Double Bind

=><= This is a story of two stories. <== { |= =><= One of struggle. One of confusion. One of emptiness. =| =><= (css: "white-space: nowrap")[One of satisfaction.] One of clarity. One of choice.|secret>[ (link:"*")[(alert:"That's a huge lie.")] ] } =><= { As for which one you get to see? (click:?page) [= You don't get to choose. (live:3s)[ No one truly gets to choose their outcome in life, so why should you? (stop:) ] (live:5s)[ (if:(random:0,1) is 0)[[[Continue->Story A]]] (else:)[[[Continue->Story B]]] (stop:) ] }

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(set: $gameStartTime to 0) <script>$gameStartTime = Date.now();</script> (set:$rushing to false) (go-to:"Intro")

{ Our story begins in a room with faded walls. You can't recall the last time you were here, or any time you were here. It doesn't seem familiar to you. Suddenly, a door appears. Or maybe it was there the entire time, but you didn't notice it. Do you walk through the door, or keep looking? [[Walk Through Door]] (link:"Keep looking")[(alert:"You aren't able to will your body and mind to do so.")] }

You wake up in a room with faded walls. You don't think you remember the last time you were here, but then you remember that it was just yesterday. You start to recognize the room to be your best friend's living room, where you stayed the night. What do you do? [[Leave]] [[Stay a bit longer]]

You walk through the door to find something odd. Instead of outside, or more hallway, it's a vast, desolate, grey, empty void. You hear a faint hum in the back of your head. Besides that, you must have imagined the door, as it is now gone. What do you do? [[Walk aimlessly in one direction, and probably loop back to where you started eventually]] [[Sit down, and listen to the sounds of the void]] (link:"Do literally anything else")[(alert:"Your brain doesn't have enough capacity.")] <script>window.storyAudio.play();</script>

You walk through the door marked as the exit, but you're stopped dead in your tracks when you find that the outside world has been replaced by a vast, desolate, grey, empty void. In the back of your mind, you hear a faint hum. You feel a shiver down your spine, as you decide that you don't want to be here, but then realize the door has disappeared behind you. You are now trapped. What do you do? [[Look Around]] [[Scream for Help]] <script>window.storyAudio.play();</script>

You think of staying here longer, but you don't want to be rude, so you end up deciding to leave. (display:"Leave")

You decide to look around the desolate void. Maybe not one of your brightest ideas... Somehow, in looking around, you find a set of two doors. (display:"Two Doors")

You try to scream, but nothing comes out. This reminds you of a (link:"song")[song(alert:"//I'm trying to shout, but no sound comes out//")] you once listened to. In your screaming, you find one direction that seems to echo more than the others, so you walk towards that direction. Finally, you come to a set of two doors. (display:"Two Doors")

One black, one white, both suspiciously tall. Neither seems better than the other, but they do seem to both lead to different places. You can't tell how you know this, but you can tell that you know it. It must be the voices. Which door do you choose? { (if:(random:0,1) is 0)[ [[Black->Black B]] [[White->White B]] ] (else:)[ [[White->White B]] [[Black->Black B]] ] }

You decide to walk aimlessly in one direction, and probably loop back to where you started eventually. Why you chose this, no one will ever know, since not even you know. If you did know, you would tell yourself. In aimlessly walking, you come across two tall doors. One a darker black than night, and one brighter white than the sun. You can't find any information about the doors. Which do you choose? { (if:(random:0,1) is 0)[ [[Black]] [[White]] ] (else:)[ [[White]] [[Black]] ] [[Keep walking around, since you might find something->Walking More]] }

As you go to open the door, you start to realize how bright it truly is. It's a pure, blinding white, so bright that you can barely look at it. It's brighter than any fluorescent light you've ever seen, brighter than the sun, but you then realize that you don't remember what the sun looks like. Suddenly, you realize that you've never even seen the sun. Well, deep down, you at least know that this door doesn't look like it. You open the door, and find a dreary office building. In contrast to the door, the building is rather dark and poorly illuminated. However, you find yourself closing the door behind you anyway. Once again, the door disappears just as if you imagined it. You find yourself in a hallway full of unmarked doors. Looking down the hallway, it seems to stretch infinitely. There is a door on your left, and a mass of empty hallway to traverse. What do you do? [[Enter the door on your left->Left 1]] [[Continue->Office 2]]

