Bad sign

You hear a thud. The universe starts to faint, images lose clarity, and your mind guesses you're sleeping. Slowly, you open your eyes and glimpse the faint yellow light of the streetlights coming through the curtains. You take a moment to decide whether that noise was a real one, then notice your heartbeat is slightly accelerated. You've got a hunch. Something's not right. Without waiting any longer, you roll out of bed and face the door, but before leaving, your eyes meet the baseball bat lying in the corner. (link: "Take the bat")[(set: $Bat to true)(goto: "Upstairs")] (link: "Don't take the bat")[(set: $Bat to false)(goto: "Upstairs")]

(set: $StorageVisited to false)You leave your room quietly looking for noises. The silence is so heavy that you begin to hear a buzz inside your ears. In the dark, you spot the stairs going down and the closed door of the extra bedroom you use as storage. [[Check the room |storage]] [[Go downstairs |downstairs]]

(set: $StorageVisited to true)You open the door softly, trying to be as stealthy as possible, then (link-reveal:"check behind it.")[ Nothing. Your eyes cross the room flooded with darkness. You're slowly getting accustomed to it, making boxes start to appear in front of you. You close your eyes a little bit, trying to sharpen your sight as well as to spot any movement. Everything looks still. Plus, that thud seemed to come from the first floor. Maybe you should [[[go downstairs.|downstairs]]]]

(if:visits is 1)[(set: $BackyardVisited to false)(set: $OfficeVisited to false)(set: $BathroomtVisited to false)(set: $Timer to 0)The lights from the street shine more intensely here. You can clearly see the front door, the living room, and the kitchen. Everything looks calm(if:$StorageVisited is true)[ again]. You approach the front door and check if it's open. It's not. Just in case, you look through the spyhole. Nobody's there. Still, you feel in your guts that something isn't right. It's like a million eyes staring at your back from a gloomy corner. Suddenly, you feel the urgent need to check behind you. But there's nothing except darkness. (t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:3s)+(link:"Time to turn on the lights.")[Obviously, there's nothing. But your heart goes faster, foretelling that this won't end well although your house looks as empty as usual. The thud came from somewhere near. You're sure, so you scan the storey, analyzing your possibilities. [[Check the office|office]] [[Check the bathroom|bathroom]] [[Check the basement|basement]] [[Check the backyard|backyard]]]](else-if:visits > 1)[You consider your next step. (if: $OfficeVisited is false)[[[Check the office|office]]] (if: $BathroomtVisited is false)[[[Check the bathroom|bathroom]]] [[Check the basement|basement]] (if: $BackyardVisited is false)[[[Check the backyard|backyard]]] ]

(set: $OfficeVisited to true)(set: $Timer to $Timer +1)(t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:3s)+(link:"Turn on the lights.")[This is cluttered. How come you didn't realize before? ... Oh yeah. It's been over 3 months since you last walked in here. That explains the itch in your nose right now. Fucking dust. You shouldn't keep your ass in here for too long. Plus no signs of human life in this room. Turn off the light and [[leave.|downstairs]]]

(set: $BathroomtVisited to true)(set: $Timer to $Timer +1) (t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:3s)+(link:"Turn on the lights.")[Empty. Maybe the tiny window? Would someone fit in there? You climb the toilet to check it. It's not closed, but it never is. You open it and stick your head out.(if: $BackyardVisited is true)[ The cold air again.] Doesn't look like anyone going through that little hole. Just to be sure, you quickly examine the window in case there are some torn clothes or something. There's nothing, so you jump to the floor. Your reflection in the mirror takes you by surprise. You don't look great. Bags under your eyes, black spots, weirdly pale skin, hair kinda greasy. Whatever. You don't have time for this now. Turn off the light and [[leave the bathroom.|downstairs]]]

You have a bad feeling. It's too dark for your eyes to see, but you already know. Still, you need to check. (t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:3s)+(link:"Turn on the light")[It is empty. The ropes are scattered near the column, roughly cut with something. (t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:3s)+(link:"Look closer")[There you see it. A sharp, broken piece of glass. [[Shit.|Closer]]]]

A thousand thoughts run across your mind. You're feeling somehow dizzy. (t8n:"dissolve")+(link:"Check the scene")[You approach the empty column and spot some bloodstains. That bastard must have been keeping that shitty piece of glass for days. How could you let this happen? What are you? A newbie? You better hurry (link-reveal:"or...")[ You could go to Mexico! Yeah, that's right. Screw all of this, you deserve better. Beautiful beaches and great food. And no one will ever find you! (link-reveal:"Won't they, right?")[ Why in hell are you thinking about this now? You're not doomed. Not yet. (if:$Timer >= 2)+(if:$StorageVisited is true)[[[Focus.|CuchilloCalmado]]](if:$Timer <= 1)+(if:$StorageVisited is true)[[[Focus.|CuchilloNervioso]]](if:$Timer >= 2)+(if:$StorageVisited is false)[[[Focus.|ManosCalmado]]](if:$Timer <= 1)+(if:$StorageVisited is false)[[[Focus.|ManosNervioso]]]]]]

