Stray Mind

Your name is H. Shepard. Or at least that’s what the sewn name patch says on your white shirt. You aren't too sure what the "H" stands for again. Hal, Harry, Henrietta, maybe Helen? The doctors just refer to you as Shepard, suits you fine. All you know is that you were admitted into [[St. Germaine's Asylum.|Asylum Lore]] After an "Anxious Psychotic Episode" that your mind currently hides the details of. The doctors say that this is a blessing. [[You're a blank slate so to say.|St. Germaine's Asylum.]]

It has been a handful of years since you were admitted here, maybe 5 or 8. You have a calendar in your room, but you don't really see the use in using it. [[You're days are pretty much the same.|room]]

You stand before an owl twice, maybe thrice, the size of you. It is perched upon the world looking out past the stars into the infinite cosmos, its feathers an abyssal black decorated with a vast quantity of twinkling stars illuminating the silhouette of the magnificent bird. There is something different about this owl though... [[Its head.]]

A cluster of blinking eyes of a thousand different colors and forms. Some wide and darting others closed and moving rapidly under their lids. The eyes of cats and goats, fish and men, even the eyes of creatures your mind still hasn't identified. Then from its cosmic perch, the bird spoke. Without opening its beak and in such a profound and resonating voice the bird said, [["How long will you take? Take to realize? Do you fear that if you begin to, you won't be able to stop?"|"When will you realize?"]]

You wake in a sweat. Your body feels like it is shackled to your mattress, but your eyes are free to roam the room. Another fit of sleep paralysis. The doctors told you this happens when people suffer extreme stress, and their minds wake up before their bodies can. [[Look around room.]]

Your cell - no that’s not right - your room, the doctors don't like it when patients call their rooms cells. They say that its counterproductive to patient rehabilitation and negatively affects self-image. That makes sense you reckon. Is a nice plain room you have no real interests besides the occasional sketching to occupy your time. {(if: $fork is true)[You have Gale's black tuning fork, but what to do with it?] } [[Sketching Desk]] [[Leave]]

You look to the left and right and finally to the foot of your bed. There he is that stupid bastard, just sitting there on the foot of your bed. His oily black skin with his bony crooked body hunched over like a gargoyle. He stares at you with an eyeless face, how annoying. He is always sitting there when you have these paralysis spells, he used to be a lot more aggressive, but he must have gotten bored with you or something. Now he just sits here on your bed like it's his 9 to 5. Maybe it's from the pharma-cocktail the nurses give you at night, maybe he doesn't like the little pills. What a pansy. He still freaks you out the way he sits there, you hate his stupid oil black hide, his bony fingers that cling on to your bed sheets. But most of all his eyeless face, he lacks what you have. Sight. [["Bugger off."|Start]]

Your desk has a few odd sketches of some courtyard scenery and some of the faculty and patients at Saint Germaine. {(If: $drawOwl is true)[Your drawing of the owl from your dream. $owl] (if: $drawPB is true)[Your drawing of the Bastard you see at the foot of your bed and $pb]} [[Draw]] [[Back|room]]

You step out into the hall and look at the hall sign. [[Patient Ward]] or [[Recreation Room]] [[Back.|room]] {(if: $firstLeave is true)[(goto:"Meet Ponz")]}

What will you draw? (if: $drawOwl is false)[[[Owl|Owl]]] (if: $drawPB is false)[[[Paralysis Bastard|Paralysis Bastard]]] [[Nothing|Sketching Desk]]

You sit uncomfortablly at your desk dreading the idea of thinking about the damnable bastard. What does your mind see? (cycling-link: bind $pb,"Its slippery black oily skin.","Its gaunt bony body, void of strength and purpose.","Its face. Its damnable eyeless face.") [[Draw.]] (set: $drawPB to true)

You sit down at your desk pencil in hand and you try to focus on the icredible owl you saw in your dream. What does your mind see? (cycling-link: bind $owl,"Its thousand eyes all seeing, all realizing.","Its dark feathers nebulous, yet shimmering with a cosmos of light","Its size, the sheer grandeur of the bird is without equal.") [[Draw.]] (set: $drawOwl to true)

{(set: $firstLeave to true) (set: $drawOwl to false) (set: $drawPB to false) (set: $tessInter to false) (set: $tess to false) (set: $braid to false) (set: $galeInter to false) (set: $fork to false) (set: $meetGale to false) (set: $madGale to false) (set: $keyCard to false) (set: $helpBruce to false) (set: $madBruce to false) (set: $triedToKillCaesar to false) }

As you make your way to leave your room you bump into Dr. Ponz who is standing just outside your door. He is the lead Psychiatrist at the Asylum. Your small collision with the doctor causes him to spill his coffee on his shirt. [[Apologize]] or [[Stare]]

As you enter the rec-room you see a collection of nurses and volunteers attending patients. The room has plenty of natural lights and everyone seem very happy whether from medication or the attendance of the faculty is up to the perception of the viewer. You see a few things that pique your interest. (if: $galeInter is false)[[Gale and his tuning forks]] (if: $tessInter is false)[[An unsolved puzzle]] [[Back|Leave]]

At the entrance of the Patient ward you see two arrows that point down both sides of the hall. [[Solitary]] or [[Special Care]] [[Back.|Leave]]

"Oh, doctor! I'm so sorry!" you say. "Well Shepard! That was quite kind of you, it isn't really that bad. Honestly, thank you for your concern though. I was just coming to inform you that I'll be holding one on one evaluations this week and wanted to formally invite you. These evaluations will be very important in deciding whether or not we feel confident in discharging you from our care." You look on intently listening to the doctor's invitation. With a smile Dr. Ponz says, "If our little kerfuffle right here is any indication of your progress I'd say you're on the fast track for a happier and healthier life outside our institution. I have faith in you, Shepard. Hope to see you there, yeah?" [[With a wave and a smile he leaves you in the hallway.|Leave]] (set: $firstLeave to false)

