(align:"=><=")+(box:"X")[=
**Silvia**
A short interactive story by
Manuel Caliandro
[[Start -> Silvia non dormiva molto spesso]]
(b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
16 hours. It had been 16 hours since the last time Silvia slept.
As an insomniac, nighttime was kind of a sensitive subject for her, and in the morning, she had high school, where sleeping at the desk was still not considered a valid study method—go figure.
So it shouldn't have surprised anyone that, on the bus she took to come home, she found herself soundly sleeping, with her face pressing her backpack against the window. A well-proven position to sleep without constantly bonking her head on the glass. Seated next to her was Tom, her best friend.
//This story is going to explore the life of Silvia through the eyes of the people she meets. At almost any time, you will be able to choose the character from whose perspective you want to see and influence Silvia's day.
Chose the character from those listed here//
(Set: $IsTomHere to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "False") (Set: $IsSilviaYou to "False") (Set: $Timer to 3) (Set: $NextSilvia to "Sogno 1 A") (Set: $NextTom to "Tom guarda Silvia 1")
]
(text-colour:#ff6b6b)[(If: $IsSilviaYou is "False")[[[Silvia->$NextSilvia]]]]
(text-colour:#ff6b6b)[(If: $IsTomHere is "True")[(If: $IsTomYou is "False")[[[Tom->$NextTom]]]]]
(b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
As always, the first thing she felt was the fresh air; the winter wind tingling her nose was one of the feelings she loved most in life, just under the clay molding beneath her fingers.
When she opened her eyes, she saw exactly what she was expecting: a sea of grass without any end in sight, every pastel green blade moving rhythmically. The result was hypnotizing. The only interruption was the [[wooden cabin ->baita di montagna]], a little house so well integrated into the landscape that someone not paying attention could mistake it for a strange-looking tree.
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True")
](b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#ffa94d,white)[
Silvia fell asleep on the bus. Again. Tom fully knew that she would have liked it if he woke her up in time for her bus stop, but she slept so little that it felt like a crime to wake her up too soon. (If: $Timer > 1)[There were still $Timer stops before hers.] (If: $Timer <=1)[But her stop was the next one.]
(If: $Timer > 1)[[[Letting her sleep a little bit wasn’t hurting anybody, right?->Tom guarda Silvia 2]]] (If: $Timer <= 1)[[[Letting her sleep a little bit wasn’t hurting anybody, right?->Interrompere Sogno]]]
[[On the other hand, if she missed her bus stop, she would have to walk for like 20 minutes.->Silvia si sveglia aiutata]]
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "False") (Set: $IsTomYou to "True") (If: $Timer > 1)[(Set: $NextTom to "Tom guarda Silvia 2")] (If: $Timer <= 1)[(Set: $NextTom to "Sogno Interrotto")]
]
(Set: $Timer to $Timer -1)
(b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#ffa94d,white)[
You have to understand that Silvia was extremely cute when she slept like this, at least to Tom she was. She looked like a kid that had fallen asleep without any warning.
Actually, that was what happened. (If: $Timer > 1)[There were still $Timer stops before hers.] (If: $Timer <=1)[But her stop was the next one.]
(If: $Timer > 1)[[[Letting her sleep a little bit more surely would have helped her overcome the rest of the day.->Tom guarda Silvia 3]]] (If: $Timer <= 1)[[[Letting her sleep a little bit more surely would have helped her overcome the rest of the day.->Interrompere Sogno]]]
[[On the other hand, her mother wasn’t very happy when Silvia arrived late at home. It was better to wake her up in time.->Silvia si sveglia aiutata]]
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "False") (Set: $IsTomYou to "True") (If: $Timer > 1)[(Set: $NextTom to "Tom guarda Silvia 3")] (If: $Timer <= 1)[(Set: $NextTom to "Sogno Interrotto")]
](b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
Silvia felt a hand on her cheek, gently but persistently, and it was enough to wake her. She opened her eyes and sat up from her fetal position. The thud of her backpack falling on the bus floor made her jump a little.
