Cupule

<b>Preliminary Question<b> What matters to you? [[Being happy. My friends, my books, my home—they make life worth living, even on tough days.|Answer 1-1]] [[Achieving great things. Changing the world, helping people, all that good stuff. Never too late to make your mark.|Answer 1-2]] [[Being well-liked. If people don't like you, what's the point of being around them?|Answer 1-3]]

Interesting. Have you ever considered what you'll leave behind once you're gone? [[Start Game]] (Set: $answer1 to true)

Uh-huh. Do you know what your next-door neighbor does for a living? [[Start Game]] (Set: $answer2 to true)

Have you lost a friend? Was it your fault? [[Start Game]] (Set: $answer3 to true)

The snow started falling during the last full moon. You look up at the silver crescent currently in the sky, watching as the wet flakes flitter by endlessly. You close your eyes, focusing on the //crunch, crunch, crunch// of your bare feet stamping along the forest path. You can feel your mind detaching from your body, slipping into another world, another time. [["Hey, did you hear what I said?"]]

You look toward the voice. It's Roman, from the birch a few paces from yours. He looks at you uneasily, with his eyes never focusing on any one place. That's right, you were walking back home with him. "I'm telling you, it was the oddest thing I've ever seen. She was just sitting there, in her cabin. For hours. Not moving. Like she forgot to exist. And the whole time, there was this weird scratching sound coming out of the place." His words hang in the night air like frozen fireflies. Lost in thought, you only realize he's stopped talking once he throws a snowball against Old Nan's birch. [["I don't know, man. She's always been cool around me."|Unsure Response]] [["Shut up. You're just jealous that she and I danced under the Great Willow on Felling Day."|Negative Response]] [[Say nothing.|No Response]]

"Maybe so," Roman admits. "But I saw what I saw. I think you're just too busy trying to put your birds in her bees to take me seriously." He's wrong. You don't take him seriously because you know he doesn't like you. You've seen him whispering with the other woodland spirits. And, didn't she see Roman just yesterday, making fun of the way you walk? Plus, he won't stop bringing up Jason, her last boyfriend. You couldn't care less about that jerk. Just disappears one day—she said he started flirting with some fairy, and ran off. Roman keeps talking, but he sounds farther and farther away. [[Drift off into your thoughts|Forget Roman]] (Set: $unsureresponse to true)

"Calm the root rot down," Roman retorts. "I'm just trying to warn you. You gotta be careful around her. Don't want to end up like Jason. Guy dates her for a few months, then up and disappears." Whatever. You know you're right about Roman. She saw him hiding in the bushes once, spying on her. Now he's bringing up Jason? That jerk who decided to leave the forest and follow some flirty fairy? Your mind gradually simmers down as you lose concentration on the conversation. [[Start thinking about the stars.|Forget Roman]] (Set: $negativeresponse to true)

You look straight ahead, into the darkness. You can feel Roman's eyes boring holes into the side of your head, but you don't talk. He's trying to bring up Jason, her last boyfriend. Guy just disappeared one day—something about a flirty fairy in another part of the forest. Roman starts to say something, then stops midsentence. He knows you're lost someplace deep inside yourself. You can feel him mocking you for it. [[Stare at your feet and think.|Forget Roman]] (Set: $noresponse to true)

The two of you walk in silence for a few treelengths. The bare birches, some inhabited, some vacant, hang low over your heads. You think of the animals, sleeping and dying. [[Think about her instead.]]

You think of the day she arrived in this part of the woods. A large wagon, carrying long planks of oak darker than anything you'd ever seen. Behind it, a smaller wagon, with a girl and her parents. [[You'd noticed the squirrel.|Notice Squirrel]] [[You'd focused on the girl.|Notice Girl]]

A squirrel scurried along the top of the covered wagon. It looked like it was getting a feel for its new environment. A leaf drifted near the wagon. The squirrel avoided it like root rot, putting as much distance between itself and the floating threat as possible. You find that extremely odd. A squirrel afraid of leaves? Somehow, it eventually noticed you were watching it. One second it was fiddling with an acorn, the next, it looked straight at you. Looked through you, or maybe at your insides. You'd gotten uncomfortable and looked away. [[//"Oh Chloro, there she is!"//|Brooke Intro]]