"Hmm still working on our empathy are we, Shepard? Fret not this isn't a surprise evaluation. I was just coming to inform you that I'll be holding some open one on one evaluations this week and wanted to formally invite you. These evaluations will be very important in deciding whether or not we feel confident in discharging you from our care." You stare at him and nod your head with each major point he makes while he tries to dab away some of the coffee with a handkerchief. You watch him. "Well, I will leave you to it, and I do hope to see you there Shepard. I think these evaluations really help you understand yourself better." With a concerned and quizzical look on his face he failed to repress while still looking at you, [[he leaves you in the hallway.|Leave]] (set: $firstLeave to false)

The building itself is rather eclectic, at least from your exploration of it. It has a long history and the building shows it history quite openly. The scars from its past reconstruction and new state of the art renovations for facilities, the institution has seen every form of pseudo-science and evolved to the newest species of modern medicine. It has always been at the front of the medical field in terms of psychiatry. What profound insights and revelations always leave them knowing what’s right and wrong what... (link: "How do they know? HOW DO THEY KNOW WHAT TO-")[NO! No just breathe. Like how they taught you. (link:"Inhale")[Exhale Good for them, they must be masterful scholars in their research. [[Back|Start]]]]

You walk over to Gale who has 5 tuning forks set up on a table. Gale has been here a few years less than you. He is small man who mostly keeps to himself and is very fixated on his tuning forks. He sits at the table striking one watching the similar forks vibrate. "Do you see it?" he asks. [["Yes."]] or [["No."]]

You walk to the puzzle wringing your hands nervously. As the puzzle comes into you vision you see the puzzle is already finished except for a few pieces. The puzzle is of a black cat, the pieces left out however are the cat's eyes. Gaping holes where the eyes should be are instead filled in by the black cloth of the table it lies on. You feel your heartbeat begin to quicken as you stare at the puzzle. It is so familiar, so sinister. The eyes, WHERE ARE THE EYES? SIGHT! IT NEEDS SIGHT! WHAT ARE WE WITHOUT SIGHT? [[You begin to hyperventilate.]]

(link: "Breathe in.")[Breathe in (link:"Breathe out.")[Breathe out Slower now. (link: "Breathe in.")[Breathe in (link:"Breathe out.")[Breathe out You feel a hand gently touch your shoulder. A sweet young woman with brown hair pulled into a pony tail looks at you concerned like a mother. She has a bright smile on her face it makes her eyes squint. "That's funny." you think. [["Hello there!"]] she has a sweet voice too. So soft, so clear. Like it skipped over your ears and went straight into you head.]]]]

"Is this your puzzle? I'm sorry I love cats, so I just went at it. I was almost done but I found out that it was missing a few pieces so I went to the puzzle cart over there to see if I could find them." She holds her hand out towards you, 6 or so pieces lie in her palm. "Would you like to fit them with me?" [[Yes]] or [[No]]

She smiles another bright smile at you and hands half of the pieces to you. "I'm Tess by the way, as you can see," she points to her name tag. "What's your name?" [[Silent]] [["Introduce yourself"]]

"Oh. No problem, just thought it'd be polite to offer." She quietly fits the pieces into their place. Was that rude? You don't think it was. What should you do now? [[Leave|go away]] or [[Talk to her]]

"I get it." she says with a smile. "I'm still a stranger, maybe after we patch up Black-jack's eyes here you'll feel comfortable. If not that’s okay too, we'll do this In your time, okay?" That was kind of her. [[Remain silent]] or [[Introduce yourself|"Introduce yourself"]]

You point at the patch sewn to your shirt "I'm Shepard, as you can see." She laughs, and what a pretty laugh it is. "A bit of a comedian aren't you, Shepard?" You shrug at her observation, you don't think you're very funny. She pushes her pieces into their place and gestures for you to do your part. "You're not too funny to fix Black-jacks eyes, are you?" You smile and place your pieces into place. [[Talk]]

You talk with Tess for two hours or so about all kinds of things. Her cats at home, your favorite food from the snack cart, what holidays are the best, and what your favorite music is. Tess looks at your hair and says, "Can I ask a favor?" You shrug in compliance. "Could I," she pauses. "Well maybe I shouldn't I don't really know if its allowed." [[Press her to ask]]

You push her to ask you for the favor. "Ok ok well, could I braid your hair? Just a small little braid. I just noticed you had some wonderful hair, and I was just wondering if that'd be ok with you." [[Sure]] or [[Prefer not]]

"Really? Well, that’s great!" She happily jumps up and pulls a chair aside for you to sit in and another one behind for her. She delicately takes a strand of your hair and another and then one more and begins to weave the strands together. She hums softly to herself as she does. It is a very calming and pleasant experience, for the both of you. "And there, perfect!" As you turn to look at her for something to see it with, she hands you a small mirror. You look at the little braid behind your right ear. "I used to braid my mother's hair before she passed it was something only her and I shared." she began to get teary eyed. "Thank you for letting me do that, I really appreciate it." [[Do something, console her.]] (set: $braid to true)

Shocked by the request you say, "Oh um well I dunno if that’s allowed. I wouldn't want to get in trouble over something like that." "Oh of course," she says. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." After talking for a while longer a nurse comes by and taps Tess on the shoulder, "So sorry to interrupt you two but visiting hours are done for the day." Tess nods at the nurse and smiles at her, what a lovely smile. "It was pleasure to meet you Shepard she pats your arm and stands up. "Maybe I'll see you again some other time, goodbye for now!" She grabs her coat from the rack and leaves. [[Leave|Recreation Room]] (set: $tessInter to true)

You sketch away at you desk frantically but with such unparalleled clarity. You see your image in your head and force it from your mind to the white paper with each line and shaded corner until it's fully realized. [[It is done.]]

You stand from your desk and pin the new sketch to the wall with the rest of your drawings. "A new home." you say to yourself [["A new home."|Sketching Desk]].

