Another Night Copy

You breathe in and out, in and out.. The sound of it rushes through your ears like a diluted wave, muffled only by the soft fabric pressed against the side of your face. You'd rather not look at the clock beside your bed because you know it's late and seeing JUST how late will only make your insomnia feel like more of a punishment than it already is. The darkness of the room wraps around you like a fog, heavy and suffocating in spite of the aura that night usually brings. The ever-present hum of crickets plays on and on in the background as if on a scratched record. You would so love to be able to sleep, to shed the cumbersome awareness of anticipating the moment your mind will finally stop remembering and fall into blissful oblivion, but you fear you're becoming immune to it. Pills are meant to help you when you're sick, but the ones on your nightstand still make you [[uneasy]]. (if:(history:)contains "Chase the creature" or "Don't take the pills" or "?" or "Beep!!" or "8")[(set:$anxiety to true)](else:)[(set:$anxiety to false)] [[Check the clock|bedside clock]] [[Check the right pill bottle|sleeping pills]] (if:$anxiety is true)[[Check the left pill bottle|anxiety pills]]

You open your eyes to the grainy blackness filling your room begrudgingly, fumbling with the digital clock for a second before squinting at the glowing green digits. (text-style: "smear")+(text-color:#009900)[ [[1:30 AM]]]

You open your eyes to the grainy blackness filling your room with a distinctly defeated frown before shifting onto your elbow and reaching for the outline of the bottle with your free hand. The pills clatter against the orange insides of the plastic container. It's dark, but you can make out (link:"the label.")+(font: "courier new")["-en. Take...before bed to...insomnia. 10 mG.."] [[Open bottle|open sleeping]] [[Check clock|bedside clock]] (if:$anxiety is true)[[Check the left pill bottle|anxiety pills]]

It's later than you had hoped. You can't remember when you first laid down, and it's hard to read the clock, but something feels off. You could have sworn that it was only 11:00 the last time you checked. It seems odd that time passed so quickly. [[Check the right pill bottle|sleeping pills]] (if:$anxiety is true)[[Check the left pill bottle|anxiety pills]]

You open your eyes to the grainy blackness filling your room with a distinctly defeated frown before shifting onto your elbow and reaching for the outline of the bottle with your free hand. The pills clatter against the orange insides of the plastic container. It's dark, but you can make out (link:"the label.")+(font: "courier new")["-az-lam. Take..as need..anxiety. 5 mG."] [[Open bottle|open anxiety]] [[Check the clock|bedside clock]] [[Check the right pill bottle|sleeping pills]]

The pills inside are oval-shaped and chalky. The sight makes your lips curl with vague distaste, as if you can still taste the bitterness that lingers beneath your tongue when they dissolve. You know they aren't actually designed for sleep, but they carry the added bonus of making you tired. Thank God for low drug tolerances. [[Take one anxiety pill|take anxiety pill]] [[Do not take anxiety pill]]

The pills inside are oblong-shaped and white. You can't tell how many are in there, but you can't help but think, resentfully, that they aren't working. You can take 2 at a time and you remember taking 1 before bed. [[Take one sleeping pill|take sleeping pill]] (if:$anxiety is true)[[Do not take sleeping pill]]

You NEED to sleep, you tell yourself. You have stuff to do in the morning and your lack of rest will just make you jittery. Your mom will worry about you. You decide that taking one pill is your best option, so you open the bottle and expertly dry swallow a pill before lying back down. 1, 2, 3... (click:"3")[4, 5, 6...[[7]]]

You're not sure if you should take it or not. I mean, you NEED to sleep, but..something feels off and you wonder if that means you should try something else. [[Check the left pill bottle|anxiety pills]]

You NEED to sleep, you tell yourself, but the sleeping pills give you a bad feeling for some reason. You have stuff to do in the morning and your lack of rest will just make you jittery. Your mom will worry about you. You decide that taking one pill is your best option, so you open the bottle and pop one pill beneath your tongue, scowling at the flavor before lying back down. 1, 2, 3... (click:"3")[4, 5, 6, 7...[[8]]]

You're not sure if you should take it or not. I mean, you NEED to sleep, but..something feels off and you wonder if that means you should try something else. [[Check the right pill bottle|sleeping pills]]

Your eyes snap open when you hear your door creak suddenly, the echo of it erasing any notion of sleep from your now fight-or-flight plagued mind. (link:"No one else should be awake.")[Your sister is out of town and your mother went to bed hours ago, so what DID that?] Maybe it was the cat or the wind? You can't hear the crickets anymore... There's a brief scratching sound from the hallway. [[Inspect the noise]] [[Listen closely]]

You take a deep breath in an effort to calm yourself, but it doesn't do much good. Everything feels foggy and you hate it. It's probably nothing, it's probably nothing.. You stand up and walk towards the door slowly, cursing every squeaky floorboard as your heart pounds inside your throat; you can't tell how you feel as you stare at the handle. You could listen to your fear instincts and [[open it quietly]] or you could listen to your fight instincts and [[open it quickly]].

