[Transcripting on] >help This interactive story belongs to one of the earliest known genres of "computer games". It has had a multitude of names: conversational adventure, interactive fiction, text adventure games (to distinguish it from graphic adventure games), interactive fiction with parser (to distinguish it from other types of interactive literature that do not use a parser), etc. During the story, the computer will describe the world where the action takes place and you will express the actions you want your protagonist to carry out using natural language in imperative form. For example: "DROP THE BAG", "EXAMINE THE BOX", "TALK TO MARY" or "GO NORTH". In many cases, commands can be simplified. For example, articles are not necessary ("DROP BAG" instead of "DROP THE BAG") and moving the character in a cardinal direction (NORTH, SOUTHEAST, WEST, etc.) only requires typing the name of the direction, or its abbreviation: N for NORTH, S for SOUTH, SE for SOUTHEAST, etc. The verb EXAMINE is very important, because it will give you more information about a given object. Sometimes it is essential to solve problems. Other important verbs: * INVENTORY or I: List the objects you have in your possession. * SAVE or LOAD: Saves into a file or loads back your position in the story. * SCORE: Shows the score you've achieved in the story so far. * FULL SCORE: Shows you the same score in full detail. * REPEAT: Repeats the last action. * BRIEF or VERBOSE: Shows location descriptions only when you first visit, or every time you pass through (VERBOSE is the default mode in this story.) * WAIT or Z: Waits for a turn without taking any action. * QUIT: Ends the game. The alarm clock keeps on ringing. > score You have so far scored 0 out of a possible 40, in 1 turn, giving you the rank of Novice. > credits This interactive fiction could not have been programmed without the help of Fredrik Ramsberg, author of PunyInform, who not only helped me with the Spanish translation of his library but also suggested many solutions to problems I encountered during the development of the game. I also have to thank my testers for the enormous help they gave me in correcting the language and adding more detail to this story. In alphabetical order, my testers have been: Bert, Kit Riemer, Paul Collins, Ruber Eaglenest and Sarah Willson. The cover image is by the wonderful illustrator Natalia Zaytseva. More of her work can be found at: endinsy.artstation.com The alarm clock keeps on ringing. > *OK there re points [Comment not recorded. This game does not support transcripts.] > i You're carrying a cell phone. The alarm clock keeps on ringing. > x phone When you look at your cell phone, you notice with dismay that there is no signal of any kind and that the battery seems about to run out. The lack of charge is understandable, given the power outage. But why the lack of signal? Too many things seem to be malfunctioning today... The alarm clock keeps on ringing. > x clock An art-deco-style alarm clock that came with the apartment, old but functional. Many people prefer a wake-up call by cell phone, but you're still holding out against that. The hands clearly indicate that it's after 10 am. The alarm clock keeps on ringing. > turn off clock You turn off the alarm clock, with a sense of relief. [The score has just gone up by 2 points.] > l Your apartment When your ex-partner "invited" you to leave your apartment a month ago, at the end of your relationship, you had to hastily find this tiny den for a single person in a place not too far from work. In this open space is your small bed. Next to it is the little nightstand with the alarm clock. On the other side, a closed window allows you to see a disturbingly starless black sky. On the opposite wall, on a table, there is a battery-operated radio. The darkness in the room is almost complete. To the north you can enter the bathroom, and to the west is the kitchen. To the east is the hallway leading out of your apartment. > x me As good-looking as ever. > x bed The bed you woke up in this morning. A small bed, for one person. > look under bed Sorry, I don't understand what "under" means. > x nightstand A wooden nightstand painted white, without many ornaments. > open it No need to concern yourself with that. > x window You are not able to process what your eyes are seeing... The Tel Aviv sky is a black abyss that opens up before you. It doesn't feel like night: there are no stars or moon, only a uniform and disturbing blackness that fills you with irrational dread. The window is closed. A distant murmur permeates the glass. > open window You open the window. Immediately, noises from the street flood the room: murmurs of conversation from below, and sounds of sirens. > listen Through the open window, the murmur of a restless crowd clamoring below can be heard. The occasional wail of an ambulance or police car siren can also be heard from time to time. > l Your apartment When your ex-partner "invited" you to leave your apartment a month ago, at the end of your relationship, you had to hastily find this tiny den for a single person in a place not too far from work. In this open space is your small bed. Next to it is the little nightstand with the alarm clock. On the other side, an open window allows you to see a disturbingly starless black sky. On the opposite wall, on a table, there is a battery-operated radio. The darkness in the room is almost complete. To the north you can enter the bathroom, and to the west is the kitchen. To the east is the hallway leading out of your apartment. > x table A table that you use as a dining table or as an occasional workspace. On it rests your small battery-operated radio. > x adio Sorry, I don't understand what "adio" means. > x radio A cheap plastic Daihatsu brand radio. It is one of the few belongings you took with you from the house you shared with your former partner. It is the only object in this small apartment that connects you to the outside world. > turn on radio You turn on the radio and try to tune in to some channel, but find it impossible. Except for some distant babble that seems to resemble a human voice or the chord of a song, most of the time you hear only white noise. Finally you turn it off again, frustrated. Honestly, the whole thing worries you. What could be going on out there, for no signal to come through? > n You give your face a quick wash and come back. You don't have time to shower right now; you need to know what's going on. > w Right now you don't need anything from there. With all that's going on, you wouldn't be able to manage any breakfast. > e Foyer This tiny foyer contains nothing but a small cabinet with a closed drawer. There's also a closed exit door to the east. The darkness is even deeper here. Heading west, you can return to the main room of your apartment. > x cabinet It's so simple that it hardly needs any description: it is a suspended piece of furniture in white painted wood with a single closed drawer. > open it You open the drawer, revealing a flashlight and a brochure. > x brochure A small, colorful brochure advertising a new luxury apartment project in the north of today's Gaza Strip. In a clearly AI-generated photo, a smiling couple recline on sun loungers while their children swim in a pool. Palm trees and buildings fill in the background. > take it Taken. > * eek [Comment not recorded. This game does not support transcripts.] > x flashlight A small but powerful black rechargeable LED flashlight. It is currently off. > take it Taken. > turn it on You switch the flashlight on. > l Foyer This tiny foyer contains nothing but a small cabinet with an open drawer. There's also a closed exit door to the east. Heading west, you can return to the main room of your apartment. > w Your apartment When your ex-partner "invited" you to leave your apartment a month ago, at the end of your relationship, you had to hastily find this tiny den for a single person in a place not too far from work. In this open space is your small bed. Next to it is the little nightstand with the alarm clock. On the other side, an open window allows you to see a disturbingly starless black sky. On the opposite wall, on a table, there is a battery-operated radio. The beam of light from the flashlight allows you to distinguish objects more clearly. To the north you can enter the bathroom, and to the west is the