Escape

Your browser lacks required capabilities. Please upgrade it or switch to another to continue.

Loading…

"Maddie! It's time to go!" You involuntarily flinch as your mother's bellow bounces off the walls of the house. You're not quite ready yet; you've been looking forward to [[this trip]] for weeks, after all. Ensuring that everything's just right is a must. You quickly look around your room, sizing up the situation. It'll be close, but you figure that you can be ready before Mom gets really mad. Sitting through another one of her lectures on the importance of punctuality would be rather undesirable. Still, she'll expect some form of acknowledgement, so you call back down the stairs: [["I'll be right down, Mom!"|"I'll be down in a minute, Mom!"]] [["Chill out! I'm working on it."|"I'll be down in a minute, Mom!"]] [["Yeah, yeah. I'll be down in a minute."|"I'll be down in a minute, Mom!"]] <<set $entertainment to false>> <<set $food to false>> <<set $leave to false>> <<set $emma to 0>> <<set $will to 1>> <<set $paul to 1>> <<set $romance to "None">> <<set $dinner to 0>> <<set $willConvo to 0>> <<set $paulConvo to 0>> <<set $emmaConvo to 0>> <<set $willFlirt to false>> <<set $paulFlirt to false>> <<set $emmaFlirt to false>> <<set $destination to 0>> <<set $allies to 0>> <<set $companion to "your shadow">> <<set $split to false>> <<set $JacobPoints to 0>> <<set $romanceProg to 0>> <<set $firstVisit to true>>

Your two best friends in the whole world, Will and Paul, invited you to go to the Cosmic Diversion amusement park with them! It's literally the coolest place ever... the rides are better than Six Flags. Being fourteen isn't easy, but getting to go to places like this makes it totally worth it. It's also nice to see your friends taking the initiative and inviting you for once... usually, your group outings are frantically conceptualized ten minutes before they start, yet somehow manage to work out in spite of the poor communication skills of friends who think you can read their minds. At least they really do want to spend time with you. That makes them a cut above your elementary school "friends." [[Anyways....|Start]]

You turn back to the closet, not waiting to hear Mom's reply. You've just showered, but the real challenge comes now... deciding what to wear. Your friends don't usually invite you anywhere, and part of you wants to dress up a little.... [[...So I'll put on a nice dress.]] [[...But nope, we're sticking with normal clothes.]] [[...But I'd rather wear something extra comfy.]]

You flip through the clothes in your closet until you find a dress that meets your rather high standards. You quickly get dressed and then hurry over to the mirror to check your reflection. For and by the large, you're pleased with what you see. A few quick adjustments to your hair, and you're ready to go. [[Head downstairs.]]

You flip through the clothes in your closet and pull out a striped t-shirt and jeans, the same sort of thing you'd wear to school. You quickly get dressed and then hurry over to the mirror. You take a cursory look at yourself, and don't see anything in urgent need of attention. You're ready. [[Head downstairs.]]

You flip through the clothes in your closet until you find a black hoodie and sweatpants. It's what all the cool emo middle schoolers are wearing. You quickly get dressed, and then hurry over to the mirror. Your hair looks a little too neat for your taste. You run your fingers through it, messing it up a little. Now you feel ready. [[Head downstairs.]]

You go down the stairs to find your [[Mom]] waiting for you, arms crossed. As you predicted, she isn't mad... but she hardly looks pleased, either. Better choose your next words carefully. "It's about time, young lady," she says. [["Sorry, Mom."|Car.]] [["Let's go!"|Car.]] [["I didn't take THAT long."|Car.]]

"Alright, into the car with you then," Mom says, making a shooing motion with her hand. It's the same one she usually uses to dismiss the family cat and dog, but you decide it's best to just overlook that. Friday nights are date nights with [[Dad,]] and you get the feeling that she's more than ready to get rid of you for a little while. For someone who claims to love kids, she sure is easy to annoy. Sometimes, it almost feels like there are other things on her mind besides seeing to your every need. Oh well, parents aren't perfect. You climb in the front seat and buckle up. It's a twenty minute ride, but you're so excited that it feels more like two hours. You try to make a game out of counting street signs, but once you get into the country, it isn't much more interesting than just staring at the farms as you roll past them. [[Finally though, you're there.]]

He's only just getting off work now, so you probably won't get to see him until right before bed. It's a pity, really, especially considering that you're obviously his favorite child. [[Anyways...|Car.]]

As the giant, glowing Cosmic Diversion sign comes into view, you feel your heartbeat picking up. You're not sure if it's due to your excitement or in anticipation of the copious quantities of sugar you're about to consume. You try to get a look at the lines for some of the best rides as Mom drives around the edge of the park. You don't see any outrageous, around-the-corner affairs, which is a huge relief. Usually, you only get to go on your favorites once or twice in a trip. But the sky looks kinda ominous tonight, so most of the Friday night casuals must've been scared off. As soon as the car stops, you vault out the door, then turn around as you hear Mom lowering the windshield. "Hmm, I hope it doesn't rain," says Mom, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Alright, well, off you go. Be good, alright?" [["Sure, whatever."|Entrance.]] [["Yeah, yeah..."|Entrance.]] [["Thanks for the ride! Love you!"|Entrance.]] [[(Sarcasm) I'll miss you, too!|Entrance.]]

"Mhmmm," Mom says, rolling up the windshield. With a rev of the engine, her minivan is driving away. You exhale slowly. It's finally time. The only thing still missing is your friends, but knowing them, they won't be hard find. Sure enough, you hear a voice calling from behind you: "Hey! Maddie! Over here!" You turn to find your friend [[Paul]] frantically waving at you from near the park's entrance. [[Will]] is standing behind him. He offers you a smile. [["Hey guys!"|"Hey guys!"]] [["What's up?"|"Hey guys!"]] [["C'mon, let's go already!"|"Hey guys!"]]

You call your greeting to Will and Paul, and trot over to them. "Good to see you, Maddie! You ready for this?" Paul asks you and Will. "Totally!" Will replies with no shortage of energy. You have a pretty good idea what they're referring to. You've been to Cosmic Diversion with them a few times before, and they talk about the rides here nonstop. It's not difficult to guess which ones are their favorites. Sure enough, as soon as you pay for your tickets and enter the fairgrounds of Cosmic Diversion, the two boys make a beeline for their favorite coaster. It was nice of them to consult with you first, you think dryly, rolling your eyes. [[You should probably follow them, you figure.|Better follow them, I guess.]]

Paul has blonde hair, tan skin, and a winning smile. He kinda looks like a surfer dude, now that you think about it. But his personality hasn't ever conformed to that stereotype, at least in your experience; he's always acted like more of a nerd. Really, it seems like all he ever wants to talk about is Star Wars and the WWE. That's probably how he and Will became best friends. It's not usually a problem with you, but you wish he'd be less elusive when you try to get him to open up about his personal life a little. For some reason, he's always seemed to avoid discussion of his family at all costs. That can make him kinda tough to get to know. Tonight, he's wearing a John Cena t-shirt loud and proud, not giving a care about what the world thinks of him. You've always admired how he's never afraid to be himself, even when his opinions put his popularity on the line. [[Anyways...|Entrance.]]

Will has short brown hair and glasses. He looks like most of the other nerds in your class, and he tends to act like them, too. He's definitely a lot shier than they are, though. You and Paul are always nice to him, which is probably the main reason you've all become friends. He clearly looks up to Paul; you recognize the collar of his Randy Orton shirt under his navy blue Under Armour sweatshirt. He's a WWE fan just like Paul, but doesn't share Paul's willingness to express himself in spite of the opinions of others. From past conversations, you know he's pretty afraid of being judged. That's understandable; middle school is pretty brutal that way, and it really isn't any place for sensitive people like Will, despite the best efforts of guidance counselors and the like. But even in spite of all that, Will's always kind and thoughtful, which you really appreciate. [[Anyways...|Entrance.]]

She's tall, elegant, and looks very bored right about now. Once again, you find yourself feeling very thankful that she's not mad. Yet. [[Anyways...|Head downstairs.]]

Will and Paul lead you straight to the Shrieking Falcon, the fastest ride in the entire park. The three of you have been obsessed with it ever since you were finally tall enough to ride it for the first time. Your friends exchange a delighted glance as they come to the same conclusion you did a few minutes ago: the lines are oddly short for a Friday evening. You estimate that you won't be waiting more than fifteen or twenty minutes to get on. The three of you get in line. Every few minutes, black carts filled with screaming fans whoosh past you. As the line gets to the base of the coaster, then starts to climb the stairs that lead to the boarding platform, the anticipation swells to near-palpable levels. At long last, you reach the top. The ride operator cuts the line off right in front of you, filling the next chain of carts with eager fans. "Aww," says Paul. "We just missed this run." "It's okay," says Will. "This means we'll get the front cart next time!" "Hey, you're right!" says Paul. "Sweet." You grin at the thought. For thrill seekers like yourselves, there's nothing better than a front cart. As you wait, you start to feel a little uneasy, though. You're ready to have some fun, but something about the Cosmic Diversion isn't sitting quite right with you tonight. You can't put your finger on just what it might be, but you can't shake the feeling, either. Finally, the next chain of carts rolls to a stop in front of you and starts to unload. Will looks over at you with his usual reassuring smile. He always seems to be able to tell when you're upset. You and your friends board the front cart and buckle up. You wait anxiously as the carts behind you load. Suddenly, a shudder wracks the tracks as the operators pulls the lever. [[Then, the ride starts to move.]]

As the cart slowly begins its ascent, you peer over the edge. From here, you can see the entire park. Colorful tents, smaller attractions, and tons of deep fried carnival food stands dot the terrain below you. Everything's illuminated by bright white lights, and the whole place shines like an oasis town under the expansive sky of a desert night. You can't help but see the [[beauty]] in it. "Here we go!" says Paul as the coaster reaches the first crest. Within an instant, you're flying down a series of sharp drops and ferocious turns at what feels like 90 miles an hour. You, your friends, and everybody around you is screaming at the top of their lungs. As you whoosh underground, there's a sudden flash of light. Since it was right as the cart hit the tunnel, you figure it has to be one of those picture things. The park will probably try to get you to pay $10 for the snapshot at the end of the ride. You don't remember there being a camera on this ride before, and it seemed a little too bright. But you figure that you're probably just forgetting. You go back to screaming as loudly as you can. As you exit the ride, you feel a rush of energy coursing through your veins. It's like [[the time you drank three Mountain Dews in the span of ten minutes.]] "Want to go again?" Paul asks. [["Why not?"|"Why not?"]] [["Not right now."|"Not right now."]]

You've always kinda felt like life is a roller coaster, both figuratively and literally. Going to the Cosmic Diversion theme park has been one of your favorite things ever since you were a little kid. You were the only girl in your class who liked places like this, and for a long time, only your parents and siblings would go with you. You're glad that Will and Paul realized that girls are people too relatively early on... most boys won't realize that they're allowed to hang out with girls who share their interests until well into high school or college. You stare up into the night sky from the coaster's climax as ten carts filled with screaming fans prepare to go roaring down the biggest drop in the park. You're truly happy for a moment, and for once, you actually take a second to appreciate it. [[Anyways...|Then, the ride starts to move.]]

Needless to say, Mom was not pleased. [[Anyways...|Then, the ride starts to move.]]

The three of you set off to go get in line when suddenly, you hear the sounds of police cars and ambulances echoing in the night sky: Whee-ooo-whee-ooo-whee-ooo! The sound seems to be getting louder. That must mean that there's some sort of emergency in the park. Could that flash of light have been a lightning strike? Will looks concerned. Paul just seems confused. [[Hey, I bet the lines will be even shorter now!]] [[Let's go see what's going on.]] [[Police mean trouble. We need to get out of here. Like now.]]

"Alright, so what should we do?" asks Paul. "Let's go on the bumper cars!" says Will. [["Great, those are my favorite!"|"Why not?"]] [["Sounds good to me."|"Why not?"]] [["If that's what you want."|"Why not?"]] [["Fine, but I get to pick next time."|"Why not?"]]

"Yeah!" says Paul. "C'mon, let's go!" "I don't know about this," says Will. "What if there was an accident or something?" You and Paul drag Will into line. Somehow, it's even shorter than the last one. You figure you'll be onboard in two or three minutes. Fortunately, your prediction holds, and Will perks up once he's on the ride. By the time it ends, he's openly grinning. "Anyone want to stay on?" the ride operator asks. "There's no line!" You and Paul exchange a glance. "Heck yeah!" you chorus. Will looks at you warily, but you can tell he's not going anywhere. Even he realizes that this really is too good to be true, and thus is an opportunity that must be taken advantage of. For some reason, though, you seem to be the only group to get it; everyone else gets off the ride. As you're going again, you see the park's guests streaming towards the exit. "Whoa, we're gonna have this whole place to ourselves!" says Paul. But when the ride screeches to a halt, you see that the operator's gone, too. She clearly left in a hurry, and must've been so worried that she didn't even bother to get the last few kids off the ride. You, Will, and Paul quickly dismount. It's not like the ride will be running anymore with no operator, anyways. You look around. In the space of minutes, the theme park has been completely deserted. For the first time, you consider that things that seem "too good to be true" sometimes are. [["This is really weird."|"This is really weird."]] [["I've got a bad feeling about this...."|"This is really weird."]] [["I didn't think the park could empty out so fast."|"This is really weird."]]

"I guess," says Will. "If that's what you wanna do," says Paul. The three of you head for the park's side gate, fighting through a steady stream of people heading for the park's entrance. Eventually, you arrive at the side gate. It's been roped off with caution tape. You see a massive crater just inside the park's entrance. There's smoke rising from it. "What happened here?" Paul calls to a police officer. "Lightning strike," the officer shouts back. "Call your parents, kid. Park's closing early tonight." "I guess we should probably head for the main entrance," Will says. You turn to lead the way to the park's entrance, taking a route that will let you get a better look at the crater. After three minutes of twists and turns, you're peeking out at it from behind a large tent. "I guess the cops were right," says Will. "That looks like a plain ol' lightning blast to me. I've seen them in my neighborhood before." "Where ARE the cops, though?" asks Paul. Sure enough, the police have already left the scene. The caution tape's still up, but there's not so much as a squad car left to indicate that first responders had been around. "Maybe they're in the park?" asks Will. You turn, looking around... and then freeze. In the space of minutes, the theme park has been completely deserted. There's no sign of the police, park staff, or other visitors. [["This is really weird."|"This is really weird."]] [["I've got a bad feeling about this...."|"This is really weird."]] [["I didn't think the park could empty out so fast."|"This is really weird."]]

“I’m with you there,” says Will. "Aww, c'mon!" says Paul. "You two are no fun!" You and Will drag Paul towards the park entrance. Then, suddenly, he breaks out of your grip and takes off towards the Shrieking Falcon. You and Will exchange exasperated glances and trot off in reluctant pursuit. Fighting through a steady throng of people trying to move the opposite direction, you catch up to Paul outside the Shrieking Falcon. The ride has neither a line nor an operator. "Come ON!" says Paul. "It's closed, I guess." "Don't run off like that!" says Will. "Sorry, man," says Paul. "If you guys wanna leave, I guess we can." You turn to lead the way to the park's entrance, and then freeze. In the space of minutes, the theme park has been completely deserted. There's no sign of the crowd of park visitors and staff that had been rushing towards the entrance just a minute ago. "Where did everybody go?" asks Paul. "I guess they must've left the park while we were chasing you," Will says, shooting Paul a meaningful glance. [["This is really weird."|"This is really weird."]] [["I've got a bad feeling about this...."|"This is really weird."]] [["I didn't think the park could empty out so fast."|"This is really weird."]]

"Yeah. No kidding," says Will with a shiver. "Hello!?" calls Paul. "Is anyone still here?" Everyone pauses for a moment, listening carefully for the smallest of sounds. But besides the wind whistling through the metal frames of the attractions, there's nothing to be heard. "I'm gonna call my Dad," says Paul, reaching into his pocket. Then, he freezes. "Darn, I forgot my parents took my phone! Me and my brothers are technically grounded right now." "They took your phone?" Will asks. "That seems harsh." "It was a trade-off," says Paul. "They said that I SHOULD have to cancel on you guys tonight, but I could still go if I gave up my phone for a week instead." "Whoa, thanks for choosing us," says Will. "My parents are still saying that I don't need a phone until I get to high school. I bet they'll change their minds after tonight, though. Do you have yours, Maddie?" You reach into your pocket and pull out your phone, expecting the screen to light up in response to your touch. Instead, it stays forebodingly dark. You feel your blood run cold as you realize that you forgot to charge it. "It's dead, isn't it?" asks Will. Your silence is all the confirmation he needs. "Oh no." "Well, the crowd couldn't have gotten that far away," says Paul. "There were people here just a minute ago." "Yeah, let's head for the entrance and catch up to them," says Will. "I'm sure one of them will let us borrow a phone." As Will is speaking, you here a loud clang from near the park's entrance, followed by the ominous sound of a heavy deadbolt dropping. Will goes pale. "They're gone," he says. "They forgot about us. Now no one will know we're here." "What are we supposed to do now?" Paul asks with a concerned look on his face. "I dunno man, I’m kinda freaking out," says Will. It only takes one glance at Will to figure out that he's more than "kinda" freaking out. Both boys look at you. [[Let's get inside. It's looking like it might rain.]] [[We need to stay calm.]] [[Why are you looking at me? I don't know!]]

"Right," says Paul. "Good call." You lead Will and Paul to the park's ticket booth. As you walk through the desolate park, you keep your eyes open for any signs of life. But so far, there's nothing... not even so much as a field mouse. Soon, you arrive at the ticket booth. You try the door, and to your relief, it's unlocked. You usher Will and Paul inside. The space is small, designed for two adults, but you all have room to sit down, either on chairs or on the floor. You pull the door shut behind you. "Whew," says Will. "I feel better already." "What's this?" asks Paul, picking up a news bulletin. [["Does it explain what happened?"|"Does it explain what happened?"]] [["Can it get us out of here?"|"Does it explain what happened?"]] [["Is it a secret map or something?"|"Does it explain what happened?"]]

"Yeah," says Will. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry. Okay, let's think." "It looks like it might rain soon," says Paul. "Alright. Then let's get inside," says Will. Will leads you and Paul to the park's ticket booth. As you walk through the desolate park, you keep your eyes open for any signs of life. But so far, there's nothing... not even so much as a field mouse. Soon, you arrive at the ticket booth. You try the door, and to your relief, it's unlocked. You usher Will and Paul inside. The space is small, designed for two adults, but you all have room to sit down, either on chairs or on the floor. You pull the door shut behind you. "Whew," says Will. "I feel better already." "What's this?" asks Paul, picking up a news bulletin. [["Does it explain what happened?"|"Does it explain what happened?"]] [["Can it get us out of here?"|"Does it explain what happened?"]] [["Is it a secret map or something?"|"Does it explain what happened?"]]

"Oh, sorry," says Will. "You're just like... really smart." "It might rain later," says Paul. "Should we go inside?" You nod, both in approval and in appreciation for Paul taking the pressure off of you for the time being. Paul leads you and Will to the park's ticket booth. As you walk through the desolate park, you keep your eyes open for any signs of life. But so far, there's nothing... not even so much as a field mouse. Soon, you arrive at the ticket booth. You try the door, and to your relief, it's unlocked. You usher Will and Paul inside. The space is small, designed for two adults, but you all have room to sit down, either on chairs or on the floor. You pull the door shut behind you. "Whew," says Will. "I feel better already." "What's this?" asks Paul, picking up a news bulletin. [["Does it explain what happened?"|"Does it explain what happened?"]] [["Can it get us out of here?"|"Does it explain what happened?"]] [["Is it a secret map or something?"|"Does it explain what happened?"]]

"Ummm... no," says Paul. "Not exactly." You peer at the paper he's holding. It looks like some sort of newsletter for the Cosmic Diversion theme park. They probably distribute it to staff as a way of keeping everybody on the same page. "Well, don't keep us in suspense!" says Will. "Read it already!" Paul clears his throat. "Ten days ago, an eleven year old boy by the name of [[Jacob Karlberg]] was spending the day at the Cosmic Diversion theme park with his older brother. Jacob's brother went off to ride the Grey Hurricane roller coaster, leaving his sibling in the arcade with a few quarters. But after two hours, when Jacob's brother came back to look for him, he was nowhere in sight. The police have searched every corner of this park to no avail. Jacob Karlberg disappeared, and nobody knows how or why." "Oh," says Will. "Oh." [[That's kinda scary, y'know.]] [[Do you think he's... dead?]] [[I'm surprised the park hasn't been shut down.]] [[I wonder if that's why they cleared the park tonight....]]

"Yeah, Paul," says Will. "Way to get us freaked out." For at least five minutes, the three of you just sit together, lost in thought. Unsurprisingly, it's Paul who breaks the silence. "Well, it looks like the rain is gonna hold off for awhile more," he says. "What should we do?" [["I dunno..."|Activity Lobby]] [["Hmmm...."|Activity Lobby]] [[(Grin mischievously)|Activity Lobby]]

Will swallows hard. "Nah," says Paul, forcing a laugh. "Why would he be dead? I'm sure he's just... ummm... really, really lost." For at least five minutes, the three of you just sit together, lost in thought. Unsurprisingly, it's Paul who breaks the silence. "Well, it looks like the rain is gonna hold off for awhile more," he says. "What should we do?" [["I dunno..."|Activity Lobby]] [["Hmmm...."|Activity Lobby]] [[(Grin mischievously)|Activity Lobby]]

"Isn't the guy who runs Cosmic Diversion the mayor's nephew?" Will asks. "Yeah, I think so," says Paul. For at least five minutes, the three of you just sit together, lost in thought. Unsurprisingly, it's Paul who breaks the silence. "Well, it looks like the rain is gonna hold off for awhile more," he says. "What should we do?" [["I dunno..."|Activity Lobby]] [["Hmmm...."|Activity Lobby]] [[(Grin mischievously)|Activity Lobby]]

"I dunno," says Will. "This was all a week ago... you'd think that if they were gonna shut the park down, they'd've done it already." "Maybe they're waiting until they know if the kid's... dead," says Paul. Will swallows hard. For at least five minutes, the three of you just sit together, lost in thought. Unsurprisingly, it's Paul who breaks the silence. "Well, it looks like the rain is gonna hold off for awhile more," he says. "What should we do?" [["I dunno..."|Activity Lobby]] [["Hmmm...."|Activity Lobby]] [[(Grin mischievously)|Activity Lobby]]

There's a picture next to the article, depicting a scrawny little kid with black hair like yours and giant glasses. It appears to be a school portrait... maybe that's why he doesn't look very happy. [[Anyways....|"Does it explain what happened?"]]

<<if $firstVisit is false>>Before long, you and your friends arrive back at the ticket booth. As you file inside, you see that everything is just as you left it. As Paul shuts the door behind you, you sink to the floor and heave a sigh of relief. <</if>>Being<<if $firstVisit is false>> back<</if>> in the ticket booth provides you with a strange sense of security. In a way, it feels like a place that's distinctly yours in an otherwise alien and vacuous environment. But you know that you can't stay here forever. As you,<<if $emma is 1>> Emma,<</if>> Will, and Paul sit in the ticket booth, you contemplate the possibilities for a moment. You're alone in your favorite theme park... whatever could you do? <<if $entertainment is false>>[[Let's go have some fun!]] <</if>><<if $food is false>>[[We can go raid a concessions stand!]] <</if>><<if $leave is false>>[[Let's try and get out of here.]] <</if>><<if $entertainment is true>><<if $food is true>><<if $leave is true>>[[I wanna go check out the arcade.]]<</if>><</if>><</if>> <<set $firstVisit to false>>

"Cool!" says Paul. "What do you want to do?" "How about we go on a ride?" suggests Will. "Wow, really?" says Paul. "We're at an amusement park, and you think we should go on a ride? Mind blown." "I thought it was a good suggestion... oh. You were being sarcastic, weren't you?" says Will. "Just a little," says Paul. "Let's try being more specific. Which ride should we go on? Any thoughts, Maddie?" [[Let's go back to the Shrieking Falcon!]] [[I wanna go on the bumper cars.]] [[Let's try that Grey Hurricane coaster from the article.]]

