A Eulogy Forgotten

8777 Drearbrugh Lane. A two story house, appearing rather disheveled after decades of abandonment. Rumor has it the place is [(link:"haunted")[(set: $Flashlight = 0)(set: $GhostTrack = -1)(set: $FlowersPlaced = 0)(set: $MusicPlayed = 0)(set: $ConciertoPlayed = 0)(set:$FlowersGrabbed = 0)(set: $LivingRoomVisited = 0)(set: $FBTG1 = 0)(set: $FBTG2 = 0)(set: $BasementVisit = 0)(set: $PianoVisit = 0)(set: $DiningVisit = 0)(set: $KitchenVisit = 0)(set: $LivingVisit = 0)(set: $FoxVisit = 0)(set: $JessVisit = 0)(set: $BedroomVisit = 0)(goto:"Prior Research")(set: $WrapperGrabbed = 0)]], which is why you have decided to come to its halls.

You did a little research on the house before you decided to test your courage. To see if the other side could really be pierced. To find out if those who passed over were truly gone. It once belonged to the composer, [[Devon Fox ->Proper Research]], who died seven years ago under mysterious circumstances. The ghost hunter blogs talked about the [[unnatural noises->Ghost Hunter Research]] that could be heard emanating from the house some nights. The tabloids talked about how, despite Devon's spotless reputation, they had their share of [[dark secrets->Tabloid Research]].

Following the death of Fox's spouse, Jessie Knowles, the composer added one final movement to their oeuvre, a short piece entitled //Flowers Before the Grave//. They said that it was only the first part of a full concierto, but they hadn't had the spark yet to know how to move onward with it. But enough of the past, [[the house->Initial Approach]] is pulling into view.

There had been a number of reports by various ghost hunters of a figure within the house, along with the playing of a piano. The cameras usually fogged up, but you haven't seen anything really concrete on any of the footage you could find. But enough of the past, [[the house->Initial Approach]] is pulling into view.

''Devon Fox's House is Quite Small for a Successful Composer! Financial Incompetence, or KIDNAPPING DUNGEON!!??!!'' You know what they say. Never meet your heroes, and all that other stuff about how people always end up being worse than you expect. Surely people aren't always as bad as these types of paper make them out to be, but it would be kind of thrilling to //actually// find some of the crazy stuff that you always see by the cash register. But enough of the past, [[the house->Initial Approach]] is pulling into view.

Damn traffic. If you hadn't been stuck on the 101 for three hours, you would have actually been able to take a look around before nightfall. Maybe if you had worked out all of the kinks of this new car, you wouln't have had to make that sudden detour for that overpriced gas. Your lights break the mist, playing across the small picket fence before the house. You park on the curb, surprised that there aren't any other cars next to the house. But then again, the house does have a bit of a reputation, so maybe it isn't actually surprising. You step out of your car, the winter cold gripping you in its harsh embrace. Luckily, you brought a [[jacket->Donning Jacket]].

You open up your trunk, put on your jacket, and it is at that moment that you realize that you forgot to bring a (if:$Flashlight is 0)[(link:"flashlight")[(set:$Flashlight = 1)(goto:"Donning Jacket")]](else:)[flashlight]. Well, shit. (if:$Flashlight >= 1)[ At least your phone is mostly charged, so you can use that, but it's not ideal. Hopefully this misfortune is just to balance out something good in your future. You close and lock up your car, and proceed towards the [[house->The Front Lawn]].]

The green of the grass is surprisingly vibrant through the night's mist. It, like the house beyond, looks weary, as if kept from sleep by some weighty task. Two stories, both of a worn ochre that has begun to fall off the walls. But the house still stands, once an edifice of warmth, and now naught but a [[shell->Approaching the Door]] remains.

//Thud.// //Thud.// You realize that knocking on the door is somewhat pointless. Of course no one will respond. The house //is// abandoned. You open the door, and step [[in->Front Hallway]].

The windows are boarded up, and as you approach the front door, the knocker's eyes seem to follow you along the short path. Of course, it just has a goofy shape, with a [[tongue->Knocking on the Door]] instead of the normal bar. Nothing malicious. Surely.

