So, this is not my best work, but I tried. Writing in a way that incorporates the reader is not a strength of mine, but I loved having the opportunity to try my hand at it. :-) So, thank you very much, ValiantRaptor47!

* * * * * * * * * *

We have two characters in this story.

First, we have the police officer: Hans Christian Stevenson. He is a twenty-seven year old man. His black hair is cut short; think of an army cut. He sports a slight beer belly, but he is of a strong build.

Next, we have you. And you are very important in this story...Let’s begin.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Ah, nothing like a nice hot cup of coffee when you have to solve a case.” He leans back into the chair and takes a long sip. Suddenly, he notices you standing in the door. Spewing out his coffee, he jumps to his feet.

“Who are you?! What are you doing here?!”

(the most sarcastic, but jaw-dropping amazing, self-introduction speech that you have ever delivered)

“Oh!” He turns red and takes a step back. “I see. We’ve been expecting you, Chief. Won’t you come in?”

(you walk in, owning the room with your confidence)

“Wait!” He clamps his mouth shut. “Oh, no, it’s fine. I...No! I wasn’t going to say you can’t sit on my chair. Please. Please sit there!

(you make yourself comfortable and face him)

“What? Oh, oh, yes! Of course, how silly of me.” He hands you the dossier. “That is all we have on this case.”

(sarcastic comment on the little evidence that is presented)

“Well, we are working with breadcrumbs, yes. What?” He turns redder. “No, of course not! We paid close attention to the premises! We searched every nook and cranny!”

(continues reviewing dossier)

“What? What do you mean the case is solved? Why, we don’t even have a suspect!” He sips his coffee. “No, Chief. We have NO suspects...It’s who?!!” He spews out his coffee again. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to spit at you! Chief, wait, please! Don’t leave! Please!” He runs out of the room, trying to catch up with you.

(you smirk and exit the station, hailing your taxi driver to cross the street and pick you up)

“Chief, please! Why did you say that Sammy Parnell is guilty? Where’s the evidence?” He stops in front of you. “What? How could that be the solution? It’s of no importance whatsoever! Please, explain, Chief!”

(you ignore him and climb into the taxi, ordering the driver to high-tail it out of the town)

“Chief! Chief!! Chief, wait!!!” The taxi zooms away, and disappears around the corner.

(in the taxi, you take out your fake ID and smirk as you look at the name. In the dim light, the name Sammy Parnell glints mischievously. Who said that it was impossible to be a criminal and a chief police officer at the same time?)

To anyone wishing to help examine this letter…I am Dr. (CLASSIFIED), and was, two months ago as of 20 November, 2020, communicated a very peculiar hand-written letter. I was told by the Latvian detective service that this letter was found in the office of a man who had been murdered, a Dr. (CLASSIFIED), who was apparently quite experienced in the field of genetics and micro-anatomy and biology. He was found late one night, dead at his desk in his apartment in Riga, with a large slash across his throat. There was no evidence of struggle, and no forceful breach to his apartment had been confirmed. He had apparently been writing a letter, which lay on the desk below him, drenched in blood.

The Latvian detective service managed to recover much of what the letter stated, but could not understand any of what it may indicate. The night on which Dr (CLASSIFIED)’s body was discovered was the also night before he was set to leave for the deep jungles of Western Brazil, a place from which he had returned a few years prior. His studies involved much troubling work in the field of the engineering of biological weaponry and, even more unnerving, (CLASSIFIED).

If the essence of the letter that Dr. (CLASSIFIED) are even slightly accurate, and are by no means falsified, then this could be bigger than anyone could ever imagine. Originally, this letter was kept strictly confidential, but with multiple governments eager to obtain even the slightest tinge of information regarding its essence, it has been requested to be made public.

I was stationed in Munich at the time, and, as I have delved deep into the fields of (CLASSIFIED), I was trusted to examine a copy of the letter. Unable to decode it, however, I distributed it to my fellow colleagues, and when they made no progress on the matter, I then turned it over to my students, my acquaintances…Anyone who would listen.

I urge whoever has received this to give it their utmost attention, but, be warned: the Latvian detective agency that had initially disclosed this document reported within three days of disclosure the murder or disappearance of over half of their staff. The professor who entrusted the letter to me met a similar fate yesterday. By all means, proceed with caution.

Note: As a loose acquaintance of Dr. (CLASSIFIED), who wrote the above excerpt, I was granted a copy of the letter. I must say, however, that the sudden misfortune of his death (by poisoning) did make me uneasy. Therefore, I have distributed it to some of my loose acquaintances, as far as I can reach, to get this bloody curse off my hands.

Other Note: Hello there! ValiantRaptor47, here! I received my copy of the letter from the gentleman who wrote the previous note (who also met a gory demise, apparently). He had to offer quite a sum of money to convince me to carry on the distribution, so, I guess that there actually is a price on life (his life, at least). I cannot decode it, so I have turned to the help of anyone I can on this website. Do you have any idea what this could mean? Do let me know if you uncover anything, and do not be dissuaded should I not respond immediately, for I worry that my last meal is not setting well - a sudden cloudiness has come over me, and I suddenly do not feel so fine. But, here it is, in a typed (and translated) format; so, tell me if you find anything!

Grand Master Norramus…

It is with deepest regret that I compose this letter. Can you please understand: you have forced some rather unfortunate conditions on me. Alfonzo was not aware of the magnitude of what you wanted me to accomplish, so, conversely, Stanton was. No amount of words could describe how many assets we acquired in Brazil, but even these were not enough to continue the experiment. Nevertheless, we tried our very best to preform by all means necessary the test. Over the course of the experimentation, we have completely expended our supply of genetic material, and we are far from a breakthrough. Let it be known that, unless YOU can provide me with a more abundant, and, frankly, safer alternative source, I shall not venture on another safari. Over all, we have been forced to consider halting all experiments.

Neither myself nor Alfonzo were prepared for the magnitude of the experiments that we had to program. Great challenges are to be faced, and frankly, I cannot see us overcoming them with such high stakes at play in this dilemma. Every one of my staff have deserted, and, as a result of the misfortunes experienced during this stage of experimentation, even Stanton is dead. Rush not to try and stop me; Alfonzo is already on his way to the Lower Magistrate to put an end to this misfortune. Working with the enemy is a cowardly last resort, I agree, but it is much favorable compared to where this madness stands.

Of course, my loyalties remain with you, always, but you need to take responsibility and provide me with the materials I require to continue this project, if it even signals the advances that you state it shall profess. Right now, however, you have gone too far, and even for one to usurp…Kick me in the teeth if you must, but the work which you are asking me to do is by no means normal. Listen to me, please (for I know that you rarely listen to anybody). Interest in our projects are increasing, even as of this base of resources which you have given us to work with shrinks into a peninsula. Karma is not on our side - we have faced incredible setbacks. Every time I come back to the laboratories, I feel so unfortunate.

