Thread 6314820

The loss of one's memory is a terrible thing. You're not in the strictest sense dead, but you may as well be for anything and everything you could call yourself is gone. And, you are left like a needle on a record player listlessly following a groove with no music. Yet, still the record turns and so does your meaningless experience continue second by second.

You're alone in a padded cell. You're bound in a straight jacket. A gag fills your mouth and is locked behind your head. It takes a great deal of effort to even stand because you're arms aren't free. You can think, feel, and express yourself clearly. Define the things you experience as if you've always known them. But, you have no memory of who you are, how you got here, or even where you're at. All you know is that you're restrained.

Something shuffles outside your cell's door. It sounds like somebody walking and brushing against the wall at the same time. A strange clicking noise accompanies the odd stride, like teeth chattering in the cold.

>Try to call out to them and get their attention

>Hold your breath, remain silent, and stay perfectly still

>>6314820 (OP)
>Hold your breath, remain silent, and stay perfectly still

>>6314820 (OP)
>Hold your breath, remain silent, and stay perfectly still

>>6314820 (OP)
>Hold your breath, remain silent, and stay perfectly still
Ofttimes, subtlety is key.

>>6314852
>>6314906
>>6314998
You hold your breath and refuse to move, something an instinctual level fills you with dread at whatever lies outside of your cell's door. What feels like an eternity passes before whatever it is moves on. You suddenly gag and cough out a few drops of blood onto the floor. The blood flows around the bit in your mouth and mixes with your saliva. You were so nervous you bit the inside of your mouth without realizing it, even the gag couldn't stop you due to your fear. However, you see your blood on the floor start to move, it almost looks like its flowing into words.

"#$me$ber wHo... aRe."

A loud noise from your door startles you and your eyes tear away from the strange message up to your door's shutter. Cold blue eyes stare back down at you.

"Time for your visit to the doctor John." A gruff voice says from behind the door as the shutter is closed once more, and you hear the latch unlocked.

The door swings open and a man in his late twenties stares at you. He has short black hair and is wearing nicer street clothes with some sort of religious jewelry, A necklace with an ankh, a silver ring with some moon like symbol, and a badge attached to his belt. Slung underneath his arm in a holster is an automatic pistol of some kind. It's not a Glock, it has a hammer and reminds you of an "advanced" looking firearm from the late 1980's.

"So, Mr John Doe seeing how you're new to the floor I'm going to explain this once, and only once. You do what I say, The gag and the straight jacket come off. You keep doing what I say and you're out of the hole and into a real room, eating real food. You fail to comply, fail to answer questions, fail to be on your very best behavior. You'll be back in here chained to your bed or to the wall with an IV feeding you. Simple, right? Nod if we understand one another."

>Try to stand and look him in they eye

>Tell him off

>Nod

>Try to say anything else or do something else

>>6315152
>Nod

>>6315153
The straight jacket and gag in your mouth are unconformable. You find the idea of being released very appealing. Without any sudden or strange movements you nod to him and still maintaining eye contact he nods back. His demeanor doesn't lighten up much, but he looks less like he's about to put a round in your skull. With a practiced hand he helps you stand and quickly undoes your gag and unbinds you from the straitjacket. Your relief isn't immediate as the blood flow returns to your arms and neck and the severe pain of your muscle cramps hits you all at once.

The mysterious man stands back and lets you slowly recover from being restrained. Oddly enough, despite you being a patient in what appears to be a maximum security facility his attention is more drawn to the hall, as if expecting something horrible to appear at any second. You finally begin to feel relief in your limbs as your muscles and tendons begin to relax. Your pain slowly diminishes until its nothing more than a remote ache.

>Ask him all the expected questions one in your situation would ask

>Attempt to rush past him and get away

>Wait for him to speak before doing or saying anything

>Take a closer look at him

>Take another look at the strange message your blood began to spell out on the floor before your attention was broken

>Ask him if you can get some water and something to eat

>>6315167
>Take a closer look at him

>>6315168
The man stands at the ready with one blue eye on you and another looking out into the hall. He doesn't appear to be in any particular hurry, and certainly has a professional air to him. However, you don't feel that professionalism applies to the medical field. He's a professionals soldier. His badge says private security, but you wonder if he doesn't have a "real" one when not working here. Wherever the hell "here" is. He's tall, for the median. Somewhere between five ten and six foot. Just a few inches shy of your own height. The man has some sort of strange, cylindrical object on his belt. Almost like a discuss, some sort of custom brass knuckles? You're not sure and don't wish to find out.

He turns back to look at you, "John, you ready to go? The Doctor is waiting. Oh, and you can call me Mr Silver. We'll save my first name until I know if you're a waste of time or not."

>Tell him you're ready to go

>Ask him something (your choice)

>Do something (describe it)

>>6315193
>Tell him you're ready to go

>>6315193
>Tell him you're ready to go

>>6315297
>>6315304
Silver nods and motions for you to walk in front of him. "Keep your eyes forward and don't make any strange or sudden movements. I'll tell you which turns to take." Silver has you walk ahead of him through a derelict corridor. The place looks it hasn't seen maintenance in decades and most of the lights don't work. There are cells to your right and left, occupied by people painfully moaning. Sometimes you hear banging or the sound of somebody pulling against leather straps. However, most disturbing of all is the feeling that something is just outside of the light, in the corner of your eye, watching you and Silver make your way through this house of horrors.

Eventually you arrive at security gate and Silver puts you up against the wall while he bangs on the door. "Patient outtake, appointment." he yells. You notice he's still keeping his eye trained behind him as he looks at both you and the door at once. Something about this place bothers him, too. You hear a noise as an electronic buzzard sounds and the door unlocks. Silver throws it open and pulls you through before slamming it shut behind him. You hear the lock rearm and it's only then that Silver appears to relax. You don't have a chance to see the doorman before Silver is pushing you along again. This time through older, but luxurious surroundings. You're in an old Victorian styled building with plush carpeting, wooden paneling, and gentle yellow lighting styled in the shape of candles. The atmosphere is almost serene compared to what you just went through and you feel the tension begin to leave your body. Silver notices "Just do what the Doctor says John Doe and we'll find you a room in the general ward here. You won't have to go back in there."

