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<div class = "vertical"><div class = "title">That Night at Henry's Place</div>
<div class = "byline">by Jei D. Marcade</div></div>
You're 15. The weekend has finally arrived, and you're looking forward to spending the night at your best friend's house.
Enter your friend's name: <<textbox '$name' ''>>
<<button "Confirm">>
<<set $name to $name.trim()>>
<<if $name is "">>
<<replace "#textbox-error">>Please enter a name.<</replace>>
<<elseif /[^A-Z]/i.test($name)>>
<<replace "#textbox-error">>Names may only contain letters.<</replace>>
<<elseif $name == ("Henry")>> <<replace "#textbox-error">>Sorry, that name is already in use. <</replace>>
<<elseif $name == ("henry")>> <<replace "#textbox-error">>Sorry, that name is already in use. <</replace>>
<<elseif $name == ("Thalia")>> <<replace "#textbox-error">>Sorry, that name is already in use. <</replace>>
<<elseif $name == ("thalia")>> <<replace "#textbox-error">>Sorry, that name is already in use. <</replace>>
<<elseif $name == ("Henry")>> <<replace "#textbox-error">>Sorry, that name is already in use. <</replace>>
<<elseif $name == ("Henry")>> <<replace "#textbox-error">>Sorry, that name is already in use. <</replace>>
<<elseif $name == ("Henry")>> <<replace "#textbox-error">>Sorry, that name is already in use. <</replace>>
<<else>>
<<replace "#textbox-error">><</replace>>
<<goto "Proceed">>
<</if>>
<</button>>
<span id="textbox-error"></span>
<<set $end1 to false>>
<<set $end2 to false>>
<<set $end3 to false>>
<<set $end4 to false>>
<<set $end5 to false>>
<<set $end6 to false>>
<<set $end7 to false>>
<<set $end8 to false>>
<<set $end9 to false>>
<<set $end10 to false>>You're in for an evening of playing video games, snickering over cheesy scifi flicks, and cococting popcorn-candy hybridizations that would make your dentist sweat.
What are $name's pronouns?
[[they/them|leave house][$they to "they"; $They to "They"; $them to "them"; $Them to "Them"; $their to "their"; $Their to "Their"; $theirs to "theirs"; $Theirs to "Theirs"; $themself to "themself"; $Themself to "Themself"; $honor to "Mx."]]
[[she/her|leave house][$they to "she"; $They to "She"; $them to "her"; $Them to "Her"; $their to "her"; $Their to "Her"; $theirs to $hers; $Theirs to "Hers"; $themself to "herself"; $Themself to "Herself"; $honor to "Ms."]]
[[he/him|leave house][$they to "he"; $They to "He"; $them to "him"; $Them to "Him"; $their to "his"; $Their to "His"; $theirs to $his; $Theirs to "His"; $themself to "himself"; $Themself to "Himself"; $honor to "Mr."]]
<<set $kcoins = 0>>
$name pulls up in front of your apartment building in $their stepdad's station wagon.
Your mom peers out the window and frowns. "Does $name even have $their license yet? I don't know if I like $them driving."
Grabbing your overnight bag, you roll your eyes. "$Their house is only a few minutes from here, Mom. It's fine."
"Well, just tell $them to be //extra safe//. And have fun!"
[["Thanks, we will!" Hug your mom goodbye.|car-hug]]
[["Oh my god, relax." Head out the door.|car-relax]]
<<remember $kcoins += 1>><<set $Thalia to true>>Switching on the flashlight app on your phone, you take a few steps into the woods crowding both sides of the road. You're still not sure what you'll even do if you find something: you have no signal, so it's not like you can call... who, animal control? roadside maintenance?
Branches snap behind you, and you whirl.
"Whoa." Thalia holds up a hand to shield her eyes from the light. She's in the year ahead of you.
$name catches up. "Thalia? What are you doing out here?"
"[[Going to the party.]]"Relief spills across $name's face. "Good plan."
You sit in uneasy silence until you reach a crowded driveway that leads to a sprawling farmhouse.
"Looks like this is it." $name parks alongside the other cars. "Come on."
You follow $them toward [[the barn|enter]].<<remember $kcoins += 1>>\
$name waves at you through the window. "You ready for this?" $name catches your puzzled expression as you slide into the passenger seat. "You didn't forget, did you? About the party?"
You stare at $them. "Party? What party?"
"The one practically our whole class is going to!"
You did forget about it. Or rather, you'd assumed that you and $name would be blowing it off, the way you blow off every unchaperoned Friday night shindig in one of your classmates' bougie neighborhoods. "But you don't even like most of them."
"Yeah, well." $name looks uncomfortable. "Come on, it beats just sitting around watching crappy movies all night, doesn't it?"
You'd been looking forward to that. "[[I guess]]."$name waves at you through the window. "You ready for this?" $name catches your puzzled expression as you slide into the passenger seat. "You didn't forget, did you? About the party?"
You stare at $them. "Party? What party?"
"The one practically our whole class is going to!"
You did forget about it. Or rather, you'd assumed that you and $name would be blowing it off, the way you blow off every unchaperoned Friday night shindig in one of your classmates' bougie neighborhoods. "But you don't even like most of them."
"Yeah, well." $name looks uncomfortable. "Come on, it beats just sitting around watching crappy movies all night, doesn't it?"
You'd been looking forward to that. "[[I guess]]."$name turns onto one unfamiliar street after another until you nose onto a country road. The lights of civilization recede in your rearview mirror.
The earth spreads out before you in a patchwork quilt of green and ochre grids, tidy rows of soy and corn stretching to the horizon. Darkness presses against the windshield.
You glance down at your phone: the signal strength keeps flickering in and out at a single, solitary bar. "Who even lives out here?"
"Don't know. Uh, Henry, I think."
You look up at that. "He doesn't even go to our school anymore."
[[You're starting to wish you'd just stayed home.|the road]]
[[You think about Henry]].You shared Gov and AP English with him freshman year, until he dropped out in the middle of the semester.
People said that he got expelled, or that his family unenrolled him to be homeschooled. But they also said that he ran off with someone he'd met online, or joined an anarchist collective, so who knew which rumor was closest to the truth? Maybe none of them.
Whatever happened, you don't recall him hanging out much with the party set. [[He was always pretty quiet|the road]].<<set $cookies to 0>>\
<<set $drinkCount to 0>>\
<<set $storyCount to 0>>\
<<set $henryStory to false>>\
<<set $holdHair to false>>\
<<set $lostFriend to false>>\
<<set $mask to false>>\
<<set $mirror to false>>\
<<set $seance to false>>\
<<set $skelekey to false>>\
<<set $swamp to false>>\
<<set $Thalia to false>>\
<<set $thermos to false>>\
<<set $upstairs to false>>\
\
The long, dark ribbon of the road winds through a stretch of woods.
$name is complaining about the grade $they got on this week's chemistry quiz when some massive THING hurtles across the lane ahead of you with a hollow screech.
You catch a glimpse of gangly limbs. Pale, bulging eyes flash in the headlights. You swear that you feel the impact of something glance off the bumper.
Jerking at the wheel, $name swears and slams on the brakes. The car skids onto the shoulder of the road.
For a long moment, there's no sound besides the ragged gasping of your breaths.
