Sandman

##Bedroom I know I won't actually get to sleep, but I try. The lights are off, I'm under the covers, and I'm lying still with my eyes closed. It has been days. Days //and// nights. Without sleep. I'm tired, my eyes are heavy and my body aches. How many days and nights has it been? Three(click-replace: "Three")[Surely more than three. I'm so tired I can't remember, but three doesn't seem long enough. ] Four(click-replace: "Four")[I can't even remember what day it started. A week ago? Four days doesn't seem long enough. I'm more tired than I've ever been but four is only a few. It feels like forever. ] More(click-replace: "More")[Got to be at least a week. Maybe two. Without actually sleeping all the days and nights roll into a single never-ending day. Or night. Or both. I turn over to look at the clock. I've looked at the clock a lot recently. It says (link: "9:35pm")[(go-to: "9:35pm")].]

###9:35pm It's been 9:35pm the last $numtimes times I've looked at the clock. Surely I've not looked at it that many times in a single minute? Is time really passing that slowly? Why can't I sleep? (link: "Look at the clock again")[ (set: $numtimes to $numtimes+1) (go-to: "9:35pm") ]. (if: $sand's Sand_Video is 1 and $sand's Sand_Cars is 1 and $sand's Sand_Game is 1 and $sand's Sand_Sandwich is 1)[ Hang on a minute. I think the clock has stopped! No wonder it's always showing the same time. I [[get up]].] (else-if: $numtimes > 6)[ OK, enough looking at the clock.(click-replace: "OK, enough looking at the clock.")[That's enough. Clearly watching the clock isn't going to help. I sit up and turn the [[light on->Light On]].]]

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###Bedroom I blink in the light as if I've just woken up, but of course, I haven't. I sit up in bed and, just like I've done every night for the last few nights, run through in my mind reasons why I might be unable to sleep. (if: $gameloops is 0)[ Am I tired? (click: "tired")[Of course I am. That, at least, is obvious. Am I worried about anything? (click: "worried about anything")[I don't think so. Certainly, I wasn't when I started suffering from sleepless nights, although now I suspect I'm worried about //why// I'm not sleeping. It's a viscious circle, I suppose. Am I comfortable? (click: "comfortable")[I've bought new bedding. Washed old bedding. Tried the spare bed. I'm very comfortable indeed. It can't be that. Am I being bothered by a noise or a light? (click: "a noise or a light")[There's no noise round here, and my curtains black out the window pretty well. There must be something. Whatever it is, I'm not going to find out sitting here asking myself the same questions every night. It might be bedtime, but I get up and get dressed, and go [[downstairs->The Front Room]].]]]]](if: $gameloops is not 0)[ It might be bedtime, but I get up and get dressed, and go [[downstairs->The Front Room]].]

##Front Room (if: $gameloops is 0)[Last night, or at least, I think it was last night - everything is blurry in my mind - I sat and read a book about World War II. It was terribly boring, but I stuck at it, in case I was so bored I fell asleep. It didn't work. Another night, I sat and watched a documentary on the rise of potteries. It was narrated by the most monotone man I've ever heard, and as I sipped a warm malted milk drink, I was certain I'd drop off any minute. Of course I didn't. I also remember a night where I pulled out my old high school maths textbook and had a go at some of the harder algebra questions, but all that achieved was me relearning how to solve simultaneous equations. And a headache. I've tried sleeping tablets. (click: "sleeping tablets")[They made me even more sleepy, but didn't allow me to actually nod off. I drunk a large bottle of gin. (click: "bottle of gin")[I don't really like gin, but it got me very drunk. I had hoped I'd get so drunk I'd pass out, which of course I didn't do. Have you ever had to sober up over a period of many hours without sleep? It's horrendous. I've tried everything. I sit on the sofa and idly flick through a magazine I've idly flicked through many times before. I [[yawn->Sofa]].]]](if: $gameloops is not 0)[I'm sure I've done this before. Deja vu?(click: "Deja vu")[ Who knows. I can't think straight. I need to do something to occupy myself.(click: "occupy myself")[ I sit on the sofa and idly flick through a magazine I've idly flicked through many times before. I [[yawn->Sofa]].]]]

