The Great Skies Are Open FINAL

CAL FELDHOUSEN PRESENTS #THE GREAT SKIES ARE OPEN [[Wake Up->Intro 1]] (link-reveal:"Content Warnings: ")[Child Abuse, Gore, Transphobia]

(set: $health to 1) You're prone on the loosely carpeted floor, the rubble that was once half of your room's roof laying its weight on top of you. You manage to pry yourself free using a stray table leg, another victim of the collapse, and take a moment to catch your breath as you [[take inventory->Body Check]] of the situation. (link:"Check your computer.")[ Your PC was destroyed in the collapse. From beloved companion to pile of scrap in a single moment. A terrible loss, but one you'll have to bear.] [[Leave your room.->Hallway]]

(if:$health is 1)[You're pretty badly hurt, cuts covering most of your torso and arms. You need to medical attention before you do whatever stupid thing you plan on doing next, or at least a medical kit.] (if:$health is 3)[You're doing ok for now, but you should be careful not to get yourself hurt again.] (if:$Axeget is 0)[If you want a chance at surviving whatever just demolished your home, you need something to defend yourself with.] (if:$Axeget is 1)[You're holding your family axe, your hands resting comfortably around the cool hilt from years of work with it.] (link-undo:"Back to the situation at hand...")

The hallway is empty, the family pictures forced off the wall by the impact of whatever crushed your room. To your left is your [[mother's room->Mom Room]], and dead ahead is the [[kitchen->Kitchen]]. (if:$photos is 0)[As you stand there, your eyes glance over to the remaining [[family photos->Family Photos 1]] to your left, something in there making your gut burn.] (if:$photos is 1)[Nothing else to see with the pictures. Besides, the last thing you need is to let the past hurt you again.] [[Check yourself over->Body Check]]

You reach for the doorknob, and find that the door is stuck firmly in place. You know the door doesn't lock, so it must've been blocked off, intenionally or not. (if:$Axeget is 1)[You could probably [[break down the door->Outside]] with the axe, if you're willing to do something like that.] [[Return to the hallway.->Hallway]]

You find yourself in the kitchen, the soft moonlight glinting in through the closed window. To your right is the [[living room->Living Room]], your father's old axe hanging over the fireplace like some grand trophy of a life worked impossibly hard. The front door lies to your left, but you doubt you want to go out there. You could always turn back around and head back into the [[hallway->Hallway]]. (if: $heal1used is 0)[The last time you checked, the [[medical supplies->Healing 1]] were kept in one of the upper cabinets.] (if: $heal1used is 1)[You've always used the medical kit in the cabinets, so there's not much left to do there.] (if: $timepass is 0)[At the window, you hear a soft rustling, something that sounds like [[gurgling.->ENDING 1]]] (if: $timepass is 1)[The thing outside isn't there anymore.]

Your breath goes cold as you walk close to the window, your heart stumbling on itself. Every bone in your body is telling you to not open the window. (link-undo:"Back off, NOW") (link:"Open it anyways")[= You open the kitchen window to survey the situation outside, and you see you see (link:"It")[= The thing outside your kitchen window defies any human understanding or comprehension, 5D logic compressed into a 3D space. You can't even begin to grasp its proper shape, either 2 limbs or 100, 8 eyes or a thousand. The act of processing its existance hits you like a daisy cutter to the gut: you'd have the pleasure of feeling all your organs shut down and implode if your skull hadn't already split in half. You flop dead to the floor. The thing outside makes its way into the kitchen through the broken window and drags what's still part of your body back out. You mind may be long dead by now, but your flesh will become yet another new cog in the hell earth is becoming. //''The End: Ending 1''// Made by [[Cal Feldhousen->Fake Intro]] (link-undo:"Go Back?")Go Back?

You're standing in the living room, the dull roar of emergency sirens miles away still ringing a little in your ears. (if:$Axeget is 0)[The [[axe->AXE GET]] is still hanging on its mount, the dust covering it marking its long stay in retirement. Considering that you have no idea what just destroyed a decent portion of your house.] (if:$Axeget is 1)[You've already taken the axe from its resting place, so there isn't much else to do here.] Behind you is the [[kitchen->Kitchen]], awaiting your return.