(if: $GhostTrack is 1)[(set: $GhostTrack = 2)[Before you stands an indistinct figure, its neck violently twisted to the side. It fills the entrance to the house, the voids where you would expect eyes bore into your soul. It moves towards you, but you find yourself paralyzed. The air seems far colder than before, and your breath is trapped in your lungs. In its hand is some long shape, maybe some kind of weapon. If you move even slightly, it might try and kill you. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it [[vanishes->Front Hallway]], leaving your heart racing. ]](else-if: $GhostTrack is 4)[(set: $GhostTrack = 5)Looking in the direction of the staircase up, you see a faint glow. Before you can react, it has [[faded away->Front Hallway]].](else:)[(if: $GhostTrack < 2)[(set:$GhostTrack to it + 1)](else-if:$GhostTrack is 4)[(set: $GhostTrack = 5)[]][The front hallway is before you. The wooden flooring is worn, especially around the (if: $BasementVisit is 0)[(link:"first door")[(set: $BasementVisit = 1)(goto:"Basement Stairs")]](else:)[[[basement stairs->Basement Stairs]]] on the west side of the room. No, there's actually quite a bit of sawdust around, and a lot of holes. That can't be right. Next to that door is the bottom of a [[staircase->Stairs Up]] that leads up. What are those dark droplets spattered around its entrance? Blood? Across the hallway is another (if: $PianoVisit is 0)[(link:"door")[(set: $PianoVisit = 1)(goto:"Piano Room")]](else:)[door, to the [[piano room->Piano Room]]]. At one end of the hallway lies an opening to (if: $DiningVisit is 0)[what could be a (link:"larger room")[(set:$DiningVisit = 1)(goto:"Dining Room")], although the shadows make it hard to tell](else:)[the [[dining room->Dining Room]]]. And finally, there is the way out. The only way to return to [[safety->Ending]]. ]]

As you open the door, you see a small waxy body. It scuttles back into the wall. Termites. You are at the top of a set of stairs that must lead down to some kind of basement. You test the top stair, and it seems like it could hold your weight. The [[darkness->Basement]] below beckons. Of course, maybe staying [[safe->Front Hallway]] is the better decision.

As you shine your light around, you see more signs of the termites. The walls are filled with holes, and sometimes the light bounces off of a pair of pale, waxy wings. The skittering sound, while faint, is quite unnerving. Before you stands a small pottery station, a pot on the turntable, a few blocks of hardened clay off to the side. They remind you of soft hands, the joy of getting to work together with someone you love. But enough of the past. You continue to look around, seeing a (link:"small kiln")[(set: $KilnDoor = 0)(goto:"Basement Kiln")] and some (link:"shelves")[(set: $Pottery = 0)(goto:"Basement Pottery")] with completed pottery atop them. However, the bugs are really starting to freak you out. Maybe you should head back up, where things are more [[certain->Front Hallway]].

The small oven lurks in the corner. Its blue paint has started to separate, a rusted coat lying underneath in wait.(if: $KilnDoor < 1)[ Its shadowy (link-reveal:"door")[(set: $KilnDoor = 1)(alert:"You tentatively open the jaw. //creak//")(goto:"Basement Kiln")], almost like a mouth, looks hungry.] (if: $KilnDoor >= 1)[Now fully open, you shine a light into its interior. Luckily, the termites left it alone. Now, just a small plate, with a simple moon design, rests here. It looks almost at peace. As much as anything in this place can. ] Maybe it's time to return to the rest of the [[basement->Basement]].

You scan the dusty shelves, seeing mostly plates and vases in a variety of styles. One lies broken on the ground, a plate once of the sun now a pained shard.(if: $Pottery != 2)[ You wish that the others who had visited this house had been more respectful of its past. ] (if: $Pottery is 1)[The sharp eyes and bent back of the small statue touch you. It seems to understand your pain. Unnervingly so. It simply (link:"begs")[(set: $Pottery = 2)(alert:"As you turn it around, you admire its detailed craftsmanship. If Fox could make something like this, then why did they waste so much time on plates and vases instead? Then something crawls along the back of your hand, and you drop the statue, one of its legs breaking. The termite flies back to the wall, and burrows back into its waiting den.")(goto:"Basement Pottery")] further examination.](else-if: $Pottery is 2)[ The statue lies, broken, on the ground. Perhaps it is time to move on from its sorrow.](else:)[You see something lurking behind one of the pots, waiting in (link:"ambush")[(set: $Pottery = 1)(goto: "Basement Pottery")].] Maybe it's time to return to the rest of the [[basement->Basement]].(if: $Pottery is 2)[ Especially given the damage that you've already done.]

