Ezelia's Elaborate Escape

Yesterday, the terrible wizard ruler, [[//Dramodus//->Dramodus]], officially outlawed "all forms of magic other than those that aid his efforts in Brivelia". Word spread very quickly. We were alerted almost immediately by friends and neighbors. It seemed as though everybody felt opposed to the decree, but nobody could possibly challenge Dramodus and get away with it. Those like me, dubbed "//natura//," who were born with innate magical abilities, were immediately jeopardized. Knowing that nowhere could be safe from King Dramodus' reach, my parents immediately began preparing for us to flee the realm. With the help of Everick, an ally of my parents & a skilled mage, we could flee through a magical portal and live a life in another realm. If only it could've been that easy, but we were too late. Dramodus' subjects were already upon us before we even had a moment. They came into our home, paralyzed my parents with some sort of spell, and captured [[//me//->Ezelia]], their next //natura//. I wondered if I would become Dramodus' next subject, or simply killed. I'm not sure which one I fear more. I'm being kept in one of Dromodus' dungeons now. There are other //natura// confined here as well, though some seem to be confined through more //magical// means than I am. I guess since I display no awakening of my power, they didn't bother to confine me to anything other than this grimy, dark cell. A weak iron bedframe supports this shoddy mattress, something so uncomfortable that I spent almost all of last night wondering if it would be more comfortable to sleep on the concrete floor. At least they gave me some papers and a pen so I can doodle and write my boredom away. [[//Click to continue//->Intro Cell]]

Since the day you were born, Dramodus had always ruled all of Brevalia and beyond with an iron fist. Many throughout the years had tried to stop him, and many people had met an untimely end. Opposing him became synonymous with death to many of Brevalia's citizens. Most claim him to be a wizard. Others claim he's something more sinister. Only one man ever clashed with Dramodus and lived to tell the tale. Rumors spread from his tale that Dramodus is actually a dragon - though not many believe it to be true. Dragons went extinct long, long ago. Surely a man could not harness such immense power. [[//Return//->Introduction]]

My name is Ezelia. I'm the only daughter to my parents Eileen and Micah, none of whom are //natura//, like I am. My parents have no clue where I gained the potential for magic, but the mage Everick claims that certain magical conduits in the world have an ability to select specific carriers. I don't know how or why I would have been selected. I haven't even displayed any ability to use my powers. My parents have tried to be supportive of me, but I always feel ashamed that I can't use my power. It makes me feel like a waste of a magical selection, and sometimes I wonder if it was somehow a mistake... I've only ever known one other //natura//, and he had way more control over his power than I could probably ever have. I couldn't help but be envious of him. He could make objects float, and he even made himself float once. Maybe I'm just an //impotent.// That's the term they give to people who have the capabilities for magic, but never awaken their power. [[//Return//->Introduction]]

You stop writing on your paper when you hear the noise of someone opening your cell door. One of the guardsman enters with a bowl of food, and takes a look at you. "Eat up. Dramodus wishes to enlist you and that magic of yours. Guards will be here in a few hours to take you." He hands you the bowl of food. You can't really deny your hunger, you haven't had any food since the night of your capture. [[//Accept the bowl of food.//->Eat Food]]

As you eat the food, you feel refreshed. Though held captive, you can't help but be grateful for the food. With each bite you feel yourself feeling a bit more lively. As you continue to scarf down your meal, you begin to feel sleepy and light-headed. Either you need to slow down, or something's not right with this food... You set the bowl aside on the mattress and stand up. Maybe by standing, you'll be able to mitigate the sleepiness. You can't afford to fall asleep, you need to escape... As you feel sleepiness begin to win over your mind, you force yourself to do some jumping jacks. Feeling slightly more alert afterwards, you amp up the intensity, and drop to the floor to do some pushups. Before you know it, you're fast asleep on the floor. [[//Continue//->First Fail]]

You awake later in an entirely new room. This time, the room looks a lot nicer, and the bed is actually comfortable. You have no concept of how long it's been, however. But then the realization hits you - you fell asleep, and were delivered by the guards to Dramodus' training program. He'll make a servant out of you. If you're in Dramodus' castle, there's no way you'll ever escape. People have been captured by Dramodus before, but none of them have ever been heard from again. This is it, it's over... Your emotions begin to consume you as your thoughts wander to what will become of your parents, and how you'll remain Dramodus' pawn for potentially the rest of your life. In that moment of embittered rage and distress, you feel something shift. You begin to experience what can only be described as your body, mind and soul being fragmented and moved to another place. You feel certain that you are transcending //something,// although you're completely oblivious as to what that something is. As your interloping mind travels through this unknown medium, you sense recent occurences in reverse - accepting the food, seeing the guard enter your cell, writing away your boredom - these moments all flash before you. Before you've even had time to process what you're sensing, you feel stability, and you find yourself back in your cell, pen in hand, facing a paper with all of your previous writing on it. [[//Continue//->Rewind Cell]]

