Half-Alive (Z)

(t8n-time:2s)[[A staff twinkles->A staff twinkles]] (if:visits >= 2)[(restart:)]

(t8n-time:2s)[[A hole rips->A hole rips]]

(t8n-time:2s)[[Red petals shower the sky->Red petals shower the sky]]

(text-style:"fade-in-out")+(text-style:"bold","italic")[[It is here]]

(align:"=><=======")[<img src = "https://static.wixstatic.com/media/24209b_719a1a715e46425cbb2770a57742b4bb~mv2.png" width = "770" height = "420">] (align:"===><==")+(size:1.2)[ [[Start]] - [[About]] - [[Credits]] [[Chapter Select]] ]

(align:"=><=")+(box:"XXXX=")[//Before we begin, for certain puzzles that may arise in your gameplay, would you rather (text-colour:red)[type your answer] or (text-colour:red)[choose your answer]?//] (if:visits >= 2)[(restart:)] [[I'd rather Type]] [[I'd rather Choose]]

Guide the young woman, Kendall Jones, through the Underworld as she traverses it searching for the beast that stole her younger brother's soul. Take her through the puzzles and tricks of the Underworld, as various twists and turns try their best to steal her own bright soul. When you finally reach the beast... your choices will matter most… Created by Bellamy Briks ''//cw:death//'' [[What to know BEFORE playing]] [[What to know AFTER playing]] [[Help!]] [[back->It is here]]

This is my 2nd year doing Spring Thing, and my 5th interactive game! This year I wanted to dive deeper into several heavier topics and see if I could create a suspenseful storyline with brand new characters. Considering my previous 4 games have all been focused on comedy and game-heavy, I thought it'd be fun to try my hand at a long and serious thriller. I hope you enjoy/enjoyed it! Thanks to: * God * My family * Spring Thing for hosting * Everyone that played! Thank you for all of your support and I hope you enjoy //Half-Alive//. I'd love to hear any feedback as well! Image Credits: Myself Want to contact me? <a href="mailto:floating.turtles.in.space@gmail.com">(text-colour:red)[Send me an email!]</a> [[back->It is here]]

[[Riddle Answers]] [[back->About]]

[[Thank you, that will be noted]]

//[[Let's begin]]//

(text-style:"italic","smear","sway")+(size:2.5)[Prologue: Rock-a-Bye Baby] { (live: 5s)[(goto: "A Girl")] }

1. In its entirety, this work is **170** pages and over **30k** words! Set some time aside if you want to go through it one go. It has a total of 8 sections. A typical playthrough is around **1 hour and 30 minutes** approx.! 2. It is also not a story that branches often. I placed the main focus on the novel part of the story rather than the game part so you'll be aligned to the main path most of the time. I would say it's 80% reading, 20% gameplay. However, particular choices do hold a lot of weight which is why I made it an interactive novel rather than a traditional book. 3. Be prepared for A LOT of reading! 4. There are riddles! It's easier to choose your answers, but if you want to figure it out yourself and feel immersed, I recommend using the typing system! 5. That should be it! Enjoy your playthrough. [[back->About]]

Thank you for playing! Here are some things you should know. 1. Typists: If you think of an answer to a riddle that you think was good and was not recognized as an answer, email me and I'll add it to the 2.0 of Half-Alive. 2. I am in love with feedback so any thoughts are very appreciated! (If you're up to it, I would love for you to fill out this form for my viewing pleasure!) (link: "Form!")[(goto-url: 'https://forms.gle/GwL3gtwvm9YZfJvt8')] 3. (text-colour:yellow)[And if you're interested in some world-building info! Click the behind the scenes link!] (text-colour:#E3B806)[[Behind The Scenes: Half-Alive]] [[back->About]]

//''Riddle 1''// //I am always hungry and will die if not fed, but whatever I touch will soon turn red. What am I?// (text-colour:red)[Answer - 1](click-replace: "Answer - 1")[Fire] (text-colour:red)[Variations Also Taken - 1](click-replace: "Variations Also Taken - 1")[fire; Fire; FIRE; a flame ; A flame; A Flame] //''Riddle 2''// //If you had only one match and entered a dark room containing an oil lamp, some newspaper, and some kindling wood, which would you light first?// (text-colour:red)[Answer - 2](click-replace: "Answer - 2")[The match] (text-colour:red)[Variations Also Taken - 2](click-replace: "Variations Also Taken - 2")[Match, match, the match, The Match, the Match, The match; MATCH; THE MATCH] //''Yulie or Julie?''// Julie - I will take you to the sun. Together we’ll burn and blood shall run down, it shall not ours but our enemies. In the ash, this is where Mr. Stevens and Alfred reside. Yulie - Follow me, I will take you through the fields. We’ll run past Delphiniums and Forget-me-nots, and as they brush our feet, they shall forget us not. In the flowerbed, hidden away, this is where Mr. Stevens and Alfred hide. (text-colour:red)[Answer - 3](click-replace: "Answer - 3")[Follow Julie. She speaks of red things which the color you need to follow to progress in Deponie. Yulie speaks of blue things which the color you should avoid in Deponie.] //''Yulie's Riddle''// //They follow and lead, but only as you pass. Dress yourself in darkest black, And they are darker still. Always they flee the light, Though without the sun there would be none What am I?// (text-colour:red)[Answer - 4](click-replace: "Answer - 4")[A shadow] (text-colour:red)[Variations Also Taken - 4](click-replace: "Variations Also Taken - 4")[Shadow, Shadows, shadow, shadows, your shadow, Your shadow, My shadow, my shadow, A shadow, a shadow, SHADOW, A SHADOW, SHADOWS] //''Riddle 5''// //He comes to bedsides, icy bridges, battlefronts, and crumbling ridges. When he comes, he comes alone, taps a shoulder, then is gone. What or Who am I?// (text-colour:red)[Answer - 5](click-replace: "Answer - 5")[Death] (text-colour:red)[Variations Also Taken - 5](click-replace: "Variations Also Taken - 5")[death, Death, DEATH, DEAD, dead, Dead, GRIM REAPER, grim reaper, Grim Reaper, Grim reaper, the grim reaper, The Grim Reaper, THE GRIM REAPER] //''The Correct Vine Tactic?''// //- Trying to differentiate between vines by length - Trying to differentiate between vines by feel - Trying to differentiate between vines by thickness - Trying to differentiate between vines by color - Trying to differentiate between vines by sight// (text-colour:red)[Answer - 6](click-replace: "Answer - 6")[Differentiate by color. As Wyatt said, colors are the best way to find out how to progress in Deponie.] //''Which is the right Wyatt?''// //- Wyatt 1: “You came here through the rip and I found you after you encountered Isabelle!” - Wyatt 2: “You are very hard to get close to and you’re very skeptical, I’m pretty sure you //only// like Alfie.” - Wyatt 3: “Julie was the one who saved you! Yulie was an imposter.” - Wyatt 4: “I don’t want to be reborn.” - Wyatt 5: “Your weapon of choice is an ax.”// (text-colour:red)[Answer - 7](click-replace: "Answer - 7")[Wyatt 4 is the correct Wyatt. Wyatt reveals to Kenny on their rest at the first campfire that he doesn't want to be reborn, but the kids think that he does.] //''Riddle 8''// //What has a tail and a head but no body?// (text-colour:red)[Answer - 8](click-replace: "Answer - 8")[A coin] (text-colour:red)[Variations Also Taken - 8](click-replace: "Variations Also Taken - 8")[coins, Coins, COINS, coin, Coin, COIN, A coin, A Coin, a coin, A COIN, a Coin, penny, a penny, A penny, A PENNY, a Penny] //''Riddle 9''// //I have lakes with no water, mountains with no stone, and cities with no buildings. What am I?// (text-colour:red)[Answer - 9](click-replace: "Answer - 9")[A map] (text-colour:red)[Variations Also Taken - 9](click-replace: "Variations Also Taken - 9")[a map, A map, A MAP, map, MAP, Map, MAPS, maps, Maps, A globe, A GLOBE, A Globe, globes, GLOBES, Globes] //''Riddle 10''// //What has no voice of its own but will reply perfectly when spoken to?// (text-colour:red)[Answer 10](click-replace: "Answer 10")[An echo] (text-colour:red)[Variations Also Taken 10](click-replace: "Variations Also Taken 10")[An echo, an echo, AN ECHO, echo, Echo, an Echo, ECHO, echoes, Echoes, ECHOES, echos, Echos, ECHOS] //''Riddle 11''// //What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?// (text-colour:red)[Answer 11](click-replace: "Answer 11")[Silence] (text-colour:red)[Variations Also Taken 11](click-replace: "Variations Also Taken 11")[silence, Silence, SILENCE] //''Right Path Order''// (text-colour:red)[Answer 12](click-replace: "Answer 12")[Path 4, Path 4, Path 2] //''Which Room did Alfie pass out in?''// - The Kitchen - The Ballroom - The Bedchamber (text-colour:red)[Answer 13](click-replace: "Answer 13")[The Ballroom. Alfie mentions being in a "very pretty room" with chairs and tables set up. It also has diamond-encrusted walls and is "huge" according to him.] [[back->Help!]]

This will be a deep dive into everything that you might be questioning or interested in! //''Overview of Events''// Let's recap! * Kenny comes home to find that her little brother Alfie has been kidnapped * A beast appears over Alfie taking his soul * Kenny accepts the beast's deal and goes into Deponie * Kenny meets Wyatt who acts as her guide * Kenny goes through //Sumpf//, //Rebgarten//, and //Geisterhaus// trying save save rapidly deteriorating Alfie * Kenny gets betrayed and knocked out by Wyatt before they make it to the Altar. * Kenny wakes up and finds out that the beast is Abby, her dead little sister, and Kenny feels partly responsible for her death * Kenny can either stay with Abby in Deponie or go back to Earth with Alfie //''Origin of Chapter Names''// The story chapters are based on the children's bedtime song "Rock-A-Bye Baby". This song is fairly symbolic of the children of Deponie and their fate. They died young, alone, and from a circumstance (like a falling branch) outside of their control taking their life. //''About Kenny, Alfie, and Abby''// Kenny is a 17-year old girl about to go to college after getting accepted into Princeton with a full scholarship. Her best friends are Juni and Haneen. Her hobbies include reading, calm walks, and sleeping. She's been designated by the neighborhood as their errand girl so she rarely gets a moment for herself. Since the incident at 13, she keeps herself grounded by reminding herself that everything she does is for Alfie's sake. After taking a personality quiz, she learns that her personality is an INTJ. Alfie is a 9-year old boy in elementary school. His hobbies include playing soccer, hanging out with Kenny, and avoiding all forms of vegetables. He loves his sister with his whole heart but feels as though he's holding her back sometimes. He's known for his energetic personality, in fact, his teacher appointed him as the "New Friend Guide" which is the person who shows new kids around the school. A very prestigious honor. Abby is a 10-year old girl (14 years old in actuality). She's a quiet and shy person and didn't have many friends. You can often find her reading Kenny's books or hiding out in her room. She leaves with her dad the day of the incident, only to be killed by him 3 months later in the trailer park they had settled in. She uses the staff she found in Jeder to watch her siblings, the only people she cares about, but seeing them live their lives without thinking about her for so long starts brewing an evil rage within her that eventually consumes her over the years. //''Wherabouts of Dad''// The siblings' Dad fled the East Coast in fear after murdering Abby in his drunken blackouts. Now, he hides out in the Midwest of America, unknown, with a new life and name, and constantly fearing that the authorities will find and arrest him one day. //''Wyatt's life''// Wyatt was abandoned by his mother when he was conceived in the slums. He was born during the tail-end of the Great Depression (1938) and his mother couldn't support him due to a lack of funds and support. He was picked up by Boss as a recruit for a tight underground ring of child pickpockets. When he was about 9 years old, Wyatt on one of his trips found a dirty burlap sack on the ground and decided to make it a symbol of his persona since his adeptness at thievery earned him the name, "//The Masked Vistant//" He liked being hidden but also enjoyed basking in glory. He died at 18 by Boss's hands. //''The Underworld''// The Underworld is composed of 4 sections. //Fest//, //Jeder//, //Deponie//, and //Galgen//. //Fest// is a place of eternal joy, laughter, good food, and no pain. Not many people get into //Fest//, but it's the dream of everyone. //Jeder// is where the majority of people go. It's a place of rolling blue skies, mountains, fields. You can make your own purpose in this place and wander this expansive world forever. //Deponie// is where the forgotten go. It's populated by people that never made an impact on society as a whole. //Galgen// is where criminals go, the people that broke the rules for their own greed. //''The Staff''// The origins of the staff may be revealed in a future spin-off. //''Ascending''// Ascending is a rare occurrence in the Underworld. After all, no living being knows about the realm after death and so can't pray or change their lives to accommodate their lost loved ones. Kenny and Alfie are the only exceptions in history to be living people in the Underworld. Praying for Wyatt could help him ascend to Jeder if they go back to Earth and remember him. However, as for Abby, if you choose to kill her because of her heavy crimes, a prayer from Kenny and Alfie won't be enough to help her ascend again. But they find solace knowing that she's heard them. [[back->What to know AFTER playing]]

A girl walks down the street. Her back is straight, her gaze focused, and her breath steady. To the passing person, it feels as if she’s a soldier going to war even though she’s only quietly carrying groceries home. Step after step, she walks with confidence. A walk the residents of this city recognize as belonging to their favorite girl. This is Kendall Jones, 17 years old, valedictorian, and the city, Millflower's, source of pride. It's getting dark and she's left the library to grab some groceries from her local supermarket //Everi-Mart// to bring home to her mother and little brother. As she walks past the cracked sidewalks and towering buildings above her, she sighs thinking about the city chores she'll have to do for the neighbors who have become all too accustomed to having her as an errand girl. "Kenny!" Kenny looks back and finds a young girl tugging at the hem of her faded red hoodie. "Kenny!" The child repeats with a smile. "Yes, Marie?" Kenny manages a tired smile and pets her head. "Hey, so I'm trying to figure out what to wear for school tomorrow," Marie says, stopping and putting her bag on the ground. With her tiny hands, she brings out a flowery green blouse along with another shirt but this one was yellow with a cartoon character on it. “What do you think?” she asks. Kenny contemplates it for a moment. [["Wear the green shirt Marie"]] [["The yellow shirt is better"]]

"Green, huh? Thanks Kenny!" Marie laughs. She grins shyly, rubbing her shoes into the ground. "I guess that was a pretty silly thing to ask, huh? Well, at least you know how to play now!" "Hmm?" Tired, Kenny misses her words. "Nothing! I'll see you later!" Marie hops off. "Bye." Kenny smiles. Before she could take another step, she is bombarded by another line of people that need her help with one frivolous thing or another. [[And that was life for her in Millflower City]]

"Yellow, hm? Thanks Kenny!" Marie says. She grins shyly, rubbing her shoes into the ground. "I guess that was a pretty silly thing to ask, huh? Well, at least you know how to play now!" "Hmm?" Tired, Kenny misses her words. "Nothing! I'll see you later!" Marie hops off. "Bye." Kenny smiles. Before she could take another step, she is bombarded by another line of people that need her help with one frivolous thing or another. [[And that was life for her in Millflower City]]

Life didn't always use to be so busy for Kenny. In fact, up until she was 13, she lived a pretty normal life. //(well... at the time, she thought it was normal at least)// A mom, a dad, an annoying little brother, and a quiet little sister. As the people in front of her rambled on and she began to pledge her Saturdays away, her mind begins to drift into a daydream. She knows it's wrong, but some moments she dreams of those days when she was 13 and free. Even though it was back when she was ignorant of what really lurked behind the facade of a perfect family. At least back then, it was a time when she didn't feel as if her childhood was stripped away from her. Today, she lives shackled within the cracked walls of faded paint and painful memories of when it all changed. "//Earth to Kennyyy!//" Kenny snaps back, finding her best friend Haneen standing in front of her. "Yes?" She questions with a small smile. "You've been zoning out. Are you okay?" Haneen places a hand on her hip with a worried look. [["I'm fine"]] [["Just dreaming of better days"]]

"Glad to hear it, you've seemed more air-headed than usual." Haneen sighs, waving off some approaching people to signal that Kenny is occupied. "I heard you got into Princeton a few weeks ago. //And// you got a full scholarship! So why have you been so broody lately? You should be celebrating!" Haneen lectures hanging on Kenny's arm. "Not to mention you didn't tell Juni or me that you got in…" Haneen pouts. As if on cue, Juni arrives from thin air hanging on Kenny's other arm. "Are we talking about our honor student and Mayflower's //hero//, Kendall Jones?" She starts with immediate teasing. Kenny rolls her eyes as the two girls start their daily complaints about her out-of-place demeanor. Usually, she'd be laughing along with them, but this particular day, thoughts of the past and the possibility of things changing weigh heavily on her mind. It depresses her mood even though she got into the school she's always dreamed of. Looking towards the sky, she lets her mind drift once again as they walk slowly, but surely to her apartment. //[[13]]//

"Interesting... at least today is one of the better days because now I'm here!" Haneen grins, waving off some approaching people to signal that Kenny is occupied. "I heard you got into Princeton a few weeks ago. //And// you got a full scholarship! So why have you been so broody lately? You should be celebrating!" Haneen lectures hanging on Kenny's arm. "Not to mention you didn't tell Juni or me that you got in…" Haneen pouts. As if on cue, Juni arrives from thin air hanging on Kenny's other arm. "Are we talking about our honor student and Mayflower's //hero//, Kendall Jones?" She starts with immediate teasing. Kenny rolls her eyes as the two girls start their daily complaints about her out-of-place demeanor. Usually, she'd be laughing along with them, but this particular day, thoughts of the past and the possibility of things changing weigh heavily on her mind. It depresses her mood even though she got into the school she's always dreamed of. Looking towards the sky, she lets her mind drift once again as they walk slowly, but surely to her apartment. //[[13]]//

//[[I love my siblings]]//

I creep down the creaky steps in fear as I grip my younger siblings' hands. We slide under the living room table so we don't catch their rageful eyes. //When did things change?// //When did we exchange tickles and stories for pain and tears?// Under the dining room table, I hold onto them tightly. The tablecloth hides us. 5-year old Alfie cries his heart out into my chest. 10-year old Abby is silent, squeezing me as if I'll disappear if she loosens her grip. //Mom and Dad.// They yell. They scream. We watch. I look down at the tears in my siblings' eyes. I blink mine away. As the oldest, I have to care for them. Though I'm only 13, I have to //love// them. I don't want them to feel the dread I feel. //Not them.// When they look up at me with those innocent eyes, expecting for me to know everything...to be in control… I can't disappoint them. I'm their only lifeline... their only hope that life will be okay as long as I'm still standing. I calm my shaking heart with controlled breaths and rub their heads soothingly. In a fit, Dad flips our living room couch to which my mom slaps him. Yelling vulgar insults at each other, he stuffs his hands in his jeans and then storms out. Abby releases me and reaches out for our father. Reaching for a person she once knew... that was now long gone. I scramble after her holding Alfie's hand and chase her to the door. By the time I get there, she's already standing next to his pickup truck. She's always been faster than me... It's cold. The outside wind pinches our skin. Abby hides behind Dad's legs, scared to go back into our home. I remember her red dress that day. I remember her scrunched-up, conflicted face. "Stay with your father if you want, Abigail. You'll come to regret it like I have." My mother spits before walking back inside. The door swings closed after her. I call Abby… I call for her to stay... But she adamantly hangs on Dad's legs, frozen like a deer. Dad takes a deep breath of the cold air before looking down at her and smiling. Rubbing Abby's head, they back away together. I watch as they mount his truck and drive off into the misty air. No court cases, no legal jargon… I knew then that they were divorced. I hold back tears, twisting the apartment doorknob, but it's locked. I yell and cry for Mom to open the door, but no one replies. I assume, just like every other day, she's already passed out on the couch and will only wake up at 3 am to drown her sorrows in more whiskey. I slip down the door to our frosty porch shivering. I squeeze Alfie even closer, trying to keep him warm, while we wait for Mom to wake up and open the door. The sun dips down and the world gets darker as we shake in silence. I shield him from the wind with my back taking the full front of the weather. I can feel him shivering under my touch. "It's okay, Alfie. When we get inside, I-I'll make you some hot chocolate and read you some stories! We can play hide-and-seek after!" I say trying to calm his fears and my own with an excited voice. Under my arms, I see him make a small smile. "Do you promise?" he asks. I squeeze him tighter. //"I always promise."// ~ I can't lose Alfie. I can't lose him, there's no one else. There's no one //left//. I have to be strong... for him... //[[17]]//

Now it's almost pitch black, night comes quicker in December. '//He was all I had left, Abby was gone and since then I've never seen a glimpse of her or Dad. She must be 14 now, I hope high school is treating her well.//' Kenny thinks, releasing herself from her reminiscence. Ever since Kenny got into Princeton, she's been conflicted and all these memories that had long been buried, surfaced up, as she was faced with the decision on whether to leave now 9-year old Alfie as she explores her future. Since the incident, they've been inseparable and the thought of leaving her treasure… scared her… a feeling she hasn't felt in nearly half a decade. "Not in control…" she mutters to herself as Haneen and Juni chatter around her. Suddenly, they stop. "What’s that?" Haneen mumbles looking down a corner. Red and blue reflect in her eyes. "Kenny, isn't this your block?" Juni questions. There's no reply. "Kenny?" Juni looks back and finds Kenny gone. //[[Before Kenny even realizes it, she running]]//

(text-style:"italic","smear","sway")+(size:2.5)[Chapter 1: On the Treetops] { (live: 5s)[(goto: "Continue 1")] }

//[[Continue]]// [[Prologue->Let's begin]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]]

(text-colour:red)+(text-style:"blur")[[-he's gone]]

(text-colour:red)+(text-style:"blur")[[Kenny?]]

