Luke: i’ll admit i’m a little worried for them.


    CLICK. a narrow scrapwood door opens in a marble room. a paperclip flies through the opening and returns to a teen boy’s pocket. the boy’s name is Luke, and he’s wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt labeled MAZZON’S BAR & GRILL, Nd a thoughtful expression.


    Luke: however, we are in a huge House that is actively trying to trick us.


    Luke: it’s really only a matter of time before people start getting lost.


    Vera: ain’t no one else been lost yet.


    Luke: no one’s been lost, yet.


    Luke: there’s a first time for everything. we’ll probably see a few more cases of missing friends before we escape.


    Vera(they/them) is a teen wearing a v-neck and baggy pants. you couldn’t care less about the physical descriptions of these kids here.


    there’s two other boys in the group— a teen named Duff and a 7ish year old named Leo.


    Vera: fun.


    Leo: that maybe won’t be so hard.


    Duff: excuse my dissent, but i disagree.


    Leo: um, dissent?


    Duff: i’ve been under the suspicion that out trials in this House will be more strenuous than we believe.


    Duff: that the Old Man is more of a prevaricating asshole than we thought, and he’s been withholding the true extent of our strife here.


    Duff: that, essentially, everything will go to shit, and this search is the rendezvous at which everything waits for us to join it.


    Leo: what?


    Luke: nice play on words.


    Luke: i completely understand your worry.


    Luke: but there’s nothing we can do about it.


    Luke: if things are about to go to shit, you have no choice but to follow.


    Luke: we’ll shovel the shit when we get there.


    Leo: wow that was smart.


    Duff: indeed very sagacious.


    Luke: thanks.


    Leo: i hope Bree doesn’t zap me again when we find her.


    Vera: oh that little shit betta not.


    Vera: there’s STILL spidas comin outta that hole ya put in tha wall.


    Leo: i know! spiders are super—


    Leo: super annoying.


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Duff: insects and arachnids in totality repulse me.


    Duff: i’d be flayed by the farming implement of Death himself before i allowed myself to be a victim of Bree’s power.


    Leo: what’s a farming implement?


    Leo: i thought death had a scythe.


    Duff: a scythe is a farming implement.


    Leo: like a hoe or, um… a rake?


    Leo: or maybe a shovel?


    Vera: how do ya know watts hoe is?


    Leo: i don’t know.


    Leo: maybe i read a bunch of books.


    Leo: but the Old Man made us so…


    Leo: i don’t know.


    Luke: i would guess that the Old Man gave us a small knowledge of the world when he created us.


    Luke: as well as our personalities and the qualities that make us people.


    Luke: it probably takes a lot of thought to create a complete human, and not just an emotionless puppet.


    Leo: oh. yeah that makes sense.


    Leo: it’s, um, kind of…


    Luke: uncomfortable?


    Leo: a little.


    Luke: i get it. everything we know is fabricated. it’s weird.


    Luke: and the same person who fabricated our lives, wants to fabricate our future as well.


    Luke: do you want to follow the Old Man’s Quest?


    Leo: um, no not really.


    Vera: i ain’t going ta listen ta that prick.


    Duff: i would have to agree.


    Duff: your point?


    Luke: i suppose i’m just saying that i don’t want to allow others to control my life.


    Luke: i’m really only thinking about this because the conversation made me think of one of Vera’s poems, ''''''Old Man''''''.


    Vera: oh.


    Vera: so ya read it?


    Vera: and, ah, what pages?


    Luke: the ones you dogeared.


    Luke: i’m sure that for each of the good poems you showed me, there’s a dozen bad ones that you’d rather not have me see.


    Luke: i overlooked those, ‘cause a them’s gotta have their secrets, right?


    Vera: ahhh yep. no shit.


    Vera: so ya liked em?


    Luke: yes. they were strong and well written.


    Luke: on that topic, i saw you writing while we were planning, Duff,


    Luke: what we’re you writing?


    Duff: i keep a chronicle of the events that take place here.


    Duff: however, little emotional energy flows through this outlet. i plan to turn it into a diary, which i believe would be more mentally salubrious.


    Luke: i would like to read it later.


    Leo: me too!


    Leo: if we don’t die.


    Duff: Leo, do you know what the word ''''''salubrious'''''' means?


    Leo: slobbery?


    Leo: wait no!


    Leo: loyal?


    Duff: no, you would not be able to read my diary.


    Leo: i’m not dumb!


    Duff: no, you are not.


    Duff: in fact, i think that you are exceptionally observant.


    Duff: but you are not an obnoxious asshole who uses obscure words for fun.


    Leo: oh, ok.


    Luke: there’s a cockroach on the floor.


    Duff: disgusting.


    Leo: Bree’s here!