You take a moment to reflect upon what just happened. If this is real, then that means you actually just traveled back in time... The realization hits you almost immediately. //*This*// must be your power! Your parents always told you that your power would come to you in a moment where you needed it most. But even here, you never thought once that your power could awaken and save you. You begin to wonder if you can gain control of this ability. If you could, you might just be able to use it to help you escape. You focus your mind and try to bring your thoughts back to the headspace you were in when your power activated. You imagine yourself becoming Dramodus' pawn forever, and emphasize in your mind that //the only way to prevent that is to escape.// Suddenly, you feel that strange sensation again, as though you're being fractured into multiple pieces, and sent flying through a narrowly insensible medium. You witness the words on the sheet of paper you were writing on begin to //un-write themselves,// and you snap back to consciousness staring at a blank sheet of paper. Oh my god, you really just did that! You can control your power! You take a few moments to appreciate the moment, feeling a wave of hope rush over you. Escape could be possible with a power like this. Then, your cell door slides open. It's that guard again with your bowl of drugged oats. No way are you going to eat that another time. (text-colour: "gray")[~~//Accept the bowl of food.//~~] [[//Ask what's in the food.//->Ask Food]] [[//Refuse the food.//->Refuse Food]] (if: $knockFail is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Knock the bowl out of his hand.//~~]](else:)[[[//Knock the bowl out of his hand.//->Knock Food]]]

You ask, "What's in the bowl?" The guard pauses for a moment, glancing at the bowl, and then back to you. "Oh, it's nothing bad. It's just oats with some sugar." He smiles. (text-colour: "gray")[~~//Accept the bowl of food.//~~] [[//Refuse the food.//->Refuse Food]]

The guard looks sharply at you. "Why wouldn't you eat something? You've got to be hungry. Besides, the training they'll make you do tomorrow will be exhausting if you're malnourished. But, that's not really my problem..." He takes the bowl and heads for the exit. He steps outside the cell, and just for a moment before sliding the cell door closed, he sets one foot into the cell, crouching down, and leaves the bowl of oats just inside the door. He slides the cell door shut, and his footsteps fade away. (display: "Cell Options")

You smack the bowl of food from his hand to the floor, sending oats all over the floor, and shattering the bowl along with it. The guardsman looks shocked for a moment, but then his face stiffens, leaving an angry, stern look. "What are you doing?" he shouts loudly. He raises three fingers towards you with his right hand, mutters some incantation, and the tip of his fingers begin to glow. He pushes them to your forehead, and before you even knows what's happening, you're taken under by some force, and knocked unconscious. [[//Continue//->Capture Fail]] (set: $knockFail to true)

Turning back the clock again, you rewind to the very moment the guardsman enters your room with his evil oats. (text-colour: "gray")[~~//Accept the bowl of food.//~~] [[//Ask what's in the food.//->Ask Food]] [[//Refuse the food.//->Refuse Food]] (if: $knockFail is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Knock the bowl out of his hand.//~~]](else:)[[[//Knock the bowl out of his hand.//->Knock Food]]] (set: $bedMove to false) (set: $file to false) (set: $Charlie to false) (set: $rebar to false)

You approach the cell door. Gripping the cold, metal bars, you see other //natura// in cells across from you, as well as on either side of you. There's no way to see who's on either side of you, but across the walkway, you can see six other cells. In the cell directly across from you, you see another child, a boy. He scans both sides of the walkway inbetween you & him, and then quietly whispers your way, "Hey, you wanna get out of here?" [[//"Yes!"//->Yes Escape]]

(if: $bedMove is false)[You walk over to the window in the top of the wall directly across from the cell door. You can't see anything from this angle but what looks to be the roof of a structure outside. You'll need to stand on something to see outside.](else:)[You stand atop your bed and look outside. You see what looks to be a warehouse, which has an open sunroof exposing light into an otherwise unremarkable storage house for boxes and such.] (if: $windowFail is true and $bedMove is false)[Before talking to the boy across the hall, you should move the bed so you can hide the file out the window. (text-colour: "gray")[~~//Look outside the cell door.//~~]](else:)[[[//Look outside the cell door.//->Look Door]]] (if: $bedMove is true)[[[//Inspect the crack in the wall.//->Wall Crack]]](else:)[[[//Move the bed.//->Move Bed]]]

The boy motions for you to fall back when a guard comes around the corner. You quietly move back to your bed and try to just act normal. The guard walks by without incident. Moving back to the cell door, you see the boy scanning the area, finding that the coast is clear for now. He says, "Here, take this," and slides a metal file your way. "There's nothing for me to use this on in my cell. I tried prying at the window, but it just wouldn't budge. Maybe you'll have more lu-" Just then, a guard comes around the corner and shouts, "What's going on in here?" He crosses to the boy's cell, opens the door, magically binds his hands and feet, and begins thoroughly searching his room. Oh no, he's probably gonna come search your room next. Where should you hide the file?] (if: $bedFail is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Under the mattress//~~]](else:)[[[//Under the mattress//->Mattress Hide]]] [[//Outside the window//->Window Hide]] (if: $pantsFail is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Tuck inside your pants//~~]](else:)[[[//Tuck inside your pants//->Pants Hide]]] (set: $file to true)

You lift up the flimsy mattress and place the file perpendicular to the thin metal beams of the bedframe. You place the mattress back down and pretend to sleep. You hear rustling noises and faint voices coming from the boy's cell, but try to ignore them for now. Pretty soon, the guard comes over to your cell, and opens the door. "Get up." He orders. You pretend to be sleeping. "I said, GET UP!" He shouts as he pulls you from the bed, knocking the bedframe over, sending the file clattering onto the floor. The guard pauses, walks over to the over-turned bed, and picks up the file. "What were you hoping to do with this, huh?" He quickly places three glowing fingers to your forehead, sending you into an unconscious state. [[//Continue//->Hide Fail]] (set: $bedFail to true)

