The Hunt

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@@.shudder;This text should be shuddering@@

<<if $currentRoom is "kitchen">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Kitchen1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "dining">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Dining-Room1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "vest">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Vest1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "living">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Living-Room1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "stairs">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Stairs1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "hall">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Hall1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "reading">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Reading-Room1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "grandmas">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Grandmas-Room1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "craft">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Craft-Room1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "your">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/My-Room1.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "dining-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Dining-Room-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "vest-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Vest-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "living-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Living-Room-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "stairs-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Stairs-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "hall-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Hall-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "reading-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Reading-Room-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "grandmas-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Grandmas-Room-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "craft-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Craft-Room-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "your-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/My-Room-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><<elseif $currentRoom is "kitchen-night">><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Kitchen-Night.png" width="100%" margin-top: 100px;><</if>> ''You are carrying:'' <<if $hasKnife>>''Knife''<</if>> <<if $hasKey>>''Skeleton Key''<</if>> <<if $hasRevolver>>''Revolver''<</if>> <<if $hasLantern>>''Lantern''<</if>>

<<audio "night" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>><<audio "redletter" stop>><h1>The Hunt</h1><img src="http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/The-Hunt-Logo7.png" width="30%" class="center"> @@.center;[[Start Game|Splash]]@@ @@.center;[[Credits]]@@ <<audio "redletter" stop>> <<set $inTrees to true>> <<set $backDoorOpen to true>> <<set $batAppeared to false>> <<set $wolfAppeared to false>> <<set $triedToLeave to false>> <<set $hasKnife to false>> <<set $hasLantern to false>> <<set $hasRevolver to false>> <<set $hasKey to false>> <<set $currentRoom to "kitchen">> <<set $password to "wrong">> <<set $enteredGrandmasRoom to false>> <<set $night to false>> <<set $stew to false>>

<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "window" stop>><<audio "night" stop>><<audio "redletter" stop>><<audio "intro-music" volume 0.03 loop play>><</if>> A Famished Flame is Beckoning<<timed 3s transition>> A Door Dampens the Reckoning <<next>>The Sun is Forever Setting <</timed>> <<scrolldown>><<timed 8s transition>>Tomorrow is your eleventh birthday. You were looking forward to it, despite everything, but now you are alone. <<next>> You had dreaded spending the summer at your grandmother’s cottage, tucked away deep in the woods. Your parents had gone away to chase migrant work, it being the only option left to them by the dust storms hitting the state. <<next>> The isolation wasn’t an issue; it offered a good chance to work on your poetry. A break from your friends that were still well-off would be welcome too; the pitying looks they gave you as your family’s lifestyle fell apart had not gone unnoticed. What you did dread were the rumors you would not easily escape - that your grandmother was…<<next>> <<scrolldown>> @@.fade-in;//...strange.//@@ <<next>> After three months living with her you’ve come to realize two things: First, that your grandmother may be a witch. And second, that in dirt-poor times like these, magic, if there is such a thing, may be the only way to survive. <<scrolldown>> <<next>> Her curatives certainly seem magical, as did her cooking. You’re convinced when she talks to her horse, Nimue, it’s not a one-sided conversation. Her skills and knowledge in science, agriculture, and cooking are in sharp contrast to her crippling superstitions. Every door and window is adorned with some weird fetish, talisman, or ward. On the shelves of her reading room upstairs a modern medicinal botany book sits uncomfortably beside an old treatise on the biology and habits of werewolves, which treats its subject no less seriously. <<scrolldown>><<next>><<next>> Just by being near her you have learned so much. //“Stew is best cooked slowly”//, you say to yourself as you stir the pot over the fire once again. The stew has been done for at least an hour. <<scrolldown>><<next>> //“Spare the rod and ride the lightning.”// Grandmother rode off to pick up momma a while ago. They should have been back by now. You look out the kitchen window. The setting sun gives rise to your grandmother’s gravest warning: <<scrolldown>><<next>><<scrolldown>> @@.turn-red;//''"Evil lurks in these woods at night."''//@@ <<next>> [[Begin|Kitchen - Daytime]]<<scrolldown>> <</timed>>

THE HUNT <<timed 3s transition>> Created By: Rick Martin <<next>> Editing/Illustrations/QA: Maggie Martin <<next>> Created With Twine 2.3.9 <<next>> ''Music'' String Impromptu Number 1 Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Quinn's Song: First Night" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "This House" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ "Redletter" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ <<next>> ''Sound FX'' Close Thunder with Rain - https://www.freesfx.co.uk/ Finger Nails Scratch Wood - YouTube Audio Library Creaking Sound Effect - BerlinAtmospheres Glass Shattering Sound FX: http://www.orangefreesounds.com/ Door slamming - Fesliyan Studios Gunshot - https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Door Opening - https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/ Door Squeak - https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/ Floor Squeak - https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/ Banging - https://www.fesliyanstudios.com Sizzling Sound Effect - http://www.freesoundslibrary.com Bat wings - https://freesound.org/people/Natty23/sounds/349225/ Bats in cave - SoundBible.com <<next>> [[Back to Title|Start]] <<scrolldown>> <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "kitchen">>You are in your grandmother’s kitchen, waiting while she picks up your mother. You are tending the <<linkreplace "stew.">>stew. The smell is strangely not as appetizing as you might expect, especially at this late hour. Perhaps it is your strong sense of loneliness that stimies your appetite, brought about by your frequent gazes out into the empty dining room. You give the stew a slow stir.<</linkreplace>> The fire barely smolders under the iron stew pot as scents of rabbit and carrots escape from within. There is bread on the counter, fresh from the wood fired oven. Colorful pots hang on the wall above the stove, opposite the <<linkreplace "dark walnut china cupboard.">>The cupboard is filled with what you might expect: dishes, tea towels, some spices. All of grandma’s more exotic ingredients are upstairs in her ‘crafting room’.<</linkreplace>> The golden oak wood floors feel smooth under your toes, worn smooth by years of grandmother’s rough feet. A wash basin full of water sits on the kitchen table, waiting to be heated on the stove after dinner. It took you awhile to get used to living without running water, but you miss it less than you thought you would. You glance around: At the [[front door|Front Door - Daytime]], which stands closed awaiting the return of your kin. At the [[dining room|Dining Room - Daytime]] to your right.

