Grief - GoldenerTraum

Alice awoke in a cave. A lit candelabra sitting a few steps from her served as the only source of light. She tapped the gray stone beneath her a few times, flinching at the echoing clacks her action caused, before picking up the candle holder. ''She felt as if the light source was vitally important somehow.'' [[Look at self|FirstGlance]] [[Look around|StartRoomLook]] [[Look at the candelabra|CandlePure]] (set: $end1 to 1) (set: $end2 to 1) (set: $end3 to 1) (set: $arm to "false") (set: $doll to 1) (set: $why to 1)

Alice took one hand off of the candelabra before fishing around in her pocket a bit. Surely it would be... "Aha!" she whispered into the deafening silence, pulling her trusty compact mirror out of her pocket. She opened it and observed herself as thoroughly as she could in the candle's light. Alice was wearing a sleeveless white dress that barely stood out from her ghostly pale skin, matching her long and neat snow-colored hair. Her reddish-pink eyes practically shone in comparison to all of those pale tones, causing her to wince. Underneath the dress, she wore her usual white tights, which she had specially asked for. That's how they had two side pockets, after all! Adorning her feet were a pair of white socks and some simple black Mary Jane shoes. Alice wasn't sure who Mary Jane was, but Mary had to be someone with good sense to like the same shoes she did. Satisfied, Alice stowed the mirror before... [[... looking at the candelabra|CandlePure]] [[... looking around at the room|StartRoomLook]]

Holding the branched candelabra higher, Alice stepped in a slow circle, taking in the area around her. The ceiling stretched up far beyond the candlelight's grasp, vanishing into a dull void. The walls around her, meanwhile, were dark gray, as was the floor beneath Alice's feet. As she watched the walls, she noticed that the bumpy rocks jutting out of them were spaced perfectly. Not a crack was out of place, and that realization sent a stab of unease through Alice. Eager to avoid dwelling on the impossible perfection, Alice turned her attention to a singular hole in the circular cavern's walls. Its edges were smooth, and it was just small enough that she'd have to crouch a little if she wanted to walk through it. Faced with this situation, what did Alice do? [[Go through the hole|ToTheCliff]] [[Check her appearance|FirstGlance]] [[Check the candelabra|CandlePure]]

Adjusting her grip on it slightly, Alice squinted and took a closer look at the candelabra. The device was a somewhat precarious branching mass of gilded branches, coming to eleven points topped with individual tiny pillars of white wax, of which only one was actively burning. In contrast to the wild summit, the candelabra's base was thick and stocky, bearing two extra loops of golden material that curved back into its center. Alice tested both handles and realized they matched her hands perfectly, leaving it more comfortable to hold than she had expected. As Alice's eyes drifted upward, she marveled at the singular lit candle's flame. It shone pure white, not a fleck of the usual red or orange intruding upon it. Something about watching the flame made Alice feel briefly at peace... Eventually, she tore her gaze away from the candle, turning her attention to... [[... herself.|FirstGlance]] [[... the room around her.|StartRoomLook]]

Keeping a careful grip on the candle holder, Alice crouched down and stepped through the hole. The tunnel was featureless, lacking any defining texture or imperfections. Nothing else was around, so Alice took comfort in the uniform flickers of the white flame she held. She lost track of just how long she had been walking, but Alice eventually emerged into a far larger room. Her candle's flame showed little of the surrounding area, save for the fact that the floor dropped off into a yawning abyss about ten steps away from the tunnel's exit. The floor and walls were made of the same dark gray stone, though there was also a large pallid lump resting upon the floor's edge. [[Check the lump.|MeetGrief]]

Alice approached the lump with one plodding step at a time, flinching away when she got a better look at it under the light of her candle. The fleshy-textured mass was quivering faintly, shuddering as if it was breathing. Captured by a sudden instinct, the pale girl crouched and slowly reached toward it. Before she could make contact, it gave a particularly violent twitch, causing Alice to fall back with a brief shriek. As the girl scrambled back to her feet, more of the gray mass slid upward from the pit, followed shortly thereafter by numerous other tubes of the substance. No... Not tubes, Alice realized. They were finger-esque masses of gray flesh, joined together at an equally pallid and massive palm. A deep, slightly gravelly chuckle filled the cavernous chamber as the //hand// settled, something lifting itself into view. [[Alice watched, a mixture of fear and awe freezing her in place.|GriefIntro]]

The entity that lifted itself from that pit was, in a word, wrong. It bore a humanoid head, arms, and even the top of its torso was familiar in shape. However, the bottom half of its chest stretched downward into the abyss, tapering at a rate that made it seem ready to snap somewhere along its unknown length. Furthermore, the creature //towered// over Alice. While its crooked posture made its true height difficult to gauge, its hand alone was far larger than she was. As the pale girl's petrified gaze crept upward, she noticed that the entity's features were all emphasized just slightly too much. The fingers were too long, the palms too wide, the arms too long. Not even its face was spared that distortion, as its eyes were tall enough to fill half of its face while its mouth stretched far enough to wrap around to the sides of its hairless head. Its mouth twisted into a smile, revealing surprisingly normal- albeit wide- teeth. "Ah, you've finally arrived," the entity spoke. Its voice was simultaneously suave and gravelly, carrying the faintly strained edge of someone barely holding back laughter. It stooped further toward Alice, locking its moldy green gaze upon her. "Won't you introduce yourself, dear? And do be proper about it, give a little bow," it... requested? Demanded? She wasn't quite sure where its tone fell. Alice decided to... [[... introduce herself as requested.|Trial1G]] [[... introduce herself normally.|Trial1W]] [[... refuse the entity's request.|Trial1B]]

Alice already knew that following what was asked of her was the best policy. She performed a deep, clumsy bow before the entity. "My name is Alice," she spoke, loudly enough to be heard but quiet enough to not anger it. The pallid giant gave an indulgent chuckle, prompting Alice to slowly stand out of her bow. "A well done introduction, dear Alice. I am Grief, and here, I am your trusted guide," it introduced itself. "Speaking of here, ''keep an eye on your heart.''" (set: $end2 to it + 1) [[Alice followed its gaze to her candelabra.|candleg]] (set: $candle to "gray")

"Um, I'm Alice," the pale girl greeted. She refrained from anything more than those words and a simple wave. The odd entity before it was a stranger, after all. "Alice," the entity tested with a faint laugh. "Alice, Alice, Alice. Your manners are passable, at least." "I am Grief, and here, I am your guide," it introduced itself. "Speaking of here, ''you would do well to watch your heart.''" (set: $end1 to it + 1) [[Alice followed its gaze to her candelabra.|candlew]]

Fixing her best glare upon the towering entity, Alice frowned and remained silent. The seconds stretched onward before the pallid creature let out a low chuckle. "Now now, Alice, it's //horribly// rude to ignore a question," it chastised, amusement dripping from every word. Alice flinched, shocked by its nonchalant familiarity as it smiled slightly wider. "I am Grief, and here, I am your only guide," it introduced itself. "Speaking of here, ''you had best keep an eye on your heart.''" (set: $end3 to it + 1) [[Alice followed its gaze to her candelabra.|candleb]] (set: $candle to "black")

The pale girl followed Grief's eyes to her candelabra, recoiling for a moment as one of its dim candles erupted with writhing black flame. It lashed around defiantly, as if attempting to escape its confines. Slightly unsettled, Alice turned her attention back to the self-proclaimed guide. She found it just in time to see it tearing part of a wall away as if it was tissue paper, revealing a stone door. "Come now, Alice. Let's find your true heart," it prodded. "Unless you would rather talk first?" The candle-bearing girl thought for a few moments, shifting in place in the inky ambiance around her. [["What are you?"|GQ1b]] [["What is this place?"|GQ2b]] [["Why are you talking about my heart?"|GQ3b]] [[She decided to remain silent.|Trial2g]]

"What am I?" Grief echoed, lethargically gesticulating with one pallid, misshapen arm. "As I said, I am Grief! A guide to the heart, the one who knows what could be needed, the one and many!" It let out a faintly manic laugh as it performed a slow spin in place, bringing its green gaze back upon Alice as she frowned back at it. "Did that answer your question?" it asked, mirth smoldering in its eyes. [["What is this place?|GQ2b]] [["Why are you talking about my heart?"|GQ3b]] [[She decided to remain silent.|Trial2g]]

"Ah, this place, my lovely home," Grief began, a hint of mockery serving as the only color in its tone. "It has no name, it has never needed one. I believe you can call it Wonderland?" Alice met its cheshire grin with the surefire combination of a sigh, a frown, and a shake of her head. "Don't," she asserted, frowning harder as Grief laughed at her. "Do you have any more questions, Alice?" the entity moved on. [["What are you?"|GQ1b]] [["Why are you talking about my heart?"|GQ3b]] [[She decided to remain silent.|Trial2g]]

At Alice's question, Grief's grin faded somewhat, as if her words had sewn its lips together. It leaned closer to her, filling the stagnant air with a miasma of old fish. "It's why you're here, Alice," it intoned, all playfulness absent from those five words. As suddenly as Grief's joy had left, it returned as it rose back away from her. The pale girl coughed lightly, waving her free hand about to clear the rancid fishy scent from the air. "Any other questions, Alice?" Grief prompted as if nothing had happened. [["What are you?"|GQ1b]] [["What is this place?"|GQ2b]] [[She decided to remain silent.|Trial2g]]

On cue, Alice looked at her candelabra. Alarm briefly cut through her as another candle lit up. Rather than bearing a white fire, this candle was lit with wavering gray flame. It looked to Alice as if it was only staying lit due to the wick's support. Letting out a hum of mild discomfort, the pale girl turned her attention toward her gray guide, finding it gesturing toward a stone door in a hole that had opened within one wall. "Come along, Alice, your true heart awaits," it urged. "Unless you would rather talk first?" The candle-bearing girl thought for a few moments, giving Grief a few worried glances. [["What are you?"|GQ1g]] [["What is this place?"|GQ2g]] [["Why are we talking about my heart so much?"|GQ3g]] [[She remained silent, approaching the door as Grief directed.|Trial2g]]

"What am I?" Grief echoed, lethargically gesticulating with one elongated arm. "As I said, I am Grief! A guide to your heart, the one who knows what could be needed, the one and many!" It let out a joyful laugh as it performed a slow spin in place, bringing its green gaze back upon Alice as she silently watched it. "Did that answer your question?" it asked, mirth smoldering in its eyes. [["What is this place?"|GQ2g]] [["Why are we talking about my heart so much?"|GQ3g]] [[She silently shook her head before approaching the door as Grief directed.|Trial2g]]

