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Sunshine beats down on my face, fiery and free. The four of us ride along in Charvan this one last time, flowing toward home and into the unknown at the same time. “Bittersweet Symphony” plays on the stereo, and nothing could feel more fitting. In this moment, we are a hello that starts with a goodbye. We are sewn tightly together as we prepare to scatter our separate ways. We found the answers we were seeking, but we are filled with even bigger questions.
We are all two things at once, flipped coins and balanced scales.
So what else is there to do but sing along as we hurtle into the four-cornered valley below? I stick my arm out of the open window, letting the air scoop my palm in invisible waves. I think of the answers that burn bright in my brain, waiting to be fully unpacked. I think of Grandma and all she has left me, today and every day. And I think of what she would tell me to do, if she were here:
Enjoy the moment.
“Is anyone else’s stomach beeping with hunger like Toky’s?” Cleo asks, projecting over the music.
“I definitely wouldn’t put it that way,” Logan laughs. “But, yes, I am also starving.”
“I have two restaurants left on my CleoCraft list, if we want to hit one on the drive back?”
Hearing this question, my eyes shift to Chase. I can tell he has the same instinct to pull a tarot card, to divine one last universal sign as we end this trip.
“What if we just stop at the first place that looks good?” Chase responds first. “One final detour to add to the books?”
Everyone in Charvan reacts with a beat of surprised silence, because this might be the least Chase thing he has ever said.
“I’m in,” I say. “Something tells me we’ll know the right place when we see it.”
These gestures are little, I know. But I also now know how the littlest things can accumulate. Tiny beads of light gathered together, branches and trees, drops and oceans. Single steps that make up an entire journey—major detours, minor miracles and all.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THANK YOU, FIRST and foremost, to Britny Brooks-Perilli, for this enormous labor of love. No one else possessed the vision for what this novel could be, nor the technical know-how and creative spirit to get it made. From concept to proposal to final draft, you’ve been my champion every step of the way (in a world where champions of interactive and queer fiction are hard to find). For better or worse, you are now forever immortalized as the enigmatic Carson Perilli.
To the other half of this magic equation, my fiction agent, Lucy Carson: you deserve an equal share of gratitude. This thank-you extends all the way back to that first meeting in your office, where you were brave enough to take a chance on representing a relatively unproven author in a totally new genre, all the way through the heartbreaking multiyear creation and submission of a still-unpublished novel, until you ushered us to Britny’s doorstep. For every link in the chain, past and future, I thank you for your unconditional support and generosity.
To Amanda Burnett, my friend and TV agent of nearly a decade, I thank you for keeping the faith in me through the years of near-successes, when you had no tangible reason to believe.
To the intrepid team that worked on this newfangled novel, I thank you for your creativity and ingenuity. To Marissa Raybuck, for working overtime to design every aspect of this new format, from cover to backmatter. To Karl James Mountford, for bringing the characters and symbolism of this novel to life on our breathtaking jacket art and interior illustrations. To copy editor Michael McConnell, who felt like an extension of my own brain. To Amber Morris, for deftly handling the production of this novel-puzzle. To Valerie Howlett, Isabella Nugent, and Nicole Banholzer, for marketing and publicizing all this work. And to all the other hands who helped push this novel forward, the ones I don’t even (and may never) know about.
To the best friends who Amelia, Chase, Cleo, and Logan were originally inspired by, I thank you for just being you and being in my life. These characters took on a life of their own as they grew and evolved, but you can find their roots in Daniel Denicola, Chase Baxter, Ariel Colangelo, Julia Rubin, Maija Gustin, and Shane St. Hill.
To the few who took the time to read early drafts of this novel, I thank you for convincing me this invented format could actually work on some fundamental level: Chase Baxter, Jessica Goodman, Chelsea Sanders, Jeana Kolson, Stephan Lee, and Kelly Diamond.
To Rosa Van Wie and Brendan Grayson-Wallace, members of the Silver Bay family, I thank you for introducing me to two integral pillars of this novel. Rosa, for reading my tarot cards for the first time on that bay blanket and changing my life forever. Brendan, for sending me that D&D starter kit and hosting my first campaign experience. I’d also like to thank the development executives Lauren Pfieffer and Jamie Fleishman for being the first to believe in my cult-creating and tarot-treasure storytelling prowess on the pilots Killing Thyme and Major Arcana. You’re all now immortalized as the key Perillians named after you!
To the interactive editors who first published my work, I thank you for giving me the space to develop my own unique style of Interactive Fiction (sometimes veering outside house rules). I’d like to thank everyone at Choice of Games, especially Jason Stevan Hill, along with everyone at Tales Fiction and Jessica Delfanti.
To Ned Rust and the James Patterson Team, I thank you for giving me my first internship at Hachette as a college freshman, where I learned so much about the industry and dreamed of someday having my own book to hold. To now be published by Hachette fifteen years later is truly a dream come true.
