Part 28: The End (SS)

Yeah ok! That's one thing we could see heading back to work!



A whole crowd runs past us, as a really nice piano remix of some of the main themes starts.

It's a LITTLE out of place because it's sad and mournful, and this seems more like a full-on Resident Evil style disaster? But.... eh!



We're... sure it has SOMETHING to do with the pills/Grace, so that means we have to at least see what's up...



Well! There's a giant person-sized blood splotch where Dawn used to BE, so no, good odds are that she is NOT alright Henry!

What is... are the kids repsonsible for this?



Like, this blood specifically? No probably not. Honestly? I'm more concerned about the black tar/goo streaming out of the vents there

That seems.... noteworthy?



Ok! Neat! Rotting goo streaming out of the vents!

Now, at this point, I tried to explore the office. Everybody was evacuated, there is the OCCASIONAL blood splotch, and no new real dialogue.

That's fine, we all know where we're supposed to be heading.



TO GET THE GAS THAT THE SCIENTIST WOULDN'T LET US TAKE, OF COURSE

No I'm kidding, this has no effect on this playthrough. I just wanted it.



No, we head up to the medical trial floor.





There's a... half a person crawling.

Moans when you touch him/her.

Are we sure we want to be going this way?



Well, at least Dr. Richards seems to be more or less int-





W...well hhhheeeellloooooo to you too!

Where'd your... where'd your eyes go, Doc?



We approach the trial ward with some dread...



I know I'm using this emoji a lot but...



Ok! Everybody floating, check.

Demon monster in Grace's room that is probably in fact Grace, check!

WE ARE GOING FROM 0 TO 60 FOR THIS ENDING (well ok, from 10 to 60, things were ramping up a LITTLE before this)



It's kind of hard to see, but as we approach, the demon vomits blood...



And turns to look at us with it's now massively unhinged jaw! GREAT!



Now, Grace... let's... let's remember that we didn't cheat on you in these last few days! N-not at all!









AND THAT OTHER LADY MEANT NOTHING TO ME GRACE IT WAS SO LONG AGO

(also: Grace don't screw this up for me! This is a BIG BREAK IN MY CAREER oh heck that joke's worn old)

Neat note - the exploding heads are the same sound effect from the intro - so THAT'S what it was! Demon Grace!

...wait, how is SHE the bad guy? This seems.... wrong somehow.



And our head doesn't explode (PHEW) but we do eat it, HARD.

When we come to...



We're in the medical trial ward but... like... the Silent Hill version?



Also floating! Just like the scientists did, before their unfortunate... uh.... incidents.

But hey, it's our wife, right? Surely that'll merit some kind of...



...treatment.... as we fly forward.



Yes friends, we unfortunately got ourselves ahold of some cursed Sumerian uh... demon apocalypse pills!

You know, when they said that messages about the end times were inscribed on tablets, I think they meant STONE...

wait... IS that what this game was based off of? That pun? It's just possible, and that's enough

Also, I say this a lot but: DEMONSTRABLY false, Henry. You wanted success more than anything to do with Grace. You wanted what was good for her ONLY AFTER you got what you wanted. CLEARLY.



...

Every... time?

- We were destined for this, and you have set me free.
By your actions, the apocalypse now resides within me.

BET YOU WISH WE DIDN'T GIVE HER THE PILL NOW, DON'T YOU NERDS.

So yes, these were uh... the... apocalypse? In pill form?

BOY is the next person who goes to buy some weed from Stinky Pete gonna get confused.

Also, "destined"? "Set her free"? I mean, we are BARELY in control here. Who gave us the pills! WHY!

This whole pill thing was like a last-second hail mary after years of ineptitude, and... oh whatever. What else you got to say, demon lady?

- Your reward is your own damnation, one that's set apart.
A personal hell just for you, because of your hatred of all art.

B...because of our...

I mean...

Flashback

- Oh yes I would really love that,
there's one I've been waiting to see.

A recording from the local orchestra,
performing "Flight of the Bumblebee".

- Now Grace, you know I've never been a huge fan of "the arts".
I'll pick up something we'll both enjoy - light-hearted comedy full of farts?

End Flashback

THIS is what's damning us? Because we didn't want her to become a peetus?

Not the... the cheating? Murder? Wanton emotional cruelty? And we're going to HELL for that?

- A world where every utterance, for the rest of all time,
is spoken by you and those around you compeltely in rhyme.

...

........

I... I need to hold it together. This is a big emotional conclusion to this serious game and...

And I...

Ahhhhhhhhh ha ha ha haaaaaaaaa

WE'RE IN HELL

THE RHYMING IS OUR PUNISHMENT

IT'S OUR PUNISHMENT FOR NOT LETTING GRACE BE A PEETUS

...

THIS IS OUR PUNISHMENT BECAUSE WE HATE ART

I...

I LOVE THIS GAME

- You will live and you will die, and your last days will forever repeat.
Groundhog Day for billions of years, until the sun stops giving off heat.

Ok so... we just repeat this last week? Forever? Grace, this is literally the best week of our LIFE.