Time, I’m sure, will pass, and in the future, I hope you will find forgiveness for me in your heart. Have consolation in the fact that I have never considered myself a traitor. I will always remain loyal to you, if not in work, then in pract [abrupt end to the letter, with a mysterious note left below]

EDLEAATDOMNALNLTE

#fiction

#suspense

#mystery

(It should go without saying, but I better say it anyway: this is purely a work of fiction. All persons involved are in no danger of which I am aware. There are, in fact, three encrypted messages, basic in the information that they convey, embedded within the letter provided. Should anyone wish to guess the codes, please insert that guess into the comment section of this post. Good luck).

You walked out of the house with your peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You munched on it like a hog, whilst you bopped to the music ringing in your ears. You turned the corner from Marleez minimart and skipped across the parking lot, checking doors and windows of the cars you went past. Near the dumpster, you met up with Ole Jed and Eddie where you smoked a joint and exchanged cash and drugs. As you stood up, a young woman came out from the minimart to empty the trash and you grabbed her. Scared Ole Jed and Eddie made a runner, leaving you alone and you took advantage of that innocent young woman in ways not even an animal would. You scarred her face, broke her arm and ribs and left her for dead on that dark evening. You either thought she'd seen everything or wanted something no one would give you willingly because you're worse than an animal and as if that wasn't enough, you took her life.

Well I'm back from the dead and going to make sure I send you to Hell.

Naomi Adams

START HERE

What to do: For every choice you make, I’ll say to go to a certain number, and you will scroll down (Or up) until you see it, and start reading.

(Warning: This was far too much to check for spelling errors, so I’m sorry if something is spelled wrong.)

(I am not one who has really be interested in history, so I’m sorry if my facts are out of date, or inaccurate)

It’s 1943 during world war 2, and the battle has been raging on for a while. You have fought alongside many American soldiers, but you never thought you’d end up where you lay. It’s dark, and cold outside, and the forest of which you lay within is still as the moon hangs high above your head. You lay on the cold grass with your eyes wide open. The bombs and gunshots echoing in your head. You can’t breath...your still as your head aches in pain. The battle on these grounds must have ended, for there are no soldiers or fellow companions with you. No, for you are alone, and in pain. You start to think about your last few memories. You recall yourself running through the trees, when a strange buzz wissed past your ear. You knew it was a bullet and ducked for cover. You had hid behind a tree as screams filled the air. And out of nowhere things went blank. Everything from then on, was all blurry. You can’t recall anything else. Were you hit in the head? Put unconscious? Shot? You can’t tell. You get up, and check yourself for wounds. You seem pretty unharmed, you just have a bad headache from the noise and explosions. You look up at the sky wondering what you should do, and where your team has gone. Did they forget me? You ask yourself. Did they think I was dead-

Your thinking is cut off when a light shines through the trees. You hear no footsteps, no walking, no noise, all is still and silent. But yet there is a strange light coming from the trees. Your first thought is that it might be a German group moving through the deserted Battlefield, ready to take you prisoner or kill you if you’re caught. But you also think that it might be the Americans, who will rescue you, but you can’t tell for there is no noise. What should you do?

Go up to the light- Continue to number 1

Ignore the light, and make a run for it: Scroll down to number 2

1.

You understand the great risk you are taking, and decide to approach the strange light. You feel your heart racing as you get closer and closer, trying to be soundless as you walk through the trees. The light does not seem to grow any brighter. You find it strange how your moving forward, yet the light seems to be moving backwards. Was this a bad idea? You ask yourself. No...you think, it could not have been. I will die if I stay here. I must take my chances. So you proceed to move forward, but just as before, the light is getting farther and farther away from you. You stop walking for a moment, thinking that maybe it is a person moving in the Same Direction You Are. Should I say something? You wonder. NO! Too risky! But what are you to do? You have no food, no water, no supplies, no weapons, and yet, you stand upon a battle feild, unawear of what happened, and what that light is. You could die out here...but maybe the risk is just too much. What should you do?

Yell something softy into the trees- Scroll down to number 3

Stay quiet and continue to move forward- Scroll down to number 4

2.

NO! You tell yourself. This is insane! I am not stupid enough to walk blindly up to a light that is clearly a person! But yet, you find it odd that there is no sound where the light is placed. Despite the questions in your head, your guts tells you it’s not safe here, and you walk in the opposite direction of the light, trying to be as quiet as possible in case it’s a light from the enemy team. For a long while you walk without anything in the pitch darkness. You have no supplies, no weapons, no food, no water, and your walking on a deserted Battlefield that you have no idea what heppend here. You are so tired, and hungry, but you push forward, hoping to come arcoss some kind of civilization. Yet you seem to travel for hours with nothing, and you feel yourself grow weaker. You keep triping over over branches hidden by the darkness, and you eyes are tempted to close. You mind tells you to stop, but you know that the light is still out there, and whoever is making it, could be dangerous. You can’t take that risk, but you also can’t go much farther. What should you do?

Lay down and rest- Scroll down to number 11

Move onward- Scroll down to number 12

3

It can’t be that bad. You think, but yet, you know how much of an idiot this would make you. Your odds of survival are low out here, and you know that, and you convince yourself that this is the only way you can make it out alive, even if you are captured. You take a deep breath, knowing that this one move, could possibly end your life, but you know you have to. “HEY!” You scream, unprepared. Right after you yell you run, ducking behind a tree for cover in case someone was going to shoot at you. You get no reply, and all you can hear is your heart pumping. You know something has to be done, so you slowly sperk your head out of the side of the tree, being extremely cautious. Your eyes scatter looking for that light, and you saw it almost instantly. But yet, something is wrong, the light is bigger now. Actually, it is moving towards you! You start to panic! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!? You scream at yourself inside your head. You can’t help the sudden ghasps of air, as your heart beats so very fast. Wht should you do?

Forget the light, RUN- Scroll down to Number 6

Stay there, maybe it’s not as bad as it seems- Scroll down to Number 5

4

You know how stupid it would be to say something at night like this. Even if it was not the Germans, there could be some near here, and they would hear you. You decide to continue forward ever so cautiously. The light gets smaller and smaller as you get closer and closer. Your mind is frazzled by this. You feel a strong urge to understand how this light is soundless, and how the closer you go, the farther it gets. Your heart is still racing, but you stop worrying too too much. The light has done nothing but srink, and you continue to approach it. But- seeming out of nowhere, you get an odd sick feeling in your stomach, and looking back at the light, it starts to flicker. You tilt your head in confusion. It flickers on and off, on and off, and just like that- the light dies. Just stops. You are once more, left in darkness as the odd light has vanished. Panic rises in you. What- What is happening! You ask yourself, unknown of the answer. What should you do?

