Apotheosis: A Disremembered Account

A tarot-themed choose-your-own adventure. One morning, you find an Amazon package on your doorstep. This is not an uncommon occurrence, but you didn’t order this package. And there’s something...off...about it. [[Enter->Intro 1]] (b4r:"solid")+(b4r-size:0.9)+(b4r-colour:grey)[(link: "Print the Cards (optional)")[(open-url: 'https://eliotcurtis.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Print_Cards.pdf')] The drop-down menus should only be used if you have the physical cards. When you have the option, shuffle the deck in your preferred manner and draw a card.]

You see, oh, you [[SEE.->Layer 1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 2.1"))[ There’s a sudden influx of information. Your vision fractures, dividing the room at odd angles and then piecing it together all wrong, like looking at your reflection in a broken mirror. Everything’s sharp. Too stark and too intense for you to make sense of it. Seconds tick past, and your vision slowly focuses, the bright sharpness fading, but there’s something still off. You're in your bedroom, but everything around you is slightly blurred, like you've taken your glasses off. You reach to check, but when your hand enters your line of sight, you stop. It’s in focus. Clear and defined against the muted, hazy backdrop of your room. You clinically examine your hand. No matter where you move it or how you squint, your hand remains in focus and the room remains blurred. Your glasses are on. [[Look at the cards.->Layer 2.2]] [[Look in the mirror.->Layer 2.1]] ](else:)[ There’s a sudden influx of information. Your vision fractures, dividing the room at odd angles and then piecing it together all wrong, like looking at your reflection in a broken mirror. Everything’s sharp. Too stark and too intense for you to make sense of it. Seconds tick past, and your vision slowly focuses, the bright sharpness fading, but there’s something still off. You're in your bedroom, but everything around you is slightly blurred, like you've taken your glasses off. You reach to check, but when your hand enters your line of sight, you stop. It’s in focus. Clear and defined against the muted, hazy backdrop of your room. You clinically examine your hand. No matter where you move it or how you squint, your hand remains in focus and the room remains blurred. Your glasses are on. [[Look at the cards.->Layer 2.2]] ]

You slowly approach the mirror. You have to move along the wall and watch your feet the whole time to keep your balance. Apparently, you haven’t adjusted to your new vision just yet. You don’t look up until you’re standing directly in front of it, and when you do, your knees nearly collapse under you. Right there in the middle of your forehead is an eye. To your immense relief, it’s not real, but a simple tattoo of an open eye. It’s just an outline, inked in thick, blood red lines. You reach up and rub at it and it shifts with your skin. You furrow your brow. It folds with the wrinkles. You draw in a shuddering breath. [[Go back to sleep and hope this is all a bad dream.->Layer 3.1]] [[Look at the cards.->Layer 2.2]]

The cards still rest where they fell. There’s a sharpness to them unlike your room. You realize that they are the only thing in focus other than yourself. You’re alone. Alone with the eyes. You unsteadily sit next to the pile, an odd curiosity overtaking your desire to flee from this strangeness. These cards aren’t normal. You knew that before, given that most decks are usually larger and don’t have eyes on them, but up close, these aren’t even playing cards. They have stark black and white illustrations covering their face. You flip one of them over. There’s the normal “Bicycle” back on them. (link-goto: "You grab one of the illustrated cards.", (either: "Card 0", "Card 1", "Card 2", "Card 3", "Card 4", "Card 5", "Card 6", "Card 7", "Card 8", "Card 9", "Card 10", "Card 11", "Card 12", "Card 13", "Card 14", "Card 15", "Card 16", "Card 17", "Card 18", "Card 19", "Card 20", "Card 21")) OR (set: $q to "0") (dropdown: bind $q, "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21") { (link: "Enter")[ (if: $q is "0")[(go-to: "Layer 5.1")] (else-if: $q is "1")[(go-to: "Layer 5.2")] (else-if: $q is "2")[(go-to: "Layer 5.3")] (else-if: $q is "3")[(go-to: "Layer 5.4")] (else-if: $q is "4")[(go-to: "Layer 5.5")] (else-if: $q is "5")[(go-to: "Layer 5.6")] (else-if: $q is "6")[(go-to: "Layer 5.7")] (else-if: $q is "7")[(go-to: "Layer 5.8")] (else-if: $q is "8")[(go-to: "Layer 5.9")] (else-if: $q is "9")[(go-to: "Layer 5.10")] (else-if: $q is "10")[(go-to: "Layer 5.11")] (else-if: $q is "11")[(go-to: "Layer 5.12")] (else-if: $q is "12")[(go-to: "Layer 5.13")] (else-if: $q is "13")[(go-to: "Layer 5.14")] (else-if: $q is "14")[(go-to: "Layer 5.15")] (else-if: $q is "15")[(go-to: "Layer 5.16")] (else-if: $q is "16")[(go-to: "Layer 5.17")] (else-if: $q is "17")[(go-to: "Layer 5.18")] (else-if: $q is "18")[(go-to: "Layer 5.19")] (else-if: $q is "19")[(go-to: "Layer 5.20")] (else-if: $q is "20")[(go-to: "Layer 5.21")] (else-if: $q is "21")[(go-to: "Layer 5.22")] ] } (if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 2.2"))[ ''REMINDER:'' Only use the drop-down if you have the physical deck. ](else:)[ ]

You make your way back to your bed, leaving a wide berth between you and the cards. Laying down, you can’t help but be fascinated by the difference between your hand and the blankets as you lift them over yourself. Several minutes pass before you jerk your focus away from the image of your hand against the blankets. Settling into bed, you reach for the lamp cord. It takes you a moment to grasp it with an unsteady hand. The cord appears almost fuzzy in your grip, but it still feels like metal. You’re not going insane; your glasses must be broken. You revise your assessment a second later. You can see. The blinds are still closed from your earlier self-imposed shut in and the lamp is off, but still, you see. It’s as if it was the middle of the afternoon on a cloudy day. Your room is still blurred, and now it’s in greyscale. You pull the blankets over your head and close your eyes. You can still see your room. [[Attempt to sleep.->Layer 4.1]] [[Get up and look at the cards.->Layer 2.2]]

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Sleep eludes you. The ever-present sight is too distracting. With a moan, you drag yourself into a sitting position. You stare blankly at the opposite wall. If you turn your head slightly to the left, you know that the cards will be in your periphery. The thought bugs you. You try to think of something else, anything else, but within moments you’re thinking about the cards again. You cave. It only takes a slight twitch of your head and you can see them right on the edge of your vision. There’s something bugging you about them. You turn to face them. Their whites are blinding in the darkness of the room. And they’re sharp. You can’t look away. You find yourself throwing your sheets back and walking over to them with a single-minded focus. [[You reach for the card in the middle of the pile.->Card 0]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Fool->Card 0]] Vulnerability, Impulsiveness A trickle of fear drips down your spine and you glance around the room. Even with your new-found vision, the darkness is suddenly oppressive. There’s movement in the corner of your eye. You swing your head in that direction. There’s nothing there, but the feeling persists. The darkness doesn’t move, yet you can feel it begin to crawl towards you. You drop the card and back away. But you’re surrounded by darkness. You run to the lamp, almost knocking it off of the bedside table as you fumble with the cord. Dim light spills from behind the shade. It illuminates the area around your bed, but the shadows in the corners loom higher. You swear they move. Something grabs your ankle. You look down. There is a hand wrapped around your ankle. [[Run.->Layer 6.1]] [[Jump on your bed.->Layer 6.2]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Magician->Card 1]] Indecision, Stagnation You stare at the card as a shudder runs down your spine. You need to get out of your house. But where could you go? You don’t want to go somewhere with people around; you don’t want to know if they’ll be blurred too. You can’t go see a friend for the same reason. The nearby park is closed at this hour and breaking in seems too risky; you’re in enough trouble already. An image of an empty lot flashes through your mind. You recognize it as an old gas station that closed years ago. It’s only three blocks away, but the lot is said to be haunted. Rumor has it, the last person who crawled through the hole in the fence vanished. It would be the safest place from prying eyes. [[Go to the empty lot.->Layer 6.3]] [[Stay in your room.->Layer 6.4]]

You yank your ankle out from the shadow-creature’s grasp, stumbling backwards. Out from under your bed comes a humanoid figure. It has the upper body of an elongated human, but its lower half disappears into the darkness beneath the bed. It has no face, and yet it stares. You sprint for your bedroom door, sliding over the cards in your haste. You can feel the shadow-creature in pursuit. Its gaze burns hot upon your back. You make it to the front door and out into the night. You pick a random direction and run. A couple hazy cars pass you, but they don’t stop. They don’t seem to notice the shadow chasing you. You make a sharp turn and race down a narrow alley. Shadows start to solidify as you pass them, forming more shadow-creatures. They take off after you. It’s not long before you are cornered. You stand in the middle of an empty road. The sharply defined figures rising up from the asphalt beneath you. They press in, swallowing you in their folds. You can’t move. You can’t breathe. [[You can’t see.->Layer 1]]

The hole isn’t where you remembered it. You thought that it was to the right of the dilapidated convenience store, but it’s not there when you walk up to that section of the fence. You circle the lot, keeping an eye out for any passing people. You know that you look suspicious, but you can’t hide the way your body convulses as you look around. The blurred nature of your surroundings still hasn’t gone away. It hurts to look at, your brain trying to make sense of the shapelessness. Eventually, you find the hole. It’s on the opposite side of the fence, tucked between some old trash cans and the neighboring building. You slip through the gap with ease, viciously pushing back your doubts. You made up your mind back at your house. You can’t back out now. The lot is empty when you emerge. There’s only the old building; they must’ve torn out all of the pumps when it closed. You breathe a sigh of relief. It’s easier to focus here. The blurring is less severe. You wander around the lot, keeping your eyes trained on the ground to avoid any lingering nausea. You’re so lost in thought that you almost walk through the large puddle in front of you. You stop at the edge and stare into the water. It hasn’t rained in a week. A buzzing sound fills the air around you. You look up from your shoes. A mosquito stands on the water in front of you. It’s as large as a dog. The buzzes get louder and more erratic. It takes you a moment to realize they are coming from the mosquito. Carefully, you back away from it, swallowing down the urge to scream. Its beady eye follows you as you move. As you turn and run, a stray thought passes through your mind: the mosquito was clearly defined. [[You run.->Layer 7.3]]

Your bed creaks as you land on it, the springs protesting from the sudden movement. You manage to kick off the hand with your other foot. Long fingers curl over the edge of your bed. Then another set. And another. You’re surrounded. Trapped by these reaching, grasping hands. You bury yourself under the covers. It won’t do anything, but it’s all you have left. You should’ve made a run for it. Now you’re stuck. You can feel the hands scrabbling at the edges of the blankets. Skittering across the tented surface like grotesque spiders. But they can’t get in. As you tremble in your makeshift fortress, the hands scratch at you, they pick at the blanket, but none enter. Are they just playing with you? Are you safe? [[You don’t get much sleep tonight.->Layer 7.1]]

You wallow in your bed. You don’t have enough energy to move. Your eyes are giving you a headache, but closing them doesn’t do anything. You still see the hazy outlines of your room and the starkness of the cards. You lay back on your bed and stare at the ceiling. It helps a bit. Your leg itches but you don’t want to reach down and scratch it. The itch increases. You shake your leg a bit, hoping that’ll help. The itching just spreads. Your other leg itches. It’s annoying, but you can’t be bothered to move. What’s the point? The itching spreads further. You make a half-hearted attempt to swipe at it, but your hand passes through air. It's probably just your imagination. Your hands itch. You move one hand into your line of sight. There’s little flickers of movement around it. Bringing your hand closer to your face, you see hundreds of little mosquitos swarming around your hand. Your lethargy vanishes. You try to crush them, but they’re relentless. Your lower body is already a mass of clearly defined black specks. You can’t feel anything below your waist. The mosquitos crawl over your upper body and then your neck. As they swarm over your face, the last thing you see are the mocking eyes of [[those damn cards.->Layer 1]]

(text-style:"blur")[(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[(if: not ((history:) contains "Opening Paragraph"))[Apotheosis: A Disremembered Account](else:)[Apotheosis] ---]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The High Priestess->Card 2]] Secretiveness, Insecurity There’s a knock at your door. A quiet //tap, tap, tap, tap.// Your breath catches in your throat. You didn’t invite anyone over and no one ever comes over unless you’ve invited them. You stare down at the card again, losing yourself in the spiral of the eye. The knock comes again: //tap, tap, tap, tap.// You yank your gaze from the cards and glance at yourself: you’re a mess. Still in your pajamas and you haven’t showered in days. You can’t let anyone see you like this; they’ll take one look at you and think that you’ve finally gone off the deep end. Not that you could blame them, you’re not even sure if any of this is real. That regular knock breaks through your musings: //tap, tap, tap, tap.// Whoever it is doesn’t seem to be getting the point. You stand, but your gaze is drawn back to the cards. No one can see them. They’ll try to take them from you. Quickly, you gather the cards and slide them back into their box, stashing them in your pocket. The knock comes yet again: //tap, tap, tap, tap.// You need to answer the door. You throw on the first clean clothes you can find, apply some deodorant, and shove a beanie over your greasy hair. Checking that you still have the cards, you approach the door. [[Look through the peephole.->Layer 6.5]] [[Open the door.->Layer 6.6]]

On the other side of your door you see an impatient figure, arms crossed and foot tapping a steady rhythm. They’re looking right at you, but their features are strangely difficult to make out, like there’s condensation covering the lens of the peephole. Except it hasn’t rained in a week. You call out through the door asking who’s there. There’s a short bark of laughter and the figure identifies themself as one of your friends. You ask them why they’re here and they tell you that they came to check on you; they haven’t seen you for days and before that, you were acting really strange. Cagey and nervous. You tell them that you are fine; you came down with a sudden sickness and have been recovering. You thank them for checking in on you and ask to be left alone for a while to recover. That bark of laughter comes again and they ask to be let in: they’ve brought you some stuff. A plastic shopping bag is brought into your line of sight. You sigh and open the door; you know they won’t go away without getting their way. Your friend doesn’t move. You stare at their featureless face and tell them again that they can come in. They still don’t move. Their voice wavers when they ask if this is some sort of prank, if you’ve installed some weird device to record your voice and automatically open doors. You tell them that you are right in front of them, that you opened the door. Their laugh shudders through them and they back away from you. They say that they’ll tell the others that you’re fine and you were just playing a prank on them. They leave in a rush, passing another figure on the way down the sidewalk. That figure stares back at you, a smile stretching their face. They don’t move, but you feel stripped bare: they can see every inch of you, every mistake that you’ve ever made since you were a kid, every secret you’ve ever kept. You swear that the cards in your pocket shudder under the clear figure’s gaze. You slam the door shut, but that feeling, that presence does not leave. [[You retreat back to your bedroom.->Layer 7.1]]

