Floyd | >]  Corrigan Road
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Good evening. My name is Ryan Veeder. It is my great pleasure, in this
Floyd | festive and frightening season, to welcome you to Castle Balderstone:
Floyd | America's legendary hotbed of horror, a treasure trove of the morose,
Floyd | macabre, and monstrous. Its crooked pinnacles slash blasphemously
Floyd | against ever-present clouds; its grim silhouette is a stain of
Floyd | absolute blackness in the midst of a black sky.
Floyd |
Floyd | Each year, the greatest spookcrafters working in the English language
Floyd | assemble in Castle Balderstone's drafty halls to test their latest
Floyd | material on the only audience possessed of hearts so inured to terror
Floyd | as to withstand the absolute scariest stories—each other.
Floyd |
Floyd | Tonight, you are my plus-one to this wedding of the weird and the
Floyd | wicked.
Floyd |
Floyd | As we ascend the winding stairs of Castle Balderstone, the wind
Floyd | outside howls in warning, and the temperature drops until your teeth
Floyd | chatter in the cold—or is it in anticipation of the horrors you are
Floyd | about to witness?
Floyd |
Floyd | We trudge through antique galleries, across musty hallways and down
Floyd | forgotten corridors. The occasional window offers no view of a
Floyd | friendly outside world, but only confirms what your aching legs and
Floyd | ragged breath have already predicted: that the labyrinthine
Floyd | architecture of Castle Balderstone is one you can never hope to
Floyd | escape. Nevertheless we step on, through another creaking door...
Floyd |
Floyd | ...And into a warm sitting-room, where velvet couches sit in a circle
Floyd | near a roaring fire. The walls are lined with bookshelves, stacked
Floyd | with titles you recognize as those you have never been brave enough to
Floyd | read. You recognize the occupants of the couches, as well:
Floyd | murder-mongers, evil-experts, ghost-gurus, monster-maestros,
Floyd | vampire-virtuosos, and dread-distributors. These are the infamous
Floyd | authors of Castle Balderstone, and you are their latest victim.
Floyd |
Floyd | It appears that you and I are the last to arrive, and we take our
Floyd | seats in a conspicuous display of embarrassed hurriedness and
Floyd | loudly-whispered apologies. When the chamber is at last quiet, the
Floyd | first author rises to share with us the first tale of the evening.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is Fiona Grice, well-known for the mysticism (and neuroticism)
Floyd | woven into her public persona, the better to lure unwitting readers
Floyd | into the worlds of darkness she so expertly crafts. Among friends, she
Floyd | is casual, irreverent, often self-deprecating. But on talk shows and
Floyd | social media, she shrouds herself in mystery, casting herself as a
Floyd | macabre new-age seer: a shaman of dread.
Floyd |
Floyd | As she arranges her notes on the lectern, we all wait eagerly to see
Floyd | which Fiona has joined us this evening.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Hello," she intones. "This story came to me in a dream—or, I should
Floyd | say, a nightmare."
Floyd |
Floyd | I guess it's the talk show version. Why is she acting this way, in a
Floyd | place of safety, among like-minded fellow-authors?
Floyd |
Floyd | Hmm. Maybe it's because you're here.
Floyd |
Floyd | Fiona goes on: "When I awoke from my nightmare, I wrote it down, and I
Floyd | present it now exactly as I remember it. I don't know what, if
Floyd | anything, it means. Dreams are mysterious in this way." Okay, Fiona,
Floyd | let's get on with it.
Floyd |
Floyd | "But dreams do not come to us with titles," she continues, "so I had
Floyd | to invent my own. The title that I gave to this dream is..."
Floyd |
Floyd | Ryan Veeder Presents
Floyd | In Search of Caroline
Floyd | A nightmare in three parts by Fiona Grice
Floyd | Release 1 / Serial number 181031 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib
Floyd | 6/12N) SD
Floyd |
Floyd | Corrigan Road
Floyd | Clouds were racing across the sky.
Floyd |
Floyd | She had never ventured out this far, where the road had started to
Floyd | fall apart and disappear into dirt and new grass. But she had nothing
Floyd | better to do, and this at least was something new.
Floyd |
Floyd | She thought she heard an ambulance's siren.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Corrigan Road
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | She strained her ears.
Floyd |
Floyd | The sound was getting louder.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Corrigan Road
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ME
Floyd |
Floyd | She was dressed for a jog, but she had opted for an easy stroll
Floyd | instead.
Floyd |
Floyd | The keening sound continued, coming from somewhere beyond the bushes.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Corrigan Road
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BUSHES
Floyd |
Floyd | The bushes were thick, but she thought she could see a path between
Floyd | them to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | The high-pitched wail from the bushes to the east rose in intensity.
Floyd | It didn't sound like a siren. It sounded like a person.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Parking Lot
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd | She pushed a branch out of her way and trudged into the leaves.
Floyd |
Floyd | Parking Lot
Floyd | She emerged in a ruined parking lot. On the east end was the entrance
Floyd | to a low building, its windows smashed, walls covered in ivy.
Floyd |
Floyd | At first she thought it was a prison—then she realized it was the old
Floyd | hospital.
Floyd |
Floyd | The screaming didn't stop. It was starting to ring in her ears.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Parking Lot
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X HOSPITAL
Floyd |
Floyd | The hospital had been abandoned for years. She wondered why it hadn't
Floyd | been torn down.
Floyd |
Floyd | The scream seemed to activate something in her brainstem. Her heart
Floyd | was beating faster.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd | She pulled on the rusted door; it opened easily. She stepped inside.

Floyd | She pulled on the rusted door; it opened easily. She stepped
Floyd | inside.The door swung shut behind her.

Floyd | inside.The door swung shut behind her.The scream went on, over the
Floyd | sounds of wind and distant traffic.

Floyd | sounds of wind and distant traffic.Then it stopped.

Floyd ]  Elle's House
Floyd | sounds of wind and distant traffic.Then it stopped.* * *
Floyd |
Floyd | First Chapter
Floyd |
Floyd | Elle's House
Floyd | Caroline is kind of flaky sometimes, but she always calls the next day
Floyd | to make an excuse for not showing up. This time, she didn't call the
Floyd | next day, or the day after that. She's not at her house; she's not
Floyd | answering her phone.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy can't believe how clean Elle's place is, especially considering
Floyd | she wasn't expecting any visitors. Amy hasn't really talked to Elle
Floyd | since high school, but she's the one person Amy can think of who might
Floyd | know where Caroline ran off to.
Floyd |
Floyd | The one messy area is around the crib, where any piece of baby
Floyd | equipment must be ready at a moment's notice.
Floyd |
Floyd | Elle smiles at Amy politely. "So, what brings you here?" she asks,
Floyd | signaling that the pleasantries have concluded.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Elle's House
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TALK TO ELLE
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Elle's House
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ELLE
Floyd |
Floyd | In high school, Elle's hair was long enough to cause inconveniences
Floyd | and occasional accidents, and she was proud of it. Now it's cropped
Floyd | above her shoulders, and she looks like someone else.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Elle's House
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ASK ELLE ABOUT CAROLINE
Floyd |
Floyd | "Well," Amy says, "I've been trying to get ahold of Caroline for a
Floyd | couple—"
Floyd |
Floyd | Something stirs, and a low moan rises from the crib. Elle rises at
Floyd | once.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Oh, Oliver," she coos. "What is it, darling?"
Floyd |
Floyd | The baby has no response, and Elle shrugs and lets the matter lie.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Elle's House
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | Without getting too close, Amy can see most of Baby Oliver through the
Floyd | ribs of the crib: A standard big-headed baby like all other big-headed
Floyd | babies, notable only for an oddly pointed nose.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Elle's House
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X NOSE
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Elle's House
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ASK ELLE ABOUT CAROLINE
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy coughs. "So, I was about to ask, if you knew what Caroline—"
Floyd |
Floyd | Baby Oliver makes a little yelping sound, like an animal caught in a
Floyd | trap. Elle rushes to the crib.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Ollie, oh, Ollie, Ollie, Ollie, Ollie, Ollie, Ollie, Ollie," she
Floyd | sings, lifting the baby onto her shoulder and walking him around the
Floyd | room. "There you go. There you go. There you go. There you go. Little
Floyd | Oliver."
Floyd |
Floyd | After some more cooing and stroking, Little Oliver desists, and Elle
Floyd | returns him to the crib. "Poor thing," she murmurs.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > G
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy eyes the crib warily, and then she asks: "Elle, I can't find
Floyd | Caroline. Do you know where she is?"
Floyd |
Floyd | Elle blinks. "I haven't talked to Caroline in a while. We used to go
Floyd | for jogs out on Corrigan Road, but then I got so busy with—"
Floyd |
Floyd | Little Oliver screams a horrendous, earsplitting scream, a desperate,
Floyd | existential scream that makes no sense coming from a creature with no
Floyd | conception of heartbreak or failure or student loans. Amy winces.
Floyd |
Floyd | Elle rushes to Oliver's side and begins cooing and patting, with no
Floyd | apparent effect. She turns to Amy with desperation in her eyes.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Oh Amy, I'm sorry..."
Floyd |
Floyd | "Don't worry about it," Amy says, and she rises to leave. And then to
Floyd | herself she mutters "Corrigan Road" as she makes for the door.

