(set: $key to false)(set: $BathroomClean to false)(set: $MomsRoomClean to false)(set: $YourRoomClean to false)(set: $BrothersRoomClean to false)(set: $KitchenClean to false)(set: $LivingRoomClean to false)(set: $Courage to 0)(set: $BathroomMusic to false)(set: $MomsRoomMusic to false)(set: $YourRoomMusic to false)(set: $KitchenMusic to false)(set: $LivingRoomMusic to false)(set: $BrothersRoomMusic to false)(set: $Incorrect1 to false)(set: $Incorrect2 to false)(set: $Incorrect3 to false)(set: $Incorrect4 to false)(set: $Incorrect5 to false)(set: $HotCrossFirstTime to true)(set: $BedtimeFirstTime to true)(set: $PlayingFirstTime to true)(set: $FightFirstTime to true)(set: $FortFirstTime to true)(set: $firstden to true)(set: $firstroom to false)(set: $ViewHotCrossBunsMemory to false)(set: $ViewBedtimeStoryMemory to false)(set: $ViewKidsPlayingMemory to false)(set: $ViewMomAndDadFightMemory to false)(set: $ViewPillowFortMemory to false)<script>
var FinalMusic = document.createElement('audio');
FinalMusic.src = "";
FinalMusic.loop = false;
FinalMusic.play();
FinalMusic.volume = 1;
</script>(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[Another Cabin in the Woods
By Quain Holtey
[[Begin]] ]
(align:"==>")+(box:"=========X")[ [[Credits]] ]<script>
FinalMusic.src = "";
</script>A forgotten one-story cabin lies empty in the woods. Its walls lean toward one side as if pushed by the curling vines. Leaves fall from nearby red and yellow trees, joining last year's untouched autumnal deposit.
A breeze kicks up, heralding the arrival of a silver SUV that is at least newer than the cabin. Barely. The car pulls close to the house and parks. The door clicks open.
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Begin_01.wav"></audio>{(live: 4.5s)[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/CarDoorClose_SFX.wav"></audio>]}"Yeah, I know," you say, climbing out of the driver's seat. "Listen, I'll clean the place up. It'll be ready for you tomorrow morning."
You look up at the disheveled house.
Hang up the phone.]](click-replace: "Hang up the phone.")[(transition: "dissolve")[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Begin_02.wav"></audio>You hit the end call button.
"Christ, Lannet. You really left me this dump?" You shake your head.
[[Walk Inside]]]]<script>
var PresentMusic = document.createElement('audio');
PresentMusic.src = "Assets/Audio/Music/PresentMusic.mp3";
PresentMusic.loop = true;
PresentMusic.play();
PresentMusic.volume = 0.1;
</script>The door creaks(click: "creaks")[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/DoorCreakOpen_SFX.wav"></audio>] open to reveal an interior far worse than you had imagined. The crawling bugs were to be expected, but the rotting food in the overflowing sink and the layer of both grime and dust mixed with clothes and trash was not.
How long...(click-replace: "How long...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/WalkInside_01.wav"></audio>"How long did you live like this, Lannet?" you ask. You tiptoe your way around half-filled boxes bursting with odd trinkets and trophies only your mother would have considered precious.
To the right lie the three bedrooms and the shared bathroom, as well as the den. Her precious den.
I should...]](click-replace: "I should...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/WalkInside_02.wav"></audio>"I should walk through the house," you say. "See exactly what I'm dealing with. But where should I start?"
[[Den]]
[[Bedrooms]]
[[Kitchen]]
[[Bathroom]]]](if: $key is false and $firstden is true)[The strong oak door sits out of place in its crooked frame. You grab the handle and twist, but it doesn't budge. Letting out a sigh of frustration, you slip your skeleton key into the lock.
That's weird...(click-replace: "That's weird...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Den_01.wav"></audio>"That's weird," you say, jimmying the still locked handle. "This key should unlock every door in the house."(click: "jimmying")[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/KeyJimmy_SFX.wav"></audio>]
You step away from the door. There must be another key somewhere in the house.
[[Bedrooms]]
[[Kitchen]]
[[Bathroom]]]]](set: $firstden to false)(else-if: $key is false and $firstden is false)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Den_02.wav"></audio>"It's no use. I need to find the other key."
[[Bedrooms]]
[[Kitchen]]
[[Bathroom]]](else:)[You slip the key you had found in your mother's room into the lock and twist. The door creaks open on its hinges.(click: "creaks")[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/DoorCreakOpen_SFX.wav"></audio>]
The room houses a single black piano, nearly too big to fit. The two walls that would be opposite the door are curved and replaced by half-walled windows. The layer of dirt and grime that coats everything else in the house is non-existent here.
That's right...(click-replace: "That's right...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Den_03.wav"></audio>"That's right," you say, pressing one of the keys down. It rings out a perfectly tuned F(click: "keys")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/Den_SFX_01.wav"></audio>]. "Lannet always loved her piano. I guess I ended up getting it after all. Like she always wanted.
She always had me play that one song to warm up. How did it go again?"
[[Sit Down and try to Play.]]]]]The hallway to the left reaches toward the back of the house. Three doors are evenly spaced along the left wall, while the single bathroom door is on the right.
The furthest door...(click-replace: "The furthest door...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Bedrooms_01.wav"></audio>"No," you say. "Not right now. I'll look at his room later."
The furthest door belonged to your little brother. A scribbled picture of a superhero with a flowing green cape is still plastered to it, the paper now yellow and shriveled with age.(click: "shriveled with age.")[
<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Bedrooms_02.wav"></audio>"She never took it down."
]]]
The middle door...(click-replace: "The middle door...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Bedrooms_03.wav"></audio>"Great," you say, pushing the door open. "She used my room to store all of her junk."
Box after misshapen box is stacked in leaning towers that threatened collapse. The hint of a bedroom lays beneath them; the edge of a bedframe, a sideways desk whose right-side legs had given out, the slight glint of a dresser drawer handle.
]]
The closest door...(click-replace: "The closest door...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Bedrooms_04.wav"></audio>"Oh," you say.
What was once your mother's room is relatively clean, but the remnants of her hospice care lie scattered throughout. Stands for IV bags and an old heart rate monitor are wheeled next to the bed.
And on the bed lies [[a key.]]]]<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Kitchen_01.wav"></audio>"Egh," you say, covering your mouth and nose with your hand. "Can't wait to clean this up."
The smell of rotting food and animal leavings mixes into the air before you. Dishes piled high in the sink threaten to topple over and shatter. A crunch underfoot tells you some already have. Trash covers the floor and countertops, as well as spills out from the trashcan at the end of the cupboards. At least the fridge is empty, save for a few near-empty condiment bottles.
[[Bedrooms]]
[[Bathroom]]
[[Den]]Fear tickles your heart as you open the bathroom door and discover...
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Bathroom_01.wav"></audio>"Oh."
The bathroom is coated with a thin layer of dust but is otherwise alright. The dirtiest part is the shower, with a thin line of mold growing in a ring around the yet-to-be-unplugged drain and its puddle of standing water. Considering how gross a bathroom could get, it really wasn't so bad.