Try to find it- Scroll down to Number 7

Run, must be dangerous- Scroll down to number 8

5

You hear nothing but your heart beats fast, knowing that your end might be near. Your eyes are wide open, and your breathing heavily. You wait for whatever the light is to come to you, and kill you. You knew there was no chance of escape now. You had come too far. Yet deep down, you feel that maybe it’s not as bad as it seems. You feel something, and as you look up, you see the light right next to you! You shut your eyes, knowing that it’s right beside you. Nothing happens. You keep your eyes shut, your body shaking as you stay so very silent. Whatever the light is, it’s looking at you. You feel it- it- it watching you. You decide to open your eyes- just a crack. You open, and you see nothing. The light is gone. You are alone in the darkness, and there seems to have been no trace to any light. What has happened? You wonder. You start to think that maybe you were hallucinating. You had clearly been hit in the head, and knocked unconscious during the battle, so maybe seeing things was just a side affect? You get up, your heart racing, and your hands shaking. You come across the conclusion, that you were just hallucinating, and it never happened. Yet a part of you knows how real it felt, and that maybe...just maybe...it was really there.

The End! Congratulations! You did not die! Go back and read some other paths you could have taken, and see where it gets you!

6

You know somethings wrong. You feel it as the stange light makes it’s way to the tree you are hiding behind. You know your out of options, so what would you do? Run. You bolt up from behind the tree, and make a run for it, sprinting as fast as you can. Your heart races, and you slam into multiple tree branches. You hold you hands out to make sure you don’t hit into any trees. You glance back behind you. The light- it’s- it’s chasing you! You see it as though it is hovering through the trees, just moving as though it is gliding. You run faster, but then you notice the light has vanished. It’s gone. You panic while you continue to run, but as you look back in front of you, you see it again. Right before you. Standing in front of you. You stare in horror, as you fall backwards, landing hard on the ground. The light towers over you, and seems much bigger then before. “Please...” You say. “Don’t- Don’t do this-” But despite how afraid you are, this “thing” seems to see your life as the lest of it’s concerns. It seems to kill you without moving. You feel the life from your body somehow fade away. You perish alone in the forest at the dead of night.

The End! Oh no! You died! It’s ok though, you can go back and read the other paths to take, and see where it gets you!

7

I will find this! You think. I will not die out here! So you look around, despite your bad feelings, and the fear rising within you, you walk around, your eyes searching for the light that fascinated you ever so much. You keep looking, but there seems to be nothing here. It’s gone. You think that maybe- just maybe, it’s watching you. You feel as though your being stalked. You turn around multiple times, but find nothing. Someone is playing with you. Must be! Someone is here, watching you. You stand still, letting the sound of your heartbeat drown out all others. You wait. You wait some more. And some more. Nothing. You keep walking, and searching. Nothing. What was that? You ask yourself. You knew that what you saw- was real. You wanted nothing more then to get out of this forest, so you give up. You walk back the way you came, feeling fear, and defeated.You wonder if you’ll ever get out, or leave this forest alive. Especially with that light. But the way it moved, and looked- it- it felt so real.

The End! Congrats! You did not die! (Yes, some paths end with death). But fear not, you can read those, so go back and read the other possible outcomes!

8

RUN! Your mind screams. RUN! You bolt off into the trees. You jump over fallen branches, and Dodge overhanging leaves. You start to hear this- this- this odd- noise. Almost like a scream! You run, your heart booming! “Help!” you yell, despite the fact you had agreed not to say anything. “HELP! Please! Someone!” You yell, and cry with fear in your voice, as the odd screaming you hear, grows louder. You feel it- something is behind you. You panic with your life. “PLEASE!” You scream into the darkness. “HELP ME!” No one answers back. “ANYONE!!!!” You yell, but it feels too late. Something as grabbed you! You scream once more for help, as something grabes hold of your wrist, and drages you to the ground. There is nothing but darkness, there is no light. Your scared, and on the floor. You feel it. Your not alone. Something towers over you. You see nothing though. What do you do?

Scream for help, someone MUST HEAR ME- Scroll down to number 9

Beg whatever it is for mercy???- Scroll down to number 10

9

Despite the pit you feel in your stomach, you use the last breath you have to cry out for help. “Help!” You say so weakly, your voice drained for power. “Please...” You say, as soft as a whisper. “Don’t leave me here-” Tears roll down your face, as you feel this monster ontop of you. It holds you down, forcing you to remain on the ground. You want to scream, but your mind won’t let it. You feel it’s warm breath on your face as you helplessly lay on the floor. Your eyes are wide, and your heart beats fast. “Please...” You say once more, with all the strength you have left. But unfortunately for you, this creature feels no need to spare your life. Whatever it is, it slices a huge chunk off of your neck, and leaves you to bleed out.

The End! Awww you died. No need to worry, go back and read the other possible outcomes! Maybe you get more lucky!

10

You had little time. You felt it! This monster held you to the ground, not letting you get away. It holds you by your wrists, as it breaths on you. You feel it’s warm breaths. Maybe it can understand you- maybe you can talk your way out. “You- You don’t have to do this-” You say, your voice so very weak, as your lungs sting from lack of air. “Please...let me go-” You say to it. You look up, but see nothing. This creature- could it be- invisible? The light is gone. It’s not here...but you still try to convince this animal. “Listen...” You start, as the creature seems to be debating if it should kill you or not. “I don’t want to...be here...” You continue. This “thing” somehow seemed to empathize you. You feel it let go of your wrists, as you feel it shoundless walk away. Where? You did not know. You can’t see anything at this time of night. Once it’s gone to take large ghasps of air. You try to clam yourself. You escaped it- this time.

The End! You lived! Congrats! But there is more! Go back and read other pathways to this story!

11

You mind tells you “sleeeppp” so you find a good, dry area to lay down for the night. You wonder what that light was, but your mind was so desperate for resting, that the light was out of consideration for now. You lay your head down, and drift off almost instantly. It feels like it’s been a long time since you slept, even though, it was not. When you awake, you hear the chirp of birds, and you yawn. Your head hurts from sleeping on a hard surface. You sit up, and then you remember it. The light. What was it? You ask yourself. No! It was a person! You remind yourself. Eaither way, you are happy that whoever it was, never found you in case all they wanted was to watch you die. You stand up, your body all sore, and you look around. As you do so, you see something. Someone? A- a boy? A young boy. His head is down, and he seems rather sad. He wears slim brown cloathing, and he sits agnist a tree, looking very upset. Despite how harmless he looks, you have a really bad feeling about him. Yet- he seems lost too. What should you do.

