Bus Story

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(set: $hell to (text-colour: red)) //Rain...// That's the last thing you remember as you fall asleep. The clouds crying upon the city of New Athens, tears dripping down the walls of the pristine steel towers and pooling in the small crevices and cracks of the earth. It all seems to lead //There//. (t8n-depart: "dissolve")[[There?|Dream 2]]

(link: "Yes.")[== (enchant: ?Link, (text-color: #5500ff)) (link: "There.")[== (enchant: ?Link, (text-color: #aa00aa)) (link: "Where all things cross.")[== (enchant: ?Link, (text-color: #ff0055)) (link: "Where all things meet.")[== (enchant: ?Link, (text-color: #ff0000)) (t8n-depart: "dissolve")[[Where all things end.|Dream 3]]

(set: $hell to (text-colour: red)) (enchant: ?Link, (text-color: red)) The earth opens its gaping mouth to welcome the tears the sky brings. Its serrated teeth line the inside of the mouth completely, $hell[rotating] $hell[shifting] $hell[dancing.] Around the pit at the back of the earth's throat, flames leap in arcs as if they are reaching towards the sky, only to fall back into the mass of burning and fire. $hell[However, one giant flame shoot out of the mouth, coming for the sky, coming for //you//.] (t8n-depart: "dissolve")[[me...|Dream 4]]

As the flame approaches you, it bursts apart and a seared hand emerges out-stretched towards your face. Continuing to move towards you, layers of flesh fall away from the arm, revealing only bone beneath. As the arm reaches you, all that is left is bone, covering the whole of your face with the boney palm. (enchant: ?Link, (text-color: red)) (t8n-depart: "dissolve")[["WAKE UP"|Apartment 1]]

`*drip*` A droplet of water lands on your face as you jolt awake on a couch. (link: "...")[==Looking around the room you see a burned out fireplace, a portrait of a Mediterranean island, and a window pelted with hundreds of raindrops. (link: "`*sigh*`")[==[[All things you recognize.|Apartment 2]]

Getting up from the couch you set aside the blankets that were covering you and go into the kitchen to make coffee, specifically a dark roast. Shaking off the nightmare you had, you begin to preapare for the day of work. Dressed into your wrinkly black suit and worn dress shoes, you drain the coffee, grab an umbrella and [[head into the rain.|City 1]]

Ah rain. Before opening your umbrella, you peer up past the towering buildings to see the sky, dark and weeping. Clicking the umbrella in place you walk out into the city. There is nobody outside, but that is normal for how early you wake up to go to work. Water falls around you as light posts frame your silhouette on the sidewalk, eventually dissapating into the concrete as you walk farther away from the light. Reaching a crosswalk, you look out onto the street and see [[no one|City 2]].

No cars at all. Taking in your surrounding there are more things that look strange around you. [["What is wrong with the buildings?"|City 2.1]] [["The intersection deosn't look right"|City 2.2]] [["What's this on the ground?"|City 2.3]]

Looking up at the buildings, the dark and smooth surfaces reveal no lights from inside, making the rest of the city feel dark and depressing. You would think there would be at least one light on from someone working early into the morning. Also the light posts are on so the city couldn't possibly be in a black out. You wonder if the lights at your work are on... and [[continue walking to work.|City 3]]

Red. All the stop lights are red. Each of the stop lights shine a bright red in each direction. Usually there will be at least 1 light that is green in the intersection to let cars coming from that direction go. But there are no cars around so I guess it won't affect that much... and you [[continue walking to work.|City 3]]

On the ground in the middle of the cross walk is a splatter of blood. A large pool of blood lies near the crosswalk and splatters off and away from the intersection, becoming thinner and less dense. You don't remember seeing this as you approached the crosswalk, and you don't know how it got here. There are no scuff marks and no trails of blood that lead away or to the crosswalk. As you blink, the blood dissappears without any trace of it being there previously. You have no idea what happened here... and [[continue walking to work.|City 3]] (set: $deathcause to 1)

(set: $driver to (text-colour: orange)) Walking away from the cross walk at the intersection. You walk over to the bus stop that you usually get on, and the bus is already there, lights dark. Approaching the bus, the lights turn on to reaveal the emptiness of the bus except for the bus driver, the first person you've seen since waking up. You greet the bus driver as you pack up your umbrella and climb the steps, taking money out of your pocket to pay for the ride. She responds $driver["That will not be neccessary."] [["Uhm what?"|Bus 1]]