You stay still at first, unable to jar yourself from the murkiness and panic. You listen closely and try to decipher any other sounds that might help you identify the culprit without moving from your bed. It sounds big... Whatever is scratching is solid and made of something sharp. [[Inspect the noise]]

It's safer if you go about this quietly. After all, you'll feel silly if it's nothing, and if something IS wrong... Well.. You press yourself tightly against the door, not wanting there to be any space for something to attack you, and open it as carefully as you can. The scratching utterance from earlier shifts and then stops, however, as light flickers across your toes through the crack beneath the frame. You peer outside, but there's nothing there.. It can't be (text-style:"italic")[nothing] though. [[Enter hallway]] [[Return to room]]

You listen to the adrenaline in your veins as you grip the handle with trembling fingers. If there's something out there, you'll take it by surprise and have the advantage; you're pretty sure you can outrun anything dangerous. The scratching sound from earlier shifts and you eagerly throw open the door and lunge forward only to bang your head against the opposing wall hard enough that you can hear your teeth click together. You pick your head up and look around, but to your confusion there's nothing there.. But it couldn't have been (text-style:"italic")[nothing.] [[Explore hallway|Enter hallway]] [[Go back to your room|Return to room]]

You know you can't go back to your room after that. Something made that noise and you need to know what it was because this all feels like some kind of bad dream. It was probably nothing, you (text-style:"italic")[hope] it was nothing, but your brain urges you to seek out the source if only just to put yourself at ease. When you step into the hallway, you shiver at the drop in temperature. Everything looks weird bathed in the darkness and you can't help but wonder at how far the floor stretches out before you. Since when did the hallway get so long? And why can't you remember where the light switch is? There's something [[dark]] at the end of the hall..

No, just NO. Okay, you've seen too many horror movies. You REFUSE to go out there. You shut your door as quickly as you can, shaking your head viciously to convince yourself that nothing is wrong and that there is a logical explanation for all this. "You know, it's quite rude not to introduce yourself to a guest." You spin around so fast that you almost stumble when you hear the voice speak out of nowhere, every muscle in your body tensing like a spring. The figure is indistinct, shadowy almost, with large red eyes that seem to tilt in your (link:"direction.")[direction.<img src="https://oddys-and-ends.neocities.org/Shadow5.png">] "Did I wake you up?" [["I wasn't asleep."]] [[Don't answer]]

Your heart begins to slow down somewhat, enhacing the fogginess that had started creeping up on you earlier to something more tangible. You wonder how many sleeping pills you took before this..3? You can't remember, it might have been more. You don't quite remember why you're so hesitant to take them sometimes or why you take so many when you do--they don't work after all. As you begin to drift off, you think of a distantly shadowed figure somewhere, its body hunched and indistinct with red eyes and a foggy face. It almost looks like it's smiling.. You don't know why it feels familiar to you, but it's gone a moment later and you forget about it. Tomorrow you'll call your doctor to talk about a new perscription. (link:"You fall into a peaceful, dreamless, sleep.")[(background:blue)[GOOD END: A Bright Morning] (set:$anxiety to true)[[Try Again?]]]

Despite your panic, your brain works on auto-pilot, prompting you to answer the question without thinking. "I-I wasn't asleep," you stammer dumbly, unsure of why you decided that you should actually talk to the ghostly apparition instead of just flat out screaming in terror. The figure's head tilts to the other side in a curious manner and you swear that you can see long ears morphing out of its head before glitching away again, "Aren't you tired though?" it asks. "Isn't that what those are for?" It marks its question by pointing toward your bed with one long pointy finger. The sight of it makes your stomach drop unpleasantly, makes you think of nightmarish things. [["I didn't take any"]] [["I only took one"]]

You can't speak; your head is swimming and your chest feels wrong. The figure looks at you curiously, tilting its head one way as if it's confused by your demeanor. "Are you afraid of me?" it asks. You don't know what to say though. [["Yes"]] [["No"]]

The red eyes slant at your answer like the creature is judging you, "You and I both know that's not true. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't taken them," it responds, its voice changing pitch every now and again as though it had more than one set of lungs. "The big question is how many did you take [[this time?"]] [[I only took one]] [[I don't know how many]]

"I only took one," you say shakily, recalling the one you swallowed before closing your eyes. The shadowy figure surprises you when it actually laughs at your answer, tiny jagged teeth appearing in its mouth for a moment before you can't make them out anymore. "You and I both know that's not true. I wouldn't be here otherwise," it states. "The big question is how many did you take [[this time?"]] [[I only took one]] [[I don't know how many]]