As you go to open the door, you start to realize how dark it truly is. It's a deeper, more beautiful black than you've ever seen before. Deeper than the darkest room you've ever seen, deeper than the darkest sky you've ever seen, but you then realize that you can't remember what the night sky looks like. Suddenly, you realize that you've never even seen the night sky. Well, deep down, you at least know that this door doesn't look like it. { (css:"color: yellow")[ |between>[ |secret>[ (link-append:"Then you remember, reading between the lines is important.",(action:'mouseover'))[(live:0.18s)[(show:?between2)(show:?other)(hide:?between)(stop:)]] ] ] (hidden:)|other>[ Then you remember, reading between the lines is important. ] ] } You open the door, and see a vast, open field. Green grass, luscious trees, the smell of the autumn breeze, it's nothing like home. Yet, you don't remember what home looks like. Just that it didn't look like this. { (css:"color: yellow")[ (hidden:)|between2>[ |secret>[ (link-append:"It reveals another way.",(action:'mouseover'))[(live:0.18s)[(show:?other2)(hide:?between2)(show:?link)(stop:)]] ] ] (hidden:)|other2>[ It reveals another way. ] ] (hidden:)|link>[ |secret>[ [[Another way]] ] ] } Suddenly, you feel trapped; out of options. You can't think of what to do. Looking behind you, the door is gone. |badlink>[HINT: Don't give up. There is something you can do.] |badlink>[|hint2>[HINT: Use your mouse. Hope lurks in shadow.]] (hide:?hint2) (after:10s)[(t8n:"dissolve")(show:?hint2)]

Suddenly, you remember something. It's (link-append:"a little blond girl in a blue dress with white lace.")[(alert:"Yes, this is a book reference. Google has the answer, if you search it with quotes.")] No, wait, you read that from a book. It's someone else you remember. You can't exactly remember who it is, but you remember something they did. They used to climb trees, and you used to laugh at how high they always went. The trees looked so similar to how they do here... As you return to reality, you realize what you have to do. [[Climb the tree]] (if:(random:0,1) is 0)[[[Climbing trees is dangerous, avoid it->Sit by roots]]]

{ You put your hands on the limbs of the tree, and hang on. Then you get a leg onto the branch, and move your hand to another limb. Suddenly, you're climbing. You feel the exhilaration, the wind on your face, as you climb higher, and higher. 100 feet off the ground. 200 feet. You forgot how good this feels. It's been so long since you felt like this. Happy. That's what this truly is. Happiness. |warning>[ --- //WARNING: The following is a depiction of a fatal fall. If you would like to avoid reading this, click [[here->Tree Ending]] to skip.// --- ] (link:"Continue")[= (hide:?warning) But nothing can last forever. (click:?page)[= Not even happiness. (click:?page)[= Not a moment sooner as you reach the top, the branch below you gives way. You fall down, branches giving you scrapes for the last 8 seconds of your life. 200 feet off the ground. 100 feet. 0 feet. The ground stops your fall, violently and fatally. [[Finish->Tree Ending]] }

{(set:$rushing to false) }This story is a serious story, so please read all text before clicking a link. If you don't, there's a good chance the story will be ruined. Don't give up before the finish line, since there's a good chance that it won't be far away, and don't be afraid to retry. There are no failures, just endings, and every ending is unique. Now, for the most important question you will be asked: (link-rerun:"What is your name? It doesn't have to be your real name, but please be serious with this. Just a first name is fine.")[ <script>$name = window.normalizeName(prompt("Name"));</script> $name? Probably not a bad name. I have no idea what you put here, but the story does. If you put a stupid name, the story judges you. If you regret your decision, click the link again, you can change it. But once you enter the story, you can't change your choice. Are you ready? Great. [[Start the Story->Start]] ] (set:$name to "")