"Do you um, how are..." you try to think of something to say to her. "Are you a volunteer?" "I am I like to help where I can." she says with a smile and a sweet calm voice. "Is there something you'd like to maybe talk about? Anything at all? I hear its nice to talk with others. Its good for the soul, I think." she smiles at you. You aren't sure if its a good idea usually people get off put with you when you talk to them. And you're so anxious, you can't think of anything to say to her. "My name is Tess by the way, as you can see," she points to her name tag. "I probably should have led with that. [[What's your name?|Introduce yourself]]" [[Remain silent|silence]]

"I should go." you say. "Oh really? Well sure sure, ok. I'm sure I can keep busy. Take care, ok?" You nod and retreat from the interaction. What a mess that was. Why'd you even say anything. [[Best to keep your distance now.|Recreation Room]] (set: $tessInter to true)

You silently place your pieces into their places. Your mind quiets when you look at the eyes of the cat looking back to you. Much better. "So? Do I get your name? We did just help Black-jack get his eyes back together. We're like fellow surgeons, don't you think?" [[Remain silent|silence]] or [[Give your name]]

"My name is... its Shepard." You say quielty. "What a wonderful name! I don't think I've ever met a Shepard before. Would like to talk for a while, Shepard?" [[Talk]]

You can't muster the words you just aren't sure what to say to her. You’re not exactly a conversationalist and your name seems like such a big step. What if she knows you? What if she is actually just volunteering to keep an eye on you? To make sure you are not causing trouble. But what kind of trouble? Why would she be watching you? Is she the only one watching you? Are there other "volunteers" that are keeping tabs on you? What happened during that episode? YOU ARE SO LOST. SO VULNERABLE. [[SO BLIND!]]

Your mind races jumping from one thought to another thinking of all the threats that could be in this very room. All the prying eyes, PRYING EYES. Looking. They are all just looking to see where you are and what you are doing. ALL EYES ON YOU, SHEPARD. You fall out of you chair. Another seizure. You close your eyes as Tess looks at you with her hand clasped over her mouth. The nurses rush over to brace you as your vision goes shakey than to black. [["I hope I dont see him."]]

You wake up in your bed. "Damnit," you think. In front of you, sitting on the foot of your bed, is the bastard. His paws lying on your sheets, his head cocked to the side. "Bugger off! Get outta here!" Your shouting has no effect on him. Well, that isn't entirely true. He leans forward inching closer and closer over your paralyzed body. He brings his face, shadowy and shiny, to yours and reaches a skeletal finger out toward your eye. With one paw he pry’s open one of your eyes, and from a hidden mouth drops a long black tongue. He begins to lap at your eye like a dog from a bowl. [[You scream for help.]]

A nurse comes in through the door and grab hold of your shoulders, "Shepard? Shepard calm down now. Calm down." "That bastard!" you yell at her. "He... he... My eye." "What's wrong with your eye? I don't see anything. Have you taken your medication today? Here." She hands you a small cup of different capsules. You inhale the pills quickly in hopes of scaring away the bastard. The nurse leaves your room. [[You don't see him.|room]] (set: $tessInter to true)

In an attempt to comfort her you stretch out your hand and place it trembling on the back of hers. "I'm sorry for your lose." "Thank you, Shepard." she smiles softly at you. "You seem so mild mannered and polite Shepard what are you doing in St. Germaine's?" she looks shocked by her statement and tries to apologize. [["No, it's ok."|"No, its ok."]]

You tell her about your episode and how you can't seem to remember anything about it. Just that there were these people... And suddenly you begin to remember fragments of your episode. Tall men in... black. Their faces... God their faces. Eyeless and dark. There slim frames cornering you and pushing thoughts and speculation into your head. No room to breathe nowhere to escape to, just stuck out in the city alone and powerless. Always just there always telling and forcing their BLIND ideas onto you. You can't fathom the idea of not understanding it. You begin to get aggravated, but Tess is there. [[Tess helps.]]

"You... you remembered your episode? Just now?" she asks. You nod. "I think so. Just pieces of it just difficult, heavy pieces." "That's great! isn't it? This sounds like great news! You can talk to Dr. Ponz surely, he can help now. I hear he is a great doctor." she smiles bright and happy at you. She is magnificent. [[See Dr. Ponz]]

As you stand to leave you think to yourself. [[Ask Tess to come with.]] or [[Go alone.]]

You turn to Tess, "Could you... maybe..." She smiles at you, "I think I could come with, right? If it'll help, it'd be my pleasure, Shepard." You smile at her, the first time in what feels like a long time you have actually smiled. [[It fills you with confidence.]] (set: $tess to true)

"I think I'll see Dr. Ponz now, better now than later. Might forget." you say. "Good idea, Shepard. I'm rooting for you, I hope he can help." Her smile is radiant, beaming like a solar flare. She is truly a remarkable person. [[You wave at her as you make your exit.]]

You and Tess make your way down the wall into the faculty office. Before you lies a dark wooden door with "Dr. Ponz" printed on a plaque on the door. You look back at Tess she places a hand on your back and uses her head to point at the door. [["Knock, Shepard."]]

You reach out and knock on the door. (link: "Knock")[Knock (link: "Knock")[Knock (link: "Knock")[Knock Strange... no answer. "Oh Shepard! Is that you? Ohohoho, it is! So good to see you!" From behind you strides the gregarious Dr. Ponz. "So sorry, I was out for lunch. I am quite happy I didn't miss your visit, please come in." (if: $braid is true)[[Enter|"Yes, sir."]] (if: $tess is true)[He looks at Tess, "And who is this?" "I'm Tess, sir. A friend of Shepard's." Friends? You're friends? You guess that would be the natural progression of things, huh? This is great! "Oh very nice. Shepard will she be joining us in your evaluation?" [["Yes, sir."]]]]]]

Dr. Ponz steps past you and opens the door. "Come in, come in." The room is darker than you were expecting. The shades are pulled down and his patient chair is empty. [[Sit in chair.]]

As you sit in the chair you close your eyes. [["So Shepard, what can you tell me about your episode?"]]

As you make your way down the hall to Dr. Ponz's office you reach up and start to twirl the braid Tess gave you between your fingers. The braid brings you some comfort, more than you had anticipated. You are glad you met Tess she may have been one of the best things to happen to you in what seems like a long time. You stand before Dr. Ponz door, guess all you have to do now is... [["Knock, Shepard."]]