(text-colour:#ffa94d)["Silvia, are you all right?"] she heard her friend Tom say. He seemed a little stunned, with his hand still in the air, and he seemed preoccupied. (text-colour:#69db7c)["Yeah, sorry, I’m good"], she said. Then, after realizing she was still on the bus, she added (text-colour:#69db7c)["Oh god, I didn’t miss my bus stop, did I?"]
(text-colour:#ffa94d)["No, don’t worry, I woke you up before we passed it."] (text-colour:#69db7c)["Thank you very much, Tom, I owe you one."]
Silvia got up the fastest way possible and managed to leave the bus at her stop. She put on her headphones, the ones she filled with stickers of bands and films she liked, and she started to walk home.
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "True")
]
(b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
Between Silvia and the cabin, there was only a small fence that enclosed a backyard surrounding the entire house. Silvia knew that at the back there was a little vegetable garden—just some cabbages, a couple of carrots, and some tomatoes; it produced more than enough for Him.
Wondering where she would find Him this time, Silvia started moving to enter through the fence when a strange thought passed through her head. More of a feeling than a structured thought, the same sensation she felt during the exams when she didn't have enough time to finish. If she followed that thought, maybe everything would disappear, like always.
(If: $Timer > 1)[[[Silvia decided to not pay attention to the feeling, and crossed the fence.->Sogno 1 B]]] (If: $Timer <= 1)[[[Silvia decided to not pay attention to the feeling, and crossed the fence..->Sogno Interrotto]]]
[[If it was so urgent, maybe it was important. Silvia decided to follow that stray thought.-> Silvia si sveglia da sola]]
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "False") (If: $Timer > 1)[(Set: $NextSilvia to "Sogno 1 B")] (If: $Timer <= 1)[(Set: $NextSilvia to "Interrompere Sogno")]
](Set: $Timer to $Timer -1)
(b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
Silvia decided not to pay attention to that urgency she felt and started to cross the fence. It wasn’t long before she found herself in front of the cabin’s door, which was ajar, as always.
The entrance of the house was also the living room. The general look was rural: a wooden table, two chairs—just like the ones her grandmother used—and a always-on heater, where a saucepan was emanating a smell that, in a couple of minutes, was going to be that of burned soup.
(text-colour:#69db7c)["Hey, this is going to be burnt soon,"] said Silvia, while a smile grew on her face, one that stopped pretty soon when she heard no response. (text-colour:#69db7c)["Oh, come on, where are you? Come out."]
In the meantime, that annoying feeling wasn’t really gone; it was rather growing, and resisting it was progressively more difficult.
(If: $Timer > 1)[[[Silvia started looking around the house for him.->Sogno 1 C]]] (If: $Timer <= 1)[[[Silvia started looking around the house for him.->Sogno Interrotto]]]
[[She decided to follow that strange feeling to its end.-> Silvia si sveglia da sola]]
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "False")(If: $Timer > 1)[(Set: $NextSilvia to "Sogno 1 C")] (If: $Timer <= 1)[(Set: $NextSilvia to "Interrompere Sogno")]
](b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
Silvia slowly opened her eyes, realizing that she was still on the bus. The idea of closing them again was sweet, but she was well-trained in resisting it. She seated herself without letting her backpack fall to the ground.
(text-colour:#ffa94d)["Oh, oh, good morning sleepyhead."] said Tom with a smile on his face. (text-colour:#ffa94d)["You didn’t miss your stop, don’t worry."]
Silvia just nodded; her sleepiness was letting her gratitude come out, but she was happy he hadn’t woken her up too soon, and she trusted him to help her if she had slept too much.
(text-colour:#69db7c)["Thank you, Tom, see you tomorrow."] she said, still a bit dazed while she prepared herself to get off the bus.
Silvia got up the fastest way possible and managed to leave the bus at her stop. She put on her headphones, the ones she had covered in stickers of bands and films she liked, and she started to walk home.
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "True")
]
(Set: $Timer to $Timer -1)
(b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
Silvia started looking all around the house, exploring the rooms on both floors, until a voice started resonating in the cabin.