The girl sat quietly, looking down. She seemed afraid to move on her own. Her mother tried to offer her a sealed letter. The girl didn't react at all. The mother shared a concerned, almost defeated glance at her husband, then tucked the letter into the girl's rucksack. [[//"Oh Chloro, there she is!"//|Brooke Intro]]

Roman's exclamation pulls you out of your reverie. There she was indeed. Brooke. All leafy hair and lightning eyes, walking confidently down the path. Right behind her, her constant companion, that old squirrel. It's been 10 years since her parents left her in these woods, but she's never been alone. The squirrel is always there, playfully nibbling at her fingers or scurrying along her shoulders. [[You think the squirrel's cute.|Like Squirrel]] [[You think that squirrel's always been kind of creepy.|Dislike Squirrel]]

The squirrel could be kind of cute, if you ignored the way it wouldn't let you leave its sight when you were around Brooke. [[Regardless, Brooke is the center of attention here.|Roman Leaves]]

That weird squirrel never leaves her alone. If you get within a branchspan of Brooke, the thing pierces you with its beady eyes, black as night. [[Regardless, Brooke is the center of attention here.|Roman Leaves]]

Your mind may wander around Roman or anyone else, but around Brooke, it stays tightly leashed to your body. You tense up with anticipation when she notices you. (if: $answer1 is true)[She just seems to get you. You don't need to have the tallest tree in the forest, or be the best at fishing. You just want people around you who care, who make you happy like no one else can. You love when the animals crowd around the two of you, almost like they're drawn to her.] (if: $answer2 is true)[She knows what you want: to build the largest hut, the sturdiest bridge. Something that'll be there long after you're gone. You fell for her the moment she helped you design a new dam for the river. That'll show all of them you're more than the things they mock.] (if: $answer3 is true)[Man, does she enjoy being around you. You can see it in her eyes, the way they never leave yours. Looking at you so intensely and so full of feeling that you can't help but feel needed.] Roman looks uneasy. (if: $negativeresponse is true)["Dude, if you're just going to shut me down, there's nothing I can do to help you," Roman said. "I'm getting the rot outta here before that squirrel can bite my face off." [["Good riddance."|Alone]] ] (if: $unsureresponse is true)["Hey," Roman says. "I know you don't believe me on this, but I'm gonna stick with you here. I'm not going to let her and her creepy squirrel mess with your head." [["You'll just annoy her. Get out of here."|Alone]] [["Ok, we'll talk to her together."|Together]] ] (if: $noresponse is true)["Dude, if you're just going to say nothing, there's nothing I can do to help you," Roman said. "I'm getting the rot outta here before that squirrel can bite my face off." [["Good riddance."|Alone]] ]

Brooke approaches you. The two of you stop in the middle of the path, watching the snow melt into each other's hair. [["How are you?"|Brooke Response 2]] [[Wink.]]

Brooke approaches you and Roman. The three of you stop in the middle of the path, unsure how to begin. [["How are you?"|Brooke Response 3]] [[Wink.|Wink2]]

You go for a wink, then realize midway through that you're not smooth enough to pull one off. You end up with one eye half-closed for three full seconds. Thankfully, Brooke doesn't seem to notice. She never gives you an odd look the way the other woodland spirits do. "Hi there," Brooke says smoothly, confidently. "I had a great time under the willow tree last night. You're so impressive and thoughtful." You try (and fail) to hide your blush. [["Thanks. You're pretty amazing yourself."|Brooke Response 1]] [["How was your day?"|Brooke Response 2]]

"Pretty great!" she exclaims, smiling. "I spent the whole day fishing with my buddy here." She points to the squirrel, who sits motionlessly. "But hey, listen," she continues. "I really like you. Do you want to swing by my cabin tonight? I'm going to get some firewood now, but should be done in an hour or two. Want to wait there for me?" Holy Birch, it's happening. She's inviting you over. Tonight. [["Yeah, that sounds great! I'll head there now."|Yes]] [["Nah, I think I'm just going to head home."|No]]

