You do your best to seem disinterested and confused, but the man persists in this one-way conversation of his.

"Does an even two million sound right to you?" he says.

Again, he seems to know more about what is going on than you do. You fumble for your phone in your pocket, desperately trying to maintain the illusion of disinterest and mild irritation, but the words two million are still resonating in your brain.

You have no idea what kind of mission Mr. Berringer wants to hire you for. Well, scratch that; you do have a very good idea. Your potential new employer in Boston is the type of person who desires certain items, and you are the type of person who can procure them. The only thing you don't know at the moment is what the item is in this case, and where you'll need to go to find it.

But if this guy with the bad hairdo and worse clothing is willing to pay you two million... .

Well OK, you tell yourself, let's not get greedy. You have no idea what Berringer's offer is going to be. On the other hand, though, here you are flying on the ticket he purchased for you, chilling near the rear of the plane in economy class. And next to you is a guy who seems eager to steal you away. He doesn't look nearly as well-heeled as your usual employers, but maybe he's just the messenger for somebody else. And to be frank, two million would be real money.

Assuming that we're talking dollars here, and not something idiotic like Bitcoins. The last thing you need is a bank account full of arcade tokens.

But working for Mr. Berringer is like playing in the big leagues — an opportunity that is likely to lead to others. That is worth thinking about, too.

__________________________________________________
> You ignore him and wait for your meeting with Mr. Berringer.
This conversation is getting out of hand; encounters in a public space like this one is not how these transactions usually occur. It is becoming clear to you that Mr. Plaid Suit is an amateur at this kind of game, and based on his appearance it seems unlikely he has two million of anything to give you. Best to end this now, you think.

"Not interested," is all you say, your jaws clenched and your voice low. The last thing you want is to be overheard by anyone else on the plane.

"Can I interest you in a soft drink?"

The attendant's voice startles you; the cart has now reached Row 30, but you were so distracted you had lost track of it's progress. The woman in the window seat seems to wake from her nap in an instant. "Yes," she says. "Do you have Coke or Pepsi products?"

"We have Coke products: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite. We also have coffee, orange juice, and water."

"I'll have a Diet Coke, please," the woman says.

As the attendant pours the soda out of the can into the plastic cup, she asks Mr. Plaid Suit, "And you, sir?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

The attendant hands you the Diet Coke to pass along to the woman in the window seat. "How about you?" she says to you as you hand off the cup.

"Coffee will be good," you say. And a moment later you are cradling a paper cup full of black coffee in your hands.

This entire interruption has thrown your neighbor off his game. He continues to fidget in his seat, but with the woman to his left in the window seat no longer napping, and with you clearly not interested in his solicitations, he acts as though the remainder of the flight has no purpose for him. Out of the corner of your eye you see him reaching for the newspaper again, only to put it pack in the magazine pouch as if faintly disgusted with it. He pulls out a dog-eared copy of Condé Nast Traveler instead and pretends to be interested in some article about an apple festival in Upstate New York.

The plane touches down at Logan before you even finish your coffee, and you make a hasty exit off the plane. There is no need to go to the baggage return because everything you need is in your carry-on — traveling light is always a boon in your profession. So you rush through the terminal, not even looking to see if Mr. Plaid Suit is following you. The airport is already filling with people, a medley of humanity in motion, and you can only assume that the bald man with the bagel breath is now busy looking for the next flight back to New York.

Outside the terminal, dozens of people are lined up at the taxi stand waiting to hail a ride, or waiting for their Uber to arrive. You're already ahead of that game; as soon as the plane landed and you were able to turn on your phone, you hailed a ride of your own. Now you have a message that your ride has arrived: a black Camry driven by someone named Julio.

Indeed, you see a car matching the description across the street, just behind a family of weary but excited travelers loading their suitcases into the back of a minivan, telling the relative who is picking them up about their flight from Cleveland. You are musing to yourself about how every man, woman, and child in this family is wearing either a Red Sox or a Patriots shirt when you hear the whiny revving of a four-cylinder engine. Too late, you turn to see the Camry charging out of its waiting spot, clipping you as it weaves through the dawdling taxis and Ubers and then speeds toward the city.

