Two Roads Diverged

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<img src="img/Split path.jpg" alt="The Fork in the Road" /> In front of you, two unmarked trails extend into the forest, splitting the path you are standing on neatly in half. You've been hiking this trail for several years now, almost every weekend, so you are familiar with the path you usually take, but you have no idea where these two trails came from. Briefly you consider that you might have taken a wrong turn, but you remember following the trail markers as usual. Something undefinable sits heavily in the air beyond the growing heat and humidity of the spring, a tension that raises goosebumps on your skin. <<if $hasdied is false>>Birdsong echoes high up in the trees, but otherwise the forest is still. Something about this is very familiar. <<else>>Birdsong echoes high up in the trees, but otherwise the forest is still. <</if>> [[Look at the Left Trail|lefttrail]] [[Look at the Right Trail|righttrail]] [[Leave|NOPE]] <<audio birdsong play>> <<set $hasdied to false>> <<set $wentback to false>> <<set $haskey to false>> <<set $skeletonkey to false>> <<set $cratefull to true>> <<set $birdseed to false>> <<set $metalfly to false>> <<set $theopening to false>> <<set $in to false>> <<set $breathing to true>> <<set $dooropened to false>> <<audio waterfall stop>> <<audio waterecho stop>> <<audio pit stop>> <<audio waterfrog stop>> <<audio breathing stop>> <<audio clock stop>> <<audio lake stop>> <<audio fallingwater stop>>

<img src="img/woodwalk.jpg" alt="Wooden Walkway" /> The left trail is a wooden walkway made up of mossy planks and covered with a thick layer of fallen pine needles, broken up by the occasional tree branch fallen onto the path. Tall trees line the sides, dripping with old man's beard and thick green moss between sword ferns which dip into the space of the trail, bobbing in the slight wind that passes them. The wood is suspiciously old, bleached almost white from the elements and rough and rotting at the edges, but you've never seen any structures like this beyond guardrails in this part of the forest. The rest of it disappears around a bend. [[Follow the Trail|goleft]] [[Look at the Right Trail|righttrail]] [[Leave|NOPE]]

<img src="img/dirtpath.jpg" alt="Dirt Path" /> The right trail appears more overgrown, mostly rock and dirt and tree roots. Salmonberry bushes crowd into the path, filled with ripe red and yellow berries in abundance. You can't see too far down the trail because of the growth, but the longer you look, the more the path seems to twist and turn dizzyingly. You think you hear the distant sound of flowing water further down the path. [[Follow the Trail|goright]] [[Look at the Left Trail|lefttrail]] [[Leave|NOPE]]

You decide to follow the trail to the right. The earth is soft under your boots and the leaves of the plants brush your arms and legs, causing a loud rustling behind you as you push through. The plant growth recedes a little farther down the path, and you keep an eye on your feet to keep from tripping on the protruding roots and rocks. The path goes on for a lot longer than you expected, but just as you consider turning back, you hear the sound of [[running water]].

You decide to follow the left trail. The boards creak as you step onto the walkway, and though they don't look rotten, you still put a hand on the railing just in case. The path twists and turns, snaking through the forest until you are not sure which direction you are facing anymore. The sun shines through gaps in the trees, and the walking helps you put the unease you felt earlier out of your mind until you round one last bend and come across a [[house]].

<img src="img/drink.jpg" alt="Drink" /><<audio birdsong stop>> Something about this whole situation seems wrong, and though the paths look inviting, you can't help but remember the myths of kelpies luring people to their deaths with a friendly facade. You decide you don't want to find out in the worst possible way that there are fangs behind the green paths ahead of you and about-face. The way back is normal, and when you finally reach home you decide to get a nice cold drink and relax. You also decide take a long break from hiking, just in case When you finally go back, everything is perfectly normal. You never see the odd trails again. The End <<set $hasdied to true>> [[Start again|a fork in the road]]

