Enthalpy

The street sign reads "Lodgepole Lane" as snow falls heavily on the mountain tonight. Petra paces the entranceway of the chalet she calls home. The divot in the snow where her family car would normally sit has smoothed over. She glances at it with concern. [[Observe the kitchen table]] [[Observe the fridge]] [[Use phone]] [[Check Pantry]] [[Sit at kitchen table->I'm done]] (set:$cooked to false)

Inside the house, the kitchen table is set for five. [[Framed pictures]] in the house show Petra's family. The kitchen table is messy with Mother’s papers. Business and legal papers call Mother “Rin Ersatz” while anything from townspeople or family call her Mother. The children have the same last name as Mother, though all are adopted. [[Observe the fridge]]

Mother, who is thirty-eight, has short curled brown hair and glasses. She barely ever smiles in her photographs. Petra, eighteen, has long brown hair that fades to a cool blonde. Her wide beaming grin can be seen throughout the home's photographs, along with her siblings; Finn, one year older at nineteen, sports long blonde hair and circle glasses without a prescription. Valori, fourteen years old, has a pink streak in her blonde hair, having yet to grow out of her scene phase. Walden is also fourteen years of age, with sandy hair. He's the only one with brown eyes, frequently hiding his face with the closest prop in more recent photographs. [[Use phone]] [[Check Pantry]] [[Sit at kitchen table->I'm done]]

Hand-made, self-portrait magnets are stuck on the fridge dated to when each child passed the first grade. [[Observe the kitchen table]] [[Open the fridge->Prepare a Microwave Meal instead]]

The phone reads Saturday, October 23, 2027. [[Call Mother]] [[Call Finn]] [[Call Valori]] [[Call Walden]] [[Weather App]] [[Take a Picture]] [[I'm done]]

"Hey, just calling to check in with you guys. Uh, get back to me when you're free, or just come home. I might make dinner for us. Maybe not, depends on how late you guys are. Just get back to me when you get this. Please." [[Check Mother's location ->Location Services]]

"Yo where are you guys? Call me back when you get this." [[Check Finn's location ->Location Services]]

"Where are you guys? Are you going to be home soon? Let me know when you get this, unless you got your phone taken away again which in that case sucks to suck I guess. I'll try someone else." [[Check Valori's location->Location Services]]

"Yo bro, text me when you get this, It's been a while and you guys aren't home yet, I'm worried." [[Check Walden's location->Location Services]]

It's snowy, the forecast is bleak. The weather is usually quite cold here, and it snows more often than not. You've lived here long enough to know this, yet still... you worry the buildup of snow could have trapped your family somewhere. [[Home->Use phone]]

You take a selfie, angling your eyes to the side and tilting your chin. [[Post a status]] [[Home->Use phone]]

Their location is turned off. [[Home->Use phone]]

You glance at a kitchen trinket. It's a small frog that is designed to look like it's made from limes. "If they aren’t past the lodge yet, I don’t think they’re going to make it back tonight." (if:$cooked is true)[[Put away meal]] (if:$cooked is false) [[Go to bed]]

Uploading photo... Status: Anyone else miss the sun? [[Home->Use phone]]

Nothing looks good... [[Prepare a Microwave Meal instead]]

You prepare a microwave meal from the fridge, placing the food out on the table. It's a family size container. You worry you'll have to pack it back up if your family doesn't get home soon. [[Sit at kitchen table->I'm done]] [[Use phone]] (set:$cooked to true)

You put the food you had set out into storage containers and pack it into the fridge. [[Go to bed]]

You wake up the next day. [[Use phone->Use phone 2]] [[Get ready for the day]] [[Check fireplace]]

The phone reads Sunday, October 24, 2027. [[Call Mother->Call Mother 2]] [[Call Finn->Call Finn 2]] [[Call Valori->Call Valori 2]] [[Call Walden->Call Walden 2]] [[I'm done->I'm done 2]]

You get dressed, brush you teeth, and do everything you need for the morning, getting some breakfast after you are done in the bathroom and doing a once-over around the house, checking for the return of your family. There is no sign of them. [[Check fireplace]] [[Use phone->Use phone 2]]

"The wood is low, we should still have some out [[back]]."

"Checking in with you guys... you didn't come home yet and you're worrying me. Please get back to me." [[Check Mother's location ->Location Services 2]]

"Finn get back to me when you get this, I don't know where you guys are and it's freaking me out." [[Check Finn's location ->Location Services 2]]

"Pick up please, I need to know where you guys are." [[Check Valori's location->Location Services 2]]

"Come on I just need you to pick up. I'm worried for you guys, where are you?" [[Check Walden's location->Location Services 2]]

Their location is turned off. [[Home->Use phone 2]]

You would normally have chores to do... it would probably be a good idea to at least [[check the fireplace->Check fireplace]].

The wood stock is low too. "Finn was supposed to cut the rest. More work for me now." You grab an axe to finish chopping the wood and leave it with the rest to dry. You gather fresh, dry wood from the pile. [[go back inside with the wood]]

You load the wood into the fireplace and start a fire. [[Turn on the television]]

You turn on the television, sitting in a worn leather chair. The TV covers the relief efforts after the Yosemite Dusk, a text crawl warns that the Dusk is extending east into Kansas. [[Your family still has not come back.]]

[[It's day two, your family has still not come back]] You have to go to school, avoiding questions from concerned teachers and friends.

[[It's day three, your family has still not come back]] People are concerned, the voicemails pile up at home. Automated calls alert that Finn, Valori, and Walden are missing classes.

[[You have to do something.]]

[[Check Mother's calendar]] [[Check Mother's computer]] (set:$password to false)

You find notes in Mother's calendar. The day of the disappearance is highlighted and bold. Nothing is scheduled beyond that day except your own handwriting. It marks the date of the school play. Your handwriting is essentially the same as Mother’s. Petra makes hearts for I’s and tends to loop her letters together, whereas Mother writes faster with less flourish. Next to the calendar is a password to [[Mother’s computer->Check Mother's computer]]. (set:$password to true)

(if:$password is true) [[Login]] (if:$password is false) [[You cannot get into the computer without a password->You have to do something.]]

You direct yourself to Mother's calendar app. A repeated event labelled “Check-in” extends automatically past the date where others stopped. It shows directions to Salix Chateau. "Whatever Mother's checking in to, she didn’t want to forget it." A [[loose paper]] is to the side of Petra's view.

It is from the school counselor. It describes Petra as becoming withdrawn, repeatedly answering questions that weren’t asked and responding to unseen stimuli. [[You blink...]]

The paper is no longer there. [[Maybe it was a trick of the light]]

You walk to the public bus stop. A neighbor, Miriam, around thirty-four, with brown hair, is on the bus. She motions for Petra to [[stand]] near where she sits.