Her world spins around her and her chest tightens. "Kendall! Have you seen Alfred, where could he be? Oh, //where could he be//, my child-" Her mom cries on their porch steps. As she stumbles in shock, Kenny takes a deep breath trying to reorient herself before walking over to her mom. She moves past the police officers surrounding her and the curious neighbors. "What happened, mom?" Kenny asks calmly. "W-well, I was picking Alfred up from school today, and I stood out there a good 10 minutes before school let out. The bell rang and all the kids came out after, but he wasn't there..." She starts, clutching her blanket to her frigid form. Kenny already could tell her mother was spinning a web of lies. Even when Kenny was a young child, her mom had never been on time for anything. Even to pick up her own kid from school. She probably came an hour after Alfie's school ended. //An hour of dead space.// "I asked the teachers and they hadn't seen him. Then I asked his little friends-you know Johnny and Deidre-but they didn't carpool." Her mom gasps, fighting back tears. "None of the neighbors saw him either... He's been missing for 7 hours, Kendall, just a little 9-year old boy. Oh, someone took him, I just know it." She finishes, before breaking down in tears again on the railing. "I’ll find him," Kenny replies to her mom, relaxing her body and releasing the tension in her shoulders that had been pushed up in stress. Kenny glances at her mom as she walks away, curious after seeing actual emotion on her face. It was something she hadn't seen in a long time. Her eyes soften despite being angry, scared, and sad, but despite this she keeps her guard up. '//I can't fall for those false tears again.//' her inner mind whispers to her kind nature. She forces her eyes away from her mother and walks around to the policemen, regaining her steady walk. Police cars surround 5 officers. Each of them were talking, comparing maps and phones, and vocally expressing their frustration on their futile attempts to find a lead. "Where have you checked?" Kenny asks the person that seemed to be in charge. The chief officer looks back at her. "Are you connected to the little boy?" The clean-shaven man asks skeptically. It was common for people to think she and Alfie weren't related. Her hair, which was a large mass of dark fluff, was in stark contrast to her little brother's slick defined curls. Not to mention, although she did have dark almond skin, Alfie was much lighter in complexion compared to her. Nevertheless, she pulls out her school ID to show the man that she was a Jones and, in fact, his sister. Half-convinced, although still doubting their blood relation, the officer reluctantly tells Kenny where they had searched. "My men have scoured this entire city from top to bottom. From the parks to the lakes. There has been no sign of the boy.. //sigh//. I'm sorry about your brother, ma'am. We'll keep searching through the night." The man crosses his arms exasperated. Kenny leaves him without another word. Time was of the essence if she were to find her brother. She looks at the darkening sky. It'd be even harder to look if it got too dark and she wouldn't be able to sleep in her bed that night knowing her brother was still missing in the winter cold. "From the parks to the lakes…" she mutters. "If they've searched the whole city, then there's only one place he'd be if he wasn't abducted." She spoke her thoughts aloud. “I have to check.” She drops the groceries and her bag as they clatter on the ground. Her legs take off towards her hunch, her feet pounding against the road pavement as she dodges cars and vehicles. "I promise Alfie, I won't let anything bad happen to you," she mumbles as she moves. //[[The dried canal.]]//

Kenny runs past the populated apartments of Millflower as news of missing Alfie circulates like the flu throughout the neighborhoods. She runs and runs as houses become fewer and the chatter around her quiets until it’s completely silent. Eventually, she’s alone in a place devoid of human life. After almost 30 minutes of full-on running, she finally stops and catches her breath to cool her burning lungs. She lifts her head up tiredly and finds herself standing and staring right in front of the bridge that separated Millflower from an abandoned town once named Killian. Under the weathered and broken down bridge was a dirty, but empty canal filled with wet leaves and sticks. She scouts around the area looking for any sign of her little brother. In the past, Alfie and her would come here to talk. They would play and act like rowdy kids every time they arrived. The canal had dried up years before they were born and no one lived or ever came here. They were free of eyes in this special place. //They could be kids here.// Once Kenny hit 15 and schoolwork and chores began piling up, their visits here became more scattered and scarce. Until eventually they were non-existent. But he’d better be here because this was her last option and she wouldn’t know what to do next if he wasn't. [[Call out Alfie’s name]] [[Slide down the canal]]

“Alfie!” Kenny calls out into the sky. From the treetops, birds scatter. “Alfie, if you can hear me call back. I’m here, it’s Kenny!” She calls for a second time as fear begins to creep back into her heart. She closes her eyes and tries to listen for any sound of human life. A conversation. A word. //A breath.// //[[Anything]]//

Without a second thought, she uses her boots and knees to slide into the canal. Her blue jeans become dirty and her knees ache, but the pain doesn’t matter. In fact, she can't even think about the pain as she views what's happening in front of her. Her eyes widen at the impossible sight she finds herself witnessing. Her body goes stiff seeing her precious Alfie... //floating a foot off the ground.// His eyes glow and beam white as his body falls limp at his sides. Above his body was a black beast, feasting on something emitting from Alfie’s chest. A white wisp that she could only describe as being… a soul. “//Ken…ny...//” Alfie says in a raspy voice. “A-alfie..” Kenny manages to whisper out of her horrified mouth, her eyes still locked on the other-worldly beast very clearly stealing her younger brother’s life force. The creature was large, towering over them both at 8 feet. Its back was hunched over and it looked abnormally strong, although its skin didn’t seem… physical. A mist emitted everywhere from the black body of the animal making it look almost….ethereal... The animal’s body was a darkness so thick that if she got any closer to it she knows it would envelop the dark blue evening sky and turn it into a pitch-black midnight gloom. Its white eyes and teeth were evident though, wide open and focused on devouring Alfie’s soul as its large paws hovered around him. Her legs were frozen, locked to the concrete. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to run. She could barely even speak words out to her brother. Yet despite this overwhelming feeling, her conviction silences her fear and she focuses her eyes. Whether it was an other-worldly creature, an army, or even her own frightened biology working against her, she’d never leave Alfie to fend for himself. She attempts to steady her own panicked breath once again. “I promise I’ll save you, okay?” she mutters and grits her teeth. Fervently and with angry resolve, she whips around looking for any weapon to fight off the beast. Her eyes latch onto an old wooden ax rotting away, hidden under the leaves. Rushing to the side and bending down, she wraps her fingers around the warped handle. Her eyes choose her target and her grip on the weapon becomes deadly tight. [[Attack the beast’s arm]] [[Attack the beast’s leg]]

//[[…please…]]//

(text-colour:red)+(text-style:"blurrier","fade-in-out")[[“Ken…ny…”]]

Her eyes open. She gets up from the cold grass and peers into the canal where his voice appeared. [[Approach->Approach 1]]

Without a second thought, she uses her boots and knees to slide into the canal. Her blue jeans become dirty and her knees ache, but the pain doesn’t matter. In fact, she can't even think about the pain as she views what's happening in front of her. Her eyes widen at the impossible sight she finds herself witnessing. Her body goes stiff seeing her precious Alfie... //floating a foot off the ground.// His eyes glow and beam white as his body falls limp at his sides. Above his body was a black beast, feasting on something emitting from Alfie’s chest. A white wisp that she could only describe as being… a soul. “//Ken…ny...//” Alfie repeats in a raspy voice. “A-alfie..” Kenny manages to whisper out of her horrified mouth, her eyes still locked on the other-worldly beast very clearly stealing her younger brother’s life force. The creature was large, towering over them both at 8 feet. Its back was hunched over and it looked abnormally strong, although its skin didn’t seem… physical. A mist emitted everywhere from the black body of the animal making it look almost….ethereal... The animal’s body was a darkness so thick that if she got any closer to it she knows it would envelop the dark blue evening sky and turn it into a pitch-black midnight gloom. Its white eyes and teeth were evident though, wide open and focused on devouring Alfie’s soul as its large paws hovered around him. Her legs were frozen, locked to the concrete. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to run. She could barely even speak words out to her brother. Yet despite this overwhelming feeling, her conviction silences her fear and she focuses her eyes. Whether it was an other-worldly creature, an army, or even her own frightened biology working against her, she’d never leave Alfie to fend for himself. She attempts to steady her own panicked breath once again. “I promise I’ll save you, okay?” she mutters and grits her teeth. Fervently and with angry resolve, she whips around looking for any weapon to fight off the beast. Her eyes latch onto an old wooden ax rotting away, hidden under the leaves. Rushing to the side and bending down, she wraps her fingers around the warped handle. Her eyes choose her target and her grip on the weapon becomes deadly tight. [[Attack the beast’s arm]] [[Attack the beast’s leg]]

She readies her legs and her boots take off sprinting towards the creature. With a powerful swing, she lodges her ax in what seems to be an arm. The beast falls to the ground and starts howling in pain. It drops Alfie and once again she risks her knees sliding after him. [[Alfie]]

She readies her legs and her boots take off sprinting towards the creature. With a powerful swing, she lodges her ax in what seems to be a leg. The beast falls to the ground and starts howling in pain. It drops Alfie and once again she risks her knees sliding after him. [[Alfie]]

She wipes her hand over his curls and closed eyes trying to get a better look at his face. His skin was deathly pale, his breath was irregular, and he was as cold as an icebox. “Alfie, Alfie, please say something. Are you okay? Please say //something//.” she panics, now wishing she didn't drop her bag when she left the house to run after him since it had a blanket in it. His eyes open slightly and he gives her a weak smile. She hugs him holding back tears. Still, it was evident that he was very fragile and that they weren’t out of the woods yet. //[[ha…ha.. heh..he..]]//

The creature straightens up from the ground as they watch. She quickly places Alfie behind her back protectively. The ax falls from the beast and clatters onto the concrete floor. As the creature straightens its back, its shape starts to look more… //human//... In a dark brooding voice, it yells, “**//I am your reckoning, Kendall Jones!//**” The rage in the creature’s voice pierces her with fear and her grip on Alfie tightens. “**//The boy, Alfred, will die because of your transgressions. How young, how sad.//**” it growls. “**//I’ve taken half of his soul. Within the week, he’ll be in his early grave, no earthly medicine can save him.//**” Kenny glances at her brother who is stumbling on his legs in an attempt to get up. Her little brother who was usually so healthy and full of overflowing energy looked as if he was on his deathbed. She clenches her teeth at the premonition, staring at the human-like beast with hatred. “I won’t let that happen.” A sickly grin appears in white on the wispy creature’s face, “**//Then Deponie awaits you and when you come for his soul, I will take your life.//**” “...Deponie?” she questions. “**//How ignorant you are... It’s pitiful…//**” The beast takes their arm out. No. //Their real arm// A small petite hand appears reaching out from inside the dark mass of the beast. It’s blue, shadowy, and as soon as it’s revealed, it’s suddenly strikingly clear that the 8-foot beast is just a cloak. It then reaches into its chest and retrieves a dark staff emitting a powerful wind. Kenny holds onto Alfie as the wind of the staff threatens to blow them away. Her hair shakes violently in turmoil as she squints her eyes, still trying to see the creature’s actions. The long staff it holds is littered with broken glass, each reflecting some sort of dark gray image. Before she can analyze it any further, the beast seemingly cuts a hole into the air revealing an inky black passage. Without hesitation, the entity jumps into the rip it created and vanishes. Its words still ring in her ears, “//I am your reckoning…I am your reckoning…I am your reckoning…//” The rip remains open like an invitation. She knows it’ll close behind them if they go, she feels it in her bones. It’s risky, there may be no escape. She looks at Alfie who has finally managed to get on his legs and place his hand in hers. “What are we going to do now?” he questions, frightened and once again looking up at her for the answers. She glances at the top of the canal which will lead them back to Millflower. She can’t risk sending him to a hospital with the chance that the beast spoke the truth saying that no earthly medicine could save him. And even if Alfie was able to be healed by the doctors, the North Carolinian family had no health insurance. The debt would kill them and there would be no future for either her or Alfie, even if he survived. //Bring the police?// No, she’d either be called insane from the get-go or if they did come and see the rip, it would be locked up for some sort of science experiment and it’d be too late to save Alfie within the week. (if the rip would even remain, the moment they got back...) Their options begin drying up as Kenny tries all the possibilities in her head all while staring into the pulsing, dark, passageway. Two options remain. Go through and fight for the chance to save the missing half of Alfie’s soul. Or leave the rip and… Alfie will die. There was no debate. Kenny grabs the ax that fell onto the ground, looks around the canal, finds a ripped moldy bookbag with abandoned items in it, and hooks the ax into it. “Well, Alf, we’re going to save you.” She bends down tousling his curly hair and smiling at him despite her overwhelming fear. “Are you up for an adventure, boy?” Alfie rubs away the dirt from his cheeks and wraps his arms over her neck. “Only if it’s with you!” She holds him tight for a while before letting go. “T-Then... then let’s do it!” “I promise I’ll keep you safe, Kenny!” Alfie says as they move up and stand right before the rip. With a deep breath, they walk through together. //[[“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…”]]//

(text-style:"italic","smear","sway")+(size:2.2)[Chapter 2: When the Wind Blows] { (live: 5s)[(goto: "Chapter 2: When the Wind Blows")] }

//[[Continue->Continue 2]]// [[Chapter 1->Before Kenny even realizes it, she running]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]]

Kenny and Alfie step through the rip carefully. Their feet meet no resistance and they realize in a split second that there's no ground beneath them. Before they can even process it, they suddenly find themselves falling into the sky. “H-how-” Kenny manages to get out as they plunge into a dark abyss. Wind rushes up between them as they plummet, Alfie flails his arms around desperately, and with each second that passes the ground becomes closer in view. Instinctively, Kenny wraps her arms around Alfie and faces them both upwards so that her back will take the force. With a thud, they hit the ground. Kenny groans, opening her eyes. Her back aches, but the ground was sand so it cushioned her fall. Her eyes shoot open as she finally processes the events that occurred. She turns to her brother immediately. “Are you okay, Alfie?” She rolls over to him quickly. “Yes, I am,” he says as he coughs up some sand and stands up on his wobbly knees. As he gets up and lifts his head, he freezes as he looks out into the distance. “...This place… doesn’t look anything like Millflower, though.” He mumbles, staring out into the expanse. Kenny gets up from the ground and follows his gaze. Her eyes widen. She, too, is startled. The sky, usually a bright blue in Millflower, was a dark, murky, grayish-green color in this other-worldly place. The “clouds” were painted a deep black rather than white and raining a sickly green liquid she could already tell was something to avoid. There were heaps of trash as far as the eye could see making 30-foot hills that shaped the land and the scarce patches of the area where there was actual grass exposed, all the grass was a dead yellow shade. The chill would make you feel as if you landed in Antarctica and the dirty fog that invaded your lungs was so thick and heavy that you could barely breathe or see. On the wind, miscellaneous whispers and wails were being carried, filling their confused bodies with fear. Not to mention the overbearing smell of the area which stank of decaying flesh. This was //not// Earth. Kenny’s heart quickens, ‘//Where are we…?//’ They step down from the sandhill they fell on and onto squishy wet moss instead. “Can you walk, Alfie?” she questions. Her hand tightens on the ax. “We won’t be here long.” Alfie nods, but the bags under his eyes reveal that even though she was raging and ready to fight, he needed sleep. After all, it was almost his bedtime back in Millflower. Her eyes soften at the tired 9-year old. “I’ll find us somewhere to sleep for a few hours, so hold on buddy,” she whispers consolingly. Kenny holds his hand gently and leads him down from their landing place, beginning their journey to find the beast. They walk for a while past trees that look like they’d trap you within the maze of their midnight-colored branches rather than provide shelter from the cold. The world they found themselves in seemed to expand into the reaches of forever, with no landmarks or idea of how to figure out where they were. Not before long, they lose their bearings and now are aimlessly wandering around this terrifying and, from what she’d seen so far, abandoned place despite the constant screams and wails in the distance. After an hour of walking, scared and confused, they finally find an inhabitant. A floating child appears in front of them emerging from the depths of the trees. It was a little girl with a wide grin on her face. Her hair was in pigtails and she was wearing a tattered dress. She had cuts and bruises all over her face, even though she couldn’t be past 7 years old, and her eyes were glossy like a mirror. However, what really shocked Kenny, was the girl’s being entirely. The child’s body was permeable and see-through; it felt as if she was some sort of hologram rather than human. Not to mention that the clothes the child was wearing seemed fused to her body, not removable. The girl’s voice comes in a whisper. “//Won’t you stay? What’s your name? Won’t you stay? What’s your name?//” She repeats her words over and over, giving Kenny chills. “My name is Alfred! But you can call me Alfie!” Alfie steps up without hesitation, apparently immune to the creepy vibes the child was giving off. “Alfie! Won’t you stay with us? You like bicycles and the color blue? I do too!” Her echoing voice says with a giggle. “Hey, I love bicycles, my sister said she’s going to take me riding one day!” Alfie says excitedly, immediately ready to follow the girl to the ends of Earth. “Follow me, I know of a place where we can bike all day and night.” The girl grins, clearing a brush of bushes away which reveals a glowing blue dirt road. “Follow the blue path!” [[“She might know something. Let’s follow her.”]] [[“No, we’ll find our own way.”]]

[[Thank you, now to select your chapter]]

(text-style:"underline")[//''Chapters''//] [[Prologue: Rock-a-Bye Baby->Let's begin]] [[Chapter 1: On The Treetops->Before Kenny even realizes it, she running]] [[Chapter 2: When the Wind Blows->“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…”]] [[Chapter 3: The Cradle Will Rock->So… this the world…]] [[Chapter 4: When the Bough Breaks->‘Almost there.’]] [[Chapter 5: The Cradle Will Fall->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Chapter 6: And Down Will Come Baby->“...Just sleep, Kenny… just sleep..”]] [[Epilogue: Cradle and All->With a heavy heart, Kenny picks up her ax.]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]]

“Yay!” the girl replies with a jump that launches her several feet into the air. Kenny walks along with apprehension but follows her nonetheless. Kenny and Alfie move on the blue path, trailing behind the girl as she leads them. The colorful ground pulses beneath their feet. '//Why does it glow? Where are we…?//’ Kenny thinks grimly, looking at her feet as they move. She looks up and turns towards the young girl taking them through this wooded area. “Hey, have you seen a tall beast, around 8 feet-erm… I mean… as tall as these trees over here, walking around?” Kenny questions their new guide. “It seems you talk of the Creature!” The girl giggles, skipping on-air as they step on the dusty blue path. “Has it set its eyes on you?” Every word the girl says spooks Kenny to her core. “Um, child. Tell me, where are we? Where are your parents? Why do you look like…” The girl stops suddenly, zipping Kenny’s lips entirely. The child's glossed-over eyes focus on Alfie. “Stay with us, Alfie. We can play forevermore. We can eat dinosaur chicken nuggets, bike, and play tag for eternity.” She holds his hands staring straight into his wide, innocent, eyes. Alfie stands still, enamored by the girl. “How do you know all of his favorite things?” Kenny begins backing away from her, tightening her grip on Alfie’s hand. Alfie slips out from her grasp and she looks at her brother shocked as he stumbles closer towards the girl. His eyes had become glossed over as well and unresponsive to Kenny’s calls. “I.. want… chicken nuggets… heh..he…” Alfie mutters in a trance. Playfully, the girl laughs and laughs in a rhythmic pattern as her echoes move the trees like the wind. Alfie’s feet lift off the ground like before when she found him with the beast. And from Alfie’s chest…the rest of his white, glowing, soul appears. The girl gleefully reaches out, but her path is immediately blocked by Kenny’s ax. “What are you?” Kenny growls, taking hold of Alfie's wrist. “Don’t you know? Every little kid wants a soul…” the girl's face twists into a rageful expression. From the trees, more little children appear. Their arms reach out, grasping for Alfie’s exposed soul. Kenny takes her floating brother quickly to the side and keeps their hands from taking it. “Stay! Stay with us, Alfie!” They cry, desperately grasping at the air for a piece of Alfie’s life source. “Bicycles, Chicken Nuggets, Rainy Nights, Hide and Seek…” they chant over and over to which Alfie’s soul rises higher from his body threatening to disconnect from him. Kenny bares her weapon at each assailant, all children, and some of them missing body parts. The sound of them calling to her brother unbearably fills her mind, as her psyche overflows with their mixture of screams and laughter. Her knees feel weak and the chant-induced haze they created is close to making her pass out. Still, in this dire situation, she doesn't want to attack children so brutally with her ax. They come in droves filling every corner and everywhere her eyes dart, there seems to be no escape. Her eyes glare at the giggling girl floating above them; she had been fooled through and through. “I’ll protect you,” Kenny mutters over and over flashing her ax at every child in warning and using the trees as cover for her and her brother. Not before long, she is backed into a thick area of brush that they can’t slip through and their future looks the grimmest it's ever been. Protectively, she holds Alfie close to her chest and squeezes her eyes shut. [[Then suddenly, the light at the end of the tunnel appears.]]

The girl frowns for a second, but her smile quickly returns. “Whatever you say, no-name.~” she giggles before trotting off. “She seemed nice!” Alfie grins. “I wasn’t so sure..” Kenny mumbles. They walk off and around the bend she pushes around some prickly bushes. Underneath them, another glowing path is revealed. It pulses a deep red. Nervously, she takes Alfie and walks down it since there seem to be no other options they could take. Alfie yawns, walking slower and slower. “Come on, Alfie. I’ll help you out.” Kenny places her brother on her back. Not before long, he is fast asleep. She walks on and looks around the dark expanse, unsure of where she is or where to go. “We’re lost, huh?” she mutters more to herself than to him. “Smart choice.” a voice comes. She doesn’t recognize the voice and her guard grows. “Reveal yourself!” she says, readying her ax clunkily since Alfie was resting on her back. From the mist and the trees, a person floats down to them. They too were wispy blue and see-through like the child from before. “Who are you?” She growls, bending her knees and focusing on the new arrival, not going to blindly trust anything. It was a boy. Taller than her. He looked around her age though. He approaches slowly in an attempt to make Kenny less afraid. “My name is Wyatt. Wyatt Stevens.” He smiles. “You’re safe right now, but your brother made a mistake. You should never reveal your name in Deponie.” He continues. “The moment one kid knows your name, they can invade your memories and send it out to the others like a homing signal. It’s how they find the words to trap you in a haze to steal your soul.” He comes closer to her. “If you had followed the girl from earlier, you would have been locked in a life or death situation. It’s a good thing I was watching.” From behind him, he reveals the girl from before who was now sleeping in his arms. He brushes her shadowy hair from her tired face. “But Isabelle’s a fine kid, you’ll have to forgive her deceit.” Kenny doesn't answer, still threatening him with her weapon. ‘//So that’s why she knew Alfie likes bicycles, glad we didn’t follow…//’ she thinks. He comes closer to her carefully and Kenny raises her ax in defense. He stops and then continues his explanation. “Like I said, if you had followed Isabelle, you would have been swarmed by a gang of children wanting your souls. Here’s a little tidbit you should remember. When a ringleader leaves the area they called the other kids to, the rest are forced to disappear from whence they came. But now all of Deponie knows that two people with souls are walking around, you’re no longer safe.” “Answer me, what are you?” She ignores his explanation. He seems surprised, “I thought you would have guessed it by now.” Her expression doesn’t falter. “Deponie is a part of the Underworld...” He rubs the sleeping child’s head soothingly. //[[“We’re ghosts.”]]//

“Hey, kids! Who wants to play dodgeball?” The attacking children stop and look up fearfully. For a moment, there was nothing but pure silence at the arrival of the new voice. Kenny looks out towards the darkness trying to identify the person. It was the girl that had tricked them that was the first one to break the silence. “Dodgeball? I love dodgeball!” The girl turns around surprised, then stops and grins. “Isabelle! Isabelle no!” The other children behind her cry, trying to hold her back, but to no avail, as she runs off. As soon as she leaves, the rest of the children unwillingly disappear and evaporate into mist. Kenny and Alfie are alone again. “What..happened?” She mumbles, wiping away blood from her cheek from a scratch she had received. The white of Alfie’s soul returns to within his chest to which he passes out and immediately goes limp in her arms. Kenny puts him on her back and looks around the dark expanse, unsure of where she was or where to go. “We’re lost, huh?” she mutters more to herself than to him. The blue path under their feet glowed forebodingly. She walks away from the path into the tree’s thickets beginning their aimless trek once again. Yet, not before long, she hears another person arrive. “Your brother made a mistake.” a voice comes. She recognizes it as the voice that had saved them before. “Reveal yourself!” she says, readying her ax clunkily since Alfie was resting on her back. From the mist and the trees, a person floats down to them. They too were wispy blue and see-through like the child from before. “Who are you?” She growls, bending her knees and focusing on the new arrival, not going to blindly trust anything. It was a boy. Taller than her. He looked around her age though. He approaches slowly in an attempt to make Kenny less afraid. “My name is Wyatt. Wyatt Stevens.” He smiles. “You’re safe right now, but your brother made a mistake. You should never reveal your name in Deponie.” He continues. “The moment one kid knows your name, they can invade your memories and send it out to the others like a homing signal. It’s how they find the words to trap you in a haze to steal your soul.” He comes closer to her. “If you had followed the girl from earlier, you would have been locked in a life or death situation. It’s a good thing I was watching.” From behind him, he reveals the girl from before who was now sleeping in his arms. He brushes her shadowy hair from her tired face. “But Isabelle’s a fine kid, you’ll have to forgive her deceit.” Kenny doesn't answer, still threatening him with her weapon. ‘//So that’s why she knew Alfie likes bicycles, glad we didn’t follow…//’ she thinks. He comes closer to her carefully and Kenny raises her ax in defense. He stops and then continues his explanation. “Like I said, if you had followed Isabelle, you would have been swarmed by a gang of children wanting your souls. Here’s a little tidbit you should remember. When a ringleader leaves the area they called the other kids to, the rest are forced to disappear from whence they came. But now all of Deponie knows that two people with souls are walking around, you’re no longer safe.” “Answer me, what are you?” She ignores his explanation. He seems surprised, “I thought you would have guessed it by now.” Her expression doesn’t falter. “Deponie is a part of the Underworld...” He rubs the sleeping child’s head soothingly. //[[“We’re ghosts.”]]//