Finally, $name: "[[What. The HELL. Was that.]]""I have no idea," you say shakily. Those hooked talons and overcrowded mouth of jagged teeth don't match the description of any animal you can identify.
$name, at least, has the presence of mind to jab on the hazards, though you haven't seen another car in miles.
A glance into the rearview mirror reveals a road that lies as empty behind you as it does ahead. If you hit something, you don't see it. You reach for your door handle.
"Wait," $name says, grabbing your elbow.
You hesitate, then say,
"[[Let's just keep driving.|drive on]]"
"[[We should make sure we didn't hit anything.|look]]"<<set $lostFriend to true>>\
\
<<if $drinkCount lt 3>>You've never heard music like this before. The melody snakes beneath your skin, twining around your ribs.
You're just starting to get into the rhythm when you realize you've lost track of $name.\
<<else>>You catch a glimpse of $name and move toward $them.
You've never heard music like this before. The melody snakes beneath your skin, twining around your ribs.
It's getting so warm in here. You pause to catch your breath, and realize with a jolt that you've lost track of $name.\
<</if>>
[[Push through the writhing throng.|dance barn]]<<if $Thalia is true>>Thalia looks across the yard and waves at someone you don't know. Distractedly, she says, "Hey, $name, thanks for the ride," and then she's gone.
<</if>>\
You recognize a bunch of kids from school: Izzy, who's on your bus route; Ethan from Algebra 2; Kamal and Sophie and Magen, who share your lunch period, but always sit at different tables. You catch their eye and exchange nods. They don't look surprised to see you.
There are strangers, too, who might be from different high schools. The rest look older, college-aged, maybe. You wonder where all these people came from.
A couple trestle tables stand just inside the door, loaded with drinks and disposable cups. $name grabs one and scoops a ladle of some violently orange beverage inside. "Want one?"
"[[Sure.|the barn drink]]"
"[[No, thanks.|the barn]]"
You exchange looks with $name. Why is she on foot? You're in the middle of nowhere.
Thalia smiles. "Hey, you think you could give me a ride the rest of the way?"
"Yeah, sure," $name says immediately. "Uh, you didn't see anything... weird around here, did you? Like some kind of big animal?"
"Mm, no. It's just me."
With a final glance around your surroundings, you get back in the car. A few miles later, Thalia points out a crowded driveway that leads to a sprawling farmhouse. "Here we are."
$name parks alongside the other cars. "Come on."
You follow $them and Thalia toward [[the barn|enter]].<<set $drinkCount = $drinkCount+1>>\
LED twinkle lights garland the walls, and somebody's set up a few multicolored strobes to pulse along with the music.
<<if $drinkCount is 1>>The faintly frothing liquid is simultaneously sharp and sweet.
$name tugs on your sleeve. "Let's dance!"
[["Follow " + $name + " into the crowd."|dance]]
[[You need another drink.|the barn drink]]\
\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 2>>The sip you take burns going down, but it leaves you feeling pleasantly lightheaded.
$name tugs on your sleeve, impatient. "Come on, I want to dance."
[["Follow " + $name + " into the crowd."|dance]]
[[Get another drink.|the barn drink]]\
\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 3>>You look up from your cup to find yourself surrounded by unfamiliar faces.
[[Dance.|dance]]
[[Get another drink.|the barn drink]]\
\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 4>>You're feeling a little woozy. You bump the person beside you and mumble a slurred apology.
[[Dance.|dance]]
[[Get another drink.|the barn drink]]\
\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 5>>@@.blur;Focusing is harder than it should be.@@ You stumble into someone and laugh a little too loudly.
[[Dance.|dance]]
[[Get another drink.|the barn drink]]\
\
<<elseif $drinkCount gte 6>>@@.shudder;The world tilts sharply beneath your feet. @@
You stagger toward the edge of the room, and [[the floor rushes up to meet you|blackout]].\
<</if>>Inside the barn, LED twinkle lights garland the walls, and somebody's set up a few multicolored strobes to pulse along with the music.
$name tugs on your sleeve. "Let's dance!"
[["Follow " + $name + " into the crowd."|dance]]
[[You decide to get a drink, after all.|the barn drink]]The loft is mostly empty; a few boxes are stacked at one end, along with an old bicycle missing a wheel. At the far side, the outer door is open, framing a square of star-strewn sky.
<<if $skelekey is false and $thermos is false>>Someone is sitting with his legs dangling over the edge, his back to you. It's Henry.
[[Say hello.]]\
<<elseif $skelekey is true and $thermos is false>>Henry's thermos is still on the floor.
[[Pick up the thermos.|loft][$thermos to true]]\
<<elseif $skelekey is false and $thermos is true>>You spot an ornate iron key on the floor.
[[Pick up the key.|loft][$skelekey to true]]\
<<else>>There is a weight to the air that makes you uneasy.
<</if>>\
[[Climb back down to the barn.|dance barn]]Out in the yard, the air feels electric, anticipatory. A distant growl behind an encroaching wall of pendulous clouds threatens rain, though not for a while. You think you spot lightning, but it lingers too long, illuminates peculiar shapes in the cloud cover.
<<if $mask is true>>Every single person by the fire wears one of the strange, misshapen masks you saw along the staircase. The only face left visible is Henry's.
He's telling a story.
[[Listen.|listenHenry]]
[[Explore the orchard.|orchard]]
[[Head up to the house.|porch]]
[[Check out the cornfield.|field]]
[[Go back to the barn.|dance barn]]\
<<elseif $storyCount lte 7>>A group of kids huddles around a crackling fire. You look closely at the other faces lit by the dancing flames, but $name's isn't among them.
As you draw near, you realize that one is telling a story.
[[Stay and listen.|listen]]
[[Explore the orchard.|orchard]]
[[Head up to the house.|porch]]
[[Check out the cornfield.|field]]
[[Go back to the barn.|dance barn]]\
<<else>>A group of kids huddle around a crackling fire. You look closely at the faces lit by the dancing flames, but $name's isn't among them.
They stare at you, unblinking. No one says a word.
[[Explore the orchard.|orchard]]
[[Head up to the house.|porch]]
[[Check out the cornfield.|field]]
[[Go back to the barn.|dance barn]]
<</if>><<if $seance is true or $upstairs is true>>? <span class="flashlight">You hear muffled giggles in the darkened den,</span> <span class="flashlight">a flurry of whispers too close behind you,</span> <span class="flashlight">then total silence.</span> <span class="flashlight">Fumbling for your phone,</span> <span class="flashlight">you turn on the flashlight app</span> <span class="flashlight">and sweep the walls for the</span> <span class="flashlight"><<click "light switch.">><<toggleclass "#section1" "hidden">><</click>></span>
\
<div id="section1" class="hidden">You are alone in the den.
[[Go into the kitchen.|kitchen]]
[[Look for the bathroom.|bathroom]]
A length of rope is draped across the foot of the stairs as a makeshift barrier. The sheet of printer paper folded over it reads, "Please Respect Our Privacy." <<linkreplace "Step over the rope.">>[[Walk upstairs.|stairs]]<</linkreplace>>
[[Go back outside.|yard]]</div>
<<else>>\
In the den, candles flicker on just about every available service. There's a coffee table in the center of the room, a ouija board on the table. You recognize three girls from the other grades: Noor, Zoe, and Shardae. It's funny; they never hang out with each other at school.