Miriam talks to you, "I haven’t seen Mother around, are you all doing well? All-hands is coming up in a few days." [[We’re doing fine, there’s a bug going around and Valori’s brought it home.]]

"Goodness! Do you all need anything?" [[We’re good for now, is everything going well if Mother can’t make it to the meeting?]]

"The most pressing issue is I can’t seem to wrangle the Lambertiana keys from Mother’s office." [[Well you’re in luck, I’ve been sent out to grab it. I’m headed to Salix right now.]] [[I can grab them!]] [[I'm sorry to hear that.]]

"Oh we moved the keys to Quercus after the renovations! No need to go all the way to the Chateau." [[Great...]]

"You would do that for me? Oh thank you!" [[I was already planning on going to Salix anyways.]]

"Oh we moved the keys to Quercus after the renovations! No need to go all the way to the Chateau." [[Great...]]

[[Ride to the Salix Chateau.->Salix Chateau]] (set:$MasterKeycard to false) (set:$bike to false)

"Lambertiana is the only thing left on the list before our reopening. If I can get there this week, we’ll be set!" [[I’ll be sure to drop them off.]]

The bus halts. "Quercus already! I’m surprised Mother didn’t tell you we moved the office; you could have easily biked here. Oh, to be young. My car’s in the shop for a few more hours, and these old knees won’t get very far in the cold..." [[I hope everything works out with your car!]]

"That’s sweet of you dear. Oh! You’d better hurry, I would hate to be the reason to keep you." [[I guess I’ll see you later!]]

"Bye now dear! Give Mother my love! The family misses her!" [[Bye!]]

You exit the bus. A sign at the enterance reads “Welcome to Lockewood.” It is dwarfed by a billboard that advertises "The Laurence at Lockewood", which displays a lively Picea Plaza and Quercus at the end framed by the ridge of the mountains. The Plaza’s current state is a ghost town. The only stores open are a [[general store]] and a [[bar]]. Bar occupants wave at Petra as she [[passes->continue to Quercus]].

"Hey Linton!" you say, smiling at the grocer. "Petra!" Linton smiles back. [[Has Mother been around lately? She’s been pretty absent around the house.]] [[I just popped in for a candy bar.]]

"Good to see you guys!" you say. "How’s the family?" a bar patron asks. Another chimes in, "Is Walden okay? He wasn’t in English this morning either." You recognize her now as Walden's teacher. [[Valori brought some kind of bug home! I’m the first one to make it back on my feet.]]

"Oh no! Well, if Walden needs it, I can email the week’s worksheets over. Hopefully it will take the load off when he gets back." [[I bet Mother would appreciate it at least!]]

"I’ll send it over then!" You smile and say your [[goodbyes]] to the patrons. The [[barkeep]] glances at you.

[[bar]] [[general store]] [[continue to Quercus]]

"How’s it going! I haven’t seen any of y’all runnin’ around recently. Have you grown tired of our little ghost town?" [[It’s been a bit hectic lately.->goodbyes]]

"No, I haven’t seen her... you’d have more luck checking the SAL. You’ve seen the place. We haven’t seen a dime of the money Mother was supposed to use on the town, yet Salix, Lambertiana, and especially the Acer? They look brand new." [[You’ll have to take it up with her at the Family All-Hands meeting. She doesn’t even let us peak at the plans she has going on.]]

"This is just an old man’s opinion, but I can’t think of anyone who would be opposed to a change of leadership. You’ve listened to us, Petra. It’s been almost a month since Mother last showed her face in town. We gave the Laurence the Plaza, if something doesn’t change..." [[I’ll make sure she understands the situation.]] [[Like I said, it's between you and Mother. Besides, it's kind of early for me to take on a whole resort branch. I don't really think I'd do very well...]]

"You continue to be a blessing! I don’t know what she would ever do without you all. Let me know if you need anything." [[You nod.->goodbyes]]

"You and the rest of the kiddos do more for the people here than Mother ever has. If you ever change your mind, you'll find there's a lot of us that would back you in a heartbeat." [[You nod.->goodbyes]]

You buy a candy bar, handing Linton your total. Linton puts the money in the cash register. "Here’s your change." Linton hands you the exact amount you handed him, in different bills. You put the money in the tip jar. [[Goodbye->goodbyes]]

(align: "=><=")+(text-style: "bold")+(text-style: "expand")[Enthalpy] (align: "=><=")+(transition: "dissolve")[[[Play->Petra]]] (align: "=><=")[[Credits]]

This place has definitely seen better days. You hope the cleaning crew is planning to make their rounds in here soon. You'll have to ask Finn if he’s seen the schedule. [[Main office]]

The door is locked. [[Pick the lock with your hair pin.]]

You pick the lock, a skill you've learned over the years getting into places Mother would not allow. Mother’s office is devoid of all but a key rack and basic office furniture. The Lambertiana keys hang on the key rack. [[Look around some more]] [[leave]] (set:$MasterKeycard to false)

A nail has been hammered into the wall. On it, the master keycard hangs from a lanyard. You grab the master keycard. "No more lock-picking!" you say, triumphantly. [[leave]] (set:$MasterKeycard to true)

"Keys to Miriam, then bike... unless they’ve made it back since I was out." You place the main Lambertiana keys in the mail slot of Miriam's home. You then head to your home, walking up to the front door. In the glass you see Finn and Valori as they skateboard on the curb. You hears Finn’s encouragement as Valori gets used to the board and the sound of the wheels moving from driveway to asphalt. Petra turns around. The [[skateboards]] lean against a tree. Snow still hides from the sun under the shadow of the boards. Petra's [[yellow mountain bike]] is mounted next to four other bikes.