Floyd ]  Corrigan Road
Floyd | herself she mutters "Corrigan Road" as she makes for the door.* * *
Floyd |
Floyd | Second Chapter
Floyd |
Floyd | Corrigan Road
Floyd | This seems to be as far as the road goes before it stops being a road.
Floyd | There's been no sign of Caroline anywhere.
Floyd |
Floyd | But in the bushes to the east, Amy sees a vague little opening, as if
Floyd | the branches have been pushed aside by someone passing through.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Corrigan Road
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ME
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Corrigan Road
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ME
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy is a little unkempt. Her jacket is crumpled; her hair is a mess.
Floyd | She might be more distressed than she wants to admit.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Corrigan Road
Floyd | >
Floyd | > I
Floyd |
Floyd | She is carrying nothing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Parking Lot
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy grimaces as she pushes her way through the foliage.
Floyd |
Floyd | Parking Lot
Floyd | Amy finds herself in an old parking lot, outside a building she
Floyd | recognizes as the old hospital. Amy heard about kids sneaking around
Floyd | here, back in high school—kids more adventurous than Amy and her
Floyd | friends.
Floyd |
Floyd | A light flickers on the other side of the hospital's rusty door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Lobby
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the rusty door)
Floyd |
Floyd | Lobby
Floyd | The lobby's carpet is streaked with mildew. All the furniture has been
Floyd | either looted or crushed into anonymous debris.
Floyd |
Floyd | A fluorescent light flickers in the hallway to the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway strobes in and out of washed-out existence as the
Floyd | fluorescent light flickers. Amy can't help but rub her eyes, making
Floyd | sure it's the light and not her own vision that's failing.
Floyd |
Floyd | On the north side of the hall is a blue door; on the south side is a
Floyd | pink door. The corridor continues east and west.
Floyd |
Floyd | A millipede scurries out of the darkness and stops in the middle of
Floyd | the hall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X MILLIPEDE
Floyd |
Floyd | As if in response to Amy's attention, the millipede walks calmly away
Floyd | on its undulating, unnatural legs.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy holds still and listens.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd | >
Floyd | > S
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the pink door)
Floyd |
Floyd | Office
Floyd | A stained futon lies abandoned in what must be a squatter's former
Floyd | bedroom—or some teenager's love nest. Amy grits her teeth
Floyd | involuntarily.
Floyd |
Floyd | The hallway is north.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X FUTON
Floyd |
Floyd | It doesn't really bear close inspection.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway strobes in and out of washed-out existence as the
Floyd | fluorescent light flickers.
Floyd |
Floyd | On the north side of the hall is a blue door; on the south side is a
Floyd | pink door. The corridor continues east and west.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the blue door)
Floyd | It seems to be locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | A green stain has formed around a puddle that hasn't quite dried up
Floyd | all the way.
Floyd |
Floyd | The hall turns from west to south here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X PUDDLE
Floyd |
Floyd | The size of the stain indicates the puddle used to be almost as big as
Floyd | the hallway is wide.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SMELL IT
Floyd |
Floyd | She smells nothing unexpected.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LOOK UP
Floyd |
Floyd | She sees nothing unexpected in that direction.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > S
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway goes from north to south. To the east is a pink door; to
Floyd | the west is a blue door, and a graffito spraypainted on the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X GRAFFITO
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone has sprayed I KNOW FOR SURE on the wall in black
Floyd | paint that dripped almost all the way down to the floor before it
Floyd | dried.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the pink door)
Floyd | It seems to be locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the blue door)
Floyd | It seems to be locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > S
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway turns from north to west here.
Floyd |
Floyd | A rusty scalpel lies on the floor here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X SCALPEL
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy knows scalpels are supposed to be made from stainless steel, but
Floyd | this scalpel is definitely encrusted in some ancient reddish
Floyd | substance.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE IT
Floyd |
Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway runs east and west. To the north is a blue door; to the
Floyd | south is a pink door.
Floyd |
Floyd | The remains of a poster hang on the southern wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X POSTER
Floyd |
Floyd | Most of the poster has been torn away. What remains is the profile of
Floyd | a woman, looking down in concern, and the word "YOU'RE."
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy wonders what the poster wanted to say, and whether it was at all
Floyd | sincere.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Laboratory
Floyd | >
Floyd | > S
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy holds her breath, and wonders whether she could hear if someone
Floyd | were in the room ahead of her.
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the pink door)
Floyd |
Floyd | Laboratory
Floyd | The shards of a broken jar lie scattered across the floor.
Floyd |
Floyd | The hallway is north.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Laboratory
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X JAR
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy leans down to look closely at the shards. There's a faint residue
Floyd | of the fluid that splashed across the floor where the jar broke. She
Floyd | can see it happen: It lands here, it shatters, and then
Floyd | something—something slippery—skids across the floor, and it stops
Floyd | right there.
Floyd |
Floyd | But whatever was in the jar isn't here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Laboratory
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X RESIDUE
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy leans down to look closely at the shards. There's a faint residue
Floyd | of the fluid that splashed across the floor where the jar broke. She
Floyd | can see it happen: It lands here, it shatters, and then
Floyd | something—something slippery—skids across the floor, and it stops
Floyd | right there.
Floyd |
Floyd | But whatever was in the jar isn't here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Laboratory
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE SHARD
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy is careful not to touch the shards, or the nearby residue.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway runs east and west. To the north is a blue door; to the
Floyd | south is a pink door.
Floyd |
Floyd | The remains of a poster hang on the southern wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the blue door)
Floyd | It seems to be locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway turns from east to north here.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy hears something.
Floyd |
Floyd | A low wail, coming from—but it stops before she can determine the
Floyd | source of the sound.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy holds still and listens.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  End of the Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | End of the Hallway
Floyd | The hallway from the south stops here.
Floyd |
Floyd | To the west is a pink door. To the east is a blue door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  End of the Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the pink door)
Floyd | It seems to be locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the blue door)
Floyd |
Floyd | Maternity Ward
Floyd | It's dark in here.
Floyd |
Floyd | As Amy's eyes adjust, she can make out rows of cribs for newborn
Floyd | babies. Empty cribs.
Floyd |
Floyd | Then she hears the low wail again. It's coming from a crib at the
Floyd | other end of the room, in the darkest corner.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CRIB
Floyd |
Floyd | In the crib is a crying baby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | It seems perfectly healthy, but it's crying softly all the same. Maybe
Floyd | it knows somehow that it's been abandoned.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy frowns. Who would do such a thing?
Floyd |
Floyd | She looks around the room, but there's no one else there.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SEARCH BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | She finds nothing of interest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LOOK UNDER CRIB
Floyd |
Floyd | She finds nothing of interest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TOUCH BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | She feels nothing unexpected.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy reaches down into the crib. She tries to remember the correct way
Floyd | to hold a baby.
Floyd |
Floyd | It's lighter than she expected.
Floyd |
Floyd | The baby quiets down in her arms, and as she raises its head to rest
Floyd | on her shoulder, it seems utterly content with its new situation. She
Floyd | pats it gently, she bobs it up and down.
Floyd |
Floyd | Then it makes a noise.

Floyd | Then it makes a noise."Oh, yeah," the baby grunts. "You sure know how
Floyd | to treat a baby."

Floyd | to treat a baby."Amy pulls the thing off her shoulder, holds it at
Floyd | arm's length. It looks back at her with an unbabylike intelligence in
Floyd | its sleepy eyes.

Floyd | its sleepy eyes."What's the matter, lady? I didn't say it was time to
Floyd | stop cuddling."

Floyd | stop cuddling."Amy throws the baby across the room. Then she realizes
Floyd | what she's done, and she screams. But it's too late.

Floyd | what she's done, and she screams. But it's too late.The baby collides
Floyd | with the wall. It pops like a balloon and disappears.

