Three tapes sit in front of you, each with labels on them.
(if:(history: where its name contains "Alex")'s length is not 1)[Alex](else-if:(history: where its name contains "Alex")'s length is 1)[~~Alex~~]
(if:(history: where its name contains "AJ")'s length is not 1)[AJ](else-if:(history: where its name contains "AJ")'s length is 1)[~~AJ~~]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Jaime")'s length is not 1)[Jaime](else-if:(history: where its name contains "Jaime")'s length is 1)[~~Jaime~~]
Who Lived? Who Died? Who Killed?
Find out. (if:(history: where its name contains "No Such Thing as Luck")'s length is 1)[Now, which will you watch first?]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Alex")'s length is not 1)[ [[Alex]] ]
(if:(history: where its name contains "AJ")'s length is not 1)[ [[AJ]] ]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Jaime")'s length is not 1)[ [[Jaime]] ]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Alex")'s length is 1 and (history: where its name contains "AJ")'s length is 1 and (history: where its name contains "Jaime")'s length is 1)[ [[So, Do Tell.]] ]Someone is sitting on box. They have a flashlight on their head, as well as a shirt and vest, some jeans, and sneakers. They clip on their fanny pack and turn towards the camera.
"OK guys, I'm getting ready to explore this abandoned clothing factory. I have no clue what we're getting into, the locals said it was haunted, but hey, this is Nevada, the state of lying, haha!"
In the back is a radio, sitting on a different box. Playing on it is the news, likely from the closest radio station. "After hours of being chased, a 24-year old is rescued-" The person, presumably Alex, turned off the radio.
"No need to get depressed, now come! Let's go and explore this place, I'm super excited!"
The video cuts to the entrance of what is presumably the clothing factory. It's recording from the person's chest.
"I know this place is huge, but damn!" Alex touched the door with their left hand. They had a tattoo of a pick-axe and a shovel crossed together on their forearm. They were also wearing gloves.
"Ok," Alex put their hands together, "Let's open this sucker!" Alex grabbed the handle of the door and started to push it in. "Damn, it's stuck."
Alex pushed the door again, this time ramming it with their shoulder. The camera shaked with each grunt. After a bit, Alex moved away from the door and kicked it. The door finally opened with a confetti of dust welcoming Alex.
Alex put two thumbs up.
[[Enter the factory]]The tape seemed to start halfway through the video. At first it was a wall of rock, but when the person turned their head, the camera showed off the beautiful scenery of Red Rock Canyon National Park.
The gigantic cacti looked small from this height. The city of Las Vegas was but an afterthought compared to the wide fields that outstretched from the city. The red, white, and brown stripes of the mountains added to the simple beauty of the landscape.
The camera turned back to the rock in front of it as someone, likely the cameraperson said:
[["Left"]]As soon as the video starts, the sound of frantic breathing permeates throughout the room.
The screen is pitch black for a short while, but then the camera suddenly turns on and a person is taking a video of themselves. They have androgenous features. Large eyes, small mouth and nose, as well as semi-long, brown hair.
"I'll explain quickly: My name is Jaime James and someone is chasing me. I don't know why or whom, but there has been reports of murders recently in Vegas."
Jaime is sweating furiously and constantly looking around.
"I don't know how long I can keep explaining, but I'm gonna keep recording so whoever finds this will at least know what happened to me."
A crash sounds off from behind them. "Oh god," they say. The camera suddenly faces forward. It's of a street with many closed stores. Every streetlamp is on. Jaime is on the left side of the street. There is a store next to them, but it's long since been closed and locked.
"I need to find the police station." Jaime says to themselves. Just in front of them, the street becomes an intersection. Either Jaime can continue down the street, can turn left, or they can turn right.
[[Down the Street]]
[[Left Street]]
[[Right Street]]Alex walked into the factory. "Yooo, this is cool!" Alex said in surprise, "I don't think we've explored a factory that looks like this ever!"
On the right were textile machines, though their exact use isn't easily discernable. On the left was a row of rooms. It seems they were used for something, but its hard to tell.
"Oof, I don't know where to explore first," Alex exclaimed, "We'll get to it all eventually, but I which should we see first, I have no clue! If I were streaming I'd ask you guys but I'm not so..."
[[Center of the Factory]](if:visits is 1)[Alex pointed to the left and said, "Left! Let's go check out these rooms!"
Alex walked and checked out each room. The first room on the left was filled with boxes. The second room was empty except for a few hangers lying on the floor. The third and fourth room were closed, but the fifth didn't have a door to close. Inside it were some other boxes, but also two desks. The last room's entrance wasn't lined up with the rest and instead faced the opposite wall. Also, on the opposite wall, was a staircase that went to the second floor of the factory.
"There doesn't seem to be much in these rooms, but I'd honestly be cool looking through them...But I also want to see what the second floor looks like, but there is also those machines over there..." Alex groaned, "Well, we'll get to all of it, so I guess it should be fine if we go.."]
(else-if:visits is not 1)[Alex stood still, "And from here, we shall go..."]
(if:(history: where its name contains "First Room")'s length is not 1)[ [[First Room]]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Second Room")'s length is not 1)[ [[Second Room]]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Third Room")'s length is not 1)[ [[Third Room]]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Fourth Room")'s length is not 1)[ [[Fourth Room]]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Fifth Room")'s length is not 1)[ [[Fifth Room]] ]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Sixth Room")'s length is not 1)[ [[Sixth Room]]]
[[Center of the Factory]](if:visits is 1)[Alex pointed to the right and said, "Right! I want to have a look at these machines!"
The machines were old and defunct. Alex put a hand on one, and just as expected, they sat cold. There were about three machines in total. The first on the right seemed to spin the fabric together. The second seemed to sew the strings of fabric into sheets. The last one seemed to wrap the sheets together for easy transport. They all seemed to have stopped suddenly, as they still had some frabric stuck in them.
"That's so weird!" Alex brought their hand over the camera and scatched their head. "Anyway, I probably should see if the machines still work, but I also want to check out the other side...And-" Alex grabbed the camera as they spoke, "I don't know if you guys can tell, but there is a second floor and even a staircase in here and I don't even mind going there next so..."]