You ride to the Salix Chateau, setting your bike down. (if:$MasterKeycard is true) [[Open the door]] (if:$MasterKeycard is false) [[Try the door]] (set:$bike to true)

You walk to the skateboards. "I wish I stuck around for Finn's skate lessons..." [[The bike is your best bet.->yellow mountain bike]]

"So many memories... It’s weird not seeing anyone running the halls. After Grandfather stepped down, the Salix was always packed with youth groups and kids. I remember hanging here with Finn all the time..." You fade off, staring at a mirage of a young Miriam in the lobby, rocking a baby in her arms, tears streaming down her face. Miriam looks up at you, wiping her eyes and handing the baby over as she fades away. Both her and the baby are gone. [[Door 1]] [[Door 2]] [[Door 3]] [[Door 4]] [[Door 5]] [[Door 6]] [[Old Office]] [[Day Care]] [[Nursery]] [[Peachleaf Retreat]]

The door is locked. [[Pick the lock with your hair pin.->Pick the lock with your hair pin 2]]

You ride to the Salix Chateau, getting off the bus at your stop. (if:$MasterKeycard is true) [[Open the door]] (if:$MasterKeycard is false) [[Try the door]]

[[Open the door]]

You try to open the door but it doesn't budge. A voice speaks up from behind you, you recognize it as Finn's. "Mom always told me I was named after a famous Doctor in California. ‘Said he visited once, never said why." You spin around, but no one is there. [[Hello?]] (set:$Doors to 1)

You try to open the door but it doesn't budge. A voice can be heard behind the door, as if walking out of the closed door. "Yeah, I used to work in the SAL with the Scouts." You do not recognize the voice. [[Who are you?->Hello?]] (set:$Doors to 2)

You try to open the door but it doesn't budge. Valori's voice rings out. "Do you ever wonder if he ever had the same idea?" She is nowhere to be seen. [[What?->Hello?]] (set:$Doors to 3)

You try to open the door but it doesn't budge. Walden's voice can be heard behind you. "You said Hide and Seek, and it got me thinking..." You turn, but he is not there. [[Walden!->Hello?]] (set:$Doors to 4)

You try to open the door but it doesn't budge. An unknown voice speaks. "He said something weird to me- maybe I just forgot telling him. I don’t know how she does it." You look around you but no one is there. [[Show yourself!->Hello?]] (set:$Doors to 5)

You try to open the door but it doesn't budge. Valori's voice speaks, though she is nowhere to be seen. "My father is a coward." [[What?->Hello?]] (set:$Doors to 6)

[[Door 1]] [[Door 2]] [[Door 3]] [[Door 4]] [[Door 5]] [[Door 6]] [[Old Office]] [[Day Care]] [[Nursery]] [[Peachleaf Retreat]] [[Give up]]

What's next, would be to check the Lambertiana Lots. One through seven are next to Salix already, so it's on the way. [[To Lambertiana]]

You walk into the old office, looking around and pulling at drawers until you find Grandfather's old journal. [[It reads...]]

(if:$Doors is 0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5) [The journal reads... "Rin arrived after the first Menziesii fire. She was a blessing to the team in a time of crisis. We didn't know whether we would be able to keep going, but with a few choice investments and some internal arrangements, we made it out of the red. With Rin's practically perfect predictions, she helped us draft an expansion to the LamberSAL to include a new lodge closer to the mountains, with private slopes and new membership packages, which were all a hit with the suits in our international market..." "... the adoption of four little ones came as a surprise to all of us. Rin had never seemed the type to care about relationships or children. She was all about family, but her type of family was the kind you find. Maybe that's what drew her to adopt. Valori and Walden were first and fast after the fire. They were a handful, making it even more surprising when Rin adopted two older children right afterwards. All those kids running around was good for us in the long run... I think everyone really bonded over raising them. Rin became the mother of the Laurence. Even I find myself slipping up and calling her Mother when the kids aren't around. The younger, seasonal workers caught onto it pretty fast..."] (if:$Doors is 6) [The journal reads... "I adopted Petra. Her mother was deemed unfit rather quickly after the accident. Maybe she saw it too... the look in young Petra's eyes. Right before the fire, that child changed. For better or worse, it is too early to tell. She's wise beyond her years, and it wasn't just the death of her father that did it. She was tense before the act; arson, they're saying it was. I don't know, I still can't believe he would do such a thing. The newly completed Acer House was his baby as much as Petra was...] [[Go back->Hello?]]

You see a drawing on one of the kid's tables. You go to pick it up, only for it to fade like smoke in your hands. You had enought time to see it and recognize your own childhood scribbles forming a picture of your younger self holding hands with a dark figure. You don't remember ever drawing such a thing. Not that you would anyways, but even thinking back to Rin's collection of your old drawings, you never drew such things. [[Weird...->Hello?]]

(if:$Doors is 0 or 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6) ["Come on out!" a young Petra runs past you, tripping on the mats as she runs toward the play area, only for something shadowy to center her balance. "Found you!" She giggles. Then, Petra's older now in the fragile image, fighting with play swords against a taller, dark shadow. Malevolence oozes from even just this whisper of the creature as it forms human shapes, as one might try to picture and arm in the minds eye, it never quite feels right. The malevolence grows stronger as the visions take over your sight, and Petra is drowning in a whirlpool at the water park, only to be saved by the shadowy figure no one else seems to notice. Then, the world whips by you as Petra rides a Graviton at the county fair, pressed to the wall of the ride by the force of gravity, unable to move very far. Your head turns to the side, and the shadowy figure is there beside you, manifesting too many teeth in a pearly, sharp smile. ] (if:$Doors is 1) [You come to, a drawing in your hands, as real as you are. It looks like your old handwriting, but you never drew this. The dark figure stands, with a tree for a head, the drawing signed by Trina] [[What is this?->Hello?]]

You remember the church groups were usually in here, and some seasonal camps in here as well. Most personal rooms are locked for the season. The main foyer, [[game room]], [[library]], and [[gym]] are accessible.

The games are quiet, the lights are off. It's eerie, the silence creeps up on you as you walk through the room. You spent a lot of your youth here with all the other children staying at the resort. You remember those moments fondly, and it's almost as if you can hear their shouts of triumph and defeat, and the incessant music of the arcade machines and tv screens. [[Go back->Hello?]]

The library is quiet. The room is small, with one main bookshelf and a few smaller, periphery ones. A leather book with the symbol of an eye sprouting a tree is out of reach on the top of a rickety [[bookshelf]].

The gym is empty, your shoes squeak on the clean floors. A lone basketball sits in the corner, having finally fell down from the rafters. You leave it where it is... right after you try and dunk one shot (and fail, miserably). [[Go back->Hello?]]

You climb the bookshelf. The book is written in your own handwriting. The language is coded. One part near the back is in English, reads: “California was not worth the risk.” You close the book a bit too hard and it falls to the floor, open. Only now, you can swear you can read it. You make your way back down carefully. You check the cover of the book, seeing an infinity sign on it now. Inside, it reads, "We were never ready. I lost count by the time we could make it California to at least see the destruction firsthand. The worst was when the radiation began, right after we first arrived. It was like it knew I had made it to the front porch of its arrival, and it planned for it.” [[Go back->Hello?]]