<<set $currentRoom to "stairs">>Up the stairs lies the bedrooms, a reading room, and grandma’s “craft room”. <<if $batAppeared>> [[Upstairs Hallway|Upstairs Hallway - Daytime]] [[Living Room|Living Room - Daytime]] <<else>> You don't want to abandon the stew and go upstairs. [[Living Room|Living Room - Daytime]] <</if>>

<<set $currentRoom to "dining">><<if $inTrees>><<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "intro-music" fadeto 0>><<audio "window" loop volume 0 fadeto 0.1>><</if>>As soon as you enter the dining room you see a shadowy @@.fade-in;//figure//@@… through the window, walking amongst the trees at the edge of the yard. <<timed 6s transition>> //Grandma?// <<next>> [[LOOK OUT THE WINDOW]] [[RETREAT BACK INTO THE KITCHEN]] <</timed>> <<else>> You are in the dining room. The heavy oak table shines with a tobacco luster and is set for three: bowls, <<if $hasKnife>>knives<<else>>[[knives]]<</if>>, spoons, and cups of water straight from the backyard pump. Glancing around the simply furnished room, you are overcome with a deep sense of sadness. You suddenly feel less at home, and more like you’re trapped in a painting. The air of the house changes. It’s as if the last drop of love the home was imbued with evaporated into thin air. You shake it off as homesickness. You don’t really want to leave, but you miss your mother and father. If only you could all live here, together, forever… [[Kitchen|Kitchen - Daytime]] [[Living Room|Living Room - Daytime]] <</if>>

You approach the glazed window. A pane is //cracked//. When did that happen? You look through it and indeed see a figure deep in the woods. You squint and focus your eyes only to be greeted by the setting sun glinting off metal. <<timed 8s transition>> AN AXE!? <</timed>><<timed 11s transition>> [[KEEP LOOKING]] [[RETREAT BACK INTO THE KITCHEN]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "kitchen">>Before whoever it is can spot you, you slink back into the kitchen with a whimper. You feel ashamed. Grandma is only a few inches taller than you, but a hundred times braver. [[STAY ON ALERT]] [[TRY TO CALM DOWN]]

<<set $currentRoom to "living">>A large couch sits opposite a <<linkreplace "fireplace.">>fireplace. The fireplace is unlit. The summer air is warm so grandma saw no need to light it.<</linkreplace>> Next to the couch is a <<linkreplace "gun cabinet.">>gun cabinet. The shotgun is missing.<<if $hasRevolver is false>> 1 revolver should still be in the [[locked drawer|locked drawer]].<</if>><</linkreplace>> There’s a <<linkreplace "wardrobe.">>wardrobe. Inside are coats and a few wool blankets.<</linkreplace>> The attached [[vestibule|Vestibule - Daytime]] leads to the back door, and you can still see the empty [[dining room|Dining Room - Daytime]]. The [[stairway landing|Stairway Landing - Daytime]] is on the west wall.

<<set $inTrees to false>>There was definitely someone out there and it wasn’t grandma or mom. Could it have gotten them? Grandma always talks about the danger of the woods. You lock the front door. <<timed 5s transition>> [[LOCK THE BACK DOOR|Vestibule - Daytime]] [[STAY HERE|Window Breaks Upstairs]] <</timed>>

Grandma’s stories and superstitions about the woods must be getting to you. You can’t let the first thing your mom sees when she arrives be you crying about some bogeyman. You swallow hard, take a deep breath, and stir the stew again to distract yourself. <<set $inTrees to false>> [[Continue|Kitchen - Daytime]]

<<set $currentRoom to "vest">><<if $backDoorOpen>><<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "door-slam" play>><</if>><<if $batAppeared is false>><<set $start to Date.now()>><</if>>The screen door to the backyard slams shut, buffeted by the wind. Looking out you see the trees begin to sway like the sky is rocking them asleep. You can’t help but close your eyes for a moment with hope that you’ll open them again being awoken by your mother from some bad dream. <<timed 7s transition>> The only thing that greets your fresh eyes is the back door, now fuzzy by the tears that have begun to form. <</timed>><<timed 11s transition>> [[CRY IN FEAR]] [[WIPE THE TEARS|WIPE THE TEARS RESOLUTELY]] <</timed>> <<else>>You are in the vestibule. <<linkreplace "Your raincoat is hanging on a hook.">>Your raincoat hangs on a hook. It looks like it might rain, but you have no intention of stepping outside until grandmother and mom get back.<</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "Your muddy boots sit next to the door.">>Your muddy boots sit next to the door. The mud is from a long hike gathering mushrooms. You wandered a little too far and got lost. When you finally found her again she looked pale. but relieved.<</linkreplace>> Short benches flank either side of the door. The [[back door|Back Door - Daytime]], now shut, stands before you. There is a [[lantern|lantern day]] next to it. The [[living room|Living Room - Daytime]] is at your back. <</if>>

After a moment you calm down and remember the woodsman who lives nearby and chops wood for your grandmother in exchange for food and medicine. Strange. Though you’ve only seen him a couple of times, you don’t remember him being quite so ''//big//''… <<set $inTrees to false>><<timed 8s transition>> [[Continue|Dining Room - Daytime]] <</timed>>

<<unset $start>><<set $batAppeared to true>><<set $inTrees to false>><<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "glass" play>><</if>>The silence of the cottage is shattered by the sound of breaking glass from upstairs! <<timed 4s transition>> Your mind races. <<next>> //Someone, or ''someTHING'', is up there! What if it came in THROUGH the window? Grandma’s charms didn’t stop ''IT''! Is that good... or ''BAD?''// <<next>> You feel sick from dread and panic. Your knees weaken and your body freezes as your mind races. What do you do? [[Hide under the couch in the living room]] [[Run out of the house]] [[Go investigate upstairs]] <</timed>>

<<set $backDoorOpen to false>>You can’t stop from shaking or tears from flowing. Snot runs out your nose and down your throat. You’ve never felt so vulnerable and alone. Your crying echoes throughout the empty house and probably beyond. If anything did hear you, it took no notice. [[Continue|Vestibule - Daytime]]

<<set $backDoorOpen to false>>You’ve never felt so vulnerable and alone; the old you would be sobbing. Yet after three months you couldn’t help but gain some of your grandmother’s strength. What would she do? She’d be alert and prepared. Your remember her “craft room”. That’s where she keeps her ingredients and crafts her medicines and talismans. Maybe there is something up there that will help or at least make you feel better. [[Continue|Vestibule - Daytime]]

The backyard has a <<linkreplace "noisy chicken coop.">>noisy chicken coop. The chickens are locked in for the night.<</linkreplace>> Further back is a <<linkreplace "vegetable garden.">>vegetable garden. The garden is brimming with a multitude of vegetables: red peppers, white cauliflower, and green beans dot the well-weeded square.<</linkreplace>> To the right is a <<linkreplace "cow shed.">>cow shed. Hilda, the milking cow, is shut in for the night.<</linkreplace>> [[Close the door|Vestibule - Daytime]]

<<cacheaudio "door-slam" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Slamming-Screen-Door.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "window" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Quinns Song-First Night.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "intro-music" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/string.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "glass" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Glass.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "bat-scream" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Bats-in-Cave.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "bat-wings" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/bat-wings.wav">> <<cacheaudio "door-open" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/opening-door-1.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "running-downstairs" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/falling-down-wooden-stairs.wav">> <<cacheaudio "sizzling" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/sizzling.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "brush-shaking" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Bush-Shaking.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "night" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/The-House.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "gunshot" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/gunshot.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "creaking" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Creaking-Short.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "drop-lantern" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/dropping-lantern.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "banging" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/banging.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "scratching" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/scratching4s.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "door-squeak" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Door-Squeal-1.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "door-banging" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Banging-On-Door.mp3">> <<cacheaudio "redletter" "http://blindwavellc.com/hunt/Redletter.mp3">>

