You are standing by a tree
There are 3 paths.
One appears to go to a jungle,
one appears to go to a cave,
one appears to go to a beach,
you could try and climb the tree,
there is a nearby shop you could go in,
or you could do something else.
So what's its going to be?
Written by catprog on 01 April 2003
You sit under the tree
You sit under the tree.
Suddenly...
Written by catprog on 21 May 2003
See? Keep moving or you get tranked. That's how the game is played.
Your relaxing moment under the tree is rudely interrupted by an abrupt transformation. You are hit by a tranquilizer dart, which turns you into a person with a tranquilizer dart stuck in their neck. It's an easy change. Of course, your train of thought gets about as far as "Oh good heavens, a dart of some kind. I'd betteeerrgmphqq," at which point the dart takes effect, and you slump under the tree like a drugged-up rag doll. A half-hearted twitch is all the moving you do for quite some time. Eventually, you wake up. When you do, you are...
Written by Zodiac on 27 January 2007
Amnesia
A door. It is the only thing that blocks the path toward freedom, but nothing can make it budge, for it seems possessed by a will of its own. How to cross it is beyond your knowledge, for the past is blurry at best.
Scratching your head, you sit on the ground near it, trying to figure out what happened so you would be trapped in such a place. Was the will of someone hiding in the shadows, an individual that was orchestrating a plot that would unfold step by step? Or was it simple misfortune that had trapped you in an abandoned building, in the middle of nowhere?
For the moment, all you can do is to try to fight the darkness that enveloped your thoughts; it is strange that you were unable to remember what happened before you ended up here, but perhaps thinking about it could jog your memory a bit.
Passing your hand on your head, you felt a small bump on the back of it; this could be the cause of the temporary amnesia that is striking you at the moment, although there is a chance that it isn't the real cause of it. It is a mystery that is necessary to solve, so you can comprehend the situation that you were trapped in.
Looking around, you wonder if it is the best thing to waste your time on searching for an answer that may not exist; with the time at your disposal, there was a chance that you could escape this wretched place and embrace sweet freedom, although it seems unlikely as you continue to observe the environment.
Written by zanian on 03 October 2015
Explore the room
The door is the first thing you notice; massive, impressive, it stands there, a guardian that is standing in your way, unbreakable, unwilling to bend to your desire. It's duty is to guard the path to freedom, a simple task that it is going to fulfill until the end of time, even if nothing remains to make sure that it would still stand to do so.
What is such a barrier composed of? By simply looking at it, you are unable to determine what sort of material it is composed of, making you wonder what kind of great minds must have gathered to have assembled it in the first place. Or could it be the offspring of an artificial intelligence; either way, there is no chance to remove it from the path unless you figure out how to open it, but there are no keypad or anything of the sort that would be useful.
However, it isn't the only thing that stands out; the walls are white, as if this was some sort of medical facility, or a futuristic complex. Perhaps it is both; you are unsure what sort of purpose it is supposed to fulfil, but you have the impression that you will soon learn about it.
It seems pretty empty for the moment, but this is only a small portion of the room; having not explored the rest of it, it is normal that you are unable to determine if there is something else awaiting you in the depths of the shadows. Perhaps there is a hideous beast hiding in the dark, waiting for you to approach, craving the tenderness of the flesh for whatever obscure and alien motives it could be motivated by.
It is a terrifying thought, but you can't let such a theory stop you in your investigation. If such a case were to happen, then a solution would present itself; being afraid of a potential future was pointless, for it was also possible that nothing of the sort would happen. Such a fear would be harmful in the long run, for it would stop any possible exploration by encouraging phobias.
Written by zanian on 10 October 2015
Move away from the door
Braving your fears, you move away from the door, leaving the stalwart figure to its contemplative role, while exploration will be your new quest. Will it be a success? Will it just end in a dead end, forcing you to rethink your entire purpose in this facility, leaving you baffled and confused? Everything is possible, but you have to move to see what is awaiting you further ahead, beyond the sterile corridor, beyond the tunnel that reeks of artificial cleaners.
For a moment, you have the impression that you are wandering in the corridors of a hospital; sure, they are clean, bright, but something was off, as if you can sense that it is hiding a side that no one wants to see. Although disturbing, there is something soothing in the uniform color and the general cleanliness, as if it is enough to put your mind at ease for a short moment, just enough to make you forget that you are trapped in a building that is lost in the middle of nowhere.
A larger room greets you as you walk away from the corridor, not regretting leaving it; the smell of chemicals and the white dye were too not to your own taste to make it a comfortable experience, although you had to acknowledge that the design is superb, beyond those that you saw before.
However, this isn't the time to waste thoughts in mere contemplation when there is something to uncover; if you will only stay in the corridor, the mystery that presented itself in the new room would remain untouched, begging to be discovered by someone.