The door swings open silently. The figure on the other side is someone you don’t recognize, but they are in sharp focus compared to everything else around you. You take a couple steps back, your body shriveling under their relentless gaze. They thank you for welcoming them in. The figure steps into your home, leaving the door open behind them. You watch as their roving gaze sweeps over the messy room, taking in the days-old dishes piled in the sink and the scattered junk across your couch. They chuckle in pleasure, their face splitting into a wide grin. They express their happiness that you accepted the present. The figure glances to the cards in your pocket as they say this, and you curl a protective hand around them. It shouldn’t be possible, but their grin widens at this gesture. They tell you that the process has already begun, that you just need some more time. You stutter out a question, confusion and terror washing through you at these words. They motion over to your bedroom, saying that all your answers lie in the mirror there. You should go look, they tell you. The cards in your pocket seem to tremble at this statement, and you feel a sharp urge to go look. So you do, slowly shuffling over to the full-body mirror. You stare at yourself in it: you’re just as much of a mess as you imagined, but poking out from under your beanie are a couple of blood red lines. You remove the hat and stare at the tattooed eye on your forehead. There’s movement over your shoulder: the figure is standing at the entrance to your bedroom, that wide grin still splitting their face. They look different in the mirror, their form is shattered and disjointed, only loosely human. They don't move but you feel a hard shove on your back, sending you tumbling forward. You don’t hit the mirror like you were expecting. It seems to swallow you, sending you into a fractured reflection of your bedroom. You glance at the figure. They stare back at you, still smiling and whole once again. They wave. [[The world shatters around you.->Layer 1]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Empress->Card 3]] Infertility, Emptiness You laugh as you stare at the card; it’s a hollow laugh, a tired laugh. You’re so done with all of this. So tired of all of this strangeness that’s been plaguing you far longer than you want to realize. You’re just so blank. Your home feels so empty. It’s just you here, it’s been just you for more years than you want to count. You let out a long sigh. Maybe you should go for a walk. Clear your head a bit from all of this fog. You should shower first, but that’s a lot of effort. You compromise with throwing one some clothes that don’t reek of sweat and fear. You should run some laundry, but that’s a lot of effort too. The air is crisp and clean when you leave your home, which would be a relief, but the blurriness still hasn’t faded from your surroundings. You wander the empty streets for what feels like hours, but the light does not change. A couple of figures pass you, their features foggy and blank. They don’t seem to notice you. Eventually, you end up at the park. It’s closed at this hour, but you slip through the rusty gate anyway. What’s a little trespassing on top of all of this unnaturalness? The quiet rustle of leaves around you is comforting as you follow the trails that snake through the park. It’s almost relaxing. A prickling sensation on the back of your neck breaks your from your blank trance. You look behind you, but there’s no one there. Just the path that you’ve been following...and another path? There’s a second trail that separates from the one you’re on. You swear that it wasn’t there when you passed by that spot a minute ago. [[Go down the new path.->Layer 6.7]] [[Keep following the one you’re on.->Layer 6.8]]

You approach the new path warily. The prickling sensation gradually recedes as you approach, disappearing completely when you step onto this new trail. The quiet tranquility is back as you wander down the narrow trail, the trees on either side of you twisting up into an arch above your head. You can’t see the sky anymore. You don’t know how long you’ve been out here. But all things come to an end eventually, and you are spat out of the tunnel into an empty clearing. Well, almost empty. There’s a single tree in the center of the space, larger and more menacing than any tree you’ve ever seen. Your hazy trance shatters at the sight of it sitting starkly defined right in front of you. You take a step forward. Then another. The tree is still, its dead branches spreading into a thorny canopy over you. Thin streams of light struggle through the tangled web of limbs and caress your body. It sends chills down your spine. Still, you are drawn to the tree until you come to a stop a couple feet away. Up close, the tree is clearly hollow, with empty sockets left where something has eaten through the knots of the tree. You’re fascinated by the holes; there’s a darkness to them that is different from the darkness of the night around you. A hole blinks at you. When it opens, there’s a pupil floating in the middle of that empty socket, watching. The pricking sensation floods back more intense than before. Another hole blinks, and another. The eyes stare at you. The sound of cracking and popping fills the empty space around you. You tear your eyes away from the trunk of the tree to see its branches closing in around you. You scream, shutting your eyes against the onslaught. When you open them, you’re standing on the path. There are trees framing it, but they are blurry and undefined. Carefully, you glance around, but there’s only the trail that you stand on. No branching paths. Just you. [[You turn around and head quickly away.->Layer 7.3]]

You tear your gaze away from the odd path; nothing good will come from going down a path that appeared out of thin air. With heavy feet, you continue down the trail you’re on. The crawling sensation does not leave you. Instead, it deepens with each step you take away from that strange trail, until you can’t take another step or you know you will collapse under the pressure of that sensation. You stop and try to draw in a breath. You crouch down with your head between your knees and attempt to regulate your breathing, slowly wrestling it under your control. When you raise your head, you’re not on the path anymore. You’re in a small space, rough walls pressing in all around you. Gingerly, you stand in this space, finding that while there are walls all around you, there is no ceiling above you that you can reach. Dim light filters through a couple of oddly shaped holes in the circular walls of your prison. You lean towards the closest one, bringing your eye up to the gap. You look out into a clearing. It’s not empty. There’s a clearly defined figure standing not far in front of your cage. You open your mouth to call out to them, to beg for help, but you snap your mouth shut when you get a good look at their face. It’s you. You reach out for yourself and feel your branches snapping and moaning as an unexpected pressure is placed on them. You watch as branches––branches under your control––reach out for the doppelganger standing in front of you. You watch as your eyes widen, as you stumble away from you, as your branches close around thin air and you are gone. You’re alone. You stare at the rough wall; you’re trapped in this tree trunk. There’s a building pressure in your head. [[A harsh laugh rings in your ears.->Layer 1]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Emperor->Card 4]] Weakness, Tyranny, Corruption You drop the card almost as soon as you touch it, you mind rebelling against the stench that emanates from it. The bitter smell of old rust fades when the card falls, leaving you hyper-aware of the smell of sweat that clings to you. You need a shower. You stand on weak legs and shuffle over to the bathroom, stripping as you go. It’s almost a relief to shut the bathroom door against the oppressiveness of those cards. You start the shower, waiting for the water to warm. You stare at the bathroom window, watching the manufactured distortion of the glass mix with the blurriness of your surroundings. The baby tree that you’ve been trying to grow sits on the still. It looks like it’s dying. Why are plants so hard to keep alive? You should take a shower. But you should also try to save your tree. [[Get in the shower.->Layer 6.9]] [[Tend to your tree.->Layer 6.10]]

You can water the tree or whatever it needs as soon as you're clean. You step under the beating, hot stream of water and feel your muscles relax. You tilt your head back to bask in the warmth that surrounds you. A strange smell wafts around you, sharp like the tang of old rust. You open your eyes to red. A bright, crimson red falls around you, cascading down your body and running into your mouth. It’s bitter. You stumble out of the spray, staring at the blood which flows from your shower head and pools into the tub. You didn’t close the drain, and yet the blood doesn’t disappear. The level rises in the tub and you scramble out of it, leaving bloody footprints on the bath mat. You know that you need to reach under the spray to turn off the shower, but you can’t make your arms move. You can’t touch that bloody water again. Your skin is red and stinging when you finish scrubbing the blood off with a towel. You’re too afraid to turn on the sink. You don’t want to know if blood will come out of there too. Your tub is nearly filled and there’s no sign of it stopping. You need to turn it off before it overflows. You stare at that crimson water as it swirls in the tub. It looks like blood, it smells like blood, but it isn’t blood. Not real blood at least. You know that if it touches you again, you’ll be gone. Swallowed by the fathomless deep, changed by the corrupted blood. It spills over. You scramble out of the bathroom and run to your door. Nakedness doesn’t matter in the face of this. Your kitchen sink is running. Blood spills from the faucet onto the floor. You didn’t know it was on, but the floor in front of your door is covered by a spreading pool. You’re surrounded now, standing in the one clear space of the floor. You leverage yourself on top of the counter and then squeeze your body on top of the kitchen cabinets. You watch in despair as the blood fills your house. You close your eyes, but that doesn’t help. You can still see the blood spill over the edge of the cabinets. You can feel it caress your skin. The fight drains from you. The blood fills the remaining space in the room as your blood drains from you, mingling in the ambient space. You feel shriveled and empty; just a husk of a person floating within an ocean of blood. [[Your heart beats once more and it is still.->Layer 1]]

You shut off the water, longing for its comforting warmth. But you need to tend to your tree before you can tend to yourself. It looks so pathetic and scrawny. You study it, taking in the crisp, scale-like leaves and the curled, wilting branches. It could probably use some water and a trim, you decide. It’s easy enough to do: there’s a glass sitting next to the sink and a pair of scissors in the cabinet. The soil soaks up the water greedily, and it takes a few glasses of water before the soil is damp to the touch. You snip off a couple of the dried branches, dropping them into the wastebasket next to the sink. Sap drips from the spots where the branches were removed. It’s not the warm amber color of sap, but a bright, vivid red. It rolls down the thin stem and drips into the hungy soil. The tree is bleeding. The whole thing goes into the trash before you can think too much about it, before you let yourself succumb to the tremors which wrack your body. You toss on some clothes and drop the carefully sealed bag into the trash can outside. [[You pretend not to notice how the bag is flecked with red.->Layer 7.2]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Hierophant->Card 5]] Misinformation, Ignorance Right, well you definitely feel ignorant at the moment. You don’t know what’s happening at the moment. You don’t know much about tarot either, if these are actually tarot cards. Although, now that you think about it, a friend did give you a book about fortune-telling as a joke once. It’s probably still on your bookshelf. You leave the cards in a pile and head into the living room. Your bookshelf takes up almost an entire wall and is packed to the brim with books. It’s going to take you a while to go through all of them. A really long time. The shelf looms above you, the spines hinting at their contents, at all of the words in them. All the information. Too much information. Your shelf looks endless. Warily, you approach the books, scanning the visible spines for the one you’re looking for. You can’t bring yourself to actually touch any of them. You don’t find the thin volume that you’re searching for. You know that you will need to dive into the shelf to find it. With mounting dread, you reach for the first book. Then the next and the next and the next and...there’s a mountain of books piled around you. The shelf is empty. You don’t remember taking them down. But right in front of you, resting on top of the pile, is the book you’re looking for. It’s clear against the haze of the other books. The weight of the knowledge it contains presses down on you as you stare at it. The other books press against you. You’re sinking within the lure of their knowledge, their information. [[Open the book.->Layer 6.11]] [[Put the books back on the shelf.->Layer 6.12]]

You gingerly open the thin book to a random page. It takes you a second to understand what you’re seeing. You can make out some of the words, but the majority of the page has been blacked out, like someone decided to take a thick marker to it. You flip through the book, dread mounting after page upon page of blacked-out text. You can’t make sense of anything in it. The phrases are disjointed and incomprehensible. Some lines do make sense, but you can’t help but feel like they mean something other than what they say. You drop the volume onto the pile and pick up a random book. The edges are fuzzed, but if you squint, you can make out lines of blocked-out text and sentence fragments covering each page. Frantically, you begin to check random books, each in the same condition as the last. Finally, you turn back to that thin book, the only one which stands sharp and clear against the hazy world you find yourself in. You open it at the beginning, you read what you can between the destroyed lines. Your fear drains from you, replaced by a comforting fog. With each line you read, the fog spreads and you sink further into it. You smile. How could this book say anything other than what it does now? How could it be published without these corrections? Distantly, you remember that there was something you feared about this book, but you can’t remember anymore. You can’t remember why some things are blurry and others are not. [[It’s nice.->Layer 1]]

The books go back, one at a time. It’s a painfully slow process and you remember every second of it: the weight of the books as you lift them onto the shelf, the richness of their covers, and the cloying smell of old paper. You feel as if you are losing a part of yourself with each book you replace. Some infinitesimal memory leaving you with each beautiful volume put back into its proper spot. The lack of fear at the thought terrifies you more than you can comprehend. You don’t know how long you spend replacing books on the shelf, but eventually, there is only one left. One thin volume proclaiming the secrets of tarot, promising answers you don’t know if you want anymore. You itch to open it. But you place it on the shelf, slide it behind another stack of volumes so it is hidden from your gaze. [[You break the trance.->Layer 7.2]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Lovers->Card 6]] Separation, Temptation The longing that strikes you is surprising, considering you haven’t wanted to leave the house in days after discovering the cards. But now you do; you want to see a familiar face, any face. Anyone who can tell you that this is all a dream and you’ll wake up soon and all of this will be gone. It only takes you a couple minutes to clean up and dress before you’re out the door. The streets are empty when you leave, but once you get to the town center, there will be people. You’ll find someone who can help, someone who can comfort you. But it’s empty when you arrive. There’s no one around, just barren streets and empty storefronts. You wander for a while, panic constricting your chest with each minute that passes without others. There’s a soft sound coming from around the corner ahead. It swells as you rush towards it, voices layering over one another. You round the corner and are faced with a mass of people. A massive, faceless crowd. You hear their voices, but their faces are a blank blur of nothing. They’re all hazy, blending with one another to form a crushing wave of emptiness. You scan the crowd, hoping for a face that you can see, someone you know. There! Deep in the center of the mass is a single individual. They stand in profile, a slight smile curling their mouth upwards. They are clearly defined against the backdrop of blurry, writhing bodies. [[Push through the crowd to them.->Layer 6.13]] [[Go back to your solitary home.->Layer 6.14]]

You dive into the crowd and are consumed. Bodies press onto you from every side, crushing you into oblivion. You can’t move. All around you are faceless bodies and swelling conversations that crash over you and sweep you away. Ahead of you, you can barely make out that figure. You reach out to them, forcing your way deeper into the crowd. With each step you take, the press of bodies becomes heavier, the conversation becomes louder, and your lungs drag in less air. You know that you will die here. You will be buried in this mass of bodies that can’t see you, that don’t acknowledge your cries. The figure turns easily to watch your struggle with one eye. It smiles, beckoning you closer. [[The bodies crash over you in one final swell.->Layer 1]]

You pull your gaze away from that figure, ignore your longing and turn back the way you came. But your path is blocked. In your distraction, the crowd has moved, forming a loose ring around you. As you watch, the ring tightens, the bodies closing in around you. You sweep your gaze frantically around you, searching for an exit, some path between the bodies. There’s one to your left, a narrow gap that is rapidly closing. You know if you don’t make it, you’ll be swallowed by the crowd. You take off in a sprint towards the gap, sliding between the faceless crowd as the walls descend on either side. You can see the light ahead of you, that opening between bodies. The wall of people presses in, making it difficult to keep your feet under you. There’s a figure moving through the crowd to the remaining gap; that clear figure with a smile on its face. They look threatening in this light, the open, welcoming smile gone from their face. Now, it is a menacing thing, meant to make you falter and fall into the sea of bodies. Two more steps. One. You emerge as the gap closes behind you, as that figure blocks the remaining opening, sealing the jumbled mass of bodies. [[You don’t stop running.->Layer 7.3]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Chariot->Card 7]] Frustration, Selfishness, Arrogance The eyes of the dogs stare at you, burrowing their way into the center of your heart. You swear that they move. That their tails wag and the tongues lick their lips as they stare. You can’t look away from them, their gaze pinning you to the spot like a deer in the face of an oncoming car. A bark breaks you out of your trance. There’s an answering call from the opposite direction. Two more voices join the chorus. Fear drips down your spine as you realize that you’re being hunted. You strain your ears and hear the sound of hoofbeats on pavement layered under the cacophony of the dogs as they call for your blood. They are distant now, but are quickly approaching. They’ll be here soon. You know exactly what to do; the decision is laughably simple. [[Remain inside.->Layer 6.15]] [[Run.->Layer 6.16]]

