New Jeans: Dead Stock

Browser lacks capabilities required to play.

Upgrade or switch to another browser.

Loading…

<<set $trust = 1, $recognition = 0, $evidence = [], $pov = "Candy", $wearer = "", $split = false, $honestCandy = false, $honestSkull = false, $rescue = "", $ending = "", $taken = []>>

<div class="sidebar-title">NEW JEANS</div><div class="sidebar-sub">DEAD STOCK</div><p class="small">A Curse of the JNCOs story<br>Frank Questionmark Piccolella</p><hr><p><strong>Witness:</strong> <<= $pov>></p><p><strong>Connection:</strong> <<if $trust >= 3>>Holding together<<elseif $trust >= 1>>Within reach<<else>>Fraying<</if>></p><p><strong>The store:</strong> <<if $recognition >= 4>>Knows your size<<elseif $recognition >= 2>>Listening closely<<else>>Not quite still<</if>></p><p>Clues recovered: <<= $evidence.length>></p>[[Open evidence notebook->Notebook]]<hr><p class="small">Progress is autosaved when browser storage is available. Use Saves to keep a separate checkpoint. No sound or flashing effects.</p>

<<art "denim">><h1>Evidence notebook</h1><<if $evidence.length>><ul><<for _key range $evidence>><li><strong><<= setup.clues[_key][0]>></strong><br><<= setup.clues[_key][1]>></li><</for>></ul><<else>>You haven't secured any evidence yet.<</if>><p>Archive statements are claims. Compare them with what you and your companion actually witnessed.</p><<back "Return to the shift">>

<<set $scene = "storefront">> <<art "storefront">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Dead Stock</h1> <p class="tagline">Everything must go. Especially you.</p> At 9:47 p.m., Candy finds a pair of jeans that wasn't there at 9:46. New Jeans sits in a tired Florida shopping plaza. The sign promises THE ONLY PLACE FOR NEW JEANS. Most of the stock has already survived somebody else's youth. Tonight, only two employees remain: Skull, an ex-guitarist with silver rings and an unreliable car, and Candy, who remembers everyone's coffee order and knows which stockroom shelf is safe to lean on. <blockquote>“Skull.”<br>“If somebody clogged the toilet, I died yesterday.”<br>“We have inventory.”<br>“Tragic. In a clothing store.”</blockquote> <p class="small">An illustrated branching horror chapter. Themes of grief, entrapment, and identity. No gore. Choices can change relationships, clues, rescues, and endings.</p> <div class="choices"> <<link "Begin the closing shift" "Shelf">><</link>> <<link "How to play" "Help">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "storefront">> <<art "storefront">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Before you clock in</h1> Read each passage and choose what to say or do. Clues and cooperation open different routes; there is no single magic phrase you have to guess. You begin as Candy. Later, you can choose Skull's perspective. The companion remains part of the story. Open the evidence notebook from the sidebar. Back/forward history controls let you revisit a choice. Saves retain checkpoints where your browser permits local storage. Four endings are possible. You can replay immediately. This chapter can stand alone or connect to a larger Twinkles Archive game. <div class="choices"> <<link "Enter New Jeans" "Start">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>The nineteenth pair</h1> Three stacks. Six pairs each. Waistbands facing the aisle. Candy folded them herself. Now there are nineteen. The extra pair is black, heavy, and absurdly wide. Its cuffs are damp. The shelf is dry. Skull leans over. “Someone's knees are about to get their own zip codes.” <div class="choices"> <<link "Count the stock before touching anything" "Count">><</link>> <<link "Read the tag inside the waistband" "Tag">><</link>> <<link "Tell Skull to scan them. Get this shift over with." "Scanner">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Eighteen was enough</h1> <<run setup.clue("count")>>Candy photographs the shelf and writes EIGHTEEN BEFORE / NINETEEN NOW on the clipboard. “You believe me?” she asks. “I watched you fold those. I believe the shelf owes you an explanation.” The jeans rustle. Neither employee is touching them. <div class="choices"> <<link "Inspect the tag" "Tag">><</link>> <<link "Carry them to the register together" "Scanner">><<if !$taken.includes("Scanner:Carry them to the register together")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Scanner:Carry them to the register together")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Return to original condition</h1> <<run setup.clue("tag")>>A paper tag hangs from a brass safety pin. <div class="receipt">DEAD STOCK<br>PREVIOUS OWNER: PENDING<br>RETURN TO ORIGINAL CONDITION</div> Candy photographs both sides. Something clicks in the rear pocket. She turns the jeans upside down. Nothing falls. The click comes again. Farther away. <div class="choices"> <<link "Ask Skull what he thinks “original condition” means" "TagTalk">><</link>> <<link "Take them to the scanner" "Scanner">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>The first wrong answer</h1> “Could be a resale joke,” Skull says. “Vintage people love being mysterious about mildew.” Candy holds the tag out. “Pending isn't a name.” <div class="choices"> <<link "“Stay with me. If this gets weird, we do it together.”" "Scanner">><<if !$taken.includes("Scanner:“Stay with me. If this gets weird, we do it together.”")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Scanner:“Stay with me. If this gets weird, we do it together.”")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "“Then you can be the previous owner.” Hand him the jeans." "Wear">><<if !$taken.includes("Wear:“Then you can be the previous owner.” Hand him the jeans.")>><<set $trust -= 1>><<run $taken.push("Wear:“Then you can be the previous owner.” Hand him the jeans.")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "“Photograph everything. We may need proof.”" "Scanner">><<if !$taken.includes("Scanner:“Photograph everything. We may need proof.”")>><<run setup.clue("tag")>><<run $taken.push("Scanner:“Photograph everything. We may need proof.”")