[[Bedrooms]]
[[Kitchen]]
[[Den]]]]The bench creaks(click: "creaks")[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/WoodCreak_SFX.wav"></audio>] as you pull it out, its once soft padding is now thin after years of use. You stretch your fingers across the keys, and they tingle with anticipation. They haven't been used like this in years, and it's surprising how excited they are to play again.
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[(stop:)<audio autoplay><source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/SitDownAndTryToPlay_SFX_01.wav"></audio>The first notes you play sound a bit off before you realize your hands started in the wrong position. After a quick adjustment, the music sounds much better.
The few wrong notes that would slip into the song grew fewer and fewer as you went. At the same time, something else grew stronger. You close your eyes and focus on the emerging thought, what felt like a long-forgotten memory...
[[Continue->Watch the memory.]]]]<script>
PresentMusic.src = "";
</script>(set: $key to true)(if: $firstden is true)[You reach down and pick it up, its smooth metal cold to the touch. What lock could it go to that your skeleton key can't?](else:)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/aKey_01.wav"></audio>"Maybe this will open the den?" you wonder aloud, picking it up. Its smooth metal is cold to the touch.]
[[Bathroom]]
[[Kitchen]]
[[Den]]<script>
var HeartMonitorSFX = document.createElement('audio');
HeartMonitorSFX.src = "Assets/Audio/SFX/WatchTheMemory_SFX_01.wav";
HeartMonitorSFX.loop = true;
HeartMonitorSFX.play();
HeartMonitorSFX.volume = 1;
</script>An old woman coughs on your mother's bed. The heart monitor beeps its steady rhythm quietly next to her.
Next(click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/WatchTheMemory_01.wav"></audio>"In all honesty, Lannet, I don't see you making it through the night." The doctor stands from the edge of the bed and walks out of the room. He pauses at the door. "I'd recommend making peace with whatever god you may believe in."
The door clicks behind him.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/WatchTheMemory_02.wav"></audio>"Vira," your mother says. "I wish I could tell you... show you... I should have been there for you after... I hope you can forgive me. Or at least understand. I love you. I always will."
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<script>
HeartMonitorSFX.src = "";
</script><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/WatchTheMemory_SFX_02.wav"></audio>She closes her eyes, and not a moment later the heart monitor produces a single, drawn-out note.
[[Continue->Intro Memory Fades]]]]You shake your head free from the vision.
What was that?...(click-replace: "What was that?...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/IntroMemoryFades_01.wav"></audio>"What was that?" you ask. "I just... watched my mother die? But I wasn't there when that happened. How can I remember something that didn't happen to me?"
The thought of having lived one of your mother's memories is almost dizzying, but what else could it have been?
Doesn't matter...]](click-replace: "Doesn't matter...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/IntroMemoryFades_02.wav"></audio>"Doesn't matter," you say. You shake your head again. "I need to start cleaning. The realtor will be here in the morning."
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $BrothersRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your brother's bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]
]]](set: $MomsRoomMusic to true)(set: $MomsRoomClean to true)(if: $firstroom is false)[<script>
var PresentMusic = document.createElement('audio');
PresentMusic.src = "Assets/Audio/Music/PresentMusic.mp3";
PresentMusic.loop = true;
PresentMusic.play();
PresentMusic.volume = .1;
</script><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourMomsBedroom_01.wav"></audio>"Might as well start in Lannet's room after that." you say.](else:)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourMomsBedroom_02.wav"></audio>"I suppose I could clean Lannet's room now." you say.]
Her room is easy enough to clean. By far the most lived in room in the house. You dust the ceiling fan, then make your way over the dresser and nightstands. With nowhere else to really put it, you move the medical equipment outside, then sweep and mop the floor.
And that's that. Probably the fastest room you'll clean in the whole house. You sit down on the bed to rest for a moment, and a small bloom of dust billows upward.
Crap...(click-replace: "Crap...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourMomsBedroom_03.wav"></audio>"Must be from when I dusted the fan," you say. "I should change these."
You get up from the bed and go through the dresser drawers. The last one has a replacement floral duvet cover.]](click: "floral duvet cover.")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay><source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourMomsBedroom_04.wav"></audio>
"Not the prettiest, but it'll work."
When you lift it from the drawer, a piece of paper that was hidden beneath it twirls down to the ground.
Continue]](click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[(if: $firstroom is false)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourMomsBedroom_05.wav"></audio>"Is that..."
You pick up the torn paper and see the familiar staffs and clefs. Hand-written notes litter the bars. Sheet music. Did your mother write this? What might it sound like on the piano?](else:)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourMomsBedroom_06.wav"></audio>"Another piece of sheet music?" You bend down to pick up the piece filled with your mother's hand-drawn notes. "How many of these are there?"]
(set: $firstroom to true)
[[Return to the den]]
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $BrothersRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your brother's bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]
]]](set: $YourRoomMusic to true)(set: $YourRoomClean to true)(if: $firstroom is false)[<script>
var PresentMusic = document.createElement('audio');
PresentMusic.src = "Assets/Audio/Music/PresentMusic.mp3";
PresentMusic.loop = true;
PresentMusic.play();
PresentMusic.volume = .1;
</script><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourOldBedroom_01.wav"></audio>"My room's just a bunch of boxes," you say. "Easy enough to clean I guess. I'll start there."](else:)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourOldBedroom_02.wav"></audio>"Can't keep putting off my old room," you say.]
Your room takes the better part of two hours, most of which feels like picking up fallen boxes just to place them somewhere else. Most of the boxes aren't labeled, either, leaving you to open them, discover their contents, and then decide whether to keep the box or throw it out. Often, you choose the latter.
After the boxes are cleared out, the rest of the room needs little work. The bed is made, though rectangular creases grid the covers, and the dresser only needs a light dusting. The last thing is the collapsed desk, which you move out of the room only to discover one last, crinkled box hidden underneath.(click: "move")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/DragFurniture_SFX.wav"></audio>]
With a sigh, you crouch down and open the box.
(click: "open the box.")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourOldBedroom_03.wav"></audio>"What the...?" you ask.
(if: $firstroom is false)[The only thing inside is a torn piece of paper. Its familiar staffs and clefs house hand-written notes that litter the bars. Sheet music. Did your mother write this?](else:)[Another piece of sheet music. Only this one's notes are written neatly, not scrawled, or messy.]
(set: $firstroom to true)
[[Return to the den]]
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $BrothersRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your brother's bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]
]]](if: $Courage is 5)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourBrothersBedroom_01.wav"></audio>"This is it," you say. "The last room in the house."
His room.
You take a deep breath. Then twist the doorknob.
It's...(click-replace: "It's...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourBrothersBedroom_02.wav"></audio>"It's... spotless," you say. The room was in better care than any other had been. Even your own mother's. Nothing more than a thin layer of dust coated everything, but only what would have accumulated over the week since your mother's death. She had kept it clean all this time. All these years...