<img src="img/house.jpg" alt="The House" /><<audio lake stop>> Your first impression is that it is out of place. Not only is it in the middle of the woods that are a part of a national park, but it has a rusty metal gate covering up the door with a bright silver padlock keeping it closed. It looks too old to be a survival cabin for lost hikers, and even if it was, your usual trail is no where near long enough to warrant one. The walkway ends several feet away from the front of the house, and dry pine needles crunch under your boots as you step off. The building sits in the middle of a decently large clearing, with a dirt path leading somewhere else on the far side of the house. Slightly yellowed curtains keep you from seeing through the windows, but despite that you are pretty confident that it's abandoned. <<if $wentback is true>>You feel like you are being watched.<</if>> [[Investigate gate|metal gate]] [[Follow gravel path|lake]] <<if $wentback is false>>[[Go back|dead end]]<<elseif $wentback is true>>[[Go back|dead end1]]<</if>>

<img src="img/waterfalls.jpg" alt="Waterfalls" /> The sound of water gets louder the longer you follow the path. You pass through a shallow gorge that deepens until you finally encounter several waterfalls flowing down over a sheer cliff. You have reached a dead end, a semicircle of waterfalls, and nearly every rock is covered in bright green moss, the brightest you have ever seen, and the mist kicked up by the falling water softly wets your face. The thundering of the water drowns out the sound of the birds, though you see a few strange white ones in the trees above the waterfall. The trail appears to end here since the cliff cuts off the gorge, and besides is too sheer and wet to even attempt to climb, but you notice something through the mist near the middle of the rocks. [[Look at birds|odd wildlife]] [[Traverse rocks|center of cliffs]] [[Go back|back where you just were]] <<audio birdsong stop>> <<audio waterfall play>>

<<if $skeletonkey is false>>The gate is rusty and old, but still strong, and the metal is woven too close together for you to fit more than three fingers through. Behind it is the front door to the house, the paneled glass is gray around the edges with dust and cobwebs, and yellowed curtains prevent you from seeing inside. A silver padlock keeps the gate locked tight. It looks brand new, untouched by rust or wear. Maybe this place isn't as abandoned as you thought. <<if $metalfly is false>>A small hole in the wall of the house about a foot above your head catches your eye. [[Examine the hole|key1]] [[Back|house]] <<elseif $metalfly is true>>There is a small hole above your head. [[Use the key|padlock]] [[Examine the hole|key2]] [[Back|house]] <</if>> <<elseif $skeletonkey is true>>The gate is rusty and old, but still strong, and the metal is woven too close together for you to fit more than three fingers through. Behind it is the front door to the house, the paneled glass is gray around the edges with dust and cobwebs, and yellowed curtains prevent you from seeing inside. A silver padlock keeps the gate locked tight. It looks brand new, untouched by rust or wear. Maybe this place isn't as abandoned as you thought. There is a small hole above your head. [[Examine the hole|key2]] [[Back|house]] <</if>>

<img src="img/lake.jpg" alt="The Lake" /> You follow the gravel path to a large lake, apparently not large enough to merit being put on the national park's map. The water ripples slightly in the wind, reflecting the sun's light in a dazzling flash, and tiny waves brush the sandy shore. A sunken wooden rowboat is tethered to the shore with an old oar propped up against it. Every once in a while, you can see a fish jump out of the water, chasing the insects that fly close to the surface of the lake. [[Examine the boat|boat]] [[Go back|house]] <<audio lake play>>

<<set $wentback to true>> You turn to leave, but find that the walkway has somehow disappeared, and instead a thick blackberry bush stands in the way. You search around for a while but find no sign of the wooden path, or any path at all. A chill runs down your spine. There is no way back. [[Back|house]]

<<if $wentback is true>> The birds sit motionless in the tree, as if frozen, but the longer you look, you can see them turning their heads sideways to look down at you. You feel uneasy as they observe you. [[Back|running water]] <<elseif $wentback is false>> The white birds all sit on the branches of one tree, hopping from limb to limb and fluttering their wings. It almost looks like they have an extra set of wings with how fast they move. They pay you no mind. [[Back|running water]] <</if>>