You can't help but nod shakily because, yes, of course you're scared of it. It's TERRIFYING. The creature hunches over as if to see you better, but its eyes are squinting at you, "Then you don't remember me.." it muses, like its interested in your answer. "You took too many, didn't you? You don't remember, but you still came here." [["I didn't take any"]] [["I only took one"]]

You can feel your heart in your throat, but you shake your head because you swear that this isn't the first time you've met this thing. It's terrifying to look at, but it's so acquainted with you that you can't help but stare at it anyways. The creature blinks its red eyes at you once, then twice, then three times without speaking. Its skin glitches as if it's pixelated and spikes break out along its arms momentarily, "You're getting dumber," it remarks judgementally, like it's ANNOYED by you. "Just how many did you take?" [["I didn't take any"]] [["I only took one"]]

(text-style:"italic")[This time?] You find yourself briefly taken aback by the comment. What does it mean (text-style:"italic")[this time?] Has this happened before? (text-style:"smear")[(live:5s)[Think,](live:6s)[ Think,](live:7s)[ (text-style:"shudder")[ THINK!]]] (live:9s)[When did you fill that perscription? How many were left in that bottle?] [[I only took one]] [[I don't know how many]]

You wrack your brain trying to remember. Does that mean you're asleep? Is that why this is happening? You think this feels familiar...this thing, it LOOKS familiar, like you've been seeing it for awhile but your memories are smudged. "I only took one," you say shakily. The creature chuckles and the shadows shift with an odd sound: it looks like it has different faces and no matter how much you stare at them they keep changing before returning to that unidentifiable mesh. "Only one?" It's in front of your face suddenly, "Don't you know that you can't lie to me by now?" Its claws are poking at your throat, but your body won't let you scream. (text-style:"shadow")["How many nights must we meet like this?"] [[Run]] [[Keep listening]]

You wrack your brain, but you can't remember anymore. You only remember taking one...but you can't remember NOT taking more. You've been fading in and out of consciousness for so long that you can't remember what was a dream and what was real. How many pills were in that bottle? How many more did you take? The creature stares at you and blinks before it stalks silently across the floor towards your bed. (text-style:"blur")[You can't breathe well anymore and your walls are starting to drip like candle wax.] The shadow taps at one of the bottles on your nightstand,(text-style:"shadow")[ "I warned you not to do this, you know,"] it taunts. (text-style:"shadow")["Do you really want to know how many?"] (text-style:"blink")[ [[BEEP]]]

You seem to recall something similar to this moment. You remember purple eyes and yellow teeth, you remember talking to this thing for too long, running around your warped house in search of it because you were trying to... You were trying to fall asleep. Your legs attempt to jerk you away from the touch, but your whole body lags like it's made of lead. The red in the being's eyes turn into a dark shade of (color:purple)[violet] and your heart races at the sight of its teeth. (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)[["Stop looking for me"]]

You stay still in spite of your instincts and it keeps talking. "You keep looking for me. You're going to hurt yourself. I won't let you go next time, you know. You'll die." You seem to recall something similar to this moment. You remember purple eyes and yellow teeth, you remember talking to this thing for too long, running around your warped house in search of it because you were trying to... You were trying to fall asleep. You're asleep right now. In spite of the creature, you look down at your (link:"hands.")[hands. You have 10 fingers, but they're too long. Your ring finger is where your middle finger should be and your left pinky is gone.] (text-style: "smear")[[Wake up]]

(t8n:"flicker")+(background:white)+(color:black)[There's a slicing sensation in your throat and your eyes snap open, gasping for breath. You stare up at the white ceiling above your head like you've never seen it before, unable to comprehend your sweat covered face or your unsteady heart beat. The sound of crickets has been replaced with the early morning birds chirping softly outside your windows and the first rays of sunlight have just breached the treeline. Your head hurts..you feel nauseous..it's hard for you to remember what the figure said. You look at your bedside table then and fumble for the right pill bottle. "Side Effects: [[Nightmares]], Hallucinations, Addiction.."]

(text-style: "blur")[Your chest hurts.] (text-style: "blur")[What's that sound?] (text-style: "blur")[You feel (text-style: "italic")[sick.]] The creature lifts the bottle up, (text-style:"shadow")["Do you want to know how many nights you've come to look for me? How many times we've met because you don't seem to understand that this] (text-style:"bold")+(text-style:"emboss")+(color:red)[ISN'T REAL?"] (text-style: "fade-in-out")[ [[BEEP!]]]