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | with the wall. It pops like a balloon and disappears.The lights come
Floyd | on in the maternity ward.
Floyd |
Floyd | Maternity Ward
Floyd | Amy is surrounded by rows of empty cribs. The hallway is west.
Floyd |
Floyd | A steel key is lying on the floor.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X KEY
Floyd |
Floyd | The key bears no identifying marks.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE IT
Floyd |
Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Maternity Ward
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CRIB
Floyd |
Floyd | The crib is empty.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  End of the Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | End of the Hallway
Floyd | The hallway from the south stops here.
Floyd |
Floyd | To the west is a pink door. To the east is a blue door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  End of the Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > UNLOCK BLUE DOOR
Floyd |
Floyd | What do you want to unlock the blue door with?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  End of the Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > KEY
Floyd |
Floyd | That doesn't seem to be something she can unlock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  End of the Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the pink door)
Floyd | It seems to be locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  End of the Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the pink door)
Floyd | It seems to be locked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  End of the Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > UNLOCK PINK DOOR WITH KEY
Floyd |
Floyd | That doesn't seem to fit the lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > S
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway turns from east to north here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway runs east and west. To the north is a blue door; to the
Floyd | south is a pink door.
Floyd |
Floyd | The remains of a poster hang on the southern wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X POSTER
Floyd |
Floyd | Most of the poster has been torn away. What remains is the profile of
Floyd | a woman, looking down in concern, and the word "YOU'RE."
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy wonders what the poster wanted to say, and whether it was at all
Floyd | sincere.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > UNLOCK BLUE DOOR WITH KEY
Floyd |
Floyd | That doesn't seem to fit the lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway turns from north to west here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Hallway
Floyd | The hallway goes from north to south. To the east is a pink door; to
Floyd | the west is a blue door, and a graffito spraypainted on the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > UNLOCK PINK DOOR WITH KEY
Floyd |
Floyd | That doesn't seem to fit the lock.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Hallway
Floyd | >
Floyd | > UNLOCK BLUE DOOR WITH KEY
Floyd |
Floyd | She unlocks the blue door.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy opens the door. On the other side is a stairway, leading down into
Floyd | the hospital's basement.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Caroline?" Amy calls down the stairs, but of course there's no
Floyd | answer.
Floyd |
Floyd | She crosses the threshold and begins making her way downstairs.

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | She crosses the threshold and begins making her way downstairs.* * *
Floyd |
Floyd | Third Chapter
Floyd |
Floyd | Basement
Floyd | Amy descends from the last stair and steps in something wet. She
Floyd | winces.
Floyd |
Floyd | She moves forward slowly, peering into the fog for any sign of another
Floyd | human being. Then she thinks she sees a shape up ahead.
Floyd |
Floyd | The fog parts: The shape is only a pattern on peeling wallpaper.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WALLPAPER
Floyd |
Floyd | The pattern on the wallpaper is an endless series of cute little
Floyd | bunnies, hopping and cavorting. But the wallpaper is peeling away
Floyd | everywhere, revealing mildew-encrusted plaster beneath.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE WALLPAPER
Floyd |
Floyd | That's hardly portable.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X PLASTER
Floyd |
Floyd | The pattern on the wallpaper is an endless series of cute little
Floyd | bunnies, hopping and cavorting. But the wallpaper is peeling away
Floyd | everywhere, revealing mildew-encrusted plaster beneath.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy holds still and listens.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > CUT PLASTER
Floyd |
Floyd | Cutting it up would achieve little.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > HIT PLASTER
Floyd |
Floyd | Violence isn't the answer to this one.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > PEEL WALLPAPER
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > HOP
Floyd |
Floyd | She jumps on the spot.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LOOK
Floyd |
Floyd | Basement
Floyd | Amy looks around at the fog. She is alone in the hospital basement,
Floyd | with no frame of reference.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > S
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy takes a few steps, but she only runs into another wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy takes a few steps, but she only runs into another wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy takes a few steps, but she only runs into another wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy takes a few steps, but she only runs into another wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WALL
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > WALLPAPER
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WALLPAPER
Floyd |
Floyd | The pattern on the wallpaper is an endless series of cute little
Floyd | bunnies, hopping and cavorting. But the wallpaper is peeling away
Floyd | everywhere, revealing mildew-encrusted plaster beneath.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > I
Floyd |
Floyd | She is carrying:
Floyd |   a steel key
Floyd |   a rusty scalpel
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BUNNIES
Floyd |
Floyd | The pattern on the wallpaper is an endless series of cute little
Floyd | bunnies, hopping and cavorting. But the wallpaper is peeling away
Floyd | everywhere, revealing mildew-encrusted plaster beneath.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE WALLPAPER
Floyd |
Floyd | That's hardly portable.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TOUCH IT
Floyd |
Floyd | She feels nothing unexpected.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy takes a few steps, but she only runs into another wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X FOG
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy tries to wave the fog away, but she can only reveal the space
Floyd | immediately in front of her: On the floor, a trickle of filthy liquid
Floyd | snakes across the tiles.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LIQUID
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X LIQUID
Floyd |
Floyd | A thin stream of brown liquid runs over the tiles until it reaches a
Floyd | drain in the middle of the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | But then Amy follows the rivulet backwards, and she realizes it's
Floyd | coming from somewhere to the southeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Basement
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X DRAIN
Floyd |
Floyd | A thin stream of brown liquid runs over the tiles until it reaches a
Floyd | drain in the middle of the room.
Floyd |
Floyd | But then Amy follows the rivulet backwards, and she realizes it's
Floyd | coming from somewhere to the southeast.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SE
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy follows the trail of liquid out of the room, and out of the fog.
Floyd |
Floyd | Nursery
Floyd | The ceiling seems very low in here.
Floyd |
Floyd | A splintery playpen is set against the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | Next to the playpen, Caroline is sitting in a rocking chair, cradling
Floyd | something in her arms.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CAROLINE
Floyd |
Floyd | Caroline's eyes are half-closed, and her mouth is half-open in a
Floyd | dreamy smile. She has something cradled in her arms.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X SOMETHING
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy tries not to look too hard at the bundle in Caroline's arms.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X PLAYPEN
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy looks at the playpen, barely still standing, and imagines a tiny
Floyd | monster shaking its bars and shrieking to be released.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CEILING
Floyd |
Floyd | The ceiling is painted black—or maybe there is no ceiling.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TOUCH CEILING
Floyd |
Floyd | She feels nothing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > GREET CAROLINE
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > WAKE CAROLINE
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy approaches Caroline carefully, trying not to look at whatever
Floyd | she's holding.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Caroline?" she whispers.
Floyd |
Floyd | Caroline rouses herself slowly. Her eyes focus on Amy.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I'm sorry," she says, her voice creaking.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy shakes her head. "It's okay, Caroline. Let's get out of here."
Floyd |
Floyd | "I would have called—but I was so busy." Caroline shakes her head and
Floyd | looks down at the bundle in her arms. "I've been so busy lately..."
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy takes another step and reaches out for Caroline's shoulder. Then a
Floyd | sound makes her stop: The sound of something tearing.

Floyd | sound makes her stop: The sound of something tearing.A pudgy hand
Floyd | rises out of a hole in the bottom of the playpen.

Floyd | rises out of a hole in the bottom of the playpen.The hand reaches over
Floyd | to grab Caroline, wrapping its fat fingers around her body. She offers
Floyd | no resistance.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Sorry, Amy," she says.