<<set $currentRoom to "hall">>The hallway has a faded red runner lined with an oatmeal-colored diamond pattern protecting the oak floors. The hallway connects [[your room|Your Room - Daytime]], [[the reading room|The Reading Room - Daytime]], and [[grandma’s craft room|Craft Room - Daytime]], [[grandma’s room|Grandma's Room - Daytime]]. [[Go back downstairs|Stairway Landing - Daytime]]

After listening for a while, shoulders tense and eyes closed, for what feels like forever - you hear nothing. You decide to get up. [[Go investigate upstairs]]

<<if $triedToLeave>> You can’t leave until you can find a way to deactivate grandma’s runes. <<else>> Panicked, you run to the kitchen and fling open the front door. <<timed 3s transition>> SNAP!<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "sizzling" play>><</if>> <<next>> You are thrown back several feet and sent sliding across the wood floor in the cabinet. The shrill chorus of breaking glass and ceramic surround you as dishes and cups are flung out of the cabinet and shatter upon the floor. <<next>> What happened? You think to yourself as you stand, surprisingly, no worse for wear. It felt like you were struck by lightning. You peer out the door towards the sky, but your eyes refocus on the red glimmer of the door frame. The protection runes your grandmother carefully carved there glow faintly for a moment before fading. <<next>> What triggered them? Maybe grandma activated them before she left? She seemed more worried than usual when she left, or you think she did. The jolt seems to have fogged your memory a bit too. Despite that, you feel a little reassured. At least the runes should keep you safe until Grandmother gets back. Maybe you should read up on the runes just in case. <<next>> [[Go investigate upstairs]] <</timed>> <</if>>

<<set $currentRoom to "hall">>You slowly begin to climb the steps.<<timed 3s transition>> You strain your ears, but hear nothing other than the squeaking caused by your weight on the wooden steps.<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "creaking" play>><</if>> You freeze at each squeak waiting for some dreadful response. As you near the top, you crouch to peer over the top step; you do not want to reveal your presence almost as much as you’re afraid to see what lies ahead. <<next>> Finally you see… <<next>> An empty hall. <<next>> Four doors are closed, connected by the L shaped hall. [[Open your Bedroom Door]] [[Open Grandma’s Room’s Door]] [[Open the Reading Room’s Door]] [[Open the Craft Room’s Door]] <</timed>>

You open the door and look outside without leaving the kitchen. Nothing but trees. [[Close the door|Kitchen - Daytime]]

Your eyes fall on the steak knife laying on the table. [[Pick up the knife]] [[Leave the knife alone|Dining Room - Daytime]]

<<set $hasKnife to true>> You take the knife. <<timed 3s transition>> [[Continue|Dining Room - Daytime]] <</timed>>

<<audio "night" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>>The lock consists of four wheels, with twenty-six lettered faces that can be turned. Engraved above the lock is a single word: Fly What do you set the lock to?<<textbox "$password" "" autofocus>> [[Try the lock]] [[Back up the stairs|Stairway Landing - Night]]

<<audio "night" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>><<set $password to $password.toLowerCase()>> <<if $password is "hawk" or $password is "Hawk" or $password is "HAWK">> You did it! [[Open the door|The Basement]] <<else>> You failed! [[The Ornate Lock]] <</if>>

<<if $hasKey>>You open the drawer and see your grandmother's revolver. [[Pick up the revolver|revolver]] [[Leave the revolver alone|Living Room - Daytime]] <<else>>It’s locked. You think the key is upstairs. [[Back|Living Room - Daytime]]<</if>>

You pick up the revolver.<<set $hasRevolver to true>> <<timed 2s transition>> [[Continue|Living Room - Daytime]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "your">>You inhale deeply through your nose, and gently press on the door. You stare into the ever widening crack, every muscle in your body tensed. <<timed 5s transition>><<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "door-open" play>><</if>> Finally the door is open. The room bears no sign of an interloper, or any broken glass that you can see. You shut the door, ready to investigate the others. <<next>> [[Open Grandma’s Room’s Door]] [[Open the Reading Room’s Door]] [[Open the Craft Room’s Door]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "grandmas">>You slowly turn the knob. As if the doorknob were a radio’s volume you strain your ears until you might hear something. <<timed 3s transition>> Silence. <<next>> You push the door open.<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "door-open" play>><</if>> <<next>><<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "bat-scream" play>><</if>> @@.shudder;A shadow flies out of the room over your head causing you to stumble backwards.@@ <<next>> [[Run|Run From Bat]] [[Try and find the shadow]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "reading">>Shakedly you press the door open <<timed 3s transition>> slowly <<next>> slowly<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "door-squeak" play>><</if>><<next>> <<next>> The room is undisturbed. <<next>>You shut the door, ready to investigate the others. <<next>> [[Open Grandma’s Room’s Door]] [[Open your Bedroom Door]] [[Open the Craft Room’s Door]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "craft">>Biting your bottom lip to stay quiet, you turn the knob and press gently against the door. <<timed 4s transition>><<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "door-open" play>><</if>> You recoil in horror at the smell that assaults you from this room! It burns your nose and your eyes like rotten onions were being squeezed into them! It is all you can do to quickly scan the room before you slam the door is disgust. <<next>> You didn’t see anything amiss in the room, and it takes a few moments of wiping your eyes and nose on your dress before you’re able to renew the hunt for the source of the noise. <<next>> [[Open Grandma’s Room’s Door]] [[Open your Bedroom Door]] [[Open the Reading Room’s Door]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "hall">>You spin around and sprint to the stairs. <<timed 2s transition>> <<next>><<audio "bat-wings" play>> @@.shudder;The shadow flies at your face!@@ <<next>> You duck and cover your head. Your crouch-run towards the stairs turns into a series <<next>><<audio "running-downstairs" play>>    |__of__ <<next>>       |__le__aps <<next>>          |__an__d <<next>>             |__bounds__. <<next>> Once you reach the bottom, you stumble into the livingroom and crouch behind the wall until your breathing calms down. <<next>> You keep alert for several minutes, but see and hear nothing. <<next>><<set $batAppeared to true>> [[Continue|Living Room - Daytime]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "hall">>Standing still, you scan the hall. <<timed 3s transition>> Nothing. <<next>> You turn and look behind you… <<next>> @@.shudder;You see it flying up the stairs and right at your face!@@<<audio "bat-wings" play>> <<next>> [[Duck|Duck the Bat]] <<if $hasKnife>>[[Swipe at it with your knife]]<</if>> <</timed>>

You duck and let out a scream, not unlike the creature's screech. You see it @@.shudder;fly@@ into your Grandma’s room. You rush over and slam the door! <<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "door-slam" play>><</if>> <<timed 3s transition>> You hear it flying around for a few seconds, and then <<next>> silence. <<set $batAppeared to true>> <<next>> [[Continue|Upstairs Hallway - Daytime]] <</timed>>

With a scream you hack in front of you with your knife!<<timed 2s transition>><<audio "bat-scream" play>> You feel weight hit the knife and see something thud against the wall. <<next>> The bat lies on the floor in a small pool of blood - never to fly again. <<next>> <<set $batAppeared to true>> [[Continue|Upstairs Hallway - Daytime]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "craft">>GAUH! You slam the door and step back from the room assaulted by its odor. You're not sure what sort of ingredient grandma brought home, but you don’t especially want to find out. You shut the door before the stench can fill the hallway. [[Back to hallway|Upstairs Hallway - Daytime]]