"Great," she says, eyeing you suggestively. "Just stay in the living room—the place is a mess." She walks off to collect firewood with her squirrel. You head to her cabin. It's only a few hundred treelengths further, so you're able to make it there before midnight. The cabin reaches up toward the sky, with a first and second floor lit by candles in the windows. You enter. The place is darker and mustier than you expected. More than just "a mess," too. She's just cleared a few paths for walking around, and, of course, a space for the squirrel to sleep. [[Wait for your date to come home.]]

You look down, shuffling your feet. You begin to come up with some reason to decline her invitation, but then you meet her eyes. They're piercing. They look right into your soul, and seem to like what they see there. You can't say no to her. [["Yeah, that sounds great! I'll head there now."|Yes]]

Your nerves start to get the better of you after a while. You get up and pace around, partly because this place is a bit creepy, and partly to help you work through your thoughts. It seems like she really likes you, but how can you be totally sure? She doesn't act like the others, but what if she's just better at hiding her distaste? Eventually, you decide to try to find some proof, some evidence that she isn't just making all this up, that this isn't some practical joke. [[Search her bedroom]] [[Search the basement|Locked Basement]]

"Pretty great!" she exclaims, smiling. "I spent the whole day fishing with my buddy here." She points to the squirrel, who sits motionlessly. "What?" Roman whispers. "That's not possible. She was just sitting in her cabin for hours. No way she had time to go down to the river and back since then." [[Confront Brooke]] [[Ignore Roman]]

Brooke never blushes. Instead, she smiles wide. The squirrel perks up when he hears you complimenting her. "Thanks," she says. "I wish you could've come fishing with me and my squirrel today. It would've been such an amazing time." "But hey, listen," she continues. "I really like you. Do you want to swing by my cabin tonight? I'm going to get some firewood now, but should be done in an hour or two. Want to wait there for me?" Holy Birch, it's happening. She's inviting you over. Tonight. [["Yeah, that sounds great! I'll head there now."|Yes]] [["Nah, I think I'm just going to head home."|No]]

You go for a wink, then realize midway through that you're not smooth enough to pull one off. You end up with one eye half-closed for three full seconds. "That was the best pick-up line I've ever heard," Roman whispers. Thankfully, Brooke doesn't seem to notice. She never gives you an odd look the way Roman does. "Hi there," Brooke says smoothly, confidently. "I had a great time under the willow tree last night. You're so impressive and thoughtful." You try (and fail) to hide your blush, while Roman rolls his eyes. [["Thanks. You're pretty amazing yourself."|Brooke Response 1-2]] [["How was your day?"|Brooke Response 3]]

"I..." Brooke starts, trailing off. She seems lost, like she momentarily forgot how to speak. Like she didn't even know she was lying. "Listen, I...it's complicated," Brooke says quietly. "It's just, ever since my Jason went away, I tend to just wander aimlessly. I forget where I'm going, what I'm doing. Maybe I went fishing, maybe I didn't. It's all a blur." Tears start to fall from her face onto her bracelet. She and Jason wore identical ones. Even her squirrel looks a little downtrodden. You can't believe Roman made you do this to Brooke. You try to make it up to her. [["Hey, I'm sorry. Maybe I can come by your cabin and we can talk through all this?"|Brooke Response 4]]

You can never trust Roman. Turns out he was lying about even seeing Brooke today. "But hey, listen," Brooke continues. "I really like you. Do you want to swing by my cabin tonight? I'm going to get some firewood now, but should be done in an hour or two. Want to wait there for me?" Holy Birch, it's happening. She's inviting you over. Tonight. Nevermind the fact that Roman's shaking like a hummingbird. He just gets so jealous. [["Yeah, that sounds great! I'll head there now."|Yes]] [["Nah, I think I'm just going to head home."|No]]