You tuck the file away in your pants, and lay yourself down on the bed. As time goes by, you begin to feel more and more worried. Eventually, the guard comes into your room. "Get up." He orders. You pretend to be sleeping. "I said, GET UP!" He shouts as he pulls you from the bed, knocking the bedframe over. He hoists you onto your feet, mutters something, and magically binds your hands, followed by your feet. He begins thoroughly checking your room. First, he checks the bed. Then, he checks the perimeter of the room. Finally, he checks the toilet hole in the corner of the room. Just as you think you're in the clear, the guard comes over and casts some strange spell on you. "I think you're hiding something from me, miss," he says, "Hand it over now and this doesn't have to be difficult." He undos the magical binds on your hands. [[//Give him the file.//->Give File]] [[//Don't give him anything//->Struggle File]] (set: $pantsFail to true)

(if: $bedMove is false)[You walk over to the window, and attempt to raise the file high enough to get it through the window, but the window is just too high. As you try to move your bed beneath the window to boost yourself, a guard comes stomping over, and catches you red handed. You're restrained, your file is taken, and the guard puts you into a sleep using a spell. [[//Continue//->Hide Fail]](set: $windowFail to true)](else:)[You stand atop your bed and place the file on the ground just outside your window. You hope that nobody walks by while he searches your room... After hiding the file, you lay yourself down on the bed. You're praying that this will work... Eventually, the guard comes into your room. "Get up." He orders. You pretend to be sleeping. "I said, GET UP!" He shouts as he pulls you from the bed, knocking the bedframe over. He hoists you onto your feet, mutters something, and magically binds your hands, followed by your feet. He begins thoroughly checking your room. First, he checks the bed. Then, he checks the perimeter of the room. Finally, he checks the toilet hole in the corner of the room. Then, he comes over and casts another spell on you. With a grunt, he undoes your magical bindings, and leaves your cell, slamming the sliding cell door shut on his way out. You did it! [[//Reclaim the file.//->Reclaim File]]]

Where the bed used to be, you see an exposed, busted portion of concrete in the wall, exposing some rebar. It's clear that some previous captive in this cell attempted to whittle away at part of the rebar, because it looks as though one side of a piece of rebar has been narrowly shaved away, causing the rebar to end in a point. (if: $file is false)[With the right tool, you may be able to finish what they started. ](else-if: $Charlie is false)[You could use your file to potentially sever a piece of rebar from the wall, but you need to do it when no guards are around. Maybe you can talk the boy across the hall into alerting you when guards are near. ](else:)[Now that Charlie's covering you, you may be able to slowly work on this rebar. [[//Prepare to file on the rebar.//->Rebar]]] (if: $file is false)[[[//Look outside the cell door.//->Look Door]]](else-if: $Charlie is false)[[[//Look outside the cell door.//->Look Door 2]]](else:)[[[//Look outside the cell door.//->Look Door 3]]] [[//Look outside the window.//->Look Window]]

You slide the bed underneath the farthest wall from the cell door, directly beneath the window. Now you can probably see out of it. Behind where the bed used to be, you notice a crack in the wall, exposing the rebar interior of the concrete walls. [[//Look out the window.//->Look Window]] [[//Look out the cell door.//->Look Door]] [[//Inspect the crack in the wall.//->Wall Crack]] (set: $bedMove to true)

(if: $rebarFail is true)[You find yourself crouching down by the crack in the wall, file in hand, ready to file on the rebar. You'd best be more cautious this time...(set: $rebarFail to false)](else:)[You crouch down next to wall, file in hand. You place the file to the rebar, and listen.] (set: $guard to false)(set: $points to 0)(set: $sus to 0)(set: $c to 8)(set: $t to 0.0) (live: 5.0s)[(if: $sus is 3)[(goto: "File Caught")](if: $points >= 40)[(goto: "File Success")](if: $c < 10)[(set: $c to $c + 1)](if: (random: 1, $c) is 1)[(set: $guard to true)(display: "Guard")](else:)[(set: $guard to false)(display: "No Guard")]] (link-repeat: "//Quietly File//")[(if: $guard is false)[(set: $points to $points + 1)(set: $c to 6)](else-if: (random: 1, 2) is 1)[(set: $sus to $sus + 1)]] (link-repeat: "//Briskly File//")[(if: $guard is false)[(set: $points to $points + 2)(set: $c to 4)](else:)[(goto: "File Fail")]] (link-repeat: "//Rapidly File//")[(if: $guard is false)[(set: $points to $points + 4)(set: $c to 2)(if: (random: 1, 2) is 1)[(set: $sus to $sus + 1)]](else:)[(goto: "File Fail")]] (Note to players: This section is still a work in progress. It's currently playable, but doesn't look as nice as I would like. It takes 5 seconds for text to appear initially.)