The last thing you remember is your face hitting the hard pavement.

__________________________________________________
> Next page.
When you come to, you are in a hospital room. There is a window, but the only thing it reveals is what must be the next wing over. The TV is turned off, and the only voices are coming from down the hall.

You have no time for this; you're going to miss your meeting with Berringer! Swinging your feet out of bed, you realize you are wearing nothing but a standard-issue hospital robe; and as you try and sit up, your left arm tugs at all the medical equipment that you didn't realize were tethered to you.

Two nurses rush into the room. Are they more concerned about you, or the equipment you almost toppled over?

"You're awake!" the lead nurse says, wearing a loose-fitting maroon scrub and paisley leggings.

"Yes," you say, "but I can't stay." Your voice is raspier than it should be.

"Oh, is that so?" the nurse says.

"I have a meeting. I can't afford to be late."

"Well how about we just lie back in bed and get yourself comfortable? Then we can get Dr. Green to come in and have a chat with you." She is speaking as though she is making a suggestion, but she and her confederate are already lifting your legs back into the bed and guiding your head back toward the pillow.

"But—"

"I'm sure your meeting can wait," she says. "Besides, you're in no shape to be interviewing for a job, or wherever it was you were going. If you like, I can turn the TV on for you. Do you like Jeopardy! ?"

Who's got time for game shows? you think, but you're starting to realize you don't have the energy to put up a fight. The nurse points the remote control at the TV, and indeed Jeopardy! is the first thing you see.

Alex Trebek is reading a clue off the blue video screen. "In the 2002 movie Gangs of New York, the Five Points crime boss William Cutting is also known by this macabre nickname."

"Who is Bill the Butcher? I'll take 'Scorsese Flicks' for five hundred."

The nurse stands back to regard her handiwork, once you are tucked back in the bed where she seems to think you belong. "There. Better?"

Maybe. Probably. Actually, you have no clue what happened or why you are here, except that you have this unusual headache. The pain is dull, so you must be medicated.

"Oh, by the way, these flowers came for you today. Would you like to read the card that came with them?"

She points to a small calling card, propped on a plastic stick and surrounded by a bouquet of blue and white flowers. Who even knows you are here? You nod, and she hands the card to you. It reads:

Get well soon.

Regards,

Walter Berringer.

PS: Better luck next time.

THE END


The hospital seems to be completely empty. You wake up in an old rundown hospital with no memory of how you got there. You look around and see broken equipment lying around the room.
> You leave the hospital and see if there is anything outside.
Outside the hospital you see a worn down road and empty cars. Everything is strangely quiet and you start getting worried. You feel hungry and wonder when the last time you ate was.
> You try to find a working car.
You find a car with the keys in the ignition and try to start it. Nothing happens. You keep looking and find another car that looks like it might work. You manage to get the engine started.
> You drive around looking for any people or stores that might have supplies.
You drive around the town and see many boarded up buildings, but no people. Eventually you find a store that you think might have supplies.
> You go inside the store and see if there are any supplies.
It looks like the store has been ransacked and all the shelves are empty. You manage to find a package of granola bars and a flashlight behind the counter.
> You eat a granola bar.
You feel a little bit better. But you're still hungry.
> You eat another granola bar.
You feel better. You should probably save the rest of your food though.
> You leave the store and get back in the car.
As you leave the store you notice movement out behind your car. A man steps out with a hungry look in his eyes. His clothes are in tatters and he is carrying a crowbar.
> You run at the man and attack him.
You run forward to attack the man. His crowbar crashes into your chest and you fall to the ground. He kicks you a few times and then grabs your granola bars and runs off.
> You go after him.
You go after him. As you try and stand up though you realize you're in extreme pain. You think one of your ribs is broken. You manage to get yourself on your feet, but realize catching him is impossible.
> You look for something to wrap your chest with.
You walk back into the store and find a few shirts that you tear and wrap around your chest. It helps you feel slightly better. But you're still in a lot of pain.


