A piece of interactive fiction vs. role-playing game, where you get to suggest the next move and influence how the story progresses.
#37. Frozen Takeaway
Thursday, November 03, 2005 You can't come to any other conclusion, you've been blackmailing Lena.It doesn't make any real sense, if you've been in love with her for as long as you've known her, as Katy explained, why would you want to extorte this much money from her?
In any case, there is enough cash in that bag to start a new life somewhere a long way away from anyone here, and at the moment, you're a clean slate, and no real ties.
You pull the bag closed, and close the freezer door. You turn around, and face Zoe standing in front of you with a gun pointed directly at your head.
"Well, it looks like the freezer was the one place we didn't look. You don't think you could really mess with my family, with our ties do you?" Zoe shakes a little. Zoe Haynes. Lena.. Haynes.
Crap, how did you miss that?
"Give me my money"
You slowly walk forward and begin to pass the money to Zoe, when a phone rings from the front room. It's midnight!
Zoe turns around and you leap at her. Knocking her gun to the ground, you wrestle with her to the floor, being small, it doesn't take much to subdue her. Pulling off your belt you tie it around her wrists, and pull your own gun on her.
"Don't fucking move", and you back into the front room facing Zoe.
You pick up the phone in the other hand and answer.
"Hello"
"We've received your instructions, what do you want from us?"
"The plan has changed." you say.
"What the.. listen you fuck.. where the hell is my daughter??"
"Which one?"
"Why you.. who the ..."
"Call me in one hour" and you hang up, and turn the phone off.
"Sounds like your daddy doesn't even know Lena is just as bent as who ever is pulling off this stunt." you say to Zoe as you walk back into the room with her slumped against a table.
"What?" she spits
"Lena is the one who arranged this kidnapping.. with the help of your finger"
Zoe's eyes open wider, and she tries to speak
"As far as blackmail is concerned.. that.. I don't know yet."
#36. The postman always rings...
Wednesday, November 02, 2005 You decide to give any potential assailants a heads up you're coming in. You grab your mobile phone, and slide it into the apartment."Give me your phone" you whisper to Zoe, and she reaches into her bag. You take her phone from her, and find yourself in the addressbook.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling me" and you hit dial. The mobile in the apartment stays silent, but the landline rings. Just as effective you presume, but don't hear anything stirring inside. You nudge the door open, and hang up the phone.
The apartment has been ransacked, draws pulled out and emptied, pictures pulled off the walls and slashed, generally, its a mess.
You sigh, not really feeling any association to the place, but seeing quite clearly that your place has been trashed. Kneeling beside a broken coffee table, you pick up a photo frame. It contains a photo of you and Zoe.
You need to find some piece of information which tells you who you are, and why you're still no clearer on what's happening. Hunting around for a letter of some sort, you start rummaging through things on the floor, when you hear a noise behind you.
You spin around, pulling the gun from your trousers and pointing it, finger on the trigger.
Zoe screams. It was just her stepping on some broken glass. You're too jittery and need to calm down. You go the kitchen and open the fridge for a drink. It seems like the only item in the flat that was destroyed. You find a bottle of water, and open the freezer for ice.
Instead of frozen pizzas and peas, though, you find a black bin liner. You pull it open, and take a sharp intake of breath when you find bundles of money, rolled up with elastic bands.
suggests...I think you've been the one blackmailing Lena and that's the money there. You should pack some things, grab that cash and leave town - with our without Zoe.
You've got nothing to stay for.
#35. Home bound.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005 The taxi pulls up outside an apartment block on Kings Avenue. Not exactly fit for a monarch, but not so bad either.You pay the cab driver in wet banknotes, and apologise profusely for getting his car damp. He says something at you in Russian, you presume it is not a pleasantry.
Whilst you're forking out your cash, Zoe has already walked up to the front door and unlocked it. This girl has your apartment keys? You follow Zoe, up two flights of stairs, and reach, what you presume is your apartment. You can tell by the fact the door has been kicked open, splinters of wood lie around on the floor, and the door now rests ajar.
Someone is watching you from further down the corridor, but as you turn to speak to them, they slam their door closed, just a neighbour wondering how you've become the centre of attention, a question you've been asking yourself also.
You stand outside the door, do you go in or not?
suggests...Go in go in go in, the answers lie within
I reckon you should:
- tie up Zoe so she can't escape but so she won't be harmed long term
- take the money from the freezer, some things (pack like you're leaving) and leave the flat
- get somewhere not connected with any of the places you've been to so far (i.e. not your flat, the storage place, the bank, the clearing) and wait for the call at midnight
- when the dad calls back come clean with him, tell him everything you know (including where Zoe is so she can be rescued at some point) and make a deal with him to either pay you half the money (if you don't have enough already) or to leave you out of it from now on so you can leave and find somewhere new to live
- if you want to have the last laugh call Greg and tell him what you've done, or question him about everything and try to get to the bottom of why you've been blackmailing Lena if you've always loved her
- leave town, give yourself a new name and never look back. (you might want to say goodbye to your sister - but that's optional!)
I'll be using this weekend to round off the story, so please make your suggestions today!