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | "Sorry, Amy," she says.The hand pulls Caroline through the bottom of
Floyd | the playpen and disappears.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LOOK
Floyd |
Floyd | Nursery
Floyd | The ceiling seems very low in here.
Floyd |
Floyd | A splintery playpen is set against the wall.
Floyd |
Floyd | Next to the playpen is an empty rocking chair.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CHAIR
Floyd |
Floyd | The ornate chair is probably an antique, but it's not in great
Floyd | condition.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LOOK IN PLAYPEN
Floyd |
Floyd | A great black hole has been torn in the bottom of the playpen.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE CHAIR
Floyd |
Floyd | That's hardly portable.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Nursery
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X HOLE
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy peers into the hole.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Tunnel
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ENTER HOLE
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy hoists herself over the side of the playpen and climbs into the
Floyd | hole.
Floyd |
Floyd | Tunnel
Floyd | Amy is in a narrow vertical tunnel, pressing her arms and legs against
Floyd | the walls to keep from falling down.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > D
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy carefully lowers her arm, and then her leg, then her other arm,
Floyd | inching her way down the tube.
Floyd |
Floyd | But the tunnel widens unexpectedly—she falls—
Floyd |
Floyd | Pit
Floyd | Amy lands with a squelch. She groans as she picks herself up.
Floyd |
Floyd | The hospital's cavernous sub-basement glows red and orange over
Floyd | hundreds of flickering candles. The walls and floor are coated with
Floyd | slime. To the west is a door labeled EMPLOYEES ONLY.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the center of the chamber is a gigantic baby. It holds Caroline
Floyd | against its fat chest and eyes Amy lazily.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy looks up into the giant baby's giant face. Its cheeks are perfect
Floyd | globes; its eyes are huge and wet and inquisitive. Its nose is the
Floyd | slightest bit pointed.
Floyd |
Floyd | "See anything you like?" asks the baby. It runs a pudgy hand over its
Floyd | smooth skin.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy averts her eyes. The floor near the baby is littered with bones.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X SLIME
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy looks around herself. Every surface is covered in slime. She even
Floyd | got some on herself.
Floyd |
Floyd | She tries to wipe it off, with little success.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CAROLINE
Floyd |
Floyd | Caroline clings to the giant baby's chest, a satisfied smile on her
Floyd | face. She seems to be asleep.
Floyd |
Floyd | She takes a deep breath, and as she exhales she coos, "My little
Floyd | angel..."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > PUSH NOSE
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BONES
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy sees a skull, and a pelvis, but most of the bones are half-sunken
Floyd | in the slime and unrecognizable. How many other women have ended up
Floyd | like Caroline?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE CAROLINE
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy calls up to Caroline: "Caroline! It's me, Amy! Your friend!"
Floyd |
Floyd | But the giant baby reaches down and puts a huge, fat finger over Amy's
Floyd | mouth. "She's not your friend anymore, lady. She's my mommy. But
Floyd | you'll be my mommy too, pretty soon. So just sit tight."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ASK BABY ABOUT NOSE
Floyd |
Floyd | You can only do that to something animate.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > CUT BABY WITH SCALPEL
Floyd |
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to cut the giant baby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > CUT BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy yells at the giant baby: "What are you doing with Caroline?"
Floyd |
Floyd | The baby gawks at Amy a little, as if the question is unthinkably
Floyd | stupid. Then it says: "We're cuddling. We'll be cuddling for a good
Floyd | long while."
Floyd |
Floyd | The baby's eyes bulge. It stares furiously into the middle distance,
Floyd | as if it just remembered something awful.
Floyd |
Floyd | Then it burps, and the odor stings Amy's eyes.
Floyd |
Floyd | The giant baby grins smugly. "Don't worry, lady. You'll get a turn."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > CUT BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | "Give me back my friend!" Amy screams.
Floyd |
Floyd | The giant baby rolls its giant eyes. It pats Caroline on the back, and
Floyd | she produces a contented sigh.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X EYES
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > CUT BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | "Give me back my friend!" Amy screams.
Floyd |
Floyd | The giant baby rolls its giant eyes. It pats Caroline on the back, and
Floyd | she produces a contented sigh.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > PULL CAROLINE
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy calls up to Caroline: "Caroline! It's me, Amy! Your friend!"
Floyd |
Floyd | But the giant baby reaches down and puts a huge, fat finger over Amy's
Floyd | mouth. "She's not your friend anymore, lady. She's my mommy. But
Floyd | you'll be my mommy too, pretty soon. So just sit tight."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > HIT BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy hides the rusty scalpel behind her back and moves toward the giant
Floyd | baby. It looks down at her and smiles.
Floyd |
Floyd | She raises the scalpel over her head and, before the hulking creature
Floyd | can react, she jabs the blade into its stomach.
Floyd |
Floyd | The scalpel doesn't make a scratch. It bounces off of the baby's
Floyd | springy skin, flying out of Amy's hand and careening toward some dark
Floyd | corner of the chamber.
Floyd |
Floyd | The giant baby blinks. "Huh," it says. "Nice try, I guess."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > HIT EYE
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE SCALPEL
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > I
Floyd |
Floyd | She is carrying:
Floyd |   a steel key
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > L
Floyd |
Floyd | Pit
Floyd | The hospital's cavernous sub-basement glows red and orange over
Floyd | hundreds of flickering candles. The walls and floor are coated with
Floyd | slime. To the west is a door labeled EMPLOYEES ONLY.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the center of the chamber is a gigantic baby. It holds Caroline
Floyd | against its fat chest and eyes Amy lazily.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SEARCH BONES
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy moves toward the bones, but the giant baby swats her away.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE CANDLE
Floyd |
Floyd | The candles are mostly melted into the floor, and the wax is too hot
Floyd | to touch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > PUSH CANDLE
Floyd |
Floyd | The candles are mostly melted into the floor, and the wax is too hot
Floyd | to touch.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE SLIME
Floyd |
Floyd | That's hardly portable.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > KICK BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | I didn't understand that sentence.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BABY
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy looks up into the giant baby's giant face. Its cheeks are perfect
Floyd | globes; its eyes are huge and wet and inquisitive. Its nose is the
Floyd | slightest bit pointed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X NOSE
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CHEEKS
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X FACE
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CAROLINE
Floyd |
Floyd | Caroline clings to the giant baby's chest, a satisfied smile on her
Floyd | face. She seems to be asleep."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CHEST
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy looks up into the giant baby's giant face. Its cheeks are perfect
Floyd | globes; its eyes are huge and wet and inquisitive. Its nose is the
Floyd | slightest bit pointed.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LOOK
Floyd |
Floyd | Pit
Floyd | The hospital's cavernous sub-basement glows red and orange over
Floyd | hundreds of flickering candles. The walls and floor are coated with
Floyd | slime. To the west is a door labeled EMPLOYEES ONLY.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the center of the chamber is a gigantic baby. It holds Caroline
Floyd | against its fat chest and eyes Amy lazily.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Supply Closet
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd | (first opening the closet door)
Floyd |
Floyd | Supply Closet
Floyd | The closet is cramped and dusty, lit only faintly by the candles to
Floyd | the east.
Floyd |
Floyd | An old toolbox sits alone on the shelves.
Floyd |
Floyd | A huge oxygen tank rests on the floor nearby.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Supply Closet
Floyd | >
Floyd | > OPEN TOOLOBX
Floyd |
Floyd | She can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Supply Closet
Floyd | >
Floyd | > OPEN TOOLBOX
Floyd |
Floyd | She opens the toolbox, revealing a hefty wrench.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Supply Closet
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE WRENCH
Floyd |
Floyd | Taken.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Supply Closet
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X TANK
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy looks over the oxygen tank. It looks like it could be a hundred
Floyd | years old. There used to be a safety warning painted on it, but most
Floyd | of the paint has chipped away. It's mounted on rickety wheels, so with
Floyd | some effort she could push it around.
Floyd |
Floyd | The nozzle of the tank is secured with a hexagonal nut.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Supply Closet
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TURN NOZZLE WITH WRENCH
Floyd |
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to turn the oxygen tank.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Supply Closet
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TURN NUT WITH WRENCH
Floyd |
Floyd | I only understood you as far as wanting to turn the oxygen tank.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Supply Closet
Floyd | >
Floyd | > UNSCREW NUT
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy fixes the wrench around the tank nozzle, and then she leans on the
Floyd | tool until at last the thing turns the slightest bit. The nozzle
Floyd | begins hissing as oxygen escapes into the musty air.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy pulls up on the wrench, and the hissing stops. She peeks out from
Floyd | the closet at the giant baby, and her lips purse in a grim half-smile.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pit
Floyd | >
Floyd | > PUSH TANK EAST
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy positions herself behind the tank, bends over to get some
Floyd | leverage, and slowly wheels it into the other room.
Floyd |
Floyd | Pit
Floyd | The hospital's cavernous sub-basement glows red and orange over
Floyd | hundreds of flickering candles. The walls and floor are coated with
Floyd | slime. To the west is a door labeled EMPLOYEES ONLY.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the center of the chamber is a gigantic baby. It holds Caroline
Floyd | against its fat chest and eyes Amy lazily.
Floyd |
Floyd | The giant baby notices the oxygen tank, and its brow furrows in
Floyd | confusion. Then it loses interest.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > UNSCREW NUT
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy grits her teeth and tries to force the wrench onto the nozzle. She
Floyd | grunts, she puts her weight into it, and the wrench fits into place.
Floyd |
Floyd | The giant baby looks over at her. "Hey! What do you think you're
Floyd | doing?" it whines.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy doesn't answer. She positions herself over the wrench, and she
Floyd | pushes it down until the screw gives way. Gas streams out of the
Floyd | nozzle.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy looks up at Caroline. The baby is squeezing her harder now,
Floyd | tensing its fat fingers in frustration. But Caroline's expression is
Floyd | blissful.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Stop it!" the big baby cries. But it doesn't realize what's
Floyd | happening. It doesn't even try to stop her.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy grins up at the baby's stupid face. She pushes harder, opening the
Floyd | aperture wider, increasing the flow of oxygen into the room.

Floyd | aperture wider, increasing the flow of oxygen into the room.An
Floyd | invisible finger of gas brushes against the flame atop one of the
Floyd | candles.

Floyd | candles.A river of fire flows toward the oxygen tank.

Floyd | candles.A river of fire flows toward the oxygen tank.The baby's giant
Floyd | mouth opens wide in idiotic confusion.
Floyd |
Floyd | Amy closes her eyes.

Floyd | Amy closes her eyes.## Parking Lot
Floyd | The abandoned hospital sits at the edge of town, surrounded by broken
Floyd | asphalt and overgrown bushes.

Floyd | asphalt and overgrown bushes.A sound like a hideous scream rises from
Floyd | deep underground.

Floyd | deep underground.The walls of the hospital shudder. Then they begin to
Floyd | fall toward each other.

Floyd | fall toward each other.With a thunderous crash the building crumbles
Floyd | into meaningless debris, a field of unidentifiable wreckage.

