  
ClubFloyd Transcript:
The idea behind ClubFloyd is that each
week at a pre-arranged time, a group of
people meet online to cooperatively play
a game of interactive fiction.
ANOTHER WARNING! A lot (most!) of the transcripts contained on this site are, shall we say, family-friendly. This is not one of those family-friendly transcripts. Just so we're clear. |
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ToyShop & Floyditorium
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#ClubFloyd Discussion
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| *** SESSION ONE *** | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Does TADS have real-time play capability, or if, when a game has time limited puzzles, it means the standard move-limited puzzles?" | ||
| Roger says, "I think TADS 3 might have had it but I'm not sure it was ever widely used." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Real-time play capability seems stressful." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Hm. This is a TADS 3 executable." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Moy), "Yes" | ||
| DavidW says, "hm. I don't remember it in any TADS games off hand." | ||
| DavidW says, "Quest games can have real-time elements." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm asking because if it's real real-time we may hit a Floydability issue." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "(a game I was considering)" | ||
| Roger says, "I suggest reconnaissance by fire" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "You live so dangerously." | ||
| Roger says, "That's me, living on the edge... of wuss cliff" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm reading this games' ReadMe file and it has all the things I hate about old IF that you all seem to like, which makes it the perfect ClubFloyd game for me, because it means I'll expierience a plot I might otherwise not work for." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "The game is Lydia's Heart by Jim Aikin." | ||
| DavidW says, "aha" | ||
| Jacqueline asks (of DW), "Played it?" | ||
| DavidW says, "This was my suggestion on cfs. I have NOT played it." | ||
| MoyTW says, "That sounds great I can just watch and make snarky comments while David solves everything." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Moy), "Right! (Sorry, David. Sort of.)" | ||
| Roger says, "pretty sure I've not played it either but I have vague goodwill in the direction of Jim Aikin so let's go" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Incoming paste from the Read Me which seems to be a thing we are meant to read beforehand (i.e. helpful and mildly spoilery but not really)" | ||
| DavidW says, "I think Aikin also wrote Tin and Flustered Duck." | ||
| Jacqueline | Lydia's Heart is a difficult game. Unless you're fiendishly clever, it's not likely that you'll finish it in one or two sessions. Two or three of the puzzles are timed, and if you don't accomplish certain things within the time limit the game may become unwinnable. You may be given a fairly direct indication within the story that you need to do something quickly because of a time limit -- or you may not. | ||
| Jacqueline | If you have worked out a way to get a character away from a certain location in order to accomplish something that you can't do while the character is present, be warned: The character will return before too long. And the number of times you'll be able to get them to leave is strictly limited. In every case you have more than enough opportunities to do what you need to do. But if they're no longer willing to leave, the game may well be unwinnable. There is also a location that you can get trapped in, with no way to leave without bringing the story to an abrupt and very unhappy ending. | ||
| Jacqueline | So I'd suggest that you save the game after accomplishing various tasks. You may want to use different filenames, so as to be able to get back to a place where the game was still winnable. | ||
| Jacqueline | In most circumstances, you'll be told what you did to bring about an unhappy ending, but there may be one or two circumstancesin which you can die without being told in so many words what you did to cause that to happen. Experienced IF players may want to think about whether they've been "on auto-pilot," doing what comes naturally without thinking about the dramatic situation. | ||
| Jacqueline | In the current release (2.0.06) the password protection of the hint system has been shut off. You can access the hints at any time by typing 'hint'. The hints are context-sensitive, so you'll only see items that you can currently make use of. | ||
| Jacqueline | If you're having a problem in the course of the story, another option would be to ask the characters you meet about the object or situation you're struggling with. There are a number of characters in Lydia's Heart, and one or another of them may offer useful information (either because they like you, or because they're being careless and don't take you seriously). | ||
| MoyTW says, "Oh so it's, like, Old School Adventure Game style." | ||
| DavidW says, "Sounds like the timing thing refers to game time, not real time." | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "As long as it isn't like "A Bunch of Keys" - You don't have the soap in the shower? GAME OVER!" | ||
| DavidW says (to Knight), "oh geez. A Bunch of Keys is basically unplayable." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Which was too bad, because I feel the story behind Bunch of Keys deserves to be told, from what we've seen of it." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So, um, I didn't ask, really. Are we good with this?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Reminds me of SNOSAE, another insanely difficult game that I never finished." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Sounds like a multi-session game..." | ||
| Roger says, "I'm good with giving it the old college try" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm good with trying Lydia's Heart." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We can certainly try it. It's been a while since we had a real multi-session game." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I think no sleepmask with TADS? I can never remember for sure." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Sure let's see a frustrating death or two." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "looks like a fairly big map as well" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "By the way, the game opens with its cover art, which Jim intends for you to see before playing." | ||
| Jacqueline | [LINK] | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "load lydiaheart" | ||
| CF | Welcome to the Cheap Glk Implementation, library version 0.9.0. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tuesday afternoon. Hot, with that thick, humid Southern heat that | ||
| CF | makes your hair droop and your shirt stick to you. Why on Earth did | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline insist on bringing you to this horrible place? "Eternal | ||
| CF | Springs," it said on the sign at the end of the driveway. Whatever. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | And now Aunt Caroline is hiding in the bathroom, which is truly weird. | ||
| CF | She's been in there for, like, half an hour. Maybe you should go | ||
| CF | outside and explore. Not that there's likely to be anything worth | ||
| CF | seeing in this dump, but anything would be better than hanging around a | ||
| CF | creepy, smelly motel room all afternoon. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [For assistance at any time, type 'help'. Newcomers to interactive | ||
| CF | fiction should type 'instructions'. For details on the software, type | ||
| CF | 'about'.] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia's Heart | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An unfolding horror in the Deep South. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | By Jim Aikin | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline has laid out on the bed by the door the white dress she | ||
| CF | bought for you just before the trip. She has already announced that | ||
| CF | you'll be wearing it for the sunset picnic tonight at dinnertime, and | ||
| CF | don't bother to argue, it won't do you any good. There was a tone in | ||
| CF | her voice - steely, but with a quiver - that you've never heard before. | ||
| CF | It sent a chill up your spine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline clears the save counter. | lkcampbell says, "Can somebody translate the graphic to ascii art and then cut and paste it? :)" | |
| MoyTW says, "I vote we type 'help'." | ||
| Roger says, "yes please" | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "So, I am thinking: Southern Gothic?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Also get the dress and then look again and see if the text changes." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "help" | ||
| CF | This software includes several utility commands that you may find | ||
| CF | useful. If you're new to Interactive Fiction, type INSTRUCTIONS to | ||
| CF | read some useful suggestions on how to proceed with the story. Once | ||
| CF | you're involved in the story, you may want to type HINT in order to | ||
| CF | access the hint system. This story doesn't display a numerical score, | ||
| CF | but you can find out how much progress you've made by typing SCORE, or | ||
| CF | read a list of your accomplishments by typing FULL SCORE. To read | ||
| CF | supplemental information on the development of the story, type ABOUT. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "score" | ||
| CF | You have thus far performed none of the 70-odd significant actions you | ||
| CF | can take to move the story forward. (For a list of the tasks you have | ||
| CF | accomplished, type 'full score'.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "there doesn't appear to be any obvious realtime clock, so that's good" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Well, I think it's not good." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "He said sometimes you'll be on a clock and never know." | ||
| MoyTW exclaims, "That just means it's INVISIBLE!" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Right" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "It's still there. JUDGING US" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I am not sure why I'm typing stuff in this game, but I guess until we vote to let someone responsible drive..." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x me" | ||
| CF | No need even to look in the mirror - you know perfectly well what you | ||
| CF | look like, having inspected every detail often enough. Your legs are a | ||
| CF | little too long and your knees a little knobby, but your face is cute | ||
| CF | and blessedly free of zits. Your long blond hair is one of your better | ||
| CF | features. And you're already starting to have a figure, which is | ||
| CF | pretty good considering you're only fourteen. Today you're wearing | ||
| CF | nothing special, just slacks and a shirt and some sneakers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm gonna post a picture link as well, wondering if this is applicable to this game or not: [LINK]" | |
| Jacqueline says, "That is sort of weird being written by a guy. I don't think that's how I thought about my body around puberty. But whatever." | ||
| Roger says, "I am mildly disappointed that that makes it less likely that the PC is a woman of colour, but we are all products of our times." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "yay" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying nothing, and are wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x clothes" | ||
| CF | Your clothes are nothing special, just some green slacks, a lightweight | ||
| CF | tan blouse, and your best sneakers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x dress" | ||
| CF | The dress is an achingly pure white. It's old-fashioned, with puffy | ||
| CF | sleeves, a long skirt, and lacy frills at the wrists and neckline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "wear dress" | ||
| CF | (first taking the white dress) | ||
| CF | You consider stripping off your slacks and top and trying on the white | ||
| CF | dress, but three things stop you. First, you're mad at Aunt Caroline | ||
| CF | for hauling you all the way down here, so you really don't want to give | ||
| CF | her the pleasure of trying on the dress she insisted on bringing for | ||
| CF | you. Second, you want to spend the afternoon looking around this dumpy | ||
| CF | motel to see if there's anything fun to do, and the dress would surely | ||
| CF | get dirty. Third, it would look really tacky with your sneakers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I feel that I've seen a similar X ME before, but I'm not sure." | |
| Jacqueline says, "But I *want* to get the dress dirty. Oh well." | ||
| DavidW says, "Many 'X ME' responses are t-shirt, jeans, sneakers." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take dress" | ||
| CF | You are already carrying the white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "too good to wear it, not too good to carry it around with us everywhere" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | The window is none too clean. It looks out on a strip of bare dirt and | ||
| CF | the run-down cabins opposite. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I don't think we should carry the dress around with us." | |
| Jacqueline asks, "No?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x dresser" | ||
| CF | The dresser is built of cheap pressboard. It has three drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open top drawer" | ||
| CF | Opening the top drawer reveals Aunt Caroline's clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "It's meant for a later scene, obviously." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "drop dress" | ||
| CF | You lay the dress carefully on the bed near the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, ">DROP DRESS AND STOMP ON IT" | |
| Jacqueline says, "hee" | ||
| Roger says, "It seems like the sort of thing a good cruel game would punish us for, yeah" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close top drawer" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open middle drawer" | ||
| CF | Opening the middle drawer reveals your other clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close middle drawer" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "our other other clothes" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open bottom drawer" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Hopefully we have shoes to go with the dress?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x bottom drawer" | ||
| CF | It's an ordinary dresser drawer. It's open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Can you look? I want to see how much that last paragraph of the room description changed." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Auntie surely thought of that." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in bottom drawer" | ||
| CF | The bottom drawer seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close bottom drawer" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Seems to be?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x patch" | ||
| CF | The word "patch" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (If this was an accidental misspelling, you can correct it by typing | ||
| CF | OOPS followed by the corrected word now. Any time the story points out | ||
| CF | an unknown word, you can correct a misspelling using OOPS as your next | ||
| CF | command.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "try x plaster instead" | |
| Jacqueline asks, "I mean, I guess I could have rifled through the drawers. Should I?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x plaster" | ||
| CF | The stuff in the cabin is really not very interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "painting" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x painting" | ||
| CF | The ducks are swimming on a pond, that much you can make out. The | ||
| CF | background is very murky, however. You have the vague impression that | ||
| CF | something large and sinister is lurking, about to pounce on the ducks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wallpaper" | ||
| CF | The stuff in the cabin is really not very interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "southern gothic duck decor" | |
| MoyTW exclaims, "x ducks!" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Probably that ghost tiger monster from the cover." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x ducks" | ||
| CF | The ducks are swimming on a pond, that much you can make out. The | ||
| CF | background is very murky, however. You have the vague impression that | ||
| CF | something large and sinister is lurking, about to pounce on the ducks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x curtains" | ||
| CF | The curtains droop sadly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "dang that's the reboot of Duck Dynasty that I need in my life" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open top drawer" | ||
| CF | Opening the top drawer reveals Aunt Caroline's clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "search top drawer" | ||
| CF | The top drawer contains Aunt Caroline's clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "Steal her shoes!" | |
| Roger says, "let's give the bed disambiguation a good workout soon" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x caroline's clothes" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline's things - principally cashmere sweaters and blouses with | ||
| CF | big floppy bows at the neckline - are neatly folded in the top drawer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "open curtains" | ||
| CF | You glance at the curtains and instantly dismiss them as unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Shoes wouldn't be in the drawer, surely." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Who unpakcs all their stuff into a motel room right after they arrive?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "search caroline's clothes" | ||
| CF | You lift a couple of garments to peek beneath them, and decide there's | ||
| CF | really nothing useful or interesting in the drawer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "looks like it's curtains for us" | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "wear caroline's clothes" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline wouldn't be happy to learn you were disarranging her | ||
| CF | things. Anyway, there's nothing useful in the drawer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says (to Moy), "Aunt Caroline does." | |
| Jacqueline says (to lkc), "ha" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close drawer" | ||
| CF | You close the top drawer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open middle drawer" | ||
| CF | Opening the middle drawer reveals your other clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under my bed" | ||
| CF | You do not appear to have any such thing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "search my clothes" | ||
| CF | (your other clothes) | ||
| CF | You lift a couple of garments to peek beneath them, and decide there's | ||
| CF | really nothing in the drawer that you need at the moment. No cell | ||
| CF | phone, anyway - you've checked for that half a dozen times. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under beds" | ||
| CF | bed near the door: The box springs are sagging, and there's a scatter | ||
| CF | of tiny dry brown pellets that might be mouse droppings. Nothing | ||
| CF | interesting, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | bed near the bathroom: The box springs are sagging, and there's a | ||
| CF | scatter of tiny dry brown pellets that might be mouse droppings. | ||
| CF | Nothing interesting, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "This Aunt Caroline character seems a tad sus." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close drawer" | ||
| CF | You close the middle drawer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "oh, is that multiple look under part of tads?" | ||
| CF | The word "oh" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "See, mouse droppings are interesting for health reasons." | |
| Jacqueline asks, "so... closet?" | ||
| DavidW says (to lkcampbell), "I guess? I thought maybe the beds were a single object." | ||
| DavidW says (to Jacqueline), "yes please" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see Aunt Caroline's suitcase and your suitcase here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "sure there must be at least three doors in here by now" | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "interesting functionality anyway never seen that before" | ||
| CF | The word "interesting" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "interesting functionality anyway never seen that before" | |
| Roger says, "is it just me or does this feel a little too much like someone's IF coding homework" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "heh. So far. But that will change." | ||
| DavidW says, "First rooms often feel like that." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x suitcases" | ||
| CF | your suitcase: Your suitcase is small and blue. It's closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline's suitcase: Aunt Caroline's suitcase is much bigger than | ||
| CF | yours, and in better condition too. The suitcase is creamy white, with | ||
| CF | brass fittings, which include a latch with a little keyhole. It's | ||
| CF | closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "a key" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "How many people would get IF coding homework?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "It's not the game's fault that we're obsessively ruffling through this room. I mean. I guess it kinda is since the author put up a big scary sign up front, but." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, the YO! THIS GAME IS HARD! thing has us on edge a little. But we're just good IFers who search everything, I think." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm guessing I can't, but..." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open caroline's suitcase" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Oh." | |
| Jacqueline says, "huh" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Huh." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in caroline's suitcase" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline's suitcase is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Aw" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close suitecase" | ||
| CF | The word "suitecase" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Hahaha." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close suitcase" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "I do the same thing in real life hotel rooms...I also steal everything and say 'xyzzy'" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Legit" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I mean, I do search drawers in hotel rooms." | ||
| Roger says, "no Gideon Bible we're clearly in a dark reality" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I generally don't look under beds... they usually have 'under'" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open my suitcase" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in my suitcase" | ||
| CF | Your suitcase is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I've been in hotels that had a solid platform built under the bed" | |
| Jacqueline says, "..Roger" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh yeah, stuff found under beds can be in the TMI category." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Right." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well, Auntie put everything in the drawers." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "yeah" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see Aunt Caroline's suitcase and your suitcase here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "smell" | ||
| CF | The moldy, musty smell is so powerful your nose tickles and your throat | ||
| CF | thickens. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "Now she's locked herself in the bathroom so she can empty her drawers" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "lick wall" | ||
| CF | The word "lick" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "lick is necessary in every story" | |
| Jacqueline asks, "So ... it's a cabin motel room?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to lkc), "Thank you" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "dance" | ||
| CF | The word "dance" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x carpet" | ||
| CF | The stuff in the cabin is really not very interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the bathroom door) | ||
| CF | The bathroom door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "knock on door" | ||
| CF | You tap on the door, and from within the bathroom Aunt Caroline says in | ||
| CF | an irritated tone, "Yes, dear? What is it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "talk to caroline" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask caroline about dress" | ||
| CF | "I can't hear you, dear," Aunt Caroline calls. "Can't you see I'm in | ||
| CF | the bathroom?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "caroline, I need to pee." | ||
| CF | The word "need" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "So... out into the forest to die?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "No Auntie, I can't see through closed doors." | ||
| Jacqueline asks (of Knight), "You were a snarky teen, weren't you?" | ||
| MoyTW exclaims, "Yell angrily at her! Curse her for bringing us to this terrible place and forcing us to attend her picnic!" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well, perhaps minus the "die part"" | ||
| DavidW says, "This motel might have a vending machine with ancient snacks." | ||
| MoyTW exclaims, "Make generic angry noises!" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "scream" | ||
| CF | You have a momentary impulse to shout, but you quickly realize it would | ||
| CF | be better not to call attention to yourself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says (to Jacq), "No, that's why I nweed to snark now." | |
| Jacqueline says, "..." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "Ah" | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "is it clear why we are here and what the dress is for or not?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Not to me." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "tell Caroline I hate her" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. Please use ASK ACTOR ABOUT | ||
| CF | TOPIC (or just A TOPIC). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Not really and there's a sunset picnic we're supposed to wear the dress to." | |
| lkcampbell says, "cool, just making sure I didn't miss it" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So... I'm fixin' to leave. That cool?" | ||
| DavidW says, "yes" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yup" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "cf1" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Ayup." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see Aunt Caroline's suitcase and your suitcase here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "OOPS" | |
| Jacqueline says, "I do that in real life, too." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "hahahahaha" | |
| lkcampbell says, "heh" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | As you head out the door of the cabin, Aunt Caroline's voice rises | ||
| CF | behind you: "Be sure you're back here by 6:30 sharp so you can dress | ||
| CF | for the sunset picnic!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Also I'm at least 66% confident that this sunset picnic is a terrible ritual to the Swamp Gods or something and we're, like, a human sacrifice." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Yes" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Darn our 0 ranks in Sneaking." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Moy), "I also have a similar theory." | ||
| Roger asks, "is croquet a staple of southern gothic?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Sort of? I'm thinking about Heathers now." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Which is not Southern Gothic, but." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "So...what time is it? Do we get ganked by a Hound of Tindalos if we miss our picnic?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 2:30. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "You usually keep track by glancing at your cell phone, but Jim didn't really want to complicate the game by letting you have one, so." | |
| MoyTW exclaims, "Misplaced your cell phone!? wtf how is that possible!!!" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'm reasonably sure Auntie confiscated our phone." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "play croquet" | ||
| CF | The word "play" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Aw" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Aww." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "No play for us." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x croquet" | ||
| CF | The croquet hoops are bent and rusted. There are only a few of them, | ||
| CF | and they're jammed into the ground in a haphazard pattern. Looking | ||
| CF | around, you can see no evidence that Eternal Springs possesses any | ||
| CF | croquet balls or mallets - not that a game of croquet seems like a very | ||
| CF | good idea right now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yo homie wanna go shoot some hoops" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x cabin" | ||
| CF | Which cabin do you mean, Cabin Five, or Cabin Two? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Maybe if we found the handsome Mr Harrison Grimm in cabin two...?" | |
| lkcampbell asks, "are we lydia?" | ||
| Roger says, "Thank you, angel of disambiguation" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x cabin five" | ||
| CF | The rustic motel cabin may have been attractive fifty years ago, but | ||
| CF | time has not been kind to it. Its paint is weathered and peeling, and | ||
| CF | the siding is warped. A tarnished brass number '5' is nailed above the | ||
| CF | door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks (of lkcampbell), "Maybe?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to lkc), "I don't think we are, actually." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I would expect we are, but it isn't certain." | ||
| Jacqueline | You play the part of 14-year-old Diane Lindsay. You have been dragged off by your Aunt Caroline to a run-down motor court in rural Mississippi for reasons that are not initially clear. As you explore the motor court, you'll meet various creepy people and overhear a murder being committed. You'll meet a ghost named Lydia, who (if you can figure out how to make friends with her) will tell you why you've been brought here, and why you must get away before the afternoon is over. | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That is just the IFDB entry." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well, there we are." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "So, the game summary that we are meant to read." | ||
| lkcampbell exclaims, "yay for IFDB!" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I guess the creepy people and the murder will come soon" | ||
| DavidW says, "Only if we visit more locations." | ||
| Jacqueline says, ";...and why we must get away before the afternoon is over...'" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x cabin two" | ||
| CF | The rustic motel cabin may have been attractive fifty years ago, but | ||
| CF | time has not been kind to it. Its paint is weathered and peeling, and | ||
| CF | the siding is warped. A tarnished brass number '2' is nailed above the | ||
| CF | door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "At least find out where the car is." | |
| Jacqueline asks, "Wanna explore cabin two?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Unless it's in the same pocket dimension as our phone." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Two) | ||
| CF | You tap tentatively on the door of Cabin Two. After a moment the door | ||
| CF | swings open and a solemn, dignified man stands before you. He's well | ||
| CF | dressed in tan slacks and polished shoes, and he has a full head of | ||
| CF | silvery, wavy hair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He peers down at you with an air that's suave but somehow a little | ||
| CF | uncertain. "Hello, there, youngster. I don't believe we've met. I'm | ||
| CF | Reverend Jimmy Gillespie." His voice is smoothly resonant, with just a | ||
| CF | hint of Arkansas twang. After a moment's hesitation, he extends his | ||
| CF | hand and allows you to shake it. You can smell his minty after-shave. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You introduce yourself and tell him you're down from New York with your | ||
| CF | aunt. He looks faintly bored, as if this isn't news to him - which is | ||
| CF | peculiar, as you're quite certain Aunt Caroline never mentioned knowing | ||
| CF | any minister, or planning to meet one here. Aunt Caroline is not | ||
| CF | religious. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I trust you're enjoyin' your stay," he says. You manage to avoid | ||
| CF | rolling your eyes, but only just. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "just usual safe 14-year-old behaviour" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Gillespie about death" | ||
| CF | "Death and dyin'?" Gillespie looks momentarily nonplussed. "I'm sure | ||
| CF | that's not something you need concern yourself with, not at such a | ||
| CF | young age. No, indeed." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Ask him about picnic, himself, caroline" | |
| Jacqueline asks, "What should we ask him about?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask jimmy about jimmy" | ||
| CF | Reverend Gillespie gazes at you speculatively. You have the impression | ||
| CF | that behind those bland gray eyes, wheels are spinning about a million | ||
| CF | miles an hour. "Me? I'm no one special," he says. Somehow, in his | ||
| CF | mouth, the phrase sounds as if it means just the opposite - as if he's | ||
| CF | telling you something you ought to be impressed by. "God has blessed | ||
| CF | me with a ministry. Inadequate as I am, I exert myself unstintingly to | ||
| CF | do His will and carry His message. I'm hopin' that in the near future | ||
| CF | I'll be able to uplift the hearts of sinners from coast to coast. | ||
| CF | We're plannin' to build a magnificent modern cathedral. With televised | ||
| CF | services, naturally." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "ask him about ducks" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Gillespie about Caroline" | ||
| CF | You ask the Reverend if he knows your aunt. "We've met," he says | ||
| CF | carefully. "She seems a very upstanding woman. I'm sure you've had a | ||
| CF | decent Christian upbringing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Gillespie about ducks" | ||
| CF | "You're quite the little chatterbox, aren't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "yes" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Gillespie about picnic" | ||
| CF | When you ask Reverend Gillespie what's so special about the sunset | ||
| CF | picnic tonight, he smiles beatifically. "You'll see," he says. "Oh, | ||
| CF | my, yes. You'll see." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "aaaiiiieeeeeeeeee" | |
| MoyTW says, "Ask him about Satan/pagan gods." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "my log says, the ducks are not what they seem" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well that's not creepy at all." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Nope. Not at all." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Gillespie about satan" | ||
| CF | Gillespie looks bored. "Very interesting, I'm sure, but I don't | ||
| CF | imagine it concerns me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Also: 90% sure we are a sacrifice." | |
| Roger says, "gonna go take my chances and be Zindy the Swamp Girl now forever byeee" | ||
| Jacqueline asks (of Moy), "Just 90% sure, huh?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Only 90%" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "huh" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm about 200% sure." | ||
| MoyTW says, "I mean there are other possible twists and the author might be doing a fakeout." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Only 200?" | ||
| DavidW says, "hm. I now think that the north and south ends of the court will have cabins 1, 3, 4, and 6 to their west and east sides." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "Well, honestly, more than 200%." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Yeah" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Do we want to chat this creep up more, or go knock on the other cabins? See who else we're dealing with?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask reverend about eternal springs" | ||
| CF | Reverend Gillespie shrugs. "There aren't too many authentic Southern | ||
| CF | establishments like this any more. It has a certain rustic charm, | ||
| CF | don't you agree?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask gillespie about swamp" | ||
| CF | Gillespie smiles a meaningless smile. "My, but it's hot this | ||
| CF | afternoon." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask gillespie about croquet" | ||
| CF | Gillespie looks bored. "Very interesting, I'm sure, but I don't | ||
| CF | imagine it concerns me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask gillespie about god" | ||
| CF | The minister's face brightens. "I'm so glad you're concerned to learn | ||
| CF | more about your eternal soul, and how you can armor yourself against | ||
| CF | the wickedness of the world." But then a cloud passes across his | ||
| CF | countenance. "On the other hand, in the circumstances.... Well, I | ||
| CF | guess you can't make an omelet without breakin' eggs, heh-heh." He pats | ||
| CF | your shoulder sadly but affectionately - pretty much, you can't help | ||
| CF | thinking, the way he would pat a puppy that was about to be put to | ||
| CF | sleep. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "...layin' it on thick, eh, author?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "A little thick, yeah." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Man." | ||
| Roger says, "yo dawg I heard you liked foreshadowing" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "GOSH, I WONDER WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "haha" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Foreshadowing? More like cluehammering." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'd like to go talk to other creepy people now, please." | ||
| DavidW says, "sure, but this was probably the most pleasant of them." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'd like not to to but we have to." | ||
| Roger says, "sure sounds good" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Oh, weird." | |
| Jacqueline says, "We just zoomed all the way over." | ||
| Roger says, "let us be thankful this isn't an AIF-lose-your-virginity game (I sincerely hope)" | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "so were we not in his room?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "no, we didn't move when cabin doors open" | |
| DavidW says, "We didn't enter the other cabin at all." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I think we knocked and he came out of his cabin." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Weird. I thought we were on a porch or something. We used a direction, then knocked on a door." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "'the' house?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah. I'm not sure about that, either. Soon, Roger. Soon." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Six | ||
| CF | Cabin Six is a lot like Cabin Five. Twin beds with ugly brown | ||
| CF | bedspreads haphazardly made up, water-stained plaster and peeling | ||
| CF | wallpaper, a grimy carpet. A faded painting of a flop-eared hound dog | ||
| CF | entirely fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x painting" | ||
| CF | The dog in the painting has long droopy ears and equally droopy jowls. | ||
| CF | He looks either bored or ill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh no" | |
| Jacqueline says, "ha ha awwww" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open drawers" | ||
| CF | You open the drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Okay, so empty?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in drawer" | ||
| CF | The top drawer seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in middle drawer" | ||
| CF | You can't see in, because the top drawer is in the way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Oh nice, Game." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close top drawer" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in middle drawer" | ||
| CF | The middle drawer seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "we could check the closet and the bathroom but probably nothing interesting" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close middle drawer" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Nicer if the game auto-closed the top drawer." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in bottom drawer" | ||
| CF | The bottom drawer seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to DW), "Yeah" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "close drawer" | ||
| CF | You close the bottom drawer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Six | ||
| CF | Cabin Six is a lot like Cabin Five. Twin beds with ugly brown | ||
| CF | bedspreads haphazardly made up, water-stained plaster and peeling | ||
| CF | wallpaper, a grimy carpet. A faded painting of a flop-eared hound dog | ||
| CF | entirely fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under beds" | ||
| CF | bed near the door: The box springs are sagging, and there's a scatter | ||
| CF | of tiny dry brown pellets that might be mouse droppings. Nothing | ||
| CF | interesting, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | bed near the bathroom: The box springs are sagging, and there's a | ||
| CF | scatter of tiny dry brown pellets that might be mouse droppings. | ||
| CF | Nothing interesting, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "You see R. Kelly here..." | |