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>What year would you like back?</h1> The scanner beeps before Skull pulls the trigger. The register displays $0.00. Then: <div class="receipt">WHAT YEAR WOULD YOU LIKE BACK?</div> “Software update,” Skull says. Candy waits. “Very personal software update.” A guitar riff leaks through the ceiling speaker. Skull knows the cheap amplifier distortion. He used to play that riff in a band that dissolved without ever officially ending. <div class="choices"> <<link "Ask about the band" "BandTalk">><</link>> <<link "Unplug the scanner" "Unplug">><</link>> <<link "Try the jeans on. Maybe recognition needs an owner." "Wear">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "concert">> <<art "concert">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Best time of your life?</h1> Skull's hand stops above the register. “Basement shows. Four friends. One microphone. We thought we'd make it.” “Was it good?” Candy asks. “Some nights.” He smiles. “I keep forgetting the other nights.” <div class="choices"> <<link "“Tell me one of the other nights.”" "BandTruth">><<if !$taken.includes("BandTruth:“Tell me one of the other nights.”")>><<set $honestSkull = true, $trust += 1>><<run setup.clue("band")>><<run $taken.push("BandTruth:“Tell me one of the other nights.”")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "“You should have stayed with it.” Let the song play." "BandLure">><<if !$taken.includes("BandLure:“You should have stayed with it.” Let the song play.")>><<set $recognition += 2>><<run $taken.push("BandLure:“You should have stayed with it.” Let the song play.")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "“Tell me later. First we unplug this thing.”" "Unplug">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "concert">> <<art "concert">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>The broken microphone</h1> “The mic died halfway through our set,” Skull says. “We finished by shouting. Twelve people there. Three left.” He laughs. The riff misses a note. “Still loved it. Didn't need to be perfect.” The men's section shudders backward into its original place. Candy notices. “Say more true stuff.” <div class="choices"> <<link "Check the exit together" "Door">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "concert">> <<art "concert">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>One more show</h1> For a moment Skull hears a crowd calling his name. Not the sound of twelve bored people. Hundreds. The men's section moves six inches away without its wheels turning. “We were so close,” he whispers. Beyond the stockroom, blue carpet unfolds into a corridor. A fountain bubbles somewhere behind the wall. <div class="choices"> <<link "Pull him away from the music" "Door">><<if !$taken.includes("Door:Pull him away from the music")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Door:Pull him away from the music")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Let him listen a little longer" "Door">><<if !$taken.includes("Door:Let him listen a little longer")>><<set $recognition += 1>><<run $taken.push("Door:Let him listen a little longer")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Recognition accepted</h1> <<run setup.clue("scanner")>>Candy pulls the scanner plug. The screen stays on. <div class="receipt">RECOGNITION ACCEPTED</div> Skull dials the manager. The ceiling speaker rings. His own voice answers: “Thanks for calling New Jeans. Who did you used to be?” He hangs up. <div class="choices"> <<link "Test the front door" "Door">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>A perfect fit</h1> Skull slips into the jeans over his work trousers, laughing too loudly. They fit without bunching. His boots disappear beneath the cuffs. Then his laugh comes from the ceiling speaker. “Take them off,” Candy says. He pulls. The waistband won't move. “I would love to.”<<set $wearer = "Skull", $recognition += 2>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Help him, and keep him talking about tonight" "WearHelp">><<if !$taken.includes("WearHelp:Help him, and keep him talking about tonight")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("WearHelp:Help him, and keep him talking about tonight")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Ask what he sees inside the pocket" "WearPocket">><<if !$taken.includes("WearPocket:Ask what he sees inside the pocket")>><<set $recognition += 1>><<run $taken.push("WearPocket:Ask what he sees inside the pocket")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Hold still</h1> <<run setup.clue("exposure")>>Candy braces Skull against the counter. “You owe me eight seventy-three for dinner. Pay me before you become a mall.” He breathes. “Five hot-sauce packets. You said that was excessive.” “Still do.” The jeans loosen. He steps out. Candy doesn't laugh until his boots are clear. Something under the denim keeps the shape of his legs for another second.<<set $wearer = "">> <div class="choices"> <<link "Try the entrance" "Door">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "mall">> <<art "mall">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Available space</h1> <<run setup.clue("exposure")>>Skull looks down. Beyond the rear pocket, an arcade cabinet turns on. A younger version of himself stands beside it. “There's room,” the younger Skull says. Candy grabs his hands. “I'm here. Look at me.” He does. The waistband finally gives. They leave the jeans on the counter.<<set $wearer = "">> <div class="choices"> <<link "Get to the front door" "Door">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "storefront">> <<art "storefront">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>No outside</h1> The front door opens into New Jeans. Same counter. Same shelves. Same employee-of-the-month frame containing the manager's dog. Through the second storefront, Candy sees herself holding the first door open. She closes it carefully. “Okay. We are having a workplace incident.” The clock still reads 9:47. <div class="choices"> <<link "Document the duplicate entrance" "DoorRecord">><<if !