River’s Notebook
-> Two groups with their own goal
Our goal: Complete ritual
-> Map: Building, ground floor off limits
-> Length: Seven days, no repeats
-> No shadows – real setting
Rules
-> Be social/communicate
-> Don’t try to leave
-> Don’t walk around at night
-> Don’t enter another person’s room
Other Group
-> Papyrus (Strength), Soot (Knowledge), Acorn (Social)
-> Goal: ???
Situation
-> Morning bell with meals together on second floor
-> Seven floors + open rooftop
-> Miles some sort of leader? Talks about other people’s lives
-> Possibly two opposing cults in here?
-> Security walks around at night, once an hour, go for the parts
Building
-> Ground floor ng (Fingerprint lock)
-> 1. ??? (locked), infirmary (with unfriendly/suspicious doctor?) (Selene, is nice to Acorn)
-> 2. Meals, meditation
-> 3. Rooms
-> 4. Rooms
-> 5. Library, open rooms (also sports)
-> 6. Some rooms + ??? (locked)
-> 7. ??? (locked) cultist room? Miles talks in the evening (no symbolism?)
Incidents
-> Night 1, Logan lost tongue (sacrifice)
-> Night 2, Vanessa lost fingers (sacrifice) + Iris lost tongue (punishment)
-> Night 3, Marcus lost his heart (sacrifice)
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
River quickly shut all the books, packed things up and hurried to join Aspen, who was waiting for him in one of the common rooms.
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River nearly stumbled down the stairs to the infirmary.
He took a deep, slow breath to calm himself and knocked at the door.
Doctor Selene had an odd expression on her face.
It was hard to read – was it discomfort? Sadness? Resignation? Or maybe annoyance, after all?
But she had gotten the order to let him in from Miles, and she was not going to ignore it. River stepped into the infirmary, immediately noting that all curtains had been pulled away, now revealing another small door to the side from where a scent of blood still emanated.
The windows were opened, and the three living victims were pale.
For the first time, River saw Iris directly, and her appearance confirmed his suspicion. Contrary to the others, she showed signs of bruising and a rougher treatment. No respect for her.
Seeing River, the girl simply wrapped herself into her blanket and hid herself.
“Hi”, River whispered as he went to the two beds of Logan and Vanessa.
Contrary to before, desolation clouded their faces. They were completely lost, unable to stay positive.
“How are you doing?”
“It’s, uhm-” Vanessa attempted to talk but choked up. She held a hand up to cover her mouth, faking a shaky smile but ultimately having to turn her head away to take several unstable breaths.
River sat down at the end of Logan’s bed to observe them. The man had started to write something in his notebook, almost frantic.
How is everyone else? How are you all?
“Well, people are scared. No one knows what’s going on”, River replied honestly. “Miles is trying to keep people calm, but…”
On that note, Miles was absolutely fascinating. River had yet to hear anyone mention wanting to leave, and that after three mutilations and one corpse. This was the most cult-like behavior so far.
“I see.” It was the old woman who answered in Logan’s stead.
“Vanessa”, River said, feeling the word oddly on his tongue. He looked at Logan as well, and the tired, red-rimmed eyes of the man met his. “Logan. I… want to help.”
What an easy lie. So many, many easy lies. Who was he turning into? What? After he left this place, what would he be?
“You really are a sweet boy. What do you want?”
“Can you tell me how you got here, and anything that happened until the night you were hurt? As much as you remember. Please.” River paused, his eyes flickering. Finally, he added – “I want to know.”
It was like the words triggered something. Not too obviously, but it was like a keyword; the way that Logan’s and Vanessa’s expressions changed from discomfort to understanding. To want to know, to want to understand, it was the most natural thing in here.
“Okay”, Vanessa said in a voice reserved for grandmothers indulging their grandchildren, “Let me think about what I remember. In the meantime, Logan can write down his own story, yes?”
Logan nodded, already opening up a new page.
Vanessa had, in fact, been invited by Marcus. Apparently this place (River had yet to find out what it was called…) was an organization that did volunteer work in various cities, and Marcus had been one of the people to help out there.
Vanessa had had a heatstroke nearby the building, and Marcus had helped her inside and called the ambulance for her. Because she was unsettled from feeling unwell, Marcus had talked away about the place, and Vanessa had gotten interested.
That was one year ago by now.