| DavidW says, "That's new." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "They're clone cabinets." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "What's new?" | ||
| DavidW says, "the pellets. But they're under both beds." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "No, they were in the last place too." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I commented on them." | ||
| Roger says, "indeed" | ||
| MoyTW says, "...are they new? The one in our room - yeah." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Oh!" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh. I missed that, I guess." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "You mean the non-mouse pellets" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "No, wait, they're all mouse pellets." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first opening the bathroom door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The bathroom is barely big enough to turn around in. There's a narrow | ||
| CF | shower stall, a minuscule, rust-stained sink above which is a cracked, | ||
| CF | flyspecked mirror, and a commode. The towels stacked on the rack are | ||
| CF | thin, frayed at the edges, and probably none too clean. A tiny window | ||
| CF | provides a very little air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door leads eastward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I would like to see the bathroom" | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x shower" | ||
| CF | The bathroom fixtures are all really depressing. This motel is such a | ||
| CF | dump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take a bath" | ||
| CF | You see no bath here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "woo we can theoretically circumnavigate our cabin and peek in on Auntie" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take a shower" | ||
| CF | (the bathroom fixtures) | ||
| CF | Nothing in the bathroom is good for anything other than ... you know, | ||
| CF | what it's good for. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "shower" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "poop" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "use toilet" | ||
| CF | The word "use" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "It's an IF bathroom." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x mirror" | ||
| CF | The bathroom fixtures are all really depressing. This motel is such a | ||
| CF | dump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Are the towels takeable?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in mirror" | ||
| CF | Nothing in the bathroom is good for anything other than ... you know, | ||
| CF | what it's good for. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take towels" | ||
| CF | Nothing in the bathroom is good for anything other than ... you know, | ||
| CF | what it's good for. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x commode" | ||
| CF | The bathroom fixtures are all really depressing. This motel is such a | ||
| CF | dump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "nope" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "enter stall" | ||
| CF | Nothing in the bathroom is good for anything other than ... you know, | ||
| CF | what it's good for. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "ok, we're wasting time in this room." | |
| Jacqueline says, "If, at this point, there's something *not* scenery, I will be a little salty." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads east, back to cabin | ||
| CF | six. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads east, back to cabin | ||
| CF | six. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Oh, misread" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin Six | ||
| CF | Cabin Six is a lot like Cabin Five. Twin beds with ugly brown | ||
| CF | bedspreads haphazardly made up, water-stained plaster and peeling | ||
| CF | wallpaper, a grimy carpet. A faded painting of a flop-eared hound dog | ||
| CF | entirely fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the door of Cabin Three) | ||
| CF | You tap hesitantly on the door of Cabin Three. After a few moments, a | ||
| CF | low voice from within says, "I'm sorry - I'm taking a nap. Perhaps you | ||
| CF | could come back a little later." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I am building my strength. For the ritual." | |
| Roger says, "that reminds me that several people in Jonestown survived by just sleeping through the entire thing" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "cf2" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Perhaps some elderberry tea will help." | |
| lkcampbell asks, "I guess try the other two cabins to the north?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Sheds are usually bad news." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Better than mausoleums." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Oh, it's not a little creepy shed like in Cragne or Arkham" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "I am sorry for not lawnmowering all the cabins first. Do you want me to go back and do that before we expand the map more?" | ||
| DavidW says, "no, I want to see this shed interior" | ||
| Roger says, "ennhh I'm losing my enthusiasm for it, let's keep going" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the boat shed door) | ||
| CF | The boat shed door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x lock" | ||
| CF | The padlock is hanging from the hasp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "I want to see...a murder!" | |
| MoyTW says, "But also this shed interior is fine." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Moy), "Patience" | ||
| DavidW says, "Also, I see that we *can* go behind the cabins and peek into the bathroom windows." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Ew. But yes." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Beside the Shed | ||
| CF | The ground descends here to the muddy edge of the swamp. A small | ||
| CF | window is set high in the plank wall of the shed, which stands to your | ||
| CF | east. A path to the north leads back to the front of the shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a wooden bucket here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Inventory item!" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x bucket" | ||
| CF | It's an old-fashioned, leaky-looking wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads north, back to the | ||
| CF | front of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | The window is small and square, and the glass is none too clean. The | ||
| CF | window is about six feet off the ground - too high for you to see into, | ||
| CF | even on tiptoe. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "drop bucket" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "stand on bucket" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "turn bucket over" | ||
| CF | You turn the bucket over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "stand on bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now standing on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in window" | ||
| CF | By placing the bucket next to the wall and standing on it, you're able | ||
| CF | to see in the window. It's so dim in the shed that at first it's hard | ||
| CF | to see anything, but as your eyes adjust (and brushing off a little | ||
| CF | spot to make the glass cleaner helps too), you're able to make out a | ||
| CF | dock within the shed. The dock extends from the north side, by the | ||
| CF | door, out into a dull sheen of rippling water that fills the floor of | ||
| CF | the room. There are two boats in the shed, a large, shiny power boat | ||
| CF | and a little rowboat. Evidently this is where the watercraft at Eternal | ||
| CF | Springs are kept. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Escape route." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Maybe. A locked escape route." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open window" | ||
| CF | There seems to be no way to do that from the outside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "I'm guessing this is the bucket's purpose? Since it is leaky? Leave it here?" | |
| Jacqueline asks, "Or take it?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Can't make it too easy to escape, especially for the intended sacrifice." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | There are no visible entrances to caves in the vicinity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The bucket *might* be needed for spying at other windows." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I think we can take the bucked along." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket" | ||
| CF | You can't take that while you're occupying it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we can wear it like a hat" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "get off bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're no longer on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket" | ||
| CF | You pick up the bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to DW), "True" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "wear bucket" | ||
| CF | That isn't something you can wear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Sorry, Roger." | |
| Roger says, "boo" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Beside the Shed | ||
| CF | The ground descends here to the muddy edge of the swamp. A small | ||
| CF | window is set high in the plank wall of the shed, which stands to your | ||
| CF | east. A path to the north leads back to the front of the shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Bet we can kick the bucket, though." | |
| Roger says, "heh" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "drop bucket" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "kick the bucket" | ||
| CF | You cannot attack that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "aww" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "heh" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Don't worry - I'm sure we'll end up kicking the bucket at some point." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Probably more than once." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "An incinerator, huh." | |
| Jacqueline says, "For the evidence, yeah" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Maybe there is also a wood chipper somewhere." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x incinerator" | ||
| CF | The incinerator is the size of a large garbage can. Its rusted metal | ||
| CF | sides are pierced by large holes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in incinerator" | ||
| CF | The incinerator contains some ashes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "search ashes" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the ashes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x ashes" | ||
| CF | The ashes and charred scraps at the bottom of the incinerator are gray | ||
| CF | and unidentifiable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Well, I guess we're no forensic scientist." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x cabins" | ||
| CF | The rear walls of three cabins stand in a blocky, unattractive row | ||
| CF | along the east side of this open space. A scraggly tree is growing | ||
| CF | behind Cabin Four, obscuring much of it, but the rears of Cabins Five | ||
| CF | and Six are bare. Each of them is an unbroken expanse of weathered | ||
| CF | gray planks except for a small window (presumably the bathroom window) | ||
| CF | set quite high off the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Not yet, at least." | |
| Roger says, "if only we had been wearing our white dress for the adventure of searching through ashes" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Now we need to find a disc so we can store the ashes in it." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "CALLBACK!" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "drop bucket" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "turn bucket over" | ||
| CF | You turn the bucket over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "You know, actually, kinda similar settings. Remote areas with creepy cults." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "stand on bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now standing on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in window six" | ||
| CF | You see no window six here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in window" | ||
| CF | The bathroom windows are set too far off the ground for you to be able | ||
| CF | to see in. (Anyway, you already know what the inside of a bathroom | ||
| CF | looks like.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "get off bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're no longer on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket" | ||
| CF | You pick up the bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "climb tree" | ||
| CF | Up a Tree | ||
| CF | From this perch in the midst of the scraggly tree, you can't see much. | ||
| CF | The area behind the cabins is obscured by foliage. However, you're | ||
| CF | quite close to the rear wall of Cabin Four, and have a close view of | ||
| CF | the cabin's bathroom window, which is open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe if we climb the tree" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "I mean, what if we want to spy on Auntie, game?" | ||
| Roger says, "oh" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in window" | ||
| CF | The bathroom looks ordinary enough. Beyond the open bathroom door, a | ||
| CF | man is sitting on the bed, hunched over a laptop computer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x man" | ||
| CF | The man is intent on what he's doing with the computer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x computer" | ||
| CF | The computer is too far away for you to make out any details. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "how unseemly" | |
| MoyTW asks, "Yell at the man...?" | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Damn. Wanna know the specs of that computer!" | ||
| DavidW says, "tsk. We need a spyglass." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "cf3" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask man about computer" | ||
| CF | The man in the cabin is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Throw something at him." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "throw bucket at man" | ||
| CF | The man in the cabin is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "RIP." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "bed" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x bed" | ||
| CF | You see no bed here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "This seems a boring thing to spy on without more details" | |
| DavidW says, "Maybe the scene changed later." | ||
| DavidW says, "er changes" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Maybe we'll need it la - ha." | ||
| DavidW says, "Don't forget the garden." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||
| Jacqueline asks (of DW), "Garden?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "West of here." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An old shovel is leaning against the wall of the shack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An old burlap sack is lying on the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take shovel and sack\" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't know how to use the character '\' in a command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take shovel and sack" | ||
| CF | old shovel: Taken. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x cack" | ||
| CF | The word "cack" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x sack" | ||
| CF | The old burlap sack is somewhat stained, but there are no obvious holes | ||
| CF | in it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x shovel" | ||
| CF | The shovel's handle is split, and the blade is dented. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x junk" | ||
| CF | Some of the junk is identifiable as parts of automobiles or farm | ||
| CF | equipment. There are also a few rusted, half-disassembled kitchen | ||
| CF | appliances scattered about, and a stack of rotting lumber. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "search lumber" | ||
| CF | There's quite a lot of junk here. You spend a minute looking through | ||
| CF | it, but without spotting anything that would have any immediate value. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "look in sack" | ||
| CF | The burlap sack seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x shack" | ||
| CF | It's a tumble-down shack (though not, as in a corny old song your | ||
| CF | father used to play for your mother when you were little, "a | ||
| CF | tumble-down shack by the old railroad track"). The boards are warped | ||
| CF | and discolored, and the roofline sags. There's one window about three | ||
| CF | feet square, which is covered by a coarse-mesh screen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead east, back to the area | ||
| CF | behind the cabins; northeast; and southeast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I'm kind of getting a Nancy Drew vibe from this now" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in window" | ||
| CF | Peering through the screen and the grimy glass, you can't see much of | ||
| CF | the interior of the shack. The afternoon sunlight is too bright. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Roger), "I can see that, yeah." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "open window" | ||
| CF | There's no obvious way to do that. A quick inspection reveals that the | ||
| CF | screen is held firmly in place by half a dozen heavy screws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "break window with shovel" | ||
| CF | That is not something it would be useful to break. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Game), "I disagree." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "enter shack" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead east, back to the area | ||
| CF | behind the cabins; northeast; and southeast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "NE?" | |
| DavidW says, "There's probably a normal door on the ne side." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| Roger says, "I guess we should bug Cabin Four guy at his front door at some point" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, I figure we'll work our way around." | ||
| DavidW says, "we'll get there in time" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A man is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Hey another person." | |
| Roger says, "slam hood on man" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Gosh" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I mean, it did say we'd overhear a murder." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "cf4" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "kill man" | ||
| CF | That could easily be dangerous. You don't know him well enough to know | ||
| CF | what he's capable of. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Does the game not know what WE are capable of?" | |
| Roger says, "haha yes our main concern is, wait, he might be too much for us, a fourteen year old girl, to handle" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes. We are just a girl, after all." | ||
| Roger says, "another classic: honking the horn" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Take this pink ribbon off our eyes, etc." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "get in van" | ||
| CF | The man working on the van shakes his head. "You can play in there if | ||
| CF | you like, honey, but don't get your hopes up. This here vehicle is | ||
| CF | incapacitated. Down for the count." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Van | ||
| CF | The van has the usual front and rear seats. Through the dust-speckled | ||
| CF | windows you can see the house, the driveway, the shack, and the cabins. | ||
| CF | The interior smells faintly of gasoline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "honk horn" | ||
| CF | The word "honk" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "push hortn" | ||
| CF | The word "hortn" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "push horn" | ||
| CF | The word "horn" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "okay we're now in a stranger's van and I guess we were born with no survival instincts at all" | |
| Jacqueline says, "hahahahaha" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Any glove compartment, dash, seats?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "wait wait" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "get in back of van" | ||
| CF | You see no back of van here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "Back of the van is where the real danger is!" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x glove compartment" | ||
| CF | The word "glove" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "search van" | ||
| CF | Under the seat (along with some chewing gum wrappers and a couple of | ||
| CF | crusty, dried-out french fries) you find a small red flashlight, which | ||
| CF | you retrieve. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, an old shovel, a burlap sack, and a | ||
| CF | flashlight, and you're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x flasklight" | ||
| CF | The word "flasklight" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "What time is it?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x flashlight" | ||
| CF | The flashlight is small and red. The lens is cracked. There's a | ||
| CF | switch on the top and a battery compartment on the underside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 2:30. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on light" | ||
| CF | You flip the switch, and the flashlight emits a feeble glow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "turn off light" | ||
| CF | You switch off the flashlight, and the light dies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Flashlight? Surely we don't need that." | |
| Jacqueline asks, "It's ... still? Still 2:30?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Was it 2:30 before?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Yes, and yes." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Time moves at the speed of plot." | ||
| Roger says, "she's just time-estimatin', cut her some slack" | ||
| DavidW says, "Game time only advances in response to plot points accomplished." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Is this like, we let you explore for a while and it will always be 2:30 until shit starts to go down, then it will be 6:30." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Except when it's a time puzzle, when it then doesn't." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Yeah" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "get out" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A man is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask man about man" | ||
| CF | The man lifts his head from the engine to stare at you. At first | ||
| CF | glance his expression is so baleful that you take an involuntary step | ||
| CF | backward, your heart pounding. He's very large and very black. His | ||
| CF | scarred and calloused fist is wrapped around a heavy wrench, and as he | ||
| CF | steps toward you he raises the wrench. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But then he bares his teeth in an ill-sorted expression that seems to | ||
| CF | be an attempt at a smile. "Hello, there, little lady. We haven't met. | ||
| CF | I'm Tyrone." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You stammer a hello, and he goes on. "I'd offer to shake your hand, | ||
| CF | but mine's a little greasy, you know. I do the heavy liftin' around | ||
| CF | here, mostly. Heard tell you was comin'. Guess I shouldn'ta said | ||
| CF | that, but it's too late now." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He frowns at the ground for a moment. "Whatever happens, I just want | ||
| CF | you to know I ain't got nothin' to do with it. I cain't stop it, | ||
| CF | neither, so don't bother to ask. I'm talkin' too much." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone smiles when you show an interest in him, showing off a big | ||
| CF | mouthful of yellowish, uneven teeth. "I'm nobody special, honey. I | ||
| CF | work for Mr. Beauregard, is all. Him and me, we got an | ||
| CF | understandin', you might say. I don't get in his way, he don't get in | ||
| CF | mine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That don't mean I'm pleased by all of what he does, no sir. But | ||
| CF | there's folks don't care for all of what I do, neither. Let well | ||
| CF | enough alone, that's what my momma always said. That's how you get | ||
| CF | through life." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "what no 3-wolf-moon painting on the side of the van" | |
| MoyTW says, "..."very large and very black"? huh." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "So subtle, this game." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Did I say cluehammering early? I meant clue-nuking." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Whatever happens, I just want you to know I ain't got nothin' to do with it." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "*earlier" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I cain't stop it, neither." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "You are, indeed, talking too much, Tyrone." | ||
| Roger says, "He don't have the shi...nning" | ||
| DavidW says, "Someone needs to remind the author about using \. in TADS strings." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "What's that do?" | ||
| Roger says, "yeah I don't remember slashdot either" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Oh, the after-sentence space?" | ||
| Roger says, "oh, for Mr Beau... yeah" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Sent...ance? Sentance? No that looks wrong. Sentence?" | ||
| DavidW says, "If you have 'Mr\. Beauregard', it doesn't expand to 'Mr. Beauregard'." | ||
| Roger says, "I thought maybe he had to pause to gird his loins for a full-on Cajun BEAU REEEEE GARD" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Ah" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about van" | ||
| CF | You ask Tyrone what he's doing with the van. "Oh, somethin' or other's | ||
| CF | always goin' wrong with it," he says obscurely. "Carburetor, most | ||
| CF | likely. I'll have it fixed up by tomorrow, time these folks is ready | ||
| CF | to leave." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Not in time for us to escape." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask tyrone about boat" | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Ask man about: aunt, beauregard, picnic?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone for wrench" | ||
| CF | Tyrone does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "sure" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about caroline" | ||
| CF | It's pretty obvious Tyrone doesn't know your aunt, but you figure he | ||
| CF | might have a guess about why she's been hiding out in the bathroom all | ||
| CF | afternoon. "'Cause she embarrassed, honey," he says promptly. "Maybe | ||
| CF | she love you, or maybe she don't. I don't know about that. But she | ||
| CF | full o' shame on account of she's not doin' right by you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, ""These folks, but not you. Isaid too much again."" | |
| Roger says, "It's Hagrid's other blacker brother" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about beauregard" | ||
| CF | Tyrone's mouth sets in a grim line. "Mr. Beauregard, he pays my | ||
| CF | salary, and me and him leave each other alone. Live and let live, you | ||
| CF | know? I don't got nothin' bad to say about him. Nothin' good, | ||
| CF | neither, but nothin' bad." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I wonder what on earth he could ever possible ever mean about Aunt Caroline not doin' right by us..." | |
| MoyTW says, "It is a true mystery." | ||
| Roger says, "lettin us tramp around in green pants, taint right" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about jimmy" | ||
| CF | Tyrone snorts quietly. "The preacher? Awful full of hisself, I'd say. | ||
| CF | I wouldn't trust him to shine my shoes, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I just got breakfast set in front of me (yay). Please someone else do more typing." | |
| lkcampbell asks, "anything else here?" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "ask tyrone about flashlight" | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I don't think so." | |
| lkcampbell says, "or check out cabins one and four" | ||
| Roger asks, "did we get in the shack yet?" | ||
| DavidW says, "no" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We haven't been in the shack yet, no." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x shack" | ||
| CF | The shack is small, old, and in poor repair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you move toward the door of the shack, Tyrone moves swiftly to | ||
| CF | intercept you. "That's my home, little lady. Ain't much, but it's all | ||
| CF | I got. I don't know how they do things where you come from, but 'round | ||
| CF | here it ain't considered polite to go into a man's home without his | ||
| CF | say-so." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Fair." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about shack" | ||
| CF | "That little ole shack?" Tyrone shrugs. "It ain't much, but I call it | ||
| CF | home. Suits me pretty good, if you want to know the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Get his say so? Likely not, but..." | |
| Roger says, "alright, points for avoiding the Helpful Magical Negro stereotype" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "get say-so" | ||
| CF | The word "say-so" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "That would be SO WEIRD if that worked." | |
| lkcampbell says, "yup" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "open door" | ||
| CF | The back door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone has taken a break from working on the van in order to stand and | ||
| CF | talk with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell asks, "cabins one and four?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Yes please" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| Roger says (to DW), "did you take on mapping duties? Seems like there's a lot here" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I've mapped some, but not as well as I'd like." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Four) | ||
| CF | You tap on the door, and a male voice within says firmly, "Go away." | ||
| CF | Well, that's that - for now, anyway. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I also forgot to turn on logging." | |
| lkcampbell asks, "that's the computer guy correct?" | ||
| DavidW says, "yes" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the door of Cabin One) | ||
| CF | The door of Cabin One seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, that's.. right." | |
| lkcampbell says, "so much for those cabins" | ||
| DavidW asks, "What was in cabin 3?" | ||
| Roger says, "computer guy is cabin 4, I seem to recall" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Was that the napping person?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "nap person" | ||
| Roger says, "ah" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh right" | ||
| DavidW says, "Let's find the gravesite on the east side of the east cabins." | ||
| DavidW says, "We have a shovel and nothing to dig up yet." | ||
| Roger says, "good point" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Of course there's a monolith." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "(Well, maybe.)" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "throw bone into the air" | ||
| CF | The word "air" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x stone" | ||
| CF | The stone block is a black cube about four feet on each side. Its | ||
| CF | surface is rough, and the edges and corners are chipped and cracked, as | ||
| CF | though it was broken off or carved out from a larger piece of stone. | ||
| CF | Or possibly it's just incredibly ancient. Exotic-looking carvings can | ||
| CF | be discerned on one face, though they're half-hidden from view by tall | ||
| CF | grass, and the top of the block is thinly stained with a dried, dark | ||
| CF | residue, a little of which has trickled down one side. Tufts of grass | ||
| CF | grow tall and thick around the base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Oooh, a residue. Let's taste it." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I bet it's blood." | ||
| Roger says, "that looks like some searchable grass" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "taste residue" | ||
| CF | You fleetingly consider touching the old stains with the tip of your | ||
| CF | tongue, and reject the idea as disgusting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Smell it instead. If it's iron-ish, it'll be blood." | |
| MoyTW says, "I mean yes it almost certainly is." | ||
| Karona sings out of key, the fish jumps out of the jug and slaps her in the face, and she shuffles home looking ashamed. | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "smell residue" | ||
| CF | You smell nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x carvings" | ||
| CF | As you kneel and brush aside the long grass to get a closer look at the | ||
| CF | carvings on the stone block, you become aware of an agitated thickening | ||
| CF | in the sunlit air. Distracted, you turn to watch. The haze of | ||
| CF | movement flits here and there, becoming moment by moment more | ||
| CF | substantial. At first you think it must be a cloud of dust or a swarm | ||
| CF | of insects, but as it veers closer to you you glimpse the distorted, | ||
| CF | terrified features of a girl. She spins around you, making a thin | ||
| CF | keening noise, her arms flailing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You stand and stagger backward, trying to get away from the apparition. | ||
| CF | You can see the distant trees and fence through her slender body, which | ||
| CF | is clad in a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Ah, just ordinary monolith-altar residue, everything's fine then." | |
| DavidW says, "We found Lydia." | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "whoops did I just start something?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Yes." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Oh hi Lydia, what's up." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "cf5" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Examine her. Ask her about all the topics." | |
| lkcampbell says, "We are both going to be wearing the same dress...how embarrassing" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Wasn't that obvious?" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x lydia" | ||
| CF | The terrifying apparition whirls back and forth across the meadow so | ||
| CF | rapidly that it's hard to make out details, but it appears to be a girl | ||
| CF | about your age. She swoops and tumbles toward you and away, her mouth | ||
| CF | open in a silent scream. Or maybe not quite silent: Thinly, as if from | ||
| CF | a great distance, you can hear the wordless shriek. It sets your teeth | ||
| CF | on edge. More than anything else, this ghostly girl resembles a very | ||
| CF | large, translucent hummingbird having a fit of hysterics - but there's | ||
| CF | little of the hummingbird about her. Surely she's a lost soul trapped | ||
| CF | in this desolate spot and trying to escape from some hellish tormentor | ||
| CF | that you can't see. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Surely" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask her about herself" | ||
| CF | Instead of answering, the apparition whirls in a tight spiral in the | ||
| CF | sunlight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Nice how we can just tell." | |
| DavidW says, "hm. Perhaps we need to get her to calm down somehow." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen to her" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch her" | ||
| CF | Your hands would pass right through her. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "get on stone" | ||
| CF | As you approach the block, suddenly the ghost is whirling around you, | ||
| CF | shrieking. Terrified, you stagger backward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "also this sort of interrupted our carving-examining" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search grass" | ||
| CF | You glance at the grass and instantly dismiss it as unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carvings" | ||
| CF | You kneel and push aside the grass to try to get a clear view of the | ||
| CF | carvings on the block, but suddenly the ghost is whirling around you, | ||
| CF | shrieking. Terrified, you lurch to your feet and stagger backward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, an old shovel, a burlap sack, and a | ||
| CF | flashlight, and you're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hm. I don't see how any of our current stuff is helpful." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "dig grave" | ||
| CF | The word "grave" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe unhelpful tyrone will refuse to tell us something about lydia" | |
| DavidW says, "In this situation, I mean." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "hug lydia" | ||
| CF | The word "hug" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fence" | ||
| CF | The fence bristles with sharp-looking barbs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A restless ghost flits here and there across the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "wearing the bucket on my head was my last idea, sorry" | |
| DavidW says, "See, that fence is why towels ought to be takeable." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "haha" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "climb tree" | ||
| CF | You see no tree here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Now if only we could speak in ghost-emojis." | |
| lkcampbell asks, "any other ideas or east?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search fence" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the barbed-wire fence. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I vote for easting" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess east." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The East End of the Meadow | ||
| CF | The meadowland tapers off here, the barbed-wire fence from the north | ||
| CF | angling down to meet the swamp in the south. Other than heading back | ||
| CF | to the west, there's not much to do in this isolated spot except watch | ||
| CF | some rabbits, who are busy in the tall grass doing whatever it is | ||
| CF | rabbits do. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I've been playing some Phasmophobia. Let's see if she will write in our ghost book or walk through some salt." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Maybe find a ouiji board..." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "oh I think we all know what rabbits do..." | ||
| Roger says, "we all know what rabbits do in the tall grass, game" | ||
| Roger says, "hah" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x rabbits" | ||
| CF | They look pretty much like the rabbits you've seen in shows on the | ||
| CF | Nature Channel - brown, with long ears and short tails. They look a | ||
| CF | lot less cuddly than the rabbits in picture-books, though - rather | ||
| CF | mangy and malnourished, in fact. They pause occasionally to eye you | ||
| CF | with caution, and then go back to hopping around. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Wait. What do the rabbits do in the tall grass?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x grass" | ||
| CF | The grass is of no interest to anyone but the rabbits. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fence" | ||
| CF | The fence bristles with sharp-looking barbs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "addition and division and subtraction" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pet rabbits" | ||
| CF | That would be impolite. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "but mostly multiplication?" | |
| lkcampbell says, "mostly" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Got it" | ||
| Roger says, "maybe we create a complex trap to catch a bunny under a bucket and stuff and then sacrifice that instead or some such trickery" | ||
| Jacqueline says, ">PUT WHITE DRESS ON BUNNY" | ||
| Roger says, "my what long ears you have" | ||
| DavidW says, "Bugs, that is so your colour." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, ""There is no good surface to put anything on the bunny."" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | The East End of the Meadow | ||
| CF | The meadowland tapers off here, the barbed-wire fence from the north | ||
| CF | angling down to meet the swamp in the south. Other than heading back | ||
| CF | to the west, there's not much to do in this isolated spot except watch | ||
| CF | some rabbits, who are busy in the tall grass doing whatever it is | ||
| CF | rabbits do. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask rabbits about lydia" | ||
| CF | The rabbits do not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Ha." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "watch rabbits" | ||
| CF | They look pretty much like the rabbits you've seen in shows on the | ||
| CF | Nature Channel - brown, with long ears and short tails. They look a | ||
| CF | lot less cuddly than the rabbits in picture-books, though - rather | ||
| CF | mangy and malnourished, in fact. They pause occasionally to eye you | ||
| CF | with caution, and then go back to hopping around. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "well, if this room has a purpose I have no idea what it is yet" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x grass" | ||
| CF | The grass is of no interest to anyone but the rabbits. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "No idea." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "time to head north of the cabins?" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "It might be different later." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure, north of the cabins." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "For all we know, it's here because Jim used to go to a place like this and there were rabbits." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A restless ghost flits here and there across the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Also, time may be later now that we've met Lydia?" | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You follow the path westward, back to Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 2:45. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lounging on the chaise longue is a young woman wearing a wide floppy | ||