You carefully pick your way to the center of the semicircle of waterfalls, slipping occasionally on the moss and algae growing on the rocks and soaking your pants. A strange flat stone sits in the middle of the rocks, about as tall as your waist, and covered with moss like everything around it except for the top, which is glossy and smooth as if it had been polished. A small wooden box with a keyhole sits on the stone, strangely dry.Past the stone platform, you can see a large dark crack in the cliff a few feet taller than you. You can now hear the birds' strange calls. [[examine the stone|the altar]] [[examine the box|the box]] [[examine the crack|the entrance]] [[look at birds|odd wildlife2]] <<if $birdseed is true>>[[Offer suspicious birdseed to the birds|get fly]]<</if>> [[Go back|running water]]

<<set $wentback to true>> You backtrack through the gorge and return to the dirt path, but something feels different as you walk. The sound of birdsong returns the same as usual, but the trail feels unfamiliar even though you just walked it. Eventually, you find yourself back at the entrance to the gorge. when you look behind you, the path you were just following is gone. With a chill, you return to [[the waterfalls|running water]].

<<cacheaudio "birdsong" "Audio/Birds.mp3">> <<audio "birdsong" volume 0 fadein>> <<audio "birdsong" loop play>> <<cacheaudio "knock" "Audio/knock.wav">> <<cacheaudio "breathing" "Audio/breathing.wav">> <<audio "breathing" volume 50>> <<audio "breathing" loop play>> <<cacheaudio "clock" "Audio/clock.wav">> <<audio "clock" volume 75>> <<audio "clock" loop play>> <<cacheaudio "fallingwater" "Audio/falling water.wav">> <<audio "fallingwater" loop play>> <<cacheaudio "lake" "Audio/lake.wav">> <<audio "lake" volume 35>> <<audio "lake" loop play>> <<cacheaudio "pit" "Audio/pit.wav">> <<audio "pit" volume 90>> <<audio "pit" loop play>> <<cacheaudio "waterecho" "Audio/water echo.wav">> <<audio "waterecho" loop play>> <<cacheaudio "waterfrog" "Audio/water on frog.wav">> <<audio "waterfrog" volume 75>> <<audio "waterfrog" loop play>> <<cacheaudio "waterfall" "Audio/waterfall.mp3">> <<audio "waterfall" volume 90>> <<audio "waterfall" loop play>>

At first look it looks like a regular stone, but when you look closer you can see faint engravings underneath the moss. When you pull some away, you see a scene of what looks like bipedal animals dancing together in a circle. They are surrounded by depictions of eyes bigger than their bodies. [[back|center of cliffs]]

<<if $skeletonkey is false>>The box is light and smooth to the touch in your hands. It is ingraved intricately with strange creatures that look like something from medieval art, twisting and intertwining until you can't tell one creature from the next. The keyhole is small and made of what looks like brass. The shape of the hole looks like it would fit a skeleton key. <<if $haskey is false>>You can hear something sliding around inside of it. You put it back down.<<elseif $haskey is true>> The box is empty.<</if>> [[Back|center of cliffs]] <<elseif $skeletonkey is true>>The box is light and smooth to the touch in your hands. It is ingraved intricately with strange creatures that look like something from medieval art, twisting and intertwining until you can't tell one creature from the next. The keyhole is small and made of what looks like brass. The shape of the hole looks like it would fit a skeleton key. You can hear something sliding around inside of it. [[Use the key|openbox]] [[Back|center of cliffs]] <</if>>

<img src="img/crack.jpg" alt="The Crack" /> The crack in the cliffs is almost impossible to spot, camoflauged by the moss and running water. Close up, you can see that it extends into the cliff and is big enough to fit through if you squeeze in sideways without your pack. A faint draft brushes your face as you look in. It smells musty and wet. [[Go in|the tunnels]] [[Go back|center of cliffs]] <<audio fallingwater stop>> <<audio waterfall play>>