kitchen. To the east is the hallway leading out of your apartment. > x window The Tel Aviv sky is a black abyss that opens up before you. It doesn't feel like night: there are no stars or moon, only a uniform and disturbing blackness that fills you with irrational dread. Through the open window, the murmur of a restless crowd clamoring below can be heard. The occasional wail of an ambulance or police car siren can also be heard from time to time. > e Foyer This tiny foyer contains nothing but a small cabinet with an open drawer. There's also a closed exit door to the east. Heading west, you can return to the main room of your apartment. > e You can't, since the door is closed. > open door You open the door. > e Suddenly, a door bursts open and Mrs. Isska, your neighbor, rushes over to talk to you, looking terrified. No doubt she has been peeping through the peephole in her door, which is perfectly in keeping with the type of person she is. What's more surprising is the gentle kindness with which she now addresses you. It seems that, when there is a need, the best of people comes forward. "I need your help, I beg of you!" Third-floor landing You are on the third-floor landing of your building. To the west is the door to your apartment. To the north is an elevator with a call button, though it looks like it won't work with no electricity in the building. Stairs lead up and down to the other floors. Mrs. Isska is here, looking at you with imploring eyes. > x isska Mrs. Isska is the typical gossipy neighbor from every building you've ever lived in. She is forever meddling in other people's affairs, and, perhaps because of your habit of speaking your mind, she has shown herself to have the worst possible opinion of you. To anyone who will listen, she explains in detail that you are a dirty, lazy wretch. Now, however, she looks at you with imploring eyes and speaks with a respect you have never seen from her before. > talk to isska You: "The lights have gone out in the building, haven't they? Do you know why?" Mrs. Isska: "You can't imagine! It's a disgrace that something like this is happening in a modern city like Tel Aviv. And it's not just in this building! And what's happened to the sky? It suddenly went dark! Did you see it? This has to be some kind of Hamas military weaponry..." (The poor woman keeps spouting disjointed ideas for a few more minutes, but you don't pay any more attention to her.) With that, you politely end the conversation. > talk to isska You: "What do you need, Mrs. Isska?" Mrs. Isska: "You see... When I saw what happened in the sky, and the blackout in the building, I got scared and I wanted to call my goddaughter, who lives in Jerusalem. My goddaughter works for the Mossad, you know..." (There's a certain pride in her voice as she mentions this.) "But there's no signal on my phone." (Another imploring glance.) "Could you let me call on yours?" You: "Of course, here is my phone. Although I don't know if..." Mrs. Isska: "This is useless!" (She almost throws it in your face.) "Do you think I can't see that there's no signal? You want to make fun of a poor old woman, is that it?" The lady, raising her brow in indignation, turns around and slams the door in your face. It seems that her kindness and gentleness were rather short-lived. > undo That is not a verb I recognize. > * oh well [Comment not recorded. This game does not support transcripts.] > i You're carrying a flashlight, a brochure and a cell phone. > l Third-floor landing You are on the third-floor landing of your building. To the west is the door to your apartment. To the north is an elevator with a call button, though it looks like it won't work with no electricity in the building. Stairs lead up and down to the other floors. > x elevator The elevator is an old "Schindler" model. You can't see any lights on it. You'd say it's not working. > push it No need to concern yourself with that. > u You don't need anything from the upper floors. > d You descend the steps two at a time and exit the building. On reaching the street, you are surprised by the suffocating darkness of the city. Not a light is visible in the windows of the other apartments, except for the occasional glow of a candle. On the street, the traffic lights are switched off, and the few cars that dare to drive do so slowly and fearfully. Neighbors talk uneasily in various makeshift groups. You can hear police sirens in the distance. An army truck passes close by, repeating over its loudspeakers a constant message: "You are advised to stay in your homes. We are working to restore the situation. You are advised..." And above is that terrifying sky, like an abyss threatening to swallow the city. Something very strange is happening in Tel Aviv. Neve Sha'anan Neve Sha'anan, the part of Tel Aviv where you live, is a working-class neighborhood known for its large immigrant population. It's one of the few relatively central areas where you can still find an apartment for a reasonable price. Not far from here is the monstrous building of the central bus station. Your street, usually a lively and colorful place full of spice shops, is now silent, the shops closed, with groups of people here and there whispering worriedly. From here you can walk back up to your building. Some people seem to be heading west, in the direction of the Florentine quarter, or northwest or north, toward Lev Ha'ir and the city center. An ambulance siren wails to a dead stop. > listen You hear nothing unexpected. An army truck passes close by, repeating its constant message: "...advised to stay in your homes. We are working to..." > x truck Sorry, I don't understand what "truck" means. > Come again? > x hops Sorry, I don't understand what "hops" means. > x shops The shops, which by this time would usually be proudly displaying their wares, now have their shutters down. > x people People stand in tight knots chatting, gesturing concernedly, or making nervous jokes to ease the tension they feel. Most are carrying some kind of flashlight for illumination. > talk to people "I hear they're preparing something big in Rabin Square," a young woman tells you. "I think it's a big speech or something like that." > l Neve Sha'anan Neve Sha'anan, the part of Tel Aviv where you live, is a working-class neighborhood known for its large immigrant population. It's one of the few relatively central areas where you can still find an apartment for a reasonable price. Not far from here is the monstrous building of the central bus station. Your street, usually a lively and colorful place full of spice shops, is now silent, the shops closed, with groups of people here and there whispering worriedly. From here you can walk back up to your building. Some people seem to be heading west, in the direction of the Florentine quarter, or northwest or north, toward Lev Ha'ir and the city center. > n You wander north for a little over a quarter of an hour, until you reach the Lev Ha'ir neighborhood. Lev Ha'ir This is Lev Ha'ir, the heart of the "white city" in the center of Tel Aviv, with its skyscrapers, Bauhaus buildings and tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard. Here, too, it looks very different from usual, with its closed shops and darkened windows. Here again, groups of people can be seen discussing the day's strange events more or less heatedly. Many are walking in a northerly direction, towards Rabin Square. To the south is Florentine, and to the southeast you can return to Neve Sha'anan. Not far from where you are, a rabbi is talking to a group of people, trying to reassure them. An ambulance siren wails to a dead stop. > x rabbi An elderly man with kind eyes, wearing his kippah and strict black clothing, who seems to be trying to convey calmness to some frightened people. > listen You hear nothing unexpected. > talk to rabbi You: "How do you manage to be so calm, Rabbi?" The Rabbi: "I am not at all! But it is my duty to convey some reassurance to this, my troubled flock." (He gestures to a group of terrified ladies he has been talking to.) You: "Why do all the people seem to be heading that way?" You indicate the group of people who are heading to the north. The Rabbi: "I think they are preparing a speech with Benjamin Netanyahu, to reassure the population. But excuse me, I have to leave you now..." After this, the rabbi and the women leave for a more secluded