Elmyra wakes.
She remembers a fading dream of green. A green luminescence, everywhere.
She remembers holding a flower in her hands. Seeing it turn to black smog that slipped through her fingers.
There were leaves too. Leaves that turned to iron nails as she brushed by, raining to the floor with an awful metallic clinking.
As they fell, the sky fell too. At the noise, the forests were uprooted, and began to walk. They tore the earth up behind them, pulling the ground from beneath peoples' feet, throwing them to the hungry sea.
[[Continue]]
(set: $Ingle to "good")
Inglenook purrs, standing on the open book to nuzzle Elmyra's hand. Then he hops down to the floor, where he curls up by the fire.
[[Go into the Kitchen]]
[Look at book]<cl1|
(click: ?cl1)[(text-colour:#78009b)[Title: Supernatural. Author: Jonathan Berkely. A beautifully illustrated book on herbs and their medicinal properties.]]The kitchen is small and bright, with doors and frames painted pale green.
In the cabinet are a selection of eccentric and beautiful teacups.
On the table a [[letter]].
On the stove is a kettle.
(if: (history:) contains "Go into the Kitchen")[On the counter is a vase of flowers, a bowl of sugar with a spoon in it, and a jar](else:)[
On the counter is a vase of flowers, a bowl of sugar with a spoon in it, and a [jar]<getJar|(click: ?getJar)[(text-colour:#78009b)[
Elmyra picks up the jar and upends it. A few pitiful tealeaves fall out.
More tealeaves can be found in the greenhouse.
Elmyra keeps hold of the jar.]
(set: $bag to (dataset: "jar"))]]
Go into the [[Hallway]]
Back to [[Sitting Room]]
November 24th 2026
(text-colour:#444444)[*Dearest Elmyra,
Thank you for your letter. Thing are going well here, although the flora and fauna have all come back out again, in November! Have you had anything like this?
At least now the trees are being left alone, since we bought up the land before those loggers. It gives me such joy to hear the blackbirds still singing. It's as if they sing louder now. I'd love you to hear it.
I know this is a difficult time for you, El. I am so sorry, we all loved Jonny so dearly. If you ever need to get away, you are always welcome here.
You should take the opportunity to move house again. I know how much you dislike it there.
Please write back soon.
Love,
Heather
-x-*]
[[put down letter->Go into the Kitchen]] It is dimly lit. The old stone walls are cold, and suck up the heat. Where do you want to go?
The [[door->Greenhouse]] at the end of the hallway is ajar, with light filtering out of it.(if: (history:) contains "Study Pathway")[
The [[door->Study]] to your right is closed.](else:)[
The [[door->Study Pathway]] to your right is closed.]
[[Up the stairs]]
[[Back to kitchen->Go into the Kitchen]]
Back to [[Sitting Room]] As you approach the door of the study, the phone rings.
Do you [[answer the phone]]?
or
Enter the [[Study]]?
The door is made of oak, the knots cascading like rivulets on windows.
As Elmyra places her hand on the wooden doorknob, there is a noise like the roaring of engines.
The cupboard is full of wooden sculptures, some boxed, some laid out on the shelves.
She hears white noise like an untuned radio, mixed with a high-pitched ringing. Elmyra shuts her eyes against the onslaught, and sees tiny pinpricks of white lights, dotted in a strange pattern.
The image fades, and abruptly, the noise stops. There is only the cupboard, and its wooden models.
[[close cupboard->Up the stairs]] Where do you want to go?
[[Bedroom]]
[[Cupboard]]
[[Downstairs->Hallway]] (if: (history:) contains "Bedroom")[(set: $done to true)]
(else:)[(set: $done to false)]On a chair in the corner of the room is a pile of neatly folded men's clothes.
The duvet and a pillow are on the floor. The bed lies empty.
On one bedside table lies a dying cactus and a broken watch. The table has a layer of dust on it.
(if: $done is true)[On the other bedside table stands an open folder.](if: $done is false)[
On the other bedside table stands(textcolor: #ffcc00)[ [[an open folder]].]]
[[leave bedroom->Up the stairs]] "Hello?"
"It's Daniel."
Elmyra pauses.
"Daniel?"
"Yes."
"It's been a while. How many-?"
"Six years."
"That's a long time."
...
"How are you?"
"I'm ok. You?"
"The same, El, the same...I heard about Jon. I'm sorry."
"Is that what you called about?"
"Not just that, but I thought it was about time I checked in on you."
[["Daniel, that's not your job."]]
[["Well, thank you. That's sweet."]]
The greenhouse is elegant and round, with a curving glass roof.
