[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/kkHLlDG.png" width="664" height="184">]
Rise and shine! You wake up in your home, just as you always have. A sofa sits in the middle of the room where you spend your days reclining. A kitchen lies in the corner where you prepare all your meals. Various bookshelves contain the books you spend your endless freetime reading. (text-colour:purple)[A hole in the wall is seeping with a strange, [[purple light.->the light]]][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/7nFMgj7.gif" width="664" height="184">]
Actually, that's weird. That hole's never been there before. Maybe some sort of rodent chewed its way in? You've never had a rat problem before, but it's the only thing that immediately comes to mind. Either way, you'll have to [[fix->fix 1]] this sooner rather than later. (text-colour:purple)[(link:"Something about the light")[Something about the way the light seems to reach from the hole and sway like a flame in the wind] unnerves you.][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/kkHLlDG.png" width="664" height="184">]
Handiwork isn't exactly your forte, but you're up to the job. Maybe you should [[pick up a book->book]] on the subject to refine your skills? Or [[look around for materials->kitchen]] to use? Perhaps you could [[visit one of your neighbors->neighbor]] to ask for help.Lining the wall behind your sofa are books upon books from which you've learned everything you know about the world. To be honest, you weren't always the reading type, but eventually it came to the point that you couldn't resist the temptation of learning what it's like outside your tiny apartment. Some days you wish you could take a fancy cruise out to New Zealand or The Bahamas, but you suppose the stability of your home makes staying put worth it. Living in one spot you're nowhere close to knowing all there is to know, (text-colour:purple)[though you find it strange that nothing you've ever read about comes close to describing the strange hole in your wall.]
You pick out an appropriate book: //DIY for Sheltered Dummies.// Luckily, there's a section just for you! To patch up a hole, you'll need to find:
* Wooden Plank
* Hammer
* Nails
[[Thank god for the power of reading!->fix 2]]Finding the appropriate materials is turning out to be harder than expected. Your apartment is small and minimalistic, but that never bothered you since you always seemed to have everything you needed- up until now, of course. Finally, in your kitchen of all places, you find a wooden cutting board that'll just about make do. You've hardly used the thing, so you won't be missing much by using it as a hole-patcher. Neither would it be too unsantiary.
(if:$kel is "")[Before you set off to find the third and final item, (text-colour:purple)[[something by the hole->hammer]] that wasn't there before catches your eye.]
(else:)[You're one step of the way there, but it doesn't seem like you'll be finding anything else you need here in this room. Now you might as well try and [[vist your neighbor's place...->neighbor]] (text-colour:purple)[or perhaps you should [[check on the hole->the light 2]] one more time, just to be cautious?]]
(set: $kitchen to "")[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/kkHLlDG.png" width="664" height="184">]
Though you now know exactly what you need, you're not anywhere closer to finding the proper materials. Will you [[look around your apartment,->kitchen]] or [[visit one of your neighbors->neighbor]] to ask for help?[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/xslGpYS.png" width="664" height="184">]
You step outside of your room to the endless hall of apartments you call your home. It can get a bit lonely never leaving the building, but luckily for you you've got a close friend living just four doors down. You knock three times on his door and patiently await a [[response->kelsey]], though you know it could never take too long.
(set: $kel to "")[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/9K8aFku.gif" width="664" height="184">]
Inexplicably, a hammer now rests right next to the hole in the wall. You're left stunned, looking down at the final tool you needed to patch up the hole. (text-colour:purple)[Somehow, you know exactly where it came from.] Well... all that's left is to finish the job and (link:"use it.")[use it... to patch up the hole. To finally end this madness. That's obvious, isn't it? So why do you keep doubting yourself? You just have to (link:"pick up the hammer.")[pick up the hammer... pick it up and do what? Fix the hole, of course. But why did the hole give you the hammer? Did it want to be [[fixed->fix it]]? (text-colour:purple)[Or did it want you to do [[something else?->BAM BAM BAM]]] No matter what "the hole" wanted, the choice is in your hands now.]](text-style:"rumble")["Greetings and salutations!"]
Kel suddenly swings open the door.
"Whaddya need me for? Is there something on your mind? I can tell by the look on your face."
Though you should be used to Kel's extravagant entrances by now, you still take a moment to collect your thoughts before you [[explain->explain]] your predicament.Kel's positive demeanor switches to one of concern after hearing your story.
"Hmm... that doesn't sound good. No worries! I know just what to do!"
Kel disappears back into his room, leaving you staring at his plain white door for a few moments, contemplating if he really was the right person to ask.
The door swings back open, and Kel tosses a small bag into your arms. "Sack o' nails! Just what you need! That purple stuff you told me about... (text-colour:purple)[I've heard of it before. Sounds like [[bad news->elaborate]] to me.] I'd [[get on fixing that->bye kel]] fast if I were you!"You ask him to elaborate.
"Hey, aren't you supposed to be the bookworm? I'd figure if anyone knew about that stuff was it'd be you. Long story short, a pal of mine 40 doors down stopped answering their door one day. (text-colour:purple)[I saw some of that purple stuff leaking from under their door,] and then some time after... poof! New person moved in and replaced them."
That's... concerning. You thank Kel for his help and [[cautiously head back to your apartment->back from kel's]].[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/xslGpYS.png" width="664" height="184">]
It would've been convenient if Kel had a hammer to go along with the nails he inexplicably owned, but either way you're grateful for his help. You thank him for his time and [[head back to your apartment.->back from kel's]][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/kkHLlDG.png" width="664" height="184">]
(if:$kitchen is "")[You find yourself back in your home, unsure of where your search will bring you next. It appears you won't be lost for too long, though- [[something by the hole->hammer]] that wasn't there before catches your eye.]