As you leave the store you notice movement out behind your car. A man steps out with a hungry look in his eyes. His clothes are in tatters and he is carrying a crowbar.
> You ask the man what he wants and where everybody is.
He looks at you confused. "What are you stupid? This is the end of the world man!" he says.
> You say "What do you mean? I just woke up in a hospital with no memory. What happened?"
He responds "Like I said, the end of the world. When the bombs starting falling three years ago we thought we could pull through. But then the skies turned black, crops started dying and everyone went crazy. Most people died in the first couple months."
> You ask him how he managed to survive.
He tells you that he was away hunting when it all started happening. He managed to live off the land for the first little while. But after the animals started dying he ran out of food and came to the city.
> You ask him if you two can work together.
The man shakes his head. "Hardly enough food for one person. I've only lived this long by looking after myself." He turns and starts walking away.
> You run after the man and tell him you'll both do better together.
He stops and thinks about it for a second, then says, "Fine. I guess there might be advantages to working together."
> You ask him where he thinks you should go next.
He tells you there is a house on the road that looked undisturbed that might be worth checking out.
> You start going towards the house.
You are walking towards the house. You reach an intersection. There is a police station on one corner an office building on another. The house is another half mile down the road.
> You keep going towards the house.
You keep walking and eventually reach the house. You see a two story house that looks fairly undisturbed. There's a garage on the right and a path to the backyard on the left.
> You go around the house to the backyard.
You go to the backyard of the house. There's a dirty grill and an overturned slide. There's a door to the house on the back porch.
> You open the back door into the house.
You open the back door into the house and go inside. You're in a combined kitchen and living room. You see several cupboard doors are hanging open, a fridge and several couches around a TV.


The man shakes his head. "Hardly enough food for one person. I've only lived this long by looking after myself." He turns and starts walking away.
> You leave the store and get back in your car.
You think about what the man said. How is this possible? Why were you in that hospital and what should you do now?
> You drive back to the hospital to see if you can find any clues.
As you pull in to the hospital parking lot the car sputters and dies. It's out of fuel an slows to a halt.
> You go back to the room you woke up in.
You get to the room. It's the same as how you remember it. Broken equipment everywhere. But there's also a small notebook that you didn't notice before lying on the floor.
> You read the notebook.
It looks like a journal. As you flip through the pages you see drawings of the death and destruction. The journal talks about someone's horrific experiences during the aftermath of the war.
> You try to see if anything in it sparks your memory.
you read for a while hoping this will give you some clue. None of the events written about spark anything, but you do read someone's name that you feel like you should know. "Sarina". It says she heard about a community called "Bright Meadow" that was safe and had food and was leaving to find it.
> You see if you can find out where Bright Meadow is from the journal.
You look through the journal to see if there are any clues about where Bright Meadow is. You find a crude map that shows Bright Meadow to the north of a town called Clayton.
> You go to Clayton.
You don't know where Clayton is. But maybe if you found a map you could figure out where it is.
> You look for a map somewhere in the hospital.
You start looking around for a map. You find an administrator's office that you think might have one.
> You search the office for a map.
You look through the filing cabinets for a map. You find a bunch of patient records in a filing cabinet. In the desk you find a map that shows other hospitals in the region. It says Clayton is 15 miles to the West of here.
> You leave the hospital and start heading towards Clayton.
As you're walking to to Clayton you start getting hungry. You remember that you have few granola bars in your pocket.


As you're walking to to Clayton you start getting hungry. You remember that you have few granola bars in your pocket.
> You eat a few granola bars.
You finish off the rest of your granola bars. You're full now, but are worried about what you'll eat when you get hungry again.
> You keep walking towards Clayton.
You walk for two hours and take a break. You've left the town you were in and are now in a more rural area. There's a farmhouse to your right and a forest on your left.
> You go in the farmhouse and look for food.
You try to open the farmhouse front door, but it's locked. There's a broken window on the right and a shed behind the house.
> You go through the window into the farmhouse.
You break the rest of the glass in the window and try to carefully crawl through. You cut yourself on the edges as you're climbing in, but you make it inside.
> You search the farmhouse for food.
You search around the farmhouse for food. You find some thick sturdy shirts and some rusty tools but no food. It's getting dark outside. You think it might be a good idea to sleep the night here.
> You sleep the night in the farmhouse.
You wake up in the middle of the night sweating from a nightmare. In it you saw a woman screaming in some dark place. You feel like you need to rescue her and that you're the only one who can help her.
> You go back to sleep till the morning.
You try to go back to sleep, but can't shake the feelings from your dream. You decide you might as well get up and see if you can do anything productive.
> You look around the farmhouse for anything else useful.
You look around the farmhouse for anything else useful. You don't find anything else useful.
> You leave the farmhouse and continue walking towards Clayton.
You get back on the road and continue your journey. After a few hours you realize how starving you are. You' really need to find a food.
> You look around to see what's around you.
There's an old warehouse and a few mechanics shops.