At Alice's question, the joy in Grief's grin faded somewhat, as if it was trying to figure out how to tell her something sad. It leaned closer to her, filling the stagnant air with the scent of fish. "It's why you're here, Alice," it intoned, all playfulness absent from those five words. As suddenly as Grief's joy had left, it returned as it rose back away from her. The pale girl held her breath for a few moments to ignore the fishy stench. "Any other questions, Alice?" Grief prompted as if nothing had happened. [["What are you?"|GQ1g]] [["What is this place?"|GQ2g]] [[She silently shook her head before approaching the door as Grief directed.|Trial2g]]

"Ah, this place, my lovely home," Grief began, a hint of pride woven into its words. "It has no name, it has never needed one. I believe you can call it Wonderland?" Alice met its cheshire grin with a plastic one of her own. "If you'd like me to," she murmured to appease it. "Do you have any more questions, Alice?" the entity moved on. [["What are you?"|GQ1g]] [["Why are we talking about my heart so much?"|GQ3g]] [[She silently shook her head before approaching the door as Grief directed.|Trial2g]]

As Alice approached the stone door, she internally admired its design. It stood just barely taller than her, flawless and smooth. The stone composing it was dull gray, yet it seemed to light up with a silvery gleam as her candle's light struck it. It was utterly unadorned save for a single slot in the center, slightly taller and thinner than her thumb. She glanced at Grief, hiding her alarm at finding two hands on the floor next to her. Both hands were large and pallid, curled up into smaller versions of Grief's titanic fists. Each hand terminated in a tapered lump, one which was held in the strained grasp of an identical hand, which in turn was held by another identical one. Both hand chains trailed downward into the same abyss in which Grief "stood", stretching down far beyond where Alice could see. [[Grief began to speak.|DCg]]

"The next step you must take is opening this door," the gray titan explained, pointing down at the chains of grasping hands. As Alice looked down at them, their fingers flopped lifelessly open, revealing an object upon each palm. "On your left, there is a small key. A stone key for a stone door, is it not fitting? Ah, but who's ever heard of a stone door opening with a key?" Grief elaborated as Alice studied the object. It was a piece of blackened stone carved into an odd, jagged shape. It certainly looked like a key, and it looked to be about the right size to fit in the door's slot. "On your right, I managed to find a hammer. It might be a bit heavy for you, but it will //definitely// do the trick... if you don't mind opening someone's door with a hammer, of course," it spoke further as the pale girl looked into the other palm. Sitting upon the gray flesh was a scratched-up sledgehammer, its handle bearing specks of red paint. The head was partially rusted, yet it still looked hefty enough to break through the door. "You can only pick one option, though. You can't open this door twice, after all," Grief warned, gazing down at Alice as she thought over her options. After a moment, she lifted one hand away from her candle before pointing at... (if:$end1 > 1)[[[... the key.|KeyW]]] (else:)[[... the key.|KeyElse]] (if:$end3 > 1)[[[... the hammer.|HamB]]] (else:)[[... the hammer.|HamElse]] (if:$end2 > 1)[[[... Grief.|GriefG]]] (else:)[[... Grief.|GriefElse]]

Nothing special happened when Alice pointed at the key, but it felt like a fitting gesture somehow. She crept closer and gingerly snatched the jagged stone from the cold, limp hand, backing away and turning toward the door immediately afterward. Alice slid the hunk of stone into the gap in the door with little hesitation, letting out a faint gasp of surprise as it clicked into place. Without any further noise, the stone door swung slightly open. (set: $candle to "white") ''In the corner of her vision, Alice saw a previously dark candle ignite with a white blaze.'' She turned her pink gaze toward Grief, faintly pleased to see that the massive entity was smiling still. (set: $end1 to it + 1) "It seems you were right to trust it," it commented. As it spoke, the chains of hands slid backward, flopping into the yawning abyss without a sound. "Now, Alice, shall we?" Grief suggested, gesturing to the open door. [[Alice slowly pushed it open, stepping past the threshold.|Trial3]]

Alice forcefully pointed at the hammer before striding upon the hand to pick it up. Grief let out a low chuckle that she did her best to ignore as she hefted the weighty object. With a defiant shout, Alice took a clumsy swing at the stone door... only for her eyes to widen in shock as that single swing utterly shattered it. (set: $end3 to it + 1) "Ah, it's so hard to get quality stone these days," Grief lamented. As Alice set the hammer down, ''she was dimly aware that one of her candles now burned with writhing black flame.'' (set: $candle to "black") "Well, Alice?" Grief jabbed. [[Without a word, Alice stepped over the rubble she had created.|Trial3]]

Alice hesitated before pointing at Grief itself. It remained utterly still for a few moments before letting out a mad, joyous laugh. "My, Alice, asking me for help? Believe it or not, that's quite the brave thing," it told the quivering girl. Both ropes of chained hands suddenly twitched to live, dropping their respective objects into the yawning chasm below Grief before stretching their way toward the stone door. They flattened upon contact with the door, the malleable flesh writhing its way into every gap it could find before slowly pulling back. With a weighty grinding noise, the stone door slid out of its housing before being dragged into the pit by the hand chains. (set: $end2 to it + 1) Grief performed a mock bow, causing Alice to politely applaud. ''A quick glance confirmed that another candle on her candelabra had ignited, the fire gray and wavering.'' "Now, dear Alice, shall we?" it suggested, pointing to the empty frame. [[Alice stepped across the threshold.|Trial3]]

Alice glanced at the candelabra she was holding. Before her very eyes, one of its ten dim candles ignited with a gentle white flame. Its glow felt calm and peaceful, a welcome contrast to her surroundings. Reluctantly, she tore her gaze from the magic-looking candle to watch Grief again, only to find it patiently pointing at a stone door nested within a hole in the wall. "Now, Alice, shall we find your true heart?" it asked. "Or shall we talk first?" The candle-bearing girl thought for a few moments, warily watching Grief. [["What are you?"|GQ1w]] [["What is this place?"|GQ2w]] [["Why are we talking about my heart so much?"|GQ3w]] [[She remained silent, approaching the door as Grief directed.|Trial2g]]

"What am I?" Grief repeated, lethargically gesticulating with one slick, pallid arm. "As I said, I am Grief! Your guide to the heart, the one who knows what could be needed, the one and many!" It let out a laugh as it performed a slow spin in place, prompting a matching laugh from Alice until its green gaze fell back upon her. "Did that answer your question?" it asked, pride coloring each word. [["What is this place?"|GQ2w]] [["Why are we talking about my heart?"|GQ3w]] [[She shook her head, she had heard enough.|Trial2g]]

"Ah, this place, my lovely home," Grief began, a hint of sadness serving as the only color in its tone. "It has no name, it has never needed one. I believe you can call it Wonderland?" Alice met its cheshire grin with one of her own. "But you're not a rabbit!" she mock protested. She laughed at the entity's equally false momentary pout. "Do you have any more questions, Alice?" the entity recovered. [["What are you?"|GQ1w]] [["Why are we talking about my heart?"|GQ3w]] [[She shook her head, she had heard enough.|Trial2g]]

At Alice's question, the joy in Grief's grin faded somewhat, as if it was trying to figure out how much it could say. It leaned closer to her, filling the stagnant air with the scent of lukewarm fish. "It's why you're here, Alice," it intoned, all playfulness absent from those five words. As suddenly as Grief's joy had left, it returned as it rose back away from her. The pale girl subtly coughed to clear the lingering stench. "Any other questions, Alice?" Grief prompted as if nothing had happened. [["What are you?"|GQ1w]] [["What is this place?"|GQ2w]] [[She shook her head, she had heard enough.|Trial2g]]

Nothing special happened when Alice pointed at the key, but it felt like a fitting gesture somehow. She crept closer and gingerly snatched the jagged stone from the cold, limp hand, backing away and turning toward the door immediately afterward. Alice slid the hunk of stone into the gap in the door with little hesitation, letting out a faint gasp of surprise as it clicked into place. Without any further noise, the stone door swung slightly open. ''In the corner of her vision, another of Alice's candles lit with white flame.'' She turned her pink gaze toward Grief, faintly pleased to see that the massive entity was smiling still. (set: $end1 to it + 1) "It seems you were right to trust it," it commented. As it spoke, the chains of hands slid backward, flopping into the yawning abyss without a sound. "Now, Alice, shall we?" Grief suggested, gesturing to the open door. [[Alice slowly pushed it open, stepping past the threshold.|Trial3]]

Alice forcefully pointed at the hammer before striding upon the hand to pick it up. Grief let out a low chuckle that she did her best to ignore as she hefted the weighty object. With a defiant shout, Alice took a clumsy swing at the stone door... only for her eyes to widen in shock as that single swing utterly shattered it. (set: $end3 to it + 1) "Ah, it's so hard to get quality stone these days," Grief lamented. As Alice set the hammer down, ''she was dimly aware that one of her candles now burned with writhing black flame.'' "Well, Alice?" Grief jabbed. [[Without a word, Alice stepped over the rubble she had created.|Trial3]]

Alice hesitated before pointing at Grief itself. It remained utterly still for a few moments before letting out a mad, joyous laugh. "My, Alice, asking me for help? Believe it or not, that's quite the brave thing," it told the quivering girl. Both ropes of chained hands suddenly twitched to live, dropping their respective objects into the yawning chasm below Grief before stretching their way toward the stone door. They flattened upon contact with the door, the malleable flesh writhing its way into every gap it could find before slowly pulling back. With a weighty grinding noise, the stone door slid out of its housing before being dragged into the pit by the hand chains. (set: $end2 to it + 1) Grief performed a mock bow, causing Alice to politely applaud. ''A quick glance confirmed that a previously dark candle was now burning gray, the fire itself wavering as if it was about to go out.'' (set: $candle to "gray") "Now, dear Alice, shall we?" it suggested, pointing to the empty frame. [[Alice stepped across the threshold.|Trial3]]