"Awesome," says Paul. "I'm definitely down for some eating!" "Uhhh... you're always down for eating," says Will. "If you didn't have Maddie and I to keep you in check, you'd probably eat every piece of fried food in this whole place!" "Hey, I don't eat THAT much..." Paul begins. Then, as he seems to reconsider, he trails off. "The point is, I'm hungry, okay?" Will nods in agreement and licks his lips. "Yeah, me too, to be honest. What's your favorite cart to get food from, Maddie?" [[Let's find a hot dog stand.]] [[I want to get at that cart that sells funnel cakes.]] [[I saw this European one with deep-fried candy bars....]]

"Yeah," says Will. "I'm kinda creeped out by this. Where should we look?" "Well, everyone else probably left the park through the main entrance," says Paul. "We could always try that." "We might have better luck at the employee entrance," says Will. "There's a chance that the security there will be easier to handle, since it's behind the scenes and all. Who knows, maybe they even forgot to lock it." "I dunno," says Paul. "We could try the side entrance, too. I think that's where the police were hanging out before. If they're still there, maybe they can help us." "It's your call, Maddie," says Will. [[Let's head for the main entrance.]] [[Those cops were over by the side entrance? Let's try there.]] [[The employee gate sounds the most promising.]]

"No," says Will. "Absolutely not." "Yes!!!" replies Paul. "I can't wait!" <<if $emma is 1>>You and Emma make eye contact. You translate her glance to a single word: "boys," accompanied by the usual exasperated undertone that's practically adhered to the term. <</if>>Looking between you and Paul, Will realizes that he has no chance. <<if $emma is 1>>He briefly looks to Emma for support, but then realizes that she's unlikely to side against you.<</if>> “Don’t be a chicken," Paul says. "Let’s go.” "Fine," says Will. "But I'm staying behind you." <<if $emma is 1>>You look to Emma, who nods in approval. <</if>>[["Follow me."|"Follow me."]] [["It'll be okay. Let's get moving."|"Follow me."]] [["Hurry up, already."|"Follow me."]]

<<if $emma is 0>>"Wait, did you hear that?" Will asks. "Yeah," says Paul. "There's something outside." [[We should probably go take a look.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Let's think this through.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Who knows, it could be our ticket out of here.|We'd better go take a look....]] <<else>>"Well, what are we waiting for?" asks Paul. "Let's go!" [[Start walking.|ArriveLion]]<</if>> <<set $current to "Shrieking Falcon">>

<<if $emma is 0>>"Wait, did you hear that?" Will asks. "Yeah," says Paul. "There's something outside." [[We should probably go take a look.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Let's think this through.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Who knows, it could be our ticket out of here.|We'd better go take a look....]] <<else>>"Well, what are we waiting for?" asks Paul. "Let's go!" [[Start walking.|ArriveWalrus]]<</if>> <<set $current to "Grey Hurricane">>

<<if $emma is 0>>"Wait, did you hear that?" Will asks. "Yeah," says Paul. "There's something outside." [[We should probably go take a look.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Let's think this through.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Who knows, it could be our ticket out of here.|We'd better go take a look....]] <<else>>"Well, what are we waiting for?" asks Paul. "Let's go!" [[Start walking.|ArriveCake]]<</if>> <<set $current to "funnel cake cart">>

<<if $emma is 0>>"Wait, did you hear that?" Will asks. "Yeah," says Paul. "There's something outside." [[We should probably go take a look.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Let's think this through.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Who knows, it could be our ticket out of here.|We'd better go take a look....]] <<else>>"Well, what are we waiting for?" asks Paul. "Let's go!" [[Start walking.|ArriveCandy]]<</if>> <<set $current to "candy bar stand">>

<<if $emma is 0>>"Wait, did you hear that?" Will asks. "Yeah," says Paul. "There's something outside." [[We should probably go take a look.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Let's think this through.|We'd better go take a look....]] [[Who knows, it could be our ticket out of here.|We'd better go take a look....]] <<else>>"Well, what are we waiting for?" asks Paul. "Let's go!" [[Start walking.|ArriveEmployee]]<</if>> <<set $current to "employee entrance">>

"Right," says Will. "I don't think there's any harm in taking a quick peek, as long as we're careful. It's better than dealing with the fear of the unkown for the rest of the night, huh?" "Yeah," says Paul. "And it's probably just a little animal or something, anyway. I'm sure we don't have anything to be worried about." The three of you step out of the ticket booth and look around. There's that sound again! It's coming from off to your left. The three of you take off in that direction. "It's right on the other side of that tent!" says Paul. At the sound of Paul's voice, there's a frantic rustling from behind the tent. Then, [[a girl]] steps out from behind it. [["Hi there!"|Meet Emma.]] [["Who're you!?"|Meet Emma.]] [["Don't come any closer!"|Meet Emma.]]

She's about your age, at least you think... she's kinda underweight so it's hard to tell. She's got pretty orangey hair and bright green eyes. She's wearing athletic shorts and a t-shirt with a logo that you don't recognize, but she doesn't appear to have any shoes. [[Anyways....|We'd better go take a look....]]

"Uhhhh... hi," the girl says. She looks really nervous, like she wishes she could hide behind her orangey hair. You look over at your companions. Will appears to be hiding behind Paul... evidently, he's more afraid of this newcomer than she is of him. "I thought we were alone here!" says Paul. "Oh, sorry," the redhead says. "I'm... sorta shy. I hid when I heard you guys yelling." "What's your name?" Will asks her. "I'm Emma," she says. You, Paul, and Will introduce yourselves. [[Pleased to meet you, Emma.]] [[Did you get stranded here, too?]] [[Are you a ghost?]]

Emma offers you a shy smile. "Thanks. It's good to meet you, too." Will and Paul exchange a glance. They're cleary not quite sure what to make of her. "Don't worry," says Emma. "I won't hurt you. I just want to figure out how to get out of here." "That's what we're trying to do, too!" says Paul. "Do you have a phone?" "Left it at home," says Emma. "My parents don't exactly know I'm here. They made me get one of those location sharing apps, so I have to ditch my phone whenever I wanna go somewhere they can't find me. What about you?" "Nope," says Paul. "There's not one working phone between the three of us." "Oh well," says Emma. "I'm sure there's some other way to escape...." [[You should come with us, Emma.]] [[Good luck getting out of here.]] [[Well, stay out of our way.]]

"Yeah," says Emma. "I love Cosmic Diversion, but I couldn't find anyone to go with me, so I snuck out to come here. I was in the bathroom when everybody left." Will and Paul exchange a glance. They're cleary not quite sure what to make of her. "Don't worry," says Emma. "I won't hurt you. I just want to figure out how to get out of here." "That's what we're trying to do, too!" says Paul. "Do you have a phone?" "Left it at home," says Emma. "My parents don't exactly know I'm here. They made me get one of those location sharing apps, so I have to ditch my phone whenever I wanna go somewhere they can't find me. What about you?" "Nope," says Paul. "There's not one working phone between the three of us." "Oh well," says Emma. "I'm sure there's some other way to escape...." [[You should come with us, Emma.]] [[Good luck getting out of here.]] [[Well, stay out of our way.]]

Emma laughs. "A ghost? No! I'm just... ummm... really shy." Will and Paul exchange a glance. They're cleary not quite sure what to make of her. "Don't worry," says Emma. "I won't hurt you. I just want to figure out how to get out of here." "That's what we're trying to do, too!" says Paul. "Do you have a phone?" "Left it at home," says Emma. "My parents don't exactly know I'm here. They made me get one of those location sharing apps, so I have to ditch my phone whenever I wanna go somewhere they can't find me. What about you?" "Nope," says Paul. "There's not one working phone between the three of us." "Oh well," says Emma. "I'm sure there's some other way to escape...." [[You should come with us, Emma.]] [[Good luck getting out of here.]] [[Well, stay out of our way.]]

"Where are you going?" she asks. "The $current!" says Paul. "Oh, cool," she says. She looks at you again. "It's really okay if I come?" You nod. She smiles at you. "Thanks." The four of you walk towards the back of the tent that Emma had been hiding behind. "I was trying to get in through the back," she says. "I guess I wasn't as quiet as I thought... still, I'm glad you found me. It's a lot scarier here when you're alone." <<if $current is "Shrieking Falcon">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveLion]] <<elseif $current is "Grey Hurricane">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveWalrus]] <<elseif $current is "bumper cars">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveCars]] <<elseif $current is "hot dog stand">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveDog]] <<elseif $current is "funnel cake cart">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveCake]] <<elseif $current is "candy bar stand">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveCandy]] <<elseif $current is "main entrance">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveMain]] <<elseif $current is "side entrance">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveSide]] <<elseif $current is "employee entrance">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveEmployee]]<</if>> <<set $emma to 1>>

"Uhhh..." says Emma. "Can I... come with you guys?" [["Yeah, of course!"|You should come with us, Emma.]] [["I guess...."|You should come with us, Emma.]] [["Sorry, we don't trust you."|Well, stay out of our way.]]

"Yeah, okay," says Emma. With startling speed, she darts back behind the tent. You trot up to the tent's backside, but you don't see or hear anything anywhere. You can see some damage to the tent though; she must've been trying to get inside through the back. "Well, I guess that's what we heard before," says Will. "Looks like she's gone," says Paul. "Let's get to the $current." <<if $current is "Shrieking Falcon">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveLion]] <<elseif $current is "Grey Hurricane">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveWalrus]] <<elseif $current is "bumper cars">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveCars]] <<elseif $current is "hot dog stand">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveDog]] <<elseif $current is "funnel cake cart">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveCake]] <<elseif $current is "candy bar stand">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveCandy]] <<elseif $current is "main entrance">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveMain]] <<elseif $current is "side entrance">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveSide]] <<elseif $current is "employee entrance">>[[You keep walking.|ArriveEmployee]]<</if>> <<set $emma to 2>>

"There it is!" calls Paul, his voice rising in excitement. "The Shrieking Falcon! I can't wait!" <<if $emma is 1>>"I take it this one is one of you're favorites?" asks Emma. <</if>>"Yeah!" says Will. "I never get sick of this one." You look up at the Shrieking Falcon. The massive coaster has stalled completely, the last set of cars still parked at the loading platform. Its massive shadow dwarves entire tents as the moon shines down on it. "Do you think we can make it work?" asks Paul. [["I hope so!"|Lion1]] [["I'm not optimistic."|Lion1]] [["That depends... anyone know how to fix a coaster?"|Lion1]] <<set $destination to $destination + 1>> <<set $entertainment to true>>

"Look over there!" calls Will. "That's the Grey Hurricane. I've never been on it before." <<if $emma is 1>>"I have," says Emma. "It's really fun." <</if>>"I can't wait to try it!" Paul says. You look up at the Grey Hurricane. It's not as big as the Shrieking Falcon, but it looks just as fierce. In fact, it must be one of the newer coasters in the park; its exterior styling is sleek and modern. "Do you think we can figure out how to turn it on?" asks Will. [["I'm crossing my fingers."|Walrus1]] [["How hard can it be?"|Walrus1]] [["You're the most tech savvy, Will...."|Walrus1]] <<set $destination to $destination + 1>> <<set $entertainment to true>>

"There they are!" calls Will. "The bumper cars! Who's ready?" <<if $emma is 1>>"I've always liked these," says Emma. <</if>>"You'd better watch out; I'm really good," Paul says. You look over at the bumper cars. They're housed in an older pavilion building built specifically for them. The building's power is off right now, and most of the cars are piled up near the entrance as if their last round of occupants had left in a hurry. "Do you think we can figure out how to turn 'em on?" asks Paul. [["It's probably pretty simple."|Cars1]] [["I'm not getting my hopes up."|Cars1]] [["That depends... is there security?"|Cars1]] <<set $destination to $destination + 1>> <<set $entertainment to true>>

"I smell hot dogs!" says Paul. Your mouth begins to water. You hadn't realized just how hungry you are. <<if $emma is 1>>"Thank goodness," says Emma. "I'm starved." <</if>>"How do we get at 'em?" asks Will. [["It might be unlocked."|Dog1]] [["We may have to break into the stand."|Dog1]] [["Who knows?"|Dog1]] <<set $destination to $destination + 1>> <<set $dinner to 2>> <<set $food to true>>

"I smell funnel cakes!" says Paul. Your mouth begins to water. You hadn't realized just how hungry you are. <<if $emma is 1>>"Thank goodness," says Emma. "I'm starved." <</if>>"How do we get at 'em?" asks Will. [["It might be unlocked."|Cake1]] [["We may have to break into the cart."|Cake1]] [["Who knows?"|Cake1]] <<set $destination to $destination + 1>> <<set $dinner to 1>> <<set $food to true>>

"I smell candy bars!" says Paul. Your mouth begins to water. You hadn't realized just how hungry you are. <<if $emma is 1>>"Thank goodness," says Emma. "I'm starved." <</if>>"How do we get at 'em?" asks Will. [["It might be unlocked."|Candy1]] [["We may have to break into the stand."|Candy1]] [["Who knows?"|Candy1]] <<set $destination to $destination + 1>> <<set $dinner to 3>> <<set $food to true>>

"I see the main entrance just ahead!" says Paul. <<if $emma is 1>>"It doesn't look promising," says Emma. <</if>>"Let's get a closer look," says Will. [["Good idea."|Main1]] [["Be careful!"|Main1]] [["Let's just break out."|Main2]] <<set $destination to $destination + 1>> <<set $leave to true>>

"I see the side entrance just ahead!" says Paul. <<if $emma is 1>>"It doesn't look promising," says Emma. <</if>>"Let's get a closer look," says Will. [["Good idea."|Side1]] [["Be careful!"|Side1]] [["Can't we just break out?"|Side2]] <<set $destination to $destination + 1>> <<set $leave to true>>

"I see the employee entrance just ahead!" says Paul. <<if $emma is 1>>"It doesn't look promising," says Emma. <</if>>"Let's get a closer look," says Will. [["Good idea."|Employee1]] [["Be careful!"|Employee1]] [["Can't we just break out?"|Employee2]] <<set $destination to $destination + 1>> <<set $leave to true>>

"Let me take a look," says Will. He steps up to the coaster's control box. You figure that there's nothing to do at the present time but [[wait.|Lion Menu]]

You look around you. The already-imposing coaster looks even scarier up close. When you stare straight up at it, your head spins... but maybe that's just because of the situation you and your friends have gotten yourselves into. Will is on his hands and knees by the roller coaster's control box, poking and prodding various levers and switches. Paul's already sitting in the front cart of the train waiting at the platform, looking anxiously over at Will. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma is sitting cross-legged on the platform, her back to the guardrail. She appears to be lost in thought. <</if>>[[Think about the Shrieking Falcon.]] [[Talk to Will.|Will Menu]] [[Talk to Paul.|Paul Menu]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk to Emma.|Emma Menu]]<</if>> [["Are you ready yet?"]]

The Shrieking Falcon is the biggest, longest, and fastest coaster in the park. It was only finished two years ago; when you came here back in elementary school, you remember eagerly running over to the fence to see how its construction had progressed since your last visit. When it was finally open, you'd gone on it nonstop almost the entire day. Will and Paul had been astounded when they'd heard... before you told them, they'd probably had no idea that girls can like thrill rides, too. [[Anyways....|Lion Menu]]

"Oh, hi Maddie." [[Talk about school.|s1]] [[Talk about music.|s2]] [[Talk about siblings.|s3]] [[Talk about shoes.|s4]] [[Talk about games.|s5]] [[Talk about boys.|s6]] [[Talk about Paul.|s7]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk about Emma.|s8]]<</if>> [[Talk about the missing kid.|s9]] <<if $destination > 1>><<if $willConvo is 1>>[[Talk about music again.]]<</if>><</if>><<if $destination > 2>><<if $willConvo is 2>>[[Talk about music some more.]]<</if>><</if>> <<if $willFlirt is true>><<if $willConvo > 1>><<if $romanceProg < 1>>[[Talk to Will about your feelings for him.]]<</if>><</if>><</if>><<if $romance is "Will">><<if $willConvo > 2>><<if $romanceProg < 2>>[[Talk about your relationship.|RS]]<</if>><</if>><</if>> <<if $current is "Shrieking Falcon">>[["Talk to you later."|Lion Menu]] <<elseif $current is "Grey Hurricane">>[["Talk to you later."|Walrus Menu]] <<elseif $current is "bumper cars">>[["Talk to you later."|Cars Menu]] <<elseif $current is "hot dog stand">>[["Talk to you later."|Dog Menu]] <<elseif $current is "funnel cake cart">>[["Talk to you later."|Cake Menu]] <<elseif $current is "candy bar stand">>[["Talk to you later."|Candy Menu]] <<elseif $current is "main entrance">>[["Talk to you later."|Main Menu]] <<elseif $current is "side entrance">>[["Talk to you later."|Side Menu]] <<elseif $current is "employee entrance">>[["Talk to you later."|Employee Menu]]<</if>>

"Hey, Maddie. What's up?" [[Talk about school.]] [[Talk about music.]] [[Talk about siblings.]] [[Talk about shoes.]] [[Talk about games.]] [[Talk about boys.]] [[Talk about Will.]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk about Emma.]]<</if>> [[Talk about the missing kid.|PaulKid]] <<if $destination > 1>><<if $paulConvo is 1>>[[Talk about siblings again.]]<</if>><</if>><<if $destination > 2>><<if $paulConvo is 2>>[[Talk about siblings some more.]]<</if>><</if>> <<if $paulFlirt is true>><<if $paulConvo > 1>><<if $romanceProg < 1>>[[Talk to Paul about your feelings for him.]]<</if>><</if>><</if>><<if $romance is "Paul">><<if $paulConvo > 2>><<if $romanceProg < 2>>[[Talk about your relationship.|RC]]<</if>><</if>><</if>> <<if $current is "Shrieking Falcon">>[["Talk to you later."|Lion Menu]] <<elseif $current is "Grey Hurricane">>[["Talk to you later."|Walrus Menu]] <<elseif $current is "bumper cars">>[["Talk to you later."|Cars Menu]] <<elseif $current is "hot dog stand">>[["Talk to you later."|Dog Menu]] <<elseif $current is "funnel cake cart">>[["Talk to you later."|Cake Menu]] <<elseif $current is "candy bar stand">>[["Talk to you later."|Candy Menu]] <<elseif $current is "main entrance">>[["Talk to you later."|Main Menu]] <<elseif $current is "side entrance">>[["Talk to you later."|Side Menu]] <<elseif $current is "employee entrance">>[["Talk to you later."|Employee Menu]]<</if>>

"Hey there, Maddie. What's on your mind?" [[Talk about school.|e2]] [[Talk about music.|e3]] [[Talk about siblings.|e4]] [[Talk about shoes.|e5]] [[Talk about games.|e6]] [[Talk about boys.|e7]] [[Talk about Will.|e8]] [[Talk about Paul.|e9]] [[Talk about the missing kid.|e10]] <<if $destination > 1>><<if $emmaConvo is 1>>[[Talk about games again.]]<</if>><</if>><<if $destination > 2>><<if $emmaConvo is 2>>[[Talk about games some more.]]<</if>><</if>> <<if $emmaFlirt is true>><<if $emmaConvo > 1>><<if $romanceProg < 1>>[[Talk to Emma about your feelings for her.]]<</if>><</if>><</if>><<if $romance is "Emma">><<if $emmaConvo > 2>><<if $romanceProg < 2>>[[Talk about your relationship.]]<</if>><</if>><</if>> <<if $current is "Shrieking Falcon">>[["Talk to you later."|Lion Menu]] <<elseif $current is "Grey Hurricane">>[["Talk to you later."|Walrus Menu]] <<elseif $current is "bumper cars">>[["Talk to you later."|Cars Menu]] <<elseif $current is "hot dog stand">>[["Talk to you later."|Dog Menu]] <<elseif $current is "funnel cake cart">>[["Talk to you later."|Cake Menu]] <<elseif $current is "candy bar stand">>[["Talk to you later."|Candy Menu]] <<elseif $current is "main entrance">>[["Talk to you later."|Main Menu]] <<elseif $current is "side entrance">>[["Talk to you later."|Side Menu]] <<elseif $current is "employee entrance">>[["Talk to you later."|Employee Menu]]<</if>>

"Yeah, I think I've got it!" Will calls excitedly. "One of us will have to stay out and operate it, though." "We can take turns," says Paul. "It's not like we're only going on it once or anything." <<if $emma is 1>>"Sounds good to me," says Emma. <</if>>"I'll operate first," Will says. You all take turns operating the Shrieking Falcon, sending the others around on it as many times as they can handle. Your screams echo through the deserted park as you have more fun than you ever thought possible. The park might be kinda creepy without any people around, but in moments like this, you're glad it's just you and your companions. "It might be time to stop," Paul says eventually. He's doubled over and clutching a guardrail. <<if $emma is 1>>"Yeah..." says Emma. She looks like she's about to puke. <</if>>"I'm doing fine!" Will says. "That's because you've been operating for the past three rides," Paul informs him. "Want us to send you around a few more times?" "Uh, nah," says Will. "We can head back to the ticket booth." [["Sounds good to me."|Activity Lobby]] [["Race ya!"|Activity Lobby]] [["I suppose...."|Activity Lobby]]

"Did you do that assignment for next Monday yet?" Paul asks you. You nod in affirmation. It hadn't been a fun afternoon, that was for sure. "Great!" says Paul. "I got mine done, too, and I was gonna offer to help you. But I guess you don't need it." [["I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."|c3]] [["For the record, I appreciate it."|c3]] [[(Sarcasm) Next time, I'll procrastinate a little more, then.|c3]]

"I'm still listening to the same old stuff," Paul tells you. "I haven't really been interested in what's been coming out lately." [["I don't blame you."|"I don't blame you."]] [["Hey, I love modern pop!"|c3]] [["I haven't even heard most of it, to be honest."|"I haven't even heard most of it, to be honest."]]

"Ugh, those are the worst," Paul says with some vigor. "I've got an older brother, and he's a total dirtball. Like, the type of guy that makes you wish you were an only child." Now that you think about it, you're not sure if you've ever seen Paul upset like this before. You guess that his family life must not be as great as you'd assumed. [["Oh, c'mon... siblings aren't so bad."|c4]] [["He's probably just jealous of you."|c4]] [["Any idea why he treats you so badly?"|c4]]

"Shoes? Yeah, I wear 'em," Paul declares proudly. You decide that you're not even gonna bother..... [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

"Oh geez," says Paul. "I haven't played any new games in ages. School's always getting in the way. I have a little extra money, though... I should really go shopping on Steam. I heard they finally got Star Wars: Empire at War. I think the Forces of Corruption expansion is even included." You ask if Paul's played any old games recently. "Only Monster Hunter," he says. "It's a real classic, and the Monster Hunter World MMO they made is cool, too. Otherwise, I spend most of my free time watching streamers on Twitch." [["Oooh, I love Twitch!"|c1]] [["Sounds like you're having fun, at least."|c2]]

Paul straightens up all the sudden. "You're into someone?" he asks. [["There's someone at school."|c9]] [["Nope, I'm not telling."|c9]] [["There's no one."|c9]] [[(Lie) There's no one.|c9]] [[(Flirt) Awww, you look nervous.]]

"Will's great," Paul says. "He's always been a good friend to me, and we've got so much in common! I wish I could be as chill and friendly as he is." Paul pauses for a minute. "It's really cool," he finally says. "He's just so nice to everyone, even when they're not nice back." [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

"I'm not so sure about Emma," Paul admits to you. "She's kinda weird, don't you think?" You ask Paul if he has any theories as to what Emma might be up to. "I dunno," Paul admits. "At first, I thought she was like... a ghost or something. But now... oh, who even knows!? Just don't trust her with too much stuff before you figure out who she really is. Trust me, that knowledge could make a difference." [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

"I love school!" Will says with... a lot of enthusiasm. "I mean, I wish the people there were nicer to me... but, oh well, I guess." You and Will compare notes on favorite and least favorite teachers for a little while. [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

"Oh," says Will. "Yeah, music. I like music." [["What kind of music do you like?"|"What kind of music do you like?"]] [["If you're gonna be weird about this, then never mind."|s5b]]

"I have a baby sister," Will tells you with pride. "I was worried my parents would forget about me, but that hasn't really happened. I actually like having a baby around, to be honest." [["That makes sense."|s3a]] [["I've never cared much for babies."|s3b]] [["Most guys wouldn't admit that, you know...."|s3c]]

"Oh," says Will, somewhat taken aback. "Sorry, Maddie... I don't know much about that. I like... shoes that look like... uhhhh... these?" He points down to the pair of worn sneakers that he's wearing. They don't go especially well with the rest of his outfit. [["Never mind."|Will Menu]]

"Did you hear WWE 2K19 is out!?" Will asks you in barely controlled glee. "I have all the other WWE 2K games that they made! I ordered this last one a week ago... I hope it gets here soon." Then he frowns. "Well, at least this way I'm not talking about it 24/7, like I will be once I'm playing it. Then, I'll just go on and on and on..." You decide not to point out that Will is already doing that. Instead, you smile and nod. "What about you, Maddie? I know you never got into the WWE games, but you still play Star Wars, right?" [["Yeah, sometimes."|s5a]] [["Star Wars: The Old Republic is still like my favorite game!"|s5a]] [["I've kinda gotten out of it, actually."|s5b]]

Will lowers his voice a little. "Are you gonna tell me who you like?" he asks. [["There's someone at school."|s5b]] [["Nope, I'm not telling."|s5b]] [["There's no one."|s5b]] [[(Lie) There's no one.|s5b]] [[(Flirt) Guess.]]

