that text out.\n\n[[No. She's defaulted back to //her// killing Casey. I am now running out of time.|B1-C10]]

"..."\n\n"That's a good point, Candice."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A2-Agree3]]

"I suppose so."\n\nShe descends the basement stairs. Upon sight of the table, Christopher starts to spasm, a gaping fish in its dying throes.\n\n[[Jesus, you //want// to get caught.|B2-KC4A3X]]\n[[Never mind.|B2-KC4B2]]

"You found me."\n\nShe props Christopher up on the table, has to hold him still so he doesn't fall off.\n\n[[Somebody who maybe hasn't fallen for you...|B2-KC4A4]]

"Even if you really want to?"\n\n[[You have to trust me. It's nothing.|B2-33B3]]

"Trust? I feel like I don't know you these days!"\n\n[[I have to go.|B2-CaseyWillReturn]]\n[[To be honest, I was on my way to tell Jessica it was over. Whatever //it// might've been or ever was -- it meant nothing.|B2-33C1]]

"Are you talking about the //police?//"\n\nShe begins to fasten Christopher to the table, lacing more rope through what's already there.\n\n[[They must've occurred to you at some point in all this. But maybe your conclusion on the matter isn't what I expected.|B2-KC4A5]]

"A friend. You made a friend in such proximity to being, at last, tied down to boring, mysterious, basement-dwelling me?"\n\n[[It's not like that. It just happened organically. And I don't like to deflect people.|B2-33B2]]

"..."\n\n[[I see you every night, smiling even through that brutal, moping stare you do. I see your happiness, and it's beautiful, Casey.|AX-17B32]]

"Oh?"\n\n[[And I'm afraid for you.|AX-17B3]]

"..."\n\n[[...|AX-17A6]]

"I never wanted to depend on somebody else for my happiness."\n\n[[What about mine? I'm not that strong.|AX-17B5]]

Where the hell does she run? It's such a crappy neighborhood.\n\n[[I'll check the kitchen.|B1-BedroomKitchen]]\n[[I'll check the office.|B1-Office2]]

Don't feel too bad. It's probably not for your benefit.\n\n[[How do you know?|B1-Bedroom3]]

Yeah, probably wouldn’t work.\n\n[[I’m gonna have to think of something.|A2-JessicaCalls]]

"But who could say? Maybe you're lying right now. Maybe on Friday, you went back to the house for some reason, and you saw something you weren't supposed to see."\n\n[[Jessica...|SD-2A5C5B3B4]]

Don't get jumpy prematurely.\n\n[[Jumpy? Fuck you, you...|Hunt1-6]]\n[[I won't.|Hunt1-6]]

"Next, since it's your first time, I'll take point on snatching her up. Don't want things getting ugly."\n\n<<if visited ("B1-3B")>>\s\n[[Don't think I can do it?|B1-19B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[That... is a relief.|B1-19A]]\n<<endif>>

"In our process here, first we do recon. But this should come easily to you, in this case. Just grab a pen and scribble down her schedule. I need to know behaviors, activities, appointments, anything time-related."\n\n[[Okay. Check.|B1-18A4]]

"Righty-o, but the first lesson is about patience."\n\n[[Come on.|B1-18A3]]

You hit the ground with a gunshot in your ear -- as the high-pitched wail drills in your ear, the pistol clatters to the ground against a far wall.\n\n//She must have hit it out of your hand...//\n\n[[//FUCK!//|B2-Gun2A8]]

You'll have to just text her some images. Schedules... behaviors?\n\nDon't wake her up. Or her parents. That would be an unfortunate conversation.\n\n[[Right.|B1-Intel3]]

"This is where my life stands still."\n\nShe stops.\n\n[[What happened?|A2-Pier9]]

"Something I can't seem to escape. The way out, I've found in repetitive field research, is not compounding bad memories with nightmares."\n\n[[...|A2-Pier10]]

"Walk with me."\n\n[[...|A2-Pier7]]

Moving along the pier, she takes on a light tour-guide persona.\n\n"And yet, there's something about the crowd. There is no real tourist season here. They circulate in and out all year, trod along this boardwalk. Stop in at shops and restaurants, but..."\n\n[[...|A2-Pier8]]

"When people get away, they want to go by their lonesome. Single college girls looking for European adventure... Married, middle-aged men wearing their families like the world on their backs. Privacy... Intimacy..."\n\n[[And you?|A2-Pier5]]

"The crowd is my sanctuary. I need people for ambience. Even to fall asleep sometimes... I'll open the window and hope there's a late-night bonfire at the Clemsons', but... it's out of season now, I guess..."\n\n[[You had something on your mind?|A2-Pier6]]

In time, she approaches, carefully.\n\nThe sky darkens enough for headlights and the distant carnival to light her as green and unnaturally as possible -- it's interesting that...\n\nIt can't be denied. //She's so beautiful//...\n\n[[Hey.|A2-Pier3]]

"Hello."\n\nShe joins you at the rail, leaning against it and turning her head all around so the wind catches her hair.\n\n[[It's quiet tonight.|A2-Pier4]]

You can run for miles and miles in this little brain of yours.\n\n[[...|SD-Start]]

"But you know me."\n\nShe nears, stepping lightly, almost floating.\n\n"I'm on your side -- just trust me."\n\n[[...|B1-WokeCasey7]]

"I am not..."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA11]]

"Not bad for a first time. You really went in there. How did it feel?"\n\n[[Good. I'm gonna get washed up.|B1-Quick3A]]\n[[Excuse me...|B1-Quick3A]]

Jessica shrugs, and unties Casey, who slumps and sprawls onto the concrete floor like a discarded doll.\n\nJessica kicks her in the stomach.\n\nShe rolls over, gasping. But it isn't the pain... //"Marvin,"// she moans...\n\n[[//Go!//|A2-32C4]]

Start with the one quick motion, though it's not as efficient as they do in the movies. He audibly gurgles beneath the gag. In a panic, you're sawing back and forth now, furiously, //get it done, get it done.// The knife is so deep in his throat it sticks there when the hand comes off.\n\nAlmost a beheading.\n\n[[...|B1-Quick2]]

"That's nice to say."\n\n[[So... what would you do if you decide it's over?|SD-2C5A4]]\n[[If there were some way to make it up to you...|SD-2C5A4B]]

"It's a shitty situation. And... I haven't dated in a while. It's my luck I pull //you// up on my line."\n\n[[Well. I think of myself as rather fortunate.|SD-2C5A3]]

"No doubt."\n\n[[...|B2-Kill]]

"So this date... it was..." she nods, blankly. "That changes things, Marvin."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[What are you gonna do to me?|SD-2C5B5]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[What are you gonna do to me?|SD-2C5BX]]\n<<endif>>

"It occurred to me... that it might be fun. But you seem to know already -- what I really am."\n\n[[You're a serial killer. Yes, I know.|SD-2C5A7]]

"Course, I could always kill you."\n\n[[Giving up that quickly, huh?|SD-2C5A6]]

"I don't know how interested I am in running to this girl of yours and tugging on her dress with a tattle."\n\n[[Maybe you should...|SD-2C5A5]]

Only as far as Casey’s doorstep.\n\n[[...|A2-5A3]]

She’ll have open access to the next best thing.\n\n[[We’ll both run.|A2-5A4]]\n[[Not a problem.|A2-5C]]

Just focus on something. Anything.<<if visited ("Drugs")>> //Holy jeez// -- you know what? This place is packed. I'd forget those roofies if I were you.<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[What the fuck, dude?|SD-9]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'm gonna go. I'm just gonna fucking go.|SD-9]]\n<<endif>>

"Marvin?"\n\n[[...|SD-10]]

Take a shower first, wash the frantic out of your eyes and hair. Then maybe Casey won’t hit you on the nose with a newspaper -- "Hey, Casey -- let’s run away //immediately and forever!//"\n\n<<if visited ("Casey-Casey")>>\s\n[[That’s what she wants. She’s unhappy here.|A2-5A5]]\n[[Goddamn it.|A2-5AX]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Goddamn it.|A2-5AX]]\n<<endif>>

Unhappy //here?// Or with //you?//\n\n[[Please don’t.|A2-JessicaCalls]]

"Still waiting, huh?"\n\n[[...|SD-3]]

It's the waiter. Looking at you, curious. //What's this guy doing? What's his angle?//\n\n[[Yeah. I guess so.|SD-4]]\n[[It's a second date. It's killing me.|SD-KillingMe]]

"So. Are you afraid of a life of lies... or bad at it?"\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[Afraid.|SD-2A]]\n[[Bad.|SD-2B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Afraid.|SD-EarlyDrugs]]\n[[Bad.|SD-EarlyDrugs]]\n<<endif>>

They call it pre-heating in the serial killer business.\n\nWhat are you gonna get?\n\n[[My eyes sewn over.|SD-7]]

I meant for //Italiano// cuisine.\n\n[[I can't think...|SD-8]]

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Easy now.\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>You got your weapon. //Your sword//. Making //you// the shield. Got it? Keep it together. <<else>>Everything will be... Jesus, you're trembling. Keep it together.<<endif>>\n\n[[She's late on purpose. She's trying to make me sweat.|SD-6]]

"Here. I want to show you something."\n\n[[...|B2-30X]]

"Again -- your prostration makes me uncomfortable. Just talk to me. If there's something going on in your life... well. We're about to be married."\n\n[[I know it, I...|B2-28B5]]

"No, what I mean is... Soon we won't exactly have 'private lives,' in the best case."\n\n[[Yeah...|B2-28B6]]

The living room. Lights are turned down now, bringing Casey, already close, even closer in darkness on this increasingly uncomfortable couch. Though you stare at the floor, she's sitting with her knees pointed at you -- //at your balls, maybe.//\n\n"I'm not upset. Just wondering where you are."\n\n[[I'm here, Casey.|B2-28B3]]

"Are you? I know I'm not one to talk where these things are concerned, but at some point, we're gonna be having these conversations."\n\n[[I'm really sorry.|B2-28B4]]

She laughs, against herself.\n\n"My God, you are such a dork. Sorry."\n\n[[No, I know...|SD-2AA15C]]

"And there's no fixing it."\n\nStrangely, she's trying to suppress a smile.\n\nIs it a kill-smile?\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaitressA4]]

"You don't know when to quit, huh?"\n\n[[I am who I am.|SD-2AWaitressA3]]\n[[I don't know why I brought it up -- sorry.|SD-2AA15andahalf]]

She's got a candle lit in the bathroom. With the expensive soap, it's a luxurious space. Despite the knife on the countertop.\n\nI'm looking right back at you.\n\n[[I see you.|B1-FuckingGreat2]]

You're throwing caution here.\n\n<<if visited ("AX-11")>>\s\n[[I want to make it to the other side. But I want to be //me//, when I get there.|A1-Din11]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I want to make it to the other side. But I want to be //me//, when I get there.|A1-DinB7]]\n<<endif>>

<<if visited ("A-GuestRoom")>>The office, guest room, whatever... it's cluttered. As usual. <<else>>The office is cluttered. Not by her work and her little toys, but... shit. It's all the decorations and crap. The crib takes up the whole corner by the window. Boxes of baby clothes -- gifts from her parents. She's not even pregnant.<<endif>>\n\nCheck the computer.\n\n[[Yep.|B1-Office2]]

"And so subtly."\n\n[[Then it's settled. I'll break up with Casey.|B2-Save13A]]\n[[Can I just... leave her? At this stage?|B2-Save13B]]

He stands over you, attempts menace.\n\n"I know you're with a girl. I know she got up to use the restroom."\n\n[[She's no girl. She's thirty-three. What do you think this is?|SD-SpikedEarly3]]

"I think I know what you poured in there."\n\n[[First of all, this is my drink. And I need some flavor with water. What the hell are you even doing?|SD-SpikedEarly4]]

Harder than you thought, but the slowness is good. Push it in and it seems to sink under your weight. Robert's eyes are wide, twitching. The writhing is done, and soon, he's frozen.\n\n[[...|B1-Slow2]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-EndC2]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-End3A2]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-End1A2]]

"Are you okay? You're starting to drift."\n\n[[So what do you think we can do with this space?|A1-DinX2]]

"You sure?"\n\n[[Yeah, it was nothing.|A1-Din6B2]]\n[[Well... As someone with an eye for this stuff, what do you think we could do?|A1-Din6]]

You and your fucking shit. I am not the bad guy here. If you really can't pretend -- //for a teeny-tiny bit out of your miserable life// -- to be a good fucking guy, then Casey is dead. Understand?\n\n[[There's gotta be another way.|A1-DinB5]]\n[[Okay, you're right...|A1-DinX]]

You'll have to make that one up.\n\n[[Should I survive this, that's first on the list.|B1-Airport]]

<small>26 February 2012\n\nOne morning I see he’s in the cafeteria -- and is that a girl he’s sitting down with? It might have been, I’m 75% sure. And if it was, it’s probable he has a girlfriend, and I felt so dumb for not thinking of that. He’s an incredibly good-looking guy -- just because he’s soft-spoken and doesn’t proudly wear the air of ‘dumb college guy,’ doesn’t mean he isn’t sociable. I get pretty down about this.\n\nFew days later I figure, what the hell. It would be nice to just get to know this guy, so I’ll keep going. My plan is to say, as we’re getting ready to leave, "Hey, we’re both headed to the same place, aren’t we?" in reference to the class following our first. The point is to find out if he’s a graphic design major, because he’s in this one class which is a requisite for graphic design majors, but also for everyone in the media program. The first class is only followed by the media class on Friday, and he isn’t there. Did he move seats?\n\nI found out that no, he was just absent. And I was... //so ready.// Next week I try again, but I’m done with my assignment, and go to turn it in. It’s the fourth assignment of this type and every last time I’ve gotten the next immediately, so I think I’ll get the next right now and keep going. But no, I can just leave.\n\nI leave, because if I sat there doing nothing it’d be too obvious what I was doing. The whole point was to make it feel organic, because I didn’t want to let on that I’ve been thinking about him all this time. First contact is so delicate, especially with this one because our first meeting was so strange.\n\nCircumstance after circumstance and I feel like I’m in a lousy sitcom. This is where I am now, and I’ve given up. It’s been too long. I can’t possibly introduce myself now because what could I say? I feel terrible. I need to get away I think.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|A1-Journal5]] | [[//Next//|A1-Journal6]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

The windows are black.\n\nDinner again. The parents are out, touring the coastline.\n\nCasey set a plate for you at the head of the table once more. And she sits to your right, staring. Without object or conviction, just staring in all directions, scanning each corner of the house as available from the kitchen, maybe trying to summon or inspire life in the darkness of each.\n\n[[...|A1-Din3]]\n

<small>14 October 2011\n\nI just can’t do it. Group projects. Designing with punks who are the only liberal arts students on campus who can make me feel like an idiot. I don’t know where they found the time before freshman year started to figure everything out already, but a group of kids seems to be experts on every program -- somehow I got grouped with them in the very end.\n\nI spend so much time trying to think of ways to mask incompetence or stall the unpleasant confrontations or compose oneself with enough façade of confidence you don’t look like the clown you really are when all eyes are on.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|A1-Journal3]] | [[//Next//|A1-Journal7]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

<small>22 April 2015\n\nI’ve always said I’m right on the edge of the future, but this is the end of the edge. Either I fly or fall off, but I’m moving forward either way. It isn’t just about creating a future anymore but validating the theory of who I am.\n\nIf I fail, I was never anybody. Just a bad artist who convinced herself she had a shot, and who lived in her thick delusion, growing numb to the world, expecting nothing from it nor herself, caught in a cycle of days and days and days.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|A1-Journal1]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

<small>2 May 2010\n\nKatie was a good friend, but maybe not overall, taking in all of those things said in older entries here. This might sound like I’m still pissed off about her leaving me, but I’ve had time to deal with it, and wasn’t emotionally affected at all when it happened. We always had an odd relationship like that. I remember junior year I left some social function that I attended because of national honor society. I spent the whole time wandering around aimlessly, not wanting to be seen not interacting with people. It was so awkward I thought I might cry. I left early. Not knowing what else to do, I called her, which I never do. We always just texted. She didn’t really know what to say, but I didn’t exactly explain the situation. Either way, there was a certain level of communication we could never establish.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|A1-Journal2]] | [[//Next//|A1-Journal5]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

<small>12 August 2008\n\nDrew foreground assets for three pages at the start of last week. Nothing further there. Took the whole to assemble the Storyboard3s, and now all that’s left is backgrounds, which I’ll start tomorrow. If I can have the first issue done by the end of the year, I’ll give myself the seventeen week countdown and start releasing pages, but even if I do... Who’ll see them? There’s no immediate audience, but there are avenues for free advertisement, like online aggregate sites and stuff. It’s just sad that this //Zone Hunter// thing is such a big time-killer, and I don’t have time. It’s a thousand page endeavor, and I can do three pages in two weeks, if I’m fast. Gotta keep at it, everyday.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|A1-Journal8]] | [[//Next//|A1-Journal3]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

"Child or womanchild you mean? Yeah. Why do you ask?"\n\n[[I wanted to know... in terms of your architectural or interior designer instincts. What can we do with this space?|A1-Din6]]\n[[I... never mind.|A1-Din6B]]

She glances at you, almost surprised. Suspicious. Registers your earnestness.\n\n"It’s a nice place to begin," she says, matching the lowness of your voice, as if we’re trying not to wake the spirits in the walls.\n\n[[Who?|A1-Din5]]

"Maybe..."\n\nShe rearranges the food on her plate.\n\nGood. This is a good start.\n\n<<if visited ("A1-D21B")>>\s\n[[It feels wrong.|A1-Din10]]\n<<else>>\n[[It feels wrong.|A1-Din10B]]\n<<endif>>

"Are you getting bored living here?"\n\n[[I don’t think an artistic touch would hurt.|A1-Din9]]

"..."\n\n[[It might not currently be seasoned just right, but... well, with the beggars. Though to be honest, and more pressing, there's the hope that your afterhours hobby doesn't solely define you.|B2-11]]

<small>1 July 2005\n\nNow that you know ‘where I stand,’ and all that, I should probably elaborate about my ‘current project.’ //Wolf Hunter// is the movie where a fantasy icon is set in the future. A drug had been developed that hastens the morphing of man to beast. This drug has been passed down in a gang family, and Wolf Hunter has been keeping them from the streets without anyone knowing. But know, the public is getting involved, and Wolf Hunter must destroy the gang and drug before it spreads...\n\nSo I bought this book, //The Prop Builder’s Handbook,// which would help me with two main things: The armature, and the breakaway glass. I already had stuff on the glass, but I’ve never tested it. I need another weekend to go out and buy all the materials, and another one to build it.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|A1-Journal10]] | [[//Next//|A1-Journal8]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

<small>3 February 2008\n\nThis thing is so frustrating. Just a series of running up into obstacles. Every time I think I'm clear it's just like... splat.\n\nBut I gave myself a purpose, as we all do. I want to try, and if I fail, then that will suck, but I have to try not for myself but for the chance I might succeed. Truly there’s nothing gained in failing, but it means I tried to succeed. Small consolation. No consolation.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|A1-Journal9]] | [[//Next//|A1-Journal2]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

Because you have the phone in hand? That's all that's required?\n\n[[What else?|A-Police2]]

"And it's a bad reason, too. It's only for myself. An experiment, and -- //hah, well.// I almost said 'one shouldn't be so callous with human life.'"\n\n[[I never personally envisioned myself with children.|B2-14A]]\n[[I think that's great.|B2-14B]]

Well. That was... something.\n\nWhat's the plan?\n\n[[I'm getting Casey, and we're getting the hell out.|A2-BackHome3B]]\n[[I'll be there tomorrow night.|A2-BackHome3A]]

She smiles.\n\n//BZZZZT// -- Casey.\n\n[[Shit...|A2-CaseyCalling]]

"I repent! Sure, sure. I repent."\n\n[[Have you forgotten you're tied to a table?|B2-Repent2]]

"Really?"\n\n[[Yeah, totally.|SD-2AWaitressB2]]\n[[I don't know what I'm talking about. Sorry...|SD-2AA15andahalf]]

"It's because she's pretty, isn't it?"\n\n[[I... didn't actually notice.|SD-2AWaitressA2]]

"To be honest, Marvin... She reminded me of a younger self. It wasn't just fear in those eyes -- there was some anger. A deep kind, too, something she'll probably discover about herself only later. Though that's conjecture. And maybe hope."\n\n[[You want her to take revenge?|B1-Rescue5BB2]]

"I thought not."\n\n[[Shit.|Credits]]

"In answer to your question, that is the sole condition under which I will, as you say, 'go after her.' So it all depends. What's she gonna do next?"\n\n[[I don't know.|B1-Rescue5BB3]]

Just keep that in mind.\n\n//Ding!// Jessica returns with a coil of rope.\n\nShe tosses it on the floor, and grabs Christopher's ankles, sliding him backward.\n\nStreaking blood in a messy trail.\n\n[[Fuck!|B2-Chris25]]

"It was betrayal. Or hypocrisy."\n\n[[Jessica...|SD-2AA21]]

"Just like that."\n\n[[I'm sorry, Jessica.|SD-Caught12D2]]

"You could become anything. But what you're //dangerously// close to approaching isn't a matter of time like you might want to believe."\n\n[[What do you mean by 'dangerous?'|SD-2AA23]]

"The line between Marvin, man with many fears, and Marvin the philanderer, man who'll say anything... is thinning."\n\n[[If I'm any kind of mastermind, why would... I mean, I could've just asked you to mail the damn phone...|SD-2AA24]]

"Why do I believe you?"\n\n[[...|SD-Caught12A2]]

"Yes," she sits back, her eyes softening without changing at all. "It isn't easy, is it?"\n\n[[...|SD-2AA26]]

"I don't believe you."\n\n[[...|SD-Caught12C2]]

"I don't believe you. But why not...?"\n\n[[...|SD-Caught12A2]]

"Because I don't believe you. You want to be a good person, isn't that right? Maybe you will be, now, what with the consequences for the otherwise, as I've said."\n\n[[You didn't say...|SD-2AA29]]\n[[Of course.|SD-2AA30]]

"I'll fucking tell her. I have her number."\n\n[[Right -- yeah, I just... caught up in the moment.|SD-2AA30]]

"I meant what I said earlier, about having someone to talk to. I have this therapist, but... I haven't told her anything. The non-incriminating stuff, I mean."\n\n[[So drop her. And talk to me.|B2-28A12]]

He shakes his head.\n\n"It's all coming back..."\n\n[[What do you think, Jessica?|B2-KillingChris]]

"My family. Dad left us. Then I left. Leaving a little sister behind, not to mention my mother."\n\n[[You regret it.|B2-YourselfFamily2]]

She may be around, then.\n\n[[//Casey?//|A-45]]

Nothing in the kitchen, though the coffee pot is half //full.// Right?\n\n[[I got it.|A-44A4]]

"Very good. And somebody else... will be back with that."\n\nHe leaves in a hurry.\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaiterBad]]

"<<if visited ("SD-KillingMe")>>Not like a killer.<<else>>Very pleasant, I might dare say. He was awfully nervous beforehand...<<endif>>"\n\n<<if visited ("SD-KillingMe")>>\s\n[[...|SD-Waiter2AWaiterBad]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|SD-Waiter2AWaiterGood]]\n<<endif>>

"What is it?"\n\n[[I don't know. Just a feeling.|B1-Mall3B2]]

"You know what I think? We should take a real vacation. //I mean--//"\n\nShe shakes out.\n\n"That sounds spoiled. We //are// taking a real vacation. But I'd really like some privacy with you. In a nice place."\n\n[[Soon.|B1-Mall3A2]]

You lacerate his face seven times. Each time, he jerks his body, not expecting it, and this shoots blood from the wounds on his body every which way. His muffled screams are less recognizable as human. You could actually lift a few skin triangles right off him. Nice patterns.\n\n[[Time to end it.|B1-SlashHeart]]

Silently, moving toward her. Holding breath... Hands raise up as she pulses back and forth, elbow punching out at you. //Wait for the correct beat--//\n\n[[...|B1-KillingJessicaThroat2]]

"And after ‘kiss the bride,’ I mean..."\n\n[[Oh, yeah. Straight out.|Casey-14B4]]

"I thought about it. I had some ideas at the beginning, but..."\n\nDude -- she's not drinking, she's not even sitting down.\n\n[[Have a seat. Please.|SD-Spiked4]]

...\n\n[[...|AX-Court1]]

Back on the road.\n\nYou're really doing this?\n\n[[What's the other option? She's gonna fucking kill me!|B2_2]]

"..."\n\n[[But I am //sure// that you do what you do for a reason.|SD-2D4A10A]]\n[[But this is what we share, and there's no shame in it.|SD-2D4A10B]]

She looks off...\n\n[[Jessica, I know you //think// you're damaged...|SD-2D4A9]]

The waitress flits in, sets each plate down.\n\n"Enjoy."\n\n[[Thanks...|SD-2D4A8]]

"I'm damaged goods, Marvin."\n\n[[...|SD-2D4A7]]

"I wish I could explain..."\n\n[[Please do. I feel like I'm on the edge of losing you.|SD-2D4A6]]

"I've felt this way about people before. You're not the first. But each of these people have come out on the other side... in an unimagined place."\n\n[[That's easy. I won't come out on the other side. I'll stay with you.|SD-2D4A5]]

"But that's the problem."\n\n[[What?|SD-2D4A4]]

"I don't know if I'd use 'love.' More 'intrigue.'"\n\n[[That's a start.|SD-2D4A3]]

"Your mom?"\n\n[[Yeah...|B2-14A5]]

"//Okay, Marvin// -- your paleness doesn't go well with shaking. Are you okay?"\n\n[[I'm not shaking.|SD-EarlyDrugs2B]]\n[[I was up all night.|SD-EarlyDrugs2]]

"..."\n\nAnd she goes, zipping to the table but at a confident, measured stride. Her back is to you, she's waving her hands around talking to Casey.\n\nIs it embarrassment?\n\n[[...|B1-Con20]]

...\n\n<<if visited ("A1-AgreeWithCasey")>>\s\n[[Casey, I love you.|A1-End3]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Casey, I love you.|A1-End1]]\n<<endif>>

"Another fine performance, then. Charged. Compelling."\n\n[[It came from a genuine place. Casey Duncan //does not fit// your profile. Now you know. Killing her would be against your code. I don't want to see what that does to you.|B1-Con19]]

Huh. The window is completely obvious. Even if she didn’t see you, she has to know that anybody could be looking in.\n\n[[Well, I’ve had pretty easy run of the place. Whole house is a big invitation: ‘Boo! I’m a killer -- come arrest me!’|BR-Basement3]]

The table.\n\nYou might get that headless motherfucker in intermittent bursts, but he’s living up here with me.\n\n[[This could be where I end up.|BR-Basement4]]

You must know her pretty well.\n\n[[Hmm.|Credits]]

No. //No// -- do not start thinking that.\n\n[[I’ll get a move on.|BR-Protege]]

"It means a lot to me. Art is in all of us, I think."\n\n[[What about something extreme... like killing?|B2-30A4]]

"It's overwhelming. I get it. I'll give you all the time you need."\n\n[[You will?|A2-SBUB12A2]]

Eyebrow-raise.\n\n"Really?"\n\n[[Yeah. I can't believe this is who I've been dating all along.|A2-SBUB13]]

"Oh -- there you go again! You've been cowering in that chair ever since we sat down."\n\n<<if visited ("SD-Spicy")>>\s\n[[No, I think it's the spicy food. It's wafting.|SD-2AA23B2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Is that because it's true, or because you want it to be true?|SD-2AA23B3]]\n<<endif>>

She blinks, shakes out a bit, and storms off.\n\nYou did very well.\n\n[[Yeah.|A2-SecondBU]]

"It’s true, Casey. You take dramatic steps to //try//, and you keep trying. Just take it easy and give things some thought -- I know you’re happy here, I can see it. People are counting on you now, to stay. People who aren’t us."\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[No matter what, she has to follow her dreams.|A1-21A]]\n[[What are we talking about here? All or nothing?|A1-D21B]]

"Just give her a minute, she’ll be back."\n\n"I’ve heard that one before."\n\n[[I’ll talk to her.|A1-D24]]

"--"\n\n"--"\n\n"I’m done."\n\nAnd she’s off.\n\n[[...|A1-D23]]

The bedroom door’s locked.\n\n<<if visited ("A-21A")>>\s\n[[What a child.|A1-D25A]]\n[[She must be pretty upset.|A1-D25A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[What a child.|A1-D25B]]\n[[She must be pretty upset.|A1-D25B]]\n<<endif>>

"It really must have done a number on you."\n\n[[Can we call it a night?|AX-17A6]]

This is interesting over here. Display case -- dedicated to the Piper family. News article.\n\n[[What’s it say...?|BR-Family]]\n[[I’m not a reader.|BR-Bedroom3]]

Dresser?\n\n[[I will, and I will not be a pervert.|BR-Dresser1]]\n[[I will, and I //will// be a pervert.|BR-Dresser2]]\n[[No.|BR-Bedroom4]]

"I'll get on it."\n\n[[What?|AX-17A7]]

Try the closet?\n\n[[This is where I get tazed or hit with a spring-loaded boxing glove. I’ll try not to bite my tongue...|BR-Closet]]\n[[Hell no.<<if visited ("BR-Tape")>> I’m getting the fuck outta here.<<endif>>|BR-Basement]]\n\n

Some folders, some files.\n\n<<if visited ("B1-Journal0")>>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[What's this "Hiking Trail?"|B1-HikingTrail]]\n[[Eh, no I'll try the "Lecture #06: Design Principles?"|B1-Journal02]]\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited ("HikingTrail2")>>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[Eh, no I'll try the "Lecture #06: Design Principles?"|B1-Journal02]]\n[[Time to check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[Time to gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-Journal02")>>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[What's this "Hiking Trail?"|B1-HikingTrail]]\n[[Eh, no I'll try the "Lecture #06: Design Principles?"|B1-Journal02]]\n<<if visited ("HikingTrail2")>>\s\n[[Time to check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[Time to gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<else>>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[What's this "Hiking Trail?"|B1-HikingTrail]]\n[[What's this "Lecture #06: Design Principles?"|B1-Journal0]]\n<<if visited ("HikingTrail2")>>\s\n[[Time to check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[Time to gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-HikingTrail")>>\s\n[[Let's keep moving. I'm gonna check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[Let's keep moving. I'm gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<endif>>

"Tomorrow, I'm taking my parents out shopping. I'll decide on a date when we return."\n\nAnd she goes. <<if visited ("AY-3A4")>>What the //fuck// are you doing?<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("AY-3A4")>>\s\n[[What?|AX-17X]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|AX-18]]\n<<endif>>

<small>"...you told me you just dump bodies off the highway, in -- in a swamp. I can help you do better -- that’s, that’s stupid, that’s bad that’s bad practice and people are gonna find them. You know what I can do. If you let me go I’ll synthesize a chemical formula that’ll break down the flesh and bone -- but you have to let me go -- it’s all up here, it’s all in my head, please, please--"\n-skip-\n"--Arrgh I trust you, Jessica, I trust you, please just trust me. I’m not saying another word, God you’re just gonna kill me anyway. Oh God... Oh God... "\n-skip-\n"...I think three weeks. It’s Friday, right? I was good this week, Jessica, wasn’t I good? Please -- I was... Yes, yes of course I’m gonna tell you the whole sequence. And then you’ll... yes, thank you. Oh God thank you..."</small>\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[Okaaaaay.|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Okaaaaay.|BR-Bedroom2]]\n<<endif>>

She props Christopher up on the table, has to hold him still so he doesn't fall off. She begins to fasten Christopher to the table, lacing more rope through what's already there.\n\n[[...|B2-Kill]]

She lifts him, escorts him to the table. Dust shimmers in the light overhead. Otherwise, everything is sterile.\n\nShe lays him out on the table, begins to lace more rope through the lattice of bondage holding him firm.\n\n[[...|B1-RobertAB4]]

"I'll walk you through every step."\n\n[[Let's do it.|B1-RobertAB3]]\n[[What did he do?|B1-RobertABB3]]

She gives him a kick in the gut, and he squeals against the gag.\n\n"This one's name is Robert. I've been hunting him for about a month now. He's gotten better, actually, so I considered letting him go. But I needed someone for you."\n\n[[To kill.|B1-RobertAB2]]

"Scary world out there. What other warnings on offer tonight?"\n\n[[It isn't like that, Casey.|AX-17A3]]

"What are you thinking?"\n\n[[Slow and painful for this piece of shit.|B1-SlowPainful1]]\n[[Quick and easy.|B1-Quick1]]

"How's that feel? Good?"\n\nWithout glancing back at you, she's produced a knife, and extends it your way.\n\n[[Thank you.|B1-RobertAB5]]

Back home.\n\n[[...|A2-EarlyRun3]]

Casey's in the kitchen, reading a book.\n\n"//Weh//, you're home early..."\n\n[[Casey, we have to go. Now.|A2-EarlyRun4]]

"What then?"\n\n[[I'm afraid.|AX-17A4]]

"I don't get it, and I've begun to try."\n\n<<if visited ("Casey-Casey")>>\s\n[[You want to find your home. I want to help you find it.|A2-EarlyRun7]]\n[[I will provide for you the home you never had.|A2-EarlyRun7]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I want to find the perfect place... where no one can find us.|A2-EarlyRun7]]\n<<endif>>

"You need to lie down."\n\nAnd she exits. Strolls off like it was nothing. And you are nothing.\n\nIdiot.\n\n[[Don't do that.|Credits]]

"Go? You just got in."\n\n[[I mean go... like //go//.|A2-EarlyRun5]]

She closes her book and places it on the counter with the same rhythm of motion as she'd have removing glasses to blink and get a better look.\n\n"What?"\n\n[[I want to run away.|A2-EarlyRun6]]

"Run along now," is heard from somewhere above.\n\nCasey's running shoes pass by, stumbling, weary.\n\n[[...|B1-Rescue5B7]]

She passes you, softly, on the way back to the house.\n\nIn retrospect, it's a strange way to charm a girl.\n\n[[Of the two, yeah -- she's the weird one alright.|A2-JessCall]]

The knife clatters on the concrete floor.\n\nThe pain is excruciating. You begin to crumple, compromised at the knees and sinking down.\n\n[[...|B1-Rescue5B5]]

She glowers over you, looking down as you've fallen now to your ass. She tosses the wrist, and you sprawl onto the floor clutching it. The hand is flapping all around and you can't stop it, the concrete so cold on your cheek. Gasping, gaping for breath.\n\n[[...|B1-Rescue5B6]]

She hands you a knife.\n\n"Slit her throat. She doesn't deserve anything worse."\n\n[[I know. //But you do!//|B1-Rescue5B3]]

In a flash, you've hyperextended. Your body's disfigured into some abstract striking pose.\n\nAnd your wrist is shattered, being crushed in Jessica's grip.\n\n[[...|B1-Rescue5B4]]

For a second date? Well. You’ve been out of the game a long time. But you still know how to read a woman. //The body language, the patterns of silence, speaking with the eyes...// She wants to see you again.\n\nLet’s go home.\n\n[[...|A-2]]

There's a knife on the sink. If you really believe you had to do it, believe again.\n\n[[I can't do it.|B1-RondoA4]]\n[[... Okay.|B1-RondoC1]]

Did you, though?\n\n[[She was gonna kill me if I didn't.|B1-RondoA3]]\n[[I... I don't know.|B1-RondoB1]]

Then Casey's dead.\n\n[[You're right. I have to do this.|B1-Reluc1]]\n[[Time to run.|B1-Run1]]

<<if visited ("A-GuestRoom")>>The office, guest room, whatever... it's cluttered. As usual. <<else>>The office is cluttered. Not by her work and her little toys, but... shit. It's all the decorations and crap. The crib takes up the whole corner by the window. Boxes of baby clothes -- gifts from her parents. She's not even pregnant.<<endif>>\n\nCheck the computer.\n\n[[Yep.|B1-Office2]]

"I'll get on it."\n\n[[What?|AX-17A7]]

...\n\n<<if visited ("A1-ImpressCasey")>>\s\n[[Casey, I love you.|A1-EndC]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Casey, I love you.|A1-EndA]]\n<<endif>>

"This is really too bad, Marvin."\n\nOne of the boots now hovering, aligning. It hasn't looked so heavy. Eclipses the light overhead. What's she doing?\n\n[[She's gonna crush my skull.|Credits]]

...\n\n[[...|AY-2]]

Just one skip short of 'flitting,' she stops before a man-sized object covered in a blanket.\n\nTakes a breath, and pulls the blanket, unveiling a... well, it's a sculpture.\n\n"Of course, it's not finished."\n\n[[Oh my God. This is incredible.|AY-3A]]\n[[For real?|AY-3B]]

As a stalling tactic. You're not actually gonna do it!\n\n[[Alright, fine. Fuck!|B1-3Z1A]]\n[[Fuck this. Fuck this shit! She can't be saved.|B1-3Z1B2]]

...\n\n[[Come on... Pick up...|B1-3Z1A2]]

She shakes her head.\n\n"Shit."\n\n[[Why 'shit?'|SD-2AWaitressB11]]

"Because I //do// like you, Marvin. But you're trying so hard against me -- your efforts culminating, of course, in my outing as a psychopath."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[Believe it or not, Jessica -- I like you too.|SD-2AWaitressB12A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Believe it or not, Jessica -- I like you too.|SD-2AWaitressB12B]]\n<<endif>>

Yes, but less stupid.\n\n"Here."\n\nShe hands you the glass, resumes her seat.\n\n[[Thank you.|B2-27A11]]

"I meant what I said earlier, about having someone to talk to. I have this therapist, but... I haven't told her anything. The -- you know. Non-incriminating stuff."\n\n[[So drop her. And talk to me.|B2-27A12]]

As the knife draws closer, he shakes his head like a dog with a bone, even though it jolts him to do so. You hold him still. Scoop his eyes out. The left you botched a little, sliced into it like a hard-boiled egg filled with a light jelly.\n\n[[Now to slash up his face.|B1-StabGougeSlash]]\n[[Jesus -- fuck this.|B1-Heart]]

Nice delivery. Stop sweating -- you're gonna tip her off.\n\n"Then I process the flesh and bone in a chemical treatment."\n\n[[Some... kinda... recipe?|B1-Reluc3A]]\n[[I'm gonna let you work, and I'll just watch.|B1-Reluc3B]]

It's all useless speculation. You want this to sit well with you minutes after a man was murdered? //There's// something we don't wonder about. Just calm yourself, and go out there.\n\n[[Okay.|B2-BreakUp]]\n[[I don't know, this... feels wrong.|B2-FeelsWrong]]

"Hey."\n\nShe's got her little goggles on. Hacksaw in hand. Wait till she's really in it. You still need to know how she gets rid of bodies.\n\n[[So you... hack the body up... into pieces. Then what happens after?|B1-Reluc2]]

And they'll call you 'hero.'\n\n[[Shut up.|SD-Spike5]]

Okay then.\n\n[[Here we go.|SD-Spike5]]

And where are you gonna run to?\n\n[[First things first.|SD-Spike5]]

"Hey. Come in. I have something to show you."\n\n[[Lead on.|B1-RobertA2]]

"It didn't take nothing to get here, Marvin. This is who I'm supposed to be."\n\n[[So... what's next?|B2-Bad5]]

Jessica's place once more.\n\nYou alright?\n\n[[I'm okay.|B1-RobertX3A]]\n[[No.|B1-RobertX3B]]

"Hm. //It's kind of romantic//."\n\n[[I try.|Credits]]

You quick-draw and squeeze the trigger--\n\n[[//AGH!//|B2-Gun2B2]]

Won’t answer! //Why didn’t I think of that?!// Think with your brain, Marvin.\n\n[[I’ll just keep driving. How far will she chase me?|A2-5A2]]

Your girlfriend the serial killer. Jesus, man. I don't know. Maybe...\n\n[[Trust me.|A2-JessicaCalls2]]

You’re kidding.\n\n[[Nope.|A2-JessicaCalls]]

The delicates. Nice. But not very helpful -- let’s not forget your life is on the line.\n\n[[Panty raids used to be fun.|BR-Dresser1]]

Sock drawer. A collection of passports... Same Jessica, different names through the years.\n\nJessica Wanham, Claire Edinson, Molly Milton, Samantha Aranovich, Machi Nobuchi -- //haha, what did she try to pass as Japanese?// -- and the oldest one is Holly Piper.\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[Wild.|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Wild.|BR-Bedroom4]]\n<<endif>>

"You're a liability."\n\n[[You think I'm gonna tell someone. That's ridiculous.|B2-BadX]]

To prove that you love Casey. You can do this.\n\n[[I do love Casey.|SD-2AA33]]\n[[I can do it.|SD-2AA33]]

Even still. She's giving you a chance here.\n\n[[To run?|SD-2AA32]]

...\n\n<<if visited ("B2-CaseyUpset")>>\s\n[[...|B2-GoodNightCasey]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|B2-GoodNight2]]\n<<endif>>

"And what a phone to leave, Marvin. The phone of a man engaged to be wed. //This year,// it looks like. Yeah -- for reading an abundance of your texts, I suppose we can argue moral highground. But you’re still the idiot."\n\n[[I’m sorry.|A-50]]

"I'd hoped for better. Always do. But instead I make monsters."\n\n[[So what, now? You're gonna kill me?|B1-KillingCasey10]]

"One thing I didn't have time to teach you was how to spot a tail. But you were quite advanced. Shot right beyond my meager expectations."\n\n[[//The fuck...//|B1-KillingCasey9]]

"Your family is safe."\n\n[[//Jessica?//|B1-KillingCasey8]]

...\n\n[[Lamp is shattered on the floor. Chairs overturned. And curtains, billowing. No sign of Casey either...|B1-KillingCasey7]]

...\n\n[[Drafty up here. Coming from our room...|B1-KillingCasey6]]

...\n\n[[No. Upstairs.|B1-KillingCasey5]]

...\n\n[[Knife in hand, I'm -- what is this? Lights are off. Their cars were in the driveway... Kitchen table is set. They in the living room?|B1-KillingCasey4]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-KillingCasey3]]

Like a mathematician, you make bubbling incisions in key places. He rattles each time, surprised and not expected another. Puncture arms, legs, shoulder. He writhes violently, shaking all the skin on his face loose. Jessica has him locked down good, but he's in animal mode.\n\n[[Time to end it.|B1-SlashHeart]]

Bounding now, out of the house. Key at the hip, aimed.\n\nDon't like how you left that one, man.\n\n[[What was I supposed to do?|B2-33C3]]

"The two families slowly grew apart over the years, us and them, just by function of time. We laughed and raised our voices again..."\n\n[[...|B2-20]]

"There's something about you, Marvin... I just can't let go."\n\n[[Is that good or bad?|SD-2C5B7]]

"Come home with me. We'll talk it over."\n\n[[Okay...|B2-1]]

"//Well//... Look at you. You knew this whole time. But you still wanted to have some fun."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[What's the plan?|SD-2C5B5]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[What's the plan?|SD-2C5BX]]\n<<endif>>

"Hmm."\n\n[[...|SD-2C5B6]]

"Don't apologize. Save your energy." She stands. "I'll be back for you, Marvin..."\n\n[[What?|SD-2C5B3]]

"Huh?"\n\n[[You're gonna kill me for this? You're a monster.|SD-2C5B4]]

"..."\n\n[[For everything.|SD-2AA20B5]]

"Nobody like yourself to make you feel like a piece of shit."\n\n[[Yeah.|SD-2AA20B6]]

"..."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA20B7]]

"Hm. Looks like both of us are figuring things out."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA20B8]]

Push on her love of life, that thing so precious, and in doing so, increasingly condemn her actions and lifestyle. Make her see killing for what it is.\n\n[[That's easier thought, I think.|B2-26A]]

"Sure. I don't know what to do with you, Marvin."\n\n[[What do you want to do?|SD-2AA20B3]]

"I've been confused ever since I fished that phone out of my purse."\n\n[[Sorry.|SD-2AA20B4]]

"I should go."\n\n[[Really?|SD-2AA20B9]]

She stands.\n\n"It feels wrong, somehow."\n\n[[What?|SD-2AA20B10]]

"Alright, alright. Boy... I'm not really that //severe//, am I?"\n\n[[You've got... //the look//.|SD-CWaiterBad3B]]\n[[No, of course not.|SD-CWaiterBad3]]

"Not sure just yet. I'll think of something. Excuse me."\n\n[[...|SD-B1Monologue]]

"I don't think that idiot's coming back. Maybe we should call it quits for now."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[Will I see you again?|SD-CWaiterBad4A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Will I see you again?|SD-CWaiterBad4B]]\n<<endif>>

"It was all going too slowly. Usually this is when I'd perform surgery. But I just... //lost control//. Grabbed the axe and hacked him into pieces, each strike as non-fatal as I could make it..."\n\n[[It was rage.|B2-Wake14]]

Back on her street. Almost done. <<if visited ("B2-33B3")>>Slowly creeping along, Jessica leaning over the steering wheel, peering into the darkness. "What the hell is this?"<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("B2-33B3")>>\s\n[[What?|B2-KCA]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|B2-KC2]]\n<<endif>>

"I knew he was a screamer, so I cut his tongue out, and blowtorched his lips together."\n\n[[...|B2-Wake13]]

Candice fans herself. "How embarrassing."\n\n"Casey, you should expect an apology from her when she's ready."\n\n"Yeah, sure."\n\n[[Anyway...|A2-EndDinner]]

"I thought about it. I had some ideas at the beginning, but..."\n\n[[...|SD-JR3]]

"So your mom's up in Montreal, huh? Ever been?"\n\n<<if visited ("B2-Wake22")>>\s\n[[Yeah.|B2-Wait3A]]\n[[No.|B2-Wait3A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Yeah.|B2-Wait2]]\n[[No.|B2-Wait2]]\n<<endif>>

"Fucking... Of course I //feel bad//. But maybe I only feel bad right now. Maybe if your bull-dyke lets me go, the first thing I do is rob a bank or some shit."\n\n[[Great answer. How about your family, then?|B2-RepentFamily]]\n[[Great answer. How about yourself, then?|B2-RepentYourself]]

"Dinner's almost ready. Take a seat. They're getting antsy."\n\n[[Sure.|A1-Dinner]]

"..."\n\n[[I was just... trying to be a good person.|SD-2AA25]]

"..."\n\n"Well, of course. You feeling okay?"\n\n[[...|B1-Con10Fail]]

<<if visited ("A1-End1A8")>>She turns once more. <<endif>>"Yes?"\n\n[[Please, Casey...|A1-End1B2]]

She unveils a half-finished sculpture of... or, maybe it's not half-finished?\n\n[[...|B2-30A1]]

<<if visited ("A-44A4")>>You're clear. <<endif>>Hook it up. Just keep it quiet -- no shouting, in consideration of both women.\n\nAre you okay? Can you do this?\n\n[[Hell yes.|A-46]]\n[[Fuck no.|A-46]]\n[[I'll just call the police.|A-Police]]

"That's not suspicious. Look, why don't we talk outside? It'll give you some time to think, and I can yell out there. Come on."\n\n[[Okay...|B1-WokeCasey3]]

"Very good."\n\nAnd he goes.\n\n[[...|SD-Caught4]]

Hmm.\n\n[[22 April 2015|A1-Journal4]]\n[[9 February 2015|A1-Journal1]]\n[[19 March 2012|A1-Journal6]]\n[[26 February 2012|A1-Journal7]]\n[[14 October 2011|A1-Journal5]]\n[[2 May 2010|A1-Journal3]]\n[[12 August 2008|A1-Journal2]]\n[[3 February 2008|A1-Journal8]]\n[[1 July 2005|A1-Journal9]]\n[[16 November 2005|A1-Journal10]]\n\n<<if visited ("A1-Journal")>>\s\n[[I'm done.|A1-Court4]]\n<<else>>\n[[Never mind.|A1-Court4]]\n<<endif>>

"<<if visited ("SD-KillingMe")>>Not like a killer.<<else>>Very pleasant, I might dare say. He was awfully nervous beforehand...<<endif>>"\n\n<<if visited ("SD-KillingMe")>>\s\n[[...|SD-CaughtWaiterBad]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|SD-CaughtWaiterGood]]\n<<endif>>

You’ll do it now.\n\n<<if visited ("A2-JCX")>>\s\n[[What?! Hey -- she said to meet her tonight!|A2-JC11]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[She said ‘meet her tonight.’|A2-JC11]]\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[...|A1-D2]]