| CF | straw hat and big round sunglasses. When she catches sight of you, she | ||
| CF | lowers the magazine she's reading, favors you with a big smile that | ||
| CF | shows a bunch of exquisitely orthodontized teeth, and says in a cheery | ||
| CF | voice, "Well, hello there!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You acknowledge the greeting hesitantly. "You must be Diane," she goes | ||
| CF | on. "I'm Honey. Honey Hartwell, you know? The singer? Maybe you | ||
| CF | heard my CD?" Honey's voice drips Southern charm. "Now whatever may | ||
| CF | happen-" She lowers her voice conspiratorially and leans toward you. | ||
| CF | "-I want you to try to remember how grateful I am." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Summoning the ghost advanced the clock, I guess." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Are we being sacrificed to you, then, Honey?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Honey about sacrifice" | ||
| CF | Honey nods soberly. "We all have to make sacrifices, don't we? You | ||
| CF | would be amazed at some of the things I've had to do to further my | ||
| CF | singin' career. Well, maybe you wouldn't. Nothin' I'd want to talk | ||
| CF | about, let me tell you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "...ha." | |
| Jacqueline says, "golly" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Honey about death" | ||
| CF | Honey leafs through the magazine. Either she didn't hear you, or she's | ||
| CF | pretending she didn't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey tugs at a strap on her top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "heh heh" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Honey about ritual" | ||
| CF | Honey nods soberly. "We all have to make sacrifices, don't we? You | ||
| CF | would be amazed at some of the things I've had to do to further my | ||
| CF | singin' career. Well, maybe you wouldn't. Nothin' I'd want to talk | ||
| CF | about, let me tell you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey curls a strand of hair around her little finger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "!" | |
| Jacqueline says, "That's somehow worse even though I knew the first time." | ||
| DavidW says, "oh, I wonder if they have a way to extend their own lives or youth by stealing ours." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask her about honey" | ||
| CF | "Well, how nice of you to ask!" Honey's self-satisfied tone indicates | ||
| CF | that this polite response is a mere formality: She knew you'd be avid | ||
| CF | to know all about her. "I'm a vocalist. Someday real soon I'm goin' | ||
| CF | to be a big, big star." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She throws back her head and warbles a few lines about love and pickup | ||
| CF | trucks in a nasal, tremulous, off-pitch soprano. You've never heard the | ||
| CF | song before, and nothing in her delivery makes you want to hear it ever | ||
| CF | again. You murmur a few polite words of faint praise. She preens, | ||
| CF | seeming not to notice your lack of enthusiasm. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey yawns and stretches. "You know what?" she says. "I left my | ||
| CF | sunblock in the cabin. Honestly, I think I'd forget my boobs if they | ||
| CF | weren't a hundred percent real. I think I put the sunblock in the | ||
| CF | medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Would you be a doll and get it for | ||
| CF | me? Here, let me give you the key." She rolls sideways and leans low | ||
| CF | over her straw bag. After some mumbling and rooting in the depths of | ||
| CF | the bag, she fishes up a little key and hands it to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Run along now. And don't dawdle. I'm gettin' crispy. Oh, almost | ||
| CF | forgot. I'm in Cabin One." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, we are being sacrificed to her." | |
| MoyTW says, "Oh hey a key." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Huh" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, an old shovel, a burlap sack, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, and a tarnished key, and you're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey pulls her sunglasses down to the end of her nose with one finger | ||
| CF | in order to look meaningfully at you. "Didn't I ask you to bring me | ||
| CF | somethin', sugar?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I hate this all more now, somehow." | |
| MoyTW says, "Wait, ask her about picnic and see if she gives the same text." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Honey about picnic" | ||
| CF | You mention to Honey that there's supposed to be some kind of special | ||
| CF | picnic tonight at sunset. Does she know anything about that? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey purses her lips for a minute, as if she's trying to think. "I | ||
| CF | heard there was gonna be some deviled eggs," she says at last. "Maybe | ||
| CF | a barbecue or somethin'. You really ought to ask Beauregard, he knows | ||
| CF | more about it than I do." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey licks her thumb and turns a page in the magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "...Lydia?" | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask her about lydia" | ||
| CF | After taking a deep breath, you tell Honey about the ghost you saw | ||
| CF | hovering around the stone block in the meadow. At first it seems she | ||
| CF | hasn't been paying attention, but then you see she's thinking. "That's | ||
| CF | good, isn't it?" She seems to be talking more to herself than to you. | ||
| CF | "That means it isn't really ... I mean, when you ... I mean, when any | ||
| CF | of us ... oh, forget it. I'm not too good at explaining things." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Ha." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask her about tyrone" | ||
| CF | You mention that Tyrone has been working on the van all afternoon. | ||
| CF | Shouldn't he be finishing up before long? "That old clunker?" Honey | ||
| CF | replies. "You ask me, it's a wonder it runs at all. I wouldn't be | ||
| CF | surprised if he's workin' on it 'til midnight. Now, my most recent | ||
| CF | boyfriend, he had a red convertible Porsche. But he had some bad | ||
| CF | habits too. I had to dump him." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask her about caroline" | ||
| CF | Honey smiles broadly. "Your aunt's a famous author, isn't that right? | ||
| CF | I think that's just wonderful! I'm famous too, I don't know if I | ||
| CF | mentioned that. Before long I'm going to be a lot more famous. Can | ||
| CF | you imagine that? I been practicin' my autograph." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey wiggles her toes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask her about jimmy" | ||
| CF | Honey nods. "That preacher fella? I saw him when he checked in. He | ||
| CF | looks very distinguished, don't you think?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey inspects her perfectly manicured bright pink nails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask her about beauregard" | ||
| CF | "That creepy old man?" Honey shudders. "He's been eyein' me all | ||
| CF | afternoon from up on the porch there. Don't think I haven't noticed. | ||
| CF | If it wasn't for ... oh, never mind. You wouldn't understand. | ||
| CF | Sometimes a girl has to put her career first, that's all." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hums a little off-key tune to herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "I wonder if can get to the back of the east cabins via Honey's bathroom window?" | |
| lkcampbell asks, "want to check out cabin 1 then?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x honey" | ||
| CF | Honey is in her early twenties, and quite glamorous in a trashy sort of | ||
| CF | Nashville way. She's wearing great big dark glasses, too much lip | ||
| CF | gloss, a wide-brimmed pink straw hat, and matching skin-tight shorts. | ||
| CF | She's lounging on the chaise longue in the sun, a large floppy straw | ||
| CF | purse yawning open beside her on the lawn, leafing idly through a | ||
| CF | magazine that, as well as you can judge from looking at it upside down, | ||
| CF | is devoted mostly to large photos of movie stars. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "yes" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "My guess is they're sacrificing us for fame, not necessarily youth." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, Honey goes back to reading (if that's the right word) | ||
| CF | her magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Maybe." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the door of Cabin One) | ||
| CF | The door of Cabin One seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock door with key" | ||
| CF | You unlock the door of Cabin One. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "open door" | ||
| CF | Which door do you mean, the door of Cabin One, or the door of Cabin | ||
| CF | Four? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "one" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin One | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like a mirror | ||
| CF | image of the interior of Cabin Five. Except - not really. Honey | ||
| CF | Hartwell seems to have arrived like a hurricane. Her possessions are | ||
| CF | strewn in profusion on every available surface, including the floor. | ||
| CF | Most of the stuff is clothing, every bit of it gaudy and in terrible | ||
| CF | taste. In amongst the garb you can also see half a dozen photo | ||
| CF | magazines devoted to celebrity worship, and the top of the dresser | ||
| CF | (which stands against the east wall, near the door of the bathroom) is | ||
| CF | overflowing with cosmetics. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aside from that, the cabin is unremarkable: the door to the croquet | ||
| CF | court on the west, a walk-in closet to the south, brown bedspreads on | ||
| CF | the twin beds, tacky wood-grain wallpaper that's starting to peel, | ||
| CF | green curtains over the window, and a carpet into which years of grime | ||
| CF | have been ground. A murky painting of a tired-looking Confederate | ||
| CF | soldier only contributes to the air of dejection and decay. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "open top drawer" | ||
| CF | Opening the top drawer reveals a sequined jacket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x jacket" | ||
| CF | Neatly folded in the top drawer is what appears to be a wide-lapelled | ||
| CF | jacket whose fabric is entirely covered with sparkling sequins. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x confederate" | ||
| CF | The soldier is leaning on his rifle. He looks as if he lost the | ||
| CF | battle, but is too tired to care. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "I was expecting each painting to have a lurking beast" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search jacket" | ||
| CF | Sewn inside the collar of the jacket is a label. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read label" | ||
| CF | In a tiny, flowery script that looks hand-stitched (in glossy pink | ||
| CF | thread, naturally), the label says, "Another fine item of personal | ||
| CF | adornment from the Garmenteria d'Frobozz. Post-release bugs found and | ||
| CF | reported by Daphne Brinkerhoff, David Silberman, and Arnel Legaspi." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Interesting place to put credits." | |
| MoyTW says, "...what. That's a weird place to put credits." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Tester credits? Here?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "is that an about credit? heh" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "that's funny" | ||
| Roger says, "idiosyncratic, sure" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Garmenteria d'Frobozz??" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe if you wear the jacket and XYZZY, you'll visit a Credits room." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "wear jacket" | ||
| CF | (first putting the old shovel in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | taking the sequined jacket) | ||
| CF | You'd look far too conspicuous sashaying around in the sequined jacket. | ||
| CF | Anyway, it's not your style. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "close top drawer" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "open middle drawer" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x middle" | ||
| CF | It's an ordinary dresser drawer. It's open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "close middle" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "open bottom" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x bottom" | ||
| CF | It's an ordinary dresser drawer. It's open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Cabin One | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like a mirror | ||
| CF | image of the interior of Cabin Five. Except - not really. Honey | ||
| CF | Hartwell seems to have arrived like a hurricane. Her possessions are | ||
| CF | strewn in profusion on every available surface, including the floor. | ||
| CF | Most of the stuff is clothing, every bit of it gaudy and in terrible | ||
| CF | taste. In amongst the garb you can also see half a dozen photo | ||
| CF | magazines devoted to celebrity worship, and the top of the dresser | ||
| CF | (which stands against the east wall, near the door of the bathroom) is | ||
| CF | overflowing with cosmetics. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aside from that, the cabin is unremarkable: the door to the croquet | ||
| CF | court on the west, a walk-in closet to the south, brown bedspreads on | ||
| CF | the twin beds, tacky wood-grain wallpaper that's starting to peel, | ||
| CF | green curtains over the window, and a carpet into which years of grime | ||
| CF | have been ground. A murky painting of a tired-looking Confederate | ||
| CF | soldier only contributes to the air of dejection and decay. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Did we take the jacket?" | |
| DavidW says, "I don't think so." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "wouldn't let us" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains an old | ||
| CF | shovel), a flashlight, the key to Cabin One, and a sequined jacket, and | ||
| CF | you're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "We can't wear it, but we have it." | |
| lkcampbell says, "oh guess so" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yup good catch" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh. weird. Perhaps the auto-take was unexpected." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x possessions" | ||
| CF | Honey's clothes are scattered everywhere. Low-cut tops, Spandex | ||
| CF | tights, frilly underwear - and is that a tiara lying on the bed? It's | ||
| CF | sad, really. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "take tiara" | ||
| CF | You glance at Honey's clothes and instantly dismiss them as | ||
| CF | unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "phooie" | |
| lkcampbell says, "I want to be a pretty pretty princess" | ||
| DavidW says, "I still want to see if the bathroom window is openable and an exit." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the bathroom door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The tiny, cramped bathroom features a narrow shower stall, a minuscule, | ||
| CF | rust-stained sink above which is a cracked, flyspecked mirror, and a | ||
| CF | commode. The towels stacked on the rack are thin, frayed at the edges, | ||
| CF | and probably none too clean. A tiny window provides a very little air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door leads westward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We can't play princess, we're already playing a sacrifice." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "open window" | ||
| CF | Nothing in the bathroom is good for anything other than ... you know, | ||
| CF | what it's good for. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "okay, that answers that." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open mirror" | ||
| CF | Opening the medicine cabinet reveals a tube of suntan lotion and a pill | ||
| CF | bottle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pill bottle" | ||
| CF | The pill bottle is a small brown cylinder made of plastic. The label | ||
| CF | says, "Caution: Sleeping pills. May cause drowsiness." It's closed by | ||
| CF | a screw-top - probably child-proof, but easily removed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "FYI, coming up on two hours." | |
| MoyTW says, "Oooh sleeping pills." | ||
| DavidW asks, "I suspect we want those pills. Maybe for a rabbit?" | ||
| Roger says, "my money's on coffee" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "take all from mirror" | ||
| CF | tube of suntan lotion: Taken. | ||
| CF | pill bottle: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Coffee is by far the popular option." | |
| lkcampbell asks, "anything else here? or go back to Honey?" | ||
| Roger says, "maybe the closet" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Perhaps give the lotion and then save and end today's session there?" | ||
| Roger says, "works for me" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh, forgot about closet" | ||
| DavidW says, "closet first" | ||
| Roger says, "and maybe under bed" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin One | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like a mirror | ||
| CF | image of the interior of Cabin Five. Except - not really. Honey | ||
| CF | Hartwell seems to have arrived like a hurricane. Her possessions are | ||
| CF | strewn in profusion on every available surface, including the floor. | ||
| CF | Most of the stuff is clothing, every bit of it gaudy and in terrible | ||
| CF | taste. In amongst the garb you can also see half a dozen photo | ||
| CF | magazines devoted to celebrity worship, and the top of the dresser | ||
| CF | (which stands against the east wall, near the door of the bathroom) is | ||
| CF | overflowing with cosmetics. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aside from that, the cabin is unremarkable: the door to the croquet | ||
| CF | court on the west, a walk-in closet to the south, brown bedspreads on | ||
| CF | the twin beds, tacky wood-grain wallpaper that's starting to peel, | ||
| CF | green curtains over the window, and a carpet into which years of grime | ||
| CF | have been ground. A murky painting of a tired-looking Confederate | ||
| CF | soldier only contributes to the air of dejection and decay. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You poke your head in the closet and have a quick look around, but | ||
| CF | there seems to be nothing inside that would be of any use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, closet, then Honey." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "(Or not closet as the case may be.)" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under beds" | ||
| CF | bed near the door: The box springs are sagging, and there's a scatter | ||
| CF | of tiny dry brown pellets that might be mouse droppings. Nothing | ||
| CF | interesting, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | bed near the bathroom: The box springs are sagging, and there's a | ||
| CF | scatter of tiny dry brown pellets that might be mouse droppings. | ||
| CF | Nothing interesting, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "That was a quick closet search!" | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x magazines" | ||
| CF | You poke at the magazines with your toe, but there's clearly nothing | ||
| CF | there that would be of any interest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "read magazines" | ||
| CF | You poke at the magazines with your toe, but there's clearly nothing | ||
| CF | there that would be of any interest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Now why didn't most bathrooms work that way." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||
| DavidW says, "Sometimes they do." | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "ready for Honey?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm thinking Honey next week" | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, let's sign up" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Sounds good." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When Honey sees that you're carrying her sequined jacket, her eyebrows | ||
| CF | shoot straight up. "You like my things, sugar? I get a lot of | ||
| CF | compliments on my fashion sense - but you know, it's not nice to borrow | ||
| CF | someone's things without her permission. Give it here." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a reluctance amounting almost to dread, you hand over the jacket. | ||
| CF | Honey stuffs it down into her big straw bag quite unceremoniously, | ||
| CF | settles back on the chaise, and says more or less to herself, "Maybe it | ||
| CF | was a mistake to let you have the key to my cabin. No tellin' what | ||
| CF | other mischief you might have got up to. Well, I guess it doesn't | ||
| CF | matter. Lord knows you're entitled to have a little fun before...." | ||
| CF | She falls silent. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Before what?" you demand indignantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey goes a little pale. "Oh, nothin'. I didn't mean anything by it, | ||
| CF | sugar. I'm a little on edge, is all. Why don't you run along and play | ||
| CF | or somethin'." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "let's undo and try stashing it in the sack" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Oops." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Oh, hey, hahaha." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "n". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "put jacket in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I guess we were meant to take the jacket after all." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey curls a strand of hair around her little finger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "there we go" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "We're clearly not used to being called out to our stealing in adventure games." | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains an old | ||
| CF | shovel and a sequined jacket), a flashlight, the key to Cabin One, a | ||
| CF | tube of suntan lotion, and a pill bottle. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf6" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "give lotion to honey" | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, you brought it! Thanks a bunch." Honey takes the tube of suntan | ||
| CF | cream from you, flips open the top, and squirts a glob into her palm. | ||
| CF | "I'm just goin' to relax here for a while longer before the picnic." | ||
| CF | She puts a light but lingering emphasis on the last word. "Why don't | ||
| CF | you run along and play or somethin'? But don't go too far!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "so yeah, we might need the lotion" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "save" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | lkcampbell says, "we are saved just before the lotion giving" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "cflhhoney" | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Reflex, I guess." | |
| lkcampbell says, "it rubs the lotion on its skin" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "But it's good to have a named save just in case." | ||
| DavidW asks, "So we'll stop here for now?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "works for me" | ||
| Roger says, "ayup" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I have no objection." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Thanks, all. I look forward to this getting harder and more lethal with you all next week." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "It was my impression that that was the plan." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes, that is the plan." | ||
| MoyTW says, "I'm gonna be disappointed if, driven by paranoia, we manage to successfully comnplete it without dying once." | ||
| Roger goes home. | Jacqueline says, "Heh. Yeah" | |
| MoyTW exclaims, "Well that was fun, thanks all!" | ||
| MoyTW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | lkcampbell says, "okay, that was fun, cya next week" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I mean, we kept dying in Cragne Manor, so I expect we'll die here." | ||
| lkcampbell goes home. | ||
| Jacqueline disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | DavidW says, "I'll want to draw up a proper map, since there do seem to be lots of locations." | |
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Anyway, good night, and stay safe!" | ||
| Knight_Otu goes home. | DavidW says, "thanks all" | |
| *** SESSION TWO *** | ||
| MoyTW has arrived. | ||
| Jacqueline has arrived. | ||
| Roger has arrived. | Jacqueline says, "I have checked, and CF is still playing Lydia's Heart and Perry is still running the log. So whenever we're ready, we're set." | |
| MoyTW says, "Sweet. Also good mornin'." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Mornin'" | ||
| Roger says, "time to get our sacrificin on" | ||
| Knight_Otu has arrived. | Jacqueline says, "But, Roger... I do not want to die." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Time to get our...sacrifice-dodging on?" | ||
| Roger says, "hmmm okay so we had just stolen that coat from that suntanner, if I correctly recall" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes. And hidden it so that she did not know." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Yeah and then we met the ghost?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Or did we meet the ghost and then swipe the coat?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I thought we'd met the ghost -- yeah." | ||
| Roger says, "ghost first, I think. anyway." | ||
| Iria asks, "Wait, is Clubfloyd now meeting in a new place?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Iria), "Yes, for months now." | ||
| Iria asks, "Where?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "One sec, I'll add you so that you can get into the room." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Hold up a sec before we start playing, please." | ||
| Jacqueline disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | Roger says, "so... how about our mom-of-the-year, eh" | |
| MoyTW says, "I wonder if our parents know, or if our Aunt's taken us and is just planning a tragic "accident" that nobody could have forseen." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I would hope the latter." | ||
| Roger says, "oh yeah, our aunt" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Iria), "You should now be able to type the command CLUBHOUSE and find the Floyd session." | ||
| Jacqueline has arrived. | ||
| Iria has arrived. | Jacqueline says, "FWIW, we are in week two of a game. You may wish to wait until we start a new game." | |
| Iria says, "I'm just idling for the most part so it doesn't matter." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm not sure if we'll finish this week or not, though." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Hm. DW asleep?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "I, uh, how...how would we know?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That's just usually what's happened when he's not here, that's all." | ||
| Roger says, "It seems likely" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Fair 'nuff. Probably?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So... why do we need that darn jacket, anyway?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I assumed it was just Adventure Game Logic; because it was there." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Impersonating that person? (not that it would be a believable impersonation.)" | ||
| Roger says, "I was kinda hoping we might have a DW map to help us along, but I suppose we can muddle through" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh yeah! Let's make *her* wear the white dress! We'll pretend to be her... and we'll have a successful career in country music due to sacrificing her in a rite of blood." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "If only it were that easy." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "God, that would be a dark ending." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I mean, I suspect even the win in this game will be dark, but... yeah" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "It already is a dark game, so..." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "It is. It isn't going to get less dark." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains an old | ||
| CF | shovel and a sequined jacket), a flashlight, the key to Cabin One, and | ||
| CF | a pill bottle. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x pill" | ||
| CF | You see no pill here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x bottle" | ||
| CF | The pill bottle is a small brown cylinder made of plastic. The label | ||
| CF | says, "Caution: Sleeping pills. May cause drowsiness." When shaken, | ||
| CF | the bottle makes a rattling noise, as if there's a pill inside. It's | ||
| CF | closed by a screw-top - probably child-proof, but easily removed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey inspects her perfectly manicured bright pink nails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I have a guess that we want to show the white picnic sacrifice dress to Lydia the ghost." | |
| Jacqueline asks, "Oh, sure. Want to drive?" | ||
| Roger asks, "she's drinking something isn't she?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x honey" | ||
| CF | Honey is in her early twenties, and quite glamorous in a trashy sort of | ||
| CF | Nashville way. She's wearing great big dark glasses, too much lip | ||
| CF | gloss, a wide-brimmed pink straw hat, and matching skin-tight shorts. | ||
| CF | She's lounging on the chaise longue in the sun, a large floppy straw | ||
| CF | purse yawning open beside her on the lawn, leafing idly through a | ||
| CF | magazine that, as well as you can judge from looking at it upside down, | ||
| CF | is devoted mostly to large photos of movie stars. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x drink" | ||
| CF | You see no drink here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "I'm not quite sure about the geography but I can try?" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey yawns ostentatiously and goes back to reading her magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF | Obvious exits lead north; south, back to the north end of the croquet | ||
| CF | court; west; northwest; and southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey curls a strand of hair around her little finger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | (You can control the exit listings with the EXITS command. EXITS | ||
| CF | STATUS shows the exit list in the status line, EXITS LOOK shows a full | ||
| CF | exit list in each room description, EXITS ON shows both, and EXITS OFF | ||
| CF | turns off both kinds of exit lists.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "We'll need to go south, I think?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "To the cabin, get the dress - we're in the middle set of cabins." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "And then further south toward the swamp, there's a trail that peels off to the grave." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, but I wasn't sure if there's a path south from here." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "get dress" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the bathroom door) | ||
| CF | The bathroom door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), " e" | ||
| CF | As much loathing as you feel for the white dress, you're not quite | ||
| CF | willing to risk Aunt Caroline's wrath by leaving the cabin with it. | ||
| CF | Best leave it here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Right." | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see Aunt Caroline's suitcase and your suitcase here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Well, poop." | |
| Roger says, "maybe we can sack it" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Darn it." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "wear dress" | ||
| CF | You consider stripping off your slacks and top and trying on the white | ||
| CF | dress, but three things stop you. First, you're mad at Aunt Caroline | ||
| CF | for hauling you all the way down here, so you really don't want to give | ||
| CF | her the pleasure of trying on the dress she insisted on bringing for | ||
| CF | you. Second, you want to spend the afternoon looking around this dumpy | ||
| CF | motel to see if there's anything fun to do, and the dress would surely | ||
| CF | get dirty. Third, it would look really tacky with your sneakers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains an old | ||
| CF | shovel and a sequined jacket), a flashlight, the key to Cabin One, a | ||
| CF | pill bottle, and a white dress. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "put dress in sack" | ||
| CF | Better not. It would get wrinkled, and then Aunt Caroline would be | ||
| CF | mad. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Okay, so not that." | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "drop dress and stomp on it" | ||
| CF | The word "stomp" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, ">TAKE PHOTO OF DRESS WITH CELL PHONE TO SHOW TO THE GHOST ... damn. Left our phone somewhere!" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "drop dress" | ||
| CF | Better not leave it here. Aunt Caroline will be unhappy if it gets | ||
| CF | mussed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to KO), "hahah" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see Aunt Caroline's suitcase and your suitcase here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "drop dress" | ||
| CF | You lay the dress carefully on the bed near the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, I guess we have to explore elsewhere." | |
| MoyTW says, "I wonder if we shred the dress, they have to call off the ritual. I mean, that's not a suggestion to try, I bet the game won't let us. Just speculation." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Aren't there more people we haven't met?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Can we actually go inside the big house?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hums a little off-key tune to herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard points at where Honey is sunbathing on the lawn. "Quite a | ||
| CF | little heifer, ain't she? Course, you wouldn't know." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Wasps nest. Gonna file that away for later." | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x nest" | ||
| CF | The evil-looking yellow insects (being a city girl, you aren't sure | ||
| CF | whether they're wasps or hornets) are flying in and out of a large nest | ||
| CF | constructed of dried mud, which is tucked up under the eaves of the | ||
| CF | porch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "this whole compound is a wasps' nest" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x couch" | ||
| CF | The old couch was upholstered in nubbly beige cloth a very long time | ||
| CF | ago. Woolly white stuffing is coming out through various rips and | ||
| CF | holes, and the cloth itself is badly stained, as if animals are in the | ||
| CF | habit of sleeping on it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams at you in a slimy, sweaty way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Gosh - Beauregard is a charmer." | |
| MoyTW says, "I'm not sure I like this fellow." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I know that I do not." | ||
| Roger says, "but he employs our best and most-useless friend" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "The game said it best - slimy." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "kiss beauregard" | ||
| CF | The danger is, he might like it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x phelps" | ||
| CF | Your first impression of Beauregard Phelps, when he arrived half an | ||
| CF | hour late at the airport to meet Aunt Caroline and you and bring you | ||
| CF | out here in the van, was that he was not just repulsive and creepy but | ||
| CF | truly evil. Nothing you've seen of him in the past couple of hours has | ||
| CF | changed that opinion. He's old and fat, with thick lips, a coarse | ||
| CF | complexion, and sparse hair as yellow as a dribble of tobacco juice, | ||
| CF | but it isn't just the way he looks. It's the way he smiles at you with | ||
| CF | those piggy little eyes - as though he's planning to eat you for | ||
| CF | supper, and looking forward to it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are sweat rings under his armpits, and his baggy pants are held | ||
| CF | up by suspenders. Ever since the van pulled into the motel, shortly | ||
| CF | after a greasy lunch at a filthy little diner on the state highway, | ||
| CF | Phelps has been sitting on the mangy couch on the porch, fanning | ||
| CF | himself, working a toothpick around in his mouth, and gazing out across | ||
| CF | the lawn like a king surveying his realm and finding it good. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard belches, and doesn't apologize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Jacq!" | |
| Jacqueline says, "hahaha" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "SORRY" | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "I just wanted to see what the game would say, and I was rewarded!" | ||
| Roger says, "mmhmmm" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you move past Beauregard Phelps toward the screen door, he levers | ||
| CF | himself up off the ratty old couch with surprising agility and grips | ||
| CF | your arm. "Why don't you sit down and visit with me for a spell, | ||
| CF | missy? It does my old heart good just to look at you." Much against | ||
| CF | your will, you find yourself pulled down beside him on the couch. For | ||
| CF | a couple of minutes he plies you with questions about New York, which | ||
| CF | you answer in mumbled monosyllables. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When his grip slackens, you seize the opportunity to leap up. You | ||
| CF | blurt something about needing to go see if your aunt needs anything and | ||
| CF | scamper down the steps to the lawn. You've escaped his clutches - for | ||
| CF | now, anyway. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "!" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Thassalottatext" | ||
| DavidW has arrived. | MoyTW says, "Boy this guy is sure not great." | |
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Hello! We haven't done much, but you'll really want to recap." | ||
| Roger says, "great taste in sofas though" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I had expected a "Hey now little girl", not a forceful sit down." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Def same." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "So, that was slighty traumatic." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "YLAC" | ||
| Roger says, "still LH, yes" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Oveslept, you say?" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "So where can we find a ritual knife and sacrifice these creeps ourselves?" | ||
| DavidW says, "sorry, I had breakfast." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "No worries!" | ||
| DavidW says, "and I guess all the food zonked me." | ||
| MoyTW says, "One should never apologize for having breakfast." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Breakfast is good. Breakfast that induces napping is better than good." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "So the cut scene with the creep implies we cannot physically get into the house." | ||
| Roger says, "we found a wasps' nest on the house porch; that's about it" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||
| DavidW says, "I had three sausage and egg sandwitches and at least three donuts." | ||
| Roger says, "we also hate everyone even more than before" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "And we cannot take the dress from the cabin - we thought we might want to show the dress to Lydia, but no." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "True! We left out that critical detail." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Anyone want to take over the wheel?" | ||
| DavidW says, "For a wasp nest, the solution is usually to smoke it. Another solution is to bundle up with protective gear and use a stick and vacuum." | ||
| Roger says, "I think we want to drop it so it falls on the evil Mr Phelps" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I hope we will want to weaponize the nest." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Timing. Yeah." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I mean, in this case, the wasps might be allies... right, what everyone said." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I must admit I am not wild about driving." | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm gonna turn on logging." | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm gonna need a few minutes to be ungroggy." | ||
| Roger says, "I can drive for a bit if everyone can tolerate my cluelessness" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Are we still in the cabins area?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm a very tolerant individual, Roger." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah we're beside Honey Tans-a-lot" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We're north of the cabins." | ||
| DavidW says, "oh with Honey? That was something Yard, iirc." | ||
| DavidW asks, "We stole her jacket and she wanted lotion?" | ||
| Roger says (to f), "l" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey curls a strand of hair around her little finger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, and yeah, and we gave it to her I'm sure." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains an old | ||
| CF | shovel and a sequined jacket), a flashlight, the key to Cabin One, and | ||
| CF | a pill bottle. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pill" | ||
| CF | You see no pill here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pill bottle" | ||
| CF | The pill bottle is a small brown cylinder made of plastic. The label | ||
| CF | says, "Caution: Sleeping pills. May cause drowsiness." When shaken, | ||