You begin to head up the stairs. Each step creaks loudly, but supports your weight. As you shine your light on the first landing, you notice that the wall has been bent inwards, as if hit by some great force. As you shine your light around, you notice that there is a good amount of blood around, evidence of some past crime. The stairs [[continue upwards->Upstairs Hallway]], the darkness beckoning. Or you could go back to the entrance hallway, where things are probably [[safe->Front Hallway]].

All of the walls of this room are covered with thick curtains, now eaten by moths. One of the curtains (link-reveal:"moves")[(alert:"You grab onto the curtain, and begin to pull it aside. Suddenly, a large grey creature flies into your face. You smack it away, feeling its rough chitin against your skin. The moth flutters off, and you see that there was nothing else behind the fabric.")], perhaps by an unseen wind. At the front of this room lies a small piano, in excellent condition despite its years in torpor. It's truly a wonder that such an item hasn't been taken from the house. You wonder how many of the pieces you played in your younger days were written and refined on this very piano. Such lovely works, even making others fall for you merely by [[playing->The Piano]] them. But you couldn't play something like that. Not //anymore//. Enough of this sentimentality. The [[door->Front Hallway]] awaits, somewhat dolorous in its expression.

(if: $GhostTrack is 2)[(set: $GhostTrack = 3)[The indistinct form appears before you once more. It tosses whatever it was holding towards the table, then turns to face you. Once more, you find that you are unable to move under the gaze of those two empty orbs. It slowly moves towards you, the seconds feeling like hours, before it turns to the west and [[fades away->Dining Room]].]](else:)[Before you stands what was once a small but well furnished dining room. In the center of the room lies a table that could seat four. Both the table legs and the chairs are engraved with what appear to be owls, their shadowed eyes appearing to watch you as your light plays off their surface. (if:$FlowersGrabbed is 0)[On top of the table lies a long dried up bouquet of [[chrysanthemums->The Bouquet]].] To the west lies a (if: $KitchenVisit is 0)[(link:"sliding door")[(set: $KitchenVisit = 1)(goto:"The Kitchen")]](else:)[sliding door leading to the [[kitchen->The Kitchen]]], while to the east there is a (if: $LivingVisit is 0)[(link:"pair of glass doors")[(set: $LivingVisit = 1)(goto:"Living Room")]. They are so coated with dust you can't make out what's behind them.](else:)[pair of glass doors leading to the [[living room->Living Room]].] To the north is a large [[cabinet->Dining Room Cabinet]], which opposes the opening to the [[entrance hallway->Front Hallway]].]

(if: $GhostTrack <= 1)[As you walk away from the house, you feel somewhat saddened. This is it. There is no afterlife. No other side. Life is just trying to look the void in the face and not give up. As you get back in your car, the mist almost seems to reach out to you, but you shut your door on it. You give the house one final look before driving off. Of course, not giving up is always the hard part, especially with such disappointments so commonplace.](else-if: $FlowersPlaced is 1 and $ConciertoPlayed is 1)[As you walk away from the house, you feel a sense of relief fall over you. If others can move past the traumas of their lives, then maybe you can too. It may take a lot of work and some time, but its possible. If even the great Devon Fox needed someone else to help, reaching out may also help. As you get back into your car, you give 8777 Drearbrugh Lane one final look. The mist seems to almost wave back, but settles back down. You start the car. You've got a long road ahead.](else:)[You leave the house terrified, stumbling down the path back to where you left your car. You feel the long grass around your ankles pulling at you, trying to make you fall. The mist swirls violently in front of you, preventing you from seeing more than a few feet. In your head, you hear the sound of a piano approaching a crescendo, notes becoming almost deafening. You struggle to get the key in the car door, but quickly force it open, taking off as soon as the engine allows. Ghosts are real. There is something beyond this life. You thought those would be happy realizations, but the world is like that. You have something good, and it tears it to pieces. The night couldn't have ended sooner.]