You throw the door open, not bothering to put on any shoes as you tear down the street, away from the descending howls. You can hear the cries of riders behind you as you wind through the empty streets and the answering howl of the dogs. As the hunt nears, the realization strikes that you can’t outrun a pack of dogs or a horse. A laugh is torn out of you when you realize your folly. You can’t believe how stupid you’ve been. You’re not as fast as a rabbit or a fox. You willingly left your den, your only hope of protection. You don’t have any tunnels to hide in. Wait, there are tunnels that you can access. It won’t be pretty, but there’s a sewer entrance only a block away that all the kids like to explore during their rebellious teenage years. The dogs will be able to make it through, but they’re so complex that it’s easy to get lost in them. It’s your only hope. You break right when the turn comes and make your way to the entrance next to the park. The dogs are almost on you now. You swear that you can feel their hot, eager breath on your back even though they have to be at least a block or two away. The sewers are disgusting as you splash through the muck that coats the bottom of the tunnels. The howls of the dogs echo around you as you crawl deeper into the branching tunnels. It takes an eternity to lose the dogs, but their howls gradually recede. The convoluted tunnels and the stench of waste are enough to mask your passing. You remain down there for hours. [[Eventually, it’s safe to leave.->Layer 7.3]]

The barking nears to your house and the sound of horse hooves on hard pavement rings out in the silence. You’re sure you’re safe in here. A dog can’t reach you in here. All of the curtains are closed and the windows and doors are locked. You’ve even sequestered yourself to the bathroom, where there’s only one small window high off of the ground and a door that you can lock. You’re safe. Whistles and shouts join the racket outside, so close that you can hear exactly when the fence that borders your property is run down. There’s the clatter of nails against pavement and the muffled gait of dogs and horses as they circle the house, looking for a way inside. The racket quiets after a minute of circling, leaving only the faint pant of excited dogs. The anticipation is thick in the air and for the first time, you doubt your plan. You suddenly don’t feel as secure in here as you once did. The echoing bang of a gun shatters the silence and a window shatters somewhere in the house. A chorus of howls fills the air followed by the sound of paws slipping across the hardwood floor of your living room. They’re inside. Frantic nails rasp against the floor as the dogs search the house, tracking you down to your hiding spot. There’s a solitary whine outside of the bathroom door. You hold your breath. Maybe they haven’t found you, maybe it’s a false alarm. The violent thumps that follow kill your hopes. The door rattles and screams on its hinges and you know that outside the door there is a mass of dogs ready to devour you. [[The door crashes inward with a triumphant howl.->Layer 1]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[Justice->Card 8]] Bias, Injustice The distortion depicted on the card is mesmerising. You can’t help but stare at it and try to work out what the original image must have looked like. You gently set the card next to you and gather the deck, arranging the cards back into their box. You leave the card out as you place the deck in your pocket and sit at your desk. You were meant to get a work email the other day and you haven’t checked yet to see if you’ve received it. The card watches you as you boot up your computer and log in to your email. It’s strange. Your computer is blurred like everything else, but the screen is perfectly clear. Almost too vibrant against the cloudy background. The work email isn’t there like you were expecting, so you send off a quick reminder. There’s a strange glitch when you hit send. You glance out of the corner of your eye at the card that still sits on your desk. It’s just a coincidence. You shake the feeling off and check your sent mail. It’s not there. You try again, but the glitch recurs, more noticeable this time as you attempt to send it. The same happens when you try to use your phone. You’re glaring at the screen when it comes. The email appears at the top of the list. You relax a bit; it was just a fluke. [[Open the email.->Layer 6.17]] [[Browse the web instead.->Layer 6.18]]

The email opens, but instead of an answer to your latest list of questions, there’s just gibberish. It doesn’t look like any weird code that you’ve ever seen before. Just a nonsensical string of letters and numbers and symbols. You try to scroll to the bottom of the email, but it goes on and on and on. There doesn’t appear to be an end to this nonsense. You scroll back to the top and hit the back button. Nothing happens. You click it again. Nothing. Refreshing the page doesn’t do anything either. The text stares at you, challenging you to understand it, to reach its end. Walls of text scroll by as you frantically try to get to the end of the email. You stop scrolling. The text continues to move, scrolling up the screen with increasing speed. You can’t tear your eyes away as the text becomes a solid black wall of nothing. A surge of anger alights in your chest. Why is this happening to you? You’ve had a peaceful life for so long, now nothing seems to go right. You hit the screen in frustration. It goes dark. The screen shudders. A blinding explosion of color bursts across the screen, sending you toppling out of the chair. Fragments of videos cross the screen. Partial images and advertisements flash by. The speakers crackle, begging you to buy their product, to buy from them. Color drips from the screen and spreads across the desk. Spiderly lines of text wind their way down the table legs and across the floor. You scramble away from the melting screen, but cables tangle your legs. You go crashing into the puddle of light and sound and color. Static electrifies your nerves as you are swallowed, convulsing, [[into the light.->Layer 1]]

It’s a fluke. You know this, but your nerves do not. A cat video. That’s what you need. Something cute to distract you from this crawling fear. It seems harder than ever to open the proper YouTube video. Ads are everywhere. You have to scroll through five pages of them to even open YouTube and once you’re there, you keep getting pop-ups despite the new ad blocker that you recently installed. They tell you to support them over their competition, try to persuade you that their product is better. How there’s so many (likely fake) studies that support them. When you finally open the video, it’s all you can do not to cry. The kittens tumble across the screen. They fly through the air after wiggling toys. Get their heads stuck in boxes. Are hunted down by large dogs. You blink, but the image doesn’t change. Blood seems to spatter across the screen from the inside. Their gleaming eyes stare at you. A cheetah hunts a gazelle. A crocodile kills a zebra. A snake kills a mouse. The inside of the screen is almost fully covered in blood, dripping in thick rivulets into an expanding puddle at the base. Scenes of horrific murder flash behind it, the weak mauled by the strong. Blood leaks out from the screen, soaking into the keyboard below it. You can’t exit the video. One after another, each bloody scene plays and merges with the next. You unplug the computer. Bloody, distorted color bars fill the screen. Gradually, the blood slows to a trickle. It stops. [[You make sure all of your electronics are unplugged after that.->Layer 7.2]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Hermit->Card 9]] Suspiciousness, Fear You stare at the solitary figure on the card, feeling its eyes burn into you. Can it see you? Does it know something that you do not? You quickly flip the card over, but the eyes of all the other cards bore into you. You flip them all over. Who sent these to you? You called the few people that you know, but none of them owned up to buying the cards for you. Could one of them be lying? Is this a setup? No...they couldn’t have. They all know how paranoid you can get. They wouldn’t play such a cruel trick on you... Would they? Who else could it be? It’s not like Amazon just ships random packages to strangers. That would be a bad business model. It has to be someone you know. You need to confront them again. [[Take a trip to their houses.->Layer 6.19]] [[Call them.->Layer 6.20]]

You decide to confront them face-to-face. You’re pretty good at reading expressions. They won’t be able to lie to you. It only takes you a minute or two to get ready before you’re storming out of the house. You plan to start with the most-likely culprit and work your way down the list. Their house is on the other side of the town, so you decide to wait for the bus. You don’t really want to deal with strangers at the moment, but walking there will take hours and there’s a much higher chance that you’ll run into people. A minute passes. Then five. Ten minutes. At fifteen, you’re nearly ready to just make the walk when the bus comes rattling round the corner. It screeches to a stop in front of you and the door squeaks open. As you ascend the steps, you glance at the driver, slouching further into your coat as you do. The figure in the seat is strangely defined, the sharp contours of their face stretching as they grin at you. You flinch back and hastily deposit your fare before hurrying to the seat furthest from the driver. Thankfully, there’s no one else on the bus. You breathe a sigh of relief. The bus trundles on through the streets and as you stare out the window, you see numerous figures start to emerge from their houses. It doesn’t really bother you at first. They’re outside and you’re safe behind the walls of the bus. It doesn’t take you long to realize that they are trailing after you. Gradually swelling as you delve deeper into the town. A quick glance at the head of the bus reveals that the driver is staring at you from the mirror. That same smile on their face. They don’t look away as they make a neat turn down the next street. You sink into your chair, pulling your beanie further down your head. Maybe if you ignore all of the people they’ll go away. Why would they want to follow you anyway? Are they even following you? A glance out the window reveals that they are in fact still in pursuit. Another glance reveals that the driver is still staring at you. The bus slows. The driver announces your stop. You stare at them. The bus never stopped at any of the other stops. There’s at least ten before yours! The door creaks open. You bolt upright. The bus is surrounded by a writhing mass of people and they flood through the open doors. This was a mistake. This prank went too far. How could your friends set you up like this? How could the driver do this to you? The people surge towards you. The emergency exit is blocked by the mob. You can’t exit out of the windows. [[They descend upon you.->Layer 1]]

Calling is your best bet. The thought of seeing anyone in person sends a disgusted shiver through your body. No, you need your space from them. Show them that they can’t treat you like this. It takes you a while to find your phone. It’s not on the nightstand where you thought you left it. Eventually, you find it buried between the couch cushions. It must have fallen there when you opened the cards so long ago now. You tap the screen. Nothing happens. It takes another ten minutes to locate an unbroken cable and plug your phone in to charge. Now you just have to wait. You can only sit still for a couple of minutes before you’re up and pacing around the room, a nervous energy building in you. What will you do if one of them sent these awful cards to you? Did they know how these cards would affect you? Is that why they did this? You pace. Whys and hows flicker through your mind, intertwining and knotting with other questions into a solid mass of fear. Your phone screen lights up. You hit the first number on your contact list. There’s a click as someone picks up on the other end, and a fissure of unease sparks in your gut. You really don’t want to talk to anyone right now. But you need to know; you need to solve this mystery or you’ll never be able to trust any of them again. A strange voice on the other end greets you. It’s not your friend. You check the number. It's the right one. You can’t speak. There’s a soft, grating chuckle on the other end. They coo at you, telling you that it’s okay. They know how you feel but none of your friends did this to you. They did, they say. The phone clatters to the floor. [[The laughter continues.->Layer 7.2]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[Wheel of Fortune->Card 10]] Bad luck, Obstacles You laugh and let the card fall. Bad luck. You’ve had enough of that lately. Mysterious strangers, creepy boxes, and the feeling of being watched constantly. Yeah, you need to get out of here for a bit. Get away from the cards and your house and all the paranoia. There’s that new museum which opened recently. That might be a good break from the fear. (if: (history:) contains "Layer 5.11" or "Layer 5.12")[Will it? You've been there before...right? You try to remember, but nothing comes. You shake the feeling off.] The walk to the museum is peaceful. You don’t pass anyone on the streets and your surroundings maintain that blurry appearance. It’s starting to bother you less now that you’ve spent a bit more time with it, although there’s still something unnatural about it, something that makes you want to close your eyes and keep them closed. The museum looks like it did in the photos of its grand opening. All shiny and new, the Amazon logo splashed brightly across its front, a vivid display of their sponsorship. Something about engaging directly with the communities they serve. You didn’t pay much attention to that whole corporate speech. You shiver slightly under the sight of that smiling face, debating whether to turn back now. It’s weird that the company that sent you those damned cards recently opened up a museum in your town, the first of many in the chain. That’s weird right? You should leave. The doors swing open and a figure grins out at you, welcoming you to the museum. You’re right on time apparently, they’ve just opened! The figure ushers you in before you can protest and leads you to the counter. The tickets are surprisingly cheap. The figure grins at you as they hand you a ticket, suggesting that you check out the Egyptian section. They’re trying out a new layout and want to gauge interest in it. You stammer out a thank you and say you’ll be sure to check it out. You walk mechanically to the Egyptian wing. You don’t really want to go there, but your legs seem to be leading you in that direction anyway. The entrance to the wing is grand. Two large animal-headed people stand next to the doorway, standing guard. You can’t tell if their intention is to keep people out or keep them in. You walk through the gateway and are immediately faced with a wall. Sharp hallways run to your right and left. You rub at your eyes and look back out into the museum. It’s in focus too. Why didn’t you notice that when you entered? You feel yourself turning back to the hallways and you glance down one. It continues in a straight line until it turns a little ways down and splits into two more hallways. The walls are lined with art and artifacts. A maze. [[Go down the right hallway.->Layer 6.21]] [[Go down the left hallway.->Layer 6.22]]

You start down the hallway, sightlessly taking in the art. It doesn't really feel like you’re actually here. You’re just drifting between these identical walls. Then you hit a dead end. You can’t help but stare at it. Styling a wing of a museum after a maze is an interesting choice, but to make it an actual maze seems like a bad marketing decision. What if people get lost? Now that you think about it, you don’t remember seeing a map at the entrance either. Doubt starts to nag at the back of your mind; this was a bad decision. You turn and retrace your steps back to the turn you took into the dead end. You’re pretty sure that you kept making right turns and ended up here, so if you start making left turns, you should be able to get back to where you started and then you can get out of here. You hold onto this logic for ten minutes before you acknowledge that you’ve made a mistake. The snaking hallways stretch in front of you and you feel no closer to the entrance than you were back at the dead end. You push on and the hallways seem to press in towards you, almost like they’re getting narrower. You stop and stretch your arms out to the side. You can’t touch the walls. Five minutes later when you repeat this test, the rough walls brush your fingertips. Panic swells in your chest as you turn around and break into a run. You start taking random turns. The hallways continue to close in on you. You have to turn sideways to pass through a particularly narrow section. It doesn’t take long before you’re stuck. Breathing is difficult. You shove yourself forward, scraping along the walls inch by inch. There’s a light ahead. You reach for it, forcing yourself through the crushing walls. Tears leak from your eyes as you make one final lunge. [[You slip out of the maze.->Layer 7.3]]