You try to open the farmhouse front door, but it's locked. There's a broken window on the right and a shed behind the house.
> You head towards the shed behind the house
You notice there is a padlock on the shed. Maybe you can find a key or a tool to get in.
> You head back towards the broken window of the farmhouse
You have to go through the window to look for tools. You careful break the window more to go inside.
> You go through window
You cut yourself on the edges as you're climbing in, but you make it inside.You find some thick sturdy shirts and there are rusted scattered tool scattered throughout. There doesn't seem to be any food around, however you wonder if there is a tool or key to open the shed.
> You search the farmhouse
You're Not the best educated when it comes to tools but you have an idea of what kind of tool you need to use. You see lots of shovels, rakes, and pitchforks. You notice something that looks like big pliers...maybe that can work?
> You grab bolt cutter
You could go back out to open the shed but it is starting to get dark. You think about resting in the farmhouse or going to check the shed out.
> You go back to shed
Dusk is setting and you climb out the window unscathed. You walk over to the shed and begin to attempt cutting the lock off. Your stomach growls as you place the bolt cutter on the lock. In that moment you think you hear rustling behind you. You turn to look and nothing is there. so you resume cutting the padlock off.
> You enter the shed
You remove the padlock and slowly open the door. With the sun setting, it's a bit difficult to see the contents of the shed.
> You search the shed
You can make out that there are some storage shelves and a few tables. You see something that looks a tin pot or jug to some sort. You check it and it has nothing inside. Next to it on a table you see a matchbox. You take the matchbox because it's likely to help you see.
> You strike a match
The first match goes dull quick. The second and third match break as you try to strike them. There are only two matches left. You try to relax a bit to keep yourself from breaking another match. You strike the match and it stays lit.
> You search the shed slowly
To your right you see jars filled with preserved fruits and vegetables. To your left you see more jars but can make out the contents clearly.


To your right you see jars filled with preserved fruits and vegetables. To your left you see more jars but can make out the contents clearly.
> You eat some preserved fruits and vegetables
You delight it some pickled okra and some peach preserves. You think about bringing some food with you, but it will be too heavy for travel. So you try to eat as much as you can now. You decide to have some for the morning as well. It's getting late and with your full belly you are feeling quite tired. You can reenter the farmhouse or sleep in the shed.
> You stay in the shed
You remembered the noise you heard early and decide to holed up in the shed.
> You find a place in the shed to relax
You use your hands to guide you around the space. Just past the preserved goods on the shelves there seems to be a small rug that is folded.
> You adjust the rug to lay on it
As you kneel down to adjust the rug your hand touches something cold and metal-like.
> You access the metal object
It seems to be a large metallic ring connected to the floor.
> You pull the ring
The floor lifts slightly and a dusty smell wafts out.
> You shut the hatch back
It seems to be a hatch that leads to an underground area like a cellar or bunker.
> You open the hatch again
You open up the hatch again but a little wider and stick your head in a bit. It's too dark to see anything. All you can do is smell the muskiness of whatever is below.
> You close the hatch and resume to try to sleep
You lay on the small rug and try to get comfortable. You hold yourself and try to get a grasp on reality before fading to sleep.
> You wake up
You awaken to some sunlight beams leaking in through the shed. You stretch and yawn as you look at the jars of preserves.


