Project 2 Twine Story

You look ahead and see only nothingness. Blackness. Emptiness. [[Take a step forward.->Darkness]] [[Remain in place.->Void]]

You take a step forward. The ground is surprisingly solid under you, so you take another few experimental steps forward. You do not fall. [[Continue onwards.->Darkening]] [[Stay where you are. ->Void]]

Albeit invisible, the space below you serves as a ground for you to walk upon. Within the nothingness, you think you see a speck of //something// to the slight left of you. [[Continue onwards.->Void 2]] [[Follow your thoughts.->Darkening 2]] [[Remain in place.->Void]]

You continue walking forward. Darkness follows you, surrounds you, keeps you company. [[Continue walking forward.->Void 2.5]] [[Continue onwards.->Void 2.5]]

You turn in the direction of whatever you think you saw and take a couple of steps forward. Suddenly, the ground gives in and you begin to fall! [[Look up.->Void]] [[Brace for a landing.->Darkening 3]]

You keep walking and walking and walking and walking and walking. But there is darkness. Darkness. Only darkness. Darkness surrounds you, hugs you, chokes you, suffocates you. [[Give in.->Void]]

The landing is surprisingly soft. If you squint, you can see your shadow darkening the floor. Things feel... lighter. [[Look around for more "specks".->Lightening 1]] [[Take a step forward.->Darkening 4]]

You scan the space around you to look for something, anything in sight. In the corner of your eye, you see something faintly glowing. It's the darkest of greys, just barely standing out against the blackness, but it's something. [[Continue forward, towards the "light".->Lightening 2]] [[Remain in place.->Void]]

You continue onwards. You begin to feel fainter and fainter, a drawling dizziness overtaking your body. [[Look up.->Void]]

You continue forth. The dimmest of lights dances in your vision, leaving an imprint in the corner of your eye. It's progress, you suppose. [[Keep going.->Lightening 3]]

In the distance, you hear the echo of a sound -- as if something had been dropped on the ground below. You stop walking to listen, trying to hear where it came from. [[Walk in the direction you think it came from.->Void 3]] [[Remain in place.->Lightening 4]]

As you begin to walk in the vague direction of the sound, you suddenly feel heavier, as if a weight had been placed on your shoulders. It weighs you down, down, down... It practically swallows you up and chews on you until you can barely keep your eyes open. [[Let go.->Void]]

You remain still and wait in silence for a bit. Suddenly the sound appears again, but louder in just the slightest. If you listen close enough, you can almost hear the direction in which it came from... [[Go left.->Void]] [[Go right.->Void]] [[Go forward.->Lightening 5]] (align:"==>")+(box:"X=")+(text-colour:black)[Tok!]

You head forward, in the direction you think the sound came from. The dropping sound can be heard again, even louder this time. You're on the right track. [[Continue forth.->Lightening 6]]

You look down at your feet. Things feel //lighter// this time. In a good way. It doesn't feel as dark or empty. Could [[someone->Lightening 7]] be out there? [[There has to be.->Lightening 8]] [[There can't be.->Lightening 7]]

You look further into the darkness, and the darkness looks further into you. Spots dance in your vision, and you wonder if it is simply a result from being in the dark for so long or... //something//. You wonder and wonder and wonder if there is a point in moving throughout this vast expanse of... whatever it is. (text-colour:#3f3f3f)[[[Think harder about it.->Lightening 9]]] (text-colour:#292929)[[[Let yourself walk forward.->Darkening 5]]]

You shake your head, wondering if these wandering thoughts will help you in this desolate land. When you concentrate enough, though, you feel as if a breeze is crawling up your back, encouraging you forward, telling you to (text-colour:#707070)[keep going]. (text-colour:#666)[Keep searching]. (text-colour:#505050)[Keep an eye out]. (text-colour:black)[[[I'm here.->Lightening 8]]]

(text-colour:#a4a4a4)[You think a little harder about the situation you've woken up in. The idea of an end to this seemingly vast void seems fleeting and impossible. But if you think even harder, and look even harder and further into the infinite distance... ] (text-colour:white)[[[There is light.->Lightening 10]]] (text-colour:black)[[[There is darkness.->Darkening 5]]]

(text-colour:#e3e3e3)[You continue walking forward, down this metaphorical tunnel of nothingness. What made you even think it was a tunnel anyway? ...Perhaps, a hope of a (text-colour:white)[light] at the end of the tunnel?] ''(text-colour:blue)[Remain in place.]'' [[Keep going.->Darkening 6]] [[Look around some more.->Void 4]] (text-colour:black)[You must keep going, no matter how many hopes or doubts appear in your mind to hinder your journey.]