Now that he has his full attention on you he quickly ushers through the nicer central ward and up two flights of stairs until you find yourself in front of the opulent office of the "Doctor," oddly his door is lacking a name plate.

The Doctor's office is a study, a vast library, and the ceiling is an arching dome with numerous constellations etched into a crystal skylight. Oddly enough it's not day time, but late at night and the etched in constellations perfectly match the stars as they pass overhead. In the center of his office lies the Doctor's Desk and a large couch. Silver tells you to go take a seat and wait for the Doctor. He walks over to the door and waits at a parade rest. Keeping you in the corner of his eye but not directly looking at you.

>Do nothing and wait for the doctor

>Go take a look at this library

>Look up at the strange skylight

>Look at the Doctor's desk

>Check yourself in any reflective surface you can find. You don't know what you look like.

>>6316564
>Check yourself in any reflective surface you can find. You don't know what you look like.

>>6316564
>Look at the Doctor's desk

>>6316564
>Go take a look at this library

>>6316567
>>6316579
>>6316659
You walk by the Doctor's desk and notice again there is no name plaque. You see some business cards, but they only list the facility's name and main contact number along with his administrative title "Head Psychiatrist and Medical Supervisor." The hospital is called the Celestial Foundation with a tag line "minds as clear as a night sky." You look up at the Doctor's skylight and start to "get" the running theme of the place. The drawers are all locked and his computer is password protected, there isn't even a background image on the lock screen to suggest something a personality. It's simply a star field.

You leave the desk and go over to look at the library. All of the books are standard medical journals and psychological publications. You see a genre fiction section for patients visiting or waiting to be seen or presumably relaxing after a session. It's fairly boring until you walk further back along the shelfs and see stranger material. Occult titles barely tied to psychological themes, something no self respecting doctor would be caught dead with. Sensationalist trash. Eventually you start to see what are legitimate occult texts, modern translations of astronomers and alchemists from hundreds of years ago. Very strange. You turn away and return to the couch.

While you make yourself comfortable you see yourself in the polished wood of the Doctor's desk. You look like you're in your late twenties, but something about your eyes makes you think that you're older. Perhaps in your forties? But, no that isn't possible. Your hair is lighter than Silver's, but it isn't blonde. Closer to a chestnut color. You can't tell what color your eyes are. And, luck for you. You're not hideous. But, you don't look too hot, either. Probably from having been gagged and locked into a straight jacket for the past several days without food, water, or the ability to bathe. You'll need to ask the Doctor if you can get yourself cleaned up as soon as possible. You feel disgusting.

A man coughs and draws your attention away from yourself. He's in his early thirties, wearing a red suit, and has short red hair. Also sporting some designer sunglasses. You have no idea how he's sitting behind the Doctor's desk because you didn't see nor hear him come in. He simply smiles at you.

>Smile back

>Tell him off

>Say nothing

>Ask him what the hell is going on

>Ask him if he's the Doctor

>Ask him who you are

>>6316675
>Smile back

>>6316675
>Ask him if he's the Doctor
No option to greet him?

>>6316675
>Ask him who you are

>>6316675
>Ask him who you are

>>6316725
>>6316728
>>6316797
>>6316926
You smile and ask him a simple question. "Who are you?"

He looks contemplative for a second and then says "I am who I am. In this case, your attending physician."

Given less than nothing you ask another, far more important, question "Who am I?"

At this the man's smile turns into a sneer, "You're no one. A John Doe brought in under a court ordered declaration of violent incompetence. Not for evaluation, but permanent care until declared of sound body and mind. You have no known dependents. You have no known guardians. You have known family or distant relatives. You have no friends, nor even associates. The court order near as I can tell has no clear point of origin. You were transferred here from another facility with no paper work save for that standing legal status. You have no attorney or representation of any kind. If I wished to I could have you lobotomized with an alcohol applied solution and turn your body over to clinical trials. Or, sell you off to a black market organ harvesting operation with no scrutiny or State records coming back to me. If you die here by accident you'll be interned in a pauper's mass grave with other homeless and indigents. With a rubber stamp from a local coroner that won't bother to look at you but claim he did. And, even to your own best knowledge you have no idea who you are despite maintaining higher motor functions and showing no signs of what would typically be associated with amnesia. As in damage to your immediate memory or other signs of neurological retardation.

"You my friend are in a goddamned world of trouble. And, you need my help. And, you know how badly I can hurt you if so inclined. And, you don't know a single thing about me. Tell me, how does that make you feel?"

>Punch him in the face

>Tell him you're frightened

>Tell him you don't feel a thing

>Tell him you'll kill him if he ever talks like that to you again veiled threats or otherwise

>Laugh in his face

>Ask him what the hell his problem is

>Beg him for help

>Ask him for help

>Ask Silver if this guy is a psycho impersonating the doctor

If I don't see any votes by the time I check back on the thread I'll "automatically" advance the quest with a default option.

>>6316968
>Ask him what the hell his problem is

>>6316968
>Ask him for help
How can you help me?

>>6316968
>Laugh in his face
He's trolling us so we troll him

>>6316968
>Tell him you're frightened

>>6317075
>>6317083
>>6317264
>>6317502
You laugh right in his face. "What the hell is your problem? I need your help and I'm not in the mood for games!" It's as if a hysterical fit has seized control of you. You feel anger and desperation creeping in. You feel... Suddenly it hits you and you can tell by the Doctor's pleased reaction that what he was trying worked.

"You're mad? Scared?" he asks enthusiastically. His smile has returned and he tentatively reaches out and places a hand on your leg in a comforting way. "That means there's still a part of 'you' buried in there. Something we can reach. Listen to me, there isn't much hope for cases like yourself. Anybody with higher motor functions and cognitive abilities intact with memory loss is either suffering from onset dementia or partial organic brain death. Or, in your case psychologically suppressing it. That means with therapy, time, and hard work we can restore you. My therapy as you can already tell isn't easy, but through confrontation and exposure can we stimulate ourselves and reach the heart of the matter. At least, that is what I firmly believe. That will be all for today. Mr. Silver. Please find our guest a room in the higher ward."