(text-style: "blurrier")[You can't breathe. (live: 2s)[Your chest hurts so badly.] (live: 5s)[How many nights..]] (text-style: "blur")[ (live: 7s) [How many pills]] (text-style: "rumble")+(text-style:"smear")+(text-color:#CC0000)[ (live: 9s)[DID.] (live: 10s)[YOU.] (live: 11s)[TAKE(t8n-depart:"flicker")[[?]]]]

The red in the being's eyes turn a dark shade of (color:purple)[violet] and your heart races at the sight of its teeth. (text-style:"smear")[(live:4s)[Wake up.](live:6s)[ (text-style:"italic")[ WAKE.UP!]]] You use every shred of control you have left to shut your eyes and shake your head. You dig your nails into your palms and only now realize that you can't feel any pain from the action. (text-style: "rumble")+(text-style:"smear")+(color:red)[ (live:13s)[WAKE UP!!]] The ghost like caress of something drags against your throat as you bite your numb lip hard enough that the creature begins to sound quiet. (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)[["Stop looking for me"]]

(t8n:"dissolve")+(background: white)+(color:black)[You feel dizzy throughout the day and your mom asks, with a touch of worry, if you managed to sleep last night. You feign a smile and tell her yes, but deep down you don't know what to think about all of it. You can't remember much of your dream, but the more you think about it the more you seem to remember this event repeating itself. You've been taking more pills to sleep and to figure out what that THING is. You don't know if the pills are making you see things or if they are finally letting you see the reason you can't sleep without them. When night falls, you find yourself sitting on your bed and staring at the bottle on your nightstand. [[Chase the creature]] [[Don't take the pills]]]

You need to know. This time, you'll remember. This time, you'll be prepared. You pop a few pills into your mouth, well aware by now that taking just one won't suffice, and close your eyes. (live: 8s)[1, 2, 3..] (live: 10s)[4, 5, 6...] (live: 12s)[(link:"7")[(background:red)[BAD END: Another Night] (set:$anxiety to true)[[Try Again?]]]]

You frown. No.. You're smart enough to know that none of it was real, that it (text-style:"italic")[can't] be real. You know that the shadow is just your own brain trying to tell you that you need to stop. It's right: you're going to hurt yourself-- you've (text-style:"italic")[been] hurting yourself-- and you can't keep running after your own tail. You take the bottle and shove it under your bed, knowing that you won't drowsily reach for it if it's hidden tonight. You won't forget.. You'll talk to your mom, you'll call your doctor in the morning, you'll figure this out another way. (live: 19s)[1, 2, 3..] (live: 21s)[4, 5, 6, 7...] (live: 23s)[(link:"8")[(background:blue)[GOOD END: Recovery] (set:$anxiety to true)[[Try Again?]]]]

You glare against the misty sensation in your eyes. This feels wrong, but familiar for some reason, like you know what you're looking for.(click:"for.")+(text-style:"italic")[ But that's ridiculous, isn't it?] It's impossible to make out the figure--its body tall and hunched against your home's backdrop--but you can tell it's not facing you; in fact, it's going into another room. [[Follow slowly]] [[Charge]]

(t8n:"flicker")+(background: white)+(color: black)[The loud beeping sound cracks across your skull like a hammer, washing away the black inkiness of your bedroom and replacing it with white, surgical walls. (link:"This isn't your room")[A hospital? But why..? How?] You turn your head with difficulty to one side and see your mother standing by the doorway talking with a doctor.(text-style:"italic")+(font: "Times new roman")["..stable now..Overdosed.."] You can't help but feel tired as you listen to the repetitive beep of your heart monitor. You have no way of knowing that your heart had stopped in the ambulance or that your mother had found you almost comatosed in your room. You don't remember the paddles on your chest or swallowing almost 6 pills at once. You barely remember anything...but you remember the shadow and you remember what it said. ](background: white)+(color:white)[(link:"Next time, you'll try 4 pills and ask it what it meant.")[(background:red)[BAD END: Addict] (set:$anxiety to true))[[Try Again?]]]]

(text-style: "fade-in-out")[beep] (text-style: "upside-down") [beep] (text-style: "blink")[beep] (text-style: "mirror")[beep] (color: red)[blood] (background: blue)[sky] The shadow (text-style:"shadow")[flares] at you! (t8n-depart:"flicker")[[next morning]]

Double-click this passage to edit it.

