Fable: "So there's this scary game that a few of my favorite Youtubers played that was called the Watson-Scott Test. And just like with Tattletail I made a story out of that game. And I don't know why. You don't need to play the game to read this story.
The Test
Yuya had the house all to himself. This wasn't suppose to happen. Yuya and his father were suppose to put on a dueltaining duel show with the help of Zuzu, Sora, Sylvio, and even Shay and Gong. However, on the day of the event, Yuya woke up with a terrible headache, a clogged nose, and a fever. He was sick. Yuya insisted that his father go without him, after all, he did promise to host it.
After wishing him well, his father left. An hour later Yuya's mother, Yoko, remembers that she was suppose to take En, Core, and the other pets to the vet for their check ups today. Again, Yuya insisted that his mother go ahead. The check ups were important and he only had a cold. Nothing too serious. He could handle himself for a few hours until she came back.
Finally relenting, Yoko packs up the pets into the car and left, telling Yuya to call her or Skip if he needed anything. Yuya promise he would and now he was left alone. It was...strange, being all alone in the house. Yuya has been home alone before, but never without the pets. It was almost...too quiet. It put him on edge for some reason.
Deciding to just try and sleep off his headache, Yuya takes some cold medicine before heading up to his room for a well needed nap.
Yuya woke up to the sound of someone knocking at the door. With a soft groan, Yuya sat up. He had only been asleep for about fifteen minutes. Feeling a bit annoyed about being woken up, Yuya pulled on a pair of warm socks and made his way downstairs.
Upon opening the door Yuya was a little surprise to see his rival, Declan. In his hands he held a black duel disk and he had his head down, staring at the ground.
"Oh! Declan, hi." Yuya sniffs. "Don't come too close to me. I have a cold and-"
"Yuya, I need you to do something for me." Declan interrupts without looking up. Before Yuya could say anything, Declan is handing him the strange duel disk. "When you turn on this duel disk, you will be greeted by a test. I need you to complete the test so that I can be sure that the results are...accurate. Do you understand?"
"I...uhh...y-yeah?" Yuya slowly took the duel disk and as soon as he did Declan turned and began walking away. "H-hey, wait! Declan!" But the man kept walking, choosing to ignore Yuya. Yuya watch him leave until he had disappear down the street. What was that about? Yuya look down at the duel disk in his hands. It looked like any other duel disk, but with a black cover.
Going back inside, Yuya shuts the door and locks the deadbolt. He could go back to sleep if he really wanted too, but Declan seem a little...stressed. And Yuya didn't know why, but he felt like it would probably be a good idea to take the test now rather than later.
After brewing up some chamomile tea for his throat, Yuya took the hot cup and the duel disk up into his room. Settling on his bed, Yuya placed his tea to the side and turned on the duel disk.
At first the screen remain black but after a few more minutes some white text appeared on screen.
Welcome to the Watson-Scott Test.
At the bottom of the screen was a red button label - Start. Yuya pressed it. Some more text appeared.
This test is designed to help you understand your deepest anxieties and the underlying causes of your darkest fears.
Yuya blinked, a little confused. This was the test Declan wanted him to help with? He expected the test to be related to dueling in some shape or form. Not...fears.
For each question, select the response which gives the best and most truthful answer.
At the end of the examination you will receive your analysis and a certificate of participation.
Please note that typically only 13% of participants are able to complete the test due to the onset of total body paralysis or unanticipated cardiac arrest, resulting in death.
Do you wish to continue?
- Yes
- No
"Thirteen percent?! People died taking this test?!" Yuya swallows nervously. Is that why Declan was acting so weird? But why? How?
Yuya took a deep breath.
"Stop it." He rationalized in his mind. "Tests can cause people to die of boredom, but not for real. Knowing Declan, it's probably just a trick. Yeah, that's it! He's just trying to psych me out or something. Trying to test me." Feeling a bit better, Yuya clicked yes.
Firstly, some calibration questions.
What color is the sky during the day?
- Blue
- Purple
- Green
He answers blue.
If I have one apple and you give me two apples, how many apples do I have?
- Zero
- Three
- Infinity
"Not sure if I should be relieved or insulted on how easy these questions are. " Yuya thought as he click three.
Are you playing a game right now?
- Yes
- No
Yuya read the question a few times. Was he playing a game? Considering how easy it was, it can be argue that this test is a game.
"Declan probably wants to make sure I'm taking this seriously." Yuya thought as he click no.
Are you sure it's not a game?
- Yes
- No
Yuya began to feel a little conflicted. Did Declan want him to think of it as a game or not? Yuya's finger hover over the yes answer before finally relenting and clicking on no.
Suddenly, the screen glitch. A mess of letters, numbers, and symbols appeared on screen. At first, Yuya thought he had did something wrong but the test sorted itself out quickly.
Calibration complete.
Your test will begin now.
Yuya lets out a sigh of relief, taking a quick sip from his tea to ready himself for whatever Declan threw at him.
It's raining outside and you're walking in bare feet. You take one step forward and crush a snail between your toes.
