(set: $paranoia_level to "fine")
<code>''(cycling-link:"FLESHRUNNER","PEELHIKER","MUSCLEPEDESTRIAN","SKINTREKKER")''</code>: A short horror story.
(seq-link:"Wait, horror? I'm not so sure...","You'll be fine.","No, really.","I'm not so good with horror either.","Yes I'm sure!")
[[Begin->initial]](forget-undos:1)
You are in your bedroom. Everything is...
(t8n:"dissolve")+(link:"dark")[=
Yeah. You just woke up. You're a woman named Emily and work at the local (t8n:"dissolve")(seq-link:"Starbucks","Starbucks (Not the most prestigious place of work, no. But we got to make ends meet somehow, right?)") as a barista. As you slowly wake up, you check your phone. It's 8:24 on January 21st, 2024. You groan. Your shift begins at 8:45. You roll out of bed, turn on the light and start getting ready. By 8:35 you are hustling out the door to catch your bus. You make it to work barely before your shift starts and begin working. The first person is a kind man named Aiden with an order of a (t8n:"dissolve")(cycling-link:"egg sandwich","blueberry muffin","berry trio parfait"). You quickly make the order and hand it to him. You run through the next couple orders without much trouble, but soon enough someone comes up to you.
(t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:1s)+(link:"death")[=
(t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:1s)+(link:"destruction")[=
(t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:1s)+(link:"flesh")[=
(set: $paranoia_level to "weirded out")
Something is wrong with him.
He has these
(t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:1s)+(link:"//offset eyes//")[=
That almost seem like they're separate from his skin.
And in some places his skin
(t8n:"dissolve")+(t8n-time:1s)+(link:"//doesn't seem to fit right//")[=
Like his skin isn't his own.
You try to shake it off. You ask for his order. He pauses slightly
and asks for a...
bacon, sausage, and egg wrap with avocado spread and a cinnamon latte. He says his name is John.
(t8n:"dissolve")(seq-link:"Hm","Hm (You don't know what you expected, but you figured he'd do SOMETHING strange... right?)").
While trying not to trip over your own feet, you make his order. Wrap in the oven, cup in coffee maker, make the coffee and add cinnamon. "Order for John?" you call out.
He comes over and grabs the order. As he sits down, he looks back at you and...
checks you out.
(t8n:"dissolve")+(link:"Wow.")[=
(t8n:"dissolve")+(link:"W O W.")[=
Now, instead of being mildly scared, you are just angry. You make the next few orders powered solely with rage. You can't actually do anything about it because you cannot prove he did anything and your boss is prone to do the same. You continue to take orders since your boss will dock your pay if you don't and eventually [[your shift ends->shift1-end]].(set: $paranoia_level to "angy")
Still angry, you tear off your apron and walk towards the bus stop. You get on the bus and walk into your apartment complex. As you enter the elevator, you see someone disappear around the corner. In the elevator, you press the button to go to (t8n:"dissolve")(seq-link:"the third floor","the 3rd floor","floor 3","the third floor"). You go into the apartment after wrestling with the lock and sit down, letting yourself rest for a moment. You feel your phone vibrate and check it, before groaning as you see the text asking if you're still available to meet up with your friend Sarah in an hour. You respond with yes and quickly change out of your work clothes. After (t8n:"dissolve")(seq-link:"messing around","searching for jobs (\"Starbucks barista\" doesn't pay very well.)","messing around") on your computer for half an hour, you leave for the meetup. (if: (random: 1, 20) >= 8)[As you walk to the bus stop, you see someone disappear into an alleyway. You give it a wide margin just in case, but you don't see anyone immediately.(set: boolean-type $saw_alley to true)](else:)[(set: boolean-type $saw_alley to false)](set: string-type $line to (either: "orange", "red", "blue", "green")) Walking to the bus stop, you get on the $line line to the café. (if: $line is "blue")[You see someone tip their hat downward, hiding their face.