Silly Games

I've been to Jacob's house once. Yes it was huge. I was impressed and then I felt a sharp pain on the back of my head and fade to black. The basement was dark and wet and the chains were even colder. "Oh, my Charlie, you're awake~" I hear somewhere to my right. I can't see anything, but I know he's there. A hand brushes on my cheek and [[a shiver crawls down my spine.]]

It's been about a week. I know because he likes to turn the radio onto the news. He consistently listens to Fox News and classic rock. The majority of my days were spent listening to the radio, eating burnt potato chips, and hearing him try to play bass guitar. Sometimes, he would try to touch me, but for some reason, he would quickly pull his hand back. The basement is still dark as ever. I've never been able to see his face. Is it even him? Yes, I know it's him... I can recognize his voice and his sense of humor and his personality. "Do you want a napkin, my love?" he asks. I don't answer. Determined, he shoves a napkin to my face. "Here, take it." "Don't touch me..." I growl. Jacob sighs. "You'll have to come around sometime. Nobody's looking for you... I've made sure of it." An awkward silence enters the room, a feeling I know all too well. "...Well, goodnight" he says, leaving the basement. I can see the light coming from the door as he leaves. His silhouette is barely visible, walking up the stairs. Somehow, something feels... off. I lay my head on the pillow he'd provided me and [[try to sleep.]]

It's been about a month now. All hope that someone will come and save me has been expelled from my mind. Jacob's been rather angry lately. I can tell because instead of classic rock, he's been playing jazz on his bass guitar. I hate jazz. He's never hit me, or outwardly snapped at me. I think he's been bottling it up. One day, in a characteristically bad mood, he rants to me about the students in his online classes and how he wants to commit murder. I wouldn't put it past him. To my surprise, he suddenly hits something onto the floor. It sounds like glass, and it breaks on the floor. He's mumbling to himself, words too rapid for me to comprehend. He sounds erratic. "J...Jacob...?" I say, finally a little worried. "Yes?" he says excitedly, as if he were waiting ages for me to say a word. I don't know what else to say, [[so I say nothing.]]

"Please... Charlie... my Charlie... speak to me..." he begs. I roll my eyes. "Jacob... just let me go... I'm literally going to die..." "Charlie... you shouldn't use literally in this context, it's not good English." "Wh...When did you start caring about that?" "I.... I wanted to get better grades... for you, my dear~" "Jacob.... you're a fucking dumbass." Suddenly, he throws another object across the room, hitting it on the basement wall next to me. I flinch in fear. "S-Sorry, Charlie, it's just... sometimes I get so angry..." I know I should be afraid of him, but something about him intrigues me... could it be his horrible songs in my honor? Or maybe it's how mysterious he chooses to be... ever since he chained me up in this basement, he never turned on the lights, so I never got to see his face. Is he, perhaps... hiding it? But no, I've seen his face before, and there's nothing wrong with him. It just... doesn't make sense. and that's what's so attractive to me. I snap out of my thoughts to the sound of Jacob turning on the radio again. "Mm, I love this song..." he says as he turns on pure radio static. Needless to say, I'm concerned. "Uh... yeah..." I say uneasily. My stomach growls. "Oh, silly me, I forgot to make dinner!" Jacob says. "Be right back, dear!" he walks up the stairs again and out the basement. Despite my feelings for Jacob, I can't help but feel a sense of dread. I'm going to die here, I think. I can't live like this, locked up like an animal. I pick up my arm, held down by a metal shackle. It's a bit rusty, so it grates on my wrists. I just need... something to break it, or cut it somehow. Then, I could escape this wretched place. And then [[I remember...]]

He broke something. Something glass. It probably won't cut into my shackles, but it's worth a try. The basement is dark as ever. I can't quite see it, but I feel around and soon touch something sharp. I almost yelp in surprise. Grabbing it, I take it in my hand and try to cut into the shackle. It's no use. I feel around for anything else. My hands comes across a box. It's metal. I try to open it, but it seems to be held closed by some kind of plastic, probably a zip tie. I gasp, an idea forming in my mind. In my right hand, I take the broken glass, then I use it to open up the box. I can feel some small, metal items, like pins and needles of various lengths, and also something larger and heavier. I take something out: it feels like a bobby pin. Perfect. I jam it into the lock and manage to free myself. I am overjoyed, but this is no time to celebrate. I need to escape before Jacob returns with "dinner" again. My legs are jelly, as I hadn't stood up for about a month. I grab onto a table nearby and go from there. Maybe there's a light switch on the wall. But wait... I can hear footsteps! Heart racing, I throw myself back onto the floor and put my shackles back onto my wrists. It's mentally painful, but I don't want to risk anything. The handle wriggles and [[the door opens.]]

"I'm back, dear... Dinner's almost ready," he says. "Th-That's great!" I say, faking enthusiasm. "Wh-What's that, Charlie?" "It's... uh..." I try and hide the box behind me, but Jacob takes a few more steps closer. My heart feels like it could jump out my chest. I.. [[lie about the box.]] [[take the broken glass and try to jump him.]]

It's the spur of the moment. I don't know exactly what I was thinking--was I even thinking? I grabbed the shard of glass and lunged at him with all my might, trying with all my strength to stab him. Maybe if I could kill him, it would get me a better chance of escape. However, he was stronger than I had anticipated, throwing me back against the wall. Before I could do anything about it, my head hit stone with tremendous force and I fell unconscious. Images flash across my mind as I drift in and out of consciousness. I'm sore all over; I must have been out for quite a while. My head pulls itself up, but it's very hard because I'm so dizzy. "You're awake," I hear him whisper. I grumble, having no energy to talk back. "I hope you're happy. After that stunt you pulled, I had no choice but to tie you up and sit you in that chair. Don't worry, it's one of those comfy cushiony dining chairs. I bought it just for you!~" I don't know what to feel at this point. I'm completely empty. I say nothing. "Well, I'll just have to keep an eye on you from now on... I wouldn't want you trying anything like that again." "J...Jacob..." I breathe out. "Yes, my love?" "You... you can't just keep me here forever... I'll need to eat... and sleep... and use the bathroom..." "Oh, I got that covered! I've got plenty of food here in this freezer, and I can just sleep here with you, and as for the bathroom, welllll..." I almost asked him what he meant by that, but then I moved my leg a bit and felt... a crinkly paper texture in my pants. He... didn't stuff my pants with napkins... did he?... [[fuck.]]

