Sleepy Hollow

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<<audio "mamahum" play loop>>//It was your seventh birthday party, the day you got your little pony. You remembered it vividly. Your mama had decorated the living room just how you wanted it, even better than you could have imagined. Your friends had all been invited, even a few kids your mother had thought were "lonely". You didn't think anyone could be lonely, not in your class. Your dad was outside on the grill, party hat askew on his hair. A few other dads crowded around him, keeping clear of the <<cycle "$cfcolour" autoselect>> <<option "purple">> <<option "blue">> <<option "red">> <<option "yellow">> <<option "pink">> <<option "orange">> <<option "green">><</cycle>> balloons and streamers and the mismatched pile of gifts. It was mostly mothers here, matching in frocks and purses and tinkling little laughs and gushing words. Kids in their play clothes, giggling and running around, with a huge crowd by the fence, where the paddock for the horses. Beauty, Dazzle and Buttercup liked the attention the most, poking their noses over and waiting for pets and stolen sugarcubes from the tea table. You had been excited from the moment you woke up. Mama was the one to wake you, humming Happy Birthday under her breath, before it splintered off into her usual lullaby, walking her fingers on your belly in a little circle. She was always just as excited for your birthday as you were. Your dad loved to complain that it wasn't fair, his birthday didn't get all this attention, but he usually ducked down to kiss your forehead and scoop you up with a laugh. A breakfast treat of your choosing, family presents first, from mama and dad, then from far off relatives, grandma who lived down the street, uncle, who was a whole state over with your cousins. You didn't mind, the last time he was here, you did nothing but talk about fishing, tried to get your dad to go with him fishing, ask you if you liked fish, and around that time you started to ignore him till he left. He definitely left because of you ignoring him when he asked if you prefered pike or trout. Scalded him to the bone, it did. And today? Grandma was helping your Mama get your cake ready, even when they pretended that they were "making more lemonade" and were worried about lemon juice getting in your eyes. It's an excuse they gave every birthday, every special occassion that required having your eyes elsewhere. Even mama's horrible, old cat that hated everyone else but her was out there, sitting on the counter, hissing whenever grandma's hand strayed to close to him. He once tried to scratch your eye for sitting too close to him while Mama was giving his fur a comb. Never did that again. In fact, you made sure to not to go anywhere near him as a rule. But today, you spotted him chowing down noisily from a plate, a mixture of treats and tuna, just so he could also celebrate. When you were six, around lunchtime the excitment for your birthday fizzled out. Presents unwrapped, party for your friends at the park later, mama up in her room getting changed out of her pj's, your dad hushed and on the phone in his office. You had sat there, and for the first time, you had thought "is that it?" Was that what you were too excited to sleep for the night before? That you had crept into your parents' bedroom and snooped around for, looking under the bed and in the wardrobe. It was... Not sad. Disappointing? Something like that. Something was supposed to happen on a birthday. Something magical. But this birthday? No, this birthday you couldn't squash down the excitment. Because you knew. You knew what was waiting for you. After an out of tune round of Happy Birthday, about ten minutes of unwrapping toys, books, gift cards, and a sweet slice of cake, it was here. She was here. Your father leading out a pretty pony, with soft black eyes, a white snout that crept into a soft cream coat. Your Mama took the reins from him so that he could help you up onto her. You could smell her perfume, your pony's soft off-white hair tickling your face, the sounds of the party, the clamours of the children wanting to also have a go. "Do you love her, honey?" She whispered, her lips against your temple. And after so long of wanting, of watching your mama train her horses just behind the house, in the paddock, just by the stables. Of your dad, laughing softly, saying not this year, again and again. You did. You really, really did. [[Your alarm clock went off.|0.01]]