If you are done with the story, you can close this tab. This part is 100% optional, and you don't need to read it, and it may contain spoilers for other endings, if you've only completed one. Because of this, I've hidden it behind a (link-append:"link.")[= This story is part of a genre known as (link-rerun:"interactive")[(open-url:"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interactive_fiction")] (link-rerun:"surrealism")[(open-url:"https://www.google.com/search?q=surrealism")] fiction, which is one of my favorite genres to write. I extensively used a technique called (link-rerun:"automatism")[(open-url:"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealist_automatism")], which is basically just allowing my mind to roam free, and write whatever it feels like writing. I used a lot of (link-rerun:"parallelism")[(open-url:"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallelism_(rhetoric)")], which makes each path of the story similar to each other. In fact, both sub-stories follow the same story, but with different 'mental handicaps,' as I called them. In Story A, thinking was limited. In Story B, choice/free will were limited. In the beginning, I tried to show that one story was meant to be lighter, and not as sad, but by the end, I hope you've realized that neither of them is 'happy.' Story A is what Montag experiences; knowing something is wrong, but not being able to fix it. Story B is what Mildred experiences; constant happiness, but never real choice, which just leads to sadness anyway. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story, and thank you for reading this! (Unless you just skipped to the bottom, and in that case, sorry for boring you. 😅)

{(set:$typewriter to (char-style: via (t8n-delay: pos * 50ms) + (t8n: "dissolve")))}

You just completed the 'Tree Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Tree Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

That was the 'Tree Ending.' It was the second ending I finished, and a really dark one too. I hope that this is the only ending with a content warning, but given the surrealist/automatistic nature, it probably won't be. This ending is the ending where I realized that there won't be a "good ending." There isn't one in Fahrenheit 451, and there isn't one in this story either. [[Return->Tree Ending]]

The sound of the void continues. (after:2s)[You sit there, and listen.] (after:4s)[Hours pass.] (after:6s)[Days pass.] (after:8s)[Has it been years now? You can't tell.] (after:10s)[Time doesn't matter anymore.] (after:14s)[Eventually, you stop moving.] (after:16s)[You still think. You're still alive.] (after:18s)[But you don't do anything else.] (after:20s)[You think about how life used to be.] (after:22s)[But nothing comes.] (after:26s)[You have become one with the void.] (after:30s)[[[Finish->Void Ending]]]

You just completed the 'Void Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Void Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

That was the 'Void Ending.' It was probably one of the quickest endings I wrote, but not the worst. In case you were wondering what the "Sound of the void" playing in the background is, it's the song Asleep Atop an Atom, by LLAAPPSSEE. I needed a song to fill this "Grey void," and that was the first song that came to mind for me. [[Return->Void Ending]]

You decide to keep walking around the void to see what you can find. You walk so far, that the doors are just specks to you. No one knows where you are anymore. Eventually, you find a small, strange speck. You are unable to touch it, as every time you try to put your hands closer to it, they get pushed away by a force near it. Suddenly, the speck starts to grow bigger. Slowly, at first, but quicker and quicker every second. You instinctively back away. As it grows to the size of a classroom desk, your slow backing away turns into a walk. As it grows to the size of a building, your walk turns into a run. As it grows to the size of a city, you're gone. [[Finish->Singularity Ending]]

You just completed the 'Singularity Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Singularity Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

That was an interesting ending! I've been trying to add more endings to this story for a while, but it's mostly just ended up with endings like this, where something kind of boring happens. Hopefully the next ending will result in more choice. [[Return->Singularity Ending]]

Ignoring your sudden catharsis, you sit down at the large roots of the tree, and relax. You haven't been able to do that in a while. It feels nice. Living in the city is tiring a lot, so you don't have much time to rest. You suddenly realize that you haven't slept in days, so you close your eyes for a nice nap. Your nap is interrupted by the sounds of roots moving around you. They have taken you hostage, but you have no fear. In fact, you feel relaxed. [[Finish->Roots Ending]]

You just completed the 'Roots Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Roots Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