<img src="img/Cave roof opening.jpg" alt="The Cave" /> Cold water drips down the back of your neck as you squeeze through the opening in the rocks, the rock on either side of you barely wide enough to let you through. You stumble out of the narrow space into a open space. Dripping water echoes anround you, and the roar of the waterfall becomes faint. Sunlight and water streams in through a hole high above your head, illuminating three tunnels that branch off into darkness. [[Go through the left tunnel|statue]] [[Go through the center tunnel|branching off]] [[Go through the right tunnel|wooden crate]] [[Go back|the entrance]] <<audio waterfall stop>> <<audio fallingwater play>> <<audio waterecho stop>> <<audio waterfrog stop>>

<<if $skeletonkey is false>>Through the tunnel, you encounter a squat metal statue of a frog, so realistic if not for its huge size that it looks like it could jump up at any time. Water drips consistently onto its head, making a hollow metallic ringing that echoes in the room. Its strange that you didn't hear it before. When you look away, you could swear that the bulbous eyes blink, but every time you look back, the statue appears the same as ever. <<audio fallingwater stop>><<audio waterfrog play>> [[Examine the statue|The opening]] <<if $metalfly is true>> [[Offer the fly to the statue|The opening]]<</if>> [[Go back|the tunnels]] <<elseif $skeletonkey is true>> The frog statue has disappeared, leaving behind a bare patch of dirt where it once sat, turning into a muddy puddle where the water rains down. An alcove has been carved out of the wall where the frog was blocking it.<<audio waterfrog stop>><<audio waterecho play>> [[Check the alcove|skeleton key2]] [[Go back|the tunnels]] <</if>>

The middle tunnel leads to to another fork, this time with only two new tunnels. The one to your left looks just like the rest, but the one to your right has a swirling pattern carved above the opening, and a faint breeze seems to be coming from it. [[Go left|the pit]] [[Go right|the door]] [[Go back|the tunnels]] <<audio pit stop>> <<audio waterecho play>> <<audio fallingwater stop>>

The tunnel ends ubruptly, and an open wooden crate sits on the ground at the end. A few loose pebbles are scattered around on the ground. <<if $birdseed is false>>[[Examine crate|crate]]<<elseif $birdseed is true>>[[Examine crate|crate2]]<</if>> [[Go back|the tunnels]] <<audio fallingwater stop>> <<audio waterecho play>>

<<if $wentback is true>><img src="img/Creepy bird.jpg" alt="Birds" /> The birds sit motionless in the tree, as if frozen, but the longer you look, you can see them turning their heads sideways to look down at you. You feel uneasy as they observe you. [[Back|center of cliffs]] <<elseif $wentback is false>> The white birds all sit on the branches of one tree, hopping from limb to limb and fluttering their wings. It almost looks like they have an extra set of wings with how fast they move. They pay you no mind. [[Back|center of cliffs]] <</if>>

<<set $birdseed to true>> Inside the crate is what looks like a large birdseed ball, about as big as your head. It is heavier than it looks, and though the seeds look normal, whatever is holding them together is a dark red color. It smells faintly metallic. you decide to take it with you. [[Go back|wooden crate]]

<img src="img/pit.jpg" alt="The Pit" /> The air feels heavier and heavier as you walk until you reach the end of the tunnel, where the ground drops off into a massive sinkhole. Your footsteps echo loudly as you shuffle closer to the edge and look down. You can't see the bottom, and when you kick a stone into it, you never hear it land. The longer you look into the darkness the stronger the urge to jump becomes. [[Jump down|End 2]] [[Go back|branching off]] <<audio pit play>>

<img src="img/olddoor.jpg" alt="The Door" /> <<if $haskey is false>>The walls of this tunnel are covered in carvings with no apparent purpose, leading to a very old looking door with a grated window. underneath the rusty handle is an equally rusted keyhole, and trying the door confirms that it is locked. Though the door looks ready to collapse, it holds steady against your weight. A sweet-smelling breeze drifts through the opening in the door, and you can hear faint music through it, though you can see nothing but darkness on the other side. [[Go back|branching off]] <</if>><<if $haskey is true>>The walls of this tunnel are covered in carvings with no apparent purpose, leading to a very old looking door with a grated window. underneath the rusty handle is an equally rusted keyhole, and trying the door confirms that it is locked. Though the door looks ready to collapse, it holds steady against your weight. A sweet-smelling breeze drifts through the opening in the door, and you can hear faint music through it, though you can see nothing but darkness on the other side. [[Use the key|End 1]] [[Go back|branching off]] <</if>>

