Chapter Text
The Narrator: You’re on a trail on the coast, and at the end of that trail is a cabin. And in the basement of the cabin is a Monster.
You’re here to slay it. Or else the world will never grow.
(Explore.) ‘But the world looks fine.’
The Narrator: Yet it isn’t. Life is fading but life isn’t dying it’s suffering. It needs a savior.
(Explore.) ‘And I am said savior?’
The Narrator: Yes. You are.
(Explore.) ‘Can’t anyone else do it?’
The Narrator: No, you are the only one who can do this.
(Explore.) ‘What if the monster doesn’t want to?’
The Narrator: Even if it doesn’t want to be cursing the world, it is.
(Explore.) [Look at your reflection in the water.]
The Narrator: You gaze into the water, seeing your reflection, you are wearing a short dress and a simple chest plate.
(Explore.) That doesn’t look too protective…
The Narrator: It will be enough, and don’t worry there will also be a weapon in the cabin.
(Explore.) But I am still unsure… if doing this is what I want.
The Narrator: I believe you can do it.
[Quietly head to the cabin.]
The Narrator: You make your way up the short path to the cabin. You'll find the monster within.
Before you enter the cabin, a warning.
It will lie, It will kill, and It will do everything in Its power to stop you from slaying it. Don’t believe a word it says.
(Explore.) “... It can talk… It… isn’t just a mindless beast… oh.”
The Narrator: Stay focused. Even if it wasn’t sentient it would feel pain anyways.
(Explore.) “I… suppose you’re right. But… I don’t want to hurt anyone or anything.”
The Narrator: But you not slaying the Monster will cause much harm to everyone else.
(Explore.) “I… Don’t want to do it without considering the monster’s point of view first.
I want to know I am making the right choice before making a choice.”
The Narrator: Fine then, but slaying the Monster will be the right choice, but if hearing what it has to say is what helps your decision then so be it.
[Enter the cabin.]
The Narrator: The interior of the cabin is almost entirely bare. The air is stale and musty. The floors and walls are covered with a fine layer of dust. The only furniture of note is a plain wooden table. Perched on its edge is a pristine blade, the weapon I promised earlier.
The blade is your implement, you’ll need it if you want to do this right.
(Explore.) I… don’t feel like I want a weapon, If I really need it I can pick it up later
The Narrator: Sigh. Just don’t forget about it.
[Head into the basement.]
The Narrator: The door to the basement creaks open, revealing a staircase faintly illuminated by an unseen light in the room below. This is an oppressive place. The still air is heavy and dry. If the Monster really lives here, slaying it is probably doing it a favor.
His, I mean it’s, voice softly carries up the stairs.
“Hello? Is someone there”
(Explore.) “I am just checking in on you.”
“You are? It's been a while since anyone came here. I thought they forgot about me.”
The Narrator: You head down the stairs and lock eyes with the Monster. There’s a heavy chain around its wrist, binding it to the far wall of the basement.
“Hey. Can you get me out of these chains?”
“I… Would like to talk first.”
“”O…kay…”
(Explore.) “What’s your name?”
“Oh.”
The Narrator: It pauses, carefully considering what to say before it speaks again.
“You can address me as the Monster. Or just Monster if that ‘the’ is too fancy.”
(Explore.) “So is your name Monster?”
“...
Like I said you can call Monster if you want.
…
I guess I have been here so that I don’t remember it. But everyone must have a name.”
The Narrator: It didn’t even think of a name for itself. I hope that you are seeing why this isn’t trustworthy. You can still go back up and the blade, don’t forget that.
(Explore.) “If… If Monster is both your name and your title you’d be Monster the Monster and that’s silly.”
“I suppose that would be silly, but I don’t think I have a name.”
“I was sent here to slay you since you apparently curse the world not to grow…
But I don’t think you’re actually that dangerous.”
“Is that why they threw me down here? But I don’t want to hurt anyone. I like the world! I think.”
(Explore.) “You think?”
“I don’t remember much about it, to be honest. I’ve been down here so long.
Did they tell you how I was supposed to do that?”
“To be honest, I was hoping you would tell me.”
“I don’t know how to prevent the world from growing if that’s what you’re getting at.”
The Narrator: He doesn’t need to know how to be doing it.
“All in all, whatever we have going on is about trust.