As Alice stepped over the threshold, she found herself in what looked like the living room of a log cabin. The entire room was somewhat desolate, cobwebs clinging to the ceiling and an absurd amount of dust clinging to nearly every surface. Furthermore, the only light in the room came from the candle Alice held. She took a few more steps into the room, each one accompanied by a plume of unsettled dust, only to suddenly turn back around as she heard the creak of poorly-maintained hinges behind her. There was now a wooden door behind her, one which was nearly closed. There was nothing out of the ordinary with it, save for the fact that there was no doorknob on the interior side. Through the remaining crack in the door, she could see Grief's moldy green eye as it stared through her. "Alice, there is something I need to find before I can guide you further. Be a dear and sit right there, won't you? And don't touch anything," the titanic creature requested. Before she could reply, the door creaked shut the rest of the way, sealing Alice in the room. [[Alice decided to search the room.|T3Search]]

Grief had guided her well so far, so Alice decided to sit down on the spot and simply wait. A moderate amount of dust coated the hem of her dress, but she sat nonetheless. The room remained utterly silent as she glanced around. Despite the room's apparent age, nothing creaked and nothing disturbed the tomb-esque peace that had fallen over the scene. ... Maybe she should do something? No, Grief has led her right so far. [[Wait as requested.|T3W2]] [[Try to clean up the room.|T3CleanW]] [[Sit down and eat a cookie.|T3SitB]] [[Try to get out.|Panic1]]

You know what? Alice had the supplies, she had the time, so she might as well fix up the room. While Grief said to not touch anything, surely it didn't mean she shouldn't do //anything// the entire time she was waiting. It was definitely slow going at first. Many of the cobwebs were obscenely thick, while some of the stains- especially the ones on the couch- lingered with the tenacity of a hungry cat. Yet she did indeed make progress. By the time the door creaked open, the room had been rendered relatively usable again. As she set down her cleaning supplies and picked up her candelabra, ''nodding as she realized another candle was lit with white flame.'' (set: $end1 to it + 1) Rather than Alice exiting the room, though, Grief drooped its head to stare through the opening. Its moldy eyes swept about, taking in Alice's hard work. [["Well, child, you've certainly been busy," it commented.|Trial4alt1]]

The wooden room around her was clearly very old from what she had already seen. What drove the point further, though, was the room's furniture. A sunken blue sofa and a short yet wide table were the only pieces of actual furniture in the room, though there was also a small metal dining cart in the room that sat laden with a feather duster and a half-empty bottle of unlabeled cleaning spray. The couch was empty, albeit dusty and bearing some mild coffee stains. The table, meanwhile, was split almost completely down the middle and held a single off-white plate, upon which rested a set of five pale cookies. Presented with this situation, Alice made a choice about what to do. She decided to... [[Wait as requested.|T3W1]] [[Try to clean up the room.|T3CleanW]] [[Sit down and eat a cookie.|T3SitB]] [[Try to get out.|Panic1]]

There were unattended cookies right there and Alice was thrust into this situation with basically no information. A snack was the least she deserved. She carefully sat down on the couch, pausing for a moment when it gave a warning creak beneath her miniscule weight. Once the springs settled, she reached forward and picked up a cookie, biting into it with no fanfare. Her pink eyes bulged as she gagged, immediately lapsing into a coughing fit. The cookie had dissolved into fine stale crumbs the moment she bit into it, as if the entire thing was made of sand. She bent over as she kept coughing. By the time she recovered, the door had creaked open. She picked up her candelabra, ''barely processing the black flame writhing about one of its candles'' as she gave a few final coughs and left the room. (set: $end3 to it + 1) Or, rather, she tried to. When she reached the door, it opened, forcing the girl to take a hasty step backward. On the other side was Grief's massive head, its green eyes focused solely on her. [["Hello again, Alice. Let's play a game," Grief requested.|Trial4alt3]]

Alice elected to continue waiting. Grief had, again, yet to lead her wrong thus far. ... It was almost relaxing to sit there in the near darkness. Perhaps it was the fact that she knew she was alone this time? To pass the time, she looked down at the dust. So much of it... How long had this room gone unused? [[Wait as requested.|T3WaitG]] [[Try to clean up the room.|T3CleanW]] [[Sit down and eat a cookie.|T3SitB]] [[Try to get out.|Panic1]]

How long had it been? Alice wasn't sure, but eventually, the door creaked open again. The pale girl snapped to attention, barely paying attention to the fact that ''one of her vacant candles now hosted a weak gray flame'' before the door opened with a high-pitched squeak. (set: $end2 to it + 1) Grief peered in through the too-small doorway, letting out a hum as it noticed Alice sitting on the floor. "Oh, dear Alice, have you been sitting there in the dust this entire time? That won't do at all," it proclaimed. A swarm of ribbon-thick arms twitched their way into the room along the bottom of the door's frame, moving like ropes being thrown forward. They deposited a flat, clean, yet unadorned rug upon the ground before withdrawing from the cabinlike room as if burned. [["Come have a seat, Alice," Grief requested.|Trial4alt2]]

"Come along, Alice," Grief spoke, tearing the silence apart. As its face left the doorway, the pale girl stepped outside, finding herself back in the yawning cavern. "We're almost ready to proceed now," Grief proclaimed, still lounging in the middle of its pit. "But first... You must be tired, yes? How about something a little more simple." Alice gave its suggestion a hesitant nod, prompting it to grin slightly wider. Three arms descended from the hidden ceiling above, each one capped not with a hand but with a metal basket suspended from each arm by hooks embedded in the flesh. As the gray limbs got close enough to the ground, they unceremoniously dropped the cargo. One set down a brazier that burned with green flame, while the others dropped a pair of sack dolls. One of the dolls resembled Alice herself greatly, down to the pair of pink buttons that served as its eyes. The other, meanwhile, didn't ring any bells... Maybe it looked like an old classmate? It was hard to focus on it for long. "The fire must be tended. Pick the one you most think deserves it And don't worry about them, they'll burn very well regardless of which one you choose," the pallid titan informed Alice. She hesitated for a moment before... [[... burning the doll that looked like her.|Trial5cg]] [[... burning the indistinct doll.|Trial5cb]] [[... burning both dolls.|Trial5bad]] [[... knocking over the brazier.|Trial5cw]]

Alice carefully picked up the doll resembling herself. It was clearly lovingly crafted, as if assembled by someone who truly cared. Yet all she could see was... (after:2s)[//"You little pale freak!"//] (after:4s)[//"What's with those devil eyes of yours?"// ](after:6s)[//"Why couldn't you just be normal??"//] "... This one," she spoke, the emotion in her tone withering into a heap of slag before it could even leave her. With no further ceremony, she dropped the effigy of herself into the fire. After a moment, it burst violently into green flame with a noise resembling a whimper. The pink-eyed girl looked to Grief for her next instructions. The pallid titan's ever-present smile was gone, though it quickly regained it when her gaze fell upon it. (set: $end2 to it + 1) "Your choice is made. Wait here, then, dear Alice," it stated in a mild hurry before ducking down into the abyssal chasm below. All Alice did was sit down, staring at the green flames, not even acknowledging ''the gray flame shuddering atop one of her blank candles.'' [[Eventually, Grief returned.|Trial6]]

Immediately, Alice picked up the nondescript doll, plunging it into the emerald flame with zero thought. "A hasty decision, child," Grief noted with an amused chuckle. (set: $end3 to it + 1) "Well... if it's me or someone else, it has to be them that goes, right?" Alice replied, doing her best to sound certain. Really, she just didn't want to think about- No. No. Bad thoughts. Bad head. She watched as the verdant blaze leapt up to drag the sack doll into their depths, neither focusing on Grief's temporary departure nor ''the black flame adorning one of her candles''. The green flame was far easier to focus on, even though it almost looked like the burning doll was slowly flailing about. [[Eventually, Grief returned.|Trial6]]

Without a second thought, Alice plucked both dolls off of the floor and hurled them into the fire. The green flames seemed to die down, prompting the pink-eyed girl to lean in slightly. This proved to be a grave error. Both dolls exploded into a verdant inferno as a tall column of flame roared upward. Alice was just close enough to be caught in the crossfire, letting out a tormented shriek as agony washed over her. She could feel her face begin to melt, she could no longer see, and the lingering flames felt as if they were burrowing through her in an attempt to reach everything deeper in her head. "Make it stop!" she wanted to scream. But she couldn't. Her tongue was already gone. Alice lunged in the direction she had last seen Grief, intent on whatever unnatural help the entity could provide. Unfortunately, she overshot. Or undershot. She couldn't quite tell, all she knew is that the wind began to whistle past her as she fell for a long long long time. Alice wasn't sure when she landed, or if she even did. All she knew was that awareness left her eventually. ''Dead End: Feed The Fire''

Rather than burn a doll, Alice scowled and kicked the base of the brazier. While she wasn't very strong, the brazier wasn't exactly on level ground. The metal stand skittered backward, falling over the chasm's edge. Grief stared at where it had fallen, its usual smile absent in favor of absolute confusion, before it looked back at the pink-eyed girl. "That is... //quite// the solution. I have a few spare flames, at least," it remarked, letting out a shocked laugh. "Wait here while I bring the materials for the next thing we need." (set: $end1 to it + 1) With that, Grief dove down into the inky abyss, leaving Alice with two abandoned sack dolls and a ''candelabra burning with an extra white flame in her grip.'' [[Eventually, Grief returned.|Trial6]]

When Grief returned from its abyss, a very large doll sat in its hand. With a start, Alice realized that the doll looked almost identical to her mother, save for the fact that it was made of wood and not flesh. "I feel as if this journey may have been... uncomfortable for you so far, so here's an easy one. An arm is required to open the way ahead, so I'll take it from this doll," Grief declared. "Does- does it //have// to be that one?" Alice murmured, her quiet question managing to still reverberate around the chamber. Grief paused. "No, not in particular. It can be any arm," it replied. As Alice hesitated, Grief moved its free hand toward the doll. She had to do something! [[... Except, no. She didn't.|Trial5g]] [["Wait!"|Trial5w]] [["Just use one of yours!"|Trial5b]]

Yeah. That's right. She- she //didn't// have to do anything. She took a calming breath as Grief reached toward the doll, only to choke on thin air as it grabbed the doll's arm and began to yank at it. That wouldn't have been a concern, save for the doll letting out a high-pitched scream. The noise reminded Alice of when she had stubbed one of her sunburned toes, yet escalated to a far higher plane of suffering. Alice's mouth opened and shut as her words cowered within her. Meanwhile, Grief slowly pulled the arm from the doll, its screams fading to hoarse whimpers as the seconds stretched on. She wanted to say something. She had to say something. ... But no. She chose this. //Alice// had chosen this. //This is what happens when I make decisions,// she half-consciously reminded herself. ''The gray flame newly occupying one of her candles flickered, as if in agreement.'' (set: $end2 to it + 1) After Grief removed the doll's arm, it dropped the rest of the doll, holding the limp limb in his grasp. [["They always scream when you least expect it," the green-eyed titan lamented.|Trial7altb]]