<<if $metalfly is false>>You don't see any openings in the metal of the statue, but behind it you can see a small alcove. The statue sits snugly against it, so you can't see inside, and the statue is too heavy to move no matter how hard you push. [[Go back|the tunnels]] <<elseif $metalfly is true>><<set $theopening to true>><<audio waterfrog stop>>You set the metal insect in front of the frog but nothing happens. You turn to leave, but as soon as you do, you hear a slurp and a crunch, and when you turn back the frog is gone. <<if $skeletonkey is false>>[[Check the alcove|skeleton key]]<<elseif $skeletonkey is true>>[[Check the alcove|skeleton key2]]<</if>> [[Go back|the tunnels]] <</if>>

<<set $skeletonkey to true>> Inside the alcove sits a small skeleton key. You pick it up. [[Back|statue]]

The crate is empty. [[Go back|wooden crate]]

<<set $hasdied to true>> You slide the key into the lock and it turns with a loud click. You push the door open and step into the darkness beyond, following the sweet smell and the sounds of music. You reach out, but you don't feel any walls around you, the only point of contact is where your boots tap along the smooth ground. Your footsteps don't echo in what must be a somewhat large space, but every thought exits your brain as you see a light in the distance. As you grow nearer, you see inhuman creatures dancing wildly around in a circle amongst strange lights that float in the air. They are in the middle of a clearing, and in the trees watching them dance are the white birds, unmoving and unblinking. You step forward and enter the fray, never to see your own world ever again. The End <<audio waterecho stop>> [[Start again|a fork in the road]]

<<set $hasdied to true>> The temptation becomes too much and you jump into the pit, falling into the darkness. The wind rushes past your ears and just as quickly you hear horrific, inhuman shrieks all around you as you fall and fall and fall. You fall for minutes, then hours and you start to realize that the pit might never end. Days pass, then weeks, then years as you slowly waste away and your corpse falls for the rest of eternity. The End [[Start again|a fork in the road]] <<audio waterecho stop>>

<<set $metalfly to true>> <<set $birdseed to false>> You notice the white birds overhead follow you more intently with their eyes now that you carry the birdseed ball. You hold it up above your head and suddenly you are surrounded by a violent rush of wings. You get brief flashes of wide, froglike beaks and pitch black eyes the size of your fist and an extra set of wings protruding from skeletal white bodies before they are suddenly gone. In your hand rests a metal insect the size of your palm. Your hand has been stained red. [[Back|center of cliffs]]

The alcove is empty. [[Back|statue]]

<<set $haskey to true>> <<set $skeletonkey to false>> You pick up the box from the stone and use the key. Inside is a large key with a circular base. you take it with you and put the box back down. [[Back|the box]]

<img src="img/boat.jpg" alt="The Boat" /> The boat has a large hole in it, and is filled with water and pine needles. Tiny fish dart around in the bottom of the boat, but they are frightened away by your shadow. Algae coats the wood that rests under the water, and the wood above water looks rough and cracked from the abuse of the elements. <<if $metalfly is false>>Underneath the seat you see a simple wooden box resting on the bottom of the boat.<<elseif $metalfly is true>> On the seat rests an open, empty box.<</if>> [[Examine the box|the box1]] [[Go back|lake]]

<<set $skeletonkey to true>> You stretch your arm up to feel inside the hole since it is too high to look inside. The hole is large enough to slip two fingers in, and you feel the sticky brush of cobwebs. You hold your breath and reach further inside and finally brush something smooth and cold and get a shaky grip on it. It takes a few tugs to get it free, but you finally pull it out. It's an old black skeleton key with small flaking patches of rust, but despite its age, it still looks useable. You put it in your pocket. [[Back|metal gate]]