Kenny glances around herself shocked. The dark sky, the wet ground, the distant screams... “We’re in the Underworld? Y-you’re…” she mutters, trailing off. “Yes, I’m //dead//!” The ghost named Wyatt laughs it off like a joke. He continues and jumps up into the air, “I don’t even know what to say! This is my first time meeting a living being down here in Deponie. We’re making history right now!” Kenny keeps silent, not trusting any apparition. All of her experiences with them had been bad from the moment she saw the beast. “There’s no time to talk. Have you seen an 8-foot monster lurking by?” she says concisely, lowering her ax slightly. “So you’re looking for the Creature, huh?” Wyatt questions. “That makes sense,” he began floating around her in the air. “The Creature must have a bone to pick with you if it used the Staff of Regrets to bring you down here.” “Staff of Regrets? Tell me more about the Creature-” “Hold up, now.” Wyatt stops her in exasperation. He places his arms behind his head and crosses his legs as if he’s on an invisible hammock. Kenny grimaces at his happy-go-lucky attitude. “Why does this feel like an interrogation all of sudden? Let’s get somewhere safe. I won’t be able to stop another swarm of kids if they were to find us,” he continues looking down at her from above. She stops and contemplates it. Her eyes glance at Alfie who is shivering on her back and knows that he needs someplace warm to sleep. “Lead me,” she speaks. “//Please//, lead me Wyatt.” he jokes, floating above her head in the front. Kenny keeps her silence following his lead as he reveals a new glowing red path. They walk down it as she trudges past the dirty trash littering the ground. //[[‘To safety and closer to the Creature’]]//

The holes within the house whistle as the wind blows around it. The wood is rotting around them and the roof has long been torn off. Kenny sits with Alfie on the cold tiles of an abandoned house that Wyatt had led them to for shelter. Her tired back rests on the wooden corner wall. Her ax sits next to her on the ground within reach while her makeshift bag lies weakly on the ground, merging with the dreary background perfectly. She listens to Alfie’s soft breath for comfort in this terrifying place. Alfie sleeps quietly on her lap as Wyatt comes back with firewood and begins sparking rocks to start a fire. Kenny’s eyes focus on the boy as she brushes Alfie’s head. The apparition’s shadowy hair is long, reaching to the base of his neck although he had a shaved undercut in the back. His clothes, like the girl from earlier, are tattered and decayed. His suspenders are ripped and the end of his pants are heavily frayed. Not to mention, the obvious heavy layers of irremovable dirt on his face. Yet, despite having a commanding presence, his face had a certain innocence to it as well as his character. Still, Kenny watches him with a keen eye to detect any forms of betrayal. Even with this sharp concentration, there was none that she could see. In fact, he seems like any other troublemaker she’d see in her school. Aimless boys that couldn’t envision their lives past the next hour. Some days, she would wonder what would happen to them after high school ended. Where would they be in the next 5 years? She sighs, looking down at the dirty marble tiles under her. For Wyatt, there are no next 5 years. He’ll remain an aimless boy for all of eternity. “How old are you, Wyatt?” She finds herself asking. He looks back at her after the fire is roaring. Her body began to warm up once again. He floats closer to her, to which she flinches and instinctively grips her ax. “Easy! I’ll tell you.“ he answers, putting his hands up. Kenny’s hands relax on the weapon, but she still keeps her fingers gingerly on it. “I died when I was 18…but that was about 50 years ago. I came from Greenplace, New Jersey.” he smiles melancholily at the ground and Kenny quiets down. But then his eyes light up excitedly looking towards her as he seemingly remembers something. “Have you been there? Maybe you’ve seen my grave!” She had never seen someone so happy to talk about graves before. She shakes her head. “My entire life I’ve only ever been in North Carolina,” she speaks to him and his excitement dies down. “I might go to Princeton in New Jersey though!” Kenny adds quickly, trying to save his feelings. “Princeton? That’s cool. If you find yourself in Greenplace then look out for a Wyatt Stevens in the cemetery…” he says quietly, glancing around. “You don’t talk like you lived 50 years ago,” she mentions, rubbing her hands near the fire. She then places her palm on Alfie’s face..he’s still ice-cold... “The new kids taught me some 21st Century lingo.” he grins, floating away from her and resting above the fire. She takes a moment to breathe and rubs Alfie’s head. Some much new information. This was the Underworld? Everyone that has ever lived and died is in Deponie? Why is it so desolate then? And the Creature, is that some sort of demon? What did she ever do to upset it? ‘//I am your reckoning..//’ she hears its echoing voice in her head as she thinks over all of her past actions that would constitute a demonic beast‘s fury against her. Wyatt suddenly laughs aloud, snapping her out of her thoughts. “I can tell what you’re thinking!” “You’re probably wondering, //‘This is the Underworld? I’d rather stay alive forever!’//” he smiles his innocent smile at her. She retorts in a low voice, “I’m also wondering why you haven’t attacked me for my soul yet.” At this, he hesitates. Her eyes are sharp, waiting for any sign of weakness or deceitful character. He rubs his head looking at the fire with a sigh. “Well, I do have an ulterior motive for helping you.” he finally answers. [[Her body tenses preparing to attack.]]

“But for you to understand, I need to explain something about Deponie to you.” He gets closer once again and rests on the tiles in front of her as he crosses his legs. Kenny nods, repositioning herself on the cool wall, “What is it?” “Deponie isn’t //just// the Underworld. It’s a subsection of it.” he continues, focusing on her eyes. “Look at this,” Wyatt says, drawing on the ground with his finger which leaves a bright blue imprint like a marker on the exposed dirt. <img src = "https://static.wixstatic.com/media/370f1b_d24f6e156d1047ee8fdef6537fad573e~mv2.png" width = "600" height = "500"> “The Underworld is made up of 4 sections. You and I are on the 3rd level, which is Deponie.” He says as Kenny absorbs the information looking closely. “The level above us is called Jeder. Jeder is where the somewhat-remembered live in harmony. That place is reserved for people that still have loved ones, left an impact, or have a legacy on Earth. Most people that have ever lived are there, which is why Deponie seems so empty.” Wyatt continues his explanation. She nods as her questions get answered. “Above Jeder is… Fest...” He stops for a second and is lost in his thoughts. The fire crackles behind them in the moment of silence. “Wyatt?” she questions, which brings him back to reality. “Oh! Um, sorry… Fest is a place where the celebrated live. The ones that did the most for humanity, the ones that were //the best//. That’s Fest. I hear that they all live like kings, every day is a feast, everyone smiles, and everyone knows you.” He wonders with a half-smile. She nods. [[“Then… what's Deponie?”]]

His mood changes as he looks down sourly, uncharacteristically of his happy-go-lucky demeanor. "Deponie's a place where the nameless dead live. No one on Earth remembers them and they barely remember themselves. It’s mostly populated by young children that never made an impact in life. Very rarely is there someone over 15 here." She keeps quiet, immediately empathizing with his situation. '//It must be hard knowing that he'll be here forever forgotten with these poor kids.//' Kenny thinks, feeling for the boy. "And the last level below Deponie is called Galgen. Galgen is where the dirtiest of criminals go. No one knows what goes on under there, it's kind of taboo to talk about it here in the Underworld. But you know that people down there are suffering." He finishes. Kenny absorbs the information. Even now if she died, she'd probably make it to Jeder. She looks at Wyatt who has begun floating away. //How does one go 18 years without being noticed by anybody?// "So, why haven't you killed me for my soul?" She repeats her question. He yawns playfully, "I'm not interested in it. A ghost that devours a living person's soul gets to be reborn as a baby in the human world. That's why the kids want it so much... to have a second chance." Kenny pities the poor children and glances at Isabelle still sleeping in the corner. "I don't want to live on Earth again, I’m interested in the Underworld. The kids //think// I want to get reborn like them but, it just isn't for me. Yet, I do want you to get out of here and do something for me..." he says, with wide blue eyes. "What?" she questions. "//Pray for me.//" he whispers. "Go to my grave in Greenplace and pray for me. If you remember me and speak for me, it'll send me up to Jeder and I can finally leave Deponie." He presses his translucent hands together in a desperate plea. She can see in his eyes that this is truly his only wish. "If you guide me to the Creature and get me out of Deponie, I //will// pray at your grave," she tells him with conviction. He places his hand out and smiles at her. "What can I call you?" She won't tell him her name, not yet at least. "You can call me No-name," she answers, shaking his freezing cold hand. "Okay, No-name." he smiles. "I'll get you and your brother out of here." “You hear that Alfie? Don’t say my name out loud here,” she tells her sleepy brother who manages a half-hearted nod before falling asleep again. She laughs which is then interrupted by her yawn. She stretches out her arms before thinking of what to say to Wyatt next. [["I'll be sleeping now.”]] (text-colour:#E3B806)[["Tell me about her"]]

“Oh, one more thing, No-name. Listen closely, this is essential to staying alive here in Deponie. * (text-style:"buoy")+(text-colour:blue)[Don’t trust the Blues, they deceive] * (text-style:"buoy")+(text-colour:red)[Trust the Reds, they lead] * (text-style:"buoy")+(text-colour:yellow)[Follow the Yellows, and info you'll receive"] Wyatt sings like a child’s rhyme. She keeps quiet and nods. ‘//Avoid blue; Progress with red; Follow yellow for more information.//’ her mind repeats. It would be pivotal for survival here in Deponie. “Good night,” she tells him and closes her eyes. However, the whole night through she never really sleeps, holding the ax close to her chest and ready to pounce at any sign of a duplicitous Wyatt or sneaking child. The hours were long, but she is steadfast. [[Morning finally comes…]]

Kenny points to Isabelle. Wyatt looks at the sleeping girl and sighs. "Isabelle came here 5 years ago. She died when was 7; she would be 12 now if she were still living." Wyatt starts. "Isabelle was a nameless orphan on the streets of Georgia. She was cared for by some very old couple after she was left at their doorstep in a basket. They weren't the right choice though. The old coots didn't register her or send her to school. They didn’t even give her name! No one in the neighborhood knew of her existence other than them, and as soon as she grew up they began ordering her around like their personal servant.” Wyatt mutters in a silent rage. “Anyway, one day the couple died in a car crash on their way back from an event. Their souls went, //phwep-!// straight up Jeder. Isabelle... was left to fend for herself. She was very sweet and kind despite her upbringing, although she couldn't speak well. This got her food from passing strangers. Eventually 2 weeks after her caretakers’ death, she found herself in an alley where some older kids were playing dodgeball. All her life she had watched through a window of the neighborhood kids playing in the streets and …silly as it was… it was her dream to join them." He stops for a moment with a tired sigh. "They were messing with her saying that they'd only let her play if she could get their ball back anytime someone threw it out of bounds. She agreed and waited patiently for her role in the game. One boy threw a ball out of the alley and it rolled far away. Isabelle ran after it… into a main street…and…” he stops, looking at the unfortunate girl with scratches all over her face. Kenny gasps. “The other kids and I helped name her when she got here.” Kenny’s heart aches. Deponie truly was a depressing place. Even this girl who had planned on stealing her and Alfie’s soul seemed blameless in the grand scheme of things. After all, she was only fighting for a chance at love and happiness on Earth. “A good way to distract the ringleader kids is to bring up something memorable from their past. They feel compelled to chase the memories they once had when they were alive. For Isabelle, that was a dodgeball.” He finishes. “Thank you, Wyatt. I feel clearer now,” she admits. “No problem, No-name,” he answers, huddling up next to Isabelle. [["I'll be sleeping now.”]]

Morning wasn’t really morning though. The sky was still a deep dark gray, and there seemed to be no difference between day and night. In the darkness, she groans and opens her eyes as Alfie pushes her face up as he awakens. “How are you, Alf?” she asks sleepily. She smiles at his loud yawns. “Still tired... but mostly hungry! What’s for breakfast, Kenny?” he asks. Kenny looks around herself. There was no breakfast or at least nothing that the living could eat. “I… don’t know Alfie. But, I’ll get us out here quickly and we can have a **huge** pancake breakfast at the diner around the block." she grins and tousles his hair to which Alfie giggles. Wyatt had left a while earlier to drop off Isabelle with her friends. Now, Kenny was waiting for her guide to return. She looks at Alfie who seems to be continuously getting paler. His voice still sounds weak and he can barely stand on his legs when he attempts to. From the troubles of yesterday, his clothes are looking rougher. His long-sleeved shirt is tearing at the cuffs and the cold of Deponie is enough to make her feel as if he was wearing paper. He almost… //looks like one of those ghost children//… Her heart sinks and panic starts to set in as she now knows for sure that her brother is truly dying. The thought of him leaving her scares her to her core. It’s no wonder the Creature came after someone so close to her heart rather than her herself. She feels weak knowing that the life of her brother is at the mercy of a stranger. Being forced to realize that she has no control over the situation makes her feel a feeling she hasn’t felt in... She stops feeling a weird sensation. Furrowing her eyebrows, she looks around the broken-down house trying to identify it. Her eyes glance down and discover the source. She raises her hands to find them… shaking… [["Hey!" A voice comes from the distance, breaking her thoughts.]]

Kenny stands up, walks along the wooden wall, and looks into the dark, misty, fog for a figure. From depths emerges another kid. It's a boy. His face holds a wide grin and she can tell he was missing a few teeth. His hair is a wild mess and his modern clothes make her assume that he died sometime in the past 10 years. Overall, he seems very welcoming. "Want to play a game?" he asks. Kenny looks at him on edge but calms herself. '//Not all the kids are bad. I’ll have to discern between the ones that will help us or hurt us.//' “We’re waiting for someone,” she answers. The kid nods and from behind his back, he brings out a dead bunny. “We don’t have food here in Deponie, but I saw that when you both came here through the rip, this bunny was chased in by something before the passage closed. Last night, I heard you were hungry so I grabbed it for you!” Kenny smiles at the innocent child. “Thank you, that’s very sweet.” The kid grins embarrassedly and twiddles his shoes in the dirt, “I’m Sebastian, by the way.” “Hello, Sebastian,” Kenny replies his way. Despite their light-hearted conversation, the boy’s expression turns serious quickly. He trots over to Kenny cupping his hands like he was about to spill a secret. Kenny bends down to his level. “But anyway, I came mainly to warn you!” the child spoke. Kenny listens closely. “You shouldn’t trust Wyatt... he’s deceiving you. When he was alive he was known to be a trickster. Haven’t you heard how he died?” The child whispers in her ear. It feels like a gust of arctic wind. Kenny’s mind mulls it over. Could Wyatt’s words truly have been a facade? “If you play a game with me, I’ll show you the true path to go in exchange for a favor!” Sebastian smiles. “Where are we going?” Alfie asks excitedly. “To the ocean! Deponie’s most famous landmark! We can play volleyball and after that, I'll show you the way!” the ghostly boy answers with a hyper jump. “Let’s go! I’ve never been to the ocean before!” Alfie grins. [[Refuse his offer]] [[Follow the boy]]

“Sorry Sebastian, we’re going to wait for Wyatt.” She answers him, to which he nods. “Okay! Just remember, Wyatt is not who he seems. Don’t be fooled by his tricks.” He tells her forebodingly, before floating away in the sky. “Aw! I wanted to go to the beach!” Alfie pouts. She holds him close to her with a smile. “When we get out of here I’ll take you to all the beaches; let’s be safe while we’re here Alfie.” His disappointed mood quickly calms at her touch and they wait patiently for Wyatt to arrive. Still, she will keep her eyes on their new guide. The boy may have had a point about Wyatt. She can’t trust a stranger wholeheartedly from just one night. There’s still so much she doesn’t know. Wyatt arrives with a smile and floats up to them both. He attempts to rub Alfie’s head, but Kenny blocks him with her ax. It's silent for a moment. “You’re cold, it’ll hurt him,” she explains, to which he backs off and she lowers her ax. “Sorry, Alfie!” he laughs nervously, and the tense mood lifts. “Anything interesting happen while I was gone?” he questions, handing Kenny her bag and forming a light in the darkness with his natural glow to guide them through to their next destination. “A child appeared,” Kenny says, helping Alfie to his feet to walk. Wyatt looks back, hand on the rickety door, “What did they say?” he questions. “He wanted to take us to the ocean to play a game with him.” She hesitantly answers, leaving out the points the boy mentioned about Wyatt’s possible trickery. “Smart you didn’t go, No-name. It was a trap. Remember what I told you, (text-colour:blue)[‘Don’t trust the Blues, they deceive’.] The ocean is blue, there would have been a swarm of kids waiting for you if you went. Look for symbols in what they say.” He explains as they began trudging through the dirt and grime of the ground beneath them. “He also gave us this!” Alfie taps him, to which he turns around. [[She brings out the rabbit the boy had gifted to her.]]

“Okay, we’re on our way,” she says, now knowing her suspicions about Wyatt was right and following the more trustworthy little boy. Sebastian grins, floating and leading them from the abandoned house they had holed themselves in. They walk for about half an hour in darkness through the trash and muck of the ground before they finally find the ocean. It was such a bright color. //The ocean radiates a beautiful blue.// The kid goes into the sand and digs up a buried ball from the ground. “This volleyball is a special gift someone brought down when they died. It’s my very favorite!” The boy giggles. “One game okay?” Kenny smiles, dropping her bag on the ground. “Okay!” Sebastian answers. “Oh, but No-name, I have a question for you!” he says before the game begins. “//I am always hungry and will die if not fed, but whatever I touch will soon turn red. What am I?//” The kid spoke eerily. Kenny stops looking back and not knowing what to say. “Se…bastian?” she mumbles, grabbing her bag and backing up holding Alfie’s hand. “Answer the riddle, Miss!” Sebastian grins, but suddenly his smile seems more foreboding. From the waves, arms appear grasping at their legs. Kenny kicks them off and together they run from the beach, but from the ground, more children pop up like weeds ready to attack. He was one of the ringleaders Wyatt had warned them about and he had tricked them into coming. She groans at the situation holding her ax like it was their only hope. “Answer correctly and walk free. Answer wrong… and your soul is ours.” Sebastian giggles as she and Alfie are blocked in by children and the rocking waves of the sea. Alfie’s hands curl into hers as he hides his face behind her leg. With this riddle… [[her life was on the line]]

//I am always hungry and will die if not fed, but whatever I touch will soon turn red. What am I?// (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Type")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SebRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Choose")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SebRiddleChoose]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Typee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SebRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Choosee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SebRiddleChoose]]

(set: $answer to (prompt: "What is the answer?", "")) { (if:$answer is "fire",)[ [[Correct!]] ] (else-if: $answer is "default")[ [[invalid->invalid1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "")[ [[invalid->invalid1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Fire")[ [[Correct!]] ] (else-if: $answer is "FIRE")[ [[Correct!]] ] (else-if: $answer is "a flame")[ [[Correct!]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A flame")[ [[Correct!]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A Flame")[ [[Correct!]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A FLAME")[ [[Correct!]] ] (else-if: $answer is "flame")[ [[Correct!]] ] (else:)[ [[Wrong->Wrong Type]] ] }

//Choose your answer// * [[A Wolf->Wrong Choose]] * [[Blood->Wrong Choose]] * [[A Red Coat->Wrong Choose]] * [[Fire->Correct!]] * [[Tomato->Wrong Choose]] [[Back to the riddle->her life was on the line]]

[[Retry->her life was on the line]]

Sebastian's sickly grin grows, knowing he had caught her. “Wrong, No-name!~” he sings. “Alfie, //run//!” She yells at him. Alfie stands there frozen as his legs shake in fear. “RUN!” She repeats, to which he takes a step back and takes off from the sand. She stands there alone and surrounded. It was her final stand. “Every…little...kid... w...ants...a..so...ul...” they moan as they approach her. “Stay safe, Alfie,” she mumbles holding back tears before the kids swarm her. Her final glimpse of life is of her brother’s fading figure in the distance. Her soul is now lost to the kids of Deponie and the whereabouts of Alfie are unknown. [[Game Over->Game Over Type]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Puzzle->her life was on the line 2]] [[Before Branch->"Hey!" A voice comes from the distance, breaking her thoughts.]] [[Start of Chapter 2->“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…”]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

“Tch..” the boy mutters, her having gotten the right answer. Without a moment’s notice, the boy disappears taking the kids with him, and once again the siblings are alone on the beach. Waves crash and lap at their feet. Kenny sighs, calming the trembling of her body. Alfie hugs her waist tight looking around for any remnants of the lying child. “We’re okay, Alf... We’re okay,” she mumbles. They start their trek back to the abandoned house, silent and despondent. When they finally make it back, Wyatt is there looking around nervously. His eyes catch a glimpse of them and he flies over to meet them. “Where were you guys? I thought someone had gotten to you before I got here.” He says breathlessly. “There was a boy…” she mutters, embarrassedly. Wyatt calms down and immediately understands. “He tricked you, didn’t he? Tell me //exactly// what he said.” She recounted the past hour, trying to remember Sebastian’s words. “He said he would take us to, ‘//the ocean! Deponie’s most famous landmark!//’” She answers him, leaving out the parts the boy mentioned about Wyatt possibly deceiving them. “Remember what I told you No-name, (text-colour:blue)[‘Don’t trust the Blues, they deceive’.] The ocean is blue, look for symbols in what they say.” He explains kindly, finally relaxing. They sit near the smolders of the fire resting from the morning's terror. The bags under Alfie’s eyes are more pronounced and she can tell he’s very afraid. “You’ll be okay, Alfie. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe.” Kenny comforts him. Alfie nods. “Will you be okay, Kenny?” he questions looking up with his big brown eyes. She can’t find the words to say and silence ensues between them as she looks down. “Wyatt...come here,” she calls the boy who is sitting on a pile of broken support beams. [[She brings out the rabbit the boy had gifted to her.]]

Wyatt looks at it for a second before understanding. “Oh! You’re hungry. It’s been a while since I’ve felt hunger. It should be good for you both to eat, but I recommend conserving it or you’ll run out and feel weak by the time we make it to the Creature.” “I’ll cut up a bit for you Alfie, then we’ll save the rest for later.” she smiles down at him. Alfie sticks his tongue out at the dead animal. “Is rabbit good?” he questions, pretending to gag. Kenny knocks him on the head to which he winces and laughs. “You’ll eat it.” she laughs along with him. Before they leave, they take a quick break to cook the rabbit. Wyatt grabs firewood once again, and she cleans and uses a rusty pocket knife she finds in her bag to skin the animal. The water bubbles up and they sit watching the animal cook. “Where’d you learn how to do this?” Wyatt questions. “Ooh! I know!” Alfie butts in before Kenny can stop him. “Kenny did girl scouts when she was young! But she was dumb and got lost on a trip. Everyone was looking for her, even the policemen! And after 2 days they found her in a cave eating bugs and animals. Yuck!” Kenny’s ears burn in embarrassment. Alfie never fails to tell that story to anyone new they meet. She can hear Wyatt holding back laughter. “Okay, okay. We’re done, let’s go.” she huffs standing up and putting out the fire. She places the rabbit soup back into the water bottle and then puts it back in her bag so that they could have a swig whenever they were hungry. “Where are we going now, Wyatt?” she asks him, outside the abandoned building as Wyatt clears dirt away to create a path for them to walk through. The darkness of the area frightens her. Anything, //anyone//, could jump out and grab them. She can’t look at all their blind spots and the ax was heavy and therefore didn’t have a lot of mobility. She felt they were sitting ducks in this enclosed space, where dangerous shadows could hide easily. Kenny’s hand tightens on Alfie which he notices. “It’s okay! We’ll be fine, we’re an amazing duo!” Alfie smiles, surprising Kenny. “I’m not scared, Alfie. I’m okay. I’ll keep you safe.” she mutters, glancing around for any rogues. Alfie sighs looking down and quieting himself. [[“Well, Wyatt?” she repeats impatiently.]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Puzzle->her life was on the line 3]] [[Before Branch->"Hey!" A voice comes from the distance, breaking her thoughts.]] [[Start of Chapter 2->“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…”]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

//I am always hungry and will die if not fed, but whatever I touch will soon turn red. What am I?// (if:(history: where its name contains "Game Over Type")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SebRiddleType]]

//I am always hungry and will die if not fed, but whatever I touch will soon turn red. What am I?// (if:(history: where its name contains "Game Over Choose")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SebRiddleChoose]]

“We’re on our way to //Sumpf//. It’s the first area to pass in order to get to the Creature.” he explains. He phases through the branches in his way while her ankles get slashed by them. As she watched him move scrape-free, it makes her think. Why were the ghosts afraid of her ax if they could just phase through it? She glances at the glimmering metal past the rust. Did something happen to it once it went through the rip with them… all she knew is that it was effective, and it would be the weapon she would use to kill the Creature. “//Sumpf//?” she questions, placing her ax back within her bag. “It’s also known as the //Murky Waters//. Things live down there in the swamp, waiting to pull you down... We’ll have to jump across the lilypads to pass it safely.” he continues his explanation. “If you fall into the water, you’re definitely a goner. Going to spend the rest of your ghostly eternity under the depths.” he shivers. She ducks under low-hanging tree branches and pushes through spiky thickets, keeping Alfie behind her. “Can you fly Alfie over?” she asks, almost tripping on a hidden undergrowth. Wyatt stops, looks back, and then shrugs. “Well… I’ve never carried someone physical before. He’s light enough that it may work, but you’re way too heavy No-name,” he answers. “That’s fine,” she says, groaning watching her favorite hoodie get torn apart in this barbed foliage. “I can jump.” “How long till we make it?” she asks exasperatedly, feeling her blood trickle down her body. “Probably another hour, and it’s all through these bushes.” he sighs. Kenny reluctantly nods. “While we have time, let me tell you something about the ringleader kids,” Wyatt says. Kenny perks up, listening intently. “Answer this for me.” [[“What?”]]