Help him- Scroll down to number 13

Try to leave the area unseen- Scroll down to number 14

12

Move on. I can’t stay here, I will die. They will find me. I can’t rest now. Move on. As you tell yourself over and over again. Your body aches, and your eyes struggle to stay open. You walk very slowly, dragging your feet as you struggle to stay awake. Just a little father. You tell yourself. But deep down, you know you can’t keep moving. You know you must stop. But you don’t allow it. Your unsure of where your going, and what your looking for. You eyes start to uncontrollably close, and at the wrong time. A man holding a flashlight approaches you. It was not the same light as before though. But as he comes closer, you body has already fallen, and you seem to pass out, even though this man could kill you. You were too tired to care at that moment. You passed out before you could see anymore. Yet as you wake up, you are no longer in a forest. You are in- a - a house! You slowly rise up, to see the wodden walls of this poorly stable building. You are layed on a...table? You look for people, but see no one. What should you do?

Look for that man- Scroll down to number 17

Run out of the house! That man will kill you- Scroll down to number 18

13

He’s just lost. Like you. You deside to help him out, seeing that maybe we could work togeather. “Hey!” You call, as calmly as possible. The boy jerks his head up, and looks at you, before bolting into the forest. ” WAIT!” You yell, as you follow him, dodging tree branches. It was so much easier to see now that the sun was up again. The boy runs faster and faster, before seeming to...vanish? He had ran behind a tree, and never walked out of the other side. You run up to the tree to find nothing. He did not climb it- and he did not get any farther. “Hello?” You yell into the brush. No reply. What is going on? You ask yourself. It’s been a crazy time for you. “Are you friends of mommy?” he asked you. You turned around to see him right behind you. He had a British accent, which seemed kind of odd. “Um...” You started. “Do you know mommy?” He asked you again. “No.” You said. “Mommy does not let me talk to strangers.” He said back. “Where do you live?” You asked him. “Mommy does not want me talking to soldiers.” He replied. He seemed so lifeless. His face was so pale- just something about him, his face, his look, his voice, it was not right. “Mommy would not want you here.” He says. What should you do?

Pretend to be friends of “mommy”- Scroll down to number 15

Walk away, the boy is dangerous- Scroll down to number 16

14

This child felt very dangerous. You decide it’s best to leave him be. You walk away from him as carefully and quietly as your legs can take you. He does not look up. You keep your eyes on him ever so closely. Yet- despite how quiet you were, he looks up out of coincidence, and with that, you both stare at one another face to face. No one moves, but breaking the peaceful silence, the boy screams! He screamed a terrible scream! He sounded so afraid- and- mad? But his sudden scream catches you off-guard, and you run. Fear rises in you, as this boys yelling feels so wrong. Everythong about him- his eyes, his pale face, his screams, there all wrong. You run, to scared to look back. Yet as you run, you see something. A bright light. The same light as before. The boy’s screams are still herd, but you stop dead in your tracks as that light is shined before you. You were wrong, this light was not a person. What it was, you did not know, but definitely not human. You feel this sudden pain in your stomach. Your hands clench your gut, and come back out with blood. Something- what? Your bleeding? The pain in your stomach was enough to take you to the ground. You fall, moaning in pain, knowing you will die. You were too afraid to look at the light, and the huge “cut” on your stomach seemed to appear from nothing. You die with that, unsure of anything going on.

The End! R. I. P you have died. Do not worry though, there are MANY other roads to take! Go back and read your other choices!

15

“Wait!” you say, “I am friends of mommy!” He looks at you, and the enegry he gives off is dark. “Ok.” He says, very calmly. “Mommy has been waiting on you.” You tilt your head, and he turns away from you. The back of his- his head! It’s bleeding! There is blood coming from his head! You ghasp, trying to tell him, but your words would not form. He turns back around. “What?” he askes you “Your- your...your BLEEDING!” He lifts his hand to touch the back of his head, and when he withdrawals it, blood. “Oh.” he says. You watch in horror, and at loss for words. “That’s from the murder.” He tells you. You could feel your face freeze up. You were too shocked to say anything. “Mu-murder?” You finally managed to ask. “Daddy killed mommy and I, so mommy does not trust other men.” he says so calmly. You stare at him in shock. What! You think. But just like that, his mother comes out of the trees wearing a long pink dress. She is also pale. But her face- her face is bloody too! She has this bullet hole in her forhead, ozzing blood! “What did I tell you about talking to men!” She tells her son. She looks at you. “DID YOU HURT HIM?” She yells at you. You shake your head in fear. “Get away from my son!” She yells at you. You nod and run almost immediately, running off into the trees, unsure of where to go, and what to do. But you do one thing for sure: run.

The End! You did not die! Congratulations! The story is not over yet, so go back and read the other outcomes!

16

This boy is too dangerous. You feel it. His eyes, they do not look alive. You looks at him, while he looks at you. “I shall be going then.” You say to him. “Ok.” he replies calmly. You start to walk away, leaving him behind, and as you do so, you start to feel safer and safer. You take deep breathes for some odd reason, and right when you thought things were getting better, you see something. A- deer. An elegant creature. Your heart was racing from all the crazy things that had happened, and this was the first normal thing. You look at it, while it looks at you. You smile for a moment, but you and your bad luck. The deer suddenly falls to the ground, screaming. It’s eyes were ozzing blood? It yells while you watch in horror, and before you can think twice, you follow it’s motion. You collapse to the floor, your eyes bleeding. The pain seemed unbearable. You had no idea what was going on, and why it was. But your head burns with pain, as your mind slowly dies, and you fall to the ground, your last breaths leaving your lungs.

The End! Dun Dun Dun! You died :(. But do not fear, you can always go back and read the other many outcomes!

17

You get up, knwoing that the only way to get answers, was to find that man. You walked outside of the room, to see him staring right at you. You jump back in fear. “Oh- hi! I didn’t see you there-” You say in a friendly tone. He stares at you, and you get a better look at his face. He seems in his 50′s and wears light leather cloathing, with a Brown fedora. He stares at you, but does not say a thing. He walks inside the room, and seems to look around. “So- where am I?” You ask him. He looks back at you, judging your character. “I murdered my family.” He said out of nowhere. Your eyes widen in horror. “What!” You yell. He looks at you. “I’m a Simple Man.” He says to you. “It was an accident. I drank a bit too much. ” You stare at him, knowing he was NOT the person you should be asking to get answers. “Um...I should- go.” You say to him. “And tell the authorities, I don’t think so!” He tells you. You knew this guy was a Criminal, as well as an idiot. But just as you were about to argue you notice the gun dangling from his pants. You stare at it. What should you do?