You clear your throat. "Hey, have you seen--"
"Ssssshhh," they hiss in unison. Moving as one, they roll their eyes upward to follow a patter of footsteps running across the ceiling, then reach for the board.
[[Join the seance.|seance]]
[[Go into the kitchen.|kitchen]]
[[Look for the bathroom.|bathroom]]
A length of rope is draped across the foot of the stairs as a makeshift barrier. The sheet of printer paper folded over it reads, "Please Respect Our Privacy." <<linkreplace "Step over the rope.">>[[Walk upstairs.|stairs]]<</linkreplace>>
[[Go back outside.|yard]]
<</if>><<set $storyCount = $storyCount+1>>\
\
<<if $storyCount is 1>>//For a hundred nights before you died, milk-eyed girls
stood attendant at your bedside, river stones
spilling from their mouths.//
[[You don't want to hear any more.|yard]]\
\
<<elseif $storyCount is 2>>//The click of tumbling stones
lulled you to slumber, but
in the morning, you bore all their weight.//
[[You don't want to hear any more.|yard]]\
\
<<elseif $storyCount is 3>>//Torchlight burned in the jewels on the hand that reached
from behind you to open your throat.// I know those rings, //you thought,
as your skin parted and seawater poured out.
You will always remember how it felt to drown.//
[[You don't want to hear any more.|yard]]\
\
<<elseif $storyCount is 4>>//Strangers dressed you in golden antlers, arranged
what was left of you on a painted bier, and carried you
under a hill: alone, unmarked, and all too soon
forgiven.//
[[You don't want to hear any more.|yard]]\
\
<<elseif $storyCount is 5>>//What a relief, wept the earth
as it curled around you. What a relief it must be,
to come home.//
[[You don't want to hear any more.|yard]]\
\
<<elseif $storyCount is 6>>//You lay a long time in the murmuring dark. Whenever you
shifted, restless, the jade beads dripping from your unsought crown
stirred and sang you back to sleep.//
[[You don't want to hear any more.|yard]]\
\
<<elseif $storyCount is 7>>//But, as in all wombs,
your tenancy was not without limit, and you were birthed again
much as you had died: slick with blood
and screaming.//
[[You don't want to hear any more.|yard]]\
\
<<elseif $storyCount gte 8>>
@@.fade-in-out;̴̧̢̻̯̯̼̻͎̘͉̜̲̮̲̝̜͕̥̘̬̦̭͉̲͂̑̃̆̾̇̈́̂̀̉̒̚͝H̸̡̨̡̼̭̞̻̲̪̱̤͍̩͓̣̫̖̹̣̱͎̦͈̯̻͙͓͠ ̵̛̜͍̗̙̑̐̃̉̿́̈́̐͂̐́̈̾̀͌́̔̍̽̅͐̋͛̊̂̐̓͊̀̓̂̍̄͛̉̓͛͗̚͘͝͝͠͠͠͝a̸̛̛̺̳̮̻͔͋̊̋́̐̎̃̂̈́̓͐̊̌̆̔̒͊̓͒́̾͂̀́̓̋̀̂̃̓̈́̀̓̈́̆̍͛̉͛̋̋͌͂͒̉̓̚͘̚̚͝͠͠ ̷̢̨̢̛̩̩̬̲̹͇͉̥͖̤͉̦̪̜͎͖̙̩̟͕͇̗̞̙͎͓̭̻̮͔̠̮͔̤͔̻̲͕̦̝̱̫̥̪̙͖̙͖̠͎̍̂̓̔͗̀̑̒͗̀̊̐͒͐͋̈́̀́͗͊̾̓̈́͂̎͑́̄̒́̚͘͜͜v̷̛̛̙̽̆͆̾̍̀̈́̄̈͋̾̅̌̂̊̀̂̏͊̀͐̆͂͒̄͆͒̿̔̇̄̀̿̀̂̿̂̇̈́̂̇̉͒̾̕͘̕͠͝͝ ̷̧̢̨̢̛̩̬̣̗̦͍̝͖͍̤̹̣̠̪̝̳͉̹̹͖̟͔̣̖̩̱̙͈͔͍̜͍̺̮̜͉̀̌̐͆̍̔͋̽͌̒̓͛̀͂̈́͐̀̋̅͗̊̈́̉͐̓̽͌͆̇̋̋̉̈́͛̈́̏͒̒͌͑̃̈́̀̔̓͋̂̔̐͋͋̒͛̏̌́͒̕͘͜͝͝͝ͅȩ̴̥̺̮͇̝͚͚͖̯͎̝̗̱̏̾̎̀̇́͂̓̀͊̔̀̉̄͋̑̈́̐̈͜͜͝ͅ ̸̨̡̛̛̭̰̙͉̺̼̖̱͈̦̦͉̻̱̼͈̼̉̎́̿̍̓̃̄̇̽͒̉̀̽͗͌̊̉̃͑͗̎̉̏̉̑̍̽͋͆͂̃̿̾͋͗̉̄̎̓̚͜͝͠͝͝͠n̵̢̢̢̙͇̠̣͔̖̮͕̠̯̞̣̜͙̖̼̟̩͇̘̘̬̼͓̩̬͙̝̩̹̞̖͓͙͑͛͌͜ ̵̨̡̢̨̛̛̮͕̻̘̭̘͓̠̪͎͙̟̟̻͇̰̜͈̲̙͚͎͓̠̘̦̫̯̜͌̋̈́̓̔̓̏́͋̒͌̿͐̋̌͂͑̇͌̈́̋́̏́̂̀́́͛̿̄͋͋͂̂̂̒̉̎̆̈́́͛̂̆̒͌̋̍̊͘͘͘͜͝͝͠'̶̡̘̩̤̭͇̻̲͇̮̘̰̹̬̯͙͕̘̲͙͈̼̱͉̦͖͛̉̾̏̈́̈́̓͆͌̓͑͗͐̒̇̅̓̅̾̐̒̌̽̌̆̍͌̆̏̀̌́̎̊͐̈́̍̿́̄̓̌̎͗͐̕̕ ̶̖̙̭̱̩̼͇̼̪̬̳̲͐̆̎̑͐͗̎̒́̀̆̈́̆̒̋̎͌͒̋͆̀͑̃̏̍̃̀̌͗̽̆̕̕̚͠t̸̢̨̨̨̢̛͇̼̳̰̹̺̥͉̼̦͈̙̘̞̰̗͈̖̞̬͕̰͕̝̫̭̯̝̫̗̲̼̥̤͇̮̺̖̤̪̟̮̭̰̬͙̭̦̯͓͎̲̲̫̔̆̓͑̾̇́̐̿̂̀́̒͌̑̄̿́̌̃̾͒̎̓͗̇̽̚͜͜ͅ ̶̫̯̰̲̰̤̯̪͔͔̉́̈̊͆͗̎͛͊͑̇͌̉̈́̊͒͌͋̂̈́͂̓͝͝ ̷̡̧̡̧̢̡̨̡̨̡̢̧̛͓̻̠̻̜̞̪̭͙̱͉͈̮̲̮̻͔͕̜̹̖̘̹͓͓̜͈͓̯̞̝̻̻͚̬͙͉̥͇͕̻̖̖̬͓̘̳͐̌̐́́̓́̂͆̏̾̌̈́̌̒̉̈̅͋̒͊̓͆̈͌͂̎͑́͐͗̍͛̈́͆̂̈́̀̽̋̓̎̒̈́̔͘̚̚͜͝͝ ̴̨̢̨̢̱͖͖̫̪͖̬̲̟̘̞̯͎̠̰̲͔̟̺̙̩̥̘̯͎̠̺̗̯̲̮̪̭͕̥̭̤͔̮̺̱͓͔̱̫̼̣͎͍̭̝̠̟̀͛̄̈́́̌̓͒̅̎͊̓̄̍̃̇̋̌́̈́͛̒̎̾̅̄̽̍̀̿̒͑̓͒͗̑̉͐̄̑̕͘̕̚̕͜͜͝͝͝ͅy̸̡̡̧̨̧͈̼͈͖̝̱͚̬̤̼̪͇̤͎̠̼̻̩̳̬̩͕͕̗̤͉̱͈̼̮̭͈̯̺͖̣͚͇͓̮̫̦͍̤̯͙̺̺̠͌͌͂͛̀͌̊̽̾̓̀͒̑͊͛̄̉̄̃͆̓͗͐̄̀͒̒͂̅́̚̚͜͝ͅ ̴̭̪̲̟͉͕͕͕͍͚̱̔̒͑̈́̏̏̓̔͛̔̓̈́̂̅͑̌̐̋̊̃̈̾̏̒͐̿̑̍́͋͋͋̀͂͒̃̎̂̒̇͂̏̏̀̃͠͠͠͝o̵̧̡̧͍̗͚͉͖͉͈͎͇̱̲͕̙̞͚̬̤͉͙̯͚̟̘͉̻͈͈͎̦̫͓̙͍̞̟̺̙̮͇̱̰͉͈͒̏̓̾͝͝ ̴̢̨͖̹̯͇͎̲͍̩̳̞̲̼̣̘̲͈̭͖͓̠̝͉̼͙̗̣̲̮͉̯̜̳̺͚͓̺̻̭̓̾̈́̆̋̃͐͐͑̄͜͝ư̵̧̢̨̛̼̹͙͈͈̮̬̭̩̰̲̗͚͔͈̝͕̗̱͇̩͔̦̰̤̟̯̳̻͖͍͎̪̳̞͕̩̖̭̖̗̻͖̼̜̟̺͖̥͙̳̖̲̟͕͒̇̀͋͌͛̄̑͑̓́̒́̇̉̅̋̀̏͛͜͝ ̵̧̛͖̙̫͓̦̜̥̹̜̤̤̥͔̱̹͔̰̜̤̙͔̰̺͉̎̐̉̀̈͒͌͜͝ ̷̖̼͚̳͐̔̒̈̄̔̇̎̊̎̿́̉̃̈́͐͛̈́͐̚͘͠͝͝ͅ ̴̧̛͔̬̘̘̬̤͓̰̠͕̖̼͇̝̥͔̼̩̞̰͕̬̳͆̓͒̀͋̓̑͋̏́̾̆̏̓̔͊̀̀̅̒̾͜ḩ̸̡̢̺͙͙̺̰͔̱̳̘̬̜̺̘̖̦̹̼̳̪̻̪̲̎̽̿̈̊͂̏̆̉̐̉͒̾̋̒͋͒̾̾̂̆̚͘͝͠͠ͅͅͅ ̴̛̻̫͖͇͇͕̟̱̲̬͍̗̥̳̠̘̹͉̥̠͋̊̈́͂͊̇̈̃̅̅̄̔̎̋̾͌̄̀͆͒̊͊̂̃̒̔͝͝͝͝͝ͅë̴̢̢̢̡̡͖̙̝̹̺̰̗̱̳̳͖͈͈̫͉̞̺̼̠̮̞̮͍͉̥͉͉̤̜̟̲͈̟̭̲̤̗̼̪̤͔͉̦̱̦̟̖͔̙̩̯̊̌̃͑̔̈́̈̊̔̔̔̀̓̈́̀͑̽͂́͋͆̏͗̈́̐͗̌̄̈́̔͋͂̌̀͂̈̈́͊̋̿̑̇̃͒̉̈́͌̏͘͜͠͝͝͠ ̷̧̝̤̳̯͔̹̰̹̯̣͍̈́͑̓̓̎͛̈a̸̻͈͉͎͆̄̉͌̊̋̽̐̈́ ̷̧̧̢̛͍̫̰̖͕̦̳̞̦̠̪̣̜̘͖̜̘͎̻̪̻͔̗̭͖͈̜̩̜͍̹̘̗̹͇̰̗́͑̄̄̓̉̉̐̍̆̍̂̽̈̂̆̽̾͋̎͒̂̒̑̓͜͝͝ͅr̷͇̪͕̬͉̪̫̤̲̦̣̼̼̙͎̰͕̤͖̠̭͉̬̺͍̺͇̳̠̙̖̙̠̜̼̗̤̱̬̼̱͙͒̿̈́͌̽̂̅͑͂̋́͗͊̿̄̿̽̃͊̃̿̿̿̄͂͐̀͂̈́͂̓̋̆͗͊̈́̂̕̕͜͝͠͠͝͝ͅ ̵̡̠̠͖̯̬̳̼̖͕͇̞͍̬̠̩̱͚͈͉̻͎̝͙̟̘̤͔͈̞̺̱͇̖̗̻̝̣͊̐̃̍̀̽͂̅̀̃̎́͋́̋̂̇̓̀̄̀̇̀̈́͐̄̏̍͋͌̏̓̐̈̈̀̆̍̌̓̆̌̚͘͘̚͘̕̕͜͠͝͝ͅͅḑ̶̛̛̻͎̓́̎͌̎͛̎̿͛̈́̄̇̈́͌̃̆͛̈̊͐͒̊̏̋̑̑́̾̈̕͘̕̕ ̵̨̧̢̛̩̥̖̪̫̯͇͔͈͖̥̲̬̰̪̫̞̣̻̯̘͙̳͇̺͔̺̫͇̘̤̺̳̗̲̳̺̟͉̠͌̃̒͑̊̊̈́͑̋͛͌̏̎͗͑̒̅̓͋͒̈́̌̔̾̉́͆̐̌͑͛̾͗̓̈́̏͛̆͗̂̽͐̊͐͂̑̐̍̋̅̋̌̆̈͛̚̚͠͝͝͝͝ͅ ̵̧̢̨̪͉̲̱̦̥̱͓̗͎̗̞͖̰̩̮̠̳̞̭̮̩̭̻̩̬̲̰̪͎̹̠̌ͅ ̸̡̧̨̛̩̻͉̞͕̖̯͚͇̩̱̣̼̮̬̻̗͕͕͎͇̘̦̞̣̹̩̤̀̉̂̽̓̈͆̿͐̄͛̀̾̋̌̋͌͛̈́̔̈́͗̈̃̍̈́̚̕͜͠͝͝ͅͅḙ̸̣̲͉̫̱̘̠̫͚̦͓͇̞̯̥̖̹̱̺̗̱͂̓ ̶̧̧̧̧̡̧̢̟̮̹̣̮͓̤͔̦̞͇̤͔̳͔̬͙͙͍̟̹̲͎̤͓͎̦̬͍͙͕͓͎̙͔̹͔͍͑͒͊̈́̏̋́͆̐̒̈́̅̐̋̄̊͑͌͆̏̌͊͗̈̄́̋̕̚͝͝ͅn̵̨̡̡̡̡̨̢̢̛̟̟̭̙̘̻̟͖̗̼̖̪̤̪̯͔͕̹͚̺̩̦̟̣͎̰̝̦̻̪̦̳̙̪̞̜̥̥̟̞̥̦̮̘͔̐͗̊͆͋̑̅͋̑͌͆̿͛̓͌̏́̃͋̂́̅̈́̈̉̔̂̄͑́͌̅̈́̽̆̍̾͐̿̌͘͘̚͠͠͝͝ͅ ̶̨̨̧̳̠͇̠͙̻̬̖̈́̾͆̑͛͂͐̄̀͒͒́̍̿̈̑̇̍͆̍̔̀͆͒͑͐̇̓̉̀̌̂̀̔̿̉͂̈͐̃̓͒̃̂̿̑͆͑͛̍̚͘͜͝͝ͅõ̶̡̨͓̪̦̝͖̲͍̺̼͔͎̝͙͔̲̟̖͔̳̝̮̯͙̾̈̈́͜͝͝ ̵̢̧̢̡̥̻̭͔̣̱̼̲͙̹̗͚͙͔̯̫͈͖̞̒̓͆̄̐͋̀͊̓̃̚͝ͅư̴̢̢͚͍͕̬͚̹̯̗̫͔̭̺̩̰̗͎̤̠̙͍̺͕̖͇͍̻̱͎͚̩͍̻̞̹͇̮͈̦̲͆̋͊̈́̽̿̃̑̉̈́̆̅͋̐̆͌́͋̓̾̈͛̎̚̚̚͜͝͝ ̶̨̞͔̏̑̅̉̓́̓͋̆̆̔̾͛̔̋͋̔͑̑́̀́͛͗̎͌̉̀̊̽̾͋̔̎̇͌̽͘̕͘g̶̛͔̤̻͉͚̫͕̮͖̰͙̬̲͙̲̪̙̹̝̭̫͊̊̿̉̏͊̅̊̄́̈͂̈́̾̑̌͂͑̀̏̈́͋̓̉̔̔̂̋̑̈́̍͊̏͆́̑̓̌̓̃͗̉̋̅̉̓̒̕̕̚͜͠͝͠͝͝͝͠ͅ ̶̗̜̌̔h̴̡̛̗̮͓͙̥̪̰͇̦̫̭̘͔̜͖̟̗̱͓̜͓̤̼̖̺͕͇̪̼̳̠͔̗͈͕̋̀̋̓͑̒̔͋̂́̑͋̋̈̽̆̄̓̾̓̽̽̎͆̒̅̈̉̄̈́͊̓̈́͌̀̎̓̒̔͐̊͒̿͗̑͐͂̎̓̎̆̈́̕͜͝͠͠͠͝͝͝͝͠ͅ ̸̨̝̗̈́̅̐̔͒̀̿̆́̈͂̋͝͠?̷̧̡̢̛͍͕̝̖̣͍̪̫͚͈͕̲̘̩͚̹͔͖̲̙̬̬̯̺͙̞̬̯̥͈̩̈́̀͂̈́̑͊̃̀͑̆̈́̿̌͂̍̏͋̾͋͗͗́̀̈́̔̏̐́̂͊͑͆̓̆͋̍́͛͊̅̄̈͊͐̓̐̂̐̿̑̀̿̕̕̚̕̕͜͜͝͝͝͝ͅ@@
[[You back away from the fire.|yard]]
<</if>>You catch a glimpse of a familiar silhouette just before it darts into the cornfield.
Calling $name's name, you run after $them. The stalks tower above you, but they're planted in a grid, so it shouldn't be too hard to find your way back.
You hope you'll be able to find your way back.
A leaf slices your cheek. You jerk away, surprised at the bright line of pain it draws across your skin.
[[You move more cautiously after that.|field2]]<<if $thermos is false>>There's <<linkreplace "something">>nothing<</linkreplace>> here in the darkness pooled between unidentifiable fruit trees.
Nothing <<linkreplace "to be afraid of">>at all<</linkreplace>>.
Try to shake off the feeling that you’re being watched.