"Well, I think you might have broken it, Jacob... You must've thrown it across and it broke on the wall," I lie. "But... there was a zip tie on it... it looks like it was cut." "I don't know about that, Jacob--it was like that when I discovered it." I can feel him staring at me, examining my facial features. How can he see so well in the dark? I can barely see anything, and I've been stuck here for a month. "Um... I could use a water. I'm thirsty, Jacob." "Oh, right! Be right back, my Charlie!" Jacob suddenly leaves to get some water. I sigh, sweat on my brow. I get back up, still wobbling on my weak feet. Again, I grab onto the table next to me and pull myself towards the wall. There must be a light switch somewhere… I feel something on the wall, and I'm delighted to discover that it is indeed a light switch. I close my eyes before turning it on--my eyes haven't adjusted to light and I don't want to hurt them. I take a moment to gather myself before slowly opening my eyes. I can see again! Damn. This is an [[ugly basement.]]

I've got to get out of here... but how? He's going to stay here with me every moment of the day now... what am I going to do? I can hear bass guitar music. He's playing me a song. "I call this one... 'My Charlie,'" he says. It sounds pretty good, to be honest, but very tasteless. I've lost track of time, but he must've gone through at least twelve songs now. They all sound the same, but with different lyrics, spanning from falling in love with Charlie, dating and marrying Charlie, and... many more. He's about to play another when my stomach growls. "Oh boy... you must be so hungry!" he says. I can hear him getting up to walk over to the freezer he was talking about. Is he really going to feed me frozen food? "Here you go, my Charlie! Here comes the airplane!" I reluctantly open my mouth, even if I can't see what he's feeding me. It tastes awful, like spoiled fish, but with a touch of freezer burn. It's horribly cold, but I gulp it down because I don't feel like starving. Jacob gulps some down, too, seemingly all in one bite. I'm astonished. I cough. "Jacob, I..." "Yes?" he says, moving an inch away from my face. "I just wanna say... I think you're really cute... I shouldn't have rejected you all that time ago..." I lie to him. Maybe if I butter him up, I could trick him into letting me go. "You... y-you really mean that?" he says. His breath is like dog food. "Of course... but, um..." "But what, my love?" "I just don't think you're... [[getting it.]]"

"Getting what?" he asks. "Well... this isn't how you ask a boy like me to date you. I mean... I can't even see your face, or hold your hand." "Charlie... you can't trick me. I'm not letting you go." "I swear it's not a trick... maybe if you, you know, loosened my bonds, we could get more acquainted." He thinks for a moment. "Kiss me," he says. "Wh-What?" "Kiss me. if you really love me, then kiss me, right on the lips." "Um... how about on the cheek? I'm not much of a lip kisser." "No!" he shouts, causing me to gasp at the sudden burst of rage. "It's got to be on the lips! That's what she-- ugh, nevermind. If you want me to let you go, just kiss me on the lips. And you gotta mean it or it doesn't count." "Um... u-uh... yes, of course, Jacob..." I stammer. "Okay, here it goes..." I lean forward, puckering for a kiss. I can feel his lips on mine now. He needs to shave. Our lips attach and I uncomfortably hold them there until the kiss is over. I hate kissing. I don't even like writing kissing. Jacob steps back for a moment. "...Liar!" he yells. "Wh-What?! N-No, of course I love you! Please, Jacob, just give me another chance! I-I haven't really kissed anyone before a-and..." He slaps me across the face, growling like some kind of animal. My chair falls down and the other side of my face hits the concrete floor. He picks me up and [[sets me back down.]]

Sorry, I didn't mean that..." he says, calming down. "Sometimes I just get... so... angry..." "I-It's no problem, Jacob..." I reply, trying to get back on his good side. There are tears in my eyes and blood coming from my mouth. My lip must be busted right now. "S-So... how about we talk about why you're so angry..." I say after a long and awkward pause. "I'm good, thanks," he says, gritting his teeth. "OK, OK... well will you at least tell me why you haven't ever turned on the lights? I can't see you at all." "I... can't answer that either... you won't understand. You'll be... afraid." He says this as if I'm not already afraid of him. "Humor me," I say, faking a loving smile. "...Very well. I've got nothing else to lose," he responds. "Go on." "I... was cursed." "Cursed!" I say, in half shock, half disbelief. "It sounds crazy... but it's true. and... I was turned into some kind of monster. That's why I must never turn on the lights... you can't see me like this!" I'm lost for words. A monster? I guess that could explain why he was able to overpower me so easily. Otherwise, the twink has nothing on me. "That's silly," I reply. "You can't be *that* ugly." "I'm hideous!" he retaliates. "[[Show me.]]"

There's a very long pause. He seems to be contemplating whether he should show me his face. "OK... don't scream." I can hear him walk toward the light switch. I close my eyes in anticipation of the light. I slowly open my eyes. The light hurts. When they finally adjust, he's standing in front of me. The first thing I notice is his frame. He's so much taller than what I remember. He's wearing a greyish green cloak that covers most of his body. When he pulls up the hood, I gasp as he reveals his face--his eyes are like those of a dog, and so are his sharp teeth. He's covered head to toe in fur! "So... what do you think?" he asks. I say... [[“you’re beautiful”]] [[nothing]] [[“you’re hideous”]]