As you say that the doors to the bus close and you stumble back as the bus begins to move into the city. $driver["You can sit down if you would like."] Nervously you sit down on one of the seats closest to the driver and put your umbrella in your lap. [["Excuse me but why are you letting me ride without paying"|Bus 1.1]] [[Look out the window at the city|Bus 1.2]]

$driver["It is not neccessary to pay for a ride that is free for all"] "But this ride is not free for all, all members of the city have to pay to ride the bus." $driver["Well, not this bus. This bus doesn't require money to operate... This ride is complementary for all souls."] The windshielder wipers squeak on the front window of the bus, wiping away the water to reveal what lies in the center of the headlights, towards a part of the city you don't recognize. [[Where is this bus going...|Bus 2]]

You quietly sit in your seat as the bus rocks slightly, traveling along its path. looking out the window, you pass a park and some other buildings that you recognize. The rain continues to beat down and you can barely make out some of the surrounding area as you notice less and less of the light posts are working. Eventually you are unable to see out past what the light of the bus gives you. You look towards the front of the bus and that's when you notice [[it.|Bus 2]]

Your thoughts are interupted while looking out the front of the bus as cascades of water fall from above and down the sides of the walls that are barely visible around you. The cascading water sloshes around the windows of the bus as it continues to trudge forward through the water. Panic starts flooding your mind as the sense of being trapped settles into your thoughts. Looking down towards the water collecting on the road, you can't see the road; the water seems infinitely deep. [["What is happening?!"|Bus 3]]

(set: $driver to (text-colour: orange)) $driver["Don't worry it can't reach us in here."] The bus driver looks over her shoulder, hands away from the wheel; the bus seemingly driving itself. She then gets up and leans on the front railing, her figure framed by the front window of the bus and the water cascading around the two of you. [["Who are you?"|Bus 3.1]] [["Where are you taking me?"|Bus 3.2]] [["What is happening?"|Bus 3.3]]

$driver["My name is Clarission, I am the guide into the depths"] $driver["I am the one that everyone has to cross paths with eventually. And now it is your turn. They have requested your pressence."] "Who is They?" $driver["They are at the bottom of the depths, waiting patiently for your arrival."] The endless darkness continues behind Clarission. [["Why me..."|Bus 3.1.1]] (set: $Clar to 1)

$driver["I'm here to take you to your next destination, I'm here to take you There."] Images of the burning hand flash in your mind at the mention of "There". $driver["However, it will take a while to get there, and you are requested to wait here."] Panic further builds into your mind as you look at the scarily nonchalant gaze of the bus driver. Seeming to gaze through your body and into your soul. [[Attempt to "wake up"|Bus 3.2.1]]

$driver["How can I explain this to you... You are dead. Your soul has left your body and I am now delivering you to the depths of hell."] $driver["You see the water around us, those are the tears of angels, who weep for the poor souls that take the path to hell. For people like *You*"] "But what have I done..." $driver["You won't be able to remember until we part ways. Until you reach your destination."] [["I have to go."|Bus 3.3.1]] (set: $tears to 1)

$driver["You have been sentenced to one of the nine circles of hell for your actions. When we get into the depths, I will drop you off onto your circle. You need only to wait here for your ultimate demise."] You get a sense that this is all wrong. You were never a bad person in your lifetime, so why are you being sentenced for damnation? $driver["I can hear your thoughts."] $driver["You did this to yourself."] [["No, no, no..."|Bus 4]]

You pinch yourself in an attempt to wake up, but you can still feel the steady rocking of the bus. You start to slap yourself, but you can hear the sound of the bus driver tapping her shoe on the ground. $driver["Are you done yet?"] You open your eyes to see that nothing has gone away, you are still in the bus, you are still surronded by water, and you are still in panic. [["No, no, no..."|Bus 4]]

$driver["And how do you plan on doing that? Waking up? Taking control of the wheel? You are trapped here, and there is nothing you can do but wait to reach your destination."] You go up to one of the windows and start to bang on it with your fist. You can't feel the window budge. Realizing you have your umbrella, you raise it into the air and strike down on the glass pane, forcing you to stumble back as the umbrella bounces right off of the window. [["No, no, no..."|Bus 4]]

