Stay Alive

Your mom is coming to visit for a long weekend when she heard you had gotten sick. It was a minor fever and you recovered within a day. You haven’t seen her since you moved out of the house at the age of 18. You’re currently 24. Since it has been such a long time, you clear your schedule to spend time with her. The day your mother arrives you: [[Go to pick her up]] [[Stay at home and let her meet you there]]

You get into a car and head to the train station. On the way to the station, there is a major accident and a lot of cars are backed up. The clock shows she will be arriving in the next twenty minutes. You don’t have time to be waiting around in stand-still traffic. You: [[Choose an alternative route]] [[Wait in traffic. ]]

You clean the house since you want to make a good impression. She’s always worried about you and how you’re living. She only wants the best for you since you’re her only child. She would give the world to you if she had the ability to. But this time it’s your turn to take care of her. You’re a bit worried about her travels since she is getting older and send her a text message asking if she is OK. She doesn’t respond. You wait around anxiously. You: [[Call her]] [[Keep Cleaning]]

You go down a back road to go around the traffic even though it’s a slightly longer route, it’s faster than waiting. You've started heading down a road you're not too familiar with so you check your GPS. <center></style> <img src=https://images.pexels.com/photos/775203/pexels-photo-775203.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=350> </div></center> Nothing is loading. You: [[Continue forward]] [[Turn around to get signal]]

She’ll understand. You send her a text message saying you might be a little late. You finally make your way past the accident point and it’s free sailing to the train station. You arrive late. Your mom is waiting outside the platform looking for you. When she spots you, the biggest smile forms across her face. You give her a hug. She’s overjoyed and hugs you again. You help her bring her things to the car and you drive home together. You take the backroads because you remembered the accident and there was no longer a time restraint. [[You arrive back home.|Part 2]]

You’re pretty confident in your navigational abilities. You’ve driven on many backroads before and they all seem to be the same. A few turns here and there, otherwise it's a straight shot to you destination. You turn up some music as you drive to boost your spirit. You haven’t seen any other cars on the road in a while. There’s a T in the road and you spot a car waiting to pull out after you pass by. Before you pass by, they start pulling out and they crash into you. [[Continue|Accident]]

Even though you’re pretty confident in your driving abilities, you’d rather be safer than sorry. You’re also worried about your mom trying to contact you. You drive back into town. You’ve gotten lucky and your mother’s train is delayed. Your stomach growls and you’ve realized it’s already 20 minutes till 1 PM. and you haven’t eaten. You: [[Choose to eat after you meet with your mother.]] [[Go to a small cafe down the street.]]

You wait in your car. The train comes a few minutes later and you spot your mom. You get out of the car and yell over to her. When she spots you, the biggest smile forms across her face. You give her a hug. She’s overjoyed and hugs you again. You help her bring her things to the car and you drive home together. You take the backroads because you remembered the accident and there was no longer a time restraint. [[You arrive back home|Part 2]]

Since the train is late, you’ve decided to go to the small cafe down the street. They serve a lot of freshly baked goodies and are known around town for their amazing coffee. The guy with the long black trench coat and hat is taking forever to order. You check your watch. It's already been ten minutes since he walked up to the register. [[He still hasn't decided on what to get.]]

Your stomach growls and you go to the fridge. Your mother is hungry too. It’s fairly empty, but it’s enough to make a make-shift dinner for tonight. You: [[Go to the store]] [[Use the food you already have]]

You call her and you go straight to voicemail. You decide to wait a while to see if she call's you back. She doesn't. You call her again and leave a voicemail. You never hear back. Finally, and hour later, she arrives. When she spots you, the biggest smile forms across her face. You give her a hug. She’s overjoyed and hugs you again. You help her bring her things in the apartment and you help her settle in. [[Continue|Part 2]]

You clean every inch of the house to keep yourself busy. You've rearranged the pillows on your couch and readied the bed for when she arrives. You realize how bad the sheets smell and decided a quick wash. The clock keeps ticking away and you begin to worry. You still haven't heard back from her. Finally, and hour later, she arrives. When she spots you, the biggest smile forms across her face. You give her a hug. She’s overjoyed and hugs you again. You help her bring her things in the apartment and you help her settle in. [[Continue|Part 2]]

Your mom offers to go with you, but you insist that she stays at home and rest. You convince her that you’re no longer a little kid and can go grocery shopping by yourself. You get into your car and head to the store down the road. You grab a load of food for the whole weekend. [[Continue|Man]]

You start cooking with the ingredients that you’ve got. You and your mother cook a nice meal together. You haven’t had such a nice bonding experience in a long time. After dinner you go outside to take out the trash. On the way out, you hear a loud crash near the dumpster. You: [[Go throw out your trash]] [[Decide to do it later|Part 2.1]]

