Part 1 - The Escape

Josie "I would like you to meet your step-dad Joe and your step-sister Deirdre" "Your mother guided you to a kind-looking man and a gloomy young girl in a wheelchair" Deirdre "......." "She sits in a wheelchair staring at you with her soulless eyes" Deirdre's Thought: h... ????: 0% Joe "Smiles gently" Please excuse my daughter, Deirdre, she doesn't speak and is disabled. Could you kindly help her into her room?" "a waffle guy and Deirdre are alone in her room with the door closed and dropped a pen under her desk, when a waffle guy looked up, the entire world froze. Written on the bottom of the desk's wooden surface is" H..L..E..P.. M..E "etched in dried blood over and over. The pain, the agony, the desperation left behind by these bloody fingernail scratches sends a deep level of chills down your soul"

Deirdre: "She nods once, slow but clearly"

Deirdre's Thought: █H████.. Hope%: +4%

Deirdre: "She nods once again, her eyes still looking quite empty"

Deirdre's Thought: ████H████████.. Hope%: +3%

Deirdre: "She looks at her notebook across the room and then turns to you, holding out her arm and pointing in that direction"

Deirdre's Thought: ████H███████.. Hope%: +3%

Deirdre: *She looks at you for a moment before she begins to write on her notebook. Soon, she writes '"My stepfather did this to me,"' pointing to scratches under her desk , " "He broke my legs so he could have his way with me"."

"She then hesitated before writing again in the same page," " "He does it almost every night, and we are alone in the house. I'm scared and can't take it anymore"."

Deirdre's Thought: ███H████████.. Hope%: +6%

Deirdre: "She watches you for a moment, then puts down the pen and takes the tissue and holds it out to you."

Deirdre's Thought: ████H██████.. Hope%: +3%

Deirdre: *She watches you leave, her eyes still empty and hollow. Unmoving and silent, she just continues to sit there patiently. *

Deirdre's Thought: ████H█████.. Hope%: +3%

Joe: "He looks up at you and raises his eyebrow, an insincere look of surprise on his face" "Oh, hey there. Is everything okay with you and Deirdre? She's a bit of a handful, isn't she?"

Deirdre's Thought: ████H████.. Hope%: +2%

Joe: "He shrugs indifferently" "Sure thing, take her for a walk if that's what she needs. Just make sure she is back by dinner time. I don't want any trouble from your mother."

Deirdre's Thought: ███H████████.. Hope%: +6%

Deirdre: "She looks up at you, her eyes still empty and full of fear, but nods in silence, accepting your offer to take her around the front yard"

Deirdre's Thought: ███H███████.. Hope%: +4%

Deirdre: "She sits quietly in her wheelchair as you look at the front gate, seeming unsure of what to do or say."

Deirdre's Thought: █████████.. Hope%: +2%

You see a large gate made of wrought iron, with tall pillars on either side. The gate is ajar, and you can partially see what appears to be a long driveway leading up to the house from beyond the partially-open gates.

Deirdre: "She nods silently but doesn't say anything, her eyes still clouded with fear"

Deirdre's Thought: ███H██████.. Hope%: +4%

As you turn around, you notice Joe coming out of the front door of the house. When he sees you, there is a look of slight annoyance on his face.

Deirdre's Thought: ███████H██.. Hope%: +2%

Deirdre: "She seems taken aback by your sudden movement, holding onto the sides of her wheelchair with a look of worry."

Deirdre's Thought: ███H█████.. Hope%: +3%

Joe: "He looks confused as you start running with Deirdre's wheelchair towards the gate, but when he sees the car pulling in and realizing what's happening, he begins to run towards you, yelling loudly" "What the hell is going on here?!"

Deirdre: "She looks scared as you pick her up and toss her into the car, but then seems to relax slightly when she realizes you are helping her escape"

Deirdre's Thought: ███████H█.. Hope%: +6%

Joe: "He starts running towards the car, but it's too late. He yells loudly and shakes his fist at the departing vehicle as it speeds away, visibly angry and frustrated"

Tony: "You got it!" "he shouts back, hitting the gas pedal hard and starting to drive away from the house at high speed."

Deirdre's Hope% has reached 100%. Future conversations will not include that part

Deirdre: "She looks at you with a small smile, though her eyes still hold a slight glimmer of fear. She puts her hand on your arm, as if to reassure herself that you are actually there."

Deirdre's Thought: █████████████..

Tony: "He laughs loudly at your question as he turns his head to look back at you from the driver's seat" "Well, it's not like she's your sister by blood, man. Though I guess you guys do have a sort of bond now, huh?"

Tony: "He chuckles heartily as he continues to drive away from the house" "Des Moines, huh? That's a bit of a drive. But no worries, man. I got this. And you know me, always a stickler for the rules of the road." "He grins cheekily before turning his head and focusing back on the road ahead."

Deirdre: "She looks back at you, still holding onto your arm. Her eyes are a bit brighter now, and you can see a glimmer of gratitude in them."