“//If you had only one match and entered a dark room containing an oil lamp, some newspaper, and some kindling wood, which would you light first?//” Wyatt asks. Kenny stops confused. "Don't ask questions yet, answer first." he looks back with a smile. [[..hm]]

//If you had only one match and entered a dark room containing an oil lamp, some newspaper, and some kindling wood, which would you light first?// (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Type")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->WyattRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Choose")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->WyattRiddleChoose]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Typee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->WyattRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Choosee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->WyattRiddleChoose]]

(set: $answer to (prompt: "What is the answer?", "")) { (if:$answer is "match",)[ [[Correct!->Correct 2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "default")[ [[invalid->invalid2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "")[ [[invalid->invalid2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Match")[ [[Correct!->Correct 2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "MATCH")[ [[Correct!->Correct 2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "the match")[ [[Correct!->Correct 2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "The Match")[ [[Correct!->Correct 2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "the Match")[ [[Correct!->Correct 2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "The match")[ [[Correct!->Correct 2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "THE MATCH")[ [[Correct!->Correct 2]] ] (else:)[ [[Wrong->Wrong Type 2]] ] }

//Choose your answer// * [[Oil Lamp->Wrong Choose 2]] * [[Newspaper->Wrong Choose 2]] * [[Match->Correct 2]] * [[Kindling Wood->Wrong Choose 2]] * [[Nothing->Wrong Choose 2]] [[Back to the riddle->..hm]]

“I got you there, huh? The answer is to light the match first!” Wyatt explains. Kenny sighs, understanding. “These questions are very important..” [[“Now, about the ringleaders…”]]

“We work by riddles here in Deponie, get used to answering them if you want to get anywhere with these kids. It’s important to be good at riddles if anyone ever approaches you. It will be key for you to get out of dangerous situations that you may find yourselves in.” Wyatt says. “They may be menacing, but they’re still children.” “I’ll keep that in mind,” Kenny says before sighing. ‘//So many rules to keep track of..//’ [[This was going to be a long trek]]

“I got you there, huh? The answer is to light the match first!” Wyatt explains. Kenny sighs, understanding. “These questions are very important..” [[“Now, about the ringleaders…”]]

[[Retry->..hm]]

Finally, after what seemed like forever, they made it. Kenny’s face, arms, and legs were bloody, but Alfie appeared from behind her back unscathed. Wyatt whistles in surprise. “She really loves you, Alf-man.” He jokes. Kenny rolls her eyes walking in front of him away from the thorny bushes. “Let’s not fool around, what’s next?” she questions, feeling annoyed. “Ooo, cold,” he whines, holding his heart. “Wyatt…” she warns, looking back and growling his way. He floats up to Alfie and puts him upon his shoulders. “Would you look at that? I //can// carry him.” He flies around, slow and fast, up and down, like a rollercoaster as Alfie screams in glee. “Look, I’m flying! Ke- I mean No-name! Can you see?” he giggles as Kenny’s face lights up seeing her brother grin in the air. “Yes I can, Alfie!” she calls back. Wyatt hovers over the ground next to her. “Now look..” he says pointing to the front. She turns to face //Sumpf//…//the Murky Waters//. It was dirty, grimy, sticky water with almost a tar-like consistency. The stench was so rotten she had to cover her nose, not sure how she didn’t notice it when they came out. The mass of liquid bubbled and popped, as unidentified creatures somehow swam through. No doubt, they were demons lurking underneath the opaque swamp. The marsh she stood on made it hard for her to move, squelching and pulling down her boots like glue with each step she took. However, on the swamp, in stark contrast to the dark colors, there were glowing blue lily pads. They looked fragile but large enough that they could support her weight for a few moments. If she hesitated, even once, a lilypad would collapse and send her plunging into the inky dark water. “This place… certainly is dangerous,” she mutters as her heart quickens. Wyatt grimaces looking into the water and hesitantly floats over it not willing to get too close. His eyes flicker back and forth as if he’s remembering something. “Wyatt?” she questions. He snaps out of his trance and looks back at her. “Oh! I’ll...um...fly Alfie over. I can’t carry you, so you have to be reflexive and quick.” Wyatt tells her. “Okay, I got it. I’ll meet you on the flip side.” she smiles and holds Alfie’s cheek reassuringly. Wyatt looks at her hesitantly before taking Alfie over the wide swamp. They disappear into the mist. It was tense for a second as she waited for some sign they had made it safely. Her paranoia began to take over in the 2-second gap, feeling as if she had given Wyatt the go-ahead to take Alfie and run. The moment that seemed to last an eternity finally ended when she heard a voice. “We’re good, No-name! You can hop over!” Wyatt calls back from a distance although she couldn’t see him. “Alfie?” she questions, ignoring Wyatt. “I’m fine!” Alfie’s voice arrives calming her down. She could hear Wyatt’s grumbling at her dismissful attitude towards him and Alfie comforting him which made her smile. “Okay, guys… I’m on my way over. Stay with Alfie and keep him safe Wyatt.” she calls back. She looks at the first glowing lilypad beneath her feet. ‘//Just have to jump… side to side… and fast. I can do this, but there must be no hesitation.//’ She takes a deep breath. [[It was time]]

**//[[This section will be timed. Read and jump quickly.]]//**

She leaps off of the marsh onto the first lilypad. [[Hurry, jump!]] { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Kenny sinks in the murk")] }

She jumps again and her boots wetten as the lilypad under her begins to sink again. (align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[[Jump again, don’t wait!]] { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Kenny sinks in the murk")] }

She stayed on this one too long.. The lilypad sinks and the monsters of the depths pull her down. Her eyes fog as she hears Alfie and Wyatt calling her name. The shock is so sudden she can't even respond. Eventually her vision gets dark as her final breaths leave her body in slow bubbles. [[Game Over->Game Over 2]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry->This was going to be a long trek]] [[Start of Chapter 2->“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…”]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

She hears growls from underneath the water. [[Jump! Keep going]] { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Kenny sinks in the murk")] }

After a few more jumps she began to see the figure of Wyatt and Alfie past the mist. (align:"==>")+(box:"===XXXXX==")[[Leap!]] { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Kenny sinks in the murk")] }

She was almost there, she heard Alfie laughing at her saying she was a ‘frog’. [[Just a few more jumps!]] { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Kenny sinks in the murk")] }

The last lilypad was in sight. Alfie and Wyatt were a few feet away, cheering up a bunch of noise for her. She grins. **//[[Finished]]//**

“One more, No-name! Then we’re off to the next landmark!” Wyatt calls. “I’m on my way!” she answers with a laugh. Her heart swells. They were doing it. They were really doing it. Literally fighting the Underworld and succeeding. She can do it! She can save Alfie... She looks up at them ready to jump again and her expression drops. From the dark ground… hands begin grasping at Alfie’s legs. Alfie screams as hidden assailants in the trash and dirt threaten to drag him under. Her body freezes once again and she is breathlessly fearful. “Wya-” she could barely make it out of her throat before Wyatt carries Alfie high above from the ground. More kids begin arriving and flying after Wyatt in an attempt to get Alfie who is clutching onto their guide for dear life. “No-name! I’ll take him to safety!” he yells out as he flies away. “I have a friend in one of the kids here. They’ll take you to where we are, don’t get tricked!” he calls from the distance. Before she can reply, they disappear into the fog being chased by children. What she doesn’t notice was the struggling lilypad under her feet that had been withstanding her body weight for way too long. It immediately gives out and she plunges under. Gasping for breath, she made it to the ground that thankfully was close, but sticky goop hangs from her body like anchors to the depths. As she tries to pull herself up, something latches onto her ankle, pulling her down with a strength she’s never felt before. She digs her fingers into the ground trying to fight the force, but it’s clear that she’ll lose the battle very quickly. “H-help!” She screams past the goop over her mouth feeling her airways getting blocked. Dread invades her mind after losing Alfie and finding herself apparently on her deathbed. Only a few moments ago she was naive enough to think that she was winning… against this miserable, terrible place. [[“Alf..” she mumbles holding back tears, as her face threatens to get pulled under.]]

Suddenly, she feels 2 hands slip over hers and her eyes shoot open. 2 children hold her and keep Sumpf from taking her under. “Hold on!” they say in unison. It was 2 girls helping her and from what she could infer they were most likely twins. They pull her up and she coughs up all of the gunk that had settled in her lungs. “You’re No-name, right? Of course, you are… Mr. Stevens sent me to help you.” they say together once again. “No, don't trust her! He sent me!” they accuse each other at the same time. “...Who…are...you…” Kenny asks, heaving on the wet marsh. A girl with long hair spoke first. “I’m Yulie, Mr. Stevens sent me to help you, she’s trying to trick you!” The other girl with short hair spoke second. “I’m Julie! Mr. Stevens is the one who sent me, Yulie wants to deceive you!” Kenny lifts her tired head up. They both look identical. The same ripped blouses, bruised faces, tattered dress shoes. Not to mention, they had the same face, voice, and cadence. ‘//Yulie and Julie, huh? Wyatt sent one of them… another is a ringleader... I need to tell the difference//.’ Kenny thinks while on the ground, still recovering from her near-death experience. “Tell me where you’ll lead me,” Kenny mutters to them on the ground and watches their demeanor closely with her eagle eyes. [[Julie goes first]]

“I will take you to the sun. Together we’ll burn and blood shall run down. However, it shall not be ours but our enemies. In the ash, this is where Mr. Stevens and Alfred reside.” Julie whispers cryptically. Yulie steps up next. “Follow me, I will take you through the fields. We’ll run past Delphiniums and Forget-me-nots, and as they brush our feet, they shall forget us not. In the flowerbed, hidden away, this is where Mr. Stevens and Alfred hide.” Yulie whispers her piece. Julie and Yulie both curtsey respectfully in front of Kenny and she can tell from their accents and clothes, they’ve probably been here in Deponie since the 1700s. “Now it's time to choose,” she mutters to herself, brushing away the remaining goop that has stained her clothes and finally finding the strength to stand up and fix her bag. [[Follow Yulie]] [[Follow Julie]]

Julie nods and disappears. “You’ve made the right choice, madam.” Yulie smiles. Yulie leads her on the field path to Wyatt and Alfie as she had said. Kenny follows her without complaint as silence envelops them both. After a while passes, Yulie breaks the silence. “Madam, tell me, why did you believe me over my sister?” she questions. Kenny shrugs, looking around the empty expanse. “Your words connected with me more I guess.” she responds. Yulie stops with a smile and hunches over. “Your trust is admirable, No-name…~” Yulie looks back at her with a grin that doesn't fit her face. Kenny’s blood runs cold at her creepy behavior. “Don’t tell me..” she says, taking out her ax in a lightning second. “You trusted the wrong person, madam. It will cost you.” she smiles, and a swarm of kids linked to her springs out from behind her. Kenny bares her ax at each one of them, finding herself in another deadly situation. “I just can’t catch a break...” Kenny whispers to herself defensively. “Answer my riddle correctly and walk free, but if you’re wrong I get to be reborn!” her echoey voice chills her. “Us too? Us too, right Yulie?” the children cry. “Of course, of course.” she shushes them and Kenny recognizes her deceit. One soul won’t save all of these children. “That’s evil.” Kenny mutters. “We’re not here to discuss morals, answer my riddle.” Yulie growls, floating up in front of her. [[Yulie composes herself and speaks.]]

Julie smiles, as Yulie bows and disappears. “How clever you are madam, I shall lead you to the whereabouts of Mr. Stevens and Alfred.” she giggles, floating up and guiding Kenny across the plains. Long yellow grass brush against Kenny's battered legs, slipping through the cuts in her skin that will surely leave scars. Julie gazes at her as they move, obviously enamored by Kenny. “Madam.. sorry if I’m overstepping my boundaries. But, I’d really like to know. What is it like to be...alive? How does it feel?” Julie questions quietly, obviously embarrassed but curious. [[Focus on getting to Wyatt and Alfie]] (text-colour:#E3B806)[[Explain to Julie]]

“//They follow and lead, but only as you pass. Dress yourself in darkest black, And they are darker still. Always they flee the light, Though without the sun there would be none What am I?//” (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Type")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->YulieRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Choose")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->YulieRiddleChoose]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Typee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->YulieRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Choosee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->YulieRiddleChoose]]

(set: $answer to (prompt: "What is the answer?", "")) { (if:$answer is "Shadow",)[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "default")[ [[invalid->invalid3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "")[ [[invalid->invalid3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Shadows")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "shadow")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "shadows")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "your shadow")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Your shadow")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "My shadow")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "my shadow")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A shadow")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "a shadow")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "SHADOW")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A SHADOW")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "SHADOWS")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3]] ] (else:)[ [[Wrong->Wrong Type 3]] ] }

//Choose your answer// * [[Monsters under the bed->Wrong Choose 3]] * [[Tar->Wrong Choose 3]] * [[The closet->Wrong Choose 3]] * [[A shadow->Correct 3]] * [[The moon->Wrong Choose 3]] [[Back to the riddle->Yulie composes herself and speaks.]]

[[Retry->Yulie composes herself and speaks.]]

Yulie’s echoey giggles fill Kenny’s soul with fear. “Wrong!~” she sings. The kids laugh along with her, creeping closer and closer. Kenny’s hands clench on her weapon, but all her corners of escape are surrounded by grasping, fighting children. “Alfie, please stay safe. Please live..” she mumbles her final words before she’s swallowed by the attackers. Her soul is now lost to the kids of Deponie and the whereabouts of Alfie are unknown. [[Game Over->Game Over Type 3]]

“Nice, No-name! I see you’re a riddle expert.” Wyatt applauds her. She smiles. “You’ll be fine if you keep yourself sharp like that.” [[“Now, about the ringleaders…”]]

Yulie screams in frustration as the rules of the riddle force her and the kids to disappear. Kenny’s life was saved. Now she was alone in a field of dead yellow grass. No sign of Alfie or Wyatt and before she knows it tears start to well up in her eyes. From the mist, Julie appears. “Are you ready for the path?” she asks quietly. Kenny recollects herself, wiping her face with her sleeve. “Yes.. yes I am, thank you, Julie,” she mumbles. She straightens her back, holds the young apparition’s frigid hand, and walks together as Julie leads her away. //[[So… this the world…]]//

(text-style:"italic","smear","sway")+(size:2.2)[Chapter 3: The Cradle Will Rock] { (live: 5s)[(goto: "Chapter 3: The Cradle Will Rock")] }

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Puzzle->Yulie composes herself and speaks. 2]] [[Before Branch->Julie goes first]] [[Start of Chapter 2->“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…”]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Puzzle->Yulie composes herself and speaks. 3]] [[Before Branch->Julie goes first]] [[Start of Chapter 2->“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…”]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

Julie nods and continues guiding her. Kenny looks into the deep rolling sky of Deponie and from the deepest depths of her soul she sighs aloud. //[[So… this the world…]]//

Kenny looks at the girl with a melancholy smile. Julie must have been dead for more than 300 years although she only looked to be around 9 years old. “I’m not sure how to describe it, after all, I’ve never been dead,” Kenny says. Julie nods. “But, I guess when I’m around other living beings, warmth… is the one thing that stands out above all others. The warmth reminds me that we’re alive.” she continues. Her eyes falter thinking about how Alfie was getting progressively colder as the day went on. “I see,” Julie replies quietly. “May I touch your hand... I promise I won’t trick you!” she adds quickly. Kenny could tell Julie was moving out of her comfort zone with her request, but Kenny would be gone soon and this may be her only chance to communicate with a living person. Kenny trusts the girl and extends her arm. Julie hesitantly places her hand over it and jumps back shocked. “You //are// warm!” the young girl smiles without noticing. In contrast, when Kenny felt her touch she was as cold as ice. “It’s been so long since I’ve felt something warm. I remember the sun though. It was so hot in the summer, I would sweat like a pig then. I remember hating it with all my heart, the winter days were my favorite. Yet now that it’s gone I know that…it was so… beautiful and precious. ” Julie sighs in thought, returning to the front to guide Kenny. Kenny had never thought about the world like that. The birds’ tweeting, the changing of seasons, the wide blue sky, here it was all missing. (text-colour:#E3B806)[[“May I ask you a question, Julie?”]] [[“Let’s get to the boys.”]]

Julie nods and continues guiding her. Kenny looks into the deep rolling sky of Deponie and from the deepest depths of her soul she sighs aloud. //[[So… this the world…]]//

Julie looks back and nods. “What happened to you and your sister Yulie? Why are you both so different?” Kenny asks curiously. Julie sighs, looking up into the dark sky. “It was a long time ago. My memory is blurry, but I remember… key moments…” she mumbles. Kenny quiets down. “Yulie and I were born in a dark place. When we were older, someone told me that our mom wasn’t even aware she was pregnant, and left us in a dumpster after our birth. Yulie and I cycled from street to street after being found and picked up by a traveling circus master. No one knew us. All day, every day, we were the Flying Twins, never without their masks. We were trained to be posh, identical twins, that would perform acrobatics in our masks for the audience. We danced, and twirled, and jumped. And although he took us in, the master wasn’t kind. We were whipped along with the animals... as if we were lower than dirt. He always tried to keep us subservient, but I guess he wasn’t very good at that either. One day though, he tried something experimental before a show. He gave one of the show elephants a flaming stick… but the elephant had only used plain sticks before… When the fire spread across the stick, the elephant panicked and the fire… fell…. and spread… People ran… and screamed… Yulie and I wanted to save the animals backstage, so we opened the metal cage. But… when we went in to coax the animals out, a large wooden support beam fell in front of the cage entrance. We sat there… trapped in a burning tent… under our masks as smoke filled our lungs. It was..” Julie's eyes flickered sadly with memories of regret. “You don’t have to say anymore.” Kenny whispers, wishing she could hug the wispy girl. “And I guess even he, the only person that ever knew our identity, forgot us since we found ourselves here in Deponie. When we arrived here, I accepted my fate. This was just how things were. Yulie, however, was determined to get a second chance no matter the cost. I don’t blame her, but… I wish I had my sister back.” (text-colour:yellow)[“She’s no longer herself… just an amalgamation of hate and rage.” Julie says quietly.] Silence ensues between them. Kenny stops and reaches out her hand to the child. Julie takes it gingerly whispering, “...warm.” and they walk next to each other to the location of the boys. //[[So… this the world…]]//

//[[Continue->Continue 3]]// [[Chapter 2->“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…”]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]]

Kenny and Julie finally make it out of the fields. As dead grass crunches under the weight of Kenny’s boots, something different is finally heard. The sound of crackling fire fills Kenny’s senses. Her eyes focus on where the sound is emitting from and she sees a burning red light in the darkness. Her legs take off, running towards the light. Julie flies along, barely keeping up with Kenny’s desperate sprint. They move towards a large boulder shelter and find Alfie and Wyatt sitting there in the middle huddled near a fire. “Alfie!” Kenny calls out. Alfie looks up from the dirt shocked and begins to smile. He gets up and runs to embrace his sister. They connect a few feet from the shelter and she holds him as if she’ll never let go. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” she whispers, squeezing her eyes shut. “I knew //you// were okay! Wyatt told me you’re invincible!” Alfie tells her proudly, as she grins. “He’s right. I am. So are you.” she answers. She takes him back to the large bonfire where Wyatt sat letting his breath out, relieved to have seen her. “Good job, Julie!” Wyatt pet the little guide on her head. “Thank you, Mr. Stevens,” Julie answers formally. Wyatt floats over to Kenny and motions with a head flick for her to follow him. She reluctantly leaves her little brother and gets up to go with him past the boulders. Julie and Alfie chatter together as Wyatt and Kenny move away from their earshot. He rubs his head tiredly as he hovers above the yellow grass. [[“So…?” Kenny starts.]]

“I’m glad you got back safely. I wouldn’t know what to do if I was left alone with Alfie.” he begins with a sigh. Wyatt then sits with his legs crossed on the ground. She follows suit, feeling her jeans get dirty on the dusty flattened grass. “Still, that was a close call. And we still have 2 other places to get through. How are you doing?” he questions. She sighs looking down and begins rubbing her fingers, embarrassed. “I hesitated… and I shouldn’t have. I need to stay focused if we’ll get through here,” she answers, not meeting his eyes. “Why did you hesitate? You don’t seem like the type to,” he asks curiously. The wind blows the long strands of grass and brushes it against her face. ‘//Because I don’t trust you. That moment where you were the only one there to protect Alfie… I just felt so… helpless… it made me freeze.//’ her mind speaks her heart’s feelings. He waits for a reply and is greeted with silence. “Listen, No-name. Deponie is new to you, so I get your apprehension. In fact, I’m sure any other living being that could’ve found their way down here would just hole up in a cave in fear the whole time. Yet, you’re out here performing death-defying stunts while keeping a child safe. It’s admirable.” he begins offering his hand as he stands up. She takes it, getting up and brushing off her dirty clothes. “But we’ve got to have some sort of trust system going on here. If Alfie and you are separated, you need to have some faith that I’ve got it covered. //You// need to keep moving.” Wyatt smiles. “I get you, Wyatt. That will be the last and only time,” she tells him with conviction. He returns to the air, floating above her as they walk back to the site. Kenny’s eyes trail him as he glides weightlessly in the air. [["So what’s next?"]] (text-colour:#E3B806)[[“Hey Wyatt, why don’t you want to be reborn?”]]

He looks down at her from above. “Well, what’s the point?” he answers shortly. She waits patiently for him to continue since speaking concisely obviously isn’t his forte. As she predicted he says, “I mean. I’ll live. I’ll die and I’ll be right back where I started, here in the Underworld. And who knows? Maybe I’d live the same terrible life I lived in the first place.” He finishes with a huff. Her eyes flicker in curiosity. “So there’s nothing good about Earth? Maybe you’d get into Jeder after,” she replies, placing her hands behind her back. “Why waste my time? It’d just be another 80 years waiting to die and I’d spend the whole time fearing death because I would’ve forgotten my time in Deponie. Jeez, life expectancies sure are high lately.” He answers. She rolls his eyes at his childish demeanor. “Like I said, why wait? I can get into Jeder immediately if you keep up your end of the bargain.” he grins looking down at her. “Same goes for you,” she replies with a sigh. “Believe me, No-name. Life isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Especially if you find yourself living on the short end of the stick. It’s depressing, really it is.” he notices her dismissive attitude towards his words. “I get you, Wyatt. I do,” she answers, stretching her arms in the air. (text-colour:#E3B806)[[“Now I’ve got another question about my ax.”]] [["So what’s next?"]]

“What about it?” he questions, floating down next to her. “Well, I’m a little confused.” she starts, bringing the weapon out from behind her back. It glimmers in her hands. She looks towards Wyatt who is now hovering right in front of her. Without a word, she places her hand through his stomach and her hand comes out from his back. “H-hey!” Wyatt says shocked. “I thought so. You all are permeable,” she mutters more to herself than him as she removes her hand. Frost melts off her arm as it leaves him. “And you’re freezing,” she mumbles, rubbing her arm. “That’s harassment! I should get you jailed for that,” he growls, holding his stomach with his hands. “Anyway.” she ignores his gripes. “Why do the kids back away from my ax when they all can phase through it? But like right now when you helped me up I could clearly feel your hand’s force.” Wyatt reluctantly removes his arms from his stomach, still keeping a sour look on his face. “Well, maybe you’ve heard about it from some children. Isabelle was the same.” he begins. “Some kids bring down special objects with them as they die. How it works is that there’s this place called //Loch// in Deponie. When a person dies, an invisible hole opens up from Earth allowing for the person’s soul to fall through into the Underworld while leaving their physical body on Earth. The same thing goes for clothes. We’re all wearing the clothes we died in even though it’s not a part of our body. Anything we’re holding as we die comes into the Underworld and its properties change in this new world. The same probably happened to your ax which is why it can actually hurt us and… maybe it happened partly to you. After all, I wouldn’t be able to touch you if you were fully human.” Kenny blinks at him shocked and stares at her body. She felt the same as if she was in Millflower, but apparently, something in their chemistry changed when they showed up. Hopefully, it will revert when they leave Deponie. Kenny takes out her ax and feels it. “I’d rather your guess that our bodies are changing not be true. Truly, I want Alfie to forget this even happened after we make it out. I want him to have a normal life, not have him remembering a fight for his soul in the Underworld as everything around him tries to kill him… that isn’t what I want for him.” Wyatt looks at her curiously. “Not yourself? You’d rather remember?” he asks. She blinks, caught off guard. People don’t usually ask what //she// wants. “I.. don’t know…” she mumbles. Wyatt lets it go and they continue their walk. [["So what’s next?"]]