You head inside and announce that you’ve arrived back home, waiting for you mom to say, "welcome home!" like she always has ever since you were a kid. There’s no response. You call out to your mom again. There’s still no response. You hear the TV on in the living room and go to see if she is watching TV. You find your mother sitting on the couch, facing the TV, her back towards you. You call out to her and she doesn’t respond. The volume on the TV isn’t high and you know she doesn’t have hard hearing. But times are changing and she is getting older and more forgetful. [[Continue|Part 2.1 Continued]]

You walk around the couch and see a knife plunged into your mother’s stomach. There’s blood dripping from her mouth and her eyes were dead. <center></style> <img src=https://images.pexels.com/photos/923681/pexels-photo-923681.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=350> </div></center> [[Continue|Crime]]

You’re only on the second floor. It won’t be that bad of a jump. You used to do track in high school. It’s been a while but you’re still athletic. You jump, and you end up landing in a bush. You struggle more to get out of the bush rather than deciding on jumping or not. As you run away from the crime scene, you spot a man in a black trench coat and black hat staring at you. Your eyes meet with him as you pass by him. It didn’t occur to you at first, but you had seen those eyes somewhere before. [[You stop and turn around.]]

The police rush in and detain you. You struggle and say that you’re not the murder. They don’t listen and bring you in for questioning. On your way to the police car you spot a man in a black trench coat and black hat staring at you. Your eyes meet with him as you pass by him. It didn’t occur to you at first, but you had seen those eyes somewhere before. He disappears out of view as you’re pushed into the cop car and the door is slammed in your face. You look around to find him again but… He’s no longer there. [[Continue|Part 3]]

At the police station they question you about your mother. They ask about your relationship with her. You’re so shaken by the situation you keep stumbling over your words. They leave the room to let you gather your thoughts. When they come back you tell them that you came home to the murder of your mother and your neighbor heard wrong. The police test your fingerprints with the ones found of the knife. They don’t match. You’re able to leave the station but you don’t want to go home. You walk to your friend’s place. You feel like you’re being followed. You: [[Call your friend]] [[Go back to Police Station]]

You turn the corner expecting the worse after the crash you heard on the way down. It’s only the ally cat looking for left overs. When you open the trashcan, a strong smell invades your nostrils. You quickly toss your trash into the bin and make your way back to your apartment. On the walk up the stairs you, pass a man in a black trench coat and a black hat. He looks at you and smiles. “Good evening,” he greets, tipping his hat down further in the front. You: [[Greet him back]] [[Ignore him|Part 2.1]]

You dial your friend’s phone number. They don’t answer. You call again. This time they picked up. You two talk on the phone as you walk over to their house and explain the situation. You take a shortcut through the park even though it’s dark outside. You pass by a couple and a person walking their dog. [[Someone bumps your shoulder...|He apologizes]]

You ask the police to escort you to your friend’s house because you felt uneasy on the walk back. They comply to your demand. You arrive at your friend’s place and you tell them the situation. They grant you permission to stay at their place for as long as you want. You debate about going to work the next day. You: [[Go]] [[Don't go]]

He apologizes. You’ve heard his voice somewhere before but can’t pin where. You turn around and see a man in a black trench coat and black hat. You run over to him and grab him by the shoulder. He turns around and plunges a knife deep into your stomach, far enough to make you cough up blood. Your vision blurs and you fall to the ground. You die -- GAME OVER. [[Start Over|Part 1]] or [[Revival|Part 3]]

You go to work the next day to get your mind off everything that is happening. You try calling your dad at work to tell him what happened. You hadn’t spoken to him since the divorced happened 8 years ago. He doesn’t answer. At the end of your shift, your dad calls you on your way back from work. He asks if you're OK, refering to your mom's death. There's a strain in his voice every time he says "your mother." You don't know why but that makes you smile. [[He still cares.|New Lover]]

You lay around in the house. Everyone went to work so it’s just you at home. You smell a weird smell and notice smoke seeping under the door. As soon as you open the door you’re confronted with flames. You run to the window and spot a man in a black trench coat with a black hat. [[You've seen him before.|He's the killer]]

Of course it's a guy. You’re happy for him even if him finally coming to terms with his sexuality was the reason the family split. You ask when the wedding is going to be. He says they haven’t set a date yet. You ask if you can meet him. He says yes. He was already planning to have the two of you meet. You two make plans. By the end of the conversation, you’ve arrived back to your friend’s place. [[Continue|Part 4]]

It’s been a week since the incident. You’ve planned to meet your dad and his new lover today. Later that night at dinner, you walk into the restaurant and spot your dad. He notices you right away. You’re almost the spitting image of him from his younger years. You nod at his lover who takes his black hat off to greet you as you sit down. The two of you shake hands and yo realize he’s your elementary school teacher. You hadn't seen him in years, he's definitely aged and become unrecongizable. Everyone orders food. [[Your dad goes to the bathroom.]]