| CF | the bottle makes a rattling noise, as if there's a pill inside. It's | ||
| CF | closed by a screw-top - probably child-proof, but easily removed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey inspects her perfectly manicured bright pink nails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks (of DW), "Did you recap?" | |
| DavidW asks, "no, I didn't know how far back to go?" | ||
| Roger says, "I guess we should verify if there actually is a pill in there, or something else" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Just asking because we did this stuff (which is fine to redo) but also we had a creepy interaction with a new character that you should see before it goes too far back in the scroll." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "300 lines will do it." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Then skim to where we climb up onto the porch." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "And you all may know this, but in case you don't: you can always @RECAP CLUBHOUSE ### to get it to reprint the last ### of lines from the game." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Wait, really? That's nifty." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Nifty and useful." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I am now glad I said that! I was worried you all would be, like, 'Yeah, Jacq, WE KNOW'" | ||
| DavidW says, "okay, I've read the recap." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "coolio" | ||
| DavidW says, "my eyes hate me" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "For reading that? Yeah." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That tracks with my own experience." | ||
| DavidW says, "well, that and just getting up." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Ah" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "So, I am starting to get the idea that we sabotage each adult." | ||
| DavidW says, "My eyes just aren't as good as they used to be." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "One with sleeping pills, one with wasps. Maybe we lock our aunt in the bathroom, I dunno." | ||
| DavidW says, "hm, maybe." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Or we just flee in a boat" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Sail awaaaaaay" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh, right, we found a boathouse but not a way into it." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hums a little off-key tune to herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard lazily waves away a curious wasp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey tugs at a strap on her top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Which way is the van?" | |
| DavidW says, "I'm opening my map now." | ||
| DavidW says, "sw" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about boathouse" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about whether or not he will help us escape death" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "hahaha" | |
| Jacqueline says, "YES I AM" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about key" | ||
| CF | Tyrone's eyes crinkle up in a hint of a smile. "They's a nice little | ||
| CF | motor boat in that shed. Mr. Beauregard, it's his pride and joy. | ||
| CF | That's why he keeps it locked up pretty tight. Always got the key | ||
| CF | right there in his baggy old pants pocket, an' he mostly don't loan the | ||
| CF | boat to nobody for no reason." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Yesssss" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "It's just our life on the line, is all." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh no." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "It's in the baggy pants." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Ok, so, murder it is." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Nooooooooooo" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah. I guess we're gonna die." | ||
| Roger says, "into every life some depantsing must fall" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I do not want to touch his clothes." | ||
| MoyTW says, "No, no. We will be the ones doing the murder." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Because otherwise, I think the solution is to get pulled onto the couch and pick a pocket while there?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey wiggles her toes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "eugh" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Wish I had me a seegar," Beauregard says wistfully. "Summer | ||
| CF | afternoons just ain't the same since I gave up them seegars." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Your second attempt to slip into the house is no more successful than | ||
| CF | the first. Beauregard Phelps leaps up and seizes your wrist as you | ||
| CF | step toward the screen door; he certainly moves fast for a fat old man. | ||
| CF | "Come on, now, sugar pie," he says, his voice oozing fake affection. | ||
| CF | "You got away from me before before I could tell you how nice you look | ||
| CF | with that ponytail and all. Sit down here and tell me all about where | ||
| CF | you go to school." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | This time you manage to break away before he can force you to sit down | ||
| CF | on the couch. Again you dash down the steps to the lawn, shuddering. | ||
| CF | It occurs to you that you've never known before what the phrase "makes | ||
| CF | my flesh crawl" meant. Now you know. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "cf7" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Seegars? How about heargars?" | |
| DavidW says, "I don't think we should persue this direction just yet." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh wait" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yes. Let's find a gun first." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We didn't 'get' to sit next to him." | ||
| DavidW says, "Or put a firecracker in a seegar." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "OH - Cigar." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "What is a seegar?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I thought we was talking about a drink." | ||
| DavidW says, "yes, cigar" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I thought he meant 'Seagram's'" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "E's a vile smoker." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "But yeah, ci-gar" | ||
| DavidW says, "goodness." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "There is a path to the north we haven't taken, right?" | ||
| DavidW says, "My map shows that we can try to go north or northwest from Honey, or northwest from the van." | ||
| Roger says, "let's try" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch gazing out across the lawn, | ||
| CF | seemingly oblivious to the fact that you're skulking around down here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "hit nest with shovel" | ||
| CF | The wasp nest is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Darn" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x phelps" | ||
| CF | He's sitting on the couch on the porch, chewing a toothpick as he gazes | ||
| CF | out across the lawn. He doesn't seem to have noticed you skulking | ||
| CF | around down here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "If only we had a slingshot or something like that." | |
| Roger says, "can we go under porch" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under porch" | ||
| CF | The porch is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "go under porch" | ||
| CF | The porch is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x weeds" | ||
| CF | The weeds are green and spiky. Some of them have little flowers, but | ||
| CF | there's nothing here that even vaguely resembles the flowers you'd find | ||
| CF | in a florist's shop back home. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x railing" | ||
| CF | The railing looks pretty flimsy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shake it" | ||
| CF | Shaking the railing has no obvious effect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe we can just dig" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pull railing" | ||
| CF | The railing cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "climb railing" | ||
| CF | The railing looks quite flimsy. It would probably pull loose. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I was thinking we could dig up Lydia's skellington, but probably not." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pull railing" | ||
| CF | The railing cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pull railing loose" | ||
| CF | You see no railing loose here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to KO), "I will rejoice if we do find a slingshot." | |
| lkcampbell has arrived. | DavidW says, "I guess we need a tool of some sort here." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Try north of Honey next?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "dig" | ||
| CF | What do you want to dig in? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "flower-bed" | ||
| CF | You have nothing to dig with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains an old | ||
| CF | shovel and a sequined jacket), a flashlight, the key to Cabin One, and | ||
| CF | a pill bottle. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Maybe stand on the bucket to reach the porch better?" | |
| Jacqueline asks, "?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Do we have to have the shovel in hand?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "As opposed to in the sack?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Possibly." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That seems werid." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Weird, even." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take shovel" | ||
| CF | (first putting the pill bottle in the burlap sack to make room) | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig flower-bed" | ||
| CF | You poke around in the weeds for a minute with the shovel, but there | ||
| CF | seems to be no buried treasure here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Screw buried treasure, we want buried weapons." | |
| MoyTW says, "Oh so it doesn't auto-grab stuff. Good to know." | ||
| DavidW says, "so yes, shovel must be held directly, not indirectly." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop bucket" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand on bucket" | ||
| CF | Before standing on the bucket, you'll need to turn it over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn bucket over" | ||
| CF | You turn the bucket over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "...game." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand on bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now standing on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pull railing" | ||
| CF | The railing cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push railing" | ||
| CF | You're too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand" | ||
| CF | You're already standing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | There are no visible entrances to caves in the vicinity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Can we thwack the wasps now, with the bucket and shovel?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "get off bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're no longer on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe we can just club Phelps with the shovel right now" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket" | ||
| CF | You pick up the bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "tbh a pointed shovel to the neck, if you can hit, seems like it could do a lot of damage." | |
| DavidW says (to Roger), "I somehow doubt that would work." | ||
| Roger says, "oh yeah this is also uses the 'time progresses when the plot does' system, right" | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "is it possible for me to read what has happened up to now so I can catch up?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "hahahahahahaha, Jacq?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "You can @RECAP CLUBHOUSE 500 or so." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "ok thanks" | ||
| DavidW says (to lkcampbell), "yes, you can @recap #clubhouse a-large-number" | ||
| Roger says, "not too large or you'll crash the mud thx" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Might be more than 500, but of course he won't see what I've said because he's readin all the backscroll now." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Nah." | ||
| Roger says, "might as well see how much of this house we can circumnavigate" | ||
| says, "I have a larger recap buffer, due to ClubFloyd, and you can go back max and it's fine." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "I'm getting no such channel clubhouse" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I think that's an old thing. Prior server." | ||
| DavidW says, "The map provided with the game suggests we can walk around the house, that there's a road going west to east on the north side." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "You may have to @joinc first?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Oh, yeah, Jacq may have to add you to the channel itself first if you can't join." | ||
| Roger says (to DW), "walk on" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yeah still getting no such channel message when i joinc" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Try now" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I guess it's private." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "For some odd reason." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yup its working now thanks" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Anyone else need it?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Should I wait a bit so lkcampbell has a chance to read?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "no, dont wait on me I will catch up" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, uneven ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot, | ||
| CF | and a walk leads off through some tall bushes to the south. Beyond the | ||
| CF | bushes can be glimpsed the roof of the main house. On the north side | ||
| CF | of the road is a ditch choked with bramble bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "its my fault I am late, I will catch up :)" | |
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Enjoy ready the creepy backscroll!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x ditch" | ||
| CF | The ditch is choked with bramble bushes. It runs along the north side | ||
| CF | of the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The End of the Road | ||
| CF | To the east, the road surface sinks beneath the brackish, | ||
| CF | unhealthy-looking waters of a bayou. There's an impenetrable thicket | ||
| CF | of bramble bushes to the north and an impenetrable hedge to the south. | ||
| CF | The only way you can go is to turn back to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I just asked Sam if he's played this and his immediate response was, 'Ugh, ew, yes.' He didn't even have to think about it." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bayou" | ||
| CF | The water of the swamp is greenish and unhealthy-looking. It smells | ||
| CF | putrid, and disgusting things are floating in it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "goodness" | |
| MoyTW says, "So, at least we know it'll leave a strong impression." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x things" | ||
| CF | The water of the swamp is greenish and unhealthy-looking. It smells | ||
| CF | putrid, and disgusting things are floating in it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, uneven ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot, | ||
| CF | and a walk leads off through some tall bushes to the south. Beyond the | ||
| CF | bushes can be glimpsed the roof of the main house. On the north side | ||
| CF | of the road is a ditch choked with bramble bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Oh, they're berry bushes here, are they?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x berry" | ||
| CF | The bushes bristle with brambles. It's - well, it's a briar patch, | ||
| CF | basically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take berries" | ||
| CF | As you lack a pair of heavy leather gloves, there's no practical way to | ||
| CF | get a grip on a bramble branch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sign" | ||
| CF | The sign is sagging sideways at a drunken angle, and looks as if it's | ||
| CF | about to fall over sideways. In florid pink letters the sign proclaims | ||
| CF | that the name of the establishment is "Eternal Springs." An earlier | ||
| CF | layer seems to have been painted over, but thanks to the irregularities | ||
| CF | in the surface (which are many) and the flaking away of the top layer | ||
| CF | (which is considerable), you're able to trace out the former name of | ||
| CF | the motel, which seems to have been "Bye Bayou." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Oddly specific, game." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Does the jacket protect us from thorns, maybe..." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Eternal Springs... yikes" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well, a jacket isn't a pair of gloves..." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "True" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "There is a shed we need to break into" | ||
| Roger says, "and a ghost to bust" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Do not bust this ghost." | ||
| DavidW says, "We do think that the scheme is that we'll be killed for our youth and life force, to extend the life of the other people here, somehow." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That bustin' will not make you feel good, Roger." | ||
| MoyTW says, "I think, like, "set free" or "help" or "assist" rather than "bust"" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push sign" | ||
| CF | The crooked sign cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims (at DW), "Yes. Eternal Springs!" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "That, or for fame and fortune." | ||
| Roger says, "tomato, tomato" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black metal barrel is standing on the shoulder of the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "note to all: ask leeroy about Bye Bayou" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x barrel" | ||
| CF | The barrel is about three feet tall, and black, and smells strongly of | ||
| CF | fresh road tar. It's covered by a tight-fitting metal lid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open barrel" | ||
| CF | You try to pry up the lid with your bare fingers, but it's stuck. | ||
| CF | Possibly a tool of some sort would do the job. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I can't imagine why we'd want tar." | |
| MoyTW asks, "1. is "road tar" a regional term? 2. can we pry it with our shovel? are we still holding our shovel?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry lid with shovel" | ||
| CF | You attempt to wedge the end of the old shovel under the edge of the | ||
| CF | lid, but there isn't enough space between the lid and the rim. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "If we can find feathers, maybe wwe can tar and feather Beauregard." | |
| DavidW says, "oh, that old gag." | ||
| Roger says, "I suspect a tarry smoky torch in our future" | ||
| DavidW asks, "I suppose it could also be used to make a torch?" | ||
| Roger says, "woo" | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, torch seems possible." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a dead animal lying at the edge of the blacktop. It looks like | ||
| CF | what's left of a possum. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x possum" | ||
| CF | The dead possum looks as if it was run over. Maybe a couple of days | ||
| CF | ago. Big black flies are circling around it. It's one of the most | ||
| CF | disgusting things you've ever seen in your life. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hey Leeroy got you some dinner" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x flies" | ||
| CF | Several big black flies are circling around the possum carcass. A few | ||
| CF | of them have landed. Doubtless they're enjoying the feast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask flies about beauregard" | ||
| CF | The flies are not something you need (or want) to concern yourself | ||
| CF | with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | By a Farm | ||
| CF | The east/west road passes close by the front gate of a trashy-looking | ||
| CF | farm. Two large, smirking farm boys are lounging by the gate, chewing | ||
| CF | lengths of grass and looking at you in a keen and unhealthy way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x boys" | ||
| CF | The boys are leering at you. They're wearing ripped jeans and filthy | ||
| CF | sneakers. The larger one looks about seventeen, the other maybe | ||
| CF | fifteen, and they look as if they're probably brothers. The larger boy | ||
| CF | is more muscular, and his lip curls with a knowing sneer. The smaller | ||
| CF | boy is dirtier (though not by much) and keeps looking around in a | ||
| CF | sneaky way, as if he's getting ready to grab you when no one is | ||
| CF | watching. They're not your type at all. In fact, you're a little | ||
| CF | scared of them. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You wanna see what we got out back o' the barn?" the smaller boy says. | ||
| CF | "Bet you never seen nothin' like it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks (of Roger), "Leeroy?" | |
| Roger says, "it'd be kinda great if we could just mosey ourselves right on out of here" | ||
| Roger says, "I dunno, the van guy" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Wow ok everybody here is awful." | ||
| Roger says, "Hells yes I want to see that" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Damnit Auntie." | ||
| DavidW says, "I suspect we want to retreat from this location" | ||
| DavidW says, "That roadkill was friendlier." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Tyrone, I believe." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Like, yesterday if possible." | ||
| Roger says, "now /these/ kids probably want to know about the possum" | ||
| DavidW says, "I suppose we could try to ask these boys about topics." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask boys about eternal springs" | ||
| CF | "Uhh, hello," you venture hesitantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello, yourself," says the larger boy, gazing directly at you. Then | ||
| CF | he turns to the other boy. "She's a cute one, ain't she?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What a dump that is," says the larger boy. "You stayin' there? I | ||
| CF | almost feel sorry for you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Go ahead," the larger boy says to the smaller one. "Pull her pony | ||
| CF | tail. I double-dog-dare you!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We could, but..." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask boys about possum" | ||
| CF | "I'll tell ya all about it if you give me a kiss," the smaller, dirtier | ||
| CF | boy says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "C'mon, gimme a kiss," the smaller boy says. He puckers up, squinches | ||
| CF | his eyes shut, and thrusts his face forward. You want to laugh, but | ||
| CF | that might provoke them. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | "Gotta go," you say with a cheerful wave. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "C'n we watch?" the smaller boy says brightly. The larger one explodes | ||
| CF | in a roar of laughter. As you walk away, you hear the boys snickering | ||
| CF | about something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a dead animal lying at the edge of the blacktop. It looks like | ||
| CF | what's left of a possum. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You slip into the gap in the hedge, and find yourself angled in a | ||
| CF | twisty maze of thorny bramble-bushes. For a couple of minutes you | ||
| CF | stumble around, trying to avoid getting stuck by the razor-sharp | ||
| CF | thorns. Eventually you find your way back to the road, shaken by the | ||
| CF | ordeal but not too badly scratched up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x gap" | ||
| CF | The gap is narrow, and the bushes within seem to be covered with | ||
| CF | nasty-looking thorns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "that sounds like a job for sequined jacket" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear jacket" | ||
| CF | (first putting the old shovel in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | taking the sequined jacket from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You'd look far too conspicuous sashaying around in the sequined jacket. | ||
| CF | Anyway, it's not your style. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear jacket" | ||
| CF | You'd look far too conspicuous sashaying around in the sequined jacket. | ||
| CF | Anyway, it's not your style. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "We haven't found a pocket nuke for this place by any chance?" | |
| Roger says, "you know nothing about my fabulous style, game" | ||
| DavidW says, "not yet" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "ha" | ||
| DavidW says, "I guess we can only wear this in cabin one." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put jacket in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black metal barrel is standing on the shoulder of the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "f e" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large yellow dog is chained up in front of the cellar doors, eyeing | ||
| CF | you in an unfriendly manner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dog" | ||
| CF | The dog is large, muscular, and alert-looking. He's sort of yellow, | ||
| CF | and has long floppy ears and a droopy muzzle. His collar is attached | ||
| CF | by a short leash to a ring mounted on the wall beside the cellar doors. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x collar" | ||
| CF | The dog's collar is worn leather, but thick. The dog's leash is | ||
| CF | attached to the collar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "sleeping pills in the dead possum makes for some good dogfood" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Maybe?" | ||
| DavidW says, "This would involve touching the possum." | ||
| Roger says, "we got a shovel don't we" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh yes, ok." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well, we still got to drug the corpse." | ||
| Roger says, "y'all ain't never collected roadkill before" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Do we want to try this?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yeah let's do it." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf8" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "cf9" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "ha" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "SAVE SAVE SAVE" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Oops. David was faster." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black metal barrel is standing on the shoulder of the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a dead animal lying at the edge of the blacktop. It looks like | ||
| CF | what's left of a possum. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take possum" | ||
| CF | You reach out gingerly toward the rotting corpse, but try as you might, | ||
| CF | you can't quite bring yourself to touch it. Maybe if there weren't | ||
| CF | quite so many flies.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take possum with shovel" | ||
| CF | (first taking the old shovel from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You pick up the dead possum with the old shovel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open bottle" | ||
| CF | (first putting the flashlight in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | taking the pill bottle from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Opening the pill bottle reveals a little white pill. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger exclaims, "hurray!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take pill" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put pill in possum" | ||
| CF | You can't put anything in the dead possum. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put pill on possum" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the dead possum. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe it'll keep the dog happy enough without the pill" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black metal barrel is standing on the shoulder of the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large yellow dog is chained up in front of the cellar doors, eyeing | ||
| CF | you in an unfriendly manner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give possum to dog" | ||
| CF | You toss the dead possum to the dog. The dog sniffs at the dead possum | ||
| CF | curiously, decides it's interesting, and hunkers down to chew on it. | ||
| CF | But that's not enough fun: Next he grips it in his teeth and shakes it | ||
| CF | vigorously, as if punishing it. After playing with the possum for a | ||
| CF | minute or so, he gazes up at you with something vaguely resembling | ||
| CF | affection. It seems you've made a new friend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "Hooray!" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "That went better than expected." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put pill in bottle" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog pants a little, his long red tongue lolling out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pet dog" | ||
| CF | You approach the dog timidly and extend your hand. He allows his head | ||
| CF | to be patted. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog paws at the dirt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig" | ||
| CF | What do you want to dig in? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dirt" | ||
| CF | You see no dirt here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the cellar doors) | ||
| CF | The dog gets between you and the door, panting in a friendly way but | ||
| CF | also blocking the path. It's no use - he's been well trained to keep | ||
| CF | anyone from sneaking into the cellar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog strains at the leash. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie leash" | ||
| CF | You unclip the leash, leaving the dog free to roam. He seems | ||
| CF | disinclined to do so, however. He just sits there in front of the | ||
| CF | cellar doors, his tongue lolling out, staring at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog rolls over in the gravel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "untie leash". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large yellow dog is chained up in front of the cellar doors, blinking | ||
| CF | amiably at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x possum" | ||
| CF | The dead possum looks as if it was run over. And the dog's tender | ||
| CF | loving care has pretty much reduced it to tatters. Big black flies are | ||
| CF | circling around it. It's one of the most disgusting things you've ever | ||
| CF | seen in your life. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog sits on his haunches and scratches at a flea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hm. I'm not sure what to try next." | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "remove pill from bottle" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "feed pill to dog" | ||
| CF | The word "feed" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "give pill to dog" | ||
| CF | The dog ignores you in favor of scratching at a flea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog rolls over in the gravel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket and a | ||
| CF | flashlight), the key to Cabin One, a wooden bucket, an old shovel, a | ||
| CF | pill bottle, and a little white pill. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "For a second I read that as 'The dog rolls over, asleep.'" | |
| Roger says, "I suggest taking the possum again and throwing it" | ||
| Roger says, "or keeping a keen eye out for sticks, tennis balls, etc" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take possum" | ||
| CF | You reach out gingerly toward the rotting corpse, but try as you might, | ||
| CF | you can't quite bring yourself to touch it. Maybe if there weren't | ||
| CF | quite so many flies.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog strains at the leash. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "we could save and then go see what the boys wanted to show us" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "take possum with shovel" | ||
| CF | The dead possum has served its last, best purpose, and pretty much been | ||
| CF | torn up by the dog in the process. Trying to do anything else with it | ||
| CF | would be gruesome, gross, and pointless. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "FINE" | |
| Roger says, "maybe we can take leash and take the dog along with us" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "give the possum to the boys, they sem like they would appreciate it" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Sadly, we cannot fling the possum with the shovel, like a gruesome Southern twist on lacrosse, Roger." | ||
| Roger says, "I am disappoint" | ||
| DavidW says, "We can't take the possum again, but the leash idea might work." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie leash" | ||
| CF | You unclip the leash, leaving the dog free to roam. He seems | ||
| CF | disinclined to do so, however. He just sits there in front of the | ||
| CF | cellar doors, his tongue lolling out, staring at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog rolls over in the gravel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take leash" | ||
| CF | You consider walking around with the dog on a leash, but that would | ||
| CF | only advertise the fact that he's no longer doing his job guarding the | ||
| CF | cellar. That probably isn't a good thing to have anybody find out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog paws at the dirt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie leash" | ||
| CF | You cannot fasten the dog's leash. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog sits on his haunches and scratches at a flea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "clip leash" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie leash to cellar" | ||
| CF | You cannot attach that to anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog pants a little, his long red tongue lolling out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "it is odd, difficult to tell how making the dog friendly helped us" | |
| Roger asks, "I know it implied we couldn't, but maybe we can just go in now?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I can't seem to put the leash back." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | What do you want to enter? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "house" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the cellar doors) | ||
| CF | The dog gets between you and the door, panting in a friendly way but | ||
| CF | also blocking the path. It's no use - he's been well trained to keep | ||
| CF | anyone from sneaking into the cellar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog rolls over in the gravel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "rub belly" | ||
| CF | The word "belly" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell asks, "so, all it bought us is the ability to unfasten the leash?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "scratch dog" | ||
| CF | The word "scratch" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "maybe not even that" | ||
| CF | The word "maybe" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says (to lkcampbell), "it seems so" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "At the moment, I guess it seems so." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about dog" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone looks disgusted. "Ole Bailey's a nuisance, is what he is. | ||
| CF | That's the dog's name, Bailey. Let him run loose, he'd chase rabbits | ||
| CF | all day long. Them rabbits always get him all het up. He's too slow | ||
| CF | an' stupid to catch nothin', though. Not unless it's already dead." | ||
| CF | Tyrone chuckles gently at his own joke. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "and you can't refasten the leash elsewhere it looks like" | |
| MoyTW says, "Well maybe we need to find something for the dog to chase, then." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "OHO" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "There are rabbits" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yes that could be it" | ||
| MoyTW says, "...oh, right. Yes. Near the altar." | ||
| DavidW says, "oh right, we DID see rabbits." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Although that's also a hint maybe about the possum" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "possum frisbee" | ||
| DavidW says, "They're at the southeast edge of the map." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about rabbits" | ||
| CF | "Rabbits? Ole Bailey, he like chasin' rabbits. Never catch nothin', | ||
| CF | but he's always game to try. You want to make him crazy, tell him | ||
| CF | about the rabbits while he's chained up. He knows the word right | ||
| CF | enough, he'll go crazy whinin' and jumpin'." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the back door) | ||
| CF | The back door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large yellow dog is sitting in front of the cellar doors, blinking | ||
| CF | amiably at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask dog about rabbits" | ||
| CF | The dog perks up his ears, but seems to have no idea what you're | ||
| CF | saying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dog sits on his haunches and scratches at a flea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "'tell'?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell dog about rabbits" | ||
| CF | You lean forward conspiratorially. "Doggie, nice doggie - I saw some | ||
| CF | nice rabbits down in the meadow. Rabbits! Rabbits!" The dog's eyes | ||
| CF | light up. He dashes away, his duty forgotten, leaving the cellar doors | ||
| CF | unguarded. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "So how does Bailey do with frogs and their constant "Ribbit"ing?" | |
| Roger says, "well sure okay" | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "!" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "That... worked?" | ||
| Jacqueline is gobsmacked. | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "That worked. Somehow." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "Suddenly, the possum gets up and walks away because it is really really good at playing dead" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||
| DavidW says, "ha" | ||
| Roger says, "The last time Tyrone told someone about rabbits, it didn't end so well" | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Well, let's go see what cheerful thing is in the cellar!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the cellar doors) | ||
| CF | The leaves of the door fall back to left and right with a bang. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Sweet let's goooo" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Right, cheerful, cause that's what this game does." | ||
| MoyTW exclaims, "find ourselves some creepy ritual implements!" | ||
| DavidW says, "Absolute darkness to east. That torch idea is sounding better." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Search for other victims as we go." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x workbench" | ||
| CF | The workbench is strongly but crudely built. Above it is a rack where | ||
| CF | tools may once have been neatly hung, but the tools are long gone. A | ||
| CF | large vise with a crank is mounted on one front corner of the | ||
| CF | workbench. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we have a crappy flashlight already" | |
| MoyTW asks, "Don't we got a flashlight?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x vise" | ||
| CF | The vise consists of two square metal plates mounted parallel to one | ||
| CF | another. The plates are close to an inch thick, and are connected by a | ||
| CF | threaded shaft. A crank protrudes from the outer surface of the front | ||
| CF | plate. The vise is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "A small one, yeah" | |
| Jacqueline says, "I'm guessing it has a limited number turns on it." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Right. Of course, a flashlight won't light things on fire." | ||
| DavidW says, "hm. I don't remember using a vise in a game recently." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 3:00. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Anyone got a walnut?" | |
| Roger says, "there might be something inside it right now" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open vise" | ||
| CF | You turn the crank, and the jaws of the vise separate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in vise" | ||
| CF | The vise seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x flashlight" | ||
| CF | The flashlight is small and red. The lens is cracked. There's a | ||
| CF | switch on the top and a battery compartment on the underside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | You flip the switch, and the flashlight emits a feeble glow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Do we wanna save, in case the light has a battery timer?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "e". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "turn on flashlight". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf10" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I suspect a pushing things around phase" | |
| Roger says, "also I'd like to see the too-dark refusal message" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In the dark | ||
| CF | It's pitch black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "thanks" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | You see no flashlight here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | You flip the switch, and the flashlight emits a feeble glow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open trunk" | ||