<<set $currentRoom to "your">>It didn’t take long for this room to feel like your own. Pressed against the back corner of the room is your comfortable <<linkreplace "bed.">>bed. Despite all of the downright terrifying stories your grandmother has told you about dark beings, and true evils, you've honestly never felt safer or slept sounder. It’s been nothing but peaceful here, sleeping this in tune with nature has nourished your soul. Besides, you’re pretty sure she’s the scariest thing in these woods. Her belief in you has made you feel more confident than you ever have. //Men may have more muscles, but women have more fire!// She would say everytime she would make a fire. I have to admit after these three months I did feel a burning strength inside I never knew was there. <</linkreplace>> Under a window is your <<linkreplace "small wooden desk and chair.">>small wooden desk and chair. You love to read and write poems here at this desk. //Words have power... and everything is listening!// It took me a while before I could distinguish when Grandma was talking to me or the pot as she cooked.<</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "The closet is closed.">>The closet has your clothes. Most of them have been made using the skills Grandma taught you, and the linens she’s traded her medicine and talisman’s for.<</linkreplace>> [[Exit the room|Upstairs Hallway - Daytime]]

<<set $currentRoom to "grandmas">><<if $enteredGrandmasRoom is false>>Though she’s never forbidden your snooping here, you feel guilty. Still look? <<linkreplace "Yes">>Grandma's room is neat and smells faintly of rose. The window is broken and glass litters the floor. <<linkreplace "Her bed is against the west wall.">>Her bed is against the west wall. The bed is made up with white linen sheets and a colorful patchwork quilt. You fell asleep in here your first night to grandma teliing you stories. She slept in your bed that night remarking the next morning, //I wish you were still little enough to carry!// <</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace " A side table is next to it.">> A side table is next to it. On the table is an unlit candle. Next to it is a [[talisman]] your grandmother must have been crafting. It looks unfinished. The design resembles a bird of prey. There is a [[drawer|Grandma's Room's Drawer]] in the table. <</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "Her closet is closed.">> Your grandmother’s dresses and other clothing: simple, but colorful.<</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>> <<set $enteredGrandmasRoom to true>> [[Exit|Upstairs Hallway - Daytime]] <<else>> Grandma's room is neat, tidy, and smells faintly of rose. <<linkreplace "Her bed is against the west wall.">>Her bed is against the west wall. The bed is made with white linen sheets and a colorful patch quilted blanket. You fell asleep in here your first night as grandma told you stories. She slept in your bed that night remarking the next morning, //'I wish you were still little enough to carry!'// <</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "A side table is next to it.">>A side table is next to it. The top of the table has an unlit candle in a holder. Next to it is a [[talisman]] your grandmother must have been crafting. It looks unfinished. The design resembles a bird of prey. There is a [[drawer|Grandma's Room's Drawer]] in the table. <</linkreplace>> <<linkreplace "Her closet is closed.">> Inside the closet is your grandmother’s dresses and other clothing: simple and colorful.<</linkreplace>> [[Exit the room|Upstairs Hallway - Daytime]] <</if>>

<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "sizzling" play>><</if>>//OW!// The talisman burned your fingers when you tried to pick it up. You’re unsure of what magic grandma used on it, but it must need to be sealed or coated with something. [[Back|Grandma's Room - Daytime]]

<<if $hasKey is false>>The drawer is locked. [[Back|Grandma's Room - Daytime]] <<else>> You unlock the drawer. Inside the drawer is a book. It looks like it might be a diary. Do you want the read the diary? [[Yes|Diary]] [[No|Grandma's Room - Daytime]] <</if>>

<<if $wolfAppeared is false>>This appears to be your grandma’s most recent diary as it only goes back 5 months. You read turn back a couple of pages and read an entry. <<timed 4s transition>> //The doorway in the woods was open. A buck had rubbed the symbol away with its antlers.// <<next>> //Symbol recarved.// <<next>> Depicted is a symbol that looks like an hourglass with it’s top removed and a crescent moon above. <<next>>[[Turn the page|Night Falls]]<</timed>> <<else>><<timed 4s transition>> This appears to be your grandma’s most recent diary as it only takes back 5 months. You read turn back a couple of pages and read an entry. <<next>> //The doorway in the woods was open. A buck had rubbed the symbol away with its antlers.// <<next>> //Symbol recarved.// <<next>> Depicted is a symbol that looks like an hourglass with it’s top removed and a crescent moon above. //I thought I lost Faye to the woods. I called out, but no reply came. Thankfully she had just wandered out of range of my voice. I don’t know what came through the door, but I’ve got to warn her about it somehow. She won’t believe me, not yet, but I can’t wait any longer.// <<next>> You think to yourself, ''//what wouldn’t I believe? What door?//'' A deep part of you starts to fear that maybe there was more to her superstitions. The dairy continues: <<next>> //I feel like I’m starting to lose it. Something is in the house, but what could have gotten past the runes? The house is shrouded in a dark aura. Faye isn’t safe. Soon, no one will be.// <<next>> ''//Why did grandma not tell me? Why did she leave me alone? Did she go to fight the darkness, or… has she become it!?//'' <</timed>> <</if>>

<<set $wolfAppeared to true>>A panicked cacophony erupts outside the back door. Your ears are bombarded with the sounds of the chickens being torn apart while the milking cow shrieks. Hilda's bell starts ringing faster and faster, pounding in your eardrumes like a nail. You slap your hands over your ears, but it does little to dull the noise that is so loud it could be escaping your own throat. <<timed 6s transition>> Something is ripping all the animals apart. <<next>> [[Go downstairs|Shut Door and Flee]] [[Go outside and defend the animals]] <</timed>>

<<unset $wolftime>><<audio "brush-shaking" play>>You hear it before you see it. Something is moving out the window through the trees. [[Continue|Wolf Appears]]

<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "window" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>><<audio "night" volume 0.03 loop play>><</if>><<unset $timer>>The air bites and shadows loom<<timed 2s transition>> The howling wolves herald doom<<next>> Night Has Finally Fallen <<next>> [[Continue|Hunger]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "reading">>You are in the reading room. This calming room smells of of papers and inks. <<linkreplace "Bookshelves line all the walls save one">> There are hundreds of books here; books on [[cooking]], [[medicinal botany]], [[mathematics]], the [[occult]], and so many more. <<if $hasKey is false>>A number of shelves are also filled with your grandmother’s [[diaries and research journals]].<</if>> You don’t really know what you’re looking for. BookShelves line all the walls save one<</linkreplace>>, where a <<linkreplace "table and chair.">>table and chair sit. When your grandmother is here, she spends most of her time studying and scribbling notes at the desk. On the table is a <<linkreplace "book.">>book, it is open to page 23. It’s a book on philosophy. A passage is highlighted: <<scrolldown>> @@.turn-red;''//He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster.//''@@ -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche <</linkreplace>> <</linkreplace>> Two handmade rocking chairs also sit in this room. [[Exit the room|Upstairs Hallway - Daytime]]