The only question is how to express it...\n\n[[I'll think of something.|SD-2AA34]]

She shakes her head.\n\n"It's true. It's all I've ever done. As if I've had any idea, any theory about what will make me happy..." she trails off and snaps to attention. Suddenly everything is visible again. "Oh, God. What am I doing?"\n\n[[Everything is about to change. You panicked. It's natural.|A1-EndBeeeru]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-BackToRD]]

"Excuse me."\n\nShe rises, and disappears into the restaurant beyond, with all its low chatter and clinking silverware.\n\nHaha.\n\n[[Fuck.|SD-2AA31]]

She tosses some cash on the table, gives you a little wink.\n\n[[...|A1-1]]

Jessica digs through her purse.\n\n"I'll be seeing you Marvin, but you won't be seeing me."\n\n[[What do you mean?|SD-2AA36]]\n[[Good-bye, then.|SD-2AA36]]

Here she comes.\n\n[[...|SD-2AA35]]

"..."\n\n[[When that's at risk, I'll fight you on anything, even this.|AX-17B4]]

"Well, now..." the waiter says upon his return. "She doesn't look so bad."\n\n[[Excuse me?|SD-2AWaiter2]]

Nope.\n\n[[Maybe the guest room, then?|A-GuestRoom]]\n[[Good enough for me.|A-45]]

"We've known Casey a long time..."\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Of course. But isn't it possible you're confusing her hopes and dreams with yours?|A2-Agree2]]\n[[And she's gonna be my wife.|A2-PissOffParents]]

"What? What the hell? Is it something really bad?"\n\n[[I mean to say I don't give a shit to explain it to you.|B1-CFOB]]

"I understand."\n\nShe goes.\n\nWhat? What's wrong?\n\n[[The guns -- in the living room.|B1-Rescue3X2]]\n[[No, nothing. I'll be fine.|B1-Rescue3XK]]

"People I love."\n\n[[Should I brace myself?|A2-SBUB3]]

"Unfortunately, yes..."\n\n[[...|A2-SBUB4]]

She takes a moment. Breathes in...\n\n"When I was eighteen years old, my family was murdered when three gangsters set fire to a hotel room... in the city."\n\n[[...|A2-SBUB5]]

"I was fairly athletic... but I kept tabs on these three and exercised my body for one year, every day. Made sure they stayed out of jail..."\n\n[[...|A2-SBUB6]]

"I had to be sure everything was right. I could've bought a gun and trained that way. But I wanted to feel them. Their fear, their surprise... and finally, their powerless, seething anger. And it was everything I imagined."\n\n[[You killed them.|A2-SBUB7]]

"I set a trap. Gathered them in an alley, and went hand-to-hand. My leg got broken, and I was stabbed in the back, left shoulder. But they were down, and they were mine."\n\nShe looks at you.\n\n"Took them home, strapped them down, and tortured them... for two days. Didn't tell them why. Didn't say who I was. What difference did it make? They were dead. And in the end, I slit their throats, one-by-one. //Slit, slit, slit//..."\n\n[[...|A2-SBUB8]]

"But that's not the end. And it's no longer a sad story. It's mine now."\n\n[[...|A2-SBUB9]]

"I continue to kill people, Marvin. I'm a murderer."\n\n[[People like me? Is that what this is?|A2-SBUB10]]

"But obviously whatever it is behind this door... it's important you get it settled. I probably wasn't stopping you, no matter what."\n\nShe goes. Back to her car.\n\n[[...|B2-KCA9X3]]

Focus on one for now.\n\n[[You think I can convince her, even against my own belief?|B2-28A8]]

Get real, Marvin. You don't know her. Jesus -- that stunt you pulled with Casey. You have a lotta talking ahead.\n\n[[Fuck that.|B2-28AB2]]\n[[Yeah. I'll be ready.|B2-28AB2]]

"You're making me feel bad."\n\n[[Sorry.|SD-2D4B3]]\n[[It's been hectic, running around. Like having two lives.|SD-2D4V]]

"You're making it worse... Why are you //so// tense?"\n\n[[It isn't obvious?|SD-2D4B4]]

"No, I mean... the one I'd have to kill you for. The one about me killing people."\n\n[[...|SD-2D4B7]]

The waitress flits in, sets each plate down.\n\n"Enjoy."\n\n[[...|SD-2D4B8]]

"It's starting to be."\n\n[[...|SD-2D4B5]]

"You know my secret, don't you?"\n\n[[It would only be fair -- you know mine!|SD-2D4B6]]

"..."\n\n[[That one.|SD-2D4B9]]

"Lost your appetite?"\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[So what are you gonna do to me?|SD-2C5B5]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So what are you gonna do to me?|SD-2C5BX]]\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[...|A1-InvX]]

"Oh, I can't imagine why. Maybe because if you anger me, I'll be forced to bring you home and chop you up into tiny pieces."\n\n[[That's an odd thing to say.|SD-2A4B42B2]]

"Just like that. This whole thing... it was a mistake?"\n\n[[Only if somebody gets hurt.|SD-2AA4BA2]]\n[[I'm about to be a married man -- how am I gonna look at myself in the mirror?|SD-2AA4BAB]]

"I don't know. More than a dozen. Could be up to forty, depending on how long he's been out there."\n\n[[A monster.|B2-34A1]]

Sitting now -- at the head of the table. Pretty unusual. We're always eating in front of the TV. //If// we eat together... and when we are at the table, we’re across from each other.\n\nAt current it’s Casey on one side, against the wall, and her parents opposite.\n\n[[...|B2-38]]

<<if visited ("Drugs")>>"..."<<else>>"I'm surprised you can act through all that sweat. You sure you're alright?"<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[I mean it.|SD-2AA4BB2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'm serious.|SD-2AA4BBFail]]\n<<endif>>

Morning light through the blinds. Casey must set them a certain way when she gets up, so it's not the alarm clock that thunders you awake.\n\nShe's not here.\n\n[[She's still mad, I bet. I //will// make it up to her.|B2-31A]]

In the center of all the boxes and clutter, a person-sized object with a tarp over it.\n\n[[...|B2-30andahalf]]

"What happened? Between them?"\n\n[[Oh, it was uh... alcoholism.|B2-TheParentLie]]\n[[I don't know if I really want to go there.|B2-14D]]

The morning. No Casey.\n\n[[Whatever.|B2-32A1]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-Start]]

"Oh. Okay. Um... Care to explain that?"\n\n[[Nope.|B1-CaseyFuckOff]]\n[[I will. Later. I'm sorry.|B1-13A2]]

"What then?"\n\n[[Maybe we should let him go.|B2-Save2]]\n[[I don't know. Never mind.|B2-Kill]]

"And then it popped."\n\n[[I'm in the shop now. Trying to figure out a way home.|B1-13A2]]

"Killing?" She puts a hand to her forehead, closes her eyes, takes a deep breath. Resetting herself. "Did you ever read //Coming of Age in Samoa?//"\n\n[[Yes.|B2-30A5]]\n[[No.|B2-30D1]]\n[[That book is BS.|B2-30E1]]

"Ah yes. You got scared<<if visited ("BR-Dresser2")>>, and immediately went through my underwear. Like a funny little puppy, but I prefer ‘mad dog’ who needs to be put down<<endif>>. Time to die."\n\n[[Shit.|Credits]]\n<<if visited ("BR-Family")>>\s\n[[Your family was killed — murdered — and you took revenge! And never stopped! Right?|BR-BreakinEnd12A]]\n<<if visited ("BR-Closet3")>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n[[You were gonna be married. Like me. But somebody took that away from you. //Peter...//|BR-BreakinEnd12B]]\n<<endif>>

"Most people, in a fight-or-flight scenario, will pick flight. Of course, there are always exceptions. Small percentages of soldiers who do enjoy killing and war, things like that. But most normal people, when faced with a kill or be killed scenario, will opt out."\n\n[[I'll keep that in mind.|B2-31X]]

"This is what I've been doing."\n\n[[You've been doing this. Shit. An artist at work. And in secret no less.|B2-30A2]]\n[[For... how long?|B2-30B1]]

"That's the thing. Secrecy is relative. I don't care, and you don't ask. But this is who I am."\n\n[[I know... I know you're an artist, Casey.|B2-30A3]]

"I don't do this out of some need to express myself... I think art is in all of us. It's just a matter of identifying it."\n\n[[Huh. That's interesting.|B2-30A3K]]

"Anyway. I'm going on. You wanted to talk?"\n\n<<if visited ("CaseyX3A")>>\s\n[[Yeah, there's something I need to tell you.|Casey-Affair]]\n[[No, I just... wanted to catch up, is all.|Casey-Casey2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[No, I just... wanted to catch up, is all.|Casey-Casey2]]\n<<endif>>

"Then we have a lot to learn about each other, and little time."\n\n[[I know you, Casey.|AX-17B2]]

If you think you’ve got this...\n\n[[I do.|Date0]]\n[[Alright. I’ll break into the house.|BR-Start]]\n[[Fine. I’ll head over to the school.|Hunt1]]

"Then maybe we both ought to reevaluate."\n\n[[I'm just trying to keep you from making the same mistakes I did.|AX-17A2]]

"Of course."\n\n"..."\n\n"I’m not quitting my job, Mom. Not even for //Casey Jr.//"\n\n[[...|A1-D19]]

"So... what are you gonna do?"\n\n"..."\n\n"What does that mean? I’m not gonna do... anything... //Oh my God//."\n\n[[...|A1-D20]]

You'd better have some magic //fucking// plan up your dimwitted sleeve you stupid, half-an-asshole!\n\nYou're dead. You're so dead.\n\n[[Relax. Everything will work out.|AX-17X2]]

"So Casey, have you given any thought to the job?"\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A1-D15]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n"No."\n\n[[...|A1-D16]]

Candice begins to shrink.\n\nCasey closes her eyes, turns away. //Maybe it'll all just disappear.//\n\n[[The job? She has a job.|A1-D17]]

"And another’s coming. When our Jacquelyn came along, I took my coat and stormed right out of that dingy office. Becoming a full-time mother was the best decision I ever made."\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Well, there are financial considerations we’d have to review first...|A1-D18]]

"Not that it isn’t exciting, and oh, Marvin, we’re very excited our Casey’s found such an honest soul."\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Thank you, Mrs. Duncan. It means a lot to hear that.|A1-D11]]\n[[Me too.|A1-D11]]

"Oh, it takes me back to when we were married, John..."\n\n"Mm. Indeed."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A1-D12]]

"Although //our// parents were much more involved, of course. Being one town apart."\n\n"..."\n\n"Not a whole country and no water?"\n\n[[...|A1-D13]]

"Huh?"\n\n"..."\n\n"Nothing."\n\n[[...|A1-D14]]

"//That’s reasonable.// Try again."\n\n[[I was looking for some insight into your character. So as to avoid pissing you off at our date.|BR-BreakinEnd11B]]

"You //would// need some kind of preparation for that. But I really don’t get it. You were working it just fine on our first date."\n\n[[Things were different back then. For example, I didn’t know you were a serial killer.|BR-BreakinEnd11B2]]

You should probably also grab one of those anti-roofie things, the slips of paper. And watch your own damn drink.\n\n[[Right. Hell, maybe I'll see Jessica lurking around here.|Hunt1-3]]

"See, this is what you do Casey. You're so determined to make enemies of everyone. You have to wonder if it's really about your future, or your //insecurities// about them."\n\n"..."\n\n"I'm twenty-four years old now. At seventeen I declared to myself that you'd never get it. I..." Her eyes squeeze shut -- she's twitching with anger. "I am twenty-four. And you still treat me like the same fucking kid..."\n\n[[Jesus, Casey...|A1-21A5]]

"We'll take it slow, alright?"\n\nAnd just as softly she speaks, she handles this Robert like he's a light pillow. Lifts him up easy, trots him over to the table, which is lit from above, and bare, sterile. The far window is blocked by a tarp.\n\n[[...|B1-RobertA9]]

"So you've just been waiting here the whole time?"\n\n[[I... went for a walk.|B2-KCA8]]

"Don't touch me. How long does it take to tell a girl to fuck off? Where is she, anyway?"\n\n[[I don't know. She was gone when I got here.|B2-KCA7]]

"//What am I?// What the fuck am //I// doing here, Marvin? You got some fucking nerve..."\n\n[[I know how this looks...|B2-KCA6]]

She turns, suddenly -- startled.\n\n"Marvin! Jesus!"\n\n[[What are you doing here?|B2-KCA5]]\n[[It's okay...|B2-KCAB2]]

Yep, it's Casey alright. Trotting along toward her now, she's at Jessica's door, shivering.\n\n[[Casey?|B2-KCA4]]

//"What the hell is this? Where am I? What the fuck?!"//\n\n"Christopher's awake. This girlfriend of yours cannot stay for tea."\n\n[[I'll handle it.|B2-KCA3]]

"This is what you'd rather be doing."\n\n[[It's what I //have// to be doing.|B2-KCA9A]]\n[[You know what? Maybe it is!|B2-KCA9B]]

"Stop, stop, stop -- my God, you're gonna have a heart attack!"\n\n[[No I'm not...|SD-2AWaiterBad2B2]]

"You would fucking hate them."\n\n[[...|A2-ReturnA12]]

Maybe she won't answer again. And that's the end.\n\n[[Yep. That's exactly what's about to happen.|B1-9]]

Jessica opens the door, smiling as always.\n\n"Come in."\n\n[[...|B1-10]]

Back on the road. Nothing is wrong.\n\n[[What the fuck am I doing?|B1-5]]

The killing Casey thing? It was only a stalling tactic.\n\n[[It won't hold for long.|B1-6]]

"Can we change the subject?"\n\n"..."\n\n"No, Mom. Excuse me."\n\nShe stands, and disappears. The bedroom door audibly slams shut.\n\n[[Damn.|A1-D23]]

And she's gone.\n\n[[WAIT!|B1-3A]]\n[[Well, that's not good.|B1-3B]]

What’s behind this door?\n\n[[Let’s find out.|BR-WorkoutRoom]]\n[[I don’t know, I’m starting to get creeped out.|BR-BreakinReview]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-31A3]]

"You're //quivering//."\n\n[[...|SD-Caught2B3]]

"I'm a killer. I kill people. Non-stop. People like you."\n\n[[Shit.|SD-2A4B42B3]]

Okay. And if you go home now, you risk being trapped by Casey’s parents. Even //your// low standards for entertaining don’t permit abrupt, sweaty-foreheaded exits.\n\n[[Shit.|A2-JC12]]

...\n\n[[It’s in the way she takes in life, how she sees things. It’s so beautiful, it’s opened up an entirely new world. One of wonder, and promise... of what our future can be.|A1-RD31A]]

<<if visited ("A1-RD31A")>>Sure you don't want to do that?<<else>>Are you sure you want to do this?<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("A1-RD31A")>>\s\n[[I remember, on our second date... I confessed to her, I said, "I don't know how to talk to you." I'll always remember this, because she looked at me and just said, "I don't know how to talk to you."|A1-RD31B]]\n[[Um... But we learned that we were both dreamers. Learned, after that, the truth that we can't fly without first touching the ground. A foundation -- and I want to be that foundation. I want to be there from now to when we're ready.|A1-RD33A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[But on our second date, I came clean, figured I had nothing to lose. Said, "Look, I don’t know how to talk to you," and she surprised me once again by saying, "I don’t know how to talk to you."|A1-RD31B]]\n[[Um... But we learned that we were both dreamers. Learned, after that, the truth that we can't fly without first touching the ground. A foundation -- and I want to be that foundation. I want to be there from now to when we're ready.|A1-RD33A]]\n<<endif>>

The rest of the dinner proceeded quietly, no incident.\n\nCandice and John went upstairs, Casey continued the laundry.\n\n[[...|A2-JessCall]]

Indeed they are. You remembered.\n\nStashed away, but not so hidden.\n\n[[Is it loaded?|A2-GetGun3]]

Some bullets in there, safety's... off. To the best of your knowledge.\n\n[[Let's go.|A2-32A8]]

Before you go, maybe send that text out.\n\n[[I'll text Jessica.|B1-TextJessBad]]\n[[I can't do this.|B1-TextJess2B]]

So now what's the plan? You can't risk scrounging around now, even if she falls asleep again.\n\n[[The serial killer will understand.|B1-Casey9A2]]

Shit.\n\n[[Fucker.|B1-Slow3A]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-FirstBU2]]

"Christ, you want the big fucking story, huh? Well there isn't one, okay?"\n\n[[Hey, I'm on your side here. Because... even in objective journalism, there's only one side to this.|Hunt1-9B2]]\n[[You're right, sorry.|Hunt1-9A]]

"Please, that's really not what I need..."\n\n[[This isn't just about you, you know. You let this creep go, and he will strike again.|Hunt1-9C2]]\n[[Yeah. Sorry.|Hunt1-9A]]

She gets in her car and leaves.\n\nTime to meet up with Dr. Sayle, then. He does weekend classes.\n\n[[After four years? That'd be depressing.|Hunt1-10A]]

"I know. You're a difficult guy to read, but I think I see that. Leave the room."\n\n[[What? No!|B1-RescueAA3]]

Okay... Easy. There she is, sleeping. <<if visited("B1-3B")>>God, she hogs the whole freaking bed.<<endif>>\n\nLook. What's this? Gym clothes on the floor next to her. Sneakers so bright they find light to glint off in the pitch black.\n\n[[Alright. Loud and clear. She doensn't hike, she runs. But... instead of running, she just takes pictures.|B1-KitchenOfficeBedroom2]]

"I could destroy you, tiny Marvin. And maybe I should. It would be telling the truth, after all."\n\n[[Okay... I //suffered// the theory, momentarily, that I was not the right man for Casey. And if that were true, I'd better have the balls to break things off. You are part of that. Part of bringing in as much motivation as possible to do the right thing.|SD-2AA24andahalf]]\n[[Yeah. It would be.|SD-2AA30]]

//Boooop//\n\n[[...|B2-27A]]

"That would've been nice."\n\n[[What do you mean?|AX-23AB2]]

"Hey -- what's uh... where are you?"\n\n[[I'm sorry, Casey, I got caught up in work stuff... I've taken a lot of time off in previous months...|B2-17B2]]\n[[Busy.|B2-17C]]

"So I'm alone with them tonight?"\n\n[[I'm sorry, Casey.|B2-17B3]]

"It's okay. ... Yeah, it's okay. I'll see you tonight."\n\n[[...|B2-17B4]]

"Okay. Cool. Thanks."\n\nShe brushes by.\n\nLeaves the front door open. I don't know what that means.\n\n[[I need to continue the recon.|B1-BackToIntel]]

"He -- oh, I'll pull up a picture."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-10B2]]

Ah, the old campus. Remember standing out here, that one cold night? Must've been... //two hours.// Ban popcorn! Ban popcorn! Damn freshman.\n\n[[Yeah. I gotta focus, though.|Hunt1-10A2]]

Don't feel too bad. It's probably not for your benefit.\n\n[[How do you know?|B1-KitchenBedroom3]]

Where the hell does she run? It's such a crappy neighborhood.\n\n[[Time to check the office.|B1-KitchenBedroomOffice]]

Back at the rehearsal dinner.\n\nThey can't help but collectively stare all the way from the entrance to the head table.\n\n//Is he gonna explain? He have a story to tell? What's going on with her? Are we still on for tomorrow?//\n\nWhat are you gonna say?\n\n[[I...|A1-BackToRD2]]

"I always imagined for myself a wedding on the beach."\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Closet")>>\s\n[[Is that right?|AX-23AB]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[That's one of us, then.|AX-23A4]]\n<<endif>>

"I love the sight of coral reefs under shallow, glass blue."\n\n[[That too.|AX-23A3]]

"It's all bound to happen, one speed or another. Though I did mean to bring this up at some point."\n\n[[Yes?|AX-23A6]]

"What? Me, getting married?"\n\n[[Respecting its sanctity -- while you're making me run around, under the gun?|AX-23A5]]

"It's not important. There was something, though -- a point I'd like to make."\n\n[[Okay, go for it.|AX-23A6]]

"The marriage... this relationship between yourself and Casey, it's largely the product of blackmail, isn't it?"\n\n[[True love or not, yes.|AX-23A7]]

"I trust you to know what it looks like when it happens, both counts. Good-bye, Marvin."\n\n[[Yeah, look forward to the next //chat//.|AX-23A10]]

"If you're set to marry her, you have her body, but you need her heart."\n\n[[What's that look like? Would you tell me if you were satisfied?|AX-23A9]]

"Left a little sister behind, not to mention my mother."\n\n[[You regret it.|B2-Family4]]

"Alright fine. I don't know. My fucking dad left us when I was five. I left as soon as I could."\n\n[[...|B2-Family3]]

"What the hell do you think?" He says, straining against the bonds.\n\n[[How about repentance, then?|B2-FamilyRepent]]\n[[How about yourself, then?|B2-FamilyYourself]]

Best as he can, he leans forward and up.\n\n"Maybe because I like it."\n\n[[...|B2-KillB3]]

"I'm sorry I'm doing this now, I'm sorry to everyone in there..."\n\n[[Goddamn it, Casey...|A1-End1A6]]

"I hear you saying these things in front of all these people, and you sound like you believe it. But I can't trust you."\n\n[[Yes, you can.|A1-End1A5]]

She gives you one last hug, and kisses you on the cheek.\n\n[[...|A1-End1A8]]

"I guess I've been lying this whole time. And stringing you along, no less. For that I'll always be sorry."\n\n[[...|A1-End1A7]]\n[[This is all happening very fast.|A1-End1B]]

She smiles. "And besides... If we can't be together, no one should have you, right?"\n\n[[That's kind of romantic.|B2-Bad7]]

"I don't know what's going on with you. You're one way, and then you're another way."\n\n[[...|A1-End1A4]]

"Just give me a minute, Marvin, please."\n\nShe's speaking loudly to compete with the waves, just passing the threshold of discomfort.\n\n[[What happened?|A1-End1A3]]

You okay?\n\nHey -- Now what?\n\n[[Time to talk with Jessica.|A1-End1A10]]

She turns to go, slips her heels off to walk along the water's edge.\n\n[[...|A1-End1A9]]\n[[Wait!|A1-End1B]]

"..."\n\n[[What about something that seems impossible, like... killing?|B2-30A4]]

"I repent! Sure, sure. I repent."\n\n[[For real, though.|B2-FamilyRepent2]]

And the joke’s on Jessica, the serial killer who underestimated her victim’s ability to commit one hell of a break-up.\n\n[[Hey -- I’m lucky to be alive.|Credits]]

"Hey."\n\nShe sits. Table... feels smaller. She's close. Touching noses. //Get away...//\n\n[[Hey, Jessica.|SD-11]]

"Ready?"\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[Yes.|SD-12]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Yes.|SD-12B]]\n<<endif>>

"Look at you. Completely at ease, not worried at all somebody might recognize you. Looking for any way out, no matter how cataclysmic. Why else would you have been so reckless with this time bomb?"\n\nShe places the phone on the table.\n\n[[...|SD-1]]

"You're gonna be okay?"\n\n[[Better. Now that you're here.|SD-14]]

She actually smiled...\n\n[[...|SD-1]]

Look at yourself. All cleaned up. Like nothing happened.\n\nOnly... it's been two nights away. How are you gonna explain this to Casey?\n\n<<if visited ("B1-SavingRobertRock")>>\s\n[[You know I'll find a way.|B1-GoodNight2B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[If she leaves... I can't really blame her.|B1-GoodNight2A]]\n<<endif>>

"And do //goddamn anything// to them? Just pack them up in a trunk and proceed to..."\n\n[[...|B2-BreakUp5]]

As the knife draws closer, he shakes his head like a dog with a bone, even through the jolts this sends through his body, flinging the triangles every which way, so you hold him still. Scoop his eyes out. The left you botched a little, sliced into it like a hard-boiled egg filled with a light jelly.\n\n[[Now to end it.|B1-SlashHeart]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-EarlyRun2]]

"We'll keep this dialogue open, yes? Why don't you follow me home. I'll pour you a drink."\n\n[[Okay.|B2-1]]

"I don't think you deserve to die. Regardless -- I don't want to kill you."\n\n[[That's a... nice thing to say.|SD-2AA23B7A3]]

"Anyway, where were we?"\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[Myself, and your imagination...|SD-2AA]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Um... you were talking about how you imagined me.|SD-2AA]]\n<<endif>>

Well... //You// could be the difference.\n\n//Just a few red specks by his face. See?//\n\n[[He's an asshole. You saw.|B2-Chris23]]

Sure, and possibly violent. Do you have enough though, to sentence him to death? Because remember... you were the one who turned her attention to him.\n\n[[She was gonna get to him eventually.|B2-Chris24]]

He goes for a direct strike and she swings down, lies him out flat in an instant.\n\nI'm not even really sure what happened, but I think it might've been funny.\n\n"You like that?"\n\nThat was addressed to you.\n\n"Why don't you grab some disinfectant wipes and clean up the blood where his teeth hit the tile."\n\nShe circles the immobile Christopher and exits the store.\n\n[[...|B2-Chris21]]

Hm. Alright, these should work.\n\nMan, this Christopher's really out. Is he breathing?\n\n[[I don't care. He's dead here or there, what's the difference?|B2-Chris22]]\n[[I hope so...|B2-Chris22X]]

Back at the car, Jessica dumps Christopher in the trunk.\n\nGives a pat little sigh.\n\n[[How are you feeling about it?|Chris27A]]\n[[Shall we go?|B2-Chris27B]]

"Take your time."\n\nTo the bathroom.\n\n[[...|B1-RondoA]]

"Don't worry, kid. This'll take me a while."\n\nWiping the thick, dark blood in an endless circle. This is barely working. Wipe after wipe. Jesus.\n\nIn the periphery, Jessica is straddling Christopher, working very fast but not rushed, his arms tangled behind him, shoulders stretched back...\n\n[[...|B2-Chris26]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-Din2]]

"I'm gonna kill your fiancee."\n\nShe goes.\n\n[[...|B1-1]]

"Crazy Marvin -- //you clazy, Marvin-sama//."\n\n[[I know it...|A2-NoBreakUp]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-Rescue]]

Jessica stands. "Well, this //has// been eye-opening. Casey, I’ll call you for a private consultation. Unless... things go south from here. But even if they do, Marvin -- I’ll keep in touch."\n\nFuck -- that was a wink.\n\nAnd she goes.\n\n[[Casey, let’s both drop her. What kind of artist would really just flop sides like that? No integrity, whatsoever!|B1-ConFailure2A]]

Bleary morning, stepping outside, in a rush. //Stop,// glance at the cars to the right, competing for space in the tiny driveway...\n\nWhere are you going?\n\n[[I need to be prepared for this date. I can't just sit around here.|Casey-2]]

Well, you don't own a gun. Not that it'd do you any good in a crowded restaurant. But if you run into trouble, I mean, hey -- //just having roofies on hand...?// As a last resort, that would calm you. Your anxiety is theatre, Marvin.\n\n[[Alright, fine.|Casey-4A]]\n[[No, I'll be fine without any help.|Casey-4B]]

Okay. As far as I see it, preparation boils down to... intel and weapons.\n\n[[Say what?|Casey-3]]

Well, she's out of town for the weekend...\n\n[[Oh, no fucking way...|Casey-8]]

Yeah, "insane" is to a tittle, my darling. But you gotta know if she'll be offended by the wrong thing, and if so, is she gonna open your throat at Toscana, red sauce for your goddamn ravioli?\n\n[[How do you propose I //gather intel?//|Casey-7]]

"There are things I really want to say right now, Casey..."\n\n"Do not, Candice."\n\n"No, go ahead."\n\n[[...|A2-PissOffParents4]]

You're dead no matter what! What's the difference?\n\n[[There's no guarantee on that.|Casey-9A]]\n[[That's true, but shitty.|Casey-9B]]

"Is that what you want, Casey?"\n\n"..."\n\nShe doesn't say anything -- doesn't have to.\n\n[[A2-LaterCandice]]

Candice shakes her head, just utterly frustrated, voiceless.\n\n"Honey, I think we'd better... go."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A2-PissOffParents5]]

"Anyway. We might as well go inside. You ready?"\n\n[[Yeah, totally.|B2-Chris6]]

Back to Jessica. Straigten up -- your posture.\n\n[[Sorry about that.|B2-27A2]]

...\n\n[[...|Date]]

"I'm sorry, Marvin. I have to go..."\n\n[[Casey...|A1-End1A9]]

"You bend and contort yourself to suit whatever need, whichever situation. I don't know who you are."\n\n[[I am someone who's very much in love with you.|A1-EndC5]]

"I can't trust you. I can't believe a single word you say."\n\n[[What?|A1-EndC4]]

"Just give me a minute, Marvin, please."\n\nShe's speaking loudly to compete with the waves, just passing the threshold of discomfort.\n\n[[What happened?|A1-EndC3]]

She shrugs. "It means what it means. I don't know. I'll be back for you."\n\n[[Over this? You're gonna kill me over this?|SD-CWaiterBad4B3]]

"Uh-huh. So you knew this whole time... That explains a lot."\n\n[[Figured I was dead anyway. So... What's the plan?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6B]]

"I'll give you some time alone."\n\n[[We appreciate it.|SD-5]]

"There's a lot at stake, isn't there?"\n\n[[Yes.|SD-EarlyDrugs3]]

"..."\n\n[[Mind if I ask you something?|SD-2A3]]

"You sound so sure."\n\n[[I swear... that's the truth.|SD-2D4CX2]]

"Alright."\n\nSo what’s the call?\n\n[[I’ll break into her damn house first.|BR-Start]]\n[[I’ll head to the old school first. Get some drugs.|Hunt1]]\n[[Neither -- I’m going back inside.|Casey-Inside]]

As the knife draws closer, he shakes his head like a dog with a bone, so you hold him still. You can feel the ravines up and down, and you dig in. Scoop his eyes out. The left you botched a little, sliced into it like a hard-boiled egg filled with a light jelly.\n\n[[Now to stab him in non-fatal areas.|B1-SlashGougeStab]]\n[[Jesus -- fuck this.|B1-Heart]]

"There's a big haul coming tomorrow. Pedophile by the name of "Robert." You've seen it before, and I've let you in this far. If you really want to talk, let's reconvene tomorrow at 4."\n\n[[Let's do it.|B2-29X]]

"I'm glad I met you, Marvin."\n\n[[Me too.|B2-28A13]]

"Excellent idea, Marvin."\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A2-Disagree5]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A2-EndDinner]]

"Casey, we love you and we want everything to work out..."\n\n"But have you ever considered... time management?"\n\n"What?"\n\n[[...|A2-Disagree3]]

"..."\n\n"As in... waiting. The best things in life--"\n\n"Oh my God, no -- do not say what you're about to say."\n\n[[Maybe we... change the subject.|A2-Disagree4]]

"So this wedding... is more of an obligation?"\n\n"I just can't win with you..."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A7]]

"I was finishing a long-term project."\n\n[[//Of course//...|SD-2D4CX5]]

"A murder victim. My latest."\n\n[[Fuck.|SD-2D4B9]]

"But if it isn't... it's possible you did something else, right?"\n\n[[...|SD-2D4CX3]]

"Stumbled back like a drunk, looking for me. Do you know what I was doing at the time?"\n\n[[Jessica...|SD-2D4CX4]]

"It's mostly in my head these days. But nothing a chemist-turned-poisoner couldn't choke out with a vice applied."\n\n[[I'm gonna need that, right?|B1-Gun2A3]]\n[[You're dead.|B1-Gun2B]]

So classical. Kinda old fashioned, don't you think?\n\nAppointment with a Dr. Elweiss on Thursday.\n\n<<if visited("B1-3B")>>\s\n[[She should probably show up for that.|B1-Kitchen4]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Hope everything's alright.|B1-Kitchen4]]\n<<endif>>

The harpies. Would they notice if she didn't show up?\n\n[[Notes by the phone.|B1-Kitchen3]]

Oh, you know what? So she works 9-6, and you go 9-6. But she's never there when you wake up. She's always out. Early in the morning wouldn't be a bad time for this...\n\n[[I'll check the bedroom.|B1-KitchenBedroom]]\n[[I'll check the office.|B1-KitchenOffice]]

"I swear to God, if you're blowing smoke..."\n\n[[You'll what?|SD-2D4C6]]

"Trying to see how it was for you. The kinds of stories you have to spin..."\n\n[[You want to know if I'm being real right now.|SD-2D4C5]]

"I don't know. Usually the tone is threat enough for fear o' God."\n\n[[It's plenty. I'm the genuine article. Are you?|SD-2D4C8]]

The waitress flits in, sets each plate down.\n\n"Enjoy."\n\n[[Thanks...|SD-2D4C7]]

"You're telling me there's nothing more?"\n\n[[I mean, I'm pretty impressive, but... I may have to fabricate a few things to keep you entertained.|B1-Mall4A4A2]]

"Nothing else?"\n\n[[Looking for something specific?|SD-2D4C4]]

"After our date, Friday night. What happened?"\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[I went home.|SD-2D4C3]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I... went home...|SD-2D4CX]]\n<<endif>>

"You're still stressed out. Since last night."\n\n[[Oh... Yeah, I guess so.|CaseyX3A3]]

I don't... think that's such a good idea.\n\n//Shit// -- I mean, hold on a minute.\n\nYou're gonna blow everything up right now? //You want to get Casey involved in this serial killer drama?//\n\n[[She deserves the truth.|CaseyX3A2]]\n[[No...|CaseyX3A2]]

"How am I supposed to believe you? Ours is a foundation of lying. For all I know, you're not even Asian."\n\n[[I'm not that good.|SD-2D4C10]]

"What else would I be?"\n\n[[It isn't easy. Telling stories. I'm not good at it.|SD-2D4C9]]

What are you doing?\n\n[[The guns in the living room.|B1-GetGun2]]

Morning light coming in through the blinds. No Casey.\n\n[[I feel bad.|B2-33A]]\n[[Whatever.|B2-33A]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-Airport2]]

...\n\n<<if visited ("A1-21A")>>\s\n[[So we talked about that. And we've been at it ever since. Obviously, new things have come up, but... part of it is still that dream.|A1-RD32B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So we talked about that. And we've been at it ever since. Obviously, new things have come up, but... part of it is still that dream.|A1-RD32BX]]\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[Casey, we’re both dreamers. And I want that to be a part of us -- I want it to complicate our lives because when we sort it out... we’ll be unstoppable.|A1-RD32A]]\n[[Um... Casey, I love you.|A1-RD30B]]

"Fuck. Jesus, you really know how to get it out of me."\n\nUp she goes, back to the kitchen.\n\nShe takes lives to save them?\n\n[[I'm not about to question it.|B2-25A]]\n[[I know.|B2-25B]]

"I did everything I could, at nineteen, to sabotage that investigation. Second-guessed myself every step, thought -- this is it. I can never become that person again. And that's when I realized it, those three kids strapped down on their backs, about waist-high... That person? There was never any change. It was a matter of truth, of coming clean about myself."\n\n[[...|B2-22andahalf]]

"Because that 'anything,' was in you from the start. It is decided, one way or the other, whether your potential goes fulfilled or not. Before I came to guns and knives and the protection of people, I felt in my heart that life was precious."\n\n[[...|B2-24]]

"How do you just let that go? Against what's natural, these tragedies fade to memory... it's where we allow them to go. But we aren't meant to process these terrible things. We're meant to prevent them. If we let them become invisible, and we go numb to them... I suppose that's one school of thought on prevention. But I prefer mine."\n\n[[...|B2-21]]

"So in retrospect, it might seem fortuitous, that my private anger was answered -- I was given my own turn, when those closest to me were also killed. There was nothing people could do or say..."\n\n[[...|B2-22]]

...\n\n[[...|Hunt1-0]]

A long drive, and home again.\n\nThe top floor is dark, but the living room window is lit. She's there, waiting.\n\nYou got a story, storyteller?\n\n[[I should really apologize.|B2-29A]]\n[[What the hell do I care?|B2-29A]]

"You don't like it?"\n\n[[I'm not one for art.|B2-30B2]]\n[[Sure I do.|B2-30C1]]

"Yeah, I'm probably being too sensitive."\n\n[[Let's go to bed.|B2-33X]]

"This took a lot out of me, Marvin."\n\n[[Let's separate the art from the artist.|B2-30B3]]\n[[I don't know... Forget it.|B2-30BA1]]

"Aww, that's nice. Nothing is more romantic than the ocean."\n\n[[Shimmering moonlight on the water?|AX-23A2]]

"I love you."\n\n[[I love you too.|B1-RunWin5]]

"They certainly will. ... I love you."\n\n[[I love you too.|B1-RunWin5]]

"There was something else."\n\n[[Just one thing?|AX-23A6]]

"Casey's just being overdramatic."\n\n"..."\n\n"My Mother is unsatisfied with the track I'm on -- career-wise."\n\n[[I see.|B2-40]]

"We certainly missed you last night," Candice Duncan says.\n\n"Mm." John is already eating.\n\n"Had he been here, the conversation may not have been one-sided." Casey's started already -- confused in the direction of her anger.\n\n[[And what was the topic? If you're interested in round two?|B2-39]]

What's the best you can do?\n\nBe the perfect man. Which would be based entirely on Casey's tastes and desires.\n\nYou saw her back there. She needs someone to be engaged with in what she does. Someone -- God, does that sound obvious in retrospect.\n\n[[Okay. I'll be him.|A1-23X2]]

Where to, man?\n\n[[From the beginning.|Start]]\n[[Saturday morning.|Restart2]]\n<<if visited ("Date0")>>\s\n[[Just before the second date.|SD-Start]]\n<<endif>>

Then be as fair as you can. But don't forget about keeping //yourself// alive here.\n\n//Ding!// Jessica returns with a coil of rope.\n\nShe tosses it on the floor, and grabs Christopher's ankles, sliding him backward.\n\nStreaking blood in a messy trail.\n\n[[Fuck!|B2-Chris25]]

Okay.\n\n[[MARVIN: She goes running in forest off Glendale mornings M-T, 7AM to 8AM|B1-TextJess2A2]]

"I know you will."\n\n[[We should go somewhere. Before the wedding.|B1-CFOAB2]]

"Mead, I feel, through all the controversy, popularized the unpopular idea... that violence isn't some biological imperative."\n\n[[Hmm...|B2-30A6]]

"I see. They //are// invited to the wedding, right?"\n\n"Of course."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A12]]

She closes her eyes, sits down.\n\n"I don't know why I do this to myself."\n\n[[Why don't I call you?|SD-2AA4BA12]]

More sculptures under blankets and wrapped in plastic. And baby sculptures in boxes. Not //of// babies...\n\n[[If she was going for the wow factor, why didn’t she indicate just how //much// of it there was?|A1-Court9]]

"No," the eyes snap open. "Follow me home. We can talk there."\n\n[[Okay.|B2-1]]

You know what, it just occurred -- there might be some clues in the basement. Evidently, that’s where she keeps all her art stuff.\n\n[[Gosh, and how much has accrued in the short time we’ve been here.|A1-Court6]]\n[[Let's go.|A1-Court6]]

Let's see what else, then.\n\n[[Okay.|A1-Court5]]

There you go — there must be //something// in all that rubble.\n\n[[I'll find it.|A1-Court8]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-Court7]]

I guess you could read her diary, if she has one.\n\nOh, it's on her computer.\n\n[[That would be an invasion of privacy.|A1-Court4]]\n[[Alright.|A1-Journal]]

"The place... I'm going. It's always been a dream in both senses. Fantasy escape, and something unimaginable even to an artist's mind. It's been a part of my life for so long... There's no possible way it could match up."\n\n[[Hm. I'll have to enjoy it for you, then.|B1-Con30]]

"I know you think you're a bad person..."\n\n[[I told a girl I loved her... when I didn't.|A2-Secret2]]

"Take all the time you need, Marvin. But remember. You're never too far."\n\n[[...|B1-Run3X]]

Gather yourself. Her parents are probably asleep. Don't want to wake them.\n\n[[Shouldn't I get them out too?|B1-Run4]]\n[[No, I wouldn't.|B1-Run5]]

Jessica is staring, hard -- at you.\n\nThe waiter recoils. "It was... he just... //bad joke//, sorry. I thought he'd... go along with it. I got five minutes before my shift is done -- I am //shot//. Why don't I take your orders real quick?"\n\n[[...|SD-CaughtWaiterBad2]]

"What? Marvin? What are you doing? Turn the light on... Oh, God -- you're so pale."\n\n<<if visited ("B1-Slow2")>>\s\n[[We have to go. Right now.|B1-Run7B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[We have to go. Right now.|B1-Run7A]]\n<<endif>>

They'll be headed back east. If Jessica wants to give chase, she's //really// committed.\n\n[[Okay.|B1-Run5]]

She's in bed.\n\n[[//Casey, Casey, get up!//|B1-Run6]]

She's following now.\n\n"Watch your step out here."\n\n[[...|B1-SavingRobert9]]

"Yes, goddamn it. You don't have to get all operatic."\n\n[[...|B2-KCA9A10]]

"What? Again, I reiterate, it's..."\n\n[[This is what you've been doing with all your time?|AY-4A]]\n[[No, it's great.|AY-4B]]

"You really think so?"\n\n[[My wife the artist. Unbelievable.|AY-3A2]]

When she comes back, she's gonna ask you to tag along, and when you say 'no, thank you,' that's when your head gets light. You shouldn't have been drinking anything...\n\n[[I was distracted.|SD-B1Mon3]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-AD]]

You can convince Jessica to go with you?\n\n[[Of course.|A2-BackHome3A3]]

I wish I had your confidence, in all things. But then... that would make a hell of a thing out of you.\n\n[[Sure.|Credits]]

"Perhaps. I don't know, Marvin. It's just that..."\n\nShe's on the verge of something, coming upon it. Stopping...\n\n[[...|A1-Inv15]]

"It's more than that."\n\nShe shakes her head, frustrated -- not finding the words.\n\n[[...|A1-Inv15]]

You got any better theories? //Oh of course!// Casey's been looking for some negligent asshole who fucking leaves her to cook and clean while he goes out and //has sex//. Is that who you want to be?\n\n[[Jesus. Alright, then. So what do you suggest I do?|A1-Court15]]

House is empty. What's the call?\n\n[[I'm going to Jessica's.|B1-Morning3A]]\n[[She's a goner.|B1-Morning3B]]

Indeed.\n\n[[So what do you suggest?|A1-Court15]]

"I hear myself. This doesn't make a lot of sense..."\n\n[[No, I... think I understand.|A2-Pier11]]

"This is the site of my last family vacation. In this city."\n\n[[Hey. Why don't we try the beach?|A2-Pier12A]]\n[[What happened here, Jessica?|A2-Pier12B]]

And she goes. Back to her car.\n\n//Christ.//\n\n[[...|B2-KCA9BX2]]

"Of course, as with anyone, I was screening you, for //scalpel candidacy.// But I was secretly, //violently//... hoping you were normal."\n\n[[So what's the verdict?|B2_10]]

...\n\n[[...|TextJess2A3]]

"For the first time in... I can't remember how long. To be honest, I came into it with two motives."\n\n[[Oh?|B2_9]]

You're missing her parents tonight.\n\n[[Shit...|B2_6A]]\n[[Jesus -- they'll be around all week probably! Funny too, I'd rather have a date with a serial killer...|B2_6B]]

Let's keep calling it 'incident.' So what about Casey?\n\n[[What about her?|B2_5]]

...\n\n[[...|B2_7X]]

"Don't you worry -- I'll be back for you, Marvin."\n\n[[You gotta be kidding!|SD-2AA4BAB3]]

"What?"\n\n[[You're gonna kill me over this?|SD-2AA4BAB4]]

"It just keeps coming. Yes, Marvin. I'm gonna kill you over this. But now I'm beginning to think that won't be enough."\n\n[[What?|SD-2AA4BAB5]]

"You'll have to excuse me."\n\n[[...|SD-B1Monologue]]

She walks away.\n\nTory Caplan.\n\n[[Let's talk to this motherfucker.|Hunt1-13]]

Over at the dining table, the parents are loudly getting to their seats.\n\nYou're still cutting up some of the vegetables. Casey, strangely, is doing laundry.\n\nThis is nice though, right?\n\n[[Yeah.|A2-Din3]]\n[[Hell no.|A2-Din3]]\n[[Nicer than being dead?|A2-Din3]]

It's one path. The most probable, not so long ago. But things change, huh? //Things change//.\n\nNo matter how you think it feels right now, you'd better savor the flavor. You never know.\n\nSmells good.\n\n[[Thanks.|A2-Din4]]

"Casey's just being overdramatic."\n\n"..."\n\n"My mother is unsatisfied with the track I'm on -- career-wise."\n\n[[I see.|A2-Din7]]

"..."\n\n"Don't get us wrong though, Marvin. We got over the first hurdle. Casey's an artist -- that's something to be praised, and developed. But at this juncture, isn't she stalling out?"\n\n"It's none of your concern."\n\n[[...|A2-Din8]]

Sitting now -- at the head of the table. Pretty unusual. We're always eating in front of the TV. //If// we eat together... and when we are at the table, we’re across from each other.\n\nAt current it’s Casey on one side, against the wall, and her parents opposite.\n\n[[...|A2-Din5]]

"We certainly missed you last night," Candice Duncan says.\n\n"Mm." John is already eating.\n\n"Had he been here, the conversation may not have been one-sided." Casey's started already -- confused in the direction of her anger.\n\n[[And what was the topic? If you're interested in round two?|A2-Din6]]

"Of course it's our concern, Casey. You're getting married -- things will have to change."\n\n"..."\n\n"Oh God..."\n\n[[Look, only Casey knows how to achieve her happiness.|A2-Agree]]\n[[Our marriage is the key to happiness.|A2-Disagree]]

"Why are you asking me this?"\n\nNow what?\n\n[[I can do this.|B1-Reluc3A2]]\n[[Time to run.|B1-Run1A]]

"Something's about to happen -- big haul, tomorrow. Pedophile by the name of 'Robert.' You've seen it before, and I've let you in this far. If you really want to talk, let's reconvene tomorrow at 4."\n\n[[I'd like that.|B2-28X]]

"It's another funny alignment I met you."\n\n[[Hm.|B2-26A5]]

So that's it. You've done it.\n\n[[I had to... Goddamn it, I had to...|B1-RondoA2]]

"I meant what I said earlier, about having someone to talk to. I’ve been seeing this Dr. Therapist Lady for... two years now. But I haven’t told her the first thing. The non-incriminating stuff, I mean. So I just... wake to the room, on the couch, and I'm weaving these intricate fictions to the ceiling, these parables to whatever flavor of anxiety that week. It's a roundabout to vague answers."\n\n[[So drop her. And talk to me.|B2-26A4]]

Yes, but less stupid.\n\n"Here."\n\nShe hands you the glass, and resumes her seat.\n\n[[Thank you.|B2-26A3]]

You'll have to get it from her. Somehow.\n\n[[And if she is //angling//, after all?|A-29]]

Then there’s no difference. She kills you here or she kills you halfway to Mexico.\n\n[[Goddamn it. So I’m gonna have to see her again, then.|A-30]]

I don't know...\n\n[[Anyone following?|A-25]]

Look back -- no. Lovely darkness.\n\nShe wouldn’t just chase you down.\n\n[[//Wha-what?// What is this? Certainty? How can you say anything with that kinda tone? Holy motherfucker she’s gonna come for me and saw me in half and sew over my eyes and chop me into pieces--|A-26X]]

Easy, easy -- sit still, you excitable mush. Wait a minute now.\n\nNothing's in stone just yet -- like you say, we know nothing for sure. Even if that ignorance is potentially fatal. We need to get things straight.\n\nMaybe she's angling to kill you in a ritualistic way, and maybe she was on a date.\n\nFind out for sure.\n\n[[Instead of just driving into the night, never to be heard from again?|A-27]]

Can’t up and run on a hunch, even a good one. Too much at stake.\n\n[[I know. So what, then? How do we do this?|A-28]]

...\n\n[[Fuck me...|A-21]]

Steady now, easy. Keep it under forty.\n\n[[What... the fuck was that? //What the fuck was that?//|A-22]]

I don’t need to tell you.\n\n[[She killed that guy. She’s a killer.|A-23]]

And by the looks of it, this wasn’t her first. Just, I mean...\n\n[[There's no way she didn't see me in the window.|A-24]]