(if: $saw_alley)[ You're starting to get mildly paranoid.]](else-if: $line is "orange")[You recognize the man from that morning as you walk past him. He hurriedly tries to hide his face behind his newspaper.(if: $saw_alley)[ You wonder if he was the man in the alley. Or, come to think of it, the man in your apartment building.] You stay as far away from him as possible.](else-if: $line is "red")[As you get on the bus, you walk past someone sleeping. (t8n:"dissolve")(seq-link: bind $pronoun_unk, "They","He(rerun:?1)","She(rerun:?1)","They(rerun:?1)") slightly shift|1>[(if: $pronoun_unk is "He(rerun:?1)" or $pronoun_unk is "She(rerun:?1)")[s] as you walk past (if: $pronoun_unk is "He(rerun:?1)")[him](else-if: $pronoun_unk is "She(rerun:?1)")[her](else:)[them]. You get a brief glimpse of a deep cut in (if: $pronoun_unk is "He(rerun:?1)")[his](else-if: $pronoun_unk is "She(rerun:?1)")[her](else:)[their] wrist before (if: $pronoun_unk is "He(rerun:?1)")[he](else-if: $pronoun_unk is "She(rerun:?1)")[she](else:)[they] cover(if: $pronoun_unk is "He(rerun:?1)" or $pronoun_unk is "She(rerun:?1)")[s]] back up. Now feeling uncomfortable, you hustle to the back of the bus.](else-if: $line is "green")[Someone you don't recognize gets on with you and grabs a seat a little behind you. You get a similar (t8n:"dissolve")(seq-link:"vibe","feeling","disconcertment","off-ness","off-ness (okay, yes that one isn't so good. Shut up.)", "vibe") from them that you got from the guy this morning. You hope they won't check you out like the guy this morning did.] After you hop off the bus and away from that (t8n:"dissolve")(seq-link:"person","guy","being","alive being","person") at your stop, you walk over to the café to meet up with Sarah. After seeing another person disappear behind somewhere, you are feeling a bit paranoid. You sit down at a spot to (t8n:"dissolve")(seq-link:"wait for her","wait for her (she didn't even have the courtesy to show up on time. What an asshole.)","wait for her (to be fair, this is a rare occurance. She's usually better.)").
[[Time passes...->sarah-wait1]](set: boolean-type $ignore_paranoia to true) <!--just in case, we want a good default.-->
You pull your phone out of your pocket and wait for her while on your phone.
(after: 4s)[=
(animate: ?1, "rumble")
|1>[
BOO!
]
(set: $paranoia_level to "surprised")
You visibly jump after feeling a tap on your shoulder and hear someone try to (t8n:"dissolve")(seq-link:"scare you","scare you (it worked)"). You turn around to see Sarah standing there, looking mildly amused with herself.
"You spooked me, Sarah!" you exclaim.
"That was kind of the point, Emily," she replies.
You silently roll your eyes and gesture for her to come sit down. You talk about a variety of topics, ranging from the economy to the strange occurances you've seen today. |2>[She seems vaguely dismissive about the man this morning and the other stuff you've seen, which you ask her about.] (after:4s)[(replace: ?2)[She asks if you can think of anything that might lead to you being more paranoid then usual.]]
(set: $paranoia_level to "angy")
[[That's a rude question!->sarah-rude1]]
[[I can't really think of anything that might lead to it->sarah-noparanoid1]]
[[Well, the guy also checked me out which did make me more frustrated->sarah-paranoid1]]She becomes defensive. "I'm just trying to help! What's more likely, that there's a skinwalker or something walking around town, stalking you, or it's just needless paranoia?"
[["The fact that you were that specific makes me not quite sure."->sarah-rude1-answer-specific1]]
[["I guess you're right. Sorry for outbursting like that, I've just been kind of stressed lately."->sarah-rude1-answer-stressed1]]"Hm. Well, you better be taking care of yourself! If that paranoia won't go away after a while it might be good to talk to a therapist. Well, I'm off! I have something going on soon," Sarah says.