(text-colour:grey)[Light there is indeed. As you look to the blank, dark horizon, you see a small white light blink for barely a millisecond, disappearing in the next instant like a spark from a match.] (align:"==>")+(box:"=X")[!] (text-colour:grey)[[[Follow it!->Lightening 11]]] (text-colour:grey)[[[Run away!->Void 5]]]

You keep going, looking around at your vast surroundings of darkness. Darkness, to you, is a castle built out of bricks of nothingness from the struggles of your internal conflict. This darkness is your doing. [[Build your castle.->Darkening 7]] [[Become one with the darkness.->Darkening 7]] (text-colour:black)[Or is it your doing? ... What path will you make for yourself?]

(text-colour:black)[You must keep going, no matter how many hopes or doubts appear in your mind to hinder your journey.] (text-colour:#3d3d3d)[The darkness will always remain to assist you. Look further. Look closer. You will find more than you think.]

(text-colour:grey)[As you break into a jog in an attempt to follow the little spark, you feel as though the small space around you is getting smaller, smaller, ^^smaller^^... #Bam! You crash into an invisible wall, blinking as you find your bearings and balance once again. You reach for the space in front of you, only to make contact with solidified darkness. You wonder how that's possible.] [[Begin to feel around for any abnormalities.->Lightening 12]] [[Maybe back away from a giant dark wall?->Haha... Void?]] (text-colour:black)[Life is a series of open doors. Look around, and perhaps you'll find what you desire and move forward.]

As you run away from some of the only light you've seen in this place, you begin to feel heavier. Your body and heart feel heavy, and your pace only grows slower and slower as you [[succumb->Void]]...

You place a hand on the wall and begin to walk to the right, blindly feeling along the wall as you advance forth, feeling around for any sort of abnormality or hole in the wall. Eventually, your hands slide forward, and when you blindly reach out with your other hand, your hands at first fall upon empty space, but then make contact with another wall. When you stand upright, it seems that the empty space in the wall is about the size of a door. [[Walk through.->Lightening 13]] (text-colour:blue)[''Turn around now.'']

Hmmm, you decide that isn't exactly the best idea. This //is// the closest you've gotten to [[//something//->Lightening 12]] existing in this hellhole of nothingness, after all.

You walk through the doorway provided to you among the nothingness. ... [[Look around.->Lightening 14]]

(change:?page, (background:"#272727")) ... Oh. //Oh.// It's lighter now. It's //much// lighter now. You think you can see a little more of yourself as you look down at the ground, which is now grey beneath your feet. You realize that your shoes are Converse, but the color is mute, and you can't quite identify what color they are just yet. [[Continue forth.->Lightening 15]] [[Look more at your surroundings.->Lightening 15]]

(change:?page, (background:"#272727")) You continue to walk forward, getting a good look at your surroundings as you progress through this not-quite-nothingness. You wonder if the space around you is small or big, as there is nothing in sight that indicates any sort of depth perception. It's definitely quite hard to tell... [[Stretch your arms out to either side of you.->Lightening 15.5]] [[Stretch your arms forward.->Lightening 16]] ... (text-colour:#272727)[... ...Forward. You must go forward.] (text-colour:#272727)[Forward, forward, forward. More, more, more. Eventually, you'll find a //light// at the end of the tunnel.]

(change:?page, (background:"#272727")) You stretch your arms as far as you can reach with them, but nothing happens. You suppose that eliminates the possibility that this lighter-than-black void isn't a narrow hallway. Perhaps it's broader than that. [[Stretch your arms in front of you.->Lightening 16]]

(change:?page, (background:"#272727")) You stretch your arms in front of you, walking like a zombie that's fresh off the block as you continue to look around. Nothing of interest appears anywhere, and the world settles back into its dreary, dull lull of boringness as you (text-colour:white)[[[keep walking->Lightening 16.1]]]...

(change:?page, (background:"#272727"))(text-colour:white)[[[And walking...->Lightening 16.2]]] (text-colour:#272727)[Wait for it...]