You hit the ground with a gunshot in your ear -- as the high-pitched wail drills in your ear, the pistol clatters to the ground against a far wall.\n\n//She must have hit it out of your hand...//\n\n[[//FUCK!//|B1-Rescue5B6]]

"Not bad for a first time. How did it feel?"\n\n[[Fucking great. I'm gonna get washed up.|B1-FuckingGreat]]

"Wherever I feel like I belong."\n\nShe exhales.\n\n"I try to make everywhere I go seem familiar, but... there's only so much you can change about the world around you."\n\n[[That... I definitely understand.|Casey-Casey]]

She shakes her head, slowly, and almost thoughtlessly.\n\n"I'd like to go home."\n\n[[And where is that?|CaseyEnd5]]\n[[I see.|Casey-Casey]]

"You're full of shit."\n\n[[Excuse me?|SD-CaughtWaitressB3]]

"There was no trouble in getting U.S. citizenship at birth, but... That's where I'm from. This place I've never visited."\n\n[[That's where you want to go?|CaseyEnd4]]

"I wasn't born in the United States, I was actually born in the Netherlands -- the parents were visiting some relatives."\n\n[[...|CaseyEnd3]]

She has to //truly// love you, and I think she wants it. By the time it's done, you show her a future together is impossible and break her heart. Because as she witnesses herself, she's a maniac.\n\n<<if visited ("B2-TheParentLie")>>\s\n[[Okay. So kinda like the child of divorce thing.|B2-26A2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Okay.|B2-26A2X]]\n<<endif>>

You can’t go back to that house alone. It has to be a date.\n\n[[This is a fucking disaster.|A-31]]

"How?"\n\n[[Killing out of spite? Your family was murdered, weren't they?|B1-RescueX3A2]]

"Innocent how? You're innocent. Cheating isn't a crime. "\n\n<<if visited ("B1-Family")>>\s\n[[This would ruin you.|B1-Rescue5AA2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Please... Why can't you just kill me instead?|B1-RescueAA5]]\n<<endif>>

"But why..."\n\nShe drifts, deep in thought. Bad thoughts -- do something.\n\n[[Jessica, look at me.|SD-Caught12C4]]\n[[Because I //am// afraid of you, okay?|SD-CaughtWaitressB5]]

"Please just let me by."\n\n[[...|B1-RunScareCasey2]]

"You're trying to kiss my ass."\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaitressB7]]

"And of course that bumper sticker would appeal to me, because..."\n\n[[Jessica...|SD-2AWaitressB8]]

"You're cheating on the woman you're supposed to get married to!"\n\n[[Right. That is no less true now than before.|SD-2AWaitressB5]]

"So the question stands. Why would you bring that up?"\n\n[[Maybe I'm trying to see things in a new way.|SD-2AWaitressB6]]

"Why would you say that?"\n\n[[Because it's important.|SD-2AWaitressB3]]

"Oh my God -- stop it, stop it. You're full of shit."\n\n[[What?|SD-2AWaitressB4]]

"That must've been hard."\n\n[[I think it's strengthened the fortitude of my character.|B2-14A6]]

Casey looks up at you, but it isn't anger -- she's not even wasting time on confusion. Somehow this all clicks together, and produces a very simple sadness.\n\n[[I mean... come on. If we got married... This was bound to happen eventually.|A2-32A12]]

"You fucking know, don't you?"\n\n[[I know nothing. Clearly.|SD-2AWaitressB9]]

"I kill people."\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaitressB10]]

"Then make it up to me."\n\n[[Anything.|SD-2AWaitressB12B5]]

"Come over tonight -- scratch that. Follow me home. We'll talk."\n\n[[I'll do that.|B2-1]]

"Okay."\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaitressB12B3]]

"I need to regain my composure."\n\n[[I'm sorry it came to this.|SD-2AWaitressB12B4]]

Jessica's eyes narrow.\n\n"Very good. I will be back with that." He leaves.\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaiter6X]]

Trotting along at her heels now.\n\nAh, the sights. Remember Larson's big run out along this road? The ol' naked mile. Guy was a fucking idiot -- he's probably dead now. Or in middle-management.\n\n[[Yeah. But I gotta focus.|Hunt1-11A2]]

"Thank you, somebody. Alison, I can't help you. Alright?"\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11C2]]

Ah. Sweet air. <<if visited ("BR-BreakinEnd2")>>Sorry if I freaked you out back there, I just... yeah.<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>So we're all ready then. You got your intel, you got your drugs.<<else>>You're in one piece. Whole, you might even venture. What do you think? Ready for the date, or do you want to score some drugs? Mr. Invincible?<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[Let's do this.|Date0]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Yeah, I'll cruise over to the old campus.|Hunt1]]\n[[I just want to get this date over with.|Date0]]\n<<endif>>

"Hmm. Maybe you didn't go home right away. Maybe you went back to the house for some reason, and saw something you weren't supposed to see."\n\n[[Jessica...|SD-2A5C5B3B4]]

"Because the point I was gonna make was about storytelling. You go home to Casey, what do you tell her? Probably the lies like you're telling me now."\n\n[[I'm not lying.|SD-2A5C5B3B3]]

"And now //I'm// saying things too fast. But now you know."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[So what happens now?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So what happens now?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6B]]\n<<endif>>

"That night, I finished somebody off. Killed a person."\n\n[[Oh God...|SD-2A5C5B3B5]]

"Come with me, back home."\n\n[[You're going home?|A1-Din12]]

Wrong in what universe? Marvin... this transformation was inevitable, from unresponsive zombie to engaged and interested partner. In a relationship, each person affects the other. Your only sin is hastening the process.\n\n[[Goddamn it.|A1-Din11]]

"I don't know what I was thinking. Come on -- let's go."\n\n[[Hey -- why don't we see where the rest of the evening goes. Maybe you... see enough of me and think, 'Hey. This guy's an alright guy. Not the killing kind.'|A2-Pier12B7]]

"You aren't. That's why I'm doing you the mercy of escorting you back to my car, and not making things ugly. Now, please."\n\n[[Damn...|Credits]]

"I'm a killer, and I shouldn't be telling you this."\n\n[[It's okay.|A2-Pier12B5]]

"No, it's not... I have to kill you now."\n\n[[You're kidding.|A2-Pier12B6]]

"And I got my revenge."\n\nShe begins to drift.\n\n"But I didn't stop."\n\n[[...|A2-Pier12B3]]

"I've killed... more than one hundred people. All around the country. A few in Canada. A few in Japan."\n\n[[What?|A2-Pier12B4]]

"I'm not gonna kill you, Marvin."\n\n[[Really?|SD-JR5]]

"I'm gonna kill your fiancee."\n\n[[...|B1-1]]

"We'll see how long that tone maintains..."\n\nFuck.\n\n[[Shit.|Credits]]

"It occurred to me... What's one instance of suffering, be it a week, or a month... compared to a lifetime?"\n\n[[...|SD-JR4]]

Okay... Easy. There she is, sleeping. <<if visited("B1-3B")>>God, she hogs the whole freaking bed.<<endif>>\n\nLook. What's this? Gym clothes on the floor next to her. Sneakers so bright they find light to glint off in the pitch black.\n\n[[I can't believe I never noticed. She runs every morning?|B1-KitchenBedroom2]]

"Oh, God."\n\nShe shakes her head.\n\n"What am I doing?"\n\n[[Come back with me. We'll figure this out. One night at a time, if we have to.|A1-EndB6]]

"You're off?"\n\nShe stands with her hacksaw in hand. Goggles on.\n\n[[I'm gonna need more time... away, I think. I need to figure this out.|B1-Run2]]

"..."\n\n[[It's... I've been selfish. I haven't been considering where you're coming from. This is why this is such a surprise, when maybe it shouldn't be.|A1-End3B3]]

"..."\n\n[[I want to be there for you, and I want to see you become that person. I love you, Casey.|A1-End3B4]]

So what's the plan?\n\n[[We run.|B1-Run3X]]

"I wondered, because... Now you know what everyone's always talking about. //Casey runs away//. And old story."\n\n[[It's just that... you haven't had a clear destination in a while. Nowhere to run //to//. That's all.|A1-AD3]]

"I never did..."\n\n<<if visited ("A1-21A")>>\s\n[[Are you okay?|A1-AD4B]]\n[[What do you say we set a date for the wedding tomorrow?|AZ-2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Are you okay?|A1-AD4A]]\n[[What do you say we set a date for the wedding tomorrow?|AX-2]]\n<<endif>>

She sinks back down to sit on the ottoman. Watches the floor.\n\n[[Jessica...|B2-BreakUp6]]

Jessica, and her black apron and gloves and mask and scalpel... returns.\n\n"Okay, Marvin. How do I proceed?"\n\n[[...|B2-Kill4]]

"I'll be here."\n\nTo the bathroom.\n\n[[...|B1-RondoA]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-31]]

She stands.\n\n"Hey. You be careful now."\n\n[[You failed the test, Jessica.|B2-BreakUp4B2]]

The kitchen.\n\nOn the table, your cell phone. And a note.\n\n[[What's this?|B2-32A2]]

Do you think this will ever stop?\n\n[[Once Jessica is dealt with, yes.|B2-31A2]]

"Okay. I'll talk to you later."\n\n[[...|A2-CallEnd]]

Then act fast. Look, somebody in our imploding little triangle is getting killed. Jessica is not outside that equation.\n\nIf you can learn her kill method, disposal, all that. Catch her off guard.\n\n[[You really think I'm capable of that?|B1-7A]]\n[[A'ight.|B1-7B]]

"Down in the basement."\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Ottomans")>>\s\n[[You go on ahead. I need a minute.|B2-GetGun]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|B2-32A8]]\n<<endif>>

"I don't know..."\n\n[[...|SD-2D4A10B3B2]]

She’s produced a hacksaw... out of where, I don’t know. And now she’s into his arm with it, back and forth back and forth, //plop.// Next arm...\n\nTime to go, asshole, //let’s go.// Are you for real?\n\n[[I’m going.|A-16]]\n[[Not yet.|A-StayedAtWindow]]

"I don't know if you remember... I don't even know if I told you, because it isn't important..."\n\n[[What?|CaseyEnd2]]

"You are!"\n\n[[Anyway... As you were saying?|SD-EarlyDrugs2B2]]

<big><center>SECOND DATE</center></big>\n\nShe stands in the doorway, a silhouette against the white light from inside. But you can make it out -- her eyes glow. She’s smiling.\n\nI don’t know why you worry. Shit, really. You did great. You’re charming when you need to be. Just the matter of need, I guess. And speaking of...\n\n[[Can I come in?|A-1A]]\n[[Good night, Jessica.|A-1B]]\n\n\n<small>This game was created with <html><a href=http://twinery.org/>Twine</a></html> and is powered by <html><a href=http://tiddlywiki.com/>TiddlyWiki</a></html>\n[[Credits|Credits2]]</small>

...\n\n<<if visited ("A2-IgnoreCasey")>>\s\n[[...|A2-ReturnA]]\n<<else>>\n[[...|A2-ReturnB]]\n<<endif>>

"Isn't that nice."\n\n[[Please, Jessica.|B1-Rescue5A2]]

"I'll be seeing you, Marvin. But you won't see me."\n\nWith a wink, she's gone.\n\n[[...|A1-1]]

"Then redeem yourself. I... should go"\n\nShe stands.\n\n[[...|SD-2D4A10B7]]

"//Because I want to be sure this is//... Because you owe it to her. You're not a bad person, are you?"\n\n[[Of course not.|SD-2D4A10B6]]

"I'll make sure of it."\n\n[[What? Why?|SD-2D4A10B5]]

"We can have a nice lunch together. And afterward, you go home. And be there for your wife."\n\n[[How can I do that now?|SD-2D4A10B4]]

She's doing everything she can to break it off.\n\nShe's not here to kill you. Never was.\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\n[[So what happens now?|SD-2D4A10B3B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So what happens now?|SD-2D4A10B3]]\n<<endif>>

"..."\n\n"Well, we're only gonna come to conclusions after he's dead, right? Is that how this works?"\n\n[[I...|B2-KillingChris3]]

"So what does that make //this?// Why were we here?"\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[Additional... being afraid. Of commitment, of... actually having a future.|SD-2AA20B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Additional... being afraid. Of commitment, of... actually having a future.|SD-2AA20]]\n<<endif>>

"So it's looking more likely that you're in love with her. Despite this lunch as expression of that."\n\n[[I do.|SD-2AA19]]

Don't blink again, you might end up on Jupiter.\n\n[[I'll have just as much to breathe.|A1-RD4]]

Hawaii.\n\n[[...|A1-RD3]]

The function room is spacious and open to the air.\n\nSee that? Your father is doing well. He's never enjoyed intermingling, but his slightly rotund and huffy shape passes in and out of the crowd with ease and even delight.\n\n[[That's good.|A1-RD6]]

Breeze off the water is nice on your skin, carries with it the fragrance of beach and distant bonfires. And that mix of grilled beef and fruit -- don't know why it's so wonderful.\n\nYou look great. So do the two families, and all these other people you invited, arranged around their circle tables, themselves arranged in a bigger circle.\n\nTomorrow you get married.\n\n[[Yep.|A1-RD5]]

Jessica.\n\nSitting in the farthest corner. Upon your inspection, her lips curl to a grin around the edge of a champagne glass.\n\nHer beautiful dress... the colors are muted enough to blend in.\n\n[[Jesus, I can't believe she's here.|A1-RD8]]

Let's see who else... ah yes, our resident wedding crasher.\n\n[[No...|A1-RD7]]

Let's hope so.\n\n[[...|A1-RD10]]

Casey on the other hand, is radiant tonight.\n\nYour hand in hers, she's gripping tightly.\n\nI don't know what it is...\n\n[[Could be she's finally happy.|A1-RD9]]

The waitress flits in, sets each plate down.\n\n"Enjoy."\n\n[[Thank you.|SD-2AA14]]

She'd cut you loose before involving you.\n\nShe isn't here to kill you.\n\n[[//Which means//...|SD-2AA13]]

"Better be. This place is //your// recommendation."\n\n[[I know...|SD-2AA15andahalf]]

"..."\n\n[[I can't stand it when I'm being //served// by some young woman.|SD-2AA15B]]\n[[Eggplant. Looks good.|SD-2AA15]]

"Let me ask you... Was I the only one?"\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[You were. Thought that was obvious.|SD-2AA18]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[You... were...|SD-2AA23B]]\n<<endif>>

"Let's hear it."\n\n[[I have to stop this.|SD-2AA17]]

"Hah. Me? I’ve been just fine. But for this one little thing. A thing by the name of //Casey?//"\n\n[[I see you’ve... found the cell phone I left behind.|A-49]]

"How sweet. Who’s Casey?"\n\n[[I see you’ve... found the cell phone I left behind.|A-49]]

"I'm gonna need you."\n\n[[...|B2-Save11]]

"Killing can be done alone. This new thing... you call it //education//. I'll need help."\n\n[[You're talking about... you and me?|B2-Save12]]

She stands.\n\n"Follow me home. We can talk there."\n\n[[And be open.|B2-1]]

"It's okay. Though you don't have to be so careful..."\n\n[[...|SD-2A5C5B2]]

"Interesting."\n\n[[I'll gouge out his eyes.|B1-Gouge]]\n[[I'll stab him in non-fatal areas.|B1-Stabbing]]\n[[I'll slash up his face.|B1-Slash]]\n[[I'll just slowly stab into his heart.|B1-Heart]]

"Okay. I'll talk to you later."\n\n[[...|B1-15A]]

"Hm. I mean, if we're talking spice, you'll be disappointed."\n\n[[...|B2-13_1]]

"I'm not so sure. But... that means a lot, Marvin. I mean, nobody has ever //considered me// in any way. I traded on that to do what I need to do... But it is nice to finally talk to someone -- speaking truthfully after so many years, it's liberating."\n\n[[So what makes you tick? Beyond the whole killing thing.|B2-12]]

This gets me to thinking though... I mean, we're sentencing this guy to death. Do we really have enough to make that call?\n\n//Just a few red specks on the floor...//\n\n[[Jessica's making the call.|B2-Chris22Y]]\n[[Not yet.|B2-Chris22X3]]

"Is that her?"\n\n[[Yeah, it's not important.|B2-17A]]\n[[Yeah, I should probably take this.|B2-17B]]

"There's that. But I just... I guess I need to know if what I've been doing was truly about... //guarding.// Keeping people safe. If... I have the capacity for protection."\n\n//BZZZT// -- Casey.\n\n[[Shit.|B2-16]]

She sits patiently, your mad psychic waves not quite reaching her, strangling...\n\nDon't do this.\n\n[[Last night, I... saw someone.|Casey-Affair2]]\n[[Never mind, Casey -- sorry, it was nothing.|Casey-Casey2]]

"I remember when I was twelve years old. And a friend of our family's died. Killed, actually, the victim of a drunk driving accident."\n\n[[...|B2-20X]]

"I am. If it's not in me, it's not in me."\n\n[[Like killing.|B2-19]]

Back downstairs.\n\n"Hey."\n\nShe's got her little goggles on. Hacksaw in hand. Wait till she's really in it.\n\n[[So you hack the body up into pieces. Then what?|B1-Gun2A]]\n[[Time to die, Jessica.|B1-Gun2B]]

"Oh my God. //Oh my God.// I can't -- I..."\n\nA parade of ideas all stopping short and crashing, tumbling over one another. Even in the darkness, I can see she's getting red.\n\n[[...|B2-CaseyUpset]]

"I've done it all."\n\n[[...|B2-BreakUp7]]

"..."\n\n[[...|AX-15]]

"Huh. Alright then, come here."\n\n[[...|B1-16]]

"No, no, no -- oh God, please! I told you everything you wanted to know! There is nothing else! //I have nothing else!// ..." his eyes shut suddenly, lids driving into each other. He breathes. "I have nothing to bargain with."\n\n"Jesus, you're a talker--"\n\n//She raises her scalpel...//\n\n<<if visited ("B2-Wake22")>>\s\n[[Wait!|B2-KilledChris]]\n[[...|B2-KilledChris]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Wait!|B2-KillingChris5]]\n[[...|B2-KilledChris]]\n<<endif>>

"Now, I know you didn't mean that!"\n\n[[Goddamn it...|Casey-Affair34]]

"She's pretty. I can see why you want to marry her. I wonder though... what made you cheat in the very end? And is it an offense enough for the death penalty?"\n\n[[It's just that I chose you instead.|Casey-Affair32B2]]\n[[Fuck you.|Casey-Affair32C]]

Jessica frowns, turns to the shoreline.\n\n[[Um... never mind.|A2-Ignore0]]\n[[Excuse me...|A2-Answer]]

It's like you're addicted to something, and it's ruining your life -- but there's no drug, no particular behavior. You wouldn't need anything -- it's just you, and your animal need to //fuck everything up//.\n\nLeave Danielle.\n\nQuit the firm.\n\nPropose to Casey.\n\nCheat on Casey.\n\nGo on a //second date// -- with a //serial killer// -- when you should've just run away!\n\n[[...|SD-B1Mon4A4]]

"But you were hoping I'd never say it."\n\n[[I was...|SD-2A4B42B3]]

"Did I spoil your lunch?"\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[So... what's gonna happen to me?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So... what's gonna happen to me?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6B]]\n<<endif>>

"No, it'll keep you out of suspicion. You'll be the first they look at and, frankly, you //are// responsible. So we have to get your story straight."\n\n[[Sounds good.|B1-AB3]]\n[[//Fuck.//|B1-19AB2]]

Back on her street. Almost done.\n\n[[...|B2-KC2]]

Yes, she is.\n\n[[Oh shit...|B1-3BC1]]\n[[Whatever.|B1-3BB1]]

"Thank you, I guess. I don't know -- thank you."\n\n[[...|Hunt-11BA]]

"What are they gonna do?"\n\n[[More pressing -- what are //you// gonna do?|SD-CWaiterBad3B5]]

...\n\n<<if visited ("A1-AgreeWithCasey")>>\s\n[[Casey, I love you.|A1-EndC]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Casey, I love you.|A1-EndA]]\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[But we can't fly without first touching the ground. A foundation -- and I want to be that foundation. I want to be there from now to when we're ready.|A1-RD33A]]

Back on the road.\n\nYou feeling okay?\n\n[[What was she talking about?|A1-2]]

She's got a project.\n\n[[...|A1-10]]

"I don't know you, and it's kind of weird you're talking to me, but... maybe it's kind of perfect. You're a really good person."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-B10]]

"He's um... Tory Caplan. He's up in the Stuvell Towers. Ask around, you'll find him."\n\n[[Thank you.|Hunt1-B9]]

Like a mathematician, you make bubbling incisions in key places. Puncture arms, legs, shoulder. With each, he writhes violently. Jessica has him locked down good, but he's in animal mode.\n\n[[Now I'll gouge out his eyes.|B1-StabGouge]]\n[[Now I'll slash up his face.|B1-StabSlash]]\n[[No, it's time to end it.|B1-Heart]]

"This is an unfamiliar feeling."\n\n[[I didn't think you'd be able to do it.|B2-BreakUp4A2]]\n[[That's all you have to say? Jessica, I think you're a psycho.|B2-BreakUp4B]]

"Oh my God, I can't do this anymore. I'm going." She stands.\n\n[[And what's gonna happen to me?|SD-CWaiterBad3B3]]

"Yeah, I get it. I feel //so// bad for not being there. I could've been there. And to drive it home, if I //had// been there, I wouldn't be tied to a table, about to donate some organs."\n\n[[What do you think, Jessica?|B2-KillingChris]]

And killing <<if visited ("B1-Morning2")>>her?<<else>>Jessica?<<endif>>\n\n[[Yes. I just hope to God I'm in time...|B1-Morning3A2]]

If you went after her, you'd probably be dead too.\n\n[[Yeah.|Credits]]\n[[No -- fuck this. I'm going after her.|B1-Morning3A]]

"Marriage isn’t the one event, though that is its most boisterous moment."\n\n[[I guess we’ll see.|Casey-14A3]]\n[[I’m going out. I’ll see you later.|CaseyFastEnd]]

"Marriage isn’t the one event, though that is its most boisterous moment."\n\n[[I guess we’ll see.|Casey-14X]]\n[[I’m going out. I’ll see you later.|CaseyFastEnd]]

<<if visited ("SD-Waiter2AWaiterBad")>>Jessica doesn't break the stare. "Fine. <<else>>"<<endif>>I'll have the eggplant parmesan. Glass of water."\n\n"And you, sir?"\n\n<<if visited ("SD-Waiter2AWaiterBad")>>\s\n[[I'll also have the eggplant parm.|SD-2AEggplant]]\n[[I'll go with the Cachaca Grilled Chicken.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Carbonara.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Fettucine Alfredo.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Lasagna.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Linguine with Oil Garlic and Parmesan.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Ravioli.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Stuffed Manicotti.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Tortelloni.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'll also have the eggplant parm.|SD-2A5CEggplantX]]\n[[I'll go with the Cachaca Grilled Chicken.|SD-2A5CSpicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Carbonara.|SD-2A5CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Fettucine Alfredo.|SD-2A5CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Lasagna.|SD-2A5CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Linguine with Oil Garlic and Parmesan.|SD-2A5CSpicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Ravioli.|SD-2A5CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.|SD-2A5CSpicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti.|SD-2A5CSpicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Stuffed Manicotti.|SD-2A5CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Tortelloni.|SD-2A5CWaiter5X]]\n<<endif>>

Okay.\n\n[[MARVIN: She goes hiking in forest off Glendale, probably in mornings|B1-TextJess2A2]]

Harder than you thought. Push the knife in and it seems to sink under your weight. Robert's eyes are wide, twitching. The writhing is done, and soon, he's frozen.\n\n[[...|B1-Quick2]]

I think she'll be happy to see you.\n\n[[Me too.|Credits]]

"Now, why would you say something like //that//?"\n\n[[Because it's important!|SD-CaughtWaitressB2]]

"It's because she's pretty, right?"\n\n[[I actually didn't notice.|SD-CaughtWaitressA2]]

Jessica's door closes softly behind you.\n\n[[I did it.|Credits]]

Perfect time for Jessica to pick her up. You know the time and address. And those pictures looked pretty barren -- no witnesses.\n\nWhat's the call?\n\n[[I'll text Jessica.|B1-TextJess2A]]\n[[I can't do this.|B1-TextJess2B]]

"Well?"\n\n[[I might need to know this stuff, right?|B1-KillingJessica4]]

"No, I think he had it right." She leans forward. "You know something, don't you?"\n\n[[No, never.|SD-CWrongAnswer2]]

You hit the ground with a gunshot in your ear -- as the high-pitched wail drills in your ear, the pistol clatters to the ground against a far wall.\n\n//She must have hit it out of your hand...//\n\n[[//FUCK!//|A2-Gun2A8]]

"Wow. I didn't see that coming. You sure you aren't in shock?"\n\n[[Maybe that's what love is. And maybe I understand now that... I've never known it.|A2-SBUB14]]

"No. The bad people. Rapists, domestic abusers, and fellow murderers."\n\n[[A vigilante.|A2-SBUB11]]

"There are any number of labels... That one, whether good or bad depends on how you see it. So the question... How do you see it?"\n\n[[I... am not ready for this.|A2-SBUB12A]]\n[[I think it sounds pretty cool.|A2-SBUB12B]]

You're gonna have to keep this up forever.\n\n[[Whatever it takes.|A2-SBUB17]]

Oh my God -- you are so dead.\n\n[[No I'm not.|Credits]]

"Let's celebrate. I'm gonna get us some drinks."\n\nShe claps her knees and gets up, glides into the kitchen.\n\n[[...|A2-SBUB15]]

You sure about this?\n\n[[I never really thought about it. But she's hardcore -- that's kinda hot.|A2-BackHome3A]]\n[[Just keeping her mollified.|A2-SBUB16]]

"Let's not dwell on that. Let's say instead... if you'd like to know more, I'll expect you back here tomorrow night."\n\nShe stands.\n\n"Don't answer now. I want you to think about it."\n\n[[Okay.|A2-BackHome]]

"You feel like you have to be careful with your words... You'd be correct. But what was discussed here will never leave this room. You have to believe me."\n\n[[You could kill me if you had to?|A2-SBUB12A4]]

"I'm not a monster. And... I might be in love. I can wait. I've been waiting a long time."\n\nShe blinks.\n\n"I gotta ask now -- how does that make you feel?"\n\n[[Courting the affections of a serial killer? Well...|A2-SBUB12A3]]

She grins, believing she's finally got it out of you. "I have thought about what it might become. But if this is some kind of intervention on my laziness, I’ll have none of it."\n\n[[I just wanted to see the process at work.|A1-Din8]]

"You’re so good about keeping a cool head. No matter how lavish and bestudded this thing keeps getting, our... //destination wedding.// It’ll be worse, you know. When we set the actual date."\n\n[[Yeah.|A-40]]

She smiles, even as her eyes close and she begins to drift.\n\n"Look at you. Don’t stress out. Makes me feel guilty."\n\n[[How’s that?|A-39]]

Her eyes are distant, and always soft, but they pierce now as she turns over to get a better look.\n\n"You’re up?"\n\n[[Hey, Casey. No, no. Go back to bed.|A-38]]

Into bed, now. Don’t disturb--\n\n"Marvin?"\n\n[[...|A-37]]

Open the bedroom door in a stutter, glide it smooth over that creak.\n\nThere she is, her back to you. Heavily sleeping.\n\n//Casey.//\n\n[[...|A-36]]

In the kitchen, fumbling around -- silent.\n\nYou got it, there. The briefest outline in filtered moonlight -- a pile of folded clothes.\n\nGet changed by the sink, go to bed.\n\n[[...|A-35]]

Turn the key slowly, open the door carefully.\n\n[[...|A-34]]

Home.\n\n[[...|A-33]]

Even still. I hate to sound callous, but... you had this coming.\n\n[[...|A-32]]

Jessica narrows her eyes.\n\n"Very good," the guy says, and leaves.\n\n[[...|SD-Caught4]]

You hear, from behind you, in the distance...\n\n"There's the door."\n\n//Go.//\n\n[[Good-bye, Jessica.|B2-FullEnd]]

//Hit//--\n\n[[AGH!|B1-JessicaKilling]]

"Why?"\n\n<<if visited ("Fem")>>\s\n[[That whole master/servant relationship, once gendered... unsettling to a new degree.|SD-CaughtWaitressA]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[That whole master/servant relationship, once gendered... unsettling to a new degree.|SD-CaughtWaitressB]]\n<<endif>>\s\n[[Never mind.|SD-Caught11]]

"At least say good-bye to her."\n\n[[Not a problem.|A2-32A11]]

//AGH// -- everything's red. Look at that! //A knife is poking through oh my God the throat can't breathe Casey splattered can't breathe hands fly up//\n\n[[//KLRRKK//|Credits]]

She blinks, cocks her head.\n\n[[It's how it happens. A wife nags.|A2-32A13]]

"Okay."\n\n[[...|B1-RunWin3]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-KillB3]]

At least she's not bearing down on your with a scalpel.\n\n[[I can be mad about this.|A1-15B]]

Glasses clink in the distance.\n\nThe paradox -- help her see herself for the monster she is. So you can break up with her peacefully.\n\n[[I don't think she's a monster.|B2-25A5]]\n[[Sounds like a plan.|B2-25B2]]

She's still deluding herself in some respect. And we can talk monster once //you're// strapped down, waist-high.\n\n[[So how do I convince her?|B2-25B2]]

Either way, it's something you can exploit.\n\n[[//Wha--// how?|B2-25A3]]

"Another drink?"\n\n[[Oh -- yeah, thanks.|B2-25A4]]

The label... such tiny print...\n\n"You know you could always go to the corner store and pick up some sleepy-time shit."\n\n[[I need to be sure this'll work.|Hunt-13A14]]

"Because we're stronger. And I don't like that. No matter what, it all comes back to the principles of ancient nature. And it's not like lopsided dimorphism is singly gendered in the whole of the animal kingdom. Just is for us. But bonking a girl over the head with a club, that's not our game. This is the 21st century."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-13A11]]

"I mean you still could, I suppose, but what's that look like? You grab her, put her in your trunk, take her up to bed? Sure. Kicking and screaming don't amount to much when it's the spring season, but that's not a pretty sight. And not all men have the stomach for it. //This makes you a gentleman.// Least of which you give that caveman act a more romantic gloss."\n\n[[...|Drugs]]

"It's hard. I //was// trying to get back into the dating scene, you know. Be normal. But... I couldn't talk to you without analyzing each word, sussing out some wrong move on your part for a go-ahead."\n\n[[Jesus.|B1-RobertA10CA2]]

Well, that was either hardcore conviction, or hardcore defense.\n\n[[I doubt she's ever said any of that aloud. Probably only to people who are now all brutally dead.|B2-25A2]]

You can exploit that paradox. Help her see herself for the monster she is. So you can break up with her peacefully.\n\n"Another drink?"\n\n[[Oh -- yeah, thanks.|B2-25B2]]

"You weren't exactly there under the truest pretenses."\n\n[[So what about him? Tell me more.|B1-RobertA10C3]]

She raises her scalpel -- it draws impossibly close.\n\n[[Damn it.|Credits]]

"Good-bye, Marvin."\n\nShe raises her scalpel -- it draws impossibly close.\n\n[[...|Credits]]

It's kind of a shotgun wedding. It's a rope and scalpel wedding.\n\n[[That it is.|A1-RD]]

"So you, what? Want me to kill someone... regular?"\n\n[[If you can. Theory being -- you won't be able to. Just, I mean... don't look at //me// for your 'someone regular.'|B2-34A4]]

So.\n\n[[What?|A1-HomeEnd3]]

Are you ready to get fucking married?\n\n[[Yes.|A1-RD]]\n[[No.|A1-HomeEnd4]]

\n\n\n\n<center><small>Written and Designed by</small>\n[[Harrison Chute|Credits2_2]]</center>\n\n<center><small>[[Back|Start]]</small></center>

"Maybe that would work..."\n\n[[Do you have anyone in mind who's like that? A petty criminal -- someone right on the edge of being worse?|B2-34A5]]

She goes, leaving her purse on the chair.\n\n[[...|SD-B1Monologue2]]

"Oh, I got all kinds. Let's hit it."\n\n[[Oh shit? Good deal!|B2-Christopher]]\n[[Oh... shit. You know, I should probably call it a night.|B2-34A6]]

Jessica shrugs, and unties Casey, who slumps and sprawls onto the concrete floor like a discarded doll.\n\nJessica kicks her in the stomach.\n\nShe rolls over, gasping. But it isn't the pain... //"Marvin,"// she moans...\n\n[[//Go!//|B2-32C4]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-32]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-FullEnd2]]

Alright, alright what?\n\n[[I'll keep them apart.|B2_7]]

If that's true, then Casey's as good as dead.\n\n[[Whatever.|B2_7]]

"Yeah, I think so. You will see me again."\n\n[[What does that mean?|SD-CWaiterBad4B2]]

"//I hope//... I can't make plans right now -- there's too much going on up here. The old noggin."\n\n[[I'll see you soon, then...|A2-1]]

Sorry. Just lashing out.\n\nI shouldn't let that be our last exchange.\n\n[[I'm not dead yet.|SD-B1Mon4B2]]

Beter get used to it. //If// you survive this.\n\n[[The fuck is that supposed to mean?|SD-B1Mon4A2]]

Are you okay?\n\n[[Didn't I kill that man?|B2-Rondo6]]

It’s a gut thing -- please, can we go?\n\n[[Alright, yeah. Good call.|BR-BreakinLeave]]\n[[No way -- if I’m in it, I’m in it.|BreakinEnd3]]

Okay, here we... Oh God. Whoa -- lightheaded. //Swaying.//\n\nStay with me, man -- I’m getting all jumbly up here. Can you still see?\n\n[[Shit. This is bad.|BR-BreakinEnd5]]

Make for the door -- I think it’s... some kinda knockout gas. Come on, we can make it!\n\n[[//Trying...//|BR-BreakinEnd6]]

...\n\n[[...|BreakinEnd7]]

Can’t move.\n\nAffixed — tied down.\n\nTo the table.\n\n[[...|BR-BreakinEnd9]]

"Well, our rendezvous was sooner than expected, but no less romantic than it would’ve been, apparently."\n\n[[... Jessica?|BR-BreakinEnd10]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-BreakUp2]]

"What the hell is the matter with you?"\n\n[[Good-bye.|B2-28A]]

"You're off? Not gonna help me clean this up?"\n\n[[It's time to finish this.|B1-KillingCasey2]]

"..."\n\n"So your sister runs off, and now you too? What are we supposed to do?"\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A2-RunGood12]]

"Right."\n\n"Look at him, Casey -- he doesn't know what he's doing! He's gonna get you killed out there!"\n\n"Candice..."\n\n[[We're leaving.|A2-RunGood11]]

Casey is actually thinking about it.\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Why does it matter so much to you, what she does with //her// life? She's an adult!|A2-RunGood12A]]\n[[What do you think, Casey?|A2-RunGood12B]]

"It is?"\n\n[[Yeah. Well, it's just that I've been thinking... Does that go for all things?|B2-30A3Kandahalf]]

"Do you really believe that, or are you being vindictive?"\n\n[[It’s been proven.|BR-BreakinEnd12B5B2]]

"You know enough about her to make that conclusion? Did you know enough about me?"\n\n[[Fuck you.|BR-BreakinEnd12B5X]]\n[[Stay away from her. Please.|BR-BreakinEnd12B5A2]]

"Marvin, I don't want to... It's just that Casey's dreams have been costly..."\n\n"In the past, yeah. And there's no end in sight."\n\n"Christ almighty -- //I'm sitting right here!//"\n\n[[Look, Casey's happiness is my top priority, period.|A1-21A2]]

"I don't know if I can do this, Marvin."\n\n[[What do you mean?|A1-End3A4]]

"Just give me a minute, Marvin, please."\n\nShe's speaking loudly to compete with the waves, just passing the threshold of discomfort.\n\n[[What happened?|A1-End3A3]]

"Good-bye, Marvin."\n\n[[Shit.|Credits]]

She gives you one last hug, and kisses you on the cheek.\n\n[[...|A1-End3A8]]

"It's selfish, and it's awful... but I need to know if I can be what I've envisioned. And that will never happen here."\n\n[[...|A1-End3A7]]\n[[This is all happening very fast.|A1-End3B]]

"I think my parents were right. They've always been right. This is what I do."\n\n[[You're leaving?|A1-End3A5]]

...\n\n[[Casey? You still there?|A2-13A3]]

She turns to go, slips her heels off to walk along the water's edge.\n\n[[...|A1-End1A9]]\n[[Wait!|A1-End3B]]

"Sure. Want to go inside?"\n\n[[Yeah.|CaseyX2]]\n[[Uh, never mind.|CaseyCancel]]

"Sorry."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[Okay. So... what's gonna happen to me?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Okay. So... what's gonna happen to me?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6B]]\n<<endif>>

Anything else?\n\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[Well, I can't check the bedroom now. I'll just text Jess.|B1-TextJess2]]\n[[No, I'm gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<else>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[What's this "Lecture #06: Design Principles?"|B1-Lecture]]\n<<if visited ("B1-Bedroom3")>>\s\n[[No, I'm gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-Kitchen4")>>\s\n[[No, I'm gonna check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[No, I'm gonna check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[No, I'm gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<endif>>\n<<endif>>

Alright.\n\nShe moves in her sleep, shifting so slightly. Her back is to you.\n\n[[...|A1-NoHome5]]

"Hello?"\n\n[[Hey, Jessica. It’s Marvin.|A-47]]

"Oh -- Marvin from last night Marvin. How you been, kid?"\n\n[[Just thinking about that last night we had. Wanted to thank you for a great time.|A-48A]]\n[[Oh, awesomely. How about you?|A-48B]]

"Hey. What's wrong?"\n\nShe's prepping her hacksaw.\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Ottomans")>>\s\n[[Nothing. I'm just gonna get a glass of water.|B1-GetGun]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Time to die.|B1-RondoBA2]]\n<<endif>>

"Marvin..."\n\n//You plunge the blade into her--//\n\n[[//Fuck you!//|B1-RondoBA3]]

On the floor now. //What happened?// Blink -- feel your head. It's busted open, there's blood on your hand.\n\nFocusing on something dark. Two boots, spattered with blood. //How much... is yours now?// Roll over--\n\n[[Arms weak...|B1-JessicaKilling4B2]]

"That's exactly it. You're finally mine."\n\n[[To dispense with as you please.|A1-End1B12]]

Turning back to the hotel, and Jessica emerges from the darkness.\n\n"Why don't you fly back with me? Tonight?"\n\n[[How romantic.|A1-End1A11]]\n[[You're a serial killer.|A1-End1A12]]

"And I don't even have to catch you while wearing these heels."\n\n[[Chivalry isn't dead.|Credits]]

"You've known? That's pretty good, Marvin."\n\n[[Let's go.|A1-End1A13]]

"There must be an image of me in your head. I will do anything to keep it the way it is."\n\n[[Okay.|A2-SBUA11]]\n[[Have you ever told anyone?|A2-SBUA10]]

"I've never gotten this far, but I know how it turns out. Marvin, there are things about me that... you can never know. You finally did the right thing. I can't punish you for that."\n\n[[Come on...|A2-SBUA9]]\n[[You're sure.|A2-SBUA9]]

"I don't know what to make of that."\n\n[[You don't believe me.|SD-2A5C5]]\n[[I'm saying things too fast. I'm sorry.|SD-2A5C5B]]

That's a hell of a thing.\n\n[[I can't wait for her to return.|Credits]]

And she to you?\n\n[[Yes.|B2-Save13B5]]\n[[Doesn't matter.|B2-Save13B5]]

Predictably, waking to cold sunshine and an empty bed. If she’s out... it’s time to phone Jessica.\n\n[[Goddamn it.|A-43]]

"Oh, God. Marvin..."\n\n[[...|A2-SBUA4]]

"..."\n\n[[No wedding. No anything... that's it.|A2-SBUA3]]

"..."\n\n[[...|A2-SBUA6]]

"I'm so sorry. How are you holding up?"\n\n<<if visited ("A2-Answer")>>\s\n[[I did what I had to. What I wanted to, Jessica.|A2-SBUA5B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I did what I had to. What I wanted to, Jessica.|A2-SBUA5]]\n<<endif>>

"The question I can barely voice. 'Could I really be that person?' We..." she closes her eyes. "We can't keep seeing each other."\n\n[[What?|A2-SBUA8]]

But maybe you should check, to make sure Casey isn’t here.\n\n[[I’ll check the bathroom.|A-44A]]\n[[I don’t care. It’s a brazen kind of morning.|A-45]]

"You don't //really// know me."\n\n[[...|B2-Chris27A3]]

"But thank you."\n\n[[...|B2-Chris27B2]]

"Ah. I could take or leave a snake, Marvin. But... home always seemed like this starting line. Not a place to stay. And even nature agreed, in its own brutal manner of speaking."\n\n[[You okay?|Casey-14]]

On the floor now. //Hit her!// Wave the gun all around, just tag her, fire wildly -- //BLAM BLAM BLAM// -- but somehow she's gone.\n\nShe's above -- //it's the bottom of her boot.//\n\nComing down.\n\n[[Shit.|Credits]]

"It’s just like back home in Massachusetts, but... out here it’s sun 24/7. They don’t have to belly-up come winter."\n\n[[That bothers you?|Casey-14_2A4]]

"Afraid like I'm gonna physically hurt you."\n\n[[Couldn't be farther from the truth.|SD-Caught2]]

"Okay."\n\nWalking away, she shrinks and shrinks.\n\n<small>JESSICA: Meet me at my place tonight.</small>\n\nFuck.\n\n[[...|B1-Robert0]]

She hugs you. You close your eyes, but they're rocketed open again by the vibration in your pocket.\n\nHah. No, it's you phone.\n\nJessica. The boner killer.\n\n[[Oh, it's Jessica. I have to take this.|B1-MallX7]]

"I get it -- people come apart, and it's sad. But... You didn't know me back then. I was kind of a dork. Didn't have a lot of friends. It's that thing they say about beggars and choosers, and well, //I chose you.//"\n\n[[I remember.|B1-MallX6]]

"Oh my God. What are you trying to say? We're gonna end up just like that? It's different between us. For one, //we have sex.//"\n\n[[You're so ladylike.|B1-MallX5]]

"You //believe// in things."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA15CB2]]

"That's what I like about you, Marvin."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA15CA3]]

"I don't know. Just felt like saying it. I mean... do you disagree?"\n\n//BZZT// -- Jessica's texting.\n\n[[Shit. It's Jessica. I have to take this.|B1-MallX7]]

"Ha. I doubt that very much."\n\nShe hugs you. Your eyes close.\n\n[[...|B1-Mall4A4A3]]

"Everything will be okay."\n\n[[What?|B1-Mall4A4A4]]

"I'm so sorry, Marvin. And I always will be. I might be cursed -- to forever be searching for what makes me happy. So I do this, and I leave devastation in my wake. I see that now..."\n\n[[...|A1-EndA6]]

"But it's starting to dawn on me now."\n\n[[Please don't do this...|A1-EndA5]]

"I like what I do. That's all."\n\n[[How about your family?|B2-RepentYourselfFamily]]

"I have to find it."\n\nShe turns to go.\n\n[[...|A1-End1A9]]

"You're a really nice guy, Marvin. And I do love you..."\n\n[[Casey...|A1-EndA4]]

"Just give me a minute, Marvin, please."\n\nShe's speaking loudly to compete with the waves, just passing the threshold of discomfort.\n\n[[What happened?|A1-EndA3]]

...\n\n[[An artist in a lot of ways has to be precognitive, or have an aerial view, or a piercing lens -- earthly omnipotence, if you'll indulge me...|A1-RD34A]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-Rescue1]]

"I won't make you do anything. I might've killed you for walking away, but... I'll give this mercy thing a shot for now. I'm gonna do this, and be back. If you're here... I'll have my answer."\n\n[[Okay.|B2-Save13B2]]

"..."\n\n[[I've been waiting for you to prove to me you're the right choice! And this is what I get. If you really wanted me, you'd try.|B2-Wake18]]

What? Breaking up with Jessica?\n\n[[Yeah.|B2-FeelsWrong2]]\n[[No... I'll do it.|B2-BreakUp]]

"What are you looking for? In... //flowers?//"\n\n"The theme as it currently stands, as Marvin and I //have// agreed upon... it’s nautical, sort of beachy."\n\n[[...|B1-Con8]]

Well, shit. But... you still have to finish this.\n\n[[I know.|B2-BreakUp]]\n[[I can't now. It's... wrong.|B2-FeelsWrong2]]

...\n\n[[Thank--|A1-End1A]]

"Like a fetish? You know what, fuck this -- you fucking know, don't you?"\n\n[[I know nothing. That's not clear?|SD-Caught2B2]]

...\n\n[[Thank--|A1-End3A]]

...\n\n[[Thank you, everyone.|A1-End2A]]

...\n\n[[Thank you, everyone.|A1-End4A]]

She turns her back to you and gets in her car, leaves silently.\n\nDo you think she'll be okay?\n\n[[I don't give a shit.|B2-KCA9B5]]\n[[I hope so.|B2-KCA9BX]]

So that wasn't an act? That was the real thing?\n\n[[Yes, goddamn it.|B2-KCA9BX2]]

"It's a book by Margaret Mead, and one of the things she talks about, elsewhere as well, is this theory that violence isn't integral to human biology. There's no violence gene, it's all cultural and complex. If ever you're having a shitty day, just think about that."\n\n[[Hmm...|B2-30A6]]

"Oh. Okay. Um... Care to explain that?"\n\n[[Nope.|A2-CaseyFuckOff]]\n[[I will. Later. I'm sorry.|A2-13A2]]

"I don't know. I'll be back. Run away before I return, you'll have made my decision for me."\n\n[[...|SD-B1Monologue]]

"This is how you end it?"\n\n[[She came here of her own volition.|B2-32A10]]

"I'm a yeller?! //Jesus// -- where the fuck am I? //Who are you?//"\n\n[[I mean it, Casey. You're always on me about something.|B2-KCA9C2]]

"//Excuse me//... huh?"\n\n<<if visited ("Casey-Casey")>>\s\n[[You told me yourself. You've done nothing with your life. You're a goddamn loser!|B2-KCA9B2]]\n[[Maybe I'm tired of it, Casey. Tired of being yelled at every time I don't match your absurdly high expectations!|B2-KCA9C]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Maybe I'm tired of it, Casey. Tired of being yelled at every time I don't match your absurdly high expectations!|B2-KCA9C]]\n<<endif>>

"Oh?"\n\n[[This woman, she... //she's obsessed//. Strain to imagine, if you must. I've been trying to shake her without... you know. You having to find out.|B2-KCA9A2]]

As the knife draws closer, he shakes his head like a dog with a bone, so you hold him still. Scoop his eyes out. The left you botched a little, sliced into it like a hard-boiled egg filled with a light jelly.\n\n[[Now I'll stab in non-fatal areas.|B1-GougeStab]]\n[[Now I'll slash up his face.|B1-GougeSlash]]\n[[No -- it's time to end it.|B1-Heart]]

If you think you’ve got this...\n\n[[I do. I’m ready for the big date.|Date0]]\n[[On second thought, I’ll break into her house.|BR-Start]]\n[[Hm. Maybe I’ll head to the old school. Get those drugs.|Hunt1]]

Casey stands suddenly, and the scrape of her chair along the floor streaks to the far corners of the room.\n\nTo Jessica.\n\nAnd she even passes her on her way out, and soon she's a silhouette on the beach.\n\nHoly shit. What happened? //Go after her!//\n\n[[...|A1-Endy]]

Casey stands suddenly, and the scrape of her chair along the floor streaks to the far corners of the room.\n\nTo Jessica.\n\nAnd she even passes her on her way out, and soon she's a silhouette on the beach.\n\nHoly shit. What happened? //Go after her!//\n\n[[...|A1-Endy4]]

"Is it her?"\n\n[[Yeah. It's nothing.|A2-IgnoreCasey]]\n[[Yeah. I should take this.|A2-AnswerCasey]]

"You'll have to take my word for it."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA12]]

"My fucking dad left us when I was five. I left as soon as I could."\n\n[[...|B2-RepentYourselfFamily2]]