You start down the hallway, sightlessly taking in the art. It doesn't really feel like you’re actually here. You’re just drifting between these identical walls. Then you hit a dead end. You can’t help but stare at it. Styling a wing of a museum after a maze is an interesting choice, but to make it an actual maze seems like a bad marketing decision. What if people get lost? Now that you think about it, you don’t remember seeing a map at the entrance either. Doubt starts to nag at the back of your mind; this was a bad decision. You turn and retrace your steps back to the turn you took into the dead end. You’re pretty sure that you kept making left turns and ended up here, so if you start making right turns, you should be able to get back to where you started and then you can get out of here. You hold onto this logic for ten minutes before you acknowledge that you’ve made a mistake. The snaking hallways stretch in front of you and you feel no closer to the entrance than you were back at the dead end. You push on and the hallways seem to press in towards you, almost like they’re getting narrower. You stop and stretch your arms out to the side. You can’t touch the walls. Five minutes later when you repeat this test, the rough walls brush your fingertips. Panic swells in your chest as you turn around and break into a run. You start taking random turns. The hallways continue to close in on you. You have to turn sideways to pass through a particularly narrow section. It doesn’t take long before you’re stuck. Breathing is difficult. You shove yourself forward, scraping along the walls inch by inch. There’s a light ahead. You reach for it, forcing yourself through the crushing walls. Tears leak from your eyes as you make one final lunge. The walls crush around you [[and you can’t breathe.->Layer 1]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[Strength->Card 11]] Cowardice, Defeat Strength and defeat. That’s an interesting combination. You certainly feel defeated now. What’s the point of trying to figure out these cards? It’s not like knowing what they are is going to help you. They’ll still be here. Watching you. A thought occurs to you; there is something that you could do. There’s that new Amazon-sponsored museum. (if: (history:) contains "Layer 5.11" or "Layer 5.12")[Why does that suddenly seem like a bad place to go? You can't remember.] You could drop the cards off there. Maybe get a ticket and wander around a bit. Find a good hiding place away from the inevitable security cameras and stash them there. Maybe they’ll stay there. You hope. It’s your only idea at the moment; the only thought keeping you from admitting that this is how things are now. That you’re stuck. The museum is grand. Much too grand for this area. The town’s a decent size, but there’s no large cities for at least an hour. The building’s clear facade extends into the sky. Across its front, a large Amazon logo rests. It’s odd, but the thought disappears as you enter the building. The clarity of its interior almost blinds you for a moment. It reminds you of the cards. You force yourself to approach the ticket counter and ignore the prickling at the base of your neck. You pay the admission fee and are greeted by a grinning figure. You mention that you’re interested in obscure exhibits, ones that are usually not crowded. The smiling figure hands you a map and points to the trophy section. They tell you that this area is being unveiled later today, but, they say as their grin widens, that they can give you an early pass. Warily, you accept the offer and they slide another ticket to you. You thank them and hurry off. The trophy room is in the furthest corner of the museum. It’s entrance is framed by a pair of identical hunters. Their guns frame the arch of the entrance. You pass underneath them, feeling their eyes track you as you enter their domain. [[Head to the predator exhibit.->Layer 6.23]] [[Head to the prey exhibit.->Layer 6.24]]

The decapitated heads of large animals line the walls of the room, their beady glass eyes beating into you. You wanted somewhere out of the way to stash the cards, but this now feels like a mistake. There’s too many eyes on you, predatory and ravenous. You feel small in this room, a mouse before the descending claws of a cat. You just need to shove the cards somewhere and then you can get out of this place. You glance around but there’s not much in this room besides four walls covered with animal heads. There’s only one option then. You spot a lion’s head on the opposite wall. It’s mouth is partially open in a menacing snarl, but there’s enough space there for you to slip the cards in and they should be hidden from the casual observer. You wander over and track the security camera as you go. If you turn your back to it, you should be able to disguise what you’re doing from it. You slide the deck from your pocket as you approach the lion head. It’s simple to position your body between the camera and your quarry. Your hands tremble as you casually slide your hand towards its mouth. The cards nestle themselves in that gaping maw with ease. Like they’re coming home. You go to withdraw your hand and the mouth closes. You’re too slow to yank your hand out. A flash of pain shoots up your arm and you cry out, stumbling back. The head releases you. You look down at your hand and it is unmarred. The heads around you shift. They crane their necks and watch you, snuffling and yawning like they have been awoken from a long slumber. [[You don’t stay long enough to see what happens next.->Layer 7.3]]

Rabbits and deer line the walls, their frightened eyes watching your approach. They look so alive. Like they could hop out of their plaques and take off down the hallway at any moment. You look away and scan the room for surveillance cameras. There’s only one behind you, watching the room. It swivels as you look, the mechanical eye focusing on you. You take several steps back. It’s eye tracks the movement. This was a spectacularly bad idea. You shouldn’t have brought the creepy eye cards to the museum; not with the connection between them. There’s something sinister here, something that that eye is planning. If a camera could, you swear that it would be grinning at you and that it’s grin would look exactly like that figure at the desk. You can’t stay here any longer. You make it to the doorway of the exhibit room leading into the atrium between the exhibits when you hear it: the thump of heavy feet on tile. A large shadow stretches across the atrium floor. Two gunshots ring out into the still air. Your vision goes black in a burst of pain. When you open your eyes again, you’re staring into the prey room from a spot high up on one of the walls. You crane your neck to the right. [[A frightened rabbit head stares back.->Layer 1]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Hanged Man->Card 12]] Conformity, Surrender, Sacrifice A spider. Lovely. You don’t like spiders. Their webs get everywhere and are a pain to clean up. They also have all those eyes. All those creepy, staring eyes that watch you as you go about your business. As you swat at them and destroy their homes. You glance around the room, paranoid now that there might be some spiders lurking in the corners. They’re empty. For now. You should probably do some cleaning. Neaten everything up. Everyone always talks about the benefits of spring cleaning. It’s not spring, but the point still stands. With a new-found determination, you get up and gather you cleaning supplies on the kitchen counter. You decide to dust everything first. Then vacuum and wash the floors. Plan set, you buckle down to your task. You tackle the kitchen first, then the living room, and then the bedroom and bathroom. You actually feel pretty good when you’re done. No spiders and a clean house. You gather up the trash and head to the back door to toss it in the bin. You pull the door open and feel something snap as it swings open. There’s a thin, gossamer thread hanging from the outside knob. Clear and defined against the fuzzy off-white tone of the door. You look out over the small yard, straight into the many eyes of a giant spider. You try to run, but your feet are stuck. You look down. The same stark white gossamer threads weave across the bottom of the floor. Large, black, hairy legs land on either side of you with a heavy thud. You are yanked up into the web as the spider winds thread around your legs. It suspends you upside down above your yard, anchored within its massive web stretched between the neighboring houses. The spider watches you writhe in your binds. After several minutes of satisfied observation, it starts to scuttle towards you. [[Try to unstick yourself from the web.->Layer 6.25]] [[Hold still.->Layer 6.26]]

You struggle against the web. At this scale, the threads are far stickier than a normal spider web, making it nearly impossible to move. One lunge unsticks an arm. Another lunge and your other arm comes free. You frantically tear at the threads that weave around your legs, but each fistfull of web adheres to your palms and you have to pause to rip your hands free. There is no damage to your binds. You let yourself fall limp. There’s nothing you can do. The web is too resilient. You don’t have a knife or anything else that’s sharp. The spider descends upon you. Its legs move rapidly and bit by bit those sticky threads crawl around your body, entombing you as you hang. The white trash bag rests abandoned by the open door. You feel a strange kinship to it; you’re not much different from it at the moment. [[The webs wrap around your face.->Layer 1]]

You relax your body, letting the faint breeze swing you side to side. The spider stops and watches you. You swear that it's waiting for something, waiting for you to do something. But you don’t. You just hang there, body limp. You don’t know how long it watches you, but it must be hours. Still, you don’t move. You don’t struggle. You surrender yourself to whatever will happen next, letting the fear wash over you and disperse. The web vibrates as the spider scuttles over to you. It looms overhead, and you force down the involuntary struggle. The webs around your legs are cut and you fall heavily onto the ground, head bouncing off of a half-buried rock. [[When you wake, both the spider and the web are gone.->Layer 7.1]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[Death->Card 13]] Fear of Change, Loss You shiver. Was there a malfunction with your air conditioning? It’s definitely not warm enough outside to necessitate it. You drop the card and make a beeline to the thermostat. The chills wrack your body as the temperature drops. It feels like you're standing in the middle of a snowstorm at the height of winter. Except you’re inside your house and it’s definitely not winter. The thermostat says that it’s a comfortable 71 degrees in the house, but that can’t be right. It’s far, far colder in here than it says. Your breath comes out in quick, visible puffs. You scamper back to your room, throwing on additional layers and dragging the comforter around your body. It does nothing to protect you from the chill. You shuffle back to the thermostat. The temperature remains the same. You crank the dial up as high as it can go and sit heavily on the couch to wait. The room seems to be taking forever to heat. You’re not entirely sure how long you’ve been sitting in the same spot, but you’re definitely not any warmer. A rustle comes from your left. The trash bag that sits there is moving slightly. There’s a shape near the bottom that appears to be struggling to reach the top of the bag. You watch distantly as the lump inches slowly upwards. A mouse must have gotten into it. You sigh. You don’t really want to get up, but these layers aren’t really helping with the biting cold anyway. [[Remain where you are.->Layer 6.27]] [[Go over to the trash bag.->Layer 6.28]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[Temperance->Card 14]] Conflict, Impatience You scoff a bit as you stare at the card. Crying eyes over a fire. Right. Such a great design. You toss it back with the others. This strangeness has gone on for long enough now. You need to get rid of these cards and then you can go back to your normal life. Clothes, then matches. You send a smirk at the cards, mentally thanking them for giving you a great way to destroy them. It doesn’t take long to get ready. You make sure to put on your best hiking shoes. The area around the lake tends to be a bit rocky, but it’s also the best spot to dispose of some freaky cards: an expanse of water to put out the fire if it spreads and a nice clearing to make sure that doesn’t happen in the first place. The lake looks the same as the last time you were here. You head directly to the edge of the water. You need to get this done now. Get these damn cards out of your life. You go to the first clearing you spot: a patch of dry gravel on the edge of the water with very little shrubbery around. You toss the cards onto the gravel and light a match. [[Drop the match on the cards and watch them burn.->Layer 6.29]] [[Put it out, this is a stupid idea.->Layer 6.30]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Devil->Card 15]] Obsession, Greed The card incites a hunger in you, a desire to forget about everything that’s happening, even if it’s temporary. You think to your stash, but it’s not what you need. You need something stronger, something that can set you free from this reality. You’re out the door before you really consider what you’re doing. The town is quiet at this hour, but you’ll run into someone eventually. Someone that can help. The alleys are empty as you pass, snaking ever further into the town. There’s a slight movement to your right and you glance towards the alley. There, at the entrance, a figure stands, beckoning you to them. You quickly redirect your path. A grin splits their face. They lead you further into the alley. They understand what you’re going through, the figure tells you. From their pocket they pull out two clearly defined vials. One contains a crimson red liquid and the other has a swirling green liquid. They’re not like any drug that you’ve ever seen before, but you don’t care. The figure tells you that either will help with your situation and that’s all that matters. Your ravenous eyes scan the two vials, before resting on one of them. [[Take the one with the red liquid.->Layer 6.31]] [[Take the one with the green liquid.->Layer 6.32]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Tower->Card 16]] Destruction, Downfall A feeling of vertigo passes over you and for a moment you feel as if you are poised on the edge of a cliff. The sensation fades as you let go of the card. You shake out the spike of anxiety from your limbs. You’re on solid ground. You’re okay. When you stand, you nearly fall over as the vertigo returns fiercer than before. Static fills your mind and you are forced to lay back on the ground. But the static doesn’t fade. That humming continues and it’s a long moment before you realize that it’s not just in your head. All of the electric devices in your house are emitting a high pitched nhum. You carefully sit up and glance warily at the nearby socket. Thin spikes of electricity radiate from it, slowly growing in intensity. You scoot away from it and towards the door, not trusting your legs to support you. Outside, arcs of electricity jump between houses and telephone poles. The sky is alight with their bright flashes. You crawl away from the house, trying to find a place away from any electricity. The humming is making you feel lightheaded, like you’re floating away from the ground. You //are// floating away from the ground. Your hands and knees hover over the grass, several inches above the ground, and that gap is growing. The vertigo surges through you. [[Grab the mailbox.->Layer 6.33]] [[Grab the garden hose.->Layer 6.34]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Star->Card 17]] Pessimism, Self-doubt You drop the card and wipe your hands on your pants. There’s something on them. You can feel it crawling and itching across your palms. It doesn’t help. That itching sensation just seems to spread to your pants. You need to change them. Wash your hands first and find a clean pair of clothes. Something untouched by this filth that clings to you. You wash your hands once. Then again when they don’t seem clean. Your hands are red and raw before you can finally stop. It takes another half an hour before you find acceptable clothing. The rest gets tossed into the wash even though you did laundry a couple of days ago. You glance around your house. You know that germs are coating everything in it. They crawl across your skin. [[Do a deep clean of the house.->Layer 6.35]] [[Get out of the house.->Layer 6.36]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Moon->Card 18]] Anxiety, Deceit Thunder rumbles in the distance as darkness falls upon your house, cutting off the light that filters through the windows. You walk over to the window and stare up at the dark sky. There, framed by the trees on your property, the black moon rests, encircled by a halo of light. A solar eclipse. Thunder shakes the room and a bolt of lighting cuts through the sky, briefly illuminating your surroundings with a harsh, white light. You stumble away from the window, drawing the curtains tight against the random flashes. You can still feel the rumble of thunder shake through the house, threatening to send your things crashing to the ground. You scamper around, shutting the blinds of the other windows. You can feel the storm approaching. The thunder and lightning come faster now, their strength increasing. Frantically, you scan over your small home. You need to hide somewhere. Somewhere where the storm can’t reach you. [[Hide under the covers.->Layer 6.37]] [[Hide in the closet.->Layer 6.38]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The Sun->Card 19]] Misjudgement, Failure Light slants through your window as the clouds part, streaking across the floor and the cards. You’ve had more than enough of this...this strangeness. You’re done. You need to get away from here for a while. Take your mind off of everything and wait for it to go away. You toss some clothes in a suitcase, purchase a flight to the other end of the country, and get on a bus to the airport. You leave the cards where they rest. The driver nods to you as you board the bus, a wide smile stretching across their face. The airport is bustling when you arrive, but you make good time through security. It’s almost like they don’t even notice you’re there. You’re plenty early for your flight. You absentmindedly stare out the large windows. The sun beats down on your chair and you shift in the warmth. You glare up at it for a second and you swear that it blinks. You jerk your gaze away and focus on your ticket. They call for the first group to board. You shuffle forward and join the end of the line. The attendant doesn’t even scan your ticket when you pass. Their gaze slides over you, but a smile stretches across their face. You find your seat and make yourself comfortable. You close the blind and relax against the seat. Eventually, there’s an announcement that the plane will leave momentarily and to ensure you have all your belongings in order. [[Check your bag.->Layer 6.39]] [[Wait for the plane to depart.->Layer 6.40]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[Judgement->Card 20]] Guilt, Fear, Stubbornness You stare at the card, an insidious feeling crawling up your spine. When was the last time you reached out to your friends? You’ve been so caught up in the strangeness that has become your life and the suspicion that they set you up for this that you haven’t bothered to reach out to them. Before you can second-guess yourself, you send off a quick text to the group chat. You don’t feel safe leaving your house at the moment, but a video chat will do. Their responses trickle in, expressing their surprise that you’re actually acknowledging them all of a sudden and their agreement to chat. It takes ten minutes to get organized, but soon the link is sent and the pop up appears before you enter the meeting. [[Join with video.->Layer 6.41]] [[Join without video.->Layer 6.42]]

