Maybe that smell is simply rotting food, and where there's rotting food, there's always the possibility of stumbling across something edible. At least, that's how you justify it to yourself, but really, you're just curious. You turn down the hallway to your right and come across a door with a chain across it.
> You go back to the living room.
Sure, you're feeling desperate, but not desperate enough to look for hope where there is none. There's probably nothing worthwhile behind that door—and for all you know, the smell is coming from rotting corpses. You shake the thought out of your head and turn around to return to the living room, but when you arrive, there's a tall figure standing in front of you, holding a hunting knife in his hand. He looks just as terrified as you, but his reflexes are much faster, and before you know it, he's lunging at you with the knife.
> You run!
You turn to run out the front door, but you only make it to the edge of the porch before you feel a hot pain in your leg. Shouting, you tumble down the porch steps onto the ground and hold your wounded thigh to your chest in agony. The man grabs you by the neck and raises the bloody knife over his head, and in that brief moment before death, when your life should've been flashing before your eyes, you see a glimmer of something in his. You can't be certain, but you think what you're seeing in his eyes is fear—something so human that it startles you, and yet is somehow relieving.

Then the blade penetrates your skull, and everything goes black.


You're barely surviving on the few provisions you have, and that doesn't even include food. You can't afford to pass up this opportunity, even if it is a little reckless. Parking your cart in the woods near the house, you cautiously approach and make your way silently onto the porch. Peeking through the windows, you don't see any signs of movement, so you slowly open the creaky front door and step inside. The interior smells like rotten eggs, and there's an ungodly stench coming from the hallway to your right. You can see a kitchen on the other side of the living room, and there are also stairs leading up onto the second floor of the house. Where do you search first?
> You search the kitchen.
As soon as you enter the rundown kitchen, you freeze. Through the window, you see a tall figure outside making his way towards the house with a large hunting knife in hand. The terror moves your legs into action, and you bolt back out the front door. You're moving so quickly and in such fright that you don't even think to go back for the cart, and instead you launch yourself into the river and frantically stumble across. Your heart is throbbing in your ears by the time you reach the opposite shore, and looking back, you think you see movement in one of the windows of the house. You have no time to think and act on the primitive fight or flight response alone, fleeing the scene and leaving everything behind for the stranger.
> Next.
With no supplies to carry and no idea of where you're going, you feel lost and without a sense of purpose. You wander through the forest in the bitter cold, clutching your arms and clenching your jaw to keep your teeth from chattering. Your stomach is empty, and your nerves are raw—every noise sets you off. You wish you had done things differently. You go over every scenario again and again and try to understand what went wrong, but really, it was the world that went wrong. All you were doing was trying to set yourself right... right?

Your mind continues to race with possibilities when suddenly you run into something hanging from a tree and accidently knock it down into the snow. Startled, you cautiously look down to find it was a nearly frozen corpse, poorly dressed for this weather and, well, dead. These things used to freak you out, but you've learned to accept them for what they are, so long as they aren't you.

You stare at the body at your feet, mind racing. You don't want to resort to that. You promised your brother that you wouldn't. But you're so hungry already. You have no idea how you'd go about it, but you're convinced you'd find a way. You're convinced it's the only way.

You...
> You resist.
You sit down in the snow and ash beside the body and watch it. It's a female. She was probably no older than nineteen. You bet her name was Meredith. Or Jenette. You like the name Jenette better. Your mind begins crafting a backstory for Jenette: a loving family in Tennessee, a big heart for animals, a tire swing on which she'd drag her pet cat on a sunny day in June... And soon enough, you can't even bring yourself to think about eating her. She was a human once, after all. She still is a human. Your stomach protests, but you smile softly to yourself. Your integrity remains intact, if only for today...


With no supplies to carry and no idea of where you're going, you feel lost and without a sense of purpose. You wander through the forest in the bitter cold, clutching your arms and clenching your jaw to keep your teeth from chattering. Your stomach is empty, and your nerves are raw—every noise sets you off. You wish you had done things differently. You go over every scenario again and again and try to understand what went wrong, but really, it was the world that went wrong. All you were doing was trying to set yourself right... right?

Your mind continues to race with possibilities when suddenly you run into something hanging from a tree and accidently knock it down into the snow. Startled, you cautiously look down to find it was a nearly frozen corpse, poorly dressed for this weather and, well, dead. These things used to freak you out, but you've learned to accept them for what they are, so long as they aren't you.

You stare at the body at your feet, mind racing. You don't want to resort to that. You promised your brother that you wouldn't. But you're so hungry already. You have no idea how you'd go about it, but you're convinced you'd find a way. You're convinced it's the only way.

You...
> You give in.
You don't think about it as you're doing it. The fire, the tearing of flesh, the roasting, the smell, the satisfaction—thinking would only drive you mad. You don't have time for thoughts outside of yourself. You can only consume and consume until your stomach can handle no more. You almost throw up, not because of what you're eating, but because you haven't eaten in such a long time that your body doesn't know how to handle it. Soon enough, you've calmed down, and you lie back against a tree. There isn't a thought in your head outside of yourself. You are full and you will survive another day. If only just another day...


You're barely surviving on the few provisions you have, and that doesn't even include food. You can't afford to pass up this opportunity, even if it is a little reckless. Parking your cart in the woods near the house, you cautiously approach and make your way silently onto the porch. Peeking through the windows, you don't see any signs of movement, so you slowly open the creaky front door and step inside. The interior smells like rotten eggs, and there's an ungodly stench coming from the hallway to your right. You can see a kitchen on the other side of the living room, and there are also stairs leading up onto the second floor of the house. Where do you search first?
> You check upstairs.
As quietly as possible, you creep up the stairs and begin to look around. There are several rooms that have been raided and destroyed, but one in the far corner remains intact. You step inside and immediately freeze. There's something on the bed in front of you, a lump of flesh that looks neither alive nor dead. Your heart starts to race, and you're filled with terror as the lump rises and falls with the man's breathing. You start to turn around...
> Next.
You don't even see your attacker. All you feel is the blunt edge of the knife being jammed into the back of your skull, and the world goes black. Oh, what a grave mistake you've made. Maybe your killer will dispose of you into the woods. Maybe they're decide to consume what little meat is left on your scrawny bones. But what does it matter? You're dead now, and you won't suffer any longer.


The wind is noticeably colder today than it was yesterday. Already, you can feel the brutal winter creeping up behind you, taunting you by sending fatal, frozen ashstorms your way. As you push your cart south down the long, crack-laden road, the darkness that you've come to recognize as day begins to fade. You know that it would be reckless to keep moving in the black of night, so you resolve to camp out and try your luck at sleep. Where do you settle down for the night?
> You set up camp in the woods. Sleeping in the road would leave you defenseless against an attack.
Even though you doubt that anyone would dare to traverse the road at night, you don't want to take any chances. After hiding your cart in some bushes a few yards away from the road, you carry the rest of your supplies deeper into the woods until you come across a small clearing. The charred trees around you don't offer as much protection as you'd like, but it's better than being completely exposed and vulnerable. You put what little provisions you have down on the blankets and set out to search for firewood, but by the time you return, there's barely enough light to see by, and you nearly trip over your pile of supplies. Muttering under your breath, you eventually get the fire going and sit clutching your knees to your chest. The forest creeks under the pressure of the wind, but these noises leave you unfazed. You've learned long ago how to distinguish between the howling of the wind and the howling of men. Before you know it, your fire's burned down, and you've fallen asleep curled up in your blankets.
> Next.
You awake to the dull light—if it could even be called light—of morning. As you look about you, the only change that catches your eye is a tree that fell several yard away from your campsite. You look at it in wonder; it hadn't even woken you when it fell, and you can't help but wonder if it could've fallen on you. You shake off the thought and gather up your provisions, carrying them back to where you hid the cart and pushing it up towards the road. In no time, you're heading south.

After having walked almost five miles, you come across what used to be a bridge spanning a wide river. The rapids may have raced along the channel at one point in time, but now the thick sludge only creeps slowly over the rocks. It would be slow going, but the water is shallow enough that you think you'd be able to cross. (After all, the shattered bridge will be of no use to you.) What do you do?


Grey snow begins to fall as you make your way slowly along the road. You're not sure how long it's been. Days? Weeks? It couldn't have been months, you think, otherwise it would be getting warmer by now. At least, that's what you hope is true, for there would be no meaning in migrating south every winter if summer only grew colder. You amuse yourself with thoughts like these in an attempt to forget the twisting, empty feeling in your stomach. Impulsively, you remove your canteen from your pack and take a quick drink to quell the swelling of your throat.

Later in the evening, you come across an abandoned gas station—actually, why do you even refer to it as abandoned? Everything in this world is abandoned and decaying, isn't it? ...There goes your brain again. You can't let it get to you. You have to hold on to the hope of survival, because without it, life isn't worth living.

You take a deep breath and force yourself to enter the gas station. As you expected, all of the shelves have been ravaged and there's hardly anything worth keeping. You pay no mind to the open cash register and instead begin fumbling about through the mess in search of something, anything worth eating. You ran out of canned food long ago, and your stomach has been protesting its neglect by twisting about in knots with every breath. You peer into one of the broken refrigerators and spot a sealed packet of some sort of lunch meat, hidden away in the corner. You open the door and pull it out, staring longingly at the pale hunk of long-expired, browning flesh. What do you do?
> You put it back. You can't take that risk.
Your stomach protests your decision, but you return the package to its original hiding place anyway. You know the risks that come with food poisoning, and with such a poor immune system, it would be all too easy for some bacteria to kill you off in your sleep. Instead, you venture outside and return with firewood, and after setting up a small fire in the middle of the store, you curl up on the floor with your extra jacket draped over you and fall asleep.


The wind is noticeably colder today than it was yesterday. Already, you can feel the brutal winter creeping up behind you, taunting you by sending fatal, frozen ashstorms your way. As you trudge further south along the crack-laden road, your back hunched from the weight of the pack on your shoulders, the darkness that you've come to recognize as day begins to fade. You know that it would be reckless to keep moving in the black of night, so you resolve to camp out, eat some supper, and try your luck at sleep. Where do you settle down for the night?
> You set up camp in the woods. Sleeping in the road would leave you defenseless against an attack.
Even though you doubt that anyone would dare to traverse the road at night, you don't want to take any chances. After resituating the pack on your shoulders, you venture deeper into the woods until you come across a small clearing. The charred trees around you don't offer as much protection as you'd like, but it's better than being completely exposed and vulnerable. You put your supplies down and set out to search for firewood, but by the time you return, there's barely enough light to see by, and you nearly trip over your backpack in the pitch dark. Muttering under your breath, you begin working to start the fire, but your frustration gets the better of you and you lay down in defeat.