| CF | The old trunk seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In a Low Tunnel | ||
| CF | This low, earthy-smelling tunnel is no more than four feet high. The | ||
| CF | dirt floor is uneven, and the ceiling seems to be held up by a few | ||
| CF | crooked, widely spaced beams. The tunnel runs from north to south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's closed. A dark tunnel | ||
| CF | extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open trapdoor" | ||
| CF | You're able to push the trapdoor up only a couple of inches before it | ||
| CF | hits an obstruction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "look through crack, maybe while on bucket" | |
| Jacqueline says, "yeah" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Gosh" | ||
| DavidW asks, "I didn't see a crack mentioned?" | ||
| Roger asks, "yeah I'm not sure how to word it, but the game has been generous so far. Look through trapdoor?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I think, like, the idea is peek through the trapdoor while it's a couple of inches up." | ||
| DavidW says, "That sounds very unlikely to work." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through trapdoor" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the trapdoor) | ||
| CF | You're able to push the trapdoor up only a couple of inches before it | ||
| CF | hits an obstruction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x crack" | ||
| CF | You see no crack here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x gap" | ||
| CF | You see no gap here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think we're wasting our battery." | |
| Roger says, "sure, reasonable. Feel free to restore if you want" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'd like to restore back to before using it." | ||
| Roger says, "concur" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | Roger says, "maybe dash in, grab/push the trunk, back out" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "xf10" | ||
| CF | Failed: the position could not be restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf10" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the door) | ||
| CF | The door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Darnit." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door" | ||
| CF | The door is narrow and much scuffed. It's closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cellar" | ||
| CF | You see no cellar here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under workbench" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the workbench. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x windows" | ||
| CF | The windows are small and square. A little light spills from them down | ||
| CF | into the cellar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell asks, "maybe dig in the cellar or tunnel?" | |
| lkcampbell says, "if there are dirt floors" | ||
| DavidW says, "I saw no mention of a dirt floor." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "oh yeah its concrete" | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket and a | ||
| CF | flashlight), the key to Cabin One, a wooden bucket, an old shovel, a | ||
| CF | pill bottle, and a little white pill. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "not sure where the door to the driveway will dump us and whether it'd be bad to be seen there, but someday" | |
| Jacqueline says, "that's what the save is for" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | You flip the switch, and the flashlight emits a feeble glow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push trunk west" | ||
| CF | This would accomplish nothing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "hit door or trunk with shovel" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push trunk" | ||
| CF | The old trunk is too heavy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "overkill, but if we need to crush the pill, the vise is probably up to the task" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open trunk with shovel" | ||
| CF | The old trunk is not something you can pry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says (to Roger), "Good point." | |
| Jacqueline says, "I prefer to crush my medication with an unwashed shovel that has held a dead possum, myself." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "push trunk east" | ||
| CF | This would accomplish nothing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "But sure. The vice." | |
| Roger says (to floyd), "stand on trunk" | ||
| CF | You can't stand on that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x clutter" | ||
| CF | It's mostly just a bunch of junk and discarded furniture. Squatting in | ||
| CF | the midst of the clutter is a battered old trunk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "guess we're looking for a key for this one too" | |
| lkcampbell says, "they batter and fry everything in the south" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We're looking for a bunch of keys." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf10" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I don't know what to do in the cellar, but it occurs to me that we might want to see what happened to the rabbits." | |
| DavidW says, "Possibly Bailey has changed something." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "it's going to be all Watership Down-ish" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I'm not sure we *are* looking for a bunch of keys." | |
| Roger says, "good point. but wait can we try the driveway door first or not" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "If you ask Tyrone about keys, he only mentions the one to the boat shed." | ||
| DavidW says (to Roger), "I don't know which door you mean." | ||
| Roger says, "oh we did! nevermind" | ||
| Roger asks, "then where did the stairs go?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "check the rabbits and then maybe see what the boys wanted to show us" | ||
| DavidW says, "The stairs went to a landing and a locked door." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I mean, we can't exactly ask the people about keys to private property we shouldn't have seen." | ||
| Roger says, "I got confused about what the storm doors actually were; sorry about that." | ||
| DavidW says (to lkcampbell), "Pretty sure the boys want to violate our personal spaces." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "probably" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I ... don't think the boys want to show us... yeah" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "but we can always save first" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A restless ghost flits here and there across the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The East End of the Meadow | ||
| CF | The meadowland tapers off here, the barbed-wire fence from the north | ||
| CF | angling down to meet the swamp in the south. Other than heading back | ||
| CF | to the west, there's not much to do in this isolated spot. Evidently | ||
| CF | the dog has had some fun chasing the rabbits, because they're gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "No rabbits corpses at least." | |
| DavidW says, "But no new trail or dug up key either." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "He's supposedly too slow to catch anything living." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Asking Tyrone about more topics may be helful?" | ||
| Roger says, "cigars, maybe, or wasps" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "True" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A restless ghost flits here and there across the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Both of those" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Possibly, yeah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You follow the path westward, back to Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "or the ghost, for that matter" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Save first, but maybe also about the cellar and the tunnel." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about cigar" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about cigars" | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about wasps" | ||
| CF | "I keep meanin' to clean out that ole wasp nest," Tyrone says. "Send | ||
| CF | the lady guests off runnin' and screamin', they see a wasp. If we had | ||
| CF | any guests 'round here, that is. You-all pretty much the biggest batch | ||
| CF | we seen all year." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about torch" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about barrel" | ||
| CF | "That big ole rusty can down there behind the cabins? We burn stuff in | ||
| CF | it sometimes, scrap paper an' whatnot. Maybe you never seen one | ||
| CF | before, comin' from New York the way you do." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Maybe don't perform creepy sacrifice rituals. Those send everyone screaming." | |
| Roger says, "oh yeah, that other barrel" | ||
| DavidW asks, "There's another barrel I've forgotten?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Tyrone about tunnel" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Have we asked him about Lydia?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about lydia" | ||
| CF | When you mention the apparition you saw hovering around the stone block | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Tyrone about cellar" | ||
| CF | in the meadow, Tyrone starts poking around very busily in the innards | ||
| CF | of the van. "People see lots o' things," he says, not looking at you. | ||
| CF | "People ought to mind their own business." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "But this ghost," you tell him, not quite willing to give up, "it was | ||
| CF | like she was in pain." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone sighs heavily. "And what are you tellin' me about it for? You | ||
| CF | think old Tyrone can do anything about it? That ghost, she been around | ||
| CF | here for a long, long time. I see her once in a while, on a moonlit | ||
| CF | night, comin' up between the cabins. I don't know if she's in any | ||
| CF | pain, but I think she's sad. I think when she sees folks that are | ||
| CF | alive, it reminds her of what she lost. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "It's too bad you don't have nobody here that's your own age, honey. | ||
| CF | That ghost, she's about your age. If you can see her, and in broad | ||
| CF | daylight too, maybe you want to try to make friends with her. You | ||
| CF | could do worse." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "But how would I do that?" you ask. "How can anybody make friends with | ||
| CF | a ghost?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Same way as you'd make friends with anybody else, I expect. Find | ||
| CF | somethin' she cares about. I couldn't rightly tell you what that would | ||
| CF | be, but I guess there's bound to be somethin'. If she didn't care | ||
| CF | about nothin', why would she be hangin' around, you ask yourself that?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm" | |
| DavidW says, "yes, hmm" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I guess let's give her a dead possum." | ||
| Roger says, "yer a witcher, harry" | ||
| DavidW says, "We. cannot. take. the. possum. again." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, ""Hey, that's my pet possum!"" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I know. It. makes. me. sad." | ||
| Roger says, "it was our only friend" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "stop beating a dead possum" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to lkc), "yay" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket and a | ||
| CF | flashlight), the key to Cabin One, a wooden bucket, an old shovel, a | ||
| CF | pill bottle, and a little white pill. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I don't see that Lydia would be interested in our current inventory. Jacket is unlikely but best bet so far." | |
| lkcampbell asks, "I suppose we could try giving the ghost things?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yup I was thinking jacket...remote possibility" | ||
| Roger says, "she'd probably be interested in her heart if we found that lying around somewhere" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "But how would she wear it?" | ||
| Jacqueline laughs at Roger's comment. | ||
| DavidW asks, "Anyone got another topic for Ty or should we try to show Lydia the jacket?" | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Let's kill Honey, and give her heart to Lydia!" | ||
| DavidW says, "We can also try that crushed pill idea." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Nah let's kill Beaureguard (sp?) and give his heart to her. Like, as a trophy." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "ghosts love to sashay in sequins" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A restless ghost flits here and there across the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Moy), "Sure. And then we also get the key to the boat house" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about jacket" | ||
| CF | The ghost shrieks wordlessly as it whirls past you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show jacket to lydia" | ||
| CF | (first putting the old shovel in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | taking the sequined jacket from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | The ghost seems not to have noticed. Its agitated flight about the | ||
| CF | meadow continues unabated. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "kiss lydia" | ||
| CF | She's too insubstantial for that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about heart" | ||
| CF | The ghost only flits about the meadow, ignoring your attempt at | ||
| CF | conversation. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show shovel to lydia" | ||
| CF | (first putting the pill bottle in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | putting the key to Cabin One in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | putting the little white pill in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | putting the sequined jacket in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | taking the old shovel from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | The ghost exhibits no curiosity about what you're offering. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about lydia" | ||
| CF | Instead of answering, the ghost undulates sickeningly, as if | ||
| CF | underwater. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "haha thanks game" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "My." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That was a lot of inventory management for nothin'" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "that was a misleading paragraph, gave me false hope" | ||
| Iria says, "I hate when that happens" | ||
| Roger says, "I know the 'leaky' bucket implies we can't take water with it, but maybe we should try" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put jacket in sack" | ||
| CF | The sequined jacket is already in the burlap sack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I guess we tricked the game above our inventory limit somehow." | |
| Roger says, "either from swamp or the bathroom we have access to" | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't think we've interacted with the swamp at all." | ||
| Roger says, "it's sort of a connecting space but there might be something of interest hiding there" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Why would we want water? Just to see if we can get any?" | ||
| Roger says, "Among my ideas: washing away the ashes from the burn barrel" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "only other idea I have is throwing things at the wasp nest unless you already did that" | ||
| Roger says, "and/or throwing it at everything vaguely animate, like wasps and everyone else we don't like" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Where exactly was the burn barrel?" | ||
| Roger says, "behind one of the rows of cabins I think" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You follow the path westward, back to Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, sounds right." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill bucket" | ||
| CF | You fill the bucket from the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oho" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bucket" | ||
| CF | It's an old-fashioned, leaky-looking wooden bucket. There's water in | ||
| CF | it, and the water is dribbling from narrow gaps in the sides. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x water" | ||
| CF | Which water do you mean, the water in the bucket, or the swamp? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Oh it's timed." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "bucket" | ||
| CF | That was not one of the choices. Which did you mean, the water in the | ||
| CF | bucket, or the swamp? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "water in the bucket" | ||
| CF | The water is sloshing around in the bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "possibly we need the tar to fix the hole in our bucket dear liza" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x barrel" | ||
| CF | You see no barrel here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x barrel" | ||
| CF | The incinerator is the size of a large garbage can. Its rusted metal | ||
| CF | sides are pierced by large holes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "there it is" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in it" | ||
| CF | The incinerator contains some ashes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x ashes" | ||
| CF | The ashes and charred scraps at the bottom of the incinerator are gray | ||
| CF | and unidentifiable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wash ashes" | ||
| CF | The word "wash" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water on ashes" | ||
| CF | The ashes are not in need of a bath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Debatable." | |
| Roger says, "good to know that syntax works" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Pour water in incinerator?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "clean ashes" | ||
| CF | You wouldn't know how to clean those. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "clean barrel" | ||
| CF | You wouldn't know how to clean that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take ashes" | ||
| CF | Carrying around a mess of ashes would be not only difficult but | ||
| CF | pointless. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search ashes" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the ashes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "now what?" | |
| DavidW asks, "Talk to Tyrone more?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water in incinerator" | ||
| CF | That would only make a mess of wet ashes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Or Honey?" | |
| lkcampbell says, "throw something at the wasp nest" | ||
| Roger says, "pouring water on Honey is a fantastic idea" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Did we stand on the bucket and use the shovel to hit the wasp's nest?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Also pouring water on various people sounds hilarious." | ||
| DavidW says (to Moy), "no" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hums a little off-key tune to herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water on honey" | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is not in need of a bath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey wiggles her toes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "game, boo" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard lazily waves away a curious wasp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take shovel" | ||
| CF | You are already carrying the old shovel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "the younger brother is in need of a bath" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit nest with shovel" | ||
| CF | Disturbing the wasps would be a really, really bad idea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I heard your aunt's gonna get you all dolled up for the picnic. I | ||
| CF | just can't wait!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Hit Phelps with shovel." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water on beauregard" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is not in need of a bath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams at you in a slimy, sweaty way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeez, creep." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit phelps with shovel" | ||
| CF | You could probably do some damage with the old shovel, but on the other | ||
| CF | hand, the consequences could hardly be good. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "sweaty and slimy but not in need of a bath" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x drink" | ||
| CF | You see no drink here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about phelps" | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That creepy old man?" Honey shudders. "He's been eyein' me all | ||
| CF | afternoon from up on the porch there. Don't think I haven't noticed. | ||
| CF | If it wasn't for ... oh, never mind. You wouldn't understand. | ||
| CF | Sometimes a girl has to put her career first, that's all." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about boys" | ||
| CF | When you describe the oafish behavior of the farm boys, Honey throws | ||
| CF | back her head and laughs. "They sound like fun," she declares. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about dog" | ||
| CF | You tell Honey how the dog ran off when you told him about the rabbits. | ||
| CF | She laughs. "Guess he's smarter than he looks, then," she says. "But | ||
| CF | I'll bet he never caught a rabbit, and he ain't no friend of mine. You | ||
| CF | know that song?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey tugs at a strap on her top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Honey pls." | |
| Roger says, "also as in-game time progresses we should probably occasionally check back in on Computer Guy Cabin and Napping Person Cabin, whichever #'s those are" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about tyrone" | ||
| CF | You mention that Tyrone has been working on the van all afternoon. | ||
| CF | Shouldn't he be finishing up before long? "That old clunker?" Honey | ||
| CF | replies. "You ask me, it's a wonder it runs at all. I wouldn't be | ||
| CF | surprised if he's workin' on it 'til midnight. Now, my most recent | ||
| CF | boyfriend, he had a red convertible Porsche. But he had some bad | ||
| CF | habits too. I had to dump him." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "save first, but maybe ask her about the pills and/or show her the bottle" | |
| lkcampbell says, "have we dug up anything with the shovel yet? Besides a dead possum? Maybe try digging in various places" | ||
| Roger says, "I'm not quite ready for brute-force lawnmowering quite yet" | ||
| DavidW says (to lkcampbell), "Digging everywhere is a sign of desperation." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We specifically dug up no treasure in the flower bed." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 3:00. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'll go peek at computer guy from the tree, I guess." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, Honey goes back to reading (if that's the right word) | ||
| CF | her magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | Up a Tree | ||
| CF | From this perch in the midst of the scraggly tree, you can't see much. | ||
| CF | The area behind the cabins is obscured by foliage. However, you're | ||
| CF | quite close to the rear wall of Cabin Four, and have a close view of | ||
| CF | the cabin's bathroom window, which is open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | The bathroom window is less than three feet square. It's standing wide | ||
| CF | open, and there's no screen. Looking through the window, you can see | ||
| CF | the interior of the bathroom in Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I had completely forgotten about computer guy until it was brought up just now." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Peering cautiously in the window, you can see straight out through the | ||
| CF | door of the bathroom and into the cabin, proper. A man is sitting on | ||
| CF | the bed, hunched over and frowning in concentration as he types on the | ||
| CF | keyboard of a small laptop computer. If you try to climb in the | ||
| CF | window, he's bound to spot you in an instant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Do it. Climb on the window." | |
| MoyTW says, "...let's climb in the window! Maybe save first though." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "climb in window" | ||
| CF | Peering cautiously in the window, you can see straight out through the | ||
| CF | door of the bathroom and into the cabin, proper. A man is sitting on | ||
| CF | the bed, hunched over and frowning in concentration as he types on the | ||
| CF | keyboard of a small laptop computer. If you try to climb in the | ||
| CF | window, he's bound to spot you in an instant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "oh" | |
| DavidW says, "Same response." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "meh" | ||
| DavidW says, "But it seems to be a valid room connection." | ||
| DavidW says, "We could talk to the reverend more too, I suppose." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I suppose. We haven't talked to him since the start." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Two) | ||
| CF | Reverend Gillespie appears at the door of Cabin Two and looks down at | ||
| CF | you. "Yes? I'm really very busy just now, but if it's important...." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask reverend about phelps" | ||
| CF | "Ah, yes - our gracious host. A diamond in the rough," the reverend | ||
| CF | declares. "He does seem uncouth, but I'm sure there's hope for his | ||
| CF | eternal salvation." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "ask'm 'bout Lydia" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about lydia" | ||
| CF | You tell the Reverend that you personally believe there's some sort of | ||
| CF | life after death, because you've seen a ghost. You're half hoping | ||
| CF | he'll ask where, but the topic doesn't seem to interest him. "The ways | ||
| CF | of the Lord are mysterious," he says vaguely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about tyrone" | ||
| CF | "A plain-spoken, hard-workin' man," Gillespie says. "I wouldn't say a | ||
| CF | word against him. Though he is a little ... unfriendly, don't you | ||
| CF | think?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "no, Tyrone's been the nicest person here." | |
| MoyTW says, "He's the ONLY friendly person." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about honey" | ||
| CF | "The young lady from Nashville, yes. Very attractive. A trifle ... | ||
| CF | obvious, don't you think? But it's not my place to judge." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about cabin 4" | ||
| CF | "You're quite the little chatterbox, aren't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about dog" | ||
| CF | "The dog?" Gillespie looks a little askance. "He seemed quite | ||
| CF | ill-tempered to me. I'm plannin' to keep my distance. He seemed | ||
| CF | partial to the hired man, though. If you want to know more about him, | ||
| CF | I expect you ought to ask - what's his name, now? - Tyrone." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about bye bayou" | ||
| CF | Gillespie smiles a meaningless smile. "My, but it's hot this | ||
| CF | afternoon." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about boys" | ||
| CF | "You're quite the little chatterbox, aren't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell him about boys" | ||
| CF | Gillespie looks bored. "Very interesting, I'm sure, but I don't | ||
| CF | imagine it concerns me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Iria goes home. | Roger says, "shouldn't a preacher be an expert on vice" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about vice" | ||
| CF | Gillespie smiles a meaningless smile. "My, but it's hot this | ||
| CF | afternoon." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about bible" | ||
| CF | "Ah, the Holy Scripture," the reverend intones. "I read it daily. | ||
| CF | It's often a source of great comfort when I am sore afflicted." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Feeling a little feisty, you ask the reverend if he'd be so good as to | ||
| CF | read a verse to you right now. "Yes, of course," he says instantly ... | ||
| CF | but then his face contorts with a swift and startling variety of | ||
| CF | expressions. His eyes dart around as if he's wondering whether anyone | ||
| CF | is there to overhear. "Well, perhaps not right now," he says, drawing | ||
| CF | the words out hesitantly. "Perhaps later. Yes." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Not a reverend at all, I guess." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Well, huh." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Or afraid he'll be struck down for his sins." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Any other topics for this guy?" | ||
| Roger says, "I don't think so" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "bye" | ||
| CF | Nothing obvious happens. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Can't think of any." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "say bye" | ||
| CF | Nothing obvious happens. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh maybe we could try washing that big altar stone? That feels vaguely like something that might work" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about reverend" | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey nods. "That preacher fella? I saw him when he checked in. He | ||
| CF | looks very distinguished, don't you think?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about magazine" | ||
| CF | Honey leafs through the magazine. Either she didn't hear you, or she's | ||
| CF | pretending she didn't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, Honey goes back to reading (if that's the right word) | ||
| CF | her magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about engine" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about reverend" | ||
| CF | Tyrone snorts quietly. "The preacher? Awful full of hisself, I'd say. | ||
| CF | I wouldn't trust him to shine my shoes, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about crowbar" | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about boys" | ||
| CF | When you mention the farm boys you ran into down the road, Tyrone | ||
| CF | snorts with quiet contempt. "They's good for nothin'. Good for | ||
| CF | nothin', but always up to somethin'. Best you steer clear of 'em, if | ||
| CF | you know what's good for you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Maybe tell Tyrone about the dog, he'll go chasing it, and we can check out his shack? Not sure if that'd be useful though." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell tyrone about dog" | ||
| CF | Tyrone looks disgusted. "Ole Bailey's a nuisance, is what he is. | ||
| CF | That's the dog's name, Bailey. Let him run loose, he'd chase rabbits | ||
| CF | all day long. Them rabbits always get him all het up. He's too slow | ||
| CF | an' stupid to catch nothin', though. Not unless it's already dead." | ||
| CF | Tyrone chuckles gently at his own joke. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "not a bad idea" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Except no chasing ensues. :/" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x engine" | ||
| CF | You see no engine here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "F" | |
| Roger says, "I like that he might know something about Bye Bayou" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about sign" | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about bye bayou" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "well alrighty then" | |
| Jacqueline says, "I know y'all think this is 'later game' but I'm keen on getting that key." | ||
| Roger says, "/any/ of the many many keys we need, reallyt" | ||
| DavidW asks, "So makeout session with Phelps, then?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Ew." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Yeah" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard lazily waves away a curious wasp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I tried, but it didn't pull us down next to him again." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on couch" | ||
| CF | You're not eager to get that close to Beauregard Phelps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I heard your aunt's gonna get you all dolled up for the picnic. I | ||
| CF | just can't wait!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "huh" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "kiss phelps" | ||
| CF | The danger is, he might like it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams at you in a slimy, sweaty way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search phelps" | ||
| CF | (first trying to go over to Beauregard Phelps) | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe we could steathily pour water on the couch, leading him to autodepantsify" | |
| Jacqueline says, "I guess we'll just have to kill him first." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water on couch" | ||
| CF | The couch is not in need of a bath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard smacks his lips. "That young lady from Nashville, now - | ||
| CF | she's quite somethin', ain't she?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x couch" | ||
| CF | The old couch was upholstered in nubbly beige cloth a very long time | ||
| CF | ago. Woolly white stuffing is coming out through various rips and | ||
| CF | holes, and the cloth itself is badly stained, as if animals are in the | ||
| CF | habit of sleeping on it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard belches, and doesn't apologize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search couch" | ||
| CF | There's no practical way to search the couch while Beauregard Phelps is | ||
| CF | sitting on it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard points at where Honey is sunbathing on the lawn. "Quite a | ||
| CF | little heifer, ain't she? Course, you wouldn't know." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pants" | ||
| CF | Phelps's trousers provide plenty of fabric to cover the lower part of | ||
| CF | his considerable bulk. They're khaki-colored and held up by | ||
| CF | suspenders. The pockets are sagging open, possibly because of the | ||
| CF | relaxed way he's half-reclining on the couch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I unfortunately just read 'the old couch' as 'the old cooch.' I blame Jim Aiken." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pocckets" | ||
| CF | The word "pocckets" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pockets" | ||
| CF | Phelps's trousers provide plenty of fabric to cover the lower part of | ||
| CF | his considerable bulk. They're khaki-colored and held up by | ||
| CF | suspenders. The pockets are sagging open, possibly because of the | ||
| CF | relaxed way he's half-reclining on the couch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Wish I had me a seegar," Beauregard says wistfully. "Summer | ||
| CF | afternoons just ain't the same since I gave up them seegars." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe tell him about pills? It might put a twinkle in his eye" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search pockets" | ||
| CF | Sticking your hands in his pants pockets while he's wearing the pants | ||
| CF | is not something you could ever bring yourself to do. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I heard your aunt's gonna get you all dolled up for the picnic. I | ||
| CF | just can't wait!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Oh did we ever ask Tyrone about cigars?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "We did" | ||
| DavidW says, "yes" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "No resposne." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "No response, either." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about cigars" | ||
| CF | Having been taught good manners, you can't quite bring yourself to | ||
| CF | ignore Phelps, so you nod to him and mumble a hello. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He smiles at you and nods heavily. "You enjoyin' our balmy Southern | ||
| CF | weather, darlin'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard stifles a yawn. "Gettin' time for my afternoon nap, but I'm | ||
| CF | just too keyed up this afternoon to sleep." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "...did we ask Phelps about cigars?" | |
| MoyTW asks, "...afternoon...nap?" | ||
| Roger says, "okay he's not all bad" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give pill to phelps" | ||
| CF | (first taking the little white pill from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You consider showing Beauregard the sleeping pill, but two thoughts | ||
| CF | dissuade you. First, you don't want him to know you're stealing things | ||
| CF | from the other guests' cabins, and second, he might take the pill away | ||
| CF | from you before you find a use for it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard lazily waves away a curious wasp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We can't exactly drug a cigar with sleeping pills, but it almost sounds like the game wants us to." | |
| DavidW asks, "No obvious coffee mug, is there?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about nap" | ||
| CF | "You're just a regular little chatterbox, ain'tcha?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I don't think so, although if there is it's probably with Computer Guy" | |
| Roger says, "I misremembered Honey drinking something, alas" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sing" | ||
| CF | The word "sing" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "No lullabies from us." | |
| Roger says, "another idea: Tyrone might or should have opinions about this crappy squeaky porch and the dangerous railings, being the handyperson and all" | ||
| DavidW says, "hm" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about porch" | ||
| CF | "This useta all be prime farm land, once," Beauregard says, waving his | ||
| CF | arm. "We grew us a fine crop o' leaf. Was you sayin' somethin'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about tobacco" | ||
| CF | Beauregard shows his teeth in a grimace that he probably thinks is a | ||
| CF | smile. "You're gonna look so cute in that white dress!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard belches, and doesn't apologize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about seegar" | ||
| CF | "I hope I git up to see New York sometime," Beauregard says | ||
| CF | irrelevantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Wish I had me a seegar," Beauregard says wistfully. "Summer | ||
| CF | afternoons just ain't the same since I gave up them seegars." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, ">Kill Beauregard with fire" | |
| Jacqueline says, "yeah" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about railing" | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams benignly at you. "You are just the cutest little | ||
| CF | thang. I can't get over it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x suspenders" | ||
| CF | Phelps's trousers provide plenty of fabric to cover the lower part of | ||
| CF | his considerable bulk. They're khaki-colored and held up by | ||
| CF | suspenders. The pockets are sagging open, possibly because of the | ||
| CF | relaxed way he's half-reclining on the couch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard points at where Honey is sunbathing on the lawn. "Quite a | ||
| CF | little heifer, ain't she? Course, you wouldn't know." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in pockets" | ||
| CF | Sticking your hands in his pants pockets while he's wearing the pants | ||
| CF | is not something you could ever bring yourself to do. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard lazily waves away a curious wasp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about wasps" | ||
| CF | "You worried about them wasps, sweet pea? They won't bother you none." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams at you in a slimy, sweaty way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Pour water...on wasps?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water on wasps" | ||
| CF | The wasp nest is not in need of a bath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I heard your aunt's gonna get you all dolled up for the picnic. I | ||
| CF | just can't wait!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we could risk asking him about the workbench or vise or trapdoor or steamer trunk" | |
| MoyTW asks, "Is there a room we've visible not visited?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I think we've visited everywhere we can without more keys or cooperative people." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about vise" | ||
| CF | Beauregard pulls his gaze back from the lawn. "Was you sayin' | ||
| CF | somethin', sweet pea?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard smacks his lips. "That young lady from Nashville, now - | ||
| CF | she's quite somethin', ain't she?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Or lured away people, for that matter." | |
| Roger says, "maybe ask him about his boat and/or boathouse too" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about boathouse" | ||
| CF | "I hope I git up to see New York sometime," Beauregard says | ||
| CF | irrelevantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard lazily waves away a curious wasp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about new york" | ||
| CF | Beauregard shows his teeth in a grimace that he probably thinks is a | ||
| CF | smile. "You're gonna look so cute in that white dress!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about boat" | ||
| CF | Beauregard stifles a yawn. "Gettin' time for my afternoon nap, but I'm | ||
| CF | just too keyed up this afternoon to sleep." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams at you in a slimy, sweaty way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "well I'm feeling out of clever ideas" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I don't think the guy is listening." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask him about key" | ||