My eyes shift left to right, then back at him. "Y-You're... beautiful! Not ugly at all," I lie. "Are... are you lying?" he asks. "Of course not!" I continue to lie. He stares at me for a while, trying to detect a lie. I start sweating. He doesn't look approving. "No... you're lying! You tried to kill me earlier! Don't think I forgot!" He yells. Uh oh. Without warning, he lunges at me, claws out and teeth bearing. I can't do anything except... scream. The pain, and the blood, oh the blood... it went everywhere, on the cold stone walls, the concrete floor, the tool table, and all over Jacob's fur. I knew it wouldn't be long before I couldn't feel anything anymore. I'm on the floor, still tied to the only mildly comfortable dining chair. Despite my wounds, I start to feel... a numbing sensation. Jacob lulls me to sleep with his lamentation. "Oh, Charlie, please, I'm so sorry..." and then came the darkness, once again. (text-colour:"red")[''Bad End: Insecure Regrets''] [[Start Over?]] [[Choose another answer]]

My eyes rest on him, seemingly forever. I'm completely lost for words. "Well?" he demands. I say nothing. "I told you... I'm a monster," he sighs. "Th-That's... not true. You're still you," I reassure. "No... I'm not me. That's the thing. And the only way I can be myself again is to have a true love's kiss. And... the only person I really love is..." He turns around sadly. I stare at him, then look to the floor. He really does love me, huh. What a funny way of showing it. And yet, I kind of empathize with him. It must be Stockholm syndrome, or pure delirium, or whatever, but I genuinely feel pity for Jacob. "How... can I help?" I ask. "You can't help me... you don't love me like I do you..." "You don't know that." Jacob turns towards me again. "What?" "Jacob. Let me go. Even if I don't love you, I'm sure I can help you in some other way." "I..." "Jacob, please. There's no use in keeping me here anyway." His eyes shakily examine me, still tied to the chair. I look back at him. "Fine," he says, reluctance in his voice. He walks behind me, ripping through the rope with his claws. I stand up. "Thank you," I say. I'm free once more. "Yeah... so now what?" Jacob asks. "Now... we find some other way to break the curse." "And how are we gonna do that?" "Well... how were you cursed in the first place? Maybe going back to the source could give us [[some clues.]]"

I blink for a moment. "You're... you're right. You're hideous. I don't even know why I saw anything in you. You're the ugliest *motherfucker* I have ever seen. If I had a choice between you and Mr. Boss from Smiling Friends, I'd pay to marry Mr. Boss, then move to the other side of the fucking planet just to forget about you. I say that like I even have the ability to forget you; I can't. Your face is now burned into my memory and I have no one to blame but myself for allowing you to reveal to me your ugly-ass dog face." Jacob looks like he's about to cry. "Wh...Wh-What?!" he screams. Uh oh. He lunges at me, rage coursing through his body. He lands on me, pushing me onto my back. I'm still tied to the chair at this point, but that doesn't stop him from tearing me apart, limb by limb. The pain is unbearable, but I eventually feel a numbing sensation. That must be the blood loss. I breathed my last breath and watched my world fade to black. "U-Ugly... bitch..." it was like he turned the lights off again. (text-colour:"red")[''Bad End: Soggy Pillow''] [[Start Over?]] [[Choose another answer]]

(redirect:"Introduction")

(redirect:"Show me.")

Jacob sighs. "It's no use. She's probably long gone, the witch who cursed me. I'd asked her to help me in getting a better chance with girls, but..." "But?" "Well, let's just say that I didn't know at the time how much I liked you more." I blush a little, but as soon as I notice it, I bury the feeling deep inside. "So... anyway, I came back to her to ask her to reverse the spell, and she was totally unfair! It got so intense, she blocked me on Instagram, but not before she cursed me and, uh, this happened." I nod in artificial understanding. "And this witch... what is her name?" I ask him. "Ayumi." I almost choke. "What?" he asks in confusion. "Nothing, nothing..." I answer. Jacob keeps looking at me, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, wait, and you talked to her in person? Like, for real?" I ask. "Um, yeah. What about it?" "Er, uh, I'll tell you later..." Ayumi was a character that my friends Claus and Gray created to catfish Jacob. She's not supposed to be real... but now Jacob says that he talked to her in person? This is fishy... [[very fishy.]]

I'm just about to interrogate Jacob a little more when I notice something... a door on the wall, right next to the freezer. Was it there before? I could have sworn the only door in this room is the one at the top of the stairs, but now... there's just this mysterious-looking door standing ominously. "Jacob... where does that door lead?" "Huh? What door?" He turns around. "What the...?" he exclaims. "You noticed it too, then. That door wasn't there before. It just... appeared." "Wh...What does it mean?" he asks. "I don't know, but... maybe it's connected to this curse." We both exchange glances and slowly approach the door. It's painted white and kind of old looking, like an antique. It doesn't match with the rest of the doors at Jacob's house. "So... do we go in?" Jacob asks. "I think... we have to." I grab the door handle and twist. It's locked. "Shit..." I say. "No good, it's locked." "Step back," Jacob says. I let him get in front of me and watch him as he ferociously rams into the door. I don't expect anything to happen, since it's definitely a magic door, but to my surprise, it caves in to the pressure. "Damn..." I say. "It's nothing," he responds, walking inside. It's dark in there, but I can barely see some light in the distance. I walk in after Jacob. If he's not dead, it's probably [[safe in there.]]

"What is this place...?" I ask. "I... have no idea..." The room must be large, as there's a big echo whenever we talk. I can see a few candles on the walls. It looks like a hallway of some sort. "Well, let's just keep going," I reply. "No use standing here forever." We walk down the corridor. The farther we go, the better the lighting is. I can now see... posters on the wall. Posters of musical theatre and dance shows. I've never even heard of these shows... They must've flopped or something. Farther on, we discover a labyrinth of clothing racks, all with cheap-looking costumes. The tables around us are covered in props. One table, though, stands out to me. It's covered in strange occulty things, spellbooks and potions and the like. They seem... way too real. "Hello?" I call out. "I don't think anybody's home. Look at all these cobwebs," Jacob says. He's right... but to be fair, they do set the mood. The place is quiet except for our echoes. But then, out of the blue, I hear something. It's faint but it's definitely... footsteps. "J-Jacob.. Do you hear that?" I whisper. He nods, involuntarily walking in front of me to guard me. The footsteps are getting louder and louder... they're coming from the darkness, on the opposite side of where we came from. I hope to the Funyarinpa they're friendly... a face emerges from the shadows, and then a voice. "Charlie? Jacob?" it sounds [[familiar...]]