$taken.includes("DoorRecord:Document the duplicate entrance")>><<run setup.clue("door")>><<run $taken.push("DoorRecord:Document the duplicate entrance")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Choose Skull’s perspective and investigate together" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Choose Skull’s perspective and investigate together")>><<set $pov = "Skull", $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Hub:Choose Skull’s perspective and investigate together")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Remain Candy and investigate together" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Remain Candy and investigate together")>><<set $pov = "Candy", $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Hub:Remain Candy and investigate together")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Split up. Cover more ground." "Split">><<if !$taken.includes("Split:Split up. Cover more ground.")>><<set $split = true, $trust -= 1>><<run $taken.push("Split:Split up. Cover more ground.")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "storefront">> <<art "storefront">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Two of the same</h1> They record the impossible entrance. Skull keeps one hand on Candy's shoulder. Both appear twice in the footage. “Good,” Candy says. “A witness who can confirm I'm losing my mind.” “Witnesses,” Skull says. “Plural. We're both seeing it.” <div class="choices"> <<link "Investigate as Candy" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Investigate as Candy")>><<set $pov = "Candy">><<run $taken.push("Hub:Investigate as Candy")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Investigate as Skull" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Investigate as Skull")>><<set $pov = "Skull">><<run $taken.push("Hub:Investigate as Skull")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Separate departments</h1> Skull heads toward security. Candy checks the fitting rooms. Neither walks more than ten feet before the other's footsteps stop. From the speaker: “Thank you for making room.” Candy's phone lights up with a photo of the two of them after last week's shift. A figure in huge jeans has appeared behind them. Its head is outside the frame. <div class="choices"> <<link "Call Skull back and apologize" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Call Skull back and apologize")>><<set $split = false, $trust += 2>><<run $taken.push("Hub:Call Skull back and apologize")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Continue alone toward the fitting room" "Curtain">><</link>> <<link "Switch to Skull at the security desk" "Cameras">><<if !$taken.includes("Cameras:Switch to Skull at the security desk")>><<set $pov = "Skull">><<run $taken.push("Cameras:Switch to Skull at the security desk")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Loss prevention</h1> <<if $pov is "Candy">>Candy marks the floor with tape. “We need things it can't make up.” Skull nods. “And a union.”<<else>>Skull keeps looking away from the speaker. “If I start acting seventeen, interrupt me.” “You already dress seventeen,” Candy says. “I'll watch for the attitude.”<</if>> The store has become wider than the plaza outside. The fitting-room curtain lifts and settles like a lung. The security monitor is still running. The stockroom smells of wet carpet. <div class="choices"> <<link "Inspect the fitting rooms" "Curtain">><</link>> <<link "Check the security cameras" "Cameras">><</link>> <<link "Measure the stockroom corridor" "Measure">><</link>> <<link "Ask your companion how they’re holding up" "CheckIn">><</link>> <<link "Read the receipt printer’s new message" "Intake">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>You can tell me</h1> <<if $pov is "Candy">>“You really miss the band,” Candy says. “I miss feeling like something might happen,” Skull says. “That's embarrassing.” “Only if you call it a business opportunity.”<<else>>Skull asks why Candy keeps watching the curtain. “Something behind it sounds like my mother,” she says. “She died six years ago. I don't want a pep talk.” “Okay. I'll stand here.”<</if>> <div class="choices"> <<link "“Tell me if it offers you something. We compare notes.”" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:“Tell me if it offers you something. We compare notes.”")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Hub:“Tell me if it offers you something. We compare notes.”")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "“Whatever it is, promise you won’t leave me behind.”" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:“Whatever it is, promise you won’t leave me behind.”")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Hub:“Whatever it is, promise you won’t leave me behind.”")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "“We don’t have time for this.”" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:“We don’t have time for this.”")>><<set $trust -= 1>><<run $taken.push("Hub:“We don’t have time for this.”")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Sixteen steps too many</h1> <<run setup.clue("measure")>>Candy tapes a line beside the register. Skull counts twelve steps to the stockroom. On the walk back it takes twenty-eight. He says, “Our landlord should charge the ghost.” Candy writes both measurements. Tape marks slide farther apart whenever the music rises. <div class="choices"> <<link "Return to the investigation" "Hub">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Sixteen feeds. Four cameras.</h1> <<run setup.clue("cameras")>>The security monitor shows sixteen feeds. New Jeans owns four cameras. One feed shows Skull on a stage, adored. Another shows a yellow kitchen. A third shows two workers endlessly folding black jeans. The live register feed contains two mannequins. One wears Skull's rings. The other has Candy's chipped pink nails. <div class="choices"> <<link "Photograph the feeds, then cover the monitor" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Photograph the feeds, then cover the monitor")>><<run setup.clue("doubles")>><<run $taken.push("Hub:Photograph the feeds, then cover the monitor")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Inspect Skull’s concert feed" "Concert">><</link>> <<link "Watch the figures fold" "CameraLure">><<if !