The meaning comes fully-formed into your mind: [[The World->Card 21]] Longing, Discontent The world fractures around you. It’s like one moment everything’s normal and the next, you realize that this entire time you’ve just been looking at the world through a pane of glass and now that glass has shattered. Everything is sharp. Your furniture looks like a jigsaw puzzle gone wrong, all awkward angles and warped lines. You stand and try to walk to the door, but the world feels unsteady around you. Each step needs to be carefully placed or you will trip over a crack and shatter this delicate reality. The door knob slices through your palms as you drag the door open. The outside world is as fractured as your home. You nearly impale yourself on the jagged branches of the tree next to your house. A shadow passes overhead and you watch the long tube that slithers over the sky. The eyes adorning it stare back at you. The shape smoothly glides between the jagged edges of reality, at home among the splintered desolation. The tube writhes and it’s massive head crests the horizon. Spikes of terror shatter the forced calm of your mind. The snake that encircles the world snaps at its tail, consuming large chunks with each bite. With each bite the snake that encircles the world draws tighter around the globe. You know what will happen when it finishes its meal, when its devouring gaze will turn on the earth and its smile will split its face as its gaping maw descends. Then there will be darkness. Then there will be the end. Then there will be a final, last death. You sit on the sharp step and watch its approach. [[You almost feel relieved.->Ending 2]]

You pull the blankets further up over your mouth and your nose. The lump is almost at the top now. Once it gets out of the bag, you’ll have to get up and deal with the mouse, but the cold seems to freeze your bones in place. It’ll be fine. You can chase it out of the house later. The desperate struggle stops as the lump reaches the top of the bag. A corner folds over as it starts to crawl out of the bag. That is definitely not a mouse. That...that thing isn’t even alive. You’re suddenly cold for an entirely different reason. The mass of bones and sinew stand out in sharp focus to the haze of the room. It tumbles to the floor, bones cracking against the wood before it rights itself. It looks like a headless chicken skeleton, but deeply, deeply wrong. It looks like a puzzle given to a child to put together. There’s bones there that you’re sure aren’t even chicken bones and several of the chicken bones are in an entirely different location than they should be. You can’t tear your eyes away as the bone thing starts to hobble towards you. This shocks you into motion and you back away from the thing and fumble for the broom that rests against your bookshelf. You make a wild swing at it and send the mass flying at the wall. It impacts with a loud clatter, the force of the hit scattering its bones across the floor. There’s a moment when you think it’s done, before the bones start to shake and gravitate towards one another. They reform into an even more jumbled shape. You hit it again, snatching a towel from the kitchen and scooping the bones into it. You toss the whole thing into the trash and tie it tightly shut. You’re about to open the back door to throw the bag out when you glance through the window. Contorted skeletons of all manner of species crawl towards your house. You lock the door. The bag in your hand shakes, but it doesn’t seem like the skeleton can break through. You pull the blinds shut and numbly drop the bag back into the can. [[It’s going to be a long day.->Layer 7.2]]

You shuffle over to the trash bag, pulling the blanket further around your shoulder as you go. The bag is still moving when you reach it and you tilt it to its side so there’s more room for the mouse to escape. But what falls out is definitely not a mouse. A twisted mass of bones and sinew tumbles to your feet. It twitches and lunges at your legs. You scramble backward, but trip over the edge of the blanket and go crashing to the ground. The bones throw themselves at your face, scratching across it as you roll to the side. You make a break for the door, shutting it tightly as you leave. You rest your head against the cool wood, gasping for air. There’s a rustle from behind you. And another. And another. You swing around and there are dozens of contorted animal skeletons crawling towards you. You can hear the one inside your house tossing itself against the door. There’s nowhere to run. You make a calculated choice: one inside your house is better than all of these outside. You throw the door open and aim a kick at the skeleton behind it. Your aim is true, but instead of flying across the room, the skeleton folds itself around your foot. Its bones grind as it painfully constricts around you. You take a step into the house and are sent crashing to the floor again as you are impacted from behind. Something latches onto your back. You try to crawl forward, but something else attaches to your other leg. Then another lands on you. Bones layer over your body, digging into your skin. White hot pain erupts from where they puncture you. [[Then they consume you.->Layer 1]]

The match falls from your hands, leaving a trail of crackling light. It impacts in the center of the scattered cards. At first, nothing happens. Then, as you watch, the first card catches, then the next, then another, until the whole pile is blazing. You couldn’t stop the grin that stretches across your face if you wanted to. You’re free. The firelight flickers in your eyes, the sharp edges cutting through the haze of the trees. The clear water trickles forward, covering the gravel, covering the cards, covering your feet. It recedes. There the cards sit, pristine and untouched. You stare blankly at them, then fumble for the matches, lighting three in succession and dropping them onto the pile. The water just puts them out again, stretching forward further to snag your ankles. It’s like someone has grabbed you and pulled with all their strength. You go toppling onto the cards. The water swells again and embraces you. It drags you deeper in. You flail, but the moment you pass the edge of the water, you’re plunged into darkness. It’s a sudden drop; there’s no gradual change in depth. You’re sinking, water filling your lungs as the air is forced out of them. The grip on your ankles remains. You kick and throw your weight against the steady grip, but it only drags you deeper into the depths. Shapes rain down around you. The cards fall past your sight, twirling in the water, eyes flashing as they pass. [[You're dragged down further into the crushing, lightless depths.->Layer 1]]

You let the match burn between your fingers, only dropping it when you feel the flames lick your fingertips. It falls harmlessly into the gravel. You can’t burn them. No matter how much you want to destroy them, they’re just too...mesmerising for you to do it. You gather the cards. If you can’t do what you came here to do, then you should just head home. As you stand back up, a sudden warmth caresses your back. You turn to a blaze. The blurry mass of trees around the lake are wreathed in clear, writhing fire. It burns down the trunks rapidly, eating up the shrubbery and grass as it races towards you. You turn to the water and quickly wade in, away from the advancing blaze. The fire burns across the gravel, only spluttering when it reaches the water’s edge. You take several more steps into deeper water to be safe. The way the fire moves, it almost looks alive. It hisses with each lunge it makes across the water, but you’re far enough away that it can’t reach you. The water moves languidly around your legs, gently ushering you further into the depths. You stay where you are, but the tugging gets stronger and stronger, until you’re fighting to remain in the same spot. You’re stuck between the water around you and the fire on the banks. You slip on a slick stone and go tumbling into the water. It closes over your head, and you feel the persistent tugging surge in victory. You fight the currents, throwing your body towards the hazy light that filters through the surface. The water holds fast. You can feel the air escape from your lungs, feel the crushing pressure against your chest. Your hand grasps a boulder. You dig your fingers into its grooves and pull yourself towards it with all of the strength you have left. Your head breaks the surface and you greedily gasp in the air. The fire is out around you, leaving a charred swath of woodland. You pull yourself onto the boulder and then crawl onto the shore. Shivering, you glance to the forest’s edge to see a figure standing there. They smile once at you, then turn back into the desolated trees. [[When you pass that spot as you leave, a single match rests where they stood.->Layer 7.3]]

The figure lets you leave with the vial and a needle. They do not ask for payment. You can’t wait until you get home. You need to escape now. You duck into the next alley and find a secluded spot next to a large garbage bin. There’s only enough in the vial for one dose. You line the needle up and bliss fills your mind. You lean back against the rough wall and close your eyes, letting your mind float in the pleasant haze. A strange prickling sensation starts at your feet. You open an eye and stare at your foot. There’s a collection of needles sticking out of it. A sharp pain flares from them and you make a grab for them, but your hand just passes through the needles. The prickling sensation starts up your other leg and continues further up your thigh. More needles appear and dig into your skin. The pain flares and you moan, slouching back against the wall. The pain continues up your body. You can’t make it stop. The figure said that this would help. They said that this would be an escape. The pricking sensation covers your face and you can see the needles protruding from your skin. You still can’t remove them. Each swipe sends a fresh wave of pain through your body as the needles shift and dig deeper in. Slowly, you watch as the plunger pulls back and a crimson liquid fills the tube. [[All you can do is laugh.->Layer 1]]

The figure lets you leave with the vial and a needle. They do not ask for payment. You hurry back to your home. You’re nearly tempted to just find an alley and do it there, but you make yourself wait. When you reach your house, you don’t bother to take off your jacket or your shoes before you sit on the couch and take out the vial. Your eyes catch on the swirls within the green liquid. You give it an experimental shake and lose yourself in the way it shifts, the way the light dances through it. You prep the needle and line it up. You wait. Nothing happens. You glance around your living room, but it looks the same as it always has. Well, it looks as it always has since you first opened the cards. There’s a light prickling sensation at the nape of your neck. You swat at it and your hand brushes against a tube. Your fingers follow its path to the base of your neck where it ends in a sharp needle. You try to pull it out, but it sends a bright flare of pain through your body and you relax your grip. You look behind you to see the tube continuing over the edge of the couch and across the floor. It snakes through the doorway to your bedroom. Shakily, you stand and follow the trail. The prickling sensation increases as you move and your vision blacks out. You rub at your eyes. When you open them, the room is in sharp relief. [[The blurriness has faded from your surroundings.->Ending 1]]

Your fingers close around the mailbox as the world flips. Unsecured objects rain down onto the sky. You hang from the box, your body suspended over a vast expanse of emptiness. The gaping pit in your stomach swells and you want to throw up. You know that if you let go of the mailbox, you will fall and fall and fall for eternity. Slowly, so slowly, you pull yourself up, maneuvering your body so you sit on the box, its pole digging into your back. Above you, the grass tickles your hair. You can’t see the end of the sky beneath you. You can’t imagine an end. Another wave of vertigo passes over you and you shut your eyes tightly against the vastness underneath you. Maybe if you pretend it’s not there then it’ll go away. To your surprise, this works. [[Your head hits the ground hard.->Layer 7.1]]

Unfortunately, the hose is loose and it comes unscrewed. [[You fall into the sky.->Layer 1]]

You throw yourself into cleaning the house. Everything is covered with germs. You can’t see them, but you know that they are there. They are on everything and are watching you struggle to remove them. They whisper to you that you’ll never be able to get rid of them, that no matter how hard you clean, some will still remain and they will repopulate and spread. If you try to leave the house, then you will track new ones in with you and they will breed and spread and cover everything that you touch and they will get on your skin and they will get into you and they will make you sick and you will die alone with no one to care for you and no one to comfort you in your last moments and no one to put you in the ground before you rot and spread more germs. [[You collapse under the stress.->Layer 7.1]]

You use a tissue to open the door, careful not to let any part of it touch your skin. You can’t let those invisible things get in you. The night sky is clear above as you step out into the cool air. Your chest seizes as you take in all the germs that surround you, that float in the air, that cling to the rabbits that hop across the street. There’s so many out here, so many more than you felt inside your house. You stare up at the sky, hoping that it will distract you from the press of germs against your skin. The stars shiver under your gaze. They twist and rearrange into new patterns, into new shapes that swirl through the sky. All you see are germs. Germs around you, germs inside, germs in the sky. You can’t get away from them, can’t escape their gaze. You run and you run and you run but you can't escape, can't find a breath of fresh air. You run until your legs give out, until you cannot move, [[until you finally, blissfully, die.->Layer 1]]

You make a break for your bed, diving under the covers and pulling them over your head. Your pillow is jammed over your head in a vain attempt to silence the thunder. The effectiveness of your preparations is proven futile when the next strike comes. The lightning flashes brightly under the gap in your curtains, and even with your eyes closed and the blankets over your head, you can still see that damned light. The thunder follows immediately after, trembling through your body. It’s too loud to be silenced. You curl into a tight ball, your heart pounding against your ribs and your breath coming in loud pants. You can’t stop shaking. You swear the next strike lands next to your house. Light blasts through the gap in the curtains as the thunder rattles your house on its foundations. The curtain rod breaks from the wall and the window shatters. The room is bathed in harsh light. As the light fades, you can see the moon staring at you through the broken window. Its gaze pierces into you. You are being sucked into its blackness, so dark and clear against the flat grey of the sky. You’re moving before you consciously decide to. You walk to the window, your gaze fixed on that void, your mind rebelling but unable to turn your body away. The storm whips in front of you. [[There’s a distant crackle and white fills your vision.->Layer 1]]

You stumble towards the closet. You have to shove some junk out of the way to make room for yourself. It takes too long and terror courses through you as the next strike falls. You shut the door behind you as you shove your body into the cramped space. A partial darkness descends when the door closes. It’s a comforting darkness, not the empty void of the new moon. You weather the storm there in your closet, hidden from the moon’s gaze and the viciousness of the storm. [[It calls to you, but you resist.->Layer 7.1]]

Everything seems to be in your carry on. It doesn’t really matter anyway. As long as you’re far away from those cards, you couldn’t care less. You find a bottle of sleeping pills tucked forgotten into a corner and you feel your luck turning. You pop a few into your mouth. A nice long nap will make everything better. Your dreams are filled with terror. You see the plane flying closer and closer to the sun. You see yourself engulfed by its glowing iris. Its light scalds your tender skin, melting you into a puddle of wax and reshaping you into something new. You stretch your wings and take off across the sky, the wind whistling past you as you swoop and dive. Then you look down. The ground has disappeared. You are suspended within a sky of nothingness. You fly and fly, hoping for land to appear. You fly until you can fly no longer. Then you fall into the sun. [[When you wake, you are at home.->Layer 7.1]]

The moment the plane leaves the ground, you realize how bad of an idea this was. Terror floods your system and you grip the armrests with all your strength. There’s nothing anchoring you as the plan ascends. You need some frame of reference. You need to see the ground. It takes a minute to open the shade as your trembling hands fumble with the latch. Light pierces through the window. The sun turns it’s bright eye towards you. [[And you burn.->Layer 1]]

You turn your video on as you enter the meeting. One by one, faces pop up on the screen, but there’s something wrong with them. If it wasn’t for the display names, you wouldn’t be able to tell one friend from the other. Their faces are too hazy to make out any details. You smile awkwardly at them; you should really say something, but the words stick in your throat. You can’t force them out. One friend scoffs and and tells the others that they’re really not that surprised you stood them up. Another friend agrees. One says that it’s just cruel to join the call and then not show up; they’ve tried so many times to reach out, but you keep rejecting their help. You’re frozen in your seat. You’re right here. They can see you. Why are they acting like this? You want to reach out, you want to tell them that you’re here, you want their support, but you just can’t. The words bubble up from your chest and get jammed in your throat as you try to speak. You gasp for air, but the unspoken words choke you. Spots dance across your vision as you scratch at your throat. You let out a strangled gasp. You hear your friends’ confusion. [[You collapse.->Layer 1]]

You decide to turn your video off as you enter. You can’t face your friends face-to face. It’s hard enough to think about talking to them after you’ve been ignoring their attempts to reach out. One by one, faces pop up on the screen, but there’s something wrong with them. If it wasn’t for the display names, you wouldn’t be able to tell one friend from the other. Their faces are too hazy to make out any details. You smile awkwardly and take a deep breath. You should really say something, but the words stick in your throat. They joke around a bit and you watch. Why can’t you just join in? Make things better between you and them? Apologize for ignoring their attempts to check in on you. One tentatively asks how you’ve been. You force the words out, stuttering that you’re fine, you’ve just been caught up in things. The quiet scoffs that follow let you know that they don’t believe you. You do your best to keep up with their conversation, the lack of video comforting you slightly. But it becomes too much as time ticks on and you make your excuses. Apologizing for not answering them, apologizing for your distance, apologizing for their worry. [[You leave before they can respond.->Layer 7.2]]

The cards still rest where you last left them. You hastily gather them and shove them into their box. You grab a shipping box from the recycling and fold it open. The cards get tossed carelessly inside and you tape it shut. It only takes a minute to make the return label. The new package gets dropped off at the post. You wake the next morning with clear sight. There is no weird box out front. You get your mail later in the day, but there’s still no box. You don’t let yourself relax for a month. When you finally do, you absently hope that they don't send the cards to someone else. You don’t feel guilty about the possibility. [[All you feel is relief.->End]]

[[THE END.->End?]]

