The Winners Take It All | Chishiya [English]

A shadow with a dark soul

The shouts died down after a short while. It was a strange feeling as an eerie calm descended. For a while nothing happened. I waited tensely; doing nothing was almost driving me crazy.

Option 1: Take a bath.

Option 2: Leave the house to visit your friend Sarah again.

Option 3: Secretly visit your grandmother.

I was a little confused. The first option didn't fit in with the others at all! Besides, it was so random that I immediately turned to the other two. So, I would probably go visit my grandmother. I grabbed a jacket, crept down the stairs and quietly disappeared out the front door. My phone beeped and an address was shown to me. My "grandmother" was supposed to live there.

The bright light in the area made it seem as if it was just sunset. I strolled through the streets, invisible speakers making noise and it almost felt like Tokyo was filled again and I thought for a moment that I was back in the real world -

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I heard a dog barking. It probably had to be Renate Jones, because this character was the only one who had a dog. She waved at me.

Option 1: Have small talk with her.

Option 2: Wave back and move on.

Option 3: Don't pay attention to her.

I chose option 2 because I was on my way to see my grandmother. I kept stumbling along and was almost at the address when I collided with someone.

"Sorry, Johanna, I didn't see you!", the young man looked at me, "It's me, Lukas!"

Lukas...Lukas...LUKAS! My stalker! Oh no, I didn't want to have any contact with him at all!

Option 1: Ignore him.

Option 2: Apologize.

I chose the first option. I ran past him and rang my grandparents' doorbell. Footsteps moved away behind me, and I was a little confused, but didn't think anything of it.

"I'm coming!", a woman's voice came closer and finally the door opened. Johanna's grandmother was standing in the doorway, an older woman who I estimated to be in her early 70s. Her face lit up. "Johanna! How nice that you're coming over! Your father already called me, he saw you leaving the house," she greeted me and took me in her arms. The situation seemed familiar, and I tried to avoid flashbacks.

Option 1: Complain about your mother.

Option 2: Depict a happy, young woman.

I was still thinking as I hung my jacket on the hook. Finally, I decided on the second option.

"How does it look? Everything okay?" I entered the large living room as she asked the question and nodded quickly while putting on a fake smile.

"Everything's great, Nana!" I tried to add after the nod to make it seem more real.

"Oh! Great! Look, your grandfather is at home too. He's in the bathroom right now, but he'll join us soon," she invited me to sit down. "I haven't heard from you in a long time, Hanna. How's college going? And more importantly, how's love?" My heart sank. Why this question of all things?

Option: Tell your grandmother about the love of your life, Collin. Mention that you don't know how to approach the situation.

What was that? Why was there only one option? Now things got uncomfortable.

"Well... There is someone. Do you still know Collin? I like him a lot, but I don't want to ruin our friendship," she nodded as I forced the words out of my mouth.

"Oh, man! Your little friend from kindergarten? I thought from the beginning that maybe there could be more going on. He's a fine guy, this Collin, you got him -" she was interrupted by an energetic ringing.

"Who else is at the front door now?" she got up and left me alone in the living room. I used the time to take a quick breath. The conversation threw me off track a little.

"Where is she," I sighed when I heard the voice. It was Mom. She had been sneaking after me.

"Why do you always have to be such a control freak, Anna?" Nana was arguing with her in the hallway, and I suspected that it was a planned scene that I shouldn't interrupt at first. But when Mom came into the living room and pulled me harshly by the arm, I knew that I was now fully integrated into the action again.

"Come with me, go home," she admonished me, and Nana gave me a sorrowful look. Unfortunately, given no options, I had to obey her, and she dragged me back to the Brown family home. At first, I was a little surprised, but then what other choice did I have? I didn't want to risk anything.

"I can't believe it, Johanna. You're leaving the house without asking? To your grandmother at that? I forbade you to go there!", suddenly the left side of my cheek hurt. Did she just hit me? Judging by her face, yes, because there was guilt in her eyes. I forgave her immediately because there was no other way.

Option 1: Tell her to stop interfering in your life and that you are old enough!

Option 2: Apologize.

"I'm old enough, Mom! Stop meddling in my life!" I exclaimed and it didn't take long before I got the second slap in the face. It hurts.

"House arrest. No objection. You're still my daughter, so I'm still superior to you!", she pushed me up the stairs and pushed me into my room. Then she closed the door, and I heard a soft click. I immediately checked the handle. No matter how far I pushed it down, the door wouldn't open. She had locked me in.

Sighing, I sat down and tried to take in the situation. Anna Brown: Your motive began to emerge. She tried to always have the upper hand over her daughter. It was probably her goal that Johanna would submit to her forever. So, we worked against each other, one of us would definitely die.

Option: Go to your bathroom and take a bath to calm your nerves. Open the window to create a pleasant climate.

Again, only one possibility. I got up and went into the bathroom that was connected to my room. The tub was a nice size so I would be able to relax easily. At least that was the intention. It wasn't relaxing here.

I ran hot water in and started picking out new clothes in my room. However, the selection in the wardrobe was a little limited, as they had mostly prepared dresses for Johanna, most of them were white and had ruffles. They were clothes that I didn't want to wear at all, but my old clothes were also no longer wearable because they were soaked through my sweat of fear.

As an emergency solution, I pulled out a white dress that didn't reveal too much and laid it out.

When I came back to the bathroom, I briefly looked out the window. By now the lighting had dimmed so much that it looked like night. How much time had already passed? I slipped out of my clothes and lowered myself into the tub. Cozy warmth enveloped me, and I even enjoyed it for a brief moment when something started beeping in my room. It was my cell phone.

Option 1: Answer your cell phone.

Option 2: Let it ring.

It sounded wrong not to answer now. So, I got out of the tub, wrapped myself in my towel and hurried into the room. I looked at the contact.

Collin calls...

I pressed the green receiver. Then there was silence.

"Johanna?" his voice sounded through the device, and I got goosebumps.