Tears blur your vision, but not before you see another torn piece of sheet music on the bed. You laugh, despite yourself, mixing the tears and snot with a disgusting cough-chuckle. You grab the piece, and as your tears fall onto the music, you now understand why the piece you had found in the kitchen had been shriveled and warped. You wipe the tears from your cheeks and clear your throat.
Is this...]](click-replace: "Is this...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourBrothersBedroom_03.wav"></audio>"It must be the end of the song," you say. "I should see what her song sounded like. From beginning to end."](set: $BrothersRoomClean to true)(Set: $BrothersRoomMusic to true)
[[Return to the den]]
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]
]]](else:)[The dark oak door sits in its crooked frame. An impassible barrier.
(if: $firstroom is false)[{(live: 4.3s)[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourBrothersBedroom_04.wav"></audio>]}"I should, uh, start somewhere else. I'm sure his room isn't that bad..."](else:)[{(live: 4.3s)[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanYourBrothersBedroom_05.wav"></audio>]}"There are other rooms I can clean. No need to rush into his..."
Maybe you could take a break and play the piano a bit? Just to get your mind off of it all...]
[[Return to the den]]
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]
](if: $BathroomClean is true and $MomsRoomClean is true and $YourRoomClean is true and $KitchenClean is true and $LivingRoomClean is true and $BrothersRoomClean is false)[ [[Return to the den]]
]](set: $KitchenMusic to true)(set: $KitchenClean to true)(if: $firstroom is false)[<script>
var PresentMusic = document.createElement('audio');
PresentMusic.src = "Assets/Audio/Music/PresentMusic.mp3";
PresentMusic.loop = true;
PresentMusic.play();
PresentMusic.volume = .1;
</script><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheKitchen_01.wav"></audio>"The worst room in this house has got to be the kitchen," you say. "If I start there, my day can only get better."](else:)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheKitchen_02.wav"></audio>"The worst room in this house has got to be the kitchen," you say.]
It requires putting a rag over your mouth and nose as you clean the rotting food and animal leavings from the countertops and floor. Once you throw that outside, the rest of the trash is surprisingly easy to clean up. Nothing is crusted to the counters or table, and seeing the progress you've made, however slow, is motivating.
You debate whether to do the dishes or just throw them out. Since you know no one will be using them, you decide they're not worth the effort.
After a thorough clean, the kitchen looks like the nicest part of the house, almost too nice for what the outside has started to look like. You open the cupboard beneath the sink to put the cleaning supplies away.(click: "open the cupboard")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/DoorCreakOpen_SFX.wav"></audio>]
And...(click-replace: "And...")[(transition: "dissolve")[(if: $firstroom is false)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheKitchen_03.wav"></audio>"Is that... sheet music?" you ask. You reach down to where one of the cleaning chemicals had been sitting before and turn over a torn piece of white paper with the familiar staffs, clefs, and bars of sheet music that house hand-written notes.
Had your mother written her own music? Was it any good? The paper warps and twists in some places. Maybe the sink drain had a leak? Some water had dripped onto the page at some point.](else:)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheKitchen_04.wav"></audio>"And another one," you say. "Seriously, how many of these are there?" You reach down to where one of the cleaning chemicals had been sitting before and turn over the torn piece of sheet music. The paper warps and twists in some places. Maybe the sink drain had a leak? Some water had dripped onto the page at some point.]
(set: $firstroom to true)
[[Return to the den]]
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $BrothersRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your brother's bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]
]]](set: $LivingRoomMusic to true)(set: $LivingRoomClean to true)(if: $firstroom is false)[<script>
var PresentMusic = document.createElement('audio');
PresentMusic.src = "Assets/Audio/Music/PresentMusic.mp3";
PresentMusic.loop = true;
PresentMusic.play();
PresentMusic.volume = .1;
</script><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheLivingRoom_01.wav"></audio>"Well," you say. "I might as well start with the first room you see when you walk in."](else:)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheLivingRoom_02.wav"></audio>"I'll do the living room next," you say. "Shouldn't be too terrible."]
Cleaning the living room consists mostly of clothes, trash, and boxes. Paper plates and plastic utensils are strewn about, obviously used after your mother had run out of clean dishes. Her clothes were left all over, almost as though she would take them off the second she walked through the door. For all you knew, that's exactly what she had done.
You clear the trash and clothes into some of the emptier boxes and take them outside to the large trash bin. You thought about saving the clothes, but it didn't really feel right.
Wiping down the coffee table situated between the two cleared off couches, you see some old magazines. One of them, //Pianists Galore//, is obviously well read.
What...(click-replace: "What...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheLivingRoom_03.wav"></audio>"What did you like so much about this magazine?" you ask. You pick it up and leaf(click: "leaf")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/FlipThroughABook_SFX.wav"></audio>] through the pages, and a once crumbled, torn, white piece of paper flitters out from between them.
(if: $firstroom is false)[Huh?(click-replace: "Huh?")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheLivingRoom_04.wav"></audio>"What's this?" you ask. You reach down and pick up the paper and discover the familiar staffs, clefs, and bars of sheet music. The hand-written notes are heavy, almost lethargic. The stems of the notes sometimes broke, flicking extra ink across the page.
Did your mother write her own music? What could it possibly have sounded like?
[[Return to the den]]
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $BrothersRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your brother's bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]]
]]](else:)[Of course...(click-replace: "Of course...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheLivingRoom_05.wav"></audio>"Of course," you say, "Another piece of music."
You bend down and pick up the piece of hand-written music. The notes are heavy, almost lethargic. The stems of the notes sometimes broke and flicked extra ink across the page.
[[Return to the den]]
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $BrothersRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your brother's bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]
]]]]]](set: $firstroom to true)(set: $BathroomMusic to true)(set: $BathroomClean to true)(if: $firstroom is false)[<script>
var PresentMusic = document.createElement('audio');
PresentMusic.src = "Assets/Audio/Music/PresentMusic.mp3";
PresentMusic.loop = true;
PresentMusic.play();
PresentMusic.volume = .1;
</script><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheBathroom_01.wav"></audio>"I hate cleaning bathrooms," you say. "I should just get that over with."](else:)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheBathroom_02.wav"></audio>"I guess I'll clean the bathroom next," you say. "At least it isn't as bad as the kitchen."]
You start by unstopping the bathtub and letting the standing water drain. While it glugs away, you start work on the sink, throwing away products and toiletries no one will ever get the chance to use again. The smell of harsh chemicals is lessened by the still open door and the obnoxious vent fan. Soon the sink, toilet, and shower are all clean, and mopping the floor is quick enough.
Then, just as always, the urge to relieve yourself hits as soon as the bathroom is clean. After a moment, you stand from the toilet and flush.
(click: "flush.")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheBathroom_03.wav"></audio>"Oh come on," you say. The lever goes down, but the water doesn't drain. Frustrated, you pull the lid off the water tank and look inside. Something's blocking the drain, keeping the water from flushing.
Gritting your teeth, you roll up your sleeve and reach inside. The cold water reaches just past your elbow as you grab the plastic bag blocking its path. The toilet flushes as you pull it out and flick the water from your arm into the sink before washing your hands. Only then do you look at the baggie you pulled out.
