[ The stage grows dark during the "commercial break", but she can tell it's anything but a break. Jesse glances around at the missing crowd, the missing band. It's unnerving now. Not that she'd show it.
« How long is this going to go on? How many more "segments" does this guy need? This might not even actually be helping Alan. Or, getting to him. Whatever it is. This isn't a dream or a nightmare. It's some weird... in between both. Like being at the Motel between loops. I don't like it here. » ]
Well, Miss Faden. I suppose I should thank you for playing along as you have. I believe we can take it from this point on. That is to mean that your presence as it is not required.
So, that's it? Just like that? I can go home?
Finding your way home will be on your own end. Maybe if you can, you can find a way to show that writer of yours out.
[ The lights flicker once more before the studio remains dark. Door is gone. Jesse glances around before slowly standing. It feels as if everyone and everything is looking at her. Which, is entirely insane, as there's nothing in the studio with her.
Right?
She takes one more look around before slowly stepping off the elevated stage onto the rest of the set.
« It's still so hard to hear you. Like, you're far away. The channel is right, but the frequency? Reception? It's so low. It shouldn't be like that here. What about this place does that? »
She walks down the few steps by the stage onto the carpeted area where there would be an audience. No audience, not even a shade or outline or shadow. Her pace quickens as she practically stomps down the isle to the back doors and throws them open. A cafeteria?
Then... humming.
« No. No way, it can't be. Why would HE be here? »
Jesse immediately follows the humming and finds a door with a familiar poster on it. Her eyes light up as she smiles, pushing the door open to find that friendly familiar face. The Oldest House's janitor... who has been on vacation for quite a while. He humsa familiar tune. Of course she knows that tune. The janitor is the one that gifted her the song to begin with. ]
Ahti!
[ The janitor looks up and chuckles. ] Ah, my assistant! Lost, are we? In the dark without a light? You ought to know better by now!
[ Jesse laughs a little nervously and crosses the way to him. ] Yeah... I uh, well. I didn't ask to come here. Wherever here is. Uhm, Mr. Door brought me here? And then left me here as well.
[ Ahti clicks his tongue and rambles on in Finnish before pointing the mop stick at him. She smiles again, because, she's realized how much she's missed his presence in the Oldest House. ] Ya, ya, that Door. But, isn't that the thing about doors? They go both ways! What you can go in, you can go out.
...Right. And, the door that I could theoretically go out and in through?
[ The janitor turns and gestures to the door behind him. ] In the basement, of course!
[ « It's always the basement. Isn't it? Am I still in the horror story? » ]
Thanks, Ahti. Uhm... I... was wondering something. It's been hard to hear her--Polaris--since I got here? Do you know why? [ Jesse presumes Ahti knows all about that, given his otherwordliness. There's no reason to try and act dumb. ] It's like I can't turn the volume up. If that makes sense at all.
[ Ahti hums slightly before muttering to himself. ] The Dark does not like what can't make it darker. Tunes out the bright things. Makes it harder to hear, to see, to move. But! You've got no worries on that do you? I picked a good assistant. Never loses sight of what she needs to do, even if those prickly paskiaiset get inside your head sometimes.
Yeah. That's me... I try, anyways. I need to get going...are you coming back to the Oldest House?
[ He chuckles. ] Oh, you miss old Ahti! Once your loops are done looping and your poems ending, the sun will come through, and Tom will find his way home. Then, holiday! And back home.
[ « So... he hasn't been on vacation? » ]
No! Tom's little mess of a story interrupted my sauna! Doesn't understand that to a Finn, holidays are sacred! [ Ahti just sighs and smiles. ] But don't you worry about that!
Right... okay. Well, best of luck with Tom. I guess. See you on the other side?
[ The janitor waves her away and Jesse takes the hint that she shouldn't be lingering. Jesse gives him one more smile before stepping around him and heading to the back door, past the bucket and puddle on the floor. Weird. Ahti never leaves a mess.
She closes the door behind her and begins to navigate the confusing arrange of ...whatever the basement really is. Boiler room? Storage? Maze? It seems that it's all that at once. At one point she finds herself stepping into another puddle, like the area is flooded. It only goes up to her ankles, but it's enough to catch her attention.
« Good thing these aren't really my clothes. »
Eventually she comes to what seems to be a dead end. But, it's the only way to go. She looks on either side of her, down at the water, up at the ceiling. There's nothing to grab onto and climb. She groans loudly, throwing her hands down at her sides dramatically. ]
Now what the hell am I supposed to do?
♫ Hissing noises in the hallway Bloodshot eyes, staring through, what seeds are sown? ♫
[ Jesse pauses as she feels something resonate. Vibrate. It's not Polaris, but it's something familiar and similar. Her eyes move back upwards as she can hear the distant lyrics and music of the song she knows too well. Then, she sees a burst of light.
Her surroundings change.
She turns around immediately, finding herself in the same space, but the water is gone. The room is ordered and cleaned. The music is clearer and there's a light above her. She flexes her hands, feeling her own power resonate slightly stronger in her.
« Was that you? Did you change things? ...No? Then what, or who did? »
Jesse half turns once more and her gaze lands on a familiar cord hanging from the ceiling. ]
♫ Who'll survive the blood red power play? Who'll take control, whose name will be known? ♫
[ Jesse curls her hand around the Light Switch Cord. Questions later, time to get moving while she can. She tugs once.
The room changes once again to a different room. The light is still there, but there's a bucket and a mop. Metal shelves with televisions on them. A... lot of televisions.
« Weird... »
She tugs twice.
The room doesn't change but all the screens light up. It's all the same image, the same sound, and Jesse finds herself rooted in spot. She's never seen the room on the television, but she knows the man on it. She knows the voice.