<<nobr>>AUDIO! <<cacheaudio "mamahum" "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/gxx8y2c9j35gwtvoa21i4/mama-hum.mp3?rlkey=1c9gw01k8bh2hcay5vnngbgq9&st=zomynspz&dl=0">> <<cacheaudio "radio" "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/scl/fi/h8ae9uya8p63xklcv0tmv/old-radio-240950.mp3?rlkey=o101zy4ak6pwjihzfbqa0lvfn&st=4l9a9d96&dl=0">> <<cacheaudio "static" "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/0zr1lqwmymqb4gafwu9v9/radio-static-323621.mp3?rlkey=561j0fga4lq8y9129jg2gzyhr&st=0ozc67es&dl=0">> <<cacheaudio "door" "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/bfqpruy4iyrzlafj0o8d1/apartment-door.mp3?rlkey=zz6d53ghpb6w9z64uc1xzig0q&st=85qvm7ry&dl=0">> <<cacheaudio "wind" "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/1dyq2683tvb7hy350eo8h/autumn-wind.mp3?rlkey=rjxllhtw1hqqfimf7t14vq40o&st=fj4vm001&dl=0">> <<cacheaudio "shopbell" "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/yi6v6yii504p9jnvw7nwo/door-open-close-with-bell-96884.mp3?rlkey=oqt0t7spf9iu5jjd85ev0l8iv&st=mqfrx5j1&dl=0">> <<cacheaudio "windoutside" "https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/scl/fi/acpm3t07zbsr3ku8kjsmq/wind-outside-sound-ambient-141989.mp3?rlkey=67msktu8aj2r8zp2ghmpjcj3u&st=p9bhgay8&dl=0">> <</nobr>>

<<audio "static" play>><<timed 2s>><<audio "radio" volume 0.10 fadeoverto 30 0.50>><</timed>><<audio "mamahum" stop>>You woke up slowly. Then all at once. Like you were slowly coming up for air from under the water. The faint sound of a radio switching on in another room. Your blankets tangled around your legs. A warm, purring warmth on your collarbones, whisker tickling your nose. Breaching. One, deep breath. Up. Awake. Eyes flickering open to watery sunlight filtering in through the threadbare curtains. A face full of black and white fur, hiding the grey hairs quite well. Cat snored gently, sounding like he had a bit of a blocked nose. Maybe it was time for the vet. You gently rose your fingers and stroked along the bridge of his nose, his ears flickering at the touch before relaxing again. As per usual, you shifted him gently, his long whiskers twitching as you did. He replaced your space on the pillow, sinking gently into the dent, tail curling around his round body. After a few moments, the snores returned once more. Cat didn't mind your thin pillow. Or the lumpy mattress. Hell, he even seemed to enjoy the strange stains in the carpet. Been there ever since you and Ian moved in, and some nights you were woken up by Cat's loud licking. It reminded you of that one children's movie, where they were all licking the colourful wallpaper and gasping at the delicious taste. You always made sure to nudge him away though. All these years on, and you still had no idea what those were, or how to get them out. Pulling your clothes on, you kept an ear for any movement from the other room. The usual sounds. Ian's bed creaking. A wardrobe opening. A door closing. The coffeemaker being switched on. By the time you had shrugged on your hoodie, there was nothing. Just a soft whimpering. Ah. Bad day. You left your room, nearly tripping over one of the packing boxes as per the routine. Your room didn't have space for it and Ian kept saying he was going to go to the storage place to put it away, but... Well. You flipped on the coffee maker and <<cycle $"hdrink" autoselect>> <<option "went to dig around in the cabinet for a sachet of powdered hot chocolate." "hot chocolate">> <<option "retrieved your own coffee mug from the drying rack. Ian could have the other half later." "coffee">> <<option "flipped on the kettle and shook out a remaining tea bag from the box." "tea">> <<option "pried open a plastic container of chai, leaving some powdery residue on the counter" "chai">> <<option "rooted around in the fruit bowl, finding a lemon to cut up and put in some hot water" <<lemon">> <<option "rooted around in the fridge for a carton of milk, ready to put some in the microwave." "milk">> <</cycle>> You needed something to warm up, especially this time of year. The heating took too long to get going in the mornings. It usually meant you showered the night before and got dressed first thing to avoid getting too cold. Your eyes snagged on the calender hanging over the two seater table by the wall. Friday. You only had classes in the afternoon, and it would be after your usual appointment. Poking around the kitchen, you tried to find something to eat. Ian's cereal, nearly empty. A few suspiciously wrinkly and sad looking pieces of fruit. The fridge in general smelt suspicious. Your stomach clenched unpleasantly and you stuck to taking slow, measured sips of your drink. Maybe get something before your appointment. You rooted around in the drawer next to the fridge, fishing out the notepad, a pencil and a few crumpled bucks. Scribbling down a reminder for Ian to get groceries, you stuck it to the fridge with one of the old magnets, a scuffed picture of a family vacation. You, Ian and Mama. You couldn't really make out her face anymore. You gently traced her hair with the nail of your thumb before stepping away. Tucking the bills in your pocket, you picked up your house keys from the second hook. The door loomed. Dark. Stained at the bottom. Your throat felt tight. You <<cycle "$habit" autoselect>> <<option "slipped your fingers into your pocket to thumb at the battered pack of cigarettes." "Smoking">> <<option "roughly rubbed at your trouser leg, just above where the cuts along your thighs were." "Cutting">> <<option "thought longingly to the three quarter finished vodka in your drawer." "Drinking">> <<option "began to roughly chew at your thumb, teeth scraping the nail and ripping at the barely healed skin." "Nail">> <<option "jiggled the medicine bottle in your pocket. Pills gently click clacked against each other. Not a lot left." "Drugs">> <<option "clenched your fists and breathed heavily. You could feel the scabs on your knuckles tighten, beginning to split before you relaxed again. The walls were paper thin and you'd definitely break something if you hit anything else. You'd find something outside." "Hitting">><</cycle>> Your nerves gently settled, from a plug shooting off sparks, until a blackened socket, safe, but damaged. Outside... You took a deep breath. Pausing in front of the front door, you listened out for anything. Nothing. <ul> <li>[["... I'm heading out Ian! See you later!" You called out, before stepping outside.|0.02][$IanRep += 5]]</li> <li>[[You didn't say anything, just slipped out the front door and shut it behind yourself.|0.02]]</li> </ul>