With that the Doctor politely stands and walks out of the room past the book shelves, through a door you didn't see before. Leaving you with no chance to ask him anything else. This is all so confusing. Mr Silver comes up to you and motions for you to follow him with his thumb pointing towards the door you came in by.

"The Doctor is an eccentric, but the administrator Mr. Corbeau trusts him and I have seen the man work miracles. Apologies for your stay in the hole. It's part of the old building and in badly need for renovation. Given your jacket we had no idea if you were a danger to yourself or the staff. Seeing how you aren't I think the higher ward with no restraints will be much more to your liking." Silver says as he leads you through various opulent halls and twisting stairwells. Eventually arriving at a room that looks like something you'd find in a five star hotel. He's relaxed and dropped his guard around you. Your door isn't locked. He leaves without another word and you find yourself free and in strange environs. Without the chance to ask him anything.

>Go to sleep

>Explore the grounds

>Try to leave the manor

>Explore your room

>>6317512
>Explore your room

>>6317512
>Explore your room

>>6317512
>Explore the grounds

>>6317512
>Explore your room

>>6317547
>>6317518
>>6317923
You explore your room. While the door is not locked it does have a lock on the knob. The closet and dresser have several nice suits, pajamas, and higher end casual day ware. You find two sizes of each one of these outfits. You note that you fit the larger of the two sizes available. You find a small fridge stocked with water, beer, wine, soda, milk, and juice. Along with several wrapped, organic microwavable meals (mainly sandwiches). All are fresh. There is a small kitchen and a large bathroom. You have no television. You do however have a computer. It is fully functional and equipped with strong enough hardware to use any current recreational software. The connection to the Internet appears to be quite fast. On silver plate on the vanity is a leather wallet with 300 dollars "petty cash." A note says that you will be allotted this twice weekly. It doesn't take you long to realize you're not staying at a low end hospital. Another thing you note while your window opens, there is no way of "jumping" from it. A steel security screen prevents it. In what could be called your intact memories you recall that a situation for an indigent or ward of the state should never result in such luxurious accommodations. The nicest state mental hospital in the world couldn't account for this, and this place is ancient aside from the amenities.

>>6317560
You decide to test your boundaries and explore the facility proper. However your fatigue is catching up with you won't be able to explore everything tonight.
>You quickly walk the halls and see where you can and can't go
>You retrace your steps to the Doctor's office and see if its unlocked and you can snoop around
>You look for Mr Silver to ask him for definitive answers concerning this place
>You decide to go to the front entrance and see if you can leave the grounds without being stopped
>You go back to the entrance to that diseased hell hole they pulled you out of. Something doesn't sit right about that place with you
>You go to the Chapel
>You go to the Green House
>You go to the cemetery the Doctor was "joking" about
>You look for a cafeteria or kitchen

>>6317965
>You go to the cemetery the Doctor was "joking" about

>>6317969
The vague implications that innocent people might be getting injured here or that something unethical or illegal is happening is too much for you to bear. You decide to go take a look at the most obvious location something bad might be happening, IE where they'd be disposing of bodies.

You put on some clean clothes and leave your room. Your outfit looks similar to the one Mr Silver was wearing earlier. Possibly a business "casual" uniform for the hospital. A few things stand out immediately. There's no staff near as you can tell, even for a night shift that seems odd. And, while there are a large amount of rooms you see little indication there are many patients getting looked after. No night staff, nurses, or old people wonder the halls. Instead, it's almost like walking through some eerily abandoned, opulent hotel. The more pressing issue though is how large this place it. It's huge! Four stories tall, a basement section, and two wings which are closed off behind security gates. The "hole," and what looks like a more modern, industrial office complex. Finally, it's confusing, too. The floor plans shift radically, and there's no symmetry or reasoning to the halls. They seem to almost snake around rather than follow an ideal and simple grid like formation.

Despite the strange layout and large territory you eventually find your way to a dining area and then large glass doorway that leads out onto a large landing, and then into a park like estate. A hedge maze, a swimming pool, fountains, and even a few sports court greet you. All lit up by a rather old but friendly lit lamp posts along a walk way. You set out past a few gazebos and the see an old iron fence surrounding a large and ancient cemetery.

You don't need a flash light as there's a walk way lit sporadically by the same lamp posts. You walk the entire cemetery, all eight acres of it and find... NOTHING. Not sure if you should be relieved or embarrassed for taking the Doctor seriously you turn around to see something following you. It's just outside your field of vision and hiding behind one of the graves. But, it's hunched over and large. It moves like a raccoon, yet it's larger than a man. Two reflective eyes are starring intently at you and see the creature's back raise up as if it's preparing to lunge at you.

>Run

>Stand your ground

>Jump behind a tomb stone and pick up a rock

>Scream

>>6318042
>>Jump behind a tomb stone and pick up a rock

>>6318042
>Stand your ground

>>6318042
>Jump behind a tomb stone and pick up a rock

>>6318061
>>6318083
>>6318110
You dive behind the gravestone as the beast is upon you, its teeth crush and splinter the masonry. Fueled by bloodlust the creature doesn't even try to go around the grave marker, instead opting for the far more direct path through the stone. It topples the stone on top of you and attempts to disembowel you. Thankfully the stone serves as a shield and saves your life. Still you're unable to roll away or push the creature's weight off of you, it's too heavy. Desperately you seek a means of defending yourself and find a stone. Grasping hold of it you bring it down with all of your strength upon the creature's snout. You hear a sickening crunch and the creature howls out in agony. It jumps backward and prepares to come at you again.

You throw the gravestone off yourself and desperately back away from creature. You manage to recover your footing as you desperately turn around and flee from it. A loud howl comes from behind and you hear it chasing you. Adrenaline pushes you further and faster than imagined yourself capable, but you hear the creature gaining. Without even thinking about it you fling yourself over the graveyard's fence. Landing on the other side in a roll. The creature slams into the fence its hand like claw reaches through the bars for you.