Pulling a rusty can of peaches from your pack, you quickly scarf down your dinner and toss the trash to the side. A cold wind blows through the forest, sending your body shivering uncontrollably, and you realize that you may not survive the night without a fire. You decide to...
> You try again. You have no choice; you need to stay warm.
With a great deal of patience and effort, you finally manage to ignite the tinder with sparks from two rocks and sigh with relief. The flame quickly consumes the dry twigs and you have to constantly feed it to keep it going, but it's worth the warmth. Lying alarmingly close to the fire, you bundle up in your extra coat, drape the tarp over yourself, and easily relinquish your mind to sleep.
> Next.
You awake to the dull light—if it could even be called light—of morning. As you look about you, the only change that catches your eye is a tree that fell several yard away from your campsite. You look at it in wonder; it hadn't even woken you when it fell, and you can't help but wonder if it could've fallen on you. Either way, though, you're thankful; that was the best night's sleep you've had in a long time. You stretch leisurely, gather up your provisions, and stuff them back into your pack. You swing it over your shoulder and walk up towards the road, and in no time, you're heading south.

After having walked almost five miles, you come across what used to be a bridge spanning a wide river. The rapids may have raced along the channel at one point in time, but now the thick sludge only creeps slowly over the rocks. It would be slow going, but the water is shallow enough that you think you'd be able to cross. (After all, the shattered bridge will be of no use to you.) What do you do?


Even though you doubt that anyone would dare to traverse the road at night, you don't want to take any chances. After resituating the pack on your shoulders, you venture deeper into the woods until you come across a small clearing. The charred trees around you don't offer as much protection as you'd like, but it's better than being completely exposed and vulnerable. You put your supplies down and set out to search for firewood, but by the time you return, there's barely enough light to see by, and you nearly trip over your backpack in the pitch dark. Muttering under your breath, you begin working to start the fire, but your frustration gets the better of you and you lay down in defeat.

Pulling a rusty can of peaches from your pack, you quickly scarf down your dinner and toss the trash to the side. A cold wind blows through the forest, sending your body shivering uncontrollably, and you realize that you may not survive the night without a fire. You decide to...
> You just lie down and try to sleep. You're exhausted, and spending all night trying to build a fire would expend all of your body heat anyway.
Your body feels especially heavy tonight, and all you want to do is sleep. You huddle up inside your extra jacket and pull the tarp over your head, willing sleep to come. However, you continue to shake in the brutal cold, and by the time you finally succumb to slumber, it is a light, restless sleep. You'll wake up in a fit only to fall back asleep and wake up again, leaving you more exhausted each time.
> Next.
After a long, cold night of broken sleep, you awake to the dull light—if it could even be called light—of morning. As you look about you, the only change that catches your eye is a tree that fell several yard away from your campsite. You remember waking to a loud noise in the middle of the night, but your body was so heavy that you couldn't even sit up to protect yourself. Thankfully, it didn't land on you... though you wonder if that wouldn't have been best. With a heavy heart, you gather up your provisions and stuff them back into your pack. You swing it over your shoulder and walk slowly up towards the road, and soon enough, you're heading south.

After having walked almost three miles, you come across what used to be a bridge spanning a wide river. The rapids may have raced along the channel at one point in time, but now the thick sludge only creeps slowly over the rocks. It would be slow going, but the water is shallow enough that you think you'd be able to cross. (After all, the shattered bridge will be of no use to you.) What do you do?


It was a normal Saturday afternoon in Boston, Mass. you got up from your couch to grab a diet coke. You also heated up a leftover Hot dog from the fridge on your way to getting a diet coke. While you are waiting for the hot dog to finish heating up. you get a call. You pick it up, and hear a annoying voice. "Listen we need alot of help". "We need you" "Were Drafting you into the army". Your shocked. But you have to do what you need to do to save the U.S. Meet me by the Shooting Gallery" He said. "See you tomorrow ". He says "Bye". That night you got 3 hours of sleep thinking about what could happen in your future life.
> You choose your Gun
A long drive to the Shooting Gallery is getting you really nervous.But you gear up to start shooting in the army. you get there 5 minutes later. When you got there you saw a set of different guns. There is a Assault rifle, and a Heavy Machine Gun, a Semi-Automatic Rifle, a Shotgun, a Sniper rifle, and finally a Submachine Gun. which one to take. Since you are right now at the New Man in the army.

> You assault Rifle
As you Pick up the Rifle, you almost drop it, because you get so nervous. There is a big Target for Newcomers. It is 4 feet by 5 feet. You are trembling, and are not sure how long you can hold your balance for .The target looks like1 foot, by 2 feet. You should wait, and shoot, but your not sure how long you can hold it for. Your boss is getting very impatient with how long your taking.
> You wait, then shoot the target
It  took to long, and you give up on that gun, maybe you just not made for that gun.

> A Heavy Machine Gun
The large body you have can't even hold the Heavy Machine Gun. It is huge, and heavy. But it shoots so strong. You see a 4 feet by 5 feet target. Will you shoot it,remember it's your first time shooting,a nd you don't know where to shoot it, you can put the gun's end side up at your throat, and shoot the target, or you can Put it by your Stomach. Where will be better to shoot it. you think of.

> You shoot it by the Throat
BINGO, you got a perfect shot right on target. "Nice aiming." Your boss tells you, I like where you positioned your gun, good job. This is your new gun for starters." "Now next week I'm going to need you in Iraq, we need your help". You gulp as he continues talking, "and we will need you for the most important part. The shooting."


The large body you have can't even hold the Heavy Machine Gun. It is huge, and heavy. But it shoots so strong. You see a 4 feet by 5 feet target. Will you shoot it,remember it's your first time shooting,a nd you don't know where to shoot it, you can put the gun's end side up at your throat, and shoot the target, or you can Put it by your Stomach. Where will be better to shoot it. you think of.

> You shoot it by the stomach

The shot hits the floor, and you feel really crappy, but remember you still have other guns. So there has to be one gun that fit's your style.


As you Pick up the Rifle, you almost drop it, because you get so nervous. There is a big Target for Newcomers. It is 4 feet by 5 feet. You are trembling, and are not sure how long you can hold your balance for .The target looks like1 foot, by 2 feet. You should wait, and shoot, but your not sure how long you can hold it for. Your boss is getting very impatient with how long your taking.
> You put the Gun down, and try another one

Without even trying you put the gun down, and ask for another one.


As you Pick up the Rifle, you almost drop it, because you get so nervous. There is a big Target for Newcomers. It is 4 feet by 5 feet. You are trembling, and are not sure how long you can hold your balance for .The target looks like1 foot, by 2 feet. You should wait, and shoot, but your not sure how long you can hold it for. Your boss is getting very impatient with how long your taking.
> You just shoot out of random
The shot was at the edge of the target. But it hit it, and that gun could possibly become the next gun that you use in the army. Next week you start your missions the boss said. He continues to say stuff as you gulp. Your nervous, but you must get over it.He tels you, you will have missions in Iraq.


The smell of water clouded Gabri's mind.  The vast painting of blue was beautiful.  Forget the immense fog.  Forget the millions of trees closing him in.  All that was there was the pool of water.  He began touching his feet inside.  Its crisp freshness made him shiver with joy.  Soon, he was wading, all of him, in the water.  He swam around rapidly and then just let the water carry him.  It felt good.  Oh, how it felt good.

"Gabri!" shouted a voice from outside his own world.  There, clothed in a brown and apricot robe, stood Ka Kamikaze, Jedi Master.  His black hair, silver at the sides, clung to his scalp, refusing to let any wind pass through.  His ashy black beard did the same.  Ka was stocky, broad-shouldered.  His blue lightsaber stayed tucked away deep in his robe.  Gabri had never seen him withdraw it, but he had heard great tales in which he fought with it.  Oh, if he could see him wield it, see all those tales come true, he would love it.

"No more tomfoolery!" Ka ordered in his bold voice, "Do you come or do you stay?  I must search this area."

> You stay
"I think I shall stay." Gabri told Ka, and began drifting off into the water's hypnotizing ripples.

"Very well.  If you must.  I shall meet you back here soon." Ka said, a touch of bitterness in his voice, and was off.  But Gabri didn't listen to him.  He was already immersed in the water.

The quiet tranquility calmed him.  It was a calm quiet.  A peaceful quiet.  An eerie quiet.  A menacing quiet.  He felt the sensation of being watched.  He reluctantly emerged from the water and draped his robe around him.  He then went to explore the region around the pool.  The only sounds were his footsteps squishing on the damp grass and his breathing.  But, as he quieted himself, he heard another breathing noise.

He whipped his head around, scouring for another being.  He saw nothing.  He looked to the north and, suddenly, he heard the hum of a lightsaber.  He lashed his own out.  The crrsshh of their lightsabers clashing echoed around them.  The bright hues of green and red lit up their faces.  Gabri could not see the other's face, for it was covered by a sooty, black hood.  He knocked the lightsaber out of the other's hand and pinned him to the ground.  The other was not, however, a he at all.  She was a woman, with musty red hair all ablaze and fawn's eyes.  They were timid pools of blue-green water and they were glistening.  Her hood was now down and her arms bent up against her head.  With flaring nostrils, Gabri shouted at her,
> You say "Who are you?!"
The woman looked at him with stern eyes.  She clenched her teeth and answered, "I am Ophelia.  And you may be?"

"Gabri," Gabri told her, "I'm tempted to kill you."  She looked at him with girlish eyes.  Her sternness was there but her eyes sang a different tune.  They sang, "Have mercy on me."  He kept her restrained but, in an act of kindness, eventually let her be free.  She stood and brushed the dew off her robe.  As she stared at him her eyes said something again that her voice did not: "Why are you kind to me?"

He knew not why, but he felt a certain sadness for her.  It seemed she wished not to be here, that she longed to be somewhere safer, happier.  A tear trickled down her face.  She gazed down a moment.  Then, she looked into his periwinkle eyes.