]](click: "look at the baggie you pulled out.")[(transition: "dissolve")[(if: $firstroom is false)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheBathroom_04.wav"></audio>"Is that... sheet music?" you ask. You turn off the sink and wipe your wet hands on your shirt before opening the bag. Inside, dry as a bone, is a torn white page of sheet music with its familiar staffs, cleffs, and bars. Hand-written notes are drawn onto the page with a trembling hand.
Is this your mother's? Did she write her own music?](else:)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/CleanTheBathroom_05.wav"></audio>"You're kidding," you say. "Another piece of music? In the toilet?"
You wipe your wet hands on your shirt, then pull the torn page out of the bag, its notes written with an almost trembling hand. What had your mother been thinking about when she wrote this part?]
(set: $firstroom to true)
[[Return to the den]]
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $BrothersRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your brother's bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]
]]]<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/WoodCreak_SFX.wav"></audio>You sit back down at the piano, grateful for the break. If nothing else, at least your mother kept this room clean and the piano in tune.
(if: $BathroomMusic is true and $ViewPillowFortMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in the bathroom->Play Bathroom Music]]
](else-if: $BathroomMusic is true and $ViewPillowFortMemory is true)[ [[Play bathroom music again->Play Bathroom Music]]
](if: $MomsRoomMusic is true and $ViewHotCrossBunsMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in your Mother's room->Play Mom's Room Music]]
](else-if: $MomsRoomMusic is true and $ViewHotCrossBunsMemory is true)[ [[Play Mom's room music again->Play Mom's Room Music]]
](if: $YourRoomMusic is true and $ViewBedtimeStoryMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in your old bedroom->Play your room music]]
](else-if: $YourRoomMusic is true and $ViewBedtimeStoryMemory is true)[ [[Play your room music again->Play your room music]]
](if: $BrothersRoomMusic is true)[ [[Play the piece you found in your brother's room->Play Brother's Room music]]
](if: $KitchenMusic is true and $ViewKidsPlayingMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in the kitchen->Play Kitchen music]]
](else-if: $KitchenMusic is true and $ViewKidsPlayingMemory is true)[ [[Play kitchen music again->Play Kitchen music]]
](if: $LivingRoomMusic is true and $ViewMomAndDadFightMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in the living room->Play living room music]]
](else-if: $LivingRoomMusic is true and $ViewMomAndDadFightMemory is true)[ [[Play living room music again->Play living room music]]
][[Get back to cleaning]]<script>
PresentMusic.src = "";
</script><script>You place the piece of music on the piano and begin playing.(click: "playing.")[<audio autoplay><source src="Assets/Audio/Music/PlayBathroomMusic_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>] The trembling hand it was written in makes some of the notes hard to read.
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[If it weren't for the abrupt start to this portion of the song, you think it could be the beginning. It very well could be, or perhaps a type of bridge? Either way, the slow, methodical melody weaves itself into the room as though it always belonged.
It sounds off at one point, and you double-check that you played the right note. You had. But why? Why the discord in such a beautiful section of the song?
Continue]](click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[The memory creeps into your vision like paint on a wet paper towel. Its edges are stringy, and unsure.
[[Close your eyes...->Pillow Fort Memory]]]]You position the piece of music you found in your mother's dresser drawer on the piano and begin playing.(click: "playing.")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Music/PlayMomsRoomMusic_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>]
The tune is soft and sweet. Why had your mother been so unsure when she wrote it?
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[As you continue playing, the swells of the song grow, but remain mellow. It feels as though this is still the beginning of the song, or even //is// the beginning.
Cords progress and evolve, warming your fingers across the keys. It feels natural. Right.
Continue]](click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[Another of your mother's memories begins to bleed into your vision, growing in intensity as the music continues...
[[Close your eyes...->Hot Cross Buns Memory]]]]
You situate the piece on the piano and begin playing.(click: "playing.")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Music/PlayYourRoomMusic_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>] The writing of this section quickly grows surer of itself. Less apprehensive.
The starting intensity is a little jarring, but still relatively calm. Perhaps this piece of the music is meant to be closer to the beginning of the song, though definitely not right at the beginning.
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[It's triumphant, almost joyous, but there's a hint of something deeper. Every now and then, the notes are sad, almost as if they are tainted.
The deep notes grow deeper as the higher ones grow faster and more complex.
Continue]](click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[Your mother's memory grows continuously in your mind, bleeding into your field of view...
[[Close your eyes...->Bedtime Story Memory]]]]You place the warped, shriveled piece of music on the piano and start playing.(click: "playing.")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Music/PlayKitchenMusic_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>] Some of the water damage had caused some of the ink to bleed, but otherwise, it's easy enough to read, if not play.
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[This section of the song starts far too energetically. As though you came in halfway through a conversation and are left to pick up the pieces of what came before. The quarter notes are repetitive enough, however, that you don't feel too overwhelmed.
Continue]](click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[Then it stops. It slows. A sudden lull in the melody as if looking back on a fond memory before picking up pace once again. A memory that now begins to fade into your vision. A memory that...
[[Close your eyes...->Kids Playing Memory]]]]You flatten out the creased page and place it on the piano. Why had it once been crumpled? If it weren't for how forcefully the pen strokes had been made, the music could have easily faded. Even still, you can play it.(click: "play")[<audio autoplay><source src="Assets/Audio/Music/PlayLivingRoomMusic_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>]
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[Or can you? The piece starts so quickly, with note after note rushing by on both hands. Every so often there are moments of longer notes, but they are still peppered with rapid bursts of melody.
Continue]](click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[Even more than that, though, this part of the song has a tone that feels... like rain. It trickles down and pads onto the leaves of the trees and the roof of the house. It pours, then drizzles, then falls more rhythmically. It threatens, then comforts, then...
Continue]](click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[Calm. The unexpected storm passes before it shows its true intentions. A memory tickles the edges of your vision.
[[Close your eyes...->Mom And Dad Fight Memory]]]]You don't have time to sit down and play more. You have a whole house left to clean.
(if: $BathroomClean is false)[ [[Clean the bathroom]]
](if: $MomsRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your mom's bedroom]]
](if: $YourRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your old bedroom]]
](if: $BrothersRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean your brother's bedroom]]
](if: $KitchenClean is false)[ [[Clean the kitchen]]
](if: $LivingRoomClean is false)[ [[Clean the living room]]
]<script>
var PresentMusic = document.createElement('audio');
PresentMusic.src = "Assets/Audio/Music/PresentMusic.mp3";
PresentMusic.loop = true;
PresentMusic.play();
PresentMusic.volume = .1;
</script>(if: $HotCrossFirstTime is true)[(set: $Courage to it+1)](Set: $HotCrossFirstTime to false)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/HotCrossBunsMemory_01.wav"></audio><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Music/HotCrossBunsMemory_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>"Can I go play with Torren, Mom?" the child version of you asks. You sit at the piano, back when the seat still had cushioning. Your mom sits next to you.
Next(click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/HotCrossBunsMemory_02.wav"></audio>"Just try one more time, Vira," your mom says. "Please? For me?"