That was the 'Roots Ending,' and the idea for it was from AI! More specifically, Gemini. Throughout the course of this story, I've been asking Gemini for reviews of the story, but this is one of the first times I've asked it to give me an idea for an ending, and I was pleasantly surprised! It suggested its own writing for the ending, but I didn't want to use it's writing, so I ended up writing the ending myself. This is the first ending that I've created by adding another choice to a spot with no previous choices, and I'm glad I did it! [[Return->Roots Ending]]

Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. You just clicked on that link in less than a second. I'm about 99% sure that I told you to read the text that I show you. It's important, and you never know when it's changed. You might be going down the EXACT same route, but the text has changed, and you have no idea! Anyways, since you seem to be in a hurry, you're going to wait a bit before you can return. Try reading next time. Please. You won't regret it. (after:15s)[(link:"Return")[(go-to:$rushingPreviousPassage)]] (set:$rushing to false)

{ (set:$text to "ou walk through the first door on your left, and find something strange. You may think a grey void is strange, and you may think a dark office building is strange, but this brings the word 'strange' to a whole new level. In fact, 'strange' doesn't fit anymore. Sadly, the English language doesn't have a word to express 'stranger than strange,' so 'strange' will have to do.") Y$text Anyways, (str-repeated:9,(str:"y", $text, "\n\n Anyways, "))y$text } [[Finish->Repeated Ending]]

{ (set:$officeNum to 2) (go-to:"Office") }

You open the second door on your right. Inside, you see a massive ballroom. Somehow, the question of how this fits in the packed hallway of an office building never crosses your mind. You turn around to close the door, and when you turn back, the ballroom seems a lot smaller than you remembered. The wall is so close to the door that you can barely walk in anymore. You look to the left, and that still seems normal. You look to your right to realize that the right side has also shrunken. When you look back at the left, it's shrunken as well. You look around again, and the walls crush you beyond recognition. [[Finish->Claustrophobic Ending]]

You open the second door on your left, and enter the room. The first thing you notice is the loud chorus of meows to your left. The second thing you notice is the louder chorus of hissing to your left. The third thing you notice is that the room is really dark. You can't see a thing. You try to find a lightswitch in the dark, but you can't find one. You appear to be trapped, with the chorus of cats to the left. (after:7s)[As you sit on the floor, the cats appear to get louder.] (css:"font-size: 24px")+(after:8s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 26px")+(after:9s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 28px")+(after:10s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 30px")+(after:11s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 32px")+(after:12s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 34px")+(after:12.5s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 36px")+(after:13s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 38px")+(after:13.5s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 40px")+(after:14s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 42px")+(after:14.25s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 44px")+(after:14.5s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 46px")+(after:14.75s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 48px")+(after:15s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 50px")+(after:15.25s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 52px")+(after:15.5s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 54px")+(after:15.75s)[And louder.] (css:"font-size: 56px")+(after:16s)[And louder.] (after:17s)[Until the world comes to a halt.] (after:21s)[Blood is spilled on the floor.] (css:"color: red")+(after:23s)[It's yours.] (after:26s)[There's no one else around.] (after:32s)[[[Finish->Scratch Ending]]]

There is a door to your left, a door to your right, and a mass of empty office to traverse. There (if:$officeNum is not 2)[are](else:)[is] (print:$officeNum-1) set(if:$officeNum is not 2)[s] of doors behind you. What do you do? (link-goto:"Right Door", (str:"Right ", $officeNum)) (link-goto:"Left Door", (str:"Left ", $officeNum)) (link:"Continue")[(set:$officeNum to it + 1)(go-to:"Office")] (set:$rushing to false) (if:$officeNum >= 6)[ (go-to:"Office 6") ]

Suddenly, you hear a voice in your head. *"No. You've gone too far."* Says the voice. *"You mustn't go on."* As with every other time you hear a voice in your head, you obey. You sit down, and don't move a muscle. After all, the voices have ordered much worse. [[Finish->Voice Ending]]

You just completed the 'Voice Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Voice Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

I'm going to be honest, if there's any ending I hope no one will find, this is it. It's a short ending, but it doesn't take a forensic scientist to figure out what happens in it. [[Return->Voice Ending]]