"You have been sent to free me," she replied, speaking like a prophet, "To free me from the Sith's manacles."  He stared into her fawn's eyes.  Her strength was wilting.  She suddenly dropped to her knees, laid her face in her hands and cried.  Seeing her sorrow made him think of how he was glad he was a Jedi.  The Sith were menaces.  They always turned on each other.  They couldn't be trusted.  But he then remembered the harshness of Ka.  How Ka was cruel and unforgiving.  That was like the Sith.  They both sounded horrible.  He knelt by her, resting a claming hand on her back, and told her,
> You say "Come with me and the Jedi shall protect you."
She looked up at him with trustworthy eyes.  The tears made her eyes quiver like someone dropping a pebble into a a pond and watching the ripples.  She laid a hand on his shoulder and said, "Thank you."

He never quite did know if the Jedi were the good ones, or the Sith.  But seeing this girl break into tears, he knew.  He had to take her into his custody, make her feel wanted.  And so, following the path from Padawan to Jedi Knight, he took her as his Padawan.  He needed to show everybody how the Jedi were the ones to be trusted.  He did show them.  Every one.


The woman looked at him with stern eyes.  She clenched her teeth and answered, "I am Ophelia.  And you may be?"

"Gabri," Gabri told her, "I'm tempted to kill you."  She looked at him with girlish eyes.  Her sternness was there but her eyes sang a different tune.  They sang, "Have mercy on me."  He kept her restrained but, in an act of kindness, eventually let her be free.  She stood and brushed the dew off her robe.  As she stared at him her eyes said something again that her voice did not: "Why are you kind to me?"

He knew not why, but he felt a certain sadness for her.  It seemed she wished not to be here, that she longed to be somewhere safer, happier.  A tear trickled down her face.  She gazed down a moment.  Then, she looked into his periwinkle eyes.

"You have been sent to free me," she replied, speaking like a prophet, "To free me from the Sith's manacles."  He stared into her fawn's eyes.  Her strength was wilting.  She suddenly dropped to her knees, laid her face in her hands and cried.  Seeing her sorrow made him think of how he was glad he was a Jedi.  The Sith were menaces.  They always turned on each other.  They couldn't be trusted.  But he then remembered the harshness of Ka.  How Ka was cruel and unforgiving.  That was like the Sith.  They both sounded horrible.  He knelt by her, resting a claming hand on her back, and told her,
> You say "Do not fear the Sith. They will help you."
Her eyes met his and she resembled a deer in headlights.  Her crying stopped from sheer shock.

"Your a monster if you believe that," she said, "You must be."  She fled from him, leaving him kneeling with a hand in the air.  She fled because she feared him.  She just didn't know.  The Sith were the good ones.  Not the Jedi.  Ka was a good example.  So he became a Sith Master, destroying all dear to him for he knew this was the right thing to do.


"I think I shall stay." Gabri told Ka, and began drifting off into the water's hypnotizing ripples.

"Very well.  If you must.  I shall meet you back here soon." Ka said, a touch of bitterness in his voice, and was off.  But Gabri didn't listen to him.  He was already immersed in the water.

The quiet tranquility calmed him.  It was a calm quiet.  A peaceful quiet.  An eerie quiet.  A menacing quiet.  He felt the sensation of being watched.  He reluctantly emerged from the water and draped his robe around him.  He then went to explore the region around the pool.  The only sounds were his footsteps squishing on the damp grass and his breathing.  But, as he quieted himself, he heard another breathing noise.

He whipped his head around, scouring for another being.  He saw nothing.  He looked to the north and, suddenly, he heard the hum of a lightsaber.  He lashed his own out.  The crrsshh of their lightsabers clashing echoed around them.  The bright hues of green and red lit up their faces.  Gabri could not see the other's face, for it was covered by a sooty, black hood.  He knocked the lightsaber out of the other's hand and pinned him to the ground.  The other was not, however, a he at all.  She was a woman, with musty red hair all ablaze and fawn's eyes.  They were timid pools of blue-green water and they were glistening.  Her hood was now down and her arms bent up against her head.  With flaring nostrils, Gabri shouted at her,
> You say "Why did you try to kill me?!"
She gazed at him with fiery madness.  "Because you are a Jedi!  Jedi cannot be trusted!"  She wanted to struggle, to escape from him, he could tell but if she tried she'd feel the wrath of his lightsaber.

"It is the Sith that can't be trusted!" he shouted, accidentally letting her go.

"The Sith have only tried to restore the galaxy.  The Jedi have tried to tear it down!" she shouted back, angrily, picking up her lightsaber and wielding it once more.

They clashed the lightsabers against each other again and started an immense battle.  They whipped around and around again.  She withdrew her lightsaber unintentionally and he took the moment to

> You murder her
He swished his emerald lightsaber through her body and she fell to the ground.  Her hair laid around her and her body was limp.  He felt anger rise inside him.  He didn't know then but he was becoming a Sith.  He went out into other worlds expressing his anger.  He found that the Sith were the good, the great defenders of the galaxy.  And, after annihilating people and planets, he joined the Sith for the good of the galaxy.


She gazed at him with fiery madness.  "Because you are a Jedi!  Jedi cannot be trusted!"  She wanted to struggle, to escape from him, he could tell but if she tried she'd feel the wrath of his lightsaber.

"It is the Sith that can't be trusted!" he shouted, accidentally letting her go.

"The Sith have only tried to restore the galaxy.  The Jedi have tried to tear it down!" she shouted back, angrily, picking up her lightsaber and wielding it once more.

They clashed the lightsabers against each other again and started an immense battle.  They whipped around and around again.  She withdrew her lightsaber unintentionally and he took the moment to

> You hug her
He wrapped his arms around her and, as she eased into him, she cried.

"They're cruel beings," she hiccuped, "They are self-seeking and would do anything to destroy their enemies and even their friends, if they had any, to make themselves stronger."  Gabri nodded on her candlelight hair.  Ka was callous at times but he always had good intentions.  He wanted to help, not hurt.  Gabri knew that now.  As the girl sobbed into his robe, he knew he had to stay a Jedi if he wanted to help.  And he did want to.


The smell of water clouded Gabri's mind.  The vast painting of blue was beautiful.  Forget the immense fog.  Forget the millions of trees closing him in.  All that was there was the pool of water.  He began touching his feet inside.  Its crisp freshness made him shiver with joy.  Soon, he was wading, all of him, in the water.  He swam around rapidly and then just let the water carry him.  It felt good.  Oh, how it felt good.

"Gabri!" shouted a voice from outside his own world.  There, clothed in a brown and apricot robe, stood Ka Kamikaze, Jedi Master.  His black hair, silver at the sides, clung to his scalp, refusing to let any wind pass through.  His ashy black beard did the same.  Ka was stocky, broad-shouldered.  His blue lightsaber stayed tucked away deep in his robe.  Gabri had never seen him withdraw it, but he had heard great tales in which he fought with it.  Oh, if he could see him wield it, see all those tales come true, he would love it.

"No more tomfoolery!" Ka ordered in his bold voice, "Do you come or do you stay?  I must search this area."

> You go
Gabri stood out of his soothing water, pulled on his robe, and followed Ka.

"A Jedi shouldn't play around like you do," Ka scolded, "I wanted a willing Padawan, not an immature little boy."  Gabri looked up to Ka with great admiration, and he knew he played around more than he should, but he also knew Ka could be harsh.  They moved on, the damp grass squishing under their feet.

"What are we looking for?" Gabri asked, again.  He never really listened to Ka's answers for Ka always spoke down to him, and in sarcastic tones as well.

"If you paid the slightest bit of attention, instead of goofing off, you'd already know," Ka snarled.  And so, Gabri's question went unanswered.

They walked a far distance until they came to a shed.  It was poorly constructed and rundown.  The door was off its hinges and nothing but dust and grime laid inside.  They entered and found a Gungan standing there with flappy tan ears and eyeballs on antennae.  He had a bill and a long tongue.

"Are you Jedi Master Ka Kamikaze?" he asked, "I have been sent for him."  Ka nodded.

"I am Lum Blimi.  A ship has been sent for you, from the Rebellion." the Gungan told them.  He led them through the thick jungle and there before them was Y-wing, a mossy yellow color covering it.  Ka boarded and Gabri followed.  In its own little compartment was R2-B5, an astromech droid with yellow coloring as well.  The droid beeped at Gabri and he waved.  Then, he ran inside.

Sitting in the pilot's seat, Ka set a course for
> You tatooine
As they arrived at Tatooine, sand began pelting the windows and they could see nothing.

"A sandstorm!  What luck!" Gabri complained.  Ka paid him no mind to him.  He tried to maneuver the the Y-wing but the sand kept it stuck to the ground.

"This is all your fault!  We should have plotted a course to Endor!" Ka yelled at Gabri.

"My fault?!  It was not my fault!  I let you decide!" Gabri yelled back, even angrier.

"It was your fault!  Everything's your fault!  You never do anything right!"  Gabri let his anger explode.  The explosion was large and insane.  He withdrew his lightsaber and killed Ka with much force.  Ka's body dissolved, leaving a his robe and lightsaber in a pile.  Through Ka did Gabri Joo now realize the evil ways of the Jedi.  They were not defenders of the galaxy.  They were destroyers.  And so he became one with the Sith and killed many a Jedi.  Ka had shown him the Sith were the righteous ones.


Gabri stood out of his soothing water, pulled on his robe, and followed Ka.

"A Jedi shouldn't play around like you do," Ka scolded, "I wanted a willing Padawan, not an immature little boy."  Gabri looked up to Ka with great admiration, and he knew he played around more than he should, but he also knew Ka could be harsh.  They moved on, the damp grass squishing under their feet.

"What are we looking for?" Gabri asked, again.  He never really listened to Ka's answers for Ka always spoke down to him, and in sarcastic tones as well.

"If you paid the slightest bit of attention, instead of goofing off, you'd already know," Ka snarled.  And so, Gabri's question went unanswered.

They walked a far distance until they came to a shed.  It was poorly constructed and rundown.  The door was off its hinges and nothing but dust and grime laid inside.  They entered and found a Gungan standing there with flappy tan ears and eyeballs on antennae.  He had a bill and a long tongue.

