Futile Trials

Away from the Park

You finish your run, determined to expel the extra energy.

After carefully avoiding the riverside park, you weave your way back home on a path that threads through the town.

You walk inside to find your roommate sprawled on the couch, face down and still aside from the slow, steady swing of their arm as it brushes against the carpet. In their loose grip is an orange pill bottle, the white cap in place but no contents to keep.

This comes as a bit of a surprise. That they're home. Finished with finals so soon. The pills on the other hand... You try to stay out of their business.

You notice the coffee table has also been moved away from the sagging couch and pushed up to the shining desk which holds the television set and associated gaming consoles.

A quiet exasperated sigh escapes your lips as you hang your jumper and make way for the kitchen. Your path, however, is interfered with when one of their clammy hands lurches out to snatch the hem of your pant leg, nearly tripping you.

Your room mate, it appears, is quite awake. They turn their head as far as they can to stare up at you with dilated, unresponsive eyes. After a moment, you jerk your leg away and they resume their former position.

"A person came by earlier," they murmur, their voice difficult to understand as it is muffled by the velvet of the couch. "Looking for you."

"Who?"

They give a half-hearted shrug and, after a pause, slip their hanging hand underneath the couch to pull out a card. Without otherwise moving, they offer it up to you, delicately held between their first two fingers.

The card appears to be just a blank sheet of silver at first, but upon closer inspection, etched in words begin to appear:

                                      The more you take

                                                The more you leave behind        

Do you...

Solve the riddle and go?
Skip to the answer of the riddle.

Forget the riddle and wait for the nutcase to contact you?
Skip to "Dim Wits"