[[Head back to the safety of the bonfire.|yard]]
<<else>>\
Henry is in the orchard, inspecting fallen fruit. He must have better night vision than you do.
"You forgot your thermos." You hold it out to him.
"Thanks." He unscrews the cap and takes a sip.
"[[What's in it, anyway?|orchard2][$swamp to true]]"
"[[No offense, but it smells pretty nasty.|orchard2]]"
<</if>>Inside the barn, LED twinkle lights garland the walls, and somebody's set up a few multicolored strobes to pulse along with the music. A ladder leads up to an open hatch in the ceiling.
<<if $drinkCount is 0>>\
[[Dance.|lost dance]]
[[You decided to get a drink, after all.|dance barn drink]]
[[Climb up into the hayloft.|loft]]
[[Go outside.|yard]]
<<else>>\
[[Dance.|lost dance]]
[[Get another drink.|dance barn drink]]
[[Climb up into the hayloft.|loft]]
[[Go outside.|yard]]
<</if>><<if $Thalia is true>>You find yourself stumbling down a winding country road, your head full of cobwebs. A car is parked on the shoulder, its hazards flashing. One of your classmates stands beside it, poking through the underbrush at the side of the road with a stick. He jumps when he sees you.
"Oh, hey. What're you doing out here?"
You blink. What //are// you doing? You grope blindly through the dense fog clouding your memory and blurt out the first thing that comes to mind: "Going to the party."
"Us, too. You, uh, you want a ride?"
Relief floods into you, and you smile. "That would be great."
He casts a nervous glance over his shoulder. "By the way, you didn't see some kind of animal running around the woods, did you?"
"Mm, no," you say distractedly. Something is bothering you, but you can't quite put your finger on it. "It's just me."
[[The End][$end2 = true]]\
<<else>>\
You wake the next morning to silence.
Groaning, you sit up on the floor of the barn and look around. The place is completely empty. No revelers, no lights. Not even a stray disposable cup remains to indicate that it was the site of a party the night before.
You stumble from the barn to find all the cars gone from the driveway.
Somehow, you make it home and try to explain to your parents what happened. There's an inquiry. Nobody at school will admit to being at Henry's place, which makes you the last person to have set eyes on $name.
You never see $them again.
[[The End][$end1 = true]]
<</if>><<set $drinkCount = $drinkCount+1>>\
LED twinkle lights garland the walls, and somebody's set up a few multicolored strobes to pulse along with the music. A ladder leads up to an open hatch in the ceiling.
<<if $drinkCount is 1>>The faintly frothing liquid is simultaneously sharp and sweet.
You wonder where $name's gotten to, but $they can take care of $themself. You, on the other hand...
[[Dance.|lost dance]]
[[Get another drink.|dance barn drink]]
[[Climb up into the hayloft.|loft]]
[[Go outside.|yard]]\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 2>>The drink burns going down, but it leaves you feeling pleasantly warm.
You can't believe $they would just ditch you like this. $name knows how you feel about parties.