You tell Dr. Ponz everything you remember form the episode. The dark figures that would look at you with eyeless faces. The voice in your heading telling you about what the figures were saying and all of their hatred and malice they had because of your very existence. Dr. Ponz nods and ask more and more questions about the figures and what they said... The more he asks, the more you remember from the episode. After a long discussion Dr. Ponz says that he recognizes this kind of behavior and begins ask how you came to remember everything. "Well, I must say, you've come a long way, your empathy and rationality, your ability to discern reality from your hallucinations, all in all its remarkable progress. How did you manage this kind of breakthrough to look into yourself and find the root of this episode?" {(if: $tess is true)[You point at the Tess who sits next to Dr. Ponz. "She helped me. I was with her in the rec and she just... opened me up. I can't quite explain it but she just... Helped. Tess helped." Tess smiles at you with teary eyes.]} {(if: $braid is true)[You reach up and hold the Braid softly between your fingers, "I had help... from a friend" you say. "I can't quite put it to words but just being around her helped me, I've never quite met anyone like her."]} [["Fascinating," says Dr. Ponz.]]

{(if: $tess is true)[(goto: "With Tess Ending.")] (if: $braid is true)[(goto: "Tess' lessons Ending.")] }

After a few more sessions with Dr. Ponz he finally recommends your discharge from St. Germaine's. As you begin to leave packing what few things you have you hear a knock on the door, "Hello? Shepard?" you recognize the voice rather instantly. Tess stands in the doorway looking in at you. She had been present at most of your evaluations during the last few weeks and has been quite possibly your first friend not in a lab coat or scrubs. "Are you ready to go? I talked to my friend and she says that her brother would be more than willing to help you get started. A job. A new life. Isn't it so exciting, aren't you so excited?" You smile and sling your bag over your shoulder. [["I think I am."]]

After a few more thorough sessions over the next few weeks Dr. Ponz concedes that you have made tremendous progress and you that are quite capable of being discharged should you feel that it is the right choice for you. "I can say that whatever you and your friend talked about she must have left quite an impression on you. I can give you the signature for discharge whenever you are ready, Shepard." [["I'm ready doctor, ready to live like Tess."]]

With no one to keep you in a cell and no more watchful eyes prying into your business you are finally free to find those dark figures from all those years ago. The fools at the looney bin really thought that "Talking out your problems" was the key to enlightenment? They never would have understood, how could they? Sightless wretches. They have no idea the damage these men can sow with their blindness. But you know, oh you know. Now with your liberty secured, and no one to tie you up with medication and group "therapy" you can finally pursue the true sight and punish the blind. It is your purpose to give sight to all who cannot see, or to free them of their mindless burden. Freedom at last.

With that pest Tess always checking over your shoulder you'll never be able to track down the sightless wretches that ambushed you all those years ago. You didn't play her like a fiddle just to become her prisoner. There must be a way to get rid of her without drawing to much attention to yourself, you cannot be imprisoned in that infernal "asylum" again. She has you working some mindless job to become "acclimated to the world" around you. Pathetic. You know more than she could ever comprehend. You have a purpose already and you did not trade one prison for another. You will bring sight to a sightless world, a vision so profound it makes God himself weep. You just need distance, you need to get out of this confounded conservatorship. Tonight.

You lean closer to the table and hear the thrumming of the forks as he strikes one of the forks. It isn't as fascinating as he makes it seem. He smiles revealing a row of mossy teeth, "What about this." He pulls a black tuning fork from under the table and place it in between the five other forks and strikes it. All the forks vibrate despite their different tunings, and you swear you feel a small vibration in the back of your head. "The fancy one was a g-gift from Caesar out in the p-patient ward. He is kind but recently he’s been... indisposed." Gale frowns. [[Ask about fork.]] or [[Ask about Caesar.]]

"I thought not. N-No one ever does. No sense of p-p-perception in this place." He continues to ring his forks one after the other quietly to himself. "You can go now." he says. [[Leave.|Recreation Room]] (set: $galeInter to true)

"Who is Caesar? What kind of question is that? H-He is the man who has been here the longest. The m-most wise and m-most perceptive. Little gets past him, at least little did back when he was thill i-i-inquiring. He hasn't been able to do much gathering since his accident. He is b-bedridden now. Very upsetting I-I should say. Very." Gale's eyes begin to water. He begins to cry. [[Ask to meet Caesar.]]

"I-I'm not sure what to tell you about it, I-I just got the thing from Caesar when he was still walking around. He is a very gracious man I-I tell you. A good and thoughtful man. He is stuck in his r-r-room now, burden of knowledge I-I say. I-I come to him and use the fork to knock on his door t-t-to tell him about the happenings of the place. He likes to stay appraised." You haven't heard of Caesar before. He must be a much older patient. And the fork seems to be something quite unique. [[Ask for fork.]] or [[Take fork from Gale.]]

Gale seems reasonable if perhaps not a little more medicated than yourself. You ask gale for the fork. "W-W-What?! It is my gift form C-Caesar! I can't just give it to you!" He raves for a while, but suddenly he snaps. "Well," he says. "You do seem like a rather interested person. Y-You might be something worth examining. Maybe Caesar will find you interesting." He pauses for a few moments tapping the forks together a few dozen times and then looks back at you, turning in his chair slowly. "Would you like to visit Caesar with me?" [[Yes.|Ask to meet Caesar.]] or [[No.]]

Gale seems small, weak even. You can most probably take the fork from him. Then you begin to hear a voice softly in the back of your head. "Take it, hurry. He is hiding something from you. You can't let him, this drug addled nobody, hold something from you. You have to know it. What if its dangerous? It could come back to bite you in the-" (link: "QUIET!")[You know what you can do, make your choice... [[Take the fork.]] or [[Leave.]]]

Gale says nothing but turns from you and starts compulsively striking the forks creating a series of vibrations that he seems to be mesmerized by. What an odd fellow. Such a miserable pastime. [[Leave.]] or [[Take fork from Gale.]]

You tell Gale you want to meet Caesar. His face beams with delight. "Truly?! Y-You aren't going to make a mess like n-nasty Bruce are you? He is the reason Caesar is in bed all day now, awful beast that B-Bruce is. Locked up in s-solitary, like the animal he is. Good Riddance, I-I say." [[Ask about Bruce.]] or [[Meet Caesar.]]