To my Penn writing family, I thank you for the endless support. Jessica Goodman, host of many lunches to compare publishing notes, from agentless manuscripts to potential TV deals and everything in-between. Grant Ginder, who introduced me to my agent Lucy after a boozy NYC lunch. Kate Myers, my friend-therapist and fellow writing warrior. Mingo Reynolds and RJ Bernocco, ultimate shepherds to all Penn writers, who gave me my career start in LA and who keep me in touch with the next generation of writers.
To all of the mentors and supporters, I thank you for telling me I could do this and shaping me as a writer: John Tricamo, Adrienne Rosado, Max Apple, Valerie Ross, Margo Todd, Paul Hendrickson, Mark Rizzo, Tim McNeal, John Strauss, Jane Ezersky, Lindsay Tolbert, Carmine Gibaldi, and Mary Rita Wallace. I’d like to especially thank dear family friend David Kastan, the very first person to tell me, at age sixteen, that if I worked at it hard enough to develop it, I had the talent to be a writer.
To the generations of tarot wisdom that seeped into this novel, there’s an endless foundation of artists and thinkers to thank. I used many decks and guidebooks for inspiration and reference, but a few works remained central to my own understanding of the tarot: David Fontana’s The Essential Guide to The Tarot; Vanessa Decort’s Sun and Moon Tarot; and Jason Gruhl, Jonathan Saiz, and Andi Todaro’s The Fountain Tarot. I also owe an endless debt of gratitude to Oprah and her SuperSoul conversations for so much accumulated wisdom.
To the ladies of High Rise, I thank you for providing the adventures that filled the journals I referenced when bringing these characters to life. You forever have my high school heart.
To my immediate family, I thank you for holding me up when writing felt impossible and for quite literally footing the bill when I couldn’t myself. This novel is for you, first and foremost. Kyle, who loves and listens every single day. Mom, who has read every single word I’ve scribbled since I could lift a pen. Dad, who never lost the faith this would happen for me, not for a single second. Louis and Amanda, who celebrate every little update and who feed me constantly. And Grandma Florence, who lives on in me—and in this novel.
Most importantly, to you, the reader: I thank you for picking up this book. Every novel belongs to the reader eventually, but in Interactive Fiction, the story really becomes yours to have and hold in a unique way. Handle it with care. I hope it will serve you as well as it has served me.
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READING GUIDE
Use this sheet to keep track of your choices and to help calculate your unique reader personality profile at the novel’s end. This sheet is an optional bonus feature, so no need to fill it out if you’re just here for a good read. Each column can represent a new reread, but record your keywords however you see fit!
CHAPTER ONE
Queen or Mother Earth?
Ocean or body heat?
CHAPTER TWO
Guidance (compass) or help (charms)?
Learn or responsibility?
CHAPTER THREE
Fountain of life or holy grail?
Hug or response?
CHAPTER FOUR
Hold or kiss?
Give the Prince or take the Prince?
CHAPTER FIVE
Honor legacy or personal power?
Bonus question or bring back ?
CHAPTER SIX
Calling or coincidence? Symbolic or invest?
CHAPTER SEVEN
Don’t believe or do believe?
Tower or Hermit?
Blue door or purple door?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Forces or own making?
Need some space or tell it’s okay?
CHAPTER NINE
Princess of Cups recovered (blue door) or did not recover (purple door)?
Get intimate or check on?
Magically sprout or one truth? Stomach drops or tilt head?
CHAPTER TEN
A solution or learn more?
With or without or same road? Push through or keep distracted?
Tarot history or tarot symbols?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Too big or be stronger?
Leave the King of Pentacles or keep the King of Pentacles?
CHAPTER TWELVE
Magician or Hermit?
Ace of Wands or Emperor? Hierophant or King of Wands?
Moon or Two of Pentacles? Ten of Cups or Empress?
Accept or decline?
Break or open?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Forgive or revealed?
Love you or best friend?
Donate the deck or keep the deck?
Introduction or goodbye?
NOTES: ____________________________________________
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PERILLIAN CORNER SORTING MATRIX
What Corner has your reading sorted you into?
If the Prince of Wands was Given to Cain; the Princess of Cups was Recovered; and you Kept the King of Pentacles from Rosa, then this suggests you were intuitive, wise, and bold enough to collect all four missing cards intact. You have thus earned the rare right to Sort Yourself.
If the Prince of Wands was Given to Cain; the Princess of Cups was Recovered; and you Left the King of Pentacles for Rosa, then this suggests that relationships matter most to you and that you are thinking of others always. You are Coupled.