He’s the killer. You’re trapped. The fire spreads and you pass out from the heat and smoke. You die -- GAME OVER. (Start Over Option) [[Start Over|Part 1]] or [[Revival|Part 3]]

It's just you and your old teacher. He's quiet and reserved. He stares you down and runs his finger along the rim of his glass. "How is your mother?" [[You tell him she's dead.]]

You mention the incident, trying not to go into detail. You try steering the conversation away from the tragic topic. "Pity," he says. You stomach crunches and a knot grows in your throat. All you wanted was a good day. "Too bad you couldn't have gone with her." You slam your hand on the table. [[Your dad returns.]]

He's shocked. He can't remember the last time he has seen you angry. He asks what's wrong and before you can tell him the waiter brings the food. You swallow you words and dig into your food. Everyone eats in silence. After dinner, everyone gets up. Your old teacher stands and puts on a black hat and drapes a black coat over his body. [[You finally connected the dots]]

Your dad leaves the restaurant first. You hold your teacher back and confront him on the issue. He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms in a defensive position. "What?" You: [[Ask him to meet you tomorrow one on one.]] [[Let the issue go for now]]

You're in an alleyway. He's there with you, a knife in his hand. It's just you. And him. You know this can only end badly. You: [[Secretly call the cops]] [[Begin recording the conversation]]

You dwell on the issue a bit more. You're unsure about how to go about the incident. If he had the guts to kill your mother, he will have no issue killing you. You go to the [[amusement park to clear your mind.]]

You ask your friend to go with you since you owe them for letting you stay at their house. But really, you feel safer with another person. <center></style> <img src=https://images.pexels.com/photos/705771/pexels-photo-705771.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=350> </div></center> You two arrive at the amusement park. It's a crowded day today. If he were to show up, there's no way he could harm you. You needed a breather. [[More time to destress.]]

You and your friend go on multiple rides. In the shadows, you keep spotting a man in a black coat with a black hat. Everytime you blink, he disappears. You've become paranoid. Your friend notices this change and offers to leave. [[You two leave.]]

You walk in the park. He asks you whats wrong. Tell him the issue as you stop by the lake to skip rocks. "So you think you're going to be killed?" Those words weren't said in your friend's voice. You [[turn around.]]

It's your older teacher. The killer. He's holding a knife up to your friend's neck and is covering his mouth. Your friend is crying and panicking. You: [[Strike a deal]] [[Fight back]]

You offer that is he let's your friend go, that you'll comply to his demands. He stares you down and you feel the sweat drip from your forhead. "Only if he keeps this to himself. Otherwise I'll kill you both." Your friend nods in agreement and you strike the deal. He pulls his hands away from your friend and your friend runs away. [[He asks you to follow him and you do.|Ask him to meet you tomorrow one on one.]]

He kills your friend then comes charging after you. There's hardly anyone around. You fight to the best of your abilities but he's too strong. He jabs you with his knife and you fall backwards into the water. He follows you and drowns you. You die -- GAME OVER. [[Start Over|Part 1]] or [[Revival|Part 4]]

When you dial the cops, you realized you didn't have your sound turned off. He notices your intent and charges you. He kills you instantly. You die -- GAME OVER. [[Start Over|Part 1]] or [[Revival|Part 4]]

You begin recording the conversation. He hasn't noticed. You ask why he killed your mom. "Because she was in the way." You ask what he means. "You and your mother are in the way of my happily ever after," he clarifies. "Ever since you father and I met during parent teacher conferences, I fell in love with him. I have been by his side through the divorce. Through losing you. He wanted a fresh start! So I'm giving it to him." You back away from him as his anger begins to boil over. "You're mother is dead and you're going to die too!" [[You begin running as he charges towards you]]

Thank god you used to do track. You're a little out of shape, but you've still got the upper hand. You stay in front of him and run towards the police station. You lose sight of him for a second and stop to catch your breath. Suddenly he appears and the chase continues. You: [[Try to hide]] [[Keep Running]]

Your dad is there. He's with the police, probably for questioning about your mother's death. The police recongize you and ask you what is wrong. Your dad rushes over to you as well when he sees his lover run up. His lover is out of breath. There's no knife in his hand. Your dad asks whats going on and you point to his lover. "We got into an arugement. He doesn't want us to get married." Your dad looks at you confused, his eyes asking why. You shake your head trying to catch your breath. You eye the man and he shakes his head telling you not to say anything. [[You stand up straight and pull out your phone.]]