"Paul is such a rockstar!" Will says. "I love how he's always so confident in himself. I wish I could wear my wrestler shirts everywhere like he does." You point out that Will can wear whatever he wants. "Oh, I mean without feeling super self-conscious," Will says. "Some people still like wrestling, but it's not the 'cool' thing to be into anymore." [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

"Oh, Emma seems cool," Will says. "I don't think we have anything to worry about from her, if that's what you mean." He glances over at Emma's bare feet. "I'm not sure why she won't find some shoes, though. It can't feel good to walk barefoot on gravel and asphalt all the time. Eh, she's probably used to it, I guess." [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

"I don't have any siblings," Emma says. You tell Emma about your siblings. "Must be nice," she says. "I don't really like being an only child. You're lonely all the time." [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

Emma laughs at this. She looks down at her bare feet. "Three people here, and I'm the one you wanna talk about shoes with?" Then she hesitates a minute. "Oh," she says. "Yeah, okay, I get it." [["So... did you actually come here without shoes?"|"So... did you actually come here without shoes?"]] [["Meh, never mind."|Emma Menu]]

"You play games?" Emma asks, suddenly seeming very interested. [["Yeah, I love games!"|"Yeah, I love games!"]] [["Sometimes."|"Yeah, I love games!"]] [["Nah, I think they're boring."|e8a]]

Emma chuckles. "I'd rather hear what you have to say on that subject, actually." She leans closer to you and drops her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "You have a secret crush on some guy?" [["I like Will."|e7a]] [["I like Paul."|e7a]] [["There's someone at school."|e7a]] [["I don't really think about guys like that."|e7c]] [["Nah, I haven't met the right person yet."|e7c]] [[(Lie) Nope!|e7b]]

"Will seems nice," Emma says. "But you know him better than I do. What do you think?" [["He's really cool."|e8a]] [["He's cute."|e8b]] [["He's kinda a dork."|e8c]] [["He drives me crazy."|e8a]]

"I don't have any problems with Paul," Emma says. "What do you think about him?" [["He's really cool."|e8a]] [["He's cute."|e8b]] [["He's kind of brash sometimes."|e8a]] [["He drives me crazy."|e8a]]

"Oh, wow," Emma says. "I'm the only girl in my class who likes that." She pauses for a moment. "It's... cool to meet someone else who's into it, too." [["Thanks."|Emma Menu]] [["I agree."|Emma Menu]] [["If you say so...."|Emma Menu]]

"Oh, nice," says Emma. "A bunch of my friends are really into that." [["Anyways...."|Emma Menu]]

"Cool," says Emma. "That's really popular at my school." [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

"Oh," says Emma. She hesitates for a moment. "No one ever gives you trouble for liking that?" [["What do you mean?"|e3d]] [["No, not really."|e3d]] [["Yeah... 'Why are you listening to boy music?' "|e3e]]

"Wow," says Emma. "That's what I like to listen to, too!" She pauses a moment. "I usually get picked on for it, thought. It's... dorky. Not cool." [["Ignore those people. Who cares if it's cool?"|e3f]] [["Yeah, I've been there, too."|e3f]] [["You just need thicker skin."|e3f]]

"Ah, never mind," says Emma. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

Emma flashes a sad smile. "That music has bad messages in it," she says in a false low voice. "Why do you like weird stuff?" "Is that just what your boyfriend's into?" [["Yeah, I've heard all that before..."|"Yeah, I've heard all that before..."]] [["It's not fair. We shouldn't be judged like that."|"Yeah, I've heard all that before..."]] [["I've just learned to ignore it."|"Yeah, I've heard all that before..."]]

Emma just looks down at her feet. "Yeah, it's too bad life sucks that way," she says. [[She looks like she's ready to change the subject...|Emma Menu]]

Emma just shrugs at that. [["Anyways...."|Emma Menu]]

Emma grins at you. It's the first time you've seen that expression on her face. "Nah," she says. "I just ditched 'em. When I heard you guys banging around, I figured it would be best to move quietly. I didn't know you'd be so nice." Emma thinks for a moment. "I've never liked wearing shoes, anyway. Being able to sneak up on unsuspecting people is much more fun." [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

You tell Emma the story of Jacob Karlberg from the newsletter article. She listens to you quietly and attentively, clearly thinking about what she's hearing. When you've finished, she asks you: "Why? Why would he just disappear?" [[Maybe he's playing a prank?]] [[Maybe he didn't; he could've been kidnapped.]] [[Maybe his life sucked and he was running away.]] [[You care more about why than where?]] [[I don't know.]]

"Fair enough," says Emma. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

"He's not really... my type," says Emma, looking down at her feet. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with that," Emma says, almost defensively. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

"Yeah, could be," says Emma. She doesn't look convinced. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

"I guess that does happen around here sometimes," says Emma. She doesn't look convinced. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

"Relatable," says Emma. She looks down at her feet. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

"You don't?" asks Emma. "Even if he just magically showed back up, if no one ever learned why he was gone, well... it wouldn't mean anything. Y'know?" There's a long pause. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

Emma smirks at you. "Honesty. That's... nice. It's hard for some people to admit that they don't have all the answers." [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]]

"Ooooo!" Emma says, making a cute little noise of excitement. "Don't worry," she adds after a minute. "I won't tell." [["Anyways...."|Emma Menu]]

Emma rolls her eyes at you. "Yeah, sure," she says. Then: "You're a terrible liar." You shrug. [["Anyways...."|Emma Menu]]

Emma raises an eyebrow at you in interest. "What do you mean?" she asks. [["I just don't want to date yet."|e8a]] [["Dating is gross!"|e8a]] [["Having guys as normal friends is all I can handle."|e8ab]] [["All the guys in my class are dirtballs."|e8ab]] [[(Flirt) I think you know what I mean.]]

Emma rolls her eyes to the heavens. "Ugh, I sure know what that's like." She looks down at her feet for a second, then back up at you shyly. "You could always date someone else...." [["Maybe...."|e7d]] [["Yeah, I've thought of that."|e7e]] [["Nah, that's not me."|e8a]] [[(Flirt) "That might be nice."|e7d]]

Emma stares down at her bare feet with such intensity that you think her gaze is going to shoot out of her green eyes. "Well, I was kinda hoping..." she mumbles, still not meeting your eyes. [[She looks really nervous. Maybe you should giver her some time.|Emma Menu]] <<if $romance is "None">><<set $emmaFlirt to true>><</if>>

"You should think about it," she says. Her voice is even softer than before. She won't meet your eyes. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]] <<if $romance is "None">><<set $emmaFlirt to true>><</if>>

"Cool," she says. Her voice is even softer than before. She won't meet your eyes. [["Anyways..."|Emma Menu]] <<if $romance is "None">><<set $emmaFlirt to true>><</if>>

"Whoa," Emma says, grinning at you. "I wouldn't've guessed it. What're you playing right now?" [[Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic.]] [[Fortnite.]] [[Toontown.]] [[Pandemic.]] [[Apex Legends.]] [[Pokemon GO.]] [[Minecraft.]] [[DOTA 2.]] [[Cribbage.]] [[Guild Wars 2.]] [[A lot of indie webgames.]] [["I don't want to talk about it."|e8a]]

"Ohmigosh I totally love KOTOR!" Emma says. "If you can lend me a copy of The Sith Lords once you finish it, you'd be my new best friend!" She's referring to Knights of The Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, the next game in the series. You nod in acknowledgement. [[What kind of games do you like?]]

"I played that, back when it was big," Emma says. "I hear they've been doing a pretty good job of keeping the content coming. I love playing games where you can tell the dev team really cares." She pauses for a minute. "Well, I guess it's mostly because it's popular and they know it'll make money. I have heard that the company doesn't treat its workers very well." [[What kind of games do you like?]]

"Hey, I still play Toontown sometimes, too!" Emma says. "I was really sad when they closed Toontown Online." She sighs. "It was really cool to see the game's own community bring it back, too. I wish I was that dedicated to stuff." You ask her if she usually plays Toontown Rewritten or Corporate Clash. "I was more into Clash, until Rewritten started their Crash Cashbot event," she says. "That's been really fun to play, and the new look for Cashbot Headquarters is absolutely incredible... that graffiti was inspired. But I think what I admire most is how many devoted developers both of them have. Even Jesse Schell, the guy who basically invented Toontown Online, is still involved with the community." [[What kind of games do you like?]]

"Pandemic is awesome!" Emma says. "I don't play too many analog games anymore... it's hard without people to play with. But I got some friends to play Pandemic Legacy with me once, and it was like the coolest thing ever." You look at her with some interest; you've never played Legacy. "I'd never seen a story and decision-based board game before," she says. "I heard that there's even a Season 2 now... hopefully I'll be able to get it one day." [[What kind of games do you like?]]

Emma shakes her head. "Didn't that one just come out? You must be really on top of things; I haven't even tried it yet." You tell her that you've had a lot of fun playing it. "That's good," she says. "A lot of people I know have been disappointed with this year's games. It's good to know that there's some cool new thing out there." [[What kind of games do you like?]]

"Ahhhh, a classic," Emma says. "I burned sooooo many hours of my childhood on that game. It's still fun all this time later." You nod in agreement. "Some ideas are just timeless, I guess," she says. "Like giving people the freedom to create." [[What kind of games do you like?]]

Emma rolls her eyes at you. "Seriously?" she asks. Then she bursts out laughing. "Just kidding! I play League though, so I couldn't help myself!" You laugh along with her. DOTA players have a longstanding rivalry with League of Legends players. [[What kind of games do you like?]]

"Oh, like the card game?" Emma asks. You nod in confirmation. "I've never tried it before," Emma says. "I read the rules once, though... it looks interesting. Maybe you can teach me how to play sometime." [[What kind of games do you like?]]

"Oh, so you're into MMOs?" Emma asks. "I don't play Guild Wars anymore, but I'm a huge MMORPG fan, too." [[What kind of games do you like?]]

"Nice!" says Emma. "Have you ever played The Uncle Who Works For Nintendo? I haven't figured out how to beat it yet... like, I feel I'm missing something. But it's super fun." You make a mental note to try that one; you've never heard of it. "I love internet games like that," Emma continues. "I wish I had a credit card, though. It would be cool to support some of the indie developers that I like." [[What kind of games do you like?]]

"Oh, that's super cool!" Emma says. "I've tried that a little bit, but I think the older Pokemon games are still my favorite. I did get a shiny magikarp in GO, though. That was cool." You ask her which Pokemon game is her favorite. "Probably SoulSilver," she says. "I liked the story a lot, and Hoenn is my favorite generation." [[What kind of games do you like?]]

Emma squints in concentration. "Well, I played a bunch of the old Mario and Zelda and Pokemon games back in elementary school, so I'll always be loyal to them, I guess. My favorites now though are probably Final Fantasy XIV and Stardew Valley. I play some Toontown and League of Legends too, though." [["Final Fantasy is awesome!"|"Final Fantasy is awesome!"]] [["You still play Stardew Valley?"|"You still play Stardew Valley?"]] [["What do you think of Toontown?"|"What's Toontown?"]] [["Aren't the people in League always mean?"|"Isn't League caustic?"]] [["I've never tried those before."|"I've never tried those before."]] [["Those all sound dumb."|e8a]]

"I know, right!?" Emma says. "I just unlocked White Mage, and I'm super excited to try some of the harder content with her. I usually love healing, so I hope I can figure it out." She pauses for a moment. "You're really cool," she says. Then she looks down at the floor, slightly abashed. [[You decide to change the subject for now.|Emma Menu]] <<set $emmaConvo to 1>>

"Yeah, I'm a dork, I know," Emma says, laughing sincerely. "I still haven't finished all the romance stories yet, soooo... there's that. They've also got a really good subreddit... I love how involved ConcernedApe is with the community of his game." She pauses for a moment. "You're really cool," she says. Then she looks down at the floor, slightly abashed. [[You decide to change the subject for now.|Emma Menu]] <<set $emmaConvo to 1>>

"Well, I love Disney and cartoon animals and evil robots soooo... you know what?" She smirks at you. "We'll talk about it later. Now's probably not a good time to get me started talking about all that." She pauses for a moment. "You're really cool," she says. Then she looks down at the floor, slightly abashed. [[You decide to change the subject for now.|Emma Menu]] <<set $emmaConvo to 1>>

"Yeah, a little," Emma admits, appearing somewhat embarrassed. "You get used to it after awhile, though. It's not that much worse than the crap I get from people in real life." She pauses for a moment. "You're really cool," she says. Then she looks down at the floor, slightly abashed. [[You decide to change the subject for now.|Emma Menu]] <<set $emmaConvo to 1>>

"You should try 'em. It'd be cool to have friends who play some of my favorites." She pauses for a moment. "You're really cool," she says. Then she looks down at the floor, slightly abashed. [[You decide to change the subject for now.|Emma Menu]] <<set $emmaConvo to 1>>

"Hey," Emma says. "I was thinking about what you told me before. About games, I mean." She hesitates. "Do people ever give you trouble at school for liking games? Like... because you're a girl?" [["Of course not. Don't be silly."|"No, not really."]] [["Not really, but I see it happen alot."|"Yeah, all the time."]] [["Every once in awhile."|"Yeah, all the time."]] [["Yeah, all the time."|"Yeah, all the time."]]

"I've been thinking about what you said before," Emma says. "Do you think there's anything we can do to fix it? I mean, I'm used to getting crap... but I wish we could do something to keep other gamer girls from getting bullied." You think about that for a second. "I think a lot more girls would play games if they didn't think it was such a 'boy' thing," Emma continues. "All my friends just think games are violence-filled time wasters. No one ever talks about the stories or educational stuff they can pull off." [["Oh, I still think games ARE violence-filled time wasters."|E2a]] [["Gaming IS a boy thing... we'll just always be weirdos, I guess."|E2a]] [["Well, we can spread the word...."|E2]] [["What if we made our own games?"|E2]] [["We shouldn't be afraid to stick up for each other."|E2]]

"You look like you've got something you need to get off your chest," Emma says. [["Don't worry about it."|e8a]] [[(Flirt) I really like you.]]

"Hey Maddie, do you have a minute?" Emma asks. "I want to show you something. Just you and me." You nod, and Emma reaches out, gently taking your hand in hers. "Close your eyes," she says. "Don't worry, I won't let you get hurt." You squeeze your eyes shut and let Emma lead you through the Cosmic Diversion. Her bare feet make no noise on the ground, so the only sensory input you have available to you is the warmth of her hand in yours. "We're here," she says. "Open your eyes." [[You open your eyes.]] <<set $romanceProg to 2>>

Emma blushes. "I... ummm... I like you too. Like, a lot. I feel like I can actually talk to you... like, without you judging me. It's nice." [["I'm glad you feel that way."|"I'm glad you feel that way."]] [["Do you wanna be my girlfriend?"|"Do you wanna be my girlfriend?"]]

Emma shuffles her feet. "So... do you wanna... ummm... like, go out with me?" [["Sure, but just as friends."|e8a]] [[(Flirt) I'd love to. If you mean what I think you mean....|"Do you wanna be my girlfriend?"]]

Emma grins at you broadly, her face bright red. "Yeah. I do." Then she pauses, shaking her head. "I can't believe this is actually happening." Emma throws her arms around you and squeezes you tightly. She's a lot stronger than she looks. When she pulls away from you, she keeps her hands on your shoulders and meets your eyes with hers. "You're awesome," she says. [["That's really sweet of you."|"Thanks. You too."]] [["Thanks. You too."|"Thanks. You too."]] [["Yep, I really am, aren't I?"|"Thanks. You too."]]

<<set $romanceProg to 1>><<set $willFlirt to false>><<set $paulFlirt to false>><<set $romance to "Emma">>Emma releases her grip on your shoulders and steps back from you. "We'll talk more later," she says. "For now... well, we've got a theme park to get out of, and I'm already distracted enough!" [["Fair point."|Emma Menu]] [["Alright, sounds like a plan."|Emma Menu]] [["I look forward to it."|Emma Menu]]

She's led you to the foot of the giant observation wheel at the edge of the park. "C'mon," she says, vaulting over the guardrail. She trots up to the control box and starts pushing buttons until the giant wheel begins to move. It's set to ferris wheel speed at first, but she figures out how to slow it down enough so that you think you can get in while it's moving. "Alright," she says. "Pick a basket." You wait for the next basket to come and scramble into it as quickly as you can. It's already beginning its ascent by the time you've pulled your legs in, but Emma jumps and catches the footbar, trying to pull herself in. "Give me your hand!" she says. You reach out and help Emma into the basket. She twists around lithely and sits down next to you, draping her arm around your shoulders. "Thanks," she says. [["Don't scare me like that!"|"Don't scare me like that!"]] [["Any time."|"Any time."]]

Emma laughs. "Aww, you were worried?" [[You just shake your head.|Wheel]]

Emma grins at you. "Glad to know you've got my back." [[You just shake your head.|Wheel]]

"Now, look," Emma says, pointing out over the treeline. It's getting late by now, and you can see the nearby city all lit up on the horizon. The hustle and bustle of life there never truly stops, you realize. "It's beautiful, huh?" Emma asks you. "I live in one of those high rises there. The only daughter of parents who I don't even think wanted kids in the first place." She exhales slowly. You lay your head on her shoulder. "I used to want to escape that city whenever I could. That's why I came here tonight. This place is a way out for me. But now that you're here, I wish we could go back, together. I think I'd appreciate more of what makes the city beautiful now that I've got someone to show it off to." You and Emma ride in silence for awhile, and eventually, your basket reaches the very summit of the observation wheel. "I feel like I can see forever from here," Emma says. [["It's gorgeous. Thanks for bringing me."|"It's gorgeous. Thanks for bringing me."]] [["Thanks for sharing something so personal with me."|"It's gorgeous. Thanks for bringing me."]] [["The others are probably looking for us... We should go."|"It's gorgeous. Thanks for bringing me."]]

"Yeah," says Emma. "Thanks for coming with me." [[(Hug Emma)]] [[(Kiss Emma)]] [["So, do you wanna make out?"]]

You throw your arms around Emma, and she hugs you back. You stay like that for a minute, then break apart and watch the city once more as your basket gradually dips closer and closer to the ground. Once it's near enough to the ground, Emma hops out of the basket, runs over to the controls, and stops the wheel. You climb out of the wheel and sit down on the loading platform steps. Emma joins you, and you sit together for a moment, just enjoying each other's company. "We should probably get back," Emma says, standing up. "We don't want Will and Paul to worry." You nod in reluctant agreement as you let her help you to your feet. [[Emma wraps her arm around your waist, and the two of you walk off together, leaving the observation wheel alone to look out over the city.|Emma Menu]]

You make eye contact with Emma and see your feelings reciprocated in her eyes. You pull her closer to you, then wrap your arms around her, gently pressing your lips to hers. She kisses you back. You break apart and watch the city once more as your basket gradually dips closer and closer to the ground. Once it's near enough to the ground, Emma hops out of the basket, runs over to the controls, and stops the wheel. You climb out of the wheel and sit down on the loading platform steps. Emma joins you, and you sit together for a moment, just enjoying each other's company. "We should probably get back," Emma says, standing up. "We don't want Will and Paul to worry." You nod in reluctant agreement as you let her help you to your feet. [[Emma wraps her arm around your waist, and the two of you walk off together, leaving the observation wheel alone to look out over the city.|Emma Menu]]

Emma blushes and instincitvely looks down at her feet. Then, she deliberately looks back up at you. "Yeah," she says. "That'd be cool." You wrap your arms around Emma and pull her close to your body, kissing her with every bit of passion you've developed in your not-so-long life. As the wheel nears the bottom, you hear Will and Paul coming. "The wheel's moving," Paul says. "They must've come here." "What do you think they're doing?" Will asks. "I dunno," says Paul. "Ferris wheels are boring, so I doubt it's anything interesting." "Yeah," says Will. "They're probably talking about Snapchat filters and shopping, or whatever. Girls are so...." he trails off as your basket comes parallel to the ground. You don't stop making out with Emma. Will and Paul just stare at each other. Paul reaches over and pulls the lever to stop the wheel. "Umm... Will left his... kaleidoscope over here," Paul says, looking away. "No, I'm pretty sure it was your kaleidoscope, Paul," Will says. "Anyways, we uhh... realized that the kaleidoscope went somewhere different." "Yeah," Paul says. "Kaleidoscopes do tend to do that. We'd better go catch it, huh Will?" "Yeah!" Will says, much too quickly. He and Paul practically take off back in the direction they came from. You and Emma finally break apart and turn to watch the boys running off. You both start to giggle. Emma rolls her eyes. "Boys," she says. You sit together for a minute more, just enjoying each other's company. "We should probably get back," Emma says. "We don't want them to worry. More than we already made them, at least." You nod in reluctant agreement as you climb out of the ferris wheel. [[Emma wraps her arm around your waist, and the two of you walk off together, leaving the observation wheel alone to look out over the city.|Emma Menu]]

"I hope you realize how lucky you are," Emma says. [["Anyways...."|Emma Menu]]

You and Emma take turns exchaning all the lines you've heard from guys over the years: "What do you mean you have a PS4? It's your brother's right?" "Sorry, this is a boy's game." "Wow, you're good. Did your boyfriend teach you?" "Wouldn't you rather just watch videos on Instagram or whatever?" Emma sighs. "It's... whatever. I shouldn't care." [["Mhmm. Don't be so thin-skinned."|E1a]] [["Exactly! We don't need their judgement and opinions when we've got each other."|E1]] [["It's a waste of time trying to talk to them about it."|E1a]] [["That doesn't mean that what they're saying is right."|E1]] [["Boys are trash."|E1a]] [["Next time someone gives you trouble, let me know. I'll stand up for you."|E1]]

Emma pauses a moment... and then nods her appreciation to you. "Thanks." [[You sense that it's time to let the subject drop for now.|Emma Menu]] <<set $emmaConvo to 2>>

"Yeah," says Emma. A smile slowly starts to spread across her face. "Yeah, that's a great idea." "I'm glad I have you to talk to," she says. "No one else has ever seemed to get it before. This might sound weird since we've only known each other for like two hours, but... you're like my best friend now." You smile at Emma. "We should exchange phone numbers or something," Emma says. "Wait! Do you have a Discord?" You and Emma exchange Discord usernames and ID tags. "I'm glad we'll be able to stay in touch," she says. [[For now, it might be time to talk about something else.|Emma Menu]] <<set $emmaConvo to 3>> <<set $allies += 1>>

"Hey..." says Will. "About what we were talking about before...." You wait patiently as Will collects his thoughts. "I think I want to go for it. Like try to express myself. I think it'd help make me more proud of who I am, y'know?" [["Yeah, I know."|ma2]] [["That probably won't work."|s5b]] [["That sounds like a good idea to me."|ma2]] [["Just don't upset anyone. You need to keep your friends happy."|s5b]] [["Maybe you'll be able to set an example."|ma2]] [["That kind of pride is overrated."|s5b]]

Will strides up to you confidently. Right away, you notice that something's different. His sweatshirt is tied around his waist now, and he's wearing his WWE shirt loud and proud. [["I'm proud of you, Will."|ma3]] [["Whoa, you're really going for it!"|ma3]] [["Nice shirt."|ma3]] [["You sure you want to do that?"|s5b]]

"You look like you've got something on your mind," Will says. [["Never mind."|s5b]] [[(Flirt) I really like you.|s10a]]

"Hey Maddie, over here!" Will calls, walking towards you. "Let's get out of here for a few minutes." You nod, and Will reaches out, taking your hand in his. "I found something really cool on the park map. I wanted you to be there when I went to take a look for the first time. And before you ask... it's a surprise." You and Will walk through the grounds of the Cosmic Diversion. Everything's quiet and calm, just how you like it. As the wind whispers in the steel infrastructure of the park's many attractions, you finally start to let go of the tension that the gravity of your situation had thrust upon you. "We're here," Will says. "What do you think?" [[You look around.]] <<set $romanceProg to 2>>

Will grins at you. "Yeah, totally!" [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

"Really, Maddie?" Will asks, his mouth dropping open. "You're missing out big time, believe me!" [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

Will shoots you a shy smile. "I'm not most guys," he says. [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

"That's great!" Will says. "I bet you're just as excited for the 6.0 Onslaught expansion as I am, then. SWTOR is a true classic; I hope they keep it running for a long time." He pauses. "Also... like, I'm glad you get it. Most of my friends just think Star Wars is weird." [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

"Ahhh, okay," Will says. [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

"Yikes," says Will. "I'm not the only one who can't get that creepy story out of his head, I guess. What do you think that kid was like?" [["He looked kinda nerdy."|"He looked kinda nerdy."]] [["He looked a lot like you."|"He looked a lot like you."]] [["I wouldn't presume to know."|"I wouldn't presume to know."]] [["Does it matter?"|"Does it matter?"]] [[(Joke) Dangerous. Very dangerous.]]