You have a choice... [[Lambertiana 1-2]] [[Lambertiana 3-4]] [[Lambertiana 5-6]] [[Lambertiana 7]]

"Lambertiana is supposed to empty..." Yet, there is evidence that many people have been inside. Dishes are stacked in the sink as well. "When was the last time they ran the dishwasher?" There’s a folder on the kitchen table of Lambertiana 1 that details an expansion in the Acer basement that you've never seen before. [[Attic]]

"I was here a month ago... it didn’t look like this at all." The wall that separates the two has been knocked down. The duplex is now filled with office spaces in the bedrooms and a weapons cache in the [[bathroom]]. The kitchen and dining room is a common area for the residents. There is a sticky note with Mother’s handwriting on the conjoined dining room tables; encourages the inhabitants to wash the dishes more often. "Does Miriam know about this?"

Lambertiana 5-6 is similar to 1-2; a living space for multiple people. "There’s got to be at least ten people sleeping in the ends... The middle could fit four if they aren’t doubling up... or sleeping in the office spaces... what is going on? Why is no one here? How is Mother involved?" There is an open [[laptop]].

"God... it’s a mess in here." Lambertiana 7 is all boxes and files. You begin looking around, reading each of the files you find. One details a building built around an anomaly. Another, weapons to destroy the "Father". There are also weather machines and climate controlling devices you look through, which make your head hurt just trying to make sense of. Many blueprints and half-made devices sit scattered around. You also find what are essentially super GMO's that can grow in any climate. It looks a lot like whoever lives in Lambertiana knew what was going to happen. You also find, like anyone would in what amounts, in your mind, to a villain's lair, just big lasers and guns. In the trash, you find thrown away ideas, mostly mystical, which equate the Father to various gods and deities; i.e. Jupiter, Ares, Horus, and Marduk. Mother has crossed them all off with a large X and thrown them in the bin. Most files have purple strikethroughs in Mother’s handwriting that detail failed attempts. It is unclear what is theoretical and what has already been produced. The more you search for answers, the harder the pages are to read as the letters begin to [[shift]]. "She’s known about all this for a while... No one calls Rin Mother unless they work in the Laurence Family Resorts... Or, apparently, if they’re secret agents."

Graffiti wavers before your eyes, an infinity symbol. You touch the wall, and it vanishes. Walden's voice rings out as you pull your hand away. "Like switching seats in a Graviton." [[Lambertiana 3-4]] [[Lambertiana 5-6]] [[Lambertiana 7]]

You explore the weapon's cache, photographing the room with your phone. A notification pops up as you do so; CRIME INFLUX - Looting You click the notification, reading more into it. The Yosemite Dusk is spreading rapidly, and residents everywhere are clammering like it's the 2020 pandemic all over again. It seems the point of this notification was that a local target was subject to a group of shoppers turning on one another, and evidently, the establishment as well. You turn when you hear a voice. "This is the end," Walden says as he points a gun at Finn. The gun goes off with a bang that echoes around your eardrums violently. [[Lambertiana 1-2]] [[Lambertiana 5-6]] [[Lambertiana 7]]

The laptop is password protected. Luckily, you think to lift up the computer, searching for papers, and finding a sticky note attached to the bottom with the password written on it. Browsing, you discover that the people squatting in Lambertiana are sanctioned by the government, officially Air Force officers, and they all report directly to Mother. "It's weird. They actually call Mother, Mother. Or Director Laurence... doubly weird. Not Rin Ersatz, though." You keep on searching for information, but there's not much else on the device. "It appears this operation is dubbed Divorce," you say to yourself. "I'll go with you," Valori's voice whispers behind you. You turn and see Valori being led away by suits into Lambertiana 7. [[Lambertiana 1-2]] [[Lambertiana 3-4]] [[Lambertiana 7]]

Before you can make out the new, changing text, you are confronted by a worker wearing a hard hat and plainclothes. Knowing what you know now, you look quickly and, sure enough, see the outline of a silenced gun. The man talks into his phone. "I found her, and she’s found 7." [[Talk it out]] [[Subdue]] [[Kill him]]

"Your voice sounds familiar..." you say to him. He pauses. "We've never met," he says, seeming content on keeping you where you are. You don't see a way out that is viable. "I've been... hearing things," you explain, for some reason. "Yes, it's about that time isn't it?" he says. "What?" You ask. "You'll learn soon enough," he says, inching towards you. You back away slowly. "What's your name?" you ask. "David," he replies, moving steadily closer. "I'm Petra," You say, although you assume he knows this already. "I know," He says, right in front of you now. You trip on the step to the rest of the house, and he catches you, attaching handcuffs around your wrists swiftly and methodically. You try to yank away, to just fall and maybe crawl yourself away from him, but he's stronger than you. Your anger boils over, from simmering malcontent to a wild, untethered thing. "Fuck you, fuck this, where’s my family? Where is Mother hiding?" you practically beg him to answer, pulling on the restraints as he drags you to the door, unfazed. Car lights illuminate through the windows. [[You were caught]] (set:$Phone to false)

You let out a yell in frusteration, everything boiling over, all your questions rising to the surface. "Fuck you, fuck this, where’s my family? Where is Mother hiding?" you ask, grabbing the nearest weapon and pointing it at him. "I can take you to her," He says calmly, raising his arms in a show of faith, away from his weapon. "No! You work for her!" you say, approaching steadily. "Yes, I do," He says simply. "What is it you do?" you ask. "I can show you," he says. Car lights illuminate through the windows. You are close enough to him now, making a move to run, his guard shoots up, but not in time as you slam the weapon over his head, knocking him unconsious. You've never done this before, seeing him drop like he did being quite concerning, you check his pulse and vitals, worry subsiding as he seems to be fine. Next order of business is identification. You search his pockets, avoiding the gun he carries, finding a badge solidifying the fact he is with the Lambertiana squatters. You also check his [[phone]], which is still unlocked. [[Leave->leave 2]] (set:$Phone to true)

You pick up one of the guns and watch yourself shoot the man as if you've always known how. You're too shocked by this vision to actually pull the trigger, the sound still ringing in your ears. "Fuck you, fuck this, where’s my family? Where is Mother hiding?" your voice shakes. You both stand there, silently. "Hey- I'm David, just listen, I can take you to her-" he starts. "No!" Car lights illuminate through the windows. You drop the gun, fear rising steadily. [[You were caught]] (set:$Phone to false)

His name is David Mason, you learn. He's got limited contacts and mostly memes on his phone. It appears to be a personal device, not a work one. He has some social media but mostly lurks, his last post being weeks ago. [[Leave->leave 2]] [[Keep searching his phone]]

"They could catch me if I’m not quick. Maybe the [[road]] would be safer... if I can get anyone to stop before they see me. I do know the [[woods]] better than anyone... maybe I can [[outrun them]]... or [[hide]] until more of them are gone."

