Dream Pill

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<h1>Dream Pill</h1> <h3>A short story by Harsh Aggarwal </h3> Blue dialogue choices give more context and information, while yellow dialogue choices will continue the story. [[Start]]

<<s>> "Mr. Harrow....are you there? <</s>> <> Mr. Harrow, do I have your attention? <> <<s>> Oh yeah, I was in Sir Julien's office last I remembered. Though he never quite told me why he tells everyone to call him with the pompous title. "MR. HARROW. This is an '' extremely invasive and experimental procedure'' you are about to undergo. I am in need of your complete dedication to my instructions and I this instant." <</s>> <<so>> [[Uh, yeah....I'm here]] [[Sir, yes SIR!]] [[Yeah, I'm listening]] <</so>>

<<s>> Ignoring your clear disinterest the psychiatrist continues on with his pre-written manual of boredom. "Mr. Harrow, you are about to partake in a thereapeutic procedure at the utmost forefront of Scientific and Psycological development currently available. MNE-114, a hallucinogenic no larger than an ordinary medical pill but quite potent and very fast-acting....also which has come to be known as //Dream Pill Therapy// by the layman." <</s>> <<so>> [[Do we really have to do this? I don't feel so well.]] [[Soooo...I'm a guinea pig is what you're saying?]] [[Dream Pill Therapy?]] <</so>>

<<s>> Ignoring your clear sarcasm the psychiatrist continues on with his pre-written manual of boredom. "Mr. Harrow, you are about to partake in a thereapeutic procedure at the utmost forefront of Scientific and Psycological development currently available. MNE-114, a hallucinogenic no larger than an ordinary medical pill but quite potent and very fast-acting....also which has come to be known as //Dream Pill Therapy// by the layman." <</s>> <<so>> [[Do we really have to do this? I don't feel so well.]] [[Soooo...I'm a guinea pig is what you're saying?]] [[Dream Pill Therapy?]] <</so>>

<<s>> "Mr. Harrow.......we must. <</s>> <> We have tried for far too long to remedy you of your pain. You blame yourself and I believe that you require validation straight from the source. <> <<s>> I would ideally recommend going to the source directly.....but that has yielded results quite unsaticfactory as of yet. So I am administering you this alternative, potentially another way to approach the source." <</s>> <<so>> [[Soooo...I'm a guinea pig is what you're saying?]] [[Dream Pill Therapy?]] <</so>>

<<s>> "Mr. Harrow! I assure you that this procedure has been thoroughly tested and vetted for use by humans. The International Bureau of the Human Development Project would under no circumstances allow for an usafe drug, that too as potent as this to be consumed and most of all, used for a serious medical procedure such as this. I sympathize with your concern for your own safety but I also do find it extremely insulting for you to think that I would be so //careless// about your health an-" <</s>> <<so>> [[Do we really have to do this? I don't feel so well.]] [[Dream Pill Therapy?]] <</so>>

<<s>> "Yes, MNE-114 is a high-grade hallucnogenic drug that is able to put the user in a lucid, dream-like state. It allows the user to reach into the deepest parts of their psyche while still remaining fairly conscious and in control; being able to take actions and remember what they did. Though I must preface this by saying that the inner workings of the human psyche are still quite a mystery to the broader scientific community so....no one really knows why or what do people see and feel while they are under the effect. It seems that the drug is able to //bring forth what you yourself bring to it.//" <</s>> <<so>> [[...I'm ready]] <</so>>

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<<s>> "BRAVO! Mr. Harrow!" He seems oddly enough, a bit too excited with your approval. Almost unbecoming of a proper medical professional such as Sir Julien. Does he have another hidden purpose to put you //under?// "Well, let us begin. Remember Mr. Harrow, you musn't be anxious or on alert. The therapy works best when the user is completely at ease, comfortable with themsevles. Like going to rest in a cozy bed after a long day. Whatever you experience, let it come to you naturally, ''work with your intuition'' rather than trying to rationalize things. There are //no wrong answers.//" He attaches a HRT Monitor to you, "For your safety, Mr. Harrow." And hands you a fresh cool glass of water and an ordinary looking pill. You hesistently gulp it down. And prompty [[drift off-]] <</s>>

<h3>What do you wake up to?</h3> [[In a treehouse, overlooking your childhood home]] [[On a boat, in the middle of the ocean]] [[In a balcony, gazing at the city below]]