You approach the cell door again. You see the boy, and he seems to be looking back at you, though he is clearly wary of attempting to speak again. As he approaches the bars of his cell, his face is lit up, exposing a bruise on his cheek. It seems the guard didn't treat him very kindly when he visited... [[//"You alright?"//->Speak]]

The boy silently regards you. It seems he's keeping watch for guards. Now might be a good time to get filing. [[//Prepare to file on the rebar.//->Rebar]]

(if: $hideFail is true)[You rewind the clock to the moment after the guard enters your cell and you refuse the food. ](if: $windowFail is true and $bedMove is false)[Before talking to the boy across the hall, you should see if you can allow yourself to reach the window. That way, you may be able to hide the file outside the window... (text-colour: "gray")[~~//Look outside the cell door.//~~]](else:)[[[//Look outside the cell door.//->Look Door]]] [[//Look outside the window.//->Look Window]]

You awake in Dramodus' castle yet again. You begin to grow fearful of what may happen if you overspend your abilities... But for now, there's no time to worry about that. Your upmost concern at the moment is getting the hell out of Dramodus' grasp. (set: $hideFail to true) (set: $file to false) (set: $bedMove to false) (link-goto: "//Rewind//", "Cell Options")

You pull the file from your pants and hand it to him. "Good, now I'm gonna need to put you under. Thanks for cooperating," he says as his fingers glow. He places three fingers to your forehead, and your vision fades to black. [[//Continue//->Hide Fail]]

As you don't give up the file, the guardsman sighs, and restrains your hands again using a spell. He walks over to you, leans down, and fishes the file out of your pants. "There's really no use in trying to hide it. You can't fool my magic," he says as he places three glowing fingers to your head. [[//Continue//->Hide Fail]]

Placing the bedframe and mattress back upright, you stand atop your bed and quickly grab the file from the ground outside your window. Okay, this is progress. [[//Look outside the cell door.//->Look Door 2]] (link-goto: "//Inspect the crack in the wall.//", "Wall Crack")

The boy makes no attempts at speaking back to you. He probably doesn't want to end up with a bruise on the other cheek. Maybe you should try to write him something instead. [[//Write him a note asking for his aid in alerting you when guards are near.//->Write]]

You begin writing a note on one of the pieces of paper that was left for you in the cell. You ask him for his name, thank him for his help, and request that he //whistle// quietly whenever a guard appears, so that way you can attempt to whittle down the rebar in the wall. [[//Wait for no guards to be around, and toss him the note.//->Send Note]]

Upon seeing that no guards are around, you toss the crumpled-up note in his direction. It falls just short of his cell, but rolls a short distance into his arm's reach. He grabs it, unfolds it, and reads it. You see him grab his own pen and begin writing. In about five minutes, he approaches the bars of his cell, takes a good look around, and throws it your way. He makes a good throw, and it hits one of the bars to your cell. [[//Grab the note.//->Get Note]]

Uncrumpling your note, you see another passage scribbled beneath yours. It says: "My name is Charlie. I need to get out of here. I don't even know how to use my power, but who knows what Dromadus' "teachers" will do to us at that academy. I refuse to let myself become one of his pawns. If you find a way out, you have to help me out too. Please. I can do that. I just hope they won't take problem to me whistling. My face still hurts from the last guy... Good luck." Okay, now that Charlie's got you covered, you can probably work on that [[//rebar in the wall.//->Wall Crack]] (set: $Charlie to true)

(t8n: "pulse")+(text-colour: "red")+(transition-time: 1.5s)[You hear Charlie whistle. It would be best to do no filing at the moment.]

(t8n: "dissolve")+(text-colour: "green")+(transition-time: 1.5s)[Everything is silent. You can probably file now, but it would probably be smart to be quiet.]

"What's going on in here?" You hear from the entrance to your cell. As the door slides open, you attempt to hide your file, but it's no use. The guard has already seen what you're up to. He binds your hands and feet, removes your file, and places three glowing fingers to your forehead. (link-goto: "//Continue//", "File Fail")

(if: $headHurt is true and $pryFail is true)[You come to your senses again, finding yourself crouched near the crack in the wall, with a piece of pointed rebar in hand. Your head aches far worse than it did before. You find the urge to pass out nearly irresistable, but if you don't act, you'll never make it out of here. Something tells you that rewinding too many times now could be very bad... This time, you'll have to pry the window open, and then find some way to impede the guards that will come into your cell. Anything that can buy you more time to squeeze through the gap.(set: $pryFail to false)](else-if: $headHurt is false and $pryFail is true)[You find yourself squatting near the crack in the wall, with rebar in hand. Time to try prying again, but this time, you'll be more cautious.(set: $pryFail to false)](else:)[With a satisfying 'ping', the rebar comes loose from the wall. Using the pointed end of it, you may be able to try prying at something in the room.] (if: $pryDoor is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Attempt to pry open the cell door//~~]](else:)[[[//Attempt to pry open the cell door//->Pry Door]]] [[//Attempt to pry open the window//->Pry Window]]

Placing the pointed end of the rebar into the crack between the cell door and the wall, you try to use the rebar as a lever to push the door open. Just then, Charlie whistles, and you see a guard coming around the far corner. The guard looks your way and squints at you, seeing that you're up to something. You attempt to hide the file and rebar, but the guard is already walking over to your cell. There's no time but to simply hide the file and rebar in your pants and hope you'll get away with it. [[//Continue//->Pry Caught]] (set: $pryDoor to true)