"Are you Jedi Master Ka Kamikaze?" he asked, "I have been sent for him."  Ka nodded.

"I am Lum Blimi.  A ship has been sent for you, from the Rebellion." the Gungan told them.  He led them through the thick jungle and there before them was Y-wing, a mossy yellow color covering it.  Ka boarded and Gabri followed.  In its own little compartment was R2-B5, an astromech droid with yellow coloring as well.  The droid beeped at Gabri and he waved.  Then, he ran inside.

Sitting in the pilot's seat, Ka set a course for
> You endor
As they landed on the planet of Endor, they heard the shrill cries of Ewoks.

"We must help them!" Gabri shouted.  Ka left the Y-wing and Gabri followed.  They searched the dense trees until they found a small group-only three-of Ewoks.  They were closed in by a horde of stormtroopers.  A lifeless Ewok body lay beside them.  They were whimpering and cowering like small children.  Ka stayed back but  Gabri leaped out of the underbrush.  He had always questioned himself of who was truly the defenders of the galaxy: Jedi or Sith.  But seeing those Ewoks, and seeing the motionless body, he knew it was the Jedi.  They were the great ones, the ones who helped the harsh worlds.  As he attacked the stormtroopers, he knew he was a Jedi.  And a loyal one at that.


You walk through the undergrowth, a rifle leaning against your shoulder that you struggle to keep from dropping. You rush  to keep up with father, who is seemingly oblivious to how fast you’re having to walk.

“Come on, boy!” father said, his fingers scratching at his thick black mustache.

As you walked out of the confines of the tight pines, you saw home. The stone and thatch cottage that was to be your home for the next few years, until you became of age to find your own place, stood there in the fields. Overgrown fields lay to the West and South, a trickling stream East and the vast forest you’d been walking to took up the North. Judging from the cart sitting alongside it, Mother and Meredith were already here.

The family was tiny by all accounts. Mother was prone to bouts of sickness, making her womb a barren place for a child to be born. Although they had tried all their life, and continued trying despite even you recognizing the futility of the action, two children was all they’d ever have. It was you and Meredith, the “miracle twins” as the doctor who delivered you liked to say, that would be the only ones that had survived. The number of miscarriages had clearly taken its toll on Mother, who was fond of siting my the fire, staring into it as she said her rosaries. From Father’s stories she was a wild and untamed girl as a child, a rebellious soul that Father had been ensnared by. Whoever Father speaks so fondly off, its no longer Mother.

Father still retained some joy, a love of the land and and a love of nature, although the glimmer of excitement in his eyes was becoming rarer and rarer as time passed.

That left Meredith. While father’s love of nature and positive nature had been instilled in you when you were younger when Father still held the hope of a large family that Mother had long abandoned, Mother’s cold, distant nature took hold of Meredith. She wasn’t as bad as mother, but she was a pain to play with and even worse to talk to.

All in all, this turned you into the child you are. Without many friends, you’ve become quite lonely, but there is a certain peacefulness in nature you just adore. With the birds nesting in the trees singing to you, the hares bounding carefree underfoot among the undergrowth and eyes of a thousand beasts and creatures staring at you, you could never truly be lonely in the woods. You’d do your chores and feel the burden of labor required to survive in such a harsh time, but then, you were free to walk under the protection of the greak oaks and pines and gaze at the glory of nature.

You run down along the fields, hefting the weight of the rifle in your hands as father jogs ahead. Soon, you run up to the porch to find mother and Meredith unpacking. You put your gun in the rack, looking at them.

“What can I do now, father?” you ask.

“Nothing, boy. It’s up to mother and Meredith to do the unpacking and prepare the catch, Papa says, pulling off his hunting sack and pulling out two hares, their necks broken. “I’ll tell you what. Get the bearings of the forest for me, lad. Scout out for any hare paths or wild fruit growing or deer grazing areas.”

“Got it, father,” you nod, grabbing your rifle once more and swinging around to walk back outside again.
> You head to the woods
You begin wandering up towards the trees, holding your gun tightly in your hands. Whilst nature is no doubt a sanctuary to your young mind to find tranquility, there’s many dangers hidden. You point your rifle, making a loud bang sound as you picture yourself shooting a large grizzly bear like that your grandfather had stuffed in his cabin.

You reach the trees, leaning against a large, thick Oak tree and taking a deep breath, taking in all the scents the forest offers you. Your eyes scan the forest, quickly spotting several points of interest. Among the underbrush you spot a slightly trampled hare path, no doubt leading to wherever’s a good spot to graze. There’s also the stream, which you could wander along for a fair distance in search of anything worth seeing without getting lost. Finally, there’s a large oak tree with lots of strong branches. Perfect for climbing.
> You head along the hare path
You begin following the hare path, trudging along with your rifle in hand. You’re far from a good shot, but still the thought of bagging another hare fills your mind. Your eyes flicker along the path for the black eyes of a hare staring back. You hear magpies singing overhead as a few peek from their treetop nests. It’s a lovely forest, that’s for sure.

Suddenly, you hear something. You quickly turn, dropping to your knee to raise your rifle into a firing position to bag your prey as father always does. You don’t, clumsily tripping and hitting yourself in the face with the gun. Still, you’re getting better. You push the gun off yourself as your rub your nose, before hopping up to a kneeling position. You stare at where the noise came from. Through the blurred visage of your watery eyes, you see in th distance a pale figure,, sprinting past the trees with unnatural speed. You heft your gun to your shoulder and aim, not knowing whether to fire or not. You don’t want to miss a chance to take out a… whatever creature that is, but you’re unsure whether that’s even a good idea.
> You fire
You pull the trigger as the gun bucks in your hands, sending you falling onto your back. You push the gun off you, as you rub your eyes, peeking through the trees. You didn’t hit it, you don’t think. A quick jog over confirms this. You sigh, strolling back to your gun and hefting it up. You spend another hour searching for any trace of the creature, but find neither sight nor sound of it. With that, you tredge back home.
> You head home
Labor and Duty

You never do see the figure again. You venture out looking for it a few more times, but you never do. You must've frightened it. No bother. As you grow taller, stronger and smarter, father assures you that soon, it'll be time for you to finally leave and get your own home, your own wife, and your own family.

You suppose he's write. It's your duty to God and nation to build a strong family like that which raised you. That's what expected of you, and that's what you'll do.


You begin following the hare path, trudging along with your rifle in hand. You’re far from a good shot, but still the thought of bagging another hare fills your mind. Your eyes flicker along the path for the black eyes of a hare staring back. You hear magpies singing overhead as a few peek from their treetop nests. It’s a lovely forest, that’s for sure.

Suddenly, you hear something. You quickly turn, dropping to your knee to raise your rifle into a firing position to bag your prey as father always does. You don’t, clumsily tripping and hitting yourself in the face with the gun. Still, you’re getting better. You push the gun off yourself as your rub your nose, before hopping up to a kneeling position. You stare at where the noise came from. Through the blurred visage of your watery eyes, you see in th distance a pale figure,, sprinting past the trees with unnatural speed. You heft your gun to your shoulder and aim, not knowing whether to fire or not. You don’t want to miss a chance to take out a… whatever creature that is, but you’re unsure whether that’s even a good idea.
> You hold fire
You hold fire, as the creature continues sprinting through the forest. You stare curiously at it, before it disappears from view. Fascinating. You lower yourself from the branch to see if you can spot it from a lower angle, but sadly its completely disappeared. No bother, you'll make an attempt to find out what kind of creature it was another day. Time to head home and report your findings.
> You head home
You don't see any other sight of the creature, or figure, or whatever it was. You grab your gun, hefting it up to your shoulder once more, as you begin strolling home.

It's only a short walk back home. When you arrive, mother and Meredith are putting away the last of your family's possessions, while father sits by the fireplace, cleaning his rifle.

"Jacob, what did you find?" he asks.

"There was some creature in the woods that was really pale and I saw it but I didn't shoot it bec..."

"No creature's pale in the woods that I can think of," father interrupts. "Wouldn't be good for them. Their skin's meant to hide them in the foliage, not help them stand out."

"We need to get a fire going before night. It's getting colder," father says. "Let's get your chores started. Get to work gathering firewood."

"Got it, father," you say.
> Two Hours Later...
You stare at the bowl of rabbit stew in front of you, lapping your lips as mother continues setting the dinner down on the table.

"Alright, let's pray," father says, as you all make the sign of the cross.

You bow your head as you all grab each others hands and hold them tightly to pray to the Lord.

"Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty," you all say in unison. "Through Christ, our Lord. Amen."

You release your hold on Meredith and mother's hands, making the sign of the cross. Then, you eagerly dig into your food. You devour it, licking the last trace that the bowl in front of you ever even held food within two minutes. You slap the bowl down on the plate with a sigh of the joy that can only come from alleviating hunger. You wait for your family to finish eating, tapping the edge of the table out of boredom. After a few minutes, the rest of them finish eating, and you make the sign of the cross once more, before you join hands once more.

"We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, and for the poor souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, may they rest in peace. Amen," you all say, before making the sign of the cross a final time.

"Jacob, go check on the goats," mother says. "Meredith, help me cleaning the bowls."

You nod, standing and pushing in your chair, hurrying to the doorway and grabbing your coat as you pull it on. You walk outside, quickly heading towards the goat shed, where Nick and Puck lie on their bed of hay. They're well fed and watered, and seem contented.  You turn to walk back inside, before seeing movement up in the trees.

Then, you hear the noise. A horrible, long, incredibly loud, screeching howl that penetrates your very core. You feel an urge to run and flee from the noise.
> You hide behind the goat shed
You quickly cower behind the goat shed, terrified of the thought of whoever made that howl coming for you. Suddenly, father bursts from the house, his rifle in his hands.

"What was that?" he barks out, his knuckles white from how tightly he's clutching the rifle.

You point up towards the trees, bathed in the pale moonlight.

"It came from there!" you say.

Father pauses, staring up nervously. He leans into the doorway, grabbing the crucifix that hangs there to watch over you as you eat. He hands you the crucifix, as you take it.

"I want that on you whenever you enter the woods, understood?" he asks, as you nod. "I'll have the crucifix for the house replaced in the morning. Just try and get some sleep, OK?"

You nod, as you begin to trudge off to bed. Despite being exhausted, you know you won't sleep much.
> The Next Day...
"I'm not sending him out there alone! We'll be fine, we'll go quickly!" father says.