That seems to raise her spirits a bit. "Yeah, that'd be great. I'm going to collect some firewood for now, but I'll be there soon. Do you want to just wait for me there?" [["Yeah, I'll head there now."|Yes]]

You climb the stairs and enter her bedroom. Nothing special, just a bed, candle, and some fern leaves hung on the wall for decoration. [[Search the bed]]

The door to the basement is locked. The lock seems pretty rusted, though. Anything sharp should do the trick. [[Search her bedroom|Scratch1]]

As you turn and walk away from the door, you hear a faint scratching sound from behind it. Scurrying? Maybe a stray animal got in. Though they should all be asleep for the winter... Whatever. There are more important things to worry about than some imaginary noise. [[Search her bedroom]] [[Screw this. Maybe you should just wait for her.|Hear New Noise]]

You check out her bed, which isn't much more than some leaves arranged in a bedlike pile. You crouch down, examining it. Maybe there's some sort of diary here? [[Check in the pile]] [[Check the candle on her windowsill]]

Nothing. What if she came home right now and just found you here, messing up her bed? How would she feel about you then? Maybe you should just...wait. What was that? A soft, scratchy sound behind you. [[Turn around.]]

Not much left of this candle. Like someone placed it here a few weeks ago. It's about to... Wait. What was that? A soft, scratchy sound behind you. [[Turn around.]]

Nothing there. Wait, in the middle of the room. Is that...a knife? That definitely wasn't there before. [[Take the knife]] [[Leave it and run out of the room|Nothing There Options]]

The knife is light and sharp. Closer to the blades used to slice branches than those used in the kitchen. How'd it get here? [[Try to get into the basement]] [[Wait for Brooke]]

Her grin becomes almost ravenous. The squirrel seems to perk up as well. You can't really tell, but it seems like he's enjoying himself, or waiting for something. You follow Brooke up to her room. She locks the door and blows out all the candles. The ferns on her walls start to wave, although there's no draft. You can feel the squirrel's presence, watching the two of you as you start to undress. Then there are two tiny specks of greenish light in the darkness. They're about the size of...a squirrel's eyes. You look back at Brooke, and start to ask her about her squirrel. But her eyes are glowing green too. You start to back away, but her eyes never lose track of you in the darkness. You back away faster. She starts moving toward you. You turn to run, but the squirrel is right behind you, sitting in the threshold of the door. Just watching. Brooke runs up behind you and, before you can do anything about it, stabs you in the back. As you die, you see her turn toward the squirrel and say, "Another meal for the offspring." The squirrel chirps happily. [[Start Over]]

You sit back down in her living room. About a half hour later, Brooke arrives in the cabin with her squirrel. "Hi," she says, smiling almost ravenously. "Want to head up to my room?" Your heart skips a beat. You had no idea things would progress this quickly. Everything she's ever said, every smile comes to your brain. There's only one answer to give. [["Yes."|Fail 1]]

You sit back down in the living room. About a half hour later, Brooke arrives in the cabin with her squirrel. "Hi," she says, smiling almost ravenously. "Want to head up to my room?" Your heart skips a beat. You had no idea things would progress this quickly. Everything she's ever said, every smile comes to your brain. You want to say yes. But what about this knife? Should you bring it up? [["Let's go to your room."|Fail 1]] [["So...I found this knife. Doesn't look like it's from the kitchen to me."|Fail 2]]

The lock breaks easily when you use the knife. The door slowly creaks open, revealing a stairway descending into darkness. No sign of that scratching. [[Nevermind. Close the door and wait for Brooke.|Wait for Brooke]] [[Head down the stairs.]]