Someone comes out of the dark, illuminated by the nearby candles. It's kind of dim, but I can recognize her well... It's Glenda! Jacob relaxes, seeing that there's no threat. "Glenda...?!" he exclaims. "You guys! What are you doing here? And... what happened to you, Jacob?" she inquires. "Long story," I answer for him. "We found some weird door in Jacob's basement, and now we're here. What are *you* doing here?" "Oh, Charlie... I... I've been here for so long, Charlie... some strange witch girl trapped me here and I've been living here ever since! I'm so happy you've come to rescue me!~" she answers. "We didn't come here to... oh, never mind," Jacob says. "Do you know where Ayumi is? She cursed me and we're trying to get her to reconsider." "Reconsider? Oh, I don't know... she seems very unreasonable. She's been forcing me to make costumes and props for these awful high school programs. My feet hurt from wearing these heels!" "Um, then take them off," I suggest. "...No." "Well... do you know where she is?" Jacob asks. "Oh, uh, well... she comes here sometimes to assess the progress I've made, so... you can stay here, I guess. Just don't touch the props," she answers, walking over to her drafting table. Jacob and I exchange glances. "Well, that was easy," he says. "...No kidding," I nod. We take a seat on a stone bench. I know I should be glad, but something about this situation gives me an uneasy feeling. It's way too uneventful, and I'm not just talking about the poor writing. I feel like a cow, unaware of its impending slaughter. I stand up. "Um, you know, I'm thirsty. I think I'll go back to the basement for a bottle of water," I say. Glenda turns around. "Uh, are you sure? She'll be here any minute, now. I think you could wait just a little bit longer." "Um, no, that's fine. Jacob's the only one who needs to talk to her, anyway." I take a few [[more steps.]]

I quickly look around for something that I can use in my escape. There's plenty of tools on the table. I pick up a hammer to defend myself. I also go over to the box I'd opened. It's got a bunch of bobby pins and... a wireless curling iron. I pick that up too, not so much as a tool in my escape, but more as a souvenir. I look at the stairs and wonder what could be behind it. Would I be caught? Slowly, I walk up the stairs and open the door. It's a normal kitchen. I don't see Jacob around anywhere. Wasn't he supposed to be getting me water? Bitch. I walk over to the front door. It's bolted shut and boarded over. No good. Why would he do this? Has he been leaving the house at all? I hear something. It's coming from nearby, probably the bathroom. I'd been in his house before, so I know the general layout. Panicked, I look around for a place to hide. Under the table, I think. I duck under the horribly gaudy tablecloth. Footsteps approach. I'm terrified, but I remain silent and immobile. "H-Huh?!" I hear Jacob shout in confusion. He probably noticed the open basement door. I can hear him entering the basement and I take this opportunity to make a run for it. But where can I hide? I choose... [[the bathroom.]] [[the bedroom.]] [[to attack Jacob.]]

I'm about to make a run for it, but... then I look at the hammer in my hand. What if... I take a deep breath to prepare myself for what I'm about to do. I'll have to jump him really fast before he notices me. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to hurt him enough to allow me the time to escape. I run out from under the table and lunge at him! But... something's wrong. Jacob is wearing some sort of cloak, for one, but besides that... he's huge! I slam the hammer on the side of his head, and he screams in pain. No... he growls in pain. That's when I see his face--I gasp as I realize he's become some kind of beast, covered in fur and with a mouth filled with sharp, monstrous teeth! I look at him in terror. He pauses. "Don't look at me!" he shouts, about to slash at me with his claws. I quickly retaliate by hitting him again with the hammer, then grabbing the wireless curling iron from my pocket. I turn it on to its hottest setting and slap Jacob with it. "AAAGH!" he screams in pain, falling backwards. I gasp again when I see him fall down the stairs of the basement. Where to next... [[the shrine room.]] [[the doggy door.]] [[the garage.]]

There isn't much time. I bolt for Jacob's bedroom, something I never thought I'd ever be doing. Once I'm inside, I quietly shut the door and lock it. I look around. His room's a mess as ever, but even more so. I'd hoped to find the window, but it's boarded up just like the front door. I look at my hammer, then back at the window. Hatching an idea, I use the hammer to remove the boards. I've got to do so quietly, or I might alert Jacob. The boards are down. I'd hoped to find glass, but it seems that Jacob's installed metal bars on his windows. When did he do that?! I sigh. There's no escape, but at least I'm safe for now. I sit on his bed, which is quite dirty, and I could have sworn I felt fleas biting me. I feel something under the blanket, something hard and rectangular. A diary? I open up the book. There are some odd, discolored stains and sticky spots here and there. I feel a little uneasy. The first page is normal enough (for Jacob, anyway) so I skip a few. There's a lot of crude drawings of anime girls and sheet music for bass guitar. And then, probably somewhere in the middle, I first notice my name. I can't help but smile. It's innocent enough, just him talking about our friendship. This must be sometime in middle school. But more and more, I begin to notice my name being written more frequently, until the pages are filled with nothing but descriptions of me, stories detailing things that involved me, both true and made up. I saw drawings of me, too, some of them he'd even shown me once. And is that... my hair taped into the book? I read one passage. "I'm going to ask him out today during band. I don't know how it'll go, or how I'll ask him, but I hope I don't screw it up. I hope... he'll be *my* Charlie," it says. I feel [[a shiver crawl down my back. ]]

I don't have much time to think, so I head straight for the bathroom; it's closer than the bedroom, so it makes sense at the moment. I run inside and close the door, making sure not to make much noise. The bathroom is gross, but what else would I expect? I look into the mirror. There's a message written on it in red marker: "I'm a twisted fucking CYCOPATH." Damn, I look like shit. But, there's no time to worry about my looks--I hear footsteps outside the door... and now he's wiggling the door handle! I have to think fast: I jump into the shower, using the faucet as leverage. But as soon as I'm inside, the faucet turns on and... no water comes out? No, no, it's much worse... I notice the sound of gas releasing from a pipe, then the air turns pink... no, purple! I gasp for air... I feel like my lungs are going numb, like they're slowly dying. My legs turn limp until I fall, leaning my head on the wall of the shower. A large figure opens the door; it couldn't be Jacob, since Jacob is more lean. No, this is somebody else... but I can't see who it is. "Charlie... Charlie!" their voice calls out, over and over, until it fades out into oblivion. I blink and my eyes don't open again. (text-colour:"red")[''Bad End: Cycopath Haze''] [[Start Over?]] [[Choose another choice]]

(redirect:"ugly basement.")