"Ugh, okay."
You sit up straight and place your hands on the keys. It was so uncomfortable at that age. It felt like you had to hold your hands up rather than just forward.
You follow along with the sheet music, plucking(click: "plucking")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/HotCrossBunsMemory_SFX_01.wav"></audio>] along the simple melody. Just the right hand.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/HotCrossBunsMemory_03.wav"></audio>"Good job," your mom says. "Now try with the accompaniment?"(click: "accompaniment")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/HotCrossBunsMemory_SFX_02.wav"></audio>]
"Okay."
It was slower, not always in time, but you didn't make any mistakes. You got through the piece using both hands for the first time.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/HotCrossBunsMemory_04.wav"></audio>"I did it!"
"I knew you could, Vira!" she says. "I'm so proud of you." She leans in close and hugs you.
"Can I go play now?"
"Sure, sweety."
You run out of the room, calling out for your brother. Your mom stays on the bench, looking back after you. She sighs.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/HotCrossBunsMemory_05.wav"></audio>"Oh, Vira," she says, alone in the room. She turns back to the piano and plays a couple notes.(click: "a couple notes.")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/HotCrossBunsMemory2_SFX_01.wav"></audio>]
[[Open your eyes...-> Hot Cross Buns Memory 2]] ]](if: $BedtimeFirstTime is true)[(set: $Courage to it+1)](Set: $BedtimeFirstTime to false)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BedtimeStoryMemory_01.wav"></audio><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Music/BedtimeStoryMemory_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>"'Oh, Mystery Man, you saved me! How could I ever repay you?'" your mom says. She sits at the edge of your bed, with you bundled up to your ears in blankets. She clears her throat.
Next(click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")["<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BedtimeStoryMemory_02.wav"></audio>'No need, ma'am. Knowing you're safe is reward enough.'"
You giggle at the faux deep voice.
"And he flew into the sunset?" you ask, giddy.
"And he flew into the sunset." she says. She closes(click: "closes")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/CloseABook_SFX.wav"></audio>] the book and gets up from the bed.
"Mom?" you ask.
"Hmm?"
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BedtimeStoryMemory_03.wav"></audio>"When do you think daddy will read me a bedtime story again?"
"What, am I not good enough?" she says, chuckling.
"No! You're great. I just... miss daddy is all." You twist in the covers. Your mom leans in close and kisses you on the forehead.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BedtimeStoryMemory_04.wav"></audio>"Me too. I'll tell you what," she says. "I'll talk to him tonight when he gets home, okay? I'm sure that once he knows how much you miss him, he'll read you a story every night."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
[[Open your eyes...->Bedtime Story Memory 2]] ]](if: $PlayingFirstTime is true)[(set: $Courage to it+1)](Set: $PlayingFirstTime to false)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/KidsPlayingMemory_01.wav"></audio><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Music/KidsPlayingMemory_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>"Woah, slow down!" your mom yells. She stands at the kitchen sink washing the dishes that remain after dinner.
You chase Torren around the living room, your cacophonous laughter reverberating off the warm walls as you both jump off coffee tables and run across couches.
Next(click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/KidsPlayingMemory_02.wav"></audio>"Come on, Vira," Torren says. "Only we can stop the bad guy from destroying the house."
"If you keep playing like that, then the two of you will destroy the house before the 'bad guy' gets a chance," your mom says.
She shuts off the sink and wipes her hands off on her shirt. She walks into the living room as the two children disperse.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/KidsPlayingMemory_03.wav"></audio>"Come on," she says. "You can keep playing but do it outside."
(live: 5s)[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/KidsPlayingMemory_SFX_01.wav"></audio>]The children laugh as the screen door closes behind them. The faint sounds of them playing lull inside as your mother sits on the couch. She lets out a sigh, smiling and tilting her head back. She sits up and reaches over the coffee table to grab her issue of //Pianists Galore// and starts reading.
[[Open your eyes...->Kids Playing Memory 2]] ]](if: $FightFirstTime is true)[(set: $Courage to it+1)](Set: $FightFirstTime to false)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Music/MomAndDadFightingMemory_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>The house is dark, save for the single lamp next to the living room couch. Your mom sits next to it, reading her magazine. Light pierces through the front window as a truck pulls into the driveway. She looks up at the clock as the car door slams shut.(click: "slams")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/CarDoorClose_SFX.wav"></audio>]
10:52.
Next(click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/MomAndDadFightMemory_01.wav"></audio>"Hey," your dad says. "What are you still doing up?"
She sets the magazine down.
"Our daughter wanted me to tell you she misses you," she says.
"Oh. Tell her daddy misses his little bug, too."
"You could tell her yourself, you know."
Your father sighs.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/MomAndDadFightMemory_02.wav"></audio>"When would you want me to do that, Lannet? This new commute is two hours. //Each way//. The city's not exactly close."
"Can't you leave work early? Maybe just a couple days a week?"
"I'm the new guy, if I start skipping hours, I'm going to get fired."
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/MomAndDadFightMemory_03.wav"></audio>"Well, maybe you wouldn't."
"Do you really want to risk that, Lannet? V's treatments aren't exactly cheap, not to mention surgery in a couple of years. The whole reason I //got// this job was to get her the support she needs. If I lose it, she loses the blockers. We can't do that to her."
"Well, what else can we do? She needs her father."
"We can move."
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/MomAndDadFightMemory_04.wav"></audio>"Not this again. I won't sell this house, Tom. It was my mother's, and her mother's before that, and it will be Vira's when I'm gone."
"If we moved to the city, I could be home for dinner. I could tuck them in. I could-
"I said no, Tom. This is more than just 'a house' to me."
"Then I don't know what to do!"
He throws up his hands and storms away. Your mom sits back on the couch and holds her head as their bedroom door closes. Tears peek through her red eyes.
[[Open your eyes...->Mom and Dad Fight Memory 2]] ]](if: $FortFirstTime is true)[(set: $Courage to it+1)](Set: $FortFirstTime to false)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/PillowFortMemory_01.wav"></audio><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Music/PillowFortMemory_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>"We should save him," Torren says behind the bathroom door. "If daddy's boss won't let him leave, we need to go and save him."
"Like Mystery Man?" your voice responds.
"Exactly."
Your mom stands outside the bathroom door. Light seeps through the door frame and into the dark house.
Next(click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/PillowFortMemory_02.wav"></audio>(live: .5s)[(stop:)<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/PillowFortMemory_SFX_01.wav"></audio>]"How about you guys go to bed," she says, coming into the bathroom. "Heroes need their sleep, too. Even super ones. You can save your dad tomorrow."
Blankets coat the bathroom, propped up by sticks and pinned on the edges of the counter, toilet, and bathtub by rocks the children had found in the forest that day.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/PillowFortMemory_03.wav"></audio>"Seriously, you two?" she asks. "//All// of your blankets? In the bathroom?"
"We needed them for the fort," Torren says.
"Bed. Now."
"But all our blankets are dirty," you say.
"Well, I guess you're going to bed with dirty blankets."