You creep forward slowly down the hall, anxiety pulsating everytime you think you see something flicker past the corner of your eye. You take a deep, tremulous breath and convince yourself that it's just your imagination though. You can barely make out the [[framed pictures]] on your walls or see where carpet meets hardwood beneath your feet: your legs are unusually heavy with every step. As you near the end of the corridor, you feel your fight instincts pulsing again. For some reason your fingers are curling against your palms in fan-like formations: restless and trigger-happy. [[Peer inside]] [[Attack]]

You don't know why, but your body is urging you to run at it like some sort of boar prepared to attack. You can take it by surprise, you can catch it, you can (text-style:"italic")[get rid of it.] You bolt down the hall and turn, almost losing your footing in the process, before you pounce on the inky black figure standing there. To your frustration, the being side-steps you though, causing you to fall on your chest with a resounding thud. "You tried that last time, remember?" You quickly spin around to stare at the shadowy, spindly, figure gazing at you from over its shoulder with big red (link:"eyes.")[eyes.<img src="https://oddys-and-ends.neocities.org/Shadow5.png">] It doesn't look real, although something about it is...[[familiar?]]

The one at your left looks vaguely like a (text-style:"blur")[ garden estate], but it's so murky that you can't tell anymore.(click:"anymore")+(text-style:"blur")[ Then again, maybe it's a castle..](click:"castle")+(text-style:"blurrier")[ Or the ocean?] In the back of your head, you can't help think that you don't remember it being there in the slightest. As you near the end of the corridor, you feel your fight instincts pulsing again. For some reason your fingers are curling against your palms in fan-like formations: restless and trigger-happy. [[Peer inside]] [[Attack]]

Your brain feels like it's glitching, pixelating around your thoughts as you get closer and closer to the doorframe. Your eyes widen as you peer into the room and find a tall, spindly, figure standing there with its back to you. Its form is indistinct, rippling like it's made of shadows that shift and morph into strange patterns. Somehow, you already know to expect seeing red eyes even before it turns to look at you from over its (link:"shoulder.")[shoulder.<img src="https://oddys-and-ends.neocities.org/Shadow5.png">] It feels like [[deja vu...]]

Without thinking, you lunge forward with a killing intent only for the creature to side-step you, causing you to fall flat on your chest wiht a resounding thud. "You tried that last time, remember?" You quickly spin around to stare at the shadowy, spindly,figure gazing at you from over its shoulder with big red (link:"eyes.")[eyes.<img src="https://oddys-and-ends.neocities.org/Shadow5.png">] It doesn't look real, although something about it is...[[familiar?]]

Your mind is glitching like a computer screen. Why are you being so aggressive? Why did you just run in here when this thing is a legitmate monster? Your head is starting to hurt. The creature turns to you slowly, "Don't tell me you're going to go through this again?" It's ANNOYED with you, like it's tired of your presence, like it has BETTER things to do. [["What are you?"]] [["I remember"]]

Every muscle is tingling all the way down your spine and you can't decide if it's from fear or something else entirely. It's ridiculous, but you think that you recognize this creature and you flashback to standing in this exact same spot somehow. "Ah, you again," the shadow acknowledges you, its tone almost bored. [[Again?]]

You remember its voice despite the fact that it keeps changing in pitch and strength: one second it's low and sweet and the next it's high and grating. It's like two wrong piano keys being pressed at the same time. "Has it been so long already? You're getting worse, did you know that?" it asks you like it actually expects an answer, like it's JUDGING you. Your head is starting to hurt. "Tell me...are you afraid of me?" [[Yes|I am afraid]] [[No|I'm not]]

"What are you?" you ask it sharply. It laughs at you, showing off pointy yellow teeth for a second. "You're getting dumber, did you know that? You can't remember, but you're still looking for the most obvious answer. It's not my fault it's one you'd rather not hear," it lords over you. "You must be so tired," it sighs. "How many times must we go over this? How many times do I have to tell you to (text-style:"italic")[stop looking for me?]" it asks and the words are sharper than you remember them being. Your arms hurt and you feel nauseous. The shadow starts walking closer to you and you can't move; its breath is icy, "How many times must I tell you that this isn't [[real?"]]

You pause and try to think despite your splitting headache. You're angry, you're shaking, you're... Your eyes narrow, "I remember you.." you whisper through your teeth. Because you do..Because your brain is flashing to this exact conversation, to this room that is starting to shiver around you, to this THING. Long ears morph out of the creature's head momentarily before dissapearing again while it tilts its head at you, a mocking slant in its gaze, "Do you now? I'm surprised you can remember anything with how many you've taken," it muses. It's judging you; it's ALWAYS judged you. You've been hunting this thing for what feels like forever between restless nights blitzed out of your mind; you ran in here because for a split second your brain remembered your sick obsession and terrified fascination--[[your hatred.]]

You nod because you see no point in lying. You're terrified..and yet you stand your ground. You stare back at the thing no matter how much its face flickers or its skin smears because.. because... Because you remember it. But you don't remember why and your stomach is in knots the more you think about it. The shadow makes you think of nightmares, makes you think of dying and waking up in cold sweats with only vague recollections of how you got there. "Good..it's better when you're afraid. It means you can't remember, and fear is the only rational thing you seem to have left," it murmurs. "I need you to stop remembering, to stop following, to stop (text-style: "italic")[bringing me [[here]]]." It walks closer to you and your legs feel cold and heavy.