Floyd | into meaningless debris, a field of unidentifiable wreckage.Then
Floyd | everything is quiet.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |     *** The End ***

Floyd | *** The End ***We all applaud, Fiona thanks us, and then
Floyd | the moderator asks for our opinions.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Chilling!" one author offers, and we all mutter in assent.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Apocalyptic," offers another.
Floyd |
Floyd | "But what does it mean?" someone asks. "What is the story trying to
Floyd | say?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "As I've already said, it came to me in a dream. Dreams are
Floyd | inscrutable," says Fiona. "Someone would even say dreams are
Floyd | meaningless. The brain plucks images from—from who knows where, and
Floyd | stitches them together randomly. Like spinning a radio dial, slowly up
Floyd | the electromagnetic spectrum, hearing snatches of songs and
Floyd | conversation."
Floyd |
Floyd | "And if one is very lucky, the collage takes the form of a truly
Floyd | terrifying story!" the moderator adds.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Well, thank you," Fiona says. "But to answer the question, I don't
Floyd | think there's any underlying significance."

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | think there's any underlying significance."Now it is time for the next
Floyd | author to step forward and share the next of the evening's insidious
Floyd | entertainments. It is Allison Chase, a favorite author of yours truly.
Floyd | Look how elegantly she ascends the dais! What a gorgeous dress she
Floyd | wears! How delicately she brushes her bangs from her eyes! See how
Floyd | much eyeshadow she is wearing! How utterly divine—and yet, what a
Floyd | sadistic, diabolic mind is hidden behind that eyeshadow!
Floyd |
Floyd | Though you are my valued guest, and it is my responsibility to make
Floyd | you feel welcome among this meeting of the most malificent minds, I am
Floyd | ignoring you more or less entirely at this juncture. Allison begins
Floyd | speaking, and I lean further forward in rapt attention.
Floyd |
Floyd | "My story this evening is of the most elemental horror," she says. In
Floyd | her bell-clear voice is a note of dark intention that makes me swoon.
Floyd | "I may be criticized for choosing too simple a subject. But isn't it
Floyd | true that the most simple subjects give rise to the most vivid
Floyd | emotions?"
Floyd |
Floyd | "It's so true," I whisper, hopefully too quietly for you to hear.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Well, we'll see, won't we?" Allison says, as she turns the page and
Floyd | begins to read...
Floyd |
Floyd | Ryan Veeder Presents
Floyd | Lights Out
Floyd | A tale of dread by Allison Chase
Floyd | Release 1 / Serial number 181031 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib
Floyd | 6/12N) SD
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Darkness
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > LISTEN
Floyd |
Floyd | You hear nothing unexpected.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and a cat is howling outside.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > OPEN EYES
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ME
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and you can't see a thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > I
Floyd |
Floyd | You are carrying nothing.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and your life is meaningless.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > STAND
Floyd |
Floyd | But you aren't in anything at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and you are naked.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TURN ON LIGHT
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and a serial killer is on the loose.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > WAKE UP
Floyd |
Floyd | The dreadful truth is, this is not a dream.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and there is no way out.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > OUT
Floyd |
Floyd | But you aren't in anything at the moment.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, or is it?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TOUCH WALL
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and something is touching your neck.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X NECK
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TOUCH ME
Floyd |
Floyd | You achieve nothing by this.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and there's nothing you can do about it.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > S
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and you are being eaten by a grue.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SMELL
Floyd |
Floyd | You smell nothing unexpected.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, you stupid idiot.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE DARK
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > KICK AUTHOR
Floyd |
Floyd | I didn't understand that sentence.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > IT IS PITCH DARK
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, but what else is new?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > YELL
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > OPEN LID
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > PRAY
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > XYZZY
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Darkness
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SING
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > S
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't go that way.
Floyd |
Floyd | It is pitch dark, and thunder crashes in the distance.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |     *** The End ***

Floyd | *** The End ***The room is silent. I realize I have been
Floyd | holding my breath.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Brava!" I cry, as I begin applauding loudly. Most of the attendees
Floyd | join in, though not as enthusiastically. Allison accepts the praise
Floyd | with a small smile and a demure look down—oh, those bangs! That
Floyd | eyeshadow!
Floyd |
Floyd | "Are there any questions?" asks the moderator.
Floyd |
Floyd | I hiss a minced oath under my breath. I don't have a question! I
Floyd | should have thought of a question!
Floyd |
Floyd | Now someone is asking a question, but I can't hear it. My mind is
Floyd | racing. Allison is answering the question. How can I get her to pay
Floyd | attention to me? Maybe I can talk to her afterward. I'll have thought
Floyd | of a question by then. Maybe the two of us will hang out for a while,
Floyd | after everyone else is gone!
Floyd |
Floyd | But I have to drive you home, don't I? Oh, this is the worst.

