top

sorry for not posting in a while, i'm working on several projects at the moment, and i had to pick which ones to contiue working on. it's genuinely difficult to make descisions like this, my stories ar every dear to me, but this story is on hiatus FOR NOW. hopefully, there'll be a new part out not to long from now.

okay, we're so back

~~

You desperately search your increasingly manic thoughts for some solution to your problem. One possibility shines through. It feels natural, and you barely realize just how irrational it is. 

DANCE LIKE NEVER BEFORE==>

You run toward the abomination, at full speed. Wren lunges forward to stop you, and you grab her. You hold her close to you and start doing a frantic, clumsy approximation of an irish jig. 

Wren: DEEN! What are you DOING?!

YOU: I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA!!!!

You don't have any idea what you're doing. Because it isn't you doing it. You're aware suddenly of what is happening to you. These aren't your ideas. Something is putting them in your head. The noise, the noise in your head. Telling you to splash a stranger with polluted water, or to burn down your best friends house, or dance with some random monster in the woods. 

It's absurd. It's all so absurd. 

You laugh and laugh until tears start to pour down your face. 

Wren: Deen! Deen, are you all right?

You smile at her.

YOU: No!

Wren: Please stop Deen. You.. You're scaring me.

You stop dancing immediately, but it takes a little longer to stop laughing.

Wren: What were you doing, Deen?!

YOU: I... I do not know. Dancing, I suppose.

Wren: But why? 

YOU: More brain manipulation nonsense, I believe. 

Wren: Do you think the Alien is doing this?

YOU: No. He does not seem to be the type to do something without directly bragging about it. Besides, it feels like several beings that are causing me to make... Strange decisions. And... Oh.

Wren: What is it?

You're starting to feel inordinately tired again. 

...

You awaken, strapped to that table again.

The alien isn't here. What do you do? 

OBSERVE ROOM CLOSELY==>

You take a better look at the room you're confined to. The walls are bare and white, beyond a poster of a kitten hanging from a branch. There's a caption on it that says "HUMAN INSPIRATIONAL SAYING," in bold red letters. A machine to your right is contracting and expanding like a slinky. The door remains closed, and sealed. Your arms and legs remain bound. You see what might be a camera on the ceiling. The door slowly begins to creak open.

The Alien: Hello, sunhine! Nice to see you awake... Or, asleep I guess.

YOU: Did you make me pass out again?!

The Alien: Maybe!

YOU: Wha- Maybe?! You have me ted up, what use is it being coy? 

The Alien: I enjoy it!

YOU: Look, I don't even know your name. You are an alien, and you're a weirdo creep who steals my organs and my memories, I assume. That is all I know. 

The Alien: Yeah, that's pretty accurate. Anyway, I doubt I'll be giving you my name anytime soon. Names have power, y'know. But, ah, you can call me Hastur, if you like.

YOU: Okay, Hastur... Why did you make me fall asleep? I was in a potentially dangerous situation. And now I cannot assist Wren! 

Hastur: Ah, I'm certain she'll be okay. Anyway, I called you here because, I realized the power disparity between us was making me uncomfortable, and I wanted to give you the chance to ask me annnyyyy question you wanted. Maybe two questions if ya play your cards right.

He pauses. What do you ask? 

ASK: WHO IS LILLIE==>

You turn to... Hastur, you suppose.

YOU: There is this creature in the forest. Right now, I suppose. Posibly putting the person closest to me in serious danger.

Hastur: Cool!

You frown. 

YOU: Yes, well, I call this creature Lillie. Because, see, it was continually requesting that I assist it in finding a person named Lillie, and I initially misunderstood its meaning.

Hastur: Very interesting. Creatures. I like that.

YOU: So, who is Lillie?

Hastur:... Clever. You could either be talking about the creature or the person, and so I have to answer both. Tricky! I will answer both, because I like talking. Okay. So. The creature is likely a Woodsman. They're supposed to be human beings banished into the forests for performing "Obscene Rites, blah blah blah, etc." They became weird inhuman creatures, and it's very easy for higher powers to control them. 

YOU: Higher powers... Like you?

Hastur: Hahaha!  Sure, If I wanted to! But I would never sully my hands by associating with a Woodsman. So yes, something definitely told those creatures to look for Lillie. Now, as for Lillie herself... I don't know! There's a lot of folks named Lillie. 

YOU: ..oh. Yeah, I should have seen that coming.

Hastur: Buuuuut.... There is an abductee of mine named Lillie... I did with her basically what I do to you. Y'know. Organ harvesting, brain tampering, dream invasions... She lived around here for a while, but I guess she moved away. Out of my range, y'know. 

YOU: You have a range on your powers?

Hastur: yeh. 

(second part will be posted tomorrow, no command necessary.)

Hastur moves closer to the table, his cloak flowing behind him, his helmets visor flashing.

Hastur: I can see all your memories. Fun fact! So here, why don't you have a fun little memory dream. It'll keep you occupied, and I can do a little work without you waking up. 

You strain against your bonds, trying to free yourself from the table. 

YOU: Hastur! I need to wake up! Wren might be in danger!

Hastur: Wah, wah, Wren this, Wren that. What's so special about Wren? What warrants this level of devotion and constant whining. "Oooh, Wren NEEDS me!" You're clingy man!

YOU: Y-you do not even have anything to gain from this! This is aimless spite, with no benefit! 

Hastur: Correct. I'm already doing some very immoral things, if you hadn't noticed. Why not twist the proverbial knife? I can do it. So I will.

YOU: Okay. Which memories.

Hastur: I've always been a big fan of the montage. How about a cringe compilation?

YOU: ... what?

Hastur: An assortment of funny ways you've failed yourself and others, in live, breathing color! Enjoy!

You struggle against the bonds again, but to no avail. The ropes simply tighten. Suddenly, the lights illuminating the room begin to dim. You turn to your side, and find Hastur has vanished and the door is closed. The room disappears, but not in the normal way. First, the poster vanishes. Then, the machine stops whirring, and melts away. Eventually, the door is gone, and you are left in a bare white room. Then the walls peel away, and the ceiling and floor shatter like panes of glass. The able and the ropes disappear, and you hang in an infinite, black space. You wait there for what feels like an unbearably long time, before the images and sounds begin. In time, you begin to miss the darkness.

Your body lies in the forest, deep in an inescapable sleep, as Wren and the Woodsman stare at each other, neither one aware of what to do next.

Nearby a creek, Alex and Ten lean against two seperate trees, keeping a wary distance. They are waiting for your return.

In Wren's house, her grandfather sits hunched over a computer monitor. The screen illuminates his face, and the room is otherwise dark.

And in a small house, tucked in the forest, there is a young woman named Lillie. She is not alone in the cottage.

END OF CHAPTER ONE.

Chapter two will begin shortly.