street. > s You walk back from the white city to Florentine through silent streets. In total it takes you about 25 minutes. Florentine Florentine is one of Tel Aviv's best-known neighborhoods. Since the 1990s, it has gone from being a poor neighborhood to an area of artists and bohemians. Now all the guidebooks advertise it as the most "hipster" place in Tel Aviv. Today, however, the almost total darkness makes it very difficult to see the graffiti on its walls, its clothes shops or its "chic" cafés. You only see groups of people chatting in front of the closed shops, looking worried. It seems that some people are heading in a northerly or northeasterly direction towards the Lev Ha'ir neighborhood, while others are walking in a westerly direction towards Jaffa. To the east you can return to your neighborhood of Neve Sha'anan. > x graffiti Most of them are difficult to see because of the darkness of the walls, although they usually bring a touch of color and creativity to the neighborhood. A particular mural, not far away, catches your eye. > x mural The mural is called "The Peace Kids", and at the time it received some coverage in the Israeli press. It appears to be an innocent image: two young boys with their backs turned, each with an arm on the other's shoulder. However, if you look closely, you can see that one of the young men is "Srulik", a comic-book character created by Israeli author Kariel Gardosh, who has become a symbol of Israel, and the other is "Handala", created by cartoonist Naji al-Ali, representing a personification of the Palestinian people. Therefore, in this friendly gesture between the two characters, what the author wants to suggest is a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Sadly, reality is stubborn, and in social media and politicians' speeches we no longer hear any mention of "peace dialogues" or "two-state solutions". What Israel's voters want is the eradication of Palestine, genocide pure and simple (although the word "genocide" is not used because it is considered anti-Semitic). An army truck passes close by, repeating its constant message: "...advised to stay in your homes. We are working to..." [The score has just gone up by 5 points.] > l Florentine Florentine is one of Tel Aviv's best-known neighborhoods. Since the 1990s, it has gone from being a poor neighborhood to an area of artists and bohemians. Now all the guidebooks advertise it as the most "hipster" place in Tel Aviv. Today, however, the almost total darkness makes it very difficult to see the graffiti on its walls, its clothes shops or its "chic" cafés. You only see groups of people chatting in front of the closed shops, looking worried. It seems that some people are heading in a northerly or northeasterly direction towards the Lev Ha'ir neighborhood, while others are walking in a westerly direction towards Jaffa. To the east you can return to your neighborhood of Neve Sha'anan. > x cafes The cafés have a sad look today, with their lights off and their windows showing empty tables and counters. > x shops The shops in the area are all dark and empty. > x people People stand in tight knots chatting, gesturing concernedly, or making nervous jokes to ease the tension they feel. Most are carrying some kind of flashlight for illumination. > talk to people "The army is patrolling the streets all the time, recommending that we stay home," a young boy explains to you. "I don't know if they think that's going to reassure us, because it has the opposite effect." > w You walk from Florentine to the ancient Palestinian city of Jaffa, all the way to the coast. The walk takes just over a quarter of an hour. Jaffa Jaffa, one of the oldest ports in the world, inhabited since 7500 BC according to archaeological evidence. Since 1950, it has been part of Tel Aviv as a single municipal entity, and today it is a favourite "selfie spot" for tourists visiting the city. Its stone walls and mosques still attest to the Arab heritage left by the ancient Palestinian population. You have reached the waterfront promenade. Beside you stand a large number of curious onlookers. Below, on the beach, strange military operations are taking place that you can't clearly make out at a distance. A couple of soldiers prevent you from descending to the beach. To the northeast you can return to the Florentine district. The lights of the drones continue to perform their silent choreography over the black abyss of the sky. > x onlookers A large number of onlookers contemplate the distant lights of the drones and the military operations on the beach, without daring to get closer and with fear and expectation on their faces. Among them, a couple, who never cease watching the drones with binoculars, catch your attention. An uncomfortable chuckle bursts from one of the onlookers present, then she relapses into modest silence. > x soldiers You can perceive the frustration and bewilderment of the soldiers on the beach, despite the distance that separates you. The two soldiers closest to you, preventing you from descending, are a young man and a young woman, barely 18 years old. They are trying to appear stern but can't hide the terror on their faces. > x operations Sorry, I don't understand what "operations" means. > x military You can't see any such thing. > x beach Something strange is happening down there. It's not just the number of soldiers walking up and down the coast with worried faces, but the coast itself that is striking: the sea is almost still, with hardly any waves. And, as if something had cut it off at the seashore, the water ends suddenly a few dozen meters away in the black, inscrutable sky that surrounds it all. The lights of drones can be seen in the distance, circling in the air. An uncomfortable chuckle bursts from one of the onlookers present, then she relapses into modest silence. > x couple A middle-aged man and woman pass the binoculars back and forth, without a word, watching the drones with obvious concern. > talk to couple You: "Do you have any idea what those soldiers are doing down there?" The man and the woman look at each other meaningfully. "We don't know exactly... although we have an idea." You: "Would you let me take a look?" The husband, who has the binoculars at the moment, casts a meaningful glance at his partner. She nods gravely. "Give them. Everyone has the right to know." The man hands you the binoculars and points out where you should look. When you direct the lenses there, you can't help but shiver: you see one of the drones leaning against a black surface that reflects its spotlight with a metallic sheen. You understand that the drone has been trying to drill into that surface for some time without success, and that this is only the latest of many attempts. That black surface is what you thought until now was the sky. Tel Aviv is completely covered by a kind of black dome, made of a material harder than any metal. Its black surface overlies all the city neighborhoods, and goes hundreds of meters into the sea. "What is going on?" you ask yourself in horror... You're in bed with the worst fucking headache you've had since you were young, when you were still doing coke. You don't need to open your eyes too wide to know that the blonde from YRNF is sleeping on your right, the one you "met" yesterday in the biblical sense. Your advisors were right about you being too old for these things. Something you consumed yesterday (whether it was an excess of Diet Coke or Viagra) has left you with a pasty feeling on your tongue and a strange heaviness all over your body. Your bedroom (on the canopy bed) You are in your luxurious bedroom in the Mar-a-Lago mansion. On one side of the spacious room is the huge four-poster bed, on which you are lying right now. Opposite the bed, a white marble fireplace and a large gilt-framed mirror add a further touch of distinction to the room. A huge crystal chandelier hangs over the center of the room. To the north is an exit to the rest of the mansion. You can see your clothes here. Lying on one side of the bed is the blonde from last night. [The score has just gone up by 5 points.] > undo That is not a verb I recognize. > * oh no [Comment not recorded. This game does not support transcripts.] > i You are empty handed. > x me You are Donald Trump, the fucking President of the United States, the goddamn master of the world. > l Your