You grasp your hands around the cold wooden hilt of the axe. Your father used this for years around the house, always obsessed with the power of the thing even when no one else wanted it around. He was obsessed with teaching you how to be a man, being stronger than anyone else, and part of that was teaching you how to weild the thing like you should, regardless of what you wanted to be. (link:"Pick it up")[= You feel yourself readjust to the weight of the thing, shifting to hold the weight properly. You shift yourself in and out of attack position, making sure the gears are still working fine. At least now you wouldn't make it easy for your murderer. [[Finally, some good news.->Living Room]] (set: $Axeget to 1) (set: $timepass to 1)

(if:$dogget is 0)[You find... nothing. Your mother is missing, and the wall has been completely torn down. The picket fence outside your home isn't damaged. Whatever took her didn't go very far.] To your front is an old [[treehouse->Treehouse Opening]], the one you and your (link:"~~brother~~")[sister] used to play in before... everything. (if:$Dogget is 0)[Off to the side is Milo's [[doghouse->Doghouse]], but you're not sure you want to find out what happened to him.] (if:$Dogget is 1)[Milo already retreated into the confines of the house, hopefully to safety.]

You fumble through the cabinets, digging through the long forgotten spices and utensils... there it is, buried back behind few stale jars of oregano. You wrap up your wounds carefully, sealing off any bleeding for the time being. While you're fumbling through the cabinet, you also grab a bottle of painkillers and take one for the road. Not really an ideal solution, but the only one you can really work with. [[Back to it, then.->Kitchen]] (set: $health to 3) (set: $heal1used to 1) (set: $timepass to 1)

You move to climb the treehouse, but you hear something behind you. Something is rustling in the bushes, moving into action the second it realizes there's fresh meat. It already split the bushes clean open by the time you manage to spin around and ready the axe, the thing inside lunging (link-reveal:"outward")[=. The thing is an oily black, its eyes rotating rapidly as it sizes you up. Something about its shape disturbs you, parts you've seen before but shouldn't be able to see here. It didn't make sense- (link-reveal:"Untill it did.")[= You recognize the legs, scratched up heavily and finely maintained, you recognize the jaw, still strong and pointed even after it's been ripped apart and nailed back together by something deeply primal and hungry. You recognize the eyes, piercing even though they're long since stolen. Looks like your father chose the wrong night to finally come home. You stand there, eyes locked, the moment hanging over you both. It bears its teeth, and you [[raise the axe->BATTLE BEGIN]]. (set: $monsterhealth to 3) (set: $healthsave to $health)

You walk over to the doghouse and crouch down. Milo's flown the coop, for better or for worse- You hear crunching grass [[behind you->DOG GET]].

You spin around to find Milo, unharmed beyond some extra mud on his fur. He's a older boy, but he isn't in his twilight years yet. You pet him slowly, your shaking hands stilled just a little. [[Back to it then.->Outside]] (set: $Dogget to 1)

It lunges. [[Swing->DAMAGE]] [[Dodge->COMBAT 2]]

You swing your axe down, but it moves too quick. You feel its claws cut through your side. (if:$health < 2)[You feel your legs give out under you as you crumple to the ground, the life leaving your eyes as the thing tears into your flesh. //''GAME OVER.'' Retry?//] (if:$health > 1)[You're hurt, but you still have some [[fight->COMBAT 1]] left in you!] (set: $health to it - 1)

You duck to your left as it swings violently in the air, crashing to the ground hard. This is your chance to [[STRIKE->ATTACK]]!

You slam the axe into its back before it can get back up. It tries to lunge again but all it manages to do is tear a hole in your sneakers desperately. You pull back again, and swing again, and pull back, and swing again. It's long dead by now. (if:$health is 3)[You somehow managed to scrape by without a scratch, but you don't count on your luck holding out for long.] (if:$health is 2)[You feel the scratches on your side. It's bleeding, but not bad. You can find some medical supplies later.] (if:$health is 1)[You manage to lift yourself back to your feet by supporting yourself with your axe. You're fucked up, and bad.] Nothing left to do but climb.

Nothing left to do but climb. You manage to climb up the rickety boards leading to the front entryway. You find your mother. Bleeding, badly, but alive. She looks at you with hope in her eyes. You stare back. You've known those eyes all of your life, and you can't help but remember. [[Remember->Remembering]].

You remember her screaming at your sister, demanding that she stop wearing dresses, that she accept she is a boy and stop playing pretend. (link-reveal:"You remember")[= you trying to step in the way, and waking up an hour later with an ice pack wrapped around your head, your mother apologizing like it was an accident. (link-reveal:"You remember")[= your sister leaving in the night, swearing that she knew some friends in town, that she would be ok. She would be ok. (link-reveal:"You remember")[= your mother swearing off your sister, telling the police to look for a name that was long dead in the water, that didn't belong to anyone anymore. (link-reveal:"You remember")[= The weight the two of you held together falling on you a thousandfold, your mother's agony and sadness and fear and rage crashing down on you, your body hardening against the pain, [[but the hurt still remained->KILL]].

It takes a moment for her to notice the change in your eyes. She notices when the axe is raised above your head. (link:"SWING")[= A lifetime of suffering expressed in a single moment of violent wrath from the other side of the equation, the crescendo of the dance you spun in the shape of an obedient child. (link:"SWING")[= You scream, your throat raw with the sound. It makes no attempt to be decipherable, just sound, just [[anger->The End]].