Throwing a quick glance at the room, you check the surroundings, making sure that nothing dangerous is awaiting you; it would be quite a shame that you would fall into a trap or an ambush, when you are so close to some sort of truth. Safety is the word to follow, but at what cost? Will you lose your sanity, your conscience to be safe, or would you dare advance in the unknown, braving the dangers so your mind would be at peace, until it finds something else to wander on?
Written by zanian on 17 October 2015
Wait for something to happen
It is a tough decision, one that needs to be pondered and thought through, but you have to hurry, for you have the impression that something is going to happen if you don't respect this strange invisible time delay that is hanging over your head. However, there is also a chance that it is just paranoia seeping in your mind; after all, being trapped in such a weird and alien-looking environment is probably not the best for your sanity at all.
You have the impression that this was some of simulation, to test your reaction to a hypothetical situation that would never happen in real life; even if reality would try its best, there is little to no chance that such a thing would happen, for it seems so unreal, so out there in here...
Suddenly, a strange noise brakes the illusion that you are basking in, sending chills down your spine; is this your imagination playing tricks on you, or is there something in here, preparing itself to inflict on you a fate that you won't be able to describe with words?
However, there is always a chance that it is just a simple mechanism functioning, nothing that is worth paying attention to in the first place. There is a lot of things that can't be seen here, but it doesn't mean that they are there to provoke any harm. If this sort of thought starts to seep in your mind, it won't take long before you try to take everything apart, provoking a series of events that can't be stopped.
The sound, as innocuous as it was, seems to grow in intensity; perhaps there is some sort of operation in action, but there is nothing you could do to stop it, for now. The only thing you can do is to stand around, watching the walls, hoping that nothing bad will happen as your mind races to find a plan to get out of there in one piece.
Looking around, you wait for a moment, hoping that something would happen, for it would be quite a shame that an event would occur and thus cause your loss, for it would be quite hard to prevent it while walking.
Before you have the chance to make up your mind about the course of action that you want to choose, a panel on the wall moves, revealing a strange mechanism. It seems out of the demented dreams of a madman, or the nightmares of a tortured soul. Either way, the purpose of such a device is beyond your comprehension, for the poor sap that constructed this building was probably already sucking daisies by their roots.
Written by zanian on 24 October 2015
Ignore it
However, as you are looking around, wondering what is happening and why such a mechanism is presented to you, some strange noises comes back to haunt you. Although it isn't a threatening noise, it is still something you have to investigate, for it could change the course of your fate; it will be quite unfortunate that you would end up in a strange situation because you didn't care about such a small detail, after all...
But as you turn around, a foul smelling gas starts to fill the room; perhaps it was foolish to ignore this mechanism, but what can you do about it now? It is too late to do anything to stop it; even if you wanted to destroy the machine in question, there would be little that it would accomplish, in the end.
The gas is in the atmosphere of the room, mixing with the air; destroying the injector would lead to nothing else then mere satisfaction, for the damage is already done. The effects could wreck your system at any moment, but since you have no idea when it would begin, there was still time to wander around pondering what was about to happen to you...
Your head is light, as if oxygen was getting rare; perhaps this was a side effect of the substance that was leaked in the room, or just your imagination playing tricks on you. After all, the power of the mind can not be underestimated, especially in such a situation, where everything was designed to give it more power.
Fear is a powerful foe, enough to distort the reality that surrounded you; this isn't the time to give in to the illusions that it could create, even if they seemed comforting and close to the reality you were experiencing.
Unfortunately, as you are pondering the course of action that is the best to follow, your legs start to feel numb and heavy, as if the substance that infiltrated your lungs was a powerful drug. Your mind is racing, trying to find a way to fight the decline of your capacities, but no solution seems to present itself to you; it seems the only thing you can do is to accept it and let it fulfill its purpose...
What was going to happen now? Will this be the end of your story? Will someone remember you, or would your name fade in a dark corner of time, forgotten for the passage of the seasons, until it would only be a shadow?
The darkness surrounds you, as your last thoughts are trying to figure out what was happening in this place; why did you have to get here in the first place was beyond your comprehension, but it is too late now...
Written by zanian on 31 October 2015
Awake
Although slumber is comfortable, there is little you can do to stop the inevitable end that follows it. Perhaps it is just a passing fancy, a dream that permits you to be the hero for a moment, although it is a strange situation. However, dreams are not supposed to be close to reality, so when light shines upon your eyes once again, everything will be alright, for the nightmare will be over.
However, as you open your eyes, you realize that it isn't a dream at all; you are still trapped in this strange facility, although it isn't the same room as the one that you were locked in the first time. At least the clothes that you are wearing kept you warm during your slumber; if you had been naked during that ordeal, imagine the situation it could have caused...