"Thanks for the advice. What do you have going on?" you respond.
"Oh, nothing. I'm trying out those online dating apps."
"Again? Didn't those go disastrously last time?"
"I'm hoping they'll work this time. We'll see. Anyway, talk to you later!"
As she walks off, you feel like she acted differently, but dismiss it as unneeded paranoia like she said.
(set: boolean-type $ignore_paranoia to true)
[[Back home!->home2]]"Yeah. Sometimes after bad things we feel strange after. Not much you can do about it, but hopefully you feel better soon."
"Thanks."
"No problem. If that paranoia won't go away after a while it might be good to talk to a therapist. Well, I'm off! I have something going on soon."
"What do you have going on?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm trying out those online dating apps."
"Again? Didn't those go disastrously last time?"
"I'm hoping they'll work this time. We'll see. Anyway, talk to you later!"
As she walks off, you feel like she acted differently, but dismiss it as unneeded paranoia like she said.
(set: boolean-type $ignore_paranoia to true)
[[Back home!->home2]]Taking the $line line bus back home, you have an uneventful journey. Someone you don't recognize gets on the elevator with you and follows you roughly back to your apartment, but walks past your apartment(if: not $ignore_paranoia)[ and [[turns around the corner->home2-follow-turned]]](else:)[ and turns around the corner]. [[Into the apartment, I guess.->home3]]"Are you really calling your best friend a skinwalker, the mythical cryptid? Why would you think that?"
"..."
"Yeah, didn't think you had a reason. I'm leaving now. Bye, I guess."
As she stalks off, you feel like she acted a bit different then usual, and given her quick exit you are a bit suspicious. Of what? You aren't sure.
(set: boolean-type $ignore_paranoia to false)
(set: $paranoia_level to "oddly specific")
[[Back home!->home2]]"It's okay. You need to not bottle up stress like that, it's not healthy."
"Yeah. Thank you."
"No problem. If that paranoia won't go away after a while it might be good to talk to a therapist. Well, I'm off! I have something going on soon."
"What do you have going on?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm trying out those online dating apps."
"Again? Didn't those go disastrously last time?"
"I'm hoping they'll work this time. We'll see. Anyway, talk to you later!"
As she walks off, you feel like she acted differently, but dismiss it as unneeded paranoia like she said.
(set: boolean-type $ignore_paranoia to true)
[[Back home!->home2]]Mildly curious, you want to set your mind at ease about the people disappearing around corners. You peek around the corner to see... a dead end. No one is there and you didn't hear a door unlocking. Feeling extremely paranoid now, you (seq-link:"walk","walk (moreso running. You really don't like what's going on)") back to your apartment, unlock the door and go inside, locking the door behind you.
(set: $paranoia_level to "WTF")
(link:"I guess time to hang out in my apartment, waiting to get killed?")[=
I mean, you (probably) won't be killed, but yeah, [[time to hang out in your apartment->home3]].Now in your apartment, |1>[you flop] onto your bed and you order pizza on your phone. What do you want?
(if: (random:20) >= 11)[(replace: ?1)[your introverted ass flops]]
[[Sausage->home3-sausage]]
[[Pepperoni->home3-pepperoni]]
[[Cheese->home3-cheese]](set: $pizza to "sausage")
(set: $place to (either:"Dominos", "Papa Murphy's", "Pizza Hut"))
You order a sausage pizza off of $place and wait for it to arrive. Ten minutes, five minutes, two minutes. Eventually, you hear a knock on your door. You walk over to the door (it's incredibly close in your tiny apartment). (if: $paranoia_level is "WTF")[Do you [[look through the peep hole->home3-pizza-peephole]]? ] You can [[open the door->home3-pizza-door]].(set: $pizza to "pepperoni")
(set: $place to (either:"Dominos", "Papa Murphy's", "Pizza Hut"))
You order a pepperoni pizza off of $place and wait for it to arrive. Ten minutes, five minutes, two minutes. Eventually, you hear a knock on your door. You walk over to the door (it's incredibly close in your tiny apartment). (if: $paranoia_level is "WTF")[Do you [[look through the peep hole->home3-pizza-peephole]]? ] You can [[open the door->home3-pizza-door]].(set: $pizza to "cheese")
(set: $place to (either:"Dominos", "Papa Murphy's", "Pizza Hut"))
You order a cheese pizza off of $place and wait for it to arrive. Ten minutes, five minutes, two minutes. Eventually, you hear a knock on your door. You walk over to the door (it's incredibly close in your tiny apartment). (if: $paranoia_level is "WTF")[Do you [[look through the peep hole->home3-pizza-peephole]]? ] You can [[open the door->home3-pizza-door]].(set: $place_seen to (either:"Dominos", "Papa Murphy's", "Pizza Hut", $place, $place, $place, $place, $place, $place, $place))
You look through the peephole to see a pizza person from $place_seen, holding a pizza box.