<<s>> You awake to the peaceful chirping of birds and a get a scent of wood. You have spent many many hours in this place a long time ago. It was your escape. You look to see a faceless ephemeral blob next to you. Completely unrecognizable yet their prescence is very familiar. You stare at where the entity's face would be and you see- <</s>> <<so>> [[Hazel Eyes |Eye Colour]] [[Blue Eyes |Eye Colour]] [[Black Eyes |Eye Colour]] [[Emerald Eyes |Eye Colour]] <</so>> <<set $location to "treehouse">>

<<s>> You awake to the roaring waves and the damp wind. It's...calming, the complete isolation puts you in your comfort zone. Nothing else to distract you from what's at hand. You look to see a faceless ephemeral blob next to you. Completely unrecognizable yet their prescence is very familiar. You stare at where the entity's face would be and you see- <</s>> <<so>> [[Hazel Eyes |Eye Colour]] [[Blue Eyes |Eye Colour]] [[Black Eyes |Eye Colour]] [[Emerald Eyes |Eye Colour]] <</so>> <<set $location to "ocean">>

<<s>> You awake to the oh-so monotonous ballad of morning commuters. A cool breeze graces your hair. You just needed to be somewhere you're not a stranger. You look to see a faceless ephemeral blob next to you. Completely unrecognizable yet their prescence is very familiar. You stare at where the entity's face would be and you see- <</s>> <<so>> [[Hazel Eyes |Eye Colour]] [[Blue Eyes |Eye Colour]] [[Black Eyes |Eye Colour]] [[Emerald Eyes |Eye Colour]] <</so>> <<set $location to "city">>

How long do they keep their hair? [[Short |Blob Response]] [[Shoulder-length |Blob Response]] [[Quite Long |Blob Response]]

<<s>> "What are you staring at me so long for?" The blob materializes into something more resembling a human, a person you know well...or used to. You've shared years of your life, your dreams, fears, hopes and passions with this person. You haven't seen them in what's felt like many lifetimes yet their prescence is no different than what you reminisce about embarrasingly often. Anderson...your good friend, your best friend. Maybe the only person who ever understood you. He's looking at you with a sort of perplexed look on his face, he's expecting an answer as to why you've been mesauring his facial features for so long. <</s>> <> Oh it's nothing, ...... <> <<so>> [[man |Blob Angry]] [[dude |Blob Angry]] [[.... |Miss Me?]] <</so>>

What kind of hair do they have? [[Black |Length]] [[Brunnette |Length]] [[Blonde |Length]] [[Dyed |Length]]

<<s>> "We're not friends, not anymore." [[I don't know I- |Miss Me?]] <</s>>

<<s>> "Dont tell me you still miss me." <</s>> <<so>> [[Why do you care?]] [[No...of course not.]] [[Do..you?]] <</so>>

<<s>> "Don't know. Just curious, I guess." He's gazing into the distance, you notice that he hasn't tried to make eye contact. He's trying to avoid you, or maybe this is difficult for him too. <</s>> <> Maybe he just hates you. <> <<so>> [[No...of course not.]] [[Do..you?]] <</so>>

<<s>> "Yeah.....of course you don't, you always had a hard time depending on others. <</s>> <> Anyway, all that doesn't matter, stop wasting my time. Why have you brought me here?" You feel your gut twirl itself into a ball, you stretch your feet as far as they can to distract yourself, they might even break out of your shoes. Your mind is filled with stormy clouds, you cant gather your thoughts. <><> Dying would be easier. Yet you must know what to do, it's now or never.... <> <> say it <> <> Say It! <> <> ''SAY IT!'' <> <<so>> [[You always thought that you were better than me.]] [[You didn't deserve what you had]] <</so>>

<<s>> "Now you seem to care a lot about what I say. <</s>> <> Anyway, all that doesn't matter, stop wasting my time. Why have you brought me here?" You feel your gut twirl itself into a ball, you stretch your feet as far as they can to distract you, they might even break out of your shoes. Your mind is filled with stormy clouds, you cant gather your thoughts. <><> Dying would be easier. Yet you must know what to do, it's now or never.... <> <> say it <> <> Say It! <> <> ''SAY IT!'' <> <<so>> [[You always thought that you were better than me.]] [[You didn't deserve what you had]] <</so>>