Brooke freezes. She seems unsure of how to proceed. "That...I left that in my room," she says. "How did you get it?" "I...kinda went into your room for a bit. But I heard this noise and then I looked around and the knife..." You trail off. Brooke had suddenly turned around and faced her squirrel. Its eyes turn a bright green. She turns back around. Her eyes have become green too. "I told you to stay in the living room!" she screams. "Why don't any of you ever just listen!" [["Whoa, I'm sorry! I didn't expect you to be this concerned about..."|Fight Scene]]

You take one of the candles from the living room and make your way downstairs. As you descend, you hear an immense scratching sound, like dozens of branches grinding against one another. By the time you reach the bottom, however, the scratching has stopped. [[Look around]]

You can't see farther than the light of your candle, so you slowly make your way around the basement. It's mostly empty. One side used to be full of preserved nuts and berries that her parents left for her. Just a few scraps remain now. Weird—she mostly eats fish. She never would've gotten through that much of her supplies, even after 10 years. In one corner sits her old rucksack. You think of checking it out, but remember that Brooke's going to be home soon. You've gone past a little snooping and into full-blown breaking and entering. You doubt she'd be happy to see you down here. [[Check out the rucksack]]

It's her old rucksack, the one she was wearing when you first saw her. You search inside. Old birthday branches, old insects in amber. An old diary, all with journal entries from before 8 years old. And the letter from her parents. [[Read the letter]]

Most of it is just how much they loved their daughter. The last passage catches your eye, however. "We don't want to do this to you, honey. But we can find no other solution. You can't stay in the village...not after what you did to that poor boy. Just a week before you couldn't stop talking about him. Then you try to tell us your squirrel told you he disappeared, even after the Village Feller found the boy's body under the ferns. We want to help you, sweetheart, but we're out of options. We don't want you to be punished, and so we have to hide you away in this cabin. We love you, and hope that one day, you can think about more than just that animal." The walls come alive as you read. As if a thousand spirits were trying to break them down at once, all scratching, all straining against the laws of nature. What do you do? [[Check out the walls]] [[Head back to the bedroom. The letter mentioned something about ferns.]] [[Head back to the living room. Brooke has some explaining to do.]]

You run up both flights of stairs, running so fast into the bedroom that it takes you a minute to notice the scratching in the walls. It sounds that way everywhere in the house now. [[Check out the ferns]]

The sound is deafening once you approach one of the walls. Just a constant //scratch scratch scratch// punctuated by the tiniest of squeals. What's behind them? This basement's really creeping you out at this point. [[Head back to the bedroom. The letter mentioned something about ferns.]] [[Head back to the living room. Brooke has some explaining to do.]]

You sit back down in the living room. About a half hour later, Brooke arrives in the cabin with her squirrel. "Hi," she says, smiling almost ravenously. "Want to head up to my room?" Your heart skips a beat. You had no idea things would progress this quickly. Everything she's ever said, every smile comes to your brain. You want to say yes. But what about this knife? The basement? Should you bring it up? [["Let's go to your room."|Fail 1]] [["So...I found this knife. Doesn't look like a kitchen one to me."|Knife-Letter]]

Most of the ferns on the wall seem like simple decoration. The last one, however, falls away once you tug on it a bit. It reveals a wooden lever. [[Pull the lever]] [[Forget this ever happened and wait for Brooke. Do you really want to know?|Giving Up]]

You pull the lever, and a panel slides open on the opposite side of the room. There's nothing to distinguish it from the rest of the wall. Once the panel opens fully, a body falls through the opening and onto the floor. With it come hundreds of tiny, naked creatures, that scamper around on the floor, scratching it deeply as they go. [[Investigate the body]] [[Get the birch outta there]]

It's...well, it's hard to tell who it is. Or was. The tiny creatures, who make a path for you as you walk toward the body, seem to have eaten a large portion of the dead woodland spirit. There's a gash in his back—did somebody kill him and stick him in there? For those creatures to feast on? Wait, there...Oh Birch. That's Jason. He and Brooke used to wear matching bracelets, and there's his. Did she? Why? For these things to eat? Speaking of those little creatures, they're starting to notice your resemblance to their last meal. You should probably leave. [[Run out of there as fast as you can, avoiding the main paths|Get the birch outta there]] [[Run out of the cabin and find Brooke. Someone has to answer for this]]