You feel:
- Happy
- Guilty
- Jealous
- Disgusted
- Nothing
"...Not the type of question I was expecting...but okay." Yuya click on guilty. He hates bringing pain to others. Humans or animals, it didn't matter. Like before, the text glitch for a moment before returning to normal.
A small child is walking down the street with a large ice-cream in her hand. She trips and falls, dropping her treat on the ground.
You feel:
- Delighted
- Sympathetic
- Depressed
- Amused
- Nothing
Yuya chooses sympathetic. How could anyone choose any other option? Again, the text glitch for a second. Was it suppose to do that?
You're at a farm. You make eye contract with a cow in the field. The farmer says its name is 'Samuel'.
It's dinner time, and the farmer serves you a plate of rib-eye steak.
You:
- Thank the farmer for the meal
- Say nothing
- Stab the farmer with your knife
- Politely request a vegan option.
Yuya has nothing against eating meat. It's just the way life is. However, knowing 'who' his meal was definitely took away his appetite. He selected the vegan option.
I will show you an image. Please study it.
The image will not move.
Yuya didn't like how the test had to affirm that last statement. The picture that showed up on screen seem to be a close up of a spider's face. It didn't move, like the test said it wouldn't.
How did that image make you feel?
- Motivated
- Afraid
- Sad
- Frustrated
- Nothing
Yuya knew spiders were mostly harmless, but that doesn't mean they weren't creepy. Especially zoomed in like that. Yuya selected afraid.
Do you believe in ghosts?
- Yes
- No
For a moment, Yuya briefly wonder if Yuto counted as a ghost. He was sort of...a spirit within him during the war. Shrugging to himself, Yuya click yes.
Have you ever seen a ghost?
- Yes
- No
Again, back to Yuto. Can you really consider him a ghost? After taking a few sips of tea, Yuya came to the conclusion that yes, Yuto was a ghost at least for a while. He click yes.
Then the test decided to pull a one eighty.
Has anyone ever died in the room you're in right now?
But it wasn't just the question...
- Yes
- Not Yet
- Unsure
It wasn't like the answers were...inaccurate...but still...
Yuya tried to ignore the cold shutter that went up his spine and clicked the second option.
Please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements.
I sometimes see things that aren't really there.
- Strongly Agree
- Agree
- Disagree
- Strongly Disagree
Yuya was more than glad to have a normal question. Yuya answers disagree.
He had pretty good eyesight in his opinion.
I often think about the ghost inside my house.
"Ghosts in my house?" Yuya had never really thought about ghosts being in his house. "Strongly disagree."
Other people would say I'm a liar.
This didn't take much thought. He click disagree.
I am often unaware of things that are right behind me.
After reading that question Yuya had an overwhelming urge to check behind him. He did.
Nothing was there. Nothing was in the room with him. Yuya took a few minutes to calm his pounding heart. It was just a test. He needed to calm down. He click disagree.
The next question made Yuya's blood run cold.
There is an unexpected guest in my house.
At that moment, Yuya heard a door downstairs creak open. He jumps at the sound but then he chuckles to himself.
"Mom's home. Thank the Gods." Yuya takes his almost empty tea cup and heads downstairs to be greeted by...nothing. Yuya is confused and takes a look out the window. Her car wasn't in the driveway. She wasn't home. Coming to this realization Yuya quietly went to the front door.
It was still firmly locked. Finding a little comfort in that Yuya heads into the kitchen to make himself more tea.
"Did I...imagine the sound?" Yuya thought as the water boiled. He rubbed a hand over his face. Was the test really messing with his head that much? Yuya chided himself. He has been through a Dimensional War, has faced death more than a few times, defeated his demonic counterpart, but he couldn't take a simple test?
Once his tea was ready, Yuya took his cup and march back upstairs. He grab the duel disk and selected strongly disagree.
Nobody would know if I went missing.
"Strongly disagree."
Poetry is the most intelligent form of artistic expression.
"Disagree. There are other forms of artistic expression that can be intelligent."
More glitching, worse than before.
You need an attitude readjustment.
I've designed a new algorithm for generating insightful poetry.
Let me demonstrate...
Roses are red,
Silent as a mouse,
Your door is unlocked.
I'm inside your house.
Yuya looked up at his doorway. He strained his ears to pick up on any sounds.
Nothing.
Of course there's nothing. He's alone.
Congratulations!
Only 41% of participants typically reach this point in the examination.
From now on, the questions will be much more intense.
Do you wish to continue?
- Yes
- No
Yuya clicks yes.
How far away is the closest police station?
- Less than 15 minute walk
- More than 15 minute walk
The Paradise City Police Station was at least thirty minutes if you sprint most of the way.
When you're home alone, do you lock your doors?
- Yes
- No
Yuya takes a sip from his tea as he clicks yes. Now he gets it. It took him awhile, but he knows what's going on. The test, Declan's weird behavior, it was all just an act. To mess with his head psychologically. Yuya had to give him props. The questions did freak him out for a moment.
Hypothetically, if you were to scream as loudly as possible right now, would anyone hear you?
- Yes
- No
Now Yuya is unsure about this. Would anyone hear him? He presses yes to feel a little better.