(set: $BackyardVisited to true)(set: $Timer to $Timer +1)You walk towards the crystal door beside the kitchen. The room is reflected in the glass, forcing you to get as close as possible. You rest your forehead in the door and block the light coming from above to allow you a better look outside. Darkness. As deep as your soul. What are you saying? Don't be overdramatic and (link-reveal:"open the door.")[ The cold wind of the night hits your face sending shivers down your spine. Few steps to check the yard. Too cold and dark for anyone to be here on purpose. [[Go back|downstairs]]]

(set: $Ending to 1)A sudden piercing pain appears in your back. Right in your left kidney. Then, a warm liquid dripping down. This is not good. Don't waste a second. (link:"Counterattack.")[ (if:$Bat is true)[You grasp your bat and, as fast as lightning, spin and hit the bastard behind you. He loses balance and the knife flies from his hand. But with surprising agility, he jumps back, grabs his weapon and prepares himself before you even fully recovered from the shock. Take a deep breath to prepare yourself. You can see the determination sparkling in his eyes. Doesn't even look like he's been tied and starving for days. Hey. Don't feel sorry for him. He'll kill you if he got the chance. So, what are you gonna do now? [[Hit his hand.|HeEscapesYouLive]] [[Let him do the first move.|YouDie]]](if:$Bat is false)[You turn to face your aggressor, but he steps back before you can do anything. You can see the determination sparkling in his eyes. He wants his revenge so bad that doesn't even look like he's been tied and starving for days. His anger and adrenaline mixed with his experience... This is fucked up. He's waiting for you to do something stupid. But you're injured and unarmed, all your options are stupid right now... Or not? Is that an opening? You could try to punch him. Or maybe just run away. Which is the least stupid? (link: "Punch him")[(set: $Punch to true)(goto: "FalseChoise")] (link: "Get out of here")[(set: $Punch to false)(goto: "FalseChoise")]]]

(set: $Ending to 2)A sudden piercing pain appears in your back. Then, a warm liquid dripping down. Someone stabbed you? Are you stupid? Don't even think about it. (link:"Do something.")[ (if:$Bat is true)[You grasp your bat and, as fast as lightning, spin and hit the bastard behind you. He loses balance and the knife flies from his hand. There are shock and fear in his eyes. He moves his head, searching for the knife. But you won't let him get it. He stabbed you. You feel the anger burning inside you. You hit his head. He fells. This bastard is going nowhere. (link:"Hit again.")[His skin's turning purple. You still feel your blood dripping down your back. (link:"Hit.")[His blood spilling. Why couldn't he stay still? (link:"Hit.")[The head is losing its shape. Why do you always get the worse jobs? (link:"Hit.")[What is that shapeless thing you're hitting? They think you're stupid. (link:"Hit.")[(link-reveal:"STOP")[ YOU ARE STUPID. What you think you're doing? He was supposed to stay ALIVE. You fucking SCREWED THIS. You better clean this mess and think what you'll say to Tony. Otherwise you're dead, dude. Geez. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]]]]]]](if:$Bat is false)[You turn to face your aggressor, but he keeps waving his knife at you wildly. You cover yourself with your arms and back up. He looks scared and desperate. Obviously, he's not thinking this through. He's just acting on impulse. You have some wounds in your back, arms and torso, also a scratch on your cheek. Except for the stab in your back, the others are superficial. Clear your mind and you'll be able to handle this. [[Approach him with your hands up.|HeEscapesYouLive]] [[Tackle him.|TieHim]]]]

(set: $Ending to 3)You feel a cold embrace around your neck. You're choking. Every second it's getting tighter. Every second feels like an eternity. (if:$Bat is true)[You wave your bat wildly with little hope but somehow manage to hit something, stun him and escape. You prepare to attack. He's stepping back, but even though he's in a worse position, he has a sparkle of determination in his eyes. He's not leaving without fighting. Still, he doesn't look willing to break his defensive position. You should do something if you don't want this to last until sunrise. [[He's covering his head. Target the legs and hit.|HeEscapesYouLive]] [[Be patient. He'll eventually do something.|TieHim]]](if:$Bat is false)[You're trying to put your fingers between his hands and your neck. You're even scratching yourself but still can't move one of his joints. He looks like an animal holding onto his prey. (t8n:"dissolve")+(link:"Ah.")[The air is slipping from your lungs and you can't even see the face of the bastard who's killing you. But you know him well. You knew this wasn't a good idea. Fucking Tony. He better take revenge on him or you'll haunt his house. Yeah haha. You cough. You're losing strength. Fighting is meaningless. You have to face your destiny. Lucky you didn't believe in H e l l . . . (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]]