You stand atop your bed, rebar in hand. You place the pointed end of the rebar to the cusp of the window, and listen. (set: $guard to false)(set: $points to 0)(set: $sus to 0)(set: $c to 8)(set: $t to 0.0) (live: 5.0s)[(if: $sus is 3)[(goto: "Pry Caught")](if: $points >= 40)[(goto: "Pry Success")](if: $c < 10)[(set: $c to $c + 1)](if: (random: 1, $c) is 1)[(set: $guard to true)(display: "Guard")](else:)[(set: $guard to false)(display: "No Guard")]] (link-repeat: "//Quietly File//")[(if: $guard is false)[(set: $points to $points + 1)(set: $c to 6)](else-if: (random: 1, 2) is 1)[(set: $sus to $sus + 1)]] (link-repeat: "//Briskly File//")[(if: $guard is false)[(set: $points to $points + 2)(set: $c to 4)](else:)[(goto: "Pry Caught")]] (link-repeat: "//Rapidly File//")[(if: $guard is false)[(set: $points to $points + 4)(set: $c to 2)(if: (random: 1, 2) is 1)[(set: $sus to $sus + 1)]](else:)[(goto: "Pry Caught")]] (Note to players: This section is still a work in progress. It's currently playable, but doesn't look as nice as I would like. It takes 5 seconds for text to appear initially.)

You awake in Dramodus' castle yet again. You begin to grow fearful of what may happen if you overspend your abilities... But for now, there's no time to worry about that. Your upmost concern at the moment is getting the hell out of Dramodus' grasp. It seems that the best course of action next time around is to be cautious and quiet while filing. Next time, you've got this. (set: $rebarFail to true) (link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Rebar")

You awake in Dramodus' castle yet again. You begin to grow fearful of what may happen if you overspend your abilities... But for now, there's no time to worry about that. Your upmost concern at the moment is getting the hell out of Dramodus' grasp. It seems that the best course of action next time around is to be cautious and quiet while prying. Next time, you've got this. (set: $pryFail to true) (if: $headHurt is true)[(set: $rewind to $rewind + 1)] (if: $rewind >= 3)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Bad End")](else:)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "File Success")]

A guard enters your cell, casts a spell which restrains you, and searches your room. He then casts another spell, and states that you're hiding some items which you shouldn't have. After removing the file and rebar, the guard places three glowing fingers to your forehead, and you drift away. [[//Continue//->Pry Fail]]

(if: $headHurt is true)[Once again, you manage to pry the window free of it's concrete encasing. Anticipating the guards to arrive any minute now, you step off of the bed, and begin pushing the bed towards your cell door. You then push the bed up on it's end, so as to impede the guards, and potentially buy you more time. You walk back underneath the gap in the wall where the window once was. With the highest jump you can manage, you grab a hold of the inside of the gap, and begin to pull yourself upwards. As you're doing so, you hear Charlie holding a long whistle, indicating that the guards are on their way. You hear them begin to shout as you hoist yourself upwards, fitting your head through the gap. You hear the guards struggling to get into the cell behind you. They shout at you to stop, but your hands are already outside the gap, and you're pushing as hard as you can to break free. Just as it begins to feel as though your arms may give out, your body slides through the slim gap, and all that remains is your legs inside the cell. As you turn yourself around to pull your legs out of the gap, you see a guard reaching for you. You quickly scurry away from the hole in the wall, and your back connects with a big, wooden box. As you watch the guards arms stretch out towards you, somebody shouts, "She's escaping!" and the guards arms disappear into your cell. You need to get out here //now!// But wait... what about Charlie? (link-goto: "//Attempt to free Charlie.//", "Free Charlie") (link-goto: "//Flee while you can.//", "Escape Alone")](else:)[After a little while of trying, one of the window's corners comes loose from its housing in the wall, making a loud noise in the process. With a firm tug on the window, you manage to get it loose from the other corner, but this time, it makes an even louder noise. Just then, you hear Charlie whistling - loudly, and prolonged. That can't be good. You tug on the window one last time with all of your strength, and it comes out of the wall. What remains is a slim gap at the top of the ceiling, perhaps just wide enough for you to fit through. Without any hesitation, you place your arms inside the gap and lift yourself up. You squeeze your head through the gap and push your arms outside the hole, pushing off of the stone wall on either side of the gap as you attempt to squirm through. The moment your shoulders reach the gap, you seem to become stuck. Suddenly, you hear shouting coming from behind you, followed by the sliding open of your cell door. As you try your best to make it out the gap, you feel a hand grasp around each of your ankles - and you're pulled back into the cell. You hit your head hard as you fall back to the cold, unforgiving floor. Your vision begins to blur as you feel your head throb. The muffled voices from the guardsmen in your cell transform into a loud droning. They're going to capture you. If you don't reverse this now, you may lose your opportunity for good. Even though your head is hurt, you have to try... (set: $headHurt to true) (set: $rewind to 1) (link-goto: "//Rewind//", "File Success")]

As you force yourself to rewind yet again, the pain in your head becomes immense and unbearable. As your power segments you into body, mind and soul, the pain in your mind vanishes. You witness all of your past actions... but it's going back farther than before. Wait, this isn't right. Now you're seeing the night of your capture. And even further prior to that. Why isn't your power stopping yet? Farther, and farther. You lose track of time amidst your life's moments. Watching yourself develop in reverse stuns you and leaves your mind at a loss for words. Is this what death feels like? And if so, how did this happen? Your rewind ability seemed to be getting better, but then you hit your head... No, this can't be death. You have to try to pull yourself out of this. You try to concentrate your mind and focus on getting out. As you witness a moment of your infancy, you feel something shift. Yes, it's working! As you feel stability and begin to return back to yourself, you're shocked to find yourself not in a cell, but your home kitchen... You look up and see your mother cooking something. But wait, this isn't right... Your hands! //THEY'RE TINY!// You start to cry as the realization sinks in. Your mother comes to comfort you, and brings you //a bowl of oatmeal.// ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Years of ineffective infancy go by. Though you're conscious of what's happened to you, you're restrained by your newborn body. You wish that you could explain everything to your parents, but you just can't. For now, you'll wait to grow up again. And when you do, you'll be ready. Dramodus will pay for what he's done to you, and countless others. Dramodus will //never// have you, and it //will// be his downfall. GAME OVER - BAD END