The building was specifically used as a sort of shelter for all kinds of people. Children needing a break from their families, homeless people at a loss of where to stay, those that just needed a moment of support.
Vanessa supported them by making all kinds of things – she’d make hats or little trinkets, and often write and bind personalized storybooks for troubled children.
It was one of the executives who had invited her and Marcus to this stay.
“She said that it worked on a recommendation basis. She couldn’t say for sure that we’d get chosen, but if we wanted to, she’d put in our names.” Vanessa’s eyes were turned to nowhere really, remembering. “A ten day retreat for free, meals included. Just time to… to be yourself.”
They were days River did not know about. Thankfully, Vanessa did retell her experiences, so he finally heard more.
Everyone had thought it was weird that they couldn’t go outside at first. They weren’t exactly wary, but they were confused. Miles had asked them to just wait and let it be for a day, then they’d understand. He also asked them not to contact anyone outside – it wasn’t a rule, merely a suggestion.
Everyone who was invited was exceptionally curious.
They tried it.
By the second day, no one complained about the closed-off entrance anymore.
“It’s so quiet here”, Vanessa whispered in a daze. “Not in terms of noise, if you know what I mean. The world outside, it suddenly went silent. I feel like I’ve put down a weight I didn’t even know I was carrying all my life. I just exist and experience and learn.”
It was close to a spiritual retreat.
As Vanessa explained, there were three groups of people that had been invited:
First was the group that suspiciously not only Vanessa, but also Logan and Marcus belonged to. They were the ones that had joined the group and were actively participating in their own way. Their invitation was a sort of reward.
The second group were people like Iris. Mostly younger people who had interacted with the organization before, but not joined. They were still “moldable” – people who had not found a path in life yet. Their invitation was to offer them direction.
The third group were the families. Many of them were not supporters, but users of the organization’s help. Their invitation was for them to have an opportunity to relax and share their experiences.
River had noticed the families before and always thought it was weird that they were around, but it did make sense. They offered different viewpoints, and others were very willing to support them. The staff especially was incredibly kind to the children, though not in a creepy way.
With all of them coming together, it created a unique atmosphere that Vanessa had enjoyed until the accident happened.
“I don’t remember anything”, she finished with a shake of her head. “I was asleep. There was a noise, but I am slow to wake up, and by the time I registered the noise as odd at all, I was already sinking back into the darkness… The next thing I knew, I was here.”
“Did you feel anything?”
“Feel? Oh, you mean, like a blow to the head? No… I don’t think so.” She narrowed her eyes in thought. “Or maybe I did? My neck felt a bit itchy for a moment, but you know how it is – sometimes, places just itch, so I can’t say for sure it’s related.”
Until Vanessa was done retelling her story, Logan had finished writing down his. He had kept it short, as writing took longer than talking.
In essence, his story wasn’t that much different.
He got acquainted with the organization through some random people he befriended on a trip. Being the guy he was, Logan only participated in their events very few times, but his motivation made him stand out.
He agreed to Vanessa’s depiction of the night, mentioning that before he managed to wake up, he felt a little prick at his neck.
River blatantly took notes of their stories.
The organization, cult, whatever, had an exceptionally pure core. It was supportive and inclusive, valuing everyone for exactly what they are.
Probably, River thought, this ritual was the only place where things twisted.
If you had a place that did good for thousands of people in return for the sacrifice of seven after a certain period, would you call it good or bad?
A trolley dilemma of a different kind.
River wasn’t going to judge their behavior. He was mostly fascinated by the workings of it, and if he was honest, really curious about the story behind the ritual.
Author’s Note
The trolley dilemma is a very famous thought experiment. If you don’t do anything, five people will die. If you do get involved, one person will die – someone who would have survived if not for you.
The core of the dilemma (which has limitless variations) is how you weigh up human lives and according to what, and how much you care about the guilt of getting involved.
In this case, River is comparing it because the question is if it’s right to let 7 people get crippled or die in return for many more having an improved life.
It has no answer.
If you want to, why not think about how you would judge such a cult?
I like this arc. It’s filled with food for thought, and how everything panned out isn’t abrupt info dumping. It’s like River and the others have to walk the grey path to live.
and finally, I wouldn’t even know how to judge such a cult 😂 The punishment is understandable, I’m just confused with the honor part. I mean, if you actually do honor them, why hurt them?
Perhaps in a twisted sense of recognition, they’re collecting the honorable parts of the honored people..?