Alice's declaration caused Grief to flinch in place, as if she had slapped it. As those moldy green eyes fell upon her, she blurted the first thing that came to mind. "Use me instead!" Silence fell over the cavernous chamber as Alice immediately regretted her words. She opened her mouth to speak again, only for Grief to beat her to the punch. "Very well," it uttered, dropping the doll into the abyss below it. Far faster than she expected, it grabbed Alice in one massive hand, leaving only her arms and head poking out from its colossal grip. She could only watch as the entity's other hand came up, clamping her left arm in its clammy vice. She wasn't even afforded the room to shudder, much less the space to fight back. (set: $end1 to it + 1) [["It will be quick," Grief announced.|Rrrrrip]] (set: $arm to "true") [[(This option is for those that just realized what they did and don't want to read this bit.)|RipSkip]]

Grief suddenly paused at Alice's words, fixing a rare glare upon the small girl. "What a thing to say..." it mused aloud, letting out a scoff tinged with equal parts annoyance and amusement. "Not only would my arms not //fit//," it began, roughly grabbing the arm of the doll in his hand. "But telling someone to give up a limb in place of a //doll//," it continued, squeezing the artificial limb. Without warning, Grief whipped its hand to the side, a loud crack filling the air as the doll- now missing one arm- careened into the cavern's far wall, shattering on impact. Alice flinched before fearfully locking eyes with Grief. The ''black flame now adorning one of her candles'' meant nothing in the face of the emptiness she saw behind the moldy green. (set: $end3 to it + 1) [["... is a new breed of selfish entirely," it finished.|Trial7altc]]

Alice felt somewhat numb as Grief ducked down into its chasm. She had allowed that to happen, all because she made a dumb choice. She seemed to make a lot of those... She was snapped out of her thoughts when Grief came back. This time, as it returned, several marionettes descended from the ceiling. Their strings stretched into the sky above, attached to seemingly nothing. [["Now, dear Alice... how about a story?" Grief suggested, its usual mirth back in full swing.|TheStory]]

The cruel, colorless world around her faded entirely for a few moments, replaced by the aching void of sudden absence and the sound of snapping flesh. It was followed by a burning sensation near her left shoulder, though it was nothing compared to the //absence//, the //emptiness// at her side. When Alice came to awareness, her entire left side was faintly slick with half-dried blood, while her arm was- Her arm. //Her arm//. (text-colour:red)[(after:8s)[Herarm](after:10s)[herarm](after:12s)[herarm](after:14s)[herarm](after:16s)[herarmitwas](after:17s)[gone](after:18s)[gone](after:19s)[gone](after:20s)[gone](after:21s)[sitting](after:22s)[inhispalm](after:23s)[itwasgone-]] Alice took a shuddering gasp and tore her gaze from what was dangling from Grief's grip, focusing instead on ''the newly-burning white-flamed candle atop the stand sitting by her'' and the faint burnt scent from her left side. [["I am truly sorry, but you asked for it," Grief apologized.|Trial7alta]]

''Author's Note:'' Yeah, so! I realized that this scene came slightly out of nowhere. I know it's Spooky Month but I don't want to make people nauseous. As such, here's a little synopsis and a squick skip. Basically, Alice loses her arm. She has a very bad time over it. At least her wound got cauterized. Oh, and her candle flame is white if it wasn't already. [[Next.|Trial7alta]] (If it's any consolation, I felt like a monster just writing it. Poor Alice.)

Eventually, Grief returned. Alice was hardly aware that it had left. She was too focused on her lack of an arm. It wasn't bleeding, at least. Maybe that's why it smelled like it was burnt? Did Grief burn the wound shut? She was snapped out of her thoughts when Grief came back. This time, as it returned, it held a wardrobe and a standing mirror. "That was... a regrettable incident, wasn't it? How about some dress-up to take your mind off of things?" the entity suggested. Alice gave a wooden nod, at which the wardrobe's doors swung open. It contained three outfits: A copy of Alice's current one (minus the blood, of course), a long black dress accompanied by a crooked yet pointy hat, and a third hanger crammed with the many pieces of what looked to be an angel costume. "Well, Alice?" the titan prompted. Alice lifted her remaining arm to point at... [[... her dress.|T7aw]] [[... the witch outfit.|T7ag]] [[... the angel costume.|T7ab]]

The pink-eyed girl shook in abject fear as Grief slowly sank into its abyss. Had- had she really asked it to give up a limb for her? Mild concern shot through her being as she sank into wordless thoughts. She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps. Glancing over to them, Alice saw a man in a gray business suit standing at the edge of the pit. Everything else about him was blurred by the cavern's darkness. "Hey! Demon child!" he shouted to Alice, causing the pink-eyed girl to flinch. "Ya gonna burn up in the sun some more? Gonna watch with those fucking cursed eyes?" The pale girl curled up a little tighter and shuddered with every barb, remaining stock still as the man continued to approach. [[All too soon, he was just a few feet away.|T7altcchoice]]

The marionettes in the air began to dance, settling into place to match Grief's words. //"There was once a little village, a town of seven, where everyone lived in peace."// True to its words, there were seven marionettes, all dressed with slight differences. The only difference was a single puppet that performed a jerky wave to Alice. It was coated entirely in short gray hair, to the point where not even its eyes were visible. //"But, like all good things, the village soon encountered some trouble. One member, the town's baker, suddenly grew hair like a dog!"// //"The baker tried to act as if everything was fine, but the rest of the little village was afraid of her. They thought her a monster, a wolf turned human that had come to eat them all."// At Grief's words, the six other marionettes all ran on thin air, placing a substantial gap between themselves and the hairy baker. The gray-haired puppet slumped as if sad. //"Nothing the baker tried would rid her of the hair. It just kept growing back again and again and again... so she came up with a compromise."// The baker slowly drifted toward the other marionettes. One by one, it grabbed each other marionette, dragged them up into the air, then came back down with whatever it had grabbed. This time, though, the other puppet was covered in thick gray hair. [["Yet the baker still wasn't happy, and neither were the village folk."|Story2]]

//"The baker still felt like an outsider, while the other village folks were horrified at the sudden hair they had sprouted. Both groups felt as if they had been wronged by the other..."// As Grief trailed off, all of the marionettes- which had been flailing about in place until that moment- suddenly stopped moving before turning to face Alice. "... And so they turned their attention to an outsider, a little girl with pink eyes and long white hair. Now you get to judge them, Alice. Who is wrong here?" Grief asked. Alice took a breath, thinking over the story before slowly responding... [["... Nobody."|Trial7altbw]] [["... The baker."|Trial7altbg]] [["... The other townsfolk."|Trial7altbb]] [["... Everyone."|Trial6bad]]

"Hm?" Grief uttered, amusement and excitement oozing from its tone in equal measure. "Nobody is guilty here?" Alice nodded, taking a shuddering breath before continuing. "Well... they're all doing their best, right? It's not the baker's fault that she's hairy, and it's not the townsfolks' fault that they can't tolerate her. Sometimes, things just... don't work together," she explained. Grief remained silent for a moment before applauding, the marionettes all slowly rising up into the empty sky. (set: $end1 to it + 1) "Bravo, once more I find myself astounded by the innocent heart of a child," the entity remarked. ''Alice's candelabra flared with intense heat, resolving into a white flame forming atop one of her vacant candles''. [["Well, time to go now," Grief commented.|T8]]

Grief silently stared at Alice, prompting her to continue. "I... she could have just been different, right? She could've... shaved the hair. Or gone somewhere else. She- she made everyone else uncomfortable," she haltingly spoke. As Grief gave a solemn nod, the marionette representing the baker burst into green flame. It fell into the yawning abyss below Grief as the other marionettes rose slowly upward. (set: $end2 to it + 1) "An answer I expected from you," the titan noted, briefly glancing at ''the gray flame atop one of Alice's candles''. [["Well, time to go now," Grief commented.|T8]]

Grief silently stared at Alice, prompting her to continue. "Well- seriously, they should've at least tolerated her," she burst out. "They didn't even get afraid for a reason that makes sense, she- she just //existed// there." As Grief gave a sharp nod, the marionettes representing the townsfolk- save for the baker- burst into green flame. One by one, they fell into the yawning abyss below Grief as the baker rose slowly upward. (set: $end3 to it + 1) "An answer I expected from you," the titan noted, briefly glancing at ''the black flame lashing from atop one of Alice's formerly vacant candles''. [["Well, time to go now," Grief commented.|T8]]

"They're all wrong, just like everyone always is!" Alice suddenly snapped before flinching at her own ferocity. The resulting silence her remark brought about pressed against her like a large hand. "I suppose you //would// think that, wouldn't you?" Grief mused aloud. The marionettes all spontaneously burst into green flame, hanging limp as the flames raced up their strings to parts unknown. "You've been hurt by oh so many people..." the titan continued. Green flame burst from the walls, prompting Alice to fall backward in shock. "Family. Friends. Classmates. The very sun. Even yourself," the pallid entity spoke as if the very stone around it wasn't beginning to burn. It fixed its gaze upon Alice, the pity within its eyes causing them to shine brighter than the flames popping up all over the cavern. The girl began to feel an uncomfortable warmth beneath her skin. "The thing about universal guilt... is that it marks the accuser as equally condemned. May you find peace somehow, you pitiable soul," Grief concluded. With that, the warmth finally burst outward. Her body ruptured in dozens of uneven spots as green fire roared out. The final thing she saw was Grief staring at her, all emotion absent from its eyes. ''Dead End: Witch Trial''

Grief 's face greeted her through the gap, the titanic head nodding before the colossus laid out one hand next to the gap. Its open palm invited her to climb aboard. "Climb aboard. It will be safe, I promise," Grief assured. With a shaky breath, Alice climbed onto its hand. It had the same consistency as a partially dried-out fish, slimy and clingy while also not sticking to you as well as it feels it should. Without another word, Grief cupped its hand slightly and began to rise. As they slowly climbed upward, Grief looked down at Alice. "Now, to open the way, I need you to do two more things. First, I need you to think about your mother. The best times, the worst times, I don't quite care. Just think about her," Grief requested. Alice obliged, closing her eyes to shake off the fear from being so high up as she started to think. [[Mom...]]