You can't feel anything else in the hole no matter how far you reach in. When you pull your hand back, flakes of rust are wedged underneath your fingernails. [[Back|metal gate]]

<<if $skeletonkey is false>>The box is soaked by the water, but the wood still looks new, if plain and unadorned. <<if $metalfly is false>>The lid is locked tight, and there is a keyhole that looks like it could fit a skeleton key underneath it. You can hear something moving around inside.<<elseif $metalfly is true>>The lid is unlocked, and there is a skeleton key twisted sideways in the keyhole. It seems to be stuck. The box is empty.<</if>> [[Back|boat]] <<elseif $skeletonkey is true>>The box is soaked by the water, but the wood still looks new, if plain and unadorned. <<if $metalfly is false>>The lid is locked tight, and there is a keyhole that looks like it could fit a skeleton key underneath it. You can hear something moving around inside.<<elseif $metalfly is true>>The lid is unlocked, and there is a skeleton key twisted sideways in the keyhole. It seems to be stuck. The box is empty.<</if>> [[Use key|get key1]] [[Back|boat]] <</if>>

<<set $metalfly to true>> <<set $skeletonkey to false>> You unlock the box and find a modern silver key inside. You put it in your pocket. [[Back|the box1]]

You use the key and the padlock falls with a dull thud to the ground. You open the rusty gate with a loud screech and finally have access to the front door. [[Go inside|the house]]

<img src="img/Inside cabin.jpg" alt="Inside" /> <<if $in is false>>As soon as you enter the house, something feels wrong. The door slams shut behind you, and you wheel around to try to open the door. It's stuck, and no matter how hard you try to pry it open, it remains closed. You turn back to look at your surroundings. <</if>> The house looks newer than the outside would suggest, with a homey living room setup to your left. An old, but comfy-looking couch sits facing a fireplace, with a few end tables and lamps scattered around the room. A cofee table sits in the center, and a rocking chair rests in the corner. Several empty bottles, cups, and chip bags are scattered around, all covered with a fine layer of dust. Somewhere in the house a clock is ticking loudly, the only sound breaking up the deathly quiet. Directly in front of you, to your right, and around the corner in the living room are closed doors. [[Go through right door|kitchen]] <<if $dooropened is false>>[[Go through center door|blocked door]]<<elseif $dooropened is true>>[[Go through center door|hallway]]<</if>> [[Go through door around the corner|bedroom]] <<audio birdsong stop>> <<audio clock play>> <<audio clock volume 75>>

There is no way back. [[Back|house]]

<img src="img/Kitchen.jpg" alt="The Kitchen" /> <<set $in to true>>The door leads to the cabin's kitchen, which clearly has not been disturbed for some time. A thick layer of dust and dirt coats the counters and dishes, and the sink has several filthy dishes in it. Next to it is a woodbox with several large peices of wood inside. <<if $cratefull is true>>An axe is leaning against it.<</if>> The ticking seems louder in this room, but you don't see a clock anywhere. <<if $cratefull is true>>[[Take axe|axe]]<</if>> [[Back|the house]] <<audio clock volume 80>>

<img src="img/Creepy door.jpg" alt="The Door" /> You use the axe to break the handle off the door and push it open. It leads into a short hallway with a single locked white door at the end. <<if $breathing is true>><<audio breathing play>>You can hear something breathing heavily on the other side. <<elseif $breathing is false>><<audio breathing stop>>You can't hear anything on the other side of the door.<</if>> <<if $breathing is true>>[[Knock|result]]<<elseif $breathing is false>>[[Knock|result 2]]<</if>> <<if $haskey is true>>[[Use the key|End]]<</if>> [[Go back|the house]] <<set $dooropened to true>>

<img src="img/Bedroom.jpg" alt="The Bedroom" /> <<set $in to true>>Through the door is a small bedroom, which looks more aged than the living room. The bed looks like it has been sliced open down the middle, its browning, bushy innards spread around and scattered on the floor. A crooked cross hangs above the headboard, and a small dresser with a mirror sits in the corner on the other side of the bed. The wallpaper looks dull, and has peeled away in several places, revealing yellowing plaster. <<if $haskey is false>>[[Examine dresser|dresser]]<<elseif $haskey is true>>[[Examine dresser|nokey]]<</if>> [[Back|the house]]