You look for more information about him, finding his notes app and recordings app. Both seem fairly full. You check the notes first, searching for your name, surprised when it immediately fills the page with hits. You click the first one. "We're around the same age, Petra and I. I think that's why Mother still keeps me around. I think I remind her of herself at that age, before all of this." "David!," there is a knock at the door as a key turns. [[You were caught]]

The mirror is two way. Everything heavy is bolted to the ground. Whispers- what your calling the visions now, cause the world to seem as though all iterative realities are stacked. Furniture shifts and people mill around in the crowded, empty room. It's disorienting. Petra and Finn speak as one. "He was the only one who listened." Walden and Valori speak in unison. "It was probably also selfish, but I think he also wanted to spare you from following in her footsteps." David's voice rings out. "He told me you hesitated." Unlabelled syringes sit in a tray. You [[take them]].

You sneak past the agents, listening to their conversation as best you can, learning they are set up at the Acer. You make a break for it out back, running to the road as a car approaches. You wave it down just as the agents spot you. "Get in," Miriam smiles at you, not noticing the commotion, mistaking your breathless pants as signs of a hard jog around the area, "I just got back from the mechanic, car's good as new. So where you headed now Petra?" [[Acer house!]]

You sneak past the agents, listening to their conversation as best you can, learning they are set up at the Acer. That's all you stick around to hear, making your way into the forest as quickly as you could, breaking into a run as soon as you were far enough away. Sadly, abandoning your bike to Lambertiana. As you run, images of you and your siblings race alongside you. You shiver, though not from the cold. [[Acer House]]

[[You were caught]] almost immediately.

You wait it out until the team of agents leave in their van, believing you to be elsewhere by now. There are too many still in the area to safely grab your bike. You briskly walk away along the road, hiding your face in your coat, trying not to look like suspicious to the remaining plainclothes agents walking around. You walk right into a vision, doing your best to walk through it and ignore Walden. "It's in the [[Acer House]]."

[[Use phone->Use phone 3]] [[Watch passing scenery]] [[Initiate conversation]]

You check your phone.There's a notification from a mutual that posted... "[[I think Grammie is a mutant. We took her off of life support and...]]" [[Call Mother->no answer]] [[Call Finn->no answer]] [[Call Valori->no answer]] [[Call Walden->no answer]]

The scenery is snowy, the trees are tall. You'd imagine a figure racing beside you as you drive, but part of you is afraid you'd will it into reality. [[Stay silent]]

[[I'm sorry... I'm just a little on edge...]]

The rest of the ride is silent. Golden hour illuminates the space between the trees. Miriam drops Petra off at the road that leads to the Acer. [[Acer House]]

"So, what happened?" [[Mother, Finn, Valori, Walden. They’re all missing.]]

"Mother too? There’s way too much that we need to prepare for the reopening. She doesn’t have the time to be playing hide and seek with you guys." [[Stay silent]] [[No, I’m serious. I haven’t seen them in four days, and when I went to look for them I was attacked by these-]]

"These what?" [[Stay silent]] [[You’ve been working in Lambertiana, right?]]

"It’s been months since we renovated Petrina." [[You’re hiding something.]]

"Young lady you can walk if you don’t appreciate the fact I picked you up after you came running out of the woods like a madwoman. No questions asked, just where to go." [[Stay silent]] [[Why would you do that? Huh? Why am I your favorite? You’ve always helped us beyond your job, never expecting anything in return. It’s obvious Mother will never give you anything in return, yet you still worship the ground she walks on.]]

"I knew you all since before you can remember-" [[You never acted that way with Mom, when it was just me and Finn. You’re a part of this. You know something.]]

Miriam frustratedly taps her fingers on the steering wheel. "Mother’s the only one who believed I still amounted to something after the fire. She paid my hospital bills, she helped get me on the waitlist for the trial- do you know how much my arm costs now that it’s passed trials? Another arm and a leg. So yeah, I do whatever I can to pay her back, because she has already given me everything." [[I was chased by secret fucking agents all working for Mother. I know. I know there’s more you’re not telling me.]]

"Petrina, you give up this nonsense right now. Whatever game you’re all playing, keep it to yourself." [[Stay silent]] [[I’ll go to the police.]]

"You will not burden the police with your LARP, there are rules, at least there used to be. Petra I talked to Mother before I saw you today. She assigned me to start Lambertiana on Friday, that’s why I wanted the keys, that’s why I know you guys started this game. So for the love of god, please leave me out of it. I should not have even pretended to entertain the idea, I should not have even picked you up." [[It’s not-]]

"I will turn this car around and make you sweep the entire Salix." [[Stay silent]]

The van is outside. Agents patrol the area. [[Sneak in]]

You find evidence of your siblings around the lobby, with Walden's notes scattered around and figure eights on scraps of paper and carved into the floor. "Valori draws these all the time." You see a vision of yourself following a newspaper clipping about missing children with Finn. The vision-Petra walks into you, and you are suddenly thrust into that [[moment]].

"I trust these visions. How else did I know about the doctor? You saw Ruma do exactly what I said she would do. Valerie- Lori’s dad had no idea where she had been, but it’s clear as day Lori and Val are the same girl." Petra says. Finn shakes his head, "I trust you think you know what you’re doing, but I don’t think that, whatever the reason, it was a smart idea coming in here." "This is the last place I’ve seen, and it matches with the times Miriam mentioned in here. Plus... there’s just something in the air here. This is where we’re supposed to be," you insist. "No, your detective skills are great, I just think we might die," Finn speaks truthfully. "Oh don’t be morbid." They walk a little farther, until the ground gives out beneath them as if it had barely been held together. They fall with a shout into a cave system below. You here their shouts, but cannot confirm where they went or if they survived. [[Your vision returns to normal]]

You come to, blinking away the fading mirage, immediately catching sight of David. He reaches for his phone, but stops, staring at you, observing. You both freeze. "I found her!" He finally shouts, and it's your cue to [[run]].

You run through the backrooms of the Acer, through the kitchens and run into the dining room door, David behind you the whole way, both equally matched in your knowledge of the place. (if: $MasterKeycard is true) [[Keycard]] [[Pick the lock]] [[Break the thin divider]]

[[The door opens.->opens it]]

You pick the lock. The door to the balcony is unlocked. You walk into another vision as you [[open it->opens it]].

You break the divider The door to the balcony is unlocked. You walk into another vision as you [[open it->opens it]].