| CF | "You lose your cabin key?" Phelps says, his voice oozing fake sympathy. | ||
| CF | "Well, I don't expect your aunt will have locked the door. You can | ||
| CF | come and go pretty much wherever you want around here, exceptin' only | ||
| CF | Tyrone's shack and a few places like that. Ole Tyrone, he don't much | ||
| CF | cotton to havin' strangers pokin' around in his things." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Wish I had me a seegar," Beauregard says wistfully. "Summer | ||
| CF | afternoons just ain't the same since I gave up them seegars." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "And of course once I say it, he listens for once." | |
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm running out of ideas as well." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Shall we see if the vise can crush a sleeping pill?" | ||
| Roger says, "sure, worth a whirl" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Phelps turns away from you, scratches himself, and goes back to gazing | ||
| CF | out across the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey inspects her perfectly manicured bright pink nails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put pill in vise" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we haven't spent much time out around the altar lately; might be worth poking around" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close vise" | ||
| CF | Crushing the little white pill in the vise would only be pointless | ||
| CF | vandalism. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Ok I feel dumb but did we try going up from here?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put pill in bottle" | ||
| CF | (first taking the little white pill) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We did, locked door." | |
| DavidW says, "yes" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "pry door with shovel" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the door) | ||
| CF | The door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry door with shovel" | ||
| CF | The door is not something you can pry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell asks, "does the tunnel area off of the cellar have concrete floors too?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "There was a suggestion to try and clean the altar, I think." | ||
| Roger says, "among other random ideas: push over tar barrel, roll it to narsty boys" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I think the tunnel specifically was dirt floor." | ||
| DavidW asks, "altar...?" | ||
| Roger says, "yeah the overgrown rock thingy" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "In the meadow, the stone block." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "if so we could try digging in the tunnel" | ||
| Roger says, "in or near haunted field" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "minecraft isn't the answer to this one" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | You flip the switch, and the flashlight emits a feeble glow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In a Low Tunnel | ||
| CF | This low, earthy-smelling tunnel is no more than four feet high. The | ||
| CF | dirt floor is uneven, and the ceiling seems to be held up by a few | ||
| CF | crooked, widely spaced beams. The tunnel runs from north to south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take shovel" | ||
| CF | You are already carrying the old shovel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig dirt" | ||
| CF | You glance at the dirt and instantly dismiss it as unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig floor" | ||
| CF | (with the old shovel) | ||
| CF | You have no reason to dig in that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's closed. A dark tunnel | ||
| CF | extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig floor" | ||
| CF | (with the old shovel) | ||
| CF | You have no reason to dig in that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | lkcampbell says, "this is a tough game" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf10" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the front of | ||
| CF | the shack; south, to the front of the boat shed; west, to the garden of | ||
| CF | junk; and up, to the perch in the tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A restless ghost flits here and there across the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x altar" | ||
| CF | The stone block is a black cube about four feet on each side. Its | ||
| CF | surface is rough, and the edges and corners are chipped and cracked, as | ||
| CF | though it was broken off or carved out from a larger piece of stone. | ||
| CF | Or possibly it's just incredibly ancient. Exotic-looking carvings can | ||
| CF | be discerned on one face, though they're half-hidden from view by tall | ||
| CF | grass, and the top of the block is thinly stained with a dried, dark | ||
| CF | residue, a little of which has trickled down one side. Tufts of grass | ||
| CF | grow tall and thick around the base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water on altar" | ||
| CF | In order to pour the swamp water onto anything, you'd need to fill a | ||
| CF | container with it first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You follow the path westward, back to Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill bucket" | ||
| CF | You fill the bucket from the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A restless ghost flits here and there across the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water on altar" | ||
| CF | Which water do you mean, the swamp, or the water in the bucket? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "water in the bucket" | ||
| CF | The stone block is not in need of a bath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carvings" | ||
| CF | You kneel and push aside the grass to try to get a clear view of the | ||
| CF | carvings on the block, but suddenly the ghost is whirling around you, | ||
| CF | shrieking. Terrified, you lurch to your feet and stagger backward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I'd rather say it is, game. But well." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "climb tree" | ||
| CF | You see no tree here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The water is filthy, and there are undoubtedly alligators. You | ||
| CF | consider swimming, but half a second later you reject the idea with a | ||
| CF | shudder. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "I suppose we could try rolling the tar barrel" | |
| lkcampbell says, "don't know what that would do though" | ||
| Roger says, "I dunno; punk kids are always doing things like opening barrels of tar to impress the ladies" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, we're at nearly three hours." | ||
| DavidW says (to Roger), "I thought that was biting off beer caps with their teeth." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Maybe we take a break?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I do want to keep at it, not ready to give is up, but maybe next week..." | ||
| Roger says, "yeah I would be okay with taking a break until next week" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Same." | ||
| DavidW says, "I wish we had made more progress." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yup" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Next week I'll only have two hours, but yeah. Sometimes a break is good." | ||
| Roger says, "we made /some/ progress" | ||
| MoyTW says, "We got...some progress." | ||
| DavidW says, "yes, some" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "its definitely a challenge" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'm guessing there's a topic that moves either Tyrone or Mr Creep from their places that we just haven't found yet." | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm not the best at guessing conversation topics." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "They're the ones blocking access to more places." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Catch y'all next week, peeps." | ||
| Jacqueline disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, that can be tough." | |
| lkcampbell says, "cya" | ||
| lkcampbell goes home. | MoyTW says, "All right, I'm off. Cya'll." | |
| MoyTW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Good night, and stay healthy!" | |
| Knight_Otu goes home. | DavidW says, "thanks all" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "save" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cfcellaropen" | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger goes home. | ||
| DavidW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | Roger says, "hunh! Taleslinger is listed as a betatester for Lydia's Heart" | |
| Jacqueline says, "huh" | ||
| Roger asks, "I can't remember now -- where did we get the flashlight from?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe our cabin's closet? We found it very early on, I think." | ||
| Roger says, "I'm trying this on my own and already found a couple of things" | ||
| DavidW says, "It is interesting how individual play differs from group play." | ||
| Roger says, "quite true" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Did you find new inventory-able items?" | ||
| Roger says, "yes" | ||
| DavidW says, "cool." | ||
| DavidW says, "try to remember to hint at them next Sunday." | ||
| Roger says, "I'm taking a few notes for myself" | ||
| Roger says, "aha, under the van seats" | ||
| DavidW says, "Something I failed to look under! I am shamed." | ||
| Roger says, "I half-remembered it as a glove box but that didn't exist" | ||
| *** SESSION THREE *** | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay. The game is still running, Perry is logging... wish our Canadian Hint Machine would show up." | ||
| DavidW asks, "well, I could just head us back to the cabin from wherever we are and poke around?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A restless ghost flits here and there across the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "shall I?" | |
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Look under the things you want to look under!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You follow the path westward, back to Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under dress" | ||
| CF | (first trying to go over to the white dress) | ||
| CF | The white dress is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "go to bed" | ||
| CF | Which bed do you mean, the bed near the door, or the bed near the | ||
| CF | bathroom? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "door" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Such a teenager." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "go to bed near the door" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door bed" | ||
| CF | The bed looks sort of lumpy, and the pillow is flat and undoubtedly | ||
| CF | hard. A threadbare brown coverlet is spread over the bed. On the bed | ||
| CF | near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under pillow" | ||
| CF | Which pillow do you mean, the bed near the door, or the bed near the | ||
| CF | bathroom? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under door pillow" | ||
| CF | The box springs are sagging, and there's a scatter of tiny dry brown | ||
| CF | pellets that might be mouse droppings. Nothing interesting, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hm. Same as the bed itself." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Hm, yeah" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door pillow" | ||
| CF | The bed looks sort of lumpy, and the pillow is flat and undoubtedly | ||
| CF | hard. A threadbare brown coverlet is spread over the bed. On the bed | ||
| CF | near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Oh we starting? Ok, can we check the car again?" | |
| MoyTW says, "After we search wherever." | ||
| DavidW asks, "The van?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says, "Roger suggested we missed stuff, and I'm guessing we didn't look under things." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under dresser" | ||
| CF | Dust, dead bugs, and disgusting things you'd rather not think about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under carpet" | ||
| CF | You glance at the stuff in the cabin and instantly dismiss it as | ||
| CF | unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look behind painting" | ||
| CF | You lift one corner and take a peek, but there's nothing under there, | ||
| CF | only the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter van" | ||
| CF | In the Van | ||
| CF | The van has the usual front and rear seats. Through the dust-speckled | ||
| CF | windows you can see the house, the driveway, the shack, and the cabins. | ||
| CF | The interior smells faintly of gasoline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under front seats" | ||
| CF | There's nothing else of any value under the seat, only the gum wrappers | ||
| CF | and crusty french fries. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under rear seats" | ||
| CF | There's nothing else of any value under the seat, only the gum wrappers | ||
| CF | and crusty french fries. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search rear seats" | ||
| CF | You see nothing on the seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x windshield" | ||
| CF | The word "windshield" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x glove compartment" | ||
| CF | The word "glove" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dash" | ||
| CF | The word "dash" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I guess the flashlight was the only prize here." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dashboard" | ||
| CF | You see no dashboard here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x trunk" | ||
| CF | You see no trunk here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hood" | ||
| CF | The word "hood" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x van" | ||
| CF | The van may once have been olive green, but it's almost too dusty to | ||
| CF | tell. The hood of the van is up, and Tyrone has his head bent low over | ||
| CF | the engine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under van" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x engine" | ||
| CF | You see no engine here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Well, Tyrone - there's your problem." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Ok I thought...I thought vans don't have trunks?" | ||
| Roger has arrived. | DavidW says, "I don't drive." | |
| Roger says, "oh no! Sorry I got busy boat-cleaning." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "They have a back, rather than a trunk, but yeah." | ||
| DavidW says, "hi Roger!" | ||
| Roger says, "anyway I played this game on my own a bit after the Club finished and found a few things" | ||
| DavidW says (to Roger), "We request a hint." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "HELLO ROGER WE HAVE MISSED YOU DON'T YOU WISH WE WERE ALWAYS THIS HAPPY TO SEE YOU" | ||
| Roger says, "okay let me figure out where you are" | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket and a | ||
| CF | flashlight), the key to Cabin One, a wooden bucket (which contains some | ||
| CF | water), an old shovel, a pill bottle, and a little white pill. You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "okay: there is a takeable object, in clear view, within the first three locations." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Huh." | ||
| DavidW asks, "You mean the cabin, closet, and front of the cabin? Those three rooms?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "As in, our cabin, outside our cabin, and the cabin across the way?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh - or the closet." | ||
| Roger says, "yes I think so. Okay maybe 4. Anyway, let's see if that's enough of a hint." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | What do you want to move out of? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "About the only thing I can think of are the croquet(?) bars?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north; south, to the area | ||
| CF | behind the cabins; east, to the north end of the croquet court; west; | ||
| CF | northeast, to the lawn; northwest, to the gravel driveway; southwest, | ||
| CF | to the garden of junk; and in, back to in the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "afk 5 min but y'all got this" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hoops" | ||
| CF | The croquet hoops are bent and rusted. There are only a few of them, | ||
| CF | and they're jammed into the ground in a haphazard pattern. Looking | ||
| CF | around, you can see no evidence that Eternal Springs possesses any | ||
| CF | croquet balls or mallets - not that a game of croquet seems like a very | ||
| CF | good idea right now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take hoop" | ||
| CF | With a bit of tugging, you pull a hoop free of the dirt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "...why though?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hoop" | ||
| CF | The hoop is a thick, bent piece of wire. The ends aren't exactly sharp, | ||
| CF | but they're tapered to make it easier to drive the hoop into the | ||
| CF | ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "...I mean, ok, sure." | |
| Jacqueline asks, "Can we pick a lock with this?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well, that, and it reads as untakeable to me." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "But hey, we got something new." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "I, what do with rusty hoop?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "hm. I suppose it could be used as a handle?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear hoop" | ||
| CF | That isn't something you can wear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Maybe we can murder the horrible man with it." | |
| DavidW says, "We could puncture our neck and scream about vampires." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Maybe he gets tetanus and dies after murdering us." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Throw the hoop at the wasp nest?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Maybe. Or throw it at the wasp nest from the flower ... right." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Sure" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey licks her thumb and turns a page in the magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch gazing out across the lawn, | ||
| CF | seemingly oblivious to the fact that you're skulking around down here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I types too slow." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "throw hoop at nest" | ||
| CF | The wasp nest is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Oh - or use it to make a slingshot later?" | |
| DavidW says, "Maybe." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Hmm. Maybe." | ||
| DavidW says, "We'd need an elastic band of some sort plus ammo." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hums a little off-key tune to herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I'd think there's ton of rocks lying around." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "throw hoop at nest" | ||
| CF | Disturbing the wasps would be a really, really bad idea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard points at where Honey is sunbathing on the lawn. "Quite a | ||
| CF | little heifer, ain't she? Course, you wouldn't know." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "...wonder if creaky boards matters?" | |
| DavidW says, "I don't remember any obvious rocks." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "How does he know that we wouldn't know? Maybe we're also into women, though... I doubt we'd call them 'heifers'" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Maybe Tyrone can use the hoop as a wire for the engine?" | ||
| Jacqueline is willing to try many things. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "poke phelps with hoop" | ||
| CF | That would be very rude. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "okay back" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey inspects her perfectly manicured bright pink nails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, no rocks that the game wants us to take." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket and a | ||
| CF | flashlight), the key to Cabin One, a wooden bucket (which contains some | ||
| CF | water), an old shovel, a pill bottle, a little white pill, and a | ||
| CF | croquet hoop. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give hoop to tyrone" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There's things that got power," he remarks obscurely, "and things that | ||
| CF | don't. You gonna have to learn which is which." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hey, good job" | |
| DavidW asks, "Was it just the hoop we missed?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about engine" | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about van" | ||
| CF | You ask Tyrone what he's doing with the van. "Oh, somethin' or other's | ||
| CF | always goin' wrong with it," he says obscurely. "Carburetor, most | ||
| CF | likely. I'll have it fixed up by tomorrow, time these folks is ready | ||
| CF | to leave." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about carburetor" | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Hahahahaha." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carburetor" | ||
| CF | The word "carburetor" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "attach hoop to bucket" | ||
| CF | You cannot attach that to anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Shall we climb the tree and throw the hoop at computer guy?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "I like how he says, 'time these folks is ready to leave' instead of 'time y'all ready to leave'" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We can try." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | Up a Tree | ||
| CF | From this perch in the midst of the scraggly tree, you can't see much. | ||
| CF | The area behind the cabins is obscured by foliage. However, you're | ||
| CF | quite close to the rear wall of Cabin Four, and have a close view of | ||
| CF | the cabin's bathroom window, which is open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | The bathroom window is less than three feet square. It's standing wide | ||
| CF | open, and there's no screen. Looking through the window, you can see | ||
| CF | the interior of the bathroom in Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "These people are absolutely not subtle about us being a sacrifice." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x man" | ||
| CF | The man is intent on what he's doing with the computer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "throw hoop at man" | ||
| CF | The man in the cabin is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "y'all are not getting warmer so I could give another hint" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket and a | ||
| CF | flashlight), the key to Cabin One, a wooden bucket (which contains some | ||
| CF | water), an old shovel, a pill bottle, a little white pill, and a | ||
| CF | croquet hoop. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "We saw a vise clamp." | |
| DavidW asks, "Maybe crush the hoop in that?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh true" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "For what dark purpose?" | ||
| Roger says, "warmer" | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't know why!" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I mean sure, try it and see if the game lets us do it, but..." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I doubt the hoop can help us with the trapdoor, but it gotta be useful somewhere." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the back door) | ||
| CF | The back door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put hoop in vise" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close vise" | ||
| CF | Crushing the croquet hoop in the vise would only be pointless | ||
| CF | vandalism. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take hoop" | ||
| CF | (first putting the old shovel in the burlap sack to make room) | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "What was the idea for the trapdoor?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "About the only thing I can think of is that it might help it stay open, but I'm not confident." | ||
| DavidW says, "The trapdoor was blocked on the other side so we couldn't push it open. I don't see how the hoop helps with that." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf11" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In the dark | ||
| CF | It's pitch black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | You see no flashlight here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | You flip the switch, and the flashlight emits a feeble glow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In a Low Tunnel | ||
| CF | This low, earthy-smelling tunnel is no more than four feet high. The | ||
| CF | dirt floor is uneven, and the ceiling seems to be held up by a few | ||
| CF | crooked, widely spaced beams. The tunnel runs from north to south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's closed. A dark tunnel | ||
| CF | extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open trapdoor with hoop" | ||
| CF | The trapdoor is not something you can pry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open trapdoor" | ||
| CF | You're able to push the trapdoor up only a couple of inches before it | ||
| CF | hits an obstruction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "RESTORE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf11" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "There's the trunk and the door above us as well. Not sure if the hoop helps there." | |
| DavidW asks, "And the trunk and upstairs door were locked, yes?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open door with hoop" | ||
| CF | The door is not something you can pry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock door with hoop" | ||
| CF | There doesn't seem to be any way to do that from this side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | You flip the switch, and the flashlight emits a feeble glow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry trunk with hoop" | ||
| CF | The old trunk is not something you can pry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock trunk with hoop" | ||
| CF | You try several times to insert the end of the hoop into the lock, but | ||
| CF | the hoop is bent in a U shape, which makes it hard to manipulate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "That sounds like a hint." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "straighten hoop" | ||
| CF | You straighten out the croquet hoop. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock trunk with hoop" | ||
| CF | You insert the end of the straightened croquet hoop into the lock and | ||
| CF | twist it this way and that. After a few seconds you hear a very | ||
| CF | gratifying snap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yay! Fine work, y'all." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open trunk" | ||
| CF | As the battered old trunk creaks open, a sourceless breeze causes the | ||
| CF | dropcloths around you to flap and sends scraps of paper scurrying. The | ||
| CF | back of your neck prickles as you see the ghost from the meadow | ||
| CF | swirling and rippling in the air before you. For a moment she pauses | ||
| CF | in her restless flight to lean forward and peer down into the trunk. | ||
| CF | Then she turns to you and reaches out with one hand. But a moment | ||
| CF | later she's gone. The cellar is as empty and shadowed as before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opening the old trunk reveals a gold locket and some faded photographs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "(by the by, good time to save probably)" | |
| Roger says, "(afk again)" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "cf12" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Yay I was right about the lockpickin'" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Even a broken clock, and all that..." | ||
| DavidW says, "So, take everything from trunk, leave dark area asap to conserve flashlight battery." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all from trunk" | ||
| CF | gold locket: Taken. | ||
| CF | faded photographs: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "So, looking at the stuff from the trunk..." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn off flashlight" | ||
| CF | You switch off the flashlight, and the light dies. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It is now pitch black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x locket" | ||
| CF | The gold locket is an old-fashioned oval no bigger than the last joint | ||
| CF | of your little finger. It's suspended from a delicate gold chain, and | ||
| CF | has a hinge on one side and a shallow indentation, about the size of a | ||
| CF | fingernail, on the other. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open locket" | ||
| CF | You open the locket, revealing a tiny snapshot of a woman's face. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x snapshot" | ||
| CF | The tiny snapshot shows a serious-looking dark-haired woman with a type | ||
| CF | of hairstyle popular in the 1920s. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x photographs" | ||
| CF | The photos are brown and faded. They show small groups of people | ||
| CF | wearing old-fashioned clothes. You've read a couple of books on | ||
| CF | fashion, and have no trouble identifying the styles as belonging to the | ||
| CF | 1930s. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One of the men in a couple of the photos looks a whole lot like | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps - but what's odd is that he looks almost exactly like | ||
| CF | he does today, which is obviously impossible. As old as he is now, he | ||
| CF | would have been only a little boy in the 1930s. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing next to him, looking rather insecure, is a girl about your | ||
| CF | age. She's wearing a long white dress. On closer inspection she looks | ||
| CF | awfully like the ghost hovering around the stone block in the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "I guess it is eternal life, then." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take snapshot" | ||
| CF | You can't have that; it's part of the gold locket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "So it seems." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close locket" | ||
| CF | You close the locket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read photographs" | ||
| CF | The photos are brown and faded. They show small groups of people | ||
| CF | wearing old-fashioned clothes. You've read a couple of books on | ||
| CF | fashion, and have no trouble identifying the styles as belonging to the | ||
| CF | 1930s. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | One of the men in a couple of the photos looks a whole lot like | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps - but what's odd is that he looks almost exactly like | ||
| CF | he does today, which is obviously impossible. As old as he is now, he | ||
| CF | would have been only a little boy in the 1930s. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing next to him, looking rather insecure, is a girl about your | ||
| CF | age. She's wearing a long white dress. On closer inspection she looks | ||
| CF | awfully like the ghost hovering around the stone block in the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "We can try returning to the altar and giving the locket? Or should we wear it?" | |
| MoyTW says, "Uh. I'd say the first is the obvious thing to do but I'm curious if anything happens if we walk up wearing it." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put photographs in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Seemed Lydia did want something out of the trunk to me, so yeah, try giving the locket." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear locket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the gold locket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A restless ghost flits here and there across the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show locket to ghost" | ||
| CF | When the dead girl sees the locket, she hesitates in her frantic | ||
| CF | flight, but only for a moment. Then she spins on again through the air | ||
| CF | above the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carvings" | ||
| CF | You kneel and push aside the grass to try to get a clear view of the | ||
| CF | carvings on the block, but suddenly the ghost is whirling around you, | ||
| CF | shrieking. Terrified, you lurch to your feet and stagger backward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give locket to gphost" | ||
| CF | The word "gphost" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "oops ghost" | ||
| CF | (first taking off the gold locket) | ||
| CF | When the dead girl sees the locket, she hesitates in her frantic | ||
| CF | flight, but only for a moment. Then she spins on again through the air | ||
| CF | above the meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "how 'bout the picture?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put locket on altar" | ||
| CF | As you approach the block, suddenly the ghost is whirling around you, | ||
| CF | shrieking. Terrified, you stagger backward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks (of MoyTW), "The photographs or the snapshot?" | |
| MoyTW asks, "The...wait. Err, photograph?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show photographs to ghost" | ||
| CF | (first taking the faded photographs from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | The ghost exhibits no curiosity about what you're offering. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put photographs in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open locket" | ||
| CF | You open the locket, revealing a tiny snapshot of a woman's face. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show snapshot to ghost" | ||
| CF | The ghost seems not to have noticed. Its agitated flight about the | ||
| CF | meadow continues unabated. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close locket" | ||
| CF | You close the locket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "O.O" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "Show the locket while its open?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open locket" | ||
| CF | You open the locket, revealing a tiny snapshot of a woman's face. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Rather than just the snapshot?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show locket to ghost" | ||
| CF | The ghost pauses in its flight, trembles, floats closer to you. Now | ||
| CF | that its motion has subsided, you can see clearly that it's a | ||
| CF | dark-haired girl wearing a flowing white dress. She reaches out toward | ||
| CF | the locket, translucent fingers groping fitfully. "You found it. Oh, | ||
| CF | you found it! I never thought I'd see it again. That's a portrait of | ||
| CF | my mother. Wasn't she beautiful? That's what they told me, anyway. I | ||
| CF | never knew her. I lived with my cousins in Illinois, and...." The girl | ||
| CF | pauses. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh. Oh, I remember everything now. How they - oh. You must get away | ||
| CF | from here. They're planning to do the same thing to you, I'm sure of | ||
| CF | it!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Showing the snapshot should have worked though." | |
| Roger says, "yeah that was both under-implemented and under-hinted" | ||
| DavidW says, "I guess we can now quiz the ghost about TOPICS." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Lydia, we figured that out a while ago. They ain't subtle here at Eternal Springs." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask ghost about herself" | ||
| CF | The ghost strokes her cheek lingeringly, as if wiping away a tear. "My | ||
| CF | name is Lydia. I was born in 1920. When I - when they - it was 1934 | ||
| CF | when it happened. My cousin Jake brought me out here. He was a | ||
| CF | terrible gambler, and I guess he needed money more than anything. | ||
| CF | Maybe I ought to forgive him, but I can't. Beauregard was just the | ||
| CF | same then as he is now, old and fat. I think he does this to people - | ||
| CF | to girls like us, I mean - so he can live forever." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about locket" | ||
| CF | "I'm so glad you found it!" she says. "You must keep it for me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about jake" | ||
| CF | "You mentioned your cousin Jake," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Everybody was poor in those days," she replies. "Nobody had any | ||
| CF | money. But Jake liked to gamble. He'd play dice, or bet on the horse | ||
| CF | races, and he lost money he didn't have to begin with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I don't know what happened to him afterward. I guess the monster must | ||
| CF | have made him awful rich, but I don't know much about anything that's | ||
| CF | happened since I died. Is Franklin Roosevelt still president?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about monster" | ||
| CF | "This is such an evil place," she says. "That ... thing that did what | ||
| CF | it did to me, it came up out of the swamp. But I don't think it's a | ||
| CF | swamp thing. I think it's older than the swamp, and a lot worse." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about ritual" | ||
| CF | With some reluctance, you ask Lydia how she died. "I know you'd | ||
| CF | probably rather not talk about it," you tell her. "But it might help | ||
| CF | me to know." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She's silent for a minute. "They cut my heart out," she says at last. | ||
| CF | "With a dagger. It still hurts. All the time. And then this - this | ||
| CF | thing came down and ate my heart. Or that's what it felt like. Does | ||
| CF | that help?" You tell her no, you guess it doesn't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about dagger" | ||
| CF | "I'm sorry," she says. "I don't know much about very much." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about heart" | ||
| CF | When you ask her about her heart, what happened to it, she grows very | ||
| CF | still. Her face knots up with anguish. "They cut it out of me," she | ||
| CF | says, almost choking on the words. "Beauregard did, with his awful | ||
| CF | knife. And then the demon came down and ate it. It's gone. But ... | ||
| CF | you know, sometimes I think I can still feel it beating, very faintly, | ||
| CF | somewhere very far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "And I know you'll think this is crazy, but wherever it is, I don't | ||
| CF | think it's the only heart in that place. I think there are a lot of | ||
| CF | hearts, from a lot of other girls, maybe hundreds of them just like me. | ||
| CF | Like us. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "And sometimes I seem to hear this funny soft sound, along with the | ||
| CF | beating. It's like a dry, sifting noise, but with little clicking | ||
| CF | noises in it too, like beetles or something. That doesn't make any | ||
| CF | sense at all, does it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about eternal springs" | ||
| CF | "I'm really bored here," Lydia says. "I can never get very far from | ||
| CF | this spot, but sometimes I go peek into the cabins at night, when | ||
| CF | people are sleeping." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about altar" | ||
| CF | Lydia reaches out to touch the stone block, almost lovingly. "That was | ||
| CF | where they did it to me," she whispers. "I guess it only lasted a | ||
| CF | minute, but it seems like it lasted years. Like it's still going on, | ||
| CF | almost. The knife, the blood, the - the thing coming down on top of | ||
| CF | me, its teeth, its eyes like lava...." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carvings" | ||
| CF | You carefully brush layers of dirt from the surface of the block, | ||
| CF | revealing seven figures. Two, wearing elaborate headdresses, kneel at | ||
| CF | the left side and the right. Four more, young and female and naked, | ||
| CF | march in single file up a ramp. By far the largest figure, waiting at | ||
| CF | the top of the ramp, is a monster of some sort, with glaring eyes, | ||
| CF | bared teeth, long claws, and a protruding tongue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about carvings" | ||
| CF | "I forget things," she says. "I think I might know something about | ||
| CF | that, only now I can't remember." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about white dress" | ||
| CF | You tell Lydia that your aunt brought a dress just like hers for you to | ||
| CF | wear later this afternoon. She shudders. "That's pretty much what I | ||
| CF | expected. You have to get away! It's not too late." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about phelps" | ||
| CF | "He told me we were having a picnic," she says. "He didn't tell me the | ||
| CF | - the awful thing that came would be the only one eating anything, or | ||
| CF | that what it would be eating would be me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about honey" | ||
| CF | You describe the girl singer from Nashville to Lydia. "She sounds like | ||
| CF | an awful person," the ghost replies. "Really stuck up. But you know, | ||
| CF | part of me wishes I could be like her. I mean, I'd be nicer, but you | ||
| CF | know what I mean." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about aunt" | ||
| CF | You tell Lydia how your aunt brought you down here from New York for no | ||
| CF | apparent reason, and brought along this white dress for you to wear to | ||
| CF | some kind of supposed picnic. Lydia nods vigorously. "That's just | ||
| CF | like me with my cousin Jake. I guess he needed money more than | ||
| CF | anything. I think the horrid thing grants people's wishes. I guess it | ||
| CF | must have made Jake rich. I'll bet your aunt is the same way. I'll | ||
| CF | bet she wants something so much she's willing to let them - no, not let | ||
| CF | them, she's willing to help them kill you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about reverend" | ||
| CF | You mention that there's a clergyman staying in one of the cabins, and | ||