The magazine is dull but it isn't putting me to sleep. I could [[turn on the TV->Watch TV]], or perhaps [[browse the internet->Browse the Internet]] for a bit. Or maybe [[play a game->Play a Game]]? (if: $sand's Sand_Video is 1 and $sand's Sand_Game is 1 and $sand's Sand_Cars is 1)[Or, I could do [[something else]]?]

###There's nothing on TV There never is. I flick through every single channel. It's all stuff I've seen before, can't bear to watch, or is of no interest at all. I end up watching repeats of old sitcoms. (click: "sitcoms")[I used to love these, and still found them hilarious even recently. Right now, though, I'm staring at the screen and the shows barely register. I'm too tired. (click: "tired")[This isn't working. I could [[browse the internet->Browse the Internet]] for a bit, or maybe [[play a game->Play a Game]]. I have to do something to pass the time.]]

##The Internet I never thought I'd run out of things to look at on the Internet. I circle the same five or six sites I always do, [[the news]], a [[forum about cars]], [[Epic Fail Videos]], that [[bargain site]], [[email]]... the usual. (if: $sand's Sand_Video is 1 and $sand's Sand_Cars is 1)[Or I could do [[something else->Sofa]]? My eyes are too tired to read the screen properly anyway.]

Shelves of console games. Many of which I've never even played. I'm too tired to think about which to play. (if: $sand's Sand_Game is 0)[I scan the box spines. (click: "box spines")[ "Hordes of Orcs". Nah. (click: "Nah")[ "Aurura Fantasy IV: Summoners of Light". A bit... involved for my current state of mind. (click: "state of mind")[ "Domination". I don't even know why I bought this. (click: "bought this")[ "Sandman". Heh. That sounds appropriate. (click: "appropriate")[ OK, Sandman it is. Oddly, I don't recall ever buying it, but my brain is addled right now so is hardly a reliable source of information. I [[pick out the box->Sandman Game]].]]]]]] (if: $sand's Sand_Game is 1)[I get the feeling I've done this before. Have I? Perhaps I should try something else.(click: "else")[ [[Perhaps the internet->Browse the Internet]], or maybe [[watch the TV->Watch TV]] for a bit?]]

(set: $numtimes to 3) (set: $gameloops to 0) (set: $sand to (datamap: "Sand_Game", 0, "Sand_Cars", 0, "Sand_Video", 0, "Sand_Sandwich", 0 ))

(set: $sand's Sand_Game to 1)I open the disc case. (click: "case")[ There's no disc inside. Instead, I find some glittery sand. It spills out over me. [[Great->Limbo]].]

(set: $gameloops to it + 1) w̰̦̼̦̤ḧ͈̲̙́ͫͯ͠a̻͎̤̝̜͚̋̒ͭţ͚̘̗̻̙͈̓ͯ̈ͅ ̦̠̝̰̫̤͛͒͋͑ͧ̃t͓̝ͣͪ̌̽́ͧ͛h̨̿ͣ̚e̤͎̬͉̯ͩ̅̓̚ ̤͕̖͋̇̓̂͝h̝̭̭̺̺̣͎͋e̢͚̰͖̣̦̻͕̽l̥̇̐̉̃ͣ̍͐l̸̾ͤ̔̎̈̃̚ ̉͐ͨ̿ͪi͒̊҉̩̭̝͔ŝ̴̳̰̭̮͒̎͗ ̼͉̘̗̒͑̃ͣ͗̈́ͅgͪ̄͗̃҉̰̮̬̻̪o̢͉̠̱͓̥͒͂̑ͮ̔ͯi̟͍͍ͪ̍̓̃nͬͮͣ̾̉̽ͥͅg̯̺̣͍̯̻ͩ͊ ̓͏͇̬̼o̱͚͒͛n̡̥̬͔͈̦̤͂ͅ(click: "l̥̇̐̉̃ͣ̍͐l̸̾ͤ̔̎̈̃̚ ̉͐ͨ̿ͪi͒̊҉̩̭̝͔ŝ̴̳̰̭̮͒̎͗ ̼͉̘̗̒͑̃ͣ͗̈́ͅgͪ̄͗̃҉̰̮̬̻̪")[ w̮̘͈̟̲͙̍̀͛̍ͣh̭̹̭̠̣̾͛͐̃͆̆à͓̠͎͖͈̻͎̀t̻̼̜̹̣͎̾̆ͪ́ ͚̻̱̩͂͐̍̀ͫ͛̀i̶͙̩̖̬͌̂̽ͩ͆s͐́͡ ͉͓̣̳͉t̸͈̣͖̭͓͊̀ḩ̪̳͕̫̮̻̰̊̑ͨi̲̥͙͕̣̪ͮ͑ͪ̀̄ͬ͡s̡̙̩̫͍̱ͬ̉(click: " ͚̻̱̩͂͐̍̀ͫ͛̀i̶͙̩̖̬͌̂̽ͩ͆s͐́͡ ͉͓̣̳͉t̸͈̣͖̭͓͊̀")[ h͉͈͚̖̪́̎̉ẽ͓͈̬̎l̥ͨ̃̒̐̉̒̎p̝̪̾ͮ̐ (link-goto: "w̦̙͖̙ͥ͆͊̔̈͐ͬh̉̃̉͂a̦͚̔̋̇̆͆ͨ̎ṭ̜̫ͪ̂̚", "9:35pm")]]