$taken.includes("CameraLure:Watch the figures fold")>><<set $recognition += 1>><<run $taken.push("CameraLure:Watch the figures fold")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Training video</h1> The mannequins become more human as you watch. One lifts its head. “You're late,” it says. Your companion covers the screen with a promotional shirt. “That's enough orientation.” <div class="choices"> <<link "Thank them and regroup" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Thank them and regroup")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Hub:Thank them and regroup")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "“I had it under control.”" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:“I had it under control.”")>><<set $trust -= 1>><<run $taken.push("Hub:“I had it under control.”")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "kitchen">> <<art "kitchen">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Three little taps</h1> <<run setup.clue("token")>>A wet arcade token lies beneath the curtain. Candy picks it up with a receipt. One side reads TOMMY'S LAST GAME. The other bears scratched initials: T + D. Behind the curtain, a spoon taps a cup. Three times. Candy's mother used to do that before an early shift. “Baby?” says the voice. “Just let me see how it fits.” <div class="choices"> <<link "Ask Candy what her real kitchen looked like" "KitchenTruth">><</link>> <<link "Pull back the curtain just enough to look" "KitchenLook">><<if !$taken.includes("KitchenLook:Pull back the curtain just enough to look")>><<set $recognition += 1>><<run $taken.push("KitchenLook:Pull back the curtain just enough to look")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Follow the voice inside" "KitchenEnter">><<if !$taken.includes("KitchenEnter:Follow the voice inside")>><<set $recognition += 2>><<run $taken.push("KitchenEnter:Follow the voice inside")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Step away and tell Skull what you heard" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Step away and tell Skull what you heard")>><<set $split = false, $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Hub:Step away and tell Skull what you heard")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "kitchen">> <<art "kitchen">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>The cabinets are right</h1> <<run setup.clue("kitchen")>>Yellow cabinets. The burn mark beside the stove. Her mother's green sewing tin. Two cups. Two chairs. Candy had two brothers. That table never belonged to only two people. “It was better when it was just us,” the voice says. Her mother never said that. <div class="choices"> <<link "“You got the cabinets right. Everything else is wrong.”" "KitchenTruth">><</link>> <<link "“I know. But can I stay a minute?”" "KitchenEnter">><<if !$taken.includes("KitchenEnter:“I know. But can I stay a minute?”")>><<set $recognition += 1>><<run $taken.push("KitchenEnter:“I know. But can I stay a minute?”")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Close the curtain and keep the evidence" "Hub">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "kitchen">> <<art "kitchen">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Everything that mattered</h1> <<run setup.clue("kitchen")>>Candy describes the crowded table. Her brothers arguing. Her mother exhausted, sometimes impatient, never magically free of worry. “I miss her,” Candy says. “I even miss being mad at her.” The tapping stops. The kitchen light flickers. Skull stays beside her without trying to fill the silence.<<set $honestCandy = true, $split = false>> <div class="choices"> <<link "“Thanks for staying.” Return together." "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:“Thanks for staying.” Return together.")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Hub:“Thanks for staying.” Return together.")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Ask the voice who is wearing your mother" "KitchenAnswer">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "kitchen">> <<art "kitchen">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>A customer is always right</h1> For a moment the voice loses its warmth. “We can alter the memory,” it says. “Tell us where it pinches.” Candy closes the curtain. The sewing tin rattles on the other side.<<run setup.clue("counterfeit")>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Write down the answer" "Hub">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "kitchen">> <<art "kitchen">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>A place set for you</h1> Candy steps through. The air smells of starch and coffee. A chair slides out. Her mother keeps her face turned away. “Sit down. You don't have to be tired anymore.” The fitting-room curtain recedes behind Candy. Skull's voice becomes very small. <div class="choices"> <<link "Count the chairs. Look for the missing people." "KitchenTruth">><</link>> <<link "Call Skull by name" "RescueCandy">><<if !$taken.includes("RescueCandy:Call Skull by name")>><<set $rescue = "Candy">><<run $taken.push("RescueCandy:Call Skull by name")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Sit down. Just for a little while." "EmployeeCandy">><<if !$taken.includes("EmployeeCandy:Sit down. Just for a little while.")>><<set $ending = "Employee of the Month">><<run $taken.push("EmployeeCandy:Sit down. Just for a little while.")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "kitchen">> <<art "kitchen">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Keep talking</h1> Skull reaches through the curtain. His arm stretches impossibly. “What did we eat tonight?” he asks. Candy remembers the register, the rain, the five hot-sauce packets. The kitchen has no room for those things.