The floor is stone, and trees grow in earth beds along the edges.
A wood-burning oven stands opposite the door.
The light slants softly across a low, round [[table]] in the centre of the space(if: $bag contains "jar")[, and through the [[labelled jars]] on the wooden shelves beside it.]
(if: $bag contains "tea")[
[[Return to kitchen]]]
(if: not( $bag contains "tea"))[
[[Return to hallway->Hallway]]](set: $hist to false)(if: $history is 1)[(set: $hist to true)] The lights are off.
On the desk are [[book]]s, a [[picture]], a laptop, and a vase of wilted flowers.
(if: $hist is false)[The laptop screen is off, the power is on, the red low-battery light is flashing.[[turn on laptop]]]
(if: $hist is true)[(text-colour:#78009b)[Laptop died.]]
Attached to the desk is a [[drawer]].
(if: $Ingle is "good")[(if: (history:) contains "Study")[A book lies on the floor, a folded piece of [[paper]] next to it.](else:)[Inglenook slinks in through the open door and jumps onto the desk, knocking off a book and causing a folded piece of [[paper]] to fall out].]
[[back to hallway->Hallway]] (if: (history:) contains "table")[(set: $beenhere to true)]
(else:)[(set: $beenhere to false)] The table holds a bowl of dried leaves beside some scattered soil.
[Brush aside soil]<soil|(click: ?soil)[(text-colour:#78009b)[
on the paper are a series of sketches. One is a sage plant, with a Latin title and writing around it. Beside it is a sketch of a large spiny tree, with words in another language]]
(if: $beenhere is true)[
[Pick up leaves]<leaves|](click-replace: ?leaves)[The leaves are soft and greyish.]
(if: $beenhere is false)[(textcolor: #ffcc00)[[Pick up leaves]<leaves|](click: ?leaves)[
As Elmyra touches the leaves
*The room begins to lighten, taking on a golden hue. From behind, is the deep voice of a young man.
"Myra, what can you see?"
Elmyra is blindfolded.
In her head, a picture begins to form.
"A soft plant. With greyish leaves. It smells lovely, like clean teeth and fresh breath. Like a clear head."
"Incredible" says the voice, and the man walks over holding a sketch. He writes on it: memory-enhancer, throat-clearer and teeth-cleaner. "What's its name?" He asks.
Still touching the leaves, Elmyra says
"Salvia Officinalis. Sage."
He writes down the Latin name.
"Where is it from?" He is excited now, smiling with unbounded affection and curiosity.
There is a rumbling, and then Elmyra is sucked out into a small vegetable patch by a cottage on a hill. "Devon somewhere," she says, "The mother plant is alive, in a vegetable patch..." she laughs delightedly, "in your mother's garden!"*
Elmyra opens her eyes and the golden light fades, the man is no longer there.(set: $MemoryCount to it + 1)]]
(if: $MemoryCount is 3)[ [[Finish looking at table->knock knock]] ](else:)[ [[Finish looking at table->Greenhouse]] ]
Elmyra runs her hands along the jars, labelled so long ago they have become unreadable.
"Lemon Balm...for good sleep, Rosemary...for cheering up, nettle..." she pauses. "Nettle..."
There is a sound like white noise and a piercing ringing; which then abruptly stops.
"Nettle for headaches."
[Select leaves for tea]<GetTea|
(click: ?GetTea)[(text-colour:#78009b)[
Selected nettle and rosemary leaves and added them to the jar](set: $bag to (dataset: "tea"))]
[[Finish looking at jars->Greenhouse]] The kitchen looks as you left it.
(if: $bag contains "tea")[Elmyra goes over to the kettle and ceremoniously makes tea. As she drinks it, she begins to feel more relaxed. A swishing noise like wind through trees begins to sound, gently.]
[[Go back to hallway->Hallway]]
Return to [[Sitting Room]] Open is an unfinished email, and a webpage titled 'how to make a complaint':
*November 20th 2026
EDF Energy
I am writing regarding the recent completion of your nuclear power plant.
My husband and I moved near to the location of your power plant as part of a research project, to conduct tests on the natural surroundings. We have made some discoveries we think might be of interest to you...*
[[finish looking at laptop->Study]]
(set: $history to 1)
In the drawer is:
A letter:
(text-colour:#444444)[*July 2nd 2007
Dearest Myra,
I miss you.
I find myself looking out of our windows at the metal skyline, wondering whether your trip is proving useful; whether it is helping the headaches at all.
I have found another fragment. But it is small, and it may not help much. We'll see what we can do with it when you're home.