“Tomorrow we’re going to //Rebgarten//, also known as //The Hanging Vines//. It is definitely dangerous, so I recommend getting a lot of sleep tonight.” Wyatt answers. Kenny hadn’t slept in nearly 2 nights and the adrenaline of the day was wearing off. “//Rebgarten//, huh? I hope it’s nothing like the lilies.” she yawns. “Oh, it’s quite the opposite,” Wyatt answers with a small smile. They make it back to boulders where Alfie is huddled in the dirt. Kenny slips under him so that he can use her legs as a pillow. Julie and Wyatt chat amongst themselves and she watches them with wavering eyes. ‘//Trust…//” her mind whispers. Can she really put her guard down? Can she open up to the idea that she’s not the last line of defense? She looks at the kind ghosts who have begun floating above the fire to continue their conversation. Her eyes flicker between them. Can she truly //trust// for the first time since that fateful night. She looks at Alfie and her body threatens to decide for her as her heavy eyes shut themselves. ‘//Ju…st…for…to…night…//’ [[She sleeps next to Alfie under the warmth of the fire and howls of the wind.]]

Kenny’s eyes open slowly and she rubs her face as her mind adjusts to being awake. As her vision focuses, she sees Wyatt on top of one of the towering boulders looking out into the distance. Julie must have left overnight. She glances at Alfie who is on her leg. “Come on, Alf..” she yawns, nudging his face. “Time to get up.” He doesn’t respond. She rolls her eyes, shifting him off of her, and shakes him gently with a smile. “Come on, Alfie.~” Alfie remains dead silent. “Alfie...?” she trails off as she places her hand on his neck and finds him freezing even colder than before. “Oh no,” she mutters, placing him down. She takes off her bag desperately, taking out the now-cold rabbit soup. She opens his mouth and feeds some to him. “Oh no… Alfie...please,” she mumbles to herself in a panic. Alfie’s breath is shallow as his chest rises up and down weakly. “Wyatt!” She looks up and calls the boy down from his post. Wyatt floats in, finding Kenny taking off her hoodie and wrapping it around Alfie. Alfie’s eyes flutter open and closed. “Ke-” he mutters. “Don’t talk, Alfie. Just...try to stay awake.” she immediately interrupts him. The oversized hoodie drapes over his limp body. She looks up at Wyatt fighting back tears. “What can we do?” she asks quietly, for once in her life having the roles switched. [[Wyatt looks at Alfie grimly.]]

“His state really deteriorated overnight…we’re running out of time. You have to make it to the Creature as soon as possible.” Wyatt answers. “I’ll carry him to //Rebgarten// and care for him at the next safe spot, but we need to move fast.” He looks back at her. “You’ll need to find your way No-name, but we’ll be waiting and I’ll treat him as soon as we land.” She nods keeping her tears from slipping down her face. Kenny hugs Alfie softly before reluctantly passing him to Wyatt. Wyatt holds him tight and immediately begins to fly away. Before he can leave completely, however, Kenny grasps onto his loose suspender. He looks back at her confused. “Please.. keep him safe,” she whispers. Wyatt returns her serious face with a confident smile, “I will.” Wyatt takes off into the sky. She watches them until they completely disappear from her sight. From then, the next few moments were different... She stood next to the smoldering fire silently. Her breath quickens. [[She could barely move]]

[[She could barely speak]]

//[[She could barely breathe]]//

Her body was swarming and filling with something she had never fully experienced before. [[Rage]]

Her grip on the ax is so tight the wood might splinter. No words could describe the anger soaking her soul right now. The Creature was making her little brother suffer like this... an innocent little boy. Before, she couldn’t move as fast to the Creature because she had sick Alfie in tow. But now the weights are gone. And all that is left is... //Unbridled Wrath// She breathes in and breathes out, and from the dusty ground, she runs. She runs, trampling dead grass. She runs, seething. She runs as her heart oozes and pulses pure fury. //[[The Creature would not live past the week.]]//

Into the darkness, Kenny sprints. Without her hoodie, she is left to fight Deponie’s intense cold in a thin, white, short-sleeve shirt. The running warms up her body, but as soon as she stops, Deponie would remind her of the fact that she is in the Land of the Dead. Still, at this new obstacle, she //has// to stop. //After all, there was no more road.// Kenny stands on a cliff before the //Hanging Vines//. She glances under her as she catches her breath from the run. There was a deep abyss right below her feet. The bottom was so far down and misty that she couldn’t even see where it ended. For all she knew, the fall could be everlasting. However, she wasn’t //just// before an abyss. Right in front, her face swung thick green vines swaying back and forth in the gentle wind. 50 foot, large, trees held them up past the dark clouds of Deponie. They seemed sturdy, but one slippery hand… could send her plunging into the unknown. Wyatt isn’t here to guide her, so she needs to figure out the trick to getting past this place safely. For //Sumpf//, the trick was not to stay on the lily pads too long. Surely, it wouldn’t be as easy as swinging from vine to vine here. As she contemplates the trick behind //Rebgarten//, a child appears in front of her with a sickly sweet smile. It was a young boy--maybe five-- and he looked the skeeviest out of all the children she had seen so far. He had rough hair, dirty clothes, and ripped overalls. “Must be tough being ‘uman ey? Can’t fly over this here chasm like I can!” he chuckles with a heavy southern accent. She is unphased by his words and without a second thought she swings out her ax defensively. “-Ey, Ey! You’re a tough chick to crack, huh? What’s your problem?” the child pouts, floating back. She glares at him with tired eyes. Her mind only had time for revenge. ”Here’s the deal,” he winks and holds up one finger. “Answer a riddle o’ mine! I’m sure you know the drill by now.” Her eyes look away from him at the vines, trying to think of a way to get past and figure out its gimmicks. “Don’t ‘nore me!” the boy yells, his face getting a darker blue as he flushes angrily. “Answer my riddle, and I’ll tell youse how to get past the vines. But, I is a ringleader. If you get it wrong. I get ‘ure soul! Can I get you to shake on it?” He grins at her as he sticks out his hand. Kenny sighs knowing this annoying kid wasn’t going away. ‘Should I take the risk and answer his riddle? If I get it right, he’s bound by the deal to tell me the gimmick… Or should I take the other risk of trying to figure it out myself.’ her mind thinks it over. She looks below her feet at the dark plummet, ‘The consequences could be… deadly…’ The boy plays with his faded overalls as she thinks. [[Take the boy’s riddle]] [[Figure it out herself]]

The boy looks at her shocked. “Fo’ real? Yes!” he grins. “Okay, okay. I ‘in’t expect to get this far. Um…” the boy taps his chin as Kenny stands there silently. “Ooh! I have a good one, okay. //Beware mortal, answer this riddle wrong and ‘ure soul will be mine!//” he changes into a deep, ‘scary’ voice. He giggles at his own antics. “Tell me.” Kenny says with a voice that shoots daggers into the boy’s heart. “S-sorry, okay!” he straightens up. [[“Here it is!”]]

“No, thanks,” she whispers looking out into the vines. The boy shrugs and departs, “Your loss, No-name.” The heavy jungle of //Rebgarten// lies before her. ‘//Okay… so what do I know? I know all of Wyatt’s advice. I know that there has to be a trick to this. And I know that I can do this. What could the trick to getting across possibly be…?//’ she thinks. Maybe Kenny should take on the vines by… [[Trying to differentiate between vines by length]] [[Trying to differentiate between vines by feel]] [[Trying to differentiate between vines by thickness]] [[Trying to differentiate between vines by color]] [[Trying to differentiate between vines by sight]]

“//He comes to bedsides, icy bridges, battlefronts, and crumbling ridges. When he comes, he comes alone, taps a shoulder, then is gone. What or Who am I?//” (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Type")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SouthBoyRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Choose")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SouthBoyRiddleChoose]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Typee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SouthBoyRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Choosee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->SouthBoyRiddleChoose]]

(set: $answer to (prompt: "What is the answer?", "")) { (if:$answer is "death",)[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "default")[ [[invalid->invalid3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "")[ [[invalid->invalid3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Death")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "DEATH")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "DEAD")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "dead")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Dead")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "GRIM REAPER")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Grim Reaper")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Grim reaper")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "the grim reaper")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "The Grim Reaper")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "THE GRIM REAPER")[ [[Correct!->Correct 3.1]] ] (else:)[ [[Wrong->Wrong 3.1]] ] }

//Choose your answer// * [[Death->Correct 3.1]] * [[The President->Wrong 3.1]] * [[A Mercenary->Wrong 3.1]] * [[Your Father->Wrong 3.1]] * [[A Nomad->Wrong 3.1]] [[Back to the riddle->“Here it is!”]]

The kid crosses his arms and twiddles his fingers. “Aw, ‘ure no fun.” he huffs. “Well?” Kenny inquires, now knowing she got the riddle correct. “Fine! I’ll tell you. Not all of these vines are sturdy… some are really strong and can carry you. Others…” he floats in front of one and taps it lightly. It disconnects from the trees high above and tumbles down into the abyss. Kenny looks at the remaining vines on edge. “How do I tell the difference?” she asks, placing her ax back within her bag and readying her hands for some rope burn. The boy floats in front of another vine as an example. “The vines hold memories of the kids here. Some memories are strong and some are weak. The vine will whisper a key object to youse and you have to choose the right one. Jump on the vines that whisper red objects. Avoid the vines that whisper blue objects.” he finishes his explanation. Kenny nods, understanding. “Okay,” she replies, listening to the vine in front of her whispering about roses. “...Okay...” the boy mumbles, floating away to the sky. “Hey.” Kenny looks towards him to which he looks back. “I wouldn’t mind doing another puzzle with you sometime.” she smiles at the boy. The child looks down embarrassed and flies away fast yelling, “W-whatever!” She smiles letting go of her anger for a short while and hooks onto the first vine. //[[Let’s start then...]]//

The boy laughs. “I //knew// I would get youse!” he grins before snapping his fingers and calling over more fighting children. “Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!” Kenny blocks children’s hands with her ax, but it’s painfully clear that they’ll overpower her in a matter of minutes. As she blocks and protects her chest she can feel herself sigh inwardly. ‘//I’m sorry, I couldn’t protect you Alf like I promised. I never thought…I could break one. Please…just survive.//’ Kenny’s battered heart whispers as she sinks in a sea of children. [[Game Over->Game Over 3.1]]

[[Retry->“Here it is!”]]

**//[[This section will be timed. Read and jump quickly.->Jump Quickly 2]]//**

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Puzzle->“Here it is!”]] [[Before Branch->The Creature would not live past the week.]] [[Start of Chapter 3->“Don’t make promises you can’t keep…”]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

Kenny jumps onto the longest vine. She grins, feeling it steady under palms. As it sways, she analyzes the next longest vine. She leaps onto the next one and she hears a crack from above. Before she can even process it, the vine she’s on snaps and plummets into the abyss with her on it. As she falls the only thing that crosses her mind is, ‘//I guess length wasn’t it…//’ [[Game Over->Game Over 3.2]]

She places her hand on the first vine. It feels rough and sticky under her touch. She wipes her hand on her pants. “Okay.. well, I’ll only jump on the ones that feel like this!” she says with hope. She jumps on the first vine which sways, but doesn’t break. She jumps onto the next one that feels rough, but from the top she can hear a clear -//SNAP!//- Kenny plunges into the darkness with the faulty vine beside her. ‘//Take care Alfie…//’ is the only thing her mind whispers as the fog consumes her. [[Game Over ->Game Over 3.2]]

She jumps onto the first vine in front of her. It’s large and able to hold her weight. It’s just about the length of her arm, so she should avoid slimmer ones she thinks. “Okay, okay. The ones that are big like this should be fine.” she says, scanning the next vines and jumping onto the next one with a similar width. As she jumps onto the next vine, she can immediately feel it tremble under her weight. The vine disconnects from the top and plummets to the ground bringing her along with it. The only thought she was able to get out as she falls is, ‘//Thickness… was not it.//’ [[Game Over ->Game Over 3.2]]

“Okay.. so I’m going to try to tell them apart by color!” Kenny says, trying to get herself excited. They all looked green though and it was hard to tell apart the different shades in the darkness. “Is color not it?” she mumbles. Getting closer, she examines the first vine in front of her for a sign. To her surprise, it begins whispering to her. “//Roses…//,” it says. “Roses are red..” she mumbles. She goes over to the next vine to the side. “//Violets…//” it whispers. When she touches this one softly, it falls and tumbles into the abyss. “Avoid blue... got it,” she mutters to herself. “I have to jump on the ones that whisper red objects,” she tells herself stretching out her legs. She smiles letting go of her anger for a short while and hooks onto the first vine. //[[Let’s start then...]]//

Kenny looks at the first vine. It’s green… and vine-like… and big? With a sigh, she just decides to go for it. She jumps onto the first vine which is able to support her weight. “Okay, just... many more lucky chances to go.” she mutters. She’s able to jump onto 2 more vines correctly before the 4th one she grabs, snaps under her weight and sends itself and Kenny plunging into the abyss. ‘//Well… good luck Alf...//’ her mind mumbles bitterly as she falls. [[Game Over ->Game Over 3.2]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do// [[Retry Puzzle->Figure it out herself]] [[Before Branch->The Creature would not live past the week.]] [[Start of Chapter 3->So… this the world…]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

Kenny looks between both vines, looking for her next choice. //[[Vine 1: Strawberries]] [[Vine 2: Blueberries->Wrong Vine]]// { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Vine Snaps")] }

Kenny smiles, feeling the vine steady under her hands. //[[Vine 1: Sky->Wrong Vine]] (align:"==>")+(box:"==XXX")[[Vine 2: Ladybugs]]// { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Vine Snaps")] }

The vine she grabs onto falls with her on it. She finds herself plunging into the abyss and the mist swallows her up along with the faulty vine she had trusted. “Alfie…” Her voice echoes as she falls before it’s eventually consumed by silence. [[Game Over->Game Over 3.3]]

Another one down! The other side of the chasm was already in view. //[[Vine 1: Sapphires->Wrong Vine]] (align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXX=")[[Vine 2: Amethyst->Wrong Vine]] (align:"==>")+(box:"==XXX")[[Vine 3: Rubies]]// { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Vine Snaps")] }

Kenny’s guess had been right once again. Only a few more jumps left. //(align:"==>")+(box:"==XXX")[[Vine 1: Mars]] [[Vine 2: Neptune->Wrong Vine]] (align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXX=")[[Vine 3: Uranus->Wrong Vine]]// { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Vine Snaps")] }

The dusty ground of the other side was just one jump away! //(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXX=")[[Vine 1: Whales->Wrong Vine]] [[Vine 2: Urchins->Wrong Vine]] (align:"==>")+(box:"==XXX")[[Vine 3: Lobsters]] (align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXX=")[[Vine 4: Sea Turtles->Wrong Vine]]// { (live: 3.5s)[(goto: "Vine Snaps")] }

//''FINISHED''// Kenny lands over on the other side of the chasm. Her feet steadies as the adrenaline in her body finally begins to fall. “I...made it!” she celebrates. She had been scared to speak those words aloud after her mishap at //Sumpf//. Yet, with no Wyatt to guide her or Alfie to give her courage, she had //conquered// a part of the Underworld on her own. The sweet feeling of accomplishment filled her body and soul. From the depths of her lungs with reckless abandon, she yells into the atmosphere, “I. Did. It!” She grins, taking a moment to catch her breath, before beginning another sprint into the unknown to find Wyatt and Alfie. [[But... where next?]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do// [[Retry Puzzle->Let’s start then...]] [[Start of Chapter 3->So… this the world…]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

It’s been an hour. Kenny walks again unsure of her surroundings. Deponie is filled with twists and turns that she didn't have an eternity to explore like the kids here have. She can hear their whispers behind her with every step she takes. It pains her, but she is beginning to believe that she'd only be able to find Wyatt and Alfie by agreeing to another kid’s deal. After another 25 minutes of aimless wandering, she lets out a heavy sigh. She swings out her ax and looks into the empty darkness, but she knows that they’re lurking somewhere within the shadows. “//Are you ready? Are you ready?//” they giggle from the trees. She looks down reluctantly. “...Ye-” “Wait, No-name you’re already here!” She hears Wyatt’s voice and whips around. Wyatt floats down from a treehouse in the tall treetops. She was standing right under the hideout the whole time. “Alfie is resting up there!” he continues. Kenny’s smile returns as he gets closer. “Thank you, Wyatt!” she laughs gratefully. Wyatt reaches his arms out in a hug-like motion. She glances at him apprehensively. “Um…” she starts. “Hey, No-name, what’s your //real// name?” he says, with a creepy grin growing on his face. She steps back, but he’s already too close. “Actually, just let me see your soul instead…” “Get back!” she yells, swinging her ax. “Hey!” another voice comes from behind her. She turns around to see… Wyatt again? There are 2 Wyatts approaching from her left and right, each looking dangerous. Without answering, she backs away from that one as well. She looks all around and finds herself surrounded by “Wyatts”. They surround her in a circle. All of them look the same with creepy smiles plastered on their faces. [[“Another trick by the children, huh?” she grumbles.]]

“//The real Wyatt is among us, but can you pick him out.//” they giggle in unison. Many Wyatts appear before her, each ready to guide her on a different path. “Listen, No-Name. I have Alfie. Follow me here!” Another Wyatt calls out from the left. Another one jumps out in front of him. “No, No-name he’s tricking you! I have Alfie.” They all start bickering amongst themselves as Kenny struggles to pick out the right one. “//Wait//!” she yells out amongst their chattering. The area falls silent and eyes train on her. “It’s one of you five,” she mutters, picking out 5 ‘Wyatts’ from the group. “You all act the most like him.” They stand before her, each with a wide grin and lazy attitude. “Tell me something only Wyatt would know.” she continues her instructions. The other imposters not chosen in the group whine as they transform back into their original form. “You’ve got it!” The finalists yell in unison, before getting upset at one another and continuing their bickering. Kenny sighs, feeling a headache coming along. ‘//Okay, so I’ve just got to listen closely to what they say… he’s in there.. and I’m going to get to Alfie as soon as possible.//’ she breathes out her stress and readies her mind. [[“Okay guys, shoot.” Kenny speaks.]]

‘//Something **only** Wyatt would know//.’ [[Wyatt 1: “You came here through the rip and I found you after you encountered Isabelle!”->Wrong Wyatt]] [[Wyatt 2: “You are very hard to get close to and you’re very skeptical, I’m pretty sure you only like Alfie.”->Wrong Wyatt]] [[Wyatt 3: “Julie was the one who saved you! Yulie was an imposter.”->Wrong Wyatt]] [[Wyatt 4: “I don’t want to be reborn.”]] [[Wyatt 5: “Your weapon of choice is an ax.”->Wrong Wyatt]]

Kenny chooses a Wyatt, who approaches her with a smile. “You’re very smart and fairly clever.” Wyatt grins. “But… not clever enough it seems.” he finishes. Before she can process his words, the imposter plunges his hand into her chest and reveals her soul. Her vision blurs as she watches more imposters hover over her in a frenzy. Her consciousness fades as she hears the true Wyatt calling her name and Kenny is overcome by darkness. [[Game Over->Game Over 3.4]]

“You’re Wyatt, right?” she walks up with a smile. The “true” Wyatt grins back at her, rubbing his head embarrassedly, “Guess I should’ve told you more about our destination.” All of the disguised kids disappear in accordance to the rules they agreed to which leaves her, Wyatt, and the treehouse alone. “Will they come back?” she looks around apprehensively. “We should be good until morning because of the deal. After that, we’re sitting ducks though.” Wyatt answers. Finally, Kenny can relax her shoulders. She lets out a sigh. “I’m so tired…” she mumbles, grabbing onto some low-hanging branches to begin climbing to the treehouse. Wyatt looks at Kenny as he floats up at her pace. “Which part are you tired of?” he questions. “//Everything//,” she replies quietly. “Oh.” Kenny stops halfway up and glances at Wyatt who is looking out into the dark, murky sky. [[“I’ll look after Alfie tonight. You can take a break.”->Up to Alfie]] (text-colour:#E3B806)[[“Hey Wyatt… how did you die?”]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do// [[Retry Puzzle->“Okay guys, shoot.” Kenny speaks.]] [[Start of Chapter 3->So… this the world…]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

Wyatt flinches, shocked at her sudden question. “Why do you want to know?” he snaps back at her. She remains quiet, analyzing his defensive response. “You don’t have to tell me.” she continues her climb. As she jumps to the next branch, now halfway up, she feels a cold hand on her shoulder. “...Sorry No-name, I’ll tell you if you’re curious. After all, I’m trying to gain your trust, and secrets… aren’t the way.” he apologizes, looking down embarrassed. She takes a break sitting on a larger branch to listen. Wyatt floats next to her silently, looking at the bark on the dark trees in concentration. Kenny could tell he was trying to find the right words to start. [[“Okay so…”]]

Kenny climbs on the last few branches as Wyatt floats up and follows. She finally makes it onto the steady wooden hideout and steps over to Alfie who is resting in a corner. He still looks weak and sick, but there’s more color in his face. “Aw, Alf…” she mumbles, rubbing his head. His eyes open slightly and he smiles. “I…missed…you…” Alfie whispers. A sharp pang of sadness slices through Kenny’s heart. “I missed you too,” she mutters, rubbing his head soothingly. “Are we almost home?” he asks quietly. “Yes... only one more place to get through and then we’ll meet the Creature and after that, you’ll feel better.” Kenny smiles at him. “And then pancakes!” he grins weakly. “Yep, pancakes,” she answers with wavering eyes. “Yay…” he mutters as his eyes fall closed. Kenny struggles to keep back her tears looking at her brother. They had only been here for 3 days so far, yet he had deteriorated so quickly. All of the moving, scares, and shocks he endured must have sped up the process. [[“I have a question, though.” Wyatt says floating up next to her.]]