<<audio "door" play>><<timed 4s>><<audio "wind" volume 0.01 fadeoverto 30 1 loop>><</timed>>The apartment you and your stepfather shared was on the sixth floor of the Birchwood Residences. Named for the stretch of forest that used to be the nicer of two parks that the town had. All ripped up and carted off and two ugly tombstone shaped buildings erected instead. Of course, to the horror of many old ladies, moms, people who fed birds, kids and most people who liked a nice view. It was supposed to help house people coming to Sleepy Hollow. To your knowledge only five flats were occupied. The rest were empty. Just a bunch of tree killers dancing on their grave. The lift had never worked so round and round you went down the staircase, down to the front. Your hometown seemed to persist in eternal autumn, except for the week where it was summer and the two months when it was winter. Spring was snuffed out like an overeager rat caught in a trap with its nose stuck in some cheddar. The wind tugged at your hoodie as you walked. Past the closed down shops. It was like a graveyard. You remembered being a kid, and most of this path being walking trails, going in and out the park, along the river. All torn down to make new things. A playground that you saw a dog using the other day, new shops that either fizzled out or never had a home to begin with. It was the Hollow's version of exile really; naughty people with dead relatives and bad credit got sent to the tree graveyard. You once remembered reading about how the lungs worked. Through the right side of the heart, down into the arteries. Reoxygenated, fresh blood. Brought out through the left side to run through the rest of the body. It's somewhat how living here worked. You traversed along a Vein, grey and new and lifeless. Only a few others lived here, and all tread the same path. Into the lung. Grey turned to red. Squares turned oval, the wind blew gently. Shops were fuller, people walked along. There was a hum of activity that was lost everywhere else other than the town center. A hub of people, the chatter of life, And they were all faceless. Your father's old hoodie was big, long and it was safe. You didn't look at anyone, and they didn't look at you. If they did, you wouldn't know. Which was good. Safe. You could make out pieces of clothing, snippets of conversation. Everything else was blurred. Even that was starting to feel a bit too much. You sped up, Past your old school. Up the hill, the cold air dragging against your lungs. Up and up. You didn't stop at the crest. Didn't look down to where the house still stood. Just kept moving. From the grassy hill back onto the road. Crossing. Past the corner shop. Oh. Food. [[You used your shoulder to open the door, bell tingling.|0.003]]