Alice's mother. She had black hair, the opposite of Alice's white hair. She also had green eyes, a more vivid shade that was the actual opposite to Alice's pale pink. Just like the different colors, Alice and her mother seemed to stand on different sides of a canyon at times. Her mother kept the pale girl locked inside most of the time, only taking her outside to play at night. Her mother enrolled her in a special school, too, once she realized she was getting bullied. And yet... //"Why couldn't you just be normal??"// ... Some part of her mother hated Alice sometimes. Facing the summation of her memories, Alice... [[... focused on the good times.|T9w]] [[... focused on the bad times.|T9b]] [[... pushed everything away.|T9g]]

Yeah, that's right. Alice's mother wasn't perfect, but to the pale girl, she was still a figure to aspire to. Alice recalled nights spent stargazing and playing silly games in an otherwise empty park, times where she found her mother napping so she could stay up extra late with Alice, and all the ways her mother had protected her from the world. She definitely wasn't perfect... but, then again, neither was Alice. "You seem to have found your answer," Grief commented, causing the pale girl to open her pink eyes. ''White light briefly flared before her.'' (set: $end1 to it + 1) [[When she opened her eyes, she was faced with three ornate standing mirrors.|T10]]

Her mother was horrible. She was kept locked away from the world every day, only allowed out when nearly everyone was fast asleep. Her room was the only one in the house without windows, she had no friends of her own, and her mother clearly hated her deep down. Well, the feeling could be mutual. Alice... //hated// her mother. She //hated// her father. She //hated// them with a passion she had never dredged up before. "It seems you've made your choice," Grief spoke up, breaking Alice's concentration. Her pink eyes flew open, ''only to be met with a billowing mass of inky smoke.'' (set: $end3 to it + 1) (if:$end3 is $end2)[(set: $end3 to it + 1)] (else-if:$end2 is $end1)[(set: $end2 to it + 1)] (else-if:$end3 is $end1)[(set: $end1 to it - 1)] (if:$end1 > $end2 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|WEnd]]] (else-if:$end2 > $end1 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|GEnd]]] (else:)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|BEnd]]]

No. She couldn't. Alice couldn't bear to think about her for long. She'd just end up getting someone hurt again if she let herself dwell. "You seem to have made your choice," Grief remarked with a sigh. Alice kept her eyes obediently shut, ''oblivious to the gray miasma that covered her.'' (set: $end2 to it + 1) (if:$end3 is $end2)[(set: $end3 to it + 1)] (else-if:$end2 is $end1)[(set: $end2 to it + 1)] (else-if:$end3 is $end1)[(set: $end1 to it - 1)] (if:$end1 > $end2 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|WEnd]]] (else-if:$end2 > $end1 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|GEnd]]] (else:)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|BEnd]]]

The room wasn't too special, consisting of little more than white brick walls with no windows. The special part, however, was located in the center of the room. It held a large bird cage, which contained a beating heart the size of Alice. The heart glowed a radiant white, beating and pulsing with a calm, even rhythm. An odd peace filled Alice as she looked at it. (if:$arm is "true")[This peace intensified when she noticed her arm had returned!] "That, Alice, is your true heart," Grief's voice rang out from nowhere. "And what a forgiving heart it is. Now that you know who you are..." The faint outline of an arm fell into the cage from above, causing the heart to let out a flash of brilliant light as it made contact. [["It's time for you to face the world."|AwakeW]]

The room was identical to the one in which she had first met Grief. Well, identical save for one feature. Off to one side was a large bird cage, a lump of dark gray flesh within it. With a brief start, Alice realized that it was a heart nearly her size. Its beats were weak, as if it was about to fail at any moment. "Child, this heart of yours..." Grief spoke up from its usual pit, drawing Alice's pink gaze to its own moldy green. "You fear your choices that much? Then I fear waking up is a choice that would hurt you even more. So I have an offer for you, dear Alice..." It set one open hand, even larger than usual, palm up upon the ground next to Alice. "Climb into my hand. You won't have to wake up. You won't have to make any more choices." [[Alice needed no further prompting.|In Grief's Hands]]

The room wasn't too special, consisting of little more than black brick walls with no windows. The special part, however, was located in the center of the room. It held a large bird cage, which contained a wildly beating heart the size of Alice. The heart was an inky black that seemed to morph as she stared at it, while the heart's fierce beats caused it to slam about in the cage with every shuddering contraction It was as if it was a wild beast trying desperately to break free. (if:$arm is "true")[The return of Alice's arm was a moot point by comparison] "That, Alice, is your true heart," Grief's voice rang out from nowhere. "Oh, how it struggles... By the time you wake up, it may even break free. Whether it does or it doesn't..." The faint outline of an arm fell into the cage from above, causing the heart to shudder as it oozed thick black smoke. Alice could simultaneously hear and feel the moment the cage snapped open. [["It's time for you to face the world."|AwakeB]]

Alice, age fifteen, looked out at the shaded park with a sigh. While that would have been a sigh of disappointment long ago, now, it was one of peaceful relief. Six years ago, she had finally confronted her mother, telling her about how unwanted the pink-eyed girl felt deep down. Horrified, her mother had finally given her a proper explanation of her health condition. Albinism. A rarity, she soon learned, especially to the degree she had it. It wasn't some demonic curse like other children had led her to believe. It wasn't due to something horrible she did. She was simply born different. Everything her mother did to her was an overreaction, an attempt to keep her safe from the world by refusing to allow it to touch her. Working together, she and her mother had found other ways for Alice to protect herself from the sun and environment. Specialty lotions, supplements, and- the albino girl's favorite- parasols for short walks. Alice stood from the old wooden bench she preferred most, pausing to pick up her green parasol. She didn't open it just yet, instead watching the horizon. As the sun rose on a fresh new day, she silently thanked the odd creature that helped her find her heart. ''Ending 1: Dawn''

As if dazed, Alice slowly climbed into the entity's massive palm and sat down. She neither smiled nor frowned, though a sense of deep contentment filled her as the hand cupped around her. Grief backed away from the floor's edge, ensured he had a proper grip upon Alice, and began to sink down. Down. Further. Alice didn't know how long she went down. She didn't care. She was no longer afraid. She was no longer a bad girl. She would no longer take risks. She knew that nobody would worry, and that the only one who truly understood her had her well within their grasp. ''Ending 2: In Grief's Hands''

Alice sat in her new upstairs bedroom, grinning from ear to ear. She twitched her left arm a few times, gazing expectantly at the door as her mother plodded inside. "Hi mom! The neighbors sure were nice to send us another casserole, right?" the pale girl piped up. A twitch of her hand caused her mother's head to tilt forward before bobbing back upright. "Good, good! And is new papa doing well?" Alice continued, jerking her right arm. She winced slightly as one wire cut slightly into her hand. She'd have to fix that later. For now, she turned her attention to the postman as he also drifted into the room, only for the girl to frown. "Oh, //papa//, not again!" she whined. She deftly bound her mother's wires to the bed to keep her from falling, striding over to where the formerly curious man's left arm had fallen. She had roughed it up a bit too much with the front door, but it's okay, it was nothing Alice couldn't fix! "A little wire~ to save the world~ to keep you all~ from being bad~," Alice sang happily as she ever so slowly stitched the half-rotten shoulder back into place. At this rate, she'd need to find a different papa. "A little wire~ stuck to the bone~ makes dear Alice~ super glad!" she finished her little tune. Satisfied with her repairs, Alice let out a giggle as she skipped off to check her wire stocks. The neighbors were complaining too much about the smell lately. But Alice could fix that too. ''Ending 3: A World of Dolls''

Alice's eyes slowly fluttered open as she took in the area around her. Wooden walls with no windows, well-maintained black carpet, and a hot pink blanket graced her vision, causing her to quickly sit up. She looked around with a faint smile. She was awake. She was //home// again. Grief's moldy green eyes briefly flashed across her imagination, only to be replaced by the wild struggles of that black heart. Alice felt deep down that she had to live up to it, to its struggle to change the world around it... [[... and she knew just how to start.|A World of Dolls]]

Alice's eyes slowly fluttered open as she took in the area around her. Wooden walls with no windows, well-maintained black carpet, and a hot pink blanket graced her vision, causing her to quickly sit up. She looked around with a faint smile. She was awake. She was //home// again. Grief's moldy green eyes briefly flashed across her imagination, only to be replaced by the serene beat of that white heart. Alice felt deep down that she had to live up to that heart... [[... and she knew just how to start.|Dawn]]

(enchant:?passage,(text-colour:#ebadeb)) (align:"=><=")+(box:"=XXX=")[= (text-style:"bold","smear")[Grief: Alice's Dream] '' '' '' '' [[Begin Dreaming|The Start]]

A sudden chill shot down Alice's spine as she stumbled over to the door. She took one hand off of her candelabra to open the door, only for her pink eyes to widen in shock. There was no handle! The pale girl tried to pry the door open, to do anything she could to swing it toward her, but... no. It just wouldn't budge. "The door..." she murmured aloud, surprise jackhammering her tone. Was she stuck here? Had Grief lied to her? Alice wasn't sure what was going on, but she definitely couldn't just sit back down after a realization like that. To distract herself, Alice decided to... [[... clean up the room a bit.|T3CleanW]] [[... sit down and eat a cookie.|T3SitB]] [[... try absolutely anything to open the door.|Trial3bad]]

No. She won't let herself get trapped here. She already can't go anywhere, she already can't get much of a look outside. She won't stay in this horrible room any longer! Alice frantically clawed at the door, attempting to open it until her hand hurt. Next came a swift kick to try bashing the door in, but all that caused was a sharp pain in Alice's toes. Frightened, desperate, and seeking any possible way out, Alice did the only thing left she could think of; she threw her candelabra, flame first, toward the door. A fierce stabbing sensation shot through her when the candles thumped against the door, causing Alice to fall to her knees. Unfortunately, her fall kicked up a great deal of the thick dust on the floor, causing it to reach the falling, flaming candles. The last thing Alice saw was a bright flash, similar to a second sun, as the dust explosion consumed her. ''Dead End: Immolation''

Alice nodded with a pleased hum. She //had// been working hard, and it was nice of Grief to notice. The gray titan's too-big mouth stretched into a more intense grin as it bobbed its colossal head in a glacial nod. "Yes, this will do," it decided. One oversized hand snaked its way into the door's frame, pulling and stretching at the opening as if the entire wall was suddenly made of putty. When Grief was finished, the resulting opening was easily wide enough for the titan to lean into the room. Up came another hand, this one carrying a platter with a teapot and two cups. "Tell me, Alice, do you like tea parties?" it asked. [[She examined the tea set briefly|TeaCloserLook]] before responding. [["I've never had one, actually."|Trial4alt1choice]]