You run as fast as you can out of the cabin and into the night. The tiny creatures, smelling food, chase you down the stairs, but appear afraid to leave the safety of the cabin. At one point, you think you see Brooke walking toward you on the path, so you run into the forest. She drops the firewood and runs after you. She comes close to catching you, but you manage to escape. You run until you lose consciousness. When you come to, you're in a clearing, looking up at the sky. It's clear and bright. It has finally stopped snowing. Then you hear it. A weird mix of chirping and scratching. You sit up, and take a closer look at the trees at the edge of the clearing. They seem to be moving, oscillating like waves. The waves seem to spill forth onto the ground and move toward you. It's thousands and thousands of squirrels. Eyes green as the grass they're trampling to reach you. They'll be on you in seconds, and they're coming from all directions. There's no escape. As they close in, you think you see the vague outline of a woodland spirit perched on a branch. Brooke? [[Start Over]]

You grab the bracelet and go out to find Brooke. She's walking back with her squirrel, firewood in hand. She cocks her head inquisitvely. "What are you doing out here? I was just on my way back." [["I just couldn't wait to see you." (Forget any of this ever happened.)|Giving Up]] [["So...I found this knife. Doesn't look like a kitchen one to me."|Knife-Letter]] (Set: $bracelet to true)

Brooke never blushes. Instead, she smiles wide. The squirrel perks up when he hears you complimenting her. "Thanks," she says. "I wish you could've come fishing with me and my squirrel today. It would've been such an amazing time." "What?" Roman whispers. "That's not possible. She was just sitting in her cabin for hours. No way she had time to go down to the river and back since then." [[Confront Brooke]] [[Ignore Roman]]

Brooke blinks at the mention of her parents, like she hasn't thought about them for so long that she'd forgotten they'd existed. "My parents?" she asks, timidly. Her voice seems to come from a distant past. It sounds like a child's. You hold out the letter to her. She reaches for it, then stops, like something's holding her back. The squirrel's eyes are glowing bright green. It looks angry. Brooke's hand falls almost mechanically to her side. Her eyes begin to glow green as well. (if: $bracelet is true)[[[Show her the bracelet|Show her the bracelet]]] [[Apologize for bringing it up]]

Brooke says nothing. Her mouth twitches itself into a half-smile. "It's ok," she whispers. "He's not going to control you." [["What?"]]

Before you can ask, a sharp pain cuts you off. You look down—the squirrel has bit you in the leg with more force that you would expect. The knife clatters to the floor. Before you can grab it, Brooke swipes it from the ground and stabs you in the stomach. As you die, Brooke turns toward the squirrel and says, "How could you let this happen? He wasn't supposed to do that! He came too close to finding what's in the room!" She seems to be berating herself more than the squirrel. She then stabs herself. The squirrel watches her fall with his piercing stare. [[Start Over]]

Her glowing eyes focus on the bracelet. They begin to lose their hue, and she seems to be more and more confused. "That...Jason..." She doesn't know what to say. [["I found Jason's body in your room."]]

"What?" she cries. She sounds genuinely surprised. Her voice sounds even more like a child's now. Her face twists into a deep frown—it seems like something's dawning on her. The green has completely left her eyes. She turns toward the squirrel. "What did you do to me?" she asks, in the voice of an eight-year-old. Why did you make me...that boy...and Jason...You rotting monster!" The squirrel's green eyes stare at her intensely, almost desperately. Like it's trying to will her into calming down. "You can't control me anymore!" she screams. Brooke's hands ball up into fists as tears start to roll down her face. She looks like she's about to attack the squirrel. [[Give her the knife. It's time to end this]] [[Leave her on her own. This is her problem]]

Brooke takes the knife and rushes at the squirrel. It holds its ground, its eyes glowing so bright that the trees on the side of the path light up. The squirrel seems surprised when she drives the knife through its body. Its green eyes flicker out. Brooke sits there, sobbing. "He made me do all of it," she gets out between the sobs. "I just want my parents." She sounds nothing like the Brooke you've known. Her voice squeaks with the anxiety of a scared, lost child. [[Take her home]]

She rushes at the squirrel, ready to attack it with her bare hands. Its eyes glow brighter than ever, illuminating the trees at the edge of the path. The squirrel sits stubbornly, trying to stop Brooke in her tracks. When she reaches the squirrel, she tries to get her hands around its neck. The creature's too quick, however. It darts out of the way, then comes after her, teeth bathed green by the light in its eyes. Its teeth sink deep into her neck. She falls over, struggles for a few moments, then stops moving. The beast has beaten her. The squirrel sits in a pool of Brooke's blood, examining its defeated attacker. The green light pulses over the scene, giving it a sickly pallor. The squirrel's eyes fix on you. [["Get away from me!"]]

