Chapter 1 - Desert Dream

**Chapter 1 - Desert Dream** is the first chapter of *As Dusk Falls*. It is in Book 1: Collision.

## Playable Characters

* Vince Walker
* Jay Holt

## Events

The chapter begins in 2012 with a 20-year-old Zoe Walker submerging herself underwater. A voiceover explains "Not so long ago, I wanted to be a journalist. Now I just wanna hold my breath and sink". There are brief flashbacks to the events at the Desert Dream Motel.

### Playing as: Vince Walker, May 18th 1998

Then, the narrative switches to May 18th 1998, in Arizona, Route 66. A 6-year-old Zoe sits with her father, Vince. They play a memory game. The player can decide to cheat by peeking, which annoys Zoe. They then get back into the car where Michelle (Vince's wife and Zoe's mother) is sitting. Later, Vince's father Jim enters with his dog, Zeus. The family begin driving and the *As Dusk Falls* title card appears on screen.

Some time passes and Zoe has fallen asleep. The adults discuss that it was Jim's idea to take the route through Arizona and that they are on their way to a new home in St Louis, Missouri. Michelle and Jim disagree on what Vince should do regarding his job. Jim begins talking about Vince when he was small, to which Vince snaps "And what was I like in high school, huh?" to which Jim has no answer, revealing that Jim was not present for this part of Vince's life. Vince apologises but Jim seems hurt. Michelle and Jim have a tense and awkward discussion and the player can decide to side with either Jim or Michelle, or stay out of it. However, as Vince is speaking, the car is hit by a truck and skids off-road. This causes an oil leak, and the car does not start again. The truck that hit them comes back. It contains three men, later revealed to be the Holt brothers. Dale Holt, who is riding in the front passenger seat, shouts "Learn how to drive, asshole!" and they drive away. The Walker family discuss how they are lucky to be alive.

### Playing as: Jay Holt

Perspective shifts to the Holt brothers who discuss the incident with no remorse. They arrive at a house which the eldest, Tyler, identifies as 28 Northwood, Two Rock, Arizona (their hometown). Dale bangs on the car to get the attention of the youngest, Jay. Tyler explains: "There's enough cash in that safe to put the last three weeks behind us - we stay alive, we keep the house, everything goes back to normal". Tyler reveals that he has a gun, which shocks the other two. Jay is given a code (5926) for the safe and instructed to go "over the back gate", while Dale goes through the garage.

After scaling the gate, Jay encounters a guard dog, which the player decides how to deal with. Jay will get into the house any way, but he may end up bitten on his shoulder depending on decisions or QTE. Dale then knocks on the front door pretending to be the police. Jay finds a photo of Two Rock's Sheriff Dante Romero and Dale confirms that it is his house. Dale says "You know Ma's beef with him goes way back, even before he sent me to juvy". Dale proposes to "fuck this place up a little". Jay looks around for the safe on the first floor but he cannot find it. Dale urinates in the household's lemonade and Jay has the option to join him. Afterwards, Jay goes upstairs and comes across a woman in a wheelchair - the Sheriff's wife.

### Playing as: Vince Walker, meanwhile

The Walker family arrive at the Desert Dream Motel, revealing they could not fix the car. Eventually, they are greeted by Joyce Walema - owner of the motel - who Vince explains their situation to. She offers them rooms (although only one as they did not have enough money). Depending on the player's choice of words, she can offer the family two in the end. Then, Paul, a worker at the motel, arrives and welcomes them. He recognises Jim, who dismisses knowing him.

Vince, Michelle, and Zoe enter a room and Zoe asks to watch the nature channel, The player decides whether to let her. Michelle asks Vince for a back rub, but then Jim enters and asks for Vince to go for a walk with him. The player decides who to spend time with.

**If player chooses Jim:** Vince and Jim walk to the outside of the motel. They talk about how Jim walked out on Vince and his mother. Jim opens up about his cancer, and reveals he has been given two years to live. He asks if he can move in with Jim's family in order to spend more time together. The player decides Vince's response. Vince and Jim go back to the motel reception room where they find Paul.