<<set $IanRep to 0>> <<goto "Start">>

<<audio "shopbell" play>><<timed 1s>><<audio "windoutside" volume 0.01 fadeoverto 15 1 loop>><</timed>><<audio "wind" stop>>A blast of warm air greeted you, along with the scent of hot dogs, pretzels, and something overly sweet. The whirring of the slushie machine, the disinterested chatter from the front, and the distant sounds of a radio soothed you. What didn't, was the giggling from behind one of the shelves. Kids probably. Not aimed at you? Definitely. But still, your palms began to sweat. Tongue dry. Throat dry. Something wet against your temples. In and out. In. And. Out. Your plan. Something to eat. Or at least have in your hands as you sat through the hour. Your eyes started to browse, but your feet betrayed you, instinctually pulling you to the aisle you wanted. Of course. As per usual you <<cycle "$snack" autoselect>> <<option "made your way to the slushie machine, tongue watering at the approaching brain freeze hit." "Slushie">> <<option "went for the pretzels, immediately grabbing a flimsy paper bag and quickly scooping one in. " "Pretzel">> <<option "scooted along to the candy aisle. Easy. Some chocolate that might melt if too long in your pocket." "Chocolate">> <<option "found your way to the candy asile. A bag of something sweet and bad for your teeth would hit just right." "Sweets">> <<option "went onwards to the savoury aisle. Chips would fix you. Time to crunch your way to feeling better." "Chips">> <<option "skimming the freshly baked cases. Questionable, maybe, But nothing couldn't be fixed by a pastry." "Pastry">> <<option "wandered over to the slightly run down, suspiciously smelling part. Yep. Hot dog time. With your choice of very questionable toppings." "Hot Dog">><</cycle>> Fuel in hand, you headed straight to the counter, hearing the affirming grunt from the cashier. "Same as usual?" Of course, he never expected an answer. You dropped the crumpled bills on the counter and listened for the affirmative ding. That and the sigh. "C'mon. These always look like stripper's bills. I ain't gotta worry about nuthin' nasty stickin' em together, do I?" You snatched up the receipt he slid over and took your snack in hand, already turning as he uncrumpled the notes. "Is that?" "I think it is." A giggle from behind you. Your stomach lurched. Your palms sweated. You used your shoulder to shove open the door again before you could hear another word. Into the fresh air. [[No more delays. Therapy.|0.004]]