[[Dance.|lost dance]]
[[Get another drink.|dance barn drink]]
[[Climb up into the hayloft.|loft]]
[[Go outside.|yard]]\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 3>>You look up from your cup to realize that you don't know a single person standing nearby.
[[Dance.|lost dance]]
[[Get another drink.|dance barn drink]]
[[Climb up into the hayloft.|loft]]
[[Go outside.|yard]]\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 4>>You're feeling a little woozy. You bump the person beside you and mumble a slurred apology.
[[Get another drink.|dance barn drink]]
[[Climb up into the hayloft.|loft]]
[[Go outside.|yard]]\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 5>>@@.blur;Focusing is harder than it should be.@@ You stumble into someone and laugh a little too loudly.
[[Get another drink.|dance barn drink]]
[[Climb up into the hayloft.|loft]]
[[Go outside.|yard]]\
<<elseif $drinkCount gte 6>>@@.shudder;The world tilts sharply beneath your feet.@@
You stagger toward the edge of the room, and [[the floor rushes up to meet you|blackout]].\
<</if>><<if $drinkCount lt 1>>Broad, swooping lines and intersecting rings have been painted across the floor of the entire barn in rust-colored paint. The room is too crowded to see the whole design, but your head starts swimming whenever you stare at it for too long.
So you look away.
[[Push through the writhing throng.|dance barn]]\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 1>>This song is unfamiliar to you, but half the room knows the lyrics. They chant enthusiastically along to it.
Some of them are weeping.
[[Push through the writhing throng.|dance barn]]\
<<elseif $drinkCount is 2>>An arm slips around your waist, beneath your shirt. You whirl, but no one is standing close to you.
Your side still feels warm. You lift your hem and see three angry red lines scored across your skin.
[[Push through the writhing throng.|dance barn]]\
<<elseif $drinkCount gte 3>>The heavy bass hooks behind your sternum, keeping time like a second heart.
You are abruptly afraid of what might happen if it stops.
[[Push through the writhing throng.|dance barn]]\
<</if>><div class = "byline">Thanks for playing //That Night at Henry's Place//.
Feel free to let me know what you think about it on [[Twitter|https://twitter.com/JeiDMarcade]]!
If you've enjoyed my work, consider supporting future games via [[Patreon|https://www.patreon.com/jeidmarcade]].</div>
<div class = "head2">Endings</div>
<div class="leftcolumn">1. <<if $end1 is false>>??? <<else>>Missing<</if>>
2. <<if $end2 is false>>??? <<else>>Loop<</if>>
3. <<if $end3 is false>>??? <<else>>Skin Suit<</if>>
4. <<if $end4 is false>>??? <<else>>Out of Sight<</if>>
5. <<if $end5 is false>>??? <<else>>Live Burial<</if>></div><div class="rightcolumn">6. <<if $end6 is false>>??? <<else>>Cellardoor<</if>>
7. <<if $end7 is false>>??? <<else>>Close Encounter<</if>>
8. <<if $end8 is false>>??? <<else>>New World<</if>>
9. <<if $end9 is false>>??? <<else>>What Happened to Henry<</if>>
10. <<if $end10 is false>>??? <<else>>Alone<</if>></div>
<div class="column">↪ [[Play from the Road|the road]]
⟳ [[Restart|Start]]</div>
<div class = "head">Credits</div>
Cover photo by [[Ali Arif Soydas|https://unsplash.com/@aliarifsoydas]]
A huge thanks to my playtesters: Adam Jaspering, Brittany Wilson, Jack Nicholls, Joe, and Martha Sullivan. All remaining errors are mine.
[[Influences]]The narrow staircase leads to the attic.
<<if $skelekey is false>>The door is locked. It's one of those dark, ornate affairs, with a keyhole large enough to peer through. You catch sight of movement on the other side.
[[Down.|second floor]]\
<<else>>\
The skeleton key you found in the hayloft turns easily in the lock.
[[You push open the door.|attic]]
<</if>>\Henry smiles at you over his shoulder. It's a nice smile. "Hey." He moves his thermos and scoots to the side to make room for you in the doorway,
You say, "Nice party," and try to sound like you mean it. You keep a couple inches between you and the empty air, and peer over the edge. It must be thirty feet to the ground.
"Thanks," he says. "I'm glad you came."
"[[Are you?|hellonext]]"
"[[So am I.|hellonext][$kcoins += 1]]"Another smile. This one has a touch of melancholy in it. "I really wanted to get everyone together again."
You follow his gaze across the yard. The firepit has been lit, and beyond that, a couple people crash into the cornfield. The houselights are on, too, and a few of your classmates lounge on the porch.
Henry sways, bumping his shoulder against yours. "I've missed you."
You blink, startled. You didn't really think you knew each other that well. Before you can think of what to say, he pads across the loft and disappears down the ladder.
He's left his thermos open, curls of steam rising from its contents. You take a whiff and recoil from the swampy, vile stuff. On the floor beside the thermos is an ornate iron key.
[[Climb down the ladder.|dance barn]]
[[Take the key and head back down the ladder.|dance barn][$skelekey to true]]
[[Close the thermos and bring it down the ladder.|dance barn][$thermos to true]]The steps creak beneath your feet. You cross the weathered porch and are reaching for the handle to the storm door when you notice the <<linkreplace "unfamiliar script burned into">>smudges of dirt on<</linkreplace>> the floor.
The longer you look, the less certain you are of what you might have seen.
[[Continue into the house.|house]]<<set $seance to true>>"So," you say, trying to break the tension. "How do you know Henry?"
<<timed 1.6s transition>>Three faces turn. <<next>>Three eyebrows arch. <<next>>Three voices chorus,<<next>> "Who?"
<<next>>You mutter, "Never mind," and sit at the empty side of the table. "[[How does this work?|seance2]]"<</timed>><<if $cookies lte 4>>The kitchen is bigger than you expected. A plate of cookies sits on the counter, still warm. [[Take a cookie.|cookie]]
Far below your feet, you hear a rattle and thud. Your gaze shifts nervously to the cellar door.
[[You try the knob.|cellar]]
[[Go back to the den.|house]]
<<else>>\
The kitchen is bigger than you expected. A plate of cookies sits on the counter, still warm.
You can hear $name calling you from somewhere far below.
From the cellar.
[[You try the knob.|cellar]]
[[Go back to the den.|house]]
<</if>><<if $drinkCount gt 4 and $mirror is false>>You use the toilet.
As you wash your hands, you glance at yourself in the mirror.
@@.mirror;Your reflection winks.@@
[[Back out of the bathroom.|house][$mirror to true]]\
<<elseif $mirror is true>>\
When you risk another glance at the mirror, you realize that the wall above the sink is bare.
[[Back out of the bathroom.|house][$mirror to true]]\
<<elseif $drinkCount lte 4 and $holdHair is false>>\
<<if $Thalia is true>>Thalia<<else>>A girl in the year ahead of you<</if>> kneels on the tiled floor, hunched over the toilet.
The room smells foul. Something splashes in the toilet bowl.
She looks up at you, bleary-eyed. “I don’t feel so good,” she mutters, then pitches forward and retches noisily.
[[Back out of the bathroom.|house]]
[[Hold her hair back.|hair]]\
<<else>>\
The bathroom is occupied. Whoever is locked in there releases an explosive, wheezing groan, a series of juicy plops.