(else-if:visits is not 1)[Alex stood still, "And from here, we shall go..."]
(if:(history: where its name contains "First Machine")'s length is not 1)[ [[First Machine]] ]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Second Machine")'s length is not 1)[ [[Second Machine]] ]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Third Machine")'s length is not 1)[ [[Third Machine]] ]
[[Center of the Factory]]"Let's check out this first room!" Alex moved to the first room on the left.
There were four boxes, each in the different corners of the room. Alex check the two closest to them, but they were empty.
"I really wanted there to be something else in these boxes but, oh well!"
Alex turned towards the boxes in the back. "Now those give me an ominous feeling, but oh well, what can you do, let's crack up...
[[Left Box]]
[[Right Box]]Alex entered the room. There were quite a few hangers lying around, there was even a clothing rack behind the door. Alex checked out the rack. It seemed to be warped in a few places. There was even a wheel missing so the entire thing was slightly off-balance.
Quite a few of the hangers were broken. Alex crouched down and picked one up. "I don't know if you guys know this, but my family ran a department store when I was little." Alex bent the hanger for a bit before it broke and crumbled. "These hangers were the ones our store had, and my were they sturdy! Once, a fridge fell on a box of these in the backroom and none of them broke...so I'm a bit confused on what could have broken these, but it makes sense if a cougar or deer slept on them."
Alex then kicked one against the wall and exploded into a cloud of dust. "This place is also super old, so oxygenation and such probably made these weaker."
"It looks like thats about all thats here, so, shall we go back?"
[[Center of the Factory]]The third room was locked.
"Hrm...I don't know about you guys, but this room is really ominous to have been locked. I don't think anything too cool is in it, but it may still be worth exploring..."
[[Kick the door down]]
[[Center of the Factory]]The fourth room was locked. Alex took a look at the door. Even if it was locked, the hinges seemed to be very rusted. "The hinges don't seem to be so stable," Alex said, "I'll take something out to hit it with."
Alex reached into their bag and search around for a bit.
(if:(history: where its name contains "Right Box")'s length is 1)[Alex took out the knife from before. "This should work!" They said. "I might break the knife, but it should be fine.
[[Use the knife]]]
[[Use legs]]Once Alex stepped within the room, they walked over to the desk that was the closest. There were no drawers, but the desk itself did have an eraser. "I think we should take this! Looks like no one would need such a nice eraser!"
ALex pocketed the eraser, then walked to where the boxes were stacked. They opened each one, one-by-one. They all had some form of fabric.
"This feels so nice!" Alex exclaimed. "I'd take some home, but it's to heavy to take by myself..."
(if:(history: where its name contains "Right Box")'s length is 1)[Alex had a sudden realization. "I have the knife!"
(if:(history: where its name contains "Use the knife")'s length is 1)[Alex looked at the knife, "It can still cut!"]
Alex cut a piece of cloth from each box. One blue, one red, one purple, and one orange. "I think my mom may be abe to sew some of this together into a nice handkerchief!" Alex placed them into a little pocket on their backpack.]
Alex looked across the room at the last desk. "One last thing..."
The desk itself was empty for all but one drawer, which had a piece of paper. On it, it talked about how the factory was entirely abandoned, not just the small piece that Alex was at currently, because of a failure with the boiler. It had apparently emitted a lot of noxious gases, causing some of the workers to hallucinate.
"Apparently the boiler in this factory failed...but it seems like all of them did." Alex flipped the paper over, "Apparently, the company that installed the boilers, the one that maintained them, and even the one that made them went under and no members of each company was every found...Crazy find!"
Alex folded the papers and put it in their backpack and moved on.
[[Center of the Factory]]The sixth room had a door, but it was slightly open, so Alex pushed it the rest of the way. It was a boiler room.
(if:(history: where its name contains "Fifth Room")'s length is 1)["Well we found the boiler room!" Alex said.]
Alex looked around the tiny room. It really was just the boiler and its essentials. The boiler itself seemed to have exploded and was turned off likely for that reason. The pipes connecting to the boiler were thrust into the ground, left with no other purpose but to rust.
Again, other the boiler, the room was empty, but Alex could sense that something was up.
"Not to be a conspiracy theorist but, if it was an accidental explosion, why did the boiler, not the pipes, explode? Hmm, I'll ponder this explosion, at home!"
[[Center of the Factory]]Alex walked slowly up the staircase. Each step echoed into the empty factory. As they walked up the stairs, Alex looked to the front of the factory, towards the door. In the back of their mind, they knew something wasn't right, but onwards they went, for they had nothing other than this. This was their job; they were entertainment, whether they liked it or not. So on they pushed.
Alex made it to the top of the stairs. The second floor was comprised of a path made of catwalks, but the paths were winding and confusing, although the outerside of the catwalks just wrapped around the entire perimeter of the building.
Alex started to walk on the outside of the perimeter. Each of the entrances into the catwalk maze were closed off with crates. "Weeeeird," Alex said as they walked the perimeter, "I don't think any of the places we've been to had something like this." Alex stopped by one of the entrances. They moved the crate.
Alex entered the catwalk maze. As Alex explored it, they realized that the maze was simple, deceptively so. "You know, I thought the maze would be much more complicated, but now that I'm standing at the end of it...It's actually really easy to find the exit."
Alex couldn't find anything on the floors of both the perimeter and the maze. "As far as I can find," Alex grunted as they got up from crouching, "There's not much left up here, so I guess we'll just go home-"
A crash from below. Confused, Alex looked over the bars of the catwalk and, standing in the middle of the factory was...something, the camera only got a glimpse of it. When Alex noticed it, they backed up. Whatever it was they saw, it freaked them out.
"Oh shit, oh shit," they whispered. "Oh my god, what the f-" Each step of the stairs, which were behind Alex, began to echo across the whole building. Each step it took thumped and shook the entire catwalk. Alex had already turned off the light on their head, but it meant that the camera couldn't really film much.
The creature slowly approached the entrance to the maze. Alex began to cry and closed their eyes when it entered the maze. The steps the thing took were heavy and delibrate, but they soon started to become less frequent. Eventually, Alex opened their eyes. And stole a glance. The creature had stopped moving.