Besides the tărru birds,meat from a fresh leg of mutton is needed. Boil the water, throw fat in. Dress the tărru and place in pot. Add coarse salt as needed. Add hulled cake of malt. Squeeze onions, samîdu, leek, garlic together and add to pot along with milk. After cooking and cutting up the tărru , plunge them to braise in stock from the pot. Then place them back in the pot in order to finish cooking. To be brought out for carving. Ancient Mesopotamian Recipe [[Back|The Reading Room - Daytime]]

''The English Alder'' ---History---The English Alder is a moderately-sized tree or large shrub of dark colour, usually growing in moist woods or pastures or by streams. The leaves are broadly ovate, stalked, and usually smooth. The catkins are formed in the autumn, the fruiting ones having scales rather like a tiny-fir-cone; the flowers appear in early spring, before the leaves are fully out. The woody, nearly globular female catkins are the so-called 'berries.' The trees are often grown in coppices, which afford winter shade for stock on mountain grazings without appearing to injure the grass beneath, and can be cut down for poles every nine or ten years. The wood is much used. When young it is brittle and very easily worked. When more mature it is tinted and veined; in the Highlands of Scotland it is used for making handsome chairs, and is known as Scottish mahogany. It has the quality of long endurance under water, and so is valuable for pumps, troughs, sluices, and particularly for piles, for which purpose it is said to have been used in sixteenth-century Venice and widely in France and Holland. The roots and knots furnish good material for cabinet-makers, and for the clogs of Lancashire mill-towns and the south of Scotland the demand exceeds the supply, and birch has to be used instead. It is also used for cart and spinning wheels, bowls, spoons, wooden heels, herring-barrel staves, etc. On the Continent it is largely used for cigar-boxes, for which its reddish, cedar-like wood is well adapted. After lying in bogs the wood has the colour but not the hardness of ebony. The branches make good charcoal, which is valuable for making gunpowder. The bark is used by dyers, tanners, leather dressers, and for fishermen's nets. ---Dyeing---The bark is used as a foundation for blacks, with the addition of copperas. Alone, it dyes woollens a reddish colour (Aldine Red). The Laplanders chew it, and dye leathern garments with their saliva. An ounce dried and powdered, boiled in three-quarters of a pint of water with an equal amount of logwood, with solution of copper, tin, and bismuth, 6 grains of each, and 2 drops of iron vitriol, will dye a deep boue de Paris. Both bark and young shoots dye yellow, and with a little copper as a yellowish-grey, useful in the half-tints and shadows of flesh in tapestry. The shoots cut in March will dye cinnamon, and if dried and powdered a tawny shade. The fresh wood yields a pinkish-fawn dye, and the catkins a green. The leaves have been used in tanning leather. They are clammy, and if spread in a room are said to catch fleas on their glutinous surface. ---Constituents---The bark and young shoots contain from sixteen to 20 per cent of tannic acid, but so much colouring matter that they are not very useful for tanning. This tannin differs from that of galls and oak-bark, and does not yield glucose when acted upon by sulphuric acid, which, it is stated, resolves it into almine red and sugar. ---Medicinal Action and Uses---Tonic and astringent. A decoction of the bark is useful to bathe swellings and inflammations, especially of the throat, and has been known to cure ague. Peasants on the Alps are reported to be frequently cured of rheumatism by being covered with bags full of the heated leaves. Horses, cows, sheep and goats are said to eat it, but swine refuse it. Some state that it is bad for horses, as it turns their tongues black. A Modern Herbal - Sophia Emma Magdalene Grieve [[Back|The Reading Room - Daytime]]

Math is your weakest subject, and you’re in no mood to brush up now. Grandma says, //numbers never lie//. You still think you’ll let them lay untouched, for now. [[Back|The Reading Room - Daytime]]

I SHALL never forget the walk I took one night in Vienne, after having accomplished the examination of an unknown Druidical relic, the Pierre labie, at La Rondelle, near Champigni. I had learned of the existence of this cromlech only on my arrival at Champigni in the afternoon, and I had started to visit the curiosity without calculating the time it would take me to reach it and to return. Suffice it to say that I discovered the venerable pile of grey stones as the sun set, and that I expended the last lights of evening in planning and sketching. I then turned my face homeward. My walk of about ten miles had wearied me, coming at the end of a long day's posting, and I had lamed myself in scrambling over some stones to the Gaulish relic. A small hamlet was at no great distance, and I betook myself thither, in the hopes of hiring a trap to convey me to the posthouse, but I was disappointed. Few in the place could speak French, and the priest, when I applied to him, assured me that he believed there was no better conveyance in the place than a common charrue with its solid wooden wheels; nor was a riding horse to be procured. The good man offered to house me for the night; but I was obliged to decline, as my family intended starting early on the following morning. Out spake then the mayor--"Monsieur can never go back to-night across the flats, because of the--the--" and his voice dropped; "the loups-garoux." "He says that he must return!" replied the priest in patois. "But who will go with him?" "Ah, ha,! M. le Curé. It is all very well for one of us to accompany him, but think of the coming back alone!" "Then two must go with him," said the priest, and you can take care of each other as you return." "Picou tells me that he saw the were-wolf only this day se'nnight," said a peasant; "he was down by the hedge of his buckwheat field, and the sun had set, and he was thinking of coming home, when he heard a rustle on the far side of the hedge. He looked over, and there stood the wolf as big as a calf against the horizon, its tongue out, and its eyes glaring like marsh-fires. Mon Dieu! catch me going over the marais to-night. Why, what could two men do if they were attacked by that wolf-fiend?" "It is tempting Providence," said one of the elders of the village;" no man must expect the help of God if he throws himself wilfully in the way of danger. Is it not so, M. le Curé? I heard you say as much from the pulpit on the first Sunday in Lent, preaching from the Gospel." "That is true," observed several, shaking their heads. "His tongue hanging out, and his eyes glaring like marsh-fires!" said the confidant of Picou. "Mon Dieu! if I met the monster, I should run," quoth another. "I quite believe you, Cortrez; I can answer for it that you would," said the mayor. "As big as a calf," threw in Picou's friend. "If the loup-garou were only a natural wolf, why then, you see"--the mayor cleared his throat--"you see we should think nothing of it; but, M. le Curé, it is a fiend, a worse than fiend, a man-fiend,--a worse than man-fiend, a man-wolf-fiend." "But what is the young monsieur to do?" asked the priest, looking from one to another. "Never mind," said I, who had been quietly listening to their patois, which I understood. "Never mind; I will walk back by myself, and if I meet the loup-garou I will crop his ears and tail, and send them to M. le Maire with my compliments." A sigh of relief from the assembly, as they found themselves clear of the difficulty. "Il est Anglais," said the mayor, shaking his head, as though he meant that an Englishman might face the devil with impunity. A melancholy flat was the marais, looking desolate enough by day, but now, in the gloaming, tenfold as desolate. The sky was perfectly clear, and of a soft, blue-grey tinge; illumined by the new moon, a curve of light approaching its western bed. To the horizon reached a fen, blacked with pools of stagnant water, from which the frogs kept up an incessant trill through the summer night. Heath and fern covered the ground, but near the water grew dense masses of flag and bulrush, amongst which the light wind sighed wearily. Here and there stood a sandy knoll, capped with firs, looking like black splashes against the grey sky; not a sign of habitation anywhere; the only trace of men being the white, straight road extending for miles across the fen. That this district harboured wolves is not improbable, and I confess that I armed myself with a strong stick at the first clump of trees through which the road dived. -The Book of Were-Wolves, by Sabine Baring-Gould [[Back|The Reading Room - Daytime]]