Wyatt closes his eyes and takes a breath in before beginning. “Well, the short version of the story is that I was a street urchin that died one day. But, a curious person like you probably wants more detail, huh?” he starts. Kenny doesn’t want to admit it, but she was very curious to know about his life on Earth. “I don’t remember when I was born. I don’t remember the day I first became aware that I was existing. The farthest I can remember is that specific day I woke up. I was a kid, maybe 9, and there was a quota to fill. There was always a quota.” His eyes flicker in remembrance as Kenny watches. “...And if I didn’t fill that quota…well, I wouldn’t live to see the next day,” he mumbles in a trance. //[[9]]//

Light filters into my eyes from an exposed window. Groaning, I look up, moving my face away from the sun’s rays. //I still can’t see. Something is blocking my vision.// “Hey, //Masked//! Get up. Boss is visiting today!” ‘//Oh yeah.//’ My mind whispers to my consciousness as I stretch my arms. A dirty burlap sack lays over my face as it has since the day I found it. It covers my entire face except for my left eye, blocking everyone from seeing my true identity. I stand up and file next to the other boys. //Dirty, bare-faced, with ripped clothes, and scarred.// Thin Ronnie walks up to me with cracked glasses and a slanted smile. “Do you want to hit the street later, Masked? Some boys told me there’s a good hit there. A wealthy family on vacation! There’s an easy mark, too. It’s a bratty little girl who carries a purse full of-” A crack sounds through the basement which zips Ronnie’s lips. The chattering between us silences as everyone runs into formation and stands straight with tension in their shoulders. Boss appears from the darkness and walks before us with a cane. //Tap… Tap… Tap…// He stands before me. I don’t dare look up, so I keep staring straight past him. I can hear him smile as he laughs. “//My Visitant, what will you bring for me today?//” //[[Trees]]//

Wyatt looks out into the forest as Kenny patiently waits. “I… was a hired thief. One of the best on the East Coast. I worked under this boss who was pulling the strings from underground. He would take orphans under his wing and recruit them to become petty thieves for him in exchange for food and housing. It was a system. From begging for money to stealing wallets to robbing banks to…whatever else you could think of…” he trails off. “How far up were you in the system?” she questions quietly. “Well… well, I was his right-hand man. They called me the //Masked Visitant//.” Wyatt mumbles back to her, deep in thought. “For as long as I could remember I was in the system. And I was the absolute best… people around the state, //no//, around the //country// knew of me! The rising tyrant who stole jewels hidden under a burlap sack. I was a pain in the neck for the police system of New York and New Jersey, y’know? I stole from banks! I toppled hidden organizations. //I// was second-in-command! It made me feel... it made me //feel//…” he begins to grin and looks back at her. He laughs, “Y’know, I didn’t even have a //name// until I was 18. Everyone called me by my persona!” Kenny nods back with a smile. He fiddles with his wispy hair habitually. “Yeah… but you didn’t ask for my life story. You asked how… I died.” he whispers as the smile on his face begins to fade. “It wasn’t fun.” (text-colour:#E3B806)[[“What happened?”]] [[“That’s enough Wyatt, you don’t have to tell me... let’s get to Alfie.”->Up to Alfie]]

“Well, I guess my ego blew up a little too big,'' he mutters with a fake smile. “I had just turned 18 the month before. //And I was hungry//. Not for food, but for change. I was tired of the same-old heists. I yearned for more eyes, for more fame. I had made up my mind to topple Boss and take over the whole organization. After all, He would never give it up willingly after all…” //[[18]]//

“Do you get it, Ronnie?” I ask, looking at my partner. “It seems solid, but run it by me once again, Masked.” Ronnie mumbles, swaying nervously on the chair. Mice run past us in the abandoned cellar where we decided to form our plan. “So, Boss told me to infiltrate this building to steal their secrets; these secrets could take out our biggest underground competitor. He trusts me and I //am// going to steal the secrets and use them to topple our competitor’s organization. But, I won’t give them to Boss.” I grin under my burlap sack. Ronnie taps his feet and averts his eyes. He was a good kid, shy and nervous, but good. I sigh at his demeanor. I had grown up with him and he still hasn’t changed a bit. Still, I needed to get him on board since he was the only one who had the brains and slim fingers to hack the door to the safe hidden in the building we were infiltrating. It’d be so much easier if I was alone. “You’ll open the safe. Hand me the paperwork. And then I’ll hold them for ransom from Boss. I'll threaten to expose the system to the authorities and he’ll have no choice but to hand me the organization or he’ll face heavy jail time.” I grip my hand on Ronnie’s shoulder. “It’s //foolproof// and when we get the power, you’ll shoot up the ranks, my man!” He nods and shakes my hand. ~ But I should have known I should have noticed. How his eyes flickered down to his pocket. His pocket… //I was blind.// //[[Trees->Trees 2]]//

Kenny gasps, enthralled by his story. Never would she have thought, Wyatt could have gone through such a life. “So Ronnie betrayed you?” she questions, leaning forward. “Yep, never even made it to the operation. He had a pocket recorder and reported it straight to Boss. No mercy. He was always a weasel.” Wyatt growls. “And that confession sealed my death sentence. Got caught the next day and taken out to port.” “Port…” Kenny mumbles, remembering Wyatt’s hesitant behavior when at //Sumpf//. “He got appointed to my job the same day I would… lose my life…” his voice trails off. //(text-style:"fade-in-out")[[18->18 two]]//

I glare into the eyes of Boss. His face is more weathered compared to when I first saw him as a child. Waves lap under me as I kneel on the dock with cinder blocks tied to my ankles. The port is empty and abandoned. He’s taken me over to the other side of the country, so even if my body were to be found it could never be traced back to him. “Visitant, you’ve disappointed me.” his low voice comes. The rotting boards creak under our weight. “You and I both, Boss,” I answer back, with a grin. The rope on my hands burn and I could tell my arms were getting red. “You sound happy...” he mutters, tapping my head with his cane. “I’ll go down in infamy. Better this end for me than any other.” I say back, meeting his eyes with determination. “Hmm, how naive..” Boss mutters as his eyebrows furrow. None of the boys had ever made eye contact with him before, even the ones closest to him. It was the height of disrespect. The guard behind Boss watches the conversation with an eagle eye. There would be no escape for me. “You know what’s been bothering me. It’s been on my mind ever since we picked you up almost 2 decades ago.” Boss mumbles. I quiet down, curious. “Who are you?” he questions. I look at him puzzled. Easily, I answer, “The Masked Visi-” He interrupts me, ”No, who //are// you?” Before I realize it, Boss uses his cane to knock off my mask. My eyes widen watching the sack that had covered me for so many years sink in the ocean. A wave of cold air fills my face and for the first time, I feel exposed. As far as I know, no one had ever seen my face since I was a child. I feel humiliated and naked on the dock. Instinctively, I look down in an attempt to hide my face. “Hmpf.” Boss scoffs. “Just another unkempt boy, it seems. What’s your name?” “...Wyatt…” I growl, boiling with rage. I don’t know why that name came out of my mouth at the time. Maybe I saw it on a billboard or something, I dunno… I had never had any other name other than the Masked Visitant, but my mouth still spoke it as if it was natural. “The last name too, boy!” Boss yells, striking me across the face with his cane. “...Wyatt…Stevens...” I answer as blood runs down my mouth. Boss rubs the metal stick into my chest. “I’ll write it on your gravestone, Wyatt.” ~ I remember being pushed. I remember the shocking cold of the sea. I remember sinking like a rock as my body futilely attempted to break free of my bonds. I remember water invading my lungs. I remember the pain. I remember everything going dark… ...and then I remember waking up. //[[Trees->Trees 3]]//

Kenny looks at him with wide eyes. “Imagine. I had the flashiest lifestyle out of all the people here in Deponie. I did the most. I saw the most. I was on the front page in newspapers. //My// impact threw ripples into society. You’d think I’d at least make it to Jeder. Possibly even Galgen because of my crimes. Yet, despite all that. I landed here. In the Land of the Forgotten. It’s ironic huh? Everyone knew the Masked Visitant, but no one knew… Wyatt. When I first got here and learned of the other levels, I thought it was a sick joke. I’m sure I spent my first decade in Deponie, lamenting my situation, angry at the world, and scared… that this miserable place would be the rest of my existence.” Kenny looks down silent. “But you can tell I have cooled down since then. It really takes having all of eternity to humble you, huh?” [[“I’m sorry.”]]

He snaps up looking at Kenny’s face with shock. She looks down with a sunken expression. “H-hey! I didn’t tell that story to depress you!” “You all… everyone here in Deponie… have been through so much. It may only be for a prayer, but I’m so grateful you’re here guiding us.” Kenny says, looking down respectfully. Wyatt gets up embarrassed and then changes the subject. “Breaking the iron armor, am I?” he jokes. Kenny sighs, standing up. “You always know how to ruin a moment.” “Did I?” he laughs as they begin climbing again. [[“Let’s just get to Alfie.” Kenny rolls her eyes.->Up to Alfie]]

“What do you need…” she answers somberly. “How did Alfie even get taken by the Creature? Even with the Staff of Regrets, us ghosts can’t materialize in the human world for more than a few minutes.” Kenny’s mind starts analyzing. '//And Alfie was at school when he was found missing. How could the Creature have gotten him from his school to Killian’s and Millflower’s joining canal in a matter of minutes?//’ She looks back at Wyatt thoroughly puzzled, “I don’t kno-” “I heard someone.” Wyatt and Kenny look back at Alfie. Alfie’s eyes were open again and he was speaking. “I heard a voice… It was a soft voice, quiet, and so familiar. The voice called me to the canal.” he continues. Suddenly, his eyes widen and he immediately puts out a disclaimer. “I know not to follow strangers, by the way! But their voice just… reminded me of something…I think…. Maybe it was a cartoon character I heard before?” Alfie finishes. “What are voice actors doing luring you to demons, Alf?” Kenny sighs with a smile seeing her brother a little more energetic. “They might have it out for me!” he pouts. “Just go to sleep, Alfie.” Kenny soothes him back. Alfie finally falls asleep once again. Kenny rests next to him on the wooden walls drinking some of their rabbit soup as Wyatt takes watch outside of the treehouse. This night she wasn’t hesitant to sleep. In fact, she would gladly welcome it, Wyatt would take care of any dangerous situations. ‘//A familiar voice, huh?//’ Kenny thinks, feeling her eyes close. ‘//That dark voice I heard from that beast was definitely not welcoming…//’ For the first time since she’s arrived in Deponie, she falls asleep within 5 minutes. And for at least one night she doesn’t feel as if her life is in immediate danger. //[[‘Almost there.’]]//

(text-style:"italic","smear","sway")+(size:2.05)[Chapter 4: When the Bough Breaks] { (live: 5s)[(goto: "Chapter 4: When the Bough Breaks")] }

//[[Continue->Continue 4]]// [[Chapter 3->So… this the world…]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]]

Kenny’s body stirs as her mind tells her it’s time to wake up. Her eyes open groggily, adjusting to the darkness of Deponie. It isn’t as jarring as it had been the first few days; she’s adapting more to the characteristics of the area. She immediately looks over to Alfie who, to her relief, seems to have stabilized. She goes closer to her weak brother, wakes him up gently, and feeds him some more cold rabbit soup. She can tell it was starting to go bad, not that it tasted great in the first place, but at least it would appease their ravenous hunger during, hopefully, their final day in Deponie. Wyatt crosses her mind as she feeds him. Oh to be a ghost, free of the pain that comes with having physical bodies. Kenny looks back at Alfie who was now resting on her lap. She grimaces at the state of him. His cheeks were concave, eyes sunken, and everything about him that used to be bright and bouncy seemed dull. Even with the food, it was obvious he wouldn’t be able to walk. “How do your legs feel?” Kenny questions her brother. “Like… jelly,” he answers slowly with a yawn. “I… just want to sleep…” he continues, before his tiredness takes him over once again. She rubs his curly head, more trying to soothe herself rather than him. By the paleness of his skin, the shortness of his breath, and the thinness of his body, she could tell… he wouldn’t live to see tomorrow. She averts her heavy eyes from him and blinks rapidly trying to force back tears. She gets up and starts to stretch and practice swinging her ax in an attempt to keep up optimism. S he had to find the Creature today in order to save him. Wyatt wasn’t anywhere to be seen in the treehouse. He was probably outside looking around the forest. [[“Wyatt!” she walks up and calls out into the trees.]]

Kenny feels the vine she’s on buckle under her weight. She stayed on this one too long. Before, she can think of a solution, the vine breaks and sends her tumbling into the abyss. The last word on her lips is his name. "Alfie..." The darkness envelops her until she’s completely gone. [[Game Over->Game Over 3.3]]

Within the moment of her call, Wyatt arrives with a smile. “I scouted the area. We’re safe right now, but we should get a headstart before the kids locate us.” Kenny nods, placing Alfie on her back. “Okay, let’s get going then,” she says going towards the open boards of the treehouse and maneuvering down the branches to the ground. Wyatt follows her past the wayward leaves. Her feet jump down and make a splash in the wet, dark, grass below her. She sighs, tired of the dirt and muck of Deponie. Both she and Alfie reeked and were slathered in dirt and miscellaneous stains. Still, Kenny doesn’t complain and begins her trek following her guide. They walk for a while in silence, focused and desperate to make the journey as quick as possible. Passing the branches of the forest, Kenny looks up at Wyatt whose eyes, she finds, look cloudy. “So what’s the next place?” she questions, in an attempt to break the silence. It takes a while for Kenny’s words to hit Wyatt. His ears perk up and finally, he responds, “Oh.. um… the last place to get through is //Geisterhaus//. It’s also called the //Haunted Mansion//. It’s a little different from the other landmarks. The Creature’s den lies on a hill beyond it.” Kenny nods, “A haunted house, huh? Seems like it’ll be hard.” Wyatt doesn’t respond. She looks up to find his eyes clouded once again with thoughts. ‘//Probably thinking about his prayer, or maybe the right way to get through the next obstacle...//’ she thinks, trying to analyze his out-of-place demeanor. [[Still, Kenny quiets down and sighs once again as they continue on.]]

After nearly 2 hours of silent walking, they make it to //Geisterhaus//. Kenny stops, staring up at it in fearful awe. The mansion was large and wide. It reaches past the clouds, rivaling the 50-foot trees she had witnessed back in //Rebgarten//. Its boards were rusty, painted a dark purple, and saddled with dirt and rot. The “grass” in front of the house was more like the marsh she had encountered at //Sumpf//. Wet, sticky, and foreboding like it could suck you down at any moment. It groans as the winds of Deponie push against the fragile foundation. Kenny walks closer to the menacing building. In front of the vine-covered porch steps is a large, wooden, Victorian-like door slightly cracked open. She wasn’t even inside yet she could hear the moans and wails of echoing children within. She turns and walks along the dusty walls of the mansion. Now she saw why they //had// to go through the house. It was so wide that going around wasn’t even an option. Each side could stretch out for at least a mile or even into forever. And they didn’t have time to explore that option, after all, Alfie… may not survive that experiment. “This… might be hard,” she mutters, adjusting sleeping Alfie on her back. “So Wyatt, what’s the trick to getting pas…” she breaks her eyes from the obstacle, turns around, and finds empty space. “Wyatt?” she questions, walking around. She was completely alone. [[She wanders around, looking for her missing guide]]

“Where did he go?” she mumbles, gazing back and forth. As she searches, a feeling of dread settles in her heart hearing weird noises begin to show up. Her fear spikes, hearing the groans of children getting louder. From the ground, once again she watches little blue arms sprout up and grasp at her body wildly. She kicks their hands away, running back to the large wooden door on the top of the porch. Children appear from the nooks and crannies of the surrounding foliage, each of them yelling and screaming various things. They were much more aggressive than before with a wild look in their eyes. Now they know that Kenny and Alfie were close to leaving and that their chances of rebirth were fleeting. It was the largest hoard of children she had seen since she got here. Each of them was murderously desperate. “Stay back!” she yells. With no choice, she opens the door to the mansion and slams it shut. Some children begin phasing through the door, but at least she was able to bottlecap the crowd. Kenny can’t grab her ax with Alfie on her back, so she resorts to running away aimlessly in the dimly lit mansion. Her legs take her past winding hallways, tall ceilings, and various rooms having quick children on her heels. After she finally loses them, she finds herself in the midst of //Geisterhaus//. [[No exit in sight.]]

She breathes heavily, feeling her lungs burn after the run she had endured with the weight of Alfie on her. Alfie is shivering on her back, stuck in a state of being half-lucid and half-asleep. “No…name, Alfie… join us…” she hears whispers coming from every direction. The mansion was filled with various winding hallways and hidden doors. //Where could she go? Where was safe?// Kenny feels so disoriented, she can’t even comprehend where she is and her mind starts spinning as the children begin their signature chanting. Fear and confusion swarm her, hearing the laughs and giggles of children all around her. “What… I don’t…” words fall from her mouth as her vision blurs and the world spins. The boards under her legs begin to creak as she stumbles around weakly. Before she can even realize it, the floor under them gives out sending Kenny and Aflie tumbling down into the basement of //Geisterhaus//. [[...->...1]]

(text-colour:red)+(text-style:"blurrier")[[Wake up]]

(text-colour:red)+(text-style:"blur")[[Wake up, Kenny]]

Kenny’s eyes force themselves open as she coughs up the dust that had settled in her lungs from the fall. She immediately stands up on her feet, swinging her head around in a panic. //Alfie is gone.// “Alfie!” she calls out into the darkness. There’s no reply. “Alfie please…” she cries out desperately. She can’t keep her voice up and her legs ache from the fall. In fact, her whole body feels as if it’s breaking down like it was built from dust. She’s hungry, tired, and weak. The rabbit soup bottle was basically empty; she gave the last of it to Alfie. She trudges along the dirty ground past broken planks as her weak leg throbs. The basement seems never-ending and the heavy darkness was something she had never experienced before. “...Al…fie…” she mutters as her vision blurs one again. //(text-style:"fade-in-out")[[I have…to find...him]]//

The long dark corridor forks in her path. [[Left]] [[Right]]

She moves slowly to the left and within a minute she finds another fork. She groans in exhaustion and pain. [[Left->Next Fork 2]] [[Right->Next Fork 2]]

She moves slowly to the right and within a minute she finds another fork. She groans in exhaustion and pain. [[Left->Next Fork 2]] [[Right->Next Fork 2]]

Another Fork. [[Left->Next Fork 3]] [[Right->Next Fork 3]]

//Another Fork.// [[Left->Next Fork 4]] [[Right->Next Fork 4]]

//Another..// [[Le..ft->Next Fork 5]] [[Ri..ght->Next Fork 5]]

//An….// [[Le…f..t->Next Fork 6]] [[Ri..g..->Next Fork 6]]

Kenny collapses on the ground. Darkness begins to consume her vision. //Darkness… begins to consume her mind.// Did she fail? Is this… failure? And did she fail her brother? Is his life lost to the Underworld? If she can’t protect the person most dear to her heart from the evils of the world then… //[[...what good is her own life…?]]//

(text-style:"italic","smear","sway")+(size:2.05)[Chapter 5: The Cradle Will Fall] { (live: 5s)[(goto: "Chapter 5: The Cradle Will Fall")] }

//[[Continue->Continue 5]]// [[Chapter 4->‘Almost there.’]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]]

“//Mrm…//” “Hmm?” My body stirs from latency. I open my eyes and cough. It’s dark. I can’t really see… ‘//Where’s… Kenny?//’ I think, as I try to stand on my feet. Even the attempt of standing sends my body into a violent, uncontrollable, fit of coughs. I groan, holding my stomach and feeling wobbly. My head pounds and my mouth is dry. My memory is fuzzy, but the last thing I remember is being on Kenny’s back. If I’m not near her… she must be in trouble. Ken must be so worried about me. ‘//Kenny…needs…me...//’ I stumble forward slowly, shuffling my feet down the mounds of dirt before me. ‘//If… I find her… I… can help her! …finally…//” I smile weakly. My body hurts and I’m so so tired… but I trudge on quietly. My worn-out shoes drag slowly along with me. Suddenly, I hear whispers, so I look up into the darkness of the hallway I’m in. There are noises down this corridor. [[Follow the voices]] [[Avoid the voices->After Riddle and Avoid]]

Kenny’s red hoodie flows on my body as I walk towards the voices silently. Every step I take feels like an increased weight on my body. I’ve never felt this way before in my life. Is this what Kenny and Wyatt keep talking about? //Is this death?// I try to keep my mind on positive things like Kenny says. ‘//Pancakes at the diner, hide and seek, bedtime stories…//’ my mind mumbles on, as I arrive at the source of the voice. It’s a girl with a dollhouse playing on top of some rubble. Her eyes focus on me; she’s blue like the other kids I’ve seen, but she’s holding a doll. Her hair is tied up in little bows and her dress is very pretty. She grins looking at me. “Hey… aren’t you //the// Alfie! //Wow//, this is amazing, you’re like a celebrity here in Deponie. I never thought I’d get to meet you.” she replies with excitement as she floats up to me. I can’t manage to get words out of my mouth, my throat hurts. After my silence, she examines me up and down. “Hmm… I can tell you’re close to dying, huh?” the girl taps her chin as she smiles, moving around me excitedly. “I can also see that you need some help… maybe we could strike a deal? I mean, you can probably tell that I’m a ringleader, so the stakes //will// be high.” ‘//Would Kenny want me to say yes..? I don’t know… my mind is fuzzy…//’ I nod to her softly. “Wait! You need to know the deal before you agree!” she giggles. The girl taps her shoes rhythmically on the floor as she thinks. “How about…I'll tell your sister where you are if you can answer my riddle! If you get it wrong though… //I’ll end your suffering//.” she giggles with malicious eyes. I mull it over for a moment. ‘//Kenny…//’ [[Nod and agree]] [[Shake my head and refuse]]

She jumps up in joy, “Oh! I knew you were cool!! I’ll stay true to my word, so why don’t we get started!” I brace myself and get ready for her question. [[“This one’s for all the marbles.” she sings.]]

“Hm.. too bad.” she shrugs. “I’ll leave you to your fate.” I watch her phase through the wall. She was scary to be with… but now I’m alone… I look into the inky darkness, sigh, and begin trudging along slowly. [[Wander->After Riddle and Avoid]]

//Everything aches… It hurts so bad… But… I have to find Kenny…// People whisper around me. I’m not sure if it’s actual children or just inside my mind. Everything seems to swirl together and I can’t distinguish reality from fantasy anymore. I hear Kenny’s voice in my head, it echoes like a drum. I can’t walk any further. I begin to sway on my feet. With the last of my strength, I call out to my sister. “Kenny! I’m here. I’m… here…//please//…” I collapse onto the ground beneath me. I hadn’t noticed, but I had made myself into a pretty room. There are bright shining lights above my head. The floor is… marble I think. There are chairs and tables set up, with faded diamond-encrusted walls. It’s huge... The reflections of the lights shine into my eyes. (text-style:"blur")[It’s pretty…] (text-style:"blurrier")[…so very pretty…] [[...->...2]]

“//What has a tail and a head but no body?//” (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Type")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->AlfieGirlRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Choose")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->AlfieGirlRiddleChoose]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Typee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->AlfieGirlRiddleType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Choosee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->AlfieGirlRiddleChoose]]

(set: $answer to (prompt: "What is the answer?", "")) { (if:$answer is "coins",)[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "default")[ [[invalid->invalid5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "")[ [[invalid->invalid5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Coins")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "COINS")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "coin")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "COIN")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Coin")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A coin")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A Coin")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "a coin")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A COIN")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "a Coin")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "penny")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "a penny")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A penny")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A PENNY")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else-if: $answer is "a Penny")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.1]] ] (else:)[ [[Wrong->Wrong 5.1]] ] }

//Choose your answer// * [[The Floor->Wrong 5.1]] * [[Humans->Wrong 5.1]] * [[A Bird->Wrong 5.1]] * [[A Cat->Wrong 5.1]] * [[A Coin->Correct 5.1]] [[Back to the riddle->“This one’s for all the marbles.” she sings.]]

The girl huffs, tapping her leg impatiently. “I guess… you got it right…” she mumbles, squeezing her doll with poorly hidden frustration. “I’ll tell your sister wherever you end up like I promised. Good luck, Alfie,” she says with a fake smile. I watch her phase through the wall. She was scary to be with… but now I’m alone… I look into the inky darkness, sigh, and begin trudging along slowly. [[Wander->After Riddle and Avoid]]

[[Retry->“This one’s for all the marbles.” she sings.]]