Of course, a few months ago you wouldn't have known that they were chrysanthemums. Someone had told you that they were what you supposed to get for a funeral. Either chrysanthemums, or lilies. But enough of the past. Part of me wants to (link:"take them")[(set: $FlowersGrabbed = 1)(goto:"Dining Room")]. They just look so lonely, lying on the table in this empty room. Or, I could [[not->Dining Room]].

(if: $GhostTrack is 3)[(set: $GhostTrack = 4)The indistinct form stands at the counter, slowly dicing what look like fingers. //Chk.// //Chk.// It eats the diced pieces, then turns on you. It gets so close that, if you could move, you could touch it. Your blood freezes in your veins. Its empty eyes are almost mournful. Before you can do anything, it [[vanishes->The Kitchen]].](else:)[The kitchen seems like it would have been quite nice, once upon a time. The counters are marble, and while you haven't looked in the drawers, all of the stuff that is out seems well organized. The [[refrigerator->The Refrigerator]] stands off to the side, a lone watchman long forgotten. One of the larger cabinetry (link:"doors")[(set: $PantryOpen = 0)(goto:"The Pantry")] has a hole at its base. It seems to you to be crying out in agony. The [[door->Dining Room]] to the dining room surveils all, a haughty presence in an otherwise quiet space.]

The sheer scale of the spider web is quite disconcerting. It takes up the entire back wall. You find yourself entranced by its intricate craftsmanship, how one strand branches, then once again, like a shattered windowshield. (if: $LivingRoomVisited is 0)[//You remember a scream, and blood, and an //(link:"ending")[(set: $LivingRoomVisited = 1)(goto:"Living Room")].](else:)[But enough of the past. The couches and chairs look like they were once comfortable, but have since become moth-eaten and rat-chewed. Probably best not to sit on them. Above the fireplace, a solitary urn holds dominion over the room, its inscription - //Jessie Knowles// - overseeing all before it. (if: $FlowersGrabbed is 1)[Maybe it just needs something to help it manage. Perhaps the chrysanthemums could help to [[temper->Flowers Before the Urn]] it? They are, after all, a royal flower.](else-if: $FlowersPlaced is 1)[The chrysanthemums you placed before it really do help to put the stark urn at ease, more benevolent than tyrannical.] The dusty doors to the [[dining room->Dining Room]] eagerly await your touch once more.]

Opening the cabinet, you hear something scratching inside. The tail of the rat slides effortlessly into a hole in the back of the cabinet. The fact that it appears to have been emptied probably makes it a more enticing den. Nasty things like rats just love to fill in those empty spaces in our lives. You decide that opening the (link:"lower drawer")[(alert:"You start to open it, and a miasma of rat waste permeates the air around you. You gasp for a clean breath of air as you quickly close it, regretting your decision.")(goto:"Dining Room")], where the rat probably lives, isn't worth the risk, and turn back to the [[rest of the room->Dining Room]].

(if: $PantryOpen is 0)[As you reach to (link:"open the door")[(set: $PantryOpen = 1)(goto: "The Pantry")], you hear a chittering from inside.](else:)[Glowing red eyes stare back at you from the back of the cabinet. Broken faces stare at you balefully from the rat's nest. The torn (link:"photos")[(set: $PantryOpen = 0)(alert:"One of the photos catches your eye. It is well composed, and has an interesting background. You reach for it, hoping to get a better look. The rat lunges at you, and you are barely able to slam the door closed in time to not be bitten.")(goto:"The Kitchen")] probably came from the fridge. The rat hisses at you.] Maybe it should be [[left alone->The Kitchen]].