{ You open the third door on your left, and immediately feel a shiver. You can tell you're not supposed to be here. Someone, or something, doesn't like your presence. |question>[ --- Are you sure you want to stay? (link:"Yes.")[(hide:?question)(show:?answer)] (link-goto:"No, not really.", "Office") --- ] (hidden:)|answer>[ Suddenly, you hear a voice *"You asked for it."* It says, as it reveals itself from the shadows. You don't get to see what it is, though, since it brutally cuts your head off before you realize. ] [[Finish->Brute Ending]] }

You open the third door on the right, and instinctively set a foot in front of the door, except there's nothing there to set your foot on. Expecting ground, you put weight on the foot, and you're suddenly falling down a massive hole. (after:10s)[= Not a second later than you realize what's happened, it's too late. You can't even hear your own thoughts over the roar of the wind. (after:14s)[= You try to scream, but the wind silences you. (after:18s)[= After a while, you start to shiver from the cold of the wind. (after:22s)[= Not long after, your entire body is colder than the outskirts of space. [[Finish->Falling Ending]]

{ As you open the door, the sounds of the void stop. (after:4s)[Slowly, the sounds of Earth start to come back to you. ] (after:8s)[Cars honking, children playing in a playground. ] (after:12s)[Prevailing above all others is the sound of a baby crying. ] (after:16s)[It seems to be coming from in front of you. ] (after:20s)[From home. ] (after:24s)[You've finally made it. ] (after:28s)[You then notice that your eyes are closed. ] (after:35s)[But when you open them, you realize that your eyes were never closed to begin with. ] (after:40s)[The sounds are all fake. ] (after:45s)[Nothing is truly real anymore. ] (after:50s)[[[Finish->Sound Ending]]] <script>window.storyAudio.pause();</script> (after:43.1s)[<script>window.restartAudio();</script>] }

You open the door, and find another hallway. The walls of the hallway are covered in bare, white wallpaper with no pattern, and the floor is a solid grey carpet. There aren't any other doors in this hallway, but there's a frosted mirror at the end. You realize that you haven't seen your reflection in so long. You walk to the end of the hallway, and feel a shiver down your spine, as if something else is following you. Just in case, you turn around, to find nothing but a closed door. You continue to the end of the hallway, and when you reach the mirror, you use your arm to clear the frosted glass. However, it isn't you that you see staring back at you. It's a ghost. You look down at your hands and feet, but they're gone. Looking back up at the mirror, you see nothing. [[Finish->Reflection Ending]] (set:$left4a to true)

You just completed the 'Repeated Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Repeated Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

That was an interesting ending. My first idea for the room was to have it be filled with a bunch of cats, but I had already decided that I wasn't going to have a 'good ending,' and I didn't want to try to fit cats into a bad ending, so I decided against it. However, I only decided that after I finished writing the entire passage as it is now. The repeated paragraph was originally going to be the beginning of that original passage with the cats, (since a room full of cats really is 'stranger than strange.'), but then I realized that the narrator forgetting what they were talking about would be a pretty interesting idea! [[Return->Repeated Ending]]

You just completed the 'Scratch Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Scratch Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

That was a fun ending, wasn't it! If you read this bit for the ending you get from opening the door to the left of this one, you would learn about how that room is a room full of cats. However, no ending can be a 'Good Ending,' so you can't be in a room full of cats unless something bad happens. To be honest, I'm not even quite sure what happens at the end of this ending. Something scratches you, but I don't know what, since the cats are in the other room. [[Return->Scratch Ending]]

You just completed the 'Claustrophobic Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Claustrophobic Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

This ending was partially borrowed from another one of my interactive fiction projects, Just Two Doors. I originally wrote Just Two Doors for the Chapter 2 Capstone of Code Explorers in 7th grade, and it was basically my introduction to writing interactive fiction. I might use a few more endings from Just Two Doors, in fact. [[Return->Claustrophobic Ending]]

You just completed the 'Falling Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Falling Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

This ending was borrowed from another one of my interactive fiction projects, Just Two Doors. To create the specific sensory details of this ending, I used AI to research how a human would fall through an infinite hole. To my surprise, it's mostly not forces that would kill you, it's hypothermia. However, the forces can kill you if you spin in a bad way. I didn't necessarily decide not to include this, I just kind of forgot to. [[Return->Falling Ending]]