Finn sits on the balcony rail. Petra is by the door. "I call them Whispers- or I guess, one of me calls them Whispers. They were really quiet at first, it made more sense back then." Petra explains. "Okay, fine. Then why do these 'Whispers' think California is the place to be," Finn asked. "They don’t- it’s not like they talk to me directly, unless- no, it’s still not directly talking to me then... just another version-" Finn clears his throat. Petra sighs, and continues. "So, they always, without fail, drop off after California. The thing that brings me here- brings my memories here..." Petra struggles to collect her thoughts. She paces. Finn's eyes follow her movement. He hops down from his perch. "The exit is California," Petra tries to explain. "Then you can just go," Finn says rather stiffly. "No- so the last one was different. I know I probably have some of the memory in one of the books, I just don’t have the right ones written here, and none of the new ones I see tell us anything worth writing. Anyways this new one was a straight up dream. They are always waking. And okay, yeah I can see why that would make it seem less viable-" Petra speaks more desperately. "Oh you don’t say?" Finn says incredulously. "Shut it, I’m losing track. Anyways, it was a dream but like, not a dream? I saw the thing: it was like it walked out of the ER straight to the Acer, scrubs and all. It had a nametag and it was your name, and I was like 'we just talked about that.'" "You told what could be your greatest enemy-" "I didn’t say it out loud! Like I was saying, something fishy’s going on with the doctor. This “great evil” or whatever we're calling it, seeing the doctor felt the same way: like the hair on your arms is catching fire in the cold." Petra has stopped pacing. She speaks gesturally, gaining traction with her thoughts. "He wasn’t looking at me. 'Was talking to a younger me. ‘Said I shouldn’t take Finn to California if I wanted a chance to find the weapon. “By dusk it will be too late.” He was definitely teasing her about it- younger me, that is. This must have been during one of those family trips to California." Finn scoffs. "I wish I could have been there." "You were," Petra insisted, "so yeah, I think that not only is my exit in California, but that whatever was going on with you in the bloody Whisper- it means you can hold the weapon, and it’s in California." "I think you’re bullshit," Finn says frankly. "If you won’t help me I can just wait until the next round of all this. You’ll be dead weight if you're not ready." "You didn’t get your license this time. How are you going to get there without me?" Finn rolls his eyes. "I figured you’d be into it," Petra smiles The whisper fades, and you are at the [[edge of the balcony]]. A new whisper tickles your ears. Your voice speaks... "There must be a reason that the storms don’t hit whenever you’re around. I think you’re like me, Finnegan... somehow-..."

Petra hears the door swing shut behind her. David pants, out of breath. "Man you can really run," he looks like he had fun, a small smile tilting up his lips, which he squashes for the sake of professionalism. [[Give up->Give up 2]] [[Jump]]

David pulls his phone out and updates his team... "She was trying to get in through the dining room. I got her before she could get back out. You might need to convince Miriam of a very large rat... She’s about as careless with the place as you." David keeps hold of you until one of his associates handcuff you. You stare at the ground, whispers in your ear. You snap your eyes shut as they grow [[louder->You were caught]].

You jump off the balcony. You fall... you think. You see yourself fall, though your body tumbles back from the edge as David yanks you back to safety. "No!" you yell, scrambling back towards the edge, "let me go!" "No," David says in your ear, holding you tightly to his chest in an effort to calm your flailing limbs, "You're too important, Petra." "Fuck off!" You yell at him, slowly giving in despite your wants. "It's time to stop running, Petra," David says calmly. [[Give up.->Give up 2]]

...the machine definitely flatlined, but she's still breathing? [[Watch passing scenery]] [[Initiate conversation]]

There is no response [[Watch passing scenery]] [[Initiate conversation]]

A physician walks in. Before they have a chance to even speak you stick them in the neck with the syringe. You're lucky, they fall hard, but safely. You search the unconscious physician and find a new keycard. "Now where was the [[exit...]]"

Agents are in the way. You incapacitate the [[first]] one.

Mother and Petra speak in unison as a whisper. "And I find my way here." You do your best to ignore them. You incapacitate the [[second]] one.

"I just wanted my family back," Mother and Petra speak again as a whisper. You incapacitate the [[third]] one.

"The anomaly was not the first of it’s kind." They say. You incapacitate the [[fourth]] one.

"I wanted him to fix this for me, I was an angry child." "I always find the drawings, even when she never imagined him." You [[stop]].

The whispers are too much. You see a young Petra, covered in soot and ash, standing on a cave floor. She stumbles forward blindly. "It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since the fire; it doesn’t matter if she even remembers it," Mother and Petra speak. "The moment he breaches the reality, she finds her way back to the Acer." The [[exit]] to the lab is a huge, bulky industrial door.

The new keycard opens it easily. David runs up, out of breath. You see the door open, but something stops you from moving forward. The answers are not out there. The answers are in here. Mother's heels click along the cave floor. Mother handcuffs you and David together. You let this happen. You are being taken back to the examination room. [[So...]]

"Yeah?" David answers. [[What’s your deal?]]

"Pardon?" [[Why you here?]]

"My father gave his life for Mother’s mission. He was one of the seven who stayed behind to try and stop the Dusk." [[Californian?]]

"Yep. Dad’s the reason I’m here, and why I listened when Mother told me what really happened before the eruption." [[Aaaaand what’s that got to do with me?]]

David pauses. He is unsure of how much he should say. "If you are the only thing keeping what happened to him from happening to anyone else, then I will do whatever it takes to make sure you get into that thing. The anomaly. You’ll see." [[If I’m so important why would she leave me behind?]]

"You can ask her that yourself." [[You don’t know then.]]

"How much time did you spend at the Acer before they left?" [[So what? How was I supposed to know there was a giant secret base under it!]]

"The day before they left, you skipped school to practice your play in the dining room of the Acer." [[So you’re a stalker too!]]

"Petra you were literally right above a secret base. We have cameras in the building." [[And you just happened to be watching me.]]

"You- no one else goes here! This isn’t the point I was going for! You were drawn to the Acer, Mother took notice and had to rush the timetable to prepare. She knew you would make it back on your own. We did try to find you when we were ready, but you weren’t home, and were less than receptive to even talk." [[Maybe don’t walk around with a hitman gun and a terrible disguise.]]

Mother pipes in. "Petra, be nice, he’s new." [[He tried to kill me!]]

David speaks petulantly. "I was not the one trying to kill you." [[No one asked you.]]

David turns to Mother. "Did you know it was going to be like this?" Mother disregards him with a handwave. "I must have forgotten somewhere in the last millennia." Mother glares back at Petra; a look that admonishes her into silence. David speaks, "I talked to Patrick, things are going smoothly, casualties are lower that expected." [[Oh you’re killing people now, Mother?]]

"That’s what I’m worried about." Mother ignores Petra, "It was a lowball, not anything to score. It could mean he senses the change. Petra’s early, the serum was rushed, Walden was late. The anomaly is definitely feeling the effects, and it might be more sensitive than we thought. If it collapses before the reset we could lose... well, everyone." The physician is fine, he has two bottles of water. He sits David down and hands one to him. He pricks David with the same syringe type you has been using. "You’ll feel woozy for a few minutes, just be glad you weren’t stabbed in the neck with it," the physician says. The physician leaves. David rests in a chair. Petra swings her feet from the examination table. [[Mother leans on a counter]].