"That's true," Will says. "I wonder if he and I would've had a lot in common...." [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

Will shivers a little at that, but then recovers. "One of his finer qualities, I'm certain," he says. You laugh. [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

Will goes pale. "You... you... think so?" he asks. However, you aren't able to supress your smile quite quickly enough. Will rolls his eyes at you. "Ha. Ha," he says dryly. [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

"Yeah...." says Will. "That's like... really smart, actually." [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

"I think so," Will says. "This Jacob kid wasn't just some number on a sheet... he was an actual person with feelings and a story. Just thinking of him as a missing person... well, there's more to it than that." [["Anyways...."|Will Menu]]

Will thinks about that, long and hard. Finally, he answers: "Paul?" [["Uhhhh... no."|s6a]] [["Never mind."|Will Menu]] [[(Flirt) Keep trying....|s6a]] [[(Flirt) It's you, you dingus!|s6b]]

"Ohhh, wait," says Will. You cross your arms patiently. "Is it... me?" Will finally asks. "Really? Me?" [["No, it was really Paul. I was just messing with you."|s5b]] [["Yeah. You."|s6b]]

"Oh," says Will. "Oh, wow." He swallows hard, and seems more than a little uncomfortable. You worry that he might pass out if you keep talking to him about this. [[Time to change the subject for awhile.|Will Menu]] <<if $romance is "None">><<set $willFlirt to true>><</if>>

Will blushes. "You're so cool... you know that, right? Like, I feel like I can actually be myself when I'm around you. It's a good feeling." [[I'm glad you're comfortable around me.]] [[Do you wanna be my boyfriend?]]

Will takes a deep breath. "Hey, do you wanna like... get dinner sometime?" [["Sure, but just as friends."|s5b]] [[(Flirt) I'd love to. If you mean what I think you mean....|Do you wanna be my boyfriend?]]

By the time you've finished speaking, Will has a huge, silly smile plastered across his face. "Like... dating, right?" You nod. "Yeah, that'd be awesome!" he says. "I can't believe you really like me. I mean, I thought you did, but maybe that was just because I wanted you to, or maybe I just wanted you to because I liked you and..." You gently put a hand on his shoulder, and he stops rambling. "You're the best," he says. [["Thanks. You're pretty great, too."|ST]] [["Awww! That's so sweet."|ST]] [["I know."|ST]]

<<set $romanceProg to 1>><<set $emmaFlirt to false>><<set $paulFlirt to false>><<set $romance to "Will">>You release your grip on Will's shoulder and step away from him. "Uhh... we should probably focus on getting out of here for now," he says. "But I can't wait to talk more later!" [["Same here."|Will Menu]] [["Yeah, we'll get to it."|Will Menu]] [["Whenever you're ready."|Will Menu]]

He's led you to the shore of a small boating lake. It's full of one- and two-rider watercraft. "I never knew they had one of these," Will says to you. He reaches over the gate and unlatches it, then holds it open for you. He messes around with the control panel a little bit until the lights turn on, illuminating the pond in soft blues and greens. "Alright," he says. "Which boat do you want?" You walk up to a two-rider boat painted a nice color. Will holds it still while you climb aboard, then he sits down next to you, pushing off from the dock. He shoves at a bad angle, though, and the entire boat wobbles. "Hold on tight!" he says. Thinking quickly, you lean back hard, twisting as you do so. You manage to catch the edge of the dock and hold onto it long enough for the boat to stabilize. Once you're sure that you're not going to capsize, you let go, pushing gently to allow the boat to drift into the pond. "Nice job," Will says. [["Don't scare me like that!"|SB1]] [["Thanks."|SB2]]

Will grins at you. "You were worried. Admit it." [[You just shake your head.|Pond]]

Will high-fives you. "Have I ever told you how cool I think you are?" [[You just shake your head.|Pond]]

You and Will lean back, relaxing as you drift languidly across the lake. It's getting late by now, and you can't see much beyond the soft light that illuminates the water. "This is so awesome," says Will. "I never thought I'd actually meet a girl who liked me and would want to hang out just because." He exhales slowly. You lay your head on his shoulder. "The Cosmic Diversion was always so cool for me because it's the one place I could go and feel free to be myself without anyone judging. But with you... I dunno, I feel like I could do that all the time. It's pretty easy to not care what other people think when you know that someone who matters already likes you." You and Will ride in silence for awhile, and eventually, your boat drifts to the very center of the pond. "I wish we could just stay here forever," Will says. [["This is nice. Thanks for bringing me."|"This is nice. Thanks for bringing me."]] [["I'm glad you feel so comfortable around me. Thanks for trusting me."|"This is nice. Thanks for bringing me."]] [["We should probably get going...."|"This is nice. Thanks for bringing me."]]

"Of course!" says Will. "I'm glad that you wanted to come." [[(Hug Will)]] [[(Kiss Will)]] [["So, do you wanna make out?"|MS]]

You throw your arms around Will, and he hugs you back. You stay like that for a minute, then break apart and watch the water once more as your boat gradually drifts closer and closer to the shore. Once it's near enough to the dock, Will hops out of the boat, pulls it up against the dock, and holds it still. You climb out and sit down on the loading platform steps. Will joins you, and you sit together for a moment, just enjoying each other's company. "We should probably go back," Will says, standing up. "We've been gone awhile." You nod in reluctant agreement as you let him help you to your feet. [[Will wraps his arm around your waist, and the two of you walk off together, leaving the boats alone with the softly glowing water.|Will Menu]]

You make eye contact with Will and see your feelings reciprocated in his eyes. You pull him closer to you, then wrap your arms around him, gently pressing your lips to his. He kisses you back. You break apart and watch the water once more as your boat gradually drifts closer and closer to the shore. Once it's near enough to the dock, Will hops out of the boat, pulls it up against the dock, and holds it still. You climb out and sit down on the loading platform steps. Will joins you, and you sit together for a moment, just enjoying each other's company. "We should probably go back," Will says, standing up. "We've been gone awhile." You nod in reluctant agreement as you let him help you to your feet. [[Will wraps his arm around your waist, and the two of you walk off together, leaving the boats alone with the softly glowing water.|Will Menu]]

"Uh, what's that?" Will asks. Cringing, you try to explain what "making out" means to Will, trying your very best to make it sound as appealing and not-weird as possible. "Whoa," says Will when you're finished. "You want to do that with me? Heck yeah!" You wrap your arms around Will and pull him close to your body, kissing him with every bit of passion you've developed in your not-so-long life. You and Will finally break apart when your boat unromantically rams into one of its compatriots in the pond. "Awww, c'mon," Will says. Once it drifts near enough to the dock, Will hops out of the boat, pulls it up against the dock, and holds it still. You climb out and sit down on the loading platform steps. Will joins you, and you sit together for a moment, just enjoying each other's company. "We should probably go back," Will says, standing up. "We've been gone awhile." You nod in reluctant agreement as you let him help you to your feet. [[Will wraps his arm around your waist, and the two of you walk off together, leaving the boats alone with the softly glowing water.|Will Menu]]

"Oh," says Will. "You see, the thing is... ummmm...." Will stalls for a while longer, but he eventually sighs in resignation, realizing that you won't give up. "I just listen to soundtracks and stuff," he says. "Game scores, movie songs, that sorta thing." He pauses. "I know, it's embarrassing." [["You can like whatever kind of music you want."|s2e]] [["In the grand scheme of things... no it's not."|s2e]] [["Hey, I'm not judging."|s2e]] [["Yeah, I think that's really weird."|s5b]]

"Oh," Will says. "Thanks." At first you think he's going to drop the subject, but then he continues: "It's not just music, though," Will tells you. "It's Star Wars. The WWE. Almost everything I'm into, really. It's not the sort of stuff that's... cool in 2019. I wish I could really own it, like Paul does... but it's just so hard." He tugs on his collar as he says this last part, and you remember that he's wearing his wrestler shirt under his outer layer. You realize that he's probably been covering up his identity for a long time. [["I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to do that."|s2f]] [["Don't bother trying to own it. Fake it when people are around."|s5b]] [["You should just go for it. It might be hard at first, but it'll be worth it."|s2f]] [["It's 2019. No one cares what's 'cool' anymore."|s2f]] [["Don't be such a chicken."|s5b]]

Will locks eyes with you and nods once. You can tell that your message has been received. However, you can also tell that this conversation has taken its toll on Will. It might be time to talk about something different.... [[What's next?|Will Menu]] <<set $willConvo to 1>>

Will grins at you. "I knew you'd get it," he says. He turns and walks a few steps away, breathing deeply. "It's not gonna be easy," he says. "But I can do this. I mean, having cool friends like you guys helps a lot...." [[It looks like this is all you'll be getting out of Will for now.|Will Menu]] <<set $willConvo to 2>>

"I wasn't kidding before," Will says. "I'm done with not being proud of who I am. If you and Paul can be confident expressing yourselves, then so can I." He takes a breath, and then says, as authoritatively as possible: "My name is Will and I like Star Wars and the WWE and silly movie songs. And I'm proud of it." You nod to Will with newfound respect. "But... I want to help other kids figure out that it's okay to be who you are, like you and Paul did with me," Will says. "How do I do that?" [["Lead by example. The rest will fall into place."|ma4]] [["Stand up to the judgers and the popular kids."|ma4]] [["Just be mean to anyone who quetions you."|mab]] [["Focus on yourself... supporting other people shouldn't be a priority for you, since you're so timid."|mab]] [["I don't know. But we'll figure it out together."|ma4]]

"Alright," says Will. "I'm gonna do my very best to make sure no one's ever stuck with this awful problem ever again!" Will seems to have found closure for now, so it might be best to drop the topic, you figure. [[Now, was there anything else?|Will Menu]] <<set $willConvo to 3>> <<set $allies += 1>>

"Yes!" exclaims Paul. "It's so cool! I use the pog emote everywhere now." [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

"Yeah, totally!" says Paul. [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

Paul just shrugs at that. [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

"Between you and me, you're not missing much," Paul says. [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

Paul smirks at you. "I figured that you'd be the one who gets it," he says. [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

"Hey, Maddie," Paul says. "Question for you. So, we established that siblings suck earlier, right? I never hear you complain about yours, though. How do you cope?" He cocks his head, watching you intently for your response. It seems that he's even looking for clues in your body language and delivery. [["I assert my dominance any way I can... that way, they're afraid to mess with me."|c9]] [["I give as good as I get. Simple as that."|c9]] [["I treat them like they're people, too."|c6]] [["I include them in my life whenever I can."|c6]] [["I give 'em stuff to show I care."|c6]]

"Maddie," Paul calls, waving you over. "I owe you an apology for before. I shouldn't have tried to convince you that siblings suck." [["What brings this on?"|c7]] [["It's okay."|c7]] [["Nah, you were right."|c7a]]

"Hey Maddie, watcha thinking about?" Paul asks. [["Nothing."|c9]] [[(Flirt) I really like you.|c12]]

"Yo, Maddie!" Paul says, walking towards you. "Let's do something just the two of us." You nod, and Paul reaches out, taking your hand in his. "I'll show you my favorite place in the whole park... the one I've never brought anyone else to before." You and Paul walk through the grounds of the Cosmic Diversion. Everything's quiet and calm, just how you like it. As the wind whispers in the steel infrastructure of the park's many attractions, you finally start to let go of the tension that the gravity of your situation had thrust upon you. "We're here," Paul says. "What do you think?" [[You look around.|RC1]] <<set $romanceProg to 2>>

Paul emits a short bark of laughter. "As if!" he says. At least he seems genuinely amused. "Hey, you have siblings, right, Maddie?" he asks you. "You should totally know what I'm talking about. Don't they make your life miserable? Take your stuff, then act too cool for you whenever anyone's around?" [["All the time."|c5]] [["Yeah, sometimes."|c5]] [["Nah, but I know people like that."|c5]] [["No, never. You're probably provoking them somehow."|c5a]]

Paul crosses his arms. "So you get it then?" he asks. "Mine do stuff like that constantly." You nod. Paul sighs a little and slouches against a wall. Apparently, he's done talking about this for now. [[Time to change the subject, then.|Paul Menu]] <<set $paulConvo to 1>>

"Okay," says Paul, slowly and thoughtfully. "Thanks. That helps, I think. I'll try that the next time I'm at home." You nod. "Hey, thanks for talking with me about this," Paul says, looking down at his feet. "It's not exactly something any of my siblings would've made time to do." Paul looks away from you. He's clearly said his piece. [[Time to move on, for now.|Paul Menu]] <<set $paulConvo to 2>>

"I've just been thinking," Paul says. "Maybe I'm not the easiest guy to have for a brother. I've got pretty strong convictions, and I usually do stuff before I think it through. I should probably cut my big brother some slack." He looks at you intently. "What do you think?" [["Yeah, I think that's for the best."|c8]] [["Only you can make that call."|c8]] [["If you want respect from him, you'll have to do that."|c8]] [["No, you just have to beat him at his own game."|c7a]] [["Don't bother. Siblings are so hard to get along with that it's not even worth the effort."|c7a]]

Paul grins at you, nodding slowly. "Yeah. You're right," he says. Then: "Thanks, Maddie. I wish I had a sister like you. But I guess the first step to getting there is to start acting like the sibling I'd want to have." You nod in agreement. "I guess we should get back to doing important stuff," Paul says. "But I'm really glad I had you to help me through this." [[Time to move on, then.|Paul Menu]] <<set $paulConvo to 3>> <<set $allies += 1>>

"Who, me?" Paul asks, a little too quickly. "No way! I love talking about relationship stuff! Totally! Definitely!" [["Never mind."|Paul Menu]] [[(Roll your eyes)|c10]] [[(Flirt) Then tell me who I like.|c10]] [[(Flirt) That's good, because it's you I'm into.|c11]]

"Ah," Paul says. "Gotcha." [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

"Hey, wait a second!" says Paul. You cross your arms patiently. "You have a crush... on me?" he finally asks. [["No, I was just messing with you."|c9]] [["Yeah. I do."|c11]]

"Whoa," says Paul. "I gotta admit, I didn't see that one coming." He swallows hard, and seems more than a little uncomfortable. You decide to give him a minute, so things can really sink in for the poor guy. [[Time to change the subject for awhile.|Paul Menu]] <<if $romance is "None">><<set $paulFlirt to true>><</if>>

Paul tries to laugh that off, but it comes out sounding quite forced. Finally, he says, "Yeah, I like you too. You're always so nice to me." [["I'm glad you're comfortable around me."|c13]] [["Do you wanna be my boyfriend?"|c14]]

Paul takes a deep breath. "So, wanna be my girlfriend?" [["We're just friends."|c9] [[(Flirt) I'd love to.|c14]]

Paul grins at you. "Heck yeah! This is great," he says. "I can't believe you like me too!" You high-five Paul. "This is great," he says again. [["Yeah, it is."|CT]] [["I guess so."|CT]] [["If you're trying to tell me how lucky you are, don't worry... I'm well aware."|CT]]

<<set $romanceProg to 1>><<set $emmaFlirt to false>><<set $willFlirt to false>><<set $romance to "Paul">>"We should probably get back to it for now," he says, looking kinda let down. "But we can talk more later, right?" [["Of course."|Paul Menu]] [["Sure, we'll probably have time."|Paul Menu]] [["Any time you want."|Paul Menu]]

He's led you to a small playground near the edge of the fenced park. It looks like it's designed for younger kids. "This is the place that got me hooked on Cosmic Diversion," Paul says to you. He strides over to an isolated operator's board and flips on the lights, illuminating the little park. "I know I'm usually pretty... forward with my interests, but even I'm a little embarrassed that I still like this place. I do, though." He leads you over to the swing set and the two of you hop into adjoining swings. For a few minutes, the two of you swing peacefully together. Suddenly, Paul starts pumping as hard as he can, swinging higher and higher. You hear a chain crack. Reaching out, you grab onto Paul's swing, wincing as your arm absorbs the momentum of his movement. Gradually, he rocks to a stop. "Wow, you've got serious reflexes," Paul says. [["Don't scare me like that!"|RC2]] [["Thanks."|RC3]]

Paul grins at you. "Aww, you were worried about me!" [[You just shake your head.|Swings]]

Paul high-fives you. "You're a boss, girl." [[You just shake your head.|Swings]]

Paul gets off and tugs on his swing's chain carefully. Once he seems sure it won't break, he climbs back on. The two of you resume the gentle up-and-down rhythm of swinging together. "This is really cool," says Paul. "I'm glad we figured out that we like each other." He exhales slowly. You look at him. "The Cosmic Diversion is like my getaway place, y'know? I can come here when the people in my life are driving me crazy and not giving me enough space. But... I'm glad I'm here with you, instead of alone. I really wanted to meet someone who I didn't need to get away from... and now, I finally have." You and Paul ride in silence for awhile, and eventually, you stop pumping and allow your swings to drift to a gentle halt. "I wish we didn't have to go back," Paul says. [["I had fun. Thanks for bringing me."|"I had fun. Thanks for bringing me."]] [["You're really cool. We'll have to do something like this again soon."|"I had fun. Thanks for bringing me."]] [["We should get back before anyone comes looking...."|"I had fun. Thanks for bringing me."]]

"Yeah, definitely," says Paul. "I'm glad you came." [[(Hug Paul)]] [[(Kiss Paul)]] [["So, do you wanna make out?"|MC]]

You hop down from the swing and throw your arms around Paul. He hugs you back. You stay like that for a minute, then break apart and look out over the quiet playground. You and Paul climb up the main structure and just sit together for a moment, enjoying each other's company as you dangle your legs over the side. "We should probably head out," Paul says, standing up. "Don't want anyone to worry." You nod in reluctant agreement as you let him help you to your feet. [[Paul wraps his arm around your waist, and the two of you walk off together, leaving the swings alone in their playground.|Paul Menu]]

You hop down from the swing and make eye contact with Paul. You see your feelings reciprocated in his eyes. You pull him close to you, then wrap your arms around him, gently pressing your lips to his. He kisses you back. You break apart and look out over the quiet playground. You and Paul climb up the main structure and just sit together for a moment, enjoying each other's company as you dangle your legs over the side. "We should probably head out," Paul says, standing up. "Don't want anyone to worry." You nod in reluctant agreement as you let him help you to your feet. [[Paul wraps his arm around your waist, and the two of you walk off together, leaving the swings alone in their playground.|Paul Menu]]

"Oh yeah, totally!" says Paul. You hop down from the swing and wrap your arms around Paul. You pull him close to your body, kissing him with every bit of passion you've developed in your not-so-long life. You finally break apart when the playground lights suddenly flicker and go out, plunging you into relative darkness. "Well, this is awkward," Paul says. You and Paul climb up the main structure and just sit together for a moment, enjoying each other's company as you dangle your legs over the side. "We should probably head out," Paul says, standing up. "Don't want anyone to worry." You nod in reluctant agreement as you let him help you to your feet. [[Paul wraps his arm around your waist, and the two of you walk off together, leaving the swings alone in their playground.|Paul Menu]]

"Let me take a look," says Will. He steps up to the coaster's control box. You figure that there's nothing to do at the present time but [[wait.|Walrus Menu]]

You look around you. The glossy steel beams of the Grey Hurricane seem almost intimidating now that you're so close to the coaster. Still, you feel the excitement of an impending adventure building steadily in your chest. Will is on his hands and knees by the roller coaster's control box, poking and prodding various levers and switches. Paul's already sitting in the front cart of the train waiting at the platform, looking anxiously over at Will. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma is sitting cross-legged on the platform, her back to the guardrail. She appears to be lost in thought. <</if>>[[Think about the Grey Hurricane.]] [[Talk to Will.|Will Menu]] [[Talk to Paul.|Paul Menu]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk to Emma.|Emma Menu]]<</if>> [["We good to go yet?"]]

"Let me take a look," says Will. He steps up to the main control box. You figure that there's nothing to do at the present time but [[wait.|Cars Menu]]

You look around you. The cars all look to be in good shape, and you can still faintly smell the electricity that pulses through the ride when it's active, sending sparks flying every which way. Will is on his hands and knees by the cars' control box, poking and prodding various levers and switches. Paul's already sitting in one of the bumper cars, looking anxiously over at Will. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma is sitting cross-legged on the boarding platform, her back to the fence. She appears to be lost in thought. <</if>>[[Think about the bumper cars.]] [[Talk to Will.|Will Menu]] [[Talk to Paul.|Paul Menu]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk to Emma.|Emma Menu]]<</if>> [["Do they work?"]]

"Let me take a look," says Paul. He jiggles one of the stand's compartment lids, and sure enough, it pops right open. "Time for hot dogs!" he calls triumphantly. And wow, do they ever smell yummy. [[Time to dig in.|Dog Menu]]

You look around you. The park is eerily quiet, but the smell of fresh hot dogs overpowers any concerns that you might have. Mouth watering, you help yourself to a few of the dogs. Will is heating up the grill, throwing some of the unthawed dogs onto it. He looks like he has no idea what he's doing, but at the rate you're eating hot dogs, you'll need all the warm food you can get. Paul's sitting at a picnic table next to the stand, stuffing his face with a mildly alarming quantity of hot dogs. He's always had a big appetite, and he'll probably eat more than all the rest of the group combined. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma is leaning against the wall a few meters away, munching a single hot dog absentmindely. For all her claims of being hungry, she doesn't seem in much of a hurry to eat. <</if>>[[Think about the hot dog stand.]] [[Talk to Will.|Will Menu]] [[Talk to Paul.|Paul Menu]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk to Emma.|Emma Menu]]<</if>> [["Is everyone full?"]]

"Let me take a look," says Paul. He jiggles one of the cart's compartment lids, and sure enough, it pops right open. "Time for funnel cakes!" he calls triumphantly. And wow, do they ever smell yummy. [[Time to dig in.|Cake Menu]]

You look around you. The park is eerily quiet, but the smell of fresh funnel cakes overpowers any concerns that you might have. Mouth watering, you help yourself to a few of the cakes. Will is heating up the oven, throwing some of the frozen cakes into it. He looks like he has no idea what he's doing, but at the rate you're eating funnel cakes, you'll need all the warm food you can find. Paul's sitting on a bench near the stand, stuffing his face with a mildly alarming quantity of funnel cakes. He's always had a big appetite, and he'll probably eat more than all the rest of the group combined. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma is leaning against the wall a few meters away, munching a single (albeit large) funnel cake absentmindely. For all her claims of being hungry, she doesn't seem in much of a hurry to eat. <</if>>[[Think about the funnel cake cart.]] [[Talk to Will.|Will Menu]] [[Talk to Paul.|Paul Menu]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk to Emma.|Emma Menu]]<</if>> [["Is everyone full?"]]