You just completed the 'Brute Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Brute Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

That's probably one of my favorite endings I've written so far! I kind of just let my brain do whatever it wanted, and it gave me that. I really liked the idea of giving the user an option of whether they wanted to stay in the room or not. As for what actually attacks you, I'm still not completely sure. One idea that's bouncing around in my head is that that's the narrator, which is why they know that "you asked for it." [[Return->Brute Ending]]

You just completed the 'Sound Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Sound Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

That was one of the more sad endings to this story. Writing it took a while, mostly because of the music's timing being slightly off, but I got it working eventually. The idea of a "Bait and Switch" was really interesting to me, and I wanted to play around with it. However, it's currently 12:08 AM for me, so I'm going to sleep. [[Return->Sound Ending]]

You just completed the 'Reflection Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Reflection Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

That was a pretty fun ending to write! I had the idea for something following you, and then the mirror at the end reveals what it is, but then my brain decided to go somewhere else with it, and I got this ending instead. To be honest, I prefer this. [[Return->Reflection Ending]]

You open the door, and you find darkness. However, you of course can't see anything because of the darkness. When the door closes behind you, you're suddenly plunged into darkness. Suddenly, for some reason, you feel a vein of courage bolt through you from the darkness. In the dark, it feels like you can do anything. However, "anything" is too many options to you. You feel the paralysis of decision creep up. Eventually, you're trying to think so hard that you forget to breath for many minutes. The darkness clouds the fact that your vision is going blurry, as you crash to the ground. [[Finish->Paralysis Ending]] (set:$left5a to true)

You just completed the 'Paralysis Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Paralysis Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

This ending plays around with an idea I call "courage in darkness." For some reason, whenever I'm thinking while in a dark room (such as when I'm trying to sleep), I have very different thoughts than during the daytime, or when in a bright room. My thoughts tend to be a lot more blunt, and courageous, while also being more impulsive. I still don't really understand why, but I have been wanting to write an ending about it for a while. [[Return->Paralysis Ending]]

{= (set:$heart to true) You walk through the door to find a ringing telephone on a table in the center of the room. Above the table is a lightbulb hanging from a string. However, the lightbulb is darker than the night sky, while still lighting up the entire room. You can't see where the string is hanging from, and the ceiling seems to not be there. Suddenly, the phone answers on its own. *"Hello?"* You hear from the other end. You recognize them as your best friend. You try to speak, but nothing comes out. Instead, you just listen. * Are you okay? * They seem nervous, and tired. * Are you even there? Have you ever been there? You've been ignoring me for 5 weeks. You haven't answered any of my calls, and now that you do answer, you're silent. You keep ignoring me. * Your throat tightens, and burns with how much you want to say. * Even though you're choosing to ignore me, I'm still your friend, and I'm worried about you. I'm worried you're going to do... something bad. `*sigh*` Why won't you say anything? Please, anything. Nothing? Fine. But I'm not calling you again. Call me when you realize that you need help. * |warning>[ --- //WARNING: The following contains a depiction of suicide. If you would like to avoid reading this, click [[here->Heart Ending]] to skip.// --- ] (link:"Continue")[= (hide:?warning) They hang up, and you suddenly feel a pain in your chest. You return to reality with a knife in your heart. Only you know how it got there. [[Finish->Heart Ending]]

You just completed the 'Heart Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story A]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story B]] [[Click here to learn more about this ending->Heart Ending Dev]] [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

When I started writing this ending, I didn't think it would turn out this dark. I just started with the telephone from The Stanley Parable, and then I needed a light, so I chose the black light bulb from OMORI. I was happy to have made two references in the same passage, in fact. Then, my brain got started with writing the conversation, and 10 minutes later, it became the darkest ending, and the second ending to have a content warning. I would also like to take this section to say that if you ever feel the need to take your own life, there are resources to help: During School: (link-rerun:"Student Services Request")[(goto-url:"https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQswUhttx3fX6-xLAeTYsw8I26ZFP_UAUdeNhAPwGz3p7AGQ/viewform")] Outside of school: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 Suicide and Crisis Hotline: 988 You matter, and there are people who care about you. [[Return->Heart Ending]]