<<if $trust >= 1 or $evidence.includes("count") or $evidence.includes("kitchen")>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Answer him. Take his hand." "Rescued">><<if !$taken.includes("Rescued:Answer him. Take his hand.")>><<set $trust += 1, $honestCandy = true>><<run $taken.push("Rescued:Answer him. Take his hand.")>><</if>><</link>> </div><<else>>His hand is slipping. You can still choose the crowded, imperfect kitchen you actually knew. <div class="choices"> <<link "Name the two brothers missing from this room" "Rescued">><<if !$taken.includes("Rescued:Name the two brothers missing from this room")>><<set $honestCandy = true, $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Rescued:Name the two brothers missing from this room")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Let the small voice go" "EmployeeCandy">><<if !$taken.includes("EmployeeCandy:Let the small voice go")>><<set $ending = "Employee of the Month">><<run $taken.push("EmployeeCandy:Let the small voice go")>><</if>><</link>> </div><</if>>

<<set $scene = "concert">> <<art "concert">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>No one leaves early</h1> A doorway opens beneath the monitor. Skull sees a basement stage. His younger self has the guitar he sold when rent came due. The microphone works. The crowd knows every word. “Your song's up,” the younger Skull says. Candy reaches for his wrist. <div class="choices"> <<link "Tell Candy about the night the microphone broke" "ConcertTruth">><</link>> <<link "Step into the basement" "ConcertEnter">><<if !$taken.includes("ConcertEnter:Step into the basement")>><<set $recognition += 2>><<run $taken.push("ConcertEnter:Step into the basement")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Stay at the security desk. Photograph the doorway." "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Stay at the security desk. Photograph the doorway.")>><<run setup.clue("band")>><<run $taken.push("Hub:Stay at the security desk. Photograph the doorway.")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "concert">> <<art "concert">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>The bad nights counted too</h1> <<run setup.clue("band")>>Skull remembers shouting over a dead mic. Someone spilling beer on a cable. Friends arguing about who should drive. “Some of it was awful,” he says. “I still loved them.” The perfect audience loses its faces. He puts his hand over Candy's. “Let's go.”<<set $honestSkull = true, $split = false, $trust += 1>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Return to the store" "Hub">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "concert">> <<art "concert">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Headliner</h1> Skull steps into red light. The guitar settles into his hands. For a moment his knees don't hurt. Candy calls from somewhere behind the amplifiers. The crowd begins chanting. Skull realizes they are all using his voice. <div class="choices"> <<link "Play the song. Become who you almost were." "EmployeeSkull">><<if !$taken.includes("EmployeeSkull:Play the song. Become who you almost were.")>><<set $ending = "Employee of the Month">><<run $taken.push("EmployeeSkull:Play the song. Become who you almost were.")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Tell the crowd what happened to the real band" "ConcertTruth">><</link>> <<link "Call Candy. You need someone outside the room." "RescueSkull">><<if !$taken.includes("RescueSkull:Call Candy. You need someone outside the room.")>><<set $rescue = "Skull">><<run $taken.push("RescueSkull:Call Candy. You need someone outside the room.")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "concert">> <<art "concert">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Eight seventy-three</h1> Candy holds out the dinner receipt. “You owe me eight seventy-three,” she says. “Not seventeen years. Dinner.” The crowd boos. Every face briefly becomes his own. “And you're giving me a ride,” Skull says. <div class="choices"> <<link "Put down the guitar and take her hand" "Rescued">><<if !$taken.includes("Rescued:Put down the guitar and take her hand")>><<set $honestSkull = true, $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Rescued:Put down the guitar and take her hand")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "“One song. Then I’m coming.”" "EmployeeSkull">><<if !$taken.includes("EmployeeSkull:“One song. Then I’m coming.”")>><<set $ending = "Employee of the Month">><<run $taken.push("EmployeeSkull:“One song. Then I’m coming.”")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Two witnesses</h1> They stumble back into New Jeans. Your companion holds on until the floor stops sliding. “No more solo investigations,” Candy says. Skull nods. “I have retired from the music industry and supernatural retail.”<<set $split = false>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Document what happened" "Hub">><<if !$taken.includes("Hub:Document what happened")>><<run setup.clue("rescue")>><<run $taken.push("Hub:Document what happened")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Go straight to the receipt printer" "Intake">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>A helpful recommendation</h1> <<run setup.clue("archive")>>The receipt printer chatters. <div class="receipt">TWINKLES ARCHIVE / INTAKE<br>LOCATION: NEW JEANS<br>GARMENT: UNOWNED<br>WITNESSES: 2<br>RECOMMENDED ACTION:<br>TRANSFER TO RECOGNIZED OWNER<br>CUSTOMER MATCH: DOUG</div> “Vintage collector,” Skull says. “Calls about old stock.” Candy looks at the unplugged scanner. “If it knows him, why does it need us?” <div class="choices"> <<link "Compare the recommendation with your evidence" "Verify">><</link>> <<link "Call Doug. Maybe he knows what this is." "DougCall">><</link>> <<link "Refuse to transfer it. “We’re not doing that to someone.”" "Mannequin">><<if !$taken.includes("Mannequin:Refuse to transfer it. “We’re not doing that to someone.”")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Mannequin:Refuse to transfer it. “We’re not doing that to someone.”")