"I need help with fixing the shed, Ezekiel!" mother replies.

"Jacob can do it, I'll set up the traps!" father says.

"Jacob's not strong enough to life the blocks, Ezekiel!"

Father sighs, looking at you. It's not your place to get involved in the arguing and even though as the wife mother shouldn't be arguing with father, she's right. You're losing daylight fast as the day progresses. One of you needs to set up the traps and one should fix the shed, and you simply can't do the latter.

"I can go, father," you say.

Father's still nervous about the creature he heard last night, despite admitting he's not sure what it is. Still, with your rifle and God's protection, you know it won't be able to harm you.

Father sighs, his big brow furrowing and his mustache drooping.

"Alright," he says. "Don't stray too far, understood?"

"I understand," you answer.

"Take your crucifix, your rifle and my trapping pack, and be back in two hours, or I'm coming lookingn for you, understood?"

"I understand," you repeat.

Father stares up at the forest, slowly blowing out air between his teeth, before nodding.

"Go."

You quickly race to grab your father's hunting pack, grabbing the leather pack and swinging it over your shoulder. With your left hand you grab your rifle, struggling to keep it propped up against your shoulder. With your right hand, you hold your crucifix tightly, and head off into the woods.
> You continue
You walk along the hare path, your rifle and crucifix held tightly in your hands. You find another good spot for a simple snare trap, beginning to tie up your loop as you peer among the branches for one that could be used for the snare. Suddenly, you hear a branch breaking. You drop the loop, twirling around to point your gun. Thankfully, you don't hit yourself in the face with your rifle. You peer through the trees, seeing the flash of pale flesh from yesterday.
> You investigate
You creep forward, lowering your gun as you approach the creature. You step past teh tree, finding a young girl, around your age.

The girl has long, dirty blond hair and very pale skin. You blush and consider averting your eyes as you notice she's completely naked, before settling on focusing on her stares. She crouches over a dead hare, her hands tearing flesh from the creature as she greedily lifts it up and devours it. You stare at her in shock, before she looks up, staring at you. Her face is covered in the hare's blood, her long hair tussled with twigs and dirt in it. Her hands are covered in blood, and she wears a carved wooden ring. The thing that grabs your attention is her eyes. They're bright, shockingly blue that seem to entrap you, and you find yourself unable to say a word.

"Hello," she says, staring at you.

"I-I...," you stutter, stumbling over your words.

You both stare at each other, before the girl finally holds up the hare.

"Want some?" she asks.

"N-no thanks," you say. "I'm Jacob."

"I'm Rose," she replies.

"Do you live here?" you ask, not knowing what else to say.

"I live all over the woods," she replies. "Have you moved into the cottage?"

You nod, as she resumes the eating of the dead hare.

"That's not cooked," you say.

"No," she replies.

You know you have some bread in your pack, and you can see apples hanging nearby. Perhaps you should offer her something less... disgusting.
> You offer her bread
You open your pack, pulling out a piece of bread and offering it to her.

"Here, have some of this," you say.

"Thank you," she says, tearing off a piece of the bread and chewing it. She winces, opening her mouth and spitting out the bread.

"It tastes rotten," she says.

You take a bite out of the bread, chewing it and swallowing in. It tastes perfectly fine. Still, Rose resumes eating her hare flesh.

"I like your ring," you say, not knowing what else to say.

"Thanks," the girl replies. "I made it myself."

"Do you mind if I ask a question?" you ask, as the girl smiles.

"That's a question," she says.

"I mean, like another question," you say.

"Sure."

"Why aren't you wearing clothes?"

The girl looks down at her naked body, seemingly only noticing it for the first time.

"Oh," she says, blushing. "Um... I don't know. I don't have any clothes."
> You offer to get her one of Meredith's dresses
"I have a sister. She's as big as you. I can get you one of her dresses."

"Oh, I don't want to cause any trouble," she says.

"No, it's OK, I can get it," you say. "I'll have to do it after I lay down my traps, but I can do it."

Rose nods, before looking at your pack.

"Why do you lay down traps?" she asks.

"To catch prey to eat," you reply. "What do you use?"

"My hands," Rose says.

Rose pauses, nodding behind you. You slowly turn, spotting a hare sitting in the grass, seemingly oblivious to the two of you. Rose raises a finger to her lips, slowly stepping forward. Then, with unnatural speed she pounces. Rose bursts forward. You only see a blur before she stops, holding the hare with a broken neck in front of you.

"How many do you need?" she asks.

"I don't know," you say.

"If you get me the dress, I can catch you a few hares," Rose offers.
> You accept her offer
"OK," you say. "I won't be able to get the dress until tonight."

"I'll have the hares ready for then," Rose says. "So, do..."

"I need to be home soon, then," you say.

"Yeah, my mother will be looking for me soon. I need to go," Rose says.

"I'll see you tonight, OK?" you say.

"Got it," Rose nods eagerly.

"OK. Goodbye, Rose,"

"Goodbye, Jacob," Rose says, before sprinting off into the woods.

You watch her leave, before turning to head home.
> You half an Hour Later...
You walk in the door of the cottage, putting your rifle in the gun rack. Father is there, waiting for you.

"Ah, Jacob, you're back. I was getting worried," he says. "Did you set up the traps?"

You stare at him. For some reason, you feel you shouldn't tell him about the strange girl. He's always been a very puritanical person, hence the religion. When old Mister Kenneth taught a bird to sing in your last town, father wanted him burnt at the stake for witchcraft.
> You tell the truth
"No, I..." you say, before realizing you need to explain the whole story.

For the next while, you explain the story to father. As you talk, his brow seems to furrow and his mustache droops. He stares at you for a while, before gritting his teeth.

"There's a witch, a demon, maybe the devil himself in those woods!" father yells, grabbing the newly made crucifix from its place in the doorway. "You've consorted with pure evil, child. We need to head to town, find a church and pray for forgiveness for our sins!"

"What? No, father, she was just a girl! You're talking craz...!"

Father slaps you hard, before grabbing your head and holding you close to his chest.

"Do you think the devil can't take any form which pleases him? Renounce the evil in your heart!"
> You pray to God for forgiveness
You drop to your knees as you've been taught to do, and clasp your hands together in prayer.

"Oh Most humane and adorable Jesus, Your endless grace and mercy flows forth," you say. "Before granting the gift of absolution To earnest repenters of sinful ways, You demanded a sacrificial compensation. For a wrongful act cannot be rectified Until punishment has been accepted! Yes, for the salvation of my soul, Jesus, You accepted the price of the Cross! Grant me the grace to remain free of debts, My heart remaining flawless before You, Making Your absolution truly worthwhile!"

Father hugs you tightly, kissing you on the forehead.

"Come on, we need to get Meredith and mother and head to town. We need a priest, understood?"

You nod, and quickly follow him to the coach as he calls for mother and Meredith, as you're lead away.

"
> You continue
Son of God

You're brought to town with your family and taken to the church, where you're blessed and you pray. After a few hours, father rounds up a posse and heads into the woods, where he searches for the so-called spawn of Satan. Nothing is found, but this push causes father to become even more religious.

The religious shift affects you. Whether real or not, you recognize your talk with the girl as sinful and you pray for redemption constantly. Eventually, you become a priest, and find yourself sanctuary in some desolate part of the wilderness.

Full of self-loathing yet knowing suicide is a sin, you spend out the rest of your days in a miserable existence.


"No, I..." you say, before realizing you need to explain the whole story.

For the next while, you explain the story to father. As you talk, his brow seems to furrow and his mustache droops. He stares at you for a while, before gritting his teeth.

"There's a witch, a demon, maybe the devil himself in those woods!" father yells, grabbing the newly made crucifix from its place in the doorway. "You've consorted with pure evil, child. We need to head to town, find a church and pray for forgiveness for our sins!"

"What? No, father, she was just a girl! You're talking craz...!"

Father slaps you hard, before grabbing your head and holding you close to his chest.

"Do you think the devil can't take any form which pleases him? Renounce the evil in your heart!"
> You refuse
"No, father! She was just a normal girl! She..."

Your father quickly unhooks his belt, smacking it into your head as you stumble backwards.

"By the lord's name, you will repent!" he screams, as he hits you.

"No!" you scream in defiance.

In a mixture of anger and panic, father stands over you, beating you desperately, not knowing any other choice. He yells at you, calling you a heathen, a spawn of Satan and more. The beating goes over the top as you continue to refuse to repent. Eventually, a frustrated, enraged blow at the wrong angle ends up snapping your neck, quickly killing you.


You walk in the door of the cottage, putting your rifle in the gun rack. Father is there, waiting for you.

"Ah, Jacob, you're back. I was getting worried," he says. "Did you set up the traps?"

You stare at him. For some reason, you feel you shouldn't tell him about the strange girl. He's always been a very puritanical person, hence the religion. When old Mister Kenneth taught a bird to sing in your last town, father wanted him burnt at the stake for witchcraft.
> You lie
"Yes, father, I set up the traps," you lie.

"Good," father nods. "Now, we have more chores to do."

You nod, and prepare yourself for a long day of work.
> You later that night...
You hear the soft snoring of Meredith in the bed next to you. Father and mother are in the next room, but they're definitely asleep. You slowly slide out of bed, and creep over to the closet. You slowly open the closet, pulling out a black cotton dress and slinging it over your shoulder. You creep out of the house, walking towards the woods.

Rose waits there. She leans against a tree, giving a little wave as she sees you approaching. When you reach her, you hold out the dress and she takes it from you, pulling it  over her head and putting it on.

"How do I look?" she smiles.

"Pretty," you admit, before mentally chastising yourself for being so lustful.

Rose smiles, and gently kisses you on the cheek. You blush, stepping back.

"Rose!" you say, embarrassed.

"What? It was on the cheek, we're just friends! Not even my mother could think that was bad!" she asks, confused.

"You're being lustful! We're not married, we shouldn't be..."

Rose puts a finger to your lips, nodding towards the house as you remember your sleeping parents and nod.

"You're weird," she says, before walking into the woods. "Come on, I'll show you where I have the hares."

You follow Rose into the darkness of the forest, and you walk alongside her. Soon, you find a dozen hares strung up from a tree by their neck. She cuts the rope keeping them up, and catches the string of hares as it falls, holding it out for you.