Knockng on the door...\n\nThis is all happening too fast.\n\n[[...|A2-32A6]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-EndA2]]

This is serious, Marvin. What if after your no-show tonight, she starts asking questions, to both you //and// herself? This road only goes one way. <<if visited ("CaseyX3A")>>Hard to believe you came //this close// to telling all...<<endif>>\n\n[[I don't care.|B2-6B2]]\n[[Alright, alright.|B2-6B3]]

"..."\n\n"You've only met them once!"\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A12]]

"There are things about me, Marvin. Things... that aren't so pretty."\n\n[[I find that hard to believe.|SD-2AA12]]\n[[Like what?|SD-2AA11B]]

"//Oh God//..."\n\n"What?"\n\n[[That's it?|B2-KillingChris6]]

So that's it.\n\n[[I don't know.|B1-3X1]]\n<<if visited ("B1-3BB1")>>\s\n[[That's it. You said it. Slick.|B1-3Y1]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-3AA3")>>\s\n[[There's gotta be something I can do.|B1-3Z1]]\n<<endif>>

"I fucking hope not..."\n\n"What else?"\n\n<<if visited ("B2-KillA")>>\s\n[[I... don't know.|B2-KillingChris7]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I... don't know.|B2-KilledChris]]\n<<endif>>

"I think it's good. You've emancipated, let's say, in spirit. No connections whatsoever, disappeared to the other side of the country."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Oh, she's still their little girl.|B1-Con11A17]]\n[[...|B1-Con11Y]]

"Look, man... Just forget about it."\n\n"..."\n\n[[What?|B2-KillingChris8]]

"Okay. I'll be right back."\n\n[[...|B2-KillB2]]

She leans over Christopher, whose eyes widen with such sudden intimacy.\n\n"Scream, and you die right now. My non-violent friend would like a word."\n\n[[...|B2-KillA2]]

"You wanted to be something they couldn't reconcile. What was that?"\n\n"I am actually an artist myself. Sculpting, illustrating, mostly."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A15]]

It’s a workout room. Some pretty heavy machinery.\n\nThis room is so cramped though. The rest of the basement is really spacious. I guess she installed things as she got them and never fixed it.\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[Could be. I’ll keep looking around.|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Could be.|BR-BreakinReview]]\n<<endif>>

She sighs, but she's still smiling.\n\n"Why don't we go back to bed?"\n\n[[Okay.|B1-WokeCasey9A]]

"Are you okay?"\n\n[[Yeah. Fuck her.|B1-AB3]]\n[[I'll just need some time.|B1-20ABC1]]

"See, you get it. This shit is serious."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11B2]]

... Okay. Where to next?\n\n[[The photo album.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n[[The ottomans?|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n[[That bookshelf.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n[[The crap on that kitchen counter.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n[[Maybe the cabinets.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n<<if visited ("BR-Tape")>>\s\n[[I’ll hear that goddamn tape again. The screamy chemist.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I’ll listen to that tape.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n<<endif>>\s\n[[How about the display case with the news article?|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n<<if visited ("BR-Dresser2")>>\s\n[[Um... I might check out the dresser one more time.|BR-DresserReturn2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I should check out the dresser.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n<<endif>>\s\n[[I’ll look in the bedroom closet.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n[[I’ll read what’s on the back of that woman’s photo.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n<<if visited ("BR-WorkoutRoom")>>\s\n[[I’ll check out the workout room again.|BR-BreakinEnd4]]\n<<endif>>

... It’s all fuzzy. Physical impressions fading in one-by-one, a splitting headache arriving first and loudest. Do you remember what happened?\n\n[[I’m in Jessica’s house. How long has it...|BR-BreakinEnd8]]

//BZZT// -- Jessica, calling.\n\nWow. There you go.\n\n[[Hello?|A2-JC]]

There it is. You see it?\n\nOkay -- 32 hours. That's right, she's off Monday. What's she do on Monday?\n\n[[Goes out with her friends.|B1-OfficeKitchen2]]

"Bullshit. You're just trying to kiss up."\n\n[[And if I told you I loved you?|Casey-Affair32B4]]

And what about Casey? She's not just gonna go away.\n\n[[Jessica and I will disappear.|A2-BackHome3A2]]\n[[Fuck her.|A2-FuckHer]]

"Point being?"\n\n[[You kill bad people. This... if you kill me... it won’t be some avenger’s work. It’ll just be murder.|BR-BreakinEnd12A2]]

"You went into my little closet? Damn it, Marvin. No boundaries."\n\n[[You used to be ‘Samantha.’ And you loved Peter just as I love Casey.|BR-BreakinEnd12B2]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-Pier2]]

So what's the call?\n\n[[I guess... I'm gonna slit her throat?|B1-KillingJessicaThroat]]

"Oh my God... Don't be crazy."\n\n[[I mean it. Reconnect to the artist you once were, and go from there.|B1-CFOAB5]]

"And then we run away for good. Don't tell anyone where we're headed... because we ourselves won't know."\n\n[[I want that, Casey. I really do.|B1-CFOAB6]]

She smiles, plants a little kiss.\n\nAnd goes.\n\nFrom behind, a low voice. "Come back to bed."\n\n[[Okay.|B1-WokeCasey9A]]

"It would've helped."\n\n[[We should go away. Soon. Before the wedding.|B1-CFOAB2]]

"Where?"\n\n<<if visited ("B1-Journal2")>>\s\n[[Home.|B1-CFOAB3]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-Journal9")>>\s\n[[Home.|B1-CFOAB3]]\n<<endif>>\s\n[[Where would you want to go? If you could go anywhere?|B1-CFOABC]]

"What?"\n\n[[The Duncan residence. You've gotta have your old files in storage there. Movies, statues, illustrations...|B1-CFOAB4]]

//"How I wish..."//\n\nAnd she floats off, not making a sound.\n\nWhat the hell was that?\n\n[[Doesn't matter right now.|A1-Din]]

"There are things about myself I wish I could tell you right now."\n\n[[If only the //circumstance// were different.|A1-Inv16]]

"Recently, I’ve been wondering if people //actually// have the capacity to change. See, I’m something of an artist myself. Whatever it is I create... what’s more important is the artistic sense. I need to be inspired. And I’ve fallen into a rut, but //you// -- are muse enough. I’m thankful to have met you. What little you say, however tiny and whiney it comes out... you speak to me. Like no other before."\n\n[[Really.|A1-Inv14A]]\n[[Believe me, I enjoyed our time together as well.|A1-Inv14B]]

The smile fades. "We can argue my morality, but for what it’s worth, //I’m// made uncomfortable by what I’m doing here. This game I’m playing is new. It’s a trial run -- if it works, I may do it again, should the circumstance repeat."\n\n[[What are you hoping to find with all this?|A1-Inv13]]

"Just a friendly reminder. From one terrible scheez to another."\n\n[[Shit. I admit, you're a criminal now, but...|A1-Inv12]]

"There is no taking this too far, Marvin. I wanted you to know, in person, that I meant what I said over the phone. It's been with me all night and all morning so far."\n\n[[You're really worried about how close we are.|A1-Inv11]]

"And now, what to do with you...?"\n\n[[I don't care...|Casey-AffairEnd2]]\n[[FUCK YOU!|Casey-AffairEnd1]]

<<if visited ("B2-KillB")>>She takes the gag out, and <<endif>>Christopher shifts. "What the fuck -- //You're gonna cut me open?"//\n\n"I don't know. Didn't you just hear me? Marvin -- what's the call?"\n\n[[Just talk, for now.|B2-Kill5A]]\n[[Slit his throat. Get it over with.|B2-Kill5B]]

Popular taste. Some DVDs -- same stuff.\n\nNothing here.\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[To the kitchen, then.|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[To the kitchen, then.|BR-Kitchen]]\n<<endif>>

"My name's Christopher. And I'm a dickhead who left woman and children at home. And I'm a hypocrite because my father did the same."\n\n[[Anything positive?|B2-FamilyYourself2]]

"Hey." She stops. "Is everything alright?"\n\n[[Everything's fine.|B1-Mall3A]]\n[[No.|B1-Mall3B]]

"..."\n\n[[Casey, I do love you... and... How far are you gonna keep running?|A1-EndB5]]

"..."\n\n[[I'm still figuring myself out. But I'm coming close to the end.|A1-End1B3]]

"Seeing the light." She nods, anger pumping coolly through her face. "That person back there, standing in front of everyone. That's you?"\n\n[[If it isn't, it's who I'm determined to be.|A1-End1B4]]

"I may still be the weird one between us, but you're making an effort. Go home, and do recon for real. Come back a better man, huh?"\n\n[[Roger.|B1-Intel]]

"You've gotta be kidding. She's your fiancee!"\n\n[[I guess I just don't keep tabs on people like a serial killer.|B1-20ABC4]]

"I mean, I'll... give you a second to think..."\n\n[[Jessica, I...|B1-20ABC3]]

"Hey, it's not a problem. What's up, chuck?"\n\n[[Jessica... You think I'm capable of these things, but... you didn't start out this way, did you?|B1-JessicaMonologue]]

"Well, what time is it? Oh -- Marvin!"\n\n<<if visited ("B1-CaseyFuckOff")>>\s\n[[Casey, I'm serious. This is serious.|B1-Run7X]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Casey, I'm serious. This is serious.|B1-Run7A2]]\n<<endif>>

Still business. And yet, nothing. What the hell? Maybe she left while you were dawdling in the car.\n\nThough hers is still in the driveway. Heavy sleeper?\n\n[[Okay, I guess I’ll... check if she’s even awake. Or home.|A-10]]

There you go. All business.\n\n...\n\n[[I’ll knock again.|A-9]]

Back on the road.\n\n[[...|B2-BEGIN]]

"//Why?// Suppose next is 'why do I steal from people,' if I can just get a job?"\n\n[[Sure.|B2-KillA10]]

"Yeah, I think she saw through that one."\n\n[[So why do it, if it's just a put-on?|B2-KillA9]]

"Like begging?"\n\n[[It's better than the tough-guy routine.|B2-KillA8]]

"This is a bad trip..."\n\n[[Look, her name's Jessica. She kills people. I need you to give her every reason not to kill you.|B2-KillA7]]

No phone?\n\n[[Shit.|A-4]]

Back in the car.\n\nIt’s late. What time is it?\n\n[[Give me a second.|A-3]]

But it //was// funny. That cute kind of awkward. Don’t beat yourself up -- this is why you were out tonight, showing this quiet girl a good time. Notice she’s pale. And rather tall. Probably an outcast in high school who became hot -- the showstopper envy of every reunion, but school’s out, and she’s yours.\n\n[[Motherfucker, I’ll get the damn phone back.|A-7]]

Tell you what you did, idiot. You left it in her care, remember? Because you thought it was funny, how she confiscated it. //"That’s it, I’m taking it,"// and extended her hand in pantomime of some vague schoolmarm.\n\n[[Damn it. This is bad.|A-5]]

Back at the house. Lights are off. Gone to bed so quick?\n\n[[I’ll give it a firm knock.|A-8]]

A calendar.\n\nJust names in red. This past week, it’s Richard for Monday. Marvin for Friday.\n\nAlso Robert for Friday. Who the hell’s Robert, and why are we sharing a day?\n\n[[She might’ve killed him before our date.|BR-BusyCounter2]]

"I guess I'll go and sit down now."\n\nJessica walks away.\n\nYou're gonna need the bathroom.\n\n[[Yeah.|B2-Rondo1]]

"We'll be fine..."\n\n[[...|Credits]]

Christopher's voice is higher than expected. "You done here, lady?"\n\n"Go ahead," she says, coolly. "Come on out, Marvin."\n\nShit--\n\n[[...|B2-Chris14]]

Must be Christopher, walking in with that mobile slouch. Mendoza's ear-to-ear has straightened. Everything is still.\n\n"What's the matter?" Jessica says... to Mendoza. Taunting him?\n\n"Nothing. It's nothing."\n\n[[...|B2-Chris13]]

"Hey, now... I'm not on trial here! Listen, I--"\n\n"--"\n\n[[Hm?|B2-Chris12]]

"Thank you! I wish she was here right now!"\n\n"But you, Mr. Mendoza -- you like to be right too, huh?"\n\n[[...|B2-Chris11]]

"You sure about that? Sounds like that's not the case."\n\n[[It is, I don't know...|SD-2A5C5B3B2]]

"He's not a physically violent man, but he hurts people. In a largely undetectable way, too. A predatory child therapist who uses..."\n\n[[Okay, alright. I don't want to hear the rest. I can do it.|B1-RobertA10A1]]\n[[Oh God, I can't do this. Don't make me do this.|B1-RobertA10B1]]\n[[But what's his real story?|B1-RobertA10C1]]

"Up yours, bimbo. Can we move along? I'd like to conduct a little business with my man here."\n\nA staring contest. Mendoza in the middle, bouncing his eyes back-and-forth between the two of them.\n\n"And what kind of business is that?" Jessica says, her voice lower than it had been. A shiver just shot through my make-believe spine.\n\n[[...|B2-Chris16]]

Approaching the counter. Mendoza's looking ready to shrink into non-existence.\n\n"What the hell is this?" Christopher -- now he's looking right at you.\n\n"Just looking around," Jessica says. "Chewing gum. What's your brand?"\n\n[[...|B2-Chris15]]

"But there's nothing I can do to mitigate that image?"\n\n[[Maybe one single quality.|B2-BreakUp9]]

"Were you really... trying to kill me, just now?"\n\n[[Yes.|B1-JessicaKilling4A]]\n[[No.|B1-JessicaKilling4B]]

There it is. You see it?\n\nOkay -- 32 hours. That's right, she's off Monday. What's she do on Monday?\n\n[[Goes out with her friends.|B1-Kitchen2]]

Christopher sweeps his light jacket back like a duster to subtly reveal the .38 in his belt. "So what's the plan then, lady?"\n\n"Well. Part of that's on you, though it will be hard. Disturb any of this store, I'll make it a part of your life forever."\n\n[[...|B2-Chris19]]

It's a road leading only one place.\n\n[[I'll do my best to keep them apart.|B2_7]]

Depending on our 'fine.' I'm sure she's perfectly content to go on with killing, but if this really matters to you... you'll make sure she doesn't.\n\n[[You're right.|B2-Save13AX]]\n[[I survived. And I got Casey out of harm's way. That was the plan.|B2-GoodNight]]

"I'm new to this. I introduced a measure of ambiguity I'd like to now undo. You love your fiancee, let's just say. How do I know?"\n\n[[How //can// you know?|AX-23A8]]

"You've gotta be kidding."\n\n[[It's not about him, but you. If you can kill someone real, someone who lives and has experiences... where does it end? Pretty soon it'll be petty crimes, and maybe no crime at all for you to put the hit out. One day... even people like me.|B1-RobertA10D2]]

"I don't know, Marvin..."\n\n[[Let the proper authorities take care of it. A prosecutor puts him away, she doesn't go home with post-traumatic stress. Please.|B1-RobertA10BA5]]

Anything else? Need to review anything?\n\n[[Hell no, I’ve been in here long enough.|BR-BreakinLeave]]\n[[The photo album.|BR-PhotoAlbum]]\n[[The ottomans?|BR-Ottomans]]\n[[That bookshelf.|BR-Shelves]]\n[[The crap on that kitchen counter.|BR-BusyCounter]]\n[[Maybe the cabinets.|BR-Cabinets]]\n<<if visited ("BR-Tape")>>\s\n[[I’ll hear that goddamn tape again. The screamy chemist.|BR-Tape]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I’ll listen to that tape.|BR-Tape]]\n<<endif>>\s\n[[How about the display case with the news article?|BR-Family]]\n<<if visited ("BR-Dresser2")>>\s\n[[Um... I might check out the dresser one more time.|BR-DresserReturn]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I should check out the dresser.|BR-Dresser2]]\n<<endif>>\s\n[[I’ll look in the bedroom closet.|BR-Closet]]\n[[I’ll read what’s on the back of that woman’s photo.|BR-Protege2]]\n<<if visited ("BR-WorkoutRoom")>>\s\n[[I’ll check out the workout room again.|BR-WorkoutRoom]]\n<<endif>>

Back home.\n\nYou did it.\n\n[[...|B2-FullEnd3]]

Back at Jessica's house. She opens the door and rushes you in. She's excited.\n\n[[...|B1-RobertA2]]

Casey stands at the sink, washing a head of lettuce.\n\nYou've been tasked with preparing the pasta.\n\n[[...|B2-FullEnd4]]

Subtle noise -- she scrapes the knife along the countertop in picking it up.\n\n[[...|B2-FullEnd5]]

Holds the head of lettuce down with some force, as if it could escape.\n\nAnd the knife tears into it, crunching down toward a smooth slice, and falls hard against the surface...\n\n[[...|B2-FullEnd6]]

Maybe too extreme. I don't know how you'll come back to her.\n\n[[I'll figure it out.|B2-KCA9BX2]]

A flick of the wrist, and the drink is back on her side just as she's rounding the corner.\n\nBreathe.\n\n[[...|SD-Spiked2]]

"Look at this //shit!//"\n\nShe kicks at an arm on the floor.\n\n"I did this! //You're fucking lying to me!//"\n\n[[I'm confused, alright? And you're saying it yourself -- you are not one to judge me for juggling two women!|B2-Wake17]]

"I'm probably gonna kill you."\n\n[[Really?|B2-Bad6]]

She gets out of bed, puts her clothes on. And a jacket...\n\n[[Where are you going?|B1-RunScareCasey]]

"Get away from me!"\n\n[[...|B1-Run7B5]]

"Look, I don't know what's going on, but you need some rest."\n\n[[//Casey!//|B1-Run7B4]]\n[[Okay.|B1-Run7B4A]]

"You're scaring me."\n\n[[What?|B1-Run7B3]]

"Please, don't," she says, turning away.\n\n[[...|A2-ReturnA5]]

"It's just... I had dinner with my parents, you know? First time since just after graduation. Back then it was all, 'these are the careers, these are the people we know.' And tonight -- the exact same shit."\n\n[[They still don't respect what you do?|A2-ReturnA6]]

"Not what, but who."\n\n[[That... comes as a surprise. Really thought they liked me.|A2-ReturnA7]]

"They don't //know anything about you!// You've met them once!"\n\n[[I'm not sure I'm getting it, Casey.|A2-ReturnA8]]

"So what then?"\n\n[[Maybe... We both need to mature.|AX-5A]]\n[[Maybe... I just felt pressured to agree with the folks. I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable.|AX-5B2]]

"Sure. Course then it was... more about settling scores."\n\n[[How so?|B1-JM3]]

Come on!\n\nYou successfully eluded a serial killer -- //twice!//\n\nYou can do this.\n\n[[Can or can't don't change the 'will' part of it.|A2-ReturnA3]]

Casey sits close to you on the couch. Too close -- she knows the difference between intimate and interrogation, just by physical proximity.\n\n"They're up in bed. Should be asleep by now."\n\n[[Casey, I am... so, so sorry.|A2-ReturnA4]]

"Stow the lies."\n\n[[I'm sorry.|B2-GoIn]]

"All they know about //Marvin// is that he has a penis, and he's not a psycho."\n\n[[...|A2-ReturnA9]]

"//And that's enough!//"\n\n[[...|A2-ReturnA10]]

"Come here."\n\nShe moves, suddenly.\n\n"Why don't we get comfortable?"\n\n[[...|B1-JM10]]

"How boring a life as yours... you don't expect to surprise yourself. At what, 25?"\n\n[[That'd be a hell of a surprise.|B1-JM9]]

"Well, I'm remembering now, and you said it was your dad."\n\n[[Right! Forgive me... I'm a little frazzled.|B2-Wait3B2]]\n[[I'm pretty sure I said 'mom' -- let's not argue!|B2-Wait3C]]

She lies in bed, her back to you.\n\n"Getting in?"\n\n[[Yeah...|A1-AD2]]

"I'm actually from Alberta. You probably guessed from the accent slips. Yeah, sometimes we'd fly out to Montreal, and my sister would practice her French..."\n\nGazing out at the convenience store, she actually seems... calm.\n\n[[...|B2-GoIn]]

"Something's fishy. I think I'm gonna take you home."\n\n[[What?!|B2-Wait3D2]]

On the road again.\n\nRiding shotgun. Jessica's no worse for wear, at the wheel, the same blankness notched as a resting smile.\n\nSeems she's taking him out to the woods. How many of you will be coming back?\n\n[[...|B1-SavingRobert2]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[You're searching for something, and this... I can help you with. I'm going with you.|B1-Con11A23]]

"Yes, I can imagine that. We're doing fine."\n\n"Glad to hear it. What can I get for you?"\n\n[[...|SD-CaughtOrder]]

"I'll be in touch."\n\n"Good-bye, Jessica."\n\n[[Yeah. Bye.|B1-Con10Fail3]]

And she goes. Floats away.\n\n"So," Casey says, commanding your light attention. "We're here. Want to walk around?"\n\n[[Okay.|B1-Mall]]\n[[I actually... have to go.|B1-MallNo]]

"Sure. Or get locked up -- it's all the same."\n\n[[There's //gotta// be another way. Something that doesn't involve killing.|B2-KC4A11]]

"Yeah. Just uh... Nothing. It's okay. I'll see you when you get home. Bye."\n\n//Boooop.//\n\n[[...|A2-CallEnd]]

"And some time after that, you realize... you don't have a past."\n\n[[...|A2-RunEnd7]]

"Given Casey’s history, it’s not..."\n\n"Of course not. We’re all concerned that the way we’ve come to appreciate things now may soon come up for review, and decisions will be made..."\n\n"Mom, you think I’m completely out of control."\n\n[[...|A1-D21B2]]

"Don't know when to quit."\n\n[[Sorry...|SD-CaughtWaitressA3]]

"Anyway, as I was saying before... As soon as I found out you were using me as some cheap thrill... my heart sank. It was less the exploitation, and more... I like you, Marvin. Honest. So here I am. Still hoping what you were on Friday wasn't just a facade."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[It was.|SD-Caught12B]]\n[[It wasn't.|SD-Caught12A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[It was.|SD-Caught12D]]\n[[It wasn't.|SD-Caught12C]]\n<<endif>>

So what's the plan, then? Once she's slumped over in her fucking chair in broad daylight?\n\n[[It'll give me a headstart.|SD-Spike4A]]\n[[I'll take her to her house, tie her up next to some incriminating evidence, call the police.|SD-Spike4B]]\n[[I'm running out of time.|SD-Spike4C]]

What if somebody sees you?\n\n//Hey// -- maybe that's why she got into this shit. A little date rapist like yourself once upon a time...\n\n[[I am not a date rapist.|SD-Spike3]]

Take her drink. Make it look like yours...\n\n[[There's a guy eyeing me. What are you looking at, you fucking glasses motherfucker?|SD-Spike6]]

He's still looking, now that you're looking back...\n\n[[Fuck it, I'm doing it.|SD-SpikedEarly]]\n[[Wait for it...|SD-SpikeWait1]]

"Positive or negative, I haven't really thought about it."\n\n[[So what about repentance? For all this shit?|B2-FamilyYourselfRepent]]

Shit.\n\n"What are you doing on my computer?"\n\n[[Oh! Casey -- what are you doing up?|B1-WokeCasey2A]]\n[[Uh -- nothing.|B1-WokeCasey2B]]

The kitchen.\n\nOh. There she is. Standing there, arms crossed. //Your// cell phone on the table...\n\n[[... Morning?|B2-33A2]]

Just to make sure.\n\n[[No -- because I'm a good complement.|B2-Save13B4]]

Okay, then. Prove to me you're worth a damn. Give her a call and get her back. Even at this juncture.\n\n[[Fine.|Casey-Affair13]]

She gets in the car, drives away.\n\nWhat do you think?\n\n[[I should stay with her.|B2-Save13B3]]\n[[I think she'll be fine without me.|B2-Save13BX]]

Where's the phone?\n\n[[I had it...|Casey-Affair14]]

<small>22 April 2015\n\nI’ve always said I’m right on the edge of the future, but this is the end of the edge. Either I fly or fall off, but I’m moving forward either way. It isn’t just about creating a future anymore but validating the theory of who I am.\n\nIf I fail, I was never anybody. Just a bad artist who convinced herself she had a shot, and who lived in her thick delusion, growing numb to the world, expecting nothing from it nor herself, caught in a cycle of days and days and days.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|B1-Journal1]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

<small>14 October 2011\n\nI just can’t do it. Group projects. Designing with punks who are the only liberal arts students on campus who can make me feel like an idiot. I don’t know where they found the time before freshman year started to figure everything out already, but a group of kids seems to be experts on every program -- somehow I got grouped with them in the very end.\n\nI spend so much time trying to think of ways to mask incompetence or stall the unpleasant confrontations or compose oneself with enough façade of confidence you don’t look like the clown you really are when all eyes are on.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|B1-Journal3]] | [[//Next//|B1-Journal7]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

<small>19 March 2012\n\nYesterday Marvin started talking to me. I think I did alright but I can't really remember it. All a blur.\n\nApparently he's only taking this class because he didn't know what he wanted to do. I had to restrain myself from laughing in his face. How could you come to college without knowing? You think college is gonna teach you?\n\nBut maybe this is good. I don't know. Maybe I could teach him.\n>^_^></small>\n\n[[//Previous//|B1-Journal7]] | [[//Next//|B1-Journal1]]\n\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Bitch. Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[//What a dick.// Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

<small>26 February 2012\n\nOne morning I see he’s in the cafeteria -- and is that a girl he’s sitting down with? It might have been, I’m 75% sure. And if it was, it’s probable he has a girlfriend, and I felt so dumb for not thinking of that. He’s an incredibly good-looking guy -- just because he’s soft-spoken and doesn’t proudly wear the air of ‘dumb college guy,’ doesn’t mean he isn’t sociable. I get pretty down about this.\n\nFew days later I figure, what the hell. It would be nice to just get to know this guy, so I’ll keep going. My plan is to say, as we’re getting ready to leave, "Hey, we’re both headed to the same place, aren’t we?" in reference to the class following our first. The point is to find out if he’s a graphic design major, because he’s in this one class which is a requisite for graphic design majors, but also for everyone in the media program. The first class is only followed by the media class on Friday, and he isn’t there. Did he move seats?\n\nI found out that no, he was just absent. And I was... //so ready.// Next week I try again, but I’m done with my assignment, and go to turn it in. It’s the fourth assignment of this type and every last time I’ve gotten the next immediately, so I think I’ll get the next right now and keep going. But no, I can just leave.\n\nI leave, because if I sat there doing nothing it’d be too obvious what I was doing. The whole point was to make it feel organic, because I didn’t want to let on that I’ve been thinking about him all this time. First contact is so delicate, especially with this one because our first meeting was so strange.\n\nCircumstance after circumstance and I feel like I’m in a lousy sitcom. This is where I am now, and I’ve given up. It’s been too long. I can’t possibly introduce myself now because what could I say? I feel terrible. I need to get away I think.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|B1-Journal5]] | [[//Next//|B1-Journal6]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

Wait a minute, sure this won't be too loud?\n\n[[I'm sure.|B1-Lecture]]\n[[You're right. I'll do something else.|B1-Office2]]

<small>9 February 2015\n\nWhen we talk about suicide, one of the things that comes up is cowardice. We condemn the act I believe in hopes that we curb future suicides. I watched a video recently about whether Christians who kill themselves will get into Heaven. The answer I believe was... yes. But don’t do it.\n\nCowardice and selfishness -- that’s what we call suicide because it ends one instance of suffering but transfers great suffering onto others. This person didn’t think about how their family would mourn, how their hearts would be broken -- the questions this would raise, the irreversible impact this would have on a family, forever stained by such darkness.\n\nBut how do we know if the suicide victim didn’t think of their family? Didn’t weigh the family’s future suffering against their own grief, and ultimately decide that there was this impasse. It might be selfish to do this, but why weren’t they there to begin with? The family might’ve asked questions, might’ve been interested... but people aren’t equipped to understand this kind of despondency.\n\nThis depressed person creates a world of their own, and no matter what, its first principle is isolation. Maybe they feel they couldn’t explain it, or that it wouldn’t be appropriate -- impossible to imagine, regardless.\n\nSpeaking generally, whenever there is a suicide, everyone involved in that person’s life is implicated. Not because they needed to somehow prevent the death, there’s only the call to broaden horizons, consider another person, in whatever limited capacity. Our immortal ability to live carelessly, purely self-concerned, is fatal. Life can be busy, I get it. People talk about taxes, mortgage, insurance, tuition -- we’ve crafted an idiotic system for ourselves and realized that there has never been a better one. What our greatest human society still cannot do is give people lives to live. Only the illusion.\n\nSo those people among them who become numb over a gradual period often can’t be contained within the lives of others. It’s not a blameless situation, but it’s not entirely on the suicide victim.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|B1-Journal6]] | [[//Next//|B1-Journal4]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

<small>12 August 2008\n\nDrew foreground assets for three pages at the start of last week. Nothing further there. Took the whole to assemble the Storyboard3s, and now all that’s left is backgrounds, which I’ll start tomorrow. If I can have the first issue done by the end of the year, I’ll give myself the seventeen week countdown and start releasing pages, but even if I do... Who’ll see them? There’s no immediate audience, but there are avenues for free advertisement, like online aggregate sites and stuff. It’s just sad that this //Zone Hunter// thing is such a big time-killer, and I don’t have time. It’s a thousand page endeavor, and I can do three pages in two weeks, if I’m fast. Gotta keep at it, everyday.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|B1-Journal8]] | [[//Next//|B1-Journal3]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

<small>2 May 2010\n\nKatie was a good friend, but maybe not overall, taking in all of those things said in older entries here. This might sound like I’m still pissed off about her leaving me, but I’ve had time to deal with it, and wasn’t emotionally affected at all when it happened. We always had an odd relationship like that. I remember junior year I left some social function that I attended because of national honor society. I spent the whole time wandering around aimlessly, not wanting to be seen not interacting with people. It was so awkward I thought I might cry. I left early. Not knowing what else to do, I called her, which I never do. We always just texted. She didn’t really know what to say, but I didn’t exactly explain the situation. Either way, there was a certain level of communication we could never establish.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|B1-Journal2]] | [[//Next//|B1-Journal5]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

"<<if visited ("SD-KillingMe")>>Not like a killer.<<else>>Very pleasant, I might dare say. He was awfully nervous beforehand...<<endif>>"\n\n<<if visited ("SD-KillingMe")>>\s\n[[...|SD-2CWaiterBad]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|SD-2CWaiterGood]]\n<<endif>>

"So you’re mature now, and can look back and see young Casey as immature?"\n\n"Candice, I don’t think this is a good time..."\n\n"Doesn’t matter, Dad. This has been at the top of her throat for the whole trip, and she’s here now. A nice dinner be damned -- a second meeting with my fiance, for God’s sake!"\n\n[[//It is// somewhat pressing. Casey?|A1-D21B3]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n"I haven’t changed, but I’m not going anywhere, Marvin. //Jesus, just because I don’t want to be...//"\n\n[[...|A1-D21B4]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n"I’m here. Is that enough for you? Don’t believe me?"\n\n[[I...|A1-D21B5]]

"Don’t start shouting at //him//, now."\n\n"..."\n\n"Why not? In this //narrative// you’ve constructed, he’s the new //you//."\n\n[[...|A1-D21B6]]

"Casey..."\n\n"By that logic, there’s been a few new //hers// in between..."\n\n"Goddamn it!"\n\n[[Um... Language, Casey...|A1-D22]]

"So now it's your turn. Walk me through this."\n\n[[It's... about fear. He's an imbalance in our society, so you bring an imbalanced methodology to it -- but killing is unnatural, it's nowhere in that spectrum.|B1-SavingRobert3]]

"If this doesn't work..."\n\n[[Then you'll come for me?|B1-SavingRobert4]]

"Oh gosh..."\n\n[[I know I'm not alone in this. You came here for a reason.|SD-2D3]]

"I wanted to see you squirm."\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[I don't believe you.|SD-2D4A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Bullshit!|SD-2D4B]]\n<<endif>>

"Suppose I would. But I doubt I'll enjoy it."\n\n[[...|B1-SavingRobert5]]

She pulls over, exits the car.\n\nLook, out the window. Through the blackness of night... a swamp?\n\n[[I'll check it out.|B1-SavingRobert6]]

She's following now.\n\n"Watch your step out here."\n\n[[...|B1-SavingRobert9]]

The edge of the swamp. Putrid black water, swirling. Bugs and birds overhead.\n\n"Okay, Robert..."\n\n[[...|B1-SavingRobert10]]

"I'm gonna get changed. You want me to take the gag out so you can talk to him?"\n\n[[Sure.|B2-KillA]]\n[[Naw.|B2-KillB]]

Driving along in sunny daylight -- too bright. Burning...\n\nYou did it.\n\n[[Yes, I did. You should be happier -- why aren’t you happier?|A2-2]]

"Are you okay?"\n\n[[Are you?|SD-2CWaiter]]

"One person. But I don't know where she's gone."\n\n[[...|A2-SBUA12]]

She turns back to you -- eyes red.\n\nAnd stands. "I'll be right back. I'll tell you then."\n\n[[Okay.|SD-B1Monologue]]

Some bookshelves to the left of the television.\n\n[[I’ll have a gander.|BR-Shelves]]\n[[Time to move on. To the kitchen.|BR-Kitchen]]

These ottomans look like they open.\n\n[[Let’s see...|BR-Ottomans]]\n[[Not interested.|BR-LivingRoom4]]

Photo album on the coffee table. Check it out.\n\n[[Alright.|BR-PhotoAlbum]]\n[[Naw, let’s find something else.|BR-LivingRoom3]]

Jessica blinks. //What kind of game are you playing?//\n\n"Very good. And somebody else... will be back with that."\n\nHe leaves in a hurry.\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaiterBad]]

"Eventually, yes. I'll probably get rid of Casey's body for you. This being your first time."\n\n[[No, I can do it. Give me the recipe.|B1-KillingJessica5]]\n[[Good point. I'll leave you to it.|B1-KillingJessica3Z]]

"I'm not telling you shit."\n\n[[Why not?|B1-KillingJessica6]]

"I'm starting to think you //really// need this."\n\n[[I happen to, yeah. If I'm smoking, I'm smoking Camel.|B1-KillingJessica7]]

"Or maybe there's another body you want to dispose. Another body you want to produce with that knife in your hand."\n\n[[What? This is... from earlier.|B1-KillingJessica8]]

"Is she dangerous?"\n\n[[I think so. Please, let me handle it -- before she sees you. I promise I can get her to go away.|B2-KCA9A4]]

"Hey."\n\nShe's got her little goggles on. Hacksaw in hand. Wait till she's really in it.\n\n[[So you hack the body up into pieces. Then what?|B1-KillingJessica2]]

"Then I process the flesh and bone in a chemical treatment."\n\nWhat if she gets suspicious with all these questions?\n\n[[Some kinda recipe?|B1-KillingJessica3]]\n[[I'm gonna let you work, and I'll just watch.|B1-KillingJessica3Z]]

"It's mostly in my head these days. But nothing a chemist-turned-poisoner couldn't choke out with a vice applied."\n\n[[I'm gonna need that, right?|B1-KillingJessica4]]\n[[Neat-o. I'll let you to it.|B1-KillingJessica3Z]]

"I admit, its academic rigor has been the source of heated dialogue but I believe she's helped popularize the idea that violence isn't biologically integral to humankind."\n\n[[Hmm...|B2-30A6]]

And Casey, in bed. You've woken her, again. Somewhat. She's in that daze. The limp smile, the heavy eyelids...\n\n"//Come to bed//..."\n\n[[...|B2-GoodNight4]]

Back home.\n\n<<if visited ("B2-KCA9BX")>>\s\n[[Finally.|B2-GoodNightNoCasey]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Finally.|B2-GoodNight3]]\n<<endif>>

"Thanks."\n\n[[...|CaseyEndGood]]

On the floor now. //Hit her!// Wave the knife all around, swipe and stab at the air, but somehow she's gone.\n\nShe's above -- //it's the bottom of her boot.//\n\nComing down.\n\n[[Shit.|Credits]]

And she turns away, not suddenly. To the window. Looks out at the neighborhood. It hasn't looked so... colorful.\n\n"Let's go to the beach."\n\n[[And get a boat.|A1-NoHome10]]

Squinting into the sun. "Just gotta know where to look, I guess."\n\n[[...|CaseyEndGood]]

"And I, uh... left a little sister behind, not to mention my mother."\n\n[[You regret it.|B2-RepentYourselfFamily3]]

"Things could've been different."\n\n[[What do you think, Jessica?|B2-KillingChris]]

"Why?"\n\n[[Because she's innocent.|B1-Rescue5AA1]]\n[[Because I love her.|B1-Rescue5AB1]]

She looks surprised at not only the sentiment, but at the ferocity of its expression.\n\nShe laughs suddenly, maybe to decompress.\n\n[[Come here...|A2-ReturnA13]]

"..."\n\n[[Well... This is bad timing, Jessica, but... I've decided.|SD-2AA16]]

//BZZZZT//\n\n[[Alright. Shit.|A2-JC]]\n[[Nope.|A2-NoJC2]]

She holds you tight, precognitive.\n\n[[I'll make it up to you. I promise.|A2-Din]]

"I really wanted you to be here tonight because..."\n\n[[...|A2-ReturnA11]]

"I hope you're ready, Marvin."\n\n[[Ready.|Credits]]

"Not like that. I'm taking you back home. And I'm gonna operate."\n\n[[//Fuck you...//|B1-KillingCasey12]]

Yeah, you've made it this far. Not a single slicing of your throat.\n\nSo.\n\nYou ready?\n\n[[Yeah.|A1-RD]]

So what's the call?\n\n<<if visited ("B1-RondoC1")>>\s\n[[I'm just gonna slit her throat.|B1-KillingJessicaThroat]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'm gonna slit her throat.|B1-KillingJessicaThroat]]\n[[I'm gonna stab through into her heart.|B1-KillingJessicaHeart]]\n<<if visited ("B1-FuckingGreat")>>\s\n[[I'm gonna knock her out and tie her to the table. And then we'll see...|B1-KillingJessicaBrutally]]\n<<endif>>\n<<endif>>

Jessica is pouring drinks.\n\nSitting in the kitchen, the seat is poking into your ass.\n\n"On our first date, there was this unusual but anciently familiar sensation, like... a slow burning, or low gravity."\n\n[[You were nervous?|B2_8]]

Every footfall is a spike in your gut you huffy outta shape loser. But hey, you're in announcement range.\n\n[[Wait!|B1-3BC2]]

Turns, on the exact beat. "What?" In the parking lot, her hand on the car door.\n\n[[Don't do this, please.|B1-3A2]]

"Yes, I can imagine that. We're doing fine."\n\n"Glad to hear it. What can I get for you?"\n\n[[...|SD-2COrder]]

She leaps, and embraces you -- barely seeing it coming, she's nearly knocked you over.\n\n"Let's go," she whispers, and tightens around you.\n\n[[...|A2-RunGood5]]

"Here."\n\nShe hands you the glass, and resumes her seat.\n\n[[Thank you.|B2-26A3]]

Inside, it's a little bit chilly. Kept cool, I guess. Doesn't seem to bother our buddy Mendoza.\n\n"Ahh! //Jessica// -- how've you been?"\n\n"Doing great. How's Susie?" She turns to you, stopping time. "Why don't you make yourself unseen over there. Don't want a man around to make him jumpy."\n\n[[Got it.|B2-Chris7]]

He says, softly, closing his eyes: "I'm sorry..."\n\nJessica stabs him in the eye, and rips the knife down through his mouth. Leaves the thing standing like he died with a stogie hanging loose.\n\n[[...|B2-KilledChris2]]

"This is what it must be like... This kind of fear."\n\n"..."\n\n[[For who?|B2-KillingChris11]]

"All these people... I put a gun in their face and by function, could only think that... what was coming back was money or some shit. Maybe I thought about it and just pretended like there was nothing else, that's how it happened..."\n\n"..."\n\n<<if visited ("B2-24")>>\s\n[[...|B2-SavedChris]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|B2-KillingChris12]]\n<<endif>>

"This part's on you. You have to decide between us. No more games."\n\n[[Okay. I've decided.|SD-2AA4B]]\n[[Decide. Just like that. Like I'm out shopping.|SD-2AA4]]

"I think I enjoy being embroiled in your drama. So long as there's the promise of something else."\n\n[[...|SD-2A5C2]]

"Believe me, I could wriggle out at any time. The truth of it is..."\n\n[[...|SD-2A4B4B4]]

"There's a lot on the line, right?"\n\n[[This is a really shitty position I've put you in.|SD-2A4B4B3]]

"Look at this. Snake holes. How are they burrowing with no claws? No ordnance whatsoever?"\n\n[[Tough faces?|Casey-14_2A3]]

"Okay. Okay then, I will."\n\nShe smiles.\n\n[[...|A2-Story2]]

And out she goes.\n\n//What the hell are you doing?//\n\n[[I choose Jessica. It's that simple.|B2-29B2]]

You should talk about Casey as an artist. 'Expressions,' being your lead-in.\n\n[[But it wasn’t some prank, she didn’t lose a bet with her friends. But that didn’t calm my nerves soon enough, because on our first date, I was... //boy//. Like father, like son, I thought, "Well. That’s it."|A1-RD30B]]\n[[Um... So, it’s going to be difficult for me to fully express how lucky I am to have met Casey, and I’m worried that no matter what I say, it won’t do justice to how I feel.|A1-RD29A]]

...\n\n[[But that’s why Casey and I make such a good team. She has dedicated her life to the study of a special kind of communication. She is an artist.|A1-RD30A]]

"It was complicated. But at the time, you know... It's hard to see when a friendship is actually toxic. You're having too much fun."\n\n[[...|B1-MallX4]]

"Wow, I haven't thought about her in a while. To answer your question, I guess."\n\n[[Why didn't things work out there?|B1-MallX3]]

"Come on," she indicates the backyard.\n\n[[...|A1-Home11]]

Outside, she stands firm, knee-deep in the snow. Black houses dot the horizon and the hills which blur into each other, but... there’s this openness, this grand white space that looks like the artist forgot to pencil in the rest of the world. The backyard ends and everything just drops off. It’s downright apocalyptic.\n\nShe's head-down, rifling through the box’s contents. Photos, notes, little sculptures.\n\n[[...|A1-Home12]]

"Uh, it’s... a time capsule," she says to the air.\n\n[[From when?|A1-Home13]]

"Eighth grade... going into high school. I was gonna open it once I graduated, to remind myself of what I needed to do. But I didn’t need the reminder. I also didn’t fucking forget about it -- four years was not as long as I’d anticipated."\n\n[[And you do now? Need the reminder?|A1-Home14]]

"I just didn’t want to leave it. It’s mine."\n\n[[Oh.|A1-Home15]]

"I’m sorry we had to fly six hours for it, but..."\n\n[[No, actually, it’s good. It’s kind of... made me think...|A1-Home16]]

"What?"\n\n[[We should... run away. You know? It’s so easy to go, we should just go.|A1-Home17B]]\n[[Never mind.|A1-Home17A]]\n

//BZZZT//\n\n<<if visited ("A2-LC5")>>Speak of the D. <<endif>>It's Jessica.\n\n[[Hello?|A2-JessCall2]]

"If so... Maybe that's true love, huh?"\n\n[[You're talking to the expert here.|Credits]]

"Casey finds out you're cheating on her. Things come to an end. Is that a problem for you, or not?"\n\n[[It is a big deal...|SD-2AWaiterBad4]]

"Yeah? Well, //what's the worst that could happen?//"\n\n[[I have an imagination.|SD-2AWaiterBad3]]

"Okay then."\n\n[[I should end this.|SD-2AA4BA]]\n[[I want to be with you.|SD-2AA4BB]]

"What's changed?"\n\n[[Nothing.|SD-2AWaiterBad6]]

"You're gonna have to choose. I mean, what the hell are we doing here?"\n\n[[If I hadn't been caught, I'd... be figuring it out.|SD-2AWaiterBad5]]

"Stop it..."\n\n[[Casey, please, just listen to me...|A2-Nice4]]

And... into that light she goes, a few degrees enough to prickle. And //shit// again -- notice? She acknowledges your folly so little you wonder, for a precious moment, if she heard it at all.\n\nI... guess that's a 'no.'\n\n"Good night, Marvin."\n\nDamn.\n\n[[Think that hurt my chances?|A-1A2]]

"Good night, Marvin."\n\nShe vanishes.\n\nAnd into the dark you go.\n\n[[I should’ve asked to come in. Think that hurt my chances?|A-1B2]]

She takes her glass, upends it over the ground.\n\nSlams it back down on the table.\n\n[[Oh.|SD-Spiked7]]

"I'm gonna kill your fiancee."\n\n[[...|B1-1]]

"I'm good right here."\n\nMaybe you should drink -- use psychology.\n\n[[Okay.|SD-Spiked5A]]\n[[Forget it.|SD-JR3]]

She looks genuinely relieved.\n\n"Yeah. Thank you."\n\n[[...|Casey-14B3]]

"Ready?"\n\n[[I'm ready. Lay it on me.|SD-Spiked3]]

She laughs.\n\n[[So what’s the deal with your parents?|Casey-14A2]]

JESUS -- fucking A.\n\nShe’s sliced his throat with the scalpel. Blood is draining into a bucket below.\n\n//Fuck. What the fuck?// Shit, man -- I don’t know what this is, but it is //time to go!//\n\n[[I’m going.|A-16]]\n[[Oh God... No, I can’t.|A-15A]]

Here she comes, my God, it’s Jessica. Dressed up differently. Black apron, black gloves. One of those medical masks. And a scalpel in her hand.\n\n[[What the hell?|A-15]]

Stumbling.\n\nShambling.\n\nThe car pulses toward you in a blur, blood rushing out of your whole bod-- //ow ow ow stupid asshole you’re numb and tingly at the same time that’s fucking stupid and unfair//...\n\n[[Shit, shit, shit...|A-18]]

Move very carefully -- but quickly. She hasn't spotted you.\n\n[[...|A-17]]

This is silly. Isn’t it silly? Yes, yes it is.\n\n[[The only lights on are the ones... in the basement. See that?|A-12]]

Circling around the perimeter -- fuck’s sake, keep your posture. The more hunched you get, the more you resemble a man creeping around a woman’s house at night.\n\n[[...|A-11]]

Focusing... on what looks like a table in the near corner. Is that blood? It’s all over the place. Light beaming down from the ceiling, on some sort of person shape. A guy -- a naked guy.\n\nStrapped down, covered in that blood. Red in a spectrum of hues, all dark.\n\nAnd it’s... he’s got no eyes. Looks like a patch of skin sewn over where his eyes should be.\n\n[[...|A-14]]

Yeah, crouch down. Get a closer look. This isn’t weird.\n\nHold on... What’s going on here?\n\n[[...|A-13]]

Alright, step on it -- let’s get the fuck outta here!\n\n[[//Here we go, here we go.//|A-20]]

Start it up! Start the car!\n\n[[//I am!//|A-19]]

"Come on, I heard you. Don't bullshit."\n\n[[I'm beginning to visualize it. I... didn't really register you saying 'it isn't finished.' Thought this was it. But I see now what you're working toward.|AY-3A2]]\n[[Sorry. I just... don't get art.|AY-4B2]]

She shakes her head, never taking her eyes off the statue.\n\n"Yes, Marvin, this is //what I've been doing with all my time//. Do you think... it was a fucking waste?"\n\n[[There's no money in this. You know that.|AX-11]]\n[[No, no. Of course not. I just... don't understand art. That's all I meant. Sorry.|AY-4B2]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n"It might look amorphous, these //dreams//, but that's only because you've never understood them. But you, Marvin..."\n\n[[...|A1-21A3]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-Conversation]]

"You wanted to take me out today, for... what? Actually -- don't answer that. Crazy Marvin, you're crazy."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[So what happens to me?|SD-2C5B5]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So what happens to me?|SD-2C5BX]]\n<<endif>>

"Wow. That there was real fear. Yes, Marvin -- I'm probably gonna kill you. But you knew the whole time, huh? My big secret?"\n\n[[Yes...|SD-2C5A4B5]]

She stands.\n\nOver you. "Why don't you come along, Marvin? I think I'll bring you home."\n\n[[Holy shit, you're really gonna kill me.|SD-2C5A4B4]]

"It's just got me thinking... If I were to murder you -- how would I do it?"\n\n[[My God, Jessica...|SD-2C5A4B3]]