You awaken to some sunlight beams leaking in through the shed. You stretch and yawn as you look at the jars of preserves.
> You have some preserves for breakfast
You eat some green beans, carrots, and applesauce. You figure this will be enough nutrients for now.
> You look around
You look back to the other shelf and see it has some weird contents. Some sort flesh and meat compositions that repulses you. You don't wanna know if its animal or...something else.
> You check the hatch
You the hatch door wide open and look down into it. You see a few more shelves and notice that room leads further back. You feel a draft coming from that direction.
> You exit the shed
Deciding against jumping down into a creepy underground room, you open the shed door. As you eyes san the area, you recall generally where you need to go to get to Bright Meadow.
> You get back on the road to Clayton
You walk down the country road and slowly scan your surroundings. Everything seems so silent. It's almost unnatural and surreal.
> You continue down the road
It's been roughly an hour now and the sun is really shining down you. You are becoming a little parched and in need of refreshment.
> You scan your surroundings
To the right there are fields that use to hold crops that are currently in decay. To the left there is a slightly decaying forest.
> You walk left into the forest
You walk into the woods and sit on a rock between a group trees. You wonder if there is some form of running water somewhere in here. You notice there are small pebbles at your feet.
> You pick up a pebble
You pick up the pebble and notice the ground if very dry. This makes you uncertain a water source could be nearby. You could try to go further into the forest or suckle on the pebble to create saliva to help your body sustain a bit longer.
> You suckle on the pebble
You roll the pebble around in your mouth and your mouth begins to salivate.


You roll the pebble around in your mouth and your mouth begins to salivate.
> You head back to road
You continue down the road for another hour. You finally see a road sign saying "Clayton 5 Miles". This sparks a bit of joy in you. By this rate you'll definitely be there within an hour and half. Then to Bright Meadow within two to three hours.
> You move forwards faster
Your energetic boost pushed you further down the road. In the distance you spot an abandoned car.
> You search vehicle
You look through the windows and don't see much left in the car. One of the side windows was broken open.
> You get into the car
You immediately check for keys and they aren't in the ignition. You decide to search the car more.
> You check the glove box
You open the glove box and it has papers in it. Mostly car insurance and information.
> You check the backseat
You notice a dried blood stain on the back car seat. There is also some trash.
> You check the floors
You scan underneath the front car seats and the floors. You find the car keys were just out of sight under the driver's seat.
> You start the car
You try to start the car several times and nothing happens. You think of the possibility it needs gas and maybe they had spare gas in the trunk.
> You pop the trunk
You press the button to unlock the trunk. It slowly lifts open.
> You check the trunk
You get out of the car and walk towards the trunk.


You walk back into the store and find a few shirts that you tear and wrap around your chest. It helps you feel slightly better. But you're still in a lot of pain.
> You take a quick rest
You slouch down to the ground and try to breathe steadily. The pain beings to magnify. You wonder what has happened to the world and if there are more hostile people out there like the guy who attacked you.
> You move further to the back of the store
Worried there are more hostiles around, you drag yourself to the back corner of the store.
> You access the area
The corner is a bit dark as the natural light hardly reaches there. There also seems to be some rubbish on the floor.
> You lay down the corner
You feel a little dizzy so you bring yourself to the dark corner to rest a bit.
> You take a short rest
You awaken to the sound of some footsteps nearby. Being a bit startled you pull yourself more into the dark corner. A sharp pain goes rings up from your ribcage.
> You listen for the footsteps
After you moved you couldn't hear the footsteps anymore. You try to steady your heart rate and your breathing. After a few minutes you hear the footsteps again.
> You stay quiet
A back door opens to your right and it startles you. You feel a cough well up inside you.
> You hold in the cough
You place you hand over your mouth as you see a women cautiously come inside. She doesn't really look harmful but who knows what could be on her mind.
> You stay hidden and attempt to escape
The woman looks around and beings to check the materials and rubbish scattered around on the floor mostly in the well lit areas. Your cough lets out.
> You make a run for the back door
You dash out the back door and hear the woman scream, "Wait! Watch out!!". You take a few steps forward through the door and suddenly fall down into a hole. You are knocked unconscious.