I remember that well. We were in band together, ninth or tenth grade. He started out joking about how he was sad he couldn't get any girls. I laughed, and then he said, in a half-joking way, "Do you wanna date me?" he was chuckling a bit, but I could tell he was being serious. I let him down gently, but he seemed perturbed for the rest of the day. I turn the page. "He... he rejected me. I knew it, I knew I shouldn't have started out saying I couldn't get any girls! Now he must think I'm a douchebag... I've got to fix this. I've... I've got one more trick up my sleeve." What does he mean by that? Before I can read any more, I hear something outside the door. Footsteps. I stop what I'm doing and look around for a hiding place. His closet is a mess--I couldn't possibly fit inside. I drop down and hide under the bed, taking the diary with me. The doorknob wiggles and wiggles, until I can hear the door break off its hinges. "Where are you?!" he howls. He sounds monstrously angry, now. I'm shaking, almost crying, but I manage to stay quiet enough for him not to detect me. His pounding footsteps circle the room. He first checks the closet, but he doesn't find me. I just hope he doesn't check under the bed. He steps a little closer to the bed, so I move a little in order to stay hidden. As I do so, I can feel something metal, like a hinge of some kind. A beeping sound goes off in the kitchen. Something must be smoking. Jacob growls, then exits the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. I let out another sigh of exhaustion and relief. I decide to examine the metal hinge thing. I feel around a bit more and discover some kind of handle for a trap door. I open it up, and faint light shines out from below. It looks like some kind of chute, but to where? There's only one way to [[find out.]]

I slide down the metal chute. I can see the same faint light shimmering from the distance. What the hell is that? The journey down is long, but I eventually find myself at the bottom. "Oof!" I let out, landing on a dusty mattress. I stand up, brushing the dirt off my clothes. What is this place? The room is huge, with a cold concrete floor, illuminated only by candles attached to the stone walls. This place is definitely bigger than the basement, but it feels just as empty. I can also see tons of racks of cheap-looking Party City costumes, and posters for musicals and dance programs I'd never heard of. "Hello...?" a voice calls out from the lingering darkness. Heart thumping, I ready my hammer to defend myself. A figure approches me. "Charlie, is that you..?" Her voice, it's... familiar. "Glenda?" I ask. She comes closer and I can finally see her face in the dim candlelight. Then, she hugs me tight. "Oh, Charlie, I knew you would save me!" I feel like running back to Jacob now. "G-Glenda... what the hell are you doing here?" I ask. "Oh, Charlie, Jacob kidnapped me and trapped me in this wretched room," she swoons, sighing dramatically. "Same, how long've you been here?" "I've lost track of time, to be honest. He's been making me curl his hair in exchange for food." "Glenda... do you know how to get out of here?" I ask in desperation. "Well, there is one way out of here... but alas, it is a place I cannot follow..." "Sure, yeah, whatever. Where is it?" "First... you must kiss me!" I take a step back. "OK, thanks, I'm gonna climb up the chute now," I say. "Noooo, Charlieeee, I didn't mean it! OK, look, there's a ladder behind the Little Shop of Horrors puppet. I can't leave because... reasons. Just... go," Glenda says. I walk behind the giant plant puppet, and sure enough, there's [[a ladder.]]

I've got time, now. Maybe I could escape from the backyard! I walk past the hallway, straight to the backdoor. And... it's locked. Of course, it's locked. I'm about to give up and go for the garage when... I look down. A doggy door. It seems big enough... and I'm probably small enough… I crouch down. This is the best idea I've ever had. I try and fit my head in first, then I squeeze and squeeze, trying to get my arms through. But now they're stuck. Fuck. "That's fine," I think. I can just pull myself out and try again. And I try that, to no avail. Am I... stuck like this forever? What if... what if Jacob catches up to me and sees me like this?! I struggle more and more, beginning to panic again. I'm trapped! And then, I hear something. I was so busy worrying about being trapped in the doggy door, I didn't bother to look at what was in front of me. I hear the sound of some kind of animal. It must be coming from that doghouse... oh shit. A doghouse. And just like that, I squirmed and squirmed, trying to get myself back inside the house. At this point, I start to cry, which only serves to bring the dog out of the doghouse. Except... it's not a dog, is it? No... dogs can't be... purple. In fact, this creature, it seems like some kind of humanoid, walking on its arms and legs in what would resemble a dog. The creature is naked, covered in this purple fur, matted with dried blood. It spots me, and I scream as it runs straight for me, its teeth ready for a free meal. It goes for my neck, first. And then it munches on my face. The pain is unbearable, unbearable until there is no pain anymore. There's just... nothing, nothing to feel anymore. I stop struggling, and finally lie still. (text-colour:"red")[''Bad End: Who Let the Dogs Out''] [[Start Over?]] [[Choose another place]]