(else:)[You find yourself back in your home, unsure of where your search will bring you next. Maybe you should [[look around the room->kitchen]] for something you can use? But then again, after what Kel told you the (text-colour:purple)[presense of the hole keeps nagging on your mind... perhaps you should [[check on it again?->the light 2]]]][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/7nFMgj7.gif" width="664" height="184">]
You tried to ignore it at first. (text-colour:purple)[Something about this thing just doesn't seem right to you. Has this light really been right outside the building this whole time? Then why hasn't anyone told you about it before? It scares you to think that despite all your reading, there's still such a significant gap in your knowledge.] Though you really should be (if:$kel is "")[[[looking for materials->kitchen]] right now](if:$kitchen is "")[[[visiting your neighbor->neighbor]] right now], (text-colour:purple)[something at the back of your mind nags you to reach out and [[touch it.->touchy touchy]]]You reach out and let the light gently brush against your hand. (text-colour:purple)[Light doesn't have mass- you know this, but somehow you can //feel// as it caresses your skin and sends shivers down your enire body. You're feeling emotions you've never felt before. Everything is new... and it's terrifying.] Quickly, all these new feelings are overtaken by one much more familar. You need to fix this hole soon.
(if:$kel is "")[Let's [[look around your apartment->kitchen]] for something to use.] (if:$kitchen is "")[Let's go see if [[your neighbor->neighbor]] can be of any help.][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/XL204KU.png" width="664" height="184">]
You seal the hole with your cutting board, ready the first nail, and hit it. It doesn't matter where the hammer came from- not everything in life has an answer, and that's okay. Instead of worrying yourself with what you can't explain, you'll stick to what you know. You know you found a cutting board, Kel threw you a "sack o' nails," and now you're fixing the wall. And you're proud of yourself. This is your first try at DIY and you're already finishing up the last nail.
You step back and admire your handiwork. A sense of relief washes over you as you release the tension you didn't know you were holding. The leech at your brain has been reduced to a fun story to tell your friends in [[the days to come.->days to come]]You grab the hammer and bash the head into the wall.
(text-style:"rumble")[BAM!]
The drywall crumbles under the force, letting more of the light come shining through. You're not sure what compelled you to do that, but it's too late to turn back now.
(text-style:"rumble")[BAM!]
(text-style:"rumble")[BAM!]
(text-style:"rumble")[[[BAM!->hole]]][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/4aIWEbH.gif" width="664" height="184">]
(text-colour:purple)[Eventually you're left with the fruits of your destruction; a gaping maw, just big enough to walk through. The purple void stares back at you, incomprehensible. You don't understand... this doesn't make sense. What you're doing doesn't make sense. You're life is stale, but at least it's routine. And you understand it- well, you thought you did. How could you accept that life knowing //this// is out there?]
Your books. Though you now know they may not be accurate, they told a complete story. They told you what the world was and you believed in them. You want to [[return to them->bookshelf]] now, and pretend this was all just one of those fairy tales.
(text-style:"buoy")[(text-colour:purple)[Or is it time to [[start a new story?->enter]]]][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/eFXwing.png" width="664" height="184">]
(text-colour:purple)[You gather the courage you didn't know you had.
You step through the crack and what you see is... well, you don't have the words to describe it quite yet. You will some day, as you put the pieces of what you call your world back together, piece by piece. Then maybe you'll become an author. But try not to get ahead of yourself- for now, your new story has only just begun. You step into the unknown, and for the first time in your life, you have no idea what tomorrow will bring.]
(link-reveal:"''(text-colour:purple)[THE END.]''")[
(link: "(text-colour:purple)[Play again?]")[(reload:)]][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/3awSmMO.png" width="664" height="184">]
Rise and shine! You wake up in your home, just as you always have. A sofa sits in the middle of the room where you spend your days reclining. A kitchen lies in the corner where you prepare all your meals. Various bookshelves contain the books you spend your endless freetime reading, though one now sits at the opposite end of the room.
In hindsight, it's funny- all that searching for DIY knick-knacks, when all you needed was a little bit of remodelling to solve your problem. You're feeling much better now. Maybe a change of scenery was all you needed to get out of your weird mood?
The stain behind your couch catches your attention. That isn't all too pleasing to the eye... painting isn't your forte, but you're up to the job.
(link-reveal:"''THE END.''")[
(link: "(text-colour:purple)[Play again?]")[(reload:)]][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/CWozZm0.png" width="664" height="184">]
Rise and shine! You wake up in your home, just as you always have. A sofa sits in the middle of the room where you spend your days reclining. A kitchen lies in the corner where you prepare all your meals. Various bookshelves contain the books you spend your endless freetime reading. A cutting board patches up a small hole in the corner- what an interesting adventure that was!
You hate to admit it, but (text-colour:purple)[the purple light] still nags at the back of your mind. You've been reading much more often lately but you've yet to find a book that mentions what you saw that day. Maybe someday you'll open up that can of worms again. For now, you're just hungry. Why not start on breakfast?
(link-reveal:"''THE END.''")[
(link: "(text-colour:purple)[Play again?]")[(reload:)]][<img src="https://i.imgur.com/M8B0tTp.png" width="664" height="184">]
<div id="name">A story by Isabel Kalovsky
<div>
<div id="first-passage">[[START->start]]
<div>