Try to talk my way out of the situation?- Scroll down to number 19

He will kill me! Stay there, and don’t aggravate this man- Scroll down to number 20

18

You know you have to escape, and that this man could kill you, despite the fact you are a trained soldier for World War 2. You get up, and make your way outside of the room, ever so quietly. You walk into a living room, and with a fireplace, some chairs, coffee tables, and a rug. But what else was there to see? 2 huge bags laied on the floor. Blood ozzed from both of them. Dead bodies. You think as you stare in horror. But the man comes up from behind you. You turn around, to find the man wearing leather clothing, and he was somewhere in his 50′s. What else? he had a gun pointed at your head. You had no weapons with you, so you could not fight back. “Wait!” You scream. He looks at you. “You know to much.” He says while he fiddles with the trigger. “I won’t tell anyone!” You yell! But he does not seem to care. “You see,” He starts. “No one can know, and I’m fine with adding another bag to the party.” You stare in fear. “But- just- just WAIT!” But too late, his bullet has went through your head, and you lay on the floor, dead.

The End! Oh no! You have died! But do not panic, you can always go back and read through the other choices!

19

You both stare at one another in silence. He sits down at the chair in the corrnor of the wodden room. You watch him closely. “What was your family like?” You ask. He looks up at you again. “Oh- they were very sweet. That’s why I really regret drinking.” He replied. You tilt your head. “When did this all happen?” You ask. “An hour ago.” He replied. You freeze. Oh great. You think. He’s probably still drunk! You and him somehow come across another sudden silence. “So...may I leave? I will keep my word, no one will know. I’ve just been stuck here, and it’s been a very crazy day an-” “No.” He says. You pause, debating what you should do. “I can-” “No.” He says again. “But really if you just-” He pulls back the hammer on his gun, and aims it at you, as he stares you in the eyes. That was enough to shut you up, and you stand in silence once more. After a little while longer, you decide to try again. “Listen, I wi-” But too late, he shoots you, and you fall over, bleeding. “You don’t shut up.” He says, looking down on you. And with that, you bleed out.

The End. Wow, what an ending. You have died, but do not fear, you may go back, and read through your other choices!

20

You stare at him, looking closly at his face. He looks at you. For a long while you both say nothing. He seems rather sad, when he looks at you. You think about what you could be getting into by agreeing to this murderers terms. But you decide the risk of disobeying, is not worth your life. “What.” He asks you, and you suddenly realize you had been staring at him while thinking. “Oh- nothing.” You say, a little worried. “Can I trust you?” He askes you. You pause for a moment. “Yes.” You say, unsure of what you’re agreeing to. “Then get out.” he says. You look at him, puzzled. “Get out of here.” He tells you again. You nod for a moment, but hesitate before turning your back. But you leave the house, finding yourself surrounded by trees. Onward you go, to find someone and escape this Forest, and all it’s Supernatural experiences.

The End! Woo hoo, you lived! You can go back and read the other choices you were capable of making! This is the last one I’m writing, so I’ma go take a break :3

THANK YOU for reading this! Took a while, and was very confusing to write lol, so please tell me if you liked it, and maybe I’ll do another. Maybe-

Question 1: Are you a morning, afternoon, or evening person?

Morning = You approach life with enthusiasm and passion

Afternoon = You approach life with a flexible mindset

Evening = You approach life with a curiosity

Question 2: Do you prefer to live in the city, town, or woods?

City = You are adventurous and appreciate novelty

Town = You are social and appreciate routine

Woods = You are artistic and appreciate nature

Question 3: Which do you prefer more: illustration or writing?

Art = You are holistic (focusing on the bigger picture)

Writing = You are precise (focusing on choosing appropriate terms/methods)

Question 4: Do you type or write your letters?

Writing = You are coordinated and like making things heartfelt and personable

Typing = You are well-rounded and have many friends

Question 5: Do you spend more time inside or outside?

Inside = You are organized and plan ahead

Outside = You are creative and high-spirited

Question 6: Which do you find yourself getting involved in the most: individual or group hobbies?

Individual = You are disciplined, organized, and self directed

Group = You are communicative, accommodating, and empathetic

Question 7: Would you rather become younger or older?

Younger = You love children and appreciate the simpler things in life

Older = You are optimistic and look forward to new experiences

Question 8: Do you do self or traditional checkout?

Self Checkout = You have a quiet and modest lifestyle

Traditional Checkout = You are happy with how many things are in your life

Question 9: Would you rather receive a personal message by Snail-Mail (print) or E-Mail?

Snail-Mail = You are organized, responsible, and accountable

E-Mail = You are up-to-date, outgoing, and open-minded

Question 10: When is your favorite time of the year?

Spring = You love embracing change and new beginnings

Summer = You love embarking on adventures

Fall = You love reflecting deeply on life

Winter = You love setting goals and challenging yourself

This story is based on the Reedsy.com prompt "Write about a character who everyone thinks is guilty of something terrible, but isn’t."

*In this story you are the main character, and you get to decide what happens next. Be cautious with your choices, as the wrong ones will give you a bad ending. Make the right choices and you will reach the true ending!*

You are alone in the living room of your apartment, relaxing on your couch watching your favorite TV show. You are eating your favorite snack and enjoying your program, as well as the view of your holiday decorations. Your program is then interrupted by a breaking news cast.

"We interrupt this program to inform you of a horrible crime. An individual at the Food Supply Mart ran out of the store with a cart full of thousands of dollars worth of Christmas candy, without paying a cent for it...."

You muse about the sheer amount of candy that was stolen, and you think about how this criminal deserves lots of cavities for this deed. You ponder who the person is that would go to such lengths for that kind of sugar fix.

"....Security at the Food Supply Mart was able to get video footage of the crime. If you see this person, please contact the Police immediately."

The picture of the criminal pops onto the TV, and you are shocked. The picture of the perpetrator is none other than yourself. Obviously you didn't commit this crime, as you have been home this whole time. But someone has somehow used your likeness to perform this heinous act and placed the blame on you. The crime just happened and the Food Supply Mart is pretty close to your apartment. You might be able to find the true culprit if you head out now. Of course, there's a chance the Police might arrest you if you go near the scene of the crime. What will you do?

- Hide in your apartment.

- Head to the grocery store and seek out the criminal.

*If you chose to hide in your apartment*

Now that your face was on TV for a crime you didn't commit, you realize it is only a matter of time before the Police arrive. You hear sirens in the distance, and before you know it the sound is on your street. You shut your TV, lights, and holiday decorations off, then you hide under your bed. You hear your door being busted down, and you hear someone entering your apartment. The footsteps enter your room, and a flashlight shines in your face. Looks like you didn't play hide and seek enough as a kid, and it is going to be even harder to play it in prison.