An explosion rings out from behind you and half of the creatures head disintegrates into a mess of gore. An incredibly large man bounds past you and falls on the still living monster. He grabs its head and unceremoniously wrings it. A noise like celery breaking echoes out and the creature stops thrashing, its body simply lies there limp.

The large man is wearing overalls and a white t-shirt. He's got some baseball cap on with a logo you can't read in the dark. "You alright?" He casually asks as if you just fell down and nothing else was amiss.

>Ask him who he is

>Ask him what the hell that thing was

>Say your fine and thank him

>Don't say a word

>Don't say anything and try to stand

>>6318268
>Ask him what the hell that thing was

>>6318280
You can't make out his expression in the dark but the tone of his voice gives it away, fear. "I dunno. We get these things around here after dark every once in awhile. They look like a raccoon fucked a bear and got beat with an ugly stick. Their faces are half rotten, too most o' the time. Taken to just shooting them on sight. Afterwards, I burn 'em per the Director's order. He says we don't need the EPA coming out here confiscating parts of our property on some bullshit federal case or disturbing the patients over some inbred population of feral bears. And, personally while I consider myself an animal lover I don't especially care if these things go extinct.

"Uh, now I might be out of place for me to say this to a patient, sir. But, I don't think you should be wondering the grounds after dark. Return to your room and I'm sure the Doctor will give you a proper orientation tomorrow."

With that the man reaches over helps you stand. He feels stronger than the abomination that just chased after you. He nods and says "night." Before turning away and carrying on with is patrol or whatever other duties he has to attend to.

Exhausted you go back to your room and fall asleep. The next day you wake up and find a schedule left for you at your door by a nurse that was too quick and silent for you catch sight of. The Doctor wishes to give you an orientation in an hour after breakfast and then wishes to have another session tonight. Otherwise your free for the rest of the day. He also asks that you not yet leave the facility to wander off into town until your more familiar with the facilities, staff, and hospital. As well as our current legal status.

>Explore the hospital during the day choosing any one of the former locations mentioned before (list what it is)

>Go straight to the Doctor and have breakfast with him

>Seek out Mr Silver or that strange Groundskeeper from last night and get a better answer about the creature that attacked you

>>6318291
>Explore the hospital during the day choosing any one of the former locations mentioned before (list what it is)
>You go to the Chapel

>>6318291
>>Seek out Mr Silver or that strange Groundskeeper from last night and get a better answer about the creature that attacked you

>>6318311
>>6318419
You retrace your steps from last night back to the graveyard. During the day the hospital is somewhat more lively. You catch sight of a few patients and staff attending to them. The orderlies are all male, similar to Mr Silver in cut and dress, professional and armed. These men double as security, or more accurately they're security that doubles as medical staff. You catch sight of a few female nurses and none of them have less than two orderlies with them at all times. Strangely, the patients they're attending to don't appear to be the cause for the security. As much like yourself it's largely peaceful people with rather confused or dream like expressions on their faces. Most of the patients appear to be fairly young, too. With you only spotting a handful of people in their late forties.

You arrive at the Chapel, a small external building near the entrance of the graveyard. Hoping to find the Groundskeeper. But, he's nowhere to be seen. Likewise you were unable to locate Mr Silver, either. The staff you talked to said he only works nights. Which, leaves the church the best bet to inquire about the Groundskeeper and the strange thing you saw the previous night. As you walk up to the entrance of the church you hear a strange hymn. You enter into the building and are surprised to find an attending priest. He stands in reverence before a stain glass window depicting the archangel Micheal. As he turns to greet you the wings of the window align perfectly with your perspective and seem to belong to him for a few fleeting moments before the illusion is broken.

"Welcome my child. How may I be of service today." He's young for a priest, in his mid thirties. Blond haired, green eyed, and stands taller than your own height, which places him around six foot four. He's wearing a priest's outfit, which is oddly nonspecific in its design. Possibly belonging to any of a dozen different denominations. However, it reminds you of what the catholic cardinals wear.

>Greet him

>Say nothing and pretend like you're here to pray

>Ask him if he knows where the Groundskeeper is at or if he's seen or heard of the strange thing that attacked you last night

>Ask him about his faith and pretend to show interest in joining/converting to it

>>6318610
>Ask him if he knows where the Groundskeeper is at or if he's seen or heard of the strange thing that attacked you last night

>>6318610

>Greet him
>Ask him if he knows where the Groundskeeper is at or if he's seen or heard of the strange thing that attacked you last night

>>6318681
>>6318635
You ask the priest if he's seen the groundskeeper. He stares at you for a second without replying. The awkward silence stretches on for a little too long and before you ask him if something is wrong he replies, "You... I know you."

He walks down the aisle towards you. Strangely the image of him with the wings of Saint Micheal return to you in a flash. You feel something run down your face, and wipe it away with your hand. It's blood! You're crying tears of blood. You back away from him and he pauses in his advance towards you. "I'm sorry my child. I didn't mean to frighten you. It's simply that you looked like somebody I used to know. An, old friend. Please, if you'll excuse me I have to get the church ready for the noon service. As for the groundskeeper I haven't seen him since this morning. He was busy burning some trash in the furnace down in the basement. If you wish to speak to him I suggest you leave a message for him at the front office." He says turning away from you, evidently he didn't notice the blood. You thank him and quickly leave. You use a blessing pool of water to quickly wipe your face clean. You don't know what the hell caused that, but you've had enough strange things happen to you in this place for one single 24 hour period.

You return to the front of the hospital and leave a message with the receptionist for the grounds keeper to come and see you in your room later. Now, it's time go meet with the Doctor.

>Ask the reception to call the Doctor to come and see you there

>Ask the reception where the Doctor is and go and see him

>Go to the cafeteria and wait for the Doctor like you originally planned

>>6320925
>Go to the cafeteria and wait for the Doctor like you originally planned
Let's see how the cafeteria looks like.