Floyd ]  On the Lake
Floyd | But I have to drive you home, don't I? Oh, this is the worst.Now it is
Floyd | time for the next author to step forward and share the next of the
Floyd | evening's dreadful entertainments. It is Antonio F. Karnack, that
Floyd | infamous purveyor of horrors too fantastic and strange to spring from
Floyd | any normal human's imagination.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Tonight is a special night, and I've prepared something special for
Floyd | the occasion," Karnack begins, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "The
Floyd | story is called Fealglass. Pronounced like 'fail-glass,' not
Floyd | 'feel-glass,'" he adds, unnecessarily, since we just heard him
Floyd | pronounce it.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Is that a word we should know?" a fellow-author asks.
Floyd |
Floyd | "It is a word of my own invention," Antonio answers proudly. "A word
Floyd | to describe a weird, mystical object of my own imagining."
Floyd |
Floyd | I lean over to whisper in your ear: "I wonder, what could a
Floyd | fealglass possibly be?" I pronounce the word incorrectly on
Floyd | purpose, to amuse you.
Floyd |
Floyd | Antonio clears his throat loudly, and I sit up straight again.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Enough preamble," he says, opening his notebook, and he begins to
Floyd | read...
Floyd |
Floyd | Ryan Veeder Presents
Floyd | Fealglass
Floyd | A phantasmagoria by Antonio F. Karnack
Floyd | Release 1 / Serial number 181031 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib
Floyd | 6/12N) SD
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | On the Lake
Floyd | She pulls the oars impatiently.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  On the Lake
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ME
Floyd |
Floyd | You are bound and gagged.
Floyd |
Floyd | She smiles at you. "Are you thinking about your past?"
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  On the Lake
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SAY NGGH
Floyd |
Floyd | (to the woman)
Floyd | You can only grunt through the gag in your mouth.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I've learned how to forget things," she explains. "I won't remember
Floyd | all the details."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  On the Lake
Floyd | >
Floyd | > REMEMBER PAST
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  On the Lake
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WOMAN
Floyd |
Floyd | Her skin is smooth and white. Her arms are long and lithe. Her dark
Floyd | eyes still glitter welcomingly, but it is too late to succumb or to
Floyd | resist.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I won't remember you," she says.
Floyd |
Floyd | For a moment you think you hear music.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  On the Lake
Floyd | >
Floyd | > I
Floyd |
Floyd | You are carrying nothing.
Floyd |
Floyd | She looks up into the mist and lets go of the oars. "This is the
Floyd | place."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  On the Lake
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X GAG
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't move.
Floyd |
Floyd | She raises her hands and calls out to the fog: "O Great Nesphelet! I
Floyd | am Mergeis, your servant, your slave. In accordance with our contract
Floyd | I offer this sacrifice."
Floyd |
Floyd | Tendrils of mist swirls around the boat. The waters shake, and a voice
Floyd | rises from the bottom of the lake:
Floyd |
Floyd | The sacrifice is inadequate.
Floyd |
Floyd | Mergeis stares blankly into the fog.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  On the Lake
Floyd | >
Floyd | > Z
Floyd |
Floyd | Time passes.
Floyd |
Floyd | Then she finds her voice. "No!" she cries. "This is what you asked
Floyd | for! You can't change the terms now!"
Floyd |
Floyd | My terms require the sacrifice of a virgin, the voice responds.
Floyd |
Floyd | Mergeis is baffled for an instant—then she glares at you with insane
Floyd | fury.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Sinking
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X MIST
Floyd |
Floyd | At times, the fog is so thick that you seem to be floating through a
Floyd | dark cloud. When the waters come into view, they reveal nothing.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I was lied to!" Mergeis shrieks. "You must accept this one! You must
Floyd | honor our bargain!"
Floyd |
Floyd | There can be no negotiation.
Floyd |
Floyd | "No!" She reaches for you, clutches you with cold hands. She shoves
Floyd | you out of the boat, into the lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | "You must—" she shouts into the mist, as you sink below the surface.
Floyd |
Floyd | Sinking
Floyd | You are falling through the icy waters of the Grey Lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Sinking
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd | You struggle uselessly.
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't hold your breath much longer.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Sinking
Floyd | >
Floyd | > D
Floyd |
Floyd | Your binds are too tight.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your body overcomes your will—you try to inhale, and freezing water
Floyd | fills your nose and throat.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Sinking
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WATER
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Sinking
Floyd | >
Floyd | > REMOVE BINDS
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Sinking
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SING
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not a verb I recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Sinking
Floyd | >
Floyd | > Z
Floyd |
Floyd | You let yourself go limp.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your lungs are burning.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > Z
Floyd |
Floyd | You wait.
Floyd |
Floyd | Finally you die.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your lifeless body continues sinking to the bottom of the Grey Lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | But something else floats in its place, going neither up nor down.
Floyd |
Floyd | Floating
Floyd | You are in the middle of grey, featureless water, without even a body.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ME
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Floating
Floyd | You float formlessly in the greyness of the Grey Lake. Above, the
Floyd | water is lighter; below, it grows darker.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > D
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Floating
Floyd | You are in the middle of grey, featureless water, without even a body.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > D
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Floating
Floyd | The water is dark here. It's even darker below.
Floyd |
Floyd | A slow, sombre tune floats past you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X TUNE
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Lakebed
Floyd | >
Floyd | > D
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Lakebed
Floyd | A corpse has landed here, among the dirt and lake-weed.
Floyd |
Floyd | But the slope of the lakebed leads even further down.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Lakebed
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CORPSE
Floyd |
Floyd | The body is intact; the fish haven't gotten to it yet. Its arms and
Floyd | legs are bound with strong rope, which will rot away long after the
Floyd | corpse does. Its mouth is gagged. Its face bears a resigned, maybe
Floyd | even weary expression.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > D
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Bottom
Floyd | At the bottom of the lake is a mountain. Atop the mountain sits
Floyd | Nesphelet, Un-god of the Grey Lake, playing his thorny harp.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X NESPHELET
Floyd |
Floyd | The aspect of the Un-god is as hideous as it is colossal. His glassy
Floyd | skin is cracked and crumbling; his ragged wings beat slowly through
Floyd | the filthy water. His eyes are bulbous, enormous—
Floyd |
Floyd | —and they look down at you in disgust.
Floyd |
Floyd | Mergeis gained nothing by drowning you, he says. All the
Floyd | same, you have fallen into my domain, and are now my subject. I doubt
Floyd | it's the afterlife you were looking forward to...
Floyd |
Floyd | He loses interest, and resumes plucking his harp.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X HARP
Floyd |
Floyd | Nesphelet's harp is carved from a branch of the Tree of Desire, and
Floyd | still bears its deadly thorns. Its hundreds of strings, stretched thin
Floyd | and tight over the spikes, are the souls of mortals (virgins) offered
Floyd | to the Un-god of the Grey Lake by his followers as payment for his
Floyd | favors.
Floyd |
Floyd | As he plucks each string, it screams out for release, and in this way
Floyd | a melody of purest pain plays on and on.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X STRINGS
Floyd |
Floyd | Nesphelet's harp is carved from a branch of the Tree of Desire, and
Floyd | still bears its deadly thorns. Its hundreds of strings, stretched thin
Floyd | and tight over the spikes, are the souls of mortals (virgins) offered
Floyd | to the Un-god of the Grey Lake by his followers as payment for his
Floyd | favors.
Floyd |
Floyd | As he plucks each string, it screams out for release, and in this way
Floyd | a melody of purest pain plays on and on.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE STRINGS
Floyd |
Floyd | Nesphelet would begrudge your interference.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ASK NESPHELET ABOUT HARP
Floyd |
Floyd | Nesphelet bats the question away.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ASK NESPHELET ABOUT ME
Floyd |
Floyd | The Un-god ignores you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ASK NESPHELET ABOUT BARGAIN
Floyd |
Floyd | The Un-god ignores you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ASK NESPHELET ABOUT MERGEIS
Floyd |
Floyd | The Un-god ignores you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cave
Floyd | >
Floyd | > D
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Cave
Floyd | No light reaches into this cavern, at the bottom of the bottom of the
Floyd | lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | A woman is here, waiting for you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cave
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WOMAN
Floyd |
Floyd | She has the flowing hair and hungry eyes of a river sprite, but none
Floyd | of a river sprite's youth or beauty.
Floyd |
Floyd | "You've been very unlucky," she says. "And not a little foolish, but
Floyd | that can't be helped. It's not too late, though."
Floyd |
Floyd | She opens her hand: In her palm rests a smooth stone disk.
Floyd |
Floyd | "With the fealglass you can ascend into the mortal world. Whoever
Floyd | gazes into it will take your place among the damned. Show it to some
Floyd | unlucky fool—" She laughs. "More unlucky, if not more foolish than
Floyd | yourself."
Floyd |
Floyd | Without arms or hands, you can't take hold of the stone. But she
Floyd | passes it to you, and it becomes yours.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cave
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ASK WOMAN ABOUT HERSELF
Floyd |
Floyd | You cannot find the words—but she smiles reassuringly.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Bottom
Floyd | At the bottom of the lake is a mountain. Atop the mountain sits
Floyd | Nesphelet, Un-god of the Grey Lake, playing his thorny harp.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Bottom
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SHOW FEALGLASS TO NESPHELET
Floyd |
Floyd | The stone manages to engage the Un-god's attention. Ah. An
Floyd | interesting toy, he says.
Floyd |
Floyd | But that's all he says.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Lakebed
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Lakebed
Floyd | A corpse has landed here, among the dirt and lake-weed.
Floyd |
Floyd | But the slope of the lakebed leads even further down.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Floating
Floyd | The water is dark here. It's even darker below.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Floating
Floyd | You are in the middle of grey, featureless water, without even a body.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Floating
Floyd | You float formlessly in the greyness of the Grey Lake. Above, the
Floyd | water is lighter; below, it grows darker.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Beneath the Surface
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Beneath the Surface
Floyd | Just above you, the water at the lake's surface glitters weakly in the
Floyd | meager sunlight. Below is the darkness of the Grey Lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Shore
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd | The fealglass seems to pull you up. You can't resist; you float
Floyd | easily, like a bubble.
Floyd |
Floyd | You emerge into misty air.
Floyd |
Floyd | Shore
Floyd | You are on the shore of the Grey Lake. Night has fallen.
Floyd |
Floyd | But the moon sheds some light, and you're able to recognize the
Floyd | geography: The road back to town is northwest of here.
Floyd |
Floyd | A pebbled path leads east around the lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Path
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Path
Floyd | You pass between the shore and the woods, on a path choked with weeds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The road and the village are further west. To the east is a cottage
Floyd | that you think you recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Path
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X COTTAGE
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone is inside.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Path
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WEEDS
Floyd |
Floyd | You recognize several of the plants along the pebbled path as noxious
Floyd | or poisonous.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cottage
Floyd | >
Floyd | > E
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Cottage
Floyd | This is the cottage where Mergeis lured you, where she tied you up
Floyd | before forcing you into her dirty rowboat.
Floyd |
Floyd | Mergeis is here, hunched over her cauldron.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cottage
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CAULDRON
Floyd |
Floyd | The water in the cauldron is as murky as that of the Grey Lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Please," she whispers into the cauldron. "I need more time. I can
Floyd | give you a virgin. I just need more time."
Floyd |
Floyd | The cauldron does not respond.
Floyd |
Floyd | "If I wither away, I can't give you anything! Is it worth it to let me
Floyd | crumble and die? Wouldn't you rather let me live, and receive more
Floyd | sacrifices?"
Floyd |
Floyd | All Mergeis sees in the cauldron is her own reflection. She covers her
Floyd | shriveled face with her hands and sobs.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cottage
Floyd | >
Floyd | > PUT FEALGLASS IN CAULDRON
Floyd |
Floyd | That can't contain things.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cottage
Floyd | >
Floyd | > SHOW FEALGLASS TO MERGEIS
Floyd |
Floyd | You can almost feel your grip around the fealglass. With a thought you
Floyd | could pull it out into the air and make it visible. But is this the
Floyd | right place? The right person?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cottage
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ENTER CAULDRON
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not something you can enter.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cottage
Floyd | >
Floyd | > PUT FEALGLASS ON CAULDRON
Floyd |
Floyd | Putting things on the cauldron would achieve nothing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cottage
Floyd | >
Floyd | > I
Floyd |
Floyd | You are carrying:
Floyd |   a fealglass
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > SHOW FEALGLASS TO MERGEIS
Floyd |
Floyd | Mist fills the cottage, and Mergeis looks up hopefully.
Floyd |
Floyd | The fealglass materializes before her. She reaches for it desperately;
Floyd | she clutches the stone that she assumes is her salvation. She stares
Floyd | into its depths, waiting for a message from her master.
Floyd |
Floyd | Her eyes go blank; the crone's body collapses on the earthen floor.
Floyd | Her soul howls as it exits the cottage, borne by irresistable magic to
Floyd | the bottom of the Grey Lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | You crawl into the shell Mergeis left behind, as naturally as crawling
Floyd | into bed after a long day. You stand up, finally a being of both body
Floyd | and soul.
Floyd |
Floyd | A voice comes from the cauldron: Very impressive. Very well
Floyd | done, it says. But I'm afraid you may find this body somewhat
Floyd | lacking.
Floyd |
Floyd | A sudden pain in your new joints makes you hunch over, and you're
Floyd | forced to agree.
Floyd |
Floyd | I can help, the voice goes on, but in return I'll require
Floyd | something from you.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |     *** The End ***

Floyd | *** The End ***We all gape in silent horror as Antonio
Floyd | closes his notebook. Then, with a sort of twinge, we return to
Floyd | reality; general applause; then, time for questions.
Floyd |
Floyd | Someone raises a hand.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Why does the player character go into Mergeis's body? Isn't she
Floyd | obviously old and frail at that point?"
Floyd |
Floyd | Antonio looks through his notes. "Well, originally, I was going
Floyd | to..."
Floyd |
Floyd | He frowns.
Floyd |
Floyd | "I think it's..."
Floyd |
Floyd | The moderator glances around the room. "Are there any more questions?"
Floyd |
Floyd | There are not.