It was confused! At least, that's what it seemed like. "Okay," Alex whispered. "T-time to go."
[[Escape]]Alex walked up to the machine. The needles of the machine were old and rusty, but there was still some fabric in-between said needles.
"Unfortunately," Alex said, "It looks like it's much too torn for it to be of any use to me."
When Alex pulled on the fabric, it was torn into pieces in a mediorical display. Alex checked on one side of the machine. There was some grafitti on it. It read, "AJ WAS HERE." Alex simply scoffed and said, "Typical."
On the other side of the machine were scratches made by an animal, likely a rat or a cat. There were also some droppings.
Overall, there was nothing much to this machine other than the torn fabric woven in between it's needles.
[[Center of the Factory]]This machine was totally broken. Nothing about the machine lasted. However, there was one part of it that seemed clean, and that was one of the machine's rollers, which guided the sheets along a set path. Most of the other rollers were dented, rusty, or completely broken.
While Alex picked up the completely fine roller, they looked at the other rollers. It made sense to them why some would be rusty or even dented, but it confused them why some would be completely shattered.
"I don't think I've seen something that uses something like steel would end up like that! But to be fair I didn't think my friend Jared could eat that cake all by himself so."
Alex placed the roller in their backpack.
[[Center of the Factory]]This machine was very intact, but overall boring. Alex couldn't seemd to find even a single broken part on the machine. There were stains and droppings on the machine, but it still seemed to be intact.
"What's the brand," Alex asked to no one in particular. Alex checked the back of the machine and there was the company logo. "I've never seen this logo before," Alex said, "But it seems to be a local one!"
(if:(history: where its name contains "Fifth Room")'s length is 1)["Wait!" Alex suddenly exclaimed. "I think I //have// seen that logo before!"
Alex pulled out the paper from before and read it. They compared the logo of the company that went under to the company logo on the back of the machine.
"That's a little weird, don't you think guys? Like, the company that apparently made the boiler, also made this machine? I'll need someone to tell me in the comments on whether or not that's normal, cuz like. I don't think it is, it's so weird? Anyway, I guess we can move on."]
Other than the logo, there wasn't much else left on the machine.
[[Center of the Factory]]Within the box was a boxcutter knife. It seemed a bit old, but it wasn't rusty. Rather, the blade still seemed to be in good condition.
"That's so cool! I wonder why a knife is even in here? It's a bit strange, but lets put it in our pocket for now!"
Alex searched around the box for a moment before standing up. The camera moved backwards a bit and some cracking noises were heard. "Agh! I'm getting a little too old to be bending down, haha!"
(if:visits is 1 and (history: where its name contains "Left Box")'s length is 0)[Alex looked towards the box on the left. "Shall we?" Alex asked.
[[Left Box]] ]
(else-if:(history: where its name contains "Left Box")'s length is 1)[Alright, that's both of them. Now, let's go back to the middle, shall we?
[[Center of the Factory]] ]Alex moved towards the box. Rather than the box, it seemed to be more of a crate. The nails that nailed the top of the crate down were loose, so all it took for Alex to take it off was a bit of muscle. "Oof!" Alex let out a grunt as they ripped off the top of the crate. "Oh yeah!" The camera turned towards Alex's arm, which flexed a bit before settling back down again.
"Now that I've shown everyone my immense strength, let's look at the crate!"
Inside the crate were some books about management, as well as some pens. Alex picked up and examined each item.
The pens were out of ink and some of the pages of the books were ripped, but they seemed ok either way.
"Well...if I am technically my own boss so it may be worth it to take a gander at these. And these pens...well it never hurts to have more!" Alex put them away, stretched their legs a bit, and stood straight.
(if:visits is 1 and (history: where its name contains "Right Box")'s length is 0)[Alex turned towards the right box. "Well, we probably should check out that box, huh?"
[[Right Box]] ]
(else-if:(history: where its name contains "Right Box")'s length is 1)["That's one room explored," Alex stated, "Let's go outside again, shall we?"
[[Center of the Factory]] ] Alex clapped they're hands together. "Alright," they said, "Guess we'll go-"
[[Left]]
[[Right]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Left")'s length >= 1 or (history: where its name contains "Right")'s length >= 1)[ [[Second Floor]] ]Alex backed up a decent amount, then ran full speed at the door. The camera flipped around a bit before the camera stayed on the floor for a bit. There was a groan, and then the camera started to move upwards.
I'm never-" Alex coughed. They probably landed right on their side, so Alex didn't stop coughing for a while. When they did, Alex said, "Doing that again...Don't worry, I'm fine, just a bit banged up..."
The camera started to look around. "Wow, nothing here!" Alex exclaimed. As they said, the room was empty. There were a few patches of wet ground, but other than that, it was pretty empty. "You guys can't tell but, it sinks in here." A hand waved in front of the camera.
"I'm leaving..."
[[Center of the Factory]]Alex took out the knife.
"It was knife to see you, hinges!" Alex exclaimed.
Alex had to hit each hinge a few times, but they ended up breaking it in the end. When Alex looked back at their hand, the knife was bent at the handle and the blade itself was chipped.
"Well...at least it served a purpose?"
[[Enter the room]]Alex put their bag back on their back.
"Best I use my feet to destroy THIS door!" Alex exclaimed.
Alex walked back, skipped, then rose their feet to one of the hinge's heights and kicked. The hinge broke clean off. Alex did it again with the other hinge, this time utterly destroying the rusted hinge.
"And so, we enter!"
[[Enter the room]]Alex kicked the door lightly, tipping it just enough for it to make a soft "thump" on the floor. The dust was kicked up a bit, creating a thin cloud in the air. Alex waved the dust out of their face and entered the room.
It was empty. Nothing lay with in it. No stains even marked the floors, walls, and ceilings. "You'd expect a room to have more stains and stuff!"
The room had but a single window that shone light from the noon sun into the lonely room. It sat high above the room, almost a foot from the 10 foot ceiling. Alex walked to the window and jumped up to look outside. From the window, Alex could see Nevada's beautiful desert.
"This is weird," Alex said. "It's...a bit sad in here...I think I'll go back outside."