##Horrible Things Are Happening scream all the headlines.(click: "headlines")[ I can't deal with this [[right now->Browse the Internet]].]

##Welcome to StartYourEngines.com Some posts about supermarket diesel prices.(click: "prices")[ Someone having a rant about being caught doing 35 in a 30.(click: "35 in a 30")[ Electric car problems.(click: "problems")[ (if: $sand's Sand_Cars is not 0)[ [[Boring->Browse the Internet]] ] (if: $sand's Sand_Cars is 0)[Sand in the tank?(click: "Sand")[ How did sand get in a petrol tank? I take a look.(click: "look")[(set: $sand's Sand_Cars to 1)[ Wait a minute.(click: "minute")[(go-to: "Limbo")]]]]]]]]

There's nothing more entertaining than watching idiots fall over because of their own stupidity. Only I'm obviously not in the mood for this today.(if: $sand's Sand_Video is 0)[ (set: $rand to (random: 1,3))(if: $rand is 1)[ I watch a video of a skateboarder attempting to grind a handrail down a set of steps.(click: "steps")[ As expected, he loses his board.(click: "his board")[ Lands groin-first on the rail.(click: "the rail")[ And falls onto his face at the bottom.(click: "bottom")[ It should be hilarious. I'm not finding it funny. I'm too tired. [[I move on->Browse the Internet]].]]]]](if: $rand is 2)[ I watch a video of a fat woman trying to walk up the down escalator.(click: "escalator")[ She's getting nowhere.(click: "nowhere")[ She tries to run up the steps.(click: "the steps")[ But slips, and tumbles backwards.(click: "backwards")[ She lands in a heap on top of another fat woman. I'm not finding it funny. I'm too tired. [[I move on->Browse the Internet]].]]]]](if: $rand is 3)[ I watch a video of a cat trying to jump up onto a kitchen worktop.(click: "worktop")[ Over and over it jumps up but isn't able to get purchase.(click: "purchase")[ Eventually, it does a run-up and manages to grab the worktop, pulls itself up, but slips and falls off again, right into the sand of its litter tray.(click: "the sand")[ There is sand in its fur and everywhere.(click: "There is sand")[ It should be hilarious. I'm not finding it funny, but I do //feel// funny for some reaso--(click: "reaso--")[(set: $sand's Sand_Video to 1)(go-to: "Limbo")]]]]]]](if: $sand's Sand_Video is 1)[ I've seen all these before. [[I move on->Browse the Internet]].]

##paystobecheap.net There's nothing I actually want to buy, but that's not why I frequent this site. I love a bargain. It probably explains why I own so much crap. I scroll through the latest bargains.(click: "bargains")[ 6" Pool Tables for £129.99. I don't have space for one of those.(click: "one of those")[ The Complete Hits of Barry Manilow on CD for £12.25. I don't think so.(click: "think so")[ Hordes of Orcs: Game of the Year Edition for £15.74. Already got it.(click: "Already got it")[ Free cinema tickets with every burger meal. Maybe next time.(click: "time")[ Nothing here interests me. [[I'll try something else->Browse the Internet]].]]]]]