Her hand lowers from the Light Switch Cord as she walks up to the wall of screens that feature none other than Alan Wake. ]
— special guest iii.
« How long is this going to go on? How many more "segments" does this guy need? This might not even actually be helping Alan. Or, getting to him. Whatever it is. This isn't a dream or a nightmare. It's some weird... in between both. Like being at the Motel between loops. I don't like it here. » ]
Well, Miss Faden. I suppose I should thank you for playing along as you have. I believe we can take it from this point on. That is to mean that your presence as it is not required.
So, that's it? Just like that? I can go home?
Finding your way home will be on your own end. Maybe if you can, you can find a way to show that writer of yours out.
[ The lights flicker once more before the studio remains dark. Door is gone. Jesse glances around before slowly standing. It feels as if everyone and everything is looking at her. Which, is entirely insane, as there's nothing in the studio with her.
Right?
She takes one more look around before slowly stepping off the elevated stage onto the rest of the set.
« It's still so hard to hear you. Like, you're far away. The channel is right, but the frequency? Reception? It's so low. It shouldn't be like that here. What about this place does that? »
She walks down the few steps by the stage onto the carpeted area where there would be an audience. No audience, not even a shade or outline or shadow. Her pace quickens as she practically stomps down the isle to the back doors and throws them open. A cafeteria?
Then... humming.
« No. No way, it can't be. Why would HE be here? »
Jesse immediately follows the humming and finds a door with a familiar poster on it. Her eyes light up as she smiles, pushing the door open to find that friendly familiar face. The Oldest House's janitor... who has been on vacation for quite a while. He humsa familiar tune. Of course she knows that tune. The janitor is the one that gifted her the song to begin with. ]
Ahti!
[ The janitor looks up and chuckles. ] Ah, my assistant! Lost, are we? In the dark without a light? You ought to know better by now!
[ Jesse laughs a little nervously and crosses the way to him. ] Yeah... I uh, well. I didn't ask to come here. Wherever here is. Uhm, Mr. Door brought me here? And then left me here as well.
[ Ahti clicks his tongue and rambles on in Finnish before pointing the mop stick at him. She smiles again, because, she's realized how much she's missed his presence in the Oldest House. ] Ya, ya, that Door. But, isn't that the thing about doors? They go both ways! What you can go in, you can go out.
...Right. And, the door that I could theoretically go out and in through?
[ The janitor turns and gestures to the door behind him. ] In the basement, of course!
[ « It's always the basement. Isn't it? Am I still in the horror story? » ]
Thanks, Ahti. Uhm... I... was wondering something. It's been hard to hear her--Polaris--since I got here? Do you know why? [ Jesse presumes Ahti knows all about that, given his otherwordliness. There's no reason to try and act dumb. ] It's like I can't turn the volume up. If that makes sense at all.
[ Ahti hums slightly before muttering to himself. ] The Dark does not like what can't make it darker. Tunes out the bright things. Makes it harder to hear, to see, to move. But! You've got no worries on that do you? I picked a good assistant. Never loses sight of what she needs to do, even if those prickly paskiaiset get inside your head sometimes.
Yeah. That's me... I try, anyways. I need to get going...are you coming back to the Oldest House?
[ He chuckles. ] Oh, you miss old Ahti! Once your loops are done looping and your poems ending, the sun will come through, and Tom will find his way home. Then, holiday! And back home.
[ « So... he hasn't been on vacation? » ]
No! Tom's little mess of a story interrupted my sauna! Doesn't understand that to a Finn, holidays are sacred! [ Ahti just sighs and smiles. ] But don't you worry about that!
Right... okay. Well, best of luck with Tom. I guess. See you on the other side?
[ The janitor waves her away and Jesse takes the hint that she shouldn't be lingering. Jesse gives him one more smile before stepping around him and heading to the back door, past the bucket and puddle on the floor. Weird. Ahti never leaves a mess.
She closes the door behind her and begins to navigate the confusing arrange of ...whatever the basement really is. Boiler room? Storage? Maze? It seems that it's all that at once. At one point she finds herself stepping into another puddle, like the area is flooded. It only goes up to her ankles, but it's enough to catch her attention.
« Good thing these aren't really my clothes. »
Eventually she comes to what seems to be a dead end. But, it's the only way to go. She looks on either side of her, down at the water, up at the ceiling. There's nothing to grab onto and climb. She groans loudly, throwing her hands down at her sides dramatically. ]
Now what the hell am I supposed to do?
♫ Hissing noises in the hallway
Bloodshot eyes, staring through, what seeds are sown? ♫
[ Jesse pauses as she feels something resonate. Vibrate. It's not Polaris, but it's something familiar and similar. Her eyes move back upwards as she can hear the distant lyrics and music of the song she knows too well. Then, she sees a burst of light.
Her surroundings change.
She turns around immediately, finding herself in the same space, but the water is gone. The room is ordered and cleaned. The music is clearer and there's a light above her. She flexes her hands, feeling her own power resonate slightly stronger in her.
« Was that you? Did you change things? ...No? Then what, or who did? »
Jesse half turns once more and her gaze lands on a familiar cord hanging from the ceiling. ]
♫ Who'll survive the blood red power play?
Who'll take control, whose name will be known? ♫
[ Jesse curls her hand around the Light Switch Cord. Questions later, time to get moving while she can. She tugs once.
The room changes once again to a different room. The light is still there, but there's a bucket and a mop. Metal shelves with televisions on them. A... lot of televisions.
« Weird... »
She tugs twice.
The room doesn't change but all the screens light up. It's all the same image, the same sound, and Jesse finds herself rooted in spot. She's never seen the room on the television, but she knows the man on it. She knows the voice.
Her hand lowers from the Light Switch Cord as she walks up to the wall of screens that feature none other than Alan Wake. ]