You lay your hand on the door, and you feel a sympathetic rumble from (link-reveal:"within")[(alert:"You open the fridge. While it may once have held food, it understands that to continue doing so would just be a disservice to that it was trying to preserve, and has since moved on.")(goto:"The Kitchen")]. At least something in this place is content, even if it's only a fridge. //sigh.// You turn away, back to the [[uncertain->The Kitchen]].

(set: $FlowersGrabbed = 2)(set: $FlowersPlaced = 1)You place the flowers before the urn. (if: $GhostTrack <= 1)[They help soften the stern look of the urn, despite their long passing, or, perhaps, because of it. Maybe you should put to [[rest->Living Room]] those that you have lost as well.](else:)[You hear a sorrowful sigh in your ear. It can be hard to put those who are gone to rest. You don't turn to look, the misting of your breath telling you that you aren't alone. (if: $ConciertoPlayed is 0)[You still feel a sense of trepidation from the spirit behind you. You realize that, while it is important to move past those who are gone, their memory should not be forgotten, but instead be cherished. ]The return of warmth, even faintly, to the room tells you that the figure has [[left->Living Room]] this sorrowful room.]

Maybe this is a terrible decision, but you find yourself with an irresistable urge to play something. (link-repeat:"//Chopsticks//?")[(alert:"You laugh to yourself. Something so basic on such a masterpiece? Well, might as well make sure that it's still properly tuned. A few short notes later, you have confirmed that it is.")] (link-repeat:"//Flight of the Bumblebees?//")[(alert:"You aren't sure how you still remember this piece so well, but you are pretty sure that you do. Maybe the bugs will like a song about their brethren? Well, there wasn't any magical moment of bugs dancing, but at least you feel a little less tense.")] (if: $FBTG1 is 1)[(link-repeat:"//Flowers Before the Grave//? ")[(set:$MusicPlayed = 2)(alert:"It is a very somber tune, expressing a great loss, and is very reminiscent of a funeral dirge. However, it does not leave you with a sense of catharsis, instead sinking you further into your depression.")] ](if: $FBTG2 is 1)[(link-repeat:"The untitled sheet music that I found earlier? ")[(if: $MusicPlayed is 2)[(set: $MusicPlayed = 1)(set: $ConciertoPlayed = 1)(alert:"The flow from //Flowers Before the Grave// into this piece works incredibly well, going from the lowest of lows to a realization of potential peace to reaching that piece")(goto:"Ghost Following Music")](else:)[(set: $MusicPlayed = 0)(alert:"The piece is incredibly well written, starting off sorrowful before working towards a wonderful catharsis. However, it feels odd, as if it were starting in the middle rather than being its own piece.")]] ]Perhaps it is time to (link:"leave")[(if: $MusicPlayed is 2)[(set: $MusicPlayed = 0)](goto:"Piano Room")] the piano. It won't move. Hopefully.

You feel a sense of release, an ability that both you, and you realize that the presence of the house, had previously lacked. (if: $FlowersPlaced is 0)[You feel that there is one last task, one final rememberance that must be done before the spirit of the house can fully move on.] After a moment of contentment, you [[return->The Piano]] to your senses.