The man shakes his head. "Hardly enough food for one person. I've only lived this long by looking after myself." He turns and starts walking away.
> You he's right. You look around at the everything and realize that taking care of yourself might be the best bet.
get back in your car
> You are uncertain of where you are, but at least you have this car for now. You ride down the main road and look for a bigger city.
You pass a farm house and you approach what looks like a warehouse and a mechanics shop just across from it.
> You pull up to the mechanics shop
You figure its possible to find more gas at the mechanics shop so you pull up to the garage.
> You check the garage door
The door is locked and the windows to get in are too high to reach. Maybe there is a key in the front desk area.
> You check the front desk office
You check the front and back door, they are both locked. However there are several windows you can break through.
> You break window
Thinking on it, you wrap your shirt around fist and bust the window open. You clear off as much debris as you can.
> You crawl through window
You pull yourself through and find yourself in a small bathroom. There doesn't seem to be anything important here.
> You open door to front desk area
You slowly open the door and see the front desk area is mostly untouched.There's lots of dust  flying around.
> You search the desk area
You begin to scan the desk, there are lots of papers and receipts. You open the first drawer and find some keys.
> You take keys
You walk over to the front door and the keys on them. They don't seem to work.


You open the back door into the house and go inside. You're in a combined kitchen and living room. You see several cupboard doors are hanging open, a fridge and several couches around a TV.
> You check the kitchen
You go through cupboards and find a few cans of beans. You pull the them out and place them on the counter. You hear the other guy rummaging through things upstairs.
> You check the refrigerator
You open the fridge and are greeted by a magnificent mold colony. However there are three bottles of water that can be saved.
> You put water on the kitchen counter
As you place the water on the counter you hear a shuffle and crash from upstairs. Muffled yelling from the man you entered the house with.
> You check on the man
You quickly head up the stairs and enter the room with the open door. You the man cradling his hand and cursing.
> You ask him what happened
"Was some sort of freaky looking rodent!! It bit me on my hand when I reached under the bed. I think it's still under there..." I tell him that i'm gonna lift up the bed if he will ready his crowbar to kill it. He nods in agreement.
> You lift the bed up
You lift up the bed and wait for him to have some reaction. You watch him crouch down and use the crowbar to hit some boxes and bags.
> You ask him if he can see it
"I would say something if I did" he sasses back at you. Maybe it's in one of the boxes or bags trying to hide. You are starting to get tired holding up the bed.
> You ask him to hurry
He scoffs at you and begins to wail the crow bar on the boxes and bags. We don't hear anything or see anything.
> You tell him you need to place the bed back down
He pulls the boxes and bags out with the crowbar and places them to the side. He nods at you.
> You put the bed down
You both slowly look through boxes and bags. You find a hanger and use it to poke through things.


There's an old warehouse and a few mechanics shops.
> You check warehouse
Uncertain you'd find anything of need at the mechanics you head towards the warehouse. You're not certain what kind of warehouse it is though.
> You open door
You go straight for the front door and its locked. The windows are too high to break in to.
> You check the back of the warehouse
It takes you a minute to walk along to backside of the building. There you find several loading docks for semi trucks. You see on of the loading gate open just enough for to squeeze through.
> You access the loading gate
You check the loading gate before going under it. It seems pretty stuck.
> You squeeze through the gate
You sit on the ground and put your legs through the open. You laying down fully you pull your body through the opening.
> You look around
The warehouse looks slightly undisturbed. There are some boxes that have tipped over and scattered pallets in messy piles.
> You check some boxes
You grab the top of a box and pull it down. The box shifts forward and a bunch of doll heads spill. This startles you and causes you to gasp loudly.
> You examine the rest of the warehouse
You begin walking down the aisles and assume this a warehouse for toys or just parts of dolls. Then you distantly hear a playful voice say, "This way...come this way". They don't sound harmful.
> You go in the direction you heard the voice come from
"Hey, over here..." you hear the playful voice say from a short distance away.
> You walk towards the voice
You head in the direction you heard the voice come from. After passing a few aisles of stacked boxes you see an old man stand holding a doll. He beings to cackle.