bedroom (on the canopy bed) You are in your luxurious bedroom in the Mar-a-Lago mansion. On one side of the spacious room is the huge four-poster bed, on which you are lying right now. Opposite the bed, a white marble fireplace and a large gilt-framed mirror add a further touch of distinction to the room. A huge crystal chandelier hangs over the center of the room. To the north is an exit to the rest of the mansion. You can see your clothes here. Lying on one side of the bed is the blonde from last night. > x blonde You met her at the party last night. You don't quite remember her name (Clarissa? Isabella? Everly? You can't possibly remember all the little blondes in Texas). She's in her early twenties, and she likes to act smart and keeps mentioning the global GDP every time she opens her mouth, as if it were a magic formula against boredom. But she's as fit as a fiddle and up for anything. Now she sleeps next to you as naked as the day she was born. > i You are empty handed. > l Your bedroom (on the canopy bed) You are in your luxurious bedroom in the Mar-a-Lago mansion. On one side of the spacious room is the huge four-poster bed, on which you are lying right now. Opposite the bed, a white marble fireplace and a large gilt-framed mirror add a further touch of distinction to the room. A huge crystal chandelier hangs over the center of the room. To the north is an exit to the rest of the mansion. You can see your clothes here. Lying on one side of the bed is the blonde from last night. > x clothes The clothes you had on before you got into bed with the blonde last night. > wear clothes (first taking the clothes) You need to get out of bed to reach it. > out First, you'd have to leave the canopy bed. > x bed A luxurious bed, with a canopy, like something out of a fairy tale. A bed worthy of the leader of the world. As soon as you saw it, you fell in love with it, as with the rest of this mansion. > exit Impossible. With this heavy feeling you can hardly open your eyes. Give yourself five more minutes. The blonde squirms in bed, as if waking up. Then she yawns and goes back to sleep, smiling beatifically. > l Your bedroom (on the canopy bed) You are in your luxurious bedroom in the Mar-a-Lago mansion. On one side of the spacious room is the huge four-poster bed, on which you are lying right now. Opposite the bed, a white marble fireplace and a large gilt-framed mirror add a further touch of distinction to the room. A huge crystal chandelier hangs over the center of the room. To the north is an exit to the rest of the mansion. You can see your clothes here. Lying on one side of the bed is the blonde from last night. > x fireplace As a fireplace you don't use it much, but it undeniably gives a very cozy look to the room. > x mirror You feel too heavy. You don't feel like standing up straight enough to see your reflection in the mirror. > x chandelier A luxurious crystal chandelier with gilded ornaments. > wake That is not a verb I recognize. > open eyes Sorry, I don't understand what "eyes" means. > l Your bedroom (on the canopy bed) You are in your luxurious bedroom in the Mar-a-Lago mansion. On one side of the spacious room is the huge four-poster bed, on which you are lying right now. Opposite the bed, a white marble fireplace and a large gilt-framed mirror add a further touch of distinction to the room. A huge crystal chandelier hangs over the center of the room. To the north is an exit to the rest of the mansion. You can see your clothes here. Lying on one side of the bed is the blonde from last night. > x blonde You met her at the party last night. You don't quite remember her name (Clarissa? Isabella? Everly? You can't possibly remember all the little blondes in Texas). She's in her early twenties, and she likes to act smart and keeps mentioning the global GDP every time she opens her mouth, as if it were a magic formula against boredom. But she's as fit as a fiddle and up for anything. Now she sleeps next to you as naked as the day she was born. > kiss her The blonde sighs languidly, as if annoyed at returning to the waking world. She blinks a couple of times, looking at you with her beautiful blue eyes, which instantly widen in horror. "Fuck," she shrieks. "What the fuck is this shit?" You'd like to retort back about her calling you "shit", but you don't have time. She rushes out of the room without even getting dressed. And then, as you look down at your body, you too wake up with a jolt. Something strange has happened: your arms and legs have grown in volume; your whole body is covered with hair! What the hell is this? Outside you hear laughter and the voice of your dickhead Vice President JD Vance, with his obnoxious Ohio accent: "Well, well, well, Mr. Donald! Such energy! What do you give these young ladies to get them out of your room like that?" > x me You are Donald Trump, the fucking President of the United States, the goddamn master of the world. > out First, you'd have to leave the canopy bed. > exit You leave the canopy bed. > l Your bedroom You are in your luxurious bedroom in the Mar-a-Lago mansion. On one side of the spacious room is the huge four-poster bed. Opposite the bed, a white marble fireplace and a large gilt-framed mirror add a further touch of distinction to the room. A huge crystal chandelier hangs over the center of the room. To the north is an exit to the rest of the mansion. Just outside your bedroom is that dickhead JD Vance. You can also see your clothes here. > take clothes Taken. > wear them I don't know what "them" refers to. > wear clothes You try, but there's no way... It's as if your legs and arms had grown to twice their size. These clothes don't fit you anymore. In any case, your hair sufficiently covers your modesty. > x vance Your dickhead vice president JD Vance waits modestly outside your bedroom. > x me You are Donald Trump, the fucking President of the United States, the goddamn master of the world. > out You can't go that way. > e You can't go that way. > w You can't go that way. > s You can't go that way. > x mirror You can't believe what you're seeing. It's... it's like one of those anthropomorphic bears in children's movies, with its eyes so expressive and its body so fluffy and unthreatening. Only that bear... it's you! What could have happened? Have they slipped drugs into your food? Is it a new weapon from the North Koreans? [The score has just gone up by 3 points.] > l Your bedroom You are in your luxurious bedroom in the Mar-a-Lago mansion. On one side of the spacious room is the huge four-poster bed. Opposite the bed, a white marble fireplace and a large gilt-framed mirror add a further touch of distinction to the room. A huge crystal chandelier hangs over the center of the room. To the north is an exit to the rest of the mansion. Just outside your bedroom is that dickhead JD Vance. > n South end of the corridor This is the southern half of the long corridor leading from your bedroom to the stairs to the north. Here's JD Vance, with his spotless suit and perfect beard, which still can't hide the fact that he's a redneck from Ohio. JD looks at you as if he's greeting the Holy Trinity. "Sir...? Why are you wearing...?" He laughs awkwardly. "Did the young lady from earlier ask you to, or something?" "Stop this nonsense, James! It's not a disguise. I woke up like this." James reaches over and touches the hair on your arm, alarmed. "Really... Is it really you? What is this, some new chemical weapon from the Chinese or something?" he snorts. "Fuck! Damn it! And it had to be today! I'm going to make a couple of calls to see how we can sort it out." He runs off to the north, holding his phone to his ear and leaving you at a loss for words. > l South end of the corridor This is the southern half of the long corridor leading from your bedroom to the stairs to the north. > n North end of the corridor This northern half of the long corridor is the beginning of the wide marble staircase leading to the ground floor. JD Vance must have gone down that way. To the east, a door opens for a moment and you see the profile of Melania, your wife, in one of her elaborate hats. As soon as her eyes turn to you, she gives you a look of disgust and turns back inside. > x melania You can't see any such thing. > open door You open the door. > e Boudoir This is one of the small rooms your wife uses when she wants to be alone, away