Floyd ]
Floyd | There are not.Now it is time for the next author to step forward and
Floyd | share the next of the evening's insidious entertainments. It is Colin
Floyd | Michael Gustafson, well-known for his surreal, nightmarish visions,
Floyd | conjured from deep beneath the daylight realm of polite society,
Floyd | always presented with impish indelicacy.
Floyd |
Floyd | Colin nods meekly and bows—and then sheds the veneer of modesty and
Floyd | reveals a brilliant grin. "I'm very proud of this one," he admits. "I
Floyd | believe it touches on the most basic anxieties in the deepest, most
Floyd | universal (and most uncomfortable) fundaments of our psychology."
Floyd |
Floyd | "How very Jungian!" another author interjects. "The collective
Floyd | unconscious! The specter of the Shadow!"
Floyd |
Floyd | "Precisely," Colin hisses. "But we're getting ahead of ourselves." He
Floyd | produces a sheaf of papers. "Allow me to begin..."
Floyd |
Floyd | Ryan Veeder Presents
Floyd | Don't Dive Into Blood, Kids
Floyd | An experiment in psychological terror by Colin Michael Gustafson
Floyd | Release 1 / Serial number 181031 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib
Floyd | 6/12N) SD
Floyd |
Floyd | Before we begin, are you prepared to dive into blood?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]
Floyd | >
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | Please answer yes or no.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > YES
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | That presents a problem. The efficacy of this exercise is predicated
Floyd | on your aversion to diving into blood. Fortunately, I have the
Floyd | equipment and expertise necessary to correct this.

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Office
Floyd | I am in a cold, sterile psychiatrist's office.
Floyd |
Floyd | I can see a patient here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cottage
Floyd |
Floyd | > UNDO
Floyd |
Floyd | Cottage
Floyd | [Previous turn undone.]
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Cottage
Floyd | >
Floyd | > I
Floyd |
Floyd | You are carrying:
Floyd |   a fealglass
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Path
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Path
Floyd | You pass between the shore and the woods, on a path choked with weeds.
Floyd |
Floyd | The road and the village are further west. To the east is a cottage
Floyd | that you recognize.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Shore
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Shore
Floyd | You are on the shore of the Grey Lake. The road back to town is
Floyd | northwest of here.
Floyd |
Floyd | A pebbled path leads east around the lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Road
Floyd | >
Floyd | > NW
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Road
Floyd | This road leads west, to the village where you live—or, used to live.
Floyd | Southeast from here are the shores of the Grey Lake.
Floyd |
Floyd | There's a man here, stumbling through the dark.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Road
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X MAN
Floyd |
Floyd | It's a drunkard you know from town. He has no friends, no family. No
Floyd | one would miss him.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Village
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Village
Floyd | The streets are empty, except for faint fingers of mist gathering in
Floyd | the dark. The main road leads east, out of town.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your old home is just north from here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Home
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Home
Floyd | Everything is as you left it, but through a ghost's vision, your home
Floyd | seems odd and unfamiliar.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your brother sits at the table, counting a stack of coins.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Home
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BROTHER
Floyd |
Floyd | He can't see you.
Floyd |
Floyd | His eyes are glittering. His lips move rapidly as he silently counts;
Floyd | then he pauses, to appreciate a particular coin, not as a number, but
Floyd | as as an object: Warm metal, a rigid edge, pressing hard against his
Floyd | fingers. Then he begins counting again.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your brother begins mumbling to himself.
Floyd |
Floyd | "Oh, Mergeis," he whispers, "How desperate you must have been, to
Floyd | accept my first offer! I would have agreed to so much less. Look: Here
Floyd | is the value of family."
Floyd |
Floyd | He pushes a short stack of gold coins apart from the others.
Floyd |
Floyd | "And here is the value of loyalty." He sets aside another handful.
Floyd |
Floyd | "And this is the price of my reputation," he says, skimming a few
Floyd | coppers off the top. "I have to charge a little extra, since word
Floyd | might get around about my dealing with witches. But everything else!"
Floyd |
Floyd | He closes his hands over the impressive pile that remains. "Pure
Floyd | profit! Or pure stupidity on your part, Mergeis."
Floyd |
Floyd | He laughs—Then he glances around, embarrassed, hoping nobody heard
Floyd | him. But he doesn't see anybody.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Home
Floyd | >
Floyd | > BREAK FEALGLASS
Floyd |
Floyd | You are incorporeal.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Home
Floyd | >
Floyd | > DROP FEALGLASS
Floyd |
Floyd | That would be very stupid of you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > SHOW FEALGLASS TO BROTHER
Floyd |
Floyd | A cloud of mist forms around your brother, and the fealglass appears
Floyd | on the table. He leans over it with interest. Maybe it's something he
Floyd | missed—a piece of exotic currency.
Floyd |
Floyd | But as he looks into the swirling pattern at the center of the disk,
Floyd | the avarice disappears from his eyes, leaving nothing behind. His body
Floyd | slumps forward, knocking piles of coins off the table and onto the
Floyd | floor.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your brother's soul emits a quiet yelp of protest as it is pulled away
Floyd | to Nesphelet's domain beneath the Grey Lake. Meanwhile, you crawl into
Floyd | his body and begin tidying the stacks of coins that now belong to you.
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd |     *** The End ***

Floyd | *** The End ***We all gape in silent horror as Antonio
Floyd | closes his notebook. Then, with a sort of twinge, we return to
Floyd | reality; general applause; then, time for questions.
Floyd |
Floyd | An author in the front row asks: "Why did you include the character of
Floyd | the brother? Why place all the blame on him, in the end?"
Floyd |
Floyd | Antonio nods. "I wanted to expand on the archetype of the predatory
Floyd | female witch. The brother character represents another kind of evil, a
Floyd | masculine evil to complement the feminine version of classic
Floyd | fairy-stories. I wanted to show both halves of the evil equation,
Floyd | reflecting and magnifying each other."
Floyd |
Floyd | I rub my forehead wearily.
Floyd |
Floyd | The moderator glances around the room. "Are there any more questions?"
Floyd |
Floyd | There are not.

Floyd ]
Floyd | There are not.Now it is time for the next author to step forward and
Floyd | share the next of the evening's delirious entertainments. It is Colin
Floyd | Michael Gustafson, well-known for his surreal, nightmarish visions,
Floyd | conjured from deep beneath the daylight realm of polite society,
Floyd | always presented with impish indelicacy.
Floyd |
Floyd | Colin nods meekly and bows—and then sheds the veneer of modesty and
Floyd | reveals a brilliant grin. "I'm very proud of this one," he admits. "I
Floyd | believe it touches on the most basic anxieties in the deepest, most
Floyd | universal (and most uncomfortable) fundaments of our psychology."
Floyd |
Floyd | "How very Jungian!" another author interjects. "The collective
Floyd | unconscious! The specter of the Shadow!"
Floyd |
Floyd | "Precisely," Colin hisses. "But we're getting ahead of ourselves." He
Floyd | produces a sheaf of papers. "Allow me to begin..."
Floyd |
Floyd | Ryan Veeder Presents
Floyd | Don't Dive Into Blood, Kids
Floyd | An experiment in psychological terror by Colin Michael Gustafson
Floyd | Release 1 / Serial number 181031 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.33 lib
Floyd | 6/12N) SD
Floyd |
Floyd | Before we begin, are you prepared to dive into blood?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > YES
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | That presents a problem. The efficacy of this exercise is predicated
Floyd | on your aversion to diving into blood. Fortunately, I have the
Floyd | equipment and expertise necessary to correct this.