Why did they move you? The reason of such an action is beyond your comprehension, but you are sure that you will understand it soon enough, for it would be quite foolish to leave you here for no purpose. What would the people that brought you here gain from leaving you here if nothing happened?
Scratching your head, you can feel a strange itching on your arm; before giving in to the hypothesis that was rising in your mind, you decide to investigate it, to see what it is, so it would clear any possible doubts. After all, it is possible that this is just a simple wound caused by an accident and not the result of something more sinister than that. It would be quite the easy explanation, but you have the impression that reality is not as nice as you desired it to be...
Looking at your arm, you notice that there is a strange lump on it, as if someone stuck a needle in it, or an insect stung it. Since there are no bugs flying around, the theory of the mysterious injection was more possible, but it is also scarier.
In the case of a mystery injection, it means that something is coursing in your veins, but what could it be? Is it some sort of toxin, so they could observe the damage it will wreak on the human body before you die a painful death, a simple specimen in the mist of the many others that were probably captured?
Written by zanian on 07 November 2015
Pain
Perhaps it was a substance that was made to induce some changes in you, so they can study the consequences on human anatomy, to see if this is a potential product for future uses on a mass scale.
Or maybe it is nothing at all, a simple injection of water, to see if you give in to panic and fear. It would be quite the experiment in psychology, one that you aren't sure you want to indulge in, but since when do you have a veto on it? When people want to advance progress, how can you argue against science and the wonders it brings to the rest of the world? Perhaps your sacrifice will not be in vain but still, there would be something disturbing about it...
As you are thinking about the possibilities that could change your life, your arm starts to burn, as if someone or something had poured salt in your wound. It is a cruel sensation, one that no one wants to feel, unless they posses a secret fantasy.
This isn't the time to ponder about escaping, not when a sudden urge could claim your life; if you are able to solve this situation, then escape would then be an option that could become viable. However, you know that it wouldn't easy, for the possibilities could be endless; although the risks were high, you still have to try, for a failure is not acceptable, for it could spell your doom.
You look at the injection site; it has swollen node, making you wonder how you were able to lift your arm without pain. Perhaps you could press it, to expel the pathogens out of your body, but there is a risk to this sort of procedure. By doing so, it could spread the mutagens in your veins, making any attempts to resist it quite useless. There is also the pain factor; surely pressing such an inflamed region would only cause an outburst of pain, one that could temporarily cripple you...
As the possibilities dance in front of you, a sudden surge of pain courses through your arm, making you fall to the ground, holding the affected area with one hand. Although it isn't enough to stop the propagation, the mental effect is enough to soothe your mind for a moment, enough for you to try to focus on an escape plan.
You have the impression that fire ants are crawling in your veins, tearing up your flesh; would this horrific sensation stop, or would you go insane before it would end? There was nothing you can do stop it, except bash your head against the wall; perhaps it would the best path to follow...
The ants are moving; from your arm, the sensation soon moves to your shoulder, then your chest. You had the impression of being devoured from the inside, torn apart as some sort of internal inferno was burning your innards to a crisp.
Would this be the end? Or would this experience pass? Only time would tell you, but you have little desire to know, for a potential outcome of it could be lethal and you had no desire to leave the world in such a way...
Written by zanian on 14 November 2015
Less Pain
Although it was still burning, the itching and crawling was toning down, as if it was obeying an invisible command; perhaps your willpower was enough to stop it, but it seemed quite unlikely. After all, this was not a mere imagined illness that was striking, but something that was brought on by a substance that was coursing through your veins; there was nothing that faith could do in this situation, not when you had to focus on a solution to the problem you faced.
All of a sudden, the burning stops, as if your wish has been granted; perhaps there is someone listening to you, or this is just another step, something you should be worried about for it could lead to a series of events that you couldn't control anymore.
You feel your skin itch, as if the first sensation is back in spades; although you have the urge to scratch yourself, you know it is wiser not to indulge it, for it could bring far worse consequences to your condition then this mere inconvenience.
However, as you try to ignore the urge that is growing inside you, you feel your skin flare up, as if it is reacting to your lack of movements. How can you resist the desire to sate the urge, when it is rampaging through your mind; perhaps you have to find a way to occupy yourself, for staying still could only spell your demise.
But as you are lost in your thoughts, the urge increases in strength and you, without thinking about it, indulge in the forbidden pleasure that is haunting your mind. As the nails scratch the surface of your skin, you feel a temporary relief fill your mind, but you have the feeling that it won't last long...
Your feeling is right, as you go back to scratching yourself, almost in a fever, possessed by an energy that you thought was gone. There is a chance that it could cause severe damage, but at this point, what else can you do? Either you follow it, or you go insane from restraining yourself, the pain and the desire destroying your mental stability. It is an order that you have to follow, for it is too strong to resist it.