Alice obeyed, sitting upon the rug as one more ribbony hand approached her. It deposited a few sheets of paper and a few colored pencils before retreating like its brethren. "You must be bored after sitting still for so long, are you not? Why don't you draw a picture? You like that, yes?" Grief ventured. Alice picked up one of the colored pencils and let out a hum of her own as she thought about what to draw. [[She decided to draw herself.|Trial4alt2g]] [[She decided to draw a bird.|Trial4alt2w]] [[She decided to draw a fish.|Trial4alt2b]]

Laying atop the pallid gray flesh of Grief's hand- specifically balanced between the tips of its middle and index fingers- was an unadorned silver platter, its shine long sold to satisfy time's toll. Atop it rested two teacups and a teapot, all formed from dull black ceramic. Both cups were adorned with a singular yellow flower painted upon them, and both were sized to fit Alice's smaller hands. For a moment, the girl wondered just how Grief was going to drink from such a tiny thing. Then again, perhaps it could simply open its mouth and pour the tea? She wasn't sure that was good manners, though. Alice eyed the hand for a moment longer, noting that it was perfectly still. Corpselike, even. [["I've never had one, actually," she finally replied.|Trial4alt1choice]]

Alice picked up the teapot, staggering slightly at its surprising weight, and poured out some of the tea within into each cup. After setting the pot down again, the pale girl's pink eyes flicked to the contents of her cup. It was a steaming, reddish liquid, one that bore a very strong floral scent that made the girl cough involuntarily. Yet Grief didn't seem bothered as it reached over to pinch its own cup between two gargantuan fingers, lifting it slowly to its own mouth before pouring the fluid into its gaping maw with care and precision. Alice took a drink as well out of obligation, though she had to hide a wince at how bitter it was. Silent moments passed between the two before Grief eventually spoke up again. "Now, Alice. It's tradition at a tea party like this to ask a few questions. I already know oh so much about you, but you don't know much about me in turn, do you? Ask me a question, any one question. As always, I will answer it with utmost truth," the titan promised. The pink-eyed girl mulled over the question with another sip of too-bitter tea before asking her question. [["Are you my friend?"|Trial4alt1w]] [["What do you want from me?"|Trial4alt1b]] [["Do I have to?"|Trial4alt1g]]

"What kind of game?" Alice asked. A shiver crept its way down her spine as Grief's smile widened further. For a moment, she wondered if its mouth would be able to stretch far enough that its head was two distinct pieces, but she banished the morbid image. "You've surely heard of 'spot the difference', yes? We'll be playing something close to that with this room," the titan declared. On cue a myriad of shuffling and scraping noises resounded from behind Alice. When she turned back around, the pale girl flinched at the familiar sight greeting her. It was her bedroom. [[She looked around for just a moment|BedroomCloserLook]] before pivoting back to Grief. [["Alice, my dear... What is wrong here?" it asked.|Trial4alt3choice]]

Grief's prone hand gave a single fierce twitch, nearly knocking over the teapot. The entity didn't even seem to notice until Alice flinched. "Ah, apologies, dear Alice. It's just been quite some time since I've heard that question," the mold-eyed titan began. "Let it be known that I would never cause you harm unless you directly asked me to do so. I am here to guide you, to tend to you, and to help you find your heart." "But- are you my //friend// though?" Alice prodded, her pink gaze lancing into its too-tall eyes. "If those things are what you consider a friend to be, dear Alice," replied the titan. Silence hung once more, not even broken as ''another of Alice's candles flared up into brilliant white flame''. (set: $end1 to it + 1) [[The tea party concluded soon after, with no further conversation.|Trial5alt1]]

Grief's already-too-wide smile seemed to grow even larger to Alice. "What I want is quite simple, dear Alice. I want to guide you until you find your heart. Have I not told you as much already? Or do you simply not believe me?" the entity replied. "You've... never really said as much, no," Alice denied, only for the titan to let out a loud scoff. "Perhaps my words escaped you, but suffice to say, I have been your loyal guide ever since our introduction," it assured. The statement was punctuated by ''one of Alice's dim candles flaring up with writhing black flame''. (set: $end3 to it + 1) [[The conversation rapidly lapsed into silence.|Trial5alt3]]

Grief's wide grin wavered before rapidly reestablishing its proper place. "I suppose you do not, given that you technically asked a question. Quite a shame," the titan uttered. The resulting silence that hung between the pale girl and pallid entity was heavy enough to draw most attention away from ''the wavering gray flame that sprung up on one of Alice's dim candles''. (set: $end2 to it + 1) [["Perhaps we should try something else," Grief suddenly suggested.|Trial5alt2]]

"Do you have friends, Alice?" Grief's question struck the pale girl with the force of a slammed door. "Wh- uh??" she sputtered, prompting the entity to repeat its question. "Do you have friends? Every child needs at least one," the titan asserted. "I..." Alice began. [["... think you're full of it."|Trial5ab]] [["... consider you my friend."|Trial5aw]] [["... don't have any."|Trial5ag]]

"Let's try..." Grief trailed off with a dull hum. It was deep enough that Alice briefly wondered if her bones were shaking. "Ah, yes, yes, I know now. Do you enjoy puppets, Alice?" the titan asked, prompting the pale girl to give a slow nod. Its grin became sharper, as if it was etched deeper into the entity's face, before it responded. "Excellent! How would you like one of your very own?" At that suggestion, there were three thumps on the ground behind Alice. She turned to find three puppets sitting around two feet away, slumped slightly. [[She looked over the three figures|PuppetCloserLook]] as Grief continued to speak. "They're lightly used, of course, but none have been owned for quite a time. Whichever one you pick, it will be all yours," the entity promised. Alice decided to pick up... [[... the cloth jester.|Trial5bg]] [[... the porcelain doll.|Trial5bw]] [[... the wooden bear.|Trial5bb]]

Alice immediately began doing her best to sketch out a bird. The emphasis, of course, is on "her best". Her pink eyes roamed across every inexpert detail as she dictated them upon the page, painstakingly filling out a robin. When she finished the first bird, though, she felt that it looked a little lonely. As such, the pale girl added a canary and a lopsided blue jay to the sheet before she was satisfied. Alice finally looked up from her paper, beholding both ''a brilliant white flame atop one of her empty candles'' and Grief's eyes fixed upon her drawing. "Birds, child? Wonderful, and you even gave them friends!" it praised, causing the pale girl to preen internally. [["Come to think of it..." the titan began, trailing off after a moment.|Trial5alt1]]

She decided to do a self-portrait. Alice sketched in silence, tracing details she was painfully familiar with from constant glances at the mirror back home. Skin that was far too white. Unnatural pink eyes. Hair of the same color. Alice stopped when she was about to add a mouth to the inexpertly-drawn girl on the paper before her. A surge of raw disgust overtook the real girl, and she promptly tore the page in half ''as a wavering gray flame lit up part of Alice's candelabra''. (set: $end2 to it + 1) [["Oh my. I see drawing isn't quite your favorite? Let's try something else, then," Grief suggested.|Trial5alt2]]

She decided to draw a fish. Alice started with a goldfish, but rapidly got bored. It was such a simple shape! She thought for a moment before flipping her paper over, starting on something more complicated. She remembered fish from the darkest parts of the sea, things she had only ever seen on TV, and one stood out to her. As she sketched its little lure and too-large fangs, her mind drifted. Those fish stuck in the abyss, they were all pale like her. Yet they thrived, some even becoming suns in the real one's absence. The sight of those creatures had prompted a somewhat vicious fight with her mother, as Alice had thought she was only pale because of how often she was kept inside. While she was told otherwise, the girl still didn't quite believe her. "That seems familiar," Grief commented aloud, snapping Alice out of her reverie. She looked down at the page to find a decently-drawn angler fish, yet it was different. Namely, she had depicted it with green eyes and a pink lure, while the rest of its body was pallid gray. She was so engrossed with her mind and drawing that ''she missed one of her candles igniting with black fire''. [[Alice set the drawing aside, silent.|Trial5alt3]]

The room was far less dusty than its previous state, at least. No cobwebs adorned it any more either. Yet it maintained the same log walls, the same lack of windows. Short pink carpet adorned the floor, a bit frayed in two Alice-sized spots to dictate where she normally played. The far wall bore a black-sheeted bed with a dark gray blanket folded neatly on top. Its reddish wooden frame even bore a faint stain in the same spot Alice had once spilled some spaghetti. One wall was lined with a toy chest, which in turn was flanked by two shelves. Books in varying degrees of repair lined the left one, while the right was barren. Pink eyes traced the worn spines, recognizing stories memorized by heart with mere fragments of the titles. The chest, meanwhile, was made of brown plastic. Yet it wasn't a dark brown or even a light brown. It was an unsightly shade that Alice couldn't quite describe, one which she eventually decided was neon brown. She never liked its color at all, but it held her dolls, so it was worth stomaching its ugliness. Nothing else adorned the walls, ceiling, or floor. Just as she knew it. She pivoted away from the incarnate memory to face Grief again. [["Alice, my dear... What is wrong here?" it asked.|Trial4alt3choice]]

"What's //wrong//?" Alice echoed. "You- can't just ask what's //wrong// with a place without explaining!" "Oh, do forgive me," Grief replied with an indulgent chuckle. "I will be clear. Look at this room. You're familiar with it, yes?" Alice gave a small nod, not trusting her familiarity to words. "I want you to look at it and tell me what you think is least correct with it. Simple, yes?" Alice mulled over the titan's request as she looked at her room again. Its lack of windows, the barren walls, the faint signs of time... and she made her choice. [["The age of everything."|Trial4alt3b]] [["The windows."|Trial4alt3w]] [["Nothing at all."|Trial4alt3g]]

"The //age//," Grief echoed, its tone as flat as the Alice-worn carpet. "Look at the books and carpet. They're both giving up," the pale girl began. "And the bed, it's still stained and it smells a bit on hotter days." "Is that truly what you think is wrong, Alice?" the green-eyed entity checked, only to be met by a harsh nod from Alice. "I... I should be worth more," she concluded. (set: $end3 to it + 1) Between the space of one blink and the next, the bedroom was replaced by the cabin once more. ''One of her vacant candles was also lit with black flame''. [[The silence hung motionless in the dilapidated room.|Trial5alt3]]