You replay the conversation you recorded earlier. Everyone is shocked. The police charge over to the man and tackle him to the ground before he could run away. They handcuff him and drag him inside the building. Your father looks at him then at you. He begins to cry and hugs you, unsure of whatelse to do. You hug him back. No one else will die. You're finally safe. [[END|Thank You]]

CONGRATULATIONS!! Mission Complete. Thank you for playing my little game! I hope you enjoyed and didn't get too frustrated... (haha) If you'd like to play again, please click here: [[Begin|Part 1]]

Mission: Stay Alive Think you've got the skills to? Yes? If you say so... [[Continue|Music]]

All righs for the sound goes to Blue Dot Sessions, found on http://freemusicarchive.org under the titled: Allston Night Owl. All images found on: https://www.pexels.com Rights go to their rightful owner. Forrest Road Image by Kaique Rocha Crime Scene Image by Kat Wilcox Farris Wheel Image by Ashley Elena [[Back to story|Part 1]]

Wait. Pause. Is your sound on? If not, turn it on to enhance your experience. Thanks, now you may [[begin|Part 1]] (For music/image credit: [[click here|Music Credit]])

The man gets out of his car. He's wearing a long black trench coat accompanied by a hat, covering his eyes. He swears he didn't see you when he pulled out. You don't believe him. The damage isn't bad and no one got hurt. Just a little dent in the front of your car. He gives you his name and phone number, along with his car insurance company's information. You take it and shove it in your pocket. [[You're already late to pick up your mom|Late]]

You’ve gotten lucky and your mother’s train is delayed. Your stomach growls and you’ve realized it’s already 20 minutes till 1 PM. and you haven’t eaten. You: [[Choose to eat after you meet with your mother.]] [[Go to a small cafe down the street.]]

You open your mouth to talk to him when suddenly he stabs you in the stomach with a knife. He wedges the knife in far enough until you start coughing up blood. Your vision goes hazy and you fall to the ground. When you see his smile from above, you realize you’ve met this man before. You die -- GAME OVER. [[Start Over|Part 1]] or [[Revival|Part 2]]

Finally, he orders and it's your turn. You order a vanilla soy latte since your lactose intolerant and your sweet tooth never disappeared from your childhood. You order some hot tea for your mom because she never liked coffee. The man with the trench coat takes your latte, thinking it is his and walks away. You call out to him but he doesn't hear you. You check your watch and rush out the door. Your mom is waiting outside the platform looking for you. When she spots you, the biggest smile forms across her face. You give her a hug and hand her the tea you got. She’s overjoyed and hugs you again. You help her bring her things to the car and you drive home together. You take the backroads because you remembered the accident and there was no longer a time restraint. [[You arrive back home|Part 2]]

On the walk up the stairs you, pass a man in a black trench coat and a black hat. He looks at you and smiles. “Good evening,” he greets, tipping his hat down further in the front. You: [[Greet him back]] [[Ignore him|Part 2.1]]

You say you're fine and ask how he is. You ask how he’s doing, and he says he’s good. He says he found someone he wants to marry. You want to be excited for him, but you can't bring yourself to say congratulations after your mom's death. Still.. [[You ask who]]

You quickly turn the corner and run into a neighborhood. You hide in someone's bushes and wait for him to pass by. It's been a few minutes and he still hasn't passed by. You slowly climb out of the bushes. As soon as you climb out, he appears and throws his knife at you. The blade enters your left calf and you fall over. [[It hurts too much to move]]

You continue running. Your legs hurt. Your lungs feel tight. You want to stop. But you can't. You continue running. He man continues chasing you as you lead him to the police station. [[He bravely follows|Your dad is there.]]

You try to get up but he pushes you down. You scream when he pulls out he knife and he slaps his hand over your mouth. He begins to continuiously stab you. You die -- GAME OVER. [[Start Over|Part 1]] or [[Revival|Part 4]]

You shriek and your neighbor from the next apartment comes rushing over. She sees your mother with a knife stabbed in her stomach and shrieks herself. She calls you a murderer and leaves the apartment with a phone to her ear. A few minutes later you hear sirens wailing in the distance. There’s a bang at your door and police voices announcing their arrival as they enter. You: [[Escape out the window]] [[Wait to explain the situation]]

He’s no longer there. You make your way to your friend’s place. The whole time you feel like you’re being followed. Every time you turn around no one is ever there. You continue walking. Suddenly, you hear sirens in the distance and you’re caught by the police. They state they had talked to your neighbor and they take you down to the station for questioning concerning the murder of your mother. [[Continue|Part 3]]