<<audio "windoutside" stop>><<timed 2s>><<audio "wind" volume 0.01 fadeoverto 30 1 loop>><</timed>>Walking. <<if $snack is "Slushie">>Sipping as you went, painting your tongue a weird colour most probably.<<else>> Taking slow but measured bites. Gathering a bit more energy than you started with at least.<</if>> Crossing just before the roundabout. You slowly joined a throng of students, heading towards the university grounds, chatting loudly, laughing, desperately drinking down some coffee as they went. For a moment, you were one of them. You didn't stand out, with your oversized hoodie, your snack in hand, head down. You probably looked like just another student, strung out, didn't sleep well, only bringing a pencil to class, nothing but your will to lead you forward. But then you broke off from the school. Swam upstream. Followed them into the university grounds, just to take a sharp right, off the granite, onto a gravel one. You overheard that it was called the rat cage, all the way back when you first started coming. You did feel like a rodent from time to time. Just from the way people looked at you as you waited to be called in. Dr Crane never made you feel like that though. It often just felt like you were talking out loud and you'd forget he was paid to do this, if not for the small notes he took. You nudged the door open. You passed two professional looking women, holding big mugs of something steaming. You think they gave you a noticable berth. Up the stairs. Academic buildings all had a certain smell, didn't they? Books, coffee. Something else. And desperation. Through another set of double doors. Your stomach twisted gently. Maybe you should have had a proper breakfast. Finally. The waiting room. You wandered over to the front desk. There was someone new there today. Pretty. You think. She smelt nice. Like pretty girls do. They always knew the correct perfume to wear to smell good. "Hiya, darlin'." She hummed. "Name?" Oh. She was new new. The old secretary just waved at you and went back to her crossword, thin lips pursed and bifocals low on her nose. She'd suck her teeth whenever stuck. The front desk usually sounded like it was run by mice anyway. You slowly exhaled, the grip on your snack tightening just a bit. Three... Two... One... <ul class="a"> Suggestions for feminine names <li>[[Madeline|0.005][$name to "Madeline"]]</li> <li>[[Ligeia|0.005][$name to "Ligeia"]]</li> <li>[[Annabel|0.005][$name to "Annabel"]]</li> <li>[[Lenore|0.005][$name to "Lenore"]]</li> <li>[[Camille|0.005][$name to "Camille"]]</li> <li>[[Morella|0.005][$name to "Morella"]]</li> <li>[[Ada|0.005][$name to "Ada"]]</li> Suggestions for masculine names <li>[[Arthur|0.005][$name to "Arthur"]]</li> <li>[[Julius|0.005][$name to "Julius"]] </li> <li>[[Eiros|0.005][$name to "Eiros"]] </li> <li>[[Cornelius |0.005][$name to "Cornelius"]] </li> <li>[[Israfel|0.005][$name to "Israfel"]]</li> <li>[[Auguste |0.005][$name to "Auguste"]] </li> <li>[[Roderick|0.005][$name to "Roderick"]]</li> Suggestions for gender-neutral names <li>[[Red|0.005][$name to "Red"]]</li> <li>[[Raven|0.005][$name to "Raven"]]</li> <li>[[Corinnos|0.005][$name to "Corinnos"]]</li> <li>[[Angel|0.005][$name to "Angel"]]</li> <li>[[Nesace|0.005][$name to "Nesace"]]</li> <li>[[Tamerlane|0.005][$name to "Tamerlane"]]</li> <li>[[Lasalle|0.005][$name to "Lasalle"]]</li></ul> Insert a custom name *<<textbox '$name' ''>> <<button "Confirm">> <<goto "0.005">> <</button>>

<<audio "wind" stop>><<if $name is " " or $name is "undefined">>Please pick a name. [[Go back|0.004]]<</if>><<if $name is "Kat" or $name is "Katrina" or $name is "Brom" or $name is "Abraham" or $name is "Ike" or $name is "Ichabod" or $name is "Ian">>This name is already in use during the story. [[Go back|0.004]]<<else>> <<goto 0.006>><</if>>

<<timed 1s>><<audio "windoutside" volume 0.01 fadeoverto 15 1 loop>><</timed>>"$name? Alrighty." She moved around on her chair a bit. "Do ya have an appointment?" Your stomach tightened. Where was Mouse Teeth? And why wasn't she here to make fun of this new person for not knowing anything? "S..." You took a deep breath. "Standing appointment. Two times a week." "Wowza. Lots going on up there, huh, hun?" Clicking. Either nails or the keyboard. Sweat. Sweaty. You could feel it rolling down your back like termites scuttling once a log has been lifted from soggy soil. Your fingers felt numb. Everything was... Shifting. Vertigo. The room slowly began to spin. "Hmmm. Sorry, not finding ya. Mind if you fill out some info for me?" Slap. Clipboard with pencil appeared before you. With an information sheet smiling right at you. "Should be able to find ya then." You gripped your snack tightly. Hand shaking. You wiped your other hand against your hoodie and tugged the clipboard towards yourself. Chair. Sitting. Knees clenched. Slowly putting down the snack on the little table next to you. Green walls. Grey floors. Dark furniture. Two windows. Heavy curtains. Secretary's desk. Two other people waiting. Breathing in. Breathing out. Clock says 8:55. Nothing wrong. Just need to... You took up the pen, feeling coming back into your fingers. Okay. Slowly, you penned your first name. <span class="drunk">$name...</span> You blinked a few times. That looked right. You took another deep breath. Next part. Surname. You rolled the pen between your fingers a bit, feeling the scratch of the plastic against the pad of your thumb. Okay. [[Montresor.|0.007][$surname = "Montresor"]] [[Valdemar.|0.007][$surname = "Valdemar"]] [[Trevanion.|0.007][$surname = "Trevanion"]] [[L'Espanaye.|0.007][$surname = "L'Espanaye"]] [[Dupin.|0.007][$surname = "Dupin"]] [[Lee.|0.007][$surname = "Lee"]] [[Maillard.|0.007][$surname = "Maillard"]] Insert a custom surname *<<textbox '$surname' ''>> <<button "Confirm">> <<goto "0.007">> <</button>>