You could spend a long time going through these as you don't understand much of what is written. Formulas, strange symbols, and different languages take up large sections. <<timed 4s transition>> It seems like grandma tracked everything from plant growth, mead fermentation rates, and the position of the constellations and planets. There is little mention of you, your parents, or any people not long dead thinkers. It seems like her research and studies occupied her mind almost completely. Surprising considering how warm and welcoming she has been to you these last three months. <<next>> Upon opening the journal you see... <<next>> That the carved out pages contain a key. <<next>> [[Take Key|Take Key - The Reading Room - Daytime]] <</timed>>

<<set $hasKey to true>>You take the key. [[Back|The Reading Room - Daytime]]

Double-click this passage to edit it.

<<set $currentRoom to "living-night">>[[Open the back door and confront the creature]] <<if $hasKey is true>> <<if $hasRevolver is false>> [[Get the gun]]<</if>> <</if>>

You open the door only to hear the last chicken’s final scream. You see a creature, its fangs and snot dripping crimson stare you down with golden eyes <<timed 4s transition>> - a wolf. It slowly begins to approach in what has suddenly become an absolute silence. <<next>> [[Shut Door and Flee]] <<if $hasRevolver>>[[Shoot it|Shoot it outside]]<</if>> <</timed>>

You sprint from the vestibule to the living room, slipping on the wood floor and landing with a sickening thud in front of the arch which houses the gun safe. You get onto your hands and knees and crawl over to the drawer that houses the pistol. <<timed 3s transition>> There is frantic scratching at the back door.<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "scratching" play>><</if>><<next>> You struggle to insert the key into the lock.<<next>> The creatures bangs against the door.<<next>> Finally the lock turns and you open the drawer. You pull out the revolver and aim it at the far off door, still laying on the floor.<<next>> The scratching and banging stop. All is quiet. You get to your feet.<<next>> CRASH!<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "glass" play>><</if>> You spin to your left to see a grey blur rush into the room through the window. It hits the wood floor with such speed that it continues to slide until it thuds into the corner of the room. It quickly regains its footing and stares at you. <<next>> [[Shout at it]] [[Shoot it|Shoot it inside]] <</timed>>

You swallow hard, and bellow at the beast, <<timed 3s transition>> ''“Get out!”'' <<next>> You are surprised by the amount of forcefulness you are able to muster, but not nearly as surprised as when the wolf begins to walk towards the still open back door. You watch in amazement as it leaves the house and slowly returns to the woods; leaving a pool of blood on the floor as the only proof it had ever been in the house at all. <<next>> [[Continue|Living Room - Night]] <</timed>>

<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "gunshot" play>><</if>>The incredible sound assaults your ears, causing pain as if the bullet had itself entered your ear and ripped its way through the canal to your brain and out the otherside. The gun hits the floor the same time as your knees as you hold your ears. You tightly shut eyes trying to dampen all sensory input as if one more whisper might cause your head to explode. Once you can open your eyes again you do not see the wolf. That is, until you look behind you. <<timed 6s transition>> It stands, backed up against the opposing wall blood still dripping from its mouth… but also you now notice its <<linkreplace "side.">>side. You see a bleeding wound on the side of the wolf. It looks like a gash from a blade. You get the feeling the chickens were not its only victim tonight.<</linkreplace>> <<next>> [[Shoot it|Shoot it inside]] [[Shout at it]] <</timed>>

<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "gunshot" play>><</if>>You fire a shot, this time better bracing yourself for the ear splitting crack. <<timed 4s transition>> The beast, bleeding from the newly formed hole in its head steps towards you… <<next>> And then collapses in an ever growing pool of blood. [[Continue|Living Room - Night]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "living-night">>You can hear the sound of scratching on the back door.<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "scratching" play>><</if>> <<timed 5s transition>> The creatures bangs against the door.<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "banging" play>><</if>> <<next>> <<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "glass" play>><</if>>You spin to your left to see a grey blur rush into the room through the window. It hits the wood floor with such speed that it continues to slide until it thuds into the corner of the room. It quickly regains its footing and stares at you. <<next>> It's backed up against the opposing wall blood still dripping from its mouth… but also you now notice it’s <<linkreplace "side.">>side. You see a bleeding wound on the side of the wolf. It looks like a gash from a blade. You get the feeling the chickens were not its only victim tonight.<</linkreplace>> <<next>> [[Shout at it]] <<if $hasRevolver>>[[Shoot it|Shoot it inside]]<</if>> <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "stairs-night">>Up the stairs lies the bedrooms, reading room, and grandma’s “craft room”. [[Go upstairs|Upstairs Hallway - Night]] [[Go to living room|Living Room - Night]]

<<set $currentRoom to "hall-night">>The hallway has a thin red carpet lined with oatmeal colored diamonds sitting atop the golden oak floors. The hallway connects [[your room|Your Room - Night]], [[grandma’s room|Grandma's Room - Night]], [[the reading room|Reading Room - Night]], and [[grandma’s craft room|Craft Room - Night]]. [[Go back downstairs|Stairway Landing - Night]]

<<set $currentRoom to "living-night">>Next to the couch is a <<linkreplace "gun cabinet.">>gun cabinet. The shotgun is missing.<<if $hasRevolver is false>> 1 revolver should still be in the [[locked drawer|locked drawer-night]].<</if>> <</linkreplace>> There’s a <<linkreplace "wardrobe.">>wardrobe. Inside are coats and a few blankets.<</linkreplace>> <<if $wolfAppeared is false>> The attached [[vestibule|Vestibule - Night]] leads to the back door, and you can still see the empty [[dining room|Dining Room - Night]]. The [[stairway landing|Stairway Landing - Night]] is on the west wall. <<else>> The wolf's blood has pooled onto the floor here. Strange, it seems to be flowing under the wardrobe. [[Investigate Blood|Basement - Night]] The attached [[vestibule|Vestibule - Night]] leads to the back door, and you can still see the empty [[dining room|Dining Room - Night]]. The [[stairway landing|Stairway Landing - Night]] is on the west wall. <</if>>

<<set $currentRoom to "vest-night">>You are in the vestibule. <<if $woldAppeared>>The cacophony continues out back, but instead of the dying screams of chickens it is the crack and boom of thunder. You can't hear Hilda's moos over the sheeting rain, if she is still alive to make them. <<else>> You can't hear the animals, or anything, over the rain and thunder. <</if>> <<if $hasLantern is false>>An [[oil lantern|lantern night]] hangs next to the back door.<</if>> [[Back to the living room|Living Room - Night]]

<<set $currentRoom to "dining-night">>You are in the dining room. There are three empty seats at the table. What should of been a night full of laughter instead echos the sounds of the crying sky. You feel trapped, and fear you may be alone forever… [[Kitchen|Kitchen - Night]] [[Living Room|Living Room - Night]]