from you and the servants. To the west is the door through which you entered. Covering one side of the room is a dressing table with a large mirror. The only other furnishings are two Louis XV-style chairs. In one of them sits your wife, Melania, leafing through the pages of a celebrity magazine. She barely looks up when you walk in: "Hello, Donnie." > x table You can't see any such thing. > x mirror A large mirror (which once again reflects your bulky, anthropomorphic bear body) covers one side of the room. On a shelf just below it is an indecent amount of feminine care products. > x products A lot of feminine care products. You've never understood much about those things. > x chairs Two imitation Louis XV-style chairs, embroidered with gold thread. > x magazine "Majesty Magazine", with a cover dedicated to Gal Gadot and Natalie Portman, their smiling faces under the title "Zionist beauties". > x melanie Sorry, I don't understand what "melanie" means. > x melania She is still a Slovenian beauty, despite her 55 years and her perennial sneer. She wears one of those hats wider than the American empire, and reads a celebrity magazine. > talk to melania You: "How... how do you know it's me?" Melania: "There is no other person as arrogant as you in this world, and no bear costume can hide that, sweetheart." You: "Hey, I don't like that tone you're using with me. If I have to put you in your place..." Melania laughs a light and sophisticated laugh that you haven't heard in years. Melania: "You'll do... what, Donnie? The way you are now, any court would nullify our marriage. A bear has impersonated my husband. Can you imagine the headlines?" She rises from her chair and approaches you, her lips pressed together in fury. "Believe me, the only reason we're together is because I was afraid of you. That's the way you control people, Donnie. By fear of the consequences, of what you might do, of the damage your connections and your money will cause. But tell me, what am I going to be afraid of now? A giant stuffed animal?" She laughs as she and her huge hat leave the room. Fucking traitor... If it wasn't for you, she'd still be in her little town in Slovenia showing her ass in men's magazines. [The score has just gone up by 5 points.] > l Boudoir This is one of the small rooms your wife uses when she wants to be alone, away from you and the servants. To the west is the door through which you entered. Covering one side of the room is a dressing table with a large mirror. The only other furnishings are two Louis XV-style chairs. > x megazine Sorry, I don't understand what "megazine" means. > x magazine You can't see any such thing. > w North end of the corridor This northern half of the long corridor is the beginning of the wide marble staircase leading to the ground floor. To the east is a door. > n Ground floor The stairs open onto a large reception room on the ground floor, surrounded by Greco-Roman marble statues and paintings by the best artists money can buy. As you descend the last few steps, you hear JD Vance saying goodbye to someone on the phone. Then he addresses you: "Hello, Donald." (It's not lost on you that he is calling you "Donald" and not "Sir".) > x statues If you pay attention to them, you can make out idealized images of yourself. Well, of yourself before you turned into a bear. > x paintings Languid scenic landscapes and idyllic beaches. You've always believed that art should be beautiful and pleasing. > x vance JD loves to get all fussy and uptight so that his "hillbilly" origins are not so noticeable (although he prides himself on them in his memoirs). > talk to vance You: "What's going on, James? Did you report what happened to me?" JD shakes his head vigorously. JD Vance: "I have, I have. I'm afraid the news I have is not good. For you, at least. The boys in the Republican Party want me to pick up the baton of the presidency, effective immediately." With that, you politely end the conversation. > l Ground floor The stairs open onto a large reception room on the ground floor, surrounded by Greco-Roman marble statues and paintings by the best artists money can buy. Here's that dickhead JD Vance, with a circumspect look on his face. > l Ground floor The stairs open onto a large reception room on the ground floor, surrounded by Greco-Roman marble statues and paintings by the best artists money can buy. Here's that dickhead JD Vance, with a circumspect look on his face. > punch vance Violence isn't the answer to this one. > eat vance I don't suppose JD Vance would care for that. > i You're carrying your clothes. > * no I don't suppose so [Comment not recorded. This game does not support transcripts.] > l Ground floor The stairs open onto a large reception room on the ground floor, surrounded by Greco-Roman marble statues and paintings by the best artists money can buy. Here's that dickhead JD Vance, with a circumspect look on his face. > s JD shrugs as he watches you leave the room, and walks off in another direction, his phone to his ear. Suddenly, a bunch of arms are around you. They are your cooks, your guards, your cleaning ladies, your chauffeurs.... All of them, together like a small army of vengeful Latinos, lift you up on their heads, singing and laughing, celebrating the end of your tyranny, of years of mistreatment and abuse of power. Despite your screaming and struggling, they drag you out of the mansion and hurl you into the pool. Their laughter and insults fade as they return inside. Someday you will have your revenge. The teddy bear will get his claws out and those who betrayed you will regret it. The American people must know of this! Assim hands you a small tray with a somewhat stale-looking mutabbaq, as if it were the greatest of delicacies. You don't blame him. Since the bombings started, even these little treats are hard to come by in Rafah refugee camp. "Little Zulaija is going to love it. You'll see." Assim adores Zulaija as if he were her father, which deep down you thank him for, because her real father died less than a month ago along with little Omar, leaving you a widow and the little girl an only child. "Thank you, really, Assim. I don't know how to thank you for what you're doing for us." He just smiles and makes a downplaying gesture. "It's Zulaija's birthday. The least we can do is celebrate." Assim's tent A tent in Gaza, with everything necessary for a single person like Assim. There is a humble bed at one end of the room and cushions scattered throughout. A chest provides storage for his few valuables. To the south, you can exit the tent. > i You're carrying a mutabbaq tray and a bag (which is empty). > x tray Mutabbaq is a syrup-coated cake of butter, filo pastry, cheese and pistachios. In good condition it is delicious, but this tray seems to have been kept for too long, and parts of it have a suspicious hue. There's not much choice in the Rafah camp, in any case. You'll let Zulaija eat a little but not too much, because you wouldn't know what to do if she got sick. > x bag A simple faded cloth bag that you carry everywhere you go, more out of habit than necessity. > x me You are a Palestinian mother, in Gaza. You don't consider yourself particularly interesting. > l Assim's tent A tent in Gaza, with everything necessary for a single person like Assim. There is a humble bed at one end of the room and cushions scattered throughout. A chest provides storage for his few valuables. To the south, you can exit the tent. > x assim Assim is a good man. Before the bombings, he worked as a pastry chef in Rafah. Now he's just surviving, like everyone else. He has always looked after you, particularly since a month ago, when your husband died. You suspect he entertains some hopes for you (a woman senses such things), but that doesn't mean he hasn't always behaved in the most respectful way towards you and your daughter. > talk to asim Sorry, I don't understand what "asim" means. > talk to assim "If you put a candle from your shop on the cake, I assure you that Zulaija will think it is the best birthday cake possible." > l Assim's tent A tent in Gaza, with everything necessary for a single person like Assim. There is a humble bed at one end of the room and cushions scattered throughout. A chest provides storage for his few valuables. To the south, you can exit the tent. > x bed A very simple bed, a bit dirty, for one person. > x