[[Open your eyes...->Pillow Fort Memory 2]] ]]There's more music to be played. (if: $BathroomMusic is true and $MomsRoomMusic is true and $YourRoomMusic is true and $KitchenMusic is true and $LivingRoomMusic is true)[And you've gone through nearly every room in the house. Nearly. It couldn't hurt to keep playing.](else:)[But there are other rooms that still need cleaning. Maybe you should get back...]
(if: $BathroomMusic is true and $ViewPillowFortMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in the bathroom->Play Bathroom Music]]
](else-if: $BathroomMusic is true and $ViewPillowFortMemory is true)[ [[Play bathroom music again->Play Bathroom Music]]
](if: $MomsRoomMusic is true and $ViewHotCrossBunsMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in your Mother's room->Play Mom's Room Music]]
](else-if: $MomsRoomMusic is true and $ViewHotCrossBunsMemory is true)[ [[Play Mom's room music again->Play Mom's Room Music]]
](if: $YourRoomMusic is true and $ViewBedtimeStoryMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in your old bedroom->Play your room music]]
](else-if: $YourRoomMusic is true and $ViewBedtimeStoryMemory is true)[ [[Play your room music again->Play your room music]]
](if: $BrothersRoomMusic is true)[ [[Play the piece you found in your brother's room->Play Brother's Room music]]
](if: $KitchenMusic is true and $ViewKidsPlayingMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in the kitchen->Play Kitchen music]]
](else-if: $KitchenMusic is true and $ViewKidsPlayingMemory is true)[ [[Play kitchen music again->Play Kitchen music]]
](if: $LivingRoomMusic is true and $ViewMomAndDadFightMemory is false)[ [[Play the piece you found in the living room->Play living room music]]
](else-if: $LivingRoomMusic is true and $ViewMomAndDadFightMemory is true)[ [[Play living room music again->Play living room music]]
][[Get back to cleaning]]<script>
FinalMusic.src = "";
</script>(if: $Incorrect1 is true)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/Incorrect1_SFX.wav"></audio>No, that's not right, it can't start at such a random place. Let's see, maybe it starts with...](else-if: $Incorrect2 is true)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/Incorrect2_SFX.wav"></audio>Your fingers fumble over the keys. That can't be it. What could the order be?](else-if: $Incorrect3 is true)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/Incorrect3_SFX.wav"></audio>No, no, no, that part has to come later. Now you've lost your place. Let's see...](else-if: $Incorrect4 is true)[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/Incorrect4_SFX.wav"></audio>That's not the bridge. You remember the tune was almost bitter here, just like the memory. What's the order!?](else:)[You sit down to play the piece of music you found in Torren's room. It was the lower right corner of the page, so it had to be the last part. The climax. But just playing this part on its own feels wrong. It's music. Your mother's music. It deserves to be played in its entirety, from beginning to end. But what's the order? What parts go where? Which goes first?]
[[The piece found in your mom's room->Correct 1]](set: $Incorrect1 to false)
[[The piece found in the bathroom->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect1 to true)
[[The piece found in the Kitchen->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect1 to true)
[[The piece found in your room->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect1 to true)
[[The piece found in the living room->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect1 to true)
[[The piece found in your brother's room->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect1 to true)(set: $Incorrect1 to false)It begins with the part from your mother's bedroom. The one you found in the bottom drawer of her dresser that was written with a shaking, unsure hand. This was the first piece of music she had ever written for herself, and she spent the rest of her life composing this song.
This piece. The one that houses the memory of her teaching you piano, and the first time you played with both your hands at once. For you, it was a small victory, but for her, it had been crucial.
To her, if you knew how to play piano, you would always carry a piece of her with you. Even after she was gone.
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[You're nearing the end of the page, its torn edge seeking its partner...
[[The piece found in the bathroom->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect2 to true)
[[The piece found in the Kitchen->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect2 to true)
[[The piece found in your room->Correct 2]](set: $Incorrect2 to false)
[[The piece found in the living room->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect2 to true)
[[The piece found in your brother's room->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect2 to true) ]]<script>
FinalMusic.src = "Assets/Audio/Music/Correct1_Music.mp3";
FinalMusic.loop = false;
FinalMusic.play();
FinalMusic.volume = 1;
</script>(set: $Incorrect2 to false)Next is the part found in your bedroom, in that otherwise empty box underneath the broken desk. Its notes are written more assuredly. She knew what she was doing now, though she was still new.
The notes sing, beautiful and deep, mixing triumph and love and sadness and longing. Your mother sits on your bed and reads you your favorite story of Mystery Man saving the day.
She loved how you loved him. How he inspired you and Torren. Then the pang of sadness hits her as you ask for your father to read you the story instead, knowing that his absence is because of his love for you. Even still, the longing in your eyes breaks her heart.
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[The notes grow faster as you near the end of this piece. Darker, even. Building to a climax, though the song is far from over...
[[The piece found in the bathroom->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect3 to true)
[[The piece found in the Kitchen->Correct 3]](set: $Incorrect3 to false)
[[The piece found in the living room->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect3 to true)
[[The piece found in your brother's room->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect3 to true) ]](set: $Incorrect3 to false)Now comes the piece found in the kitchen under the sink. Its water damage wasn't from a leaking pipe, but from the tears your mother shed while writing this part.
Quick, repetitive notes give an energy that's resolved with slow, delicate cords as soon as they start.
You and Torren run through the house, playing heroes. Setting out to save the day. Your mother cried at this part, but with joy. The memory of seeing the two of you and the pure, unbridled happiness you felt. The happiness you inspired in her. Free from any worry or doubt. She longed for those days to return but knew they were in the past, no matter how vivid the memory was.
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[The notes dance across the keyboard, up and down, up and down, your hands somehow keeping tempo as you near the torn edge...
[[The piece found in the bathroom->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect4 to true)
[[The piece found in the living room->Correct 4]](set: $Incorrect4 to false)
[[The piece found in your brother's room->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect4 to true)]](set: $Incorrect4 to false)The sweet melody evolves as the piece reaches the bridge. The piece from the living room, crumpled and flattened and hidden away inside a magazine comes next. The writing is harsh, with stems breaking by the force of the pen strokes and ink spraying the white paper.
The song spoke the tears she was too angry to shed when she wrote this section. The memory of your father coming home late, night after night. She understood why. She knew his new job was necessary to support your transition.
But her anger wasn't directed at him. It was towards herself. If she had just sold the house, moved to the city, been closer to his work, then none of this would have happened. Torren wouldn't have tried to 'save' his father. He wouldn't have taken you away.
What's the point of holding onto something when more important things are slipping by?
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[The song winds down. It calms. replacing the anger with sorrow...
[[The piece found in the bathroom->Correct 5]](set: $Incorrect5 to false)
[[The piece found in your brother's room->Play Brother's Room music]](set: $Incorrect5 to true) ]](set: $Incorrect5 to false)The piece from the bathroom. The one most hidden, and most protected.
It tells the story of that night. The makeshift pillow fort that two superheroes shared in a cramped bathroom. The wants and dreams, the last moments of unbridled optimism in either child's life.