If the Prince of Wands was Given to Cain; the Princess of Cups was Not Recovered; and you Kept the King of Pentacles from Rosa, then this suggests you are willing to experiment via trial and error. While you always advocate for yourself, you also think of others. You are Repentant.
If the Prince of Wands was Given to Cain; the Princess of Cups was Not Recovered; and you Left the King of Pentacles for Rosa, then this suggests you are above material possessions and have faith in yourself above all else. You are a Wanderer.
If the Prince of Wands was Taken from Cain; the Princess of Cups was Recovered; and you Kept the King of Pentacles from Rosa, then this suggests you work hard for what you want and soldier on to do what is most necessary for your overall journey. You are a Wanderer.
If the Prince of Wands was Taken from Cain; the Princess of Cups was Recovered; and you Left the King of Pentacles for Rosa, then this suggests you learn quickly from your mistakes and thus are a keeper of great wisdom. You are Repentant.
If the Prince of Wands was Taken from Cain; the Princess of Cups was Not Recovered; and you Kept the King of Pentacles from Rosa, then this suggests you are loyal to your chosen family first and ignore the whims of potentially harmful strangers. You are Coupled.
If the Prince of Wands was Taken from Cain; the Princess of Cups was Not Recovered; and you Left the King of Pentacles for Rosa, then this means you acquired none of these three cards intact, but that you think independently and learn from your mistakes—the qualities of a true leader. You are thus singularly Sworn.
THE FOUR CORNERS
The Wanderers
The faithful and passionate Wanderers, soldiers and sentinels to protect.
Wands: Fire. Red. East. Summer. Desert.
Spiritual. Passion. Faith. Action. Growth. Goals. Intention.
The Coupled
The loving and creative Coupled, historians and artists to reflect.
Cups: Water. Blue. West. Winter. Ocean.
Emotional. Love. Relationships. Intuition. Connection. Tides.
The Repentant
The grounded and inventive Repentant, scientists and doctors to cure.
Pentacles: Earth. Green. North. Spring. Forest.
Elemental. Physical. Senses. Transaction. Material. Health. Body.
The Sworn
The wise and rational Sworn, guides and mentors to lead.
Swords: Air. White. South. Autumn. Mountain.
Rational. Logic. Warrior. Planning. Analysis. Clarity. Change.
PERSONALITY PROFILE WORKSHEET
AMELIA
CHAPTER ONE
Queen: Add 1 to Spontaneous, Add 1 to Demanding
Mother Earth: Add 1 to Thoughtful, Add 1 to Nurturing
Ocean: Add 1 to Sensitive
Body Heat: Add 1 to Eager
CHAPTER THREE
Fountain of Life: Add 1 to Nurturing
Holy Grail: Add 1 to Demanding
Hug: Add 1 to Thoughtful, Add 1 to Sensitive
Response: Add 1 to Spontaneous, Add 1 to Eager
CHAPTER FIVE
Honor Legacy: Add 2 to Nurturing
Personal Power: Add 2 to Demanding
Bonus Question: Add 2 to Spontaneous, Add 2 to Eager
Bring Back: Add 2 to Thoughtful, Add 2 to Sensitive
CHAPTER SEVEN
Don’t Believe: Add 1 to Spontaneous, Add 1 to Demanding
Do Believe: Add 1 to Thoughtful, Add 1 to Nurturing
Tower: Add 3 to Spontaneous, Add 3 to Eager, Add 3 to Nurturing
Hermit: Add 3 to Thoughtful, Add 3 to Sensitive, Add 3 to Demanding
CHAPTER NINE
Get Intimate: Add 2 to Spontaneous
Check On: Add 2 to Thoughtful
Magically Sprout: Add 2 to Nurturing
One Truth: Add 2 to Demanding
OR
Stomach Drops: Add 2 to Eager
Tilt Head: Add 2 to Sensitive
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Too Big: Add 2 to Spontaneous, Add 2 to Sensitive
Be Stronger: Add 2 to Thoughtful, Add 2 to Eager
Leave King: Add 4 to Nurturing, Add 1 to Thoughtful
Keep King: Add 4 to Demanding, Add 1 to Spontaneous
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Forgive: Add 2 to Assured, Add 1 to Nurturing
&
nbsp; Revealed: Add 2 to Honest, Add 1 to Demanding
Love You: Add 1 to Assured, Add 1 to Spontaneous
Best Friend: Add 1 to Honest, Add 1 to Thoughtful
Donate the Deck: Add 1 to Assured, Add 1 to Thoughtful
Keep the Deck: Add 1 to Honest, Add 1 to Spontaneous
Introduction: Add 1 to Assured
Goodbye: Add 1 to Honest
AMELIA STRENGTH TALLIES
Which one of the below has the most tallies? Choose your favorite if there’s a tie. This is the first half of your Major Amelia Type, the greatest strengths you gave Amelia.
Major Detours Page 29