cushions A few cushions inside serve as seats for the few who still visit. > x chest It is a beautiful chest, made of wood painted in bright colors. Repeated use has resulted in some scratches and chips. > open chest No, no way! Assim has always been good to you. You're not going to go through his things. > s "I wouldn't go out with mutabbaq in my hand if I were you," Assim warns, "if you want Zulaija to try it, that is. With the food blockade we're suffering, there are people who would kill to have that." He's right, so you put the tray in your bag and thank him. > put tray in bag Already there. > s The ruins of Rafah Just outside Assim's tent you are confronted by a desolate sight: the ancient city of Rafah is now a plain of rubble stretching in all directions. To the north is Assim's tent, and a little further south is yours. > x city Sorry, I don't understand what "city" means. > x rubble Just because you've seen it more than once doesn't mean it doesn't make your heart ache. There used to be houses here; people used to live here; there used to be businesses. Now there are only a few families who are reluctant to leave these ruins because of the constant danger from Israeli bombardment. > s Esplanade A dirt esplanade near which a small tent camp has been erected. Yours is just to the south. Three boys play ball on the esplanade, passing the ball to each other. > x camp Your tent is to the south. Not far away are some more tents, but you don't need anything from your neighbors right now. "Me, me, me!" shouts one of them, waving his hands. > x balls Sorry, I don't understand what "balls" means. > talk to boys They are too focused on the game to talk to you. Let them play and have fun. > x ball It is a ball made from waste materials: rubber and plastic scraps. The kids have become experts at making them and getting them to bounce. > x boys You are amazed at the boys' ability to have fun, even in the worst of circumstances. All three are starving: their torn T-shirts reveal their scrawny chests with ribs sticking out. One of them lost both arms in one of the bombings, and another's face is disfigured. But that doesn't stop them from playing and laughing. One of the boys laughs when he manages to trick another with the ball. > s Your tent A small tent, with very few things that you have been able to save from your repeated moves. There are shelves with objects that belonged to your husband and your son that you have not yet dared to throw away, but apart from that there is only the bed where you and Zulaija sleep. The only exit is to the north. Zulaija is here, playing with a couple of little stuffed bears and some poor beetles that she keeps trapped under a black fruit bowl and torments mercilessly. The little girl fakes a conversation between the two little toy bears, in a smug voice: "Oh, our talk is very important... Oh, we have important things to say." > x shelves Rummaging through the old things on the shelf (avoiding your son's old toys and his father's prayer books) you discover a small candle, only partially used. Your daughter lifts the rim of the bowl for a moment. When one of the beetles dares to make a break for freedom, she lowers the bowl again, smiling wickedly. > x bears Zulaija is playing with a pair of teddy bears so dirty and tattered that it's a real mystery why they haven't already fallen apart. Your daughter tries to get one of the bears under the bowl, but fails. Miraculously, she manages to keep the beetles from escaping. > x bettles Sorry, I don't understand what "bettles" means. > x beetles Zulaija is tormenting some poor beetles under the black fruit bowl. She sometimes lifts the bowl to encourage them to escape, then lowers it again when they get too close to the exit. The little girl fakes a conversation between the two little toy bears, in a smug voice: "Oh, our talk is very important... Oh, we have important things to say." > take candle Taken. Your daughter tries to get one of the bears under the bowl, but fails. Miraculously, she manages to keep the beetles from escaping. > l Your tent A small tent, with very few things that you have been able to save from your repeated moves. There are shelves with objects that belonged to your husband and your son that you have not yet dared to throw away, but apart from that there is only the bed where you and Zulaija sleep. The only exit is to the north. Zulaija is here, playing with a couple of little stuffed bears and some poor beetles that she keeps trapped under a black fruit bowl and torments mercilessly. The little girl acts out a discussion between the bears: "What are we going to do? It's terrible!... We can't do anything; we're just two little bears." > x bed You can't see any such thing. > x zulaija What can you say? She is your child, the light of your life, the only thing that pushes you out of the abyss of pain. If she were to die too, you would have no more reason to inhabit this world. The little girl fakes a conversation between the two little toy bears, in a smug voice: "Oh, our talk is very important... Oh, we have important things to say." > ksis her That is not a verb I recognize. > kiss her Focus on the story. Your daughter lifts the rim of the bowl for a moment. When one of the beetles dares to make a break for freedom, she lowers the bowl again, smiling wickedly. > take tray Taken. Your daughter tries to get one of the bears under the bowl, but fails. Miraculously, she manages to keep the beetles from escaping. > put candle on tray After lighting it with a match, you place the candle on the mutabbaq tray and bring it to your daughter while singing a birthday song. As soon as she sees it, her eyes light up and she claps her hands in joy. She gets ready to blow out the candle, but you stop her: "Wait! You have to think of your two wishes first. But you can't tell me what they are, or else they won't come true." The little girl meditates for a moment and then blows out the candle. "And what are your two wishes?" "I'm not going to tell you," she smiles mischievously. "Very good! That's how it must be done." [The score has just gone up by 5 points.] *** You have won *** In that game you scored 25 out of a possible 40, in 154 turns, giving you the rank of Ingenious. Would you like to RESTART, RESTORE, give the FULL score for that game or QUIT? restart Would you like colour? n This interactive story includes topics such as: * Confinement * War and genocide * Violence against children * Racism * Misogyny If any of these affect you personally, now is the time to stop. Take care of yourself. (Type HELP to read a brief explanation of the most common commands. Type CREDITS to read additional information.) When the alarm clock throws you back into the world of the living, as it does every morning, the first thing that strikes you is how dark everything is. The sky through the window is a starless black pit. You reach for the light switch, but nothing happens when you press it. Has the electricity gone out in the whole building? For a moment, you're tempted to believe that you set the wrong time on your alarm clock yesterday, but the hands clearly indicate that it's ten o'clock in the morning. And the alarm goes on and on... Just two wishes A triptych on anger Release 1 / Serial number 250831 / Inform v6.43 PunyInform v6.0.1 Your apartment When your ex-partner "invited" you to leave your apartment a month ago, at the end of your relationship, you had to hastily find this tiny den for a single person in a place not too far from work. In this open space is your small bed. Next to it is the little nightstand with the alarm clock. On the other side, a closed window allows you to see a disturbingly starless black sky. On the opposite wall, on a table, there is a battery-operated radio. The darkness in the room is almost complete. To the north you can enter the bathroom, and to the west is the kitchen. To the east is the hallway leading out of your apartment. > full The score is made up as follows: 0 total (out of 40) > l Your apartment When your ex-partner "invited" you to leave your apartment a month ago, at the end of your relationship, you had to hastily find this tiny den for a single person in a place not too far from work. In this open space is your small bed. Next to it is the little nightstand with the alarm clock. On the other side, a closed window allows you to see a disturbingly