>>6320925
>Go to the cafeteria and wait for the Doctor like you originally planned

>>6320925
>Go to the cafeteria and wait for the Doctor like you originally planned

>>6320925
>>Go to the cafeteria and wait for the Doctor like you originally planned

>>6320932
>>6321021
>>6321130
>>6321180
The Doctor is waiting at a table for you. He waves to you as you walk up. "Ah, nice to see you up and about." He asks for you to sit down and does a brief check up on you asking about pain and having you track his finger with your eyes without moving your head. He runs you through a few basic speech therapy tests. And, finally has you do a few simple hand exercises to test your spacial comprehension. "Excellent, I'm glad to see your physically sound, which leads us with the small issue of finding out who you are." He shuffles through his paperwork and begins explaining his plan for you.

"To put bluntly I believe you were traumatized by either a brief or extensive period of extreme suffering. Now, there are two very probably situations. The first for long term is that you were homeless and lack of sleep combined with insecure living arrangements and irregular food has caused you to lose track of time and your own self for a period that you're now in extended period of confusion. For the brief traumatic incident it's likely you were involved in a car wreck or assault of some kind, and this left you dazed and without personal identification where you were picked up and you've been blocking the experience out of fear. Regardless, the best way treat this is through a gentle but extended exposure therapy. That means providing you a safe environment while keeping you emotionally and intellectually stimulated. Now, there's a few ways we can go about this. And, your treatment will never leave your control. Do you wish

>Over the next few sessions I can provide you with therapy while under the influence of potent hallucinogenics. These shifting experiences punctuated by extended periods of rest will result in you potentially recalling what happened to you or things of your past life.

>Alternatively we can avoid drugs and instead rely on hypnosis. It's controversial, but given this situation is a self inflicted block. The unconventional may be the only way to deal with the issue.

>Finally, you can simply commit yourself to long term care he as our ward and we will look after you as our private investigation firm does research on you and then when anything tangible surfaces we can submit that to you and see if it stimulates you. Or, we can try all of these approaches.

"Which choice best suits you?"

>>6321297
>Over the next few sessions I can provide you with therapy while under the influence of potent hallucinogenics. These shifting experiences punctuated by extended periods of rest will result in you potentially recalling what happened to you or things of your past life.
What could go wrong?

>>6321297
>Alternatively we can avoid drugs and instead rely on hypnosis. It's controversial, but given this situation is a self inflicted block. The unconventional may be the only way to deal with the issue.
Homeless, then whos paying for all this?

>>6321324
Umbrella corp equivalent?

>>6321297
>>Finally, you can simply commit yourself to long term care he as our ward and we will look after you as our private investigation firm does research on you and then when anything tangible surfaces we can submit that to you and see if it stimulates you. Or, we can try all of these approaches.

>>6321297
>Finally, you can simply commit yourself to long term care he as our ward and we will look after you as our private investigation firm does research on you and then when anything tangible surfaces we can submit that to you and see if it stimulates you. Or, we can try all of these approaches.

>>6321306
>>6321324
>>6321332
>>6321357
>>6321567
You consider the idea of being drugged or hypnotized and neither appeals to you. However, you find the luxurious surroundings and continued care somewhat suspect, too. You ask the Doctor how his hospital can afford to care for an indigent patient for free.

"Free?! I'm afraid you're somewhat confused by your circumstance. This isn't simply a hospital, we're a research institute. Not just funded by grant money and government subsidy, but also by industrial interests in our cures. Your condition isn't a common one, as I've already explained. Advanced behavioral neurology. In particular extreme cases of apathetic disregard for one's own nature, or well being as in your case is on the cutting edge of psychological research. Tell me have you any recollection of a phenomenon known as NEETS? It's an old term and one from abroad that denotes an entire category of young men who have decided to live, in effect, a half life or living death. People that have manged to physically alter their very conscious recollection such as yourself are the most extreme examples of this kind of pathology. One which if we find a cure to could mean the salvation of tens of millions of people the world over. In essence, we're researching mankind's very will to live here. We're defining and even combating so called nihilism!"

The Doctor's explanation is verbose and long winded, you lost interest halfway through it. The question of that strange creature still fresh on your mind you ask him about it. The Doctor at first is taken aback having been punched out of the stride of his lecture, but he quickly recovers hid demeanor. "You were assaulted?! I'm terribly sorry. That was a local population of wild bear. Poisoned and muted by some illegal chemical dumping. The Director has a standing order to our staff to shoot them on sight. I must caution you from walking the grounds at night or any of the surrounding wilderness due to this problem. At any rate I have other patients to see and I think your decision to take this slow is a wise one. We'll be seeing one another again in a few days time." At that he gets up and leaves the cafeteria. You notice that it's well into the afternoon and the Doctor and you had been talking for hours. You decide to turn in early and head back to your room. You fall asleep to strange dreams. You see yourself leading a procession of people towards an ominous tower across a desert in the middle of the night. When you wake up you hear a strange noise at your bedroom's window and somebody is knocking on your room's door.

>Go back to sleep

>Check and see the noise at the window

>Go see who is at your door

>>6321588
>Check and see the noise at the window

>>6321588
>Check and see the noise at the window

>>6321614
>>6321644
You walk over to your bedroom window and open it to be greeted by a pair of glowing red eyes. "Ah, mon ami, profitons de la nuit pour un moment où nous avons beaucoup à discuter!"

You find yourself riding shotgun in a red convertible. A well dressed man is driving the car. He's casually smoking a cigarette going well over a hundred miles an hour. He lazily takes corners on the mountain roads with one hand seemingly oblivious to the danger. "Ah, friend you're awake! Good, good." He flicks his cigarette off into the night air its burning trail lost from your sight as he takes another corner over a hundred miles an hour while double shifting in the span of less than two seconds to get the job done. You grab onto your seat and the door, white knuckled. Unsure of what is happening you look around terrified. He looks over, "Relax friend, we only live once. Or, at least some of us anyway. You and me are different, no?" he asks rhetorically speeding up the car even faster as you continue winding around mountain roads.

