You find yourself standing in a room. The only thing in the room is a single checkbox.
You can [[look around the room]] or [[do something with the checkbox]].
(set:$checkboxIsChecked to (random:1) is 1)(if:$checkboxIsChecked is false)[(either:
"You uncheck the checkbox, and absolutely nothing happens. It wasn’t checked.",
"You try to uncheck the checkbox. The room goes dark for a split second, and when the light returns, nothing has changed.",
"You hear a voice in your head. ‘All things are already as they should be.’",
"You try to uncheck the checkbox, but you’re distracted as you hear footsteps approaching. Do you want to [[look behind you|Look behind you]]?",
)](else:)[(set:$checkboxIsChecked to false)You uncheck the checkbox.
(either:
"A faint whisper echoes, ‘It is undone’, as the checkbox becomes unchecked.",
"A soft, barely perceptible hum fills the room as the checkbox becomes unchecked.",
"You feel a cold hand on your shoulder as the checkbox becomes unchecked.",
"You hear a flutter of wings in the dark, you look up for a split second, and when you look back, the checkbox is unchecked.",
"You hear a soft click as the checkbox moves into place."
)
]
[[Continue|do something with the checkbox]]You can(if:$checkboxIsChecked is true)[(either:
"You try to check the checkbox, but nothing happens. It’s already checked.",
"As you reach out to check the checkbox, you hear your own voice echo through the room. ‘It’s already checked.’",
"A ghostly message appears on the wall. ‘Already checked. Do not disturb.’ As you finish reading, it fades away.",
"An invisible force holds your hand back. Try as you might, you can’t reach the checkbox to check it.",
"You try to check the checkbox. The room dims slightly, and you hear a sigh, as if the checkbox is weary.",
"A cold breeze fills the room, and you realise the checkbox is already checked.",
)]
(else:)[(set:$checkboxIsChecked to true)You check the checkbox.
(either:
"With a solid clunk, the checkbox locks into place, echoing ominously in the empty room.",
"A sharp whistle pierces the air, hurting your ears. The checkbox glows to indicate it has been checked.",
"You hear a gentle click, but it sounds like it came from somewhere behind you. Do you want to [[look behind you|Look behind you]]?",
"A brief, unsettling buzz fills the room.",
"You hear a dull thud from the ceiling above you. Do you want to [[look up|Look up]]?",
"The checkbox snaps with a loud pop, and you feel a cold wind rush past you.",
"The checkbox fizzles and briefly turns red, before returning to a dull monotone grey."
)]
[[Continue|do something with the checkbox]]There's absolutely nothing and no-one behind you. There's nothing in the room except you and the checkbox.
[[Turn back around|continue]] There's nothing above you. There's nothing in the room except you and the checkbox.
[[Look down again|continue]] You are still standing in a room. The only thing in the room is a single checkbox.
You can [[look around the room]] or [[do something with the checkbox]].
It’s an empty room with white walls. The only thing in the room is the checkbox.
You can [[look again|look around the room]] or [[do something with the checkbox]].The checkbox is in front of you.
You can [[examine]] it. You could [[check]] it or [[uncheck]] it.
You could [[smell]] it, or [[listen]] to it, or [[lick]] it.
You could ask it a [[question|talk]], or [[sing]] to it, or [[hide]] from it.
Or you could [[look around the room]] to see if there’s anything else in the room.You see a checkbox. (either:
"It looks… boxy.",
"What makes this checkbox so special?",
"Or at least, something that looks like a checkbox.",
"Its surface is smooth, with no scratches or markings.",
"It appears unremarkable, but it gives off an air of mystery.",
"It feels like it might be hiding something.",
"You’ve seen dozens like it before. Millions, maybe."
)
(if:$checkboxIsChecked)[The checkbox is checked.
Would you like to [[do something with the checkbox]]?]You press your nose against the checkbox.
(either:
"Before you can tell what it smells of, you find yourself sneezing. You hear a woman’s voice say ‘bless you’, but there’s nobody in the room with you.",
"You smell absolutely nothing.",
"Your nostrils are filled with the smell of fresh strawberries.",
"The acrid smell of burning plastic hits your nose.",
"You smell the warm, comforting aroma of a freshly baked loaf of bread."
)
Would you like to [[do something else|do something with the checkbox]]?You hold your ear up to the checkbox, trying to hear any sound.
(either:
"The checkbox is as silent as it is mysterious.",
"You hear the faint sound of music coming from the checkbox, but you don’t recognise the tune.",
"You hear the gentle sound of waves crashing against a distant shore. It’s relaxing.",
"A slow, rhythmic heartbeat pulses from the checkbox. As you listen, you realise it matches your own heartbeat.",
"You hear the sound of clockwork gears turning, an intricate mechanism at work.",
)
Would you like to [[do something else with the checkbox|do something with the checkbox]]?You lick the checkbox.
(either:
"It tastes as bland as it looks.",
"Without knowing why, you think to yourself ‘tastes like chicken’.",
"It is disturbingly dry.",
"Why is it so sticky?",
"The checkbox flinches away, unwilling to be licked."
)
Would you like to [[do something else with the checkbox|do something with the checkbox]]?(either:
"“Why are you here, checkbox? What are you for?”",
"“Hey there, checkbox. How’s life in this room treating you?”",
"“How long have you been here, checkbox?”",
"“Why do you insist on such black-and-white thinking? Only checked and unchecked, and nothing in between?”",
"“How many check would a checkbox check, if a checkbox could check checks?”",
"“Do you know how we get out of this room?”",
"“I don’t suppose you’d have a sandwich or a glass of milk?”"
)
(either:
"The checkbox remains resolutely silent. It doesn’t even look up to acknowledge you were talking.",
"If the checkbox heard what you said, you can’t tell. It sits there, silent.",
"The checkbox is feeling shy, probably. That must be why it didn’t answer your question.",
"The checkbox moves gently from side to side, as if it were shaking its head. (Do checkboxes have heads?) It doesn't say anything."
)
Would you like to [[try something else|do something with the checkbox]]?(either:
"You try singing your favourite karaoke track. The checkbox is remarkably stingy with its applause.",
"For reasons unknown, you start singing one of the songs you like to sing in the shower. Although this should be a mortifying epxerience for you, the checkbox doesn’t seem to have noticed.",
"You sing a lullaby you remember from childhood. The lullaby makes you feel relaxed, and the checkbox’s lack of reaction has the opposite effect.",
"You try making up a song on the hoof, the words and tune barely holding together. The checkbox declines to pass judgement.")
Would you like to [[try something else|do something with the checkbox]]?(either:
"You look around for somewhere to hide, but the only things in the room are you and the checkbox. You aren’t exactly spoilt for choice with hiding places.",
"You turn your back to the checkbox. If you can’t see it, then it can’t see you, right?",
"You cover the checkbox with your hands, then move them away to reveal yourself. Peek-a-boo!",
)
Would you like to [[try something else|do something with the checkbox]]?