Those sounds will haunt your dreams for nights to come.
[[Retreat to the den.|house]]
<</if>><<if $mask is false>>A collection of masks hangs on the walls along either side of the stairs. They look old, handmade -- fashioned from laquered wood and carved bone, sheet metal and broadcloth, leather and papier mache.
One of the masks in particular catches your eye, and you lift it off its hook. [[It looks familiar.|mask]]
<<else>>\
Framed photographs hang on the walls along either side of the stairs. They range from black-and-white to sepia-toned, as though to display the progress of technology through time as well as the family posed in front of the house.
None of the color photos feature Henry. Several of the frames are empty.
<</if>>\
[[Up|second floor]]
[[Down|house]]<<if $skelekey is false>>The door is locked.
[[Return to the kitchen.|kitchen]]\
<<else>>\
The skeleton key you found in the hayloft turns smoothly in the lock.
A frenzied digging noise draws you over the threshold. Something brushes your face, and you swat frantically at the air until you realize that it’s only the pull string for the light.
You give it a sharp tug. The bare bulb above you sparks, then goes dark again with a pop.
You use your cell phone to light your way as you descend, gripping the banister tightly.
[[The floor of the cellar is dirt.|cellar2]]
<</if>><<set $upstairs to true>>Bedrooms line the second-story hallway. You can hear people murmuring behind closed doors, but none of their voices sound like $name's.
One door stands ajar. The room beyond it is pitch black. A hoarse whisper issues from the shadows. "Hey, you." A rattling laugh, a low crunch. "I've got something to show you. [[Come here.]]"
At the end of the hall is another set of stairs.
[[Go up.|lock]]
[[Go back downstairs.|stairs]]<<set $attic to true>>As you enter the attic, you see what you’d thought was Henry step out of his skin as though it were a onesie.
A nearby clothing rack holds several other skins, like so many deflated balloons. One or two look freshly harvested: their insides glisten wetly and drip dark fluid on the floor.
You can't help it: a strangled sound escapes your lips.
"Oh, dear," says the creature that wore Henry. "Isn't this awkward. On the bright side, I’ve always admired your complexion..."
You have time to recognize $name's hair attached to one of the skin suits before the creature's yellow eyes @@.smear;fill your vision.@@
[[The End][$end3 = true]].<<if $mask is false>>You feel along the wall for the light switch and flick it on to reveal an empty room. Faded circus posters plastered across the ceiling, bars in the window.
The closet contains only clothes and a couple long comic boxes. There is no one hiding under the narrow bed with its neatly made rocketship sheets.
How strange. You would've sworn that you'd heard someone.
As you turn to leave, you see that photos are sticky-tacked to the back of the door. Most of them feature strangers. One of them is of you. You're laughing at something out of the frame, your arm slung around Henry's shoulders.
It doesn't make sense. You've never hung out with Henry.
[[Exit the room.|second floor]]
<<else>>\
The moment you step inside, someone snatches the mask from your face and shoves past you, cackling. By the time you regain your balance and look out into the hallway, they're gone.
[[Exit the room.|second floor][$mask to false]]
<</if>>
<<set $mask to true>>You spent last Halloweekend at $name's house, watching horror movies and helping distribute candy to the trick-or-treaters.
Someone your height showed up at the door, wearing a hoodie and this exact mask.
$name regarded him with suspicion. "Aren't you a little old to be trick or treating?"
Silence.
$They rolled $their eyes. "Whatever, I'm not the candy police. [[Just say the words]]."<<remember $cookies += 1>>\
<<if $cookies lte 1>>You bite into a cookie: the thin, crisp outer later gives way to a soft center. Perfection.
If you knew who made them, you could ask for the recipe.\
<<elseif $cookies is 2>>These cookies are really delicious. Sweet with a hint of spice, enough to catch your attention, but not overpowering. Mm-mmm.\
<<elseif $cookies is 3>>You sink your teeth into another cookie. This time, a warm, thick liquid oozes from its center. You expect melted chocolate, maybe caramel sauce, but what touches your tongue tastes like pennies.\
<<elseif $cookies is 4>>Who baked these? Are they even meant for the party?\
<<elseif $cookies is 5>>You don't feel so good. Maybe you've had enough.\
<</if>>
[[Look around the kitchen.|kitchen]]<<if $swamp is true>>He grimaces. "Just something I have to drink now."<<else>>He laughs, but not like it's funny. "You're telling me."<</if>>
Actually, the scent of the burst fruit littering the roots of these trees reminds you a little of what you smelled in that thermos.
Henry is suddenly standing much closer than he was just a second ago. "Weren't you looking for something?" he asks with quiet intensity.
You clear your throat and fight the urge to step back.
"[["Yeah, " + $name|friend]]."
"[[Um, no.|alone]]""Yeah, $name," you say. "I feel kind of stranded without $them."
For the space of a heartbeat, Henry looks disappointed, but he covers it with a crooked grin. "I guess I knew you'd say that. You don't really... remember me, do you?"
Before you can reply, a familiar voice calls your name.
[[You turn.|orchardend]]<<if $kcoins gte $cookies>>You turn the corner, and there, just barely within range of your phone's illumination, is $name.
You call out to $them, but $name, standing waist-deep in an oblong hole dug into the floor, doesn't react. Instead, your friend drags an armful of loose dirt into the hole as you watch.
"What are you doing?!" You rush over and seize $name by the shoulders.
$name shakes you off, struggling weakly to continue burying $themself alive. You manage to drag $them [[out of the hole]].\
<<else>>\
You turn the corner and find a hole dug in the warm, sweet-smelling earth. Suddenly exhausted, you drop inside it and lie down.
It's a perfect fit.
This bed must have been dug with your specifications in mind. How considerate!
You sweep an armful of dirt over yourself. It's not enough. You keep pulling handfuls of earth onto your lap. Soon, you’ll be able to rest in peace, away from the clamor of those awful strangers rattling around the house above.
You can hardly wait.
[[The End][$end5 = true]]
<</if>>$name blinks, scrambling to $their feet, and casts about as though woken abruptly from a deep sleep. "What are— How did I get here?"
You push $them none too gently toward the stairs. "Can we go home now?"
"Yeah," $name says dazedly, but with growing conviction. "Yeah, let's do that."
You spend the rest of the evening playing video games at $name's house. Afterward, whenever you bring up that night at Henry's place, $name is quick to change the subject.
[[The End][$end6 = true]]<<set $kcoins = $kcoins+1>><<set $holdHair to true>>\
<<if $Thalia is true>>Thalia finishes throwing up and fumbles for the flusher. "Thanks," she mutters. "I think I ate too many cookies."
"No problem. Hey, have you seen $name lately? I can't find $them."
She shakes her head. "Don't know who that is."
You stare at her. "What are you talking about? We go to the same school. We just gave you a ride."
"Yeah, okay," Thalia says dismissively, and stumbles outside.
<<else>>The girl finishes throwing up and fumbles for the flusher.
As the murky water swirls down the drain, you spot something bright and writhing attempt to surge out of the toilet. Then it's sucked down with the rest of the soupy mess that came out of the girl's stomach.
She stumbles to the sink, rinses out her mouth, and leaves without glancing at you once.
