The Future of Mother

(set: $AwakenPSI to false) The End of it all. Darkness covered the land so suddenly that nobody else had time to turn on the lights. Why would you turn on lights in the middle of the day? Why would you light a candle when the electricity was still on? The sun was dark and the big box that once glowed with colors and sang with joy now stood silent and dark. You still look around without sight. You still listen, but can hear only the murmurs of people lost in darkness so thick you can feel it like a vapor. [[Stay here]] [[Listen to the voices]] [[Walk into the darkness]]

You feel the darkness closing in on you and the murmurs of distant people fading into nothing. Maybe that's what will become of you as well. (if:$AwakenPSI is true)[This isn't the end though. You must keep stay determined.] [[Walk into the darkness]] [[Give in to Despair]]

Distant howls echo throughout the vast space you didn't know could even exist. None of the voices are distinct enough to be understood for more than a moment. Single words jump out like monsters in the night. "End?" "Forgive" "Miracle" "Thanks" Even these words fade into nothing after only a few minutes. Confusion and melancholy creep over you, enveloping you in their grasp. [[Stay here]] [[Walk into the darkness]] [[Try to remember]] (if:$AwakenPSI is true)[[Listen for your friends]]

There is something you have forgotten. None of the voices you hear sound familiar, but a distant cackling pierces your soul. The laughter sounds so familiar, yet too old at the same time. A friend? Or at least, someone who used to be a friend? You feel something break inside of you, a barrier. (set: $AwakenPSI to true) A tinge of hope and a memory of friends you'd forgotten fills your mind. Their faces remain faded, but you can recall distinctly how you felt. You feel the need to find those you'd forgotten. [[Listen to the voices]] [[Walk into the darkness]]

You listen, straining to hear above the chatter. As you do, you struggle to find a voice you recognize. Instead, you hear a distant melody. It's calm and hopeful, filling your heart with determination. You have only one choice. You must venture out and find where that melody is coming from. [[Walk into the darkness]]

Truly, you've been here a long time. The murmurs have faded to almost nothing. You are forgotten, a remnant of who you were before. What becomes of you is a mystery. All things must come to an end, surely. Do you still hope for anything beyond this? How about giving it another shot? [[Yes|There is still hope]] [[No|Hope is gone]]

Eventually, your arms start to feel tired, like as if you've held up the weight of the world. Your legs shake and you feel sweat streaming down your face. A flittering motion in the darkness distracts you for a moment. (if:$AwakenPSI is true)[You are filled with hope as a butterfly rests on your nose. You still can't see it in the darkness, but you know it's there. Your body is still so tired, but you feel that you can hold out, maybe through anything. Don't lose hope. Hold to who you are. Suddenly, a glimmer of light appears and you can feel the sun on your skin, warm and inviting. [[Step forward into light]]] (if:$AwakenPSI is false)[The fear of what is in the darkness finally breaks your last bit of determination and you lose what little hope you had left. [[Goodbye|Hope is gone]]]

This is probably the truth. Nothing will ever truly be the same as it was before. Ruin is inevitable, but maybe that change is like turning off the lights at the end of a hard day's work. It needs to be done. Tomorrow will open up a new hope. Give up on the things that don't last, but hold to the things that do. Those things are the most precious.

You see a world where nothing bad has happened yet, or at least nobody remembers it happening. Maybe this is for the best, but maybe not. After all, this world will soon see despair and the cycle will surely repeat itself once more. Now is your time to prevent it from happening. Now is your time to protect those who have been forgotten, including by you. You remember hearing the dozens of prayers that reached out to you when you were so far away. It is time to answer the prayers of those who have not come yet. The Beginning of it all.

You try to ignore the voices as you keep walking, trying to find things you knew were there only moments ago. Eventually, the voices increase in volume and you have to cover your ears. So deafening, it feels like they will swallow you whole. Among the once-friendly voices, you hear screams. You feel something at your feet, but as you look down instinctively, you see nothing. Something sharp slices into your calf as you slow down for just a moment. You feel your flesh tear and blood start to trickle down your leg. Without thinking, you run. [[Keep Running]]

Your steps echo. Though you were outside only moments before, the world seems to have dissolved just like the light that once existed. (if:$AwakenPSI is true)[You seem to remember feeling like this before, though you were holding hands with your friends then.] (if:visits > 1)[Why do you keep walking? You don't seem to know.] (if:visits > 2)[There's no hope. Stop trying.] (if:visits > 3)[You'll never remember if you keep coming back here.] (if:visits > 8)[Suddenly, you remember. A distant melody plays a song you worked so hard to find. You want to... no. You feel the NEED to help someone you don't know yet. They need to find their own song. It helped you so long ago, it will surely help them. A way opens up before and you see sunlight. [[Step forward into light]]] You feel lost in the darkness. Maybe there's no hope for a way out, but maybe there is. (if:$AwakenPSI is true)[You hear a voice calling out to you from far away. It isn't the name you remember, but you can tell they are calling for you. You can't seem to remember who it is though. More voices call to you, all in voices you can't remember. [[Try to remember]] [[Ignore the voices]]] (if:$AwakenPSI is false)[(set:$AwakenPSI to true)] [[Keep Walking|Walk into the darkness]]

The fog of darkness makes it hard to breathe as you run. You can't hold your ears closed anymore as you run. Objects that feel like tree branches, sewage pipes, and ropes block your path, but you feel your way through them. Determination no longer drives you. Now desperation claws at your mind like the thousands of claws at your legs and back. In a moment, you trip and fall over a pipe. [[Scramble to your feet]] [[Crawl away]]

As you attempt to get a good foothold, you feel your skin tear away like ribbons, peeling off of you and trailing on the floor. Stumbling again, you fall to the floor once more. The claws skitter up your legs, back, and arms. Overwhelmed, you thrash around in a desperate attempt to flee. Feeling leaves you as the pain becomes too great to handle. No matter what you do, your attempts to escape are thwarted as the pain consumes your mind. You hear nothing except for the echoes of your own screams, which fade quickly into nothing. In your final moments of silent agony, you realize there was nothing you could've done to prevent this fate. Close your eyes. It's the only mercy you can afford now.

As you attempt to crawl away, you feel the claws pierce deep into your flesh and drag you backwards deeper into the darkness. The claws skitter up your legs, back, and arms. Overwhelmed, you thrash around in a desperate attempt to flee. Feeling leaves you as the pain becomes too great to handle. No matter what you do, your attempts to escape are thwarted as the pain consumes your mind. You hear nothing except for the echoes of your own screams, which fade quickly into nothing. In your final moments of silent agony, you realize there was no decision you could've made that would have prevented this fate. Hold your breath. Maybe it will help.