It takes a few minutes but when your eminent death doesn't arrive you begin to relax in spite of the speed. And, even begin to enjoy the experience. The well dressed man smiles and nods, "Now you're getting into the spirit of the night mon ami!" the man says laughing. He lights up another cigarette and doesn't take the next turn. You go flying off the freeway at full speed. The car simply keeps sailing through the air until it finds purchase on another road across a canyon and skids to a sudden stop. The man sits still enjoying his cigarette he taps it out over the side of his door onto the street and stares up into the night sky as if in deep contemplation. "You know it began with simple philosophers on a chain of islands. Men merely contemplating the nature of themselves and the world around them..."

You awake sitting in the same car outside of some bar. The man looks over to you, "We're here friend. Looks like you passed out. Don't worry, it will wear off eventually. Everybody's first time is a headache from what I understand." he gets out of the vehicle and waits for you to follow him. You find yourself exiting out of your door and stepping behind into the bar he walks up counter and orders. He asks you what you want."

>Tell him you don't drink

>Ask for a Screwdriver

>Ask for a Black Russian

>Ask for a Vodka straight

>Ask for a Martini shaken not stirred

>Ask for some draft beer

>Ask for some milk

>Ask for some coffee

>>6321850
>Ask for some draft beer

>>6321850
>Ask for some coffee

>>6321850
>Ask for some draft beer

>>6322198
>>6322152
>>6322135
You ask for some coffee to wake you up, and then a beer to chase it down with. You don't know what's going on, but you do know what you need. The Frenchman approves. "Qui, the night, she demands much from us and so we must in turn treat ourselves well." He says while brusquely waving to the bartender who serves you both without asking for money or what your order is. Somehow, she gets it perfect.

You treat yourself while the Frenchman takes another drag from his cigarette there are signs all over the bar that say no smoking and the bartender doesn't seem to care. Eventually the Frenchman makes pointing gesture in front of him and the bartender serves him an empty glass which he grounds out his cigarette in. He turns and looks down the bar and calls out to two rough looking bikers, "Gentlemen, a moment of your time." They look at one another and come over to him. "Are either of you armed?" One of the men slowly nods and pulls out a large knife holding it limply in front of the Frenchman, "Very good. Please cut your friend's throat." The man without hesitation grabs the biker next to him and slowly cuts his friend's throat open. The cut is shallow, but bleeds profusely.

Faster than you blink the Frenchman grabs hold of the bleeding man's hair and forces his over the counter. The blood drips from the wound into his glass, he uses him like a fountain head then forcefully throws him backwards onto the ground, "You may leave, go get your friend stitched up before he bleeds to death." The man that cut the other's throat simply nods passively as if nothing happened and helps his friend up and they both stagger out of the bar and leave.

>Run for you life

>Stay and finish your drink

>Dismiss this all as a dream and wait to see what happens next

>Ask him something (write in your question)

>>6322574
>Stay and finish your drink

>>6322574
>Stay and finish your drink

>>6322590
>>6322823
You simply sit back and drink unsure if you're not dreaming. The Frenchman stirs his finger in the blood filling his glass and a blue fire burns up around his digit. The blood begins to boil and he takes his finger out and drinks deeply from the glass. He downs the entire thing in one gulp and then slams it down bottom up on the bar top, "Excellent! That biker was in good health despite his looks! Must have been a tourist in disguise." The Frenchman turns around and looks at you contemplatively, then takes something out of his jacket and slides it over towards you. "This is yours. As frightening as the Drakul's blood can be, what does it mean in the face of your 'enlightenment'? Men bleed for me, but the world bleeds for you. Is that not so?"

You look down at what he slid over to you. It's a glove, no some kind of gauntlet. The metal armor fits over your right hand and it resonates with you on a profound level. As if somebody's returned something you'd been missing for a long time. An old friend.

>Don the gauntlet

>Put in your pocket

>Ask him what it is

>Ask him who he is

>>6323132
>Don the gauntlet

>>6323132
>Don the gauntlet

>>6323132
>Ask him what it is

>>6323154
>>6323150
>>6323140
You slowly pull the gauntlet onto your hand a question of what it is lost in your mouth as pull it onto your hand. It doesn't completely cover your fingers. Fitting more onto your hand like pair of leg braces. Covering your fingers in an open metal frames. But, it feels good. Yes, you can feel so much more with it on than you could before... the Frenchman eyes you closely, looking for signs of some other "you" buried deep within coming to the surface. Instead of some deep revelation or onset of another personality you simply feel more complete. Whole. Your memories are still gone. However, the feeling that you are not yourself is now gone. You are indeed you again.

The door of the bar flies open with a resounding crash. You turn and see Mr Silver standing in the doorway with his gun pointed straight at the Frenchman. "So, you finally revealed your true colors vampire. I've been waiting for this. You're dead."

>Casually tell him to stop

>Stop him from harming the Frenchman

>Do nothing and watch

>Attack him

>Tell the Frenchman to watch out

>>6323158
>Do nothing and watch

>>6323158
>Casually tell him to stop

>>6323158
>Do nothing and watch

>>6323715
>>6323371
>>6323204
Your dream appears to be turning into a cross between some old western and a horror flick. The "vampire" Frenchman and Mr Silver modern day cowboy stare each other down in the old town saloon. You cast in the role of the witless town drunk about to witness history in the making. You have an urge to stop them, but then again... You decide to take another drink. Why ruin your free entertainment? How often does a man get to experience a dream like this? You've been having a real shitty week, time for some fun. You kick back and wait for the fireworks.

The Frenchman doesn't appear overly concerned by the gun pointed in his face. "Silver you're always so reactionary. I merely..."

"Sent two men to the hospital. Kidnapped a patient. And, interfered with the plan. Betrayed our arrangement, in other words. Yeah, I know. Just like I knew that the Doctor and administrator were insane having anything to do with you. But, I don't make the same mistake twice. John Doe keep back and out of the way. You'll be fine." Mr Silver aims his gun right at the Frenchman's forehead.

The Frenchman raises and eyebrow and points with his hand to yours. Mr Silver eyes dart away from him only for a second, but he sees the gauntlet on your hand. He noticeably pales. "Great, great. When you fuck up you do it royally monster!" The gun is now pointed at you. This situation has deteriorated and turned into a personal nightmare. What do you do?