##skorchboxmail.com Just spam. Same as last time I checked. Nothing worth [[looking at->Browse the Internet]].

I decide to head to [[the kitchen->The Kitchen]] and make myself a drink.

##The Kitchen One day, or night, I'll probably get round to cleaning up all these mugs. They all have a sticky residue of malty drinks in them, and they smell a bit like beer. I pull a clean mug from the cupboard. It's just as well I have a lot of mugs. What to drink? I'd like something hot - I don't think fizzy pop is wise at this time of night. Or day. I can't remember which it is. More malted milk?(click: "malted milk")[ I'm not sure I can bear any more of this stuff. I don't really like it and it definitely isn't help me sleep.] Hot chocolate?(click: "Hot chocolate")[ That'd be nice, but as I open the tin I discover it painfully empty. Why did I put an empty tin away? Seriously, I need to sort my head out.] Decaffinated tea?(click: "Decaffinated tea")[ Normally I wouldn't bother with caffine-free beverages like this, but I really don't need any more excuses to stay awake. Looks like this is my only real option. I boil the kettle.(click: "kettle")[ While I wait for the water to boil, I put a teabag in the mug and head to the [[fridge->Fridge]] for some milk.]]

##The Fridge That's odd. The light is on before I've even opened the door. I can see it coming out of the cracks round the edges. The stupid door switch must be broken.(click: "broken")[ I open the door, and gaze upon the vast emptiness inside. If I was more romantic I'd probably relate this to the vast emptiness inside myself. No, wait - I'm just hungry.(click: "hungry")[ When did I last eat? Yesterday? A week ago? Why can't I remember anything?(click: "remember")[ I'm nearly out of milk, but there's enough for a cup of tea. I've some cheese, and some bread. I could make a sandwich? I think I can still remember how to do that. Bread. Butter. Cheese. [[Got it->Sandwich]].]]]

As I butter the bread, I become even more hungry. I use the last of my cheese, shaving off the mouldy bits and roughly cutting it into slices.(click: "slices")[ It's no good. I can't wait for the kettle to finish boiling (click: "boiling")[(why is it taking so long?)] before I start eating.(click: "eating")[ I take a bite of the sandwich.(click: "sandwich")[(set: $sand's Sand_Sandwich to 1)[ [[Mmmm->Limbo]]!]]]]

I open the curtains.(click: "curtains")[ It isn't 9:35pm at all. It's [[morning]]!]

##Good Morning! The sun streams in through the window. It feels good on my face. Then I realise something: I'm not tired any more.(click: "I'm not tired any more")[ Then I realise something else: I've just woken up.(click: "woken up")[ I've been asleep all along. It was all a dream? I feel more refreshed than I have done in a long time, or what seems like a long time. My memory returns. I last fell asleep only yesterday. All those days and nights. Those //weeks//. Those events. The drinking, the internet surfing, the looking at the damn clock constantly. Everything was a dream. [[I can't believe it->The End]].]]

I have to check.(click: "check")[ The front room. The game box.(click-replace: "game box.")[game box - no sand.](click: "game box - no sand")[ The internet. Looking...(click-replace: "Looking...")[Just ordinary stuff. No sand.](click: "No sand")[ The fridge. The light is normal now. I peek inside.(click: "inside")[ Plenty of food. And milk. And no sand.](click: "And no sand")[ It //was// all just a dream.]]]](click: "all just a dream")[ But.(click: "But")[ Nah, it's surely nothing. Right?(click: "nothing")[ Only...(click: "Only...")[ Why was the clock stopped at 9:35? [[...->Credits]]]]]]

#Sandman ##An Interactive Fiction Game Written by deKay(click: "deKay")[(open-url: "http://dekay.co.uk")] 2016 Written in Twine(click: "Twine")[(open-url: "http://twinery.org")] Follow me on Twitter(click: "Twitter")[(open-url: "http://twitter.com/deKay01")] Play Again? (Y(click: "N")[(open-url: "http://lofi-gaming.org.uk/blog")]/N(click:"Y")[(reload:)])

#Sandman. An Interactive Fiction Game by deKay. [[Begin->Bedroom]]