<<s>> "DIDNT DESERVE IT?!" His face whips around to meet your ashamed eyes. You see him full of...rage....disappointment....disbelief. "Jealousy?! You were jealous of me?! You left me not because of what I did..... but because of what you couldn't do. I can't believe I blamed myself for ''so long.'' <</s>> <> "You know I wish <> <<so>> [[I didn't leave you and...|Minimization]] [[You always thought you were the only one right...|Denial]] <</so>>

<<s>> "BETTER THAN YOU" His face whips around to meet your ashamed eyes. You see him full of...rage....disappointment....disbelief. "Jealousy?! You were jealous of me?! You left me not because of what I did..... but because of what you couldn't do. I can't believe I blamed myself for ''so long.'' <</s>> <> "You know I wish <> <<so>> [[I didn't leave you and...|Minimization]] [[You always thought you were the only one right...|Denial]] <</so>>

<<s>> "I didn't //leave you// and you never did deserve whatever you had. I had to go to keep myself sane. I got denied at every opportunity, whether it was grades, sports....looks I always was inferior compared to you. You never worked as hard as me because ''you never needed to''. You got everything on a silver platter. It was almost as if the universe itself favoured you, like you were it's golden boy and the rest were the peasants." <</s>> <> "Meant to look up at you" <> <> "Awe at your marvel" <> <> "Feel inferior" <> <<so>> [[.....]] <</so>>

<<s>> "You always thought you were the only one right. I didn't do anything wrong, I was just a victim. I got denied at every opportunity, whether it was grades, sports....looks I always was inferior compared to you. You never worked as hard as me because ''you never needed to''. You got everything on a silver platter. It was almost as if the universe itself favoured you, like you were it's golden boy and the rest were the peasants." <</s>> <> "Meant to look up at you" <> <> "Awe at your marvel" <> <> "Feel inferior" <> <<so>> [[.....]] <</so>>

<> ... <> <> ..... <> <> "You know..." <> <<s>> "You know you wronged me. You know you would've thought that I wronged you if I had done the same. We were supposed to be there for each other, and you weren't. You couldn't bear the fact that I was better than you, you were envoius and felt inadequate. That was it. Well I didn't care. I didn't care if you felt that you were worse, you weren't. I still hoped to learn from you. I never thought of you as less and I just wish that you had stopped comparing us. You were still [[my best friend.]] <</s>>

<<s>> "I wish we could've gone back to how things were... When we first met. As kids. <</s>> <> No differences. No scheming. No expectations. Just....in the moment. Wanting nothing more than simply the other person's company." [[Goodbye...Ma-]] <>

<<s>> A bright blinding flash, the medicated dryness of a hospital. You seem twitchy and your hair is on end. You've travelled through a wormhole into a much more emotionally charged, boring place. Did you enter reality or leave it just now? "Mr. Harrow! Mr. Harrow are you alright? Your heart rate started spiking rapidly and I was afraid I would lose my ceritfication. You respond like an old grovelling man, it feels as though you've aged a thousand years since you've last seen your psychiatrist's concerned face. <</s>> <<so>> [[Awwwwwhhhhh|Debrief]] [[Ugggghhhhh|Debrief]] [[Hhhhuuuuugggghh|Debrief]] <</so>>

<<s>> "Yes, yes disorientation and dizziness are to be expected, especially after a blood-pumping expedition such as that." He hands you another glass of cool water, the same one you took the pill with and get a sense of déjà vu. How much have you changed since you last took a sip from this glass? You orient youself on your seat properly and look at your side to see the chirping of the HRT monitor to have calmed down to a normal state. "Well let us begin Mr. Harrow, while the details are fresh." He pullls out his notepad and pen, you've seen them so often at this point you could draw out every detail if you wanted to. <</s>> <> "So, Mr. Harrow.....what did you see?" <> <<so>> [[Nothing....]] [[I don't think the pill worked on me that well.]] <<if $location is "treehouse">> [[A treehouse, from my childhood.|Location Truth]] <<elseif $location is "ocean">> [[The largest ocean I'd ever seen.|Location Truth]] <<elseif $location is "city">> [[The city, from my balcony.|Location Truth]] <</if>> <</so>>

<<s>> "Nothing?