"You STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Gale blurts out attracting the attention of the nurses and volunteers in the rec-room. "That b-b-beast! Is not to be trusted... let him stay in his cage." You feel a sharp pain in the back of your head. You don't like not knowing about things, especially dangerous things. [["Ok, Gale. Ok."|Ask to meet Caesar.]]

Gale stands up and takes his black tuning fork with him and slinks out of the rec-room. "I'll meet you in the special care wing in the patient ward, Okay? I-I'm sure Caesar will like you p-plenty!" he flashes a mossy tooth smile at you and scampers away down the hall. [[Return.|Recreation Room]] (set: $meetGale to true) (set: $galeInter to true)

You leave Gale to his devices. He taps and taps away at his forks. What a fascinating man, not very helpful, but oh well. [[Leave.|Recreation Room]] (set: $galeInter to true)

With a swift motion you grab hold of the fork and pull it towards yourself. With a howling scream Gale stands up and swings a fist for your head. It collides weakly on the back of your neck, and you shove the small man to the ground. The nurses begin to intervene, and grab hold of Gale who is howling and screaming, "BRUCE! YOU ARE A BRUCE! BRUUUUUCE!" the nurses and a few security personnel help haul him off to solitary until he has cooled off. It may be a while. A nurse come to check on you, you politely wave her off and head back to your room. [[Head to your room.|room]] (set: $fork to true) (set: $madGale to true) (set: $galeInter to true)

You head down the hall toward solitary confinment. In the hall you spot three rooms. [[Room 1A]] [[Room 2A]] [[Room 3A]] [[Return|Patient Ward]]

As you walk into the special care wing it seems pretty active. Nurses entering and leaving rooms, doctors checking in with patients, and a few security guards make small talk with each other and nurses. The hall has doors on both sides with patients in most of the rooms. On the righthand side there is also a [[security room.]] { (if: $meetGale is true)[Down a ways, on the last door in the hall you see Gale standing with his black tuning fork. He waves at you. [[Meet with Gale.]]]} [[Back.|Patient Ward]]

{(if: $madBruce is true)[You don't dare get any closer to the door. Best not to take any chances with him. (if: $fork is true)[[Strike door with tuning fork.]]] (if: $helpBruce is true)[You look in at the man, "Hello lamb, how goes the search for my exit?"]} (if: $helpBruce is false and $madBruce is false)[You look in the rooms window, and you see a large man. A man of possibly 7 feet in height sitting in the corner of the room. His face is covered in long wild black hair. What can you do? [[Knock.]]] [[Leave.|Solitary]] (if: $keyCard is true)[[Unlock door with Key Card.]]

(if: $madGale is false)[Just an empty room. Padded and white with soft lighting in it.] (if: $madGale is true)[You hear a familiar voice from the inside, "A Bruce. I-I should have known. Of course, o-o-of course! A BRUCE!" That is definitely Gale in there. Best not to interact with him, he would be deaf by his temper to even hear what you'd say.] [[Back.|Solitary]]

Just an empty room. Padded and white with soft lighting in it. [[Back.|Solitary]]

Stray mind is best played by experiencing different paths. Each path offers a different experience and I recommend playing it at least twice. [[Please enjoy!|Time stopped mattering a long time ago.]]

"Oh y-you really did make it! Please let’s go m-meet with Caesar." he takes you by the hand and pulls you into the room. In the room is an older man lying in a bed. he is completely unresponsive. He is breathing and his finger twitches now and again but other than that he is completely mentally despondent. You see the tuning fork in Gale's hand. He smiles his usual mossy toothed smile and says something in a language you don't know. You see as Gale raises the tuning fork and strikes it on the metal of the hospital bed. The familiar resonation vibrates the hospital bed's metal rail, and the back of your head. You still don't understand how the fork does that. "I-I just did that to let him know w-we are here. I'm sure he can hear us now." Gale pulls the bed so that it is at a less horizontal recline. You meet eyes with Caesar. They are profoundly deep and incredibly blue. You get lost in the oceanic eyes of this old man. [[Talk to Caesar.]]

You look in at the security room, there is a sleeping guard. He shouldn't be sleeping. He is supposed to be watching. All of these eyes all over this priso- Asylum and because of human weakness they're still BLIND! All the possible dangers... and threats invisible because of some pathetic eyeless- (link:"Stop!")[No no no. It his job to do the watching you need to calm down. You can't do his job for him, you would do significantly better than the fat slob but no. Just... just focus, (link: "breath")[In and (link:"out")[out. Better. Now, what to do? [[Go in.]] or [[Leave.|Special Care]]]]]

You creep in slowly. You know you aren't supposed to be in here. This is incredibly off limits to patients. There will be severe punishments. If you get caught... You look around the medium sized room and spy a few things that pique your interest. [[A key card.]] [[Guard.]] [[Leave.|Special Care]]

You see a key card. It has a picture of a doctor on it and says, "Dr. Bolton: Violent Behaviour Specialist." [[Leave it.]] or [[Take it.]]

You look at the guard resting in his chair. You stare at him as anger begins to build up in your chest. It is searing hot and painful. He is so clearly neglecting his duties. He has all this omniscient power and he just pissses it away. How infuriating! You ought to just carve out his fucking eyes if he isn't going to use them! Ingrate! [[Take his eyes.]] or [[Collect yourself]]

You close the door to the security room. And lock it behind yourself. You reach out your hand slowly its shaking, either with anticipation or sheer fucking rage, maybe both. You grab onto the security guards head with both hands he lots awake, "Hey! Who are y-" You press your thumb into one of his eyes. Deep and hard. He screams, a predictable reaction really. He struggles against your advances to relieve him of his neglected organs. You go for his other eye with your other hand but just as you place your thumb over his "eye" the door behind you thuds loudly, [["What’s going on in there?"|"Whats going on in there?"]]

No no. That would... that wouldn't be smart. Wouldn't be... right? You gather yourself for a moment. [["Let him be blind, so long as I am not."|Go in.]]