You take Brooke by the hand and lead her down the forest path. [["What happened to you?"]] [["You'll be ok. We'll find your parents."]]

She doesn't know. She tries to explain, but soon gives up. It's too much for her to handle right now. The two of you walk silently into the night. Things really couldn't have ended much better than this. [[Start Over]]

Brooke doesn't respond. The encouragement does seem to slow her crying a bit, though. The two of you walk together into the night. Things really couldn't have ended much better than this. [[Start Over]]

You begin to walk away from the squirrel, but then feel the intense desire to stay. You have to. The squirrel wants you to. Why run? Why do anything other than what the squirrel wants? You walk toward it, letting it perch atop your shoulders. The two of you walk silently into the dark night, your eyes glowing as green as the squirrel's. [[Start Over]]

You go to sit back down. But wait—that noise again. //Scratch, scratch, scratch.// It's coming from upstairs this time. Maybe you should check it out. [[Search her bedroom]] [[Nah, everything's fine.|Hear New Noise1]]

You sit down. The cabin exists silently for about two seconds before that noise starts up again. You should really check that out. [[Ok.|Search her bedroom]] [[Don't tell me what to do.|Sass]]

Ok, do what you want. Enjoy the weird noises. As the omniscient narrator, I can assure you that this is a //good// idea. [[Sit back, relax, and revel in your sense of accomplishment.|Giving Up]]

Ok, you're out of the weird, knife-filled bedrooom. What now? [[Forget anything ever happened and wait patiently for your date.|Giving Up]] [[Run far away]]

You sprint out of the cabin, not waiting for Brooke to come back. The moon's pale light shines through the trees' branches, illuminating the path ahead of you. Weeks pass. You avoid Brooke completely, afraid of what you heard and saw in her cabin. One day, you spot her and Roman walking together, chatting like friends. Strange—he was so scared of her before. He's even letting her squirrel perch atop his shoulder now. You tail them from a distance. She leads him to her cabin, shutting the door tightly once the squirrel scurries inside. You never see Roman again. [[Start Over]]

Brooke's rapid movements cut you off. She rushes at you, her emerald-green eyes fixed in a bloodthirsty stare. [[Defend yourself.]] [[Do nothing.]]

She's running at you so quickly that you only have time to stick the knife out in front of you. But it's enough. She doesn't notice it's there until it's handle-deep in her chest. The green light leaves her eyes, along with any trace of life. The squirrel sits in a pool of Brooke's blood, examining its defeated companion. The green light from its beady eyes pulses over the scene, giving it a sickly pallor. The squirrel's eyes fix on you. [["Get away from me!"]] [[Attack the squirrel]]

Brooke stops inches away and grabs you by the shoulders. The two of you stand there silently for a few seconds. You think you see a hint of pain behind the green ferocity in her eyes. [["Why are you—"]]

You begin to walk toward the squirrel, bloody knife at the ready. But then you stop. You have to. The squirrel wants you to. Why fight? Why do anything other than what the squirrel wants? You walk toward it, letting it perch atop your shoulders. The two of you walk silently into the dark night, your eyes glowing as green as the squirrel's. [[Start Over]]

A sharp pain cuts you off. You look down—the squirrel has bit you in the leg with more force that you would expect. The knife falls out of your hand. Before you can grab it, Brooke swipes it from the ground and stabs you in the stomach. As you die, Brooke turns toward the squirrel and says, "How could you let this happen? He wasn't supposed to find that! He came too close!" She seems to be berating herself more than the squirrel. She then stabs herself. The squirrel watches her fall with his piercing stare. [[Start Over]]