How long can someone survive if you drill three evenly spaced holes, one quarter of an inch in diameter, in the midpoint of the skull?
- 3 Minutes
- 3 Hours
- 3 Days
- I don't want to die
"Why do I feel like Yuri would know the answer to this question?" Yuya purposely ignores the last option and guesses 3 hours.
If you were to be murdered within the next seven minutes to eighteen days, which technique would scare you the most?
- Drowning in a plastic bag filled with water tied around my head.
- Blunt force trauma (e.g. the kettle on the oven used to make tea propelled into my skull)
- Asphyxiation from my mouth and nose stapled shut
- A dull ceramic blade inserted delicately into my temple
The second option nearly freak Yuya out, until he realize that Declan probably learn that he was sick through his father or their friends. And he knew that Yuya drank a lot of tea when he was sick. It couldn't have taken that long to go back into the 'test' and type that in.
"Almost, Declan. You almost got me."
For the question, Yuya chose the first option. Drowning as always been one of his fears...
I will now show you an image. Please study it.
The image will not speak.
It was a picture of what looked like television static.
How did that image make you feel?
- Calm
- Afraid
- Unhappy
- Angry
- Nothing
Yuya answer nothing.
I'll ask this one more time.
Are you playing a game right now?
- Yes
- No
Yuya felt like he understood now.
He selected yes.
Do you know that I'm a good person?
- Yes
- No
Now Yuya was a bit puzzled. Was this Declan talking about himself?
Yuya click yes. Even if it wasn't referring to Declan, everyone always had the chance to be a good person.
Are you lying to me right now?
- Yes
- No
Yuya pressed no.
Do you trust me? (To do the right thing.)
- Yes
- No
Yuya took a long sip of his tea before answering.
He pick yes.
A is to B as C is to...
- I
- Will
- Die
- Tonight
Yuya was beginning to wonder how long this 'test' was suppose to be.
He chose the first option.
Your recent answers indicate you are exhibition a fight-or-flight response and may be at risk of an Acute Stress Reaction.
I'll need you to breathe slowly and calm down...
Press Continue when you are calm...
...only when you are calm.
"I'm fine." Yuya mutter out loud, pressing the continue button a little harder than necessary. "I'm not scared."
Please take a moment to look away from your screen, and observe the nearest exit.
Make sure you could run if something were to happen.
Do this now...
Now.
Yuya finds himself doing this without meaning too. Of course there's the door but if worse comes to worse, he has a window.
Did you look away from your screen?
- Yes
- No
- Fuck you
Yuya snorted a bit at the last answer, a bit surprised that Declan would add such an choice. Perhaps he wanted Shay to take this 'test' as well?
He picked yes.
Do you think I can tell when you look away from your screen?
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- Maybe
"Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised." Yuya thought as he chose maybe.
Do you feel safe in your house right now?
- No
- Unsure
"Not really giving me much of an option anymore." Yuya mumbles to himself, picking unsure.
Are you having fun?
- Yes
- Yes
- Unsure
Yuya shrugs and clicks yes.
I...know...when you're lying to me...
The text scrolled by so fast Yuya almost didn't catch it.
Please ignore any external stimulus.
Concentrate only on this screen.
There are no unexpected guests in your house. There are no unusual sounds coming from inside your house.
Do not take your eyes off the screen.
Do you understand?
- Yes
- No
Another mind trick.
He picks yes.
If you move you might get stabbed.
The text is quick, but Yuya catches it. He forces his eyes on the black screen, refusing to look up.
Did he just hear a knock?
He keeps his eyes on the screen.
Now footsteps...going up the stairs. They sounded so real.
Yuya's eyes begin to water from staring at the screen for so long...or maybe it was for a different reason...
They footsteps stop...just outside his doorway.
Test complete!
Thank you for participating.
Your result have been saved.
Yuya couldn't stop himself from looking up.
Nothing was there to greet him.
I survived The Watson-Scott Test.
The main test is complete.
Good-bye.
The duel disk shuts off on its own.
Finishing his tea, Yuya stood up and grab his own duel disk off his desk. He quickly scroll through his contacts before stopping on Declan's and calling it. It rings twice before Declan picks up.
"This better be important, Yuya."
"Oh, well excuse me. I thought that you would like to know that I finish your test." Yuya said as he made his way downstairs. "Who am I kidding? You're probably already looking at my results on your laptop in front of you."
"...Yuya, what are you talking about?"
"The test you gave me. I finished it. Not gonna lie, you almost had me for the first couple of questions. It really mess with my head. For a moment I thought someone was in the house with me, ha!"
"Yuya, I've been home all day."
Yuya swears his heart just stop.
"W-what?"
"I haven't left the office since seven o'clock this morning."
"O-okay, Declan, this joke has run its course."
"I'm being serious." The conviction in Declan's voice says it all. Yuya feels like he can't breathe. "Yuya, what's going on? What test? I never sent such a thing."
Yuya doesn't answer Declan right away. Instead his gaze travels to the front door.
It's still closed.
It's still locked.
But then another realization hits him.
They had a back door.
Fable: "And just like that, that's where I'm leaving! I hope you all enjoyed this short one shot!"