"Hi, you’re me." [[I’ve been... considering that.]] [[Stay silent->Stay silent 2]]

David pipes up, "That’s a lie." [[Petra throws an empty water bottle at his head.->Stay silent 2]]

"I have made a decision. You have made a decision." [[Decided I don’t want to be here.]]

"Good news then, you’re leaving the entire timeline." [[Nice. Cool. Perfectly logical. Exactly what I was thinking. Oh! How funny, I was. Cause we’re the same person and all. Wow, funny how these things happen.]]

David shakes his head. "Both of you are impossible. Listen." David has his eyes closed, facing the ceiling. He speaks clearly but slowly. Mother lets him feel included. "Mother is you, we got that far, we can all say 'yeah, sure is happening.' Well,-" Mother interrupts. "I’ve been at odds with something old... it was older than I am now by the time I first met it, not that I can remember it besides what I can decipher in flashes." David starts again. "It’s..." Mother finishes his sentence, "...tied to me, me to it. Has been that way for eons. We-" David pipes up. "Loop!" Mother continues, "...Over and over. I try and destroy it, it tries to destroy me. Both of us attempting different ways of escape while doing our best to tear the other down at the same time." David gives up. "Awesome." Mother keeps explaining. "Recently, we: Finn, Valori, Walden, Me. We learned how to reset. It wouldn’t reset him... just like it won’t truly reset us back to the start. It resets the game. Changes the rules for part two." She continues, "We learned how to bring people with us from the original timeline, but it would strain it past it’s limit. If we wanted to create some sort of edge on this thing, what the bigwigs want to name Father, we had to ensure we could harness all of this timeline. We had to split it down the middle." [[Where’s the others.]]

Mother looks at Petra disprovingly. "They’ve all accepted this already." [[Finn had a proposal for All-Hands...]]

David drains his water and leaves the room. Mother keeps talking, "So, we made our plan. The original timeline carries excess energy from the tears. It strengthens us at our prospective arenas. Things are clearer, plans have been made and tested. This is the only timeline we can see the future in. It’s how we learned the energy of the anomalies could be harnessed by us as well." [[So you did all this? Split everything in half?]]

"First, we weakened him significally for the first time since the beginning." David comes back with a blanket and tosses it at you. You put it on, taking a deep breath as you feel the fabric. Mother ignores them, "Everything terrible that has happened in every lifetime is because of us. Everything evil that he is done, that will always be our fault." Mother leaves. (if: $Phone is true)[David is in charge of Petra. David takes back his phone from you for a moment, taps around on a few things, then [[hands it back to you->hands it back to her]]. ] (if: $Phone is false)[David is in charge of Petra. David takes his phone out for a moment, taps around on a few things, then [[hands it to you->hands it back to her]]. ]

[[Recording 1]] [[Recording 2]] [[Recording 3]]

"Normally, as soon as Petra disappears from her original timeline, She reappears in the same timeline to end her loop," David speaks, "It's an ourobouros, a twin cage. A perfect loop, infinitely," [[Recording 2]] [[Recording 3]]

"This is all an attempt to vanquish an evil with the knowledge Petra gathers," David says, "I haven't been told much yet, just about the loop. It's a lot to take in, and I'm confused more often than not." [[Recording 1]] [[Recording 3]]

"The one thing Mother knows for certain is that she is always stronger in the first timeline. Mother existing here has essentially closed this timeline, though. Mother cannot go through the Anomaly, and therefore has balanced this reality." Mother speaks now, having walked back in, "He’s too strong for that tactic, we have tried it too many times before. The reason he cannot completely raze the Earth was Finn’s accomplishment. He now searches for a host strong enough to tear a third anomaly, all while gaining power through the Dusk. Your only chance is to find the Firebrand. It is the only weapon strong enough to kill him." [[Recording 4]] [[Recording 5]] [[Recording 6]] [[Recording 7]] [[Recording 8]]

"Mother appeared from the Menziesii fire, she sought out specific agents all native to California, though refused to step foot near the state." [[Recording 5]] [[Recording 6]] [[Recording 7]] [[Recording 8]]

"I'm not the only replacement after the Yosemite Dusk, hence why me and a few others are much younger than the others. We replaced Dusk casualties." [[Recording 4]] [[Recording 6]] [[Recording 7]] [[Recording 8]]

This recording is a video. Petra views her siblings enter the Anomaly. "They were key to different parts of Mother’s loop. The one time they were all together was when Mother realized her plan. They never remember their previous lives." [[Recording 4]] [[Recording 5]] [[Recording 7]] [[Recording 8]]

"This time, Mother has injected them with the syringes, which will give them the same need to return to the Acer when the looping Petra appears." [[Recording 4]] [[Recording 5]] [[Recording 6]] [[Recording 8]]

"This is the reset. This is Mother's last ditch effort was to discover a way to guide her landing in her last timeline. My father had played a key role in getting military support previously, so Mother found him in this timeline." A syringe has been forgotten on the floor. You eye it from around the phone. A whisper of Mother speaks, "They all went willingly." [[incapacitate David]] [[Use phone->Use phone 4]] [[look at wall]] [[look at clipboard]]

You attempt to incapacitate David, but are overtaken by a whisper: Young David and Valori pick themselves off the floor of the cave. A single unrecognizable skeleton appears to have been attempting to crawl out of the steep fall. When you shake off the whisper, a scientist and Mother walk in. [[They ignore the room's occupants]].

A phone notification pops up; Zero Deaths in the Midwest. [[incapacitate David]] [[look at wall]] [[look at clipboard]]

On the wall, it says “See anything?” The rest of the poster is obscured. [[incapacitate David]] [[Use phone->Use phone 4]] [[look at clipboard]]

The clipboard notes that Walden passed smoothly. Finn has taken the keycard. Valori stabbed Nathan. [[incapacitate David]] [[Use phone->Use phone 4]] [[look at wall]]

The scientist paces, "Something’s off, Miss- Mother.... the uh, the Dusk... it’s not moving like a normal-" Mother sighs, exasperated. "It’s not-" "I know it's not a normal storm, but we had a prediction, based on YOUR theories. It’s been 'normal'. Destructive, yes, but “normal”. Now its... not." "Not?" "No casualties. Not even natural deaths in the area." "That’s new..." Mother pulls a small journal out of her bag. She writes in code. "No deaths?" The scientist nods, "None reported in the last hour" "And you only thought to tell me now?" "You never want to hear from us!" "You never report anything new!" "What do we do!?" Mother raises her hands up, "Drive to Kansas and kill someone!" She’s serious, the scientist realizes. "We probably have someone in the area... I could learn... how to call a hitman..." "It’s faster to take the plane." "Okay." The scientist turns heel and exits. Mother turns to David, "David, get someone to call the Kansas hospital contact." David smirks, "No faith in your team?" Mother rolls her eyes, "I didn’t bring her on for her trigger finger. Let the others know we’re moving up the timetable." David salutes, "On it." Mother doesn't look at you, "Petra, come over here." Mother taps her fingers on the journal. Similar to the one Petra reached for in the library, with the same symbol. "This will help prompt your Whispers. You should keep a couple in each iteration. Memorize what you can, write the most important stuff in this shorthand. As long as it’s in here, it should be accessible, even if it takes a while." [[How long is a while?]]