Looking back into the gap, you see that the guards left your cell, and they left the cell door wide open. You could either re-enter your cell, or run out of the warehouse and try to find Charlie's cell window. [[//Crawl back into your cell//->Crawl]] (if: $searchFail is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Search for Charlie's window//~~]](else:)[[[//Search for Charlie's window//->Search]]]

You run as fast as you can out of the warehouse. To your left, you see a connected building with a staircase leading down to you. You assume that's where the guards will come from, so you take off running to your right, intentionally taking a circuitous route so you can throw off any potential followers. After a bit of running, you slink into a small space inbetween two buildings, noting that there is a small area behind other structures which you can enter, although it seems like there is no to way out of it other than where you entered. You hear shouting getting closer, and hear multiple pairs of thudding footsteps growing louder. (if: $stayFail is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Stay where you are.//~~]](else:)[[[//Stay where you are.//->Stay]]] [[//Slink into the hiding space.//->Hide]] (if: $runFail is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Start running out the way you came.//~~]](else:)[[[//Start running out the way you came.//->Run]]]

You stay put, and watch outside of the space inbetween the buildings. The footsteps grow louder and louder, until you're certain they're just nearby. You see somebody run by. Then a second, and a third. All of the guards must be out looking for you right now. Continue (click-replace: "Continue")[(t8n: "shudder")+(text-colour: "red")+(transition-time: 1.0s)[Somebody peeks into the gap and looks at you.] (t8n: "dissolve")+(transition-time: 4.0s)[You shriek as the man reaches in and grabs a hold of you, yanking you out from the space. No, no, no, there's no way you can escape a second time!] (set: $stayFail to true)(set: $rewind to $rewind + 1)(if: $rewind >= 3)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Bad End")](else:)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Escape Rewind")]]

You shuffle yourself backwards into the small nook and squat down, listening carefully. You hear footsteps growing louder and louder, until you're certain they're just nearby. It sounds like somebody just ran by. And a second, and a third. All of the guards must be out looking for you right now. After a moment, you hear some noise coming from the entrance to your nook. It sounds like somebody attempting to squeeze through. Only someone as skinny as you could fit in here... right? Eventually you hear the guard give up on trying to fit inbetween the buildings. Phew, that was close. You notice that behind you, there's a ledge which you could potentially stand on, which may allow you to climb up onto the roof of the buildings. [[//Run out from where you entered//->Run]] [[//Climb up onto the roof of the buildings//->Climb]]

You stick your head out from the space in between the buildings, and see no guards. Now must be as good a time as any to run. You take off down a road, seeing a gate at the end of the road that you may be able to climb over. Continue (click-replace: "Continue")[(t8n: "shudder")+(text-colour: "red")+(transition-time: 1.0s)[As you run by a large building at an intersection of the road, three guards spot you and begin to chase you.] (t8n: "dissolve")+(transition-time: 4.0s)[You run as fast as you can, but the guards are gaining on you. With a burst of adrenaline, you push forward faster than ever before, and gain some ground on the guards. The gate isn't far away. Just a little farther... You jump upwards towards the top of the gate as you approach. You grab a hold of the top of it and hoist yourself up, but you're caught within the grasp of one of the guards. You tugs on you hard, and you fall to the ground. A sharp rock on the ground digs into your shoulder, causing a lot of pain. This is not the end... just one more rewind... (set: $runFail to true)(set: $rewind to $rewind + 1)(if: $rewind >= 3)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Bad End")](else:)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Escape Rewind")]]]

You rewind to the moment you escaped your cell. Your back is pressed against a large wooden box, and the guards outstretched hands will soon disappear as they race to capture you again. (link-goto: "//Attempt to free Charlie.//", "Free Charlie") (link-goto: "//Flee while you can.//", "Escape Alone")

Placing your foot on the ledge, you lift yourself up, and place your hands on the edge of the rooftop. With a jump, you hoist yourself upwards, swinging one of your legs up, and catching it on the edge of the roof. You push yourself upwards, getting your other foot solidly beneath you, while staying in a crouched position. You peek up over the top of the roof and see three guards running onto the road where you slid inbetween the buildings. At the end of the road, you see a gate, leading outside the compound. Looking around, you see two other guards running away from you on a faraway road. You wait awhile for the three nearest guards to run out of side. Checking if the coast is clear, you see another pair of guards headed in your direction, but they're still a good distance away. [[//Run now//->Run Now]] [[//Wait//->Wait]]

You take off running. The two guards that were headed in your direction shout and begin chasing after you. They're probably a good thirty seconds behind you. As you thud down the gravel road towards the gate, you peek over your shoulder to see one of the guards approaching at an alarming rate. He's now probably fifteen seconds behind you. You jump upwards towards the top of the gate as you approach. You grab a hold of the top of it and hoist yourself up, swinging a leg over the gate as one of the guards gains on you. Fifty feet, forty feet, thirty feet away... You swing your other leg over the gate and throw yourself over the gate to the ground below. You hear the guard shambling his way up the gate behind you. The gravel path you're on is surrounded on either side by a dense forest. (if: $roadFail is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Run down the road//~~]](else:)[[[//Run down the road//->Roadrunner]]] [[//Take off into the forest//->Forest]]