She wished she could have saved her children from the pain that followed. Wished she had played along with them. Had gone with them to fight their father's evil boss. Had stayed. With them.
Of all the memories in this song, this one hurts the most. Not because of the memory of what happened, but what could have. Every moment, every second, she wanted to scream at herself to just stay with them. Just hold them tight. Just let them play, a little while longer.
This was the hardest part for her to write.
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[The page winds down with discordant notes, as though you're playing mistakes, even though they are as written.
There's only one piece left...
[[The piece found in your brother's room->Correct 6]] ]]The final piece. Found in his room. It builds into a new emotion. Not sorrow, or anger, or joy, but... hope.
She wrote this part on her death bed because she couldn't bring herself to write it sooner. The memory of that day, the day her son was taken from her. Then her daughter. It broke her heart, but something came afterward not even she suspected.
As she finished the song, with a flurry of scales, she found the strength to forgive herself for what had happened. And the hope? So strong and overflowing in the end? It was the hope that, if she could somehow forgive herself...
(click: "forgive herself...")[(transition: "dissolve")[Then perhaps her daughter could, too.
[[Close your eyes...->Brother's Funeral Memory]] ]]<script>FinalMusic.src = "";</script><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Music/BrothersFuneralMemory_MUSIC.mp3"></audio>Your brother's casket lays closed in the near-empty church. You sit between your parents on the front row too dazed to hear the end of the sermon. A portrait of him in a suit stands next to the oak box surrounded by a wreath of wildflowers.
You had picked them yourself.
Next(click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BrothersFuneralMemory_01.wav"></audio>"This is all your fault," your father says next to you.
"What?" your mother asks.
"If you had been there, if you had just been paying any attention at all, this wouldn't have happened."
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BrothersFuneralMemory_02.wav"></audio>"They went out looking for //you//, Tom," she yelled. "If you had just come home early once or twice, they wouldn't have felt the need to go 'saving' you."
"Don't try and throw this on me, if we had just moved into the city, like I //said// we should have-"
"Oh, a city filled with busy streets and fast cars? He would have been at more risk there than he was here."
"No, he wouldn't have, because I would have //been there//!"
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BrothersFuneralMemory_03.wav"></audio>"Stop it!" you cry out. Your parents both look at you.
"He told me not to walk in the road, but I didn't listen." You look up at your mom. "I was being brave, like Mystery Man."
You look down.
"If I had just listened to him, he wouldn't have had to push me out of the way when the truck came."
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BrothersFuneralMemory_04.wav"></audio>"No, V," your father says. "This isn't your fault. It could never be your fault. Come on."
He stands up with you, his large hand between your shoulder blades. He walks you down the aisle toward the doors. Your mom stands up, too, but he pauses and looks back.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BrothersFuneralMemory_05.wav"></audio>"Haven't you done enough, Lannet?"
She stands there, frozen as he walks you out of the church. Out of her life.
She walks up to the casket and places her hand on top. She breaks. Sobbing tears stream down her face as she laments the fact that she can't even look at her baby one last time. She can't touch his face. Kiss his cheek. She collapses in a world that has left her.
Alone.
Next]](click-replace: "Next")[(transition: "dissolve")[After a moment, she stands and walks to the church's piano. Decades of memorized music fleet from her mind as she stares at the faded black and white keys.
Then, she plucks the only notes that come to her mind.]](click: "plucks")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/BrothersFuneralMemory_SFX_01.wav"></audio>
[[Open your eyes...->Finale]] ]<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/KnockOnDoor.wav"></audio>A knock at the door stirs you awake. You pick your head up off the piano and rub the crust away from your raw, red eyes. When had you fallen asleep?
Continue(click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/KnockOnDoor2.wav"></audio><audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Finale_01.wav"></audio>Another knock.
"I'm coming," you say, throat still hoarse. The bench grinds against the floor as you push it back. You walk through the house, your mother's memories like ghosts still dancing in their places.
You straighten your shirt, then open the door.
Continue]](click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/Finale_02.wav"></audio>"Ms. Vira," the realtor says. "I hope you were able to, um," they clear their throat. "Tidy up? I was hoping to show off the house later today."
"Oh, um."
[[Of... course...->Sell the house.]]
[[Actually...->Keep the house.]] ]]<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/SellTheHouse_01.wav"></audio>"Of course," you say. "I'm, um, nearly done, just give me a minute to grab a few things, okay?"
Without waiting for a response, you walk back inside, the screen door slamming(click: "slamming")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/ScreenDoorClose_SFX.wav"></audio>] as the springs snap it shut. You walk to Torren's room and take one more look inside. It hasn't been his room in a long time, but here it was. Waiting.
Take the picture.(click-replace: "Take the picture.")[(transition: "dissolve")[The picture comes off the door easily. Its crude and colored with a child's care, but its his. And it makes you smile.
You walk into the den and approach the piano. You glance a hand across the smooth, varnished wood. It was still warm where your face had been last night.
Take the song.]](click-replace: "Take the song.")[(transition: "dissolve")[Your mother's song was no longer in pieces. No longer crumpled or creased or warped by tears.
It was whole again.
Continue]](click-replace: "Continue")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/SellTheHouse_02.wav"></audio>"Thank you, Mom," you say.
"Did you say something, Ms. Vira?" the realtor asks from the porch. You walk back to the front door.
"I'm done here," you say. You hold the keys out for a moment, hesitating. "I've got everything I need." You drop the keys into the realtor's hand.
You get in your car(click: "car")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/CarDoorClose_SFX.wav"></audio>], and take one last look at the crooked, overgrown, beautiful cabin in the woods.
[[Drive away->The End]] ]]<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/KeepTheHouse_01.wav"></audio>"I'm sorry," you say. "I don't think I'll be selling anymore."
"You're sure?"
You look back at the ghosts inside. The memories of your mom, your dad, your brother.
I'm sure...(click-replace: "I'm sure...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/KeepTheHouse_02.wav"></audio>"I'm sure. Sorry for the inconvenience."
The screen door snaps(click: "snaps")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/ScreenDoorClose_SFX.wav"></audio>] shut as you let go. Another click(click: "click")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/LockDoor_SFX.wav"></audio>], and the heavy wood door is back in place as well.
You hesitate for a moment outside the den before walking over to Torren's room. The strong door now stood open. It hadn't been his room in a long time, but here it was. Waiting.
The picture still hangs on the door.]]
(click: "The picture")[(transition: "dissolve")[It comes off easily, the sticky putty having lost its strength over the years. Its crude and colored with a child's care. But it's his. And it makes you smile.
Without another thought, you walk back into the den and sit down on the unpadded bench.
Thank you...]](click-replace: "Thank you...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/KeepTheHouse_03.wav"></audio>"Thank you, Mom," you say.
The sheet music stands perfectly intact on the stand. The tears and damage are gone, replaced by a full, finished song.
The song your mother wrote. In a cabin. In the woods.
[[Begin playing->The End]] ]]<script>
FinalMusic.src = "Assets/Audio/Music/Correct1_MUSIC.mp3";
FinalMusic.loop = true;
FinalMusic.play();
FinalMusic.volume = 1.0;
</script>(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[The End.