The half-witted and now half-sighted guard screams for help. You should have covered the damn guy's mouth. Hindsight is always the clearest sight though isn’t it? The door opens and a doctor and a guard rush in separating you from the ingrate and his useless eyes. "That freak! He... he took my fucking eye!" So dramatic. "He wasn't using them anyways, they were just taking up space." you retort. The doctor grabs hold of your arm, and you feel a sharp pinch in your arm. [[Your vision goes blurry and then black.]]

When you come to you find yourself in an empty room. Padded and white with soft lighting in it. You don't remember much at all. But this new room's door is locked from the outside. You give the door a good few knocks but there is not response. "Welcome fresh meat." says a voice form across the hall. "You'll be my company. We will get along famously.(if: $triedToKillCaesar is true)[ Looks like we are both in here for the same thing, trying to kill that prying little prat. Caesar. He had a journal of me and my thoughts, we didn't like that one bit.]" A face peers at you from across the hall. Long wild dark hair surrounding a scarred face and black scruff. He has to bend over to look out the small barred window. "Bruce. And what might yours be, little lamb?" You have a feeling that you won't be getting out of this room for a long while. Cutoff. Blinded.

You decide not to take the key card. [[Return.|Go in.]]

You quietly stretch out a hand and take hold of the key card and put it into your waistband. Better to have it than not you tell yourself. [[Return|Go in.]] (set: $keyCard to true)

You knock on the door. No response. (link: "Knock")[You knock again on the door. You hear the man in the room mumble to himself incoherently. (link: "Knock")[You knock on the door again. You hear the man ask under his breath, "what?" (link: "Knock")[You sound another knock off the door. He stands and in the same movement he runs at the door throwing his body against it pressing his hands against the close bars of the door. "What?!" a deep growling voice says. "What could you possibly want, sheep?" [[Ask who he is.]]]]] [[Leave.|Solitary]]

He sweeps his hair out of his face revealing a nasty scar over his right eye and a good collection of scars on the rest of his face. The eye is milky white under the scar. Probably half blind you reckon. "What? That's why you interrupted my conversation?" You look into the room, no one besides him is in it. "You wanted a bloody introduction? Fuck off then, lamb." he begins to turn away when suddenly, he stops. "Really, you reckon I might get this little lamb to-oh no no. Sure yeah, oh that IS brilliant. Yeah, right then, yeah." he turns and looks at you with a smile. "Say, little lamb, you want an introduction yeah? I tell you what you crack me from this cage I'll give you my name, and a way out of the coop. I got unfinished business outside of this lockbox and I bet you do too. I can start a real mess out there, oh I promise I can. I just need out of here. You help me, I'll pave you a way to freedom. It'd be my pleasure, little lamb." [[Agree.]] or [[Decline.]]

"Smart, lamb. Very smart. You find me a way out and-SHUT UP!" the man grabs his head with both hands. "I know what to say to these sheep, so you pipe down and let me handle this." There is no one else in the room with him. He chuckles, "I'd say we shake on it, but I can’t get my hand out there. So, a gentleman's pledge, I guess. Now Fuck off and find me my exit." [[Leave.|Solitary]] (set: $helpBruce to true)

"Oh? Is that so, little lamb? YEAH?! IS THAT THE-" the man drops to his knees and starts to cough terribly. You hear a raspy voice strained by coughing say out in a loud voice, "YOU'RE JUST PREY, ALL OF YOU! JUST LAMBS TO MY SLAUGHTER! I GOT YOUR SCENT, LITTLE LAMB! I'LL REMEMEBR YOU! I'LL GUT YOU!" he doesn't even look like the same person anymore. Like a wild animal. He grabs on the bars on the door and shakes it violently. They hold. Thank God. [[Leave.|Solitary]] (set: $madBruce to true)

{(if: $madGale is true)[(goto: "Unlesah The Beast")] (if: $helpBruce is true)[(goto: "Covenant")] }

You cautiously approach the door with the black tuning fork in hand. A small inscription on the handle reads, "Ad caveam ira." [[Strike bars.]] or [[Leave.|Room 1A]]

You strike the bars, and a humming resonates from the bars and fork, and the familiar sensation in the back of your head returns from when Gale demonstrated its vibrations in the rec-room. You hear an ungodly howl from within the man's room, "NO! YOU CANNOT CAGE ME CAESAR! THESE SHACKLES ARE NOTHING! I CAN'T BE FETTERED LIKE SOME ANIMAL! NO!" The man drops to his knees and begins to convulse his face goes blank, he seems calmer. At least from what you can see. "Who, who are you? Your face... the face of a lamb. I... I have seen it before. Why can't I remember?" he says with a confused groan grabbing at his hair. He turns his back again to sit in the corner of the room. [[Step Back|Room 1A]] (set: $madBruce to false)

What are you thinking? He is mad, well, more MAD than mad but mad, nonetheless. You reach out and scan the card on the lock, unlocking what sounded like 3 three sperate locks. You begin to hear a laugh come from the room. It is deep and airy. "THE PREY IS BOLD. MUCH MORE BOLD THAN I HAD THOUGHT. ALMOST ADMIRABLE. ALMOST." The man forces the door open throwing you across the hall causing you to slam into the wall behind you. He looks at you and begins strolling toward you when you hear a guard yell from the right. [["Bruce! Get back in there quietly!"]]

You swipe the card against the scanner unlocking what sounded like three locks. "Ahhhh you kept your word! Very smart indeed, little lamb." He places a massive hand on your shoulder and squeezes it hard, to him it was probably an affirming squeeze of companionship, but to you it felt like a vice press. A guard rounds the corner", Hey! What’s going on here? Did you let him out? What have you done?!" "Bruce." Says the towering man. He grabs your shoulder and pulls you behind him. and jets off toward the guard. Bruce drops low to the ground and rises up quickly as he grabs the guard by his face. He is holding the man aloft in the air for a moment until he brings the guards body down at incredible speed. "I'm off to make a scene and get my revenge. You. You do what you want. We're all out of the cage now, little lamb." You watch him as he sprints to the special care wing. [[Follow him.]] or [[Find a way out.]]