Looking away, she's doing her best to hold back tears.\n\n[[I want you to forget about me. Forget about the people who make you sad, who don't know you. And once you've forgotten about me... live without regret. Forgive your parents -- don't hold onto that anger.|A2-Nice5]]\n[[Good-bye, Casey.|A2-SecondBU]]

Just fucking call Jessica, tell her you're setting the date tomorrow.\n\n//Fuck!//\n\n[[...|AX-19]]

That's the problem with kids these days. No fucking seatbelts.\n\n[[I am not 'invincible.' Which is part of why I couldn't just tear down Casey's statue.|AX-17X3]]

Harrison Chute

...\n\n[[...|A1-Home2]]

Perfect opportunity for Jessica to pick her up. You know the address. It must be the hour before she goes to work -- that's why she's never there in the morning. And those pictures looked pretty barren -- no witnesses.\n\nWhat's the call?\n\n[[I'll text Jessica.|B1-TextJess2A]]\n[[I can't do this.|B1-TextJess2B]]

She leads you down into the basement.\n\n[[...|B2-30]]

"Call me."\n\n[[Okay.|B2-Save13A2]]

"Well, it's a little late to turn back now -- //not// that I would, anyway."\n\n[[It's okay.|B1-Mall3B4]]

"We're getting married in Hawaii. We //will// have a baby. Everything's looking great."\n\n[[Is this... how you'd always imagined things for yourself?|B1-Mall3B3]]

"If only it had been //one thought//. Not an obsession. You're like the exorcist. Pulled all the crazy out of me."\n\n[[We can still do these things.|B1-Mall3B6]]

"No, I guess not. I mean, when you're a kid, everything is so certain. Was for me, at least. //I'm never getting married, never having children.// I'm a traveler. I'm gonna see the world, and take everything I can, filter it through my mind, and give it back."\n\n[[It's just as romantic a thought.|B1-Mall3B5]]

"<<if visited ("B1-Con11Z")>>You seem to be champin'. That's good. <<else>>It'll be a new vision. I'd like to see it. <<endif>>And I'd like to do it with you."\n\n<<if visited ("B1-Con11Z")>>\s\n[[Good.|B1-MallX6]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Yeah.|B1-MallX6]]\n<<endif>>

"Stop talking. Please. You'll say anything -- I don't want to hear it. Excuse me."\n\n[[...|SD-B1Monologue]]

"Okay. Sure, anything."\n\n[[Tonight I... broke up with my fiancee.|A2-SBUA2]]

//BZZT//\n\nAgh, shit -- it's Casey.\n\n[[Hello?|B1-C4]]

"<<if visited ("A-51B6")>>No. <<else>>Hm. <<endif>>Today’s no good, nor is the weekend. I’m away with an old friend of mine."\n\n[[Cool, cool. Monday then. I’ll take off from work, we can meet for lunch. <<if visited ("A-52A")>>There's a lovely Italian place on the other side of town. Toscana's.<<endif>>|A-52A3]]\n\n

"Adamant about //lunch//. Alright, you little goofball. I’ll see you later."\n\n[[Great -- good. I’ll see you, Jessica.|A-53]]

//Ding!// Jessica returns with a coil of rope.\n\nShe tosses it on the floor, and grabs Christopher's ankles, sliding him backward.\n\nStreaking blood in a messy trail.\n\n[[Fuck!|B2-Chris25]]

"So... Who are you?"\n\n[[...|Credits]]

"Well, I've never come this close -- not with, people like you, I mean."\n\n[[People like me.|A2-SBUB2]]

"Let's hear it."\n\n[[I should end this.|SD-2AA4BA]]\n[[I want to be with you.|SD-2AA4BB]]

"Now, my student. The fun is still in the hunt. But it used to be about guns, shooting people dead in the street. Trouble is... guns are cheap, they're impersonal. When I began to trade firearms for the //table//, for ropes and knives... things changed."\n\n[[...|B1-17]]

"Killed more people. Sugical torture's a proper prelude to disposal. But that's down the line. We're starting at the beginning tonight."\n\n<<if visited("B1-3B")>>\s\n[[Torture, huh?|B1-18B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[My God, I'm not gonna torture my girlfriend to death.|B1-18A]]\n<<endif>>\n

She covers the sculpture up again.\n\n"Hm. You might just get that..."\n\n[[Good.|A1-AgreeWithCasey]]

"Yeah? Well //art//... It's kind of a big deal for me..."\n\n[[I know it is. Clearly. I'm sorry. I just need some time. And you need to teach me.|AY-4B3]]

"Hey! Where are you?"\n\n[[Oh, God. Casey, I'm really sorry. My tire. It blew.|B1-13A]]\n<<if visited ("B1-3B")>>\s\n[[Busy.|B1-13B]]\n<<endif>>

"So, I--"\n\n//BZZZZT//\nHuh-what? It's Casey.\n\n[[...|B1-11]]

"Ah, the girl. Go ahead. I'll be quiet."\n\n[[Alright, yeah I'll take it.|B1-AnswersCasey]]\n[[No, no. It's not important.|B1-IgnoresCasey]]

Alone again.\n\nCasey must be out with her parents, off wherever.\n\n[[Breakfast.|A1-Inv2]]

Some bullets in there, safety's... off. To the best of your knowledge.\n\n[[Let's go.|B1-Gun]]

"..."\n\n[[It narrows your future--|AX-13]]

"Trying to kiss my ass... You'll say anything, won't you?"\n\n[[It was just an observation.|SD-CaughtWaitressB4]]

The beach is empty. Everyone home for the night, and it's not even that late.\n\nThe waves are splashing loudly... If she wanted to deliver some sensitive info -- prematurely -- she'd have to shout, and be able to.\n\n[[...|A2-Beac]]

"Back and forth, you fucking..."\n\n[[It feels like everything's coming down around me.|SD-CaughtWaitressB6]]

"I get it, Marvin. You love your wife-to-be. You're supposed to."\n\n[[I'm sorry.|SD-2C5B2]]

"Part of me sincerely hopes you're lying."\n\n[[Why?|SD-2C5A2]]

"Because you have a life to lose?"\n\n[[What?|SD-Caught12C4]]

"Hey! Where are you?"\n\n[[Oh, God. Casey, I'm really sorry. My tire. It blew.|A2-13A]]\n[[Busy.|A2-13B]]

"Repentance can vary. Depends on the shape of our ongoing circumstance."\n\n[[That's cryptic.|SD-2C5A4B2]]

"..."\n\n[[If you really want to do something with your life, go do it! Stop waiting around for someone to give you permission!|B2-KCA9B3]]

"Is that what you really think of me, Marvin?"\n\n[[Yes.|B2-KCA9B4]]

"So you knew..."\n\n[[Shit...|SD-2D4C16]]

"... As I said."\n\n[[You're gonna kill me over this? That's unreasonable.|SD-2D4C15]]

"I don't know." She mulls it. "I'll be right back."\n\n[[...|SD-B1Monologue]]

"That's pretty good, Marvin."\n\n[[That's about how I'm feeling. What happens next?|SD-2D4C17]]

"You're a smoothtalker. This isn't the first time you've done this, is it?"\n\n[[Jessica...|SD-2D4C12]]

"Makes me think, though... Why else somebody in your position would come back like this. Without having left the first woman."\n\n[[I don't strike you as particularly confused?|SD-2D4C11]]

"I can't trust you. But... I'll be back for you, Marvin. Don't you worry."\n\n[[What?|SD-2D4C14]]

She stands.\n\n"What I do... it pays to be paranoid."\n\n[[So that's it?|SD-2D4C13]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-Intel2A2]]

<<if visited ("CaseyX3A")>>Christ, you came so close to spilling it earlier. I mean... <<endif>>If she starts asking questions about your doings and wheres...\n\n[[I don't want to think about it.|B2-6A2]]

She stands, still smiling. "Follow me home. Come on."\n\n[[Okay.|B2-1]]

"Maybe it was an invitation."\n\n[[To what?|SD-2D4A10A5]]

"Why don't I take you home? We can talk about it."\n\n[[You promise you're not gonna kill me?|SD-2D4A10A6]]

She smiles.\n\n"I'm not here to kill you, Marvin."\n\n[[That's a relief. And what about now?|SD-2D4A10A3]]

"How //did// you find out?"\n\n[[You don't exactly make it difficult.|SD-2D4A10A4]]

"What? You got that look."\n\n[[It just makes me think...|B1-34A2XY]]

"I didn't hire her, so I'll leave the executive decisions to you. But she's pretty convinced you're meeting her tonight, at her office."\n\n[[I... have to go to that. Unfortunately.|B1-Con23]]

"Really?"\n\n[[I'll deal with it.|B1-Con24]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-RD2]]

"Perhaps it would help if you set me in the right direction."\n\n"The theme as it currently stands, is nautical, sort of beachy."\n\n[[...|B1-Con8]]

She nods, slowly, studying.\n\n"Another time."\n\n[[...|B1-JM16]]

You'll have to just text her some images. Schedules... behaviors?\n\nDon't wake up Casey. Or the parents.\n\n[[Right.|B1-Intel3]]

"No, you’re right. A girl shouldn’t be deprived of that. It would be unfair."\n\n"Thank you."\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Closet3")>>\s\n[[Okay then.|B1-Con10Fail]]\n[[It would be incredibly painful, I imagine. Sorrowful.|B1-Con10X]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Okay then.|B1-Con10Fail]]\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[...|B2-37]]

"..."\n\n"Look, Jessica... I know you and Marvin have been collaborating on this... but I’m really not as busy as he makes me out to be. And I’m not one for surprises, either. I need to be involved."\n\n[[...|B1-Con10A4]]

Casey's in bed. Lights are off. Pretending to be asleep.\n\n[[Casey?|A2-ReturnB4]]

Come on!\n\nYou successfully eluded a serial killer -- //twice!//\n\nYou can do this.\n\n[[Can or can't don't change the 'will' part of it.|A2-ReturnB3]]

Climbing into bed -- it's cold, of course.\n\n"Marvin..."\n\n[[Yeah.|A2-ReturnB6]]

"Just come to bed," heard -- just barely.\n\n[[I'm sorry.|A2-ReturnB5]]\n[[Jesus.|A2-ReturnB5]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-32]]

"Who are you?"\n\n[[...|A2-ReturnB7]]

"I trust you. And it is like you, overall. Break up with her slowly so you can ease the pain. They called you the band-aid in high school."\n\n[[No they didn't.|B1-Con25]]

"Yes, I can imagine that. We're doing fine."\n\n"Glad to hear it. What can I get for you?"\n\n[[...|SD-2AOrder]]

"But you're mine for the time being. Come on. Figure I'm here -- I'll get some shopping in."\n\n[[Okay.|B1-Con26]]

<small>"The murder of Peter Goto is still being investigated, police said. As of yet, no answers, and people are wondering. "It’s one of the biggest tragedies our little town has ever experienced," Mayor John Mitchell said. "The force is working around the clock." Goto is survived by his parents and two brothers, as well as his fiancee, Claire Edinson. Their wedding was set for today..."</small>\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[Jesus.|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Jesus.|BR-Basement]] \n<<endif>>

Another news article.\n\n[["This dress is //so// pretty," no... just kidding. This looks tragic.|BR-Closet3]]\n[[Still not a reader. Time to move on.|BR-Basement]]

Look up from the sink, your hands gripping its sides and crushing -- in the mirror now, you see me?\n\n[[I see you.|B2-Rondo3]]

"Then I process the flesh and bone in a chemical treatment."\n\nWhat if she gets suspicious with all these questions?\n\n[[Some kinda recipe?|B1-2A2]]\n[[Time to die, Jessica.|B1-Gun2B]]

You quick-draw and squeeze the trigger--\n\n[[//AGH!//|B1-Gun2B2]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-Rondo2]]

...\n\n[[No, Jessica did.|B2-Rondo6A]]\n[[She wouldn't have gone after him... unless I told her it was a good idea...|B2-Rondo6B]]

"So I... effectively told our wedding planner to fuck off. //Your wedding planner// -- oh my God. It was such a nice surprise and everything and I... //I am such a dick//."\n\n[[You're not a dick, Casey. It was a cruel surprise. Not supposed to happen as it did.|B1-Con29]]

So you're gonna have to go in //guns blazing//. It affected //you//. You can't fucking believe she could go through with it. And to feel nothing? Only a monster. Right?\n\n[[That far just to prove a point, and one so monosyllabic.|B2-Rondo5]]

Like a mathematician, you make bubbling incisions in key places. He rattles each time, surprised and not expected another. Puncture arms, legs, shoulder. He writhes violently, shaking all the skin on his face loose. Jessica has him locked down good, but he's in animal mode.\n\n[[Time to end it.|B1-SlashHeart]]

"..."\n\n[[I want to help you find your way -- I want to be there when you do.|A2-RunGood]]

"Well... When you put it like that -- there's a lot. We can't just run away."\n\n[[You know it's what we have to do.|A2-Run8B2]]

Alright, you really want to do this?\n\nFine.\n\n[[...|SD-B1Mon4A3andahalf]]

Nothing. Forget it.\n\n[[No, really.|SD-B1Mon4A3]]\n[[Alright.|SD-B1Mon4B2]]

She sighs.\n\n"'I do this a lot.' That's correct. Maybe for too long, I don't know. A person shouldn't just do one thing for their whole life. Things change."\n\n[[What then? What changed?|B2-KC4A6]]

But she believed it when you told her.\n\n[[...|SD-NoSpike4]]

You've had a comprehensive education in making mistakes, but you never learn!\n\n[[I didn't love Danielle.|SD-B1Mon4A5]]

"Alright then," she punches you in the arm.\n\n[[Ow...|A2-IgnoreCasey]]

Second Date

Some laughs.\n\nJessica’s eyes narrow.\n\n[[It’s going to be difficult for me to fully express how lucky I am to have met Casey, and um... I’m worried that no matter what I say, it won’t do justice to how I feel.|A1-RD29A]]\n[[In a reversal of tradition, but no less a classic story, it was Casey who hunted me down. And to look at Casey, and to look at me -- not to question her judgment or anything -- you might’ve understood my surprise back then.|A1-RD29B]]

"Just what? //I do what I have to// -- I thought you understood it."\n\n<<if visited ("B2-23")>>\s\n[[I get it. You kill to protect people, and not just from other people, but from what they have inside.|B2-KC4A9]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'm getting there. Tonight... should be one hell of a lesson.|B2-KC4AX]]\n<<endif>>

They buckle, rolling you over.\n\nOn your back, helpless turtle.\n\n//Here she comes.//\n\n"What the hell, Marvin?"\n\n[[...|B1-JessicaKilling3]]

Head-bobbing in the crowd.\n\n[[Even still, it’s going to be difficult for me to fully express how lucky I am to have met Casey, and um... I’m worried that no matter what I say, it won’t do justice to how I feel.|A1-RD29A]]\n[[In a reversal of tradition, but no less a classic story, it was Casey who hunted me down. And to look at Casey, and to look at me -- not to question her judgment or anything -- you might’ve understood my surprise back then.|A1-RD29B]]

Jessica cuts Casey loose, removes the gag.\n\nCasey stumbles, with just enough strength to grab -- //hug//... you.\n\n[[//It's okay. It's okay now. It's over.//|B1-RescueX3A7]]

"Marvin..."\n\n[[Go. Quickly.|B1-RescueX3A8]]

"..."\n\n[[Come on. If it's between Casey and I, //you know// only one of us really deserves it.|B1-RescueX3A5]]

"..."\n\n[[...|B1-RescueX3A6]]

"Yes."\n\n[[And you killed the people responsible. That's how you started. Look how far you've come.|B1-RescueX3A3]]

"You don't know anything about me."\n\n[[I know who you might become. It's up to you whether or not you want to be that person.|B1-RescueX3A4]]

"She's gonna kill you."\n\n[[I know.|B1-RescueX3A9]]

//"Oh God..."//\n\n[[Forget it, Casey. Forget me. Please. Forget me...|B1-RescueForgetMe]]

"But given a chance...?"\n\n"..."\n\n[[We'd go to Vegas, right?|B1-Con11A14]]

"Squirreling them away? They //are// invited to the wedding, right?"\n\n"Of course! I couldn't not."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A13]]

"Marvin," Casey says quietly. "Let's go."\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Yeah.|A2-RunEnd]]

"Do you still feel this way?"\n\n"..."\n\n[[You know what, her parents //can// be abrasive...|B1-Con11A11]]\n[[...|B1-Con11AX]]

"..."\n\nShe whispers. "... //Excuse me?//"\n\n"..."\n\n[[Is it out of obligation? Even guilt, because she didn't turn out the way you wanted, and you //failed// as a mother?|A2-RunGood12A3]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n"Hey! Who the hell do you think you are? You do not talk to my wife that way!"\n\n[[That's right, John -- protect her. She wasn't made to do things herself.|A2-RunGood12A4]]

"Of course -- this makes sense, given Marvin's earlier indications of your sensibilities."\n\n"There's no money in those sensibilities, and I've gone on to prove it. Running away to chase the dream... I understand it's not an easy prospect. But I'm doing fine, and //they've had twenty-four years//..."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A16]]

You're a monster.\n\n[[Time to go.|B1-3BB2]]

"That's sad. How long has your life been on hold for?"\n\n"... Wow. I mean... //always//, I guess."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A20]]

"..."\n\n"What are you talking about? We've been over this. We put our lives on hold fo a while to get married and stay married, otherwise we're fooling ourselves."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A19]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-31A3]]

Casey is tied to a chair, bloody and bruised, face gleaming from tears and sweat. Exhaustedly, she twitches her head to shake the gag loose, but it holds. The struggling must've had more conviction when this first started, and Jessica was doing unspeakable things...\n\n[[...|B1-Rescue3X7]]

<small>16 November 2005\n\nYaa happy winter everyone.\n\nWell, almost anyway, this time of year is like the fall-winter depression era, and it’s like slower than the summer-fall depression era. I hate the fall.\n\nAnyway, this is probably the time when Katie and I go into like... no-film hibernation, where we don’t do anything movie-related. Not to say that we’ve done anything before this or anything now, but it happened last year and it will happen this year.\n\nAnyway, there are, for some reason a lot of genre films coming out soon for the ending of 2005. Only thing is, they’re all remakes or adaptations, the Hollywood usual, right?</small>\n\n[[//Next//|B1-Journal9]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

"I mean it, Marvin. You actually made me cause a scene. I don’t know how to feel just yet. Good-bye."\n\nAnd she’s off too.\n\n[[Shit.|B1-TextFromJess]]

Down the basement stairs...\n\n[[...|B1-Rescue3X6]]

"You certainly did."\n\n"..."\n\n"Yeah, Mom -- //I did//."\n\n[[...|A2-PissOffParents3]]

Yes, that was the world's slowest workday. It'll all be over soon.\n\n[[Yeah. Can't wait.|B1-C1]]

Jessica gets up and goes.\n\nSatisfied by what she's seen.\n\n"We'll be fine," you hear Casey say.\n\n[[What?|A1-End2A3]]

"..."\n\n[[...|SD-2AWaitressB12B2]]

She shakes her head.\n\n"Jesus, I'm so fucking stupid."\n\n[[Hey -- you're not!|SD-2AWaitressB12A2]]

"You have to leave?"\n\n[[No, actually, just... it was nothing.|B2-27A3]]

"I see..."\n\n[[So. You're worried about becoming a mother.|B2-27A4]]

"Yeah. Keeps me up sometimes. But, even long before... I do what I do because life is precious. That much I do believe."\n\n[[...|B2-27A5]]

"Need another drink. Here, I'll get yours."\n\n[[Thanks.|B2-27A6]]

So, wait a minute. She takes lives to save them? A paradox... You can use that.\n\n[[Oh? How so?|B2-27A7]]

Convince her she's wrong in this, that she's a monster.\n\n[[That's easier thought, I think.|B2-27A8]]

She'll see it. She's trapped in a delusion. Just push on her love of life, that precious thing, and in doing so, increasingly condemn her actions and lifestyle.\n\n[[Make her see killing for what it is.|B2-27A9]]

And she has to love you, and she's nearly there. By the time it's done, you show her a future together is impossible. Because as she witnesses, she's a maniac.\n\n<<if visited ("B2-TheParentLie")>>\s\n[[Okay. So kinda like the child of divorce thing.|B2-27A10]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Okay.|B2-27A10X]]\n<<endif>>

"Then I guess that means... you aren't leaving this basement."\n\n[[I know. But I can't keep doing this.|B2-Wake16A2]]

She approaches now, down the front steps, nearing.\n\n"Because you're too close. Because you fall in with people so fast and so severely. //You get engaged//. You even say... 'I love you.'"\n\n[[No, it's not like that. I am here //because// of you and me. I'm trying to save us.|B2-KCAB5]]

"I know what you're doing. Tidy things up and make it go away. Lest I see the true Marvin."\n\n[[It's her. This woman... //she's obsessed//. I've been trying to shake her without... you know. You having to find out.|B2-KCA9A2]]

"Just what the fuck is //okay?// Where have you been? How do you just... //emerge// from the darkness like a fucking creature?"\n\n[[I've been looking for Jessica. I can't find her. And I'm worried.|B2-KCAB3]]

"You're worried."\n\n[[I can't just abandon someone.|B2-KCAB4]]

You lacerate his face seven times. Each time, he jerks his body, not expecting it, and this shoots blood from the wounds on his body every which way. His muffled screams are less recognizable as human. You could actually lift a few skin triangles right off him. Nice patterns.\n\n[[Time to end it.|B1-SlashHeart]]

Jessica indicates a chair in the living room, and you sit. She takes the couch.\n\n"Thank you for coming."\n\n<<if visited ("A2-SecondBU")>>\s\n[[Jessica, there's something I have to tell you first.|A2-SBUA]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[It's my pleasure.|A2-SBUB]]\n<<endif>>

"Come in, come in..."\n\n[[...|A2-SecondBU3]]

"Oh. Well I'll... catch up with you later."\n\nAnd she too, is off.\n\n[[...|B1-TextFromJess]]

"Good, Marvin. That's good..."\n\nShe's drifting.\n\n"Good night, honey."\n\n[[Good night.|Credits]]

Lights off in the house.\n\nHer parents, in bed again.\n\nShe's in bed, too. Not sleeping.\n\n"Hey."\n\n[[Hi.|B1-GoodNight2B3]]

"You're here to stay?"\n\n[[I'm here.|B1-GoodNight2B4]]

<small>"The Las Lavandas hotel will be closed down indefinitely after the blaze that injured two firemen and the family of four staying there, authorities said. The family is in critical condition..."</small>\n\n<<if visited ("BR-PhotoAlbum")>>Her whole family was killed. She survived, but somehow nobody knew. <<endif>>They say the fire was an accident, but never found the cause. You’d think if firemen were injured, they’d launch a pretty exhaustive investigation.\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[I would hope so.<<if visited ("BR-PhotoAlbum")>> I’m guessing it was some kind of murder. I wonder about this Mr. Piper. What he was involved in.<<endif>> Let’s see what else.<<if visited ("BR-Tape")>> The bedroom is proving highly unsettling.<<endif>>|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I would hope so.<<if visited ("BR-PhotoAlbum")>> I’m guessing it was some kind of murder. I wonder about this Mr. Piper. What he was involved in.<<endif>> Let’s see what else.<<if visited ("BR-Tape")>> The bedroom is proving highly unsettling.<<endif>>|BR-Bedroom3]]\n<<endif>>\n\n

"You really want to be done."\n\n[[I'm sorry...|A2-Nice3]]\n[[Yes. Thank you.|A2-NotNice]]

She looks at you, dead in the eyes.\n\n"If I could do that, why would I still be this way?"\n\n[[...|A2-SecondBU]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n"I appreciate what you're saying. But to be fair, you don't understand them either."\n\n[[I understand it's what you need.|A1-21A4]]

He leans in. "It's little punks like you that..."\n\n"What's going on here?" Jessica approaches the table.\n\n[[This a friend of yours?|SD-SpikedEarly5B2]]

And... a little post-card with a thumbtack through it. "Greetings from Alberta."\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[I don’t know. What else is around here? Are we learning anything?|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I don’t know. What else is around here? Are we learning anything?|BR-Kitchen2]]\n<<endif>>

Or slept with him.\n\nWhat’s this? A miniature display, cradling an engagement ring.\n\n[[Maybe for Robert.|BR-BusyCounter3]]

"Why not? That's one less predator on the street."\n\n[[Let me help you...|B2-Wake10]]

Remember that it's for her own good. Granted this all pans out at the end. It's still the stalling tactic, alright?\n\n[[Yeah, you're right. I'll do it.|B1-TheText]]\n[[There's gotta be another way.|B1-TextJess2B2]]

But just to think about it... You'll be giving her information enough to kill Casey, right? Do you trust her enough to wait for you? She could always do it herself. Serial killers and //their word,// I'm not so sure.\n\n[[I don't have another option.|B1-TheText]]\n[[Me neither.|B1-TextJess2B2]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-Wake]]

What are you gonna tell her parents when she's gone?\n\n[[Mm-hm.|Credits]]

On the floor now. //Hit her!// Wave the gun all around, just tag her, fire wildly -- //BLAM BLAM BLAM// -- but somehow she's gone.\n\nShe's above -- //it's the bottom of her boot.//\n\nComing down.\n\n[[Shit.|Credits]]

About a dozen handguns. Nice.\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[Christ. Let’s see what else we have.|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Christ. Let’s see what else we have.|BR-LivingRoom4]]\n<<endif>>

<<if visited ("BR-Closet2")>>Door’s nice and smooth this time. I guess if she never opens it, she’ll never find out anyway. <<else>>Door’s a bit sticky. Shit, probably shouldn’t have--<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Closet2")>>The nice wedding dress. <<else>>Wow. Pretty, huh? Big, fluttery wedding dress.<<endif>> Right in the center of this shoe closet. Boxes upon boxes of high heels, but... so undisturbed, I doubt she wears any of them.\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Closet2")>>\s\n[[Yeah. Doubt it.|BR-Closet3]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[She was wearing boots on our date.|BR-Closet2]]\n<<endif>>

"Back in college, I spent more time on my bucket list than any term paper. Or... relationship."\n\n[[How much of it have you done?|Casey-14A5]]

"..."\n\n[[...|Casey-14A6]]

"Well."\n\n[[...|Casey-15]]

"It’s not them. Maybe it’s just finally dawning on me -- this whole thing."\n\n[[Yeah, I know that feeling.|Casey-14A3]]\n<<if visited ("Casey-14B4")>>\s\n[[Weddings shouldn’t be stressful.|Casey-14B5A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Weddings shouldn’t be stressful. That’s stupid.|Casey-14B5B]]\n<<endif>>

"It’s just that I hadn’t really done, you know. //The inventory//... in a while. Having done it pretty recently... it’s scary. I have to dig up the old list, huh?"\n\n[[The list?|Casey-14A4]]

She shakes her head.\n\n"How I wish this could've turned out right."\n\n[[What do you mean?|A2-SBUA7]]

I'm starting to think that's not such a good idea.\n\n[[She's gonna //fucking// kill me. Do you understand?|SD-Spike2]]

"What do you think?"\n\nJessica approaches.\n\n[[Take me instead.|B1-Rescue5A]]\n[[...|B1-Rescue3X8]]

Hide it in your waistband.\n\n[[Let's go.|B1-Rescue3X5]]

Time to check the bedroom.\n\n[[Time to check the bedroom.|B1-KitchenOfficeBedroom]]\n[[I kinda want to see these other things...|B1-Office2]]

Ah yes, I remember. Obviously.\n\nThey still there?\n\n[[Looks like it.|B1-Rescue3X3]]

Is it loaded? Fumble around for the button...\n\n[[I think... there's bullets, yep. And this is the safety. It's gotta be.|B1-Rescue3X4]]

You quick-draw and squeeze the trigger--\n\n[[//AGH!//|B1-GunFail]]

"No."\n\n[[...|B2-KCA9X2]]

Crunch, crunch, crunch she goes, and soon it's just you and the great white sky.\n\n[[...|A1-HomeEnd2]]

"Where are you going?"\n\n[[I need some time, I think.|B1-Run2]]

The harpies. Would they notice if she didn't show up?\n\n[[Notes by the phone.|B1-BedroomKitchen3]]

So classical. Kinda old fashioned, don't you think?\n\nAppointment with a Dr. Elweiss on Thursday.\n\n<<if visited("B1-3B")>>\s\n[[She should probably show up for that.|B1-BedroomKitchen4]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Hope everything's alright.|B1-BedroomKitchen4]]\n<<endif>>

Are you serious?\n\n[[No, I guess not. Just lashing out.|Casey-9B]]\n[[Don't trust me?|Casey-9C]]

Alright fine. You sure you don't want to do this?\n\n[[Damn sure. I walk in that door, I get clapped by one of those friggin' bear traps.|Casey-10]]\n[[Maybe not. Fine, I'll goddamn do it.|Casey-10]]

Okay. You know where she lives. Just be careful.\n\n[[Oh? I'll keep that in mind.|Casey-10]]\n[[No, fuck that...|Casey-10]]

"Marvin?"\n\n[[...|B1-WokeCasey]]

Well, that was loud.\n\n[[No it wasn't.|B1-Lecture3]]

"..."\n\n[[Hey, Casey.|A2-Answer2]]

You're ready now?\n\n[[Yeah, first I’ll break into Jessica’s house.|BR-Start]]\n[[I’ll go back to the old school first.|Hunt1]]\n[[Neither -- I just want to get this date over with.|Date0]]

"Okay."\n\nShe leans over for a kiss, and gets up. Vanishes.\n\n[[...|Casey-Casey3]]

"I like you. And I couldn't live with myself, if..."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA10]]

"Only being careful. With the //big decision// you're still yet to make, I wouldn't want to wreck your life if there's no chance for a you and me."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA9]]

"I think about it sometimes. You being the tough nut to crack and all. I can see it. Palm trees in the window. The sound of waves if you close your eyes. And you... telling me your story. Every secret."\n\n[[Secrets?|B1-Mall3A3]]

"I'd finally be knowing someone. In a real way, in a meaningful way."\n\n[[You know me.|B1-Mall3A4A]]\n[[I've felt that longing too.|B1-MallX6]]\n<<if visited ("B1-Journal3")>>\s\n[[Do you... ever speak with Katie?|B1-MallX]]\n<<endif>>

"No, your nervousness is disarming -- and appropriate. It's how I know you aren't a sociopath."\n\n[[Aspiring.|SD-2AA6]]

"Hm. How does your violence look now, once abstracted so even a man can understand?"\n\n[[I'm sensing how romantic I am. And have been...|SD-2AA5]]

"..."\n\n[[You came in strong, on the offensive, but... I think you're losing it.|SD-2AA8]]

"Don't. You're too quick to self-deprecate."\n\n[[And you're awfully quick to take an even hand.|SD-2AA7]]

Down the basement stairs...\n\n[[...|B1-Rescue4]]

"You don't want to throw your life away. But, Marvin, the game is over. You have to decide."\n\n[[Okay. I've decided.|SD-2AA4B]]\n[[Pick one or two. Like I'm out shopping.|SD-2AA4]]

"You're here to screen me, right? See if I'm worth giving everything up for?"\n\n[[...|SD-2AA3]]

Haha.\n\n[[But no, yeah.|B1-Airport]]

Eyes are on now, and yours have to be too.\n\nShe's gonna kick back somewhere with a big bag of popcorn, making sure you and Casey are //profound// with domestic bliss.\n\n[[I'll put on a show, then.|A1-12]]

Don't forget the groceries for tonight.\n\n[[Shit... I -- no way, I can't do that.|A1-13B]]\n[[It's curious she never asked about it, each time I've come home.|A1-13A]]

Gripping his arms and hoisting, she doesn't flinch upon such contact, even as her apron is streaked.\n\n"He's a rapist of children."\n\nShe lays him out on the table, begins to lace more rope through the lattice of bondage holding him firm.\n\n[[Excellent. Let's do it.|B1-RobertAB3]]

"I tried."\n\nHer eyes are wild.\n\n"But this is me, Marvin."\n\n[[It doesn't have to be...|B2-Wake9]]

"No, as a matter of fact."\n\n[[What was it like in the beginning? Do you remember being where I am now?|B1-JM2]]

"We're still on this?"\n\n[[I'm sorry...|B1-RobertA10B3]]\n<<if visited ("B1-JM12")>>\s\n[[This killing thing, it comes from a place of pain. You think you know how to heal yourself but you've taken this solitary theory far past its conclusion. You really don't think there's another way?|B1-RobertA10BA3]]\n<<endif>>

The Piper family. Mother, father, two daughters.\n\n[[Her last name is ‘Wanham.’ I caught that much. Maybe this is a victim’s album.|BR-PhotoAlbum2]]

"What?"\n\n[[This is beyond me, Jessica. There's no way I can do this.|B1-RobertA10B2]]\n[[Uh... gut reaction. I'll do it.|B1-RobertA10A1]]

"I'll see you later, Marvin. Soon, all your problems will have disappeared."\n\nCatch your breath.\n\n[[... Right. Okay, Jessica. Good-bye.|B1-CaseyInTrouble]]

God, her handwriting is atrocious. Let’s see...\n\n<small>"As you requested. To remember me by, as you said. And although I trust you (trust also that I wouldn’t be alive if you weren’t being truthful), I couldn’t help but brace against that chill running down my spine when you said it. You’re a great mentor, a profound individual, and a good friend. But this part of your life is something I’ll never fully be able to reconcile. But we got Frank together. You and I both, and I’ll always have that. I’ll have to deal with it, psychologically, but I wouldn’t trade the time with you for anything. Thank you for setting me on the right path.\nYour friend,\nSara"</small>\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[Hm. What else is around?|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Hm. What else is around?|BR-WorkoutRoom0]]\n<<endif>>

"..."\n\n"Excuse me?"\n\n[[I -- I mean... so much to say that this... is not you.|B1-Con11B2]]

"..."\n\n<<if visited ("B1-IgnoresCasey")>>\s\n"<<if visited ("B1-IgnoresCasey")>>Is that how I’m behaving, because I’d like a say in how my wedding looks? No woman in the world has had this conversation!<<else>>Is that... really how I’m coming off?<<endif>>"\n<<else>>\s\n"<<if visited ("B1-CaseyFuckOff")>>Is that how I’m behaving, Marvin? Really? Because I’d like a say in how my wedding looks? //Jesus,// no woman in the world has had this conversation!<<else>>Is that... really how I’m coming off?<<endif>>"\n<<endif>>\s\n\n[[When has //your wedding// ever mattered to you? I mean, are we going out of our way -- no offense, Jessica -- because we //want to//, or because we //have to?//|B1-Con11A2]]

"..."\n\n"What?"\n\n[[These paths Jessica speaks of. We can do both.|B1-Con11G2]]

"..."\n\n"I love you too, obviously."\n\n[[...|B1-Con10Fail]]

"That's good."\n\n"I always just wanted to be... independent, you know?"\n\n[[...|B1-Con11Y2]]

"What the hell am I doing here?"\n\n[[Where are you going?|SD-Caught6BA2]]

So she works 9-6, and you go 9-6. But she's never there when you wake up. She's always out... running. Early in the morning wouldn't be bad time for this...\n\nBut where?\n\n[[I'll check the office.|B1-KitchenBedroomOffice]]

"Need another drink. Here, I'll get yours."\n\n[[Thanks.|B2-28A6]]

"So you know." She shakes her head. "It all makes sense..."\n\n[[I know nothing. Absolutely nothing.|SD-2AWrongAnswer2]]

Photos of a hiking trail -- oh, you know what that is? It's that little forest off Glendale. Huh.\n\nAll images of trees, rocks, birds...\n\nThere's sixty photos here, in an album that's only a week long.\n\n<<if visited ("B1-KitchenBedroomOffice")>>\s\n[[So this must be where she goes running.|B1-KitchenBedroomOffice2]]\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-Bedroom3")>>\s\n[[So this must be where she goes running.|B1-KitchenBedroomOffice2]]\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-KitchenOffice")>>\s\n[[This is what she does every morning.|B1-KitchenOffice2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[She goes hiking? When?|B1-HikingTrail2]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[I kinda want to look at these other things before I do anything.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I kinda want to look at these other things before I do anything.|B1-OfficeX]]\n<<endif>>

She narrows her eyes.\n\n"Why did //you// come? And don't you dare lie to me right now."\n\n[[It's like I said. I want to be with you.|SD-2AA4BBFail3A]]\n[[...|SD-2AA4BBFail3B]]

Indeed they are. You remembered.\n\nStashed away, but not so hidden.\n\n[[Is it loaded?|B1-GetGun3]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-Chrissy]]

You need to know if she's dating you to kill you. //Easy.//\n\nSo find out why she's here at all, and gauge if she's telling the truth.\n\nI mean, if she's not here for //business//, she'll want to keep that secret safe.\n\n[[You want to run through my lines again?|SD-2]]

...\n\n<<if visited ("B2-Wake22")>>\n[[...|B2-IfWaitedAWeek]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|B2-KC]]\n<<endif>>

So what about Casey? How do you explain all this?\n\n[[Jessica and I will have to disappear. And that'll be part of the whole thing.|B2-Save13AX2]]

With a wink, she's gone.\n\nHuh.\n\n[[Let's get the hell out of here.|A2-1]]

The smile vanishes. "I should go."\n\n[[What?|SD-2AA15CB3]]

She stands, digs through her purse, tosses some cash on the table.\n\n[[Jessica...|SD-2AA15CB4]]

"We're going."\n\n[[Cool.|B2-Chris27B2]]

Hmm.\n\n[[22 April 2015|B1-Journal4]]\n[[9 February 2015|B1-Journal1]]\n[[19 March 2012|B1-Journal6]]\n[[26 February 2012|B1-Journal7]]\n[[14 October 2011|B1-Journal5]]\n[[2 May 2010|B1-Journal3]]\n[[12 August 2008|B1-Journal2]]\n[[3 February 2008|B1-Journal8]]\n[[1 July 2005|B1-Journal9]]\n[[16 November 2005|B1-Journal10]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\n[[Done with this...|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Done with this...|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if visited ("HikingTrail2")>>\s\n[[Time to check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[Time to gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<endif>>

"And you thought it best to make up a lie about being a child of divorce? So that I, what? Wouldn't want children with you?"\n\n[[I guess so.|B2-Wait3C3]]

"So this whole thing... it's been a big joke, huh?"\n\n<<if visited ("B2-24")>>\s\n[[This was before I got to know you.|B2-Wait3X]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[It started out... false, I admit...|B2-Wait3C4]]\n<<endif>>

Morning.\n\n[[Morning to you too.|A1-InvX2]]

"You actually //broke my heart//..."\n\n[[I'm sorry.|B2-Wait3C7]]

"What's a serial killer to do?"\n\n[[Yeah. Damn it.|Credits]]

"I think I'm gonna take you home."\n\n[[What? No! I... I was just trying to stay alive, Jessica! I didn't know you -- I had to do anything I could!|B2-Wait3C5]]

"You don't get it, Marvin. And //shit//..."\n\n[[...|B2-Wait3C6]]

"Well, my name's Christopher. I'm a dick. And I'm a hypocrite. Just ran the hell away..."\n\n[[...|B2-FamilyRepentYourself2]]

She sits up.\n\n"They don't know you."\n\n[[...|A2-ReturnC5]]

Shakes her head. Of any anger that was beginning to percolate.\n\n"Will you make it up to me? I want to show you off to them. Who you really are."\n\n[[I'll be there for you.|A2-Din]]

"So you don't have it in you to break up with your fiancee. Why is that?"\n\n[[I have to see how things turn out.|SD-2C]]\n[[She's too innocent. She'd be devastated.|SD-2B2]]

"No... They love you, Marvin."\n\n[[That's good.|A2-ReturnC4]]

What's the best you can do? Be the perfect man.\n\n[[Step one of which, is...|AX-23112]]

...\n\n[[Look, I know that was supposed to go another way. Took the wind out of me, too.|AX-3]]

...\n\n[[But we have to be realistic.|AX-4]]

"Are you telling me I have to grow up?"\n\n[[Yeah, maybe I am.|AX-5A]]\n[[I... I think I'm just confused. Of course I'm not saying that.|AX-5B]]

"The basement. Come along."\n\n[[...|AX-7]]

She arrives at a man-sized object covered in a blanket, and uncovers it to reveal... some kind of statue.\n\n"Of course, it's not finished."\n\n[[It's--|AX-8]]

"Don't. I'm not about to hear it. Some people define art as I have, and I don't care how you define it. Understand? Ask me, I'll tell you that coming into one's own isn't a singular narrative, nor is it a temporal one."\n\n[[That was the one insult I should've never leveled against you?|AX-9]]

"I may have seen it coming."\n\n[[Maybe a kernel of truth, then.|AX-10]]

<small>JESSICA: Good. Meet me at my place tomorrow night.</small>\n\nGood work.\n\n[[I'll be there.|B1-RobertX]]

"You mentioned something about 'taking things too far?'"\n\n[[Since recanted.|A1-Inv10]]

"You say that a lot."\n\nShe places the photo back, and stands, approaches. Within an instant, she's too near.\n\n"'So what can I do for you,' is your real opener. Go ahead -- try it."\n\n[[What can I do for you, Jessica?|A1-Inv9]]

"What I do... I kill people. Not for a job, or for money. Almost for sport, maybe."\n\n[[...|A2-Pier12B3]]

You’re not alone. Somebody’s inside the house.\n\n[[Casey... would’ve announced herself.|A1-Inv4]]

Hold on a sec--\n\n[[I know.|A1-Inv3]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-NoHome2]]

"If you believe that Casey learning the truth is lesser a punishment than being delighted by my company... then I suppose it is."\n\n[[You're right. I'm sorry.|A1-Inv8]]

Jessica sits in the living room, sitting on the edge of your chair, a foot up on the coffee table. She's studying one of the picture frames from the mantel.\n\n"Hello, Marvin."\n\n[[Isn't breaking and entering taking this a little far?|A1-Inv7]]

That could solve some -- no, goddamn it. Stick to the plan.\n\n[[If only...|A1-Inv6]]

Don’t call out.\n\nThere’s a baseball bat in the bedroom. Though it’s probably fairly deep in the closet.\n\n[[I'm not gonna hit Jessica with a bat. Although...|A1-Inv5]]

Yes, but less stupid.\n\n"Here."\n\n[[Thank you.|B2-28A11]]

"..."\n\n[[Your happiness is beautiful, Casey. When that's at risk, I'll fight you on anything, even this.|AX-17A5]]

"It's more what could've been."\n\n[[Hm. There's always a story to tell.|Credits]]

She gets in the car, drives away.\n\nI don't care where you run now. After that show, I have no doubt she'll hunt you till the end, and make it worth the trip. You and Casey both.\n\n[[It wasn't a show.|B2-Save13A3]]\n[[No other option.|B2-Save13AX]]

Really.\n\nYou think you can handle this? And what about Casey?\n\n[[Jessica and I will have to disappear. That'll be part of it.|B2-Save13A4]]

You got a lot going on up here now. I'm bristling.\n\n[[I can't wait for her to return.|Credits]]

"You need to own what you've done. And... I know you can."\n\n[[Really?|SD-Caught10andahalf]]

She shakes her head.\n\n"Soon as I found out you were using me as some cheap thrill... my heart sank. It was less the exploitation, and more... I like you, Marvin. Honest. So here I am. Still hoping that what you were on Friday wasn't just a facade."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[It was.|SD-Caught12B]]\n[[It wasn't.|SD-Caught12A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[It was.|SD-Caught12D]]\n[[It wasn't.|SD-Caught12C]]\n<<endif>>

"I know things have been crazy. Believe me -- you think I operate well under pressure? You know, stress marks are unbecoming..."\n\n[[It's you, Casey. Okay?|A2-Fight2]]

Silently, moving toward her. Holding breath... Hands rise to her mid-section as she pulses back and forth, elbow punching out at you. //Wait for the correct beat--//\n\n[[...|B1-KillingJessicaThroat2]]

I'm telling you, man...\n\n[[Don't worry.|B1-Lecture]]\n[[You're right. I'll do something else.|B1-Office2]]

"I'll have the eggplant parmesan. Glass of water."\n\n"And you, sir?"\n\n[[I'll also have the eggplant parm.|SD-CaughtEggplant]]\n[[I'll go with the Cachaca Grilled Chicken.|SD-CaughtSpicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Carbonara.|SD-CaughtWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Fettucine Alfredo.|SD-CaughtWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Lasagna.|SD-CaughtWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Linguine with Oil Garlic and Parmesan.|SD-CaughtSpicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Ravioli.|SD-CaughtWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.|SD-CaughtSpicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti.|SD-CaughtSpicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Stuffed Manicotti.|SD-CaughtWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Tortelloni.|SD-CaughtWaiter5]]

//"What? Oh God -- no!"//\n\nWith a quick, practiced motion, she slits his throat.\n\n[[...|B2-KilledChris2]]

"//Yeah, just talk...//"\n\n"Okay then. Where do we begin?"\n\n[[Talk about your family.|B2-Family]]\n[[Talk about repentance.|B2-Repent]]\n[[Talk about yourself.|B2-Yourself]]

"That poses a problem. But I appreciate the honesty."\n\nOne of the boots is hovering, aligning. It hasn't looked so heavy. Eclipses the light overhead. What's she doing?\n\n[[She's gonna crush my skull.|Credits]]

"There's a knife in your hand."\n\n[[It was from earlier. Jessica -- that really hurt.|B1-JessicaKilling4B2]]

Just gotta hope your last words to her were memorable.\n\n<<if visited ("B2-KCA9BX")>>\s\n[[I said what I had to.|Credits]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Yeah.|Credits]]\n<<endif>>

You want to call her to say good-bye.\n\n[[Yes.|B2-Save13AX3]]\n[[No.|B2-Save13A4]]

"Ha. Yeah. I haven’t had my coffee yet."\n\nSo what’s the call?\n\n[[Hey, Casey -- do you have a minute?|CaseyX]]\n[[I’ll break into her damn house first.|BR-Start]]\n[[I’ll head to the old school first. Get some drugs.|Hunt1]]\n[[Neither -- I’m going back inside.|Casey-Inside]]

"So... you fucking might as well, right?"\n\n[[What do you think, Jessica?|B2-KillingChris]]

"Good night, Marvin."\n\nOkay. Easy.\n\nLet’s go home.\n\n[[...|A-2]]

The kitchen.\n\nOn the table, your cell phone. And a note.\n\n[[What's this?|A2-32A2]]

For a second date? Well. You’ve been out of the game a long time. But you still know how to read a woman. //The body language, the patterns of silence, speaking with the eyes...// She wants to see you again.\n\n[[Good night, Jessica.|A-1A3]]

"..."\n\n[[Before... You talked about becoming someone. Was that just bullshit?|B2-Wake20]]

With one last //squee//, it's over. Jessica stabs him in the eye, and rips the knife down through his mouth. Leaves the thing standing like he died with a stogie hanging loose.\n\n[[...|B2-KilledChris2]]

Hm. On this little table, the headshot of some woman, dated six years ago. Some handwriting on the back.\n\n[[She’s pretty. I’ll read it.|BR-Protege2]]\n[[It’s probably nothing.|BR-WorkoutRoom0]]

"I'll give you some time alone."\n\n[[We appreciate it.|SD-5]]

The kitchen.\n\nOn the table, your cell phone. And a note.\n\n[[What's this?|A2-32A2]]

Loud and clear, boss.\n\n[[Okay.|Casey-5A]]

"Really?"\n\n[[I'm gonna show you //quiet//, the way I hear it.|A2-Pier12A2]]

"I'll give you a shot."\n\n[[Thank you.|B1-SavingRobert]]

"That reminds me."\n\nSuddenly, she gets up and out of bed<<if visited ("A1-21A")>>, kicking at her slippers until they're on<<endif>>.\n\n[[Where are you going?|AX-5B4]]

"You're a new variable, and you're fucking confusing me."\n\n[[Jessica...|B2-Bad3]]

"Tomorrow? Gosh..."\n\n[[...|AZ-3]]

"I mean, we're only beginning to think it out..."\n\n[[But we //are// getting married.|AZ-4]]

"Good. Come on."\n\nShe extends her hand, and you take it.\n\n[[Make it memorable.|B2-Bad8]]

"No, no. I understand."\n\nShe slits his throat. A string of blood leaps clean and rains lightly on the concrete floor.\n\n[[...|B1-RobertA10B4]]