"Here," she says.

"That's a lot of hares," you say. "Fair trade."

Rose shakes her head.

"No. If you had just laid down your snares, you would've got a few hares. I still owe you something."

"Like what?" you ask.

"You're new to this place. I'll show you around."

"Uh, OK, " you say.

You follow Rose around as she leads you through the forest.

"So, do you... have a house around here?" you ask.

"Um... no. I sleep a lot of places. I used to sleep in my mother's cottage, but we don't get on. Now, I like to sleep in the trees. Find a nice big branch, hold on tightly. It's nice."

Over the next hour, Rose shows you the things of importance in the area. The good grazing areas, the most populated hare trails, the wild vegetable and fruit patches. Eventually, you reach within sight of an old, burnt out cottage. Rose stops you before you can get close.

"That's my mother's house," she says.

"Oh. Did... did she die?" you ask.

Rose shakes her head.

"No, no she's alive. It's just she... well, it's a long story."

"That place is all burnt out. No one should live there."

"She should," Rose says, spitting on the ground.

Rose quiets up as she leads you away from the cottage. After another few minutes, you come across a mountainous area, with a visible cave further up it.

"And that's where my father lives," Rose says. "Well, sort of."

"Does he move around a lot?" you ask.

"He lives in a lot of places. But he's there," Rose says.

"Is he a trapper, or something?"

"No, he's a..." Rose says, before pausing. "Yeah, trapper's a good definition. He traps things."

You dismiss her comment, and continue walking. Suddenly, Rose perks up.

"What games do you know how to play?" she asks.

"Games?"

"Do you like tag?" she asks.

"I don't know."

"I tap you and you become it, and then you have to tap me."

"Oh, OK," you say.

"So, tag," she says, tapping your shoulder. "You're it."

Rose bursts off, quickly running through the trees.
> You run after her
You sprint after Rose, laughing as she playfully lets you catch up before evading your lunges at her. She dances at the edge of your reach, and you continue running through the forest.

You spend at least an hour playing but eventually, Rose leads you home. You talk for a bit more, but you arrive back at your cottage.

"Well, goodnight," she says.

"Goodnight, Rose," you reply.

"Can we do this again sometime? It's nice to have someone to be around."

She's right. It is nice. Your short time with Rose has been fun and really helped with your loneliness.

"Yeah. I'd like that," you say.

"Great," Rose smiles. "See you soon."

"See you soon," you say, as you walk back to the cottage to get to bed.
> One Month Later...
Your secret friendship with Rose develops quite a fair bit. You have quite a bit of time to play with her. Due to your success at “hunting”, father seems more than happy to leave you in charge of the hunting. Everyday, you head out to do the snares, Rose awaits with a string of hares for you. Then, you have a while to play and have fun, before you need to head home to avoid arising suspicion. You gift Rose with a few luxuries that she can’t scavenge from the woods such as preserves, a blanket and a few other man-made goods. Father notices your rise in behavior, but he simply dismisses it as you enjoying the woods and all the time you’re spending in it. Like you, Rose assures you that it’s best you never meet with her parents. When asking if her parents even know of the friendship or whether they’re in the dark like yours, she vaguely implies that her mother does know, and watches you two playing occasionally. You never see her, mother, but you don’t mind. For now, all is good.

You run through the undergrowth desperately with all your speed, but like always, Rose is much faster than you. She taps you in the shoulder before speeidng away in the blink of an eye, stopping by a tree to lean against it for you to catch up.

“You’re too fast!” you complain.

“You’re too slow,” Rose says, sticking out her tongue.

“Let’s play another game,” you say.

“Hide and seek?” she asks.

Despite Rose’s unnatural ability to find you during hide and seek, by what she claims to be “sniffing” despite her being far away, you have much more of a chance of success in hide and seek rather than trying to outpace her. She’s faster than a deer, you’ll never beat her in that field.

“Yeah, let’s do hide and seek,” she says. “I’ll be on first, if you want.”

You nod eagerly, as  she spins around on the balls of her bare feet, clasping her hands over her eyes.

“One, two, three…” she begins to count, as you turn and sprint off into the woods.

You have a few places in mind that would make a good hiding spot. There’s a little den underneath one of the trees that you could hide in. It should be easy enough to crawl into, although you’ve had similar hiding spots before. Still, it’s one of the best spots you have, and the closest one.

There’s also a more risky choice. The burnt out cottage that here mother supposedly lives in is close by. Rose says she only uses it for sleeping in, so you could hide out in there.

There’s also her father’s cave. It’s slightly father away, but Rose seems to have an aversion to it. You could get to it if you run past enough, and hide away in there. There’s been no reports of trappers in the area and Rose hasn’t mentioned seeing him in a while, so you should be able to hide out there.
> You hide in the den
You quickly make your way to the den, finding it in the exact spot you remembered, just squirreled away under the twisted roots of an ancient Oak. You drop to your knees, lifting yourself down into it and scrunching up. You wait patiently, closing your eyes.
> You wait
It’s not long before you hear a gleeful “Found you!”. You open your eyes and look up at Rose, who stands by the den opening with a smile.

“Ah, rats!” you say, as Rose grabs your hand and helps pulls you out of the den.

“That was fun,” she smiles.

“Yeah, I’m only just realizing that hide and seek is mainly one person waiting in a hiding spot,” you say, before looking up at the sun as it falls through the sky. “It’s late. I need to get home soon.”

“Oh come on! I didn’t even get to hide yet!” Rose complains, pouting in an exaggerated fashion.

“Sorry. You can hide first time,” you say.

“Fine,” Rose says. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
> Another month later...
You stand in the goat shed, feeding Nick and Puck. You put the rest of their feed down, walking out to talk to father. Father chops wood by the wide of the house, while mother cooks and Meredith washes clothes by the stream. You walk to father, who seems quite content. Thanks to Rose, you've been eating well, and she even brought you a full deer the other day. You had to shoot it to make it seem like you had hunted it yourself, but other than that it was a cause for celebration.

"Ah, boy! Have you checked the traps today?"

"Not yet, father," you say.

Father smiles, motioning towards the soup mother's making.

"Go, get some venison soup and head out. I need to head to town tomorrow. Get some salt to help the meat last through winter, and sell some of the excess meat. We're truly blessed with your hunting and trapping skills, Jacob. Thank the Lord for it. So tell me, will you come to town with me tomorrow?"
> You agree to head to town with father tomorrow
"Sure, father. I'd love to."

"Great. I'll be seeing if there's any fathers with girls your age in the town, you know. You're getting old, and I'm sure with your strong features, ability to provide for a family and your humility to God, you'll have no trouble finding a wife. Ah, I'm talking too much. Now go, boy, have some soup and check the traps."

You begin walking away and head to mother, who stirs the soup slowly.

"Do you want some, Jacob?" she asks, not looking up.

"Yes, please," you say, as she dumps some of the soup into a wooden bowl and hands it to you.

You say your thanks to her before praying to say the same to the Lord, and then quickly devour the soup. It's fairly delicious and both easily warms and fills you up easily. Now, you're ready to head out.
> You head out to the woods
You turn, walking off into the woods. It's only a few minutes of strolling before Rose appears behind you, smiling and happily fiddling with her wooden ring.

"Hiya," she says.

"Hello, Rose," you say.

"So, Jacob, what do you wanna do?"

"I don't know," you say. "Did you get me any prey to bring home?"

Rose nods.

"Yeah, I got you five hares. Is that enough?"

"Perfect," you nod.

"Come on, then," Rose smiles, bounding away. "Let's go find something to do."

You look at her, thinking. Father said you were to find a girl relatively soon. A wife to raise a family with. From what you've seen of the outside world, the girls are all the same as Meredith and mother. They do what they're told, they pray, they're humble. But you don't want a wife like mother or Meredith.

You wonder if Rose would be a suitable partner. She doesn't know how to sew, or clean, or cook, or wash clothes, or really do any wife stuff. But you'd prefer a second out here with her rather than with Meredith or mother. She's the one who hunts. Maybe you could learn to do the wife things for her if you got married. You...

An acorn hits you in the head and you step back, startled. Rose throws another acorn at you, which you duck under.

"Hello! Anybody there?" Rose says, gently tapping her knuckles against your head.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," you reply, as you begin walking alongside her.

You walk down towards the stream, where Rose's catch awaits. Five hares hang from the branches alongside three squirrels. Rose hops across the river, water splashing the edge of her dress. You follow her, jumping from rock to rock to cross the stream. Rose sits down on a rock basking in the sun that  sits at the edge of the stream, water rushing past. You sit down next to her, staring at her. With long blond hair, shockingly blue eyes and a pretty, if a bit animal-like face, she's definitely pretty. Her eyes lock into yours, as you both stare into each other.
> You kiss her
You lean in, kissing Rose on the lips, closing your eyes. Her lips are warm, and you feel yourself meld into the kiss.

You feel her pull away and open your eyes just as she slaps you hard across the face. You stumble backwards, as she stares at you, nervous and panicked.

"No, no, no!" Rose says, looking scared. "We're not allowed to kiss!"

"What? What's wrong?" you ask.

Rose looks off into the woods, panicked and scared, as she stares fiddling with her ring again.

"I promised, Jacob! I promised her I wouldn't kiss you or fall in love or anything! I promised!"

"Rose, calm down, OK! It's fine, we're fine!" you say, trying to calm her down.

"No, no, no! I told you my mother watches us playing sometimes. I told you! Now she saw you do that, and she's going to be so angry at us, and... and..." Rose says, looking absolutely terrified.

"I'm sorry, OK! I can explain this to her!" you say.

"No! I need to... I..." Rose goes even paler than her natural pallor. "You need to go."

"Rose, I'm not going! I...!"

"Take your stupid prey and go! Just go!" Rose shouts at you. "I need to deal with this."

"Rose, pl...!"

"Go home, Jacob! I'll deal with it!" she screams, bounding up from the rock and sprinting off into the trees.

You stand to sprint after her, but she's long gone into the woods. You sigh, walking over to your prey and grabbing the string of squirrels and rabbits. With that, you turn, walking home.
> You hours Later...
You sit at the table with your family. Mother puts the meal down on the table, strips of cooked venison and corn. You grab one of the strips and shovel it into your mouth, feeling bitter.