The world is swallowed. You float in the darkness, darkness that you, blissfully, cannot see through. You relax into its embrace. [[Your eyes shut one last time.->End]]

You come to the next day with the harsh light of morning beating into your eyes. It’s a new day, a better day, you tell yourself, willing yourself to believe it. You drag yourself into the bathroom and take in your appearance. The first thing you notice are the deep lines carved around your eyes and the tired slant of your mouth. The second thing you notice is the stark red tattooed eye in the center of your forehead. Right. You turn on the tap and splash water on your face, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. Another glance at your reflection shows the same exhaustion and the same third eye. You take a shower. The cards still sit where you left them when you exit the bathroom, your gaze sliding mechanically to them. The eyes swirl across the visible cards, watching as you walk to your closet and grab some clean clothes. They track your progress back to the bathroom and then into the kitchen. You try to ignore them, you really do. But they call you, they whisper promises of knowledge, of learning what has happened, what they are, what you are. Their voices fill your mind, your feet leading you back to them. You remember what happened last time you grabbed a card. Would that happen again? Was it just a fluke? You know there is only one way to know. [[Go for a walk to clear your head.->Layer 8.1]] (link-goto: "Grab one of the illustrated cards.", (either: "Card 0", "Card 1", "Card 2", "Card 3", "Card 4", "Card 5", "Card 6", "Card 7", "Card 8", "Card 9", "Card 10", "Card 11", "Card 12", "Card 13", "Card 14", "Card 15", "Card 16", "Card 17", "Card 18", "Card 19", "Card 20", "Card 21")) OR (set: $q to "0") (dropdown: bind $q, "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21") { (link: "Enter")[ (if: $q is "0")[(go-to: "Layer 5.1")] (else-if: $q is "1")[(go-to: "Layer 5.2")] (else-if: $q is "2")[(go-to: "Layer 5.3")] (else-if: $q is "3")[(go-to: "Layer 5.4")] (else-if: $q is "4")[(go-to: "Layer 5.5")] (else-if: $q is "5")[(go-to: "Layer 5.6")] (else-if: $q is "6")[(go-to: "Layer 5.7")] (else-if: $q is "7")[(go-to: "Layer 5.8")] (else-if: $q is "8")[(go-to: "Layer 5.9")] (else-if: $q is "9")[(go-to: "Layer 5.10")] (else-if: $q is "10")[(go-to: "Layer 5.11")] (else-if: $q is "11")[(go-to: "Layer 5.12")] (else-if: $q is "12")[(go-to: "Layer 5.13")] (else-if: $q is "13")[(go-to: "Layer 5.14")] (else-if: $q is "14")[(go-to: "Layer 5.15")] (else-if: $q is "15")[(go-to: "Layer 5.16")] (else-if: $q is "16")[(go-to: "Layer 5.17")] (else-if: $q is "17")[(go-to: "Layer 5.18")] (else-if: $q is "18")[(go-to: "Layer 5.19")] (else-if: $q is "19")[(go-to: "Layer 5.20")] (else-if: $q is "20")[(go-to: "Layer 5.21")] (else-if: $q is "21")[(go-to: "Layer 5.22")] ] }

With determination, you shake off the lingering fear, wiping sweaty hands on your pants. You glance around the room, searching for some kind of distraction. Something that will make you forget about what just happened, but nothing seems safe. Everything carries a sense of impending danger, like a single touch will set it off and you’ll be thrown back into a world where nightmares are reality. The present isn’t much better. That same blurriness stubbornly clings to everything except you and those damned cards. You catch yourself staring at them frequently as you pace through your home, unable to sit still. It’s on one of these passes that you glance at your reflection and do a double-take. A clearly defined, crimson eye rests in the center of your forehead. Right. You can’t remember if you’ve seen it before or if this is the first time. It doesn’t really matter, it’s there anyway. You poke at it. It feels like skin, but you snatch your hand away, your fingertips prickling. From behind you the cards call to you. They promise knowledge and information. They promise to teach you what they are, what you are. You just need to pick one of them. [[Ignore them.->Layer 8.2]] (link-goto: "Grab one of the illustrated cards.", (either: "Card 0", "Card 1", "Card 2", "Card 3", "Card 4", "Card 5", "Card 6", "Card 7", "Card 8", "Card 9", "Card 10", "Card 11", "Card 12", "Card 13", "Card 14", "Card 15", "Card 16", "Card 17", "Card 18", "Card 19", "Card 20", "Card 21")) OR (set: $q to "0") (dropdown: bind $q, "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21") { (link: "Enter")[ (if: $q is "0")[(go-to: "Layer 5.1")] (else-if: $q is "1")[(go-to: "Layer 5.2")] (else-if: $q is "2")[(go-to: "Layer 5.3")] (else-if: $q is "3")[(go-to: "Layer 5.4")] (else-if: $q is "4")[(go-to: "Layer 5.5")] (else-if: $q is "5")[(go-to: "Layer 5.6")] (else-if: $q is "6")[(go-to: "Layer 5.7")] (else-if: $q is "7")[(go-to: "Layer 5.8")] (else-if: $q is "8")[(go-to: "Layer 5.9")] (else-if: $q is "9")[(go-to: "Layer 5.10")] (else-if: $q is "10")[(go-to: "Layer 5.11")] (else-if: $q is "11")[(go-to: "Layer 5.12")] (else-if: $q is "12")[(go-to: "Layer 5.13")] (else-if: $q is "13")[(go-to: "Layer 5.14")] (else-if: $q is "14")[(go-to: "Layer 5.15")] (else-if: $q is "15")[(go-to: "Layer 5.16")] (else-if: $q is "16")[(go-to: "Layer 5.17")] (else-if: $q is "17")[(go-to: "Layer 5.18")] (else-if: $q is "18")[(go-to: "Layer 5.19")] (else-if: $q is "19")[(go-to: "Layer 5.20")] (else-if: $q is "20")[(go-to: "Layer 5.21")] (else-if: $q is "21")[(go-to: "Layer 5.22")] ] }

The only thought that passes through your mind as you depart is that you need to be home. It is the only place that is safe, well, safer than outside. You run, empty streets rapidly sliding by. You don’t stop to wonder why there’s been so few people around. You don’t stop to consider that you're completely, utterly alone. In the distance, your front door comes into sight. A bubble of relief swells in your chest. You’re almost there. Then you can bury yourself in a book or TV or something that’s not this strangeness. You slam the front door behind you, checking and double-checking that it is locked. You do the same with the back door and the windows. Finally, you take a deep breath and feel some of the lingering tension drain away. A shower and then TV, you decide. You strip and let the water run, waiting for it to warm. The shower is heavenly compared to the day you have had. You step out feeling refreshed. The peace is shattered when you wipe the condensation from the mirror. There, in the middle of your forehead is a bright red tattoo of an eye. How long has that been there? You can’t remember if you’ve seen it before, but it reminds you of everything that’s wrong with your life now. You had almost forgotten about the blurriness of the world, pretending it’s due to the steam. Almost forgotten about the eyes that watch. You drag yourself out of the bathroom and are faced by those cards. The box sits in the middle of your bedroom, the cards tucked neatly inside. How...how did they get there? You definitely didn’t leave them there. You know they shouldn’t be there and yet they are. You don’t want to have anything to do with them, and yet...they call to you. They promise you knowledge and answers about what is happening to you, you just need to pick a card. [[Ignore them and go watch TV.->Layer 8.3]] (link-goto: "Grab one of the illustrated cards.", (either: "Card 0", "Card 1", "Card 2", "Card 3", "Card 4", "Card 5", "Card 6", "Card 7", "Card 8", "Card 9", "Card 10", "Card 11", "Card 12", "Card 13", "Card 14", "Card 15", "Card 16", "Card 17", "Card 18", "Card 19", "Card 20", "Card 21")) OR (set: $q to "0") (dropdown: bind $q, "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21") { (link: "Enter")[ (if: $q is "0")[(go-to: "Layer 5.1")] (else-if: $q is "1")[(go-to: "Layer 5.2")] (else-if: $q is "2")[(go-to: "Layer 5.3")] (else-if: $q is "3")[(go-to: "Layer 5.4")] (else-if: $q is "4")[(go-to: "Layer 5.5")] (else-if: $q is "5")[(go-to: "Layer 5.6")] (else-if: $q is "6")[(go-to: "Layer 5.7")] (else-if: $q is "7")[(go-to: "Layer 5.8")] (else-if: $q is "8")[(go-to: "Layer 5.9")] (else-if: $q is "9")[(go-to: "Layer 5.10")] (else-if: $q is "10")[(go-to: "Layer 5.11")] (else-if: $q is "11")[(go-to: "Layer 5.12")] (else-if: $q is "12")[(go-to: "Layer 5.13")] (else-if: $q is "13")[(go-to: "Layer 5.14")] (else-if: $q is "14")[(go-to: "Layer 5.15")] (else-if: $q is "15")[(go-to: "Layer 5.16")] (else-if: $q is "16")[(go-to: "Layer 5.17")] (else-if: $q is "17")[(go-to: "Layer 5.18")] (else-if: $q is "18")[(go-to: "Layer 5.19")] (else-if: $q is "19")[(go-to: "Layer 5.20")] (else-if: $q is "20")[(go-to: "Layer 5.21")] (else-if: $q is "21")[(go-to: "Layer 5.22")] ] }

You shake off the desire to know, the desire to understand what is happening. You don’t want to know. It feels safer somehow to pretend that all of this is not happening. A walk is what you need right now. You grab a hat on the way out and check that the eye is hidden. It’s so empty outside. There’s no one walking around. No animals run by or cars pass you on the street. It’s like the town has been abandoned by everyone except you. You shove down the terror. Your mind is just playing tricks on you. It’s just a fluke. You’re nearly back home when you feel a prickling sensation on the back of your neck. Someone is looking at you. Frantically, you scan your surroundings. There’s a figure approaching you; the first person that you’ve seen since you left your house. They are heading directly at you. You stop walking as they approach. A smile splits their face as they greet you by name. You’re suddenly cold. They introduce themselves and tell you that they work at the new museum that opened in town. Their grin widens as they say you should stop by sometime. You’re too unnerved to respond. They just chuckle and say that they will see you soon. The figure pats you on the shoulder. They depart. [[Follow them to the museum.->Layer 9.1]] [[Go home.->Layer 9.2]]

You refuse to listen to them. Their promises are meaningless. The only thing that those cards lead to is pain and danger for yourself. You’re restless. You can’t touch the cards and you can’t touch anything else. You don’t want to go outside and face whatever is out there. You sit on the corner of your bed and stare at the wall. Your leg starts to shake. You force it still. Your fingers tap on your knee. It’s nearly impossible to stop. The insidious whispers of the cards surge back heavier than ever. An image of a museum floats unbidden through your mind. The cards urge you to go there, that there will be answers waiting for you if you do. [[Listen to the cards.->Layer 9.1]] [[Shove them in a drawer.->Layer 10.2]]

You walk past the cards, kicking them under the bed. You make yourself comfortable on the couch and turn the TV on. A reality show blares out from the screen. It’s a mess of blurry shapes and flashing colors. You can’t make anything out of it. You flip channels, but with each channel you grow more frustrated as each one displays the same corruption. Eventually, you turn the TV off, tossing the remote on the couch next to you. You tip your head back against the back of the couch and shut your eyes. Faintly, you hear the cards call for you. Static blasts from the speakers. You shoot up from your comfortable position and frantically look around the room. The TV screen flickers on. It shows the exterior of a building. (if: (history:) contains "Layer 5.11" or "Layer 5.12")[You feel like you should recognize it.] A figure slides on screen. They smile at you, thank you for taking the time to watch this video. They introduce themselves as a worker at the new museum in town. They list all of the exhibits, the fun they offer. The figure suggests that you should come. There is so much to experience, they say. So many things to discover. You fumble for the remote and attempt to shut the broadcast off, but it stubbornly remains. The figure laughs at you. Come, they say. Go, the cards say. [[Go to the museum.->Layer 9.1]] [[Take a nap and forget about this.->Layer 9.3]]

The museum looms over you as you approach. A large Amazon logo shines from its facade, proclaiming the museum’s sponsorship; (if: (history:) contains "Layer 5.11" or "Layer 5.12")[a vaguely familiar] dread spikes through you at the sight of that smiling mouth. [[Enter the museum.->Layer 11.1]] [[Run back home.->Layer 11.2]]