Your pulse is firing rapidly, but something distantly settles in your brain like a weight. Your eyes harden for a brief moment, "No," you answer. You should be, but this has happened before. You just weren't prepared this time..you forgot again. It laughs at you, "You're dumber, too," it remarks derisively. "How many did you take this time, hm?" it hums, like it doesn't already know.. [["Enough"]] [["Shut up"]]

"So then," it muses, its mouth lopsided, "Do you remember why you're here? Why you keep chasing after me?" You clench your fists, "I'm dreaming," you hiss firmly. You know that now; this whole thing has always been a dream, but you're too high to notice half the time. "I took too many.." you add in a hard tone because it feels surreal to say it out loud. Some part of you thinks that you know what you've been doing these past few months, that you've been edging closer and closer to overdose simply because you haven't been able to piece together your two realities. You've tried before, but you always forget, you fail, it gets you, and you lather rinse and repeat. It almost looks impressed, pleased with you when you say this. It should, it's only been telling you the same thing for heaven knows how long. "I see..but you know how this always ends don't you?" [[Look for weapon]] [[Attack!]]

You glare at the being, "Enough," you answer shortly because your throat is closing up now. How many? It's an impossible question to answer really since you don't think you bother counting the pills you shove down your throat anymore. There's a bleary set of memories that could be from tonight: one instance of swallowing 1 pill before bed and a series of ethereal snippets where you took 2 more. "I took enough," you repeat shakily. The normal dosage isn't enough to let you see the creature anymore so you keep upping your intake to compensate for the deficit. You've been chasing it night after night after night. "I've been looking for you," you whisper and the creature chuckles humourlessly. "I'm well aware. You and I have had this conversation more times than I can [[count]]."

You glare at the creature suddenly because your chest is aching and your head is vibrating like a hummingbird. "Shut up!" you snap loudly. "Just shut up! I'm not doing this again!" In reality, you don't remember how many you took. You've been taking too many though, you've always taken too many because the normal dosage doesn't let you see the creature anymore. You've been chasing it night. (text-style:"italic")[after night.] (text-style:"bold")[after night.] because you just want to SLEEP ALREADY! It tilts its head and has the nerve to laugh at you--loudly, "Oh? And how do you intend to do that? This will end the way it always ends." [[Look for weapon]] [[Attack!]]

Your throat has a phantom pain like it's been sliced open and you suddenly remember nights where you've made too many mistakes: you tripped, you lied, you took (text-style:"italic")[too many pills]. You remember the creature's eyes turning purple and it's as if you can taste blood in the back of your throat. You turn your head to the side to see a mirror standing atop a vanity: (text-style:"blur")[you can't see your reflection.] (text-style:"smear")[It's misty and your eyes won't stay in place; they're the (text-style:"italic")[wrong color]. Your teeth are falling out. Your skin is shimmering, rippling like the shadow's.] [["I'm dreaming"]]

"I'm dreaming.." you whisper, but you can hardly breathe. How many did you take? You look down at your hands to see they are starting to falter like the rest of your face: your pinky is gone and your middle finger is where your ring finger should be. You can't make a fist. "You're not real.." you choke out suddenly. "Very good," it taunts, but it's softer now; it sounds like you're underwater. "That won't do you much good now though, will it? I doubt you'll be able to remember anything if you manage to wake up," it murmurs. [[Look at the mirror]] [[Stare at the creature]]

(text-style:"blur")[You feel sick and your chest hurts.] (text-style:"emboss")+(color:red)[It's coming for you.] You look at the mirror on the wall and watch as it begins to splinter, fracturing your indecipherable expression into a spiderweb. The shadow draws closer to you as your fingers begin to go numb. "I'll make this easy for you," it hisses. [[Break the mirror]] [[Close your eyes]]

You can't move anymore. You can't breathe. It's claws are stretching toward you and the scenery is beginning to run like wet paint over your eyes, preventing you from seeing the beast's expression as it wraps its fingers around your throat. "You got far this time, but you won't be so lucky next time," it whispers into your cheek. "Next time, you'll die and I won't let you go." Through the fog, you see the red gleam turn (color:purple)[purple] and it makes your stomach drop. (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)[["Stop looking for me."]]

This is your dream, it's your brain, it's your body. You bite hard into your numb lip and realize that you can't feel any pain from it. You jerk yourself in the direction of the mirror and hit it as hard as you can. The shards cascade across your feet like a dozen windchimes shattering and you ignore the blood dribbling down your arm as you grip one of the shards tightly. "What do you think you're going to do with that?" it asks. "I'm not real remember? Or are you already starting to forget?" You glare at it as your vision doubles--you are starting to forget, "I'm going to end this," you gasp dryly. "This is MY dream! And I want you OUT OF IT!" you shout as you lunge forward and jam the shard into the creature's throat--the place it has cut you so many times to wake you up. (text-style:"smear")[[Wake up..]]