<<if $surname is " " or $surname is "undefined">>Please pick a surname. [[Go back|0.006]]<</if>><<if $surname is "Van Tassel" or $name is "Crane" or $name is "Van Brunt">>This name is already in use during the story. [[Go back|0.006]]<<else>> <<goto 0.008>><</if>>

<span class="drunk">$name $surname,</span> Right. Okay. Right. You rolled the pen a bit, letting the uneven plastic ridges dig into your skin. One down. You filled in your address. Gender: <<cycle "$gender" autoselect>> <<option "Female" "female">> <<option "Male" "male">> <<option "Other" "nonbinary">><</cycle>> You slowly dragged your pen, circling it. Right. Next ones. Emergency contact. Ian's number. Family history or mental illnesses. Ian was the one to fill this out, his lips in a frown and his phone //pressed to his ear. "-no, I'm not putting anyone else on the phone. I only know stuff on her side, I just... No. The fuck do you mean invasion of privacy? Again, no. I'm not putting the kid on the phone. Why? Because I swear to fucking god, I'm not going to watch as they struggle to write out "Dad's an asshole", that's the problem with you- No, tell you what, let's hope none of your stupid shit ends up affecting- Hello? Fuckin'.... Cuck." Ian angrily hanging up and rubbing his hand over his face, before finally noticing you looking at him. "... Yeah, uh... L-Leave that one blank, would you?"// You gave a ragged inhale. Right. Your fingers shook. Slowly. //Borderline... Personality... Disorder...// You thought about adding in "Asshole". Alright. The rest of it. <<if $habit is "Smoking">>//Do you smoke regularly?// Your battered carton felt like it was burning against your leg. Circled the No option.<<elseif $habit is "Drinking">>//Do you drink regularly?// Your throat burned slightly. Should have brought with your ID so you could buy something after this. You circled the No option.<<elseif $habit is "Drugs">>//Do you take medication regularly?// Hm. You jiggled your knee and the pills answered, hitting the hard plastic bottle in an almost melodic way. Hm. You circled the No option.<<else>>You were circling the no options with haste, quietly thankful that the questions didn't get too invasive.<</if>> The sheet was finally done with. Your handwriting had gotten worse. Standing up, you shuffle over to the front desk. She took the board from you and scanned it, her pink nails tapping the back of it. "Hm... I'll have a look, but I dunno, doll-" "$name!" Oh Thank God. The usual woman, clad in her tweed and crossword clutched in hand scooted into sight. You tugged your hood a bit lower. People really did look less scary without their... Yes. Something sour crawled along your tongue. "Just take a seat, dear! Dr Crane will call you in soon!" She ushered the new one away and took her seat. "Really, Beattie-" "It's Barb-" "Making the poor thing jump through hoops." A mouse squeak. Not aimed at the cross word. That's new. You retook your seat and slowly exhaled. Your armor- Your dad's hoodie, an old pair of baggy trousers, thick boots- against the world wasn't working. Not today. You could wear whatever you want in the flat, but outside was hard. Mean. Windy. Useless. Because someone didn't know who you are. Which is something you usually would have liked. [[You slowly exhaled out your nose and reached for your snack.|0.009]]