The girl’s grin widens. “Seems like you got it wrong, Alfie…” she laughs creepily. I watch her doll get squished in her hands as she gets more excited. Without another word, she snaps her fingers, and from the walls appear more children. I back away so slowly that it’s frustrating; my body won’t move as fast as I want it to. The children begin chanting and my vision begins to go black as I watch a white ball appear from my chest once again. “I’m…sorry…Ken...ny…” I manage to mutter out before I can no longer speak. [[Game Over ->Game Over 5.1]]

//Alfie is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Puzzle->“This one’s for all the marbles.” she sings.]] [[Before Branch->Follow the voices]] [[Start of Chapter 5->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

//[[Kenny hears a voice in the darkness]]//

//[[...She awakens…]]//

“//Kenny…I’m…please...//” The voice pierces through Kenny’s soul, stirring her from her slumber. Even her battered body can’t remain down after hearing the desperate pleas of her brother. “A-alfie,” she mumbles, as her legs fail to stand. She takes out her ax using it as a crutch and she lets out a visceral scream into the darkness. She fights her body which just wants to settle in the dust and becomes motionless. Only on willpower alone, she stumbles forward. Her sore legs pulse under her skin. ‘//Whether it’s an other-worldly creature, an army, or even my own frightened biology working against me, I will **never** leave Alfie to fend for himself.//’ She repeats her mantra in her mind, as she forces her legs to move step by step. “I’m coming, Alfie!” she calls out into the darkness. “Just wait… I'll be there.” (if:(history: where its name contains "Correct 5.1")'s length is 1)[[A girl holding a doll appears in front of Kenny with a smile]] [[Travel towards Alfie’s voice->Travel the hallways]]

Kenny looks tiredly at the floating child. “Hello, No-name!~ I have something to say!” the girl sings. “What do you want?” Kenny growls back. The girl pouts and floats down to the ground. “Wow, Alfie was way cooler than you are…” the girl huffs, sticking out her tongue at Kenny. Kenny’s eyes widen and she stumbles closer to the girl. “You’ve seen Alfie? Where is he?” Kenny asks. The girl grins, having piqued Kenny’s interest. “Alfie answered a riddle of mine, and as I promised I will tell you where he is. He passed out in the ballroom, surrounded by diamonds and marble. There are kids all around these hallways. Answer their riddles correctly to get past them or you can take a shot in the dark on where to go…” the girl answers. Kenny nods and sighs, ‘//He was reckless… but at least now I can locate him easily.//’ The girl twirls her dress creepily. “But I was being coy before, No-name… or should I say, Kenny?” Kenny’s body jumps hearing her name spoken aloud for the first time in 4 days. “I guess Alfie was so tired he forgot to conceal your name when he called for you.” she giggles. Kenny doesn’t answer. “It’ll be easier for us children to summon your soul, now that we know everything about you. My deal with Alfie prevents me from throwing my hat into the ring though… so instead, I’ll warn you.” The girl disappears with an echoing giggle, leaving Kenny alone in the darkness. “I have to be careful...” Kenny mutters. As the girl leaves, the silence is replaced by the whispers of children in the hallways past. “Time for some riddles, I suppose,” Kenny mutters, slowly moving forward. [[Travel the hallways]]

Kenny’s legs lead her down the hallway. Her vision fades in and out, but it’s only her determination to save Alfie that keeps her conscious. Voices around her whisper, “//Answer our riddles…. we’ll take you to the boy… or wander the hallways… it’s your call…//” Kenny sighs deciphering the meaning of their chants in her foggy mind. ‘//They know where Alfie is… either I can answer a riddle and they’ll tell me the right path or I guess the path and risk getting lost…//’ She thinks. ‘//It’s my call, huh?//’ Without another moment… [[...the first child shows up.]]

It’s a boy, maybe 11, dressed up in a dapper striped suit with slicked-back hair. He opens his mouth and Kenny’s eyes widen as she sees that all of his teeth are missing. “I will tell you the true path if you answer my question correctly, but if you answer wrong I’ll take your soul. Will you answer my riddle and risk death? Or guess the path and risk death?” Behind him the hallway forks into 4 paths. [[Answer the riddle->Riddle Ans 1]] [[Guess the path->Path Choice 1]]

[[The boy smiles and asks his riddle.]]

Kenny steps before the various winding hallways. It’s time to choose one... [[Path 1->Wrong Path 1]] [[Path 2->Wrong Path 1]] [[Path 3->Wrong Path 1]] [[Path 4->Right Path 1]]

“//I have lakes with no water, mountains with no stone, and cities with no buildings. What am I?//” (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Type")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleOneType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Choose")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleOneChoose]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Typee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleOneType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Choosee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleOneChoose]]

(set: $answer to (prompt: "What is the answer?", "")) { (if:$answer is "A map",)[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "default")[ [[invalid->invalid5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "")[ [[invalid->invalid5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "a map")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A MAP")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "map")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "MAP")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Map")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "MAPS")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "maps")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Maps")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A globe")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A GLOBE")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "A Globe")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "globes")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "GLOBES")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Globes")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.2]] ] (else:)[ [[Wrong->Wrong 5.2]] ] }

//Choose your answer// * [[The Forest->Wrong 5.2]] * [[The Human Mind->Wrong 5.2]] * [[The Sky->Wrong 5.2]] * [[A Map->Correct 5.2]] * [[A Bowl->Wrong 5.2]] [[Back to the riddle->The boy smiles and asks his riddle.]]

The boy grins. “You’re wrong… and now I own your soul...” he whispers, floating up and summoning the other kids to overtake Kenny. “Alf…” is the only word Kenny is able to get out before she’s swarmed by the attacking children. [[Game Over->Game Over 5.2]]

The boy sighs and steps aside. “Choose Path 4.” [[Kenny nods and moves forward towards the next voice.->Path Choice 1]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Puzzle->The boy smiles and asks his riddle.]] [[Before Branch->...the first child shows up.]] [[Start of Chapter 5->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

[[Retry->The boy smiles and asks his riddle.]]

Kenny walks the path. There seems to be no end. As she walks further and further, the darkness seems to get darker, and the voices around her quiet down. She’s lost within the labyrinth of //Geisterhaus//. “Alfie!” she calls. Silence answers her back… Not even the desperate children say a word. No one knew where she was and it was unlikely that she’d ever find her way out. “I’m sorry, Alfie...please survive…” she breaks down on the ground holding her chest and shaking body. “//please…//” [[Game Over->Game Over Wrong Path 1]]

Kenny walks down the fourth hallway and finds herself surrounded by lit candles, a sign that she’s on the right path. She releases a breath of relief and walks on further to the next fork. [[The second child arrives.]]

//Kenny is now lost to the maze of Geisterhaus. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Guess->Path Choice 1]] [[Before Branch->...the first child shows up.]] [[Start of Chapter 5->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

A little girl barely past 4 years old appears from the walls. She’s wearing a blindfold and her head has been shaved bald. Her soft voice whispers, “I will tell you the true path if you answer my question correctly, but if you answer wrong I’ll take your soul. Answer my riddle or guess the hallway…” Behind her, the hallways once again fork into 4 paths. [[Answer the riddle->Riddle Ans 2]] [[Guess the path->Path Choice 2]]

[[The girl nods and prepares to speak.]]

Kenny steps before the next set of various winding hallways. It’s time to choose one… [[Path 1->Wrong Path 2]] [[Path 2->Wrong Path 2]] [[Path 3->Wrong Path 2]] [[Path 4->Right Path 2]]

“//What has no voice of its own but will reply perfectly when spoken to?//” (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Type")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleTwoType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Choose")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleTwoChoose]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Typee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleTwoType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Choosee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleTwoChoose]]

(set: $answer to (prompt: "What is the answer?", "")) { (if:$answer is "An echo",)[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "default")[ [[invalid->invalid5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "")[ [[invalid->invalid5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "an echo")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "AN ECHO")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "echo")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Echo")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "an Echo")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "ECHO")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "echoes")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Echoes")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "ECHOES")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "echos")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Echos")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else-if: $answer is "ECHOS")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.3]] ] (else:)[ [[Wrong->Wrong 5.3]] ] }

//Choose your answer// * [[An Echo->Correct 5.3]] * [[The Ocean->Wrong 5.3]] * [[A Letter->Wrong 5.3]] * [[A Dog->Wrong 5.3]] * [[The Earth->Wrong 5.3]] [[Back to the riddle->The girl nods and prepares to speak.]]

The girl accepts defeat and floats above Kenny, clearing a way for her. “Choose Path 4 once again,” she mutters. [[Kenny watches the girl disappear and then moves forward towards the hallways.->Path Choice 2]]

[[Retry->The girl nods and prepares to speak.]]

The girl smiles. “That’s incorrect, now you owe me your soul...” she answers. Her wispy giggles act as a beacon to her underlings as a flood of children and flailing arms come tumbling from the walls. Kenny blocks them with her ax, but the amount of children is too much to push back. “Stay…safe…Alfie….” she mutters as she takes her final stand. [[Game Over->Game Over 5.3]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Puzzle->The girl nods and prepares to speak.]] [[Before Branch->The second child arrives.]] [[Start of Chapter 5->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

Kenny walks down the next path and finds herself surrounded by more lit candles. She’s doing well. ‘//Almost there.//’ she thinks as she walks on further to the next fork. Around her, she can hear the chatter of children becoming more frantic and nervous. She can tell by this that she’s almost made it to Alfie. What she assumes to be the last child, floats into appearance. [[They arrive.]]

//Kenny is now lost to the maze of Geisterhaus. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Guess->Path Choice 2]] [[Before Branch->The second child arrives.]] [[Start of Chapter 5->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

A boy reveals himself in front of Kenny. Of all the kids she’s met here in Deponie, the boy seems to be one the oldest other than Wyatt. He is most likely rivaling 13 years old and he looks the most tired and broken out of all of the children she’s seen. Bags droop down from his eyes, his voice is dark and rough. He mutters, “I will tell you the true path if you answer my question correctly, but if you answer wrong I’ll take your soul. Choose your poison…” Behind the boy, the path now forks into //5// paths. [[Answer the riddle->Riddle Ans 3]] [[Guess the path->Path Choice 3]]

[[The boy doesn’t hesitate]]

Kenny steps before the last set of various winding hallways. It’s time to choose one… [[Path 1->Wrong Path 3]] [[Path 2->Right Path 3]] [[Path 3->Wrong Path 3]] [[Path 4->Wrong Path 3]] [[Path 5->Wrong Path 3]]

“//What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?//” (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Type")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleThreeType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "I'd rather Choose")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleThreeChoose]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Typee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleThreeType]] (if:(history: where its name contains "Choosee")'s length >= 1)[[I'm ready to answer->MansionRiddleThreeChoose]]

(set: $answer to (prompt: "What is the answer?", "")) { (if:$answer is "silence",)[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.4]] ] (else-if: $answer is "default")[ [[invalid->invalid5.4]] ] (else-if: $answer is "")[ [[invalid->invalid5.4]] ] (else-if: $answer is "Silence")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.4]] ] (else-if: $answer is "SILENCE")[ [[Correct!->Correct 5.4]] ] (else:)[ [[Wrong->Wrong 5.4]] ] }

//Choose your answer// * [[House of Cards->Wrong 5.4]] * [[Glass->Wrong 5.4]] * [[Silence->Correct 5.4]] * [[Fine China->Wrong 5.4]] * [[Water->Wrong 5.4]] [[Back to the riddle->The boy doesn’t hesitate]]

The boy doesn’t speak. He points towards Path 2 and then disappears as quickly as he came. [[“Path 2 it seems...” Kenny mutters, moving forward.->Path Choice 3]]

[[Retry->The boy doesn’t hesitate]]

The silent boy grows a smirk. The creepiness of his demeanor is enough to let Kenny know that she answered incorrectly. He doesn’t even have to motion for the waiting kids to pounce on her. Kenny is quickly overrun by desperate children scraping for her soul. “Alfie!” she calls out as she stretches her arms towards the final corridor where he most likely is residing. ‘//So close… yet so far…//’ Her mind whispers as her consciousness goes black. [[Game Over->Game Over 5.4]]

//Kenny is now deceased. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Puzzle->The boy doesn’t hesitate]] [[Before Branch->They arrive.]] [[Start of Chapter 5->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

Kenny walks down the 2nd path. There’s no child there waiting in this hallway. In fact, this last corridor seems empty, yet the whole area feels tense. ‘//They’re… hiding? I must be close to Alfie... None of them want to be the one that fails their riddle and lets me through and out of Geisterhaus.//’ She sighs and examines the doors in front of her. “Choose the wrong door and be lost to //Geisterhaus// forever….” she hears their giggles. They weren’t risking it with a riddle this time, they were betting on her choosing the wrong door and if she did, then they could haunt her forever until they eventually get her soul. Tarnished silver plates reflect the names of the rooms. “//The Kitchen, The Ballroom, and The Bedchamber.//” Which one did Alfie pass out in…? [[The Kitchen]] [[The Ballroom]] [[The Bedchamber]]

//Kenny is now lost to the maze of Geisterhaus. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Guess->Path Choice 3]] [[Before Branch->They arrive.]] [[Start of Chapter 5->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

Kenny opens the kitchen door and walks through. It’s dark. Ladles and pots lay strewn across the floor. //Yet, it was completely empty.// Laughter erupts from the walls as kids appear, “You chose wrong, Kenny! Now, you’ll be with us forever!” Kenny flinches and she raises her ax apprehensively. They must have learned her name when Alfie cried out for her… now she’s a sitting duck. “One day you’ll break down… and we’ll be there to collect the remnants.” she hears a child speak. She groans as her head pounds. Her ax clatters to the ground, as she holds her body in pain as their trance-inducing chants ensue, now that they know her name. In her haze, Kenny calls out for Alfie, doomed to wander the halls of //Geisterhaus// forever. [[Game Over->Game Over Wrong Room]]

Kenny opens the door to the ballroom. The shiny room reflects the light from the candles into her eyes. Despite this momentary flash of blindness, she still recognizes Alfie’s fallen body when her eyes pass him. Without a second thought for her aching legs, she runs over to his side. On her knees, she holds him tightly in her arms as her lip quivers. This whole trip, she had been so close to tears but had managed to keep her emotions locked. Yet now seeing her thin, gray, little brother unconscious in her arms, she is so close to breaking the dam she had sealed up so long ago. She puts him on her back getting up with rage and conviction. Her pain seems to disappear with her adrenaline. //Alfie was running out of time.// The kids call to Kenny begging for a chance for her to answer their riddles, but she ignores them with untapped power. Fiercely, she goes door through door without stopping or resting. “You won’t keep us here,” she mutters through grit teeth. When she first came into //Geisterhaus// she was flustered and confused. Now, she could clearly see the signs of the true path to the exit. Previously, every door looked as if it was painted a deep black. Now that she was calm and looked closer, she could tell that there were some differences in the colors. Some doors were a dark red and some were a dark blue. Using all the information she learned from Wyatt, she storms through the red doors with vigor. She could hear the cries of children begging her and Alfie to stay, but she blocks them out them. Her broken-down body was tunnel-visioned, only having one goal and that was to get Alfie out of this horrible place. [[Door through door through door until…]]

Kenny steps through the door to the bedchamber. There is a large king-size bed in the middle of the room with ruffled white sheets on top. She runs to the bed hoping to find Alfie sleeping within it. As she throws off the sheets with a smile, to her dismay she finds an empty bed. “Alfie!” she calls out desperately. The kids laugh amongst each other. “You chose wrong, Kenny! Now, you’ll be with us forever!” Kenny flinches and she raises her ax apprehensively. They must have learned her name when Alfie cried out for her… now she’s a sitting duck. “One day you’ll break down… and we’ll be there to collect the remnants.” she hears a child speak. She groans as her head pounds. Her ax clatters to the ground, as she holds her body in pain as their trance-inducing chants ensue, now that they know her name. In her haze, Kenny calls out for Alfie, doomed to wander the halls of //Geisterhaus// forever. [[Game Over->Game Over Wrong Room]]

//Kenny is now lost to the maze of Geisterhaus. Decide what to do.// [[Retry Guess->Right Path 3]] [[Start of Chapter 5->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

Kenny opens the last door in front of her. She almost stumbles backward by the presence of wind. It blows her fluffy hair around and cools her hot skin as if it was a victory at the finish line. She screams out in glee, “We’ve made it out of //Geisterhaus//!” She blinks looking up at the hill Wyatt talked about. It probably was only a 10-minute walk to its base and the Creature was up there. //The Creature was so close....// After nearly a week of starving, fear, and hopelessness… they could be out of here by the hour’s end. Kenny bites her lip to prevent herself from crying tears of joy, but Alfie was nearly dead. She had to hurry. “It’s right there… can you believe it… it’s right there Alfie... we… we can go home…” Kenny slurs, moving along. The last sparks of adrenaline that had carried her through the mansion were now dwindling now that they were outside of the house. Her vision fades in and out. “I’ll kill it… I will... I’ll… I’ll save… you.” she mumbles stumbling closer to the steep hill. “No… you won’t.” Kenny turns around and sees a dark figure standing above her and before she can respond they start smothering her mouth and nose with a dirty piece of cloth. Her eyes widen at the sight of this brazen new attacker. “Wya-” are the only words she’s able to spit out before the world goes black around her. //[[“...Just sleep, Kenny… just sleep..”]]//

(text-style:"italic","smear","sway")+(size:1.93)[Chapter 6: And Down Will Come Baby] { (live: 5s)[(goto: "Chapter 6: And Down Will Come Baby")] }

//[[Continue->Continue 6]]// [[Chapter 5->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]]

//[[It doesn’t take long for Kenny to awaken now.]]//

Kenny’s eyes flicker open. Her vision is blurry and her body is sore. As she groans trying to remember the events right before she blacked out, stark images begin flashing through her head. Her body goes stiff and she gasps as the information hits her like a brick. //Wyatt had kidnapped her.// [[Immediately, she looks around and begins analyzing her situation.]]

She looks up… The sky is dark and gray as usual, but right now it seems even darker. Overhead, heavy clouds cast a foreboding shadow upon her. Above in the sky, there’s a swirling dark cumulonimbus signaling a coming storm. She looks down… Her knees are bent down on wet, healthy, grass. She looks at it shocked, making sure her eyes aren’t playing tricks on her. Something alive in Deponie? The whole time she’s been here, this is the only green thing she’s seen. She looks to her left… She’s lying on a field. Wind blows the soft blades of grass in mesmerizing waves. The field she’s on is circular and small; 10 good steps in one direction could send her tumbling off the rounded edge. There are also rocky and sunken graves spread about the entire area. Looking taken over by the ground, moss grows on top of these weathered tombstones while unintelligible faded names are written on them. Her eyes focus on the other things around her. Her ax and backpack are strewn across the field as well. She looks to her right… //Alfie is there passed out on the grass.// At that shocking sight she stands up and to her surprise, she finds that her hands and legs aren’t bound like she had assumed. //[[‘What is going on?’]]//

She runs to Alfie to check on him as the damp grass squelches under her boots. She holds up his wrist quickly and looks for a pulse. Under her fingertips, a rhythmic pump of blood is felt. ‘//He’s still alive, but only hanging on by a thread.//’ she thinks, relaxing her shoulders slightly. She lets out a sigh of relief but he’s not safe yet. His breath is very shallow and scattered… he’s almost gone. She needs to find the Creature immediately because this is now… Alfie’s final moments. She grimaces and stands up frantically. “Where are we?” she mutters, walking around the open area and gathering her things. Kenny places the wet, cold, ax in her hands. “Where is //it//?” she growls. She looks over the side of the round field and her eyes widen as she views an unimaginable drop. They were so high in the sky that all of Deponie was in view. //Sumpf//, //Rebgarten//, //Geisterhaus//, and so many other places she had never even encountered… she was above it all. Like she thought when she first got here, Deponie really did seem to expand into the reaches of forever… She backs away shocked now knowing that she was on top of the hill she gazed at right before getting knocked out. “You’re at the //Altar//.” A voice whispers. Kenny whips around to find Wyatt floating near a sunken grave. “It’s the only place in Deponie that grows live flora. At this point in the clouds, Deponie is closest to the living world.” His eyes trail up. Kenny’s eyes follow. He was right, they were nearly touching the sky. It seemed so tangible that if she jumped she could possibly touch a ceiling. Still, she doesn’t let herself get caught up in his words. “Where… //where were you//…” she seethes. “You kidnapped Alfie and I and brought us here? //What’s your goal? (text-colour:yellow)[Who are you?]//” He flinches at her anger and looks down solemnly. His eyes fall with guilt as he reaches out his hands conflicted and trying to find the right answer. “I-” **//[[“It seems you’re distracted Kenny…”]]//**

Kenny’s eyes widen at the arrival of a new voice. “**//Did you forget who lies at the top of the Altar?//**” Kenny’s grip on her ax tightens, but her hands shake hearing that frightening voice she had come to hate. Like a shadow, from behind a grave, the beast she had first encountered with Alfie reveals itself. Its large animalistic paws smother the grass beneath it. Stalking closer, it towers over her like a building casting darkness over the light of the hill. Its overwhelming, dark, mass of body shocks her to her core. There are no words. Like when she had first seen it, Kenny’s legs are glued to the ground. [[She’s… scared…]]

“**//Wyatt led you to me. And from the moment you met him… he’s been working for me.//**” Kenny’s eyes turn in disbelief to the only person she’s ever trusted with Alfie’s safety. Wyatt avoids her gaze looking down at his feet. “No… no…//you don’t get to stay silent//… I need an explanation.” she mutters, stumbling back. Wyatt looks up at her with wavering eyes. She continues, “You needed a prayer. I promised I would do it and I never break my promises...” Her body vibrates. It shakes in anger. She feels so blind and stupid. //Valedictorian? What a joke.// She was duped like a child. An intense rage comes over Kenny and she fights the murderous urge to sink her ax into Wyatt’s skull. No words escape her mouth, she can only breathe out her building anger eyes locked on their betrayer. Wyatt steps forward reaching his hands out as his eyes flicker back and forth trying to find the words to say. “If… if you prayed for me… I would have been sent up to Jeder. And Jeder is good, it’s a beautiful place! But… the Creature promised me before you came that if I brought you to it then it would use the Staff of Regrets to send me up to Fest… //The Fest//, Kenny. Home of miracles. You don’t understand... how could I pass that opportunity up? How could I pass up the possibility of being regarded as an ultimate human being? You don't know what it's like to be forgotten. You don’t know what it’s like to spend 50 long years in this place. You’ve barely been here a week. I just wanted… a chance… Don’t you understand… don’t you…?” He begins muttering to himself, trying to convince his own mind of his betrayal more than her. The Creature stands silently above Kenny. Kenny can barely find the words to say as her fist curls up in anger and sadness. “Alfie is nine years old… you would let a kid //die//… because of your greed? You told me Fest was reserved for the best of the best. Scum like you doesn’t deserve a place with them.” she spits. Wyatt seems at a loss for words. Kenny reorients herself and grips her ax in front of her. “Now… I have to do what I came here for,” she mutters, breaking eye contact with Wyatt and glaring at the beast who has Alfie’s soul hidden within the folds of its body. The Creature chuckles; it sounds like grating rocks. “**//How self-absorbed you are.//**” “You don’t have a right to say that to me! I’m trying to save my brother’s life!” she yells, swinging her ax at the body of the beast. The ax slides right through its shadowy figure to her surprise, ‘//It worked on Earth, what happened?//’ “**//From the moment you stepped into Deponie, I’ve heard every single word you’ve spoken. It’s all derivative… You’re always going on and on about your troubles when taking care of Alfred. Always shielding him from the world… You’re blind… so very blind.//**” It mutters. Walking closer, it rests its heavy paw on her shoulder. It feels like the weight of a boulder has been placed on her frame. She groans in exhaustion as the Creature’s sickly white grin grows. “**//You asked Alfred why demons are targeting him… why are demons targeting you Kendall…?//**” it questions. Kenny growls, “//I don’t know!//” She swings her ax only for it to pass through the Creature once again. Nonetheless, she keeps swinging in a blind rage. “You! Answer! That! Why! Is! My! Life! So! Hard!” She screams out in frustration with each swing. “Why do //I// have to fight demons? Why do //I// have to make history? Why can’t I have a normal life! Why!” Tired of her futile actions, the Creature viciously slaps Kenny away which sends her tumbling into the ground. Blood drips from Kenny’s body as she groans, gritting her teeth and getting back up on her shaky legs. “**//It’s always all about you, isn’t it!//**” the Creature yells, which sends daggers flying into Kenny’s heart. “//Then what is this all about?//” Kenny screams back desperately. [[The field is silent for a moment.]]

The Creature lingers around her with a blank expression. “//I thought you were better than this Kenny. I really did.//” it mutters. Kenny’s eyes widen at the sudden change in tone. The dark voice disappeared…? The familiarity of the new voice strikes Kenny’s soul with such fervency. She racks her brain trying to remember its source. The small blue hand from when she first encountered the Creature flies out from the dark abyss of the misty animal. Kenny watches with frightened eyes remembering that the beast was only a cloak. Who lies underneath? The huge mass of the beast falls to the ground with a weightless thud revealing the true face of the Creature. It’s a child holding a large staff. //Just… a child? No…// //(text-style:"blur")[It’s her.]// It was a girl in //(text-style:"blur")[her]// favorite red dress, with //(text-style:"blur")[her]// braided back hair, and tied up in //(text-style:"blur")[her]// signature little bows. //(text-style:"blur")[Her.]// Kenny’s mouth goes dry. Her body goes stiff. No words can escape. [[Standing before her was Abigail Jones.]]