"Let me take a look," says Paul. He jiggles one of the stand's compartment lids, and sure enough, it pops right open. "Time for candy bars!" he calls triumphantly. And wow, do they ever smell yummy. [[Time to dig in.|Candy Menu]]

You look around you. The park is eerily quiet, but the smell of fresh deep-fried candy bars overpowers any concerns that you might have. Mouth watering, you help yourself to a few of the bars. Will is heating up the deep frier, throwing some of the freshly unwrapped bars into it. He looks like he has no idea what he's doing, but at the rate you're eating candy bars, you'll need all the warm food you can find. Paul's sitting at a picnic table next to the stand, stuffing his face with a mildly alarming quantity of candy bars. He's always had a big appetite, and he'll probably eat more than all the rest of the group combined. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma is leaning against the wall a few meters away, munching a single deep-fried Mars bar absentmindely. For all her claims of being hungry, she doesn't seem in much of a hurry to eat. <</if>>[[Think about the deep-fried candy bar stand.]] [[Talk to Will.|Will Menu]] [[Talk to Paul.|Paul Menu]] <<if $emma is 1>>[[Talk to Emma.|Emma Menu]]<</if>> [["Is everyone full?"]]

"Alright," says Paul. "Here goes nothing." He trots up to the gate and tries the handle. It doesn't give. He pulls harder, rattling the entire section of chain link fence supporting the gate. However, the heavy metal door still doesn't budge. "Maybe we should look around," says Will thoughtfully. "There's always a chance that we'll get lucky and find a key lying around...." You take a slow look around, appraising your surroundings. Time for some [[detective work.|Main Menu]]

You look around you. The park's fence stretches as far as the eye can see in either direction. The gate is sheer, and the fence looks like it has some barbed wire... so climbing it probably isn't a good idea. You don't see any gaps or damage in the fence, either. Will is looking closely at the gate's hinges. He's probably trying to figure out if there's some way to force it open. You don't think that's likely; he's probably just worried and a little nervous. Paul's attempting to scale a nearby building. You think that he's planning to jump from the roof over the top of the fence. He might be able to make it, but that doesn't mean anyone else could. And the landing would be another problem entirely. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma is on her knees by the gate, her eye pressed up against the locking mechanism. She's likely trying to evaluate the lock's potential for picking... it seems like a skill she would have, at least. <</if>>[[Inspect the main entrance more closely.]] [[Talk to Will.|Will Menu]] [[Talk to Paul.|Paul Menu]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk to Emma.|Emma Menu]]<</if>> [["I give up."]]

You look around you. The park's fence stretches as far as the eye can see in either direction. The gate is sheer, and the fence looks like it has some barbed wire... so climbing it probably isn't a good idea. You don't see any gaps or damage in the fence, either. The crater from the lightning strike has stopped smoking. You're suddenly very grateful that it hasn't stormed any more. You have enough problems as it is. Will is looking closely at the gate's hinges. He's probably trying to figure out if there's some way to force it open. You don't think that's likely; he's probably just worried and a little nervous. Paul's attempting to scale a nearby building. You think that he's planning to jump from the roof over the top of the fence. He might be able to make it, but that doesn't mean anyone else could. And the landing would be another problem entirely. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma is on her knees by the gate, her eye pressed up against the locking mechanism. She's likely trying to evaluate the lock's potential for picking... it seems like a skill she would have, at least. <</if>>[[Inspect the side entrance more closely.]] [[Talk to Will.|Will Menu]] [[Talk to Paul.|Paul Menu]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk to Emma.|Emma Menu]]<</if>> [["I give up."]]

You look around you. The park's fence stretches as far as the eye can see in either direction. The gate is sheer, and the fence looks like it has some barbed wire... so climbing it probably isn't a good idea. You don't see any gaps or damage in the fence, either. Will is looking closely at the gate's hinges. He's probably trying to figure out if there's some way to force it open. You don't think that's likely; he's probably just worried and a little nervous. Paul's attempting to scale a nearby building. You think that he's planning to jump from the roof over the top of the fence. He might be able to make it, but that doesn't mean anyone else could. And the landing would be another problem entirely. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma is on her knees by the gate, her eye pressed up against the locking mechanism. She's likely trying to evaluate the lock's potential for picking... it seems like a skill she would have, at least. <</if>>[[Inspect the employee entrance more closely.]] [[Talk to Will.|Will Menu]] [[Talk to Paul.|Paul Menu]]<<if $emma is 1>> [[Talk to Emma.|Emma Menu]]<</if>> [["I give up."]]

"Yeah, that was quite the scary story," Paul says. "I'm glad I found it!" He pauses for a moment. "But... what do you think happened to Jacob Karlberg, anyways?" [[I think he's still out there somewhere.]] [[He probably ran away from home.]] [[I bet he's dead.]] [[Who knows?]]

"I wonder what I'd do if I was him," Paul says. "Would I stay here in the park, or make a break for it? Would I be trying to get home?" He shrugs. "Still doesn't answer the question, though. I guess we can't be sure." [["Yeah, I guess not...."|Paul Menu]]

"If he had a brother like mine, I don't think I'd blame him," Paul says thoughtfully. "I always do like a good happy ending." [["I guess so...."|Paul Menu]]

Paul laughs. "Yeah, that's kinda what I thought, too! I mean, not that I'm glad a kid died, but I've always loved ghost stories, and this would sure make for one heck of one." [["Yeah...."|Paul Menu]]

"Yeah," Paul says thoughtfully. "I guess it'll probably remain one of those great unsolved mystery things, at least for us." [["Yeah...."|Paul Menu]]

The Grey Hurricane is still shiny and new. It was only finished last month, and you've never had a chance to ride it before. Now that the moment's approaching, you feel a little thrill course through your body just thinking about it. Will and Paul had talked about it a lot at school, usually when you weren't around. No matter how many times you proved that you knew just as much about roller coasters as they did, they never seemed to remember to include you in their conversations. [[Anyways....|Walrus Menu]]

"Yeah, I think it's on!" Will calls excitedly. "One of us will have to stay off and operate it, though." "We can take turns," says Paul. "It's not like we're only going on it once or anything." <<if $emma is 1>>"Make sure to hold onto your stomach," says Emma. <</if>>"I'll operate first," Will says. You all take turns operating the Grey Hurricane, sending the others around on it as many times as they can handle. Your screams echo through the deserted park as you have more fun than you ever thought possible. The park might be kinda creepy without any people around, but in moments like this, you're glad it's just you and your companions. "It might be time to stop," Paul says eventually. He's doubled over and clutching a guardrail. <<if $emma is 1>>"Yeah..." says Emma. She looks like she's about to puke. <</if>>"I'm doing fine!" Will says. "That's because you've been operating for the past three rides," Paul informs him. "Want us to send you around a few more times?" "Uh, nah," says Will. "We can head back to the ticket booth." [["Sounds good to me."|Activity Lobby]] [["Race ya!"|Activity Lobby]] [["I suppose...."|Activity Lobby]]

The bumper cars are a true classic, and definitely among your favorite attractions. You used to spend hours dominating your family, smashing into them from every which angle, then darting out of range before they could react. Will and Paul were almost as good as you. Almost. The first time you'd played them, they'd offered to go easy on you. Evidently, boys have an inherent advantage in any game about crashing cars... or so they thought. [[Anyways....|Cars Menu]]

"Yep!" Will calls excitedly. "Everybody on!" Everyone but Will gets into a car, and Will flips the switch. Then, he runs over and steps directly from the platform into his own car. While you and Paul smash into each other, he swerves into the middle of the arena<<if $emma is 1>>, not noticing that Emma is already gliding towards him at full speed<</if>>. You play for a long time, crashing into each other so much that you completely lose track of who's "winning." Instead, you just have fun smacking into each other with teeth-rattling force. "We should probably get going," Will says after a while. We still need to get out of here somehow, after all." "Awww," says Paul. "You're just salty because I've got you cornered." <<if $emma is 1>>" 'Salty?' " asks Emma. "What is it, 2017?" "Hey, you're missing the point," says Paul. "I wanna stay!" <</if>>"Sorry," says Will. "I really think we should get back to the ticket booth." "Okay, fine," sighs Paul. [["You're right, Will. Let's go."|Activity Lobby]] [["Race ya!"|Activity Lobby]] [["If we have to...."|Activity Lobby]]

The hot dog stand is one of the best places to eat in the whole park. The only person who likes it more than you do is Dad. In fact, you still remember the first time that he brought you to the stand. Now, it's basically a family tradition to go every time you visit the park. You can't help but feel suddenly grateful for that sort of thing... based on the stories you've heard from some of your friends, not everyone has a family that makes time for stuff like that. [[Anyways....|Dog Menu]]

In terms of amusement park dining, the funnel cake cart is just about as classic as it gets. You always make visiting it a priority when you come to the park... funnel cakes are one of those things that you just can't find outside of these fairgrounds-type places. Well, usually at least. Once, for your birthday, Mom baked you a funnel cake from scratch, knowing how much you liked them. It had been one of the best presents you'd ever received, and not just because it tasted great. The fact that Mom put so much time into doing something like that for you... she's sure better than most of your friends' moms. [[Anyways....|Cake Menu]]

"Not a chance!" calls Paul. He proceeds to reach for even more food. "I think I'm gonna sit down," says Will. "It's looking like we'll be here awhile." <<if $emma is 1>>"Why am I not surprised?" Emma asks dryly. <</if>>Paul doesn't dignify that with a response. Besides, his mouth's far too full for talking anyway. About ten minutes later, Paul finally starts to slow down. He finishes his last bite, and then lets loose a mighty burp. <<if $emma is 1>>"Ewww," says Emma. "Thanks for that, Paul." <</if>>"I guess it's time to get going," Will says. "I'm not sure that I can move," Paul informs him. <<if $emma is 1>>"Once again, not surprised," says Emma. <</if>>"Don't worry, a little walking will help!" says Will. "You can rest at the ticket booth for awhile if you still don't feel better." [["Good plan. Lead the way."|Activity Lobby]] [["Okay, I'm bored here anyways."|Activity Lobby]] [[(Joke) Quick, let's go before he gets hungry again.|Activity Lobby]]

The deep-fried candy bar stand is definitely overpriced... even when compared to the rest of the park. Still, its wares are an exotic delicacy as far as you're concerned, and sometimes, you can manage to get a bar for free by bumming it off of someone. Like that one time you came here with your cousin. You didn't even need to ask... as soon as you got to the park, you were offered anything you wanted as a free snack. Your cousin has a job and credit card, and clearly didn't think much of the offer. But for three blissful minutes of deliciousness, you'd had a new favorite person. [[Anyways....|Candy Menu]]

"We can try," says Paul. He trots up to the gate and tries the handle. It doesn't give. He pulls harder, rattling the entire section of chain link fence supporting the gate. However, the heavy metal door still doesn't budge. Backing up, he drops his shoulder and charges, tackling the gate with all his strength. Unfortunately, he bounces off with a dull 'clang' and lands squarely on his rear end.<<if $emma is 1>>Emma stifles a giggle.<</if>> The lock appears undamaged. "Maybe we should look around," says Will thoughtfully. "There's always a chance that we'll get lucky and find a key lying around...." You take a slow look around, appraising your surroundings. Time for some [[detective work.|Main Menu]]

"We can try," says Paul. He trots up to the gate and tries the handle. It doesn't give. He pulls harder, rattling the entire section of chain link fence supporting the gate. However, the heavy metal door still doesn't budge. Backing up, he drops his shoulder and charges, tackling the gate with all his strength. Unfortunately, he bounces off with a dull 'clang' and lands squarely on his rear end. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma stifles a giggle.<</if>> The lock appears undamaged. "Maybe we should look around," says Will thoughtfully. "There's always a chance that we'll get lucky and find a key lying around...." You take a slow look around, appraising your surroundings. Time for some [[detective work.|Side Menu]]

"We can try," says Paul. He trots up to the gate and tries the handle. It doesn't give. He pulls harder, rattling the entire section of chain link fence supporting the gate. However, the heavy metal door still doesn't budge. Backing up, he drops his shoulder and charges, tackling the gate with all his strength. Unfortunately, he bounces off with a dull 'clang' and lands squarely on his rear end. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma stifles a giggle.<</if>> The lock appears undamaged. "Maybe we should look around," says Will thoughtfully. "There's always a chance that we'll get lucky and find a key lying around...." You take a slow look around, appraising your surroundings. Time for some [[detective work.|Employee Menu]]

You size up the main gate to the park. You've been through it so many times before that seeing it under such strange circumstances feels more than a little surreal. The last few times you came to the park, it had been to escape the life that awaited you on the other side of this very gate. In Cosmic Diversion, you were free to be yourself. The people who might judge you aren't a meaningful part of what goes on here... unlike at school. Now, your position's been reversed, and you'd give almost anything to get back into a world that feels familiar and safe. Well, kinda safe. Sometimes. At any rate, it doesn't look like this grand old gate has the answer this time around; you can't think of any reliable way through or around it. [[Anyways....|Main Menu]]

"Yeah, me too," calls Paul. He jumps down from the roof of the building. "It's too far. I wouldn't have been able to make it." "I don't see any way through this gate right now," Will says, clearly a little bit distressed. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma ignores you for a second; she doesn't seem to want to give up. Then she leans back and sighs in frustration. "Yeah, okay." <</if>>"I guess that means we're going back to the ticket booth for now," says Paul. You nod and lead the way. "Maddie?" asks Will. "We're not... we're not gonna be stuck in here forever, are we?" [["No, of course not."|Gates3]] [["As if. We're smart. We'll find a way out."|Gates3]] [["I honestly don't know. But I don't plan on giving up."|Gates3]] [[(Sarcasm) Yeah, we'll probably die in here.|Gates3]]

You look the side gate up and down. There's no sign of the police; whatever crisis they were called here to respond to must have been resolved. Either that, or something more important had drawn their attention elsewhere. You wonder what, exactly, the situation had been. It probably wasn't the same kind of emergency you were used to. Your emergencies tended to involve you getting picked on for your interests, and for some reason, the police never seemed interested in responding to them. Neither did anyone else, now that you think about it. At least you've got places like the park that you can escape to when you need a break from it all. [[Anyways....|Side Menu]]

You gaze at the employee gate for a good, long while. You highly doubt that you'll find any way through, but at least you're finally getting to see the employee gate up close... usually, park guests wouldn't be allowed within a hundred or so feet of it. You've always wondered if you could work at the park someday. You remember the recruitment posters, the ones with a stern-looking clown pointing at the viewer and saying, "Cosmic Diversion wants YOU to work for us!" The subtext read, "We take our fun very seriously here... bores need not apply." It must be nice to feel wanted just for being your sincere, weird self, you think. [[Anyways....|Employee Menu]]

"Yeah, I guess so," Emma says with a shrug. She doesn't look comforted. You wait for her to say something else, but she only maintains the awkward silence. [[Time for a change of topic, then.|Emma Menu]]

Emma looks deeply concerned by your words. "Are you sure about that?" she asks. "For a second, I really thought you understood." [[Time to backpedal.|Emma Menu]]

"You're sure about that? Like, 100%?" Will asks you. "It doesn't feel right to me." [["Yeah, I'm sure."|s5b]] [["No, wait a second."|ma3]]

Paul raises an eyebrow at you. "Oh?" he asks. "Mine do that stuff constantly, even when I'm leaving them alone." Evidently content that he's made his point, Paul crosses his arms and digs in his feet. You can tell this conversation is going nowhere fast. [[Time to change the subject, then.|Paul Menu]]

"Huh," says Paul. "I didn't expect that, coming from you. But if you're sure, I guess...." He trails off. [["Anyways...."|Paul Menu]]

You walk casually over to the dark arcade building. From the outside, you can see rows upon rows of arcade games; they have everything from Pac-Man to skee ball to one of those Big Bass Wheels you usually see at resorty places. There's even a mini-golf game of some sort. You can't tell if it's a full course or not from this angle. Unfortunately, the place looks deserted. Even though you know that it must have been teeming with life less than three hours ago, it still feels like you're standing on ground that hasn't been trodden upon in years. <<if $emma is 1>>"This place gives me the creeps," Emma says. <</if>>Paul attempts to open the door. “It’s locked.” “Here, move," says Will. "Let me try.” Will vigorously shakes the door handle, but it's to no avail. You peer through the large window to the left of the door and can just see a faded light near the back of the arcade. You can't tell what it is. [["Can I try?"|Door1]] [["Find something heavy. We'll break the door down."|Door1]] [["I don't like this. Maybe we should go."|Door1]] <<if $emma is 1>>[["Emma, can you pick the lock?"|Door2]]<</if>>

"Maddie, wait," says Will. “Do you see that light near the back of the arcade? Or am I just imagining things?” “I see it too," says Paul. "It almost looks like there’s someone playing one of those machines.” Remembering the light you saw a minute ago, you look into the window once more. There's no trace of the faint glow from before. [["Guys, I don’t see anyone there."|Door3]] [["If you're trying to scare me, it's not working."|Door3]] [["I did see some strange light in there a minute ago..."|Door4]] [[(Lie) Oh, there it is!|Door4]]

"Yeah, that'd be easy," says Emma. "Emma, wait," says Will. “Do you see that light near the back of the arcade? Or am I just imagining things?” “I see it too," says Paul. "It almost looks like there’s someone playing one of those machines.” Remembering the light you saw a minute ago, you look into the window once more. There's no trace of the faint glow from before. [["Guys, I don’t see anyone there."|Door3]] [["If you're trying to scare me, it's not working."|Door3]] [["I did see some strange light in there a minute ago..."|Door4]] [[(Lie) Oh, there it is!|Door4]]

“No, really!" says Will. "He’s right next to the machine!” You don't usually see Will getting so worked up about stuff like this. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma rolls her eyes.<<if $dinner is 1>>“I think you had one too many funnel cakes, Paul,” she says.<</if>><<if $dinner is 2>>“I think you had one too many hot dogs, Paul,” she says.<</if>><<if $dinner is 3>>“I think you had one too many Mars bars, Paul,” she says.<</if>> <</if>>You peer into the window a third time. The light is back! Pressing your face up against the glass, you can just barely make out which game's screen is glowing with life. It's one of the racecar simulators from last year. Silhouetted by the light, you see a small form that could be what Will and Paul saw. Suddenly, there's a flurry of movement from by the game, and the light blinks out. [["There's something in there!"|Door5]] [["We should really get out of here."|Door5]] [["I see it now. Let's investigate!"|Door5]] [[(Lie) Nothing's wrong. Let's go in.|Door5]]

“See, I told you!" says Will. You don't usually see Will getting so worked up about stuff like this. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma rolls her eyes.<<if $dinner is 1>>“I still think you had one too many funnel cakes, Paul,” she says.<</if>><<if $dinner is 2>>“I still think you had one too many hot dogs, Paul,” she says.<</if>><<if $dinner is 3>>“I still think you had one too many Mars bars, Paul,” she says.<</if>> <</if>>You peer into the window a third time. The light is back! Pressing your face up against the glass, you can just barely make out which game's screen is glowing with life. It's one of the racecar simulators from last year. Silhouetted by the light, you see a small form that could be what Will and Paul saw. Suddenly, there's a flurry of movement from by the game, and the light blinks out. [["There's something in there!"|Door5]] [["We should really get out of here."|Door5]] [["I see it now. Let's investigate!"|Door5]] [[(Lie) Nothing's wrong. Let's go in.|Door5]]

Will and Paul look around uncertainly. "I dunno...." Then, the door's lock clicks, and inch by inch, it starts to creep open. A pale face appears in the gap between the door and the wall. "Who's there?" asks a trembling voice. You look closely. The face appears to belong to a child, or at least someone younger than you are. "Jacob Karlberg?" asks Paul. "What do you want?" asks the kid. <<if $emma is 1>>“Don’t run or cause any commotion," says Emma. "We don't want to scare him." <</if>>[["There’s nothing to be afraid of. We won't hurt you."|Door6]] [["What are you doing here?"|Door6]] [["I thought you were dead."|Door6]] [["Let us in. Now."|Door6]]

Jacob Karlberg doesn't respond. He just stares at his feet. "Don't panic," says Paul. "We're gonna come in, okay?" "Paul, we don’t know anything about this kid," says Will. "What if he’s some sort of serial killer who lurks around amusement parks after dark, just waiting for unlucky victims he can ambush?" "You need to lay off the crime shows," says Paul. "He looks way too young and innocent to be a killer." "That’s why you really need to be scared... because once you've let your guard down, it's that much easier for him to get us," Will replies. <<if $emma is 1>>"I'm sorry for those two," Emma says to Jacob. <</if>>[[Knock it off, Will.]] [[I think it's okay to be cautious.]]

"Okay, but if he kills us, it's your fault," says Will. "He's not going to kill us," says Paul with a smile of reassurance to Will. Paul turns to face Jacob, who's watching the exchange with wide eyes. "But we are gonna come in. We just want to talk." "Yeah, we’re friendly people!" Will screams, cowering behind Paul. Startled, Jacob pulls back into the arcade, vanishing into the darkness. <<if $emma is 1>>"You’re not helping, Will,” says Emma. <</if>>"Sorry," says Will as he continues to cower and whimper like a scared puppy. Paul gives the door a push, and it swings wide open. It makes an awful creaking sound. You lead the way through and into the dark arcade. "I still think this is a bad idea," says Will as he fumbles around for a light switch. <<if $emma is 1>>"If we stick together, we'll be alright," says Emma. <</if>><<if $romance is "Will">>Will grips your arm tightly, as if your lives depended on it.<</if>><<if $romance is "Paul">>Paul grips your arm tightly, as if your lives depended on it.<</if>><<if $romance is "Emma">>Emma grips your arm tightly, as if your lives depended on it. <</if>>[[Explore the arcade.]]

"A voice of reason! Thank you!" says Will. "You two need to chill. He's not going to kill us," says Paul. Paul turns to face Jacob, who's watching the exchange with wide eyes. "But we are gonna come in. We just want to talk." "Yeah, we’re friendly people!" Will screams, cowering behind Paul. Startled, Jacob pulls back into the arcade, vanishing into the darkness. <<if $emma is 1>>"You’re not helping, Will," says Emma. <</if>>"Sorry," says Will as he continues to cower and whimper like a scared puppy. Paul gives the door a push, and it swings wide open. It makes an awful creaking sound. You lead the way through and into the dark arcade. "I still think this is a bad idea," says Will as he fumbles around for a light switch. <<if $emma is 1>>"If we stick together, we'll be alright," says Emma. <</if>><<if $romance is "Will">>Will grips your arm tightly, as if your lives depended on it.<</if>><<if $romance is "Paul">>Paul grips your arm tightly, as if your lives depended on it.<</if>><<if $romance is "Emma">>Emma grips your arm tightly, as if your lives depended on it. <</if>>[[Explore the arcade.]]

Will finds the light switch, and the arcade's lights come to life with a dull clicking sound. Even with the lights on, the room is still dim at best. Cosmic Diversion must use those cheap low-watt bulbs like your Dad buys. You make your way over to the driving game that the kid was playing. Will clicks the power button, and the screen flickers to life. It reads, "PLAYER ONE: SELECT YOUR VEHICLE." The background looks tropical, like the Bahamas or Hawai'i. "He must've been turning the game on and off before," says Will. "He was probably trying to play without us noticing him." <<if $emma is 1>>"Why though?" asks Emma. "We didn't do anything to him." <</if>>"Hey Maddie, why is there a doorknob on this wall?" asks Paul. You walk over to the knob and turn it carefully. A carpeted section of the wall swings away, revealing a winding staircase. "Jacob must have gone this way," says Will. "And knowing Paul, we're going to be too, huh?" "That's right!" says Paul. "Don't even bother trying to convince me to not explore it!" <<if $emma is 1>>"I'm not sure I'd bother trying to convince you of anything, to be honest," says Emma dryly. <</if>>You make your way down the stairs. Each footstep on the metal platforms echoes loudly. Any thoughts you had about taking Jacob by surprise are gone by the time you reach the bottom. "Maddie, is this what I think it is?" asks Paul. You nod slowly, trying to comprehend what you're seeing. [["Whoa."|"Whoa."]] [["Am I dreaming?"|"Whoa."]] [["I don't believe it."|"Whoa."]]

A long tunnel stretches out in front of you, receding into complete darkness a few feet away. "I've heard about stuff like this before," says Will. "Undergound tunnel systems that help workers move through crowded parks quickly. Like the Utilidor at Disney. I had no idea that Cosmic Diversion had one." <<if $emma is 1>>"I'd heard rumors," says Emma. "I never really believed them, though." <</if>>"Do you guys have any idea what this means?" asks Paul. "We're free! This thing has to have an emergency exit that lets out somewhere outside the park." "Yeah, it does." Jacob Karlberg's voice echoes through the tunnel. "But you'll never find it." [[Can you help us?]] [[Where are you?]] [[What are you trying to pull?]]

