Welcome to SNOWBOUND, a new interactive fiction story on Steemit.
Did you miss the first installment? Click here to find out what the hell is going on.
We return to our intrepid protagonist trudging through the snow as he comes upon some children building a snowman.
>unleash my superior snowman-building techniques in the most brutal way possible
The sight of some children fancifully playing while you're on the verge of freezing to death suddenly fills you with incredible rage. Why should some snot-nosed brats be having the time of their lives while you can't even feel your hands? And, to top it off, their technique is atrocious. The head is actually larger than the midsection, and it's not even properly rounded. The general impression is of an avant-garde art piece that's been mercilessly assaulted with a baseball bat. You crack your knuckles (or attempt to, though several of your numb fingers slip through your grip) and set out to show these kids how it's done.
But first things first: you need these kids to know exactly what you think of this disgrace of a snowman.
You stomp up to the children purposefully and cock your leg back. One of the children lets out a surprised yelp as you swing, the brunt of your shin connecting solidly with the snowman. White powder collapses around you as you let out a malicious laugh, but your sick pleasure is cut radically short as a body falls limply from inside the snowman.
A human body.
One of the children quickly hoists a (child-sized) assault rifle and points it at you, his adorable, puppy-dog eyes sparkling with murderous intent. He pulls the trigger, but nothing happens. It seems some snow has gotten into the gun and jammed the firing mechanism. The children look at each other in uncertainty for a moment, then make a bee-line for the hill behind them, quickly disappearing over it.
This was an unexpected turn of events.
You look down at the corpse in shock, and suddenly sense something unusual. Your fingertips seem to sizzle with an unknown heat, and as you kneel beside the body to take a closer look, your hands begin to glow, pulsing with energy. You shut your eyes tightly and hold your hands against your head as a sudden recollection overwhelms your senses.
Special Ability Recovered: 「COMMUNE」
You don't know why, but suddenly coming upon this person has awakened your latent ability to absorb another person's essence, gaining their memories and skills. You may have a forgotten connection to this man; unfortunately, it does not appear that he will be able to tell you what it is himself. Who is he? Why was he murdered by children? Your head pounds with questions to which you have no answers.
You're going to have to do something about this.