You lock the squirming rabbit into a cage.
[[>>]]Next to the cage are six eyedroppers filled with liquid.
They are labeled “TEETH, HORNS, FUR, EYES, HANDS, TAIL.”
[[>>>]]
(set: $teeth to false)
(set: $horns to false)
(set: $fur to false)
(set: $eyes to false)
(set: $hands to false)
(set: $tail to false)
(set: $firstchoice to false)
(set: $counter to 0)
(set: $dead to false)(if: $counter < 6)[Which eyedropper do you choose?](if: $counter is 6)[You're all out of eyedroppers.]
(if: $teeth is false)[[TEETH]](if: $counter is 6)[[>>>>>>>|You're all out of eyedroppers.]]
(if: $horns is false)[[HORNS]]
(if: $fur is false)[[FUR]]
(if: $eyes is false)[[EYES]]
(if: $hands is false)[[HANDS]]
(if: $tail is false)[[TAIL]]
(if: $firstchoice is false)[You poke the eyedropper through the bars of the cage and squeeze a drop of the liquid into the water bowl.
After a few moments, the rabbit hops forward and takes a tentative drink.]
The rabbit throws its head back and shrieks. Its two front teeth grow longer, sharper. More teeth sprout from behind its top lip. Needlelike.(set: $counter to it + 1)(set: $teeth to true)
(if: ($counter < 3) or ($counter > 3))[[>>>]](if: $counter is 3)[[>>>>]]
(set: $firstchoice to true)
(if: $firstchoice is false)[You poke the eyedropper through the bars of the cage and squeeze a drop of the liquid into the water bowl.
After a few moments, the rabbit hops forward and takes a tentative drink.]
The rabbit shudders. Two spurs of bone burst forth from its forehead, long and arcing.(set: $counter to it + 1)(set: $horns to true)
(if: ($counter < 3) or ($counter > 3))[[>>>]](if: $counter is 3)[[>>>>]]
(set: $firstchoice to true)
(if: $firstchoice is false)[You poke the eyedropper through the bars of the cage and squeeze a drop of the liquid into the water bowl.
After a few moments, the rabbit hops forward and takes a tentative drink.]
The rabbit rears up on its hind legs and its paws shudder. You watch as its toes lengthen and narrow, sprout an opposable thumb, flat palms.
The rabbit waggles its fingers at you. (set: $counter to it + 1)(set: $hands to true)
(if: ($counter < 3) or ($counter > 3))[[>>>]](if: $counter is 3)[[>>>>]]
(set: $firstchoice to true)
(if: $firstchoice is false)[You poke the eyedropper through the bars of the cage and squeeze a drop of the liquid into the water bowl.
After a few moments, the rabbit hops forward and takes a tentative drink.]
The rabbit shivers, and its hair lengthens at a rapid pace. Pretty soon you have a silky white mop of a rabbit.(set: $counter to it + 1)(set: $fur to true)
(if: ($counter < 3) or ($counter > 3))[[>>>]](if: $counter is 3)[[>>>>]]
(set: $firstchoice to true)
(if: $firstchoice is false)[You poke the eyedropper through the bars of the cage and squeeze a drop of the liquid into the water bowl.
After a few moments, the rabbit hops forward and takes a tentative drink.]
The rabbit closes its eyes and whimpers. Small pustules grow under the skin around its eyes, and then pop to reveal a dozen more beady black eyes. Staring.
Staring at you.(set: $counter to it + 1)(set: $eyes to true)
(if: ($counter < 3) or ($counter > 3))[[>>>]](if: $counter is 3)[[>>>>]]
(set: $firstchoice to true)
(if: $firstchoice is false)[You poke the eyedropper through the bars of the cage and squeeze a drop of the liquid into the water bowl.
After a few moments, the rabbit hops forward and takes a tentative drink.]
The rabbit kicks its feet behind it, and its cotton-ball tail swells into a long, thin fleshy barb, tipped with a white fang.
The rabbit arcs its newfound tail like a scorpion and hisses.(set: $counter to it + 1)(set: $tail to true)
(if: ($counter < 3) or ($counter > 3))[[>>>]](if: $counter is 3)[[>>>>]]
(set: $firstchoice to true)
You leave the cage to get a drink of water.
Ah. Refreshing.
You return to the cage.
(if: $hands is true)[[>>>>>]](if: $hands is false)[[>>>]]The cage is open. Bar lock lifted, door ajar.
You look down.
The rabbit, hunched over its dexterous hands, stares at you.
The rabbit lunges.
[[!>>>|ba]]The rabbit has liberated itself from you.
[The rabbit is free.]
[[Credits]]
You've grown bored, and the rabbit has done nothing interesting. Well. Time to dispose of it and bring in a new one.
[[Credits]]<img src=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E84tlLzWYAAoVKA?format=jpg&name=large>
(align:"=><=")[THE RABBIT]
(align:"=><=")[A game by Sara Messenger]
(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[[>]]Story and Art by Sara Messenger.
(if: $dead is true)[Blood splatter from freeiconspng.com.]
Special thanks to Dr. Chris Martens for their encouragement in pursuing narrative and systems design.
(if: $dead is true)[[>>>post-credits>>>]](if: $dead is false)[[Restart|TITLE]]Your vision blurs.
Cold glass parts your lips as the room darkens...
[[>>>>>>]]
(set: $dead to true)CORONER'S REPORT
-------------------
[Scientist #XXREDACTEDXX's corpse has sustained fatal injuries of the following.
(if: $teeth is true)[Arterial blood loss; small puncture wounds dot their neck. ](if: $horns is true)[Mass lacerations; lungs and lower intestines look to have been ripped open. ](if: $fur is true)[Suffocation; long strands of white fur strewn across face. ](if: $tail is true)[Poisoning; small cut noted on the bridge of nose, and high levels of scorpion venom detected in blood. ]Gouge at temple and severe hypoxia; underarm bruises suggest . . . tickled to death?
Strangely, XXREDACTEDXX's corpse also displays several physical anomalies-
(if: $teeth is false)[Sharp, elongated teeth. ](if: $horns is false)[Two tapered bone-like protrusions from forehead. ](if: $fur is false)[Long, silken hair growth all over body. ](if: $eyes is false)[Additional eyes dotting their brow and cheeks. ](if: $tail is false)[And a long, fleshy tail, sprouting from their tailbone and terminating in a small, hooked blade.]
Recommending dissection and tissue analysis. Suggesting indefinite suspension of rabbit test subjects.]
--------------------
[[Restart|TITLE]]