(set: $driver to (text-colour: orange)) This can't be happening. (link: "...")[==How is this real. (link: "...")[==This can't be real. (link: "...")[==$driver["Oh it is."] (link: "no.")[==Instinctively you dash towards the entrance to the bus and lodge your umbrella into the folding doors. $driver["That won't work."] As you struggle to force the door open, you hear a voice: (set: $solace to (text-colour: #CF83EF)) $solace["I forgive you."] [["You do?"|Bus 5]]

(set: $driver to (text-colour: orange)) The door bursts open and you stumble backwards onto the floor of the bus. $driver["WHAT?"] Your body feels cold as the spray of the (if: $tears is 1)[angel tears](else:)[water] around you hits your body. The (if: $tears is 1)[angel tears](else:)[water] outside sloshes around the bus, lapping onto the steps of the bus. $driver["I know what you are thinking, don't do it."] You look up at (if: $Clar is 1)[Clarission](else:)[the bus driver] and look into her face. She seems unsettled. $driver["You don't know what you are getting yourself into. How much danger you'd be getting into."] [[Leave the bus|Layer 1.1]] [[Stay on the bus|Bus 6]]

You take one last look at the bus driver. "I may not know what I'm doing but I'm not staying with you." With all of the force you can muster, you dive into the (if: $tears is 1)[angel tears](else:)[water]. Your senses flood with the sound of crying, the muffled sound of the (if: $tears is 1)[angel tears](else:)[water] rushing, and the sheer cold of the liquid. You open your eyes to darkness. Turning in every direction, you struggle to find the surface. Losing breath. Losing feeling. Losing sight. [[Your eyes close.|Layer 1.2]]

You look up at (if: $Clar is 1)[Clarission](else:)[the bus driver] and back at the rushing liquid. You don't know what is beyond the bus, it could be salvation. But it also could be doom. You could get swept up and drowned by the powerful force. You stand up slowly and (if: $Clar is 1)[Clarission](else:)[the bus driver] moves past you and closes the door. $driver["You made the right choice. You would have drowned out there."] You nod in agreement as you walk back to sitting down. You think to yourself: I guess I'll just wait till we get to my destination. There is nothing I can do. $driver["We are almost there."] (if: $demo is 1)[[["Okay..."|Bus ending Demo]]](else:)[[["Okay..."|Bus ending Demo]]]

`*cough cough*` You come to your senses sputtering liquid on solid ground. Clearing your lungs and looking up, you see a large expanse of people shuffling around a parking lot. You get to your feet and grab your umbrella that lies beside you. You are still damp from diving out of the bus, but you do not feel cold as the parking lot radiates heat around you. Thinking about where to go, you begin to walk among the masses of people. [["Where am I?"|Layer 1.3]]

(set: $hell to (text-colour: red)) You think to yourself: I guess I'll just wait till we get to my destination. There is nothing I can do... $driver["We are almost there."] Hours pass and you fall asleep in the bus. When you awake, (if: $Clar is 1)[Clarission](else:)[the bus driver] looks at you. $driver["We are here."] Looking out the window, the dark wet scene has changed to a bright cave lit with giant braziers. $driver["Follow me."] You get up and follow (if: $Clar is 1)[Clarission](else:)[the bus driver] out of the bus and past the braziers to a giant steel door. The door creaks open by itself and you hear a deep rumbling voice from within: $hell["I've been expecting you."]

Walking among the masses of people, you notice other's faces are blank. Void of emotion. Void of facial features. Void of life. Others walk into you, making you stumble through the crowd. At first it is a couple of times. Then people bumping into you becomes more frequent until you fall onto the ground. You curl up defensively, expecting people to walk over you. But nothing happens. You open your eyes and look up. All of the people blankly face you. (if: $demo is 1)[You then hear the voice [[again...|Hell ending Demo]]](else:)[You then hear the voice [[again...|Hell ending Demo]]]

$solace["I forgive you for your sins."] $solace["But i won't make it completely easy for you."] $solace["You can find a way out. I believe in you. You deserve a second chance. But it won't be easy."] "Thank you." $solace["Don't thank me yet."] You stand up and the blank faces follow you. You walk past the ring of figures and walk with more of a purpose than you have had in your entire life.