[[Center of the Factory]]The creature was in the middle of the maze, facing the exit that Alex created, of which was on the other side of the building. Alex had, thankfully, memorized the maze. Of the ones they could take, there were two: The right path was a blocked entrance, but the left was a path forward, but its exit was right behind the thing.
[[Left path]]
[[Right path]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "First Room")'s length is 1 or (history: where its name contains "Fifth Room")'s length is 1 or (history: where its name contains "Second Machine")'s length is 1)[Alternatively, there are the few things that Alex collected earlier. Maybe something could be useful there?
(if:(history: where its name contains "Right Box")'s length is 1 and (history: where its name contains "Use the knife")'s length is not 1)[ [[Use knife]] ]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Left Box")'s length is 1)[ [[Use the pens]] ]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Fifth Room")'s length is 1)[ [[Throw the papers]] ]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Second Machine")'s length is 1)[ [[Use the roller]] ] ]Alex slowly moved towards the center lane of the maze. The creature had remained still, thankfully. Alex slowly crawled over to the left path and crawled through it and ended up right behind the creature.
It seemed to not hear them, as the thing just walked a few more meters forward, revealing two more paths that Alex could take.
[[Left path ]]
[[Right path ]] The right path was covered with a crate, but it was too tall to try and walk over, so the best option was to leave through the exit; the same plan as before.
Alex was a little further behind, but the next two paths were in front of creature. However, the creature, for some reason, decided to move, but where it stopped was unlucky for Alex. It decidedthe spot directly to the left of Alex was a good spot, meaning that although the next paths open to them were further along than the creature, it was still a bit risky to move.
But it was a risk Alex was willing to take.
Alex stepped outside their hiding spot and managed to enter the center lane without worry, but they decided it would be best to move as quickly as possible.
Alex faced forward and noticed the next two paths.
[[Left path ]]
[[Right path ]]Alex took out the knife. Alex twisted it in their hand. Alex gripped it.
They looked towards the monster. They wondered where it we best to hit. They decided the back was the safest option.
Alex dashed towards the thing. It heard their footsteps and turned around, but before it could react, the knife dig right into its flesh. A horrendous noise that sounded like a screach of pain came out from it.
Alex shoved it out of the way and ran towards the exit to the maze. Alex moved too fast and slammed into the wall. They looked towards the maze and saw the creature slowly rising, in pain and, very likely, in anger.
Alex waved to the creature and sprinted down the outside of the catwalk, the creature slightly behind.
Once Alex stood at the top of the stairs, they looked to their left and found the creature turning the corner.
[[Jump]]
[[Walk]]Alex grabbed a single pen from their bag. They only had a few, but it should be enough. Alex tossed aimed across the factory. They chucked the pen to the other side of the wall. Thankfully, the creature darted to where the pen was thrown.
Alex moved forward slowly towards the entrance of the maze. The thing was still inside the maze, so, hopefully, it would stay there.
As Alex crossed the catwalk, they realized that the creature was still facing the opposite wall. To move past the creature, Alex decided to throw another pen. This time, the creature went to the other wall, but it meant that once Alex had cross the the other catwalk, the creature was there again. So Alex threw another pen to the opposite wall.
The creature ran to the other wall, but Alex knew that the stairs was on the same end that the creature was at now. Once Alex got to the stairs, they took out another pen and chucked it to the opposite corner of the wall. Alex laughed to themself for a bit and slowly climbed down the stairs.
Now, unfortunately, the ears of the creature were much better than Alex anticipated, so it just about heard Alex's stifled laugh. Alex noticed and stood completely still. One second passed. Then another. Then the third, fourth, and five seconds had passed before the creature turned back towards the corner.
Alex was careful not to let even a sigh of relief leave their lungs. Alex carefully descended the stairs, eventually making it to the end. When they looked up, the creature was still there, staring at the wall.
Alex was still walking while they looked at the thing, and when they faced forward, they had run into the wall. Although the sound of hitting the wall wasn't loud, the sound of their backpack hitting the floor was. Alex was clutching their bag this entire time, meaning that when they crashed into the wall, they inadvertantly let go of their backpack. This also meant that the creature had noticed Alex and was running right to them.
"Uh, oh," Alex said.
[[Run]]Alex took the papers slowly, making sure not the crumple them. Alex read the papers over and over and over again, trying to commit its words to memory. The information, they felt, was valuable. Alex glanced every so often to make sure that the thing hadn't moved, but thankfully, it was as still as a statue.
After a little while, Alex threw the papers downstairs. As they fell, the papers rustled, to which the thing reacted and started quickly downstairs from the catwalk.
Alex moved quickly and carefully. They crawled along the length of the catwalk maze as well as the outer rim of it. Alex only realized their mistake when they made it halfway down the stairs. The creature was now standing in the middle on the factory.
Alex attempted to slowly descend the stairs, but slipped and slammed the next step. The creature turned to face Alex. Alex descended the stairs until they were on the floor of the factory.
"You're not mad, right?" Alex asked. The lanky humanoid tilted its head in confusion, before lurching toward Alex.
[[Dodge]]Alex slowly took the roller out of their backpack. They gripped it tightly and stood up. They sneaked towards the thing.
"Hey," Alex said. The thing turned right around. The camera couldn't see the face, only its tall and skinny figure.
Alex swung the roller. A loud THUNG reverberated around the factory. The thing did not seem to flinch. Alex dropped the roller and when it hit the floor, it shattered.
"Sorry," Alex eeked out.
The thing swung its arm against Alex. A loud crash sounded and the camera was suddenly completely unstable, continually rotating for a few seconds until it stopped with a large thud.
Alex groaned. The stairs suddenly started to be very loud. Alex turned around and saw the thing descending the stairs.
[[Run]]Alex darted towards the exit. Each step felt heavy for them, but they were not tired. Time seemed to slow down. The doorway to each room seemed to stretch into massive hall. The machines seemed to tower over Alex, but all Alex was focused on was the door.
Alex made it to the door and turned the knob.
[[Go outside]]Alex dodged out of the way, diving towards the sixth room. The thing then turned around and swung its hand towards Alex
[[Duck]]Alex quickly ducked out of the way of the hand, towards the center of the factory. The wall where Alex was exploded into dust when the creature's hand hit it.
