First Ball
Leonard: It was the day of the ball. As usual, I was to fetch and carry. Carefully, so as not to wrinkle it, I put the bunch in a cardboard box and hid it under the clothes. I knew that I would tell her what I had wanted to.
Task: Go through the library in ghosts mode.
The light goes out, there are candles, silhouettes of guests. It is noisy in the lounge, the sun has already set. Marie is sitting in a corner of the sofa, her arms crossed over her chest. She is surrounded by women who are talking to each other, gossiping.
The game at the card table has just ended - the winners and losers are getting up from their seats.
Caleb: Lady Luck has not been kind to you today, ma'am.
Lynette: Excuse me, but it was Anthony and James she turned her back to, and I broke even.
Fog: Madame played brilliantly. It is way harder to not lose with bad cards than to win with good ones, Caleb.
Lynette: Thank you, Mr. Force. Gentlemen, the game is over, it is time to dance! I am asking you, Jacob.
You hear the first chords of a slow tune. Caleb, his head high, approaches the couch, smiles and holds out his hand.
Caleb: May I invite you for a dance, Marie?
Marie looks bewildered for a moment. She looks straight at Leonard, but then takes Caleb's hand.
His left hand rests on her waist, the melody sounds faster, Caleb takes the first step, Marie adjusts and then they are dancing as the music takes them to the other side of the room...
Ghosts settle like fog, Leonard is silent, head bowed. A breath of wind makes you turn around.
Descending the stairs comes Marie. Subtly different, older, with the hem of her dress torn and smelling of wet ash.
Marie: You were wrong...
And dissolves before you can begin to reach for it. Leonard did not turn around. It seems that he has not even noticed her arrival.
You completed Leonard's task. You received some points of freedom and some tokens.
Leonard: When I saw them dancing, I took the bouquet out of the box and squeezed it in my hands, breaking the flowers. So delicate and fragile, complex and unique.... Nonsense! Just a bunch of useless drafts.