Another Cabin in the Woods
A game by Quain Holtey]
[[Credits]](align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[Written and Created by Quain Holtey
[[Cast]]
[[Sound Effects]]
[[Music]]
[[Author's note]] ]<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/HotCrossBunsMemory2_01.wav"></audio>"That's how you remember it?" you ask. The memory fades from your mind. "All I remember was sitting at the piano for hours with constant back pain."
You gaze down at the ivory keys. You twirl your fingers over them, careful not to push them down. A chuckle escapes your lips.(set: $ViewHotCrossBunsMemory to true)
Well...(click-replace: "Well...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/HotCrossBunsMemory2_02.wav"></audio>"Well, I suppose I'll always have something to remember you by." Two notes ring out from the piano as you press them down.(click: "press them down.")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/SFX/HotCrossBunsMemory2_SFX_01.wav"></audio>]
[[Get back to cleaning]]
(if: $BathroomMusic is true or $MomsRoomMusic is true or $YourRoomMusic is true or $KitchenMusic is true or $LivingRoomMusic is true)[[Keep playing->Back to the Piano]] ]]<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/BedtimeStoryMemory2_01.wav"></audio>"But you couldn't keep that promise, could you?" you ask, pulling back into the present.
It wasn't fair for you to feel so hurt by a broken promise, especially since, in the end, it was your dad who didn't read to you anymore. But he also wasn't the one who made the promise. Even now that you're older, there's still a splinter of pain in your heart when you look back on that moment. A splinter that's almost immediately overclouded with guilt, then anger.(set: $ViewBedtimeStoryMemory to true)
[[Get back to cleaning]]
(if: $BathroomMusic is true or $MomsRoomMusic is true or $YourRoomMusic is true or $KitchenMusic is true or $LivingRoomMusic is true)[[Keep playing->Back to the Piano]]<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/KidsPlayingMemory2_01.wav"></audio>"I remember that day," you say. "Or at least, days like it. Torren and I would run around like crazy, thinking we were just like the hero in our bedtime stories. The Mystery Man. Well, Mystery Woman, in my case."
You stare at the shriveled, water damaged sheet music.(set: $ViewKidsPlayingMemory to true)
What...(click-replace: "What...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/KidsPlayingMemory2_02.wav"></audio>"What do these memories mean?" you ask. "What are they trying to show me?"
[[Get back to cleaning]]
(if: $BathroomMusic is true or $MomsRoomMusic is true or $YourRoomMusic is true or $KitchenMusic is true or $LivingRoomMusic is true)[[Keep playing->Back to the Piano]] ]]<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/MomAndDadFightMemory2_01.wav"></audio>"I don't understand, Lannet," you say, fading back into consciousness. "Why did you not give up the house? Why did you care about it so much?"
You lean away from the piano and look around at the naturally lit room. Its soft features almost make it glow, and the sun reflects off the piano like waves on the ocean.(set: $ViewMomAndDadFightMemory to true)
If Dad...(click-replace: "If Dad...")[(transition: "dissolve")[<audio autoplay>
<source src="Assets/Audio/Voice/MomAndDadFightMemory2_02.wav"></audio>"If Dad had been around more, Torren and I..." You drop your head. "Maybe things would have been different."
[[Get back to cleaning]]
(if: $BathroomMusic is true or $MomsRoomMusic is true or $YourRoomMusic is true or $KitchenMusic is true or $LivingRoomMusic is true)[[Keep playing->Back to the Piano]] ]]You sniff. You drag your hand down your face, stretching it out while your eyes roll up, trying to keep the tears at bay. It had been years since you had cried over Torren.
You always remembered your mom being so much madder that night. Practically screaming at the two of you. Not...
You wish you could go back. Change that moment.(set: $ViewPillowFortMemory to true)
[[Get back to cleaning]]
(if: $BathroomMusic is true or $MomsRoomMusic is true or $YourRoomMusic is true or $KitchenMusic is true or $LivingRoomMusic is true)[[Keep playing->Back to the Piano]](align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[Written and Created by Quain Holtey
Cast
(in order of appearance)
Vira: Audrey Anderson
Doctor: Quain Holtey
Lannet: Marissa Holtey
Torren: Sagen Tull
Tom: Quain Holtey
Realtor: Quain Holtey
[[Sound Effects]]
[[Music]]
[[Author's note]] ](align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[Written and Created by Quain Holtey
[[Cast]]
SOUND EFFECTS
(in alphebetical order)
Car Door Close by NineBilly - from Pixabay
Closing A Book by Kodack - from Pixabay
Door 2 by Banesound - from Pixabay
Dragging Furniture by Mrthenoronha - from Pixabay
Flipping Through A Book by Zeinel - from Pixabay
Knocking on Door by Fabrizio84 - from Pixabay
Locking Door by Fabrizio84 - from Pixabay
Room Tone In An Apartment Living Room 2 by Leonelmail - From Pixabay
Screen Door Sound Effect by Visual & Sound FX - from Youtube
Unlock Padlock Deadbolt on Door 001 by EdR - from Pixabay
Wood Creak Single V3 by Rudmer Rotteveel - from Pixabay
*all sound effects were used under a free for personal and commercial use license
[[Music]]
[[Author's note]] ](align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[Written and Created by Quain Holtey
[[Cast]]
[[Sound Effects]]
MUSIC
(in alphebetical order)
Bathroom - Chill Background Music by Chillmore - from Pixabay
Both of Us (Acoustic Version) by Madirfan - from Pixabay
Clair De Lune by Claude Debussy - Performed by Geibral - from Pixabay
Hot Cross Buns - Performed by Quain Holtey
Light by Coma-Media - from Pixabay
madiRFAN - Nachtflug (Acoustic Version) by Madirfan - from Pixabay
Morning Garden - Acoustic Chill by Olexy - from Pixabay
Out of Time by Zakhar Valaha - from Pixabay
Sommerregen by Madirfan - from Pixabay
*all music was used under a free for personal and commercial use license
[[Author's note]] ]<script>
FinalMusic.src = "";
</script>(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[Written and Created by Quain Holtey
[[Cast]]
[[Sound Effects]]
[[Music]]
AUTHOR'S NOTE]
Hello! My name is Quain. Thank you so much for playing my game.
Another Cabin in the Woods is a game I made in one month for the Spring Thing 2022 Interactive Fiction competition using Twine. It is only the second game I have ever published, and was a lot of fun to create and refine.
Originally, this game was going to be completely different. A horror game, putting you into the shoes of a young teenage girl, struggling with rumors and harrassment at school, who was invited by her friends to a cabin in the woods, only to discover they were the originators of the rumors she was being subject to. It would then fall to you to figure out how to enact your revenge on these "friends."
Who knows. Maybe that will be my next game.
Overall, however, I'm really glad I changed things, and the result (and I hope you agree) is a much more impactful story.
Once again, thank you for playing, and I hope to have you play my next game!
With A Smile,
Quain Holtey
[[Play Again->START]]