<<set $currentRoom to "kitchen-night">>You are in the kitchen. Rain peppers the kitchen window. The cooking fire has died out -- taking with it your final ounce of hope for Grandma and Mom to make it home for dinner. <<if $stew is false>>[[EAT THE STEW]]<</if>> [[Dining Room|Dining Room - Night]] [[Front Door|Front Door - Night]]

You can’t ignore the pains and sounds emanating from your stomach any longer as you fill your bowl with stew. The lid has kept it warm as you dig a large helping onto your spoon. <<timed 3s transition>> You spit the food out of your mouth! <<next>> It’s as if it turned to ash the moment it touched your tongue. You drop to your knees and retch like you felt maggots squirming on your tongue. It is several minutes before you stop, sweating and chilled. Despite your body’s violent reaction, your hunger soon returns. <<set $stew to true>> <<next>> [[Eat the bread]] [[Stay hungry|Kitchen - Night]] <</timed>>

<<if $triedToLeave>>You can’t leave until you can find a way to deactivate grandma’s runes. [[Close the door|Kitchen - Night]] <<else>> <<if $hasLantern>>You don't want to go out into the woods at night, but at least you can hang the lantern on the porch to help guide grandma and mom home. You open the door and step outside.<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "sizzling" play>><</if>> <<timed 4s transition>>You are thrown back several feet and sent sliding across the wood floor in the cabinet. The shrill chorus of breaking glass and ceramic surround you as dishes and cups are flung out of the cabinet and shatter upon the floor. <<next>> What happened? You think to yourself as you stand, surprisingly, no worse for wear. Were you struck by lightning? You peer out the door towards the stormy sky, but your eyes fall on a red gleam on the door frame. The protection runes your grandmother carved there glow faintly for a moment before fading. <<next>> What triggered them? Maybe grandma activated them before she left? She seemed more worried than usual when she left, or at least you think she did. The jolt might have fogged your memory a bit. Despite this, you feel a little reassured. The runes should keep you safe until grandma gets back. Still, maybe you should read up on the runes just in case. [[Close the door|Kitchen - Night]] <</timed>> <<else>> You should have the lantern before you go outside. [[Close the door|Kitchen - Night]] <</if>> <</if>>

BLECH! Again you drop to the floor, this time you cannot stop yourself from vomiting, not food but BLOOD! You claw at your tongue trying to get the disgusting taste off it. After several painful minutes you finally gain the strength to stand. [[Back|Kitchen - Night]]

<<set $wolftime to Date.now()>>The house is attacked... <<timed 3s transition>> ...hit by rain, buffeted by wind, and shook by thunder. <<next>> You drop grandma's diary as emotions rampage throughout your body. <<next>> You are SCARED something happened to Mom and Grandma. You are ANGRY you didn’t insist on going along. You are SAD to be utterly alone. <<next>> Yet, these bubbling emotions are somehow overpowered by a new feeling: HUNGER! <<next>> The constant state of worry you have found yourself in must have depleted every calorie in your body. You find yourself about to double over with the pains coming from your stomach. You need to eat right now! <<next>> [[Get food|Kitchen - Night]] <</timed>>

The wolf's blood is flowing under the wardrobe, following the tiny gaps between the floorboards and one irregular curve that stops at the wardrobe’s feet. The wardrobe must have been moved frequently to create these marks. [[Move the wardrobe]] [[Leave it alone|Stairway Landing - Night]]

<<set $currentRoom to "reading-night">>You are in the reading room. You feel smothered by the immensess of the knowledge in this room. You feel like every shelf full of long dead sages, scientists, and philosophers are all jeering at your ignorance. Had you heeded our warnings maybe you could be saved! You believe them to say. [[Read a book from the top shelf|Yeats]] [[Read a book from a middle shelf|Bible]] [[Read a book from a the bottom shelf|Lovecraft]] [[Exit the room|Upstairs Hallway - Night]]

Where dips the rocky highland Of Sleuth Wood in the lake, There lies a leafy island Where flapping herons wake The drowsy water-rats; There we’ve hid our faery vats, Full of berries And of reddest stolen cherries. Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand. Where the wave of moonlight glosses The dim grey sands with light, Far off by furthest Rosses We foot it all the night, Weaving olden dances Mingling hands and mingling glances Till the moon has taken flight; To and fro we leap And chase the frothy bubbles, While the world is full of troubles And anxious in its sleep. Come away, O' human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand. Where the wandering water gushes From the hills above Glen-Car, In pools among the rushes That scarce could bathe a star, We seek for slumbering trout And whispering in their ears Give them unquiet dreams; Leaning softly out From ferns that drop their tears Over the young streams. Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than you can understand. Away with us he’s going, The solemn-eyed: He’ll hear no more the lowing Of the calves on the warm hillside Or the kettle on the hob Sing peace into his breast, Or see the brown mice bob Round and round the oatmeal-chest. For he comes, the human child, To the waters and the wild With a faery, hand in hand, For the world’s more full of weeping than he can understand. The Stolen Child W.B. Yeats [[Back|Reading Room - Night]]

If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear. Deuteronomy 21:XVIII-XXI - King James Bible Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. Psalm CXXXVII:IX [[Back|Reading Room - Night]]

They cut it down, and where the pitch-black aisles Of forest night had hid eternal things, They scaled the sky with towers and marble piles To make a city for their revellings. White and amazing to the lands around That wondrous wealth of domes and turrets rose; Crystal and ivory, sublimely crowned With pinnacles that bore unmelting snows. And through its halls the pipe and sistrum rang, While wine and riot brought their scarlet stains; Never a voice of elder marvels sang, Nor any eye called up the hills and plains. Thus down the years, till on one purple night A drunken minstrel in his careless verse Spoke the vile words that should not see the light, And stirred the shadows of an ancient curse. Forests may fall, but not the dusk they shield; So on the spot where that proud city stood, The shuddering dawn no single stone revealed, But fled the blackness of a primal wood. The Wood - H.P. Lovecraft [[Back|Reading Room - Night]]

<<set $currentRoom to "your-night">>You are in your bedroom. There’s no way you could slay the demons of hunger, fear, and melancholy in order to sleep. <<timed 3s transition>> //Words have power... and everything is listening!// <<next>> <<linkreplace "Pray? ">>You silently pray knelt by your bed. Nothing changes. <</linkreplace>> [[Leave your room|Upstairs Hallway - Night]] <</timed>>

<<set $currentRoom to "grandmas-night">>Your grandmother's room feels colder than the hall you stepped in from. Her warmth is no where to be found. The top of the nightstand has an unlit candle in a holder. Next to it is a [[talisman|talisman-night]] your grandmother must have been crafting. It looks unfinished. The design resembles a bird of prey. Grandma's [[diary|Diary Night]] is on the floor. [[Leave the room|Upstairs Hallway - Night]]

<<set $currentRoom to "craft-night">>GAUH! You close the door and step back from the room assaulted by its odor. A terrible groan joins the choir of growling seeping from your stomach. You're not sure what sort of ingredient grandma brought home today, but their sickening smell stops you from entering the room lest you vomit. [[Back|Upstairs Hallway - Night]]