"The windows, Alice? //What// windows?" Grief countered, prompting a nod from Alice. "Exactly. There's... there have never been any," she revealed. Memory flickered into focus, unbidden. Her mother had warned her constantly in her youth about the danger of being near a window for too long. Her old bedroom had a window, but after Alice had woken up with an angry red stripe burned into her arm one day, she was promptly relocated to a "safer" room. "Hm... Do they mean so much to you?" the titan prodded, eliciting another sharper nod. "Windows, they're... they're proof there's something else out there. That most of my life wasn't just a dream." Grief fell silent for a time, each second stretching as much as its grin. Between one of Alice's blinks and the next, ''one of Alice's candles lit with white flame'' and the room changed back from her bedroom to the familiar cabin. (set: $end1 to it + 1) [["I find myself curious, Alice..." the titan began, trailing off after a moment.|Trial5alt1]]

"Nothing?" Grief uttered. Incredulity colored its tone, which Alice pictured as its words turning red. It would be like the fruit punch she occasionally had, staining the entity's tongue and teeth alike. Perhaps such a thing could apply to its words too. Snapping back to the subject at hand, Alice nodded. "I have what I deserve," she declared with a porcelain voice. Silence stretched between the two before Grief's eyes gleamed. Between one of Alice's blinks and the next, her bedroom had been replaced by the cabin anew. She barely noticed that ''one of her candles now flickered with weak gray flame''. (set: $end2 to it + 1) [["Perhaps we should try something else," Grief pondered aloud.|Trial5alt2]]

Grief ever so slowly tilted its titanic head. "Full of //what//, exactly?" it asked. "You know, full of it. Um- you're wrong. I don't need friends," Alice pushed forth. Grief let out a single half-chuckle before an awkward silence wove itself between them. The pallid colossus's hand drummed against something outside the room, causing the resounding thump of wet flesh against stone to resound several times over. (set: $end3 to it + 1) A glance around showed Alice that ''one of her candles now burned with black fire''. When she returned her gaze to the doorway, Grief was gone. She immediately left the cabinlike room, only to discover that Grief was no longer present in its cavernous chamber. [[Alice sat down and waited for the entity to return.|Trial6]]

"Me, you say? Why Alice, what an honor," Grief replied. The girl and the titan shared a laugh, though Alice wasn't entirely sure why Grief was laughing. "Ah, but I'm afraid I may not be a very good //friend//," the entity admitted once it stopped laughing. "I've always been a far better guide than anything. If you're certain, though-" "Yup, I am. It's... well, you can't decide whether you're worth something or not," Alice declared, suddenly jumping as ''a white flame ignited on one of her five remaining candles''. (set: $end1 to it+1) "Well said, dear Alice," Grief proclaimed. With that, it withdrew from the room, bringing the tea set with it. The pink-eyed girl stood, stretched slightly, and made her way through the cavernous opening in the wall to find herself in Grief's equally cavelike chamber. [[As the titan wasn't present at the moment, she sat down and waited for Grief to return.|Trial6]]

"Truly? Not a single friend?" Grief questioned. At Alice's delicate nod, the pallid colossus continued. "That's quite a lonely existence, is it not? No friends to talk to, to play with, to tell jokes and riddles to... Ah, but I suppose I'm talking about myself now, aren't I?" the titan reflected. Alice watched it with a porcelain smile, reflecting on those words. Alone. Here in these windowless, cavernous depths. It's as if Grief was just like- Alice let out a yelp, her train of thought shattered, as ''a weak gray flame flared into being atop one of her remaining five candles''. (set: $end2 to it+1) When she looked back to where Grief should have been, it was gone. She stepped out of the cabin and into Grief's main chamber, only to find that it wasn't their either. [[Lost, Alice sat, awaiting Grief's return.|Trial6]]

The leftmost doll was easily the smallest of the three, about a foot and a half tall if Alice were to stand it up. It bore a simple body of black cloth with a smile of red stitches, the body itself having no distinguishing features. A yellow-and-blue jester's cap sat atop its head, frayed edges hinting at where bells had once hung. A long shirt of similar colors adorned its body, though the colors were flipped compared to the hat. It was relatively pristine, not a speck of dust or grime on it despite the cabin floor's condition. The doll in the center, meanwhile, held the telltale glassy gleam of porcelain. It was painted a white so bright that it nearly shone, interrupted only by a pair of pink glass orbs serving as its eyes. The familiar doll also bore a slightly unkempt mane of snowy white hair and was dressed in a smaller version of Alice's exact outfit. The genuine article stared at the thin layer of dust all over her mimic before looking at the final doll. This one was a wooden bear, its hard exterior riddled with chips and cracks from heavy use. What was formerly a happy smile on its face had fractured into an implied sneer over time, as if defiantly facing something horrifying. It definitely wasn't very pretty, but it held an odd comfort as Alice regarded it. "They're lightly used, of course, but none have been owned for quite a time. Whichever one you pick, it will be all yours," the entity promised. Alice decided to pick up... [[... the cloth jester.|Trial5bg]] [[... the porcelain doll.|Trial5bw]] [[... the wooden bear.|Trial5bb]]

As Alice stepped over to the porcelain doll, a pang of sadness welled up within her at the doll's state. She knelt next to it and carefully brushed the layer of dust from its face, giving it a soft smile as she cleaned up as much of its surface as she could manage. The doll wasn't perfect by the time she picked it up- its hair was still a mess and traces of dust still marred its dress- but that was fine with Alice. (set: $doll to 2) "Interesting," Grief commented, prompting Alice to turn and face it. Yet it was no longer in the doorway. Noticing the empty exit, the pale girl gently hefted the equally pale doll, taking it out of the cabin. All the while, she paid no heed to the ''new white flame atop one of her remaining five candles''. (set: $end1 to it + 1) As Alice reemerged into Grief's cavernous chamber, Grief was no longer there. Alice elected to wait for him, sitting down and seating the porcelain doll beside her. [[She felt somewhat at peace.|Trial6altstart]]

As Alice stepped over to the tiny cloth doll, she felt a brief surge of muted comfort, one which only intensified when the doll was in her arms. A hazy memory vaguely reminded her of a similar doll she had owned in the past, but that one was stolen from her years ago when she brought it to school. Maybe it was somehow the same doll? (set: $doll to 1) The gentle comfort of the slim possibility distracted Alice's focus, to the point where she didn't notice ''a gray flame flaring up on one of her five remaining candles''. (set: $end2 to it + 1) "A happy reunion," Grief's voice rang from the background, prompting Alice to face the entity again. Yet it's face wasn't there any longer, as it had abandoned the doorway. The pink-eyed girl held her doll extra tight as she walked to the entrance, taking just one baleful glance back at the doll imitating her. As Alice reemerged into Grief's cavernous chamber, Grief was no longer there. Alice elected to wait for him, sitting down and gently guiding her doll through a happy dance. [[It was more than she had felt in a moderately long time.|Trial6altstart]]

Alice strode over to the wooden bear, a surge of confidence washing through her as she did so. Yet as she picked it up, she immediately had to wince as a splinter nearly embedded itself in her palm. The pink-eyed girl readjusted her grip before trying again, this time lifting the heavy bear doll without issue. (set: $doll to 3) "That one, Alice? How interesting. Truth be told, I was hoping you wouldn't pick that one. Fondness of the maker, you know how it is," Grief chimed in. Alice... really didn't know how it was. Regardless, she wasn't about to give up her choice. Grief offered it, so it's hers now. So there! Alice turned around, paying little attention to ''the black flame that had just flared up on one of her five unoccupied candles'' in favor of the fact that Grief was gone. Gingerly carrying the splintery bear puppet with her, Alice left the cabin and reemerged into Grief's large central chamber. Seeing nothing else to do for the moment, she sat and began playing with her new doll. [[She nearly got splinters seven different times by the time Grief returned.|Trial6altstart]]

When Grief returned from its abyss, a very large doll sat in its hand. With a start, Alice realized that the doll looked almost identical to her mother, save for the fact that it was made of wood and not flesh. "I feel as if this journey may have been... uncomfortable for you so far, so here's an easy one. An arm is required to open the way ahead, so I'll take it from this doll," Grief declared. "Does- does it //have// to be that one?" Alice murmured, her quiet question managing to still reverberate around the chamber. Grief paused. "No, not in particular. It can be any arm. Well, unless it comes from the doll you picked out. That just wouldn't be fair," it replied. As Alice hesitated, Grief moved its free hand toward the effigy. She had to do something! [[... Except, no. She didn't.|Trial5g]] [["Wait!"|Trial5w]] [["Just use one of yours!"|Trial5b]]

"A witch? Not the most fortunate thing to become, but it suits you," Grief commented, sinking down into its pit's maw. Alice began changing with no fanfare, surprised to find that the costume fit. It was a simple one, consisting only of an unadorned black knee-length dress and a classic pointy witch hat of matching color, so it was easy enough to put on despite Alice's newfound lack of a left arm. It took a bit of time to get the hat in a comfortable position that wouldn't let it slip forward or backward, but by the time she managed it, ''an additional gray flame burned on one of her vacant candles''. At around the same time, Grief rose back up from its pit. "The spitting image of a witch," it complimented. "Though it's odd to see you like this now." (set: $end2 to it + 1) It shook its titanic head as if shaking away a buzzing thought. [["No matter. Come along, Alice. It's time to find your heart."|T8armoff]]

"Hm. Presented with two costumes, yet you choose to be yourself," Grief mused, giving a nod that would make glaciers seem supersonic. "Oddly profound. How fitting for you." Alice did her best to ignore its comments, instead looking around for a place to change. She couldn't find one. "Um, Grief, could you..." she trailed off. The titan gave her a silent nod and descended into its pit, giving her time to change. It was a somewhat difficult task with just one arm, but she managed it quickly enough. The new outfit was a carbon copy of her old one, save for the fact that it was missing its left sleeve. She very pointedly put the thought of why it was already missing a sleeve out of her head, instead focusing on the ''white flame lighting one of her remaining candles''. (set: $end1 to it + 1) Grief rose from its pit soon after Alice donned her fresh outfit, giving her a polite nod. [["Come along, Alice. It's time to find your heart," it declared.|T8armoff]]