Nearly all of the drawers are empty, except for one near the bottom which contains a small key. You take it with you. <<set $haskey to true>> [[Back|bedroom]]

The axe is heavy in your hands as you pick it up. It will definitely come in handy. [[Back|kitchen]] <<set $cratefull to false>>

<<set $in to true>>The door handle is jammed. The only way you could get the door open is with something heavy. <<if $cratefull is false>>[[Use axe|hallway]]<</if>> [[Back|the house]]

<<audio knock play>>The breathing stops as soon as you knock. <<set $breathing to false>><<audio breathing stop>> [[Back|hallway]]

The dresser is empty. [[Back|bedroom]]

Nothing happens. [[Back|hallway]]

<<if $breathing is false>><<audio clock stop>>You turn the key in the lock, and as soon as the door clicks open, the breathing stops. You step into a dark room, the only illumination coming from the hallway behind you. The vague shapes of some chairs and a bed are the only things you can make out in the dark and you would have missed the black shape standing in the corner if not for its huge eyes reflecting the light behind you like a cat's. You take a quick step back, but the door slams shut behind you, clipping your shoulder and sending the room into total darkness. You swing blindly with the axe. A scream echoes through the woods. You are never seen again. The End.<<set $hasdied to true>> [[Start again|a fork in the road]]<</if>> <<if $breathing is true>><<audio breathing stop>><<audio clock stop>>You turn the key in the lock, the breathing stops, and the door opens with a quiet creak. You step into a dark room, the only illumination coming from the hallway behind you and a tiny sliver of light at the other end of the room. Everything is silent. The vague shapes of some chair and a bed almost trip you up as you walk into the room and find that the strip of light is coming from a crack in a small door that only reaches your hip. You crouch down and push it open, blinded by light as you crawl through. [[Next]]<</if>>

<<set $hasdied to true>>When you open your eyes, you find yourself on your usual trail again, and when you look behind you, there is no evidence that there was ever a door for you to crawl through. You return home quickly, a little shaken. Nothing is the same. Occasionally, you can hear deep breathing on the other side of closed doors in your home, but when you check, the rooms are empty. When you start to leave your doors open to try to stop it, you begin seeing a strange, dark shape with green reflective eyes in the corner of your vision, and your doors start to slam closed by themselves. You try to move, but it follows you. Slowly, it draws you down to madness, and when the day comes that you die in your sleep, no one finds your corpse. The End. [[Start again|a fork in the road]]

<img src="img/Split path.jpg" alt="The Fork in the Road" /> In front of you, two unmarked trails extend into the forest, splitting the path you are standing on neatly in half. You've been hiking this trail for several years now, almost every weekend, so you are familiar with the path you usually take, but you have no idea where these two trails came from. Briefly you consider that you might have taken a wrong turn, but you remember following the trail markers as usual. Something undefinable sits heavily in the air beyond the growing heat and humidity of the spring, a tension that raises goosebumps on your skin. <<if $hasdied is true>>Birdsong echoes high up in the trees, but otherwise the forest is still. Something about this is very familiar. <<else>>Birdsong echoes high up in the trees, but otherwise the forest is still.<</if>> [[Look at the Left Trail|lefttrail]] [[Look at the Right Trail|righttrail]] [[Leave|NOPE]] <<audio birdsong play>> <<set $wentback to false>> <<set $haskey to false>> <<set $skeletonkey to false>> <<set $cratefull to true>> <<set $birdseed to false>> <<set $metalfly to false>> <<set $theopening to false>> <<set $in to false>> <<set $breathing to true>> <<set $dooropened to false>> <<audio waterfall stop>> <<audio waterecho stop>> <<audio pit stop>> <<audio waterfrog stop>> <<audio breathing stop>> <<audio clock stop>> <<audio lake stop>> <<audio fallingwater stop>>