| CF | that he seems to be part of whatever is going on around here. "I wish | ||
| CF | I could say that surprises me," she says. "But it doesn't. There were | ||
| CF | some nasty ministers back when I was alive, and I don't guess it's | ||
| CF | changed much." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about tyrone" | ||
| CF | "I've seen him," she says. "I don't think he's a bad man. I don't | ||
| CF | know why he stays around here. He reminds me of somebody, but I just | ||
| CF | can't think who." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline wonders if people born in 1920 said 'stuck up' | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about dog" | ||
| CF | You tell her how you made friends with the dog, and she smiles. | ||
| CF | "That's very clever." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about incinerator" | ||
| CF | She's looking off pensively toward the swamp. She seems not to have | ||
| CF | heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about swamp" | ||
| CF | "There's nasty things out there in the swamp," Lydia says. "Alligators | ||
| CF | and other things. I tried to cross the swamp in a boat, before I died. | ||
| CF | I was trying to get away. Only I didn't have a map, so I got lost. | ||
| CF | And then they came after me and brought me back. You shouldn't go out | ||
| CF | there unless you have a map, and a compass too." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about map" | ||
| CF | You ask her if she knows where you might be able to find a map of the | ||
| CF | swamp. She shrugs. "I don't know anything at all, really. Maybe if | ||
| CF | you ask some of the people here, someone will be able to help you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, there's a list of things to get." | |
| Jacqueline says, "yeha" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "yeah" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about compass" | ||
| CF | "I forget things," she says. "I think I might know something about | ||
| CF | that, only now I can't remember." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about boat" | ||
| CF | You tell her about the boat shed, and she nods excitedly. "That's | ||
| CF | where they keep the boats. I'll bet if you could steal a boat, you | ||
| CF | could get away from here!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Think Tyrone will help us?" | |
| DavidW says, "maybe." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about boys" | ||
| CF | Lydia giggles. "Those boys? They come down here sometimes. If it's | ||
| CF | at night, I like to scare them." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about cabins" | ||
| CF | "I'm really bored here," Lydia says. "I can never get very far from | ||
| CF | this spot, but sometimes I go peek into the cabins at night, when | ||
| CF | people are sleeping." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put locket in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about bayou" | ||
| CF | "There's nasty things out there in the swamp," Lydia says. "Alligators | ||
| CF | and other things. I tried to cross the swamp in a boat, before I died. | ||
| CF | I was trying to get away. Only I didn't have a map, so I got lost. | ||
| CF | And then they came after me and brought me back. You shouldn't go out | ||
| CF | there unless you have a map, and a compass too." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about croquet" | ||
| CF | "I'm sorry," she says. "I don't know much about very much." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about garden" | ||
| CF | She's looking off pensively toward the swamp. She seems not to have | ||
| CF | heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Any other obvious topics?" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "The house, perhaps?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about house" | ||
| CF | "I forget things," she says. "I think I might know something about | ||
| CF | that, only now I can't remember." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about trapdoor" | ||
| CF | "I'm sorry," she says. "I don't know much about very much." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I didn't talk to her nearly this much, so I'm no help" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hrm." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about wasp nest" | ||
| CF | She's looking off pensively toward the swamp. She seems not to have | ||
| CF | heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x watch" | ||
| CF | You see no watch here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 3:15. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Ask Tyrone about map, compass?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I doubt Lydia knows where our cellphone is. Or what it is for that matter." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to David), "Sure" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about phone" | ||
| CF | "I'm sorry," she says. "I don't know much about very much." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, the ghost calls after you in a breathy voice: "I hope | ||
| CF | you'll come back and visit me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You follow the path westward, back to Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I think the missing cell phone is very intentional and permanent." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about map" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You ask Tyrone whether he might know where you could find a map of the | ||
| CF | swamp. "Dunno what you'd need nothin' like that for," he says. | ||
| CF | Leastways, not unless you got you a boat. Mr. Beauregard, he keeps | ||
| CF | them boats locked up pretty tight in the shed, don't he?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I mean, yeah, Auntie must have stolen it from us." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about compass" | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about jake" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about alligators" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about demon" | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Yeah. I suspected he would not help." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about monster" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I'm here to ask questions and eat gumbo" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about heart" | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Roger), "We're all out of gumbo :(" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about boys" | ||
| CF | When you mention the farm boys you ran into down the road, Tyrone | ||
| CF | snorts with quiet contempt. "They's good for nothin'. Good for | ||
| CF | nothin', but always up to somethin'. Best you steer clear of 'em, if | ||
| CF | you know what's good for you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I'm sure it will end badly, but the boys may be should be spoken to more." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Ask 'em about the ghost, maybe." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about cabin 1" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about guests" | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "yeah, I dunno if the boys are just an unpleasant end of the road blockade or if there's more to them." | |
| MoyTW says, "Ok, I gotta go. Thanks, y'all." | ||
| MoyTW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | DavidW says, "I can't imagine Honey having a compass or map." | |
| Jacqueline asks, "Why don't we call it?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Maybe plot time has advanced so that one of the other guests is available?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Like, we made a lot of progress." | ||
| DavidW says, "sure, we can stop here." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "And we'll all be on time next week!" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I was about to say, maybe the nap guy is willing to talk, but yeah, we can stop here for the week." | ||
| Roger says, "glad y'all needed just a little hint" | ||
| DavidW says, "And thank you for it!" | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Yeah. Thank you, Roger!" | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Thanks!" | ||
| Roger says, "I'm not sure why I stumbled onto that almost immediately when I was playing it by myself, but there we go" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "save" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cflydialocket" | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, I think we all just read it as scenery." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "(Which I guess it technically is.)" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes. Just world-building." | ||
| DavidW says, "And we still haven't used the vise for anything yet." | ||
| Roger says, "also personally I immediately straightened out the hoop, again not sure why." | ||
| Roger says, "and I opened the locket right off the bat and left it open, so I didn't see either of those little dead-ends" | ||
| DavidW says, "If it was a paperclip, I'd suspect straightening it." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I mean, we're a 14-year old? I don't know how those hoops are supposed to be, but it doesn't quite jump to mind for me." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "*how strong" | ||
| DavidW says, "They're a U shape." | ||
| Roger says, "they're like clotheshanger wire" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'd say old croquet courses are pretty common thing from my youth." | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't remember how flimsy/malleable they are." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I haven't seen one in a long time now, though." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Okay, clotheshanger wire, sure. I imagined something thicker." | ||
| DavidW says, "If we find a hedgehog and a flamingo, we can try to play croquet." | ||
| DavidW says, "(Alice Through the Looking-glass)" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'm having doubts about flamingos in the vicinity." | ||
| DavidW says, "The dog probably chased them away." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "True." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "hwh" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||
| DavidW says, "That sifting, clicking, maybe-beetles sound she described ... we need to listen out for that." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess. Almost forgot we were talking about a horror game." | ||
| DavidW says, "Fire or the 'smell of the hive' is probably required to get past them." | ||
| DavidW says, "The boathouse key is in Phelps's pants pocket. Darned if I know how we'll get that." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "With any luck, we serve him to the monster for dinner." | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, I suspect Phelps will have a gruesome end." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh, I'm here for that." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm not sure he will, though." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I think we'll just escape? Hard to say." | ||
| DavidW says, "Obviously, we need to find Lydia's heart and return it to her." | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe Tyrone will need to escape with us." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "If Creepregard survives, I want my money back." | ||
| Jacqueline gives Knight_Otu a full refund on his ClubFloyd dues. | ||
| Jacqueline says, "There you go - complete with 5000% interest." | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Whooo!" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Oh wait..." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Don't blame me. Blame the maths." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Oh, I am blaming the maths, don't worry." | ||
| Jacqueline smiles. | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Code of conduct of these days say I'm now supposed to be salty, I guess. Maybe I'll just be chili instead." | ||
| Roger says, "oh there is saltiness ahead, I suspect" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'm choosing to delude myself into believing there'll be salt mines below the house." | ||
| DavidW says, "anyway, thanks all. I'm heading back to the lounge." | ||
| DavidW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Yeah. Good night, and stay safe!" | |
| *** SESSION FOUR *** | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I am ... here" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Ready to be sacrificed." | ||
| Roger says, "That's the spirit" | ||
| DavidW asks, "oh goodness, it's time already?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yes." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "All praise the name of Daylight Savings." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Wait do ellipses have spaces on the side. I thought they didn't have spaces to the sides." | ||
| Roger says, "Things should pick up from here, I think" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "They do when you overuse them." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "When I'm being particularly dramatic .... I use them. When I just trail off after a thought, I don't..." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "And I guess sometimes I use four or more." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "... ... ..." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "...---..." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Hmm. Google is telling me "There are no rules here, go wild" so..." | ||
| DavidW says, "okay, I've swapped files and clipboards" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "...!?...!!!-...???" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Fun fact: I use ellipses enough and could never remember the UTF code for them, so I created a webpage on my site that only has that symbol. When I need one, I go to that URL and copy/paste." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "So, we befriended Lydia, and also found some old photographs, that show Creepregard as he is today still." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I also have one for the em-dash, and another for the shruggie." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "Oh, sorry. You were here to play the game. Got it." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "..."shruggie"?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I see we need a map and a compass and the boathouse key and that Lydia now talks to us thanks to the locket." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Just recapping..." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Moy), "Don't know if it will show here, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh right, I forgot about the photographs." | ||
| Jacqueline nods. | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So, what's next?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm not sure. We know the boathouse key is in Phelps' pocket. There's the wasp nest." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "There are the boys" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, an old shovel, some faded photographs, and a gold locket), | ||
| CF | the key to Cabin One, a wooden bucket (which contains some water), a | ||
| CF | pill bottle, a little white pill, and a croquet hoop. You're wearing | ||
| CF | your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Show the photos around, I guess? Or we could see if the two people we couldn't talk to yet are ready to speak now." | |
| DavidW says (to KO), "good points." | ||
| Jacqueline nods. | ||
| DavidW says, "The people we have yet to meet might be our best bet." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone has taken a break from working on the van in order to stand and | ||
| CF | talk with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Four) | ||
| CF | You tap on the door, and a male voice within, sounding a bit annoyed, | ||
| CF | says, "Go away." Okay, he's still in there. No harm in checking. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the door of Cabin Three) | ||
| CF | You tap hesitantly on the door of Cabin Three. After a few moments, a | ||
| CF | low voice from within says, "I'm sorry - I'm taking a nap. Perhaps you | ||
| CF | could come back a little later." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Or perhaps not." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hrm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show photographs to tyrone" | ||
| CF | (first taking the faded photographs from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone takes the snapshots from you and thumbs through them before | ||
| CF | handing them back. "Them's old, real old," he says. "Mr. Beauregard, | ||
| CF | he ain't changed much, has he? They's one other that hasn't, neither. | ||
| CF | I see her sometimes, on a moonlit night." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Oh." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about lydia" | ||
| CF | When you mention the apparition you saw hovering around the stone block | ||
| CF | in the meadow, Tyrone starts poking around very busily in the innards | ||
| CF | of the van. "People see lots o' things," he says, not looking at you. | ||
| CF | "People ought to mind their own business." You start to mention Lydia | ||
| CF | to Tyrone, but then you hesitate. Tyrone seems to be on your side, but | ||
| CF | there may be limits. If he finds out you've restored Lydia to life, he | ||
| CF | might feel compelled to let Beauregard know. And if he doesn't tell | ||
| CF | but Beauregard finds out anyway, that might be very bad for Tyrone, who | ||
| CF | you're starting to like just a little. No, better not say anything | ||
| CF | that might get either of you in trouble. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Uh...we didn't restore Lydia to life did we, we just, like, calmed her down?" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "We haven't exactly restored her, have we?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Timing." | ||
| DavidW says, "That strongly suggests NOT showing the photographs to Beauregard." | ||
| Roger says, "It's life, but not as we know it" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "That, and we stole them from his basement." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, I say we save first, but I want to show the photos to everyone." | ||
| MoyTW says, "I mean he'd probably be like "Hey where'd you get my old photos"" | ||
| DavidW says, "Possibly this is a minor bug, that we DO bring Lydia back to life." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We... whoa" | ||
| Roger says, "Back to life *and* back to reality" | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe? I'm guessing." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "It is a possibility." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Any objections to showing the photos to Honey or the boys?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "I see what you do there." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Did, even." | ||
| Roger says, "OBJECTION! is something I do not have" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "No objections." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show photographs to honey" | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey barely glances at the faded photographs. "That's nice, sugar. | ||
| CF | Now why don't you run off and play or somethin'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show locket to honey" | ||
| CF | (first taking the gold locket from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Honey barely glances at the gold locket. "That's nice, sugar. Now why | ||
| CF | don't you run off and play or somethin'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put locket in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey inspects her perfectly manicured bright pink nails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, Honey goes back to reading (if that's the right word) | ||
| CF | her magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, uneven ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot, | ||
| CF | and a walk leads off through some tall bushes to the south. Beyond the | ||
| CF | bushes can be glimpsed the roof of the main house. On the north side | ||
| CF | of the road is a ditch choked with bramble bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black metal barrel is standing on the shoulder of the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | By a Farm | ||
| CF | The east/west road passes close by the front gate of a trashy-looking | ||
| CF | farm. Two large, smirking farm boys are lounging by the gate, chewing | ||
| CF | lengths of grass and looking at you in a keen and unhealthy way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show photographs to boys" | ||
| CF | "Hello again," you say, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Was she gone?" the smaller boy says. "I din't notice." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The boys look at one another and roll their eyes, as if wondering how | ||
| CF | you could be so stupid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | "We could take those away from you," the smaller boy says, "but why | ||
| CF | bother? Now, I'm not sayin' you don't got nothin' we might want, but | ||
| CF | that ain't it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put photographs in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit boys" | ||
| CF | It seems pretty clear that provoking them would get you in big trouble | ||
| CF | really quickly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "She's a hot chick, ain't she?" the larger boy says, nudging his | ||
| CF | brother and tilting his head at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Those kids are useless." | |
| DavidW says, "I'm not sure." | ||
| Roger says, "mayyyyybe" | ||
| DavidW asks, "There might be some way to get them to fight each other over us?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "They sure don't act like they're useful." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Wait" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "They just implied they want something of ours, maybe?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Our virtue." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh. Or was that just a ... yeah" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | "See you later," you say as you walk away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Aw, don't go," the larger boy says. "Stick around. We was just gonna | ||
| CF | show you how to have a real good time!" As you walk away, you hear the | ||
| CF | boys snickering about something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "We never found a way to use this gap either." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You slip into the gap in the hedge, and find yourself angled in a | ||
| CF | twisty maze of thorny bramble-bushes. For a couple of minutes you | ||
| CF | stumble around, trying to avoid getting stuck by the razor-sharp | ||
| CF | thorns. Eventually you find your way back to the road, shaken by the | ||
| CF | ordeal but not too badly scratched up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x gap" | ||
| CF | The gap is narrow, and the bushes within seem to be covered with | ||
| CF | nasty-looking thorns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "And not even a coin for our trouble." | |
| DavidW says, "heh" | ||
| DavidW says, "We haven't used the bucket of water at all yet." | ||
| DavidW says, "Or the vise." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Right, because even the dirtiest things apparently needed no baths." | ||
| DavidW says, "If we *could* make a slingshot with the croquet hoop, then we might try to shoot computer guy with it, I suppose." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Have we seen anything particularly dirty?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "What's with y'all thinking slingshots are a thing, were they, like...a Thing in period or." | ||
| Roger says, "I think so" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "The boys, Beauregard or whatever his name is." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "They're all filthy." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'd have said the altar and the incinerator, but we tried those." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to Jacq), "They too." | ||
| DavidW says, "The hoop was a U shape, althrough a Y shape is far more suggestive of a slingshot." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black metal barrel is standing on the shoulder of the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "We never used this tar barrel either." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, an old shovel, a gold locket, and some faded photographs), | ||
| CF | the key to Cabin One, a wooden bucket (which contains some water), a | ||
| CF | pill bottle, a little white pill, and a croquet hoop. You're wearing | ||
| CF | your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry barrel with hoop" | ||
| CF | The croquet hoop is not something you can use for prying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Regarding slingshots, I think that was more wishful thinking for their utility, I believe." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Did we ever dig anything up?" | ||
| DavidW says, "yes" | ||
| DavidW says, "er yes to KO" | ||
| Roger says, "Brother can you dig it? No, no you can't" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "We dug, like...in a spot. But never successfully, right...?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't remember digging up anything." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead east, down the road to the | ||
| CF | east; and west, back down the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We tried a few spots that didn't yield any results." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bushes" | ||
| CF | The bushes bristle with brambles. It's - well, it's a briar patch, | ||
| CF | basically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The thorny bramble bushes prevent your going in that direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take sign" | ||
| CF | You can't take that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "climb sign" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can climb. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A big black SUV is parked in the driveway. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take stone" | ||
| CF | You see no stone here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take gravel" | ||
| CF | The word "gravel" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x foundation" | ||
| CF | The word "foundation" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "what, no one cares about the SUV?" | |
| DavidW says (to Roger), "The van? We've been in it." | ||
| Roger says, "No, not the van." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Oh, no, berore that." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the back door) | ||
| CF | The back door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A big black SUV is parked in the driveway. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x suv" | ||
| CF | The SUV is big, black, shiny, and very solid-looking. A chrome logo on | ||
| CF | the rear says it's a Bronco. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "*before" | |
| DavidW says, "oh. I guess we missed the SUV." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'd forgotten this." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Or missed it, yeah" | ||
| DavidW says, "I never registered it existed." | ||
| Roger says, "Perhaps it didn't exist earlier" | ||
| DavidW says, "I thought it was just the van by Tyrone again." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x logo" | ||
| CF | The word "logo" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open suv" | ||
| CF | The doors are locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under suv" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the SUV. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in suv" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the SUV. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take suv" | ||
| CF | You can't take that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push suv" | ||
| CF | The SUV cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "x it" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x suv" | ||
| CF | The SUV is big, black, shiny, and very solid-looking. A chrome logo on | ||
| CF | the rear says it's a Bronco. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x rear" | ||
| CF | You see no rear here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x trunk" | ||
| CF | You see no trunk here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Without a key, I don't know what to do with it." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock suv with hoop" | ||
| CF | You give it a try, but the SUV is locked up tight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "pick lock" | ||
| CF | You see no lock here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Timing, yeah." | |
| DavidW says (to Roger), "Good spotting, though" | ||
| DavidW says, "I suggest finding a pigeon to put on the SUV and invite all its friends." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess at least the SUV is a topic to talk about." | ||
| DavidW says, "I suppose." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Maybe somebody new's arrived?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about suv" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You point to the big black SUV. "Did somebody just get here?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone nods. "Fella checked into Cabin Six. Rugged-lookin' fella. I | ||
| CF | think Mr. Beauregard, he didn't want nobody else checkin' in this | ||
| CF | afternoon. I overheard 'em arguin' a little. I'll tell you, that | ||
| CF | worries me. You don't want to argue with Mr. Beauregard, truly you | ||
| CF | don't." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "hmmmmmmm!" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Well." | ||
| DavidW asks, "That was the empty cabin, yes?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I think it might have been." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "empty bucket" | ||
| CF | Emptying the bucket on the ground would only make a mess. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "empty bucket" | ||
| CF | Emptying the bucket on the ground would only make a mess. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "empty bucket" | ||
| CF | You empty the bucket into the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop bucket" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand on bucket" | ||
| CF | Before standing on the bucket, you'll need to turn it over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn over bucket" | ||
| CF | You turn the bucket over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand on bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now standing on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in window" | ||
| CF | The bathroom windows are set too far off the ground for you to be able | ||
| CF | to see in. (Anyway, you already know what the inside of a bathroom | ||
| CF | looks like.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand" | ||
| CF | You're already standing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "Thanks, game" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | There are no visible entrances to caves in the vicinity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "get off bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're no longer on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket" | ||
| CF | You pick up the bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Six | ||
| CF | Cabin Six is a lot like Cabin Five. Twin beds with ugly brown | ||
| CF | bedspreads haphazardly made up, water-stained plaster and peeling | ||
| CF | wallpaper, a grimy carpet. A faded painting of a flop-eared hound dog | ||
| CF | entirely fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Because your eyes take a moment to adjust from the sunlight outside to | ||
| CF | the dimness of the room, you're startled to realize there's a man | ||
| CF | sitting silently on the edge of one of the twin beds. He's staring at | ||
| CF | you, his eyes a wet blue glimmer in the weathered tan of his face. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello, there," he drawls. "Nice of you to come visit. Or were you | ||
| CF | plannin' to steal somethin'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You start to protest your innocence, but he waves your words aside. | ||
| CF | "Just funnin' with you, youngster. My name's Hank. Hank Slocum." He | ||
| CF | sticks out his hand, and you feel compelled to shake it. His hand is | ||
| CF | as dry and rough as old leather. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You introduce yourself, and Hank says, "Pleased to make your | ||
| CF | acquaintance, Diane. Now what would a nice-lookin' young city girl | ||
| CF | like you be doin' mopin' around this God-forsaken hellhole on such a | ||
| CF | fine afternoon? No, don't answer. It would only depress me. I been | ||
| CF | keepin' my ears open. Some of the things goin' on around here I don't | ||
| CF | much care for. Good thing I won't be here much longer." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hank" | ||
| CF | Hank is a muscular, tough-looking man of about forty. He has sandy | ||
| CF | hair, several days' growth of beard, and scarred, calloused hands. | ||
| CF | He's sitting on the edge of the bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask hank about eternal springs" | ||
| CF | "Yeah, it's a dump, ain't it?" Hank says. "Best thing about it is, | ||
| CF | I'll be leavin' before it gets dark. You might want to see if you | ||
| CF | can't figure out a way to do the same thing, if you know what's good | ||
| CF | for you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Erm, Mister, if you are aware, maybe try and help a bit?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask hank about hank" | ||
| CF | "Me? Nice of you to ask. I'm nobody special. Came down here on | ||
| CF | business. I'll be gone before it gets dark. Picked this place out on | ||
| CF | account of it's right close to the bayou. Some friends o' mine ... | ||
| CF | well, I don't want to say too much about that. They're comin' in | ||
| CF | tonight on a plane, you know, one of those little amphibious jobs that | ||
| CF | can take off and land on water, and I gotta go out in a boat and meet | ||
| CF | 'em. We're doin' a little business transaction, and don't ask me | ||
| CF | nothin' more about it, because I won't say another word. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Gets harder every year," he says, leaning back and gazing at the | ||
| CF | ceiling. "Gotta find an out-of-the-way spot like this to do a | ||
| CF | transaction. First time I came here to meet a plane was last year. | ||
| CF | Another friend o' mine brought me. Good thing, too. I woulda got lost | ||
| CF | in the swamp for sure. There's about a thousand twisty little | ||
| CF | waterways out there. You get out there in a boat, if you don't know | ||
| CF | the swamp like the back of your hand you'll be lost inside ten minutes, | ||
| CF | and they'll never find your bones, 'cuz the gators, they chew up the | ||
| CF | bones. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "But am I worried? No, I ain't worried. Show you why. Got me a map." | ||
| CF | He pats the leather case lying on the bed beside him. "You want to see | ||
| CF | it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You express polite curiosity. He opens the case, careful not to let | ||
| CF | you see anything else that might be inside, and draws out an | ||
| CF | often-folded piece of paper, which he spreads open and smooths out, not | ||
| CF | very effectually, on his thigh. "We're right here," he says, pointing | ||
| CF | with a grimy finger at a little square near one edge of the map. "Now, | ||
| CF | to meet the plane I got to go-" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hank glances toward the window and pauses. "Uh-oh," he says. "Company | ||
| CF | comin'. Look, sweetheart, I don't want nobody to find me with an | ||
| CF | underage girl in my motel room. Nothin' personal, you understand, I | ||
| CF | wouldn't hurt you for all the world, but I got what they call prior | ||
| CF | felony convictions. If you'd be so kind as to just slip into the | ||
| CF | closet there for a minute, until I chase these bozos off...." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself crammed into the cabin's tiny, musty-smelling closet. | ||
| CF | The door is open only a crack, not enough for you to see what's going | ||
| CF | on outside, only enough to let in a trickle of light that reassures you | ||
| CF | you haven't been entombed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Men's voices come to you, somewhat muffled. "We have a problem," says | ||
| CF | one voice. "The problem is you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hank says, "Well, that's not a problem, then, because I was just | ||
| CF | gettin' ready to leave." He sounds a little edgy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Not good enough," says another voice. "We saw the girl come in here a | ||
| CF | while ago. Good thing she's gone now, or we'd have an even bigger | ||
| CF | headache." With a start, you recognize the resonant tones of Reverend | ||
| CF | Gillespie. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm not followin' you," Hank says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The point is, you know she's here. Later on tonight, or tomorrow, you | ||
| CF | might think to ask questions." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I know how to keep my mouth shut," Hank says. "Of course, if you had | ||
| CF | a few bucks to spread around, it'd set my conscience at ease." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "You think he'd stay bought?" the first man says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I think the longer we let him think he's negotiating, the harder it'll | ||
| CF | be to do what has to be done." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hank's voice rises. "Now, wait just a-" He's cut off by a BANG so loud | ||
| CF | it makes you jump. You aren't sure you didn't let out a scream too, | ||
| CF | but the bang was loud enough to cover any sounds you made. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a longish silence, punctuated only by shuffling and scraping | ||
| CF | noises. "What are we going to do with his stuff?" asks Reverend | ||
| CF | Gillespie. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Burn it. You saw the incinerator out back. Then we take him out in | ||
| CF | Beauregard's boat and lose him." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What about his car?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Here are the keys. Ask Beauregard. Maybe the nigger can drive it off | ||
| CF | somewhere, leave the keys in the ignition. Somebody's bound to steal | ||
| CF | it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's more shuffling, and the sound of something heavy being dragged. | ||
| CF | You find that you're trembling. For a long time after the sounds stop, | ||
| CF | you crouch in the closet, deathly afraid to make the slightest noise, | ||
| CF | afraid to peek out for fear they haven't gone, or are coming back. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Not far away you hear the heavy sound of a motorboat engine coughing to | ||
| CF | life. The boat's drone dies away into the distance, but even then you | ||
| CF | hang back, still nervous. But at last the stuffy air and the sense | ||
| CF | that if you don't move you'll be entombed forever in this tiny space | ||
| CF | are too much for you. You push the closet door open and creep out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The cabin looks a lot more vacant than it did before. Hank is gone, | ||
| CF | and so are his things. The one addition to the decor is a large puddle | ||
| CF | of something dark and wet in the middle of the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Can we go with you, stranger?" | |
| MoyTW says, "Oh I think that's the longest piece of text yet." | ||
| Knight_Otu drowns in text. | ||
| MoyTW says, "F Hank." | ||
| Roger says, "alas, poor Hank, we hardly knew ye" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Right, we were supposed to witness a murder. Almost forgot about that." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x puddle" | ||
| CF | The shallow pool of blood in the middle of the floor is spattered and | ||
| CF | smeared, as if something has been dragged through it. A couple of | ||
| CF | flies are already circling around it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Apparently Hank was a drug dealer from what he didn't tell us?" | |
| DavidW says, "I suggest visiting the incinerator and getting that map he briefly showed us." | ||
| DavidW says (to KO), "I guess so." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Hope it's not timed." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, get that map." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You notice a trickle of smoke rising from the area behind the western | ||
| CF | row of cabins. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you pause to gaze out across the swamp, feeling both fascinated by | ||
| CF | its exotic, other-worldly flavor and repelled by its air of foulness | ||
| CF | and decay, a swirl of mist rising from the water congeals into a figure | ||
| CF | - a large figure, which drifts swiftly toward you. You stare at it, | ||
| CF | horrified but unable to look away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The figure must be at least twenty feet tall. It's made of mist, and | ||
| CF | ought to be tenuous, insubstantial, but somehow it seems more solid | ||
| CF | than that. The gray filaments of turbulent vapor are shot through with | ||
| CF | veins of red and black. The thing has a huge, gaping mouth studded | ||
| CF | with sharp fangs. Its tongue writhes out toward you obscenely, as if | ||
| CF | it's trying to lick you. Its meaty hands grope toward you, the claws | ||
| CF | slashing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But then, as suddenly as it came, the apparition evaporates. You're | ||
| CF | standing looking out at the swamp, and there's nothing there but swamp. | ||
| CF | You discover that you've been holding your breath, and let it out | ||
| CF | shakily. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "...it's timed, I bet." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built. The door is standing | ||