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Office
Floyd | I am in a cold, sterile psychiatrist's office.
Floyd |
Floyd | I can see a patient here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ME
Floyd |
Floyd | I am a cold, sterile psychiatrist.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X PATIENT
Floyd |
Floyd | You are being very calm and quiet. Good for you.
Floyd |
Floyd | I'm going to cut an incision—Not a physical incision in your head,
Floyd | but
Floyd | a metaphorical incision in your mind. The procedure is perfectly safe.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd | >
Floyd | > I
Floyd |
Floyd | I am carrying:
Floyd |   a scalpel
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X SCALPEL
Floyd |
Floyd | A tiny little knife like this is perfect for a patient like you.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X MIND
Floyd |
Floyd | You are being very calm and quiet. Good for you.
Floyd |
Floyd | I'm going to cut an incision—Not a physical incision in your head,
Floyd | but
Floyd | a metaphorical incision in your mind. The procedure is perfectly safe.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Office
Floyd | >
Floyd | > CUT INCISION
Floyd |
Floyd | With the utmost care and professionalism, I make a Y-shaped
Floyd | psychological incision in your mind. The metaphorical aperture is more
Floyd | than wide enough for me to enter.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Your Mind
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ENTER INCISION
Floyd |
Floyd | I carefully climb into the incision. I assure you there's no medical
Floyd | risk involved.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your Mind
Floyd | Now I am inside your mind. Don't worry; I'm a professional.
Floyd |
Floyd | I poke through the components of your psyche for a moment before I
Floyd | find what I'm looking for: your willingness to dive into blood.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Your Mind
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WILLINGNESS
Floyd |
Floyd | Your willingness to dive into blood is connected to the rest of your
Floyd | mind with some sort of psychic tendon.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Your Mind
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X TENDON
Floyd |
Floyd | Your willingness to dive into blood is connected to the rest of your
Floyd | mind with some sort of psychic tendon.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Your Mind
Floyd | >
Floyd | > CUT TENDON
Floyd |
Floyd | I draw my scalpel across the psychic tendon, and your willingness to
Floyd | dive into blood comes loose easily.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > TAKE WILLINGNESS
Floyd |
Floyd | I carefully remove your willingness to dive into blood. Now you should
Floyd | be more than adequately prepared for our little entertainment.

Floyd ]  Pool of Blood
Floyd |
Floyd | Pool of Blood
Floyd | You're standing at the side of a pool. The Vein sits on a tall chair,
Floyd | making sure all the swimmers are safe.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X VEIN
Floyd |
Floyd | Clad in a Speedo and sunglasses, the Vein is the archetype of
Floyd | coolness. His muscular skin glistens like a coiled anaconda.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X POOL
Floyd |
Floyd | The pool is full of red blood. At the far end, a ladder leads up to a
Floyd | diving board.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X SWIMMERS
Floyd |
Floyd | There's no one else here.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BOARD
Floyd |
Floyd | Across the pool from the lifeguard's chair is a diving board with an
Floyd | attached ladder. The construction seems too tall to be safe, but maybe
Floyd | that's an optical illusion.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > ASK VEIN ABOUT BLOOD
Floyd |
Floyd | The Vein tosses his capillaries majestically and grins. "Don't
Floyd | distract me, kid," he says. "I've got lives to save."
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ME
Floyd |
Floyd | You are a kid in basic swimming attire.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ATTIRE
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > U
Floyd |
Floyd | There's nowhere to go.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Diving Board
Floyd | >
Floyd | > CLIMB LADDER
Floyd |
Floyd | There is no running allowed at the pool of blood, so you walk slowly
Floyd | around its perimeter to the diving board.
Floyd |
Floyd | Your arms are easily strong enough to bear you to the top of the
Floyd | ladder. What slows your progress is the knowledge that there is no
Floyd | turning back: When you get to the top of the ladder, the only way to
Floyd | get back down will be to dive into blood.
Floyd |
Floyd | Diving Board
Floyd | You are very high up.
Floyd |
Floyd | The board wobbles beneath your feet.
Floyd |
Floyd | Below you, far below, is the pool of blood.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd | >
Floyd | > DIVE INTO BLOOD
Floyd |
Floyd | You approach the edge of the board. The wind is cold on your skin.
Floyd |
Floyd | From his chair at the far side of the pool, the Vein watches you
Floyd | dispassionately; there's nothing else to watch.
Floyd |
Floyd | You are afraid, and you should be afraid, because this is a bad idea.
Floyd | Don't dive into blood, kids.
Floyd |
Floyd | You leap forward and dive into the pool of blood.

Floyd | You leap forward and dive into the pool of blood.
Floyd | Your tiny body takes forever to reach the surface.

Floyd | Your tiny body takes forever to reach the surface.
Floyd | The hot blood hits your skin all at once.

Floyd | The hot blood hits your skin all at once.
Floyd | You sink into the deep end of the pool.

Floyd | You sink into the deep end of the pool.
Floyd | You flail helplessly into the blood.

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | You flail helplessly into the blood.
Floyd | You float back up to the surface.
Floyd |
Floyd | Floating
Floyd | "—IN THE POOL," the Vein is screaming. "THERE IS A WOLF IN THE POOL.
Floyd | EVERYBODY OUT OF THE POOL. EVERYBODY OUT OF THE POOL OF BLOOD."
Floyd |
Floyd | The Vein scrabbles down the side of his tall chair and runs away.
Floyd |
Floyd | You turn your head back and forth. You can't see the Wolf. Where could
Floyd | he be? Where can you hide?
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > OUT
Floyd |
Floyd | If there really is a Wolf in the pool, he'll gobble you up before you
Floyd | get very far.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X ME
Floyd |
Floyd | You are a kid in basic swimming attire.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WOLF
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Floating
Floyd | >
Floyd | > D
Floyd |
Floyd | That's not the verb you're supposed to use!
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  In the Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > DIVE INTO BLOOD
Floyd |
Floyd | You take a few deep breaths, inhale one last big gulp of air, screw
Floyd | your eyes shut, and dive into the blood.
Floyd |
Floyd | In the Pool of Blood
Floyd | Your force yourself to open your eyes.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Wolf is at the bottom of the pool.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  In the Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X WOLF
Floyd |
Floyd | It turns out that the Wolf, the great Devourer, the archetype of
Floyd | inevitable destruction and lurking evil, was lurking at the bottom of
Floyd | the pool of blood. All along!
Floyd |
Floyd | His mouth is wide open, a gaping, toothy entrance into pure blackness.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  In the Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X BLACKNESS
Floyd |
Floyd | It turns out that the Wolf, the great Devourer, the archetype of
Floyd | inevitable destruction and lurking evil, was lurking at the bottom of
Floyd | the pool of blood. All along!
Floyd |
Floyd | His mouth is wide open, a gaping, toothy entrance into pure blackness.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  In the Pool of Blood
Floyd | >
Floyd | > DIVE INTO BLOOD
Floyd |
Floyd | You're already in the blood.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  The Wolf's Mind
Floyd | >
Floyd | > DIVE INTO BLACKNESS
Floyd |
Floyd | You swim deeper, deeper into the pool of blood. And then you dive into
Floyd | the beast's mouth.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Wolf's Mind
Floyd | You are now inside the Wolf's mind. Every aspect of his conscious,
Floyd | subconscious, and unconscious is open to you.
Floyd |
Floyd | Obvious exits are WEST and NORTHEAST.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  The Wolf's Mind
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X CONSCIOUS
Floyd |
Floyd | You can't see any such thing.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  Empty Room
Floyd | >
Floyd | > W
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | Empty Room
Floyd | This chamber is dusty and disused.
Floyd |
Floyd | Obvious exits are NORTH and EAST.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  The Wolf's Creativity
Floyd | >
Floyd | > N
Floyd |
Floyd |
Floyd | The Wolf's Creativity
Floyd | The studio is a picture of intentional, almost rehearsed disorder: A
Floyd | few papers have fallen on the floor; others are taped to the wall at
Floyd | uneven angles, but the attempt to create an atmosphere of chaos is not
Floyd | convincing.
Floyd |
Floyd | The Wolf's current project rests on an easel, situated in front of a
Floyd | full-length mirror.
Floyd |
Floyd | Obvious exits are NORTHEAST and SOUTH.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  The Wolf's Creativity
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X PROJECT
Floyd |
Floyd | The canvas has been painted completely black, almost as if the Wolf
Floyd | simply poured a can of black paint over it. But you can see every
Floyd | brush stroke.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  The Wolf's Creativity
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X EASEL
Floyd |
Floyd | On the easel rests a large canvas, the Wolf's latest artistic
Floyd | endeavor.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  The Wolf's Creativity
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X PAPERS
Floyd |
Floyd | You peek at a random paper. On it is scribbled a reproduction of that
Floyd | optical illusion where it's a duck one way and a rabbit the other way.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  The Wolf's Creativity
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X MIRROR
Floyd |
Floyd | The mirror is about twice your height.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  The Wolf's Creativity
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X PAPERS
Floyd |
Floyd | You peek at a random paper. On it is scrawled a few dozen squares,
Floyd | their uniformity decreasing as the Wolf got more and more bored of
Floyd | drawing squares.
Floyd |
Floyd | >

Floyd ]  The Wolf's Creativity
Floyd | >
Floyd | > X PAPERS
Floyd |
Floyd | You peek at a random paper. On it is scribbled various rough drafts of
Floyd | a logo for "WOLF COLA," all of which insist on the two words sharing
Floyd | the same O and L.
Floyd |
Floyd | >