>Try to remember to something

>Tell them both to calm down

>Stop Mr Silver

>Slowly take off the gauntlet

>Reach for Mr Silver's gun

>Ask the Frenchman for help

>Ask what the hell is going on to both of the men

>>6323874
>Reach for Mr Silver's gun

>>6323931
You reach out with your gauntlet and blue fire erupts from the palm of your hand. It flies across the room and consumes Mr Silver's gun melting it down into burning slag. The shells cook off and explode like firecrackers causing Mr Silver to jump backwards and out the door for cover. The Frenchman slams his hand on the table and howls with laughter, "Ha, my friend it really is you! Finally, after all this time we have found you at long last." as the Frenchman speaks a shell from Mr Silver's gun flies into the bar and explodes a bottle of vodka. Its high alcohol content translates into a small incendiary device and causes the rest of the bar to go up in flames. A few more stray shells fly towards you but they never find their mark, exploding inches from contact in bursts of blue fire. Something inside of you has changed. You're no longer the you that was helpless and confused in a straitjacket a few days ago, but neither are you who you were. No, you're just as in the dark as before, but with more vestigial elements of your old self surfacing. And, its something that transcends mere memory. It's power. Pure magic with no direction and no restraint. Your power.

You stand up as the fire spreads throughout the bar and into the dining area. The building doesn't have long. The Frenchman walks up to your side about to say something when a streak of silver flies in through the door, burning with a power of its own. The Frenchman's head falls from his shoulders and his body crumples down onto the floor. His decapitated head looks up to you and begins to speak, "Ah hell, that damn Silver has no sense of tact. Look at what he's done to me! Come, take my head and body to my car. I left the keys in the ignition. We have a lot talk about and a burning building isn't the ideal location for such a discussion." You shrug and pick up his head and sling his body over your shoulder in a fireman carry, It comes naturally to you. The effort is difficult, but you find your strength is more than up to the challenge. Perhaps still more "magic"? Or, were you always this strong? Doesn't matter. You turn around and see the spinning silver discuss that took off the Frenchman's head lodged in the wall. It's still vibrating as if there is yet more power in it. You recognize it as the weapon Mr Silver wore on his belt back in the hospital.

You don't feel like confronting Mr Silver so you leave through the back entrance. You unceremoniously dump the Frenchman's head into the passenger's seat and leave his body in the back seat to sleep off his drunk.

The Frenchman looks up at you and says, "Look friend, I know things are scary right now, but they're going to get a whole lot worse. I can explain all of this to you right now in an incredibly boring and drawn out question and answer session. Or, we can head five hundred miles east of here and go get fucked up in Vegas for a few week while I gradually explain what is happening."

>Cont.

>>6324152
So, what is it going to be? Also, I'm the head nurse over at the hospital. So, you can consider this part of your treatment if that is still bothering you for whatever reason.

>Head out to Vegas to get fucked up with the French vampire for several weeks on god know what while he explains the situation

>Steal his car and take off on your own

>Head back to the hospital and confront the Doctor and Administrator over what's going on.

>>6324153
>Head back to the hospital and confront the Doctor and Administrator over what's going on.

>>6324163
Your dream is a crescendo of madness that continues to rise towards an overture for something far worse. And, you find yourself willingly heading there at top speed. A virtuosos playing the lead. After all, why not? You have no past nor history to retreat into. Only an increasingly unraveling future defines who and what you are.

You handle the sports car like you've been driving one all your life. You take the mountain corners nearly as well as the Frenchman did, but without the use of his strange gifts. Just another question of thousands you have concerning yourself.

"Mon amie, take a left up there. Yes, we'll be there soon. Personally I think we should leave town, but hey. You've got to know, right? Who you are? Well, the Doctor and Administrator are as good as anyone to tell you. I do have to warn you, however. My 'daughters,' the 'nurses' you felt starring at you from the shadows back in the hole. The ones that wanted to very much eat you alive. And, what caused Silver to come interrupt our drinking. Well, they've gone mad. I needed a distraction to get you out of there. And, it's probably not going to be entirely pleasant when you enter. So, you might want to prepare yourself for a rather 'warm' reception." The Frenchman's severed head laughs as he tells you this and speaks in a lethargic, relaxed tone. "I'm afraid I'll be indisposed for a few hours friend. So, you'll on your own in there." His eyes shut and he goes dormant. He appears dead for all intent and purposes.

You pull up to the front gate of the Celestial Foundation. It's been broken off its hinges. Several of the patients are out in the front yard wondering around looking confused and scared. The front doors of the facility have also been broken down from the inside out. A large trail of blood from somebody that has been horribly wounded and dragged back into the building starts from the fountain a hundred feet in front of the building. You pull up and get out of the car.

>Follow the trail of blood

>Ask some of the patients what happened

>Leave the hospital as quickly as possible

>Go in and head for the Doctor's office

>>6324404
>Follow the trail of blood

>>6324501
You steel yourself as best as you're able. The stench of death comes waffling out of the hospital lobby like an open sewer. You can barely stand it. You walk through the doorway following the trail of blood. To your right and left are signs of damage. Doors broken down, furniture smashed in, and broken lights. The reception desk's computer has been ripped to pieces. Like an animal chewed on it. You see similar damage to other electronic devices. Destroyed phones and computer wherever they were placed.

However, aside from the blood trail there is very little in the way of gore. You see blood splattering the wall and signs that people came through here with dripping wounds. But, so far not actual bodies. The trail of blood takes through the lobby up the first flight of stares into the upper ward where your room is located. The "better" part of the hospital.

As you make your way down the second floor's hallway the trail of blood abruptly stops. Dripping down from the ceiling is a small waterfall of blood. Like somebody left a garden hose running. You look up and suspended up above in an alcove is a woman feeding upon the corpse of a security guard. She's somehow defying gravity as she siphons the precious fluids from his neck. Her face is contorted into something resembling a dog's, but it's still very human. Merely the muscular is behaving in way that it wouldn't ordinary contract in. She drops the body onto the floor with a sicking thud and floats down following it slowly. She is of course covered in blood made especially vivid on her White nurse's dress. She doesn't so much as walk as begins to saunter towards you.