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Send a sales message. Get the garment out of the store." "Transfer">><<if !$taken.includes("Transfer:Send a sales message. Get the garment out of the store.")>><<set $ending = "Customer Satisfaction">><<run $taken.push("Transfer:Send a sales message. Get the garment out of the store.")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>The record is lying</h1> The printer produces a correction. <div class="receipt">WITNESSES: 1</div> Your companion is beside you. You cross out the number and write 2. The printer stops. <<if $evidence.includes("tag")>>The tag says the owner is pending. The Archive calls someone recognized. Neither is proof of ownership.<</if>> <<if $evidence.includes("cameras")>>Sixteen feeds from four cameras: the store has already shown that a recorded image can lie.<</if>><<run setup.clue("lie")>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Keep the false report as evidence" "Mannequin">><<if !$taken.includes("Mannequin:Keep the false report as evidence")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Mannequin:Keep the false report as evidence")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Try Doug’s number anyway" "DougCall">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Please hold</h1> The store phone rings once. Then a child's voice says, “Don't let it wear him.” Static swallows the next words. You cannot tell who answered, or whether this call ever left New Jeans. The register displays: <div class="receipt">CUSTOMER WAITING</div><<run setup.clue("call")>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Hang up. Do not offer the jeans." "Mannequin">><<if !$taken.includes("Mannequin:Hang up. Do not offer the jeans.")>><<set $trust += 1>><<run $taken.push("Mannequin:Hang up. Do not offer the jeans.")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Tell the voice where to collect the garment" "Transfer">><<if !$taken.includes("Transfer:Tell the voice where to collect the garment")>><<set $ending = "Customer Satisfaction">><<run $taken.push("Transfer:Tell the voice where to collect the garment")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Your replacements are ready</h1> The jeans have vanished from the counter. A mannequin stands beside the fitting rooms wearing them. New Jeans doesn't own that mannequin. Candy's name badge is pinned to its chest. Its head turns. Fitting-room doors multiply. Behind each is a laugh, an apology, a dog scratching at a door. Something someone would cross a dark hallway to hear again. The mannequin bends. Its pocket opens onto an entire mall. <div class="choices"> <<link "Look into the pocket. Find the way the space connects." "Pocket">><<if !$taken.includes("Pocket:Look into the pocket. Find the way the space connects.")>><<set $recognition += 1>><<run $taken.push("Pocket:Look into the pocket. Find the way the space connects.")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Stay close and compare what happened tonight" "Anchor">><</link>> <<link "Run for the front door without the garment" "Run">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "mall">> <<art "mall">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Employee entrance</h1> <<run setup.clue("pocket")>>Blue star-pattern carpet. A fountain. Arcade cabinets glowing without anyone at the controls. At a distant counter, two workers fold jeans. One wears Skull's rings. The other has Candy's nails. <<if $recognition >= 4>>They look almost human now. You can hear them deciding who will drive home.<</if>> The PA whispers, “Your replacements are ready.” <div class="choices"> <<link "Call to the figures. Ask what they remember about tonight" "Doubles">><</link>> <<link "Step into the pocket mall" "MallEnter">><<if !$taken.includes("MallEnter:Step into the pocket mall")>><<set $recognition += 1>><<run $taken.push("MallEnter:Step into the pocket mall")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Back away together. Remember the present." "Anchor">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "mall">> <<art "mall">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Five hot-sauce packets</h1> “What did we eat?” Candy calls. The figures look at each other. “You were happy,” they answer together. “No,” Skull says. “We were hungry.” The nearer figure smiles without moving its lips.<<run setup.clue("counterfeit")>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Use the ordinary things it left out" "Anchor">><</link>> <<link "Ask it to let you go in exchange for a customer" "Transfer">><<if !$taken.includes("Transfer:Ask it to let you go in exchange for a customer")>><<set $ending = "Customer Satisfaction">><<run $taken.push("Transfer:Ask it to let you go in exchange for a customer")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "mall">> <<art "mall">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>You are here</h1> Inside the pocket, New Jeans appears on every side of the mall. Each storefront contains a version of the closing shift. Your companion grips your sleeve. A directory has only one entry: <div class="receipt">NEW JEANS<br>YOU WERE HERE</div> You can keep walking into the past. Or try to find the real register by describing what happened there tonight. <div class="choices"> <<link "Describe dinner, rain, and the broken stockroom chair" "Anchor">><<if !$taken.includes("Anchor:Describe dinner, rain, and the broken stockroom chair")>><<run setup.clue("present")>><<run $taken.push("Anchor:Describe dinner, rain, and the broken stockroom chair")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Accept a place at the distant register" "EmployeeBoth">><<if !