(text-colour:#8c5826)["You are going to miss your bus stop and you know it. We can stay together when you are home, but you need to go."]
[["But I wanted to stay with you for a bit.", said Silvia, trying to buy some time.->Sogno 1 D]]
[["Yeah, I know… I just wanted to stay with you.” said, understanding that He was right. She abandoned herself to that urgent sensation.-> Silvia si sveglia da sola]]
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "False")(Set: $NextSilvia to "Sogno 1 D")
](Set: $Timer to $Timer -1)
(b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
(text-colour:#8c5826)["I know you just wanted to spend some time together, but now is not the time. I told you, if you want, we can see each other when you get home. Well, you know that we will.”] said the voice.
(text-colour:#69db7c)["Yeah, I just hope Mum is not going to wake me up to come for lunch again."]
(text-colour:#8c5826)["Be reasonable, dear, you need to eat. We can see each other after lunch."]
(text-colour:#69db7c)["We’ll see. In the meantime, turn the stove off; the soup is going to burn."]
(text-colour:#8c5826)["I’m doing it right away. Now go, I fear you are already late."]
[[Silvia abandoned herself to that urgency, and woke up.->Silvia perde la fermata]]
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "True")
](b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
Silvia opened her eyes, the adrenaline pumping and that familiar feeling of confusion she always felt after a small nap. Only after a while did she realize that Tom was shaking her. (text-colour:#69db7c)["Fuck, I missed the stop!"] she said initially, then stopped and turned to look her friend in the eyes. (text-colour:#69db7c)["Why didn’t you wake me up?"] (text-colour:#ffa94d)["I’m sorry, seemed like you needed the sleep, though."] he said. (text-colour:#69db7c)["Well, I can do that at home too."]
The trip to the next stop was silent until she was preparing to get off the bus and finally surrendered to the rampant guilt she felt. (text-colour:#69db7c)["I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have lashed out like that, waking me up is not your responsibility."] (text-colour:#ffa94d)["No, I should have woken you up."] they told each other, a brief smile coloring the two friends’ faces. (text-colour:#69db7c)["See you tomorrow."] said Silvia.
As soon as she left the bus, Silvia put on her headphones, the ones she filled with stickers of bands and films she liked, and she started walking to her home.
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "True")
](b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#69db7c,white)[
Suddenly, a voice resonated in the cabin. (text-colour:#8c5826)["Silvia, you are going to miss your bus stop,"] said the voice. (text-colour:#8c5826)["Actually, I think you already passed it. Wake up, Silvia."]
[[That alarming sensation became more like panic, as she slowly woke up.->Silvia perde la fermata]]
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "True")
]
(Set: $Timer to $Timer -1)
(b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#ffa94d,white)[
And to understand the full situation, you need to know that Tom always had a massive crush on Silvia, and these little moments were the only ones where he could look at her without her noticing him. Waking her up now was the most responsible thing to do, but wasn’t it Silvia’s fault too that she always slept on the bus?
Saying that Tom was living an internal war was an understatement. (If: $Timer > 1)[There were still $Timer stops before hers.] (If: $Timer <=1)[But her stop was the next one.]
[[But she was so cute while she was sleeping...->Interrompere Sogno]]
[[He sure would have been an ass to let her miss her stop just to watch her sleep, and it was a bit creepy too actually. Silvia would have never talked to him again if he didn’t wake her.->Silvia si sveglia aiutata]]
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "False") (Set: $IsTomYou to "True")
]
(b4r:"dashed","none")+(b4r-size:2,1)+(b4r-colour:#ffa94d,white)[
In the end, Tom watched Silvia’s stop pass by, and he didn’t do anything to wake her up. (text-colour:#ffa94d)["Shit"], he exclaimed (text-colour:#ffa94d)["Silvia, wake up! You missed your bus stop."] He tried to shake her gently; he thought for a moment to wake her with a pat on the head, but it wasn’t the moment to be nice, it was the moment to wake her up.
[[Tom tried to save the situation, even if he knew it was too late.->Silvia perde la fermata]]
(Set: $IsSilviaYou to "True") (Set: $IsTomYou to "True")
]