And together you go, back into the basement.\n\n"Why?"\n\n[[So you don't have to kill Casey. She's innocent.|B2-Bad9A]]\n[[So you'll always remember me.|B2-Bad9B]]

"You're trying to save your own life."\n\n[[It's possible. But I could always disappear. I could do that, Jessica. //Or//... I could stick around to see if there's anything more to this story.|B2-Wake19]]

"All ears."\n\n[[What if we just let him go?|B1-RobertA10BA4]]

"He's a child rapist, and will do untold harm to a hundred individuals in his time."\n\n[[Then let the proper authorities take care of it. A prosecutor puts him away, she doesn't go home with post-traumatic stress. Please.|B1-RobertA10BA5]]

She produces a knife from nowhere, dangles it over his face. He closes his eyes...\n\n"And if he starts talking about what he saw today? You're now at risk too."\n\n[[Then you kill him. Easy. But you've given him the scare of a lifetime. He probably had no idea there were people like you, capable of taking him at any time. Watching him. Prison would actually be a haven.|B1-RobertA10BA6]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-RobertA10BA7]]

"Alright."\n\n[[Really?|B1-RobertA10BA8]]

"There he is."\n\nYou can't just walk up to the guy. Somehow he'll sense a creepiness in you.\n\n[[You wouldn't happen to know any of his buddies, would you?|Hunt1-10B3]]

"Well, I suppose he and Brian Wishman are on the team together. Dale Matting. Kent... Brig... Brigman?"\n\n[[Thank you, Dr. Sayle.|Hunt1-10B4]]

"Really?"\n\n[[What are we leaving behind?|A1-Home17B2]]

"Seems inevitable, these conflicts. It's all litigation and termination. People need to be careful, but how do you know?"\n\n[[Right.|Hunt1-10B7]]

"She's on the damn team, for Christ's sake."\n\n[[Good-bye, Professor.|Hunt1-12]]

"Per your paper, Marvin... There are things you do, and things you don't."\n\n[[Excuse me?|Hunt1-10B5]]

"You ever hear of that high school coach who was fired for not giving the girl on the team her own locker room?"\n\n[[No.|Hunt1-10B6]]\n[[Oh, I think so.|Hunt1-10B6]]

What? Jesus Christ, //no!//\n\n[[Maybe the things I've been saying about her haven't been some elaborate lie...|B1-FuckingGreat7B2]]

Okay then. Take the knife. Save Casey.\n\n[[I got this.|B1-KillingJessica1]]

Sitting back down.\n\nCasey gives you a peck, and hugs you.\n\n[[...|A1-End4A2]]

"You're talking to the exact right person."\n\n[[Good-bye.|Hunt-11B]]\n[[My hat's off, you petulant fuck.|Hunt-11B]]

Walking along the white tile, soaring skylights beam overhead.\n\n"She was pretty weird, huh?"\n\n[[Yeah.|B1-Mall2]]

"So I run up against this ethical dilemma. This isn't the kind of thing they teach in Intro to Journalism. How do I confirm this source? Who else do I talk to? It's her word against his."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11A13]]

"Perfect! Bye!"\n\n[[Yeah, see you.|A1-13A9]]

"You were enough to appeal to my imagination. There were good elements, and voids."\n\n[[...|SD-2A5CWaiter]]

"You look in a rush. Come over here."\n\n[[Alright.|Casey-14_2A2]]\n[[I should really be going.|CaseyFastEnd]]

When your life's at risk? And what about Casey, then? How long can you keep her safe at arm's length like this?\n\n[[Goddamn it.|B2-BreakUp]]

She never had it.\n\n[[I can change.|B2-FeelsWrong4]]

//In what universe?!//\n\nYou're saying 'no, I don't want any part of what you do,' because //'what you do,// if you need to be reminded -- is //killing people!//\n\n[[And in doing so, I ensure she continues killing. She loses that support.|B2-FeelsWrong3]]

Jessica turns to him. "Give us a minute."\n\nHe shrinks and gets taken by the wind.\n\n[[...|SD-CaughtWaiterBad3]]

You didn't. Now you're a murderer.\n\n[[He was a rapist.|B1-RondoB2]]

"I get it, you know. I was normal once, I was even in your position -- set to marry someone I loved. I understand you don't want to irreversibly change your life... And I'm pretty much a lost cause, right?"\n\n[[Yes.|B2-Wake16A]]\n[[No.|B2-Wake16B]]

She flinches as you drop to your knees, look up.\n\n[[Please don't kill me. I swear I won't tell anyone. Who would I tell? I don't know people!|B2-BadY2]]

"As with most people, I've found, I know just enough about you to know nothing."\n\n[[Damn it.|B2-BadX2]]\n[[Please, Jessica...|B2-BadY]]

"You aren't happy out west?"\n\n[[We could always be happier.|A1-Home17B4]]

Casey steps back, shaking her head, looking off into the horizon. "I already ran, Marvin. And if you’re suggesting we stay here? You’ve got it precisely backwards."\n\n[[Anywhere. Everywhere.|A1-Home17B3]]

"We'll see."\n\n[[...|A1-HomeEnd]]

"Oh God -- it was your dad, I'm sorry. Right? Which one was it?"\n\n[[My dad.|B2-Wait3A]]\n[[My mom.|B2-Wait3B]]

We're not even exactly sure //what// we saw last night. It looked like a killing. Maybe it was a fake. For some kind of video.\n\nDo you remember the last time you heard about a female serial killer?\n\nJust play it safe for now.\n\n[[...|A-46]]

I'm gonna go ahead and walk you through this.\n\nMarvin the Brave calls the police.\n\nThe police investigate Jessica.\n\nJessica gets mad -- they found nothing.\n\nJessica kills Marvin.\n\n[[...|A-Police3]]

Christopher's dead. She's out there, letting it sink in.\n\n[[It didn't seem to affect her at all. And I'll guess she's not one for 'shock.'|B2-Rondo4]]

"Do you... want to talk?"\n\n[[Sure.|B2-29A2]]\n[[No.|B2-29B1]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-29]]

She handles him carefully, moving him to the table. It's lit from above. Dust glittering amidst the otherwise sterile corner. The far window is covered up by a tarp.\n\n"It's up to you."\n\n[[...|B1-RobertA9]]

She lays him on his back, laces more rope through the lattice of bondage holding him firm.\n\n[[So what's his story? <<if visited ("B1-RobertAA1")>>That'd help, I think, if I knew what he did wrong.<<endif>>|B1-RobertA10]]

It’s possible, though that’s pretty sick.\n\nFamily vacations, weddings -- two kids growing up throughout. One bearing increasing resemblance to Jessica.\n\n[[I see.|BR-PhotoAlbum3]]

Little Jessica graduates high school and... poof. It stops -- half the album left, it’s half-empty.\n\n<<if visited ("A-44A3")>>\s\n[[Half-full, you’d say.|BR-PhotoAlbum4]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[That is Jessica though. Maybe there’s a sequel photo album.|BR-PhotoAlbum4]]\n<<endif>>

"I'll walk you through every step of the process."\n\n[[Why don't we start with weapons training?|B1-RobertA7]]\n[[... Okay.|B1-RobertAA1]]\n

"How did you imagine this going?"\n\n[[Okay, okay. Fine. How do you want me to do it?|B1-RobertA8]]

<<if visited ("A-44A3")>>In this case, I’m not so sure.<<else>> Yeah, maybe.<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[Let’s see what else is around.|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Let’s see what else is around.|BR-LivingRoom3]]\n<<endif>>

Turn the corner at the end of the stairs and the blood collects more and more to this -- what's this? A guy. Another one of these guys. Bound and gagged on the floor. Covered in blood, gashes opened in bruises shaped like... they kinda make him look like a black and red map of the continents.\n\n[[Holy shit...|B1-RobertA4]]\n[[Who's this?|B1-RobertAB1]]

You hit the ground with a gunshot in your ear -- as the high-pitched wail drills in your ear, the pistol clatters to the ground against a far wall.\n\n//She must have hit it out of your hand...//\n\n[[//FUCK!//|B1-Gun2A8]]

"From the beginning, it seemed obvious... what I had to do. What //you// had to do, really. What this relationship was gonna be like. Not to be the center of the universe or anything..."\n\n[[...|A2-RunEndX]]

"Are we deviating from our path, Marvin? Because if we are, it terrifies me to consider what that original path was like."\n\n[[...|Credits]]

"And pretty soon you don't //have// a present."\n\n[[A2-RunEndY2]]

"He's pretentious. Kind of a dick."\n\n[[You've talked with him?|B1-RobertA10C2]]

"I know scum when I see it. And as soon as she gets back, I'm telling her."\n\n[[I can't wait to see it. Glad you have nothing better to do.|SD-SpikedEarly5B]]\n[[You know what? You're lucky we're outside. I'm pouring it out.|SD-SpikeEarly5A]]

"Well, let's see. He talked about the science of psychiatry. How he sees it anyway. I kept debating him on his approach so then he started talking about what was on television last night. He watches reality TV, and actually writes into those game shows, with complaints. He's been doing that for years, has never gotten an answer back."\n\n[[Does he have any family?|B1-RobertA10C4]]

"I talked with you, didn't I? Part of recon is the assessment. I met with Robert a number of times as a 'worried parent.' You complement what you find on his criminal history with who he is otherwise... you make your decision."\n\n[[Keep going.|B1-RobertA10C3]]\n[[Wait, what do you mean 'you talked with me?'|B1-RobertA10CA1]]

"I don't know. Does that help?"\n\n<<if visited ("B1-JM12")>>\s\n[[He might be a monster, but there's more to him. Maybe the chance for redemption.|B1-RobertA10D1]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Sure...|B1-RobertA10C6]]\n<<endif>>

"He has a sister in this city. <<if visited ("B1-JM12")>>I wonder if they watch the same shows..."<<endif>>\n\n[[...|B1-RobertA10C5]]

"So. How will you do it?"\n\n[[I'll get it over with quick.|B1-Quick1]]\n[[I'm gonna make him suffer.|B1-SlowPainful1]]

Producing a knife out of nowhere, she extends it your way.\n\n[[Okay.|B1-RobertA10C7]]

Car door slams shut on her side.\n\nShe looks at you in order to deliver her little sigh -- one of relief.... uncertainty.\n\nSo sad. This is what she dreamed of, and its only electricity is from the fear.\n\n[[It's the promise of something better -- that which we don't have now.|A2-RunEnd3]]

"Okay."\n\n[[I’ll break into Jessica’s house first.|BR-Start]]\n[[I’ll head to the old school first. Get the damn drugs.|Hunt1]]\n[[Neither -- I’m going back inside.|Casey-Inside2]]

Jesus, she's laser-beaming the shit out of you.\n\nNext words out of your mouth are life and fucking death.\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[I think he had the wrong table.|SD-2AWrongAnswer]]\n[[You were late. I got nervous. If we had to postpone, I gotta start the worrying all over again.|SD-2AWaiterBad2]]\n[[Did you see that guy? What a stupid kid!|SD-2AWrongAnswer]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[He... he must've had the... wrong table...|SD-2AWaiterBad2B]]\n[[You... were late, you know? I got nervous. I'm nervous!|SD-2AWaiterBad2B]]\n<<endif>>

"So preoccupied... I planned every step, and every permutation of each step. But then you start to worry about yourself. Thinking... boy, I spend a lot of time thinking about the future, I don't think much about the present..."\n\n[[...|A2-RunEndY]]

"This has to mean something."\n\n[[It will.|A2-RunEndW]]

"..."\n\n[[Casey?|A2-RunEnd5]]

"As a kid... before I had a job, and a boyfriend I loved... I could be a fulltime worrier. About the future."\n\n[[...|A2-RunEnd6]]

She approaches -- tearing each foot off the concrete floor, the blood underneath thick and dry.\n\n"I kept him alive for as long as he stayed with me."\n\n[[...|B2-Wake12]]

"It would all be based on parts of myself, so..."\n\n[[You want to die? Talk about your family, then.|B2-YourselfRepentanceFamily]]

You're sure?\n\n[[Yes.|FDrugs0]]\n[[No.|Casey-4B3]]

Head down to the old university when you're up for it.\n\n[[And intel?|Casey-5C]]

"Where?"\n\n[[Anywhere. Everywhere.|B1-Run7A5]]

"Where is this coming from?"\n\n<<if visited ("B1-ConRun")>>\s\n[[Maybe divine intervention -- I'm inspired, and I want to kickstart this. The place you describe... let's find it.|B1-RunWin]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[What are we really leaving behind?|B1-Run7A6]]\n<<endif>>

"A lot, actually."\n\n[[This is what you want to do. Why wait? One day we're gonna wake up and wonder.|B1-Run7A7]]

"I don't know... this is so sudden. You're kinda freaking me out. I mean... just up and leave? It's not like you."\n\n[[It's because you don't know me. Let me show you.|B1-Run7A8]]

"Serious how?"\n\n[[Serious like the rest of our lives serious.|B1-Run7A3]]

She sits up.\n\n"Out with it, mysterious ghost."\n\n[[I want to run away.|B1-Run7A4]]

"Good night, Marvin. We can talk... about this in the morning..."\n\n[[...|B1-RunFail]]

Surging to your feet, flipping the table over, knocking over chairs, people, grandmas, puppies--\n\nShe turns, on the exact beat. "What?" At the edge of the restaurant.\n\n[[Don't do this, please.|B1-3A2]]

And gone.\n\nYou're really just gonna let Casey die?\n\n[[She's not really gonna //kill// Casey.|B1-3BA1]]\n[[Sure.|B1-3BB1]]\n[[No, I don't know what I was thinking.|B1-3BC1]]

"I'll miss class..."\n\n[[This is more important.|Hunt-11B6]]\n[[Yeah, probably not a good idea. I'll see you.|Hunt-11BA]]

"What? From school?"\n\n[[There are people out there who understand what you're going through. That charmer, Rachel? She's evidence enough that this place is poisonous. Your life right now is about your education, Alison. It doesn't have to be confined here, as you are.|Hunt-11B5]]\n[[Never mind, I'm sorry.|Hunt-11BA]]

"Yeah, I... maybe I'll think about it."\n\n[[Look, your boyfriend... Do you think you could tell me the name of his broker? The one who gave him the pills?|Hunt1-11B7]]\n[[Consider it. Good-bye, Alison.|Hunt1-BB]]

"You weren't there."\n\n[[I'm not gonna pretend like this is something that'll just go away. But maybe you should take some time off.|Hunt-11B4]]\n[[You're right. Good-bye.|Hunt-11BA]]

"Is that what I did? Courage?"\n\n[[Nothing that happened is your fault.|Hunt-11B3]]

"Do you love her?"\n\n[[No.|B1-Con18]]

"Doesn't change anything."\n\n[[I'm playing the sensitive fiance. Some bulldog starts attacking, what am I supposed to do?|B1-Con17]]

"..."\n\n[[This is what this whole thing has been about. Petty fucking jealousy.|B1-Con16]]

"And... //take care of it?// In your present state of mind? I'd say you're ill-equipped, but you did all the talking for me."\n\n[[You're jealous.|B1-Con15]]

"Don't you dare take that tone with me -- have you forgotten your place?"\n\n[[...|B1-Con14]]

She leads you, professionally, over to the storefront. Casey shrinks into a busy mall. Its ambience comes rushing back.\n\n[[So what the hell is all this? I told you I would take care of it.|B1-Con13]]

"..."\n\n"What?"\n\n<<if visited ("Casey-Casey")>>\s\n[[The charade. This princess thing.|B1-Con11A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[The charade. This princess thing.|B1-Con11B]]\n<<endif>>

Oh what? You're wondering if there's even gonna be a Casey around to save? One thing at a time.\n\n[[There's a //thing//.|B1-15A]]

"What do you want from me?"\n\n[[How about you talk about yourself.|B2-FamilyRepentYourself]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n<<if visited ("B1-13A3")>>\s\n[[I love you.|B1-Con11A24]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I love you.|B1-Con11Z]]\n<<endif>>

You told her not to go after a //child rapist//, in favor of this petty criminal -- this human being!\n\n[[A violent human being.|B2-Rondo6A3]]\n[[Yeah, maybe.|B2-Rondoo]]

Another arm, and two legs. Now he’s a red torso, no eyes -- just a maw frozen wide in silent terror.\n\nAnd she’s scrounging on the ground, collecting the limbs in a trash bag.\n\n//Now it’s really time to go.//\n\n[[Yeah.|A-16]]\n[[Hold on.|A-15A3]]

"But marriage is the solution, obligation though it may appear sometimes."\n\nCasey shifts. "What are you saying?"\n\n[[...|B1-Con11A21]]

Fine. Just wonder, however briefly, when Jessica runs into a jam, and the stakes become high for her.\n\n[[I've done it before. I'll be ready.|A2-FuckHer4]]

You used her.\n\n[[The stakes were high.|A2-FuckHer3]]

"I know I'm speaking out of turn, but let's admit that this consultation has been... //electric//. I mean to say that at some point in our lives, we have to commit. When the path ahead is structured in a binary, well... it's a good kind of problem."\n\n"I agree. Even if there's no guarantee of fortune. Profit either financial or mental."\n\n<<if visited ("Casey-Casey")>>\s\n[[Then let's combine them.|B1-ConRun]]\n[[...|B1-Con10Fail]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Then let's combine them.|B1-Con11G]]\n[[...|B1-Con10Fail]]\n<<endif>>

"From the beginning? Last Tuesday, Alison here comes to me with a story about her boyfriend, now ex, Glen Hart. An athlete, of course."\n\n"Fuck you, Rachel."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11A10]]

You're sure? She could be playing you this whole time, just like you were with Casey.\n\n[[Maybe.|Credits]]

"You say that now because you're sober."\n\n"You little..."\n\n[[What happened?|Hunt1-11A8]]

"What... specifically did you take issue with, Alison?"\n\n"You quoted me out of context."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11A6]]

"Premeditated at first -- you rubbed off on me. I wanted a punching bag, so I went with the pedophile, not the robber."\n\n[[I'm sorry, Jessica.|B2-Wake15]]

Tiny little corner classroom. Sitting down with Alison and a fella yella, some girl.\n\n"So, Alison. You're unhappy with the story we ran. You want to print a retraction?"\n\n"Yes."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11A4]]

"And you, Marvin?"\n\n"Well, he deferred to me on this point."\n\n[[...|B1-Con10A2]]

"..."\n\n"Does it matter?"\n\n[[...|B1-Con10A2]]

"And be an obligation?"\n\n[[What did you do to him?|B2-Wake11]]

"Though some pain is significantly more profound than others."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Everyone is different.|B1-Con10A3A]]

So what's up? What are you doing?\n\n[[I'm gonna come clean.|CaseyX3A]]\n[[I just want to talk. Calm my nerves.|CaseyX3B]]

Alison walks off.\n\nHer boyfriend is Glen Hart.\n\n[[I'll ask Dr. Sayle, see if he knows him.|Hunt1-10A]]

"I don't really know."\n\n[[But you want to get away? When this is all over?|CaseyEnd]]

"You shouldn't be. Grabbing Christopher won't be some magnificent feat, but you need to hold it together, and not fuck anything up."\n\n[[Sorry.|B2-GoIn]]

...\n\n[[Mendoza's got a wife at home, maybe kids. He's an innocent citizen.|B2-Rondo6A5]]

"..."\n\n"Don't get us wrong though, Marvin. We got over the first hurdle. Casey's an artist -- that's something to be praised, and developed. But at this juncture, she seems to be stalling out."\n\n"It's none of your concern."\n\n[[...|B2-41]]

"Of course it's our concern, Casey. You're getting married -- things will have to change."\n\n"..."\n\n"Oh God..."\n\n[[Hey -- we can always have this discussion later.|B2-42]]

"..."\n\n"..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|B2-43]]

"It's so simple, Casey..."\n\n"..."\n\n"//Mom, you always say that!//"\n\n[[...|B2-DivEnd]]

Back home, inside.\n\n"Hey."\n\n[[Hello.|A1-15B2]]

"So. The schedule. Let's get this started."\n\n[[What do you... You mean write it down now?|B1-20ABC2]]

"Oh? You're stranding me here because you're... busy? You're gonna need to be more specific than that."\n\n[[No, I don't.|B2-CaseySuspicious]]\n[[It's work stuff. I'm sorry. I've been at it so long, I get bored just describing it.|B2-17B3]]

They buckle, rolling you over.\n\nOn your back, helpless turtle.\n\n//Here she comes.//\n\n"What the hell, Marvin?"\n\n[[...|B2-32D4]]

On the floor now. //What happened?// Blink -- feel your head. It's busted open, there's blood on your hand.\n\nFocusing on something dark. Two boots, spattered with blood. //How much... is yours now?// Try to get up--\n\n[[Arms weak...|B2-32D3]]

"I'll try not to ruin it."\n\nOne of the boots now hovering, aligning. It hasn't looked so heavy. Eclipses the light overhead. What's she doing?\n\n[[She's gonna crush my skull.|Credits]]

"No dignity, even in your death."\n\n[[It's called //going out swinging.//|B2-32D5]]

Perfect opportunity for Jessica to pick her up. You know the time and address. And those pictures looked pretty barren -- no witnesses.\n\nWhat's the call?\n\n[[I'll text Jessica.|B1-TextJess2A]]\n[[I can't do this.|B1-TextJess2B]]

"Shit. What do you think?" He says, straining against the bonds.\n\n[[How about yourself, then?|B2-RepentFamilyYourself]]

"I happened to have left a little sister behind, not to mention my mother."\n\n[[You regret it.|B2-RepentFamily3]]

"It isn't the same, Marvin. You should see that."\n\n[[Oh? Different scenarios, same degree of pain.|SD-Caught6BA]]\n[[Sorry.|SD-Caught6B2]]

"So, have you decided yet? I've been waiting here, if you haven't noticed."\n\n[[I have to stop this.|SD-2AA15CA]]\n[[I want to see you again.|SD-2AA15CB]]

"Why?"\n\n<<if visited ("Fem")>>\s\n[[That whole master/servant relationship, once gendered... unsettling to a new degree.|SD-2AWaitressA]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[That whole master/servant relationship, once gendered... unsettling to a new degree.|SD-2AWaitressB]]\n<<endif>>\s\n[[Never mind.|SD-2AA15andahalf]]

"..."\n\n[[Do you like this house?|A1-Din4]]

From the kitchen.\n\nCasey is cooking.\n\n"What do you think about a December wedding?"\n\n[[Why didn't you tell me you already had the stuff?|A1-15B3]]\n[[Sounds great.|A1-15B3A]]

"I guess it slipped my mind. I don't even remember asking you to get it. Why would I...?"\n\n[[Because you don't think I'm dependable?|A1-15B4]]

"Where's this coming from?"\n\n[[It's just frustrating, and... I've had kind of a frustrating day. To say the least.|A1-15B5]]

"I'll see what I can do about that. Soup's on."\n\n[[Alright.|A1-Dinner]]

<small>19 March 2012\n\nYesterday Marvin started talking to me. I think I did alright but I can't really remember it. All a blur.\n\nApparently he's only taking this class because he didn't know what he wanted to do. I had to restrain myself from laughing in his face. How could you come to college without knowing? You think college is gonna teach you?\n\nBut maybe this is good. I don't know. Maybe I could teach him.\n>^_^></small>\n\n[[//Previous//|A1-Journal7]] | [[//Next//|A1-Journal1]]\n\n[[//What a dick.// Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

"I'm kidding -- I don't give a shit. I'm almost done with dinner. Come on."\n\n[[Smells good.|A1-Dinner]]

She narrows her eyes, leans back. "I have thought about what it might become. But if this is some kind of intervention on my laziness, I’ll have none of it."\n\n[[I just wanted to see the process at work.|A1-Din8]]

"I don't mind the chatter. Though it is new. I might tire of it soon, but I'll warn you when I do."\n\n[[...|B1-Reluc3B2]]

"Not you? Where is this coming from, really?"\n\nShe <<if visited ("A2-FirstBU6")>>continues to grin<<else>>grins<<endif>>.\n\n[[Someplace finally honest.|A2-FirstBU9]]

"How handy are you?"\n\n[[More... How //imaginative// are you? And we’ll go from there.|A1-Din7]]

<small>9 February 2015\n\nWhen we talk about suicide, one of the things that comes up is cowardice. We condemn the act I believe in hopes that we curb future suicides. I watched a video recently about whether Christians who kill themselves will get into Heaven. The answer I believe was... yes. But don’t do it.\n\nCowardice and selfishness -- that’s what we call suicide because it ends one instance of suffering but transfers great suffering onto others. This person didn’t think about how their family would mourn, how their hearts would be broken -- the questions this would raise, the irreversible impact this would have on a family, forever stained by such darkness.\n\nBut how do we know if the suicide victim didn’t think of their family? Didn’t weigh the family’s future suffering against their own grief, and ultimately decide that there was this impasse. It might be selfish to do this, but why weren’t they there to begin with? The family might’ve asked questions, might’ve been interested... but people aren’t equipped to understand this kind of despondency.\n\nThis depressed person creates a world of their own, and no matter what, its first principle is isolation. Maybe they feel they couldn’t explain it, or that it wouldn’t be appropriate -- impossible to imagine, regardless.\n\nSpeaking generally, whenever there is a suicide, everyone involved in that person’s life is implicated. Not because they needed to somehow prevent the death, there’s only the call to broaden horizons, consider another person, in whatever limited capacity. Our immortal ability to live carelessly, purely self-concerned, is fatal. Life can be busy, I get it. People talk about taxes, mortgage, insurance, tuition -- we’ve crafted an idiotic system for ourselves and realized that there has never been a better one. What our greatest human society still cannot do is give people lives to live. Only the illusion.\n\nSo those people among them who become numb over a gradual period often can’t be contained within the lives of others. It’s not a blameless situation, but it’s not entirely on the suicide victim.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|A1-Journal6]] | [[//Next//|A1-Journal4]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

How long can you keep this up?\n\n[[...|Credits]]

"I’ll do my best, kid."\n\n[[Damn.|Credits]]

Jessica gets up and goes.\n\nSatisfied by what she's seen.\n\n"I love you," you hear Casey say.\n\n[[I love you too.|A1-End4A3]]

Like with any relationship, I suppose, one has to wonder -- //and what a time to do so//...\n\n[[What?|A1-End4A4]]

"You want to see her."\n\n[[I have seen her. It's Jessica... without the bloodstains. Can we get there?|B2-Wake21]]

"No, I'm killing her because I //had// fallen for you."\n\n[[And that makes sense to you?|B1-RescueX2]]

Silently, moving toward her. Holding breath... Tuck the knife into your belt and prepare to grab her, suffocate her. Hands rise as she pulses back and forth, elbow punching out at you. //Wait for the correct beat--//\n\n[[...|B1-KillingJessicaThroat2]]

She's seen enough. The charade failed.\n\n"Ahem," Casey says, standing, sniffing. She clinks her glass.\n\n[[...|A1-BackToRD4]]

But more pressing -- you saw it.\n\nShe's gone.\n\nJessica.\n\n[[...|A1-BackToRD3]]

"One final toast, to Marvin."\n\nShe'll be coming for you. Maybe not today...\n\n[[...|A1-BackToRD6]]

"Sorry, everyone. Just needed some fresh air -- I was feeling a bit overwhelmed..."\n\nLight laughter from the crowd.\n\n[[...|A1-BackToRD5]]

"We'll find it. Together."\n\n[[I'm not going anywhere.|Credits]]

"Marvin... Whatever it is we're looking for..."\n\nMaybe once you're back home.\n\n[[We'll run.|A1-BackToRD7]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-28B]]

Jessica is staring, hard -- at you.\n\nThe waiter recoils. "It was... he just... //bad joke//, sorry. I thought he'd... go along with it. I got five minutes before my shift is done -- I am //shot//. Why don't I take your orders real quick?"\n\n[[...|SD-2CWaiterBad2]]

"In terms of a third date? I must say, Marvin -- you haven't exactly been charming."\n\n[[...|SD-CWaiterBad3B6]]

"Well, that's certainly disappointing."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[So... What are you gonna do?|SD-2AA4BBFail3B4A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So... What are you gonna do?|SD-2AA4BBFail3B4B]]\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[...|B2-Chris1]]

"I'll be right back with a decision. If you're not here when I return, you'll have your answer."\n\n[[Shit...|SD-B1Monologue]]

And she sits back down.\n\n"So you know. Took me this long to figure it out..."\n\n[[That's right. But for Christ's sake, you couldn't make it more obvious, what you're doing down there! You think your neighbors don't notice the light in the basement?|SD-CWaiterBad3B4]]

"..."\n\n[[Just thought I might... I don't know.|SD-2AA4BBFail3B3]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-Din2]]

"I don't mind the chatter. Though it is new. I might tire of it soon, but I'll warn you when I do."\n\n[[...|B1-KillingJessica4Z]]

"We had some fun, though. I'll make it quick."\n\n[[Thanks.|Credits]]

"I can't trust you."\n\n[[Damn.|B2-Wait3D3]]\n[[Okay, okay, it was... because you were talking about having children.|B2-Wait3C2]]

You just need some time to rest, to think. Why don't you sit somewhere?\n\n[[I have to do something.|B1-TextFromJessX2]]

"Very good."\n\nAnd he goes.\n\n[[...|SD-2C3]]

"No?"\n\n[[Killing out of spite? Your family was murdered, weren't they?|B1-RescueX3A2]]

"What?"\n\n[[It's only right.|B1-Rescue5B2]]

"Okay, okay! Oh my God, let's do it! Let's go! What about my parents?"\n\n<<if visited ("B1-Run4")>>\s\n[[They'll be headed back home. They'll be fine.|B1-RunWin4A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[They'll figure it out.|B1-RunWin4B]]\n<<endif>>

Lot of green packaging. I think she’s some kind of vegetarian.\n\n<<if visited ("BR-BreakinReview")>>\s\n[[... Neat. What’s next?|BR-BreakinEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[... Neat. What’s next?|BR-Bedroom]]\n<<endif>>\n\n

She works from, what? 9-6? Just like you. But she's always gone in the morning.\n\n[[She goes out running early in the morning...|B1-TextJess]]

She hugs you, and your panting breath hammers her shoulder, now muffled, suffocating.\n\nYou hid it well, even as your hands shake and the world blinks in snapshots around you.\n\nBut you know you can't keep it locked up in here forever. The things you've done. Who you are.\n\nNo matter what tumbles out of your mouth in the persuant lifelong charade, I'll know our true self. And I'll be waiting to see him again.\n\n[[...|Credits]]

As the knife draws closer, he shakes his head like a dog with a bone, even through the jolts this sends through his body, flinging the triangles every which way, so you hold him still. Scoop his eyes out. The left you botched a little, sliced into it like a hard-boiled egg filled with a light jelly.\n\n[[Now to end it.|B1-SlashHeart]]

"..."\n\n[[Ohh... I can't stand it when I'm being //served// by some young woman.|SD-CaughtWaitress2]]\n[[...|SD-Caught11]]

"Follow me. She's in the basement."\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Ottomans")>>\s\n[[You go ahead. I need a minute.|B1-Rescue3X]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|B1-Rescue4]]\n<<endif>>

She sweeps it open. There's blood on her hands.\n\n"Now, this is unusual."\n\n[[I'd just like to say good-bye.|B1-Rescue3]]

"I'd like to talk about this in the morning, okay?"\n\n[[You promise we'll talk about it?|A2-Run8B3]]

"Of course."\n\nShe goes, flits up the stairs.\n\n[[...|A2-Run8B4]]

Do you believe her? Will she want to talk about it tomorrow -- be open to it?\n\n[[Yes.|A2-RunYes]]\n[[No.|Credits]]

Casey is tied to a chair, bloody and bruised, face gleaming from tears and sweat. Exhaustedly, she twitches her head to shake the gag loose, but it holds. The struggling must've had more conviction when this first started, and Jessica was doing unspeakable things...\n\nWhat's next? Arm yourself, or...\n\n[[Take me instead.|B1-Rescue5A]]\n[[I'm doing this.|B1-Rescue5B]]

And another sleepless night.\n\nLeast this way... you know there's somebody next to you.\n\n[[I love her.|A1-NoHome3A]]\n[[I'm getting married to her.|A1-NoHome3B]]

I can picture it.\n\nCasey in the morning sun. Outlined in the big window, hands curled around a mug.\n\nAnd she sees you approaching. Smiles...\n\n"Good morning."\n\n[[Surprised?|A1-NoHome8]]

And she might miss you.\n\n[[Okay. I'll try to get up.|A1-NoHome7]]

Maybe when she wakes... you'll be there with her. You'll see where she goes, what she does.\n\n[[She might value her time alone.|A1-NoHome6]]

"..."\n\n[[Oh God.|SD-2A5C9]]

"The one where I kill people."\n\n[[...|SD-2A5C8]]

"It's sitting in the back of my mind, but it's there. Is it possible... that Marvin knows my secret."\n\n[[Secret?|SD-2A5C7]]

"There it is again. I..."\n\nShe shakes her head.\n\n[[...|SD-2A5C6]]

"You're gonna be really tired."\n\nAnd you loop around her waist, draw her close.\n\n[[What do you want to do today?|A1-NoHome9]]

"It might. I don't know, Marvin... It just seems like you're trying so hard..."\n\n[[I gotta work my way up -- //back//, from who I am.|SD-2A5C4]]

"Well, now..." the waiter says upon his return. "She doesn't look so bad."\n\n[[Excuse me?|SD-2A5CWaiter]]

She won’t remember this conversation in the morning. Get some rest.\n\n[[Right.|A-41]]

...\n\n[[...|A-42]]

Yeah. You don't want to prove your point too early. Not a lot of drama if he's dead now.\n\n[[Not much at all.|B2-Chris22X2]]\n[[No, I mean -- I can't just kill someone!|B2-Chris22Z]]

For intel, you'll need to know who this person is, and... what kind of killer she is.\n\n[[Jesus this is fucking insane. Can you even hear the words coming out of your...|Casey-6]]

You're gonna need to know who this person is, and... what kind of killer she is.\n\n[[Jesus this is fucking insane. Can you even hear the words coming out of your...|Casey-6]]

Alright, whatever. And for intel, you're gonna need to know who this person is, and... what kind of killer she is.\n\n[[Jesus this is fucking insane! Can you even hear the words coming out of your...|Casey-6]]

"It's starting to make sense."\n\n"..."\n\n[[What is?|B2-KillingChris9]]

"I'm here, you know? And //fuck//..."\n\nHe starts to tighten up, whipping his head around as much he can.\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|B2-KillingChris10]]

"Oh, I get it. I mean -- //oh// -- I'm sorry, you two. I completely forgot about an appointment I made for this afternoon. I'll have to scoot for now..."\n\n"Okay."\n\nShit.\n\n[[So... that's it? You've made up your mind?|B1-Con10Fail2]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-Run3]]

But you have to.\n\n//Just a few red specks on the floor...//\n\n[[I'll figure it out.|B2-Chris24]]

The morning. No Casey.\n\n[[I feel bad.|A2-32A]]\n[[Whatever.|A2-32B]]

Tell Jessica, before she opens her mouth, that you love her, that you called off her wedding for her.\n\n[[Yeah, that would probably work.|A2-Rondo7X]]\n[[I can't do that. No matter what difficulties we have...|A2-Rondo7A2]]

Tell Jessica, before she opens her mouth, that you love her, that you called off her wedding for her.\n\n[[I can't do that.|A2-Rondo7A2]]\n[[Yeah, that would probably work.|A2-Rondo7X]]

"//What?//" Christopher now writhing, the rope pulling against his body...\n\nJessica, addressing him. "And then afterwards, we see if I feel bad."\n\n[[...|B1-KillingChris4]]

<<if visited ("SD-Waiter2AWaiterBad")>>Jessica doesn't break the stare. "Fine. <<else>>"<<endif>>I'll have the eggplant parmesan. Glass of water."\n\n"And you, sir?"\n\n<<if visited ("SD-Waiter2AWaiterBad")>>\s\n[[I'll also have the eggplant parm.|SD-2AEggplant]]\n[[I'll go with the Cachaca Grilled Chicken.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Carbonara.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Fettucine Alfredo.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Lasagna.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Linguine with Oil Garlic and Parmesan.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Ravioli.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Stuffed Manicotti.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n[[I'll go with the Tortelloni.|SD-2AWaiter5]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'll also have the eggplant parm.|SD-2AEggplantX]]\n[[I'll go with the Cachaca Grilled Chicken.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Carbonara.|SD-2AWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Fettucine Alfredo.|SD-2AWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Lasagna.|SD-2AWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Linguine with Oil Garlic and Parmesan.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Ravioli.|SD-2AWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti.|SD-Spicy]]\n[[I'll go with the Stuffed Manicotti.|SD-2AWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Tortelloni.|SD-2AWaiter5X]]\n<<endif>>

Do you think she'll come with you? And what if she doesn't?\n\n[[Too many questions.|A2-Run]]

\n\n\n<center><small>Special Thanks</small>\n\nAndrew Clabaugh\nCassandra Cuddy\nLester Mendoza\nStephen Ward</center>\n\n<center><small>[[Back|Start]]</center></small>

She's in the kitchen now. Tell her it's over.\n\n[[...|A2-FirstBU]]

Back home.\n\n[[Finally.|B2-GoodNightCasey3]]

"Did you know at the time?"\n\n[[I don't think I did. But the realization came early enough -- I could've put a stop to things.|A2-Secret3]]

"The things I've done..."\n\n[[...|A2-Secret4]]

"I'm sorry, Marvin. I can't do it."\n\n[[It's okay.|A2-Secret5]]

She spins around. "I'm crazy. Just crazy."\n\nAnd stops. Opens her eyes.\n\n"One more impossible -- could you see me again?"\n\n[[...|A2-Secret6]]

She may be letting you go.\n\nShe may also be heartbroken if you walk away.\n\n<<if visited ("A2-5B")>>\s\n[[I want to make this work. That requires me... staying alive.|A2-Secret7]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[And then she'll kill me.|A2-Secret7]]\n[[And she'll be heartbroken.|A2-Secret7]]\n<<endif>>

"..."\n\n[[I believe in you. No matter what this secret of yours... You're worth it.|A2-Secret8]]

"You have no idea what that means to me. I mean... feel like I struck gold on this one. You're not pushy..."\n\n[[Curious, certainly. But that's for when the time is right.|A2-Return]]

"But clearly something did come over me. I can see it now."\n\n[[Your two halves, huh?|B2-BreakUp4A4]]

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. But..."\n\n[[...|B2-BreakUp4A3]]

"Will it stay with you?"\n\n[[...|B2-BreakUp4A6]]

"It's not what I wanted, Marvin. I wanted to restrain myself, but..."\n\n[[What you did down there can't be excused. It has to stay with you forever, otherwise...|B2-BreakUp4A5]]

"Help me."\n\nShe speaks so softly... Not like she's ever before...\n\n"Please."\n\n[[I'll be here.|B2-Stay]]\n[[I'll think about it.|B2-Go]]

So. How much do you care about her, Marvin?\n\n[[Alright. I'll tell her it's over.|A2-Rondo7X]]\n[[I'm going to Jessica's.|A2-NoBreakUp]]

She won't have to.\n\nIf Casey doesn't tag along -- and //boy//, I'd love to see that pitch -- if you cannot convince her... Visualize the scene.\n\nCasey, in that basement, eyes sewn over, anticipating the knife but not knowing where it's gonna touch next.\n\n[[...|A2-Rondo7A5]]

But who could really say?\n\n[[I can still run. How far is she gonna chase me?|A2-Rondo7A4]]\n[[Fine. I'll do it.|A2-Rondo7X]]

You know it's what's best for Casey, too. <<if visited ("A2-Agree")>>That person you were tonight. You won't always be dancing on Jessica's strings. <<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("A2-Agree")>>\s\n[[That was not what I was doing.|A2-Rondo7A3]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Is that right?|A2-Rondo7B2]]\n<<endif>>

"Marvin, you really don't look so good."\n\n[[Casey, I'm serious. This is serious.|B1-Run7B2]]

What the hell are you talking about?\n\n[[I don’t know. I feel like Jessica kinda won me over.|A2-4]]\n[[Never mind. What... are //you// talking about?|A2-3A]]

She likes you. Loudly. You can’t walk away now! She wants you, and she trusts you enough that she’s even planning on telling you //she’s a serial killer// -- you bail out now, how’s that look?\n\n[[So what am I supposed to do?|A2-4]]

"Haven't been feeling much -- that's probably how it works, though. I'll know soon. Once he's in position."\n\n[[I believe in you.|B2-Chris27A2]]\n[[Okay.|B2-Chris27B]]

She shakes her head.\n\n"Fine. We'll wait a week, and go with that plan of yours."\n\n[[Thank you.|B2-Wake22]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-RunEnd2]]

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything."\n\n[[...|A2-End]]

Paintings on the walls, in darkness. Even in the light of your phone... they’re abstract. Blobs and streaks and maybe some faces.\n\n[[So what, I have to interpret this art? I was hoping this would be easier.|A1-Court10]]

"This might just be what I'm confined to. But -- //my God//. What you're going through, you don't need to hear this."\n\n[[Good-bye, Jessica.|A2-SBUA11]]

She shakes her head.\n\n"How am I supposed to believe anything you say? Not when your..."\n\n[[Eyes are on the line? Well, that depends on you, Jessica. Do you want to take the chance?|SD-2AA4BA11]]

"Sure! Sure! But... what if it's serious, and she maintains her old repose? How do I know if it's real, or egotism?"\n\n"I was just gonna say, it sounds like an issue of ego."\n\n[[...|B2-Chris10]]

"Hell. She is a doctor. No outside opinions welcome."\n\n"You trust her, right?"\n\n[[...|B2-Chris9]]

"I know how you see yourself -- a man in his prime, balanced on the edge of his future."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA22]]

"And this motherfucker, //Christopher//, he comes along every now and again to stick him up. At gunpoint. If he wasn't constantly robbed, Mendoza here might be able to afford a working security camera. The one in there's just for show."\n\n[[He's gonna hit tonight? Christopher?|B2-Chris4]]

"Guy in there's a handy fellow named Mendoza. He doesn't employ many teenagers, so he's often up all night, away from the wifey."\n\n[[...|B2-Chris3]]

I know you haven't noticed, but night has fallen between Jessica's house and here.\n\nStaked out in her car, we're parked across the street from a tiny convenience store along an empty road.\n\n[[...|B2-Chris2]]

Voices now overheard, navigating the shelves.\n\n"She's got some kind of cold right now. I hope it's not the flu."\n\n"She see a doctor?"\n\n[[...|B2-Chris8]]

Pounding on Jessica's door.\n\n...\n\n[[...|B1-Rescue2]]

<<if visited ("B2-TheParentLie")>>"I guess so."<<else>>"We can go in."<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("B2-TheParentLie")>>\s\n[[Alright.|B2-Wait]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'm ready.|B2-Chris6]]\n<<endif>>

"I've been tracking his movements. No pattern, just whenever he runs out of money. He'll be here."\n\n[[So we wait?|B2-Chris5]]

//BZZT// -- Jessica, calling.\n\nSooner than expected.\n\n<<if visited ("A2-3A")>>\s\n[[I got it.|A2-JC]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I got it.|A2-JC]]\n[[Fuck that.|A2-NoJC]]\n<<endif>>

"You go home... you have a life, and responsibilities."\n\n[[I do.|SD-Caught12D3]]

She swirls into the light. Black apron, gloves. Mask. Scalpel.\n\n"What are you doing in here, Marvin?"\n\n[[I forgot you said you were on vacation, and I just kinda let myself in...|BR-BreakinEnd11A]]\n[[I was looking for some insight into your character. So as to avoid pissing you off at our date.|BR-BreakinEnd11B]]

I don't know... how you'll make it back to her.\n\n[[I'll figure it out.|B2-KCA9BX2]]

"Then attend to them."\n\nShe isn't telling you to split -- it's a command.\n\n[[What are you talking about?|SD-Caught12D4]]

"..."\n\n[[Come back with me, Casey. I'll do everything I can to show you happiness. At the very least, you will see mine, and maybe you'll be inspired. I'll be your muse.|A1-EndB6]]

Whatever it comes to...\n\n[[...|B1-GoodNight2B2]]

You saved her life.\n\n[[It's not a guarantee, she leaves me. I'll do my best, but... if it's not good enough...|B1-GoodNight2A2]]

"You’re not a bad guy. Probably just confused. Frustrated even."\n\n[[I needed someone to talk to.|A-52]]

"But don’t spare a word my direction -- this pertinent info. I mean, shit -- now you’ve made it //an affair.//"\n\n[[I don’t...|A-51B2]]

"You're gonna have to prove it to me."\n\n[[What?|SD-2AA27]]

"That you //are// the right man for Casey."\n\n[[Okay.|SD-2AA30]]\n[[Why?|SD-2AA28]]

Call Jessica right now.\n\n[[//I'll be up in a minute!//|AX-19]]

"Yes?"\n\n[[Catch you at a bad time, or is that impossible?|AX-20]]

"So you claim to be a certain Marvin. If you want to convince me, I'll have to see it."\n\n[[See what, exactly?|SD-2AA27]]

"So?"\n\n[[Do you know what the //long dream// really does?|AX-12X]]

"Focuses it!"\n\n[[Every other potential job becomes inadequate because it isn't precisely //the one//. And where are you then?|AX-14]]

"More... clashing ideologies."\n\n[[So where are you expecting to take this?|AX-11]]\n[[But no, I mean this is really good.|AY-3AX]]

"I have a job. You don't have to worry about my financial -- //our// financial future."\n\n[[You hate your job.|AX-12]]

"..."\n\n[[Yes.|AX-17A]]\n[[No.|AX-17B]]

"Yes, //Ms. Duncan//."\n\n"Whatever Marvin is paying you -- I’m buying you. Okay?"\n\n[[Casey, please -- don’t do this out of spite.|B2-Con11B6]]

"..."\n\n[[You honestly believe //every// ad agency out there would make you this miserable? Every desk, every office, each housing millions of equally miserable people...?|AX-15G]]

"Is that what it did to you? //The long dream?//"\n\n[[...|AX-16]]

"What’s the difference?"\n\n"..."\n\n[[It’s -- the nostalgia aspect. Casey is from Boston.|B1-Con10A]]\n[[...|B1-Con10B]]

"Ah, well //Floral Rolander// here has accommodated tropical themes, despite otherwise specializing more wintry--"\n\n"It’s a more //northeast// thing. We’re bringing Cape Cod to California."\n\n[[...|B1-Con9]]

"So, Casey. Where were we?"\n\n"Oh... Floral designers."\n\n[[...|B1-Con4]]

"Have a seat, Marvin," Jessica barks in that age-old way, though it passes right through Casey. //Just another one of those quirks. What a quirky lady. You gotta be if you’re an artist of fashion and lifestyle...//\n\n[[...|B1-Con3]]

"Hey."\n\n[[Hi. Hello. What’s going on here?|B1-Con2]]

"But -- to the arrangements, the decorating, the artistic beyond color?"\n\n"It’s actually kind of hard to imagine... much of anything, with this green and pink. Though, I mean... to take a look, these arrangements are... I just, I would never. Do you have any other examples from these florists?"\n\nJessica’s eyes narrow. Casey -- she still doesn’t sense anything deeper. Not the evil, not the sadism. Not the bubbling anger...\n\n[[They’re only flowers, honey...|B1-Con7A]]\n[[...|B1-Con7B]]

"I tried to select photos based on a preliminary discussion with Marvin on colors, but... of course, things have since changed."\n\n"I //would// rather blue, for flowers."\n\n[[...|B1-Con6]]

"Yes, excellent. I have these three here -- let me dig up some samples. ... Yep -- I’ve done business with these three for years."\n\n"These photos are lovely."\n\n[[...|B1-Con5]]

"So you know. That... fucking explains everything. Christ..."\n\n[[Answer the damn question.|SD-Caught6BA5]]

"I'm not sure. But I'll come up with something... If you're not here by the time I get back... you'll have your answer."\n\n[[Fuck...|SD-B1Monologue]]

Gone for good, now. Same stride. Down a ways, down the escalator, past the pretzel stand, and out of sight.\n\nBack to Casey.\n\n[[Yeah.|B1-Con21]]

"Strange woman. What are you gonna do?"\n\n[[What?|B1-Con22]]