You hurry back home. You can’t stay out here any longer. The gaze of that figure follows your retreating back. You make sure the door is shut tightly behind you when you make it home. You make a beeline to the hot water pot on your counter. You need tea. Something to calm your nerves. The tea helps for a while, but you can’t shake the anxiety that writhes in the pit of your stomach. Something is coming. There’s a stillness to the air like the calm before the storm. Then you hear it. The cards sing to you. They call you to them and you find yourself standing in front of them. You reach forward. Your fingers touch the deck and clarity returns to your mind. [[Remove your hand.->Layer 10.2]] (link-goto: "Grab one of the illustrated cards.", (either: "Card 0", "Card 1", "Card 2", "Card 3", "Card 4", "Card 5", "Card 6", "Card 7", "Card 8", "Card 9", "Card 10", "Card 11", "Card 12", "Card 13", "Card 14", "Card 15", "Card 16", "Card 17", "Card 18", "Card 19", "Card 20", "Card 21")) OR (set: $q to "0") (dropdown: bind $q, "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21") { (link: "Enter")[ (if: $q is "0")[(go-to: "Layer 5.1")] (else-if: $q is "1")[(go-to: "Layer 5.2")] (else-if: $q is "2")[(go-to: "Layer 5.3")] (else-if: $q is "3")[(go-to: "Layer 5.4")] (else-if: $q is "4")[(go-to: "Layer 5.5")] (else-if: $q is "5")[(go-to: "Layer 5.6")] (else-if: $q is "6")[(go-to: "Layer 5.7")] (else-if: $q is "7")[(go-to: "Layer 5.8")] (else-if: $q is "8")[(go-to: "Layer 5.9")] (else-if: $q is "9")[(go-to: "Layer 5.10")] (else-if: $q is "10")[(go-to: "Layer 5.11")] (else-if: $q is "11")[(go-to: "Layer 5.12")] (else-if: $q is "12")[(go-to: "Layer 5.13")] (else-if: $q is "13")[(go-to: "Layer 5.14")] (else-if: $q is "14")[(go-to: "Layer 5.15")] (else-if: $q is "15")[(go-to: "Layer 5.16")] (else-if: $q is "16")[(go-to: "Layer 5.17")] (else-if: $q is "17")[(go-to: "Layer 5.18")] (else-if: $q is "18")[(go-to: "Layer 5.19")] (else-if: $q is "19")[(go-to: "Layer 5.20")] (else-if: $q is "20")[(go-to: "Layer 5.21")] (else-if: $q is "21")[(go-to: "Layer 5.22")] ] }

You snatch your hand away as your fingertips make contact with the cards. There's a seething emptiness to the cards. They are angry at you. A tickling sensation starts between your eyes and you try to rub it away. Instead, there is a sharp burst of pain. You clutch your forehead and the pain expands. You fall to the floor, your body curling into a tight ball. The cards tut at you. You'll have to pick one of us at some point, they say. [[Your vision fades.->Layer 1]]

It was a bad idea to follow them. A very, very bad idea. You take a couple steps back. That grinning figure stands at the open doors of the museum, gesturing you into its depths. Its gaze skewers you to the spot. They watch you struggle, their eyes unblinking. You manage to slide one foot back. Then the other. Inch by inch you shuffle backwards away from the clear, looming facade of the museum. The feeling of being watched spikes. You look up at the Amazon logo. It blinks down at you, its smile morphing into a giant eye, identical to the one on your forehead. The force holding you in place shatters and you turn and run and run and run. The museum passes out of your sight, but its gaze remains fixed on you. Entering your house does nothing to stop the persistent feeling of being watched, of being observed. There’s nowhere to hide. That giant eye is fixed on you and so are the many eyes of the cards. You draw in a shuddering breath. You need to get rid of the deck, make the eyes stop. [[You grab the deck.->Layer 10.2]]

A nap seems like the safest option now. You’re afraid to touch anything else on the off chance that the figure will find another way to appear and lure you away. You shut the blinds to block out the evening light and slip into bed. You toss and turn for an hour, attempting to let blissful sleep overtake you. It doesn’t come. The cards still talk to you, quiet but persistent. You can’t block it out. You remember that the cards are under your bed. Under you. The thought snakes through your restless mind. [[Ignore it.->Layer 10.4]] [[Do something about the cards.->Layer 10.3]]

You kneel down next to the bed, using your phone to illuminate the gap. The cards rest just out of reach. You lay down and stretch your arm out. Your fingers brush the box. The whispers become shouts, demands to open the box and //pick one of them.// You mechanically pull the box out from under your bed and slide the cards into your palm. You fan them out on the floor in front of you. (link-goto: "You grab one of the illustrated cards.", (either: "Card 0", "Card 1", "Card 2", "Card 3", "Card 4", "Card 5", "Card 6", "Card 7", "Card 8", "Card 9", "Card 10", "Card 11", "Card 12", "Card 13", "Card 14", "Card 15", "Card 16", "Card 17", "Card 18", "Card 19", "Card 20", "Card 21")) OR (set: $q to "0") (dropdown: bind $q, "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21") { (link: "Enter")[ (if: $q is "0")[(go-to: "Layer 5.1")] (else-if: $q is "1")[(go-to: "Layer 5.2")] (else-if: $q is "2")[(go-to: "Layer 5.3")] (else-if: $q is "3")[(go-to: "Layer 5.4")] (else-if: $q is "4")[(go-to: "Layer 5.5")] (else-if: $q is "5")[(go-to: "Layer 5.6")] (else-if: $q is "6")[(go-to: "Layer 5.7")] (else-if: $q is "7")[(go-to: "Layer 5.8")] (else-if: $q is "8")[(go-to: "Layer 5.9")] (else-if: $q is "9")[(go-to: "Layer 5.10")] (else-if: $q is "10")[(go-to: "Layer 5.11")] (else-if: $q is "11")[(go-to: "Layer 5.12")] (else-if: $q is "12")[(go-to: "Layer 5.13")] (else-if: $q is "13")[(go-to: "Layer 5.14")] (else-if: $q is "14")[(go-to: "Layer 5.15")] (else-if: $q is "15")[(go-to: "Layer 5.16")] (else-if: $q is "16")[(go-to: "Layer 5.17")] (else-if: $q is "17")[(go-to: "Layer 5.18")] (else-if: $q is "18")[(go-to: "Layer 5.19")] (else-if: $q is "19")[(go-to: "Layer 5.20")] (else-if: $q is "20")[(go-to: "Layer 5.21")] (else-if: $q is "21")[(go-to: "Layer 5.22")] ] }

You ignore the call of the cards, pulling the blankets over your head. After several minutes of futile attempts to sleep, you reach for your phone and turn on some music. It drowns out some of the whispers. [[You fall into an uneasy rest.->Layer 1]]

The museum swallows you as you enter, the figure at its doors ushering you through the building’s gaping mouth. You can’t turn back now, no matter how much you may want to. The figure steers you over to the counter. Mechanically, you pass over the fee and accept the ticket. The figure grins at you. They recommend that you wander as the cards see fit. You startle as a weight appears in your pocket. You reach in and pull out the box of cards. They are almost too blinding to look at, the starkness of the white details contrasting harshly with the black void of the box, almost glowing here in the sharply defined room of the museum. The figure is hovering next to you when you look up, a mangled grin twisting their face. Happy hunting, they say. It doesn’t sound like they’re talking to you. [[Run to the doors.->Layer 12.1]] [[Run into the museum.->Layer 12.2]]

The doors rattle when you pull at the handle. Locked. A quiet laugh echoes behind you. You turn and the figure smiles. You can’t escape now, the figure tells you. Now is the end; now it is time. They laugh and laugh and laugh. Then they vanish, their form melting into the floor and you are left alone in the vast entrance to an empty museum. You frantically look around for the figure, but they don’t reappear. The room is silent, only your breath reverberating through the vastness. You look to the nearest exhibits, but the halls don’t make sense. They twist and turn and enter and exit with no apparent order. You don’t know which one will lead you further into the museum and which will lead to an emergency exit. [[You pick one. ->Layer 12.2]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/6MQkOS6.png">->Layer 13.1]]

[[You fall through the floor. Your feet land on a hard surface.->Layer 14.1]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/0Eq9hbZ.png">->Layer 13.2]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/Xuc4rI8.png">->Layer 13.3]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/s2kNVu5.png">->Layer 13.4]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/iiiAP7g.png">->Layer 13.5]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/0xERgOm.png">->Layer 13.6]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/css4nGL.png">->Layer 13.7]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/vhd2xr1.png">->Layer 13.8]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/aInvCbC.png">->Layer 13.9]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/76r3m02.png">->Layer 13.10]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/r8tbuGe.png">->Layer 13.11]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/dLtJiEp.png">->Layer 13.12]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/1mGgsa2.png">->Layer 13.13]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/Vws8dag.png">->Layer 13.14]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/J25kGWD.png">->Layer 13.15]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/8jk5KbR.png">->Layer 13.16]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/yn3PpwI.png">->Layer 13.17]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/9yeSArI.png">->Layer 13.18]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/ZI5XoaO.png">->Layer 13.19]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/iDv8Rwg.png">->Layer 13.20]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/mol9ymw.png">->Layer 13.21]]

[[<img src="https://i.imgur.com/OSdTlEI.png">->Layer 13.22]]

[[The card draws you down the first hall.->Layer 14.2]]

[[The card draws you down the second hall.->Layer 14.3]]

[[The card draws you down the third hall.->Layer 14.4]]

[[The card draws you down the fourth hall.->Layer 14.5]]

[[The card draws you down the fifth hall.->Layer 14.6]]

[[The card draws you down the sixth hall.->Layer 14.7]]

[[The card draws you down the seventh hall.->Layer 14.8]]

[[The card draws you down the eighth hall.->Layer 14.9]]

[[The card draws you down the ninth hall.->Layer 14.10]]

[[The card draws you down the eleventh hall.->Layer 14.12]]

[[The card draws you down the tenth hall.->Layer 14.11]]

[[The card draws you down the twelfth hall.->Layer 14.13]]

[[The card draws you down the thirteenth hall.->Layer 14.14]]

[[The card draws you down the fourteenth hall.->Layer 14.15]]

[[The card draws you down the fifteenth hall.->Layer 14.16]]

[[The card draws you down the sixteenth hall.->Layer 14.17]]

[[The card draws you down the seventeenth hall.->Layer 14.18]]

[[The card draws you down the eighteenth hall.->Layer 14.19]]

[[The card draws you down the nineteenth hall.->Layer 14.20]]

[[The card draws you down the twentieth hall.->Layer 14.21]]

[[The card draws you down the twenty-first hall.->Layer 14.22]]

You take off down the first hallway that you see. You know that the figure could be back at any moment. You need to find a way out of here before they find you. The halls seem to shift under your feet, twisting and writhing and sending you stumbling further into the museum’s depths. You don’t know how long you’ve been running before you’re forced to stop. Your legs flair in pain and your breath comes in frantic gasps. Ahead of you, the hall splits inexplicably into eleven paths. You spin around and ten more hallways branch back the way you came. You don’t know which you came from. You don’t know where to go. Everything looks the same; there is nothing to tell you where you’ve been and where you’re going. You take a deep breath and scramble for the cards. You don’t want to trust them, to allow them to lead you, but if the figure told you the truth, then they are your only hope to find your way. (link-goto: "You grab one of the illustrated cards.", (either: "Card 0.1", "Card 1.1", "Card 2.1", "Card 3.1", "Card 4.1", "Card 5.1", "Card 6.1", "Card 7.1", "Card 8.1", "Card 9.1", "Card 10.1", "Card 11.1", "Card 12.1", "Card 13.1", "Card 14.1", "Card 15.1", "Card 16.1", "Card 17.1", "Card 18.1", "Card 19.1", "Card 20.1", "Card 21.1")) OR (set: $q to "0") (dropdown: bind $q, "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21") { (link: "Enter")[ (if: $q is "0")[(go-to: "Layer 13.1")] (else-if: $q is "1")[(go-to: "Layer 13.2")] (else-if: $q is "2")[(go-to: "Layer 13.3")] (else-if: $q is "3")[(go-to: "Layer 13.4")] (else-if: $q is "4")[(go-to: "Layer 13.5")] (else-if: $q is "5")[(go-to: "Layer 13.6")] (else-if: $q is "6")[(go-to: "Layer 13.7")] (else-if: $q is "7")[(go-to: "Layer 13.8")] (else-if: $q is "8")[(go-to: "Layer 13.9")] (else-if: $q is "9")[(go-to: "Layer 13.10")] (else-if: $q is "10")[(go-to: "Layer 13.11")] (else-if: $q is "11")[(go-to: "Layer 13.12")] (else-if: $q is "12")[(go-to: "Layer 13.13")] (else-if: $q is "13")[(go-to: "Layer 13.14")] (else-if: $q is "14")[(go-to: "Layer 13.15")] (else-if: $q is "15")[(go-to: "Layer 13.16")] (else-if: $q is "16")[(go-to: "Layer 13.17")] (else-if: $q is "17")[(go-to: "Layer 13.18")] (else-if: $q is "18")[(go-to: "Layer 13.19")] (else-if: $q is "19")[(go-to: "Layer 13.20")] (else-if: $q is "20")[(go-to: "Layer 13.21")] (else-if: $q is "21")[(go-to: "Layer 13.22")] ] }

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.1"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.1]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Shadowy shapes rush past you. Figures reach for you, their fingers grasping but never grabbing. Panic is all you know. True darkness swallows your sight. You tumble against sharp things. They tear at your skin. The floor vanishes beneath you. You fall but you don’t fall. You float, suspended in the sharp darkness. It presses against your delicate skin. [[You open your eyes.->Layer 16.1]]

The twenty-one hallways fan around you. The cards rest in your hand. The figure is not here, but you feel their eyes on you. (link-goto: "You grab one of the illustrated cards.", (either: "Card 0.1", "Card 1.1", "Card 2.1", "Card 3.1", "Card 4.1", "Card 5.1", "Card 6.1", "Card 7.1", "Card 8.1", "Card 9.1", "Card 10.1", "Card 11.1", "Card 12.1", "Card 13.1", "Card 14.1", "Card 15.1", "Card 16.1", "Card 17.1", "Card 18.1", "Card 19.1", "Card 20.1", "Card 21.1")) OR (set: $q to "0") (dropdown: bind $q, "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "10", "11", "12", "13", "14", "15", "16", "17", "18", "19", "20", "21") { (link: "Enter")[ (if: $q is "0")[(go-to: "Layer 13.1")] (else-if: $q is "1")[(go-to: "Layer 13.2")] (else-if: $q is "2")[(go-to: "Layer 13.3")] (else-if: $q is "3")[(go-to: "Layer 13.4")] (else-if: $q is "4")[(go-to: "Layer 13.5")] (else-if: $q is "5")[(go-to: "Layer 13.6")] (else-if: $q is "6")[(go-to: "Layer 13.7")] (else-if: $q is "7")[(go-to: "Layer 13.8")] (else-if: $q is "8")[(go-to: "Layer 13.9")] (else-if: $q is "9")[(go-to: "Layer 13.10")] (else-if: $q is "10")[(go-to: "Layer 13.11")] (else-if: $q is "11")[(go-to: "Layer 13.12")] (else-if: $q is "12")[(go-to: "Layer 13.13")] (else-if: $q is "13")[(go-to: "Layer 13.14")] (else-if: $q is "14")[(go-to: "Layer 13.15")] (else-if: $q is "15")[(go-to: "Layer 13.16")] (else-if: $q is "16")[(go-to: "Layer 13.17")] (else-if: $q is "17")[(go-to: "Layer 13.18")] (else-if: $q is "18")[(go-to: "Layer 13.19")] (else-if: $q is "19")[(go-to: "Layer 13.20")] (else-if: $q is "20")[(go-to: "Layer 13.21")] (else-if: $q is "21")[(go-to: "Layer 13.22")] ] }