Kenny’s mind spins. An overload of information hits her like a truck. “//Abby is…dead? Abby stole Alfie’s soul? Abby tried to **kill** Alfie? Abby tried to **kill** me? Abby is the Creature?//” There's too much to process. There’s too much to say. All of her resolve to kill the Creature dissipates into thin air. Kenny’s knees give out and she falls to the ground. “Pathetic…” Abby’s voice whispers. “You’re a disgrace.” The dam… that emotional dam that had been so close to exploding this entire adventure… broke like tissue paper at this horrible realization. Tears stream down from Kenny’s eyes violently and uncontrollably. “A-abby… what happened?” she cries in broken words, reaching out for her sister. Abby looks down at her with cold eyes as her grip on her staff tightens. “Now you want to know huh?” Abby mutters, walking closer. “**//Where were you for the last 4 years!//**” Abby shrieks in rage. Kenny silences herself, letting her tears stream down her cheeks. “Why… why did you let me go with Dad…” Abby growls. “I didn’t even make it //3 months// before he hit me over the head with a broken beer bottle. I wasn’t even dead after that, no… I was still alive. Internal bleeding, maybe, but //alive//. And alive I was until he took me to the river and //drowned// me trying to hide his drunken mistakes.” Kenny’s body shakes as she curls up on the ground. “You know, Kenny? When I died, I wasn’t even angry. I went up to //Jeder// and it was beautiful there. Very beautiful. When I happened upon the Staff of Regrets I would use the rips to watch you and Alfie talk and play back in Millflower. I waited for the day you would venture out to find me. I waited for the day you would even //talk about me//. Yet it never came.” Abby seethes. Kenny looks up at her with regretful eyes. “How could you, Ken…? Alfie was five when I left. You never talk about me to him. //He barely even remembers he has another sister!//” Abby screams. “Then you were going off to live your dream life in //Princeton//-! You were going to leave my death a mystery forever!” Lightning strikes as Abby’s emotions explode. [[Rain pours down torrentially.]]

Kenny’s eyes blur in intense pain and sadness. She holds her stomach as she cries. ‘//Had I truly forgotten about my own sister? Did I make a fantasy life for her in my head when I knew how dangerous Dad could be? Did I trick myself to give my heart solace for letting her leave that day? How sick.//’ “Where //were// you Kenny? //Who am I to you//!” Abby yells floating up above Kenny in a violent rage. Soaked on the ground, never in her life has Kenny been so emotionally vulnerable. In this moment, her heart is bare for everyone to see. She can’t believe it. //She can’t accept it.// There //has// to be a good explanation. There //has// to be some sort of //reason// for her actions. Desperately, Kenny speaks. “I… I had to stay with Alfie. I couldn’t leave him. He’s only nine. That’s why I didn’t... that’s why you…” Kenny’s mind swirls trying to find the right excuse to say. “I would never go to Princeton… I have to… I have to care for him… That’s why…” [[“I’m sorry.”->Sorry 1]]

Kenny’s head turns to see Alfie awake on the side of a tombstone. “Don’t talk, Alfie! Save your strength!” Kenny calls out to him. “N-no…” Alfie says brokenly as tears begin falling from his glossed-over brown eyes. “I’m sorry Kenny… this is all my fault.” Kenny’s blood runs cold hearing Alfie trying to shift the blame onto himself. “Alfie… don’t say that,” she says to him biting her lip in an attempt to keep back her flowing tears. “You’ve always been there for me.” he hiccups as he cries. “You h-helped me every time I scraped my knee, every day with my math homework, making me feel better w-when I’m sad… and I’ve //never// h-helped you ever.” He rubs his tears away but more keep gushing out. “If I never got tricked by the ghost you never would have been here or gotten so hurt. A-and I want to help out, but I don’t know what to do. I-I’m just dead weight. Y-you’ve done so much for me. But//-hic-//I can’t help you and…it hurts.” Alfie sobs. Kenny's eyes fill with water as her hands shake. “No… p-please don’t think that way. I’m sorry. I-it’s my fault. I’m so sorry.” Kenny can't muster the will to stand feeling disgusted with herself. ‘//Alfie… the only person I truly loved in this world… is someone I’ve actually been pushing away like everybody else… At 13, I made an iron shield. I made the shield for him… What use is it if he’s on the outside of it…?//’ Kenny tries to calm her heart as she digs her nails into her skin trying to use her usual relaxing breathing technique that now seems to be failing her. “Look at what you’ve done Kenny… look at who you’ve hurt…” Abby mumbles pacing around her. “And you will pay for your sins… I am your reckoning... And like I promised, once you made it to the //Altar//, I would take your life.” Abby grins. Rain pours down even heavier soaking Kenny’s clothes. Freshwater mixes with her salty tears as she cries bitterly. In this downpour, as tears stream down her face, Kenny gets up on her feet like a zombie and walks over to Abby. Instinctively, she wraps her arms tightly around Abby’s small frame. Abby flinches in shock at Kenny’s touch before fighting back violently. “//Get off of me!//” Abby screams, biting and scratching her. The words and the pain barely register in Kenny’s mind. Everything is blank… She needs to think… She… //[[She needs to go back.]]//

//(text-colour:red)+(text-style:"fade-in-out")[[13->Thirteen 2]]//

We’re under the table. Mom and Dad are yelling. Alfie’s face is buried in my chest. I look behind me to Abby whose eyes watch Mom and Dad in fear. //The words I was supposed to say.// [[“Abby.”]] [["Alfie."->Wrong Memory Choice]]

//(text-style:"blur")[Abby]// Abby turns her head to me as her braids swish back and forth behind her. Her eyes are wide and tear-stained. Her red dress is crumpled underneath her knees. //Red was always her favorite color.// [[“Don’t go.”->Wrong Memory Choice]] [[“I need to tell you something.”]]

No, that’s not it. The memory cracks and pieces fall off of the scene. I need to answer correctly or I’ll be lost to this place forever. [[Return->Thirteen 2]] (if:visits >= 3)[(goto: "Lost to the Labyrinth")]

//(text-style:"blur")[I need to tell you something]// Abby nods her head and looks at me with a soft smile. “Yes, Kenny?” //[[“Don’t go, please.”->Wrong Memory Choice]]// [[“You’ll be leaving soon.”]]

Kenny was wrong... far too many times. The scene shatters, glass or memories fall in shards around her. Abby, Alfie, the table, her home... it all disappears... and the world around her goes dark. Kenny groans in pain holding her head and lies dormant on the dark invisible flooring underneath her. Kenny is trapped in her psyche... forever... [[Game Over->Game Over 6]]

//(text-style:"blur")[You’ll be leaving soon.]// Abby looks at me with puzzled eyes. Tears start dripping down my face. I scrunch the tablecloth in my hands. [[“Just stay, Abby!”->Wrong Memory Choice]] [[“And I won’t be able to stop you…”]]

//(text-style:"blur")[And I won’t be able to stop you…]// I pull her closer to me and softly rub her head. [[“Don’t leave us…”->Wrong Memory Choice]] [[“Please… just know this.”]]

//(text-style:"blur")[Please… just know this.]// Abby holds me close. I feel her wet tears stain my clothes. [[...->...6.2]]

[[...->...6]]

//[[Oh Kenny…]]//

//[[I’ve been so alone…]]//

Kenny snaps back into reality. She finds Abby underneath her arms sobbing her heart out. “No! This //isn’t// supposed to be like this.” She pushes Kenny away. “I’m sorry Abby,” Kenny says, finally cooling herself down. “You //aren’t//. And Alfie //will// die. And you //will// die.” Abby yells desperately. Kenny sighs, scrunching her fists together. Time in this place has degraded Abby’s soul. The pain she’s felt for so long… changed her personality. The person before her was an angry and bitter ghost and this ghost… was no longer her sister. In that hug they shared, there was a spark, and Kenny heard her true little sister underneath the ocean of hatred in this child before her. //[[With a heavy heart, Kenny picks up her ax.]]//

“I can’t let you kill Alfie, Abby.” She says looking up fiercely at her sister. “What are you going to do about it?” Abby scoffs picking her staff. Abby makes the first move and attacks Kenny with her staff aiming at Kenny’s legs. The jagged pieces of glass surrounding the staff dig deep into her skin. Kenny winces at the intense pain but doesn’t miss a beat. Kenny retaliates by butting Abby in the head with the back of her ax which sends her sister tumbling backwards. Wyatt looks up alarmed, “Do you need help, Creature!” “//Stay out of it, Wyatt//!” Abby screams. Fueled by anger, Abby swings the sharp staff straight in an attempt to pierce Kenny’s heart. However, in her rage, Abby is uncoordinated and wild so Kenny is able to duck and tumble away from the poor attack. Abby floats up into the sky trying to get reoriented and aim at Kenny with her staff, but Kenny is already two steps ahead. Kenny jumps up from a gravestone and hooks onto Abby’s ankle, dragging her back down to the ground. Using her bookbag, she swings it at Abby which sends her flying into the dirt. As Abby tries to get up, Kenny digs her boot into her chest pinning Abby down. The Staff of Regrets falls to the ground. “You don’t care about me… do it…” She laughs, holding Kenny’s boot from underneath her. “Why don’t you phase through the dirt?” Kenny asks puzzled. “Why not? My goal is to make you miserable. If I kill you now, I will only send you up to Jeder and it’s too beautiful a place for you to be. I want you to live and //suffer// from killing your sister, all your days on Earth.” Abby giggles. “You’re not Abby, you’re not my sister. I heard her. And you’re not her. ” Kenny mumbles, gripping her ax. Abby scoffs. “//You wouldn’t know//,” she whispers brokenly. Kenny averts her eyes, “Abby,” she calls as the ghost squirms under her boot. “I know the real you can hear me, Abby. I love you. And… I’m sorry. If I kill this ghost, I’ll be killing the good part of you hidden in all this hatred. I don’t know if I can.” ‘//She’s been corrupted… I am to blame for this. This “Abby” won’t give up. I… I have to make a choice. If I kill her, I can save Alfie and we’ll both go back to Earth. If I stay with Abby, I can convince her to give Alfie his soul but at the cost of my own life. However… maybe with time here in Deponie, I could find my true sister...//’ Kenny’s eyes fall with heavy tears as she faces the hardest decision of her life. [[Kill Abby and save Alfie’s soul]] [[Stay with Abby in the Underworld]]

Kenny looks bitterly at her 10-year old sister. She would’ve been 14. She //could’ve// been 14. Under the screeches of this ghost, she speaks hoping the true Abby can hear her. “I’m sorry for my apathy, Abigail. My heart belongs to Alfie and you... forever. Wherever you go after this, I hope you’re happy all of your days.” Kenny whispers. “Abby’s //dead//!” the ghost screams. Tears drip down Kenny’s cheeks as her ax wavers in her hand. “You-!” Before the ghost can get out another foul sentence, Kenny brings the ax down into Abby’s heart. It sinks into her like water. Abby’s expression goes blank; her mouth is left slightly ajar. Her eyes gloss over... and she dissipates into a cloud of mist. Kenny crumbles to the ground, burying her hands in her face. “I-I’m so sorry, Abby.” she cries and sobs. As she curls up on the ground, from the mist of Abby’s remains appears a white ball. It glows warmly near Kenny. She looks up at it through blurry eyes and grasps the beautiful soul. There’s… no time to mourn…not yet... Alfie needs this now. She wipes away her tears which only makes more of them come back in increased volume. Angry, she ignores her obstructed vision and runs over to Alfie who lies on the tombstones. Without taking a moment to think, she pushes the soul into his chest. It disappears under his skin. The moment of silence where nothing happens frightens her to her core, but then… Alfie’s body begins rising up… Flashes of white beams from his eyes like it had on Earth as the two halves of his soul connect. She feels the collision like a sonic wave vibrating through her body. The force sends ripples through the grass of the //Altar//. He falls and passes out in her arms, but immediately she can see some color in his skin again. “Oh, Alfie!” she squeezes him in relief as he sleeps. She holds him for another minute longer, unimaginably happy and destructively sad simultaneously. Enveloped by her clashing emotions, she tries to remember the next step to take in her foggy mind as she lets her tears flow free. The sudden sound of steps alerts her. She stands up defensively with Alfie on her back. Wyatt walks up next to her; he quietly holds the staff looking down. There are no words he can say. There are no words she can answer. With a quiet understanding of his melancholy face… she nods to him. He nods back and uses the staff to open a rip to the living realm. Through the widening of the passageway, she can see their canal. She could hear the faint chirps of birds, the soft wind blowing her hair, the groaning creaks of the old houses. //They were really going home.// Kenny walks slowly into the rip, letting the living realm’s gusts of wind bring dead fall leaves into Deponie. Her feet stop halfway through. She shouldn’t. She knows she shouldn’t. //But she looks back.// "Where has she gone?" she whispers to him. Wyatt mutters quietly, "Most likely //Galgen//. Bringing living beings into the Underworld is a grave crime." Kenny nods silently and continues her trek. She hears him call again but the wind is too loud for her to decipher his words. She can’t hear him through the wind but can read his lips. He mouths with a small melancholy smile, “//I’m sorry...//” She holds her gaze with him as the rip closes and his face disappears. It’s early morning in Millflower. //[[They’ve made it.->Epilogue]]//

“Abby… I’m not leaving.” Kenny whispers, stepping off and backing away from her. The ghost falls silent, shocked by Kenny’s actions. “B-but… you have a life back on Earth... You have a full scholarship, best friends, //a future//. Why would you stay?” Abby scrambles up from the ground and clenches her fist, not knowing what to do. “I can’t leave you a second time.” Kenny smiles a broken smile at her. Abby flinches at Kenny’s words. Involuntarily, her eyes begin welling up. “No! You’re… you’re lying to me. You’re tricking me! I’m not that important…” she cries, wiping her face. Kenny walks closer and embraces her once again. “You’re everything Abby. You and Alfie are everything. The most important people in my life.” Abby’s eyes widen in disbelief before she starts yelling, refusing to believe Kenny. “The staff is weak! If you think you’ll be able to go behind my back and return to Earth you’re mistaken! It only has 5 uses. When I got it 3 of the uses were already finished and I used 1 to travel to Earth last week. This is the last use and I won’t let you go!” She yells out. Kenny holds her sister and looks her straight into the eyes. “Abby… I’m staying.” Kenny tells her with conviction. Abby’s strong demeanor breaks down as she begins sobbing on the ground. “//Oh, Kenny… please stay… I’m so alone...//” Kenny holds her in a hug as they lie on the grass. “I’m so sorry I made you feel this way…” Kenny mumbles as her tears fall on Abby. They hold each other for a moment but it’s interrupted by Abby suddenly flinching and remembering something. “Oh no! Alfie!” Abby cries out running to her little brother. Kenny follows quickly, now realizing that her little brother had gone silent. Kenny bends near the tombstone Alfie is on. His eyes are closed and he’s not moving. Holding back her intense fear, Kenny places her head on his chest. There is still a faint beating of his heart, painfully slow and quiet, but still beating. Kenny blinks back her tears. He had passed out again, but he was nearly dead. “How could I have done this to him…” Abby mutters, scrunching up the grass with her hands. “I’ll give him his soul back!” she says quickly, looking from Kenny to Alfie. Abby dips her hands into her chest and brings out a warm, glowing white ball. Kenny stares at it in wonder… it’s beautiful. Abby places the soul back into Alfie’s body to which he rises and glows as the two halves of his soul connect. The light is nearly blinding. Kenny can barely breathe from the joy she gets seeing the immediate return of color to Alfie’s face as he falls back to the ground. Abby looks down solemnly. “But… you can’t leave him, Kenny. How will he survive in the world without you… you should go back...” Kenny rubs her head soothingly. “I’m staying with you, Abby. Forever and always. //I promise//. Alfie is a strong boy, he’ll learn the ways of the world without me. And it’s not forever. One day we’ll all be reunited.” Kenny mutters. Abby holds her tightly. “I love you, Kenny,” she whispers. Kenny holds back tears as Abby gets up, grabs the staff, and begins to open the last rip to the living realm. Kenny looks at unconscious Alfie in her arms. It’ll be the last time she’ll hold her little brother. “Oh, Alfie… I love you more than life itself, but… I can’t be with you forever. I can’t keep clipping your wings. You deserve to fly and I //know// you can. Stay safe and… remember your sisters.” Kenny holds his warm body close to her, hoping that even a few of her words would reach him in his slumber. Kenny takes Alfie before the rip, a gaping hole in reality. Through it, she can see the canal, the broken concrete, and the blue sky of Earth. //It's so close.// Kenny reaches her arm through the rip and places Alfie softly on the concrete of the canal. Quietly, she steps back. Wind blows his soft hair around as he sleeps peacefully on the ground. She holds her smile as tears slip down and the passageway begins to close. The staff immediately shatters into pieces. [[“I’ll see you again.”->Epilogue]]

//Kenny is... gone...// [[Retry Memory Scene->Thirteen 2]] [[Start of Chapter 6->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]] [[Credits]]

//[[“I love you, Abby.”]]//

(text-style:"italic","smear","sway")+(size:3)[Epilogue: Cradle and All] { (live: 5s)[(goto: "Epilogue: Cradle and All")] }

//(if:(history: where its name contains "Stay with Abby in the Underworld")'s length >= 1)[[Continue->Continue 7.2]]////(if:(history: where its name contains "Kill Abby and save Alfie’s soul")'s length >= 1)[[Continue->Continue 7.1]]// [[Chapter 6->...what good is her own life…?]] [[Starting Screen->Intro]]

“Kenny!” Alfie trots up to her and attacks Kenny’s waist with a hug. “What’s up, Alfie? Ready to go?” She questions, bending down on the sidewalk concrete and cleaning up his crumpled red dress shirt. She herself was decked out in a fluffy red dress. Her hair was tied back in red bows, and her shoes were ruby. Alfie looked similar, breaking out his lucky red socks for this occasion. There had never really been an excuse to wear such fancy clothes for them, but this was a //special// day. They had been planning this trip for a week now, a little later than they wanted, but they didn’t have much control over the timing. After they got home, Kenny and Alfie were bombarded by local reporters and government officials after being missing for nearly a whole week. All the ruckus felt like it'd endure forever, especially with all of the hugs they had to give out to people they barely knew. Sneaking away would have been a nearly impossible task if Juni and Haneen weren’t there to distract people and help them. But now finally… they could pay their respects… Kenny and Alfie are at the canal. They kneel near a point of exposed dirt and begin digging with their hands. The soft earth molds with their hands. Alfie smiles softly at Kenny as they dig, which she happily returns. Kenny opens up the pink purse she had brought with her and takes out sharp scissors. Taking turns with the scissors, they each cut off a piece of their red clothes put it in the hole they had created. After this, they cover the hole back up with dirt and mark it with an ‘//A//’. "It's time, Alfie." Kenny smiles rubbing his head. "Hey! You're getting me dirty!" he pouts and in retaliation begins rubbing her face with the dirt from his hands. "Sorry, stop!" she laughs at him. "Come on, Alfie…let's start…" He quiets down and kneels respectfully. They clasp their hands together and close their eyes. "This grave is for my dear sister, Abigail Jones,” Kenny begins. “Oh Abby, I'm so sorry for what I've done to you… I'm sorry for hurting you… I'm sorry for ignoring you… Truly, I love you with my entire heart. And I'm so unimaginably glad that I can call you my sister. //Please forgive me//… and find eternal rest wherever you are." Kenny says, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Alfie who was so excited before suddenly begins sobbing and hiccuping as his hands shake. She holds him close as her voice wavers, “Who we saw wasn’t Abby. Only a creature masquerading as her. That was… that was just (text-colour:#E3B806)[an amalgamation of hate and rage…] We know the true Abigail and I did her wrong. If you hear me, Abby, please forgive me and find your peace.” "I love you too, Abby. I'll always remember you…" Alfie manages to get out between hiccups. They open their teary eyes. It’s quiet. The wind flows between them. They're not sure what they're waiting for… //But it comes.// From the sky, little miracles start gliding down from the air. Kenny and Alfie watch in awe. It was…//red petals//… that had begun drifting through the sky from Killian to Millflower. They float down softly like a shower on their bodies. "W-where are they coming from?" Alfie whispers with a shocked smile. Kenny's eyes overflow with tears seeing the sky fill with Abby's favorite color. "She's heard us, Alfie. She heard us." [[...->...7.1]]

[[20]]

[[...->...7.2]]

[[???]]

Another day, another year in Deponie. I look up from the roof of an abandoned building. Abby and I have plans today to count //exactly// how many trees are in the Underworld. A very big undertaking, but well, we’ve got eternity. “Hey, Kenny!” a voice calls. I look down to see Wyatt waving to me violently. I roll my eyes and wave back. Even now, it’s a little weird talking to him in such a friendly way. I had been betrayed by him many years ago on the //Altar// with Alfie and Abby. I remember the sting of the betrayal, I remember the pain. Yet, as it does, time has cooled the flames of my rage. It took a while, a few years actually before I could feel alright enough to speak to him, but truly inside he wasn’t a bad person. Just… an aimless boy…. “Want to hang out with Abby and I today?” I ask, floating down to him from the rooftop. “I mean why not, I don’t have anything better to do anyway.” he laughs, joining me midway. I punch his shoulder. “That’s rude, you know?” I correct his manners. He rubs his head sheepishly, “Sorry.” His eyes catch a glimpse of Abby on the horizon and he immediately goes over to greet her. In the split second that I have to be alone, I look up to the dark sky of Deponie. It’s hard to keep track of time in a place like this despite my valiant efforts over the years to count. But Alfie might be 17 right now, on this day… my age… Maybe he’s battling with college admissions and thoughts of the future… just like I was. I breathe the cold air in and out. “Live your life the right way, Alf.” //[[“I trust you.”->End]]//

I walk down the faded steps in the city of Greenplace. My shoes clack on the old cobble roads beneath me. It’s been a while, 3 years actually since I’ve left Deponie. Since then, after some careful thought, I decided to leave Alfie in Millflower and pursue my dream of going to Princeton on my scholarship. He needed time to grow and find out who he was without me and I without him. It was tough coming to terms with my actions when I got back, but necessary that I be alone and dwell on the person I was and who I wanted to become. And… I’m better for it, I think. That person back on the //Altar// wasn’t the person I wanted to stay. Anyway, I’m here in Greenplace on a nature club trip. We were looking at some of the natural flora here. Trips aren’t usually my thing, but hearing the name of where we were going flared up memories of… //him//. There was only one cemetery in Greenplace. I wandered around it for an hour, passing grave after grave, before happening upon the name I was looking for. “Wyatt Stevens. Died 1956.” I whisper out. The stone is old and withered. Unfitting for an excitable guy like him. I take a moment to think, but then again I’ve been thinking for nearly //1096 days//. He betrayed Alfie and I. It was such a terrible thing, but… I don’t know… What does he deserve? [[Pray for Wyatt]] [[Don’t pray for Wyatt]]

I kneel down, close my eyes even though my pants are getting dusty from the dirt. “Wyatt… you were wrong to do what you did. //So very wrong//. But despite this… you deserve a second chance... After all, I got one and I did some terrible things… I hope this prayer reaches you and that when it’s my time to leave this Earth… I’ll find you in Jeder and we can start again. Know that you aren’t forgotten. I’ll always remember you…” I open my eyes with a smile and look up into the blue skies. //[[“I promise.”->End]]//

Kenny sighs. “Wyatt… you did something so unforgivable. Using Alfie and my life as sacrifices for your ambition. I hope Deponie treats you well… but I can’t offer you a prayer.” Kenny mutters to the stone, before walking away. It takes all of her willpower not to look back, but she knows that this is something that needs to be done. //[[“Maybe we’ll meet again…”->End]]//

(text-colour:#E3B806)+(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[Thank you for playing through //Half-Alive//! I genuinely hope you enjoyed the game. Truly, I’m grateful for every single moment you’ve sunk into playing the storyline! It’s one of my more serious projects and I’m so glad it’s completed. If you have a moment to answer some of my curiosities and questions, I would love for you to click on the “What to know AFTER playing” link! I’m a little rusty on expressive writing, but this was a fun project to do to get myself back into the game! Anyway, thanks again! And if you’re kind enough, I would love to read any reviews too!] (align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXXXXXXX=")[[[Starting Screen->Intro]] ]