(if: $place_seen is not $place)[[[Wait, that's not right...->home3-pizza-place-incorrect]]]
[[Open the door->home3-pizza-door]](if: $place_seen is not a string)[(set: $place_seen to (either:"Dominos", "Papa Murphy's", "Pizza Hut", $place, $place, $place, $place, $place, $place, $place))]
(set: $is_fake to $place_seen is not $place or (random:100) >= 70)
(if: $is_fake)[You open the door to see... no one. The pizza guy seems to have vanished. (if: $paranoia_level is "WTF")[Terrified, you stumble back inside and close and lock the door. Your heart racing, you think about what to do. You can't call 911 since no one would ever believe you. What are you going to do?
[[Leave the apartment and run->home4-inside-run]]
(t8n:"dissolve")+(after: 8s)[[[Close and lock the windows->home4-inside-windows]]]](else:)[Confused, you stick your head out and look left and right. You see someone sprinting towards you. What do you do?
[[Leave the apartment and run->home4-inside-run]]
(t8n:"dissolve")+(after: 8s)[[[Go inside, lock the door, close and lock the windows->home4-inside-windows]]]]](else:)[You open the door and the pizza guy is there, looking vaguely dejected. You grab the pizza, give him a tip of ten dollars, and go back inside to eat. You sit down at your desk(the only real place to eat) and chow down. Soon enough, it's time for bed. You go into the bathroom to get ready for bed and feel a light breeze from the window. Confused, you close it. Slowly, it dawns on you that it was closed just two hours ago.
Someone is inside your apartment.
(t8n:"dissolve")+(after:8s)[[[Leave the apartment and run->home4-inside-run]]]]You lock the door. That guy isn't the correct pizza guy. Hm. Maybe the addresses got mixed up? (if: $paranoia_level is "WTF")[No, knowing all of the things you've seen today there's no way that's true. What are you going to do?
[[Leave the apartment and run->home4-inside-run]]
(t8n:"dissolve")+(after: 8s)[[[Close and lock the windows->home4-inside-windows]]]](else:)[Yeah, that's probably the case. It'd probably be a good idea to let the guy know that. You open the door to see... no one. The pizza guy vanished.
Confused, you stick your head out and look left and right. You see someone sprinting towards you. What do you do?
[[Leave the apartment and run->home4-inside-run]]
(t8n:"dissolve")+(after: 8s)[[[Go inside, lock the door, close and lock the windows->home4-inside-windows]]]]You sprint to the two windows in your apartment, locking them both. You huddle on your bed, frightened of every sound, waiting for... something. You hear knocking at your window and see... Sarah at the window? Untrusting, you back away from the window and she seems to grow enraged. What do you do?
(after:3s)[[[Call 911->home4-windows-911]]]
(after:10s)[The thing in the window becomes even angrier and begins banging on the window.]
(after:20s)[(go-to: "home4-windows-break")]You go sprinting out the door and down the hallway. Shit, you're coming up on a turn! What direction do you go?