However, as you continue scratching, you notice that the texture of the skin seem to change; perhaps it was due to the excessive energy you spent, but the flesh doesn't feel raw nor do you feel blood leaking on the rest of your skin. There is probably another explanation that would cover this phenomenon..
Written by zanian on 21 November 2015
Feathers
Passing your hand on it, you have the impression that you are caressing something soft, but that is neither hair nor skin. Although you are afraid to look, you know that it is the only thing to be done, for denying this situation could only make it worse in the long run. You have to see it, to observe it, so this new reality will be yours...
Bracing yourself for the possibilities that assail your perceptions, you decide to turn your gaze toward the site of your irritation, to see what the strange sensation that you were feeling a moment ago, while you give in to the craving that burned in your spirit.
The sight that greeted you is not something that you could have expected in the first place; instead of the patch of skin that was previously there, there are now some feathers, shining in the light, a rainbow of colors that were beautiful to observe.
However, if there are feathers on your arm, then it could mean that the substance that was coursing in your veins was something meant to alter your physical shape, although there is a chance that the effects of the toxin could end there, the results that it brings on your body is enough for the experiment that was ongoing.
As the burning sensation spreads around, you feel your skin peeling away, replaced by the same feathers that you just saw; what is the point of such a transformation? What could it achieve in the end? It is indeed a confusing situation for you, but is there really time to ponder such a thing?
At the same moment, you can feel your muscles ache; you have the impression that someone was trying to pull them away from your body, but you know it isn't the case at all. However, even if this impression is quite strong, the fact that you are still alive, without spilling your guts and humors all over the floor, meant that it is just a feeling.
Written by zanian on 28 November 2015
bones cracking
At the same time, you could hear your bones cracking and snapping, as if your entire body was reshaping itself; was this the end of your existence, or just a step toward another degree in your own personal evolution? Although the prospects were frightening, you had to admit that some of the possibilities were interesting, for not all of them were negative; there was still a chance that you could survive this ordeal, that you would live to see another day, even if the probabilities of such an event were quite low.
However, the pain was excruciating; you could feel each of your bones rupturing, taking a new form in your body. As it was deploying itself in the same time as the muscle reconfiguration, the trauma seemed too much to bear for you, but you were still awake, for now.
Looking at your hands, you noticed that your fingers were elongating a bit, while the skin on them was not following the same pattern as you observed on your affected arm; you could see some sort of scales forming on them, in fine layers on top of your original epidermis. You had no
clue what was the purpose of such a distinction, but you could have sworn that your nails were getting sharper, as if they were talons...
But as you were trying to figure what was going on, you felt that the pain was reaching a threshold that was too much for you. As you were still trying to figure out what was happening to you, you felt your eyes surrender to the cover of darkness, taking control of your mind, robbing your limbs of their power. If only you had the chance to run away before it would have been too late...
Written by zanian on 04 December 2015
Awake again
It was the second time you were waking up; was this the real time that you were waking up, the rest being a continuous nightmare, or was there truth in the experience you lived a moment ago? If only you were able to look around, so you could see if it conformed to the image that you were building in your mind.
Opening your eyes, you hoped that the reality that would be surrounding you would simply be trees and chirping birds; there was always a chance that it would be the case, for this entire experience could only be the result of a simple hallucination, one that was probably caused by a lack of water or some pathogen agent floating in the air of the forest that you were exploring.
However, as you looked at your arms and hands, you realized that this wasn't a dream at all; you could see the feathers on your arms, in a pattern that resembled waves of different hues and tones of red, you were amazed that such brilliance could adorn your body. Although, the term arm was not the best anymore, for you saw that the feathers formed wings out of them.
But they were not only wings, for you could see that your hands were still able to grab objects; even if it was covered in chitin and ended with talons, it still looked like regular hands, with opposable thumbs. Perhaps this was a flaw in the design that was desired, or was it the goal that was sought?
Your chest was covered with the same feathers; you could see that it was finely tone, as if the modification played with your muscle mass, enough to increase it a bit. You were perhaps a sight to behold, but for now, you still had to figure out what you were. Your shirt was gone; was it an act of your captors, or was torn apart by this sudden transformation? The fact that no remains laid on the ground suggested that it was taken away, but in what state?
Looking at your feet, you noticed that your shoes were also gone, permitting you to observe that your feet were more like a bird of prey talons; although you could walk with them without any issues and without being clumsy on land, you had the feeling that it would take a bit for you to get used to them, for there was something quite unique to these new feet of yours.
It didn't take long for you to realize that you were some sort of bird; but were the features that you observed that applied to your body the only ones, or were there other ones that you were not aware of? You had to find out, so it would be easier to deal with this new reality that you would face from now on, even if it meant reinventing your life and the name that you had before, for there was a chance that it wouldn't fit anymore.
Written by zanian on 16 December 2015