Mother addresses David, "David." David nods, hands Mother his gun, leaves the room. Mother turns to you, "Petra." You back away. "The timeline was our safe haven. It shouldn’t have been, we could have gotten farther if we didn’t use the anomaly’s strength as a crutch. Now it’s collapsing, like it’s supposed to." Mother walks over. She hands you the gun. You are overtaken by another whisper: You are in Mother’s place as Mother helps position the gun in your hands. Mother and Petra speak in unison, [[If that thing catches me, our progress will be lost.]]

"He can not only steady the Acer anomaly enough for him to leave, but leave you trapped here. The world will keep ripping itself apart. The centrifugal force of the cycles will kill this world for good. If he leaves without you, it’s like hitting the brakes." [[Kill Mother]] [[I can’t do that.]]

Mother closes her eyes, remembering... Walden looks up at you. "If you go through with this, the Petrina that goes through that portal will not be you. This is... this is a lot. This is calling on something we still know nothing about. This is changing the entire nature of the loop- for the small chance that you don’t forever annihilate yourself and still manage to harness just enough from the anomaly that it doesn’t bring us down with you. You haven’t left through the Acer since you first went through." [[I must remind you that you ran the numbers on the best way to reset, you figured out game. If you don’t want to be a part of this, speak now.]]

[[There is no choice.->Kill Mother]] [[There is always a choice]]

You are being dragged from a charred Mother into the anomaly by David. His eyes are incorrect. David kills you as the anomaly surrounds you both. [[But that wasn't what you chose.->Kill Mother]]

"I just need to know you are prepared for this. Every timeline is different, every loop changes." [[Everything is deteriorating. We can’t just rely on one good timeline. We can’t just rely on me, even though I wish we could. I want to kill this thing on my own for playing with me like it has, as if it makes up for the fact that I’ve killed worlds by not being able to beat it sooner- to have let it grow this powerful.]]

"It’s not your fault, you were a child." [[A child who wasted lifetimes trying to fit in, over and over again, trying to save the Laurence when the dust began- when I could pretend all I caused was a pollen count- then a dry season... I made so many excuses. I never told you all how I knew I had to go to California. He toyed with me and my ignorance and the trust I still put in him- he always made sure I made it in first. He would influence things... right next to his exit even after he was strong enough to risk halting the loop, just to see what he could make me do. He had an end goal, to meet in the middle of the country and race, he told me why I always ended in Yosemite, waited until he knew he could win and then he didn’t. Couldn’t materialize yet and blamed me for it, loudly. Even after, I didn’t even realize I could do anything more than run from him. You couldn’t even fathom the lifetimes I selfishly wasted, believing I could wait it out, that there was a light at the end of the tunnel that wouldn’t just end at the beginning.]]

"That’s not who you are now, it doesn’t change anything. You’ve accomplished so much since then. We can see it in just the fraction you can share. Like Valori said, you’re held back by trying to save the world from something that happened ages ago." [[That’s why this has to work. She was right, probably. Stunting him changed the game, and I can’t change with it.]]

"And you’re really, truly prepared to risk a clean slate because of it?" [[A gunshot rings out]]

You head toward the Anomaly. Whispers of Mother’s life unwind around her. You point the gun at David when he enters the room. [[Shoot David]] [[Enter willingly]] [[Resist]]

You hear the gun go off in a whisper and see David fall. The real David takes his gun back. David leads you to the [[Anomaly]].

You enter the wormhole anomaly willingly. David stops you for a moment, and gives you his gun at the last minute. "I know you that when you remember- when the next you remembers this- remembers me... I know where I stand, and I stand with you." [[I don’t want you to. I don’t want this. I don’t want any of this. This isn’t how... this isn’t how I was supposed to exist.]]

You resist and are forced in. David drags you into the Anomaly with him. Everyone else you used the syringe on all file through the [[Anomaly]]. --- The anomaly stands as David’s team kill each other in the background, the Dusk taking over as it is sucked into the anomaly.

Take it. For all I know it won’t make it to the other side- it’s not about the gun. Just take it. [[Okay...->Anomaly]]

You're in the anomaly, hearing whispers of Mother reciting from her journals, the code used in those journals being read monotonously behind Mother’s words. [[Are you happy now?]]

You choke on ash as Whispers of meeting your friends/siblings for the first time ever talk over Mother. David, Walden, and Valori speak, [[It’s not about the gun.]] Finn says, [[They all went willingly.]]

David checks into the Acer. It is packed with people, many bundled up and carrying out their skiis or snowboards to the ski lift around back. The news is on a large tv in the bar, covering the burning of the sequoias at Yosemite, then displaying a before and after of the waterfalls, all dry. Petra is checking him in, the same age as Mother was, neither recognizing the other. From Petra’s point of view, behind, beside, and inside David are several Whispers. Some are of him, a woman, and Petra’s siblings checking in with different family units. Petra smiles through it. She has not encountered Whispers before. [[The End->Title Screen]]

Petra sits alone in a rotting, ashen Acer... She stares into a cracked mirror, left hand bandaged, with shards of mirror scattered on that side. She watches a Walden whisper, age 10, as he paces with frantic abandon, reading out loud from a journal with Petra’s handwriting, though she cannot hear what he is saying. To her back, there is a Valori Whisper, age 60, who is almost finished with a tapestry representation of Finn, age 30, with a tree rooting from his eye sockets. The world outside has long stopped burning. Trees still hold embers and the sky is blanketed in soot. There is a man with an axe who walks into the Laurence, though his identity is unrecognizable. As he walks, his shadow looms. It morphs. Warps until there is only the darkness. Petra is just a whisper. She is gone. [[The End->Title Screen]]

Made by Jace Baker <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockewood/"; target="_blank">LinkedIn</a> <a href="https://www.artstation.com/jacebaker"; target="_blank">ArtStation</a> [[Back->Title Screen]]