<<nobr>><<if $gender is "female">> <<set $pronouns to "sheher">> <<set $they to "she">> <<set $cthey to "She">> <<set $their to "her">> <<set $ctheir to "Her">> <<set $theirs to "hers">> <<set $ctheirs to "Hers">> <<set $them to "her">> <<set $cthem to "Her">> <<set $themselves to "herself">> <<set $cthemselves to "Herself">> <<set $sibling to "sister">> <<set $csibling to "Sister">> <<set $child to "daughter">> <<set $cchild to "Daughter">> <<set $title to "Miss">> <</if>> <<if $gender is "male">> <<set $pronouns to "hehim">> <<set $they to "he">> <<set $cthey to "He">> <<set $their to "his">> <<set $ctheir to "His">> <<set $theirs to "his">> <<set $ctheirs to "His">> <<set $them to "him">> <<set $cthem to "Him">> <<set $themselves to "himself">> <<set $cthemselves to "Himself">> <<set $sibling to "brother">> <<set $csibling to "Brother">> <<set $child to "son">> <<set $cchild to "Son">> <<set $title to "Mister">> <</if>> <<if $gender is "nonbinary">> <<set $pronouns to "theythem">> <<set $they to "they">> <<set $cthey to "They">> <<set $their to "their">> <<set $ctheir to "Their">> <<set $theirs to "theirs">> <<set $ctheirs to "Theirs">> <<set $them to "them">> <<set $cthem to "Them">> <<set $themselves to "themselves">> <<set $cthemselves to "Themselves">> <<set $sibling to "sibling">> <<set $csibling to "Sibling">> <<set $child to "child">> <<set $cchild to "Child">> <<set $title to "Mx">> <</if>><</nobr>><<if $snack is "Slushie">>You took ahold of the plastic cup, sweating in the warm room and took a long sip. It melted a bit but still had that good cold hit. <<elseif $snack is "Pretzel">>Grabbing ahold of the paper bag, you brought the pretzel up to your mouth to take a bite. Chewy. Salty. Your stomach celebrated it. So did your nervous system really.<<elseif $snack is "Chocolate">>You peeled back the wrapper to the chocolate and snapped off another piece. You let it melt on your tongue for a moment before beginning to chew. Thank god for whatever mad man decided to start putting sugar in cocoa beans.<<elseif $snack is "Sweets">>You snatched up the plastic bag, letting it sing its crinkled song before digging around in it. Emerging with three of the sweets, you quickly popped them in your mouth and began to chew. God. Nothing like a sugar hit. You felt like one of those people you saw in a documentary about alcoholics. The sugar they craved.<<elseif $snack is "Chips">>You tugged the crinkled bag into your lap and greedily dove your hand in, snatching up a few of the chips before tucking them into your mouth. Only then biting down eagerly. Less noise. Didn't want Mouse or Nails to look over.<<elseif $snack is "Pastry">>Greedily dishing the pastry out from the bag, you bite down into it. A flakes came loose and you brushed them away lazily, chewing all the while. It was always amazing that in every culture, in every century, had some version of bread. Which led to some version of a pastry. You took another bite.<<else>>You picked up the cooling hot dog and managed another bite. This wasn't at all what your stomach wanted for breakfast, but it was warm and filling and gun to your head you would never pick anything else from that store... You should look up why it was called a //dog//.<</if>> "$title $surname." A cool voice broke through your thoughts. Oh. You looked up. First thing you noticed was his hands. Thin. Spindly. Almost like spider's legs. Steady. One resting on the door to the office, the other resting against his hip, ink stain on his knuckle. You slowly raised your head. Waistcoat, black. Shirt, white. Tie, red. Graceful throat, swan-like and pale. Lips, downturned, thin. Neat, combed black hair. Grey tinging his temples. Black eyes with hooded lids, crows feet lining the corners. His lips twitched. "Come along, $name. On time, as per usual." [[Inside...|0.010]]

You liked Dr. Crane's office. Dark but not opressive. It felt like a safe hole to crawl into You had your pick of sofa, chair or pacing, Crane didn't mind. Chair today. You put down your snack and his black eyes followed the movement. You waited for it. Nothing. Just pointedly took a sip of his water. "There's a new girl at the desk. She's been unable to figure out how any of it works. She can, however, making a passable coffee." Dr. Crane shifted in his chair, rolling his neck slightly, as if to get comfortable. Then his routine. Slipping his glasses case out of his pocket. Snapping it open to bring out a pair of glasses, rectangular. Slipping them on and picking up his leather notebook and flipping it open to a new page. Dragging his spider legs over the fresh page before slipping his pen free from his front pocket and clicking the top of the pen off. Fountainpen. Drawing a little spiral in the corner of the page, just to let the ink slip through. Then the date. "Not long till Halloween." He said, dragging his pen tip to make a slash. "Anything new planned? Or the usual?" "Usual." "Routine is good." He nodded, mostly to himself. Then your name. Your name looked nice in cursive. You never learned how to do that. "So, $name." He rested his elbow on the armrest, crossed his ankle over his knee. "What would you like to talk about today?" [[End of Prologue|EndPrologue]]