starless black sky. On the opposite wall, on a table, there is a battery-operated radio. The darkness in the room is almost complete. To the north you can enter the bathroom, and to the west is the kitchen. To the east is the hallway leading out of your apartment. The noise of the alarm clock resounds incessantly. > turn off clock You turn off the alarm clock, with a sense of relief. [The score has just gone up by 2 points.] > e Foyer This tiny foyer contains nothing but a small cabinet with a closed drawer. There's also a closed exit door to the east. The darkness is even deeper here. Heading west, you can return to the main room of your apartment. > d You can't go that way. > e You can't, since the door is closed. > open door You open the door. > open cabinet You open the drawer, revealing a flashlight and a brochure. > take flashlight Taken. > e Suddenly, a door bursts open and Mrs. Isska, your neighbor, rushes over to talk to you, looking terrified. No doubt she has been peeping through the peephole in her door, which is perfectly in keeping with the type of person she is. What's more surprising is the gentle kindness with which she now addresses you. It seems that, when there is a need, the best of people comes forward. "I need your help, I beg of you!" Third-floor landing You are on the third-floor landing of your building. Without a light, you can barely make out more than the outlines of objects. To the west is the door to your apartment. To the north is an elevator with a call button, though it looks like it won't work with no electricity in the building. Stairs lead up and down to the other floors. Mrs. Isska is here, looking at you with imploring eyes. > d Mrs. Isska mutters a derogatory remark about the lack of manners of those who leave in the middle of a conversation, and walks back to her apartment, slamming the door. You descend the steps two at a time and exit the building. On reaching the street, you are surprised by the suffocating darkness of the city. Not a light is visible in the windows of the other apartments, except for the occasional glow of a candle. On the street, the traffic lights are switched off, and the few cars that dare to drive do so slowly and fearfully. Neighbors talk uneasily in various makeshift groups. You can hear police sirens in the distance. An army truck passes close by, repeating over its loudspeakers a constant message: "You are advised to stay in your homes. We are working to restore the situation. You are advised..." And above is that terrifying sky, like an abyss threatening to swallow the city. Something very strange is happening in Tel Aviv. Neve Sha'anan Neve Sha'anan, the part of Tel Aviv where you live, is a working-class neighborhood known for its large immigrant population. It's one of the few relatively central areas where you can still find an apartment for a reasonable price. Not far from here is the monstrous building of the central bus station. Your street, usually a lively and colorful place full of spice shops, is now silent, the shops closed, with groups of people here and there whispering worriedly. From here you can walk back up to your building. Some people seem to be heading west, in the direction of the Florentine quarter, or northwest or north, toward Lev Ha'ir and the city center. A car briefly lights up the street before plunging it back into darkness as it turns the corner. > n Without a source of illumination, you don't dare to keep walking. At the moment, your flashlight is switched off. > turn on flashlight You switch the flashlight on. > n You wander north for a little over a quarter of an hour, until you reach the Lev Ha'ir neighborhood. Lev Ha'ir This is Lev Ha'ir, the heart of the "white city" in the center of Tel Aviv, with its skyscrapers, Bauhaus buildings and tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard. Here, too, it looks very different from usual, with its closed shops and darkened windows. Here again, groups of people can be seen discussing the day's strange events more or less heatedly. Many are walking in a northerly direction, towards Rabin Square. To the south is Florentine, and to the southeast you can return to Neve Sha'anan. Not far from where you are, a rabbi is talking to a group of people, trying to reassure them. You hear the noise of a motorbike from a nearby street. > nw That's the way to Nachalat Binyamin. You don't think there's anything interesting there. > n It takes about twenty-five minutes to walk from where you are to Rabin Square, via Rothschild Boulevard and King George Street. Rabin Square You are in the massive Rabin Square, called "Kings of Israel Square" before the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. The huge stage is heavily guarded by the military and not far from the Holocaust memorial, and you are surprised to see it crowded with people who gaze at the stage with both trepidation and hope. All exits are occupied by the crowd, except for the one leading back south. > x people People from all walks of life have been arriving in this square from various parts of Tel Aviv, and all are looking hopefully at the stage. Workers finalize preparations for the prime minister's entrance, checking the sound of the microphone and monitors. > x stage It looks like a concert stage, with spotlights and screens, but with greater security. You find it amazing what they have managed to set up in such a short time, considering the logistical problems of a day like this. As there is no electricity, they've had to use generators. A woman's voice over the loudspeakers welcomes Benjamin Netanyahu, who ascends with difficulty from the side of the stage. The murmurs of conversation die down. Some of the reverential silence may have something to do with the prime minister's appearance: his face is pale, and he seems to have aged a decade in the last few hours. He smiles (a very unconvincing smile) and raises his arm in salute, receiving some timid applause in response. > x natanyahu Sorry, I don't understand what "natanyahu" means. > x netanyahu By the look of him, he doesn't feel a tenth of the calm he is trying to convey. His face, usually confident and arrogant, now glows with the pallor of terror. He seems to have aged many years all of a sudden. "Citizens of Tel Aviv." He clears his throat and continues. "The Jewish people have always been persecuted and harassed." (A murmur rises from the crowd.) > listen You hear nothing unexpected. "But we have never given up! We are a resilient people, and in our unity..." Netanyahu pauses. He seems to be having trouble with his throat. He opens a bottle of mineral water and lifts it to his mouth. > z Nothing happens. Suddenly, he drops the bottle, which rolls across the stage floor. His expression is one of horror as he brings his hands to his throat. The murmur of unease from the crowd gets louder. > z Nothing happens. Benjamin Netanyahu falls to the ground, and then something strange happens. His body undergoes a metamorphosis, stretching to the point of tearing through his clothes. Clumps of bushy hair grow all over his skin. His face deforms, elongating and widening... A group of Mossad agents rush onto the stage, surrounding the prime minister and dragging him out of sight. The crowd boos and screams in horror. Again the loudspeakers blare with the same woman's voice (mentioning an indisposition and promising a resumption of the speech, though it is difficult to understand her amidst the shouting), but her attempt to calm the masses soon proves an impossible task. "I'm out of here; this is a joke," complains someone next to you. And he's not the only one: many other people begin to leave the square in a hurry. You realize that they are only feigning outrage. It is fear driving them to leave. (You thought you saw, as the agents dragged Netanyahu off the stage, that what they were taking away was not an old defeated man, but... some sort of anthropomorphic bear?) [The score has just gone up by 5 points.] > * ah OKs [Comment not recorded. This game does not support transcripts.] > s Again it takes about twenty-five minutes to return along the familiar path to Lev Ha'ir. Lev Ha'ir This is Lev Ha'ir, the heart of the "white city" in the center of Tel Aviv, with its skyscrapers, Bauhaus buildings and tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard. Here, too, it looks very different