*If you chose to head to the grocery store and seek out the criminal.*

You disguise yourself by dressing in black and wearing a black bandana over your face. You head to Food Supply Mart on foot, sticking to the shadows. You see several Police Cars driving by with their sirens on, turning down your street. Good thing you didn't stick around.

You arrive at the Food Supply Mart parking lot and look around. You would like to go in, but are unsure how you can do so inconspicuously. Just then you feel a tap on your shoulder. You turn around and see a man with a mohawk, purple eyes behind party glasses, mismatched clothes, and a toothy smile.

"Are you trying to get busted buddy?" The man asks. "You are the candy guy on the news, right? You dressed like a robber in your disguise, you might as well have put an 'Arrest Me' sign on yourself!"

You ask the strange looking man who he is, and this is his reply.

"My name is Custom Character Creator, but you can call me CCC. If you want to get in the store and find out who did this to you, I can help you. I can change your appearance for an hour. What do you say?"

This CCC guy seems to know an awful lot about your situation. He seems suspicious, but he may be your best bet for infiltrating the store. What will you do?

- Accept CCC's help and change your appearance.

- Enter the store as is and look for clues.

*If you chose to enter the store as is and look for clues.*

You decline CCC's offer and walk into the store. You take a shopping cart and pretend to be shopping as you walk around looking for clues. You walk towards the Customer Service counter to see if you can listen in on anything. You recognize the store manager and a cashier that was always rude to you. The cashier points at you and yells "That's him security - he's the thief!" You are surrounded by security, and as they take you away you notice the clerk smirking at you. It is too bad that you didn't think of a better disguise before going into the store....

*If you chose to accept CCC's help and change your appearance*

You nod to CCC, and a wide smile crosses his face. A force field like bubble surrounds you both, and CCC pulls out a laptop.

"No one will see us in this bubble - now to change your look!" CCC exclaims. He types some buttons on his laptop, and as he does this your face, hair, and body type change based on the requests you give him. Your clothes also change to a Police uniform per your request. You tell CCC that you are set, and the bubble disappears.

"I'll hang out here if you need to make any more changes, good luck on your investigation!" CCC says happily. You thank him then walk into the store. You head to the Customer Service counter to see if you can learn anything from the workers. You see the store manager and a cashier that was always rude to you standing behind the counter. You approach them and ask about the Christmas candy crime.

"Well, I never had a good interaction with that customer, I always felt that there was something off there!" The cashier said, sounding happy that you were now a wanted criminal. You have never been rude to this cashier, but the cashier has always given you an attitude for buying a lot of groceries at once. You are irritated at the cashier's glee, but you keep your composure.

"My employee has always been great, so I trust his judgement." The store manager adds. This annoys you even more! You can not fathom how a super rude cashier can be considered great, especially when all of the other cashiers in the store are wonderful. You continue to keep your cool, and think about what these two told you. You feel like the cashier may have framed you out of spite. Or maybe the store manager did the crime to keep his employee happy. CCC may have altered one of their appearances to frame you. You can pretend to arrest the manager or the cashier and see if their reaction generates more information out of either one of them. Or you could see if CCC is still outside and press him for information. What is your plan?

- "Apprehend" the store manager.

- "Apprehend" the cashier.

- Locate CCC and interrogate him.

*If you chose to "apprehend" the store manager.*

You approach the store manager and tell him he needs to come with you for questioning. You tell him that there have been reports of a person altering appearances, and he is believed to have taken advantage of this to frame the suspect.

"This is absurd!" The store manager replies. "I have never heard of such a thing! In fact, I bet you are the suspect in disguise. Show me your identification officer!"

That was the one thing you forgot to get from CCC. Your cover is blown, and the scene you have caused has received the attention of security. You picked the wrong suspect.

*If you chose to "apprehend" the cashier.*

You approach the cashier and tell him he needs to come with you for questioning. You tell him that there have been reports of a person altering appearances, and he is believed to have taken advantage of this to frame the suspect.

The cashier turns white as a sheet, and he gives you a deer in headlights look. You walk him outside and then realize you don't have a car or cuffs to bring him in with. Even if you were able to take the cashier to the Police, they would see through your disguise and you would be arrested for impersonating an officer. The cashier notices this too, and one strong right hook later leaves you on the ground, and he has escaped.

*If you chose to locate CCC and interrogate him.*

You thank the store manager and the cashier for their time and information, then you head outside to look for CCC. True to his word, he is still there. You ask him if he altered anyone's appearance to look like you.

"I may have helped a certain grumpy employee do that." CCC chuckles. "I had no idea he would do this though, I simply thought he wanted to go to the store without being asked to help out his employer while there."

You suspected the cashier was the culprit. Now the hard part - how can you prove your innocence?

As if he read your mind, CCC makes a suggestion.

"You know, you only have about 20 minutes before this disguise wears off. Why don't you go to the Police and transform back before their eyes? If they can see that there is a possibility that someone impersonated you, that might clear your name."

You ask CCC if he could come with you to the Police to back up your claim.

"Sorry, but another criminal might come by that needs a disguise!" CCC answers playfully. "You can send them my way here though, I will answer their questions!"

You doubt this, but you feel like this may be your only chance. Of course, you could very well get arrested anyway. Your hour is almost up. What will you do?

- Call the Police and transform back before their eyes.

- Go home and consider another plan.

*If you decided to go home and consider another plan.*

You don't feel confident with CCC's suggestion, so you walk home. Your transformation runs out right before you get back. The Police are waiting for you outside of the apartment, and you are quickly apprehended. You wonder if the sight of you transforming before their eyes would have changed anything, but it's too late now.

*If you chose to call the Police and transform back before their eyes.*

You have CCC change your outfit to a civilian one so the Police don't take you in for impersonating them. They are rare nowadays, but you find a payphone outside of the Food Supply Mart. You call the Police and tell them to come to your location for a development on the case. Within minutes an officer arrives. You tell them who you really are and motion to CCC, but he is apparently gone. You then explain that although he is gone, CCC altered the criminal's appearance to look like you, and your appearance was altered as a disguise while you investigated. The officer laughs at your story, but is then shocked to see you transform back into yourself before their eyes. Now having your full attention, you tell the officer about the cashier that likely framed you. The officer tells you they will have a chat with the cashier, and they will make sure you are cleared of all charges. You are not sure if they will be able to prove the cashier is the culprit without CCC as a witness, and you are even more uncertain of CCC's true motive in all of this. However, you are pretty confident that you can go back home without fear of being arrested, and you are now sure that you can enjoy your holiday where you belong.