[[Left->home4-inside-run2]]
[[Right->home4-inside-run3]]
(t8n:"dissolve")+(after:5s)[(go-to:"home4-inside-run-hit-wall")]You turn left, running towards an elevator. You see someone inside and that it's open. You speed up as much as you can and barely make it inside before it closes behind you. Now sprawled across the floor, you hear a bang and an ear-rupturing howl from the other side of the door. You call 911 in the elevator and after stepping out, you see the man again, sprinting towards you. You hear sirens in the distance and the police point their guns at it. Realizing it's mistake, it looks upward and howls a deep, grating sound that reverberates your very bones. It runs off. Soon, the police come to you. They immediately hustle you out in the group of police and explain they are trying to keep you safe when there is an unknown entity on the loose. You are put into a police car and feel throughly unsafe. What will happen now?
(align:"=><=")+(text-style:"bold","double-underline","expand")[YOU REACHED AN ENDING]
Wow. A skinwalker, police, and paranoia. Hope you aren't too traumatized. Well, if you want more, feel free to let me know at arthur `[AT]` verygay `[DOT]` fyi and I might make a sequel.You turn right, running towards an elevator. You see someone inside and that it's open. You speed up as much as you can and barely make it inside before it closes behind you. Now sprawled across the floor, you hear a bang and an ear-rupturing howl from the other side of the door. You call 911 in the elevator and after stepping out, you see the man again, sprinting towards you. You hear sirens in the distance and the police point their guns at it. Realizing it's mistake, it looks upward and howls a deep, grating sound that reverberates your very bones. It runs off. Soon, the police come to you. They immediately hustle you out in the group of police and explain they are trying to keep you safe when there is an unknown entity on the loose. You are put into a police car and feel throughly unsafe. What will happen now?
(align:"=><=")+(text-style:"bold","double-underline","expand")[YOU REACHED AN ENDING]
Wow. A skinwalker, police, and paranoia. Hope you aren't too traumatized. Well, if you want more, feel free to let me know at arthur `[AT]` verygay `[DOT]` fyi and I might make a sequel.You hit a wall. Ouch! Peeling yourself off the wall, you take off running (either:"left","right"), but it doesn't matter. You lost your lead and the man caught up to you. Shrinking down, you begin sobbing, expecting all sorts of horrors to be done to you. The man unhinges his jaw and quickly deskins your head before killing you. Now a ghost, you watch |1>[him](after:3s)[(replace:?1)[it]] deskin you before sheding it's own skin. You watch in horror as it wears your skin and walks off to your apartment.
(align:"=><=")+(text-style:"bold","double-underline","expand")[YOU DIED]
Wow. That was horrible. Do you want to (link:"restart")[(restart:)]?You pull out your phone and call 911. The thing in the window becomes angrier and slams the window with both fists. You hear sirens in the distance and the police point their guns at it. Realizing it's mistake, it looks upward and howls a deep, grating sound that reverberates your very bones. It jumps down to the ground and runs off. Soon, the police knock at your door. You, terrified, look through the peep hole to see many police officers. You slowly open the door and they immediately hustle you out in the group and explain they are trying to keep you safe when there is an unknown entity on the loose. You are put into a police car and feel throughly unsafe. What will happen now?
(align:"=><=")+(text-style:"bold","double-underline","expand")[YOU REACHED AN ENDING]
Wow. A skinwalker, police, and paranoia. Hope you aren't too traumatized. Well, if you want more, feel free to let me know at arthur `[AT]` verygay `[DOT]` fyi and I might make a sequel.You see the window shatter and the... THING come sprinting towards you. Shrinking down, you begin sobbing, expecting all sorts of horrors to be done to you. The thing unhinges his jaw and quickly deskins your head before killing you. Now a ghost, you watch it deskin you before sheding it's own skin. You watch in horror as it wears your skin and walks off to your apartment.
(align:"=><=")+(text-style:"bold","double-underline","expand")[YOU DIED]
Wow. That was horrible. Do you want to (link:"restart")[(restart:)]?