I look forward to holding you in my arms again.
All my love,
Jon
x*]
(set: $MemoryCount to it + 1)
(if: $MemoryCount is 3)[ [[Close drawer->knock knock]] ](else:)[ [[Close drawer->Study]] ](set: $history to 1)
The paper appears to be a letter.
(text-colour:#444444)[*July 19th 2007
Dear Jon,
I wish you could be here.
The plants are so beautiful, I have only ever seen them like this in visions.
The Sequoia Forest towers above; all those huge red trunks, I have never had neck strain like this before!
There is something strong here, and it has been very useful.They let me in here, but they cannot respond fully; something still stops them.
I think, if we have more pieces, and if we can reverdure more scarred land, they might be persuaded. I'm beginning to think it's much more complex than we first thought.
Be careful though, love. Remember, they are searching for us now.
I love you dearly,
Elmyra
x*]
[[finish looking at letter->Study]] (set: $history to 1)
A man and woman smiling on the beach, with their shoes in hand and their feet in the sea.
Both are in their 30s.
The back reads: Elmyra and Jonathan Berkely, Rhossili Bay, 1999.
[[put back picture->Study]] (set: $history to 1)
Title: The Myth of the World Tree. The cover is an illustration of a tree's roots enveloping the Earth.
(if: $Ingle is "good")[Inglenook moves to stand on the book.
Elmyra lets him, and strokes him as he nuzzles her hand.
Then Inglenook jumps off and walks to the corner of the room, looking back to make sure Elmyra is following.
There is a pin board leaning against the wall.
It contains a world map dotted with drawing pins. The locations seem random, usually in green areas, with many smaller, more sporadically-placed pins.]
[[finish looking at book->Study]] A newspaper clipping lies in the folder: a photo of Elmyra and a young man.
Caption: Elmyra Berkely with Daniel Harning.
*Elmyra is sitting beside Daniel in a dark basement room. There is an older man opposite her, standing. Some of the other people in the room hold pens poised over pads, or hands raised over laptops. There are several large machines along the walls, beeping.
"I told you, it doesn't work with the machines going like that, they interfere." Elmyra says, younger here, her voice soaked with half-attempted defiance.
"And we told you, Mrs Berkely, that you don't really have a choice in this" says the older man.
Elmyra says nothing, gritting her teeth.
"Ready?" the man asks.
Elmyra nods curtly.
"Begin."
She picks up the wooden ring and closes her eyes. Focusing intently, she is sucked out of the room, into the woods. White noise interferes with the image intermittently, in time with the beeping machines. A man is struggling. It is night. The ring slips from his pocket and falls to the ground.
"You arrested him in the woods?" Elmyra asks with unchecked curiosity.
"That's irrelevant" the older man says tersely.
She pushes back further. There is a horrible ringing noise. The ring slips, this time from a young girl's fingers, to the pavement.
"Syria" Elmyra says after a moment; then she suddenly stands to leave.
"I can't think through the noise of your stupid machines."
"They're only small" says Daniel, consolingly.
"Not those ones" says Elmyra. "The ones that are eating the ground in Syria. The oil monsters. The rigs."(set: $MemoryCount to it + 1)
(set: $done to true)
(if: $MemoryCount is 3)[ [[Finish looking at folder->knock knock]] ](else:)[ [[Finish looking at folder->Bedroom]] ]
Elmyra hears a faint 'mew' and looks down at Inglenook purring softly in her lap, on top of her book.
Elmyra adjusts her glasses and looks around the sitting room, blinking away the last remnants of the fading dream.
[[Stroke Inglenook]]
Push Inglenook off and [[Go into the Kitchen]]The fire is glowing.
Inglenook has gone.
It looks lonely now.
Go into the [[hallway->Hallway]]
OR
[[Return to kitchen->Go into the Kitchen]] "Daniel, that's not your job."
"I know El, but I've never quite been able to stop." Daniel sounds sad and falls silent for a moment.
"Anyway, I'm in town. I have something for you."
"What is it?"
"You'll be interested, trust me."
Elmyra stays silent.
"I've got to go now, but I'll see you in a short while."
[[Go to study->Study]]
[[Return to hallway->Hallway]] (set: $love to it +1)"Well, thank you. That's sweet."
"You made yourself quite difficult to find, you know.
Well, no matter, I've found you now. I have something for you and I'm in town, I'll drop by in a while if that's ok?"
"Ok, I'll see you then."
"Bye."
"Goodbye."
[[Go to study->Study]]
[[Return to hallway->Hallway]] You hear, distantly, the ringing of your doorbell. Then a knock at the door.