Your vision doubles and it's getting harder to think. It's stalking toward you with its long black claws arched, preparing to wrap them around your throat like it has done so many times before, and you'd rather not watch it this time. You close your eyes as cold breath carresses your lips. (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)["You won't remember..."] it whispers against your cheek as the hand tightens across your neck, choking the air out of your lungs. (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)["You never do.."] (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)[["Stop looking for me."]]

You feel the shadow gag as its once transculent figure solidifies around your makeshift blade. "This is the last time!" you scream as something creeps across your eyes. "You can't make me forget!" (text-style:"blur")[ (live: 6s)[You can't see.]] (text-style:"fade-in-out")[ (live: 8s)[Beep!]] (text-style:"blur")[ (live:10s)[You keep (text-style:"italic")[stabbing.]]] (text-style:"fade-in-out")[ (live:12s)[Beep!]] (text-style:"rumble")+(text-style:"smear")+(color:red)[ (live: 14s)["JUST DIE ALREADY!"]] (live: 16s)[ (text-style:"smear")[[Beep!!]]]

(t8n:"flicker")+(background: white)+(color:"black")[Your eyes snap open suddenly and you gasp loudly to the sound of your alarm clock beeping; your mouth is dry and your heart is beating rapidly. Your stomach twists and you barely have enough time or sense to grab for the trash bin beside your bed before you start heaving into it painfully. Your eyes are burning, but when you open them you realize that the birds are chirping outside and that the first rays of sunshine have just started to break the treeline outside your window. You find yourself staring into the brightness dazedly, unable to comprehend the way that your mind races and your flesh tingles. You remember... Your shoulders drop slowly and you almost gag again when you realize that it's the first time you've woken up in months where you're not exhausted. It's dead now..It's over. You absentmindedly look over to the pill bottles on your bedside table. You grab the right bottle and chuck it into the bile filled waste basket before turning your alarm off. ](background: white)+(color: white)[(link:"It's a beautiful morning.")[(background:blue)[GOOD END: The Last Night..] (set:$anxiety to true)[[Try Again?]]]]

(t8n:"flicker")+(background:white)+(color:black)[There's a slicing sensation in your throat and your eyes snap open, gasping for breath. You stare up at the white ceiling above your head like you've never seen it before, unable to comprehend your sweat covered face or your unsteady heartbeat. The sound of crickets has been replaced with the early morning birds chirping softly outside your windows and the first rays of sunlight have just breached the treeline. Your head hurts..you feel nauseous..it's hard for you to remember what the figure said. You look at your bedside table then and fumble for the right pill bottle. "Side Effects: Nightmares, [[Hallucinations]], Addiction.."]

(t8n:"dissolve")+(background:white)+(color:black)[You feel dizzy throughout the day and your mom asks, with a touch of worry, if you managed to sleep last night. You feign a smile and tell her yes, but deep down you don't know what to think about all of it. You can't remember much of your dream, but the more you think about it the more you seem to remember this event repeating itself. You've been taking more pills to sleep and to figure out what that THING is. You don't know if the pills are making you see things or if they are finally letting you see the reason you can't sleep without them. When night falls, you find yourself sitting on your bed and staring at the bottle on your nightstand. [[Chase the creature]] [[Don't take the pills]]]

Yes, you know what comes next. You'll start to forget, you'll try to scream, it will go for your throat and you'll wake up again. But not this time, you're not going to do this again. You want to sleep. You watch as its claws extend ominously and you recall having seen them a dozen times before this. You look around the room in a frenzy, listening to the instincts that have lead you to this moment, searching for anything you can use to kill the creature. If it's dead, you can't look for it; you can't forget. The room is misty and it's getting harder to see, but nearby you can make out [[books]] on the shelves, a vanity with a [[mirror]], and a [[lamp]] without a cord. You'll only have enough time to grab one...

There's no time to look for a weapon. You lunge forward without another thought, but the creature seems to be one step ahead of you. It shifts and lets you fall flat on your chest. You cough painfully at the sensation that knocks the air out of your lungs--it feels like you're drowning. You struggle to sit up, but the shadow grabs onto the back of your head, yanking it so that your throat is bared at an unnaturral angle. Your eyes widen as its weight settles over your spine, pressing you down and pulling at your hair like it's taunting you.(text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)[ "A careless mistake as always,"] it hisses lowly as long claws curve against your veins. (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)[["Stop looking for me."]]