"Want to check out the bridal store? Just to stop in?"\n\nIt //has// been hanging in her vantage the whole time, gleaming with its sequins.\n\n[[...|B1-Con27]]

Stark white, but for the hard wood floor. Walls and walls of dresses.\n\n[[...|B1-Con28]]

"Oh, don't you worry, Marvin. You will see me again."\n\n[[//Motherfucker...//|SD-Caught6BA3]]

"What was that?"\n\n[[That's it, huh? That's enough to kill a man?|SD-Caught6BA4]]

"If so... Maybe that's true love, huh?"\n\n[[You're talking to the expert here.|Credits]]

"Do you think that... once you don't return home... she'll have me investigated?"\n\n[[I don't know.|A2-32C7]]

"The table."\n\n[[Alright.|A2-32C6]]

Casey, in slow-motion, scrambles to her feet and stumbles off and climbs up the stairs.\n\nJessica, having watched her go, now turns her attention back.\n\n[[Shall we?|A2-32C5]]

"Only if I can kill you instead."\n\n[[Fine.|A2-32X]]\n[[Never mind. You can kill her.|A2-32A9]]

He eyes you with -- suspicion for a moment, and then terror.\n\n"She'll kill you too."\n\n[[...|B2-KillA6]]

Watching the planes against the setting sun. A romantic thought you're thinking.\n\n[[I can always run. Casey and I. Should this untangle more gnarled than it began.|B1-Airport3]]

Time to go.\n\n[[Of course.|B1-ThirdDate]]

"There's a knife -- just cut me out of here!"\n\n[[That's not really what I meant.|B2-KillA5]]

"You gotta help me, man..."\n\n[[I'm gonna try.|B2-KillA4]]

She carefully takes the gag out.\n\nFree, he works his sore jaws over.\n\n"I'll be right back," Jessica says, and vanishes.\n\n[[...|B2-KillA3]]

Look at that. You made her smile.\n\n[[So you're nervous about becoming a mother?|B2-18]]

"Right. So even now, when you want me to uproot my entire life... no explanation needed. I don't get it, Marvin. I'd love to know what was up, but... you've become predictable. Just come to bed. We'll talk about it in the morning."\n\nShit.\n\n[[...|B1-RunFail]]

"Look, why don't we talk outside? It'll give you some time to think, and I can yell out there. Come on."\n\n[[Okay...|B1-WokeCasey3]]

The bedroom. <<if visited ("BR-Bedroom")>>Never noticed, but she's very neat. Doesn't throw her dirty clothes all around like Casey... <<else>>The air is thick. It's -- you know what? It's pretty neat in here.<<endif>> <<if visited ("BR-Dresser2")>>Hands to yourself, now. You had your fun in here.<<endif>>\n\n[[Hello?|B2-17B1]]

But Casey is still in danger here. And she's the one you love. She's the one you fell in love with.\n\n[[Yeah. You're right.|B1-FuckingGreat7A]]\n[[If I ever really did.|B1-FuckingGreat7B]]

Knife on the sink. She's out there, probably cleaning up the mess. You can gauge the disposal process from what she's doing, her supplies.\n\nIf you're sure this is you.\n\n[[There's still a question here.|B1-FuckingGreat5]]

You're not thinking...\n\n[[It's just that I understand her now. I feel what she feels. It's incredible.|B1-FuckingGreat6]]

So that's it. You've done it.\n\n[[She was gonna kill me. And besides, if my goal in this is killing Jessica, inevitably I become a murderer.|B1-FuckingGreat3]]

//But so easily...//\n\n<<if visited ("B1-7A")>>\s\n[[Push a man, right?|B1-FuckingGreat4]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[It felt natural.|B1-FuckingGreat4]]\n<<endif>>

This is gonna hit you hard.\n\n[[//Yeah.//|B1-3Y2]]

"People come and go."\n\n[[Yeah.|Credits]]

It’s on you. The plan is: once she drops the bomb, you walk away in horror. So you have to make yourself the person she refuses to go after. Simply cannot bring herself to pursue.\n\nBuild that image of //Marvin// she holds so dear, tailor it, so you can be devastating in her most vulnerable moment.\n\n[[Christ. Alright, I’ll do it.|A2-JC10]]\n[[//No!// I can’t do it!|A2-JCX]]

I mean, there are no guarantees, but the best arrow you got is that she’s fallen for you. If all goes right, that’ll make you invincible.\n\n[[Bullshit.|A2-JC9]]

This is the opportunity to finally escape.\n\n[[Okay then. Walk me through it.|A2-JC8]]

No problem here. She’s just hastening things.\n\n[[She’s gonna tell me her secret. And then I’m really stuck. How are you so calm?|A2-JC7]]

"Thank you."\n\n//Boooop//\n\n<<if visited ("A2-5B")>>\s\n[[Excellent.|A2-Pier]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Shit.|A2-JC5]]\n<<endif>>

"Something big. Could you meet me tonight? On the pier?"\n\n[[Yeah, of course. I’ll see you there.|A2-JC4]]

"It’s been eating at me. I... want to tell you something."\n\n[[Okay.|A2-JC3]]

"Well, my name's Christopher. And I'm a dickhead. What's your name, and what variety of head are you?"\n\n[[Damn it, Christopher...|B2-RepentYourself2]]

...\n\n[[...|A2-SecondBU2]]

"And keep going. Just like that."\n\n[[Just like that...|A1-RD]]

"A boat?" She turns back, laughing softly.\n\n[[We'll take a ride out.|A1-NoHome11]]

"Why don't you come over?"\n\n[[That's it, huh? Dead man walking...|SD-2AA4BBFail3B4A2]]

"I'll think about it. Excuse me."\n\n[[...|SD-B1Monologue]]

Fuck her?\n\nJesus, she's gonna die!\n\n[[I did what I had to do.|A2-FuckHer2]]

So you're gonna let this ruin you? This shall be your end?\n\n[[How much more would a person have to do?|B2-Rondo6B3]]

That's the spirit, champ-o.\n\nNow get in there and break this girl's heart.\n\n[[Fuck...|B2-BreakUp]]

"..."\n\n[[Waiting would kill us.|B1-RunWin2]]

<<if visited ("A-GuestRoom")>>The office, guest room, whatever... it's cluttered. As usual. <<else>>The office is cluttered. Not by her work and her little toys, but... shit. It's all the decorations and crap. The crib takes up the whole corner by the window. Boxes of baby clothes -- gifts from her parents. She's not even pregnant.<<endif>>\n\nCheck the computer.\n\n[[Yep.|B1-Office2]]

So what's the plan?\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[Now's as good a time as any. I'll spike her drink.|SD-Spike]]\n[[Sit and wait. I'm officially retired from taking risks.|SD-NoSpike]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[No plan. Just sit and wait.|SD-NoSpike]]\n<<endif>>

Remember this? Knocking on this door.\n\n[[Yes.|B1-8]]

I don’t see another option. You don’t follow up on this, Jessica will kill Casey. To that, I can get graphic if you keep waffling.\n\n[[Fuck it, //it’s into the sunset// time. Time to get Casey.|A2-EarlyRun]]\n[[Alright, goddamn it. I’ll do it. Goddamn it.|A2-JC10]]

Now regained, he continues.\n\n"That kind of connection is hard to recognize. You don’t expect it. But Marvin found Casey, or Casey found Marvin, as the case -- the situation, may be... and they’re married in Hawaii, one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I haven’t been this happy since that fateful day, and I wish them the very same."\n\n[[...|A1-RD21]]

"To Casey and Marvin!"\n\n[[...|A1-RD22]]

Ready?\n\n[[Stop asking me that.|A1-RD23]]

Without warning, you’re on your feet. Trembling.\n\n[[...|A1-RD24]]

Jessica -- despite the colors, she stands out now, beaming her smile right through your skull.\n\nShe wants you to fuck up. Give her a reason she flew all this way.\n\n[[...|A1-RD25]]

And Casey. She sits, looking up at you, wiping the moisture from her eye with a single finger.\n\n[[I'd like to say a few words as well...|A1-RD26]]

...\n\n[[First, you know, I’d like to thank everyone for coming, my parents here, Casey’s parents, Candice and John...|A1-RD27]]

...\n\n[[I’m a little bit nervous...|A1-RD28A]]\n[[I’m feeling good right now. I’m in a good space.|A1-RD28B]]

The harpies. Would they notice if she didn't show up?\n\n[[Notes by the phone.|B1-OfficeKitchen3]]

Before you go, maybe send that text out.\n\n[[I'll text Jessica.|B1-TextJess2A]]\n[[I can't do this.|B1-TextJess2B]]

She cocks her head, regards you with suspicion. "I love you too."\n\nAs if you'll be here tomorrow, and every day afterward. But you can already feel yourself fading away.\n\n[[Good night.|Credits]]

"Yeah."\n\n[[I love you.|A2-RunGood12B6]]

"We'll figure it out, Marvin. These things take time."\n\nAnd she too, heads up the stairs.\n\n[[Casey.|A2-RunGood12B5]]

"Good night, everyone," Casey says, waving her parents away.\n\nThey retreat back upstairs.\n\n[[...|A2-RunGood12B4]]

"Wow -- caught up in the moment."\n\n"..."\n\n"That's a hell of a talent you got there, Marvin. What got into you?"\n\n[[Something like divine intervention.|A2-RunGood12B3]]

The words echo, seem to bound through the building and back again.\n\nJessica is staring you to death, imperceptibly. Turns to Casey.\n\n"Apologies, Ms. Duncan. Marvin and I need a word over by the Shiri's Bridal."\n\n"Sure."\n\n[[...|B1-Con12]]

"I don't know, Marvin."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA23B7A2]]

"I suppose you'd like to know." She stands. "If you're not here when I return... you'll have made my decision for me."\n\n[[...|SD-B1Monologue]]

Casey is leaning against a countertop, elbow-deep in a tub of rocky road. Beside her sits mint chip, a spoon in it.\n\nWithout looking up, "Mint chip, or rocky road?"\n\n[[Casey, we need to talk.|A2-FirstBU3]]

She glances up at you, mouth full, and takes a moment to register the gleam in your eyes.\n\n[[...|A2-FirstBU4]]

She starts to grin, in spite of herself -- seeing you standing there, trying so hard to say something. It's like you're very bad at charades.\n\n[[I think we have to call off the wedding.|A2-FirstBU5]]\n[[Any other flavors?|A2-NoBreak]]

"What do you mean? Oh -- fucking hell. It was them, wasn't it?"\n\n[[No, no -- it's... I took an inventory of my life tonight, and... I'm sorry. This isn't me.|A2-FirstBU8]]

She puts the ice cream down.\n\n"Sure. What's up?"\n\n[[I think we have to call off the wedding.|A2-FirstBU5]]\n[[...|A2-FirstBU6]]

"You need more time?"\n\n[[No, it's... the whole thing. I can't do it.|A2-FirstBU7]]

"Get up."\n\n[[What?|SD-2AA4BBFail3A2]]

"..."\n\n[[I know you're here to kill me.|SD-2AA4BBFail3B2]]\n[[I want to be with you.|SD-2AA4BBFail3A]]

"Marvin... Why don't we go to bed, and we can talk about it in the morning?"\n\n<<if visited ("A2-PissOffParents")>>\s\n[[Please don't...|A2-Fight]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Please don't...|A2-Nice]]\n<<endif>>

"If we're smoking, we smoke Camels. Plus, we're saving money now, right?"\n\n[[Yeah, sorry. I forgot to stop by the store.|A1-15A4]]

From the kitchen.\n\nCasey is cooking.\n\n"What do you think about a December wedding?"\n\n[[I know winter weddings are cheaper stateside...|A1-15A3]]

There it is. You see it?\n\nOkay -- 32 hours. That's right, she's off Monday. What's she do on Monday?\n\n[[Goes out with her friends.|B1-BedroomKitchen2]]

"We're not having this conversation. Or did you think we were?"\n\n[[Fuck... You know?|B1-3BB2]]

"This is where you come in. You need to play the part of the concerned spouse, the seriousness of her absence slowly creeping on your already very fragile, very convincing self. You call her work, her friends, family, desperation breaking in your voice with each 'have you seen Casey?' Report her missing once we're done with her."\n\n[[Won't that complicate things?|B1-19A2]]\n[[Jesus.|B1-19AB2]]

"I don't want you to."\n\n[[Whatever.|B1-19A]]

A busy counter. Papers, some other garbage.\n\n[[A quick look-see.|BR-BusyCounter]]\n[[What else is there?|BR-Kitchen2]]

"Oh, before you go in there..."\n\n[[Yeah?|A1-Dinner2]]

"Then from one beast to another..."\n\nIt’s been good, pal.\n\n[[Yeah.|Credits]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-32B2]]

"You know, we talked about you tonight. At dinner."\n\n[[And I take it I spoke for myself?|A2-ReturnC3]]

Paystubs in the kitchen. Basics. Or you could check for clues in the bedroom. There's also the office.\n\n[[I'll start with the kitchen.|B1-Kitchen]]\n[[I'll start with the bedroom.|B1-Bedroom]]\n[[I'll start with the office.|B1-Office]]

...\n\nThis is awkward. Waiting like this.\n\n[[...|Hunt1-12A2]]

Dormitory.\n\nTory is set up like it's an office. Nude photos everywhere, some of them framed. He's wearing a shirt and tie.\n\n"In the market for GHB. How honored you'd consider our little neck."\n\n[[It's my alma mater. Don't bloat yourself.|Hunt1-13A2]]

"Thank you, Casey." Finally vindicated.\n\n"Don't encourage her."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A1-D8]]

"Sure about that, skip?"\n\n[[I'm sorry -- I say these things, I don't even know where they come from.|SD-Caught6B2]]

"So in these anthropology textbooks... you saw a big picture of //yourself// giving two thumbs up?"\n\n[[I...|SD-Caught8]]

"Okay. Let me go and I'll return home, make everything right. Otherwise we're all just kidding ourselves, right?"\n\n[[What do you think, Jessica?|B2-KillingChris]]

Some folders, some files.\n\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[What's this "Hiking Trail?"|B1-HikingTrail]]

"Oh?"\n\n[[You stay the hell away from her and let me handle it.|B1-3Z1A4]]

He says, softly, closing his eyes: "I'm sorry..."\n\n"Oh, man..."\n\n[[What do you think? Let him go?|B2-Save2]]

She shakes her head, and stands.\n\n"It's not so complicated, actually. It's you, though. You're throwing me off."\n\n[[...|B2-Bad2]]

"You really mean it."\n\n[[...|A2-Nice2]]

"Stressed? Then why don't you talk to me? You skipped out on dinner tonight -- that was... really shitty. Is this what we're doing?"\n\n[[I guess so.|B1-CFOAA1]]\n[[I should've been there.|B1-CFOAB1]]

"If it isn't Marvin. //Just what the hell can I do for you today, Marvin?//"\n\n[[I'll do it.|B1-3Z1A3]]

"But there must be something deep down..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Now, Jessica -- I know it's your job. But try not to be too //leading// with your questions. You wouldn't want to make Casey into something she isn't.|B1-Con11A6]]

"Really?"\n\n[[That's right.|B1-CFOAA1]]

Take a breath. You did good.\n\n[[This ploy isn't gonna hold for long.|B1-6]]

"Meet me at my place tonight. Good-bye Marvin."\n\n[[...|B1-3Z1A5]]

"Very good. I will be back with that." He leaves.\n\n[[...|SD-2A5CWaiter6X]]

Sitting back down.\n\nCasey gives you a peck, and hugs you.\n\n[[...|A1-End2A2]]

"Oh my God, you're shaking. You're sure you can do this? Here."\n\nShe places the phone on the table.\n\n[[Ah, yes. Thank you...|SD-13]]

Jessica's in the living room.\n\nLounging on a chair, her feet kicked up on <<if visited ("BR-Ottoman")>>the handgun ottoman<<else>>an ottoman<<endif>>.\n\n[[How are you feeling?|B2-BreakUp3]]

"I may need more time..."\n\n<<if visited ("B2-KillingChris7")>>\s\n[[And that's just the thing. //More time?// You killed somebody!|B2-BreakUp4A]]\n[[Oh?|B2-BreakUp4B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[And that's just the thing. //More time?// You killed somebody!|B2-Bad]]\n[[Oh?|B2-Bad]]\n<<endif>>

"Oh this is good..."\n\nMendoza trembles. "//But, Miss... You don't understand, he, he has a...//"\n\n"//Now//, Mendoza."\n\nAnd just like that, he disappears.\n\n[[...|B2-Chris18]]

A long drive, and home again.\n\nThe top floor is dark, but the living room window is lit. She's there, waiting.\n\nYou got a story, storyteller?\n\n[[I've skated this far by lying. I'll cook something up.|B2-28B2]]

"What is this shit? You want to kindly fuck off?"\n\nJessica bares her teeth in a slow-curling grin. "Mendoza, the back room. Don't call the police."\n\n[[...|B2-Chris17]]

"Ready?"\n\n[[I'm ready.|SD-JessicaReturn2]]

"Oh, don’t be so //forward//, Marvin. You’ve been behind her back all along, spearheading this affair. In other words, it’s time to let the girl be herself."\n\n"Thank you. Yeah, these are... not great. Anything else?"\n\n[[...|B1-Con7A2]]

"Keep talking."\n\n[[It’s just... a lapse. In judgment. In character. Believe me, I know -- I’m a bad guy.|A-51A]]\n[[I’m looking to move on up.|A-51B]]

//Boooop//\n\nI think you did alright. You’re impressing me non-stop on this.\n\n[[Thanks.|A-54]]

"That’s not the kind of talk we had."\n\nKeep her happy.\n\n[[Wasn’t it? It was a first date. A trial. I’m looking to be convinced, and frankly -- you might be the one to whisk me away.|A-52A]]

Hmm. Seems impossible there wouldn’t be one sooner or later. But to have it immediately, I mean... that’s your luck, I guess.\n\n[[This is bullshit.|A-56]]

Down to brass taxes, she knows you’re having an affair, she knows you’re a real stand-up guy. She even sounds somewhat testy. But -- she still wants to see you again.\n\n[[Sounds like a recipe for murder. Think I'm walking into a trap?|A-55]]

Just breathe, come on. Lunch on Monday, nice crowded restaurant, daylight -- you’re doing great! Just...\n\n[[THIS IS BULLSHIT!|Casey-1]]

"You know I'm a serial killer. Somehow... you caught me."\n\n[[//Shit//...|SD-CWrongAnswer3]]

"You know we're about to get married, right?"\n\n[[Casey, I am so sorry. It will never happen again.|Casey-Affair7]]

She looks up at you -- her eyes are red, close to running.\n\n[[Mercy.|B2-BreakUp10]]

She walks off, in a daze, back to her car. It seemed like her mouth was still moving, almost talking to herself.\n\nIt's possible you project an aura of psychic confusion.\n\n[[It's called 'American manhood.'|B2-KCA9BX2]]

"Good night."\n\n[[...|B1-RunFail]]

Back to Jessica. Straighten up -- your posture.\n\n[[Sorry about that.|B2-28A2]]

"Katie Long?"\n\n[[Yeah.|B1-MallX2]]

Jessica turns to him. "Give us a minute."\n\nHe shrinks and gets taken by the wind.\n\n[[...|SD-CaughtWaiterBad3]]

Next words out of your mouth and life and death.\n\n[[He... must've had the... wrong table...|SD-CWrongAnswer]]\n[[You... were late, you know? I got nervous. I'm nervous!|SD-CWaiterBad2]]

"Yeah, that's happening."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Even with your life on the line? Sounds like a story.|B2-Family2]]

You quick-draw and squeeze the trigger--\n\n[[//AGH!//|A2-Gun2B2]]

"I'll go easy on you."\n\n[[I love you too.|Credits]]

You unlock the door<<if visited ("BR-Start")>> -- man. Nice to have keys to do this -- //heh//<<endif>>, and turn to see Jessica carry a squirming Christopher toward you. He's quiet now -- muffled.\n\nIt's a gap of about twenty feet, from the car to the front door, where she's visible to the neighborhood. No outside lights though -- it's completely dark.\n\nEven still, it's hard to say how she hasn't been caught yet.\n\n[[How have you not been caught yet?|B2-KC4A]]\n[[...|B2-KC4B]]

"I'm glad you said that."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA15CB2]]

"You're lying." She shakes her head -- that schoolmarm again. "You're lying to yourself, and you don't even hear it."\n\n[[I'm sure about this, Jessica.|SD-2AA15CA2]]\n[[You know what? You're right.|SD-2AA15CB]]

"I wouldn’t kill her — she would never find me. Though in a possible ending scenario, if she becomes a killer, I may have to revisit."\n\n[[...|BR-BreakinEnd12B4]]

"I'll have to decide." She stands. "If you aren't back when I return... you'll have made my decision for me."\n\n[[...|SD-B1Monologue]]

I got that feeling, man. You’ve been in here too long.\n\n[[What?|BR-BreakinEnd2]]

"That’s our way to be sure. Gather yourself, Marvin. By the //gurglies//, I’ve always assumed this hurts."\n\n[[Shit...|BR-BreakinEnd12A6]]

"I’m not interested in the act, but the perpetrator. You’re not the usual quarry, sure, but there’s no accounting for your future. More specifically, there’s no //you// accounting for your future."\n\n[[Yeah, because I’ll be dead.|BR-BreakinEnd12A5]]

"I'm doubtful we'll ever see it, but... It would be a test."\n\n[[All the responsibility, none of the credit?|B2-15]]

Well, you gave it a good shot.\n\n[[Yeah. I guess so.|Credits]]

"I get it, yeah. But I just think that... motherhood would be a test."\n\n[[All the responsibility, none of the credit?|B2-15]]

She's not in bed.\n\nHer car was in the driveway -- but she's not here.\n\n[[Out walking then.|B2-GoodNightCasey2]]

"//Fff...// How far would you go, Marvin? To keep your head above water?"\n\n[[... I may be a liar, a cheater, and now a petty criminal, but... it’s not the same as being a killer.|BR-BreakinEnd12A4]]

"It’s always just murder. Sometimes you gotta kill for a reason, and sometimes you gotta kill to ensure the former. You know."\n\n[[Know what?|BR-BreakinEnd12A3]]

You lacerate his face seven times. Each time his muffled screams are less recognizable as human. You could actually lift a few skin triangles right off him.\n\n[[Now I'll gouge out his eyes.|B1-SlashGouge]]\n[[Now I'll stab him in non-fatal areas.|B1-SlashStab]]\n[[No, it's time to end it.|B1-Heart]]

"I have a few regrets."\n\n[[Okay. How about repentance, then?|B2-YourselfFamilyRepent]]

"Myself? Well, my name's Christopher. And I'm a hypocrite. Just ran the hell away..."\n\n[[...|B2-RepentFamilyYourself2]]

"An email."\n\n[[The filters came down at work. Emails were circulating with //all manner of naked flesh// and... I knew I wouldn't be able to explain if you'd seen it. I'm not doing a great job even now.|B1-WokeCasey5]]

"You were worried how I'd react?"\n\n[[Of course.|B1-WokeCasey6]]

"So what’s new with you two? We fly all the way across the country, and don’t even pass over any water -- just to see you!"\n\n"..."\n\n"Nothing’s changed."\n\n[[...|A1-D9]]

"That’s how it should be."\n\n"How it //will// be. So get used to it."\n\n"Ah, yes. I know.."\n\n[[...|A1-D10]]

"Okay -- I'm impressed. Quick turnaround. Women are wishy-washy, or so they say. Regardless, what kind of wedding is this?"\n\n[[It's... We're going down to Hawaii.|AX-23A]]\n[[Good-bye, Jessica.|AX-23B]]

"You couldn't have called tomorrow?"\n\n[[It's a sure thing. And it wasn't easy.|AX-22]]

"What's the news, Marvin?"\n\n[[Tomorrow we set the date.|AX-21]]

Sitting now -- at the head of the table. Pretty unusual. We're always eating in front of the TV. //If// we eat together... and when we are at the table, we’re across from each other.\n\nAt current it’s Casey on one side, against the wall, and her parents opposite.\n\n[[...|A1-D3]]

"So, Casey." Candice cocks her head when speaking. "Your father and I have been having an ongoing discussion."\n\n"Ugh, here we go," John says, with what seems like a light grin. But maybe isn’t.\n\n"And what would that be?" Casey -- decidedly no grin, light or otherwise.\n\n[[...|A1-D4]]

Mornings would be the perfect time for Jessica to pick her up. You know the time and address. And these pictures look pretty barren -- no witnesses.\n\nWhat's the call?\n\n[[I'll text Jessica.|B1-TextJess2A]]\n[[I can't do this.|B1-TextJess2B]]

"At least I put the effort in."\n\n"It’s misguided. I think if it’s too //much// effort, you’re doing it wrong, Candice..." John glances over at you with these poking remarks.\n\n"I think it’s great, Mom. Really."\n\n[[Yeah, you know... A lot of these sites are intuitive, but may require an Internet vocabulary you’ll find... unfamiliar.|A1-D7]]\n[[...|A1-D7B]]

"Yes, thank you."\n\n"Don’t encourage her." He laughs, suddenly. But just unenthusiastically enough not to grate.\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A1-D8]]

"//I// think that kids are getting smarter. And he disagrees."\n\n"Just because //you// don’t understand social media websites, doesn’t mean those who do are suddenly more sophisticated."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A1-D5]]

"Well..."\n\n"She was trying to speak with someone online. A disaster. I’ve never seen her so flustered. But she kept going."\n\n"Once she starts something..."\n\n[[...|A1-D6]]

"Very good."\n\nAnd he goes.\n\n[[...|SD-Caught4]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-Conversation]]

"Ma'am, this creep put some stuff in your drink."\n\n[[Look, //dude//. I don't know what you think you saw...|SD-SpikeEarly6]]

"You alright?"\n\n[[I'll be fine.|B1-16]]

"Promise me."\n\n[[I promise.|B1-Robert0]]

"So you really meant it."\n\n[[Casey. No matter what, I will be there.|B1-Con31]]

"Well. Things have changed since Friday."\n\n[[What can I do?|SD-2AA2]]

You gotta get her.\n\n[[I'm going.|A2-32B2X]]

He shakes his head furiously. I think there was a double negative in there, but the point's still made.\n\n[[Do you believe him, Jessica?|B2-Save7]]

"Ah jeez, here we go. Well, my dad left us when I was five. And then I followed up some time later."\n\n[[...|B2-YourselfRepentanceFamily2]]

"..."\n\n"And what //am// I?"\n\n[[You’re my fiancee, Casey, and I love you.|B1-Con11B3]]

"So. How will you do it?"\n\n[[I'll get it over with quick.|B1-Quick1]]

Producing a knife out of nowhere, she extends it your way.\n\n[[Alright.|B1-RobertA10A2]]

Seems pretty straightforward. "I'm gonna kill your fiancee," I believe it was. You want to parse any ambiguity out that one?\n\n[[It's bullshit.|B1-3X2]]\n[[So what do I do?|B1-3Z1]]

"It's an impossible story. How do I tell it?"\n\n[[From the beginning, I guess.|A2-Story]]\n[[Sometimes we treat our secrets like lifeforce. You know I'd be better off keeping mine.|A2-Secret]]

"..."\n\n"Jessica."\n\n[[...|B1-Con11B5]]

If you really believe that, Casey's as good as dead, for Christ's sake. How many different ways you want it?\n\n[[So be it.|B1-3Z1B2]]

Alison storms off, crying.\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11C3]]

"That's what I needed just before quitting time."\n\nYou still need the name of the dealer, don't forget.\n\n[[What a bitch. So Rachel, you know where to buy weed around here?|Hunt1-11C4A]]\n[[So Rachel, you know where to buy weed around here?|Hunt1-11C4B]]

jquery:off\nhash:off\nbookmark:on\nmodernizr:off\nundo:off\nobfuscate:off\nexitprompt:on\nblankcss:on\n

"That explains a lot."\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[So what are you gonna do to me?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So what are you gonna do to me?|SD-2AWaiterBad2B6B]]\n<<endif>>

"Yes?"\n\n[[Why did you come today? Really?|SD-2A4]]\n[[Do you ever like... get really angry?|SD-2A4B]]\n[[Do you have any hobbies?|SD-2A4B]]

"Your own worst enemy."\n\n[[So.|SD-2A3]]

"It won’t make sense in words. It’s possible it will never... no matter what. Although, //shit, that sounds...// Call it a test of tolerance, then. That’ll be good for us."\n\n[[We don’t need to be tested.|A1-Din14]]

"I saw something, Friday night. In a flash -- a very rare kind of person."\n\n[[Something I've surely jeopardized.|SD-2A5]]\n[[I'm still that guy.|SD-2A5C]]\n[[What kind of person?|SD-2A5B]]

"It’ll be winter..."\n\nThe smile fades, and she returns to her staring.\n\n[[...|A1-Home]]

"I don't know. Usually my tone is threat enough for fear o' God."\n\n[[I did have to fabricate some details about our night together. The thought of coming clean...|SD-2A5C5B7]]

"I understand. Marriage is a big deal. Even for idiots."\n\n[[You're not letting me off the hook, are you?|SD-2A5C5B8]]

"Just trying to solve this mystery. What was it like for you? Marvin the storyteller..."\n\n[[You want to know if I'm being real right now?|SD-2A5C5B5]]

"I swear to God, if you're blowing smoke..."\n\n[[You'll what?|SD-2A5C5B6]]\n[[I'm not...|SD-2A5C5B6B]]

"Anyway. So when you went home on Friday night... What happened?"\n\n<<if visited ("Drugs")>>\s\n[[I went home.|SD-2A5C5B3]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I... went home...|SD-2A5C5B3B]]\n<<endif>>

"Nothing else?"\n\n[[Looking for something in particular?|SD-2A5C5B4]]

"That depends. The choice is set: Jessica or Casey."\n\n[[Okay. I've decided.|SD-2AA4B]]\n[[Compressed to such a binary. Like I'm out shopping.|SD-2AA4]]

Figure out what she’s trying to say, or at least, fake it long enough to get Jessica off your back.\n\n[[Which will be... never.|A1-Court16]]

You notice that eyes are a recurring element in these things. Even in the abstract stuff. The non-human.\n\n[[Okay.|A1-Court18]]

Come on. She’ll get bored and give up once she has what she wants.\n\n[[Let’s hope so.|A1-Court17]]

Only because you don’t understand her art.\n\n[[Ha. Yeah, I guess that’s fair...|A1-Court12]]

You //wanted// to see pictures of some naked Dr. Handsome?\n\n[[If it would help. I’m getting pretty desperate.|A1-Court11]]

Casey’s an artist. She’s trying to say something with all this. Maybe she does it with a paintbrush because she can’t speak it — because she doesn’t feel she has anyone to say it to.\n\n[[Hm.|A1-Court14A]]\n[[That’s BS.|A1-Court14B]]

Good Lord. Still not getting it?\n\n[[What? Don’t be an asshole.|A1-Court13]]

Well, regardless, we can agree that she’s missing a piece.\n\n[[And I'll become that piece.|A1-Court20]]

What is she trying to see?\n\n[[The truth.|A1-Court19]]\n[[The world.|A1-Court19]]\n[[The future.|A1-Court19]]

"Not asking you to."\n\n[[Okay, so what then? Let's get going.|B1-18A2]]

No notecards, but it’s clearly not on-the-spot. Much rehearsed, to the best of his ability.\n\n"I remember when my Liz and I were dating, boy that seems so long ago... For this one in particular, I’d envisioned it -- you know, the perfect date. I was calling all kinds of hotels, asking friends, even taking long drives out to scope out these places..."\n\n[[...|A1-RD16]]

"Uh, hello everyone!"\n\nThe ambience evens to a low hum, with the tinkling of glasses and the silent, practiced bustle of the wait-staff.\n\n"Thank you very much for being here in celebration of Casey and Marvin’s wedding. My name is Isao, and I won't ask you to spell that... I'm father of the groom over there -- hello, Marvin. Very, very excited to um... be a part of this special occasion."\n\n[[...|A1-RD15]]

"So I considered rattling off the list of all that I’d done, how close I’d come, how much I wanted it to be perfect, but she just took me and said... //It’s okay//. Like everything I had to say, she saw it in my eyes."\n\n[[...|A1-RD18]]

"I wanted a nice view. Looking out over a city. That for just one night... it could be //us//, in a way. Long story short, it was nothing I could’ve afforded at that time, but me and my big mouth... I thought I'd burst into tears when I had to go to Liz and say, look, I have nothing. Thought for sure that was the beginning of the end..."\n\n[[...|A1-RD17]]

A toast to the bride. Jessica's here -- dance for her. Make one sweeping, romantic speech and //fucking mean it//.\n\n[[Got it.|A1-RD13]]\n[[I'll be doing that all weekend.|A1-RD12]]

People are settling in. This is your chance. Tonight. Now.\n\n[[Oh? What kind of //scene// do you want me to make?|A1-RD11]]

Your father is standing. It's time. Be ready.\n\n[[...|A1-RD14]]

You want to get a reaction out of Casey. Something Jessica will see, because that’s the part that really matters. You can say ‘I love Casey,’ all day, but there must be reciprocation, loud and clear.\n\n[[What if I fuck up, and she misinterprets it?|A1-RD12_2]]

He squints, scans his brain. "Uh..."\n\n[[...|A1-RD20]]

"And I’ll never forget... she said, "When I’m with you everything else just disappears. Try us in Paris, or New York, or Tokyo... //there’s only you//..."\n\n[[...|A1-RD19]]

This is what's best for her. Give her some time, and tonight, talk to her.\n\n[[...|A1-AfterDinner]]

Give her some time alone. And tonight, go easy on her.\n\n[[...|A1-AfterDinner]]

"We'll have to see."\n\nShe starts to untie the bonds affixing him to the table.\n\n[[//Christ...//|B2-Save8]]

This is it, man. Jessica's got Casey, and she must be pissed.\n\n[[Casey's dead.|B2-32A5]]

You gotta get her.\n\n[[I'm going.|B2-32B2X]]

"..."\n\n[[...|B2-Save5]]

"What do you think, Christopher?"\n\n[[Do you want her to pay you another visit? Or are you gonna leave that goddamn store alone?|B2-Save6]]

"To say what? Don't do drugs? Go to school?"\n\n[[I can't guarantee it'll always work, but if these people know that you're out there... that's deterrence. And if they get out of line... you're the reformation. //This//... is education, not termination.|B2-Save4]]

I’d applaud but I don’t want to encourage anything. Also I haven’t a pair of hands.\n\n[[I’ll start in the living room to the right.|BR-LivingRoom]]

Ah yes, the old credit card trick.\n\n[[We’re in. That was easy.|BR-4]]

That’s why we’re here.\n\n[[This should still work...|BR-3]]

"This isn't some caveman bullshit. This here, is civilization."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-13A9]]

"You know why men are on top?"\n\n[[Why?|Hunt1-13A10]]\n[[I have a feeling you're gonna tell me anyway.|Hunt1-13A10]]\n[[Because we're awesome.|Hunt1-13A10]]

"So this is like memory lane for you?"\n\n[[This? Not exactly. Let's make it quick.|Hunt1-13A3]]\n[[I wish.|Hunt1-13A6]]

"You like things fast, painless."\n\n[[Just what the fuck is your problem?|Hunt1-13A4]]

"I don't know. I think I'm high."\n\n[[You're a fucking loser.|Hunt1-13A5]]

"Noted."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-13A6]]

"Here it is."\n\n[[Alright. Jesus.|Hunt1-13A7]]

Handing him some cash. Just last week you paid cash at the grocery store.\n\n"You want to know something, man?"\n\n[[Fuck no, just give it.|Hunt1-13A8]]\n[[Sure.|Hunt1-13A8]]

"What are you, a fucking idiot?"\n\n[[Just impatient.|Hunt1-12A6]]

"You know what, fine. I'm on my way to the newsletter now, you can sit in. I don't care."\n\n[[Great, thank you.|Hunt1-11A]]

"I guess I can't blame you for seeing me this way."\n\n[[...|B2-BreakUp8]]

Night.\n\nStaked out in Jessica's car, we're parked across the street from a tiny convenience store along an empty road.\n\n[[...|B2-Chris2]]

"I'll be waiting."\n\n[[...|B2-Go2]]

//Boooop//\n\n<<if visited ("AY-3A5")>>\s\n[[So what next?|AX-23X]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So what next?|AX-2311]]\n<<endif>>

"It's not up to me. But I will //take the reins// of your fate if I have to."\n\n[[You'll kill her if I can't.|B1-JM8]]

"This is you, Marvin. This is why you came back to me and didn't run away. You had the choice, remember? And you chose."\n\n[[I know. So no second chances then, huh?|B1-JM7]]

"//Do?// Like some kind of master plan? Well. Do I look like a woman with a plan?"\n\n[[Then it's an animal thing. Something irrational -- can't be pieced out.|B1-JM6]]

Waking to an empty bed -- but that's typical.\n\n[[Maybe though, she's gone for good.|B2-32A1]]

Let's just hope she accepts you.\n\n[[We'll see.|B2-29BX]]

"Maybe in the morning, then."\n\n[[Sure.|B2-32Y]]

"That's how it began, anyway. But soon there was nobody left, so I had to make new marks. The bad people."\n\n[[And what are you trying to do with all this?|B1-JM5]]

"Nothing."\n\n[[...|B2-KC4A7]]

"I don't really talk about it, but... people needed to die, and they didn't see me coming."\n\n[[It was vengeance.|B1-JM4]]

"Nothing's changed. I'm not gonna kill you."\n\n[[What?|SD-SpikeEarly10]]

"We're going off looks, now? Of what people might be capable of doing? //I kill people//, Marvin. It's so far-fetched you'd do something //despicable// to save yourself!"\n\n[[So what happens next?|SD-SpikeEarly9]]

You want to fucking kill her for making you do that.\n\n[[Kill again?|B1-RondoA4]]\n[[I'll do more than that.|B1-RondoBA1]]

"Okay."\n\nShe gets out of bed.\n\n[[Where are you going?|AX-6]]

You have to be very careful, Marvin. If Casey gets wind of your infidelity, who knows how far she’ll go?\n\n[[I’ll do my best to keep them apart.|A2-Pier]]

She doesn't sit.\n\n"I'm inclined to believe him."\n\n[[Look at me. Do I look like the kind of person...|SD-SpikeEarly8]]

She turns her head to the guy. "Could you give us a moment?"\n\nThe guy nods, conspiratorially, and heads back to his table.\n\n[[...|SD-SpikeEarly7]]

\n\n\n\n<center><small>Written and Designed by</small>\n[[Harrison Chute|Credits_2]]</center>

She turns suddenly, angry.\n\n"Not good enough for you?"\n\n[[//No, no// -- it's just...|B2-KC4A8]]

"Here."\n\nShe hands you the glass, resumes her seat.\n\n[[Thank you.|B2-27A11]]

"I don't know, man. You want to write fucking essays about me... you'll have some trouble. Just some people, you know?"\n\n[[What do you think, Jessica?|B2-KillingChris]]

"Of course, of course."\n\n[[I'm continuing my education with some research -- paper on sexual assault on campus.|Hunt1-10A4]]

Dr. Sayle sits across a desk just devastated by generations of forests of paper. Beneath the pile we imagine there's some fungus cultivating. That'll be the death of him -- fitting, I think.\n\n"I was just on my way out, when who do I see?"\n\n[[Just glad you still remember me, Professor.|Hunt1-10A3]]

<<if visited ("A2-3B")>>Jesus, man. I mean, well... <<endif>>She’ll call you.\n\n<<if visited ("A2-3A")>>\s\n[[And I won’t answer.|A2-5A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[And I look forward to it.|A2-5B]]\n<<endif>>

Because we’re not out.\n\n[[How so?|A2-3A]]\n[[Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.|A2-3B]]

"They tried to kick him out. He's a very talented student. But this girlfriend of his, Alison Levi. Starts making very incendiary accusations."\n\n[[What does he look like?|Hunt1-10B]]

"You've come to the right place, apparently. You might have a chat with Glen Hart, a student who should be around. I know he's got class with Dr. Macer in moments. He's in the midst of the day's controversy."\n\n[[What happened?|Hunt1-10A5]]\n[[What does he look like?|Hunt1-10B]]

...\n\n[[...|Casey-1]]

"..."\n\n[[Forget me like I'd forgotten you, so many times.|B1-RescueX3A10]]

You killed her.\n\n[[I'm sorry.|Credits]]\n[[No. I did not.|B1-3Z1B3]]

She'll be in that basement. Strapped down to that table. //Screaming...//\n\nYou know she's there.\n\nBut you're not coming.\n\n[[I...|Credits]]

Upstairs now, in the bedroom.\n\nTape recorder on the nightstand.\n\n[[Such antiquated tech.|BR-Tape]]\n[[I’d better not touch it.|BR-Bedroom2]]

"But you are arguing. Why would you lie about a thing like that?"\n\n[[Because you were talking about having children.|B2-Wait3C2]]\n[[It just came out.|B2-Wait3D]]

//Pop//, the book slams shut, and she places it next to herself, calmly, before standing, equally as calm.\n\n"What?"\n\n[[This is very important. I want to leave with you.|A2-Run5]]

"Where to?"\n\n[[I mean for good.|A2-Run6]]

"Where... to?"\n\n[[Anywhere. Everywhere. I just want to go.|A2-Run7]]

"You're so pale..."\n\n<<if visited ("Casey-Casey")>>\s\n[[You're looking for your home. If you don't have one, I don't either.|A2-Run8A]]\n[[I will provide for you the home you never had.|A2-Run8B2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[What are we leaving behind?|A2-Run8B]]\n<<endif>>

Jessica eyes you.\n\n"Very good." And he goes.\n\n[[...|SD-2C3]]

Home again.\n\nThis is it.\n\n[[...|A2-Run3]]

Casey's sitting in the living room, reading a book. A single lamp is all she has...\n\n"Whoa! Look who's home -- barging in like a..."\n\n[[Casey, we have to go. Now.|A2-Run4]]

"We just thought that one’s fantasy shouldn’t be so personally labored upon. Too great a risk of ruining the mystique."\n\n"It’s a nice sentiment but completely unrealistic."\n\n[[...|B1-Con10A5]]

"Ah..."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Casey, come on. Do you hear yourself? This isn’t you.|B1-Con11]]

"<<if visited ("B1-Con10B")>>No, of course not. <<endif>>It //is// a girl’s most special day. That no matter what, //she gets what she wants//."\n\n"..."\n\n[[And just one day, huh? If only this were true for all days...|B1-Con10A3A]]\n[[Well, why not?|B1-Con10A3B]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-29B3]]

Some folders, some files.\n\n<<if visited ("B1-Journal0")>>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[What's this "Hiking Trail?"|B1-HikingTrail]]\n[[Eh, no I'll try the "Lecture #06: Design Principles?"|B1-Journal02]]\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited ("HikingTrail2")>>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[Eh, no I'll try the "Lecture #06: Design Principles?"|B1-Journal02]]\n[[Time to check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[Time to gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<else>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-Journal02")>>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[What's this "Hiking Trail?"|B1-HikingTrail]]\n[[Eh, no I'll try the "Lecture #06: Design Principles?"|B1-Journal02]]\n<<if visited ("HikingTrail2")>>\s\n[[Time to check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[Time to gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<else>>\s\n[[What's this "Journal?"|B1-Journal]]\n[[What's this "Hiking Trail?"|B1-HikingTrail]]\n[[What's this "Lecture #06: Design Principles?"|B1-Journal0]]\n<<if visited ("HikingTrail2")>>\s\n[[Time to check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[Time to gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-HikingTrail")>>\s\n[[Let's keep moving. I'm gonna check the bedroom.|B1-OfficeBedroom]]\n[[Let's keep moving. I'm gonna check the kitchen.|B1-OfficeKitchen]]\n<<endif>>

And just as quickly, she's off, dancing off through the kitchen, clapping -- does she even know what she's doing?\n\nYou did it, though.\n\n<<if visited ("A2-LaterCandice")>>\s\n[[I gotta pack.|A2-RunEnd]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I gotta pack.|A2-RunGood6]]\n<<endif>>

"Mom, Dad... We're leaving."\n\nCandice seems to finally wake. "Going where?"\n\nJohn checks his watch. "Now?"\n\n[[...|A2-RunGood8]]

"What's going on down here?" Candice comes down the stairs, John in front of her.\n\nCasey returns to the living room to greet them.\n\n"What about them?" she says to you...\n\n[[They'll head back east, we'll send a postcard.|A2-RunGood7]]

Casey looks at you. "I think it just happened."\n\n"And now you're being absurd."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Come on, Casey -- let's go...|A2-RunGood10]]

"..."\n\n"What about the wedding?" Candice says jokingly, not quite getting it.\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|A2-RunGood9]]

"I've kind of always wanted to be a mother..."\n\n[[Really?|B2-13]]

"Very good."\n\nAnd he goes.\n\n[[...|SD-2C3]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-4]]

Turning the corner, she's there.\n\nCovered in blood. No apron, no gloves.\n\n//White tank top -- sprayed with red, dripping down to her dark jeans...//\n\nAnd at her feet, a pulpy mess of arms, legs, and a torso. Anything else...?\n\n[[What is this? What happened?|B2-Wake7]]

"You know something about me, don't you?"\n\n[[I'd //like// to know something, that's for sure!|SD-2A4B4]]\n[[Well look, you know my secrets -- maybe it's time I learned yours!|SD-2A4B4B]]

"Or worried?"\n\n[[What's there to worry about?|SD-2A4B3]]\n[[How about a different question...|SD-2A4B3]]

"Then try this: I kill people."\n\n[[Fuck.|SD-2A4B42B3]]

She opens the door to the basement. Look at that -- blood spatter on the walls.\n\n[[Yeah.|B1-RobertA3]]

Jessica's door is open, and not just a crack.\n\nHeading in...\n\n[[Jessica?|B2-Wake5]]

Sure.\n\nSo Casey's with her parents, off wherever. Now's the time.\n\n[[Where to first?|A1-Court3]]

Morning.\n\n[[Morning to you too.|AX-Court2]]

On the floor now. //Hit her!// Wave the gun all around, just tag her, fire wildly -- //BLAM BLAM BLAM// -- but somehow she's gone.\n\nShe's above -- //it's the bottom of her boot.//\n\nComing down.\n\n[[Shit.|Credits]]

"Thank you."\n\n//Boooop//\n\n[[...|A2-Rondo]]

"I'm ready. Come over tonight. I'll tell you everything."\n\n[[I'll be there.|A2-JessCall3]]

"Eventually, yes. I'll probably get rid of Casey's body for you. This being your first time."\n\n[[No, I can do it. Give me the recipe.|B1-Gun2A4]]\n[[Good point. Now die!|B1-Gun2B]]

"Or maybe there's another body you want to dispose. Another body you want to produce with that gun in your hand."\n\n[[What? This is... from earlier.|B1-Gun2A7]]\n[[You mean //this gun?!//|B1-Gun2B]]

"So how much of this was all a ruse? You know what? Fuck it."\n\nAnd she moves--\n\n[[AGH!|B1-Gun2A8]]

"I'm not telling you shit."\n\n[[Why not?|B1-Gun2A5]]\n[[Then die!|B1-Gun2B]]

"I'm starting to think you //really// need this."\n\n[[I happen to, yeah. If I'm smoking, I'm smoking Camel.|B1-Gun2A6]]\n[[Here's a bullet!|B1-Gun2A6]]

She hugs you.\n\n"Yes you are, Marvin. Yes you are."\n\n[[...|B2-33B5X]]

"Is this true?"\n\n[[It's embarrassing... What did you think -- //oh God.// Oh, I am so stupid.|B2-33A5]]

"What?"\n\n[[You don't think I'm this impressive on my own. Maybe the only way to impress you was... subcontracting.|B2-33A4]]

"//Jessica?// What is this, Marvin?"\n\n[[She's um... //oh gosh.// This is embarrassing. She's my secret... wedding planner.|B2-33A3]]\n[[Just a friend. You should meet her.|B2-33B1]]

"Ready?" Jessica says, indicating the beach below.\n\n[[...|A2-Beach]]

<<if visited ("A1-End3A8")>>She turns once more. <<endif>>"Yes?"\n\n[[Please, Casey...|A1-End3B2]]