"Jacob!" your father shouts, aghast. "Where are your manners? How dare you take the bounty of the Lord without thanks!?"

"Sorry, father," you say, bowing your head. "I didn't think."

"No, you didn't!"

"I'll include this in my prayers for redemption tonight," you say.

You hold out your hands, grabbing your Meredith's and your mother's.

"Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty," you all say in unison. "Through Christ, our Lord. Amen."

You release your hold on Meredith and mother's hands, making the sign of the cross. Then, you start to eat, devouring your venison and chewing down on the corn.  Eventually you finish, and hold out your hands to pray, though your heart isn't in it, let alone your soul.

"We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, and for the poor souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, may they rest in peace. Amen," you all say, before making the sign of the cross a final time.

You stand for the table, pushing in your chair. Your father looks at you with a worried look in his eyes.

"Look, it's dark. Say your nightly prayers and head to bed."

"I..." you start to say, before pausing. "Yes, father."

You sigh, before walking to bed.
> You sleep...
You're awoken by the noise. A horrible, long, incredibly loud, screeching howl that penetrates your very core. The noise floods into your mind, as horrifying and scary as when you first heard it. Only now, you can hear it outside your house. You hurry to clamber out of bed, clambering out of bed as you hear the door smash open. The creature lets out a chattering, screeching howl. You freeze, feeling cold, as shivers run down your spine. You need to act, fast.
> You get your parents
You charge into the next room, and finally glance the creature. It looks vaguely human, a fact even more terrifying. It stands at seven or eight feet, it's skin as white as bone. It has long black hair, matted with blood and gore. It's hands have transformed into horrible, mangled claws, with long, bloodstained claws. It's face is mangled and misshapen, but its eyes are filled with malice and hate.

It stares at you. Then, with supernatural speed, it bursts forward. It hits mother first, its claws rending through her in seconds, tearing her apart. Father's barely out of bed before it turns to him. The superstitious man has reached for his crucifix rather than his rifle, but gets neither as the monster slashes his throat open, staining his mustache red as he collapses to his knees.

Meredith appears in the doorway, terrified and confused. The monster bursts towards her, impaling her fragile body on one of its claws. It raises her up, growling in her face, before tossing her aside. Finally, it turns to you, it's horrible, mangled mouth seeming to turn into a grin.

It steps forward slowly. You know there's no use running. You stare at the monster as it brings its claws just next to your face, still grinning with satisfaction. It motions as if to slash open your throat, but stops suddenly. It motions to do so again, but pauses once more, this time hissing in pain. It stops, before howling up towards the sky. Then, it brings its face up to yours.

"Leave this place," it snarls.

Its breath reaches your nostrils, warm and toxic. You feel your head going black, before collapsing onto the ground.
> The Next Morning...
You awaken in the house, surrounded by the bodies of your loved ones and covered in blood. You stand, staring around your destroyed house. It seemed the creature took time to destroy the place. It's dead silent despite the sun having risen, so the roosters must be dead. You sit there, surrounded by bloodshed and death. You cry for a bit, sobbing into your hand, but eventually you stop. You know you need to be strong. You have to think about yourself. You have to think about Rose. You have to think about the future.

You stand, staring out at the woods. You wonder what you should. You could flee. The nearest town isn't too far. You could most likely walk to it in a few hours.

Or, you could venture out into the woods. Find Rose, attempt to find what's going on. It's a more dangerous approach, but at least it'll get you answers.
> You find Rose
You walk out of your ruined house, not looking back, and begin heading towards the woods. It takes an hour of searching, but you find her. She sits by the same rock as yesterday, staring into the water.

"Rose!" you say.

Rose looks at you. She looks... strange. She's the palest you've ever seen. She's missing her wooden ring, as well. Her eyes are different, however. They're dark, the blue of her eyes now almost being black. Tears stream down her face as she stares at you.

"Jacob!" she says, crying. "I'm so so sorry, Jacob. I tried to stop her. I tried my best. But my father's greedy, and he'd only..."

Rose bursts into tears as you quickly cross the river. You wrap your arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"It's OK. It'll be alright. We're fine, OK? We're fine. We need to get out of here."

"It's my fault," Rose cries. "I know what my mother's like. I should've never talked to you."

"It's OK. It's OK," you say. "We just need to go, OK?"

"No, Jacob, I can't. I can't," she says.

"It's OK. Just take a deep breath, and tell me what's going on," you say.

"My... my mother... she saw us kiss. It took a lot for me to convince her to let us be friends, and I promised her we'd never kiss or marry or anything. I knew she was going to try kill you, so I had to make a deal."

"That... the monster is your mother?" you ask, stepping back.

Fay nods slowly.

"She wasn't always like that. When she met my father, he made her like that. She wanted to be like that, to have power. She gave him so much... she gave him everything... eventually, her gave her something in return. A child."

"Who... who is your father, Rose?" you ask.

"It's..." Rose says, before bursting into tears. "I'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you, but I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend if I told you."

"Rose..."

"It's... my father is Lucifer, Jacob. I knew mother was going to try kill you, so I had to do something. I couldn't stop her, but my father could. I tried to convince him, but he wanted something in return. I had to..."

"Rose..." you repeat again.

"I had to sell him my soul, Jacob."

You stare at her in shock as she nods slowly.

"I'm sorry," she says softly.

"We... we can fix this," you say.

"Jacob, you need to go. You can't stay here with me. Please, just go."

"No, no! We can fix this! I can fix this! If you turn to Jesus Christ, he can save your soul! No matter what kind of deal you've made, if you've accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you'll be saved!"

"I'm too corrupt for that," she says softly.

"Then we can purify you! We can purify you! Or I can go talk to your mother! If I can convince her to let us be, she can... talk to your father, or something. I mean, that's got to work!"

Rose stares at you blankly, her eyes still dark and lifeless.

"She'd kill you on sight if my father's protection has warn off. If it hasn't, she won't care."

"Then I can go talk to your father! I'm sure I can convince him, or trade something with him, to give you your soul back."

Rose slaps you hard across the face.

"You don't go up there, do you understand?! You stay away from him! I'll tell you what the plan is. You leave. You get out of here. Go to town. Find a pretty girl, get married, settle down. Be happy, understand?"

"I can't do that to you," you say, exasperated.

You could try to purify her. Then, with Jesus Christ, you could get her soul saved. You could also try to talk to one one of her parents. Or... you could just leave. You could abandon everything, and try to find a happy life.
> You try to purify and save Rose
"Come on!" you say, grabbing her hand.

"No, Jacob, leave me alone," she says.

"Please, Rose, trust me! If this doesn't work, I'll leave, and I'll never bother you again! We can purify you! The lord will accept you! I promise!"

Rose stands up, nodding slowly.

"Fine. You promise you'll leave if this doesn't work?"

"I promise," you say.

You lead Rose back towards the house. It takes you some time to gather up what you need, but you do. Your father's crucifix as well as your own, the family Bible and a small flask of holy water that your father brought from the last town's chapel. Rose looks at it nervously.

"I'm not sure about this, Jacob."

"Trust me," you say.
> You begin the ritual
"Kneel," you say, as Rose kneels.

You stand over Rose, opening your bible and beginning to read.

"In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints," you begin to read, as Rose begins to wince in pain. "And powerful in the holy authority of our lives, we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil. God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him."

You begin pouring the holy water over Rose, who begins to scream. You grit your teeth, and continue the ritual.

"As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire,

so the wicked perish at the presence of God," you say.

Suddenly, Rose screams as she sets alight. She howls desperately in pain as the fire quickly burns through her dress, the very dress you stole for her. She screams horribly as she writhes in pain, and before you can act, her flesh and bone have burnt to ash. You drop to your knees over the ash, staring at it in shock.

God has failed. He has failed to save your love. He took her from you. You stare at the ash, your hands shifting through it. Rose is gone. Your tears fall into the ash as you cry.

After an hour of crying, you final stand. Your bible and crucifix lie next to you. You stare at them, wondering if God is truly with you.
> You accept him
No. God is with you. He always is. You turn away from the scene, picking up your bible and crucifix. With a prayer on your lips and tears in your eyes, you walk away from the horrors of the woods and all around it.
> You continue
God's Child

After a few hours of walking, you find a town. You find yourself the nearest church, and pray in it. Soon, God provides. You find a job with the pastor, and are eventually ordained a full minister. You eventually end up as the town pastor, and accept your former life as sinful. Rose burnt because she rejected God in her heart. Your love for her fades, and you soon find a new wife who you marry.

You wonder if this is what joy is. You don't feel happy like you did with Rose, but that was the pleasures of Sin. You have a strong connection with God, a nice house and a loving wife who is with child. That's certainly more than enough, isn't it?


"Kneel," you say, as Rose kneels.

You stand over Rose, opening your bible and beginning to read.

"In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints," you begin to read, as Rose begins to wince in pain. "And powerful in the holy authority of our lives, we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil. God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him."

You begin pouring the holy water over Rose, who begins to scream. You grit your teeth, and continue the ritual.

"As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire,

so the wicked perish at the presence of God," you say.

Suddenly, Rose screams as she sets alight. She howls desperately in pain as the fire quickly burns through her dress, the very dress you stole for her. She screams horribly as she writhes in pain, and before you can act, her flesh and bone have burnt to ash. You drop to your knees over the ash, staring at it in shock.

God has failed. He has failed to save your love. He took her from you. You stare at the ash, your hands shifting through it. Rose is gone. Your tears fall into the ash as you cry.

After an hour of crying, you final stand. Your bible and crucifix lie next to you. You stare at them, wondering if God is truly with you.
> You reject him
You grab steel and flint, and set the bible alight. You hold the crucifix into the flames, as that sets alight too. The flames burnt brightly in your hands, licking your hands and arm. It hurts, but you grit your teeth. If God is up there, you best get used to the burning sensation. Once the bible and crucifix are ash, you stand. You're done here.
> You continue
Burning Passion

You walk through the woods, looking up at the starless night. Your burns still hurt, but you no longer care. You stare up at the sky, and know that God's either not there, or not worth your love. Who is he to claim you're a sinner with all the genocide and torture he's done? No. You're all sinners. No longer bond by silly superstitions and rules, life is yours.