"I could," says Jacob. "But I don't wanna." "Ugh, kids!" says Paul. "So annoying." You look around. Jacob's voice is coming through a speaker just over your head. He could be anywhere in the tunnels. Suddenly, Will flinches. "Do you hear that?" [["What? I don't hear anything."|"What?"]] [["It sounded like a big generator firing up...."|"What?"]] [["Calm down. You're just jumping at ghosts again."|"What?"]]

"Nowhere you can find me," says Jacob. You look around. Jacob's voice is coming through a speaker just over your head. He could be anywhere in the tunnels. "Well, at least tell us how to get outta here!" says Will. "I could," says Jacob. "But I don't wanna." "Ugh, kids!" says Paul. "So annoying." Suddenly, Will flinches. "Do you hear that?" [["What? I don't hear anything."|"What?"]] [["It sounded like a big generator firing up...."|"What?"]] [["Calm down. You're just jumping at ghosts again."|"What?"]]

"I live here now," says Jacob. "And I don't like having people in my house. I want you to go away!" You look around. Jacob's voice is coming through a speaker just over your head. He could be anywhere in the tunnels. "We do want to leave the park," says Will. "If you tell us how to leave, we will." "I could," says Jacob. "But I don't wanna. Just go back into the park. All I want is for you to stay out of my arcade and tunnels." "Ugh, kids!" says Paul. "So annoying." Suddenly, Will flinches. "Do you hear that?" [["What? I don't hear anything."|"What?"]] [["It sounded like a big generator firing up...."|"What?"]] [["Calm down. You're just jumping at ghosts again."|"What?"]]

You become aware of a low rumble approaching from the dark depths of the tunnel. The sound gets louder and louder, until it's become a deafening roar that shakes the entire tunnel. An ethereal glow pulses from the darkness, growing more and more intense. "It's a ghost!" screams Will. "Run for it!" says Paul. <<if $emma is 1>>"We need to..." Emma is cut off. <</if>>Suddenly, the light flares, blinding you. You lose your balance and fall to the ground. The light dies away, the rumbling stops, and all is quiet. [["Hello?"|"Hello?"]] [["What just happened?"|"Hello?"]] [["Are you guys okay?"|"Hello?"]]

You manage to get to your feet and look around. You hear a hysterical giggling coming from the speakers. "You should've seen the look on your faces!" says Jacob. Then, his tone shifts. "I want you to leave. Last warning." <<if $willConvo is 3>>"Hey, you leave my friend alone!" says Will, dusting off his wrestler t-shirt as he gets to his feet. "Maddie and I aren't scared of you."<<else>>"I'm sorry Maddie, I can't do this! I'm outta here!" says Will. Will takes off for the staircase as quickly as his legs can carry him. He rapidly scampers out of view.<<set $will to 0>><</if>> <<if $paulConvo is 3>>"I'm not going anywhere, Jacob," Paul says. "Maddie's like my sister. I'm not letting you mess with her."<<else>>"This is messed up," says Paul, backing up towards the staircase. "This guy's worse than my brother. I'm not staying down here another second!" Paul turns and flees up the staircase.<<set $paul to 0>><</if>><<if $emma is 1>> <<if $emmaConvo is 3>>"What, you think we're just scared little girls?" Emma snaps at Jacob. "I've climbed to the summit of Mount Celeste. Maddie and I aren't gonna run off just because you think you're such a tough guy."<<else>>"Okay, I've had enough," says Emma. "It was nice meeting you, Maddie... but if you know what's good for you, you'll get out of here, too!" Without another word, Emma bolts up the staircase.<<set $emma to 0>><</if>><</if>> <<if $allies is 0>>"Your friends left you all alone," says Jacob. He sounds almost sad. "I've been there a few times. I guess you weren't very nice to them." [["I can find you without them."|Next0]] [["Hey, I was a great friend!"|Next0]] [["You're an insolent brat."|Next0]]<<else>><<if $allies is 1>>"You and your friend there won't find any way out if you keep messing with me!" says Jacob. [["We've got you outnumbered. Just back down."|Next1]] [["Sorry, you're our best chance of getting home."|Next1]] [["You're an insolent brat."|Next1]]<<else>><<if $allies is 2>>"You and your friends there won't find any way out if you keep messing with me!" says Jacob. [["Three against one? We can handle you."|Next2]] [["Sorry, you're our best chance of getting home."|Next2]] [["You're an insolent brat."|Next2]]<<else>>"You and your friends there won't find any way out if you keep messing with me!" says Jacob. [["We'll find you instead, then."|Next3]] [["Sorry, you're our best chance of getting home."|Next3]] [["You're an insolent brat."|Next3]]<</if>><</if>><</if>>

"I don't think so," says Jacob. You then hear a muffled thumping, as if he is setting down the controller for the PA system. You look around, and see a light switch on the wall nearby. You go over and flick it on, but nothing happens. The trick Jacob pulled with the flash of light must have been a power surge, you realize. You find a circuit box nearby and flip the breaker switches back one at a time, restoring power. With a clatter, dim lights come to life all along the tunnel, revealing a T intersection just ahead of you. You walk up to the intersection and inspect it. The left branch appears to have enough security to put some fortresses to shame. You see barriers, cameras, tripwires, and even what appears to be a robot of some kind. The good news, you figure, is that Jacob couldn't have gone that way... or if he'd tried, he'd still be close enough to see. So, he must have gone right. Though the right passage splits off again and again, it appears to be free of obstacles. You doubt you'll ever find the way out without Jacob, but you're not sure how to get to him. You could try hunting him through the maze on the right, or break into the security center on the left and try to use the park's defenses to capture him. [[Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] [[Infiltrate the security center.]] <<set $companion to "">> <<set $split to false>>

<<if $emma is 1>><<set $companion to "Emma">><</if>><<if $will is 1>><<set $companion to "Will">><</if>><<if $paul is 1>><<set $companion to "Paul">><</if>>"I don't think so," says Jacob. You then hear a muffled thumping, as if he is setting down the controller for the PA system. You look around, and see a light switch on the wall nearby. You go over and flick it on, but nothing happens. "Whatever Jacob did with that flash of light must have caused some sort of power surge," says $companion. "That happened at my house once, during a thunderstorm." You find a circuit box nearby, and $companion flips the breaker switches back one at a time, restoring power. With a clatter, dim lights come to life all along the tunnel, revealing a T intersection just ahead of you. "Looks like that's our way out," says $companion. You walk up to the intersection and inspect it. The left branch appears to have enough security to put some fortresses to shame. You see barriers, cameras, tripwires, and even what appears to be a robot of some kind. "If Jacob would've gone that way, we'd still be able to see him from here. Either that or he would've set off the alarms," says $companion. That means he must have gone right. Though the right passage splits off again and again, it appears to be free of obstacles. It wouldn't give you access to the security center and its capabilities like the left passage would, though. "We've got to get to Jacob," says $companion. "We'll never find our way out without him." [["Let's split up to cover more ground."|Split]] [["If we work together, I bet we can catch him."|Together]] [["Let's set a trap instead."|Split]] [["As long as I don't have to be alone here..."|Together]]

"I don't think so," says Jacob. You then hear a muffled thumping, as if he is setting down the controller for the PA system. You look around, and see a light switch on the wall nearby. You go over and flick it on, but nothing happens. <<if $will is 1>>"Whatever Jacob did with that flash of light must have caused some sort of power surge," says Will. "That happened at my house once, during a thunderstorm."<<else>>"Whatever Jacob did with that flash of light must have caused some sort of power surge," says Emma. "That happened at my house once, during a thunderstorm."<</if>> You find a circuit box nearby and flip the breaker switches back one at a time, restoring power. With a clatter, dim lights come to life all along the tunnel, revealing a T intersection just ahead of you. <<if $paul is 1>>"Looks like that's our way out," says Paul.<<else>>"Looks like that's our way out," says Emma."<</if>> You walk up to the intersection and inspect it. The left branch appears to have enough security to put some fortresses to shame. You see barriers, cameras, tripwires, and even what appears to be a robot of some kind. <<if $emma is 1>>"If Jacob would've gone that way, we'd still be able to see him from here. Either that or he would've set off the alarms," says Emma.<<else>>"If Jacob would've gone that way, we'd still be able to see him from here. Either that or he would've set off the alarms," says Paul.<</if>> That means he must have gone right. Though the right passage splits off again and again, it appears to be free of obstacles. <<if $paul is 1>>"We've got to get to Jacob," says Paul. "We'll never find our way out without him."<<else>>"We've got to get to Jacob," says Will. "We'll never find our way out without him."<</if>> "If some of us follow him into the maze, one or two of us could try to get into the security center over there and use the park's defenses to capture him while he's distracted," <<if $emma is 1>>says Emma. <<else>>says Will.<</if>> You look around the group. Everyone seems comfortable with the plan. "So... what do you want to do, Maddie?" <<if $will is 1>>asks Will.<<else>>asks Paul.<</if>> [["I'll hunt Jacob in the maze."|CompanionSelectorMaze]] [["I'll sneak into the security center."|CompanionSelectorSC]] <<set $split to true>>

You<<if $companion is "">><<else>> and $companion<</if>> come face to face with the first intersection in the mazelike corridor system. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Let's go left," says $companion. "I've got a good feeling about it." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M3]] [[Go left.|M1]] [[Go right.|M2]]

You<<if $companion is "">><<else>> and $companion<</if>> come face to face with several rather large barriers. It looks like you'll need to find some way around them. <<if $companion is "">>You happen to look up and see several security cameras on swivel mounts. They might be able to see all the way up to the barriers. If you don't disable them, Jacob might realize you're coming.<<else>>"Hold on," says $companion. "We should probably do something about those cameras first. Otherwise, Jacob might figure out that we're coming."<</if>> So, the cameras are your first objective. How could you circumvent them? [[Sneak up to the barriers, then climb onto them to reach the cameras.]] [[Attempt to replicate the power surge Jacob caused to deactivate them.]] [[Throw your shoes at the cameras.]] <<if $companion is "">><<else>>[[Ask your friend to handle it.]]<</if>>

"Sounds good," says $companion. "If one of us follows him into the maze, the other one could try to get into the security center over there and use the park's defenses to capture him." You nod in agreement. $companion looks at you. "So... who should do what?" [[I'll hunt Jacob in the maze.]] [[I'll sneak into the security center.]] <<set $split to true>>

"Okay, we'll stick together then," says $companion. You size up your options. You could try hunting Jacob through the maze on the right, or break into the security center on the left and try to use the park's defenses to capture him. [[Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] [[Infiltrate the security center.]] <<set $split to false>>

Your friend gives you a nod of acknowledgement, then trots off down the left passage to try and get into the security center. You turn to the right and face down the maze. [["Here goes nothing...."|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] [["I'm probably going to regret this...."|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] [["This'll be easy."|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] <<set $companion to "">>

Your friend gives you a nod of acknowledgement, then trots off down the right passage to try and navigate the maze. You turn to the left and face down the security gauntlet. [["Here goes nothing...."|Infiltrate the security center.]] [["I'm probably going to regret this...."|Infiltrate the security center.]] [["This'll be easy."|Infiltrate the security center.]] <<set $companion to "">>

"I don't think so," says Jacob. You then hear a muffled thumping, as if he is setting down the controller for the PA system. You look around, and see a light switch on the wall nearby. You go over and flick it on, but nothing happens. "Whatever Jacob did with that flash of light must have caused some sort of power surge," says Will. "That happened at my house once, during a thunderstorm." You find a circuit box nearby, and Will flips the breaker switches back one at a time, restoring power. With a clatter, dim lights come to life all along the tunnel, revealing a T intersection just ahead of you. "Looks like that's our way out," says Paul. You walk up to the intersection and inspect it. The left branch appears to have enough security to put some fortresses to shame. You see barriers, cameras, tripwires, and even what appears to be a robot of some kind. "If Jacob would've gone that way, we'd still be able to see him from here. Either that or he would've set off the alarms," says Emma. That means he must have gone right. Though the right passage splits off again and again, it appears to be free of obstacles. "We've got to get to Jacob," says Emma. "We'll never find our way out without him." "If two of us follow him into the maze, the other two could try to get into the security center over there and use the park's defenses to capture him while he's distracted," says Will. You look around the group. Everyone seems comfortable with Will's plan. Paul looks at you. "What do you want to do?" [["I'll hunt Jacob in the maze."|CompanionSelectorMaze]] [["I'll sneak into the security center."|CompanionSelectorSC]] <<set $split to true>>

"So, who do you want with you in the maze, Maddie?" <<if $will is 1>>[["Will's good at puzzles. I'll take him."|WillMaze]] <</if>><<if $paul is 1>>[["I need someone with Paul's confidence. He's with me."|PaulMaze]] <</if>><<if $emma is 1>>[["Emma can think outside the box. She'd be best for this job."|EmmaMaze]] <</if>><<if $allies is 2>>[["I'll go alone. You two should stick together."|SoloMaze]]<</if>>

"So, who do you want to help you break into the security center, Maddie?" <<if $will is 1>>[["Will's big brains are just what I need here. I'll bring him."|WillSC]] <</if>><<if $paul is 1>>[["Paul's tough and knows how to make a diversion. I'm taking him."|PaulSC]] <</if>><<if $emma is 1>>[["I want Emma on this. Her street skills will come in handy."|EmmaSC]] <</if>><<if $allies is 2>>[["I'll go alone. You two should stick together."|SoloSC]]<</if>>

<<set $companion to "Will">>"You got it!" says Will. <<if $romance is "Will">>"I'm... uhhh... glad it'll be just the two of us, y'know?"<<else>>"The two of us will handle this maze, no problem!"<</if>> "See you on the other side!" Will calls towards the security center. You and Will head off towards the [[maze|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] on the right.

<<set $companion to "Paul">>"Sounds good," says Paul. <<if $romance is "Paul">>"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist spending more time together."<<else>>"We're gonna make this maze look easy."<</if>> "Good luck," Paul calls towards the security center. You and Paul head off towards the [[maze|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] on the right.

<<set $companion to "Emma">>"Right," says Emma. <<if $romance is "Emma">>"Not my first choice for a date, but it's better than nothing."<<else>>"Time to show Jacob what happens when you mess with us."<</if>> "Stay safe," Emma calls towards the security center. You and Emma head off towards the [[maze|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] on the right.

<<set $companion to "Will">>"You got it!" says Will. <<if $romance is "Will">>"I'm... uhhh... glad it'll be just the two of us, y'know?"<<else>>"The two of us will handle the security, no problem!"<</if>> "See you on the other side!" Will calls towards the maze. You and Will head off towards the [[security center|Infiltrate the security center.]] on the left.

<<set $companion to "Paul">>"Sounds good," says Paul. <<if $romance is "Paul">>"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist spending more time together."<<else>>"We're gonna make this break-in look easy."<</if>> "Good luck," Paul calls towards the maze. You and Paul head off towards the [[security center|Infiltrate the security center.]] on the left.

<<set $companion to "Emma">>"Right," says Emma. <<if $romance is "Emma">>"Not my first choice for a date, but it's better than nothing."<<else>>"Time to show Jacob what happens when you mess with us."<</if>> "Stay safe," Emma calls towards the maze. You and Emma head off towards the [[security center|Infiltrate the security center.]] on the left.

<<set $companion to "">><<if $will is 1>>"That's really brave of you," says Will. "Thanks."<<else>>"Wow, you're brave," says Emma. "Not even I would wanna be alone here. Stay safe, okay?"<</if>> <<if $paul is 1>>"Don't worry about us," Paul says. "We've got this."<<else>>"Stay safe, okay?" says Emma.<</if>> You wave goodbye to your friends as they head towards the maze. Then, you turn left and face down the security center. [["See you on the other side."|Infiltrate the security center.]] [["Be careful, you two."|Infiltrate the security center.]] [["Try not to mess this up."|Infiltrate the security center.]]

<<set $companion to "">><<if $will is 1>>"That's really brave of you," says Will. "Thanks."<<else>>"Wow, you're brave," says Emma. "Not even I would wanna be alone here. Stay safe, okay?"<</if>> <<if $paul is 1>>"Don't worry about us," Paul says. "We've got this."<<else>>"Stay safe, okay?" says Emma.<</if>> You wave goodbye to your friends as they head towards the security center. Then, you turn right and face down the maze. [["See you on the other side."|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] [["Be careful, you two."|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] [["Try not to mess this up."|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]]

ESCAPE A narrative game by [[Cass Aleatory]] [[Start]] [[Credits]] [[Trigger Warning]]

Story by: Cass Aleatory Commissioned by: Holly Wilson Inspired by "The Great Escape" short story by: Anonymous This game was made with the storytelling platform Twine. [[Back|Title Screen]]

+ Note that the following trigger warning contains (by necessity) minor topical spoilers. + This story contains one or more characters struggling with major depressive disorder and suicidal thoughts. Based on player decisions, it is also possible for a suicide to occur during the story. If discussion of these themes tends to upset you, consider not playing ESCAPE, or making sure you feel prepared to interact with these themes before you begin ESCAPE. [[Back|Title Screen]]

Cassidy M. Aleatory (or just Cassie if you prefer) is an independent game developer and writer. She works on projects of her own choosing that have personal significance to her. Her stories tend to deal with themes of emotional and mental struggle, and how love, friendship, and communication are affected by the things that go on inside people's heads. ESCAPE is her first release. More recently, she's released "Log Lady: A Twin Peaks Fanfiction Story-Game," and she's currently hard at work on several other projects, including the character-driven, decisions-matter, multiple-act "Exarch." Even though she's really stressed out, she still intends to get several releases out the door by the end of 2020. She's a triple major in English: Professional Writing & Publishing, Media Arts & Game Development: Technology, and Film Studies at the University of Wisconsin in Whitewater. She's also a member of the University Honors Program there. In short, she's nobody special. [[Back|Title Screen]]

You wait until the nearest camera is pointing in a different direction, then run up to a nearby barrier and crouch behind it. <<if $companion is "Paul">>"I'll let you do this part," says Paul. "I'm not very good at sneaking... or doing anything quiet, really." <</if>>You stay crouched as the camera circles back to face the barrier, and make your move when it starts to rotate again. Using the barrier as a springboard, you jump up and wrap your arms around the joint that connects the camera to its swivel. The extra weight causes the camera to pop out of the swivel, and you and the camera both fall off the wall. You hit the ground hard, but the camera gets the worse end of it; it shatters upon impact with the metal floor. <<if $companion is "">>You nod to yourself in satisfaction. The camera has been damaged beyond repair. You figure you'd better be a little more careful with the next one, though.<<else>>"Whoa, that actually worked!" $companion says. "Be more careful with the next one though, okay?"<</if>> You repeat the same procedure, sneaking up to a barrier and then jumping onto the camera. This time, you're ready for the fall and land on your feet, making sure to drop the camera so it still breaks. <<if $companion is "">>Grinning, you put your hands on your hips and survey your work. The cameras are neutralized, but you'd better come up with a different idea next time... you don't think you'll be able to break apart the other tunnel defense systems with your bare hands like you did with the cameras.<<else>>"Nice!" says $companion. "I hope you have a different idea for next time, though... the cameras are probably the only part of the defenses fragile enough to be broken by hand."<</if>> Shrugging to yourself, you start towards the barriers. Maybe a closer look will reveal a good way to get around them. [[Inspect the barriers.]]

You scour the walls and floor around you until you find a circuit box. After a great deal of pulling and grunting, you finally manage to pry its lid off. <<if $companion is "Will">>"Watch out," says Will. "If you mess that up, it might cook the both of us!" <</if>>You look at the box, thinking hard. But nope, you have absolutely no idea what you're doing. You eventally just run your hand down the entire row of switches, turning everything on with a series of satisfying clicks. The lights get a lot brighter, and you hear generators powering up all around you. Then comes the familiar white flash. With a sizzling noise, everything goes dark and quiet. <<if $companion is "">>You realize that you must have just powered up the primary and backup generators for every ride in the park all at once. No wonder the system couldn't handle the strain.<<else>>"Whoa, that actually worked!" $companion says. "I guess having both the primary and backup generators on for every ride all at once overloaded the system. Let's see if it worked."<</if>> You grope around on the wall until you find the switch on the far left of the circuit box. You have to click it on and off a few times before the lights finally stutter back to life. Maybe it's just you, but it almost sounds like they're groaning quietly in the background. Sure enough, the surge overloaded the cameras this time; both of them are slumped in their sockets, sparking from the wires that attach them to the wall. <<if $companion is "">>Grinning, you put your hands on your hips and survey your work. You realize that you'll probably need a new plan for next time. If you keep triggering power surges, eventually the grid might go down for good. That would mean total darkness... and you didn't pack a flashlight.<<else>>"Nice!" says $companion. "I hope you have a different idea for next time, though... that was the second power surge in ten minutes. If there's another one, the grid might not be able to recover."<</if>> Shrugging to yourself, you start towards the barriers. Maybe a closer look will reveal a good way to get around them. [[Inspect the barriers.]]

You quickly untie your shoes and pull them off. The tunnel's hard metal floor is extremely cold on your bare feet. <<if $companion is "Emma">>"Hey, cool! We're twins now!" Emma laughs, looking down at her own feet. "And I was just regretting ditching those shoes, too...." <</if>>Squinting, you wind up like you learned at softball camp and pitch the shoe at the nearest security camera as hard as you can. There's a dull snap as the shoe bounces off and falls into the sewer. The camera looks undamaged... but it's now pointing straight down at the floor. <<if $companion is "">>You nod to yourself in satisfaction. That camera won't be looking at anything besides the ground until someone readjusts it manually.<<else>>"Whoa, that actually worked!" $companion says. "I kinda thought you'd lost it there for a minute, Maddie. That camera won't be able to see us now."<</if>> You repeat the move, chucking your other shoe at the second camera. This time, your shoe wedges horizontally in the gap between the corner of the wall and the camera, knocking the camera slightly askew. You should be able to slip around its field of vision now. <<if $companion is "">>Grinning, you put your hands on your hips and survey your work. It doesn't look like you'll be getting your shoes back, but the cameras are neutralized. You'd better come up with a different idea next time, though... you don't think it would be prudent to throw any more of your clothing at tunnel defense systems.<<else>>"Nice!" says $companion. "I hope you have a different idea for next time, though... I don't think you'll be getting those shoes back, and you only have so much clothing you can throw at stuff. And no, you can't have any of mine."<</if>> Shrugging to yourself, you start towards the barriers. Maybe a closer look will reveal a good way to get around them. [[Inspect the barriers.]]

<<if $companion is "Emma">>Emma nods to you once, then stoops over and picks up a small rock. Winding up, she pitches the rock at the nearest security camera as hard as she can. The rock hits the camera squarely in the eye, shattering the glass. Splinters rain to the ground. The camera keeps rotating, but it clearly can't see anymore. You give Emma a nod of encouragement. "Next one'll be harder," she says. "It's really far away." Emma takes a deep breath and then sneaks up to the camera, coming as close as she can without risking detection. She finds another rock and repeats her procedure. This time, she barely skims the camera's face, but still manages to crack the lens. With the third rock, she shatters it. "We'll have to be careful up ahead," Emma says. "Rocks won't help much against those barriers. Hope you've got another idea." Shrugging to yourself, you start towards the barriers. Maybe a closer look will reveal a good way to get around them. [[Inspect the barriers.]]<</if>><<if $companion is "Will">>Will smiles at you, then walks over to the circuit breaker on the wall. Popping the lid open, he starts poking around inside the box. "I'm pretty sure I can figure out which one of these will..." He suddenly flips a switch, and the cameras slump in their sockets. You wait a momemnt, half expecting them to stutter back to life. But it seems that Will's plan worked. "That was a lucky break," Will says. "I wasn't completely sure I was right, to be honest. Hopefully we'll be able to play it safer next time." Shrugging to yourself, you start towards the barriers. Maybe a closer look will reveal a good way to get around them. [[Inspect the barriers.]]<</if>><<if $companion is "Paul">>Paul nods his affirmation, then trots up to the nearest camera. He flattens himself against the wall directly under it, then waits until it's directly over his head. He crouches down and springs up, extending his fist into the air. His blow connects with the bottom of the camera, and the cheap plastic casing snaps. Sparking from the bottom, the camera freezes in place. You smell some smoke. "That didn't feel great," Paul says. "But I think I can get the other one, too." Paul sneaks up under the second camera, then jumps and punches again. The casing dents, but doesn't rupture. He tries again, and the camera's wires break with a dull snap. "My hand is killing me now," Paul says. "I hope you've got a different plan for the next part." Shrugging to yourself, you start towards the barriers. Maybe a closer look will reveal a good way to get around them. [[Inspect the barriers.]]<</if>>

You<<if $companion is "">><<else>> and $companion<</if>> walk up to the barriers. They appear to be made of solid concrete, far too thick to break through. They stretch all the way from one side of the tunnel to the other and tower well above your head. <<if $companion is "">>They look retractable. You figure that you might be able to lower them if you found a terminal with access to this section of the defenses.<<else>>"I think those are retractable," says $companion. "We might be able to lower them, if we can find the right terminal."<</if>> [[Scale the barriers.]] [[Look for a terminal to retract the barriers.]] [[Punch the barriers.]]