You wait for awhile for a better opportunity. The two guards farther away now approach the building you're above. You try to keep your head as low as possible while keeping a close eye on them... Continue (click-replace: "Continue")[(t8n: "shudder")+(text-colour: "red")+(transition-time: 1.0s)[One of the guards looks your way, nudges the other guard, and points in your direction.] (t8n: "dissolve")+(transition-time: 4.0s)[The guards disappear out of your sight. Twenty seconds later, a head appears over the top of the roof, and looks right at you. Before you can do anything, the guard delivers a brutal kick to your head, and you pass out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- You awake later in a cell with a fortified door, and your hands and feet are bound to a metal pole in the corner of the room. No... you've been captured again! Your head hurts immensely, but you have to rewind this... (set: $waitFail to true)(set: $rewind to $rewind + 1)(if: $rewind >= 3)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Bad End")](else:)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Escape Rewind")]]]]

You keep running down the road, seeing that the guard behind you has just scaled the gate. He's probably about twenty seconds behind you now... You run as fast as you can, but the guard is gaining on you. With a burst of adrenaline, you push forward faster than ever before, and gain some ground on him. Something knocks you forward onto the ground in an instant. You feel immense pain in your left shoulder, and see blood on the ground where you fell. Taking a painful glance to your left, you see the tip of an arrow protruding through your left shoulder. You feel the guard grabbing you and forcing you up. You've never felt anything so painful... You've got to rewind this before you pass out... (set: $roadFail to true)(set: $rewind to $rewind + 1)(if: $rewind >= 3)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Bad End")](else:)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Escape Rewind")]]]

You dart off into the forest, leaves crunching beneath your feet. You find that the forest is on an incline, and you begin to struggle to climb the hill ahead of you. Fearing being captured yet again, you push yourself forward, disregarding the searing burning in your legs. You climb to the top of the hill, and turn around. Through the trees, you find it hard to tell, but you can faintly see the guard climbing the hill, although he is still far behind. You keep running. You don't stop until there's no sight of the guard. Through the canopy of leaves above, you're able to tell that the sun is setting, and it will soon be dark. You need to get out of this forest before it gets any darker, or you may be lost out here all night. [[//Continue in the direction you were running//->Continue]] [[//Descend the hill in a different place from where you came//->Descend]]

You continue running in the direction you were fleeing. The trees seem to continue on and on and on, and it almost seems as though the forest is getting denser. In a matter of ten minutes, your visibility in the forest becomes near to that of inhabiting a void. Attempting to continue in the same direction, you only hear the crunching of leaves beneath your feet. Continue (click-replace: "Continue")[(t8n: "shudder")+(transition-time: 1.0s)[You smack your face into a tree you didn't see.] (t8n: "dissolve")+(transition-time: 4.0s)[You shriek in pain and cover your nose. You may have broken it... This isn't good. You're lost in a pitch-black forest with a broken nose. You turn around and see faint, moving lights in the distance, seemingly towards you. Oh no, that must be guards. It's probably time to get out of here...] (set: $forestFail to true)(set: $rewind to $rewind + 1)(if: $rewind >= 3)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Bad End")](else:)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Escape Rewind")]]

You make a right turn and continue for a distance before beginning to descend down the hill you climbed. At this section of the hill, the slopes seem lest steep, which allows you to make it down with ease. You see no signs of guards yet, and you hope it will stay that way. Pretty soon, you reach the edge of the forest, and see the gravel path. Peaking around a tree, you see four guards with lights in the far distance, climbing into the forest where you originally made your escape. You deside to stick to the forest edge and continue to follow the gravel path. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- A couple of hours pass by without incident. You may have truly escaped Dramodus' clutches now... You begin to recognize your surroundings. Yes, this must be the far edge of town from where you live. You decide to keep a low profile and stay out of main streets while you make your way home. You cut into alleyways and generally try to stay out of sight from anyone your whole way home. As parts of the town grow more and more familiar, you know you're nearly home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The door to your home is locked. You knock, but nobody answers. Knowing your childhood home well, you walk around to the back of the house, lift up a large rock, and recover a house key. You walk back to the front door and use the key. Walking into the house, you see furniture still upturned in the same position they were when you were captured. Clearly, your parents have had greater concerns than to tidy the house. You don't see anybody in the living room, but you hear noise coming from upstairs. You make you way to the stairs and ascend. Walking down the hall, you hear what sounds like a serious conversation coming from your parent's room. You open the door, and you're met with amazed looks from your parents. They exclaim and rush to embrace you, flooding you with a million questions that are too fast to answer. You hug your parents and begin to cry. You really did it, you're safe now. If only you could have saved Charlie too... regret mounts within you, and you cry even more. Don't worry Charlie. You'll make this right. GAME OVER - NEUTRAL END

You squeeze yourself back through the gap in the wall, and land back in your cell. You see Charlie across the hall motioning for you to come towards him. Stepping out into the hall, you see that no guards are around. You assume that's because they're all out looking for you. You approach Charlie's cell, and notice something you couldn't see before - there are strange devices in the corner of his cell, emitting some strange glow. "Holy crap, you really did it! You have to get me out of here, please!" Charlie says. [[//"How can I get you out?"//->How]] (link-goto: "What are those things in the corner of your cell?", "What")