I'm breathing so heavily--my chest feels like it could burst. I look around for a place to go and run for the garage. Maybe I could get out through the garage door! I close the door behind me. The garage is dark and smells weird. I feel for a light switch and turn on the lights, walking farther inside. In the middle, there's a car, its red paint peeling and its windows coated in layers of dust. I turn around. There are shelves filled with various chemicals, which seem new, as there's no dust on the bottles. What has Jacob been up to? I look at the garage door. It's closed, so I need to find the car keys to open it. I look around for a few moments before wiping away the dust from the car window. And I see it--the car keys, with a charm of the Marionette from Five Nights at Freddy's attached, are locked inside his car! I pull the handle a couple times, but it's no use... I need to find some other way of opening the car door. I look over at the chemicals, an idea forming. Or it could just be carbon monoxide poisoning. The bottles of chemicals aren't labelled, not unless you count the Pixar Bug's Life stickers, of which there are many. But if I could just put a few of them together, I could cause an explosion that would open the car door and allow me to take the keys. I get to work, mixing a few of them together. They smell horrible, like if someone turned a rat motel into a makeshift hospital. And finally... I've got it: the perfect concoction! I place the bottle of explosive liquid near the car and throw my shoe at it. It doesn't do anything except sizzle, so I sigh and break the window with my hammer. I grab the keys and press the button, opening the garage door. I'm... I'm free! I take a moment to enjoy the fresh air. It looks like it's about noon. Time to move. But as soon as I step forward, I hear the door behind me opening. It's [[Jacob!]]

I slam the door and make a run for it, not bothering to check if he's gotten up. I only care about my escape. Now that I have a bit more time, I take a few deep breaths and take a moment to look around. There's a hallway, and a door that catches my eye: there's a glow coming from underneath and I decide to investigate it. When I open the door, I see... some kind of weird-ass shrine. I come closer and crouch down to examine it. It's got some candles around it, some napkins... and a picture of me, right in the middle of it. I shudder. When did he take this picture of me?! I look awful in it. I get back up to examine the rest of the room. There's an old TV set, but I don't see any way of turning it on right now. On a cheap plastic table, I also see some kind of book... a diary, perhaps? I pick it up and read through it. No, not a diary. It's more of a weird journal documenting some kind of experiment... "Day 4: Subject is getting increasingly agitated." "Day 18: Subject fails to respond to any verbal stimulus. Slight discoloration of the skin." "Day 22: Subject refuses to eat prepared meals, will only eat what it can catch." What the hell has Jacob been doing here? I close the journal and set it down. There's some scrap paper on the table, too... he's scribbled most of the words out, but I can sort of tell that it's the many rough drafts to... [[an apology:]]

"Yumi... I'm sorry..." "Ayumi, I am sincerely..." This area of the table is a mess... like he was frantic or even angry while writing these. I wonder if he was successful in finishing this apology. And here's a newspaper clipping, taped to the wall. It's about... the mass murder of an entire high school? No... no, this can't be. That's... *my* school! "...All students and staff at West Pennithan High School perished after an unknown assailant hacked into the security system, locking everyone inside and playing the song "Poison" over the intercom, then released a poisonous gas into the air conditioning system. There are no survivors." OK, I've certainly seen enough, now. Nothing here seems to be of any use for me. But just as I turn to face the door, another face surprises me. "Oh, Charlie!" she says. "G-Glenda?!" I gasp. "What are you doing here?" "I... could ask you the same thing." "Riiiight..." I side-eye her. She looks a little ominous, like she's about to do something. Then, suddenly, a quick flash of light shines into my eyes, temporarily blinding me. The rest is a bit of a blur. And I mean, a literal blur. I couldn't see anything. It was like my brain was going numb. I fall down to the floor; I can still see Glenda's feet, just barely. She steps over me. What the hell is she doing? When I'm about to try getting back up, a sharp pain on the back of my head, like a heavy metal object, sends me into complete darkness. (text-colour:"red")[''Bad End: So Close Yet So Far''] [[Start Over?]] [[Choose another place]]

(redirect:"to attack Jacob.")

"Stop! Wait!" he shouts. I shudder at his werewolf-like form. Twilight was *WRONG*. "Get away! Get away from me!" I say, holding up my hammer like it's going to do anything against him. "Wait, hold on, you don't understand. I need you! You can't leave me!" he says, holding his arm toward me. "I said get back!" I scream, waving my hammer at him. I walk backwards while he walks forwards. "Look, just let me explain, Charlie. Please!" he says. "Shut up! Don't say my name! Y-You're... a m-monster!" He's about to say something else when he suddenly yelps in pain. He's stepped on the spilled corrosive chemical on the concrete floor, and it's stained the fur on his foot. "Agh, fuck! It burns!" he cries, holding up his leg. He starts bouncing, bouncing right into the shelf of chemicals! "Jacob, watch out!" I yell. But it's too late. He bumps into the chemicals, the bottles all start falling on him, splashing their contents into his fur and skin. He yelps loudly in pain. Instead of watching this all go down in shock, I take this moment to run, run away. I don't know Jacob's neighborhood too well, but I don't care. I'm running as far away from Jacob's house as possible. A couple minutes later, I stop in my tracks to the sight of... something very, very strange. I see... a large van. The kind of van that's so inconspicuous, it's almost suspicious. And unloading from said van are... a bunch of furries. Is there a convention in town? No, they're all looking at me. "Charlie!" one calls out. Their voice sounds familiar, and, weirdly, their fursuit too. "You know me?" I ask. "Yes. Get in the van. We'll explain everythin'." I shrug my shoulders, getting inside. The furries are pretty tall, except the one who was just talking to me, so I'm kind of intimidated. They say they're a secret government organization called the Spy Dogs. They're pretty vague about what exactly they deal with, but they tell me they noticed a kind of "anomaly" in the proximity of Jacob's house. They put a few pieces together and went to go rescue me. To this day, I still think about my time at Jacob's house. It started out so innocent... but then... I just don't want to think about it. Why was Jacob emulating the Beast from Beauty and the Beast? Why wasn't I into it?? Some third question???? There are just so many questions that I will never get an answer to... unless of course I could somehow go back in time to make different choices and approach a different result. But that would be stupid. (text-colour:"limegreen")[''Poison End''] [[Start Over?]] [[Choose another place]]