Behind the black door, you find a beautiful, open area with vivid green grass, trees taller than you thought possible, and a banana. (link-append:"Why there's a banana here?")[ No one knows.] It's been a question asked many times over the ages, but it's never been answered. You ask again, out loud, just in case... No response. Maybe eventually, someone will get an answer. On second thought, you take the banana so that you can be certain that no one ever will. Suddenly, you realize how much there is to do here. You can [[relax under the tree->Relax]], [[climb the tree->Climb Tree B]], or you could [[eat the banana->Eat Banana]]! Endless possibilities await! (set:$banana to true) (set:$black to true) (set:$white to false)

As you go to open the door, you realize how blindingly bright it really is. It looks brighter than the sun, even. Behind the door, there is something much less bright than the sun: the hallway of a bleak, dreary, poorly illuminated office building. The hallway looks infinite, with how many doors it has. All the doors look the exact same. Dark black frame, with a dirty white door. For some reason, the right side doesn't have a first door, but the left side does. What do you do? [[Open Left Door->Left 1 B]] [[Continue->Office 2 B]] (set:$white to true) (set:$black to false)

You decide to sit down to relax by the nearest tree. This trees roots are sprawling, and make a perfect shape for sitting down, and resting your body. Right as you start to rest, the roots around you begin to move. They ensnare you, and you're unable to move. Trapped, you struggle, and try to scream, but the roots pull you down, below the ground, below the rock. You didn't know roots could go this far, but turns out, they can, at least here. Not much later, you reach your destination. You find yourself in a dark room, somehow lit by a door with beautiful, ornate dragon carvings. For some reason, you find yourself wanting to [[open the door->Dragon Door]].

You place your hand on the lowest branch you can find, and use the trunk of the tree to pull yourself up. Now that you're on top of the branch, you do the same thing for the next branch. In just a few seconds, you've gained a rhythm behind the climbing. Grab, climb. Grab, climb. Grab, climb. Not much later, you've already reached the top of tree. Somehow, there's a door here. This door is covered in beautiful, ornate dragon carvings. You feel compelled to [[open it->Dragon Door]].

You start to try to peel the banana, but suddenly, your fingers go numb, and stop moving. You pull your hand away from the banana almost immediately. This banana doesn't want to be eaten. You realize that you don't want to eat the banana either. In fact, you don't even like bananas. However, something pulls you towards this banana in particular. Whatever it is, you can't throw it away. In the distance, you see an out-of-place door in the middle of the grass. It's covered in beautiful, ornate dragon carvings. For some reason, the banana guides you to [[open it->Dragon Door]].

{ (set:$notLeft to false) (set:$notRight to false) (set:$officeNum to 2) (go-to:"Office B") }

You open the door, and find a room full of cats. However, since you're allergic to cats, you immediately close the door and continue down the hallway. { (set:$notLeft to false) (set:$notRight to false) (set:$left1b to true) (set:$officeNum to 2) (display:"Office B") }

{ There is a door to your left, a door to your right, and a mass of empty doors to traverse. There (if:$officeNum is not 2)[are](else:)[is] (print:$officeNum-1) set(if:$officeNum is not 2)[s] of doors behind you. What do you do? (if:not $notRight)[(link-goto:"Right Door", (str:"Right ", $officeNum, " B")) ] (if:not $notLeft)[(link-goto:"Left Door", (str:"Left ", $officeNum, " B")) ] (link:"Continue")[ (set:$notRight to false) (set:$notLeft to false) (set:$officeNum to it + 1) (go-to:"Office B") ] (set:$rushing to false) (if:$officeNum >= 6)[ (go-to:"Office 6 B") ] }

{ You open the door, and hear a bunch of cats. (if:$left1b is true)[ It's probably from the first room, but just in case, you leave. ](else:)[ You're allergic to cats, so it might be best if you leave. ] (set:$notLeft to true) (display:"Office B") }