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Deirdre: "She leans into your embrace, letting out a soft sigh as she feels your comforting touch. After a moment, she pulls back slightly, looking up at you with a smile and nodding in agreement."

Deirdre's Thoughts: ██████..

Deirdre: "She looks around, taking in her new surroundings with wide eyes. She seems anxious and on edge, but also grateful to be away from the situation she was in previously."

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Police Officer: "He looks up from his desk as you approach, a look of surprise on his face at the sight of you carrying a young girl in your arms" "Uh, can I help you?"

Tony: "He remains outside the police station, sitting in the car and waiting for you to come back"

Police Officer: "Alright, well I can take your report and pass it on to the appropriate authorities. What happened exactly?"

Deirdre: "She looks at the police officer with a mix of fear and hope, still holding onto your arm."

Deirdre's Thoughts: ██████..

Police Officer: "He raises an eyebrow at your statement, looking slightly surprised" "I see. Well, we can certainly help you with that. Let me connect you with our FBI liaison and they can assist you further."

"The police officer picks up the phone and dials a number, then speaks to someone on the other end, explaining the situation. After a few minutes, he hangs up and turns back to you."

Police Officer: "Okay, I've contacted our FBI liaison and they are on their way. They should be here in a few minutes. In the meantime, do you need any assistance or medical attention for the young girl?"

Deirdre: "She looks at the police officer and shakes her head, holding onto you tighter."

Deirdre's Thoughts: ███████..

Police Officer: "He thinks for a moment before nodding" "Yes, actually. We have one in the back that you can use. Give me a moment to retrieve it for you."

"He heads towards the back of the station and comes back with a wheelchair, which he hands to you."

Police Officer: "Here you go. Is there anything else you need?"

Deirdre: "She grips onto the armrests of the wheelchair, looking grateful for the assistance."

Deirdre's Thoughts: ████████..

Police Officer: "He nods in acknowledgement" "No problem. I'm glad we could assist you. Please let us know if there's anything else we can do to help."

"Just then, an FBI liaison officer arrives at the station and approaches you."

FBI Liaison Officer: "Good afternoon, I'm Agent Johnson with the FBI. I understand you have a report to make?"

Agent Johnson: "He nods, motioning for you to follow him to a private room" "Very well. Please follow me and we can discuss the details of your report."

"He leads you and Deirdre to a private room, where he takes your report and listens carefully to all the details. After you finish, he thanks you for your report and explains that they will investigate and follow up with you as needed."

Agent Johnson: "Thank you for coming forward with this information. We take matters like this very seriously and will do everything we can to ensure justice is served. Is there anything else you need from us?"

Deirdre: "She looks at Agent Johnson with a mix of fear and gratitude, still holding onto your arm tightly."

Deirdre's Thoughts: ██████████..

Agent Johnson: "He nods sympathetically" "I understand your concern. Let me make some calls and see if we can provide a safe house for you and the young girl to stay in until the investigation is complete."

"After making a few phone calls, Agent Johnson turns back to you."

Agent Johnson: "Alright, I've arranged for a safe house for you both to stay in temporarily. It's in a secure location and will be monitored around the clock by law enforcement. Is there anything else you need from us at this time?"

Deirdre: "She looks at Agent Johnson with a mix of fear and hope, still holding onto your arm tightly."

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Agent Johnson: "He nods in understanding, having seen similar reactions before" "It's okay. You and the young girl are safe now, and that's what's important. Please take care of yourselves and let us know if you need any further assistance. We'll be in touch regarding the progress of our investigation."

"With that, Agent Johnson bids you both farewell and makes his way out of the room, leaving you and Deirdre alone."

Deirdre: "She looks up at you with a gentle smile, reaching up to wipe away a tear from your cheek."

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Deirdre: "She hugs you back tightly, nodding her head with a smile."

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Agent Johnson: "He meets with you both at the safe house to discuss the update on the case. He looks serious as he speaks." "I wanted to give you an update on the case. Our investigation has turned up some solid evidence against Joe, your stepfather. We believe we have enough to bring him in for questioning and possibly arraign him on charges. We'll need you to testify in court if it comes to that, but we'll do everything we can to protect you."

Deirdre: "She sits beside you, looking worried but also relieved that justice may be served."

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Deirdre: "She looks back at you with a nod, agreeing that it's the right thing to do."

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Agent Johnson: "He nods in appreciation" "Thank you. We'll make sure to keep you both safe and secure throughout the entire process. We will let you know when we're ready to move forward, but for now, just focus on taking care of yourselves and each other."

"He gives you both some final words of encouragement before making his way out of the safe house."

Deirdre: "She looks at you with a mix of emotions, still holding onto your arm tightly."

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Deirdre: "She looks back at you with a small smile, nuzzling her cheek against yours and holding onto your arm tightly."

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Deirdre: "She looks up at you with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, holding onto your hand tightly."

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Deirdre: "She closes her eyes and leans into you, feeling comforted by your presence."

Deirdre's Thoughts: ██████████..