"Where does it lead?" I ask. "The kitchen." "Thanks." I take another moment to look at my surroundings. There's a large table with tons of occulty-looking things, like cards, potions, and the like. "Now shoo, get, go!" Glenda says, ushering me to the ladder. I grab it and climb up. There's a hatch up there, leading to a dark and cramped place. I can only assume it's Jacob's pantry because it smells like old vegetables and ramen packets. I peek through the cracks of the pantry door. No sign of Jacob. Where did he go? I opened the door and walked out the pantry, still looking around in case I hadn't spotted him yet. When I was sure he wasn't around, I looked around the kitchen for something to help me. I gasp in excitement when I see something on the wall--a telephone! "This is too good to be true," I think, but I don't care. I'll take any chance I can get to get out of here. I dial 911. "Pick up, pick up, pick up...!" I whisper-yell. "Found you!" a voice shouts behind me. I yelp. I know just who it is. "J-Jacob, I--!" "Save it. You're coming with me. You've had enough excitement for one day." I slowly turn around, a feeling of hopelessness rushing through me. And then, I see him. I gasp in horror. Head to toe, Jacob was covered in hair. He's wearing a sort of cloak to hide his body, but I can still see the fur coating his skin. He's also much larger than usual, and his teeth are razor-sharp. "Aw shit, you're a fucking werewolf? *That's* the twist?!" "I'm not a werewolf, I'm just cursed!" he shoots back. "I can see that!" He grabs me and carries me over his shoulder. "Let me go!" I scream. He begins to takes me back to the basement. Back to square one. But just as he reaches the door, he suddenly stops. I can hear him say "Huh?" then drop me to the floor before falling flat on his back himself. I stand back up, still shaking. I feel like my lungs are about to collapse. There's a tranquilizer dart stuck in his neck. I look up to see... a figure in a white dog costume. A furry? The dog takes off their head [[to reveal...]]

"Charlotte?" I say. "Charlie!" she says. "Come on guys, the coast is clear!" I look over at the front door, which used to be boarded shut, now broken in. It must've been forced open while I was struggling with Jacob. Many more people in fursuits come in, most carrying guns like Charlotte's. "Are you all right, Charlie?" Charlotte asks. "I... um, yeah..." I answer, confused. "Let's get you out of here..." she says, ordering a fursuit to escort me away. The rest of my day was spent at some kind of secret facility. They call themselves the "Spy Dogs," a special task force of furries sent to save civilians from situations like what I'd experienced. Apparently Charlotte, my longtime friend, is their leader. I'd never known. Somebody opens the door to the office I'd been placed in. "How're ya doin', dearie?" Charlotte asks. "Oh, I'm fine, thanks. Um, thanks for saving me... I don't know what came over him... and what's up with the whole werewolf thing going on?" "Honestly, we don't know. We've got him sedated and we're runnin' tests on him as we speak. So far, nothin' can explain what happened to him. It's almost like... magic." "I see... and what about Glenda? Were you able to save her too?" "I'm sorry, but we couldn't find Glenda anywhere. We checked under the bed like you said, but there was no trap door to be found. Maybe... you were just imaginin' things? It's understandable, given what you had to live through." "No... no, I certainly saw Glenda! She showed me how to get to the kitchen from the room under Jacob's bed! I know I saw her!" "Well, I don't know what to tell ya, Charlie-dear. She wasn't there." I sigh. I know I'm not crazy. "I'll go getcha some coffee. Just relax, OK?" she says, getting up to leave. I don't know what happened at Jacob's house. Every day, I have nightmares about it. The basement, Glenda's chambers, Jacob's terrifying figure. What does it all mean? Somewhere deep inside... I know I need answers. And I also know... I'll never get closure. (text-colour:"limegreen")[''Bolt End''] [[Start Over?]] [[Choose another choice]]

"Stop!" she calls out, but this time, her voice sounds weird. It's like a choir of many different voices talking all at once. My hair stands on end. I can see Jacob standing up in my peripheral vision. Suddenly, Glenda jumps up, throwing her hand out. From it, a burst of light emitted, and once it hit me, my muscles went numb until I fell to the floor, completely paralyzed. "Charlie!" Jacob screams, running towards me, but Glenda does the same thing to him and he falls to the ground next to me. Glenda laughs maniacally. "Gotcha, bitch!" "G-Glenda... what the hell...?" I say. "All this time... you've been working with Ayumi?!" Jacob shouts. "Working with Ayumi? I *am* Ayumi!" "Y-You...! *You're* the Witch?!" I gasp. "Thaaaat's right, bestie! I fooooled you! Glenda isn't even real, I maaaade her up!" "What do you want from us? You've already cursed me!" Jacob asks. "Well, I've got complex motives, you see" "Oh brother," I roll my eyes. She continues."First of all, I'm fucking petty. Second of all, I need your souls. No hard feelings, I just need them to perform a ritual that ensures my own existence. You see, it all started in the 1920s when these scientist guys found this crystal thing and..." My mind wanders out of boredom. I look Jacob in the eyes. How are we getting out of this one? The Witch notices our bored expressions. "OK, fine, I can read the room. If you boys aren't interested in my story, I'll get right on to the spell." She turns around, probably to finish preparing the magic or something. I can barely move my arms, but I manage to slowly inch them towards Jacob. Jacob gets the same idea, moving his hands to touch mine, a tear falling down his fur-covered cheek. So, I guess this is how it ends. "Oookay besties, it's my time to shine! Aw, look, you're holding hands. Anyway..." She begins reading from her spellbook while waving her hand around. We don't have much time. In our last moments I... [[ kiss Jacob.]] [[smile at Jacob.]]