You hear steps running up the stairs. He's trying to escape. [[Chase him.|Chase]]

(if:$Ending is 1)[You leap on him without hesitation and hit his hand with all your remaining strength. The knife flies off his hand one more time but now, instead of backing up, he grabs your bat with his other hand. You hold tight to it, but the sudden kick in your tibia makes the bat slip off your hands. You're defenceless and the bat is his now. You raise your hands to the level of your face and feel the fear all over your body. His eyes illegible. Here comes the first hit. Right in your stomach, makes you fall on your knees. Another one in your back, forcing you to lay flat. Another and another. Your sight gets blurred, dark edges, your thoughts as thick as the mist. Your mind goes blank. [[What is going on?|HeEscapesYouLiveBat]]](if:$Ending is 2)[He looks bloody scared. You get closer to him slowly, looking as harmless as possible. If you're lucky, you'll be able to fool him and take his knife. His eyes move quickly all over your body, his face with an expression of fear. He made a step back. Great. He's evaluating the situation. Just a little closer and... Suddenly, he starts waving the knife. You stop but keep holding his gaze. You're trying to communicate through your eyes that everything's gonna be fine as long as he behaves. Is he that stupid to believe you? He does look more relaxed now. He won't expect a quick movement. In 3, you grab the hand with which is holding the knife. (link:"1")[(link:"2")[(link:"3")[You catch him by surprise, but his reflexes are crazy. Guess it makes sense for who he is. He kicks your leg and grabs you with his other hand. In a second, you're on the floor without knowing exactly how or why. Still, his expression remains of fear and confusion. Before you can put yourself together, he's over you. His face right above yours. And the knife pierces your skin again, near your shoulder this time. He gives you a look that, for the first time tonight, doesn't express any fear. This is over. He takes out the knife, gets up and kicks your side a couple of times. You start feeling dizzy. Your thoughts blur and time losses continuity while your mind tries to settle and spot where the present is. That's when you hear steps echoing, leaving. Your body relaxes and the pain starts to overwhelm you. You try to sit, but you're in agony. At least he didn't kill you. Hopefully, they won't either. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]]]](if:$Ending is 3)[You move your bat towards his legs while crouching a little bit. You bet that looks like a cool movement. But you couldn't perform it as fast as you wished and he's dodging without much trouble. You're in a vulnerable position down there. He kicks your head. You can feel your brain bouncing inside your skull. Dizziness. The bat slips from your hands, your sight gets blurred, dark edges, your thoughts as thick as the mist. [[What is going on?|HeEscapesYouLiveBat]]]

Seconds seems hours. Everything's still. You can only hear your heartbeat and heavy breathing. His piercing eyes staring at you feel unease even for this situation. If stares could kill, this one would destroy you. Why isn't he doing anything? Hold your ground. Don't get distracted. At any time he will... Stab. Your stomach. He's still holding your gaze. How...? Shit. MOVE. DO SOMETHING. But his eyes. They're like the ocean's depths. Dangerous, cold and empty yet bright and vibrant. Come on. (link-reveal:"Move your freaking bat.")[ It hurts too much. That's satisfaction in his eyes. And something moving through your guts... Don't think about it. Soon it will be over. Think about something nice at least... ... You knew this was a mistake. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]

(if:$Ending is 2)[You leap and throw him to the ground, hitting his head against the floor and making the knife fly away. You put your knees on his arms to prevent unwanted movements. He's avoiding looking into you. How disrespectful. (link:"Hit his head.")[(link:"Hit.")[(link:"Hit.")[Still not looking into you, but that's because his eyes are closed. He's unconscious. Your knuckles hurt and appear quite red, so you joggle your hand trying to shake off that feeling. Time to drag him back to the column. You have more pieces of rope somewhere near. (link:"Tie him.")[You secure his hands this time. No more unexpected problems. Your back hurts and the t-shirt feels wet. It'll be better to call the guys so they can check you out. Anyway, you have to explain what happened. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]]]]] (if:$Ending is 3)[You hold his gaze. His eyes are like the ocean's depths, deadly, cold and empty yet bright and vibrant. If stares could kill, this one would destroy you. Still, you don't hesitate, odds are on your favour. You've got all the time in the world and he's not going anywhere. (after:8s)[After seconds that seemed like an eternity, his muscles relax, but you're untrusting and hold your defensive position. Good thing. Because he's leaping on you. The adrenaline enhances your reflexes and you're able to hit him right in his stomach. He would have thrown up if he had eaten like a human lately. He falls on his knees overwhelmed by pain. Nice chance for you. There goes a hit on his head. He falls lifeless to the ground. Shit. (link-reveal:"Check his pulse.")[ It is there. Faint, but there. He'll be fine. Time to tie him again. You bet there are more pieces of rope somewhere near. (link:"Tie him.")[You secure his hands this time. No more unexpected problems. Your heartbeats still reverberate on your chest, but let's see if you can sleep a little bit. Tomorrow you'll tell the guys about this little incident. You clear your throat as you go upstairs, still can feel his hands on it. It is a weird feeling. Geez. How do you always get into the worse shit? Guess grandma was right, you're born under a bad sign. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]]]]