>Tell her to stop where she's at

>Burn her like you did to Silver's gun

>Show her the fire of your gauntlet and threaten her with it

>Say nothing

>Attempt to subdue her without killing, try to remember

>>6324618
>Burn her like you did to Silver's gun

>>6324627
You extend your hand outward and the blue fire comes to you once again. Previously the intensity of the moment had been more of a reflex than a conscious act, but this time you feel what it its you're doing to her. She will burn because is your will. "That which burns," leaves your lips and blue fire leaps from your gauntled hand. It strikes her like an arcing bolt of electricity. There is no chance to dodge or even react. One moment she's intact the next she's consumed in blue fire and an inhuman whale escapes from her as she screams in agony. She flees from you dives through a nearby window. Vanishing into the cold air of the night beyond. You feel no remorse, no pity. Something deep within you stirs. A memory. People prostrating before you as you sat upon a stone thrown. A grand tower rises up behind you.

The vision clears and you return to the present. There is nobody in front of you any longer and you're able to proceed to the Doctor's office without issue. You see some more signs of carnage along the way, a few more dead security. But, otherwise, it appears you put a stop to the horrors that were being visited upon the hospital.

Within the Doctor's office you find it much in the same way as when you first visited it. Sitting behind his desk is the Doctor. Casually reading a book, seemingly obvious to what has been happening on the lower floors. He looks up as you come in and seems surprised. "I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. Especially not after Monsieur Nuit's antics. How can I help you?"

>Threaten to burn him if he doesn't tell you who you are

>Burn him much like you did to the girl downstairs without another word of warning

>Ask him what is going on

>Ask him who you are

>Ask him what this place is

>Ask him about the strange creature that attacked you and how it relates to the seeming existence of vampires

>Say nothing, simply stare him down

>>6324655
>Ask him about the strange creature that attacked you and how it relates to the seeming existence of vampires

>>6324655
>Ask him about the strange creature that attacked you and how it relates to the seeming existence of vampires

>>6324795
>>6324865
You come in starring the Doctor down. "Do I even need to ask?" you say barely hiding the contempt in your voice. Your urge to kill him is palpable. "What was that thing that attacked me in the graveyard, what was that woman I just set on fire somehow, and why did I spend the better part of my evening conversing with a severed head? And, please give a real answer or you can join the ash pile I made of that monster downstairs."

To his credit the Doctor doesn't look overly concerned. "It's a very long story, but you don't appear to be in the mood for theatrics. And, it appears our facility's long and drawn out purpose has finally arrived at its only meaningful objective, so I will summarize this as best as I can to avoid my own evident extinction at your VERY capable hands.

"As you might have already guessed this hospital existed to find you. A man lost to himself and time. A man who we didn't know what form or shape he would arrive in. The Crimson One, that is, you. There has been many names for you over the centuries, millennia actually. You're the author, the architect, the original human sorcerer. An antediluvian man that has survived from before the dawn of history and is now regarded as a god of sorts. The 'vampires' you encountered are a kind of amphibian much like your inheritors. Lesser wizards, werewolves, and other assorted humans tainted by either gifts or symbiotic 'alien' organs such as the vampire's bone marrow that now live with one foot in the darkness and the world of the light. I myself am a resident of the upper levels of the darkness, a visitor to the world of the light come to help in this most important task of locating and rehabilitating you. The Administrator Mr Corbeau also known as the Black Alchemist is your only living apprentice. His considerable age of five hundred years is nothing in the face of your lifetime."

>Ask him why they were looking for you

>Ask him what the darkness is

>Ask him why you can't remember any of this

>Tell him you don't believe a word he's said and burn him

>Ask him who Mr Silver is and why he attacked you back at the bar

>Ask him why the Frenchman vampire broke ranks and deviated from whatever plan was made beforehand

>Demand to see the Administrator

>Ask him what there plan was and why this was kept from you

>Demand again to know what the creatures were that attacked you and why

>>6325401
>Ask him why they were looking for you

>>6325604
>>Ask him why they were looking for you
"We sought you for you were the one and only. The true source of mortal magic by which the fulcrum of all existence hings upon! It was YOU who laid down your life by your own choosing to divide the darkness from the world of man. You had long since preached that all which defined the world befit the vision of man and none else. It was your vision, which defined the wheel of mortality. The never ending quest of mortal man upon which he sought his true self. That is your legacy!
"And, it is that listless search that has left us all in a pursuit with no end. We who dwell in the dark are at a lost and mankind is little better for his endless quest. To put the entire burden of creation of upon you is an absurdity. But, we we find ourselves in a dire straights without someone of grand ambition and vision. For you see the true darkness. Threatens to engulf the worlds of man once more. Only one of your power can either prevent it or usher in such a change without disaster consuming the entirety of mankind. We kept this simple truth from our 'patients' because such truths are beyond even the stoutest minds to comprehend, let alone weak and feeble mortals by which you were hidden amongst. All of this has been done to find you. Our conspiracy has doubters even amongst our ranks, and those chose to brake ranks and bring you into the truth more suddenly than we had intended, and without all of the the facts in evidence to confirm it was you beyond any reasonable doubt!"

The Doctor rants at you like a mad man. But, within his twisted expression lies something resembling truth. You believe him up too a point.

>Demand to see your apprentice

>Demand to know what he is

>Tell him to knock off the esoteric terminology and tell you what is threatening the world.

>Tell him you've heard enough and begin to destroy the hospital. It defies your purposes and therefore warrants death!

>Tell him you've heard enough and wish to help.

>Kill him and search for your apprentice the Administrator

>Leave him and search for your apprentice

>Leave the hospital and wait for the Frenchman to revive to interrogate him more thoroughly

>Look for more more monsters to destroy and ignore his ranting and raving

>>6325995
>Look for more more monsters to destroy and ignore his ranting and raving

>>6325995
>>Look for more more monsters to destroy and ignore his ranting and raving