$taken.includes("EmployeeBoth:Accept a place at the distant register")>><<set $ending = "Employee of the Month">><<run $taken.push("EmployeeBoth:Accept a place at the distant register")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Follow your companion back through the stitched opening" "Run">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Today counts</h1> Candy picks up the closing clipboard. “How many pairs before these?” “Eighteen,” Skull says. “And you folded every one.” “Who bought dinner?” “You. Eight seventy-three. Five hot-sauce packets.” As they speak, the shelf moves closer. The floor stops lengthening. <<if $honestCandy>>Candy can still hear the spoon. “I can miss her without going in there,” she says.<</if>> <<if $honestSkull>>“Our band had good nights,” Skull says. “That doesn't make tonight disposable.”<</if>> The mannequin reaches for Candy. Her name badge hangs from its chest. <div class="choices"> <<link "Use the dinner receipt to hold on to tonight" "Dinner">><<if !$taken.includes("Dinner:Use the dinner receipt to hold on to tonight")>><<run setup.clue("present")>><<run $taken.push("Dinner:Use the dinner receipt to hold on to tonight")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Ask your companion to tell you something true" "Truth">><</link>> <<link "Make a dash for the badge and the garment" "Attempt">><</link>> <<link "Leave the object and get out together" "Run">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>A receipt for the present</h1> Skull finds the dinner receipt beneath the register. Candy remembers the clerk dropping extra sauce into the bag. Skull remembers the rain starting as they ran across the plaza. They ate standing up because the stockroom chair was broken. The perfect kitchens and concerts fall silent. Nothing glamorous happened at dinner. Both of them were there.<<set $trust += 1>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Take back the badge and contain the jeans" "Attempt">><</link>> <<link "Get both people outside while the door is real" "Run">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "aisles">> <<art "aisles">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>No perfect version</h1> <<if $pov is "Candy">>Skull says, “I keep telling myself my life ended when the band did. It didn't. I just don't know what to do next.” Candy answers, “You can call the mechanic tomorrow. Start small.”<<else>>Candy says, “I wanted to open that curtain even when I knew it was wrong.” Skull answers, “You told me. You came back. That matters.”<</if>> The mannequin's hand trembles. Its fingers have no joints.<<set $trust += 1, $honestSkull = true, $honestCandy = true>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Recover the badge and contain the garment" "Attempt">><</link>> <<link "Walk away together" "Run">><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Return to sender</h1> <<if ($evidence.length >= 3 and $trust >= 1) or ($trust >= 3 and ($honestCandy or $honestSkull))>> The distance collapses. Candy snatches her badge from the mannequin. Skull lifts the jeans by their hanger. They lay the garment flat in an empty plastic stock bin. Candy writes: <div class="receipt">ORIGIN UNKNOWN<br>DO NOT SELL<br>DO NOT WEAR</div> Skull adds both their names. The lid clicks shut. <div class="choices"> <<link "Leave together and file the incident report" "Closed">><<if !$taken.includes("Closed:Leave together and file the incident report")>><<set $ending = "Closed Together">><<run $taken.push("Closed:Leave together and file the incident report")>><</if>><</link>> </div><<else>> The floor stretches under your feet. You reach for the badge but cannot touch it. Your companion pulls you back before the pocket opens beneath you. “We need something solid,” Candy says. “Something we both know happened.” <div class="choices"> <<link "Search the counter for the dinner receipt" "Dinner">><</link>> <<link "Talk honestly with your companion" "Truth">><</link>> <<link "Stop trying to contain it. Get out." "Run">><</link>> </div><</if>>

<<set $scene = "storefront">> <<art "storefront">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>The door is briefly real</h1> For a moment the storefront shows the actual parking lot. Rain. The dent in Candy's car. The dark pet store next door. The garment remains inside. <<if $split>>You cannot see your companion. Their voice comes from two different aisles.<<else>>Your companion is close enough to reach.<</if>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Call their name. Wait until you can take their hand." "Overtime">><<if !$taken.includes("Overtime:Call their name. Wait until you can take their hand.")>><<set $split = false, $ending = "Overtime">><<run $taken.push("Overtime:Call their name. Wait until you can take their hand.")>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Return for the garment" "Anchor">><</link>> <<link "Run without waiting" "Alone">><<if !$taken.includes("Alone:Run without waiting")>><<set $ending = "Employee of the Month">><<run $taken.push("Alone:Run without waiting")>><</if>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "storefront">> <<art "storefront">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Closed Together</h1> <div class="ending-label">ENDING 01 / TEMPORARY CONTAINMENT</div> At 7:12 a.m., Skull and Candy sit outside in Candy's car. They have refused to open the store. Two incident reports wait in the manager's inbox. He finds the sealed bin. Photographs the warning. Starts typing a message to Doug about a strange vintage pair. Before he sends it, the printer interrupts: <div class="receipt">NIGHT STAFF: RESOLVED<br>GARMENT STATUS: AVAILABLE</div> Candy's phone buzzes. CAN ONE OF YOU COVER TONIGHT? They laugh. Then the second message arrives. WE ALREADY HAVE YOUR SIZES.<<run setup.complete()>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Review this Archive outcome" "Outcome">><</link>> <<link "Start another shift" "Start">><<run setup.reset()>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "kitchen">> <<art "kitchen">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Employee of the Month</h1> <div class="ending-label">ENDING 02 / CANDY RETAINED</div> Candy sits at the kitchen table. The spoon taps three times. Her mother never turns around. Outside, Skull finds Candy waiting by the register. Her cardigan is dry. Her name badge is perfectly straight. “Ready?” she asks. The real Candy pounds on a yellow cabinet wall that has no fitting room on its other side. The replacement knows the coffee order. It does not remember the brothers.