Few strides powered by adrenaline and you're upstairs, one step behind him. (if:$Bat is true)[You hit his side with the bat. You are tense and infuriated. He almost escaped. Do you know what that means? Yes, you do. You start hitting and kicking him. (after:6s)[Stop.] (after:8s)[Stop.] (after:10s)[STOP.] (after:12s)[(link-reveal:"GODDAMMIT STOP")[ What do you think you're doing? He looks awful. Is he still alive? (link:"Check his pulse.")[He is. Relax. Everything's fine. You grab his legs and drag him down. He must have passed out because his head is hitting every step. You leave him near the column and search for some extra pieces of rope you left somewhere near... There. You spotted them. (link:"Tie him.")[You secure his hands this time. No more unexpected problems. Your heartbeats still reverberate on your chest, but let's see if you can sleep a little bit. Tomorrow you'll tell the guys about this freaking idiot. Geez. How do you always get into the worse shit? Guess grandma was right, you're born under a bad sign. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]]]]](if:$Bat is false)[Perfect position to (link-reveal:"kick behind his knee.")[ He screams and falls. Oh, dude, he shouldn't scream. The neighbours are gonna hear him, they're always meddling. (link:"kick his head.")[Shut the fuck up, idiot. You grab his legs and drag him down. He must have passed out because his head is hitting every step. You leave him near the column and search for some extra pieces of rope you left somewhere near... There. You spotted them. (link:"Tie him.")[You secure his hands this time. No more unexpected problems. Your heartbeats still reverberate on your chest, but let's see if you can sleep a little bit. Tomorrow you'll tell the guys about this freaking idiot. Geez. How do you always get into the worse shit? Guess grandma was right, you're born under a bad sign. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]]]]

(if:$Punch is true)[You punch his face. He stops for a second to recover from the dizziness that a good punch in the temple causes. Still, that was rather a bad idea. He seems even more furious now. He suddenly leaps on you. There goes another stab. In your stomach. And his piercing eyes staring at yours look funny. They remind you of the ocean's depths, surprisingly vivid yet empty. The pain of the knife going out of your body takes you out of your self-absorption. You push him away with all your strength. It hurts so bad that it's almost impossible to stand straight. You glance at the stairs. You cannot stay here. Prepare yourself 'cause you gonna run in 3, 2, 1... (link-reveal:"NOW!")[ You run towards the stairs, but feel how your strength is leaving you. Your legs feel weak. Wasn't adrenaline supposed to help in these cases? Or is it that you're in a worse condition than you thought? Oh. Another piercing pain. And your foot bump into a step or something. You must look so ridiculous. Defenceless. Hey. You're bleeding to death, don't be so hard on yourself. Where that need for power and control came from, huh? You're raving already. Where did he go? I see. Drag yourself to the corner. At least they won't find you in such a lame condition. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]](if:$Punch is false)[Okay. Take a deep breath. Don't look at the stairs again. Don't want him to know your move. Get ready. In 3, 2, 1... (link-reveal:"NOW!")[ You run towards the stairs. Your back hurts so bad you can't reach your maximum speed. You hear his steps behind you. Hurry. One more step and you'll be upstairs. But he grabs your leg. You lose balance and your other foot slips. Your hands try to stop the fall but your chin hits the wooden step. Your body slips down, making him lose balance and fall over you. You toss and turn, trying to... DAMNED. His finger in your kidney wound. And another stab. And another. And another. This is ridiculous. You're already dead, why does he keep stabbing? Are you dumb? You kept him down there for days. What did you expect? Mercy? As if there was so in this business. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]]]

You hear a noise. Steps in the distance. Your consciousness is slowly awakening, your mind getting clear, your sight recovering. Your body in pain. Still stunned, you try to get up, but the world is turning and there is no way you can stand on your feet. Your head hurts and can barely think of something coherent. Except for one single thing. You really fucked it up this time. (link: "THE END.")[(goto: "END")]

Thanks for playing! - Anna (link: "Restart")[(reload:)]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"===XXXX===")[ #BAD SIGN [[Start|Bedroom]]]