You run out the nearest exit to the warehouse, and start following the perimeter of the building. Surely, by following the exterior, you'll eventually come across Charlie's cell window. Continue (click-replace: "Continue")[(t8n: "shudder")+(text-colour: "red")+(transition-time: 1.0s)[You round a corner into another warehouse, and are met face-to-face with a guard.] (t8n: "dissolve")+(transition-time: 4.0s)[Before you can react, he grabs a firm hold of you. He mutters some incantation and binds your hands together, then shoves you to the ground. He shouts, calling to attention that he's apprehended you. Many guards converge on your location, and one guard approaches you. You see three of his fingers begin to glow, and he begins to move his fingers to your forehead. Not today, you don't.] (set: $searchFail to true)(set: $rewind to $rewind + 1)(if: $rewind >= 3)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Bad End")](else:)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Escape Rewind")]]

Charlie pauses, and then says, "I've been watching the guards around here. It seems like they always return to the room at the end of the hall," he says, pointing to your right at a door. "You might be able to snag a set of keys in there. But please, be careful." [["Oh, don't worry. I've got magic on my side."->Magic]]

Charlie smirks and says, "If you can get me out of here, then that will make two of us." [[//Go search for keys//->Keys]]

Entering the room at the far end of the hall, you find nobody inside. In the center of the room is a table with various items of it. Handcuffs, some bottles of booze, some scattered papers, and a baton. Around the room, you see various cupboards, and beneath them are many different sets of drawers. Across the table, you see a keyring hanging on a stud in the wall, right next to an open entrance to some ascending stairs. [[//Grab the keys//->Grab Keys]]

Grabbing the keys, you hear a door open at the top of the staircase. You can't risk getting caught now, you're so close! [[//Hide under the table//->Hide Table]] (if: $keysFail is true)[(text-colour: "gray")[~~//Run out of the room and get Charlie out of his cell//~~]](else:)[[[//Run out of the room and get Charlie out of his cell//->Run Keys]]]

You quickly scurry beneath the table. You hear a pair of footsteps enter the room, and he stops just before the table. You hear him set something down on the table, and then he walks around the table. He opens a drawer, grabs something, and heads towards the stairs again. As you hear the guard ascend the stairs, you feel relief rush over you. [[//Go let Charlie out of his cell.//->Save Charlie]]

You run out of the room quickly. You hear the guard shout, "Hey, who's there?" as you close the door and rush to Charlie's cell. You stand in front of Charlie's cell door, and look at the key ring. There must be at least 20 keys here... You hope for a stroke of luck as you select a random key and insert it into the lock of Charlie's cell. To your dismay, it doesn't work. Then, a guard emerges from the door, shouting, "Stop right there!" You look at Charlie and say, "Don't worry, I'll be back!" Charlie looks confused, but there's no time to explain. (set: $keysFail to true)(set: $rewind to $rewind + 1)(if: $rewind >= 3)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Bad End")](else:)[(link-goto: "//Rewind.//", "Escape Rewind")]

Making your way back out to Charlie's cell, you start fumbling with the keys. You attempt one after another for a bit, to no avail. Eventually, on your 8th key attempt, his cell unlocks. You slide the gate open, and Charlie steps out and stretches. "Thank you so much! Hey, I never got your nam-" Suddenly a guard emerges from the door at the end of the hall. "No time to chat! We've got to go!" Charlie exclaims as he grabs a firm hold of you. You suddenly feel yourself being stretched across what feels like a great distance. You blink, and all of a sudden, you're in a familiar part of your town. "Oh my god!" You shriek, unable to contain your excitement over escaping so easily. "Pretty cool, huh?" Charlie winks at you, and then says, "Well, what now?" You tell Charlie that you want to go home and see if your parents are there, and he agrees to accompany you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The two of you walk together and eventually arrive outside your home. The door is locked, so you knock, but nobody answers. Knowing your childhood home well, you walk around to the back of the house, lift up a large rock, and recover a house key. You walk back to the front door and use the key. Walking into the house, you see furniture still upturned in the same position they were when you were captured. Clearly, your parents have had greater concerns than to tidy the house. You don't see anybody in the living room, but you hear noise coming from upstairs. You and Charlie make you way to the stairs and ascend together. Walking down the hall, you hear what sounds like a serious conversation coming from your parent's room. You open the door, and you're met with amazed looks from your parents. They exclaim and rush to embrace you, flooding you with a million questions that are too fast to answer. You hug your parents and begin to cry. You really did it, you're safe now. Being so overcome by the moment, your parents hardly even notice Charlie. You introduce them, and explain that you both saved each other. Your parents include the both of you in a conversation - talk of overthrowing Dramodus. With you and Charlie's powers combined, surely you could lead one of the greatest rebellions there ever was. Dramodus will pay for all he's done. GAME OVER - GOOD END

"Oh, those? They're magic dampeners. Those guards couldn't risk allowing me to use my power here. If I could, I'd already be long gone." (link-goto: "\"How can I get you out?\"", "How") (link-goto: "\"What is your power?\"", "Power Ask")

Charlie smiles, and says, "I can move myself from place to place by sheer willpower. I just have to picture somewhere I've been before, and imagine myself there, and then I will be." (link-goto: "\"How can I get you out?\"", "How")