Your eyes settle on the bookshelves: you could easily bludgeon it with one of those, right? You force your legs to move and scramble to grab one of the thick, leather books. You turn around quickly and the shadow looms over you, "What are you going to do with that?" it purrs. You lift your arm to lunge at it, but its other hand jerks forward and crushes your wrist so hard that the shout of pain catches in your throat. The book clatters to the ground, but you don't feel the vibration of it as the creature's claws wrap around your throat. Your chest seizes up as the creature's bloody gaze turns (color:purple)[purple.] (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)[["Stop looking for me."]]

You jerk yourself in the direction of the mirror and realize that your reflection has become distorted. The surface seems to splinter as your dream dissolves and on instinct you smash your fist into it as hard as you can. The shards cascade across your feet like a dozen windchimes shattering and you ignore the blood dribbling down your arm as you grab one of the shards tightly and turn around "What do you think you're going to do with that?" the shadow asks. You glare at it as your vision doubles--you are starting to forget, "I'm going to end this," you gasp dryly. "This is MY dream! And I want you OUT OF IT!" you shout as you lunge forward and jam the shard into the creature's throat--the place it has cut you so many times to wake you up. (text-style:"smear")[[Wake up..]]

Your eyes settle on the lamp: there's no cord and it doesn't work, but it's heavy enough that you could bludgeon the shadow with it. You force your legs to move and scramble to grab the lamp. You turn around quickly and the shadow looms over you, "What are you going to do with that?" it purrs. You lift your arm to lunge at it, but its other hand jerks forward and roughly scratches your face, forcing you to release the object that seems to dissolve before it hits the ground. You try to recover your bearings, but a moment later the creature's claws wrap around your throat and your chest seizes as its bloody eyes turn (color:purple)[purple.] (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)[["Stop looking for me."]]

(text-style:"italic")[Here?] Your eyes sting as the red irises lean closer with every step, a stray glimmer accenting a long, sharp talon that protrudes from the monster's hand. You want to leave, you want to scream, you want to wake up, but you can't. (text-style:"smear")[ (live:10s)[You can't speak..](live:12s)[you can't breathe..](live:14s)[Please, stop.]] (live:16s)[Its breath is cold when it touches the tip of your nose and you can't understand (text-style:"italic")[why] you can't understand the way it looks at you like it knows. Like it pities you, hates you, and feels nothing about you all at the same time. Your heart hammers as it pokes at your exposed throat and its eyes begin to molt into bright (color:purple)[violet], (color:red)+(text-style:"shadow")["Stop killing yourself or I will."] (text-style:"shadow")+(color:red)[["Stop looking for me."]]]

"This is the last time," you say quietly. "I'm not doing this again, I won't remember next time.." The creature just laughs at your conviction and you can't help but wonder if you've ever said that to it before...if you've tried..if you've gotten this far in the past. "Oh? And how do you intend to make that happen? This will end the way it always ends no matter how much you or I try to change it." [[Look for weapon]] [[Attack!]]

You feel the shadow gag as its once transculent figure solidifies around your makeshift blade. "This is the last time!" you scream as something creeps across your eyes. "You can't make me forget!" You keep stabbing. (text-style:"blur")[ (live: 6s)[You can't see.]] (text-style:"fade-in-out")[ (live: 8s)[Beep!]] (text-style:"rumble")+(color:red)[ (live: 10s)["JUST DIE ALREADY!"]] (live: 12s)[ [[Beep!!]]]

(set:$anxiety to true) (goto:"The night")

Lots of things make you uneasy though, so it's hard to tell what's truly unsettling anymore. Your head always feels like it's spinning when you think too hard about it: it's not as if your life is particularly stressful after all--no more than anyone else's at least. You work, you take classes, you watch TV, you talk to your friends just like (text-style:"italic")[everyone else]...but everyone else doesn't get panic attacks. Everyone else doesn't get paranoid like you, they don't worry about things like you do. Everyone else can (text-style:"italic")[[sleep.]]

You don't know when it started, honestly. When you suddenly lost the ability to just lie still and stop thinking... It all feels like one long night to you. Your sister has told you it's normal, that sometimes she can't sleep either, that it's just a phase, but you're not sure. It's not like you're not sleeping (text-style:"italic")[because] of something, you just CAN'T after all. ....Or maybe something is wrong with you. Maybe you ARE thinking too hard about deadlines..Maybe you're worried that your doctor will ask you (text-style:"italic")[how you feel...] Maybe you feel guilty for making your mom worry about you... Maybe- Maybe.. Maybe you're just thinking too hard in general. [[Check the clock|bedside clock]] [[Check the right pill bottle|sleeping pills]] (if:$anxiety is true)[[Check the left pill bottle|anxiety pills]]