I'm so weak... but so determined. With all my strength, I inch my head closer to Jacob's, just close enough to kiss him on the lips. Jacob's eyes widen. I would be surprised too--just before, I had tried to kill him, then I'd lied to him in an attempt to escape the basement, but now... this just feels so right, in a weird sort of way. After a moment, he closes his eyes and kisses me back. But then... I feel something. I feel... my arms and legs start to regain feeling--I can move! Jacob notices it too, looking just as astonished. I use my arms to pick myself up, looking straight at the Witch. "Wh-What are you doing...? You shouldn't be able to stand!" she yells in confused rage. Jacob gets up, too, towering over the Witch, still in the form of Glenda. He bears his teeth and pounces on her as I watch, standing to the side. But just as I think we've won, she begins to... transform. Jacob is thrown back with great force. I gasp. The body of Glenda rips and tears until it's barely recognizable. Behind her are these black tendrils coming from her back, which are long enough to hold her up in the air like a monstrous spider. Her body sheds and under her skin emerges something black and slimy; her face is now a large mouth filled with razor-sharp fangs. I had never seen anything more terrifying in my life. I shudder, then look over to Jacob. Something's different about him, too. He's gradually reducing in height and his fur seems to be disappearing--the true love's kiss worked! And at the worst possible time. The Witch cackles demonically. "What's wrong? Do you miss your horrible curse, now? Oh, silly humans, I will enjoy tearing you up and harvesting your souls! Deadass!" I run over to Jacob and grab his hand. I don't know how, but I've got the feeling we can take her down... [[together!]]

Even though I'm crying, I can't help but smile. Even though he kidnapped me, tied me to a chair, and physically abused me, he's like, super cute, so I couldn't imagine any other way of going. I remember the good times we had in school together. I loved it when he walked to class with me, how he would really listen to me when I ranted about my problems. He was like a brother to me… Jacob smiles back at me. Then, a look of determination appears on his face. "I'm... not giving up..." he says. What the hell is he going to do?! My facial expression changes to surprise as I can see his muscles tensing, trying to break free of the magic keeping him down. And then... I see a flash of light, as if the barrier is somehow being broken. "Wh-What... what are you doing?!" the Witch yells. Jacob growls, slowly regaining the ability to stand. He soon towers over her, still in the form of Glenda. "How... how are you standing?!" she shouts at him, clearly confused. "No matter... this isn't even my true form!" Suddenly, she transforms into something like a giant shadow with sharp tendrils, but I can't see her completely as my head is facing in the wrong angle. All I can do is listen to the calamity. Jacob growls again, bearing his teeth, and lunges toward her. I can hear the Witch screaming in pain as he rips and tears at her. It sounds like he's winning, until… "Stop! Stop, monster!" somebody yells. I can sort of recognize their voice, and then, a gunshot. Involuntarily, my head shoots up to see what's happened--I'm no longer paralyzed! But when I look up, the scene looks... completely different. I can see a team of... furries? And they're all holding guns. To the left, I see the bloody, mangled corpse of Glenda, in her human form. And next to her is... Jacob, lying on the ground motionless. "Jacob!" I cry, trying to rush towards him, but one of the fursuits grabs me before I can reach him. "No, no!" I say, kicking and screaming. A white fursuit, the leader, I assume, kneels down next to the body of Glenda while two others check on Jacob. That's the last thing I see before I feel a prick on my neck, then fade to black. I wake up in my bed, sweating. "What the..." I think to myself, looking around. Everything seems normal, nothing out of place. I get up, examining myself. All of my wounds have healed, somehow. I'm categorically confused. This couldn't have been a dream... it was all too real! Jacob, the Witch, those strange furry people... although, it does seem pretty crazy once I think about it. I sit up and check my phone for the time. It's 3 in the morning. Before going back to sleep, I could've sworn I saw something outside my window... but it must have been my imagination. (text-colour:"limegreen")[''Nightmare End''] [[Start Over?]] [[Choose a different action]]

(redirect:"Introduction")

(redirect:"more steps.")

"Now hold still!" she commands as she throws some more magic at us. It comes at us fast, faster than what we could possibly dodge. Still holding hands, we hold our free hands up and, somehow, deflect the blast! It hits the Witch in one of her tendrils... She's just as surprised as us. "Agh, fuck! You've gotta be fucking kidding me right now!" she screams. "OK, Harry Potter, this power of love shit is getting fucking old! I'll have you know I studied at Harvard! I know shitty writing when I s--" Suddenly, she convulses like a couple thousand volts of electricity are shooting through her body. I stare at Jacob, who stares at me back. Behind the Witch is a team of people in suits. No... they're fursuits! Furries?! "Stand back!" a voice calls out. It's a female voice with a strong Southern accent. It sounds so... familiar. I let go of Jacob's hand to confront one of them. "Hey, what's going on?" I ask. "I said stand back, Charlie!" she replies sternly. She knows my name?! They take us to some weird secret base. They even blindfolded us on the way there. When we're there, Jacob and I are escorted to some kind of interrogation room, where we sit on a chair. The white fursuit with the Southern accent sits across us. Her fake dog eyes stare into our souls before she finally removes her head. "Charlotte?!" I exclaim. "What the hell?!" Jacob adds. "Hello, Charlie. Jacob. We've been keeping an eye on you two." Charlotte replies dryly. "Charlotte, what's going on?" I ask. "Briefly, we're the Spy Dogs, a team of secret agents tasked with resolving cases deemed too 'unusual' for a regular task force. We had reports of some kind of... anomaly occurring in the general vicinity of Jacob's home. When we searched your basement, we discovered the door and found you and some kind of monster," she answers, then she takes out a pen and paper. "And now's the time for you to fill in the blanks." It takes about an hour to tell her the full story, making sure to sugarcoat the literal kidnapping. "I... see," she says. "And so... that thing we tased... was the Witch?" "That's right," Jacob says. "Wait... you mean you didn't kill her?" I respond. All our eyes widen. At the prison segment of the facility, Charlotte goes over to the Witch's room, and to our shock and terror... the large metal door is wide open. All three of us exchange horrified glances as a hypothetical camera zooms out of the scene. (text-colour:"lime")[''True End''] [[Start Over?]] [[Choose a different action]]

(text-colour:"purple")[Silly Games] by purplegas, 2023 This is a text-based adventure novel, where you choose your own ending! There are a total of 9 endings to get. Charlie has been kidnapped by his old friend Jacob! Why has he done this? Can he escape intact? Can he escape with the truth? Play as him as you navigate your way through Jacob’s house in search of an escape (and the truth?) [[Begin]]