**If player chooses Michelle:** Vince and Michelle sit on the bed together. Michelle predicts that Jim is trying to move in with them. Vince seems more open to the idea than Michelle. He gives her a back rub. Michelle reveals that Zoe's old teacher suggested her skipping first grade. Vince does not seem to like the idea as much as Michelle, but the player makes his final decision. Vince goes to the motel reception room where he finds Jim and Paul laughing together.

Suddenly, the Holt brothers' truck pulls up to the motel. Tyler and Dale burst in holding the gun and wearing masks. Tyler orders Vince to get on the ground, and the player decides his response. If he does not, Tyler punches him.

### Playing as: Jay Holt, flashback to robbery

The woman in the wheelchair starts moving towards her help button. Jay has many decisions, but ultimately yanking the help button away stops her. If the player fails to stop her, Jay will leave without speaking to her. If they succeed in breaking the help button, Jay can either be gentle, threatening, or inquisitive to the woman. She reveals she cannot speak. Jay asks her where the money is and she writes "What money?" revealing that her husband Dante does not tell her his business. She advises Jay to check Dante's office down the hall, and writes "Whatever he's involved with, it's his own damn fault". Jay goes to the office and does not notify Dale that she is there.

While in the office, Jay picks up a birdwatching book from the Sheriff's bookshelf, which he puts in his pocket. After searching the bookcase for a second time, he finds the safe. It turns out that Jay has lost the code, and it is up to the player to remember. If the player fails after two tries, Dale comes and opens the safe with a crowbar anyway.

The men spot Dante Romero coming back home, and so they hide. He drinks the coke that Jay may or may not have pissed in (depending on player decisions). They sneak around the bottom floor and escape, unless QTEs are failed - in that case, Dale pretends to give himself up to the Sheriff, but the two brothers always get away. Tyler pulls up and they drive away with the money. Dante (if he hasn't already) realises he has been robbed and notifies his deputies.

### Playing as: Vince Walker

Tyler explains why they are at the motel. The player decides whether Vince is aggressive or compliant. Joyce appears pointing a gun at Tyler, and orders him to drop the weapon. She orders them to take off their masks and when they do, she identifies them as the Holt boys, suggesting they are notorious in Two Rock. Paul tries to calm Joyce but she is defiant. She tells Paul to take Tyler's gun but he says he cannot. Joyce then turns to Vince and tells him to take Tyler's gun. The player decides whether to point it at Tyler or drop it.

A masked Jay enters the front door of the motel. Dale takes the distraction to strike Joyce and take her gun. Blood and her earring is left on the motel floor. Tyler retrieves his shotgun, and will be angry with the player if they chose to point it at him. Jay tells Tyler he hid their truck "out back" and pleads with him "these people didn't do anything to us". Tyler goes to the backroom to make a call.

Dale orders Paul, Joyce, Jim, and Vince to sit by the tables. Joyce taunts him about being sent to juvenile hall and calls him "another fucked-up Holt who thinks the world's his to break". Dale begins smashing teacups at the hostages. This rouses Zeus the dog who barks uncontrollably. Dale orders Jim and Vince to shut it up. Dale starts pointing his gun at Vince which he tells Jay is "controlling the room". Joyce continues to provoke Dale, and he points his gun at her instead. The player has the option to Calm Joyce or Calm Zeus.

**If the player chooses to calm Zeus:** If the player fails, Dale will kick the dog. If the player succeeds, Zeus will be calmed, but Joyce will continue riling up Dale. Dale will order the player to tape Joyce's mouth shut. If the player refuses to tape Joyce's mouth, Vince will be knocked out by Dale.

**If the player chooses to calm Joyce:** The player must choose "Don't you have a son?" in order to calm Joyce. If they fail, Dale will order the player to tape Joyce's mouth shut. If the player refuses to tape Joyce's mouth, Vince will be knocked out by Dale.

Tyler enters and the player hears what he says to Dale, unless Vince was knocked out. Tyler asks Vince (waking him up first if he was unconscious) if he is travelling with anyone else, since so much luggage is on his car. If Vince admits to travelling with his whole family, Tyler will send Dale to get them.

A police car arrives, which Paul explains is just Big Sam coming in to buy a drink. Tyler leaves Paul, Vince, and Jim in the main room to talk to the officer and get rid of him.