(if: $GhostTrack is 5)[(set: $GhostTrack = 6)The spectral, bent-necked form slowly walks down the hall away from you. It reaches the maroon door at the end of the hallway, and solemnly, ponderously places its right hand on the door. It waits for a moment, before it slowly turns to face you. However, unlike before, its eyes are downcast as it approaches, and you begin to feel the weight of its sorrow. It passes through the door to the left, and you can no longer see it. You shake yourself from your [[reverie->Upstairs Hallway]].](else-if: $GhostTrack is 8)[(set: $GhostTrack = 9)The specter rushes down the hallway, and as it approaches the stairs, you feel a sudden tension, as if watching a catastrophe unfold before you. As it starts down the stairs, you wish you could say something, anything, but find your words trapped in your throat. You hear a lot [[crash->Upstairs Hallway]] from the stairwell.](else-if: $GhostTrack is 9)[(set: $GhostTrack = 10)Looking down the stairs, the figure is gone. You notice once more the dent in the wall further down the stairs. Now that you think about it, it looks to be in the right position to catch your head if you fell down these stairs. Certainly a better way to die than being crushed, trapped in sharp metal, blood slowly dripping as your cries for help fall unnoticed. But [[enough->Upstairs Hallway]] of the past.](else:)[On the left side of the hallway is a green (if: $BedroomVisit is 0)[(link:"door")[(set:$BedroomVisit = 1)(goto:"Bedroom")], recumbently surveying the rest of the hall](else:)[door, leading to the [[bedroom->Bedroom]]]. Across from it is another (if: $FoxVisit is 0)[(link:"door")[(set:$FoxVisit = 1)(goto:"Fox's Study")], painted with a pale, sorrowful grey. It sits slightly ajar, as if uncertain whether it belongs](else:)[door, painted sorrowfully grey, leading to a [[composer's study->Fox's Study]]]. At the end of the hall is a final (if: $JessVisit is 0)[(link:"door")[(set: $JessVisit = 1)(goto:"Jess' Study")], this one in maroon. It sits sunken into its frame, as if trying to escape its ruined memory](else:)[door, lonely, marroon, the entrance to an [[architect's study->Jess' Study]]]. And finally, there are the stairs back [[down->Front Hallway]], a gaping void eager to consume those who would dare to enter.]

(if: $GhostTrack is 6)[(set: $GhostTrack = 7)The ghost lies down in the bed. It starts to fade, and you relax. Suddenly, it bursts into action, flying past [[you->Bedroom]] into the hallway beyond.](else:)[The bedroom, just like the rest of the house, is in far worse repair than you imagine it was in its prime. The sheets are somewhat green, the curtains tattered, and the smell that of mildew. (if: $WrapperGrabbed is 0)[ In the corner is a small [[wrapper->Candy Wrapper]], its vibrant colors quite out of place. ] The hallway lurks, a predator ready to pounce, [[behind->Upstairs Hallway]] you.]

(if: $GhostTrack is 7)[(set: $GhostTrack = 8)The figure, energetic despite its lack of a physical form, is hurriedly scratching at something at the desk. You watch in fascination for a few minutes, before it suddenly jumps up from the desk and bolts towards you. As it passes through you on its way out of the room, you feel a severe chill, but find you have greater [[control->Fox's Study]] over yourself than you expected after such an experience.](else:)[The room is relatively clean, despite the dust, and it seems to be in relatively good repair. There is a small desk, with a great number of books, primarily piano related, in piles around the room.(if: $FBTG2 is 0)[ In the center of the desk lies a simple [[paper->Flowers Before the Grave Movement 2]] with cramped writing.] Across the walls are a number of awards along with pictures of a happy couple, one member of which is Devon Fox, the other presumably their spouse, Jessie Knowles. The grey doorway [[waits->Upstairs Hallway]] behind you.]

The room is in relatively good condition, a bittersweet memory of a time when this house was lived in. There is a large drafting table, and a number of tools are neatly organized atop it.(if: $FBTG1 is 0)[ In the center lies a simple [[paper->Flowers Before the Grave.]].] Behind me awaits [[hallway->Upstairs Hallway]], a reminder that this room does not reflect the whole of this house.

It appears to be //Flowers Before the Grave//, Devon Fox's final piece, a partially completed eulogy to their spouse. Having heard it before, you know that it is quite a moving piece of music. Part of me wants to (link:"take it")[(set: $FBTG1 = 1)(goto:"Jess' Study")]. It deserves to be played, not just sit in a long abandoned office. Or, I could [[not->Jess' Study]].

It appears to be an untitled movement of piano sheet music, presumably among Fox's last works given its lack of a title. Part of me wants to (link:"take it")[(set: $FBTG2 = 1)(goto:"Fox's Study")]. It deserves to be played, not just sit in a long abandoned office. Or, I could [[not->Fox's Study]].

Clearly, not all who have come to this haunted domain have been conscientious enough to clean up after themselves. It should probably be (link-reveal:"thrown out")[(set: $WrapperGrabbed = 1)(alert:"You pick it up, putting it in your back pocket to throw out later. Hopefully, you don't forget it there.")(goto:"Bedroom")]. The rest of the [[bedroom->Bedroom]] waits, impassive.