"Ah," Alex said.
[[Run]]Alex jumped down the stairs, making it to the bottom quickly, but they still landed incorrectly. They were on the floor, but thankfully, they were awake.
Alex checked on the thing and it was barely at the top of the stairs.
[[Run]]Alex briskly walked down the stairs, but the creature was running. Like Alex, it slammed into the wall at the stairs. Hearing the noise, Alex turned around, then started to walk a bit more brisk.
Once Alex made it to the bottom of the stairs, they looked up towards the creature. It had already recovered, so Alex made the executive decision that walking was not an option anymore.
[[Run]]The light outside was so bright, but that was not Alex's worry. Alex slammed the door and walked quickly away from the factory.
Alex stared at the door, but nothing happened. No banging, no noises from behind the door, nothing. Alex let out a sigh, which turned into a giggle, and then into a hearty laugh. The camera swayed back until it was facing the sky.
"We did it guys!" Alex laughed again. "I'm gonna be so freaking famous!" Alex laughed until they ran out of breath, and when Alex took another breath, they cried until their tear ducts ran dry, and when the tears dried onto their skin, Alex just stared into the sky.
"Well," Alex said, "I probably should go home."
Alex took a deep breath and stood up. The camera faced the factory for a while, as if Alex was saying one final goodbye.
But then the door flew open.
[[No Such Thing as Luck]]Alex took the left path. Unfortunately, it led to a dead end, and Alex feared that climbing over the box would create too much noise, so Alex decided to stayput for the time being. Unfortunately, the creature had moved again, this time, right in front of the exit, but it was also just barely in front of the final two paths before the exit.
[[Left path ]]
[[Right path ]]This path was also an exit blocked by a box, but it (if:(history: where its name contains "Right path")'s length is 1)[too] was too tall to walk over. Alex turned towards the creature, which had started to move towards Alex.
This time, it stopped right in front of exit, but there were two entrances to two separate paths behind the thing.
[[Left path ]]
[[Right path ]]The path this time wasn't a dead end, but it was a path that went around the thing and ended up in front of it. Alex stood still, but was worried that the thing would notice them, but after a few minutes and no reaction, Alex wasn't worried any more.
The creature stood there for a short while, and ended up turning around and walking to the opposite wall. The exit was now open.
[[Exit]]The path was right next to the exit. The rest of the path moved on to a dead end that hung out in the middle of nowhere, but there was no need to move anymore. Alex waited patiently for the creature to move again, and, right on time, it moved away from the exit. As it walked past Alex, they couldn't help but stick their tounge out and smile gratefully.
[[Exit]]Alex exited the maze and carefully navigated the outerside of the catwalk. The thing hadn't moved from its position, but now, it facing the stairs.
Arriving right behind the thing, Alex wondered if it would move once again, but after what felt like an hour, it still hadn't moved. Alex had a feeling that there was nothing else to do but let themself get noticed by the thing and just run as fast as they can.
Alex took a breath and moved into the view of the thing and descended the stairs. It noticed and tried to grab them, but Alex dodged right out of the way of its arm. The creature, failing to grab Alex, turned around and sprinted out of the maze.
Once Alex made it down the stairs, they heard the bangs and shaking of the catwalk and decided that there was only one option left for them:
[[Run]][["Left" ]][["Right"]][["Right" ]]The person started talk-
"My father left when I was a child and my mother blamed me for it. She reminded me of this fact constantly. Most days, I was able to take it, but other days, I just couldn't.
"The first time I left home, I climbed all the way to the top of the jungle gym in a park near by our house. My mother ended up finding me with help from the police. When they asked why I climbed all the way up there, all I could really say was, 'I don't know.'"
[["Left" ]][["Right" ]][["Left" ]][["Right" ]]"This monotony, this movement of my left foot, my right foot, my left arm, my right arm, it clears my head. All I focus on, is this monotony. This monotony to the end."
You weren't sure whether this person was serious or not, but even so, the video kept playing.
"This rhythm keeps me sane. These movements that chug me along this path layed before me, carved by those before me, keeps me sane. I am sane when I climb.
"The first time I left home, that first time I climbed, I felt free. No rope, no nothing. Everything. The sky, I could touch. When I climb, I don't even care about myself. All I want to do is climb. I want to climb and climb and...climb."
The only thing that happened for a while was the movement of the rock and the person, presumably AJ, looking down to find their footing.
"My mother wanted me to stay with her forever, probably to just hit me more, but some days, I wonder if she really wanted me to stay. It was troublesome."
[["Left" ]][["Right" ]][["Left" ]][["Right" ]]"The first time someone really noticed what was going on at home was in High School. I got reported to the principal by the person I liked just because I liked them. I was told to stop 'bothering' them by the principal, to which I tried denying but she didn't listen.
"Anyway, it was a hot day, so I was sweating a lot and the makeup my mom put on me to hide the bruises was slowly coming off. The principal eventually noticed and asked what it was. I tried to convince her that it was because of a skateboarding accident, but it didn't take long for the cops to be called.
"I was put into the foster system for a long time. My foster parents had to get a restraining order on my mom because she was bothering them so much. My foster parents and I used to get into a lot of arguments, but I don't think I ever left home to free climb as frequently as I did when I was with my mother. It seemed that my foster father wanted to try it too but, we never ended up doing it. Eventually, I graduated and set off on my own.
"I haven't seen my foster parents since."
[["Left" ]][["Right" ]][["Left" ]][["Right" ]]"There are some days where I think I've gone crazy, the days right before I free climb. With my life on the line, I climb to keep myself sane."
When AJ stopped to take another look at where they were, a red piece of fabric floated down and around AJ.
"Just like that piece of fabric from a flag, I was torn apart when my father left. I will never be put together, but I will always be as nice as I can to everyone I meet. Just as that torn flag will mark the path, no matter how the wind cuts it."
[["Left" ]][["Right" ]][["Left" ]][["Right" ]]"The plan was to move to Colorado, there were plenty of mountains there, plus the towns tended to be pretty quiet. Before I took the bus to the airport, I went to talk to mom. Unfortunately, she wasn't keen on me leaving.