<</if>>\
[[Exit the bathroom.|house]]Slowing down, you pull your sleeves over your hands and hold your arms in front of your eyes.
$name is still crashing recklessly through the corn ahead of you, and you hear $their breathless laughter.
The aisle of cornstalks ends much sooner than you'd expected, and you quickly realize that you haven't actually reached the edge of the field.
You're in a clearing.
The stalks have all been tramped down into a perfect circle, At the center, $name spins slowly in place, arms flung out from $their body, head tilted back.
[[$Their + " skin is glowing."|field3]]$Their skin is glowing. So is yours.
No, that's not right. You're both standing in a pillar of light beaming down from the sky, contained neatly within the crop circle.
Your fillings buzz in your molars, and you grow aware of a low hum emanating from above. The wind roars through the corn leaves around you.
"Are you coming?" $name shouts.
You look up at the massive shape blotting out the stars.
"No." [[You back out of the circle, into the orderly rows of corn.|fieldno]]
"Yes." [["You take " + $name + "'s hand as the light intensifies."|fieldyes]]When your vision clears, it's all gone: the beam of light, the gargantuan shape that filled the sky, and $name.
You catch a ride back into town with someone you talk to, sometimes, in homeroom.
Many years later, you run into $name again at a conference. Your blood freezes when you see $them, and you rush to catch $them by the arm.
But $name shakes $their head with a confused smile.
"I'm sorry," your former best friend says. "You must have me mistaken for someone else." Then $name politely excuses $themself and walks out of your life a second time.
[[The End][$end7 = true]]When your vision clears, you are suspended in place, watching the delicate, marbled sphere you once called home diminish below you.
//Where are we going?// you ask, but your lips won't move, so you only think the question.
Still, $name must have heard it, because $their voice says in your head, //Somewhere incredible.//
You believe $them.
[[The End][$end8 = true]]You turn to see $name walking toward you.
"I've been looking all over for you," you both shout in unison.
"Wanna head out? I'm getting pretty tired," $name says, and you can't agree fast enough.
As you trudge back to the car, you notice a boy your age watching you from the hayloft above the barn. But he must be waving at someone else; you don't recognize him at all.
$name asks, "Who were you talking to back there, anyway?"
"No one," you say. "Just thinking out loud, I guess."
[[The End][$end4 = true]].A column of shadow unfurls in the corner of your eye, deeper than the surrounding darkness.
Your stomach drops as you finally notice the thing that's been standing just behind Henry this whole time.
"Don't be scared," he whispers. "It doesn't hurt for long." His fingers are cold around your wrist, and
[[suddenly]] "Trick or treat," Henry — you're sure now that it was Henry — whispered.
He didn't even have a bucket, so you placed the candy directly into his cupped hands.
Why was Henry trick-or-treating by himself in $name's neighborhood?
Absently slipping the mask over your own face, [[you snap back to the present|stairs]].
<div class = "vertical"><<timed .5s transition>><span class='fadeIn'><div class = "henry2">YOU</div></span>
<<next>><span class='fadeIn'><div class = "henry3">REMEMBER</div></span>
<<next>><span class='fadeIn'><div class = "henry4">WHAT HAPPENED TO</div></span>
<<next>><span class='fadeIn'><div class = "henry6">HENRY.</div></span>
<</timed>>\
</div>
<<timed 5s transition><<next>><span class='fadeIn'>[[The End][$end9 = true]].</span>
<</timed>>
Henry nods solemnly and cups his hand over your eyes.
You flinch back. "Hey, what are you doing?"
"Did you say something, honey?" Your mom pokes her head around the doorway.
You sit up in bed and shade your eyes against the early morning sunlight streaming through your window. "What am I... How did I get home?"
"Don't you remember? You weren't feeling well, so you stayed in last night." Frowning, she crosses the room to feel your forehead. "You're still a little warm. I want you to take it easy today, okay?"
You text $name as soon as you can, but there's no reply. The story breaks over the next few days as more and more parents report their kids missing. A third of your school's student body has vanished into thin air.
You're the only one who knows about that night at Henry's place, but when the police investigate, they find only a long-abandoned farm.
[[The End][$end10 to true]]<span class="flashlight">You hear muffled giggles in the darkened den,</span> <span class="flashlight">a flurry of whispers too close behind you,</span> <span class="flashlight">then total silence.</span> <span class="flashlight">Fumbling for your phone,</span> <span class="flashlight">you turn on the flashlight app</span> <span class="flashlight">and sweep the walls for the</span> <span class="flashlight"><<click "light switch.">><<toggleclass "#section1" "hidden">><</click>></span>
\
You stand alone in the den.
<div id="section1" class="hidden">[[Go into the kitchen.|kitchen]]
[[Look for the bathroom.|bathroom]]
A length of rope is draped across the foot of the stairs as a makeshift barrier. The sheet of printer paper folded over it reads, "Please Respect Our Privacy." <<linkreplace "Step over the rope.">>[[Walk upstairs.|stairs]]<</linkreplace>>
[[Go back outside.|yard]]</div>
//@@.fade-in-out;In a dark, dark wood, there was a dark, dark <<click "farm">><<toggleclass "#section1" "hidden">><</click>>.
<div id="section1" class="hidden">@@.fade-in-out;On the dark, dark farm, there was a dark, dark <<click "house">><<toggleclass "#section2" "hidden">><</click>>.@@</div>
<div id="section2" class="hidden">@@.fade-in-out;In the dark, dark house, there was a dark, dark <<click "room">><<toggleclass "#section3" "hidden">><</click>>.@@</div>
<div id="section3" class="hidden" class="fadeIn">@@.fade-in-out;In the dark, dark room, there lived a dark, dark <<click "boy">><<toggleclass "#section4" "hidden">><</click>>.@@</div>
<div id="section4" class="hidden">@@.fade-in-out;And in that dark, dark boy, there was [[something else entirely|You.]].@@</div>//You reach for the heart-shaped piece of wood. It's surprisingly cold.
The planchette glides smoothly across the face of the board.
<div class="ouija">\
<<linkreplace "[img[https://jeidmarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/planchette.jpg]]">><<linkreplace "t">><<linkreplace "r">><<linkreplace "i">><<linkreplace "c">><<linkreplace "k">><<linkreplace "o">><<linkreplace "r">><<linkreplace "t">><<linkreplace "r">><<linkreplace "e">><<linkreplace "a">><<linkreplace "t">><<toggleclass "#section1" "hidden">>\
<</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>><</linkreplace>>\
</div> \
<div id="section1" class="hidden">\
All at once, [[the candles go out.|house]]
</div>From your left, Noor says, "Place your fingers on the planchette—"
Seamlessly, Zoe continues, "—concentrate on your question—"
"—and let the spirits guide you," finishes Shardae.
You clear your throat. "Cool. Um. Did you guys practice that, or..."
The triad snaps, "[[CONCENTRATE|seance3]]." <div class = "head">Influences</div>
Astrid Dalmady, who made the first Twine game I ever played: [[Investigative Journalism|http://astriddalmady.com/NightVale.html]]
[[The Uncle Who Works for Nintendo|https://ztul.itch.io/the-uncle-who-works-for-nintendo]] by Michael Lutz
[[Lionkiller|https://six6jiang.itch.io/lionkiller]] by Sisi Jiang
[[Back|The End]]