"An angel... Oh, how //prideful// dear Alice! Yet it suits you quite well!" Grief laughed, descending into the abyss of its pit as if it were sucked down. Alice immediately set about putting on the outfit. Its knee-length sleeveless tunic-dress was a shade of white that matched her own skin, while the fake wings that came with it and the little wire-hung halo were an annoying feat to position with one arm. In the end, Alice did it. She admired herself in the mirror for a moment before flinching away as she met her reflection's eyes. Even dressed like this, her eyes were still filthy, demonic things, it seemed. Grief ascended back into view just as ''one of Alice's candles ignited, burning with baleful black fire''. (set: $end3 to it + 1) "Hm. Perhaps I should have given you a different choice... Oh well, the time has passed," it commented. [["Now come along, Alice. It's time to find your heart.|T8armoff]]

Grief tore at the stone floor as if it was a plastic lid, peeling back a layer to reveal a staircase going down. Alice immediately set about going down the stairs, only to be met by- Alice looked away, her remaining arm clutching frantically at the spot where her other arm used to be. No. No. *No*. Why was it *here*? "Oh, my apologies," Grief's voice resounded. The ceiling above the pink-eyed girl opened and quickly plucked away the //object which Alice absolutely would not think about.// "I was wondering where I had left it. I truly apologize for that, dear," the titan apologized. "Now, you will encounter two doors ahead. ''Do //not// enter the one on your left''." As Alice looked back, the //object// had vanished, allowing her to process that there were two utterly plain gray doors ahead of her, one to her left and one to her right. Alice decided to... [[... open the left one.|T8b]] [[... open the right one.|T8w]] [[... open neither.|T8g]]

Grief tore at the stone floor as if it was a plastic lid, peeling back a layer to reveal a staircase going down. Alice immediately set about going down the stairs, only to be met by... a discarded doll arm? "Oh, my apologies," Grief's voice resounded. The ceiling above the pink-eyed girl opened and quickly plucked away the arm. "I was wondering where I had left it. I apologize for that, dear," the titan claimed. "Now, you will encounter two doors ahead. ''Do //not// enter the one on your left''." As Alice looked back, she noticed that there were two utterly plain gray doors ahead of her, one to her left and one to her right. Alice decided to... [[... open the left one.|T8b]] [[... open the right one.|T8w]] [[... open neither.|T8g]]

"What's wrong, you too chickenshit? You gonna cr- whoa!" At the heckler's suddenly stifled speech, Alice looked up, only to find the man teetering on a loose rock. He was maybe a few dozen seconds from losing his balance and falling straight back into Grief's pit. "H-hey, no hard feelings, right? You'll- you'll //help me// right? Right???" the man asked, desperation clipping the wings of whatever confidence he attempted to have. Alice decided to... [[... save him.|T7cw]] [[... watch him fall.|T7cg]] [[... push him in.|T7cb]]

Alice leapt to her feet, stumbling for a moment before rushing over to the man. She grabbed at one of his desperately flailing arms and pulled backward with what little might her frame could muster... only to be surprised as she fell backward almost immediately. Confused, she pushed herself upright, only to see that the man was missing an arm. He was also completely limp as he fell backward into the pit, not even thrashing. It took seventeen seconds for Alice to gather the courage to look at what she was holding in her hand. To her numb shock, it was a large doll arm, one sized to a very large frame. The darkness of the cavernous chamber had made it look real previously. Still, despite the man being a doll- apparently- Alice wished she could have saved him from falling... even if he was rude. ''Her candelabra seemed to second the thought, as one of its vacant candles burst into white flame''. (set: $end1 to it + 1) Grief emerged from its pit not long after, giving Alice a kind nod. [["Come along now, Alice. It's time to find your heart," it directed.|T8]]

Alice sat there, meeting the man's bulging green eyes with her own pink gaze. She made no move to get up. She only watched as his flailing became more and more desperate, until... he tilted backward. As he fell, the man let out a scream of pure rage that was swallowed as readily as the yawning abyss swallowed his body. Alice sat there for a moment, unmoving even as ''one of her candles lit up with weak gray flame''. She felt numb in a way that surprised her. She had just seen a man fall to his death. Yet she felt nothing over it. Was it because he was insulting her? Was it because he deserved it? No. It's because Alice was simply more content with the fact that she hadn't been a part of the outcome. (set: $end2 to it+1) Grief eventually emerged from its pit, its usual smile absent for the merest of moments. [["Come along now, Alice. It's time to find your heart," it directed.|T8]]

Alice stood, walking her way over to the man. His green eyes bulged with an ugly hope as he flailed his left arm about for the pale girl to grab. Instead, she stepped around his arm and gently thrust out an arm to push him. With as unbalanced as the man already was, even Alice's meager strength was enough. He tilted back, going still as he processed what had just happened. He attempted to meet Alice's eyes, but he was falling too quickly. The man tumbled backwards. And. He. Fell. Down. (set: $end3 to it + 1) The abyss below swallowed the man as Alice returned to her original position, waiting patiently ''with a new black flame burning with radiant pride atop one of her candles'' for Grief to return. When he came back, he had only one thing to say to Alice. [["Come along now, it's time to find your heart."|T8]]

Screw that order. Alice walked to the left door and immediately threw it open. On the other side was a small space, much like a closet. It was formed from the same gray stone as the rest of the cavernous area, yet there were spots stained with a blackish-red substance. Furthermore, it was utterly consumed by an awful stale stench. Alice's pink eyes trailed downward as she beheld... her own body on the ground. Every one of the other body's joints was twisted and distorted, the silvery gleam of wire poking out of each of them. (set: $end3 to it + 1) "I //did// warn you," Grief's voice murmured in the living girl's ear, snapping her out of her macabre trance and causing her to slam the door shut. She almost sprinted through the right doorway, ''heedless of the black flame topping one of her candles''. [[Eventually, she came to another opening.|T9]]

Alice strode over to the door on her right without hesitation, testing the handle and allowing it to swing inward. On the other end was... nothing but a hallway forward. That was anticlimactic. (set: $end1 to it + 1) Nonetheless, ''one of Alice's remaining candles lit with white flame''. "I... guess I did //something// right?" she questioned aloud before proceeding. [[Eventually, she came to another opening.|T9]]

So she has to not open the left door. That much is clear. But what if she's also supposed to not open the right one? She decides that her best plan of action is to open neither and simply wait. (set: $end2 to it + 1) It took a few seconds for Grief's voice to resound again. "Alice? I only told you that the left door was not to be opened. There was nothing forbidding the right one," it pointed out. Bearing a harsh yet mild blush, Alice hurriedly opened the door on the right and stepped through, ignorant of the ''gray flame lighting one of her remaining candles''. [[Eventually, she came to another opening.|T9]]

The mirrors each reflected something that looked close to her, yet for two of them, it was distinctly wrong. The one directly in front of Alice reflected herself, nothing more. Did she really look that sad? The reflection seemed as if it had been crying. The one to Alice's right, meanwhile, depicted a version of her that was splattered with varying tints of red and green substances. Despite the mess, she still looked confident, as if she was about to take on the world and win. A silvery bundle was clasped in one of that reflection's hands, while the other bore a paintbrush. The third, all the way to Alice's left, reflected Alice with a nearly dopey smile. That reflection was sitting, despite the fact that the real Alice was standing up. Furthermore, the reflection's arms were positioned as if she was holding someone else's hands, though there was no other figure in the frame. "Alice," Grief's voice echoed from the otherwise empty darkness around her. "These are aspects of your core self. To awaken, you must break a mirror. Doing so will destroy that part of you. Now... make your choice, so that we may see your heart." Alice looked between the frames, and she decided to break... [[... the mirror on her left.|T10b]] [[... the mirror in front of her.|T10g]] [[... the mirror to her right.|T10w]] [[... the mirror in her pocket.|T10bad]]

With a singular solemn motion, Alice pointed at the mirror depicting the too-happy version of herself. It wasn't real and would never //be// real as long as the world stayed the way it was. To let it keep existing would be a practical crime. The mirror cracked into shards, each individual piece blowing away in nonexistent wind as a fine powder. (set: $end3 to it+1) ''There was a flood of black smoke, one carrying a sense of finality to it, that obscured Alice's vision.'' (if:$end1 > $end2 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|WEnd]]] (else-if:$end2 > $end1 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|GEnd]]] (else:)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|BEnd]]]

With a singular solemn motion, Alice pointed at the mirror depicting the accurate version of herself. She hated it, that weak thing that only kept hurting others. If she could really get rid of that part of herself, she gladly would. The mirror cracked into shards, each individual piece blowing away in nonexistent wind as a fine powder. (set: $end2 to it+1) ''Thick gray mist drifted into Alice's vision, carrying a sense of finality to it.'' (if:$end1 > $end2 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|WEnd]]] (else-if:$end2 > $end1 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|GEnd]]] (else:)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|BEnd]]]

With a singular solemn motion, Alice pointed at the mirror depicting that too-confident version of her. If she was that headstrong and overconfident, all she'd do is hurt someone. She would never be able to live with that. The mirror cracked into shards, each individual piece blowing away in nonexistent wind as a fine powder. (set: $end1 to it+1) ''There was a flash of white light, one carrying a sense of finality to it, that obscured Alice's vision.'' (if:$end1 > $end2 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|WEnd]]] (else-if:$end2 > $end1 and $end3)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|GEnd]]] (else:)[[[After a moment, Alice opened her eyes.|BEnd]]]

Alice smiled as she slowly reached into her pocket, taking out her trusty pocket mirror. She hadn't thought much of its presence before, but... maybe this is why it was there. "Wait. What is that?" Grief questioned as the pink-eyed girl raised and opened the mirror. "Alice, wait, don't-" the titan began. But it was too late. Alice threw the pocket mirror to the ground. And immediately regretted her decision. Raw pain lanced through her as the mirror shattered, her very form fracturing before her panicked pink eyes. Alice passed out just as her fragments began to slide apart. [[When Alice was next aware, she was standing in her bathroom, looking into the mirror.|T10bad2]]

Try as she might, Alice couldn't move. Instead, her head remained locked in place, staring into the eyes of her reflection. "Ah, there you are," Alice spoke. But it wasn't her. Something else was moving her mouth. "I don't believe you can even respond any more. I'm not even sure if you can remember who I am. What you did there... I never expected such a violent and reckless rebellious streak from you, dear Alice." As it finally clicked in Alice's mind who the one in control of her body was, her body smiled. "Don't worry, my dear. I will do my best to make sure your body, at least, lives a happy life," the intruder promised. Another thing finally became apparent to Alice. Rather than the pink eyes she hated so much... ... in the mirror, she saw only moldy green. ''Dead End: Empty''