"We fought and fought and fought. I tried to keep the urge to climb to myself. Eventually, I said screw it and nearly walked out the door before my mother stopped me. She grabbed on to me and didn't want to let go. I kept pulling over and over but she wouldn't let me go.
"I had a boxcutter in my hand. It was the first thing I bought when my foster parents gave me my first allowance. In my anger, I accidentally stabbed her. I pulled too hard and dragged her into the knife, which was in my other hand.
"I ran. I only regret not saying bye before doing so."
[["Left" ]][["Right" ]][["Left" ]][["Right" ]]"I didn't catch the cab, I just kept running. I climbed my way across the Appalacian Mountains. It was the first time free climbing didn't help. I stopped a few times at several motels to catch my breath, but I ended up running out of money.
"Nonstop, I walked all the way to Colorado. I stopped by a local shelter and asked where I could get a job. They refused to unless I took a shower and ate first. Of course, I agreed. I got the job at a local restaurant as janitor. It payed well enough for me to not only get an apartment, but also allowed me to continue free climbing.
"Life was turning around. A year after starting the job, I also started going to therapy at the behest of a friend. My boss, a very good person, told me that if I took cooking classes I could be promoted to a sous chef. The raise that came with it would also allow me to travel to support my climbing."
[["Left" ]][["Right" ]][["Left" ]][["Right" ]]"Now I'm in Nevada, five years after everything. Here I climb, but not to forget, that's what free climbing is for. I climb to-"
Just then, a piece of fabric floated down. It was blue. It seems that AJ was taken aback.
"I guess they use blue flags- but anyway. I climb to reminisce about my past. To come to terms with it. Sometimes, I feel like I am so close to becoming like my mother, but I always manage to swallow it on these climbs. When I move with these monotonous motions, it calms me. It helps me swallow it and keep it swallowed. Even now, these motions are my therapy. They are my-"
Just like before, another piece of fabric, purple this time, floated down from above. This seemed to tick off AJ.
"Alright, I'm pissed."
AJ started to climb much faster than before.
"Who in their goddamned mind leaved a bunch of flags, not even ones that are the same the color. I get yellow, I get orange even, but dark colors make flags so hard to see in this rock! Plus, if the fabric is so weak to get cut apart by the wind, then you should just pay extra for good flags!"
AJ arrived at the top of the mountain.
"And even then, why are they all coming down //now//, did you not even secure the flags right!?"
AJ lifted themself up and sat on the cliffside.
"Look at this beautiful wilderness!" The camera, likely situated on their head, panned slowly, showing off the astounding Nevada desert with Las Vegas off in the distance.
[[Turn Around]]AJ stood up and turned around.
"If I see any damn litter up here I'm gonna-"
What AJ saw was technically litter, but not in the usual sense. It was a decaying body. Vultures and condors were picking at it. The skin peeled off the corpse. The hole caused by the birds spilled the liquified guts on the rock. There was an orange piece of fabric dangling from the backpack the corpse had. Eventually, the fabric flew away, but AJ payed it no mind.
"What- what the-"
One of the birds pulling at the tattooed arm of the corpse, took notice of AJ and squaked at them. AJ, frozen in fear, did nothing but keep looking at the decayed corpse. The bird squaked again, and still AJ stood. The bird, angry that AJ had not backed away, flew at them. AJ finally took notice of the bird, and startled, backed up.
The last thing the camera showed before cutting off was the cliff that AJ had just been standing on moments before. The red mountain against a blue sky.
[[No Such Thing as Luck]]Jaime continues down the street. To the left is a printing shop and bar and to their right is a large restraunt.
While the printer shop is closed, there was a bouncer in front of the bar and a light inside the restraunt.
[[Bar]]
[[Restaurant]]Jaime entered the steet. It seemed like a normal back alley-type place. Jaime ran over to each store and tried each one, but none were open.
"Oh my God," Jaime said, "Oh no." Jaime ran down the street, but heard footsteps behind them. They turned to their left and found a little open space to hide in.
Jaime hid behind some trashcans.
"Hello?" Someone said. "I saw you come through here, but I guess not, huh?"
The footsteps slowly echoed away. Jaime used their phone to check and see if they were really gone, and they were.
[[Leave the Hiding Spot]]Jamie ran into the street, but it was a deadend. At least that's what it seemed like at first. Off to the right of the end of the street was a little alleyway. Jamie entered it carefully, making sure there was no one following them. It was average for a New York City alley, so Jamie was used to it.
The alley seemed to turn left, then right, then left again, then left, then left, then right, and turned so many times that Jamie seemed to lose track. Eventually, Jamie found at the end of the cement road a Chinese noodle shop.
"What the..." Jamie said. The noodle shop seemed to be pretty large, and the door was unlocked. Jamie checked if anyone was following them, but it seemed to be okay, so Jamie walked inside.
[[Chinese Noodle Shop]]Jaime ran up to the bouncer. "Hey, hey, hey!" Jaime screamed, "Someone is chasing me please let me inside-" The bouncer put a hand in front of Jaime and the camera.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let anyone in."
"Sir, I'm being chased and I'm going to //die// if you don't help me-" The bouncer put his hand in front of them once again.
"I can't let anyone inside, no matter what."
"Please," Jaime said, "Let me inside! I'm sure the people inside wouldn't mind if-"
The bouncer lifted their tuxedo jacket and revealed a gun. "The people inside would."
Jaime was to stunned to speak and just walked away, slowly. There were a few more options to go to.
[[Continue Down the Street]]
[[Left Street]]
[[Right Street]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Restaurant")'s length is not 1)[ [[Restaurant]] ]Jaime ran over to the restraunt and knocked several times on the door. For a few seconds, it remained closed, but a person, a young janitor opened the door slightly. They were wearing headphones and just said, "Sorry we are closed..."
Jaime put a hand on the door to stop the man from closing the door. "Please let me in I'm being chased!" Jaime said.
The man stared at Jaime for a second, then shut the door. "Sorry," he said from behind the door, "We're closed!" Jaime banged the door a few times, but right before they could speak, the sound of several locks locking sounded off from inside the restraunt.