Whoever sent you to slay me claimed I was a threat to the world, but they never told you why
I don’t trust that and I don’t think you do either, or else you wouldn’t of come down to talk”
(Explore.) “You’re right about that, I don’t trust it.”
“So this shouldn’t be about what I’d do if I got out, or me saying the right things to convince you to save me.
This is about how messed up this situation is! This is my life we’re talking about!
Do you think I even want to stop the world from growing? Why would I even want to?
We both if there’s people we can’t trust in this situation, it’s whoever locked me down here, and whoever sent you to slay me. And those two groups are probably one and the same.”
The Narrator: Please, don’t let him turn the tables here. This isn’t about trust, it’s about risk.
“I can’t believe you’re being kept in this situation. I’m getting you out.” [Examine the Chains.]
The Narrator: You’re making the wrong decision…
“Thank you, Thank you!”
The Narrator: You walk up to the chains. You give them a tug.
They’re large and heavy, far too solid for you to break apart.
“And I am guessing you don’t have the key.”
“Maybe it’s somewhere upstairs?”
The Narrator: Doubtful. Whoever locked it down here planned it to stay here forever. They wouldn’t have just left the key somewhere in the cabin.
“But… If there’s not a key. Do you have any ideas?”
“Maybe there’s some way to break the chains?
…
Or if that doesn’t work I guess we could cut me out then.”
The Narrator: He offers the suggestion with complete nonchalance.
You attempt to make your way out of the basement, but the door is locked from the outside.
(Explore.) [Try the door.]
The Narrator: You try the door again. It is pointless for the door remains locked.
(Explore.) “Hey, unlock the door- there is someone else there, someone who locked it right?”
The Narrator: Your shouts and pleas are met with silence. If they’re was anyone there who locked it they seem to not be there anymore.
Maybe the door simply automatically locks when someone comes down, who knows.
[Return to the bottom of the stairs.]
The Narrator: You return to the bottom of the stairs. This would have been much faster if you had simply taken the blade like I suggested.
“You were struggling at the door there? Now you’re locked down here too aren’t you?”
The Narrator: There’s a slight panic rising in the Monster’s voice.
“If I can find a way out of these chains I know we can force our way out together.”
The Narrator: It barely hesitates before raising its arm to its mouth, its teeth tearing through the limb with the determination of a trapped wolf.
As it rips its flesh from bone, a sound comes from behind you. The clang of bouncing metal.
It’s the blade from upstairs. You’re not sure how it made its way down here, but if there’s a time to strike, it’s now.
‘Or I could use it to free it.’
The Narrator: You won’t like what happens after that. This is your warning.
[Save the Monster.]
The Narrator: I thought that would turn you away. Sigh , ok.
Despite my warnings, You place the blade against the ragged, self afflicted, wound on the Monster’s arm, just above the unyielding chain binding it to this basement.
You cut into his, it’s, flesh.
The blade is sharp, and it takes little effort to crack through the bone of its arm.
Its limb falls to the ground, and the heavy chain follows suit.
He, It, didn’t utter a single sound through the entire ordeal.
He, it, smiles softly as her gaze meets yours, blood from its wounded arm dripping to the ground.
‘Wow, he is still smiling after everything.’
“Thank you. Now let’s get out of here.”
[Approach the locked door.]
The Narrator: You, no I, can’t just let it escape free into the world.
This is what I was warning you of.
As the Monster approaches the bottom stair, your body steps forward and raises the blade.
‘No! This isn’t fair- You can’t just do this.’
The Narrator: But I am.
“W-What are you doing?”
[Warn her] “Dodge, Please!”
The Narrator: Please don’t do that. This is for the greater good.
“Something has come over you hasn’t it? You know you don’t have to do this right?”
The Narrator: Your body lunges forward, the blade held low, ready to sink into its heart.
But the Monster dodges, stumbling back into the wall before the blade can connect.
Please, stop resisting me! I must let the world grow!
[Resist.]
The Narrator: Move. The. Blade. Slay it!
As your body stays rigid in defiance, the Monster takes a cautious step towards you.
“We both know this isn’t you…”
The Narrator: It nervously reaches forward and takes the blade out of rigid hands. Why are you doing this?
“I’m sorry, I’ll try to end this quickly.”
The Narrator: The Monster plunges into your chest, hitting your heart.
As much as I preferred this gone differently, it’s over.
Everything goes dark, and you die.