You make your way back down the tree, slowly regaining your breath. (if:$Dogget is 1)[You call back Milo to your side, ruffling his fur gently as he greets you.] You look over the horizon, the city burning as something impossibly large strides onwards. Even if it means being lunch for whatever beast finds you first, you still need to try. You need to help your sister. //''THE END''// [[By Cal Feldhousen->Fake Intro]]

You can't, not yet. (link-reveal:"The hurting hasn't started yet.")[= You're standing in the hallway. It's the dead of night, and your face hurts like (link-reveal:"hell")[, the bruise still staying with you even now, far beyond the original moment]. You know what's around the corner. You know what'll happen again. You want to turn around, dash back to your room, knock yourself out on the corner of the wall if you have to. The dream moves forward, and so do you. (link:"No")[= Too late now. Your body is moving on autopilot, reenacting the scene again. (link:"No")[= Don't you want to see her again? You're about to. [[NO->Intro 2]]

Your sister is there, like always. She's looking into her bug-out bag, like always. You try to say something. (link:"\"I'm so sorry\"")[= You never say anything, just like all the other times this exact sequence played out in your mind. She turns to look at you (link-reveal:"and.")[= and. (link-reveal:"and.")[= and. [[Something is deeply wrong->Intro 3]]

Her face is harrowed, covered in blood, someone else's or hers you can't tell. Black gunk stains her whole form, her form twisted in the shallow light of the moon. Something slams into the front door, bending under the weight. Drawing a low, slow breath, she whispers to you, in a voice you know isn't from the dream. "Don't look. //''DON'T. LOOK."''// [[Wake Up->MC Room]]

Nothing much to see here, just a few precisely staged family photos to commemorate the idea of your family. One picture catches your eye though, a simple christmas photo your mother decided to keep around. Apparently it was an artifact of a "a happier era", but you couldn't feel further from agreeing. A fragment of paper sticks out the side of the frame. (link:"Pry the Frame Open")[= You pull it open and retrieve the photo, and the piece of paper stuck to the back of it. Your eyes glance over the writing... //12/19/2014// //Christmas Photo with Dad, Jack, and// You wince as you almost read the third name listed. That's not any name you know. You tear it up, your hands shaking just a little bit. [[Back to it then.->Hallway]] (set: $photos to 1)

The beast rears up... (set: $attack to (random: 1,3)) (if:$attack is 1)[And dashes towards you violently! [[Attack->DAMAGE 1]] [[Dodge->HIT 1]]] (if:$attack is 2)[And rears up, ready to strike! [[Attack->Hit 2]] [[Dodge->Dodge 1]]] (if:$attack is 3)[It lunges forward in a rage, jumping forward with its jaws gnashing! [[Attack->DAMAGE 2]] [[Dodge->DODGE 2]]]

You try to swing, but the beast moves like lightning, cutting into your side. (set: $health to it - 1) (if:$health > 1)[[[You can still fight!->BATTLE BEGIN]] ] (if:$health < 2)[You stumble before falling to your knees, flopping to the ground dead. [[Retry?->Retry]]]

You duck out of the way sending the beast spiraling out of control in the wrong direction, leaving you with a clear shot! (set: $monsterhealth to it - 1) (if: $monsterhealth < 2)[The beast finally flops over, dead. Against all odds, [[you put that thing down->Treehouse]].] (if: $monsterhealth > 1)[[It's still standing, [[for now!->BATTLE BEGIN]]

You manage to catch it before it lunges, nailing it in the head and sending it spiraling backwards to the ground. (set: $monsterhealth to it - 2) (if: $monsterhealth < 2)[The beast finally flops over, dead. Against all odds, [[you put that thing down->Treehouse]].] (if: $monsterhealth > 1)[It's still standing, [[for now!->BATTLE BEGIN]]]

You dash out of the way easily, the monster's attack missing easily. From how long it took to rear up, you think you might be able to land a clean hit before it strikes again, if you [[get the chance->BATTLE BEGIN]].

You blink for a moment, confused. You're alive again, but the monster is still looming over you, ready to [[kill->BATTLE BEGIN]]. (set: $health to $healthsave)

You try to get a hit in but the beast tears into your arm, leaving a devastating wound that gushes blood. (set: $health to it - 2) (if:$health > 1)[[[You can still fight!->BATTLE BEGIN]] ] (if:$health < 2)[You stumble before falling to your knees, flopping to the ground dead. [[Retry?->Retry]]]

You shove the handle of the axe into its mouth, stopping its bite as you throw it back off. It's stumbled, but it quickly [[recovers->BATTLE BEGIN]].