(if:(history: where its name contains "Bar")'s length is 1)["Why does no one want to help!!!" Jaime screamed.]
Jaime reevaluated themself. "Ok, new options."
[[Left Street]]
[[Right Street]]
(if:(history: where its name contains "Bar")'s length is not 1)[ [[Bar]] ]
[[Continue Down the Street]]Jaime walked further down the street. As they did though, they heard a noise behind them which compeled to turn around. Just as they did though, they saw a figure pass into the left street from before.
"Oh god, they're coming!"
Jaime turned around and spotted an alley off to the right, as well as an apartment building on the left. The street also finished further more forward. They turned around again and said, "Forward it is."
[[Apartment]]
[[Alley]]
[[End of the Street]]The apartment building was one of those that you had to call in first. Jaime tried the intercom a few times.
"Hello?! Is anyone there?!" Jaime said. "I am being chased by someone and I need entrance, I-I'll pay any fee but please let me in!"
Jaime waited for a little, but nothing happened. There seemed to be no one there, but nevertheless, Jaime still tried again.
"Hello?!" They said, "Hello is someone there to let me in?! Please!" Jaime kept trying, but to no avail. They kept trying over and over until they started crying.
No one came, and it was time to move on. Jaime turned towards their options.
[[End of the Street]]
[[Alley]]Jaime right ran down the alley. They tried every door in the alley, but none would open. Every garbage container was also too filled to fit inside, but there was a pile of boxes at the end of the alley. It extended all the way to the top of the alley wall, but the height seemed to be too much to jump.
"I can't jump that high, shit. I'll go around-"
When Jaime turned around, a figure was facing them. "Oh no," Jaime eeked out.
They sprinted and turned around and started to climb the boxes. The figure at the end of the alley also sprinted down. Jaime managed to climb all the way to the top, but the person also started climbing the boxes.
Jaime turned around and looked up at the almost 3 foot difference between where they could reach and where the top of the wall was. They looked down and saw the person quickly scaling the box stairs.
[[Jump Up]]Jamie made it to the end of the street. They checked the dollar store in front of them, but of course, it too was locked. They quickly checked behind them, and then checked their sides.
Both the left and right was more street. They both seemed to turn corners again, leading off to different streets, and possibly a police station.
[[Right Street ]]
[[Left Street ]]Jaime threw their phone, the camera spinning over and over again. Thankfully, the phone landed rightside up, showing that Jaime has managed to scale the wall.
They turned around and flipped off the person and jumped down. However, the height seemed to be too high for them. They crumpled to the ground and screamed in pain.
The camera went crazy for a bit before situating back on Jaime's face. "I-I-I-I think I broke something," they said, "but I still need to find the station or someone who'll let me in, so I'll keep going."
The camera switched views and was now in front of them. There were stores around them, but all were closed. Off to the right was the desert, not an optimal option for running away. Off to the left was a street corner that turned left, as well as a person getting in a car.
Noticing this, Jaime shot up and started calling for the car. The person noticed Jaime waving. They got inside the car, and it lit up in glory. It started accelerating, and accelerating, and accelerating right past Jaime and into the desert.
"Come on!" yelled Jaime. (if:(history: where its name contains "Bar")'s length is 1 or (history: where its name contains "Restaurant")'s length is 1)["Why won't //anyone// help!"]
All there was left, was to just push forward and hope that the figure does not chase after them.
[[End of the Street Corner]]Jaime limped towards the end of the street. It was slow, but persistent. Again, when they made it to the end, every store was closed. All there was left was the darkness off to the left. No street lamp worked, delving the street into pure darkness, but just ahead was more street.
[[Delve into the Darkness]]Jaime entered the dark and kept their face forward. (if:(history: where its name contains "Jump Up")'s length is 1)[They limped slowly and painfully. It seemed to last forever, limping over and over. The pain was too much for Jaime to handle, and just when it seemed like they were gonna give up, they noticed a light to their right.](else-if:(history: where its name contains "Jump Up")'s length is not 1)[The darkness surrounded Jaime. It was suffocating, terrible. Everywhere they looked, it felt like a monster, or worse, the person chasing them, was going to jump out. Fear embedded itself into Jaime's heart, but the fear of being caught overpowered their fear of the dark.
And then they found it.]
A police station.
[[Police Station]]Jaime ran as fast as they could to the police station(if:(history: where its name contains "Jump Up")'s length is 1)[, despite the pain]. They noticed that, in the second floor window, right above them, the lights were on.
"Finally..."
The door seemed to be slightly ajar, with the keys still inside the lock. Just as Jaime opened the door, they heard from far behind them, the sound of shoes against the ground. They turned and saw a figure running right towards them.
Jaime screamed and jiggled the key outside of the lock. They quickly entered the station and locked the door behind them. They backed up slowly, but nothing happened. They let out a sight of relief and turned around. At the end of the hall was a staircase to the second floor.
Jaime quickly darted up the stairs and made it to the second floor. At the top was another hallway. On the right were closets and to the left were some labs, but that is not want Jaime wanted to see. Instead, the door to the bullpen was at the end of the hallway. Jaime (if:(history: where its name contains "Jump Up")'s length is 1)[, ignoring the pain, ]sprinted down the hall.
However, just as they were going to open the door, a hand emerged from the second floor window right in front of them. A voice also emerged from the darkness, simply stating, "Man, am I good at climbing." The person pulled themselves up and sat on the windowsill. Jaime backed up slightly. The two stared at each other for a bit before the person said something.
"Hello."
Jaime put a single hand on the doorknob of the next room, and threw it open.
[[No Such Thing as Luck]]The shop was normal. It had some Chinese decorations, but it was empty. The kitchen was smack dab in the middle of the restaurant, so it seemed there was only one cook. There were some tables lining the outside of the restaurant, as well as a big counter in the form of a U-shape surrounding the kitchen. There was also two doors at each side of the room: One a restroom and the other a way outside.
Jamie entered the restroom and washed up a bit. They sprayed their face with water, used the toilet, then washed their hands thoroughly. When they left the restroom, they half-expected the person chasing them to be standing in the door, but there was no one.