You run up to the base of the nearest barrier and try to scramble up its exterior. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Be careful," says $companion. <</if>>Fortunately, the concrete is rough and craggy, and after a few tries, you manage to scramble up the barrier's exterior. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>Crouching on top of the barrier, you extend your hand down to $companion, who grabs on tight. Straining, you manage to pull your friend over the barrier. "Nice work," says $companion. <</if>>You jump down the other side of the barrier, landing on the metal floor with a dull clang. Looking up ahead, it seems that the tripwires are up next. Hopefully, you can figure something out.... [[Inspect the tripwires.]]

Looking around, you spot a computer access port. Hopefully, it'll have some sort of control that will let you retract the barriers. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Maybe click on where it says 'safety features,'" $companion suggests, looking over your shoulder. <</if>>After digging around in the settings for a few minutes, you finally find a subroutine that should neutralize this section of the security center's defenses. Taking a deep breathe, you press Enter. With a swift hiss, the barriers sink down into the floor, disappearing completely. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Nice work," says $companion. <</if>>You walk over the indentations in the ground where the barriers had been and look up ahead. It seems that the tripwires are up next. Hopefully, you can figure something out.... [[Inspect the tripwires.]]

You run up to the base of the nearest barrier and smack it as hard as you can. Wincing in pain, you step backward, wringing your hand out. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Wow, that was a really bad idea," says $companion. <</if>>The barrier is completely unscathed, and as a bonus, your hand hurts. Ouch. [[Better try something else.|Inspect the barriers.]]

You ponder the tripwires. Once again, they stretch all the way across the tunnel, and don't appear to be retractable. There are about eight of them, spaced around two feet apart each. They're a foot off the ground. [[Try to squirm under them.]] [[Jump over them like a series of hurdles.]] [[Try to cut them.]] [[Just walk through and trigger them. There's no getting around these.]]

You lay flat on the ground and try to slip under the first wire. It's really hard to move without picking your elbows up. You can feel the wire brushing across your back... you barely fit under it. You lift your head up to see where you are, but you judged your position wrong; you clip one of the wires. An alarm blares ahead of you and the robot, previously inactive, clamors to life. It wheels towards you menancingly, making an odd clacking sound. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Uh-oh," says $companion. <</if>>[[Confront the robot.]]

You take a few steps back, then charge at the tripwires, leaping over the first one. You manage to land between the first and second wires, but you have to stick your arms out to keep from falling over. Then, you jump again. This time, you're not so lucky. You land directly on top of the third wire. Ahead of you, alarms begin to blare. Suddenly, the robot, previously inactive, clamors to life. It wheels towards you menancingly, making an odd clacking sound. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Uh-oh," says $companion. <</if>>[[Confront the robot.]]

You find a scrap of metal on the ground and swing it down on the nearest tripwire as hard as you can. It slices through the wire easily... and sets off a blaring alarm just ahead of you. Suddenly, the robot, previously inactive, clamors to life. It wheels towards you menancingly, making an odd clacking sound. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Uh-oh," says $companion. <</if>>[[Confront the robot.]]

You shrug. There's not really a way around these tripwires, so you might as well just trigger them. It's just an amusement park; there won't be any lethal traps. You walk up to the nearest wire and give it a kick. Ahead of you, an alarm blares. Suddenly, the robot, previously inactive, clamors to life. It wheels towards you menancingly, making an odd clacking sound. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Uh-oh," says $companion. <</if>>[[Confront the robot.]]

The robot is picking up speed now, and whoa, is it ever ugly. It appears to be cobbled together from all sorts of different scrap parts... maybe it was the pet project of one of the park's engineers, or even Jacob Karlberg. For now though, you should focus on getting rid of it. It appears to have a circle saw built into an arm attached to the front of its body. Though the saw is not currently spinning, you still doubt that getting hit by it would feel especially good. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"What do we do?" asks $companion nervously. <</if>>[[Throw sewer water on the robot.]] [[Throw a rock at the robot.]] [[Kick the robot.]] [[Walk around the robot.]]

Cringing, you reach into the nearby sewer and scoop out some water, then throw it on the robot. With an unearthly screech, the robot is consumed by electricity and sparks. The entire thing appears to have short circuited... and now something smells like fried chicken. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Whoa, that was some quick thinking there, Maddie," says $companion. "I honestly thought we were done for for a second. Just make sure to wash your hands soon, okay?" <</if>>With a sigh of relief, you wipe the sweat from your brow (with your clean hand) and pick your way through the remaining tripwires. Setting them off doesn't matter now... the trap's already been sprung. The control center's just ahead now... maybe you'll finally be able to show Jacob who's boss. [[Inspect the control center.]]

You pick up a rock from the ground nearby, then throw it at the robot. It bounces off the front of the robot harmlessly... then rolls down in front of the robot, catching somewhere in its treads. With an awful grinding noise, the robot's left tread seizes up. After a tense minute, the motor burns out trying to crush the rock and the robot is left spinning in circles in place, its one remaining tread unable to propel it forward. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Whoa, that was some quick thinking there, Maddie," says $companion. "I honestly thought we were done for for a second. I still wouldn't get too close to it, though. Who knows when it might get its act together?" <</if>>With a sigh of relief, you wipe the sweat from your brow and pick your way through the remaining tripwires. Setting them off doesn't matter now... the trap's already been sprung. You make sure you're well out of the robot's reach as you pass it. The control center's just ahead now... maybe you'll finally be able to show Jacob who's boss. [[Inspect the control center.]]

You wait until the robot is nearly upon you... then, you lash out with your foot. With a groan, the robot tips over onto its side, hitting the ground with the loud clang of metal on metal. Its treads keep spinning, but it's obviously not going anywhere. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Whoa, that was some quick thinking there, Maddie," says $companion. "I honestly thought we were done for for a second. It looks much less scary now that you've knocked it over on its side, though." <</if>>With a sigh of relief, you wipe the sweat from your brow and pick your way through the remaining tripwires. Setting them off doesn't matter now... the trap's already been sprung. You do give the fallen robot a wide berth as you pass, though... better safe than sorry. The control center's just ahead now... maybe you'll finally be able to show Jacob who's boss. [[Inspect the control center.]]

The robot is coming for you in a straight line. You step to the right, then walk right past it. As you suspected, the robot has no way of detecting where intruders might be... it just rolls right on by you on its way down the tunnel. After a minute, its clattering fades into the background behind you. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Whoa, how did you know it couldn't see us, Maddie?" asks $companion. "I honestly thought we were done for for a second. You sure outsmarted that thing, though." <</if>>With a sigh of relief, you wipe the sweat from your brow and pick your way through the remaining tripwires. Setting them off doesn't matter now... the trap's already been sprung. The control center's just ahead now... maybe you'll finally be able to show Jacob who's boss. [[Inspect the control center.]]

You approach a large computer with several monitors. Each is synchronized to a different camera stationed somewhere in the tunnels or park. A few of the feeds have gone static, presumably from the cameras you disabled earlier. But you can still see Jacob. He's alone in a small supply room in what appears to be a back corner of the tunnel system. He's sitting with his back to a barrel, pulling his knees to his chin. He looks like he's been crying. After a few minutes of inspecting the controls, you manage to shut the only door to Jacob's supply room. You engage the lock. Jacob jumps up and runs to the door, tugging on the handle frantically. It doesn't budge. He's not going anywhere. You start turning on the lights in the tunnels, lighting yourself a path to the exit. It might finally be time to go home. [[Head for the exit.]]

<<if $split is true>>You<<if $companion is "">><<else>> and $companion<</if>> sit down in the exit tunnel and wait for awhile. It's not too long before your group is reunited. <</if>><<if $paul is 1>>"Alright, we can finally get out of here!" says Paul. "I can't wait to breathe in some nice, fresh air again." <</if>><<if $will is 1>>"These tunnels were making me anxious," says Will. "I'm super glad that we finally found the way out." <</if>><<if $emma is 1>>"Let's get moving," says Emma. "This isn't a good place to be hanging around." <</if>>You look down the tunnel. The exit isn't more than twenty feet away, now. Gentle moonlight pours in through the glass pane, and you can feel the wind from where you are; the door must not even be all the way closed, not to mention locked. Escape is mere moments away. Then, you look back the way you came. You can hear Jacob pounding on the locked door of the supply room. He's at no risk of dying in a room full of food, so long as you tell the police about him. Still, even after all he's done to try and mess you up, there's a part of you that doesn't just want to leave him here. [[Leave.]] [[Go back for Jacob.]]

You're in what appears to be the theme park waterworks. An impressive tangle of pipes covers every surface in the room, and it's kinda difficult to pick your way through the space without tripping. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"We shouldn't mess with anything in here," says $companion. "Having a flood on top of everything else is the last thing we need right now." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M6]] [[Go left.|M7]] [[Go right.|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]]

You're in what appears to be the theme park wardrobe and dressing room. There are huge racks full of uniforms and several different full-body character costumes for the park's mascots. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Whoa, this is so cool!" says $companion. "I can't believe all this was right under our feet the whole time." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M4]] [[Go left.|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]] [[Go right.|M5]]

You're in what appears to be a staff bunkroom. There are several bunk beds all along each wall. It looks like the last people who had been here left quickly... probably in response to whatever cleared out the rest of the park. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Employees here get naptime?" asks $companion. "Sweet." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M10]] [[Go left.|M6]] [[Go right.|M4]] [[Go backwards.|Hunt Jacob in the maze.]]

You're in the climate control room. The walls are covered with computer panels offering temperature readouts from various places within the park and the tunnels. Several large generators are humming along the room's far wall. You also see a huge ventilation shaft. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"The cover to that shaft isn't even screwed on," says $companion. "Maybe crawling through there would get us closer to the source of all the fresh air they pump through this place." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M11]] [[Go left.|M3]] [[Go right.|M8]] [[Go backwards.|M2]] [[Crawl through the ventilation shaft.|M13]]

You're in the staff kitchens. Delicious smells are still wafting through the room and the tunnels nearby; evidently, it's usually busy preparing meals for the park workers late into the night. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Now I'm hungry again," says $companion. "Can we stay here a few minutes?" <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M8]] [[Go left.|M2]]

You're in the staff exercise room. Treadmills, stair climbers, and other machines that you don't recognize line the walls, and the floor is covered with the same sort of dense padding you see at the community gym. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Hey, they've still got a boombox in here," says $companion. "I'd turn it on, but I guess that would probably tip off Jacob, huh?" <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M13]] [[Go left.|M9]] [[Go right.|M3]] [[Go backwards.|M1]]

You're in a massive restroom and changing area. Stalls with toilets, showers, and lockers line both walls, and the floor is covered with the same linoleum tile that's often used in school bathrooms. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Can you wait here a minute?" asks $companion. "I didn't realize it until I got in here, but... I've gotta go." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M9]] [[Go right.|M1]]

You're in the staff commons. This must be where park workers go on their breaks. There are quite a few tables here, as well as some recreation equipment. Relics and mementos from the park's history are mounted on the walls of the room. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"This place is unreal!" says $companion. "Just imagine how much we could learn about Cosmic Diversion here." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M12]] [[Go left.|M4]] [[Go backwards.|M5]]

You're in a sprawling garage full of the golf carts, segways, and other small vehicles that the park's staff use to get around quickly. There are several garage doors on the opposite side of the room that must offer access to the outside world, but you see no obvious way to open them. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"We must be really getting close to the way out now," says $companion. "Let's go!" <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M14]] [[Go right.|M6]] [[Go backwards.|M7]]

You're in a smaller room. One wall appears to be the door to a single, massive vault. You've never seen anything quite on its scale before. You give the handle a hopeful tug, but it's locked. Unsurprisingly, the park appears to take good care of its most vaulable assets. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Darn," says $companion. "It was worth a try, at least." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M17]] [[Go left.|M13]] [[Go right.|M11]] [[Go backwards.|M3]]

You're in a large room with a stage and several rows of cushy, padded seats. This must be the auditorium where the big staff meetings and special events take place. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"I had no idea that a theme park would need a place like this," says $companion. "Weird." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M16]] [[Go left.|M10]] [[Go right.|M12]] [[Go backwards.|M4]]

You're in a room full of large crates piled on top of each other. In some places, the massive towers almost reach the top of the tunnel! You read the labels on the crates closest to you and realize that this must be a food storage room. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Yikes, that's a lot of food!" says $companion. "I guess a park like this one goes through it pretty quickly, huh?" <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M15]] [[Go left.|M11]] [[Go backwards.|M8]]

You're in a large workshop full of ride components. You recognize horses from the carousel, cars from the Shrieking Falcon, and all sorts of odds and ends that are far above your meager engineering knowledge. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"I guess this is where they fix the stuff that breaks," says $companion. "We're probably getting close to the way out... I wouldn't want to carry most of this stuff any further into the tunnels than I'd have to." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M18]] [[Go left.|M14]] [[Go right.|M10]] [[Go backwards.|M6]]

You're in a huge storage room. There are extra parts for rides; signs and traffic cones; a janitor's cart; and even what appear to be several small billboards leaning against the far wall. Most exciting of all, though, is the glowing red EXIT sign that's lit up on the left side of the room. With a sigh of relief, you realize that you've finally found your way through the maze. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Ready to get out of here, Maddie?" asks $companion. "If Jacob's anywhere, that's probably the way to go to find him." <</if>>[[Go forwards.|M19]] [[Go right.|M13]] [[Go backwards.|M9]] [[Exit the maze.|M20]]

You're in a segment of tunnel that is mostly unremarkable, except for the fact that there's a tiny underground shuttle bus on some sort of track just ahead of you. You peek inside and see that the keys are in the ignition. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"I can't believe they have an entire subsurface transportation system," says $companion. "Maybe we should try it... I bet there's an autopilot." <</if>>[[Go left.|M16]] [[Go backwards.|M12]] [[Take the shuttle.|M19]]

You're in a rainforest-themed conference room. The table is long, but there are only about 12 seats. This must be where the people who run the park meet to make decisions about Cosmic Diversion. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"I wonder how many roller coasters have been designed here," says $companion. "It's pretty cool to think about, right?" <</if>>[[Go left.|M17]] [[Go right.|M15]] [[Go backwards.|M11]]

You're in a rather expansive office that's dominated by a massive oak desk. You recognize the name of the park's owner on a golden plaque resting on top of the desk... this must be the President's office. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"I never thought I'd actually see this guy's office," says $companion. "I'm kinda geeking out, to be honest." <</if>>[[Go left.|M18]] [[Go right.|M16]] [[Go backwards.|M10]]

You're in a lounge with plush carpeting and a minibar. It's not elaborate, but it has an unmistakable air of luxury and prominence. Access is probably restricted to the park's executive team. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"Think there's any wine back there?" asks $companion. "Just kidding. My parents would kill me." <</if>>[[Go left.|M19]] [[Go right.|M17]] [[Go backwards.|M13]]

You're at what seems to be an underground bus stop. This must be where the shuttle drops off employees getting ready for a shift in the park above. <<if $companion is "">><<else>>"If this is as far as the transportation goes, then we must be close!" says $companion. "Maybe we should go backwards?" <</if>>[[Go right.|M18]] [[Go backwards.|M14]]

You exit the maze via the passage on the left, and finally see a long tunnel that leads up to the surface... you can even see a pinprick of light at the end of it. Then, you look the other way. Jacob Karlberg's alone in a small supply room not ten feet away from you. He's sitting with his back to a barrel, pulling his knees to his chin. He looks like he's been crying, and you're certain that he hasn't noticed you yet. Suddenly, the door to his room slides shut and locks. You're not sure if it was a chance malfunction or somebody messing around at the security center. Despite the fact that finding him was the reason you'd gone through the tunnels in the first place, it doesn't look like he'll pose any more threat to your escape plan. Getting out of here should probably be your new top priority; it might finally be time to go home. [[Head for the exit.]]

You<<if $allies is 0>><<else>> and your friend<<if $allies > 1>>s<</if>><</if>> walk down the exit tunnel and push open the door, breathing in the cool night air. You look around. You're a few dozen feet outside the theme park walls. "Hey, look over there!" you hear a voice call. Spinning, you see several cars parked in the field just behind you. Most of them are police cars with flashing lights, but you recognize your mom's vehicle, too. "Maddie!" Mom screams at the top of her lungs, running towards you. You run towards her too, and let her enfold you in her arms. Dad comes up behind her and puts his arms around both of you. "I'm glad you're okay," he says. "You gave us such a scare, Maddie!" says Mom. "After we heard about the lightning strike and the tornado warning, we came right here to get you! They said they got everyone out of the theme park, but we couldn't find you anywhere!" Seeing the confusion on your face, Mom elaborates. "There was a lightning strike just inside Cosmic Diversion's side gate, and the weatherman said that the conditions were just right for tornadoes. That's why the park was evacuated so quickly; it's full of metal and heavy equipment, and it isn't a safe place to be in that kind of weather. We came to pick you up as soon as we heard about the advisory." "The police said they'd evacuated everyone," Dad says. "We were really scared when we didn't see you or your friends at the rally point." [["The police missed a few of us. We were stuck inside."|Leave2]] [["It's... a long story."|Leave2]] [["I missed you two, too."|Leave2]] [["You worry too much."|Leave2]]

You take a deep breath, then turn your back on the possibility of freedom and start striding purposefully back towards the locked door. <<if $paul is 1>>"Maddie? What are you doing?" asks Paul. <</if>><<if $will is 1>>"We've gotta get out of here while we still can!" says Will. <</if>><<if $emma is 1>>You turn around and lock eyes with Emma. She gives you a single nod. She understands. <</if>>You arrive at the door. There's an emergency override switch on the wall next to it. You flip the switch, and the lock disengages. You open the door. Jacob looks up at you in surprise. "The exit's right there," he says. "What are you doing? Why are you talking to me?" [["It would've been wrong to leave you."|J2]] [["Everyone deserves to have a friend to talk to."|J2]] [["I wanna help you... you remind me of myself."|J2]] <<set $JacobPoints to $JacobPoints + 1>>

"Oh, Madelyn!" says Mom. "Well, we're just so glad you're safe," says Dad. "Let's get you home." <<if $allies > 0>>"Wait," says Mom. "Maddie's not the only one who came out of that tunnel." <<if $will is 1>>"Thanks for noticing," says Will. "You haven't seen my parents around, have you?" "They're right over there," says Dad, pointing. "Thanks, Maddie's Dad!" says Will as he runs off towards his parents. "Goodbye, Maddie! See you soon!" <</if>><<if $paul is 1>>"I see my parents waving to me over there," says Paul. "I gotta split." He high-fives you. "You're a rockstar, Maddie. See ya tomorrow, I hope!" He strolls off towards his family. <</if>><<if $JacobPoints > 0>>"Is that... Jacob Karlberg? The little boy who went missing?" asks Mom. "Yeah," says Jacob. "Officer!" Dad calls to one of the police. "My daughter found one of your missing persons!" "Hi there, Jacob," says an officer, crouching down next to him. "Your parents and brother have been worried sick about you. I'm gonna take you home to them, alright?" Jacob nods. "Thank you, m'am. And goodbye, Maddie. Thanks for being nice to me." <</if>><<if $emma is 1>>"Who's this?" asks Dad, gesturing to Emma. "And where are her shoes?" asks Mom. "Uhhh... hi," says Emma, looking down at her feet shyly. "I'm Emma. I got stuck in the park, too. Maddie helped me escape." "I don't see any other parents here, though," says Dad. "Aren't they worried about you?" "Doubt it," says Emma. "They probably just expect me to walk home... assuming they've figured out where I am." "In the rain? That's awful!" says Mom. "You can stay overnight at our house with Maddie if you like." You and Emma exchange grins and fist bumps. "Thanks so much!" she says, hugging your Mom. "Umm... you're welcome," says Mom, somewhat taken aback. <</if>>"That seems to be everyone accounted for," says Dad. "It's looking like it might storm yet... let's get to the car." <<else>>"I don't see any reason to stay here," agrees Mom. "It's getting chilly." <</if>><<if $JacobPoints is 0>>"One moment, please," says a police officer. "Is there anything else you can tell us about the situation?" [[The missing kid, Jacob Karlberg, is locked down there in the tunnels.]] [[Nope.]]<<else>>"You're free to go. Have a great evening," says the nearest police officer. "If there are any lingering concerns that need to be wrapped up, we'll let you know within the next few days." [[Head for the car.]]<</if>>

For a while, Jacob doesn't meet your eyes. Then he looks up at you. "Thanks," he says. You can tell that he wants to say more. You smile at him reassuringly and sit down on the ground across from him. After a minute, he joins you on the ground. Finally, he speaks again. "I ran away from home," he says. "No one ever cared about me there." [["How do you know?"|"How do you know?"]] [["Were you planning on living here?"|"Were you planning on living here?"]] [["I care about you, Jacob."|"I care about you, Jacob."]]

"My parents never really talked to me," says Jacob, staring at the ground. "They never had time. No matter what I did, I couldn't ever get their attention." He hesitates. "I thought running away would finally do it. But they still haven't found me. I doubt they're looking. I wonder if they even noticed that I'm gone." [["I know people were looking for you. I saw an article about it."|J3]] [["You could talk to them about it... but you'd have to go home."|J3]] [["So where does that leave you, then?"|J3]]

"Yeah, I guess so," says Jacob. "But I had to hide from everyone here, so it felt even more lonely than being at home." He hesitates. "Maybe I just shouldn't bother." [["Yes, I agree. Go home, Jacob."|J3]] [["At least the tunnels seem like a cool place."|J3]] [["What do you mean? Bother with what?"|J3]]

"Oh," says Jacob. Then, "You really mean that, don't you? Even after all the awful stuff I said and did. You're... really nice." He hesitates. "What would you do if you were me? Be honest." [["I'd go home to my family."|J3]] [["I'd stay here in the tunnels."|J3]] [["I don't know."|J3]]

"I really want to stay in the Cosmic Diversion forever," Jacob says, his voice low. "The arcade and the rides are so much fun, and I love it in these tunnels. But I know I can't." You open your mouth to say something, but he keeps talking. "I don't wanna go home, though. I... can't. I wasn't ever happy there. If I go back, life is just gonna suck more than it did before. I know it." He takes a deep breath. "I think that I should maybe... just give up. If I went away for good, I don't think anyone would miss me." [[No! That's not true! I'd miss you.]] [[I've felt what you're feeling, Jacob. It's possible to move past it, but you can't give up.]] [[If you want to be happy, you've gotta try to fix the things that upset you. Dying won't help with that... it's not really an escape.]]