from usual, with its closed shops and darkened windows. Here again, groups of people can be seen discussing the day's strange events more or less heatedly. You see many people returning from the north, where Rabin Square is located. To the south is Florentine, and to the southeast you can return to Neve Sha'anan. You hear the noise of a motorbike from a nearby street. > nw That's the way to Nachalat Binyamin. You haven't missed anything in that place. > ne That's the way to Mahane Rabin. You don't need anything from that place right now. > se For a little more than a quarter of an hour you cross avenues and streets, until you reach the familiar corners of your neighborhood. Neve Sha'anan Neve Sha'anan, the part of Tel Aviv where you live, is a working-class neighborhood known for its large immigrant population. It's one of the few relatively central areas where you can still find an apartment for a reasonable price. Not far from here is the monstrous building of the central bus station. Your street, usually a lively and colorful place full of spice shops, is now silent, the shops closed, with groups of people here and there whispering worriedly. From here you can walk back up to your building. Some people seem to be heading west, in the direction of the Florentine quarter. You hear the noise of a motorbike from a nearby street. > e That's the way to Ha-Rakevet. You don't need anything from that place right now. > se That's the way to the Ayalon river. You don't think there's anything interesting there. A group of people nearby burst into laughter. Someone must have cracked a joke to defuse the tension. > ne That's the way to the Ayalon river. You don't think there's anything interesting there. > sw That's the way to Merkaz Ha-Melakha. You don't think there's anything interesting there. A car briefly lights up the street before plunging it back into darkness as it turns the corner. > w It takes you about twenty minutes to traverse the streets that separate you from the Florentine quarter... Florentine Florentine is one of Tel Aviv's best-known neighborhoods. Since the 1990s, it has gone from being a poor neighborhood to an area of artists and bohemians. Now all the guidebooks advertise it as the most "hipster" place in Tel Aviv. Today, however, the almost total darkness makes it very difficult to see the graffiti on its walls, its clothes shops or its "chic" cafés. You only see groups of people chatting in front of the closed shops, looking worried. Some people seem to be heading west towards the Jaffa neighborhood. To the east you can return to your neighborhood of Neve Sha'anan. > s That's the way to Giv'At Herzl. You don't need anything from that place right now. > se That's the way to the neighborhood of Merkaz Ha-Melakha. You don't think there's anything interesting there. An army truck passes close by, repeating its constant message: "...advised to stay in your homes. We are working to..." > nw That's the way to l barrio de Neve-Tsedek. You don't need anything from that place right now. An army truck passes close by, repeating its constant message: "...advised to stay in your homes. We are working to..." > ne Crossing the city to Lev Ha'ir from Florentine takes about twenty-five minutes through dark streets. Lev Ha'ir This is Lev Ha'ir, the heart of the "white city" in the center of Tel Aviv, with its skyscrapers, Bauhaus buildings and tree-lined Rothschild Boulevard. Here, too, it looks very different from usual, with its closed shops and darkened windows. Here again, groups of people can be seen discussing the day's strange events more or less heatedly. You see many people returning from the north, where Rabin Square is located. To the south is Florentine, and to the southeast you can return to Neve Sha'anan. An army truck passes close by, repeating its constant message: "...advised to stay in your homes. We are working to..." > w That's the way to Nachalat Binyamin. You haven't missed anything in that place. > nw That's the way to Nachalat Binyamin. You don't think there's anything interesting there. > sw That's the way to the neighborhood of Neve-Tsedek. You don't think there's anything interesting there. A car briefly lights up the street before plunging it back into darkness as it turns the corner. > Come again? > s You walk back from the white city to Florentine through silent streets. In total it takes you about 25 minutes. Florentine Florentine is one of Tel Aviv's best-known neighborhoods. Since the 1990s, it has gone from being a poor neighborhood to an area of artists and bohemians. Now all the guidebooks advertise it as the most "hipster" place in Tel Aviv. Today, however, the almost total darkness makes it very difficult to see the graffiti on its walls, its clothes shops or its "chic" cafés. You only see groups of people chatting in front of the closed shops, looking worried. Some people seem to be heading west towards the Jaffa neighborhood. To the east you can return to your neighborhood of Neve Sha'anan. An ambulance siren wails to a dead stop. > w You walk from Florentine to the ancient Palestinian city of Jaffa, all the way to the coast. The walk takes just over a quarter of an hour. Jaffa Jaffa, one of the oldest ports in the world, inhabited since 7500 BC according to archaeological evidence. Since 1950, it has been part of Tel Aviv as a single municipal entity, and today it is a favourite "selfie spot" for tourists visiting the city. Its stone walls and mosques still attest to the Arab heritage left by the ancient Palestinian population. You have reached the waterfront promenade. Beside you stand a large number of curious onlookers. Below, on the beach, strange military operations are taking place that you can't clearly make out at a distance. A couple of soldiers prevent you from descending to the beach. To the northeast you can return to the Florentine district. > n The two soldiers block you from the beach with their bodies. It doesn't look like they intend to let you pass. The lights of the drones continue to perform their silent choreography over the black abyss of the sky. > nw The two soldiers block you from the beach with their bodies. It doesn't look like they intend to let you pass. A soldier down there shouts something incomprehensible, and the rest of his comrades come over to calm him down. > ne You make the ascent from the old Jaffa buildings back to the Florentine graffiti, which takes about a quarter of an hour. Florentine Florentine is one of Tel Aviv's best-known neighborhoods. Since the 1990s, it has gone from being a poor neighborhood to an area of artists and bohemians. Now all the guidebooks advertise it as the most "hipster" place in Tel Aviv. Today, however, the almost total darkness makes it very difficult to see the graffiti on its walls, its clothes shops or its "chic" cafés. You only see groups of people chatting in front of the closed shops, looking worried. Some people seem to be heading west towards the Jaffa neighborhood. To the east you can return to your neighborhood of Neve Sha'anan. An army truck passes close by, repeating its constant message: "...advised to stay in your homes. We are working to..." > sw You walk from Florentine to the ancient Palestinian city of Jaffa, all the way to the coast. The walk takes just over a quarter of an hour. Jaffa Jaffa, one of the oldest ports in the world, inhabited since 7500 BC according to archaeological evidence. Since 1950, it has been part of Tel Aviv as a single municipal entity, and today it is a favourite "selfie spot" for tourists visiting the city. Its stone walls and mosques still attest to the Arab heritage left by the ancient Palestinian population. You have reached the waterfront promenade. Beside you stand a large number of curious onlookers. Below, on the beach, strange military operations are taking place that you can't clearly make out at a distance. A couple of soldiers prevent you from descending to the beach. To the northeast you can return to the Florentine district. > s That's the way to Tsahalon. You don't need anything from that place right now. > se That's the way to Neve Ofer. You don't need anything from that place right now. An uncomfortable chuckle bursts from one of the onlookers present, then she relapses into modest silence. > sw That's the way to the neighborhood of Ajami. You don't think there's anything interesting there. >