We have like... a little stress, plus we have to go through THIS. PLUS the rhyming doesn't even bother us, because we do it too and think it's normal!

This is hell for YOU!

You have to be with US for eternity! And not even that - I guess she's implying that the universe is still again, she just resets everybody to where they were a week ago, and...

nobody notices that it's suddenly winter, when it should be summer? Or she alters everybodys minds not to notice? Or we only do this once per year?

W..what?



- We've been dancing for a million years, and still you never learn.
Greed and selfish aspirations, guiding you at every turn.

But if you reset us every time, we can't... learn- Grace honey can we talk about your plan here?

Because your plan is stupid.

It fails to punish me, it doesn't achieve anything...

- Just remember this my beloved one,
your fate is an impossible one to bend.

For over a million years I've told you,
your beginning is the same as your end.

Yeah, but ONLY BECAUSE YOU MAKE IT BE. I mean, at least they acknowledged that this idea was kind of ripped from Groundhog Day?

But see, the key there was that Bill Murray remembered the loop, and so was able to change. Grace, darling,

if I don't remember than it's only been a million years for YOU. It's been a week for ME. This isn't that hard of a concept.

And if we hadn't found the keys?

This is where it would end. She's squish us like a bug, and the credits would roll, and then you'd do a new game knowing that it was a fresh turn of the cycle.

But we DID find the keys.

Indicating, of course, that Henry finally learned all the lessons that he needed to in order to break the cycle

Lesson 1: Pick up a video tape on a bench because you skipped work, and give it to the people that lost it. The lesson is... kindness? Diligence?
Lesson 2: Return the key they gave you to it's owner. The lesson is responsibility, I guess.
Lesson 3: Tell a guy where his cat was, then when the cat murders him, loot the key from his body. The lesson... uh... is... help others, even though it will probably harm them?
Lesson 4: Tell the lady where her grandpa is, who then tries to molest her. Same... lesson as above?
Lesson 5: Pick up the key from your nursery. The... the lesson... uh..... look around?
Lesson 6: Find it by a tree. Look I give up.

There are no lessons. We didn't prove ANYTHING except that we do fetch quests and explore to get these keys.

This is a real wasted opportunity, in my opinion. If you had to do something that was, you know, MEANINGFUL or related to Grace, yourself, acceptance, lessons... anything, to get the keys, THEN we'd have something that made sense.

You proved yourself, defeated your own nature or whatever, or at least came to terms with it, and found the locket. Maybe there would even be multiple hidden ways to get it! But no, instead it's just pixel hunts and side quests.

Whatever. Anyway:

Yeah, I guess that prostitute has some extra-dimensional space that she hangs out in, wild right? Haw haw ha*splat*



- ...



We pull out the pendant. Henry lands on his feet, and...



...the demon, who is, again, Grace, screams, shrivels up, and just DIES.

Actually, I take it back.

The keys perfectly echo the theme of this game:

Henry, completely unmerited, screws around until a magic macguffin falls into his hands that solves all his problems, even though it really doesn't make any sense





We wake up back in bed, and back rhyming. Oh boy.

- ...

- Oh come on Grace, you're not still ignoring me, are you?
I told you I'm sorry for losing the locket, don't feel blue!

So... did we get Groundhog Day'd? But now we can remember the cycle maybe?





Suddenly, with a squeak, the room changes. Grace is a corpse, the room is messed up, and we're...



not rhyming...



Then with a squeak, we're back, and Grace is talking.

- Don't you worry Grace, I'm close to finding your cure!
All the volunteers that are helping feel equally sure!

- Speaking of which, I believe it's time for the next dose!
I feel I'm on to something, it'll boost your blood glucose.

squeak





We walk down the dilapidated hallway, and into our office...









I... I think we've got that covered already, Hen-wen.



We draw blood...



Then head back. As soon as we enter our bedroom...



We're back in fairyland.

- If anyone in this world can do it, it has to be you my love!
Your talents are so great, they must be from high above!

A heh....



We inject blood into the corpse...



Depressingly, this might be the kindest and most attentive we've seen Henry be towards... anybody.



We hear screeching tires, and a heavy knock at the door...





Oh good....



- Darling, didi you hear that?!? Everything will be okay!
Let's go out there and celebrate and enjoy the day!






Scooping up our corpse bride, we head out to get our due rewards...





- I've been hard at work, so the hygiene fell by the wayside!
Should I go clean up a bit before we head outside?

- You look great as it is Henry, you have my approval stamp.
Come on now, let's now keep 'em waiting. Go get them champ!

Can't wait...



Even our delusions are kind of pathetic.



SQUEAK



So wait... are we... Dorris?



I genuinely don't know if we're supposed to be rhyming here. I mean, it DOESN'T, but that hasn't stopped us yet...







I mean... we weren't... threatening them?

Is this a commentary on police brutality?





And so, we were insane the whole time!



FADE. TO. BLACK.

AND ROLL CREDITS.

THE END.

NO MORAL.

GO TO SLEEP.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS LET'S PLAY