<h1>Previews</h1> In the office... //"What would you like to talk about?" Your mind flitted to a few subjects. Ian couldn't get out of bed this morning. The anniversary approaching. The dream you had. When your Mama was alive and Dad was still around. // [[Walking Back]]

//You felt slightly sick. You hurried your footsteps. "$name?" A voice, soft and gentle and sweet. You turned. Brown-Blond hair. Hazel eyes. A gentle smile. "Hey, $name." Your breath got caught in your throat. A haze overtook you. A storm came in. Pressure up. Air dense. Rain. Slipping. Cutting your chin open. A soft hand. A gentle smile. You turn and ran.// [[Ring Ring]]

//"Your dad's on the phone." Ian appeared from around the corner. His eyes were still rimmed with red. "Do you want to-"// [[Hooves]]

//Just a nightmare. Just a nightmare. It wasn't real. But you could smell it. Horse's hair. Your mother's perfume. Blood.// [[3 weeks till Halloweeen|Credits]]

<b>Thank you so much for playing!</b> I cannot say enough how happy I am you took the time to play this game, no matter what stage it's in. If you want Behind the Scenes and NSFW snippets, you can check <a href="https://www.patreon.com/Rotting_Ink">my Patreon</a>! I also publish mini nsfw games with the RO's and maybe some of the NPCs in the future. Want frequent updates and the ability to shoot me any questions at anytime? Then check out and follow me on <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/rotting-ink">my Tumblr</a>! All music and sound effects came from Pixabay. <<nobr>><div style="text-align: center;"><h1>SPECIAL THANKS TO:</h1> </div> <ul><div style="text-align: center;"><h1>''Contributors''</h1></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://poisonouslili.tumblr.com/">Lili</a></div> </ul> <ul><div style="text-align: center;"><h1>''Duckies''</h1></div> <div style="text-align: center;">Dandelion</div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://poisonouslili.tumblr.com/">Lili</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://angrelysimpping.tumblr.com/?source=share">Quiet</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://www.tumblr.com/quoththe-ravenn">Raven</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kathellll">Kat</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sydneystarlights.tumblr.com/">Sydney</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/guuuurei">Grey</a></div></ul> <ul><div style="text-align: center;"><h1>''Beta Testers''</h1></div> <div style="text-align: center;">Brit</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Dandelion</div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/mothrbs?source=share">El</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://poisonouslili.tumblr.com/">Lili</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;">Oceanodestrellas</div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://angrelysimpping.tumblr.com/?source=share">Quiet</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href=" https://www.tumblr.com/quoththe-ravenn">Raven</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/kathellll">Kat</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/crushoncaleb">Emma</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sydneystarlights.tumblr.com/">Sydney</a></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.tumblr.com/guuuurei">Grey</a></div></ul> <ul><div style="text-align: center;"><h1>''Decay Tier Patrons!''</h1></div> <div style="text-align: center;">Casique</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Dani</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Flora</div> <div style="text-align: center;">FutureGrave</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Hannya </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Hawke</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Jackalope</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Kingly</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Kraken</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Nonu shirokane</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Sonia</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Sophia Appleton</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Tay</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Voxilyn</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Yannibooswaggu</div> <div style="text-align: center;">Zee</div> </ul> <</nobr>> Without any of these people, this game would be... Well, bug riddled, filled with mistakes and not half as fun. A thousand thanks and kisses to my favourite people here. Also a big thanks to my patrons, each and everyone! They help alleviate other stresses so I can spend just a bit more time on working on my games! <<link "Replay the game">><<run UI.restart()>><</link>>