Casey stands suddenly, and the scrape of her chair along the floor streaks to the far corners of the room.\n\nTo Jessica.\n\nAnd she even passes her on her way out, and soon she's a silhouette on the beach.\n\nHoly shit. What happened? //Go after her!//\n\n[[...|A1-Endy3]]

"I can't just quit."\n\n[[So blaze of glory then?|B2-KC4A10]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-33]]

Outside the building, catching up with Alison. She's all huddled into herself -- not crying, apparently, but on the edge. Obscuring her eyes.\n\n[[Hey, hey. It's okay. She doesn't know what she's talking about. It takes a lot of courage to come out and talk about it. With anyone.|Hunt-11B2]]

"..."\n\n"Ha. Kill me now."\n\n[[Well, there's a lot she's planning to do.|B1-Con11A18]]

I don't think, given a typical day, I'd bet on that.\n\n[[But before, you said...|Hunt1-6]]

"Okay. I'll just need you to get the door."\n\nShe hands you the keys, and gets out of the car, circling around to the trunk.\n\n[[...|B2-KC3]]

"What the hell does that mean?"\n\n[[Nothing -- I was just... going along with it...|SD-CWaiterBad3B2]]

"Wow. You're unbelievable, you know that?"\n\nShe stands.\n\n[[You're leaving?|SD-2AA4BAB2]]

"You're afraid of me."\n\n[[What?|SD-2AA23B4]]

"Uh-huh. So anyway. It seems to me then, that you do love her."\n\n[[I do.|SD-2AA19]]

She nods, lost in thought.\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[So what are you gonna do to me?|SD-2AA23B7A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So what are you gonna do to me?|SD-2AA23B7B]]\n<<endif>>

"You know, somehow."\n\n[[You don't exactly hide it, Jessica. It was like serial killer entrapment.|SD-2AA23B7]]

"No..." She narrows her eyes. "You've got it backwards."\n\n[[Jessica...|SD-2AA23B6]]

"That's what this is. You're fucking afraid of me. And why would you be afraid?"\n\n[[Because you know something about me I'd rather keep secret.|SD-2AA23B5]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-Morning]]

"Well, my name's Christopher. And I'm a dickhead. What's your name, and what variety of head are you?"\n\n[[Damn it, Christopher...|B2-Yourself2]]

Bingo, idiot.\n\n[[Alright.|AX-24]]

Jesus. I gotta grow arms and legs and do this shit for you? It's easy. Just root through her shit and come up with the clues.\n\n[[Clues on the ideal man.|AX-23114]]

You have to know what Casey's really looking for in a husband. You did alright as a boyfriend, stumbled a little as a fiance. Now bring it all home.\n\n[[So I just goddamn ask her?|AX-23113]]

"Curious girl, you've got here," she continues, pacing. "She was pissed alright but... says she came because... //that's just what you do.//"\n\n[[Let her go...|A2-32C3]]\n[[I think this is all pretty cool.|A2-32A9]]\n<<if visited ("A2-GetGun3")>>\s\n[[DIE!|A2-Gun2B]]\n<<endif>>

Here she comes.\n\n[[...|SD-JessicaReturn]]

You're loud and clear -- I won't be.\n\n[[Thanks.|SD-NoSpike3]]

...\n\n[[...|SD-NoSpike4]]

"Being sure is nice. //Knowing// is another matter."\n\n[[You kill the bad people. People like me.|SD-2D4A10A2]]\n[[So let me in.|SD-2D4A10B]]

She shakes her head.\n\n"I'm sorry, Marvin. We can't go down this road."\n\n[[...|SD-2D4A10B2]]

Convince her she's wrong in this, that she's a monster.\n\n[[She's not a monster.|B2-28AB1]]\n[[That's easier thought, I think.|B2-28A8]]

She takes lives to save them. A paradox... You can use that.\n\n[[Oh? How so?|B2-28A7]]

...\n\n[[...|SD-2]]\n[[I'm unclear exactly what I need to be doing.|Explain]]

"Keeps me up sometimes. But, even long before... I do what I do because life is precious. That much I do believe."\n\n[[...|B2-28A5]]

"I see..."\n\n[[So. You're worried about becoming a mother.|B2-28A4]]

"You have to leave?"\n\n[[No, actually, just... it was nothing.|B2-28A3]]

"What? Are you kidding? This is the fun part!"\n\n[[I know it, but... things are getting real busy back at the homestead.|B2-34A7]]\n[[You know what? You're right. Let's do it.|B2-Christopher]]

"Ah yes, the girl. How have you not cut her loose yet? What kind of game are you playing?"\n\n[[Of confusion, my best guess.|B2-34A8]]

"It's pretty straightforward from my angle."\n\n[[I will make it up to you, okay?|B2-34A9]]

"Fine."\n\n[[...|B2-36]]

And she has to love you, and she's nearly there. By the time it's done, you show her a future together is impossible. Because as she witnesses, she's a maniac.\n\n<<if visited ("B2-TheParentLie")>>\s\n[[Okay. So kinda like the child of divorce thing.|B2-28A10]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Okay.|B2-27A11X]]\n<<endif>>

She'll see it. She's trapped in a delusion. Just push on her love of life, that precious thing, and in doing so, increasingly condemn her actions and lifestyle.\n\n[[Make her see killing for what it is.|B2-28A9]]

"<<if visited ("A2-32AX")>>So you accept me. Swell. And this is how you end things with her?<<else>>That's somewhat callous, Marvin. Hell of a break-up.<<endif>>"\n\n[[She came here of her own volition.|A2-32A10]]

It's Casey. Bound and gagged, tied to a chair. She's bruised, bloody...\n\n"This is me," Jessica says. "I'm a killer."\n\n[[...|A2-32AX]]

Okay. Good riddance -- sure.\n\nBut once she's done with Casey, a frustrated Jessica is liable to come after you. Possibly as a preemptive measure. If you recall -- //you don't know Jessica's a killer//.\n\nShe disappears, next course of action is investigation.\n\n[[Damn it.|A2-32B2X]]

<center><big>Off to talk with "Jessica"\n- Casey</big></center>\n\n<<if visited ("A2-32A")>>\s\n[[Oh my God.|A2-32B1]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Good riddance.|A2-32A3]]\n<<endif>>

"Down in the basement."\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Ottomans")>>\s\n[[You go on ahead. I need a minute.|A2-GetGun]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|A2-32A8]]\n<<endif>>

Jessica appears.\n\n"Come in. You ready to learn the big secret?"\n\n[[...|A2-32A7]]

"..."\n\n[[I'm gonna go.|A2-SecondBU]]

<small>16 November 2005\n\nYaa happy winter everyone.\n\nWell, almost anyway, this time of year is like the fall-winter depression era, and it’s like slower than the summer-fall depression era. I hate the fall.\n\nAnyway, this is probably the time when Katie and I go into like... no-film hibernation, where we don’t do anything movie-related. Not to say that we’ve done anything before this or anything now, but it happened last year and it will happen this year.\n\nAnyway, there are, for some reason a lot of genre films coming out soon for the ending of 2005. Only thing is, they’re all remakes or adaptations, the Hollywood usual, right?</small>\n\n[[//Next//|A1-Journal9]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|A1-Journal]]\n[[Done.|A1-Court4]]

"..."\n\n[[...|A2-Fight4]]

"..."\n\n[[You're a child. Maybe one day you'll grow up and... be able to see yourself as I do now.|A2-Fight3]]

"And then it popped."\n\n[[I'm in the shop now. Trying to figure out a way home.|A2-13A2]]

"..."\n\n[[I'm sorry, Jessica. Really.|SD-2AA4BA4]]

"How sensitive."\n\nHer eyes are fire.\n\n[[You weren't expecting this....|SD-2AA4BA3]]

"You'll know when it happens."\n\n[[Over this? You'd murder me for this?|SD-2AA4BA6]]

"Save it. Don't waste your energy. I'll be back for you."\n\nShe rises.\n\n[[What do you mean?|SD-2AA4BA5]]

"That's why you were here. Not because..."\n\nShe looks off, squinting.\n\n[[Jessica...|SD-2AA4BA8]]

"So you knew."\n\nShe shakes her head, eyes still ablaze. It //is// fucking scorching out here.\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[You're gonna kill me after one and a half dates? That's pathetic.|SD-2AA4BA7]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[You're gonna kill me after one and a half dates? That's pathetic.|SD-2AA4BA7B]]\n<<endif>>

"..."\n\n[[I think I want to see where this goes.|SD-2AA4BA10]]

"I'm such an //idiot//."\n\n[[Look... coming back and doing this was manipulative. I came here to learn a few things, but...|SD-2AA4BA8andahalf]]

...\n\n[[Casey? You still there?|B1-13A3]]

"Yeah. Just uh... Nothing. It's okay. I'll see you when you get home. Bye."\n\n//Boooop.//\n\n[[Alright, alright. Shit.|B1-14A]]

"So you believe me."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-B8]]

"Nope."\n\nYou got her boyfriend's name, though -- Glen Hart.\n\n[[I'll ask Dr. Sayle, see if he knows him.|Hunt1-10A]]

Alison leaves the room, crying.\n\nYou still need the name of the dealer.\n\n[[So, Rachel, you know where to buy weed around here?|Hunt1-11B3]]

Nice open space, huh? Big windows. Nicely furnished. Lavender and dark hues. She’s an interior designer on the inside. Maybe //actually// -- I don’t remember what she said she did. But all this furniture, with its accents and angles. So peaceful... yet something’s gonna jump up and grab you. You know it.\n\n[[Is there anything here?|BR-LivingRoom2]]

"..."\n\n[[Am I wrong?<<if visited ("BR-WorkoutRoom")>> It's why you leave all this shit out in the open, for anyone with a credit card to break in and see.<<endif>> You fucking want someone to find you.|B2-KC4A3]]

How are you //really// feeling?\n\n[[I think I'll be okay, actually.|B1-QuickGood]]\n[[I think... that actually felt good.|B1-QuickGood]]\n[[No.|B1-NotGood]]

"Wouldn't be a pretty sight."\n\n[[I have to do everything I can for her.|SD-2F]]\n[[I made a mistake, Jessica. And I keep making them.|SD-2D]]

"Must be a good reason, then."\n\n[[So...|SD-2A3]]

Smiles again, but this time it's really real.\n\nIt's relief.\n\n[[...|B1-GoodNight1]]

"Thank you."\n\n[[...|B1-GoodNight1]]

"Out with it."\n\n[[Doesn't this present the opportunity to... you know, //test if you're a guardian?//|B2-34A2]]

Good call -- very smooth.\n\n"Why's that?"\n\n[[Cynicism, maybe. I don't know. I was... still am, I suppose, a child of divorce, so...|B2-14A2]]\n[[It could happen. I've just never really thought about it. But you have, huh?|B2-14B]]

"I'll get on it."\n\n[[What?|AX-17A7]]

"That's what you needed to talk about?"\n\n[[It was nothing.|A2-NoBreak2]]

"Oh, that's okay. I understand. Yeah, it's just that, you know. Motherhood would be a test, I think."\n\n[[All the responsibility, none of the credit?|B2-15]]

"You don't like the way I do things? Close the door."\n\n[[It's just... you do this a lot, right?|B2-KC4A2]]

Inside, she descends the basement stairs. Upon sight of the table, Christopher's started to spasm, a gaping fish in its dying throes.\n\n[[...|B2-KC4B2]]

Like a mathematician, you make bubbling incisions in key places. Puncture arms, legs, shoulder. With each, he writhes violently, flinging those triangles every which way. Jessica has him locked down good, but he's in animal mode.\n\n[[Now I'll gouge out his eyes.|B1-SlashStabGouge]]\n[[Jesus -- fuck this.|B1-Heart]]

"..."\n\nShe folds her arms. "I don't know. Anything else?"\n\n[[Not that I can think of, no.|B2-KillingChris2]]

You don't need the reminding.\n\n[[...|A1-RD13]]

"Somehow I always end up with the bigger prize."\n\n[[Fuck you.|B1-Rescue5BA1]]\n[[Promise me you won't go after her.|B1-Rescue5BB1]]

"Come on."\n\nShe extends her hand.\n\n[[Okay.|B2-Bad8]]

And you'll do everything you can.\n\nYou ready?\n\n[[Yeah.|A1-RD]]\n[[Not yet. I just want to lie here.|A1-NoHome4]]

Still looking... Getting distracted...\n\n[[//Fuck it//, I'm doing it!|SD-SpikedEarly]]\n[[Wait for it...|SD-SpikeWait2]]

Okay, I think he's looking beyond you now.\n\n[[Let's do it.|SD-Spiked]]\n[[Not good enough...|SD-SpikeWait3]]

"Ready?"\n\n//Shit!//\n\nIt's Jessica. She's back.\n\nClose one.\n\n[[I'm ready.|SD-JessicaReturn2]]

More explainin'.\n\n[[This rate, I'll lose my voice.|A1-15A]]

What do you think? She takes you for granted?\n\n[[I'll stop over at the store.|A1-13A2]]\n[[I'm going home.|A1-13B]]

//"No, please..."//\n\n[[I'm sorry, Casey. I love you.|Credits]]

"What do you want to do with her?"\n\n[[Let her go.|B2-32C2]]

"I thought we'd... come to an understanding, Marvin."\n\n[[I... This isn't me. //I thought it was//...|B2-32C3]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-32X]]

Casey, in slow-motion, scrambles to her feet and stumbles off and climbs up the stairs.\n\nJessica, having watched her go, now turns her attention back.\n\n[[Now what?|B2-32C5]]

"Now, you die."\n\n[[Alright.|B2-32C6]]\n[[//No!//|B2-32D1]]

"Do you think that... once you don't return home... she'll have me investigated?"\n\n[[I don't know.|B2-32C7]]

"This is why I wish I really knew you. The Marvin I keep seeing is too good to be true."\n\n[[...|SD-CaughtWaiter]]

"..."\n\n"//Out of spite!// I’m a goddamn monster!"\n\n[[//Please, Casey...//|B1-1AConFailure]]

"I don't know. My fucking dad left us when I was five. I left as soon as I could."\n\n[[...|B2-RepentFamily2]]

Casey's stock upright in bed.\n\nThe light flicks on like a proximity sensor.\n\n"You're home."\n\n[[You //were// expecting me, right? Meant in all seriousness.|B2-GoodNightCasey4]]

She'll be back though, right?\n\n[[Yeah...|Credits]]

Patience. Look through her cabinets. Watch for booby traps.\n\n[[You say that like it’s a joke.|BR-Cabinets]]\n[[No, I’m done with the kitchen.|BR-Bedroom]]

"Yes. The only thing I did wonder though, was... which //you// would it be."\n\n[[...|B2-GoodNightCasey5]]

"I'm tired of fucking around here."\n\n[[I should end this.|SD-2AA4BA]]\n[[I want to be with you.|SD-2AA4BB]]

"I shouldn't be calling you names, either -- it's alright."\n\n[[...|SD-Caught6B3]]

"It's just that..." she exhales. "What do you want? If we can get down to it -- //who// do you want?"\n\n[[Come on...|SD-Caught6B4]]

"You're still stressed out. Since last night."\n\n[[Oh... Yeah, I guess so.|CaseyX3A3]]

"Maybe we should go away. As in, away from family, too, not just 'away.'"\n\n[[Where are you thinking?|CaseyX4]]

"If I'm not under arrest, I'm leaving now."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-9A]]

<small>3 February 2008\n\nThis thing is so frustrating. Just a series of running up into obstacles. Every time I think I'm clear it's just like... splat.\n\nBut I gave myself a purpose, as we all do. I want to try, and if I fail, then that will suck, but I have to try not for myself but for the chance I might succeed. Truly there’s nothing gained in failing, but it means I tried to succeed. Small consolation. No consolation.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|B1-Journal9]] | [[//Next//|B1-Journal2]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

She stands suddenly, but instead of confronting you, turns her face away and stalks off.\n\n[[...|B2-BreakUp12]]

<small>1 July 2005\n\nNow that you know ‘where I stand,’ and all that, I should probably elaborate about my ‘current project.’ //Wolf Hunter// is the movie where a fantasy icon is set in the future. A drug had been developed that hastens the morphing of man to beast. This drug has been passed down in a gang family, and Wolf Hunter has been keeping them from the streets without anyone knowing. But know, the public is getting involved, and Wolf Hunter must destroy the gang and drug before it spreads...\n\nSo I bought this book, //The Prop Builder’s Handbook,// which would help me with two main things: The armature, and the breakaway glass. I already had stuff on the glass, but I’ve never tested it. I need another weekend to go out and buy all the materials, and another one to build it.</small>\n\n[[//Previous//|B1-Journal10]] | [[//Next//|B1-Journal8]]\n\n[[Let's see some more.|B1-Journal]]\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOAA1")>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-BackToIntel]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Moving on.|B1-Office2]]\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[I've had a taste of that over the course of our relationship so far. You’ve inspired me, and even though we're yin and yang, we complement and learn from each other.|A1-RD35A]]

"I'm not kidding myself into thinking that once Casey's out of the picture, we can run off happy together. But she is the reason why we never could have. She had you all tied up, and now she knows the feeling. This is how much I care about you, Marvin. Her corpse will be my valentine to you."\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Family")>>\s\n[[This isn't you.|B1-RescueX3A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Then let me do it.|B1-RescueX3B]]\n<<endif>>

"I haven't thought about myself so much lately."\n\n[[Fine. How about your family?|B2-YourselfFamily]]\n[[Fine. How about repentance?|B2-YourselfRepentance]]

Are you okay? How are you doing?\n\n[[I don't know. I'm fine.|B1-TextFromJessX]]

You did it once, right? In her eyes, down on one knee? And the difference now is you actually have //kind of// a better idea of who this person is.\n\n[[It's a start.|A1-Court21]]

Back upstairs now...\n\n[[...|A1-Inv2]]

"I'll tell you that raising your voice isn't in your best interests right now."\n\n[[Sorry. I'm losing myself.|SD-2A4B4B2]]\n[[Why's that?|SD-2A4B4B2B]]

"That’s a lot to heap on a person."\n\n[[I want to see you again. I will explain everything.|A-51B5]]

"That... would be fairly entertaining. I’ll bite."\n\n[[Today, then. Lunch -- at Toscana’s.|A-51B6]]

"Haha, I’m glad this is all off the dome. You’re so spontaneous."\n\n[[So it’s cool?|A-52A2]]

"//What an asshole.// You’re kind of an asshole, Marvin."\n\nStop pissing her off.\n\n[[I’m representing myself poorly -- in a rush, truly: I did not expect to be caught, and I’m floundering...|A-51B3]]

"Fine. Regroup."\n\n[[I feel trapped, you know? I was hoping that maybe you’d be my escape.|A-51B4]]

"Certainly. But this is lethal in the wrong doses."\n\n[[Just what the fuck is the right dose?|Hunt-14]]\n[[Noted.|Hunt-14]]

"Rough waters. We'll get there, Marvin."\n\n[[I promise to make it up to you.|B2-31X]]

"Indeed. Well, I think I have to cut this impromptu meeting short. I just remembered there was another thing scheduled for this afternoon."\n\n"..."\n\nShit.\n\n[[So... that's it? You've made up your mind?|B1-Con10Fail2]]

If you let her go, you die.\n\n[[I'll keep it in mind.|A1-Inv]]

Right. And how long before she realizes just how hard you're trying? //Straining//, even. Wouldn't she be better off with someone who gives a shit just automatically, or naturally?\n\n[[Oh -- if I really love her, I'll let her go? Is that where we're headed?|A1-23X3]]

Crunch, crunch on the decay of the forest.\n\nBehind you, the trunk slams shut.\n\nMaybe... Pick up a rock?\n\n[[Just in case.|B1-SavingRobertRock]]\n[[No, I trust her.|B1-SavingRobert8]]

It's just rolling right out of you... Any scenario beyond 'negotiating with a serial killer,' it might be disconcerting how easily that fabrication slithered out of your flap. \n\n"I'm sorry to hear that."\n\n[[Yeah, when I was five, my dad, you know. He split. Went to Montreal. That's where people go, I guess.|B2-14A3]]\n[[Never mind. I don't really like to talk about it.|B2-14C]]

Shit.\n\n[[Now what?|B1-RunFail]]

"My family was murdered..."\n\n[[...|A2-Pier12B2]]\n[[Why don't we try the beach?|A2-Pier12A]]

"What?"\n\n[[I don't... really know what she does.|B1-JM18]]

"So. Our first step. I'll give you a minute to take Casey's movements down. Remember -- anywhere you think she'll be. Any specifics you want to add, they'll only help. But I'll do a lot of the scouting from there, to make sure I'm clear to make a scene."\n\n[[Um...|B1-JM17]]

"Give it time."\n\n[[Okay.|B1-JM16]]\n<<if visited ("B1-JM15B")>>\s\n[[Casey's an innocent person. Why do her?|B1-JM15B]]\n<<endif>>

"To the observer, //if they'll have it//."\n\n[[Casey's an innocent person. Why do her?|B1-JM15B]]\n[[So how does an apprentice figure into this?|B1-JM15]]

"It was plenty. I didn't devote myself to the propagation of evil, with //vengeance//, as you put it, but to its study. I saw how it spread in people, how it evolved. If it could spread to someone like me -- so unlikely, I once thought long ago... imagine the rest. So it's my job to reduce as much of it as possible."\n\n[[It's about justice.|B1-JM14]]\n[[So how do I figure in to all this?|B1-JM15]]

"My family was murdered in this city. By punks. It wasn't like in the movies, no big criminal empire, no showdown at the end. Just three dead kids, younger than I was at the time."\n\n[[And that... wasn't enough?|B1-JM13]]

"You want to know the ending to that story?"\n\n[[Yes.|B1-JM12]]\n[[Maybe another time.|B1-CancelJM]]

She invites you into the living room and you sit. Everything delicate -- I don't know what's about to happen. <<if visited ("BR-Ottomans")>>She lounges, props her feet up on the ottoman with all the guns in it...<<endif>>\n\n"You asked me about a plan, for what I do."\n\n[[...|B1-JM11]]

"I don't know. It's just that... motherhood would be a test."\n\n[[Hm. All the responsibility, none of the credit?|B2-15]]

"I suppose you are about to kill her. Okay, that's not an issue. Just go home and get the info. Try not to be weird about it either, you don't want to raise any alarms."\n\n[[Car rides calm my nerves.|B1-Intel2]]

"She's your fiancee."\n\n[[...|B1-JM19]]

Yes, tiny underwear. So even after she killed that guy -- she’s still sexual?\n\n[[Shit, that just makes it better.|BR-Dresser1]]\n[[I’ll just imagine these belong to someone else.|BR-Dresser1]]

"..."\n\n[[One of those things I learned is gonna get me killed. I know it.|SD-2AA4BA9]]

"Trying to tell me I'm something else..."\n\n<<if visited ("B2-Wake22")>>\s\n[[Maybe we shouldn't have waited that week...|B2-Bad4]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[You can be, Jessica.|B2-Bad4]]\n<<endif>>

"<<if visited ("SD-KillingMe")>>Not like a killer.<<else>>Very pleasant, I might dare say. He was awfully nervous beforehand...<<endif>>"\n\n<<if visited ("SD-KillingMe")>>\s\n[[...|SD-Waiter2AWaiterBad]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|SD-2A5WaiterGood]]\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[...|A2-SecondBU2]]

You lacerate his face seven times. Each time his muffled screams are less recognizable as human, and they shake his body, and like a sinking, bleeding ship the blood from his stab wounds slosh back and forth. You could actually lift a few skin triangles right off him.\n\n[[I'll gouge out his eyes.|B1-StabSlashGouge]]\n[[Jesus -- fuck this.|B1-Heart]]

"Why would I do that. You know, you two were trespassing. And you've seen my business."\n\n[[I already knew you were a psycho. I saw it that night, on Friday.|Casey-Affair33]]\n[[And I think it's pretty cool. Despite where I am, relative to it.|Casey-Affair33B]]

"You did? So what's why you wanted to see me again -- and were so urgent about it."\n\n[[That's right. I never gave a shit about you.|Casey-Affair34]]

"Marvin, this //is// unusual."\n\nJessica appears -- donning her killing uniform.\n\n[[Jessica...|Casey-Affair31]]

"This must be Casey."\n\n[[Let her go.|Casey-Affair32]]\n[[That's right.|Casey-Affair32B]]

"I was starting to like this place. But... as a testament to how much you mean to me, I'll pack up and go. And I'll dump this Casey of yours back home."\n\nShe begins to untie her.\n\n[[Perfect.|Casey-Affair37]]

"Don't think I'm gonna make it easy on you. You may have broken my heart."\n\n[[Was I really that impressive?|Casey-Affair38]]

"Hm. You know what? You //were// a gentleman on our first date. I'll kill you first, and then you don't have to watch what comes next."\n\n[[Fuck you!|Casey-AffairEnd1]]\n[[Please, let her go...|Casey-AffairEnd1]]

"..."\n\n[[...|Casey-Affair36]]

Huh. Well, I guess you won.\n\n[[Then I'm getting the hell out of here.|A2-1]]

"Just because I'd like to? Then suddenly I wouldn't feel so guilty, pulling you into my world. But of course... it was //you// who called the next day..."\n\nShe stands.\n\n"I should go. I shouldn't be doing this."\n\nAnd she goes.\n\n[[...|SD-Caught12A3]]

Doesn't change the fact of what you did.\n\n[[So what now?|B1-RondoB3]]

"If I want a career in journalism, it'll be my job to be right. Doesn't mean I have to like it."\n\n"..."\n\n[[I don't get why you're so angry.|Hunt1-11A15]]\n[[I see now. I don't blame you.|Hunt1-11C]]

//"You don't get to do this. Play this kinda game. Not when we're talking about serious shit!"//\n\n"--"\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11A16]]

Alison leaves the room, crying.\n\nYou still need the name of the dealer, don't forget.\n\n[[So, Rachel. You know where to buy weed around here?|Hunt1-11A17]]

She exhales all the breath in her body. Shakes out.\n\n"Come on."\n\n[[I mean it.|AY-3A]]

"She was cooperative at first. Intent on raking this guy over the coals. //'He's a rapist. He's a monster.'// And I tell her, I say, look. Piss in a swimming pool."\n\n"..."\n\n[[Allegations of rape are serious.|Hunt1-11A11]]\n[[Right, right.|Hunt1-11B1]]

"That's why I'm here, stranger, pitching a fit. Why not go to the cops, huh?"\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11A12]]

If you want something done...\n\n[[They call it the Marvin Contingency.|A1-15B]]\n[[Leaving me out of the loop, though? We're about to get married!|A1-15A10]]

"All hell's gonna rain down on this campus, so in the end, I bought her sad story. I got in quick before anybody else. And yesterday she says she has some issues with the article as we ran it on Thursday."\n\n"..."\n\n[[...|Hunt1-11A14]]

"Oh, I already got all the stuff. Changed my mind anyway, about what to cook for tonight. Sorry -- you're on your way home?"\n\n[[Yeah, I'll be fifteen minutes.|A1-13A8]]\n[[...|A1-13AB]]

"Hey."\n\n[[I'm uh, at the grocery store...|A1-13A7]]

What the hell is the right one? What are we doing?\n\n[[I'll call her.|A1-13A6]]

It's still bothering you.\n\n[[Yes.|A1-13A5]]\n[[No.|A1-13A5]]

A box in each hand. One white, one grey. Otherwise, indistinguishable. You've been here before.\n\nAnd just beyond your field of view, an infinite shelf of the same box.\n\n[[...|A1-13A4]]

...\n\n[[...|A1-13A3]]

"You there?"\n\n[[Yeah. Good-bye.|A1-13AB2]]

"No. For drinks."\n\n[[Really?|SD-2AA4BBFail3B4A3]]

"Really. I want to talk. There's something about you, that... Never mind. Follow me home."\n\n[[Okay.|B2-1]]

With everything all tidy, she takes the head now. Holds it up as it goes //drip, drip, drip...//\n\nReady now, motherfucker?\n\n[[Yes...|A-16]]

Eyebrows raise.\n\n"Isn't that sad. You're so despondent."\n\n[[If I'm infantile... that should only compound on what I've said.|SD-2AA20B2]]

"Yeah."\n\nShe looks at you now, for the first time, her eyes gleaming.\n\n[[You alright?|AY-3A4]]

"It's kind of abstract, based on a wandering feeling I've had, rather than a thought."\n\n[[Something spiritual almost, made physical.|AY-3A3]]

She shakes her head.\n\n"Yeah, no. Yeah. I, um... I don't know. Sorry."\n\n[[It's okay...|A1-ImpressCasey]]

"It's your girl."\n\nWhat?\n\n[[...|B2-KCA2]]

"Okay."\n\nJessica slits Casey's throat. No sound. Just a lot of blood.\n\n[[...|Casey-Dead2]]

"What? Really?"\n\n[[It's nothing.|A1-HomeEnd]]

Casey stands huddled in her robe, back to the street like she could just drift off into the wall of night...\n\n<<if visited ("B1-CaseyFuckOff")>>\s\n"You've been acting so fucking strange. What's going on?"\n\n[[Just stressed out, lately, I guess.|B1-CFOA]]\n[[I don't have to explain myself.|B1-CFOB]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-IgnoresCasey")>>\s\n"You've been acting pretty weird lately. What's going on?"\n\n[[I'm sorry, Casey. I'm just... stressed out.|B1-ICA]]\n[[I don't have to explain myself.|B1-ICB]]\n<<endif>>\s\n<<if visited ("B1-13A2")>>\s\n"I love warm nights like this."\n\n[[Casey, it was an email I'd sent by accident... I was just intercepting it while you were... away.|B1-WokeCasey4]]\n<<endif>>

"Here."\n\nShe hands you the glass, resumes her seat.\n\n[[Thank you.|B2-28A11]]

...\n\n[[...|B1-IntelA2]]

"And that means what? I'm just some sick fucking... irredeemable monster? The kind that can just take someone...\n\n[[...|BreakUp4B2X]]

"I'm not upset, I... just come back to bed with me, will you?"\n\n<<if visited ("B1-HikingTrail")>>\s\n[[Okay.|B1-WokeCasey9B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Okay.|B1-WokeCasey9A]]\n<<endif>>

You can let her go.\n\n[[...|A2-Rondo7X]]

"What's going on here?" Jessica approaches.\n\nThe guy turns. "He poured your drink out on me because I caught him spiking it."\n\n[[I don't know who this guy is... you know him?|SD-SpikeEarly6]]

You're a goddamn landmine.\n\n[[First infidelity, I end up with a serial killer -- sky's the limit? Fuck you.|A2-Rondo7B3]]

She's not happy.\n\n[[I can be better.|A2-Rondo7B4]]

On the floor now. //What happened?// Blink -- feel your head. It's busted open, there's blood on your hand.\n\nFocusing on something dark. Two boots, spattered with blood. //How much... is yours now?// Try to get up--\n\n[[Arms weak...|B1-JessicaKilling2]]

"Talk to me. Remember what we said at the very start? Open dialogue. Otherwise, what's the point? To... anything? To living? If we can't finally be honest with people..."\n\n[[...|B1-WokeCasey8]]

So what’s the call?\n\n[[Hey, Casey -- do you have a minute?|CaseyX]]\n[[I’ll break into Jessica’s house first.|BR-Start]]\n[[I’ll head to the old school first. Get the damn drugs.|Hunt1]]\n[[Neither -- I’m going back inside.|Casey-Inside2]]

"Oh?"\n\n[[Look, I don't want to step out of line, but... You kill people who are easy to kill -- is it because of them, or because of you?|B2-34A3]]

"I tried not to think about it."\n\n[[How about we set a date for the wedding tomorrow? That'll set things right.|A1-AD4A4]]

"You were never meant to get dragged into my family drama. Or see it, or fucking know how puerile it is."\n\n[[How long was this great secret supposed to be kept for?|A1-AD4A3]]

"Easy to kill."\n\n[[Easy to kill, yeah. Right.|B2-34A2X]]

"Back to normal..."\n\nShe says, barely.\n\n[[We can't keep putting things off.|AX-4]]

Nothing, nothing. But just think about it: she has one expectation, no matter the butterflies in her stomach. You -- accepting her.\n\nOr you're dead.\n\n[[She tells me her secret -- how does she not kill me?|A2-Rondo4]]

I think it might be too soon to pull the trigger.\n\n[[But it's her pulling -- Jesus, //what the fuck could I have done differently?//|A2-Rondo3]]

Your options are limited, I admit. I only see one.\n\n[[What?|A2-Rondo6]]

<<if visited ("BR-PhotoAlbum3")>>You know there was something good in her a long time ago. <<else>>Trust that there's something still good in her. <<endif>>You think you know what you saw in that basement, but no matter what -- it isn't the whole story.\n\n[[What can I do right now?|A2-Rondo5]]

You have to break up with Casey.\n\n<<if visited ("A2-Agree")>>\s\n[[Jesus Christ.|A2-Rondo7A]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[You're sure?|A2-Rondo7B]]\n<<endif>>

"Don't make me wait."\n\nWhat are you doing?\n\n[[The guns in the living room.|A2-GetGun2]]\n[[Never mind. Let's head downstairs...|A2-32A8]]

She makes a quick exit.\n\nWhat the hell?\n\n[[I don't know. But I'm getting the hell out of here.|A2-1]]

And see if she recognizes you.\n\n[[...|Credits]]

Let's just say you're an impressive individual.\n\nSo go back to Casey.\n\n[[I will.|B2-Go5]]

Because she'll relapse.\n\n[[She can't do this on her own? Christ's sake...|B2-Go4]]

You close Jessica's door.\n\nAnd stand there.\n\nShe'll be coming for you.\n\n[[Because she'll feel betrayed.|B2-Go3]]

That's not the issue, but certainly. That guy out there was a monster. Casey is -- if not the woman you love, the woman you've... woken up... you see every night, every weekend...\n\n[[Yeah. I don't know the first goddamn thing about her. And clearly, she doesn't know me.|B1-FuckingGreat7B5]]

Look, I know how you feel, but this isn’t just about you. Her life is at risk too. Talk to her tonight, and set everything straight again.\n\n[[Jesus, that’s callous.|A1-D25A2]]

So classical. Kinda old fashioned, don't you think?\n\nAppointment with a Dr. Elweiss on Thursday.\n\n<<if visited("B1-3B")>>\s\n[[She should probably show up for that.|B1-OfficeKitchen4]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Hope everything's alright.|B1-OfficeKitchen4]]\n<<endif>>

You did well back there.\n\n[[If she runs away this time, she’s running right into Jessica’s arms.|A1-D25B2A]]\n[[I meant it. I understand now what’s wrong with her.|A1-D25B2B]]

So she works 9-6, and you go 9-6. But she's never there when you wake up. She's always out -- //hiking.//. Early in the morning wouldn't be bad time for this...\n\n<<if visited ("B1-CFOOA1")>>\s\n[[Time to text Jess.|B1-TextJess2A]]\n[[I can't do this.|B1-TextJess2B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Time to check the bedroom.|B1-KitchenOfficeBedroom]]\n<<endif>>

"I'll have the eggplant parmesan. Glass of water."\n\n"And you, sir?"\n\n[[I'll also have the eggplant parm.|SD-2CEggplantX]]\n[[I'll go with the Cachaca Grilled Chicken.|SD-2CSpicyX]]\n[[I'll go with the Carbonara.|SD-2CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Fettucine Alfredo.|SD-2CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Lasagna.|SD-2CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Linguine with Oil Garlic and Parmesan.|SD-2CSpicyX]]\n[[I'll go with the Ravioli.|SD-2CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.|SD-2CSpicyX]]\n[[I'll go with the Spicy Shrimp and Spaghetti.|SD-2CSpicyX]]\n[[I'll go with the Stuffed Manicotti.|SD-2CWaiter5X]]\n[[I'll go with the Tortelloni.|SD-2CWaiter5X]]

Right, you don't want to get trapped by Casey's parents.\n\n[[Ever.|B1-Airport]]

"..."\n\n[[I will do anything to stay alive.|B1-3A4]]

"I believe, Marvin, that anyone can become anything at any time. It's just a matter of will, and when will doesn't count, the sum of outside forces in particular alignment, like a hotel room on fire because some gangsters got the address wrong."\n\n[[...|B2-23]]

"I'm glad I met you, Marvin."\n\n[[Me too.|B2-27A13]]

"There's a big haul coming tomorrow. Pedophile by the name of "Robert." You've seen it before, and I've let you in this far. If you really want to talk, let's reconvene tomorrow at 4."\n\n[[Let's do it.|B2-28B]]

<small>Storytelling, right? You'll be working with writers of all kinds. Including the rarest kind, the people who... think they're writers, and are uh actually not. You know. But even on your own, storytelling needs to be a major consideration in your work. Think narratively. Because no matter what, you're... designing to the end user. You're designing a message. So think... what are your interests? I know, from the beginning it was always... I like drawing. I like web design, a little bit later in life, I guess. But what did you like to draw, what occupies your thoughts. Do we know? We need to sure by now, otherwise, we're just spinning. What have you been reading lately? I mean it, I'm asking. Anyone?\n\nYeah. Great, isn't it? I'm only on the first. Yep, I never read that. I heard it's good. //Coming// -- ha. I keep expecting something like James Patterson but... okay. //Coming of Age in Samoa//. You know, the utopics among us want to truly believe in that book. That violence is not... a biological necessity, as she says elsewhere. Who do you want to be? Somebody radical? Somebody people debate about generations later?</small>\n\n[[...|B1-Lecture2]]

Some bullets in there, safety's... off. To the best of your knowledge.\n\n[[Let's go.|B2-32A8]]

Indeed they are. You remembered.\n\nStashed away, but not so hidden.\n\n[[Is it loaded?|B2-GetGun3]]

Push a man... he's capable of anything.\n\n[[We'll have to see.|B1-7A2]]

Okay -- then. You ready?\n\n[[Shit, no. I can't go home.|B1-7B1]]

"It’ll be winter."\n\nThe smile fades, and she returns to her staring.\n\n[[...|A1-Home]]

"I feel good." She smiles, I think.\n\n[[...|A1-Din15]]

"I have to get something."\n\n[[What?|A1-Din13A]]\n[[Okay.|A1-Din13B]]

Call Jessica.\n\n[[Okay.|B1-3Z1A]]\n[[And say what? //I'll// kill my girlfriend?|B1-3Z1B]]

"You little fuck! You got it all over my shoes!"\n\n[[Happy now, asshole?|SD-SpikeEarly5A2]]

"It's just awfully suspicious. Given I'm a serial killer and all."\n\n[[You had to say it. You just had to fucking say it.|SD-2AA4BB5]]

"I'm losing you anyway. And you knew this whole time! What a clever guy."\n\n[[I can explain...|SD-2AA4BB6]]

"..."\n\n[[...|SD-2AA4BB7]]

"Oh -- that's my line?"\n\n<<if visited ("A-StayedAtWindow")>>\s\n[[So what's gonna happen to me?|SD-2AA4BB8]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[So what's gonna happen to me?|SD-2AA4BBFail3B4B]]\n<<endif>>

"He's seen both of us."\n\n[[What's he gonna do? Tell someone? Get //you// in trouble? I think what you've got here is a fairly captive audience.|B2-Save3]]

"Hey, hey -- slow down. Are you okay?"\n\n[[Fine. I'm fine...|SD-2CWaiter]]

"Of course." She shakes her head, not meeting your eyes. "I know I pushed you into it, and maybe too soon -- but what the hell //was// this?"\n\n[[Getting things straight.|SD-2AA4BB3]]

"You're sure?"\n\nShe's looking at you funny.\n\n[[Don't believe me?|SD-2AA4BB4]]

Literally, yes.\n\n[[What else really matters?|B2-Rondo6A2]]

Once again, awake to a lonely bed.\n\n[[She's gone.|B1-Morning2]]

"I don't know, Marvin. It would be a shame to see you go. You're full of surprises."\n\n[[Can't see the rest by cutting me open.|SD-2AA4BB9]]

"So maybe... we should see where this goes."\n\n[[Really.|SD-2AA4BB10]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-Save9]]

The trunk slams shut once more.\n\n"Off to the swamp next. Where I used to dump bodies. Just gonna scare him some more, and then let him go."\n\n[[That's good, Jessica.|B2-Save10]]

"..."\n\n<<if visited ("Casey-Casey")>>\s\n[[Do you trust me?|B2-KCA9A8]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Do you trust me?|B2-KCA9X]]\n<<endif>>

"..."\n\n[[If our marriage is gonna work -- if you love me... you'll trust me.|B2-KCA9A7]]

She may have come around to him eventually.\n\n[[Doesn't change what I'm feeling.|B2-Rondo6B2]]\n[[Yeah, I think that's true.|B2-Rondo6C]]

"..."\n\n[[But I can //demand// something instead... that you trust me.|B2-KCA9A6]]

"What the hell were we talking about?"\n\n<<if visited ("SD-2D")>>\s\n[[Being in love with you.|SD-2D2]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[Being in love with you.|SD-2C4]]\n<<endif>>

"Doesn't change the sentiment."\n\n[[...|SD-2CWaiter]]

"You're afraid of me. You think I'm gonna turn on you one day..."\n\n[[Please let me go.|B2-BreakUp11]]

"Are you fucking lying to me?"\n\n[[I can't ask you to believe me, each time something seems impossible.|B2-KCA9A5]]

"... Marvin?"\n\n[[Hey, Jessica.|A2-JC2]]

"Is that what it was."\n\n[[I mean it, Jessica.|SD-2C5A]]\n[[I suppose not...|SD-2C5B]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-Wake4]]

<small>JESSICA: come over here</small>\n\nThat sounds appealing.\n\n[[I'd better go.|B2-Wake3]]

"This is Robert."\n\n[[You told me you weren't going after him!|B2-Wake8]]

//BZZZZT//\n\nRoll over. Don't turn the light on.\n\n[[It's Jessica...|B2-Wake2]]

The basement door, open just the same.\n\n//Heading down...//\n\nThat smell... Holy shit...\n\n[[Jess?|B2-Wake6]]

"Obsessed?"\n\n[[Must I self-deprecate again? She doesn't understand that I'm getting married. And... that I'm very much in love.|B2-KCA9A3]]

Another quiet dinner.\n\n[[Yeah.|A1-NoHome]]

Look at the pair on this guy. ‘Whisk me away.’ //Hah!//\n\n"What are you saying here, Marvin? You want to see me again?"\n\n[[Today, if I can. Why don’t we meet for lunch.|A-52A2]]

"That's a good way to open a sales pitch: statement of thesis."\n\n[[It's why I'm here.|SD-2A5C2]]\n[[I'm being insufferable already...|SD-2A5D]]

"You need me to say it?"\n\n[[No... I understand.|SD-2A5B2]]

"You're trying too hard. Just be what you were before. Remember?"\n\n[[Yeah...|SD-2A5B2]]

Splash some water. //One, two//...\n\nAnd look up.\n\nSee me?\n\n[[I see you.|A2-Rondo2]]

"So how much of this was all a ruse? You know what? Fuck it."\n\nAnd she moves--\n\n[[AGH!|B1-KillingJessica9]]

"//I love you//..."\n\nLike nothing happened.\n\n[[I love you too.|Credits]]

"Please leave me alone."\n\n[[Uh yeah, sorry.|Hunt1-9A]]\n[[It's okay, I'm a freelance journalist.|Hunt1-9B]]\n[[I'm with the police.|Hunt1-9C]]

...\n\n[[My God, this is forever.|Hunt1-5A]]\n[[This is stupid. You know what? This is unnecessary.|Hunt1-5B]]

Shut up -- there she is!\n\n[[...|Hunt1-7]]

Out of the car--\n\n[[Hey, Alison.|Hunt1-8]]

On the road now. The old route, the old commute.\n\nThey used to call the Shelly Apartments "Rape Village." A credit to the English department, these thinkers they pump out. It's been four years, man. So... It's possibly just not called that anymore.\n\n[[Small consolation I don't have to utter those words.|Hunt1-1]]

But the girl. Alison Levi. Quite the outcry in the campus newsletter. Drugged drinks being the highlight. Epidemic on this campus.\n\n[[I feel bad for her.|Fem]]\n[[Epidemic everywhere.|Hunt1-2]]

You should probably also grab one of those anti-roofie things, the slips of paper. And watch your own damn drink.\n\n[[Right. Hell, maybe I'll see Jessica lurking around here.|Hunt1-3]]

Pull up -- Alison's car, there it is. "SLUT" as obnoxious decal.\n\nThis could be a while.\n\n[[...|Hunt1-4]]

"I don't, sorry."\n\nAlison's boyfriend is Glen Hart, if you recall. Better see Dr. Sayle, maybe he knows him.\n\n[[We'll see.|Hunt1-10A]]

"I don't."\n\nYou caught the boyfriend's name though -- Glen Hart. Better talk to Dr. Sayle, see if he knows him.\n\n[[Roger.|Hunt1-10A]]

...\n\n[[...|B2-BEGIN]]

"I got one."\n\n[[A question?|SD-2D4C2]]

The table shook with your emphasis.\n\n"Keep your voice down," she says. "What's wrong with you?"\n\n[[I don't know... Sorry.|SD-2D4B2]]

"Hey. I'm running this interrogation."\n\n[[Okay. We'll table it for now.|SD-2D4C]]\n[[Answer the question.|SD-2D4A2]]

"Well, now..." the waiter says upon his return. "She doesn't look so bad."\n\n[[Excuse me?|SD-CaughtWaiter2]]

"I know the feeling. Believe me."\n\n[[...|SD-2D4V2]]

"Hey! I saw that!"\n\nHere he comes... lumbering over...\n\n[[Excuse me, sir?|SD-SpikedEarly2]]

Please don't even consider this -- let's just forget it even crossed your mind.\n\n[[You think I can't do it?|B1-FuckingGreat7B4]]

//But killing Casey?// Actually doing that? It's unspeakable -- it's unimaginable!\n\n[[I've had to imagine it this whole time.|B1-FuckingGreat7B3]]

There must be something deep down you still feel for her.\n\n[[Nope.|B1-FuckingGreat7B6]]

For now, though... You can't go home. You can't risk being trapped by Casey's parents.\n\n[[Oh shit...|B1-7A3]]\n<<if visited ("B1-3B")>>\s\n[[Hah. That'd be a funny dinner.|B1-7A2A1]]\n<<endif>>

...\n\n[[This sensation is physical.|B1-KillingCasey]]

Back in the car. Deeply seated, sinking in.\n\nFeel better? Feel okay?\n\n[[I'll be fine.|Hunt-15]]

<<if visited ("BR-Start")>>Okay, you're ready for the date, then?<<else>>Okay, are you ready for the date, or do you want to pay a visit to Jessica's house?<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Start")>>\s\n[[Ready for the date.|Hunt-16]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I'll swing by her house.|BR-Start]]\n[[I'm gonna skip the house. I'm ready for the date.|Hunt-16]]\n<<endif>>

Good, because it's gonna sneak up on you.\n\n[[Better than suspense.|Date0]]

"Here I was, thinking you were into sort of... tall girls."\n\n<<if visited ("BR-WorkoutRoom")>>\s\n[[Listen to yourself. It's not something to be ashamed of.|SD-Caught2A]]\n[[I am. I think it's great.|SD-Caught2B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[I am. I think it's great.|SD-Caught2B]]\n<<endif>>

"But the Marvin on paper... written out clearly."\n\n[[...|SD-Caught5]]

"You're a womanizer. And I know I'm gonna get hurt."\n\n[[In college, I read that Asian men sometimes respond to their perceived asexuality with hypersexuality.|SD-Caught6]]\n[[I'm taking a risk here too.|SD-Caught6B]]

"Uh-huh."\n\nShe's unmoved by your sob story. <<if visited ("BR-Closet3")>>//Shit// -- you remember, she was gonna get married to a guy named 'Peter Goto.' This isn't her first rodeo...<<endif>>\n\n<<if visited ("BR-Closet3")>>\s\n[[I... never mind.|SD-Caught7A]]\n[[...|SD-Caught7B]]\n<<else>>\s\n[[...|SD-Caught7B]]\n<<endif>>

"You're telling me your common sense was overridden by typical male anxiety with a yellow coat of paint?"\n\n[[Hey -- this is a serious issue!|SD-Caught9]]\n[[You're right. I don't know why I say these things...|SD-Caught6B2]]

"Serious like a fire you're best to keep contained. //Hypersexuality?// Only in America."\n\n[[I'm sorry...|SD-Caught10]]

"Forget it, yeah."\n\n[[...|B2-32]]