You enter the room, feel a shiver down your spine, and immediately decide to leave. Shivers down spines are never good. { (set:$notLeft to true) (display:"Office B") }

You enter the fourth room on the left, and find a long hallway. The walls are covered in bare, white wallpaper, and the floors are a grey carpet. At the end of the hallway, there's a mirror. You walk to the end of the hallway to look closer at the mirror. It appears to have a crack in the corner of it, but other than that, there's nothing special about it. (if:$left4a is true)[No ghosts appearing from it, or anything.] { (set:$notLeft to true) (display:"Office B") }

{ You open the door and find a completely empty, and dark room. (if:$left5a is true)[ You find a lightswitch, and turn it on. There seems to be blood on the floor from someone falling and hitting their head. After all, head injuries do bleed profusely. After seeing this, you decide to leave ] (else:)[ No point in staying in a dark room. ] (set:$notLeft to true) (display:"Office B") }

You find yourself skipping so many doors, that you break into a run, sprinting down the hallway. You hope that no one works at this office building, as you're making a lot of noise. From the corner of your eye, you see a door that piques your interest. It's a door with beautiful, ornate dragon carvings. You feel compelled to [[open the door->Dragon Door]].

You enter the second door on the right, but when you turn around to close the door, the wall is to your back. The room no longer exists. { (set:$notRight to true) (display:"Office B") }

You open the third door on the right, but it's just a massive hole. { (set:$notRight to true) (display:"Office B") }

When you open the fourth door on the right, there appears to be no room here. It's just a brick wall. { (set:$notRight to true) (display:"Office B") }

{ (if:$heart is true)[ Before you even open the door, you get a feeling that something happened in this room. Something bad. A life was lost to it's own hands. You mourn for a few seconds, and then leave. ] (else:)[ You open the door and find a telephone ringing, with a dark lightbulb hanging above. You feel a slight pain in your chest, and start to worry, so you leave. ] (set:$notRight to true) (display:"Office B") }

You open the door with the dragon carvings, and reveal a room with a pedestal in the middle.(if:$banana is true)[ Maybe the banana will reveal it's true form to you now.] Looking in the center, it's the shape of a gem.(if:$banana is true)[ It seems that the banana will not reveal it's true form to you now.] You don't recall seeing a gem along your way. Was it somewhere in the void? Was it behind the (if:$white)[black](else:)[white] door? (if:$banana is true)[Was it in the banana? You couldn't open the banana without damaging it, so you hoped not.](else:)[Was it in one of the doors you ignored? You couldn't go back now, so you hoped not.] Suddenly, the pedastal starts shaking. In fact, the entire room was shaking! Even more suddenly than the room shaking, a dragon bursts up from below the floor, gobbling you whole(if:$banana is true)[ and the sacred banana with you. It was nice while it lasted]. [[Finish->Dragon Ending]]

You just completed the 'Dragon Ending.' Great job! However, there are still more endings to find. There's still a whole other story to complete, after all! [[Click here to see the same story->Story B]] [[Click here to see the other story->Story A]] { (link-rerun:"Click here to learn more about this ending")[ (if:visits is 1)[ (alert:"You must play this story twice to learn about this ending!") ] (if:visits > 1)[ (go-to:"Dragon Ending Dev") ] ] } [[Click here to end the story, and read more about the entire story->Ending Dev]]

So, you've played through the ending twice now, and you might have noticed something, if you took a different path: you ended up at the same ending either way. In fact, no matter what path you take through this story, you will end up at 'a door with beautiful, ornate dragon carvings,' go through it, and be eaten by the dragon. The only thing that might change, is that you might arrive with a banana. (if:$banana is true)[ Also, about the banana, if you're wondering why I added it, I don't know. However, I have an idea. In comedy, there's something called 'rule of thirds,' where if you're listing things and you want to make it funny, list something funny on the third one. I was listing things the oasis area had: *"vivid green grass, trees taller than you thought possible, and..."* The first thing I thought of to fill this blank was something that I forgot. However, the second thing that I thought of, was a banana. And so, I went with the second thing I thought of. At least it wasn't the first! ] As for the gem? The gem is a lie. [[Return->Dragon Ending]]