You walk out of your ruined house, not looking back, and begin heading towards the woods. It takes an hour of searching, but you find her. She sits by the same rock as yesterday, staring into the water.

"Rose!" you say.

Rose looks at you. She looks... strange. She's the palest you've ever seen. She's missing her wooden ring, as well. Her eyes are different, however. They're dark, the blue of her eyes now almost being black. Tears stream down her face as she stares at you.

"Jacob!" she says, crying. "I'm so so sorry, Jacob. I tried to stop her. I tried my best. But my father's greedy, and he'd only..."

Rose bursts into tears as you quickly cross the river. You wrap your arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"It's OK. It'll be alright. We're fine, OK? We're fine. We need to get out of here."

"It's my fault," Rose cries. "I know what my mother's like. I should've never talked to you."

"It's OK. It's OK," you say. "We just need to go, OK?"

"No, Jacob, I can't. I can't," she says.

"It's OK. Just take a deep breath, and tell me what's going on," you say.

"My... my mother... she saw us kiss. It took a lot for me to convince her to let us be friends, and I promised her we'd never kiss or marry or anything. I knew she was going to try kill you, so I had to make a deal."

"That... the monster is your mother?" you ask, stepping back.

Fay nods slowly.

"She wasn't always like that. When she met my father, he made her like that. She wanted to be like that, to have power. She gave him so much... she gave him everything... eventually, her gave her something in return. A child."

"Who... who is your father, Rose?" you ask.

"It's..." Rose says, before bursting into tears. "I'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you, but I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend if I told you."

"Rose..."

"It's... my father is Lucifer, Jacob. I knew mother was going to try kill you, so I had to do something. I couldn't stop her, but my father could. I tried to convince him, but he wanted something in return. I had to..."

"Rose..." you repeat again.

"I had to sell him my soul, Jacob."

You stare at her in shock as she nods slowly.

"I'm sorry," she says softly.

"We... we can fix this," you say.

"Jacob, you need to go. You can't stay here with me. Please, just go."

"No, no! We can fix this! I can fix this! If you turn to Jesus Christ, he can save your soul! No matter what kind of deal you've made, if you've accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you'll be saved!"

"I'm too corrupt for that," she says softly.

"Then we can purify you! We can purify you! Or I can go talk to your mother! If I can convince her to let us be, she can... talk to your father, or something. I mean, that's got to work!"

Rose stares at you blankly, her eyes still dark and lifeless.

"She'd kill you on sight if my father's protection has warn off. If it hasn't, she won't care."

"Then I can go talk to your father! I'm sure I can convince him, or trade something with him, to give you your soul back."

Rose slaps you hard across the face.

"You don't go up there, do you understand?! You stay away from him! I'll tell you what the plan is. You leave. You get out of here. Go to town. Find a pretty girl, get married, settle down. Be happy, understand?"

"I can't do that to you," you say, exasperated.

You could try to purify her. Then, with Jesus Christ, you could get her soul saved. You could also try to talk to one one of her parents. Or... you could just leave. You could abandon everything, and try to find a happy life.
> You head to talk with her father
"I need to go," you say.

"Yeah," Rose nods. "Thanks."

"I'll be back," you reply.

"No, Jacob! Go to the town! Please!"

You walk away from Rose, heading towards the cave. She doesn't seem to have the strength to follow, or doesn't realize where you're going. None the less, you walk away.

After a few minutes of walking, you reach the mountain. You climb up the rocks and reach the mouth of the cave, turning only briefly to stare at the forest around you. You feel a certain cold chill run through you as you stare at into the darkness inside, but you know you need to enter. You walk further into the cave, as the shadows and darkness consume you. After a minute of stumbling forward, you reach the end of the cave, pausing. In the middle of the cave, dozens of scratches cover the inside of the wall, alongside dried in blood. You pause, staring at it. In the middle, a deer skull sits in place You half expect to start hearing horrible screaming or demons to clamber out from the walls, but nothing happens. The crucifix is heavy in your pocket, and you realize that's what's preventing him from coming. You take it out and walk back to the mouth of the cave, and stare out at the woods, knowing you don't really have a choice here.
> You throw it
Your throw the crucifix, watching it disappear off out of view into the trees. Then you turn, walking back further into the cave. You walk back to the skull, and kneel in front of it, closing your eyes. You wait in silence for several minutes, before you finally hear a voice.

"Ah... you must be the boy. Hello, Jacob."

"H-h-hello," you stutter, trying to keep calm.

"Keep your eyes closed, would you, boy?" the voice asks.

"OK," you reply.

"I assume you know who I am?" the voice asks.

"You're Lucifer."

"So you know how high the stakes are here. What did you come here to do?"

"I want you to give Rose her soul back."

"I didn't ask what you wanted. I asked what you came here to do?"

"To... to get her soul back," you say.

"Oh, my dear boy, how is it you expect to do that?"

"I'm... I'm willing to trade."

"A soul is of infinite value. You have only one thing that even comes close to it in value. But you know that, don't you?"

You nod slowly, as you feel hands on your shoulders.

"So tell me... are you willing to give your soul for hers? The trade's simple. Your soul for hers. Do we have an agreement?"
> You accept the deal
"Fine," you say.

"Say it," Lucifer asks.

"I accept the deal," you say, before shuddering in pain as you feel his soul tear into your very being.

"Then it's a deal!"

You scream as you feel your body begin to burn up in terrible pain. You feel your soul being torn out, before you collapse, your life taken from you.
> You continue
Although you never learn of it, Rose sat by the river for several hours. Slowly, she begins to feel better. It's only after a few hours she realizes what's happening. She headed up to the cave, and found your body lying there. No matter what she offered, her father refused to revive the departed boy. Eventually, he fell silent, and she left. She left the cave and she left the cave. She walked for miles out of the woods, not knowing what direction the nearest town was. Eventually, a carriage found the girl in the dress, bringing her to the nearest town. Sitting in that carriage, free of her father, free of her mother, free of the woods, that girl in the dress knew that she was free, and it was all thanks to you.


Your throw the crucifix, watching it disappear off out of view into the trees. Then you turn, walking back further into the cave. You walk back to the skull, and kneel in front of it, closing your eyes. You wait in silence for several minutes, before you finally hear a voice.

"Ah... you must be the boy. Hello, Jacob."

"H-h-hello," you stutter, trying to keep calm.

"Keep your eyes closed, would you, boy?" the voice asks.

"OK," you reply.

"I assume you know who I am?" the voice asks.

"You're Lucifer."

"So you know how high the stakes are here. What did you come here to do?"

"I want you to give Rose her soul back."

"I didn't ask what you wanted. I asked what you came here to do?"

"To... to get her soul back," you say.

"Oh, my dear boy, how is it you expect to do that?"

"I'm... I'm willing to trade."

"A soul is of infinite value. You have only one thing that even comes close to it in value. But you know that, don't you?"

You nod slowly, as you feel hands on your shoulders.

"So tell me... are you willing to give your soul for hers? The trade's simple. Your soul for hers. Do we have an agreement?"
> You reject the deal
"No," you say.

"Oh, pathetic," Lucifer asks. "You've wasted my time here."

Silence consumes you, and you wait patiently. After a few minutes, you open your eyes. The deer skull sits there, the same as ever. You stand, turning and walking out of the cave. You clamber down the hill, and start walking towards Rose. After a few minutes, you find her.

"Jacob! I told you to leave!" she says.

"I tried to talk to your father, but..."

"Jacob! No! Please, please don't take any of his awful deals! Just go! Leave, Jacob!"


You awaken in the house, surrounded by the bodies of your loved ones and covered in blood. You stand, staring around your destroyed house. It seemed the creature took time to destroy the place. It's dead silent despite the sun having risen, so the roosters must be dead. You sit there, surrounded by bloodshed and death. You cry for a bit, sobbing into your hand, but eventually you stop. You know you need to be strong. You have to think about yourself. You have to think about Rose. You have to think about the future.

You stand, staring out at the woods. You wonder what you should. You could flee. The nearest town isn't too far. You could most likely walk to it in a few hours.

Or, you could venture out into the woods. Find Rose, attempt to find what's going on. It's a more dangerous approach, but at least it'll get you answers.
> You get out of this wretched place
You look out at the woods one last time, and quickly begin packing everything you have here, all the salted meat, all father's savings, everything you can find, and you begin walking away. It's a long walk to town, but you can make it.
> You continue
Lost Soul

You never find answers. You never find peace with yourself for what happened with that. With Rose, with the monster, with the woods. The memories haunt you. Eventually, you turn to the only thing you have left: religion. You pray every single day for redemption, for God's peace.

Eventually, you become a priest, and find yourself sanctuary in some desolate part of the wilderness.

Full of self-loathing yet knowing suicide is a sin, you spend out the rest of your days in a miserable existence.


You're awoken by the noise. A horrible, long, incredibly loud, screeching howl that penetrates your very core. The noise floods into your mind, as horrifying and scary as when you first heard it. Only now, you can hear it outside your house. You hurry to clamber out of bed, clambering out of bed as you hear the door smash open. The creature lets out a chattering, screeching howl. You freeze, feeling cold, as shivers run down your spine. You need to act, fast.
> You hide under the bed
You dive under your bed, to a point where you can see the rest of the room, but no one else can see you. You hear your parents' screams of terror as they're torn apart.

Suddenly, the door to your room smashes open, and you find the creature staring at you. It looks vaguely human, a fact even more terrifying. It stands at seven or eight feet, it's skin as white as bone. It has long black hair, matted with blood and gore. It's hands have transformed into horrible, mangled claws, with long, bloodstained claws. It's face is mangled and misshapen, but its eyes are filled with malice and hate as they peer around the room.

 The monster bursts towards Meredith who still lies in her bed, impaling her fragile body on one of its claws. It raises her up from her bed, growling in her face, before tossing her aside.

It stops, staring around the room, sniffing slowly.
> You run
You try to crawl out from under the bed, but as soon as you do you realize there's no escape. You stare at the monster as it brings its claws just next to your face, still grinning with satisfaction. It motions as if to slash open your throat, but stops suddenly. It motions to do so again, but pauses once more, this time hissing in pain. It stops, before howling up towards the sky. Then, it brings its face up to yours.

"Leave this place," it snarls.

Its breath reaches your nostrils, warm and toxic. You feel your head going black, before collapsing onto the ground.