(change:?page, (background:"#272727"))(text-colour:white)[[[And //walking//...->Lightening 17]]] (text-colour:#272727)[Here it comes...]

(change:?page, (background:"#272727")) #BAM! Ow. You hold your wrists close to you, because wow, did that one hurt. After feeling in front of you once more, you confirm that it's another wall. Paying closer attention to the texture of the wall this time, you notice that it's a bit rougher than usual, as if the walls had been plastered and painted over. It feels... real. [[Look around for an opening again.->Lightening 18]] [[Look up.->Lightening 17.5]] (text-colour:#272727)[Did things always feel this numb?]

(change:?page, (background:"#272727")) You feel around for another opening, walking along the edge of the wall. The wall feels like it's been painted over, similar to the walls of your own room. Now that you think about it, what //does// your room look like? ... [[Keep going.->Lightening 19]] (text-colour:#272727)[Band posters. There's lots of those.]

You look up. ... .... ..... It's weird, not having a sky or stars to look up to. [[Look around for another opening.->Lightening 18]] (text-colour:black)[The stars have always guided me in my time of need.]

(change:?page, (background:"#272727")) You continue feeling around for abnormalities in the wall, and finally, you stumble upon a groove in the wall, which eventually opens up. Feeling around some more, you realize that this opening does not extend all the way down to the ground, similarly to a window. Exactly like a window, actually. [[Climb through?->Lightening 20]] ''(text-colour:blue)[Find another way?]'' (text-colour:#272727)[How interesting. Remember that night your girlfriend came to visit you through the window?]

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))You climb through the window-shaped opening, hosting yourself up and onto the thin wall. Your legs dangle from the edge, and the drop down onto the other side suddenly seems daunting and intimidating. Nonetheless, you brave the jump down and land on two feet. The ground feels... softer, for some reason. Noticeably softer. [[Is it worth trying to climb back up?->Lightening 20.5]] [[Lower yourself to the ground and feel it with your hand.->Lightening 21]] (text-color:#7A7979)[What a familiar feeling. This is the most real you've felt in a while.]

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))Why try to go back when you've come this far and latched onto something familiar in such a barren landscape? [[Touch the floor. Feel it with your sense of touch. Feel how //real// it is.->Lightening 21]]

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))You kneel on the ground and rest a hand upon the grey floor, closing your eyes to get a better sense of what lies beneath you. Grass, you realize. Blades of grass tickle your fingers, sliding across your palm, cold and wet to the touch. This reminds you of something, but you can't quite remember what. (text-colour:black)[[[Just keep going.->Lightening 22]]] Maybe there will be something else that triggers your other senses. (text-color:#7A7979)[What color is grass, again?]

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))Walking through the new area, you realize that things are much lighter. So light that the view of things around you are visible, if a little blurry around the edges, and completely colorless. You can make out the shapes of buildings and the ground below you, and they all seem familiar at a glance, but you can't quite remember any sort of details other than the fact that you need to [[//keep going//->Lightening 23]].

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))You continue along the blurred path, squinting to see if that will affect your vision in any way. As you look down and stick your hands in your jacket pockets, you realize that 1.) you are wearing your favorite jacket, and 2.) you have a phone in your pocket. Strange... How did you know it was your favorite jacket? How did you know that you needed to put it on? [[Take your jacket off.->Lightening 23.5]] [[Unlock your phone.->Lightening 24]] (text-color:#7A7979)[You have places to be. Don't keep dawdling like this. babe, u ok? you promised to meet me today >< i'll get u out of that house somehow!!]

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))Like I said before, let's not remaining dawdling in one place. You have [[places to be->Lightening 24]].