This appears to be your grandma’s most recent diary as it only goes back 5 months. You read turn back a couple of pages and read an entry. <<timed 4s transition>> //The doorway in the woods was open. A buck had rubbed the symbol away with its antlers.// <<next>> //Symbol recarved.// <<next>> Depicted is a symbol that looks like an hourglass with it’s top removed and a crescent moon above.<<next>> //I thought I lost Faye to the woods. I called out, but no reply came. Thankfully she had just wandered out of range of my voice. I don’t know what came through the door, but I’ve got to warn her about it somehow. She won’t believe me, not yet, but I can’t wait any longer.// <<next>> You think to yourself, ''//what wouldn’t I believe? What door?//'' A deep part of you starts to fear that maybe there was more to her superstitions. <<next>> The dairy continues: <<next>> //I feel like I’m starting to lose it. Something is in the house, but what could have gotten past the runes? The house is shrouded in a dark aura. Faye isn’t safe. Soon, no one will be.// <<next>> ''//Why did grandma not tell me? Why did she leave me alone? Did she go to fight the darkness, or… has she become it!?//'' [[Continue|Grandma's Room - Night]] <</timed>>

<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "sizzling" play>><</if>>//OW!// The talisman burned your fingers when you tried to pick it up. You’re unsure what sort of dark magic grandma used in it, but it must need to be sealed or coated with something. [[Back|Grandma's Room - Night]]

You grab the edge of the wardrobe and pull. At first you are met with complete resistance, but slowly the resistance lessens and the wardrobe pulls towards you like a door. <<timed 5s transition>> It reveals [[stairs|The Threshold]]. <</timed>>

<<if $hasLantern is false>>You think going down there without a light would be a //very// bad idea. [[Back|Living Room - Night]]<<else>>With lit lantern, [[go down the stairs|Down the Stairs]]<</if>>

<<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "night" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>><<audio "redletter" volume 0.03 loop play>><</if>>Your lantern light walks down the stairs in front of you. You count them as you go. <<timed 3s transition>> One What is this place? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Two How was it built? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Three Why is it hidden? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Four Did grandma plan on telling me about it? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Five What will I find at the bottom? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Six Am I safe? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Seven Is that a door? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Eight Why is the door metal? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Nine Is my heart always this loud? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Ten Do I really want to do this? <<next>><<scrolldown>> Eleven What kind of lock is that? <<next>><<scrolldown>> A black metal door stands before you. It is locked with a large, ornate lock. <<next>><<scrolldown>> [[Try to open the ornate lock|The Ornate Lock]]<</timed>>

<<audio "night" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>>The door rasps a metallic groan as you pull it open. <<timed 8s transition>> The room is in ruin. Shelves lay scattered like felled trees. Pages from gutted books carpet the floor like autumn leaves. An overturned table litters the floor the shattered remains of beakers, tubes, and bottles. An overturned distilling flask vomits some black viscous liquid that is decomposing a pile of paper it spilled across. <<next>> You are hit by a smell. Faint traces of must and ash hang in the air, but there is a smell that fights its way through your nostrils, and into your brain that makes your neck hair stand straight up. <<next>> @@.turn-red;Blood.@@ <<next>> <<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "drop-lantern" play>><</if>>Your shaking hand drops the lantern as you see its source. <<set $hasLantern to false>> <<next>> Your grandmother is lying in the corner, body facing the wall, her head is twisted around facing you. Her yellow dress is now brown from the dried blood. Her color drained; warmth extinguished. Her shotgun is next to her, unused. <<next>> [[Steps towards your grandmother]] <</timed>>

<<audio "night" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>><<if settings.audioEnabled>><<audio "door-banging" play>><</if>>You hear knocking. It’s coming from above. <<timed 5s transition>> From upstairs. <<next>> You rush the steps. Adrenaline courses through your veins, making you more nimble, strong, and faster than you could have ever dreamed. Your closed fist, your mind, your soul shout in union <<next>> @@.turn-red;BLOOD@@ <<next>> Once upstairs you realize that the knocking is coming from the front door. Beyond it stands whatever has haunted you, whatever killed your grandmother. <<next>> What will you do? <<next>> [[Hesitate]] <<if $hasKnife>>[[Strike First]]<</if>> <</timed>>

<<audio "night" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>>You ready as a figure steps through the door. You see <<timed 5s transition>> @@.turn-red;''//RED//''@@ <<next>> Blood sprays with each desperate stab, coating your shaking hand. The fine red mist burns your eyes as you keep stabbing, fear slowly waning as you feel the form slump to the floor. <<next>><<scrolldown>> Eventually you stop, and the light breeze through the door causes you to shiver. The blood is cooling, and you are starting to feel calm. You wipe your eyes with a clean edge of your shirt. <<next>><<scrolldown>> You can finally clearly see your kill. The monster had a name: <<next>> Mother.<<scrolldown>> <<next>> [[The End]] <</timed>>

<<audio "night" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>>You ready the knife as a figure steps through the door. You see <<timed 5s transition>> @@.turn-red;''//RED//''@@ <<next>> You recognize it to be your mother’s red coat. You stand stunned as she calls out <<next>> 'Is there anybody there?'<<next>> 'Is everything ok?' <<next>> 'It was a miracle I found my way after my lantern ran out of oil!'<<next>> Her eyes pass right over you as she call out louder- 'Is anyone here?”' <<next>> It’s then that you come to a terrible realization. <<next>> You left your lantern downstairs. The house must be pitch black, but you can see every blond hair upon your mother’s head. Every feature upon her face as it shifts from joy to concern. Her blue eyes peer uselessly into the darkness. As she blindly searches for the empty lantern hook she twists her <<next>> ...slim<<next>><<scrolldown>> ...pale<<next>><<scrolldown>> ...pulsing <<next>><<scrolldown>> //neck//<<next>><<scrolldown>> You throw yourself into her arms and welcome her home. <<next>> With a kiss.<<scrolldown>> <<next>> [[The End]] <</timed>>

<<audio "night" stop>><<audio "intro-music" stop>>[[The Hunt is Over!|Credits]]

Do you pick up the lantern? [[Yes|Get Lantern]] [[No|Vestibule - Night]]

<<set $hasLantern to true>>You pick up the lantern. [[Continue|Vestibule - Night]]

The sun is still out. You do not need the lantern. [[Continue|Vestibule - Daytime]]

<<if $hasKey>>You unlock and open the drawer and see your grandmother's revolver, a Smith & Wesson .38. [[Pick up the revolver|revolver-night]] [[Leave the revolver alone|Living Room - Night]] <<else>>It’s locked. You think the key is upstairs. [[Back|Living Room - Night]]<</if>>

You pick up the revolver. You shut and lock the drawer. <<set $hasRevolver to true>> <<timed 2s transition>> [[Continue|Living Room - Night]] <</timed>>

//'The Hunt'// is best enjoyed with headphones and on a modern browser. Most testing was done on Chrome Version 86.0.4240.111. If you encounter any bugs, or just wish to discuss //'The Hunt'// with other hunters join our discord at https://www.discord.gg/blindwave ''Your save games will be erased if you clear your browser cookies!'' [[Begin The Hunt|Intro]]