They walked to the door on the opposite side and pushed it.
[[Go Through]]They walked outside and found the night sky. They looked back and decided that it was best to continue. They found themselves in the middle of a small lot, one where delivery trucks would go to drop off supplies. There was a supplies closet off to the left, but there was no time to check it out. Behind Jamie was the desert, not a place to escape to.
Jamie set off towards the other end of the street. Every store and place was closed and locked. Jamie checked made sure to check as many doors as possible, but it seemed like all were closed.
The only option was to move to the end of the street. At least at first. A car started way up ahead the street.
[[Wave for the Car]]The street was dark, completely shrouded, but to make it across, Jaime had to cross it. "I'm afraid of the dark, you know?" they said.
They took a deep breath, then walked forward.
[[Delve into the Darkness]]Jaime ran to the other street. They looked down it before realizing their mistake. This was the street the figure went down towards.
Something suddenly jumped onto Jaime. The phone was thrown back and faced the night sky. All there was, was the sound. Jaime started screaming and so did the other person. A hard thumping sound was heard over and over. Slaps and screams were heard every so often as well, but the thumps were heard over and over again.
Eventually, the sound stopped. A figure stood over the camera and looked down into it. "Oh, I should take this," they said calmly.
[[Grab it]]Right before they were gonna grab it though, a large plant of wood came from behind and clocked the person right in the face. Jaime dropped the weapon and grabbed their phone and ran.
"The person just attacked me and I tricked them into thinking I was knocked out and it worked!" Jaime started laughing, at least until they made it to the start to the right street from before. It was shrouded in darkness, but it was better than facing the person again.
They set off towards the darkness.
[[Delve into the Darkness]]Jaime left the hiding spot and double checked around them, but the coast was clear.
Jaime trecked forward a bit, making sure not to make any noise. They decided not to try and more doors in worry that it will make too much noise.
As they carefully looked around the entire street, it seemed to be the least attractive spot in the city, as it was by far the dirtiest. Garbage cans and dumpsters everywhere.
Jaime started to hear more footsteps, and looked for a spot to hide in.
[[Behind the Garbage Can]]Jaime frantically hid behind the trashcan, plugging their mouth. The footsteps slowly started coming into earshot.
Step
Step
Step
Each sounded off, spooking Jaime.
After a while, of nothing, Jaime checked to see if the person was gone.
[[Check]]Jaime turned a little and found theirself face-to-face with the person who had been chasing them this entire time.
"Hello," they said.
Jaime screamed and punched the person, making a useless effort to get away.
The person grabbed Jaime and threw a punch themselves.
[[Kick]]
[[Punch]]Jaime kicked the person's knees, then went right for the groin.
"Dammit!" the person yelled aloud. They crumpled to the floor and Jaime tried to run away, but something happened that caused the video to get shaky. "Agh!" Jaime yelled out. The noise became altered and eventually the video filmed the night sky.
Somewhere off-screen was the unmistakeable sound of punches being thrown.
Jaime screamed, then a loud thung reverberated across the street.
Jaime picked up their phone and ran.
[[Run Away]] Jaime threw another punch. A solid left hook, one that forced the person to collapse onto the floor.
Jaime started running towards the opposite end of the street, but they ended up tripping and fell flat on the floor. They also ended up dropping their phone, whose camera swirled over until stopping, facing the night sky.
Jaime screamed and there was some sounds of fighting, but it eventually settled down. Jaime picked up their phone and started running away, this time, even faster than what the person could catch up with.
At least until they met a wall of black. Jaime could see more street, but in between them and their escape, was a large section of unlit street.
Jaime heard behind them, "Don't like the dark, eh?"
It was the person chasing them, and it seemed like their scuffle earlier was any fun.
Jaime faced forward, and then took a few quick steps.
[[Delve into the Darkness]]As Jaime ran away, they turned the corner of the street. Right across them was a street running down, that then turned right. However, it was interceded with a large section of unlit street.
Jaime turned back towards the person, who was just barely getting up.
There was nothing else to do but run.
[[Delve into the Darkness]]The sound of clicking behind you almost made you turn your head, but a large metal object pressed against your skull convinced you not to.
So Tell Me, the voice from behind said,
Who Lived?
[[Alex ]]
[[AJ ]]
[[Jaime ]]Who Died?
[[AJ ]]
[[Jaime ]]Who Died?
[[Alex ]]
[[Jaime ]]Who Died?
[[Alex ]]
[[AJ ]]Who Killed?
[[Jaime ]]Who Killed?
[[AJ ]]Wrong.
The sound of a click echoed behind you.
(font: "Raleway-Dots;font-size:300%")[No Fourth Leaf]Wrong.
The sound of a click echoed behind you.
(font: "Raleway-Dots;font-size:300%")[No Fourth Leaf]Who Killed?
[[Jaime ]]Who Killed?
[[Alex ]]Wrong.
The sound of a click echoed behind you.
(font: "Raleway-Dots;font-size:300%")[No Fourth Leaf]Wrong.
The sound of a click echoed behind you.
(font: "Raleway-Dots;font-size:300%")[No Fourth Leaf]Who Killed?
[[AJ ]]Who Killed?
[[Alex ]]Correct.
The metal object behind you was released from your head.
You May Go.
A door opened behind you, and the light glowed even brighter and even more beautiful than the TV.
(font: "Raleway-Dots;font-size:300%")[No Fourth Leaf]Wrong.
The sound of a click echoed behind you.
(font: "Raleway-Dots;font-size:300%")[No Fourth Leaf]Jaime started to run over to the person, waving their hand, but that only seemed to strike fear into the person's heart as they quickly entered the car and drove off, past Jaime and into the desert.
"Seriously?" Jaime asked as the person drove off. Jaime seemed to also forget their fear, which they were reminded of when they saw a figure standing on the rooftop of the building they just left. They started rapidly climbing down the building, much faster than they had seen anyone ever do it before.
Jaime took off running towards the end of the street. The corner turned immediately to the left, right into the darkness of the street. There was more street ahead, but it was interceded by the mass of darkness that was the unlit street.
Jamie breathed in and out, and walked towards the street.
[[Delve into the Darkness]]