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))You look down at your phone and unlock it with your thumb. Immediately, a string of messages pops up on the top of your screen. from: <3 <3 > hey you !! > just making sure u remember today > you remember right? > i know you've been cooped up in there all week > practically all month even >.> > i know u said u didnt wanna go but u need to get out > get some sun!! that good vitamin d! > if anything, do it for me <333 ... ... Your thumbs hover over your phone keyboard, preparing for a text before even thinking about it. You hardly remember who this person is, much less their name. Why is it so hard to remember? ... ... ... Do you even know your own name? ... (align:"==>")+(box:"=X")[[[i'm coming <->Lightening 25]] [[maybe another time, sorry. :( <->Voiding 1]]]

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))You send the text and continue walking forward, this time with more purpose. A face pops into your head as you continue to walk: sparkling brown eyes, flowy blonde hair, bright smile. It's blurry, but all the main features blend together in your head to create a semblance of a face. A face you take the time to admire. ... You must admire this face a lot. (align:"==>")+(box:"=X")[[[i'm like, right outside <->Lightening 26]]]

(change:?page, (background:"#272727"))You send the text and turn back around to walk back. What's the use in going out anyway? You'd stay in [[forever->Voiding 2]] if you could.

(change:?page, (background:"#272727"))[[Forever...->Void]]

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))> ah, really??? You stand outside an unfamiliar yet familiar building. Despite not having even looked back at the void of a building you exited, you feel as though they're similar. They both... feel like [[home->Lightening 27]]. ... > come inside, silly! the door's unlocked! ... You feel... excited. Your heart beats loudly in your chest.

(change:?page, (background:"#7A7979"))You take a deep breath and step forward, your blurry vision focusing on the muted colors around you -- the grey concrete path leading to the desaturated brown door, the silver knocker placed upon the wood, the gold doorknob you place a hand upon. More and more knowledge floods into your head, and you remember more and more about the place you're about to enter as you turn the doorknob. ... [[This //is// home.->Lightening 28]]

(change:?page, (background:"#FFFFFF"))(text-colour:black)[... You're (text-colour:black)[[[home.->Lightening 29]]]]

(change:?page, (background:"#FFFFFF"))(text-colour:black)[As you fall into the arms of your loved one, the warmth of their human touch makes memories flood into your mind like a brilliant (text-colour:#4dabf7)[blue] waterfall crashing down upon a lush (text-colour:#38d9a9)[green] lagoon. Colors flood your vision as the embrace tightens, and you look up to see the sparkling (text-colour:#804040)[brown] eyes of your lover, so clear and so //beautiful//.] (text-colour:black)[... You have grown so lost in the void of your own mind that you had completely forgotten how nice it felt to //live//, to breathe, to love and to feel so at home. You have stumbled your way out of your slump, and have summoned the will and motivation to reach the place that matters most to you. ... ... You are home. //''The End.''// (Light)]

If you imagine hard enough, the darkness truly can become a world that follows your bidding. If there is a wall to the right of you, there is a wall to the right of you. As you wave a hand out to the right of you, the darkness solidifies and becomes a wall, just as you'd imagined. ... [[Embrace the darkness.->Darkening 8]] (text-colour:black)[Make it your home. Use it to your own advantage.]

... You embrace the darkness. (text-colour:#e1e3e6)[The darkness is but a sock puppet at your fingertips.] (text-colour:#c4c8ce)[Free to manipulate at will.] (text-colour:#a4aab3)[Always ready to absorb more and more.] (text-colour:#848c99)[Black is the color that absorbs all light, after all.] (text-colour:#5e6571)[Black is what absorbed all color, and maybe, if you look hard enough,] (text-colour:#383d43)[you'll find the colors in this darkness too.] (text-colour:#232629)[If you] (text-colour:#1a1c1e)[just] (text-colour:#040404)[[[look.->Darkening 9]]]

(text-colour:#ff8787)[A color here.] (text-colour:#ffa94d)[A color there.] (text-colour:#ffd43b)[The colors appear like mini sparks flying about.] (text-colour:#a9e34b)[They occupy the space, but do not light it up.] (text-colour:#69db7c)[They begin to spread, but do not appear threatening.] (text-colour:#38d9a9)[They paint a picture, but do not draw anything.] (text-colour:#3bc9db)[You swipe a finger, and the streaks of colors follow.] (text-colour:#4dabf7)[You run through the colors, and they disappear like scattering fish.] (text-colour:#748ffc)[They reappear again, and dance around you with a wave of your hand.] (text-colour:#9775fa)[So it seems that the colors truly have remained in the darkness.] (text-colour:#da77f2)[Hidden from the world, in the deepest, darkest spots of your mind.] (text-colour:#f783ac)[[[Here you have found your home.->Darkening 10]]]

//Your very own home, within the (text-colour:#090003)[darkness].// (text-colour:#090003)[//''The End.''// (Dark)]