Bruce smiles and drops low to the ground while the guard pulls a syringe out of a small black plastic case. He holds it like a knife in his hand as Bruce rushes him. You watch as the guard thrusts the syringe at Bruce. Bruce steps to the side grabbing the man's arm and in one motion breaks the man's forearm with his elbow. He grabs the syringe and slams it into the guard's eye, twirling and spinning it in the eye like a fork in spaghetti. He throws his head back and screams, "MORE! MORE! MORE!" He whips his head around and walks toward you slowly, his long black hair concealing his face. "AND NOW, IT IS TIME FOR YOUR REWARD, LITTLE LAMB. BRUCE SEND HIS CONDOLENCES, HE CAN'T BE HERE UNFORTUANTELY. ONLY THE ONE SEAT UP HERE." He grabs your head and begins to squeeze harder and harder. You try to resist by grabbing his forearm to pull his hand away. It may as well have been trying to pull a full-grown oak from the ground with your bare hands. The last thing you hear is your own skull cracking under the pressure of his insurmountable strength and his dark eyes staring unblinking back at you. So much for your freedom, guess liberating your soul from your body was the next logical solution.

You stand still for a minute or two staring into the nebulous space of your choice. You finally snap to as you hear a woman scream from the special care wing. You start to run towards to special care wing where you find the wake of Bruce's onslaught. [["My God."]]

You stand still for a minute or two staring into the nebulous space of your choice. You finally snap to as you hear a woman scream from the special care wing. [[It started, time to make your escape.]]

(link: "The nurses.")[Five maybe four, depending on which parts belong to which body, are strewn across the floor. Some are missing eyes that have been pushed deep in their heads, others have limbs shattered by such vehicular force. ] (link: "Security guards.")[Two men and a woman in security fatigues are lying on the floor. The women’s neck is twisted or maybe crushed with a shattered knee bent backwards. One of the men has a syringe pushed so deeply into his eye that the plunger is just barely visible. You don't care try and describe the last security guard, you're getting nauseous just looking at him.] (link: "The patients.")[Most of the patients are fine, physically. They are curled fetal on the floor or cowering under things. (if: $meetGale is true)[You recognize one body that lies on the ground. It is Gale, you were supposed to meet him here to meet Caesar. He must have tried to stop Bruce. The tuning fork is planted in his chest, too deep to pull out.] [[Go to Caesar's room.]]]

You enter the room and see something, you admit for the first time ever in your life, that you should not have seen. Hunched over what you assume to be Caesar is Bruce. Eating the old man lying in his bed. Bruce turns around and looks at you, except he doesn't look like himself. His face is contorted, and his hair conceals the top half of his face, and despite being covered in blood his eyes are wide and unblinking. "CURIOUS LITTLE LAMB, AREN'T YOU. TOO CURIOUS, I THINK. MAYBE LIKE CAESAR. ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND SOEMTHING TO PRY INTO. BUT IT WASN'T HIS PLACE. NOOOO. NOT HIS PLACE. AND ITS NOT YOURS EITHER! I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU! JUST LIKE CAESAR!" he throws himself at you from across and manages to scratch your face as you tumble out the door. You hold the deep bleeding cut on your face as you run down the hall. You collide with a solid man, holding a rifle. [["Get behind me now, Shepard."]]

Dr. Ponz holds a rifle in his hand and as Bruce comes clattering out of the room howling and screaming in frustration. Dr. Ponz fires three darts into the towering bestial man. He thumps on the ground but is still conscious. "It was three last time, Bruce. I can make it four." says Dr. Ponz. Bruce grimaces and yells trying to fight the darts effects. Dr. Ponz fires another dart at Bruce. The monster lies on the floor, twitching in his drug induced slumber. [["Shepard, are you alright?"]]

You couldn't hear what Dr. Ponz asked after that, your hearing went feint and started ringing. Your vision went almost totally black and your mind somehow, for the first time in what feels like your whole life, went quiet and black too. (link: "Wake Up.")[As you open your eyes you cannot seem to move the rest of your body. Your mind is silenced, and your hearing isn't polluted by doubt or speculation. Your eyes are free of their dark and cynical frame that showed you the plots and schemes of others. But you still cannot move. You try to yell for a doctor, but nothing comes out. You have no control over your voice or your limbs. Lying in a hospital bed you try to look around but you neck does not obey your mind's commands. You are utterly shackled. Perhaps this was how Caesar was. The room looks just like his from that night. In fact, it is the same room. Caesar's room. A nurse comes in with a tray of food and begins to feed you. You feel your body instinctively open your mouth for you. You are no longer the master of your flesh. It is merely a vessel to hold the world’s only flawless mind. A mind that can share no knowledge but has all answers. A mind of love and compassion but cannot express it. You are yet a prisoner still, but one with the mind of God.]

As you run to the front exit of the Asylum you see a group of security personnel led by Dr. Ponz who is holding a rifle in his hand rush to the special care wing. They brush past you and pay you no mind. Perfect. You are basically invisible. You push open the front doors and the security guard sees you about to leave. "Where are you going?" [[Run]] or [[Tell him about Bruce breaking out.]]

Without so much as a word you break into a sprint, the guard is heavy and behind a desk, surely, he won’t be able to catch you. You run out and out and out, as far as you can. Just getting away from the Asylum. (link: "Run!")[After about an hour or so you slow down and realize that there is no one chasing you. You're out. [[Free.]]

You feign concern and ignorance and say, "Some man broke out of solitary! He is running around the wing attacking people. You have to help! You have to! He is a monster, please please please!" The guard with shock on his face stands and rises, "Bruce? Was it Bruce?" You start to force tears, "I don't know! Please help them!" The guard rushes off to the special care wing leaving you at the exit alone. [[Escape.]]

They will be looking for you. There are always people looking for you. You'll never be free, but for the moment you have some semblance of liberty. Some feeble idea of it, and it is sweet. With no one to keep you in a cell and no more watchful eyes prying into your business you are finally free to find those dark figures from all those years ago. The fools at the looney bin really thought that "Talking out your problems" was the key to enlightenment? They never would have understood, how could they? Sightless wretches. They have no idea the damage these men can sow with their blindness. But you know, oh you know. Now with your liberty secured, and no one to tie you up with medication and group "therapy" you can finally pursue the true sight and punish the blind. It is your purpose to give sight to all who cannot see, or to free them of their mindless burden. Freedom at last.