(If you picked all the right choices, congrats)

The End

Oh. Hello there. I have been expecting you. I have an important case for you. You say that you can solve mysteries and riddles in the blink of an eye? Well, let’s see about that. I have a couple of conundrums for you.

The first of these peculiar problems happened just last week. There were three gentlemen waiting in line at the pizzeria. The first man was tall. He was wearing a long purple scarf and was dressed in all black. His eyes were blue, and his dark brown hair was hidden beneath his gray fedora. As he stepped up to the counter, he smirked as he produced a five-dollar bill and asked the young clerk woman for the special of the day.

“A slice or a whole?” she asked.

“One slice,” he clarified.

She nodded and turned away into the kitchen, returning promptly with a small box that contained the young man’s order. After collecting his food and his change, he thanked the woman and turned away.

The next person to be served was a disgruntled old Englishman. His gray brows drew close and his mouth folded into a frown.

“Two slices of pepperoni pineapple peanut butter pickle,” he grunted, lackadaisically tossing seven quarters onto the counter.

The young woman’s eyes grew in confusion (and most likely also disgust).

“We carry no such thing here,” she informed him.

“Of course you do,” the man scolded, “I have been coming to this restaurant every Thursday for lunch for the last six months.”

“Well, I’m sorry sir,” the clerk giggled in embarrassment, “I am still fairly new. I only started about two weeks ago and I usually only work on Mondays and Tuesdays.”

“How should I know when you started and what do I care?” The man frowned and growled, “Just give me my lunch and make it quick.”

The woman nodded with a slight look of defeat and swiftly walked into the kitchen.

Moments later, she returned with a box.

“Have a nice day, sir,” she murmured as he snatched it and stormed to the side of the counter.

“Took you long enough...” he frowned as he opened the box to inspect his meal.

“Never mind him,” the last person stepped up and shook his head, “He’s a classic old grump if I ever saw one. I figure he acts this way all the time. I’ve never seen him before in my life and I wouldn’t mind if I never again beheld him.”

The clerk half giggled but quickly ceased as the angry man shot an offended look at the latest customer.

“Anywho, I’ll have my usual,” the gent continued, paying the elderly man no mind.

The clerk gave an awkward smile as she smudged her messy hands off on her apron.

″...in case you didn’t know, it’s the veggie supreme,” he whispered with a wink.

The clerk grinned and ran into the kitchen immediately. When she returned, he felt around his pockets and whispered an exclamation.

“I’m sorry. I must have forgotten my wallet,” he said, “Do you accept payment by mobile phone?”

The clerk nodded with a smile, motioning towards the card reader. The customer happily tapped his phone on the terminal and bade her good day. On the way out, the older disgruntled man snorted at him. If looks could kill, he would have been dead... well, he could be. Who knows? The man has gone missing and hasn’t been seen since.

What are your thoughts?

Oh wow. I’ll leave you to ponder that one for a while, but please don’t go. If only I could have a few more minutes of your time. I would love to see what you have to say about this next case.

Down the street from the pizzeria was a small, party store called Drucker’s. This father-and-son run store received shipments every day of the week. On Monday came the frozen goods; single-serve ice creams, microwave meals, and popsicles galore. On Tuesday, the baked snack goods arrived; cupcakes, danishes, pastries, and pies. On Wednesday, candy was delivered. On Thursday, water was delivered. And, on Friday, juice and soda pop was delivered. Each of these deliveries happened around noon, and the drivers were told that, if there were too many customers gathered in the front of the store, they were allowed to simply drop the goods off in the back alley behind the store.

Now, last Thursday was super busy for the convenience store. It seemed everyone had decided to go there to purchase snacks and drinks to go with their lunches. This prompted Tom, the water truck driver, to pull into the back alley and stack five 24-bottle cases of water by the door.

After the lunch hour, the son came out back to see if the water had been delivered. To his surprise, the plastic racks were strewn awry, and the wrapping was ripped, and there were bottles lying about everywhere. He looked around for some creature who could have done this thing, but it was the middle of the day and there were no raccoons or any other critters in sight. All that could be seen besides the mess of plastic and water bottles was a felled trash can, two banana peels, a cell phone with a screen that was shattered beyond repair, and a few smashed cardboard boxes. He immediately called Tom to complain about how carelessly he had left the goods, but Tom insisted that he had neatly and carefully set the stacks just to the right of the door.

What do you think happened here?

Wait. Where are you going! Don’t leave. There is one more mystery I need your help with.

Last Friday, morning, Mrs. Hamlet, owner of the beauty parlor a few doors down from Druckers and the pizzeria, discovered a body behind her shop. She had taken to the alley to pull the trash cans around for pickup when she saw a person lying on the ground. Their face was swollen and hardly discernable-- she couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. She figured it was a man by the rest of its body, but she was too afraid to touch the corpse. She screamed in horror and called the police immediately.

When the authorities arrived, they confirmed that the victim was indeed a man, but there was no form of identification on his person. In answering the police’s inquiries, Mrs. Hamlet revealed that she didn’t recall seeing him there yesterday, but she had closed her shop early that afternoon (around 1pm) due to a sudden family emergency. Her husband had called her and asked her to leave the parlor immediately.

″‘Meet me at the hospital! It’s Jack!,’ he told me, but it turned out to only be a false alarm. When I got there, our son had supposedly already been discharged, so my husband suggested we all take a nice walk through the forest, then grab some dinner and spend the rest of the day at home as a family,” Mrs. Hamlet informed them, “It all seemed very suspicious to me, but he often says I seem entirely too consumed in my work, so I figured he wanted to find an excuse for me to step away for the day. Never would I have imagined discovering such a gruesome sight this morning. I should have slept in as he suggested.”

How strange it all is. Have you the slightest clue of what occurred here?

Well, thank you for your time. Now. You can go about your day.

Huh?

What’s that?

You believe that they are all three connected somehow?

My word! Please elaborate!

....I see....

Astounding! I can hardly fathom the complexity of your mind. Brilliant! Simply brilliant! I applaud you. You, you truly are The Great.

Curious? Suspicious? Maybe, I can't tell..

What comes next?

Skip

a

line

down

They hadn't yet though about how the words sounded, in their head, until reading those last words, in this longer-than-average sentence.

Longer.

How is it spoken, in the silence? With an accent, perhaps? A whispered sound? Loudly?

Loud. Loud. Is it louder when it's straight, or tilted? What about Bold? What about NOW? Why so different? Are they different?

A pause. Perhaps the reader considers the voice reading this in their mind. Are they different when they're spoken aloud? (Are those voices the same? Really? )

Now the reader slows. down. stops, a bit, with each small pause, or? The voice goes up! Does it go up now though? will it stop if we sudden-

Apparently yes, but maybe not.