"But why? We hardly know each other, and I've been terrible to you!" [["Everyone makes mistakes. That doesn't make you a bad person... only a normal one."|J4]] [["Sometimes, friendships can form quickly, if you're open to it. You don't need to tell the people who are nice to you that you don't deserve them... they really do want to be your friends, and sometimes, just offering your kindness might mean a lot more to them than you realize."|J4]] [["And I'm choosing to care about you regardless. Unconditional kindness and forgiveness will only make the world a better place."|J4]]

"What do you mean? How can you possibly know how I feel?" [["Maybe you feel alone, but there are actually tons of people who have struggles like yours. They just think that they have to hide it, so you might not realize how similar you are until you get to know them."|J4]] [["I know that the world's a tough place to live. All the problems you see have an effect on everyone who lives here, though... not just you."|J4]] [["I've got anxiety and depression. I have panic attacks sometimes, too. And yeah, I've wanted to die before... but I'm also glad I'm still alive."|J4]]

"But if I'm dead, I won't have to deal with this stuff anymore!" [["Maybe, maybe not. No one can know that for sure. But it wouldn't make you any happier, either. And everyone deserves to be happy."|J4]] [["What about other kids like you? Don't they deserve to have someone who understands them, like you, fighting to make things better?"|J4]] [["You'd also miss out on a lot... maybe the parts of your life that are gonna be really cool are still ahead of you."|J4]]

"Maybe you're right," Jacob says. "I mean, I really hope that you are. But still... all the stuff I'm dealing with... it's just too much. I try to think about dealing with everything, but it just seems overwhelming. Hopeless." [["Maybe talking about it would help. I'm here."|J5]] [["Don't try to tackle everything at once. If you work on one thing at a time, it'll make your problems seem much easier to cope with."|J5]] [["It's not gonna be easy. I know you can't snap your fingers and change the way you think and live. But you're strong enough to alter your habits if you really want to... and the people who care about you will support you along the way."|J5]]

"Okay," says Jacob. "Let's try it. What's the worst thing that could happen? I don't think I can make things any worse than they already are, at least." He hesitates a moment, gathering his thoughts. "Well, my family always makes me feel bad about myself. Nothing I do is ever enough to make my parents happy, and my brother is even worse." <<if $paul is 1>>"Preach, bro," Paul says. "I feel you, I really do. You and I should start the Worst Siblings on Earth club." "Hey, I'd totally be down for that," Jacob says.<</if>> "I used to think he actually wanted to be friends... but now it seems like he ditches me every chance he gets. Like, that's how I got down here in the first place. He took me to Cosmic Diversion, but he kept trying to get me to go on the scary roller coasters. When I said 'no,' he tried to buy me a giant corn dog, even though I don't like them. He finally just left me in the arcade with some money and went off by himself. That's when I knew I had to leave." <<if $paul is 1>>"Yeah, until real recently I would've thought my brother hated me too, if he'd done all that," says Paul. "But I was just talking to Maddie about siblings, and she pointed out that they're not always the smartest, y'know?" Jacob giggles at that. "No, really," says Paul. "Like, sometimes, they really do want to be friends with you. They just don't always know you very well, so they treat you like they wish someone had treated them. Let me guess: your brother loves fast coasters and giant corn dogs, and your parents don't usually let him come here." "Yeah," says Jacob. "You're... exactly right. How did you know that?" "I didn't really realize it until just now, but my siblings do the same thing... try to make me happy by doing what would make them happy. When you brother left you in the arcade, I doubt he was trying to get rid of you... he was probably just upset that he couldn't seem to make you happy." "Oh," says Jacob. "I hadn't ever thought of it like that before." [["I think Paul's right."|J5Y]]<<else>>[["Most kids love stuff like that. I think he was trying to be really nice to you... he just doesn't know you well enough yet."|J5Y]] [["I don't think he meant to offend you, he was probably just being stupid."|J5N]] [["Yeah, siblings are just crappy, I guess."|J5N]]<</if>>

"Maybe I was wrong about my brother," says Jacob slowly. "I kinda wonder if I've been a little too hard on him... like, being mean when he was trying to be nice. If I want him to understand me, maybe I should help him." <<if $paul is 1>>"I think that's a good point," says Paul. <</if>>"That's not all, though," says Jacob. "He's not the only one I have trouble with, y'know?" [["What do you mean?"|J6]] [["Is it your parents?"|J6]] [["Take your time."|J6]] <<set $JacobPoints to $JacobPoints + 1>>

"That's what I thought too," says Jacob slowly. "Oh well. I guess there are some people whom you can't change. Maybe there's something different we could talk about. My brother isn't the only one I have trouble with, y'know?" [["What do you mean?"|J6]] [["Is it your parents?"|J6]] [["Take your time."|J6]]

"It's the other kids at school," Jacob says sadly. "I can't ever be myself when I'm around them. As it is, they barely talk to me. I'm sure that if I was more honest about what I like, it would only get worse." <<if $will is 1>>"That's seriously relatable," Will says. "I'm like the king of 'uncool' interests." "Oh yeah?" Jacob says.<</if>> "I'm not sure anyone could get picked on more than me. A lot of my interests aren't just a little bit silly. They're the type of stuff that I'm told guys shouldn't be into." <<if $will is 1>>"There's no such thing as something you 'shoudldn't' be into," Will says. "Maddie taught me that it's okay to like what you like... if you're comfortable in your own skin, there's nothing the haters will be able to do, besides just deal with it." "Well, what interests do you have that are so bad?" asks Jacob. "I really love the WWE," says Will. "Just look at this sweet shirt! And I firmly believe that science fiction is the best genre to grace our Earth with its awesomeness. Star Wars is my favorite. And then there's my whole musical soundtrack obsession... don't even get me started on that." "That doesn't sound so bad," says Jacob. "You're just a little bit of a nerd. It's not like you're into... anime or stuff, like I am. That's a whole 'nother level, believe me." "But that's my point," says Will with a grin. "My school has an anime club, and I know most of the members. There are plenty of guys and girls in my life who like that. I think you and I have something in common, Jacob: we both let a few haters convince us that the things we like are 'weird.' Now, whenever we talk about them, we feel like some sort of social outcasts. What we forget is that most other people don't even think our interests are anything out of the ordinary. I mean, just look at how we reacted to each other's 'uncool secrets.'" "Wow," says Jacob. "I... that makes sense, I think." [["Yeah, Will's got a good point."|J6Y]]<<else>>[["Kids are dumb, try not to let it get to you."|J6N]] [["They've probably learned they can get a reaction from you, so you'll need to scare them if you want them to stop."|J6N]] [["Everyone's into different things, and that's okay. If you're open about what you like, you might find other people who share those interests."|J6Y]]<</if>>

"I guess I'll try to be more open, then," says Jacob. "I mean, it's scary, but I guess fewer people will judge me than I'm assuming. And if there are other people out there who do like the stuff I do... I wanna find them." <<if $will is 1>>"I think you'll be glad you did," says Will. <</if>>"There's only one issue," says Jacob. "I already tried sharing something I like once, and it didn't go so well." [["What happened?"|J7]] [["What could you have shared that was so bad?"|J7]] [["It's okay, you can tell me about it."|J7]] <<set $JacobPoints to $JacobPoints + 1>>

"I dunno," says Jacob. "Maybe I'm expecting too much of the people around me. The first time I tried to share out, I totally regretted it." [["What happened?"|J7]] [["What could you have shared that was so bad?"|J7]] [["It's okay, you can tell me about it."|J7]]

"Do you know Nexon's game MapleStory2?" Jacob asks. "It's the type of thing I'm usually into... cute anime art instead of blood and guts. When it first came out, I was so excited that I talked about it nonstop. But I only ever got laughed at." <<if $emma is 1>>"Some people take game choice way too seriously," Emma says. "And sometimes, it seems that there's not really a right answer." "What do you mean?" Jacob asks.<</if>> "I feel like I know what games people want me to like... the issue is just that the whole extreme violence thing doesn't really appeal to me." <<if $emma is 1>>"I'm talking about being a girl gamer, Jacob," says Emma. "When you play cute games, you're not taken seriously... guys are just like, 'aww, look at her with her little 'girl game'.' If you play the blood-and-guts games though... well then, you're just a weirdo. There's no way to win some people's approval." "That's awful," says Jacob. "What do you do?" "Until today, the same stuff you do," Emma says. "I like all sorts of games, some super cute and some really violent. I just kept it all to myself, though. Then I met Maddie. She likes games, too. And she reminded me that even if a hundred people pick on you, there'll always be someone out there who likes the same type of games, and won't judge you based on your gender. Once you've found a few of those pople to play with, you've got all you need." "I think I understand," says Jacob. "Even though I'm being judged on liking MapleStory2 as a guy, it's like... the same thing that's happening so much to you as a girl." "Yep!" says Emma. "And you can fight against it the same way that I did. Y'know, sometimes, even the games you play can support you when you're going through tough stuff. Like, have you ever tried Celeste? It's super hard, but the story is so worth it. It really inspired me to fight through some of my all-time lows." "The platformer?" asks Jacob. "I've always meant to give it a try." [["Emma's right... it's pretty awesome."|J7Y]]<<else>>[["Well, MapleStory2 is kinda weird... it's okay to enjoy it, but I'd just keep the fact you play it to yourself."|J7N]] [["All you need is to find the right people to play with. I bet there are plenty of people out there who love MapleStory2 like you do."|J7Y]] [["Hey, don't feel so bad. Cute games are way better to be into than the violent trash those haters play."|J7N]]<</if>>

"Thanks again for the advice on all this," says Jacob. "I'm almost positive that you're right. Finding cool people to play games with sure seems tough, but it's probably worth it." <<if $emma is 1>>"It definitely will be if it makes you proud of the type of gamer you are," says Emma. <</if>>"Wow," says Jacob. "This is all so... Wow." He trails off, then is silent for a long time. [["Are you okay?"|J8]] [["Earth calling Jacob..."|J8]] [["You'd better not be trying to think of more reasons why your problems are 'unfixable'...."|J8]] <<set $JacobPoints to $JacobPoints + 1>>

"Sure, right," says Jacob. "It's just so hard not to be ashamed of what I like when there are so many people who disagree with me. I know it doesn't make me wrong, but still...." He trails off, then is silent for a long time. [["Are you okay?"|J8]] [["Earth calling Jacob..."|J8]] [["You'd better not be trying to think of more reasons why your problems are 'unfixable'...."|J8]]

"Oh, sorry," says Jacob. "You've just given me a lot to think about." <<if $JacobPoints is 4>>"Everything you've told me has just helped me so much... thank you. I'm... I'm really lucky to have you for a friend."<</if>><<if $JacobPoints is 3>>"A bunch of the stuff you said really made sense to me. I appreciate it. A lot."<</if>><<if $JacobPoints is 2>>"There was something you said that was really cool. It's gonna help me, so thanks."<</if>><<if $JacobPoints is 1>>"You tried to help me. I won't forget that."<</if>> "Now, do you mind if we get out of here?" asks Jacob. "I... I wanna go home." [["That sounds like a great idea."|Leave.]] [["Yeah, I've had enough of these tunnels to last me a lifetime."|Leave.]] [["I guess our parents are probably getting worried...."|Leave.]] <<set $allies to $allies + 1>>

"What!? C'mon, let's go!" the officer calls. Several officers grab a standard-issue battering ram and head for the tunnels. "Thanks for the tip," says the nearest remaining police officer. "You're free to go. If there are any lingering concerns that need to be wrapped up, we'll let you know within the next few days. Have a great evening!" You're glad that you told the officers about Jacob. No one deserves to be left trapped and alone like that, not even someone who was mean to you for no apparent reason. [[Head for the car.]]

"You're free to go. Have a great evening," says the nearest police officer. "If there are any lingering concerns that need to be wrapped up, we'll let you know within the next few days." As you walk away, you feel a little bad for Jacob, trapped alone in the tunnels. Still, he's not your problem; after all, he basically tried to kill you. [[Head for the car.]]

Everyone climbs into the car, and Mom floors it, whipping away from the Cosmic Diversion as fast as her vehicle can manage. <<if $emma is 1>>"I wish my mom drove like that," says Emma. <</if>>In what feels like no time at all, you're home. As you pull into the garage, it starts to storm outside. "Looks like we made it just in time," says Dad. "You should go straight to bed," says Mom. "You've had a long day." You're far too tired to argue. You trudge up the stairs<<if $emma is 1>> with Emma in tow<</if>>. <<if $emma is 1>>You toss Emma your sleeping bag and collapse onto your bed, not even bothering to change. You [[drift off to sleep]] almost instantly. <<else>>You collapse onto your bed, not even bothering to change. It takes you less than five minutes to [[drift off to sleep]].<</if>>

LOCAL KIDS LOCKED IN Cosmic Diversion THEME PARK DURING TORNADO ADVISORY After local authorities issued a tornado advisory, the Cosmic Diversion theme park was hastily evacuated by police last evening. However, for a few local families, the situation quickly took a turn for the dramatic when they realized that the police and amusement park staff had left their children locked inside the park. Fortunately, one girl named Madelyn proved to be exceedingly resourceful.<<if $will is 1>> Her friend Will gave her credit for his successful escape from the theme park via the park's crew tunnels. He said that he wouldn't have had the courage to traverse the route without her.<<else>> Her friend Will, who was picked up by police on a second sweep of the park a few hours later, said that she had been fearless almost to a fault, which had led to the two becoming separated.<</if>> Will wasn't the only friend of Madelyn's who escaped the park, though.<<if $paul is 1>> Another local boy, Paul, followed Madelyn faithfully through the crew tunnels and commended her leadership in the trying situation.<<else>> Police were flagged down by another local boy, Paul, who claimed that he'd been "too freaked out" to stick with Madelyn, but had been part of her posse initially.<</if>> <<if $emma is 1>>Madelyn also rescued a complete stranger from a neighboring town, identified to police only as "Emma." According to Madelyn's friends, they encountered Emma by chance and joined forces with her during their efforts to exit the park.<<else>>Also rescued from the park on a later sweep was a middle schooler from a neighboring town who identified herself to the police as "Emma." She claims she met Madelyn and her companions in the park, but did not maintain a lasting affiliation with them.<</if>> <<if $JacobPoints is 0>>Tragically, the events of the evening also led to the police's discovery of the body of eleven-year-old Jacob Karlberg. After his disappearance in the park over a week ago, police suspect that he hid in the park's tunnels, subsisting on the park's stockpiles of food. Despite the fact that he was found locked up, police have ruled his death a suicide, not a result of his being locked in the room. The full story behind Jacob and his tragic decision to end his own life may not ever come to light.<</if>><<if $JacobPoints is 1>>Fortunately, Madelyn also found and rescued eleven-year-old Jacob Karlberg, who had vanished in the park over a week ago. Unfortunately, a police field evaluation revealed that Jacob is suicidal, and he has been rushed to Dyran Mental Hospital for care. Though he was in bad shape, police say that he probably would have killed himself if not for Madelyn's rescue.<</if>><<if $JacobPoints is 2>>Incredibly, Madelyn also found and rescued eleven-year-old Jacob Karlberg, who had vanished in the park over a week ago. A police field evaluation revealed that Jacob likely has major depressive disorder, and may be suicidal. Though he claims that "something [he] heard in the tunnels" helped him, he's still being taken to Dyran Mental Hospital for immediate treatment.<</if>><<if $JacobPoints is 3>>Astoundingly, Madelyn also found and rescued eleven-year-old Jacob Karlberg, who had vanished in the park over a week ago. A police field evaluation revealed that Jacob has likely been struggling with major depressive disorder. Though he was still taken to Dyran Mental Hospital for further evaluation, he seemed in relatively high spirits... abnormally so, according to his parents. He says that "things I heard in the tunnel made me feel better."<</if>><<if $JacobPoints is 4>>Miraculously, Madelyn also found and rescued eleven-year-old Jacob Karlberg, who had vanished in the park over a week ago. A police field evaluation revealed that Jacob may have major depressive disorder, and he has been taken to Dyran Mental Hospital for further evaluation. However, his parents claimed that he was more positive than they had seen him in "years," and extended their "deepest thanks" to whoever talked through his issues with him. (He refused to give them any names or information beyond the fact that such a conversation had indeed transpired.) They admitted that whoever was responsible had made more headway with him in a week than they'd been able to make in months, and are calling the situation a "miracle."<</if>> <<if $allies is 4>><<if $JacobPoints is 4>>In a statement, the owner of Cosmic Diversion agreed, saying that "what happened in the theme park tonight was against all odds." Citizens have credited everything from God to destiny to luck to Madelyn's own ingenuity with her escape and rescue of the four other children... but whatever combination of these factors may be to thank, it's most certainly a cause for celebration. Madelyn and her friends made the very best out of a truly awful situation.<<else>>In a statement, the owner of Cosmic Diversion said that "it was incredible that [Madelyn] saved not only herself, but also those four other children." Though Jacob's battle is far from over, no one denies that Madelyn's efforts last night were truly heroic.<</if>><<else>>In a statement, the owner of Cosmic Diversion offered his "sincere apologies" for the events of last night, saying that the situation "could have been handled far better" and that "many new safety measures will be implemented to prevent similar incidents and tragedies from happening again." Despite the night's painful failures, though, the community still feels a profound sense of gratitude for the children who were able to survive this terrifying ordeal.<</if>> [[Reflect on the article.]]

You lean back in your chair and think about the events of last night. <<if $allies is 0>>You feel guilty that you and your friends got split up. It wasn't really your fault, but still, you wish you could've done more to help the people who needed it. At least you escaped... that's not something to be taken for granted.<</if>><<if $allies is 1>>You're glad that you were able to make a difference for someone. You gained a new close friend last night, and learned to understand each other even as you escaped from the park. The sense of accomplishment you feel is unmistakable, but it also makes you wonder if you could've done more. You crossed paths with far more than one person who was looking for a way out, after all.<</if>><<if $allies is 2>>You're proud of the relationships you built with some of your friends last night. It doesn't really matter whether you knew them for ages or just met them a few hours ago; after a bonding experience like that, you're basically the Three Musketeers now. Still, things didn't go as well with some of the other people you were around. You hope that they'll be okay, but mostly, you're grateful for the people whose escapes you aided.<</if>><<if $allies is 3>>You can't help but grin as you think of all your close friends. You helped almost everyone you met get out of that park in one piece. You feel a pang when you remember that someone was left alone... but the common ground you found with your three closest friends is now one of your most prized posessions.<</if>><<if $allies is 4>><<if $JacobPoints < 4>>You did it, you think. You got everybody out. Will and Paul, who were with you from the start. Emma, whom you met along the way. And Jacob, whom you refused to leave behind. The article was right; Jacob does have a long road to recovery ahead of him. You wish you could've done more. But you helped everyone escape, and right now, that feels like more than enough.<<else>>You're filled with a profound sense of inner peace, the likes of which you've never felt before. You remember the feeling when Mom and Dad hugged you... they made you feel warm and safe, like you really mattered. You've protected the people around you in just the same way. You taught Will to be proud of himself, helped Paul be a better sibling, reminded Emma that she's valid, and shared all the lessons you learned along the way with Jacob, who needed them the most. Guiding them all through the park was cool, sure... but now you realize that you did something else very important for them, too. They'd been trapped by more than just a theme park. The world around them had left them feeling hopeless, each in a different way. But you'd listened. You'd understood, helped, and healed. And you might just have saved a life. You'd helped them escape to a better world... one that the five of you can now build together.<</if>><</if>> [[The end.]]

Congratulations! You've completed your playthrough of ESCAPE. You helped $allies out of a possible 4 friends escape the things that were holding them back, and got out of the Cosmic Diversion theme park to boot! <<if $allies is 4>><<if $JacobPoints is 4>>You've now officially beat the game; you did everything possible to help the people around you. Congratulations! You've also unlocked Cass' [[author's note]] in case you'd like to learn more about what went into the making of this game. You're still welcome to play again, if you'd like. If you're saying goodbye for now though, thanks so much for playing... and for being you. <3<<else>>You're so close to beating the game; there's only a little more you can do to help your friends! If you want to give it another go, feel free to play again. I believe in you!<</if>><<else>>This is the end of the game, but there's still more you can do to help the characters you met. If you want to try and figure out how to beat the game, you can play from the start as many times as you'd like. Good luck!<</if>> [[Play Again.|Title Screen]] (If you're finished playing ESCAPE for now, just close your browser tab (or use the red X if you're in the client) to quit the game. See you soon!)

Hi there! My name's Cass Aleatory, and I'm the (author? creator? developer? whatever.) of ESCAPE. First of all, thanks a ton for putting so much thought into the game! If you're reading this, you must have beat the game, and whether it took you one try or ten, it most certainly required careful decision-making and a strong desire to help the characters you met along the way. I'm super duper glad you made it here, because this game was put together for people like you: people who aren't content to just take the quickest route to the end, people who choose instead to help those they encounter on their journey. ESCAPE is a game meant to engage with very difficult topics, and to pose an argument for the importance of approaching the struggles of those around us from a place of sensitivity and compassion. Regardless of who you are and what you believe, you probably agree that the world could always use more love and kindness... these are the things that truly make us human. They're also the things that form the backbone of ESCAPE. I'll stop with the thematic exploration for now, since I know some people are probably more curious about the project's development and writing than the story's intended meaning. ESCAPE was inspired by a short story excerpt entitled "The Great Escape" from a 300-level fiction writing class at UW-Whitewater. It fell into my hands by way of a fiction editing class taught by the same professor: Holly, who commissioned this story. Now, "commissioned" is kind of a loose term here... she didn't really ask me to write it persay, but she did mention how cool it would be to see "The Great Escape" edited into a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Since I often call the type of story-driven games I make "playable Choose Your Own Adventure books," I decided this was the perfect opportunity to create an expository piece that could show people with experience in book- or film- based narrative the possibilities that games have to offer as a narrative medium. The game was in production for about four months. It was written starting in early May 2019, and the first draft was completed on 08/08/2019. Over the course of its creation, the project took on a life of its own, becoming far more than the simple "proof-of-concept" I'd conceptualized it as. By the time I'd finished ESCAPE, I knew I wanted it to be the leading piece for my newly-created professional portfolio on itch.io. On 09/05/2019, it officially became Cass Aleatory's first release. Most of the thematic elements in ESCAPE were inspired by, though not found in, the "Great Escape" excerpt. Notably, this is where I got the idea to give Will, Paul, and Emma each a different thing that they were trying to escape from/to. Will's fear of expressing his nerdiness was inspired by "The Great Escape" itself, Emma's struggle with gender and gaming was inspired by Michael Lutz's "the uncle who works for nintendo," and Paul's sibling issues came from my own life experience as an older sibling who regrets how she used to treat her little brother. The potential for Jacob to be a seriously troubled soul can also be traced back to "The Great Escape"... in fact, I think his counterpart in the excerpt was supposed to be a ghost who'd met a tragic end at the park (though this was never explicitly confirmed). One of the weaknesses of "The Great Escape" was that it was a bit too Scooby-Doo, so I decided to sidestep the potential for any ghosts in my own story. Instead, I gave Jacob shadows of each of the other characters' problems... and the spectre of depression that came as a natural result of combining all these things. This let me tie all the story threads together if the player chooses to go back for him near the end of the story. The last thing I'm sure people will want me to comment on is the romance arcs. Though I'm immensely grateful to the creators of the Twine platform for the fabulous storytelling engine they've concocted, variables aren't necessarily easy to handle en masse here. I already had what looks (to me) like an extremely complex story structure, so I couldn't reference the romances as much as I wanted to after the initial arcs were completed. Sorry, romance fans. So why include them at all then? The answer harkens back to my original desire to create a narrative game expository to its genre. Romance arcs are a personal favorite storytelling element of mine that can't be handled the same way (in the first person, with actual decisions) in any other medium besides, umm... real life, I guess. And believe me, that's not the best time to mess around with decisions just to see what happens. (On the other hand, games of this type should encourage such experimentation.) Though they aren't core to ESCAPE's plot, I would argue that the romance arcs help tremendously in setting the mood of the story. It was extremely fun to try and capture the awkwardness of middle school romance in this form, and I think my effort to do so provided some much-needed comedic relief and helped remind players that despite the grave topics they're grappling with, these characters are really still kids. And in fact, that's part of the point of all this. Kids growing up in today's society really do have to deal with stuff like this. Honestly, I've lived through almost all of the stuff in this story myself. (Except, of course, being trapped in a theme park.) So, I hope that in addition to showing players some of the possibilities of games as a medium of storytelling, this game helps adults to understand some of the pressures that 2019-era kids might be facing. But most of all, I hope it reminds those kids that they're not alone. Not by a long shot. Thanks so much for playing. -Cassie <3 [[Back.|The end.]]

"You... you mean that?" Will asks, his voice trembling. "Hey, don't worry," Paul says, putting his arm around Will. "We'll get out of here one way or another. People will have to come back eventually, right?" <<if $emma is 1>>"We've got each other," says Emma quietly. "That's gotta count for something, huh?" <</if>>"Yeah," says Will. "Thanks." [[You walk the rest of the way back in silence.|Activity Lobby]]

You wake up early the next morning and sit down at your computer. You run an internet search for "Cosmic Diversion kids trapped," and click on the first result, an article published overnight by your local newspaper company. <<if $emma is 1>>Emma peeks over your shoulder. "Ooooh, what's that?" she asks. <</if>>[[Read the article.]]