You slowly walk out the door. And take a deep breath. (link: "Breathe in.")[Breathe in (link:"Breathe out.")[Breathe out Slower now. (link: "Breathe in.")[Breathe in (link:"Breathe out.")[Breathe out Freedom smells sweet indeed. With your newfound liberty, and no one the wiser you can finally track down those blind eyeless men that plague society with their falsehoods and sightless lives. You will find the blind just as you did before your “episode" and enact your vision upon them. But you can't make too much commotion like last time. Being in that prison has taught you one thing in all your years there. Discretion. No more mishaps. No more mistakes. You will find those eyeless men and you will rid this world of the sightlessness one way or another. It is what you were put here to do. Your vision was, is, and will always be supreme.

"Hello, I'm Shepard. You must be Caesar." there is no response. "No no no," says Gale. "H-He doesn't t-talk like that." Gale leans into whisper something to Caesar, but you over hear it. The language that he had said before he used the tuning fork. Latin maybe? Then Caesar's finger starts to twitch rapidly, tapping on the sheets of his bed in a rapid tempo. [["I-I see, Caesar. I s-see."]]

"Caesar w-w-wants me to show you," Gale opens a nightstand next to the hospital bed and pulls out a journal. "It was h-his." [[Decline book.]] or [[Accept book.]]

"You'd decline a-a gift... from Caesar? W-Why." You shrug, "I just did. That's all." Gale is dumfounded. You see a kaleidoscope pass across Gale's face. Surprise, sadness, and finally rage. He grabs you by the shirt, "NO! You'll take the gift y-you will! And you will c-cherish it, like I-I have. NOW!" [["No!"]] or [["Fine, alright!"]]

You take the book from Gale, but as you go to open it Gale slams his hand on the cover. "S-Shepard, before you open this... t-try to have an open m-mind. Yeah?" He pulls his arm away. [[Open the cover.]]

The book is filled with drawings, not a word in it. Thousands of drawings of all kinds of things. Scenery, patients, nurses and doctors, and some that you have seen before. An owl with thousands of eyes perched atop the world, a dark menacing humanoid tucked away in the corner of a room... you. A perfect portrait of you is sketched within the books last page. As you close the book your mind races. [[Question Caesar.]] or [[Sit silently.]]

You begin to breathe heavily, how does this man know you? How could he possibly know anything about you? You've never seen this man in your life, yet he has a portrait of you and things that only you've ever seen. He is spying, or maybe he has some kind of network set up to keep tabs on you. To make sure you're in line! Why would he show these to you? You grab the old man by the shirt, "WHY? why did you show me this? Is this some kind of admission of guilt? I don't buy it! You are trying to... trying to black mail me! Somehow. I-" [[You start to hyperventilate.]]

You sit silently in your chair pondering all the possibilities. He must surely have some kind of... sight that far outreaches any other person. He is profoundly blessed you think. He has sight that could- A sharp pain resonates in the back of your head. "Gale please not right now." "S-Sorry, what d-do you mean?" Gale isn't holding his tuning fork. Another pulsing resonation in the back of your mind. You drop out of your chair. Your mind feels as though a small man with a hammer is trying to tear down your skull from the inside. Sharp pulsing pain from inside your head keeps slamming against it with such force. (link: "Stand")[You try to stand but your legs... you can't feel them at all. (link: "Pull yourself on to the chair.")[You try to reach out and grab hold of the chair to hoist yourself off the ground but your limbs don't obey your mind's command. (link: "H...Help!")[You try to yell for help, your mind compels your lips to move. To scream out for aid! There is no sound from your throat, no movement of your mouth. [[Nothing.]]]]]

(link: "Breathe in.")[Breathe in (link:"Breathe out.")[Breathe out Slower now. (link: "Breathe in.")[Breathe in (link:"Breathe-")[Breathe-FUCK THE BREATHING! This spy is trying to pry into your business! He has no right! You are the watcher you do the watching. You grab hold of the old man's throat and begin to throttle the spy, but Gale intervenes. He claws at your hand trying to break them free, grabbing and biting at them. "S-s-s-stop! STOP! ENOUGH GET OFF OF HIM!" A nurse from outside screams as she looks in. [["Not until he is dead!"]]]]]]

You feel a pinch in your neck and the rush of fluid into your body. Your vision blurs and your arms lose strength, "Not... Yet. I can't... let him..." you lose your battle to the drug's effect. [[Wake up.|Your vision goes blurry and then black.]] (set: $triedToKillCaesar to true)

"No! I don't want it!" you say as you break free from Gale's drip you make your way for the door when suddenly you feel a weight on your back. Gale has jumped onto your back and you tumble out the room. "YOU MUST TAKE IT! YOU MUST! CAESAR NEEDS YOU JUST AS HE NEEDS ME! TAKE IT! FOLLOW NOT BRUCE'S PATH! AVOID THE BEAST'S PATH!" You yell for help and a group of security guards and nurses come and pry Gale off of you. After sedating him a nurse tells the security guards to take him to Solitary. A kind young nurse, just as shaken from the encounter as you are, escorts you back to your room. [[Back to your room.|room]] (set: $madGale to true) (set: $meetGale to false) (set: $galeInter to true)

"Fine, alright." He lets go of your shirt and retreats back into his chair without expression. [[Take the book.|Accept book.]]

You awaken in a new room one that doesn't look like your old room. You must be in a new more... accommodating room for your new condition. Despite the loss of your body's function your mind is remarkably quiet. There are no screams of spies or eyeless men perpetuating their schemes and plots. No constant threat gaining on you at every decision. Perhaps there never was. Perhaps it was all just... leakage from a broken mind. Perhaps finally seeing something real has lifted the fog from your mind and allowed you to experience things you never have been able to. And perhaps, just perhaps, there may come a young man or woman who will come to you, with Gale's help, and you can show them the truth just as Caesar did for you. Maybe you can give them peace.