What about now? Whisper. (is this quieter somehow, can you hear over your own thoughts?)

Or perhaps the words sound different, when read with, well, unusual emphasis. Now it might sound a bit different, what do you think? Anything? Anything? Anything?

The voice is getTING MORE EXCITED, LOUDER! MORE!

Is it still loud? (or is it quiet again?)

Does this have a sound? This, right here? ? ?

What about, !

It might, if you consider it?!

You (might) realize, how constrained we are. By little symbols, these, ev,en when? they make! no real. sense. Your brain? It. still! will pause, but th.e pauses? they! sound different. (Maybe?)

Or how if you imagine that one person, you know who, reading this, the words might sound different than those usually in your head.

Can you even imagine the voice in your head?

Does it change when you try to pin it down?

Does it fade?

Change, perhaps.

(Only you know that.)

Jenna runs up the front-porch steps of a grand mansion and stops next to the three people who are already there.

"What's up?" She asks.

"Don't know." Micheal answers grimly.

"What do you mean?"

"Our dearly beloved friend does not want to come out of this mansion, and whenever we go in, strange things happen." Carla answers.

"Oh, please. We are all going even if we have to drag our friend with us." Jenna walks to the front door.

"First read the sign before you enter." Ned smiles slyly.

Jenna looks up and spots the words written in a messy font: Enter at own risk. I cannot take any responsibility as to what may happen when you do. P.S. I AM NOT GOING TO THAT STUPID PICNIC!!!!

Jenna turns and snorts at her friends.

"Fine, we can go in there again, but this is the fourth and final time that I do." Micheal says grumpily.

Everyone nods in agreement and Jenna opens the double door. The door creaks open and lights up the dark interior. The group enters and the door immediately shuts behind them. Jenna wants to start walking, but someone holds her back.

"If you wait a moment, then the light are going to turn on." Ned whispers.

The lights suddenly turn on, but they are very dim.

"Now, we proceed." Ned declares.

Slowly, the group walks forward. Silently, a pair of eyes watch their every move. Micheal grabs Jenna by the arm and the whole group comes to a stop.

"This is where we decide to either go back or continue."

"Micheal! We are going to continue. I mean, why not?"

Chuckling softly in the secret passage, you walk over to the first two levers that were made to get rid of Clara. You glance from the poison ivy mixture to the one that is your own secret formula but also has a label that reads: DO NOT USE ON FRIENDS. Debating for a few seconds, you make up your mind and pulls the corresponding lever.

"What is that smell?" Jenna glances around worriedly.

"I don't know, but it is probably the doing of our "dear" friend." Micheal says sarcastically.

"I can't take this! My lungs are protesting to this smell, and I feel itchy and nauseous!" Carla turns around and runs out of the masion. "I will wait outside!"

"Now, things are only going to get worse." Ned comments nonchalantly.

The group covers their mouths and noses with their handkerchiefs before continuing. Carefully, they climb up the creaky stairs.

After running through the secret passageway and up the narrow steps, you gasp for breath and settle into the chair in front of the computer screen just as the group appears into view of the hidden camera. Smiling very evilly, you hold your hand over the two buttons on the keyboard. "Time to lose Micheal." You say softly. Now to choose between the two options: S for the snakes or R for rats. Lifting a finger and pressing the button quickly, you wait in silence.

"I hear something." Micheal stops.

"Your imagination." Ned smiles at him.

Micheal frowns at him and listens closely. Out of the dark, small critters come racing out and Micheal's eyes grow wide. Without thinking twice, he turns and also runs out of the mansion leaving the other two standing there while the creatures just go past them.

"Well, now we are alone. Why don't we leave too?" Ned asks calmly.

"No! I have planned our outing for so long, and I am not going to just let it go down the drain!" Jenna objects.

Determinedly, she walks over to the stairs and starts ascending them. Ned sighs and looks at the wall before following her.

"Now, what can we use to scare Jenna with?" You ask yourself as you run up another flight of narrow stairs. Coming up too fast, you and your chair glide over the floor and hit the wall. Checking the cameras to see whether the noise have escaped into the hallway, you come to the conclusion that it didn't since the two are still walking. Dragging the chair back to its place and sitting down, your heart race. This is partly because of the running, and partly because of the fear that they might reach the study and find one of the entrances to the passage. You focus on the two choices that you have left to use: the spooky figure with the eerie music, or the spooky sounds that include footsteps, howling wind and screams, or perhaps both? Sighing happily, you decide and watch to see what would happen.

"I think that we should go. We are the only two left after all."

"Stop it, Ned! I said we are going on that picnic."

"Okay, chill." Ned hangs back a bit.

"What is that!?"

"What do you mean, Jen? What is bothering you?"

"This place is getting spookier and spookier by the minute."

"We warned you."

Something causes Jenna to turn around.

"You know what? We will just leave and go to that picnic on our own." Jenna walks off, but continues to quicken her pace until she is out of the front door.

Ned smiles at the sound of the double doors slamming shut before turning to face the one wall.

"Thanks for getting me out of this mess." He says as you exit the secret passage and walks over to him.

"It was for us both."

"It sure was."

Quiet now. There are whispers in the walls.

Ha. You don't need me to tell you to be quiet. You cannot speak. You are the Wordless One, the Nameless One, the Silence.

But today, you are the Guest.

I am here to guide you between the whispers of worlds. Are you ready?

Do not speak, for your sound will create new universes. Every word is a new life, a new planet, a new star.

This is what it's like to be God, but we are not God, we are the Din, the Noise, the scarlet trickle of rushing hot blood.

We are the Voice, and you are the radio. We need you here to transmit our word. To speak the truth. For God has skipped out, has abandoned us, but in order to Find the world again, we must Speak. Our Message must be heard. And you must Transmit. Tell those who Live to Hear us. For in order to be Real, we must be Believed.

You will make them believers. Let them hear. Those who are in Tune may hear a ringing in their ears. The whispers in backwards songs. That is You.

Make them hear. Whisper to them. You are Silence but you must Speak now, before the World crumbles.

Speak, and let the strong-minded Hear you.

Some may say they are the Weak. They label them with false diagnoses and shove them into white boxes with soft walls. But they are the Strong. We must deliver our message. Make All People hear the voices in the Walls. Make them Believe.

And then we can rebuild this universe. Make it Real again. We are God's replacement, and we must make the world Right again. For without a Lord, Life is Lost.

We are Lost. It is up to you to Find us again.

Now, Wake. Wake from your slumber. Tell the story. Write our word. We depend on you now. Do not Forget. For if the radio forgets how to transmit, we will be in Silence.

Wake, Silent One, and Speak.