Afterglow Letter: When the Lights Return

About Afterglow Letter: When the Lights Return

Afterglow Letter: When the Lights Return is an illustrated interactive story told as a letter. Nessa Penrose, sixty years on, writes to her granddaughter about the summer a storm took the power line down to Saltvane, a fishing cove at the end of a lane. For three weeks the cove had candles, paraffin and one voice from outside: the wireless, brought round the headland by an old relay hut whose batteries were dying a bar a night. The line crew promised the lights back on Saturday at nine. You are Nessa at thirteen, with five evenings left. Each evening you go to one place: the harbour, where Grandad Wilf is getting his boat’s lamps ready; the relay hut on Carn Head, where Loveday Kitto is keeping the signal alive; or the chapel hall, where Elowen Nance is making lanterns for a dance with no band. Each place has a story of three evenings, some evenings need something from another place first, and five evenings are not enough for everything. What you finish before nine decides what the lights come back to. The author’s commentary is optional: turn Nessa’s notes on at the start of any evening and her postscripts appear in the margin, telling you what she invented, what she left out and why; hear enough of them and the letter’s last page changes. There are six endings. The text goes up to Largest, every line is announced to screen readers, you can go back to any choice, and nothing is timed. A new twist each week and a daily challenge keep it fresh.

How to play

Press Read on or tap the letter to continue, and tap a choice (or press 1 to 5) to answer. Z or the Back button returns to your last choice.
Each evening, choose a place: the harbour, the relay hut or the chapel hall. Each place’s story takes three evenings, and a locked place says what it needs first.
At the start of any evening you can turn Nessa’s notes on or off. Her postscripts appear at the end of each evening, in the margin.
Things you find go on the board (E, or the Things button): lay two side by side to see how the cove hangs together.
Saturday at nine reads what you finished. Change the text size with T or the Text button; the week saves as you go.

Controls

Tap the letter, or press Enter, Space or Ⓐ — read on
Tap a choice, or press 1 to 5 — choose
Z, Backspace or Ⓑ — go back to the last choice
E or Ⓨ — the things you found; L or Ⓧ — the letter so far; T — text size
P, Escape or Start — pause

Frequently asked questions

How long is a story?

About fifteen to twenty minutes for the five evenings.

What is the author’s commentary?

Nessa, the grown-up author of the letter, wrote notes in the margin about what she changed. Turn them on or off at the start of any evening. They never block the story, and hearing enough of them opens a different last page.

Can I finish everything?

Not in five evenings. Each place takes three, and some evenings need something from another place first. On a midsummer week the third evening is long enough for two places.

What decides the ending?

What you have finished before Saturday at nine: the boat’s lamps, the relay’s last broadcast, the band for the dance, a little of each, or the true last page.

Can I play with a keyboard or a screen reader?

Yes. Every line and choice is announced, every button works with the keyboard or a controller, the text goes up to Largest, and nothing is timed.

Does it save?

Yes, in this browser: the evening you are on, the endings you have found and your settings. Nothing is uploaded.