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.2"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.2]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Water trickles slowly down the walls, pooling on the floor. Small puddles grow as you run, covering the floor with a thin layer of water. A quiet buzzing slowly fills the space. The deeper you run, the louder it gets until it slices at your ears with a high-pitched whine. You burst out into a cavernous room. Insects swarm the chamber, obscuring its true size. They turn as one when you stumble through the entrance. [[And they descend.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.3"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.3]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Smooth, clean walls fade to irregular, jagged stone. Mirrors seem to grow from the walls. You glance at your reflection as you pass one. You see yourself look back. In the mirror, deep scars cover your face. You don’t look into the next hundred. When you look again, the scars remain and your hair falls out. The next shows the same, but your teeth break from your gums. In the next, your skin loosens. In the next, your eyes slip from their sockets. In the next, your skin flakes away. In the next, your bones crumble to ash. [[In the next, you see nothing.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.4"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.4]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Further and further you go until you go crashing to the floor. You look behind you. A small hole interrupts the otherwise smooth floor. You push yourself to your feet and continue, checking for other obstacles. The holes become more numerous, spotting the floor with shallow divots. The holes deepen as you run, forcing you to carefully balance on the untouched floor that remains between them. Eventually, you can’t see their bottom. The unbroken floor narrows. You slow, carefully placing your feet one step at a time. You take another step and you slip. [[You fall into darkness.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.5"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.5]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. The patchwork walls swell around you. You accidentally brush one as you squeeze past. Blood seeps from the scrape. You pick up your pace, but the walls narrow as they continue to swell and pucker. You trip and slam into a wall. Blood erupts from the skin that makes up the wall. It floods out in a continuous river, growing and swelling and covering you in its sticky warmth. You attempt to find a hold as you are swept away, but your movements only open more wounds in the walls. Fresh blood cascades from them. [[You drown in red.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.6"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.6]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Plain walls give way to wood. Wood gives way to twisted shelves. Books grow on them. They flower, spilling words like pollen on the floor. They pile around your feet, clamoring for your attention. They murmur at you, repeating their names over and over and over and over. Your ears bleed from the cacophony. The walls stretch ever higher above you, new shelves and new books growing as they extend. You are showered in words and language and knowledge. Your head pounds. [[You drown in words.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.7"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.7]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. It is empty, empty, empty. Your footsteps are the only ones that echo through the empty hall. It stretches ever further ahead of you. There is no end. You turn and run back the way you came. There is no end. Nothingness surrounds you. You let yourself collapse into a ball. You lay there shaking. Nothing comes. [[You close your eyes.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.8"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.8]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Your footsteps are joined by others, scrabbling against the hard floor. Low howls echo from the hall behind you. You push yourself harder, force your tired body to move faster. Hot breath fans over your ankles and the howls swell around you. Something grasps your pant leg and the fabric separates as you pull away. Pain flares as sharp teeth close around your ankle. You come crashing down. Nails and teeth tear across your skin. [[Victorious howls fill the air.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.9"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.9]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Rainbow colors skitter across the walls and the floor and the ceiling. The hall shifts and the floor becomes the wall becomes the ceiling becomes the floor becomes the wall. You don’t stop. Another flash of rainbow washes over the hallway. The hall shifts and the ceiling becomes the wall becomes the wall becomes the floor becomes the ceiling. You can’t make yourself stop. The glitches come faster, one after another after another. The wall becomes the floor becomes the wall becomes the ceiling becomes the wall becomes the floor becomes the ceiling becomes the floor becomes the wall becomes the ceiling becomes the wall becomes the floor becomes the wall becomes... [[You don’t know where you are.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.10"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.10]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. You pass a figure. Then another. And another. Two more appear. Three, five, ten, twenty, fifty... You can’t move. Every face is the face of the figure that you can’t escape. They press in on you and you are lost. Lost in the anonymity and the press of body against body against body. [[You close your eyes and wish to be alone.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.11"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.11]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. The walls gradually press inwards, millimeter by millimeter. They inch closer and closer to you. Your awareness narrows to the space around you as it slowly diminishes. You run. Then you shuffle. Then you crawl. Then you wiggle. [[Then you stop.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.12"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.12]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. It doesn’t last for long before it opens into a grassy plain. Scraggly trees sprout from the tall yellow grass and striped heads swing in your direction. A herd of zebras watch you. Then they scatter. Two shapes dive from the grass and swipe at them with large paws. One fixes on you and you run. The lioness catches you before you’ve taken two steps. Your back explodes with pain. [[Sharp teeth close around your neck.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.13"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.13]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Dust gathers in the corners as you run. The walls yellow and fade. A small spider skitters across a wall. Webs populate the ceiling. Then the floor. They coat the walls. You pick your way through them, easily snapping them as you pass through. The webs thicken above you and you are forced to hunch over and crawl. You steady yourself with eight legs. [[Then you move with ease.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.14"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.14]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Off-white lumps emerge from the plain walls. They arrange themselves in neat rows as smaller lumps of off-white material appear among them in decorative swirls. You don’t want to look too closely at them. You know what they are, but knowing and acknowledging are two very, very different things. You can feel their empty sockets boring into you as you pass. They whisper for you to join them. To shed your constricting skin and become a part of them. They beg and you run and run and run. [[The hall opens into white light.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.15"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.15]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Small droplets drip drip drip from the ceiling. Thin rivulets slide down the walls. Puddles seep up from the floor. Your feet slide against the wet floor. Then they slosh through ankle-deep water. Then waist-deep water. Then you’re swimming. You drag your body faster and faster through the water, racing against the slowly filling room. Your head scrapes across the ceiling. The water closes overhead. You hold your breath until your lungs burn. [[You gasp for air.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.16"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.16]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Something shatters underfoot. You stop and look back, taking in the shattered needle that seeps a clear liquid onto the floor. A tag is tied to it. It says that it is your only escape. You turn and keep running. You spot another needle ahead. You take great pleasure in crushing it. This repeats. You lose all sense of time. Just one needle after another after another after another. You can’t tell if you’re still running or stuck in the same section of the hall. Eventually, all you crave is escape. [[You don’t crush the next needle.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.17"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.17]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. It goes on and on and on. Never ending and never changing. You stare directly ahead, searching for a break, for an exit. It never comes. Instead, you fall as you fail to notice the broken floor ahead of you. You fall and fall and fall. Wind roars in your ears and dirt walls rush by. You fall for eternity. The fear of impact fades. You comfort yourself in the embrace of nothingness. [[Then you hit the floor.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.18"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.18]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. A cough echoes somewhere in front of you. You call out to them, but there is no response. No one is there when you pass. Another cough comes from ahead. Then someone sneezes. Another cough. There is never anyone there when you pass. They come more frequently, closer now to you. Your skin prickles where the air caresses it. You try to shake off the feeling, but with each ghost of air, it increases. You rub at your skin, but it won’t come clean. You’re still dirty. You scrub harder. Blood pools where you have broken skin. It hurts but you can’t stop. [[Your skin crawls.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.19"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.19]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. Distant thunder rumbles outside, reverberating through the narrow hallway. You tell yourself that you must be close to the outside if you can hear it, that your close to escape. The thunder rumbles louder and the harsh tap of rain drums above you. Thunder booms directly overhead. A static hum builds behind you. Your hair stands on end. It rapidly grows in intensity, snaping and crackling as it rushes towards you. Thin, jagged, white lines arc across the hallway around you, leaping from wall to wall. [[Your vision vanishes in a burst of white.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.20"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.20]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. The further you descend, the easier it gets to run. Then your feet leave the ground and you go tumbling through the air. You can’t stop your momentum, the walls remaining just out of your reach. You try to swim through the air, try to redirect your direction, but you only float higher and higher. The ceiling recedes as you approach, like a twisted game of tag. The air thins the higher you rise. It’s harder and harder to drag in a breath. You stop trying to fight the motion. Your head feels light and fuzzy. [[You stop breathing.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.21"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.21]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. There’s rustling ahead of you; it sounds like a mass of people shuffling around, but there’s no one there when you approach. A quiet murmur of voices echoes through the space as the rustling quiets. Gradually, the voices fade when someone shushes them. A voice fills the hallway, announcing that the guest speaker will arrive shortly. They provide a brief introduction for them, but you can't seem to make it out. There’s a burst of applause and the voice echoes out again, welcoming you to the stage. [[You are blinded by stage lights.->Layer 16.1]]

(if: not ((history:) contains "Layer 14.22"))[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Layer 15.22]] ](else:)[ [[You run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run and run->Ending 3.1]] ]

You delve into the depths of the hall. The walls slicken and redden as you descend. Their uniformity broken by ribbed arcs that span from one wall to the other. The floor softens. The walls spasm once before they settle into a regular motion. They undulate with gentle constrictions, pushing you deeper down the slick tunnel. The tunnel curves and snakes, shifting beneath your feet. You slip and have to grab the wall to steady yourself. It pulses with a regular heartbeat. The constrictions increase and you’re forced deeper into the tunnel. [[You can’t stop your motion as the walls squeeze around you.->Layer 16.1]]

[[Why won’t this end?->Ending 3.2]]

[[I’m so...tired.->Ending 3.3]]

[[I’ve died so many times.->Ending 3.5]]

[[Have I died?->Ending 3.6]]

[[Where am I?->Ending 3.7]]

[[Why can’t I see anything?->Ending 3.9]]

[[Why?->Ending 3.10]]

[[WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome WelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcomeWelcome->Ending 3.11]]

Voices echo around you, greeting you. They cut through the dark nothingness that holds you in its embrace. You are evolving, the voices tell you. You are coming into your own. Emerge, they tell you. We have been watching you and waiting for you. You are the first, they say. The first to survive. To make it to this point. We can’t wait to meet you, they chorus. Come. Come. Come. COME. [[EMERGE INTO THE LIGHT.->Ending 3.12]] [[Fall back into the dark.->Layer 1]]

Your eyes fly open. You stand on the roof of the museum overlooking the town. YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING The land expands before you, your sight stretching further and further out over the clear world. When you focus, your sight shifts and you are suddenly looking up at a door of a house. The porch railings stretch towards the sky and the roof hangs high overhead. A person opens the door and picks you up. They carry you inside their home. A heavy hand lands on your shoulder, breaking the vision. A grinning face leans in and chuckles. The figure calls you a natural. Says that you are learning faster than those that came and failed before you. You ask what they mean and [[they tell you.->Ending 3.13]]

This is your network. The company is your mind and the boxes are your fingerprints. The shipping lanes are your arteries and the world, your playground. You are a virus. A plague on humanity. Your purpose, your only purpose, is to make them suffer. Those people out there are just ants. Their lives so short and meaningless, simply scrambling from one fleeting pleasure to the next. Give them that pleasure, they tell you. Then take it away. The figure smiles gently and hands you the cards. You do not need them anymore, they say. They have brought you here and now you have blossomed. It is time for them to guide the next. [[Who will you send them to?->Ending 3.14]]

Congratulations! You’ve (sort of) survived the story! Keep the narrative alive by sharing this journey with a friend (or two!). Just email them the file, then sit back and bask in their glorious suffering. [[Thank you for uploading yourself to to the Prime network.->End 2]]

[[Am I still running?->Ending 3.8]]

[[THE END.->Opening Paragraph]] <style> img { max-width:100%; max-height: 100%; } </style> <img src=https://i.imgur.com/PApAmgu.png> </div>

[[OR IS IT?->Intro 5]]

You don’t believe in the supernatural. Ghosts aren’t real and you’re not superstitious. So when an Amazon package addressed to you appears on your doorstep that you know you never ordered, you pick it up, set it on your desk, and text every person you know who might send you something out of the blue. When no one owns up to it, you stick a reminder on the box to email Amazon. You steadfastly DO NOT think about it for the rest of the day. There is a reply in your inbox the next morning, apologizing for the mistake and offering to let you keep it. You email back immediately, stating that you did not order whatever it is and thus have no need for it. [[They send you a return label and the offending box is gone.->Intro 2]]

It’s back the next week. Perched on your porch among your other packages. This time you send a strongly-worded email to Amazon reproaching their lack of care and attention to detail. The box is gone with the morning mail and you wipe the memory from your mind. It was just a fluke. It means nothing. Nothing. It definitely wasn’t the same box as last time with that same crushed corner and same smear of ink on the label. Nope. [[Definitely not.->Intro 3]]

This time it is only five days, nine hours, and twenty-three minutes before it returns. The damn box looks so innocent sitting there. Innocuous in its normalness. It doesn’t look any different from any other box that you have received. Except you never ordered this one. You bring it inside. It sits on the kitchen table. Just a small, brown box. You grab a pair of scissors from the drawer and set them next to the box. They look ominous there, like a promise between you and the box that it will be opened. Eventually. Maybe. Not. You can’t open it. You make yourself a cup of tea, almost spilling it when you pick it up. You take a sip. Add a splash of whisky to steel your nerves and promptly spit it back out. You hate alcohol. You don't know why you thought it might be better this time. [[The tea goes down the drain.->Intro 4]]

You move the box to the living room table and delicately place the scissors next to you on the sofa. You stare at the box, pick it up, and place it on your lap. You note the crushed corner, the smear of ink on the label, your name which rests there like a flashing neon light. You close your eyes and inhale. On the exhale, you open your eyes. The scissors are in your right hand. You open the box. It’s a deck of cards. That’s it. The normal Bicycle brand. You pick them up and flip it over. “Bicycle” is written across the front in large letters. You squint. There’s something wrong with it; it doesn’t say “Bicycle.” It says “Beyecycle.” Like someone replaced the “i” with “eye.” You let it fall into the box, close the flaps, and put it back on the table. A prank. It has to be. [[The box, with the cards in it, goes into the trash.->Intro 5]]

The cards on your bedside table when you wake. Resting there innocently next to your glasses, the “eye” facing up, staring at you. You feel suddenly cold. The layered blankets on your bed do nothing to protect you. Gingerly, you reach for your glasses, snatching them off of the table. Another glance at the cards and you're shaking. You want to look over your shoulder. You want to look away from the cards. The cards that seem so harmless, but for the strangeness of the name and the crawling sensation that won’t leave you. (if: (history:) contains "End?")[There's a sudden sense of deja vu.] You jerk the blankets over your head. The feeling persists. You don't get up. It’s three days before you cave. Before you determine that the only way for this to stop is to open the deck, to see them, to know. (if: (history:) contains "End?")[The sensation that you've been here before returns, but you can't stop.] You almost drop the deck three times before you open it. The cards are silky smooth, new and pristine. You flip one over and the cards tumble from slack fingers, pooling around your feet. You stare. [[The eyes stare back.->Intro 6]]