<<set $rescue = "Candy">><<run setup.complete()>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Record the missing witness" "Outcome">><</link>> <<link "Try another route" "Start">><<run setup.reset()>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "concert">> <<art "concert">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Employee of the Month</h1> <div class="ending-label">ENDING 02 / SKULL RETAINED</div> Skull plays one song. The crowd cheers in his voice. The song does not end. Candy finds him behind the register. He has folded every pair. Even the damp one. “Car started,” he says. “You don't have to drive me.” She looks at his rings. They are on the wrong fingers. Deep inside the jeans, an amplifier hums.<<set $rescue = "Skull">><<run setup.complete()>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Record the missing witness" "Outcome">><</link>> <<link "Try another route" "Start">><<run setup.reset()>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "mall">> <<art "mall">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Employee of the Month</h1> <div class="ending-label">ENDING 02 / TWO WITNESSES RETAINED</div> The distant counter feels familiar. There is a stack to fold. A clock reading 9:47. Outside the pocket, two perfect employees lock New Jeans. They do not need dinner, a mechanic, or someone who will listen. Inside, Skull asks Candy how long they've been here. She counts the jeans again. Nineteen.<<set $rescue = "Both">><<run setup.complete()>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Record the disappearance" "Outcome">><</link>> <<link "Try another route" "Start">><<run setup.reset()>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "storefront">> <<art "storefront">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Employee of the Month</h1> <div class="ending-label">ENDING 02 / ONE WITNESS UNACCOUNTED FOR</div> You cross the parking lot before turning around. Your companion stands behind the glass. They wave. Their hand keeps waving after the rest of them goes still. Your phone receives a text: I'LL FINISH YOUR CLOSING DUTIES. You cannot tell whether it is gratitude or a threat.<<set $rescue = ($pov is "Candy" ? "Skull" : "Candy")>><<run setup.complete()>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Record what you left behind" "Outcome">><</link>> <<link "Try another route" "Start">><<run setup.reset()>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Customer Satisfaction</h1> <div class="ending-label">ENDING 03 / EXPOSURE TRANSFERRED</div> You send the offer from the store phone. A reply arrives immediately. I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THOSE. No name. No number. Only a delivery slip with DOUG printed where the signature should be. The aisles shrink. The front door opens onto rain. An empty pickup bag rests on the counter where the jeans were. You have no proof Doug received them. You have proof someone wanted you to arrange it. Skull looks at Candy. Neither says the store is safe.<<run setup.complete()>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Record the transfer attempt" "Outcome">><</link>> <<link "Try another route" "Start">><<run setup.reset()>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "storefront">> <<art "storefront">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Overtime</h1> <div class="ending-label">ENDING 04 / LOCATION STILL ACTIVE</div> Skull and Candy reach the parking lot together. Behind the glass, the aisle keeps moving. Candy counts the windows. Four from the outside. Too many from within. They photograph it. They agree that neither will return alone. The next morning, New Jeans advertises an expansion. No construction crew has been hired.<<run setup.complete()>> <div class="choices"> <<link "Record the active location" "Outcome">><</link>> <<link "Try another route" "Start">><<run setup.reset()>><</link>> </div>

<<set $scene = "denim">> <<art "denim">> <div class="eyebrow">NEW JEANS / CLOSING SHIFT</div> <h1>Recovered outcome</h1> <div class="receipt">TWINKLES ARCHIVE / PLAYER RECORD<br>OUTCOME: <<= $ending.toUpperCase()>><br>WITNESS PERSPECTIVE: <<= $pov.toUpperCase()>><br>CLUES: <<= $evidence.length>><br>LOCATION: NEW JEANS</div> <<if $ending is "Closed Together">>Your incident report becomes an entry point for a later investigation. The garment is contained temporarily; its history remains unresolved.<<elseif $ending is "Customer Satisfaction">>A later chapter can investigate the delivery slip and find who answered the offer. Doug's receipt of the garment is unconfirmed.<<elseif $ending is "Overtime">>New Jeans remains a reachable, unstable location. You have both witnesses for a return visit.<<else>>A later chapter can search for the retained witness and distinguish a person from their imitation.<</if>> <h2>Your recovered clues</h2><<if $evidence.length>><ul><<for _key range $evidence>><li><<= setup.clues[_key][0]>></li><</for>></ul><<else>>No physical evidence secured.<</if>> <<button "Export this outcome as JSON">><<run setup.exportOutcome()>><</button>> <p class="small">This is an optional bridge to the larger game. No external account or Archive visit is required.</p> <h2>Explore the story world</h2><a href="https://thefrankportfolio.org/archive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Archive</a> · <a href="https://thefrankportfolio.org/archive-part-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Archive Part Two</a> <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/26ZKjiVsTLhmhthaa5P8nL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doug's Playlist</a> · <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Mgc8DF68VSmGRCHekpO58" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twinkles Playlist</a> <div class="choices"> <<link "Replay from the beginning" "Start">><<run setup.reset()>><</link>> </div>