| CF | wide open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "And there's the demon." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A column of whitish smoke is curling up from the incinerator behind the | ||
| CF | western row of shacks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all from incinerator" | ||
| CF | You see no incinerator here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "too bad we used the bucket as a step-stool just recently" | |
| MoyTW says, "1 e I think" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator, from which a thin | ||
| CF | coil of smoke is rising, stands in the middle of the open space. A | ||
| CF | scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to the leftmost of the | ||
| CF | three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all from incinerator" | ||
| CF | flames: You'd burn your fingers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built. The door is standing | ||
| CF | wide open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You notice a trickle of smoke rising from the area behind the western | ||
| CF | row of cabins. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "bukkit?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "If only we had water" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill bucket" | ||
| CF | You fill the bucket from the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built. The door is standing | ||
| CF | wide open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You notice a trickle of smoke rising from the area behind the western | ||
| CF | row of cabins. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator, from which a thin | ||
| CF | coil of smoke is rising, stands in the middle of the open space. A | ||
| CF | scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to the leftmost of the | ||
| CF | three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I suppose the game has a point there." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water in incinerator" | ||
| CF | The water quickly douses the flames, leaving a mess of soggy ashes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search ashes" | ||
| CF | Poking around in the charred and soggy remains at the bottom of the | ||
| CF | incinerator, you find a treasure - Hank's map of the swamp! One corner | ||
| CF | is charred, but it didn't burn! You pull it out, wipe off the gunk as | ||
| CF | carefully as you can, and unfold it. But something very odd is going | ||
| CF | on. The lines on the map refuse to lie still on the paper. At first | ||
| CF | you think it's your eyes, still smarting from the smoke, and you rub | ||
| CF | them. But no, the lines on the map continually squirm, contort, twist, | ||
| CF | and writhe as you watch in a way that's both impossible and deeply | ||
| CF | frightening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hurray" | |
| Jacqueline says, "We're going mad." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Awesome." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Oh great, eldritch map." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, an old shovel, a gold locket, and some faded photographs), | ||
| CF | the key to Cabin One, a pill bottle, a little white pill, a croquet | ||
| CF | hoop, a wooden bucket, and an indecipherable map. You're wearing your | ||
| CF | clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "We've just got a bit of dyslexia, calm down" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf13" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search ashes" | ||
| CF | You poke around in the ashes for a minute, but there doesn't seem to be | ||
| CF | anything else there. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x map" | ||
| CF | The piece of paper is creased and dog-eared. One edge is badly | ||
| CF | charred. The lines and shapes drawn on the piece of paper are | ||
| CF | squirming and writhing. It's impossible to get any clear idea what | ||
| CF | they represent. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put map in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I don't see Tyrone" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You rattle the knob, but the door proves to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "knock on door" | ||
| CF | Your knock is answered after a moment by a short, stocky woman whose | ||
| CF | black hair and broad, flat features suggest that her ancestry is | ||
| CF | Central American. She looks down at you impassively. "Oh, it's you," | ||
| CF | she says. "You're the girl, the one they brought. Mr. Beauregard he | ||
| CF | said he didn't want you in the house, but I think he gone off | ||
| CF | somewhere, so I don't care. You can come in if you want to. I'm | ||
| CF | Luisa. I work here, keep the house clean. Just don't make a mess I | ||
| CF | got to clean up, you can go where you want." She has a heavy Hispanic | ||
| CF | accent, but her words are not hard to understand. She turns and goes | ||
| CF | back inside, leaving the door open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "He's probably off driving away the SUV." | |
| DavidW says, "yes." | ||
| MoyTW says, "yay" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | In the Van | ||
| CF | The van has the usual front and rear seats. Through the dust-speckled | ||
| CF | windows you can see the house, the driveway, the shack, and the cabins. | ||
| CF | The interior smells faintly of gasoline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "in". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You rattle the knob, but the door proves to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. An exterior door is to the south, interior doorways to | ||
| CF | the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is sitting at the kitchen table, shelling peas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh, this is the house, not the shack." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "It certainly is," | ||
| DavidW says, "I got my doors mixed up." | ||
| DavidW says, "We probably don't have infinite time, and I have no idea what we might want from in here." | ||
| DavidW says, "We could also ask Luisa questions." | ||
| Roger says, "afaik you have as much time as you need, so I wouldn't worry about that part of it" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Well if you're worried about time, just save and restore later." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about Luisa" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Luisa," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She looks up from her work. "What do you want? You want somethin'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When you ask Luisa about herself, she looks away. "I'm nobody," she | ||
| CF | says. "I just clean the house is all." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I saved when we got the map." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about Phelps" | ||
| CF | Luisa's face crinkles up in an expression that might possibly be a | ||
| CF | smile. "Mr. Phelps, he's good to me. He brought me here from my home. | ||
| CF | Long time ago. I was a girl just like you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about Eternal Springs" | ||
| CF | "It's okay here," Luisa says when you ask about Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | "There's worse places. I get lonely sometimes, but it's not too bad." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about picnic" | ||
| CF | Trying not to sound serious or concerned, you casually mention to Luisa | ||
| CF | the picnic Beauregard and your aunt have told you they're planning for | ||
| CF | tonight. Luisa's mouth sets in a grim line, and her accent thickens as | ||
| CF | she replies, "I don' know nothin' about that. Nothin'." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But won't she need to prepare the food, you ask innocently. Luisa | ||
| CF | turns away without answering. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about Tyrone" | ||
| CF | Luisa shrugs. "He's all right. He treats me all right." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about wasp nest" | ||
| CF | "You ascared of them wasps?" Luisa's face crinkles in a not very | ||
| CF | friendly grin, and she chuckles. "Girls are, sometimes. Listen, you: | ||
| CF | There's worse things than wasps." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about boys" | ||
| CF | "Oh, those boys," Luisa says, shaking her head in disgust. "They're | ||
| CF | not nice at all. You don't want to go hang around with them." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about swamp" | ||
| CF | When you mention the swamp, Luisa shakes her head slowly and heavily. | ||
| CF | "There's bad things out there in the swamp. Things that bite you, suck | ||
| CF | out your blood. Don' even think about going swimming out there. I | ||
| CF | wouldn't even go out there in a boat. It might tip over, then where | ||
| CF | would you be? You tell me that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Doesn't make the wasps harmless." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about tea" | ||
| CF | "Oh, that." Luisa shrugs. "It ain't none of my business." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about altar" | ||
| CF | Luisa shakes her head. "I don't know nothin' about that. And I don't | ||
| CF | want to know, neither." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about ghost" | ||
| CF | Tentatively you describe the ghostly apparition you saw in the meadow. | ||
| CF | Luisa shakes her head. "Don't you go down there. That's a bad place, | ||
| CF | not a place for a girl like you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about dog" | ||
| CF | Luisa's attention is on the peas she's shelling. She seems not to have | ||
| CF | heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about Reverend" | ||
| CF | "I stay in the house," Luisa says. "The guests, I don' even know who | ||
| CF | they are, mostly." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about Honey" | ||
| CF | "You want to know about who's staying here, you go knock on their | ||
| CF | cabins and ask them. Or ask Mr. Beauregard. Or even Tyrone, he might | ||
| CF | know something. Not me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about house" | ||
| CF | "It's an old house," Luisa says. "Really old. It's not too nice, but | ||
| CF | I keep it clean." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Any other obvious topics?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "If there are, I'm blanking on them." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open cupboard" | ||
| CF | Luisa pushes back the chair and half-rises. "I don't want you messin' | ||
| CF | around with stuff in my kitchen," she says pointedly. "Why don't you | ||
| CF | go play someplace else?" You decide it would be better not to provoke | ||
| CF | her. Sooner or later she's bound to leave the kitchen unguarded. | ||
| CF | You'll be able to come back then and have a look around. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about boathouse" | ||
| CF | "That's not something I goin' to worry about," she says. "Not right | ||
| CF | now." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x appliances" | ||
| CF | The appliances include the sink, the stove, and the refrigerator. To | ||
| CF | interact with them, you need to refer to them singly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sink" | ||
| CF | The sink is lined with a mottled crust of scum. A faucet is mounted | ||
| CF | above it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x stove" | ||
| CF | The old-fashioned electric stove has an oven door in the front and four | ||
| CF | heating elements on the top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fridge" | ||
| CF | The refrigerator (in this part of the country they probably still call | ||
| CF | it an icebox) is fairly ordinary-looking. There's no ice dispenser or | ||
| CF | anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open fridge" | ||
| CF | Luisa gets up and comes toward you. "What did I tell you? Don't go | ||
| CF | messin' with anything in my kitchen! Shoo!" She waves her arms at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "open fridge". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. An exterior door is to the south, interior doorways to | ||
| CF | the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is sitting at the kitchen table, shelling peas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x peas" | ||
| CF | The peas are green - well, actually, there are as many brown ones as | ||
| CF | green ones. Some of them are shelled, some are still in their pods. | ||
| CF | It looks as if Luisa is tossing the shelled peas and the empty pods | ||
| CF | back into the bowl with the unshelled ones, because there's no pile of | ||
| CF | pods nearby. You make a mental note not to have any peas at dinner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "You're assuming there'll be dinner." | |
| DavidW says, "I do that with sunflower seeds, I hate to admit." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle is lined with unusually deep shelves, which rest | ||
| CF | (unevenly) on metal brackets attached to the wall. In years past the | ||
| CF | pantry might have been well-stocked, but today the only thing to be | ||
| CF | seen on the shelves are rat droppings and a few shrivelled onions. | ||
| CF | There's an open doorway to the south and a door to the west, which is | ||
| CF | closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to KO), "I was thinking the same thing. As if we'll ever have another meal." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x onions" | ||
| CF | The onions appear to be a couple of years old. Some of them have | ||
| CF | sprouted, and the sprouts are brown and dried up too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x droppings" | ||
| CF | You see no droppings here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first unlocking the door, then opening it) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle is lined with unusually deep shelves, which rest | ||
| CF | (unevenly) on metal brackets attached to the wall. In years past the | ||
| CF | pantry might have been well-stocked, but today the only thing to be | ||
| CF | seen on the shelves are rat droppings and a few shrivelled onions. | ||
| CF | There's an open doorway to the south and a door to the west, which is | ||
| CF | standing open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close west door" | ||
| CF | You see no west door here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I mean, I hope we will, but at this point we know we're intended to be a sacrifice, sooo..." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. An exterior door is to the south, interior doorways to | ||
| CF | the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is sitting at the kitchen table, shelling peas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Okay, unlocking the pantry door was useful. That gives us another way inside here." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A little oval of grayish stones is lying on the table. It looks rather | ||
| CF | like a crude bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Is that a rosary?" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "Maybe?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x oval" | ||
| CF | The gold locket is an old-fashioned oval no bigger than the last joint | ||
| CF | of your little finger. It's suspended from a delicate gold chain. | ||
| CF | Inside the locket is a tiny snapshot of a woman's face. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x grayish stones" | ||
| CF | The bracelet is made of irregular chunks of gray-white stone about the | ||
| CF | size of marbles. Each stone is incised with a symbol of some sort. | ||
| CF | The symbols look vaguely like letters, but not in any alphabet you've | ||
| CF | ever seen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Nope. But interesting." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x symbols" | ||
| CF | The letters on the stone bracelet are unlike any alphabet you've ever | ||
| CF | seen - there's something like an upside-down 'Y', a 'Q' with its tail | ||
| CF | on the wrong side, a zigzag like a lightning-bolt, and so on. There's | ||
| CF | not much chance you'll be able to figure out what they mean - not this | ||
| CF | afternoon, anyhow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I assume we can't steal this bracelet." | |
| Jacqueline says, "I say we try" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bracelet" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Put it in the .. right." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I'll be right back." | ||
| DavidW says, "Several directions to go here." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x clock" | ||
| CF | The grandfather clock stands as stiff and still as a tombstone, except | ||
| CF | that within it a brass heart ticks as the pendulum swings back and | ||
| CF | forth behind the long glass door. The clock face is numbered using | ||
| CF | Roman numerals, to which a pair of ornate old-fashioned brass hands | ||
| CF | (rather bent and tarnished) are pointing. If the clock is to be | ||
| CF | believed, it's now 3:33. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x table" | ||
| CF | The spindly old telephone table is made of dark wood. It sits in a | ||
| CF | corner next to the door, supporting an old-fashioned black telephone, | ||
| CF | the kind with a dial instead of buttons. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "so old-fashioned" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fireplace" | ||
| CF | The interior of the brick fireplace is charred black, but no fire has | ||
| CF | been laid. (Not surprising, considering the hot weather.) Standing in | ||
| CF | front of the fireplace are a poker and a pair of fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The poker is probably good for prying with." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x furniture" | ||
| CF | The furniture is just depressing, except for the bookcase, which is | ||
| CF | maybe slightly less depressing - not because it's in better condition | ||
| CF | but because there are a bunch of books in it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bookcase" | ||
| CF | The bookcase is six feet tall and heavily built. The shelves are | ||
| CF | crammed with books, which is somewhat surprising, because Beauregard | ||
| CF | Phelps doesn't look to you like the reading type. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's an interesting-looking oversize book lying flat on one shelf. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x oversize book" | ||
| CF | The cloth-covered book is hundreds of pages thick and more than a foot | ||
| CF | square. The pages don't fit neatly between the covers; the book | ||
| CF | appears to have been bound by hand. The front cover, of well-worn | ||
| CF | coarse cloth, is blank: No title or author, no lettering of any kind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read it" | ||
| CF | (first taking the sketchbook) | ||
| CF | The book proves to contain almost nothing but hand-drawn pencil | ||
| CF | sketches - more than a hundred of them on thick, stiff paper. Each | ||
| CF | sketch is different, but there's a common theme. Most show monsters | ||
| CF | and demons of various sorts, in various poses and settings. As you | ||
| CF | leaf through the book, you find that you're becoming more and more | ||
| CF | disturbed by the gruesome images. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the bottom of each sketch, a single word has been written in block | ||
| CF | capitals. The words themselves have an exotic, foreign flavor that | ||
| CF | matches the bizarre pictures. Here's a sketch of two demons with fangs | ||
| CF | and spears stabbing a huge feathered serpent, or possibly a dragon. | ||
| CF | Beneath the sketch is the word HUATLI. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another sketch, perhaps the most frightening of the lot, shows a young | ||
| CF | girl lying naked on her back on a block of stone. A man in an | ||
| CF | elaborate headdress looms over her with an upraised dagger, while a | ||
| CF | huge demon with claws and flaming eyes looks on. Beneath this image is | ||
| CF | the word OLTIOC. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A sketch of a demon eating what looks disgustingly like a human heart | ||
| CF | is labelled ZIATLI. A sketch of two men in headdresses holding a girl | ||
| CF | between them and presenting her to a giant serpent is labelled MAZIDI. | ||
| CF | A sketch of a girl being - no, that one is too upsetting even to think | ||
| CF | about, but you notice the word UMIXIM below it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you're about to close the book in disgust and fear, it falls open to | ||
| CF | a sketch you hadn't noticed before - two men in headdresses kneeling, | ||
| CF | four girls marching up a ramp, and a single huge demon leering down at | ||
| CF | them. It's the same image as the carving on the stone block in the | ||
| CF | meadow! Below this image is the word IXTLOC. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Cool we got a name for our demon, I guess." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, we can be all like, 'YO! IXTLOC! What up?'" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Joking aside, often in stories the act of knowing a name is powerful." | ||
| DavidW says, "I wonder if these names are randomly generated." | ||
| Roger says, "They dpm" | ||
| Roger says, "They are the same as from my solo play" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put book on bookcase" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the bookcase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put book in bookcase" | ||
| CF | The sketchbook is too large for the bookcase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put book in shelf" | ||
| CF | The sketchbook is too large for the bookcase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put book in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "This is one good sack" | |
| Jacqueline says, "ha" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tongs and poker" | ||
| CF | fire tongs: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | poker: | ||
| CF | (first putting the pill bottle in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | putting the key to Cabin One in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | putting the little white pill in the burlap sack to make room) | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put poker and tongs in sack" | ||
| CF | poker: Done. | ||
| CF | fire tongs: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Unless we want to search the furniture for spare change, I think this room is likely done?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x books" | ||
| CF | The books are jammed onto the shelves in haphazard fashion. Scanning | ||
| CF | the spines, you see quite a number of hardbacks that look a lot like | ||
| CF | the first editions of mysteries by John Dickson Carr that your aunt has | ||
| CF | in her collection at home. Several titles are new to you, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I guess it is." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You walk down the narrow, ill-lit hall, and emerge in what appears to | ||
| CF | be an office. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Office | ||
| CF | This room looks as if it serves as Beauregard Phelps's office. It's | ||
| CF | frankly a mess - littered with teetering piles of yellowing paper. | ||
| CF | It's dominated by a big desk, which sits in the center of the room with | ||
| CF | a chair behind it. Beneath the window at the west end of the room is a | ||
| CF | small square table, on which rests a curious device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "A curious device!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x device" | ||
| CF | The device is circular, and about the size of a small lazy susan. | ||
| CF | Bright sunlight shines directly on it through the window. The central | ||
| CF | part of the device is a circular platform of polished wood, in which is | ||
| CF | inlaid an arrow in lighter wood. The arrow points somewhat to the left | ||
| CF | of the window. Also incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters on the stone | ||
| CF | bracelet you found in the dining room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mounted along the edges of the circle are several clear glass prisms | ||
| CF | and several more small rectangular mirrors. The latter are held in | ||
| CF | place by slim brass mounting clips. One of the mounting clips is | ||
| CF | empty, however. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As the sunlight hits the prisms, a rainbow of light cascades across the | ||
| CF | surface of the device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I suppose we need that missing prism or mirror to make this device do something." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x desk" | ||
| CF | The big desk is made of some dark wood, possibly oak. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x drawer" | ||
| CF | You see no drawer here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x chair" | ||
| CF | The leather of the chair is cracked and faded. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x table" | ||
| CF | The table sits beneath the window, with the bright afternoon sun | ||
| CF | shining directly on it. Atop the table is a curious device that | ||
| CF | glitters in the sun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | The window, which is set in a heavy wood frame, is the old-fashioned | ||
| CF | kind that's opened by raising it. It overlooks the driveway. Sunlight | ||
| CF | is streaming through it, directly on the mirrors and prisms of the | ||
| CF | curious circular device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn arrow" | ||
| CF | You swivel the device this way and that, but doing so doesn't seem to | ||
| CF | be accomplishing very much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "I guess we try to look upstairs?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wallpaper" | ||
| CF | The wallpaper is decorated with an ugly fleur-de-lis pattern that looks | ||
| CF | disturbingly like the clawed fingers of a hand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the sill just outside the window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow flaps heavily away, but a moment later he's back. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Maybe there are a series of intricate devices inside the house and we find that all the demons and ghosts and stuff are just projections, like in a Scooby Doo." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x crow" | ||
| CF | The crow is large and black, and has beady black eyes. He's perched on | ||
| CF | the sill just outside the window, fluffing his wing feathers and | ||
| CF | pecking for lice. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow taps on the window with his beak. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open window" | ||
| CF | With a little effort, you're able to push the lower half of the window | ||
| CF | upward, letting in what passes for fresh air in rural Mississippi on a | ||
| CF | hot summer afternoon. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow flies away when you open the window ... but a moment later | ||
| CF | he's back, looking into the room with keen interest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Except with actual teenager sacrifice." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bed" | ||
| CF | The bed consists of an iron frame and an open platform or grid of wires | ||
| CF | on which a mattress would lie, if there were a mattress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow squawks mildly at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x furniture" | ||
| CF | The bed consists of an iron frame and an open platform or grid of wires | ||
| CF | on which a mattress would lie, if there were a mattress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The closet is small and pretty much empty. Set in one wall is a little | ||
| CF | metal door about a foot high. The bedroom is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door" | ||
| CF | The metal door is about six inches wide and ten inches high. It's | ||
| CF | badly rusted. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open door" | ||
| CF | You open the little door - and jump back about two feet, banging your | ||
| CF | head painfully against the far wall of the closet. Perched on a web in | ||
| CF | the shallow recess behind the metal door is the biggest spider you've | ||
| CF | ever seen! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x spider" | ||
| CF | The spider is easily as big as a tarantula, but hairless and a gleaming | ||
| CF | milky white. It's busily spinning its web. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Do crows eat spiders?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow fluffs his feathers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I suppose they might." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell crow about spider" | ||
| CF | The crow does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hey, I was able to tell a dog about rabbits. It might've worked." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take crow" | ||
| CF | The crow sidles away from you rapidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow squawks mildly at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "good point" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The closet is small and pretty much empty. Set in one wall is a little | ||
| CF | metal door about a foot high, which is open, giving you a close-up view | ||
| CF | of the biggest spider you've ever seen. The bedroom is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in door" | ||
| CF | Behind the little metal door is a shallow recess. What lies within is | ||
| CF | largely obscured by a heavy curtain of spiderweb. Within the web a fat | ||
| CF | white spider is busily spinning. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "kill spider" | ||
| CF | On a normal day, you might be able to grit your teeth and force | ||
| CF | yourself to do something with (or to) the spider. But you're feeling | ||
| CF | pretty nervous today. You just can't quite bring yourself to get that | ||
| CF | close to it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "We gotta shovel." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit spider with shovel" | ||
| CF | (first taking the old shovel from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | On a normal day, you might be able to grit your teeth and force | ||
| CF | yourself to do something with (or to) the spider. But you're feeling | ||
| CF | pretty nervous today. You just can't quite bring yourself to get that | ||
| CF | close to it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit spider with poker" | ||
| CF | (first putting the old shovel in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | taking the poker from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | On a normal day, you might be able to grit your teeth and force | ||
| CF | yourself to do something with (or to) the spider. But you're feeling | ||
| CF | pretty nervous today. You just can't quite bring yourself to get that | ||
| CF | close to it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Or a...fire poker?" | |
| MoyTW says, "Oh come on fire pokers are pretty long." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put poker in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "maybe we need bug spray or something." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I feel we might be too nervous to attack even with a laser rifle." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Shall we look at the other bedroom?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands | ||
| CF | against the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Huh. Phelps doesn't use either bedroom, I guess." | |
| Jacqueline says, "I'm guessing he doesn't need to." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "He may just sit on the damn couch for eternity." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "E's a demon, 'e is." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x clown" | ||
| CF | The clown seems to have been painted on the wallboard many years ago, | ||
| CF | in a style that was probably cloyingly cutesy even then. By now the | ||
| CF | image is patchy and faded. A crack in the plaster runs diagonally down | ||
| CF | through the clown's face and across the corner of his mouth, making his | ||
| CF | expression look less festive or playful than ironic or mocking. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, ""cutesy" "clown" how possibly" | |
| DavidW asks, "hidden door?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cradle" | ||
| CF | The fabric that covers the high-sided cradle may once have been pink, | ||
| CF | but the years have bleached it. The cradle stands about three feet | ||
| CF | high, and is built on wooden rockers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Maybe hidden door, yeah." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "rock cradle" | ||
| CF | You push the cradle idly, causing it to rock. As it moves, you catch | ||
| CF | sight of a heating grate in the baseboard behind it. Curious, you drag | ||
| CF | the cradle out into the middle of the room to have a better look at the | ||
| CF | grate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Clowns in Nurseries: Nightmare Fuel since 1865" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x grate" | ||
| CF | The heating grate is set in the baseboard in the west wall of the room. | ||
| CF | It's about a foot high and two feet wide, and is covered with a metal | ||
| CF | grill, which is stained by years of smoky furnace fumes. It's held in | ||
| CF | place by a couple of heavy metal screws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Not for long, it's not! (I hope)" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a gold locket, some faded photographs, an indecipherable | ||
| CF | map, a stone bracelet, a sketchbook, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin | ||
| CF | One, a little white pill, some fire tongs, an old shovel, and a poker), | ||
| CF | a croquet hoop, and a wooden bucket. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "hrm" | |
| DavidW asks, "I don't see a screwdriver in our inventory. How can that be?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We have no convenient shrinking dollhouse to turn a shovel into a screwdriver, sadly." | ||
| DavidW says, "oh gosh, that was fun." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "We got all the tools from the basement, right? None were takeable? Just the vice or whatnot?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I think so." | ||
| DavidW says, "If there were takeable tools, we were mind-controlled not to take them." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Was I around for the game with the dollhouse shrinky-dink dynamic? What game was that?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Impossible Bottle." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We didn't play it on the club." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh right." | ||
| DavidW says, "I played it during the comp and it's excellent." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I need to play it, yeah." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Also recommending it though there's one part that you might wanna just look up." | ||
| DavidW says, "The ending astonished me." | ||
| DavidW says (to MoyTW), "I haven't published a walkthrough for it yet." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unscrew grate" | ||
| CF | The screws are too stiff for you to move them with your fingers. If | ||
| CF | you want to unscrew them, you'll need to find a screwdriver. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x table" | ||
| CF | The table is built of dark, waterstained wood, and the legs look a bit | ||
| CF | uneven. Occupying the top of the table is a model merry-go-round. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x model" | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round is large and old-fashioned. It's made of painted | ||
| CF | tin, and the paint is flecked and the tin rusting. The little painted | ||
| CF | horses are cavorting (motionlessly, of course) with a toothy gaiety | ||
| CF | that looks rather forced, if not actually hysterical. The round base | ||
| CF | of the merry-go-round is about two inches thick, and more than a foot | ||
| CF | in diameter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn model" | ||
| CF | You push the merry-go-round experimentally. The base seems to want to | ||
| CF | rotate, but it balks. Perhaps it's stuck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take model" | ||
| CF | It seems to be attached to the table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under table" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the small square table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x base" | ||
| CF | The base of the merry-go-round looks to be thick enough to conceal a | ||
| CF | mechanism that might cause the merry-go-round to rotate. Around at the | ||
| CF | rear of the base, where you would never have noticed it if you weren't | ||
| CF | looking, is a little keyhole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Too many locked things in this game." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Or simply too few keys." | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm gonna guess that the key is either behind the grate or behind the spider." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push clown" | ||
| CF | The painted clown cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open clown" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Key to ... ?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search clown" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the painted clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x crack" | ||
| CF | The clown seems to have been painted on the wallboard many years ago, | ||
| CF | in a style that was probably cloyingly cutesy even then. By now the | ||
| CF | image is patchy and faded. A crack in the plaster runs diagonally down | ||
| CF | through the clown's face and across the corner of his mouth, making his | ||
| CF | expression look less festive or playful than ironic or mocking. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The key might wind up the merry-go-round. Or it's a disguised jewelry box, maybe, and stuff is hidden in the thick base." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x crack" | ||
| CF | The clown seems to have been painted on the wallboard many years ago, | ||
| CF | in a style that was probably cloyingly cutesy even then. By now the | ||
| CF | image is patchy and faded. A crack in the plaster runs diagonally down | ||
| CF | through the clown's face and across the corner of his mouth, making his | ||
| CF | expression look less festive or playful than ironic or mocking. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit clown" | ||
| CF | You cannot attack that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen to clown" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock model with hoop" | ||
| CF | That doesn't seem to fit the keyhole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x horses" | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round is large and old-fashioned. It's made of painted | ||
| CF | tin, and the paint is flecked and the tin rusting. The little painted | ||
| CF | horses are cavorting (motionlessly, of course) with a toothy gaiety | ||
| CF | that looks rather forced, if not actually hysterical. The round base | ||
| CF | of the merry-go-round is about two inches thick, and more than a foot | ||
| CF | in diameter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm not sure what to try except leave the house and do something elsewhere." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Don't we have more rooms?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I didn't notice any more." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads north, back to the | ||
| CF | upstairs hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF | Obvious exits lead north, to the dreary bedroom; south, back to the | ||
| CF | abandoned nursery; west; and down, to the entry hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "We have about a half an hour left, fwiw" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow squawks mildly at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF | Obvious exits lead south, back to the upstairs hall; and west, to the | ||
| CF | closet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow fluffs his feathers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Did we go west?" | |
| MoyTW says, "From the hall." | ||
| DavidW asks, "that's down, isn't it?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh, it isn't down." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x board" | ||
| CF | It's an ordinary ironing board, with green metal fold-up legs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window seat" | ||
| CF | The window seat is a boxlike structure built into the west end of the | ||
| CF | hall, beneath the window. The top is covered with a thin and faded | ||
| CF | blue cushion. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | Opening the window seat reveals a small round threaded object and an | ||
| CF | old-fashioned brass key. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "KEY" | |
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "KEY!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all from seat" | ||
| CF | small round threaded object: Taken. | ||
| CF | old-fashioned brass key: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close seat" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x brass key" | ||
| CF | The old-fashioned key is short and sturdy. The business end doesn't | ||
| CF | have much in the way of slots and teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x round object" | ||
| CF | The small round threaded object looks a lot like the base of a | ||
| CF | lightbulb without the bulb. Where the bulb should be is a flat circle | ||
| CF | of glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "I guess that slots into the curious device?" | |
| DavidW says, "Could be the missing ... yes" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The bathroom is cramped and not especially clean. The old-fashioned | ||
| CF | claw-footed bathtub is lined with brown encrustations, and the other | ||
| CF | fixtures are just as old and ill-cared-for. The sink is on a | ||
| CF | free-standing pedestal, with a mirror above it. The door is to the | ||
| CF | south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A small hand mirror is perched on the edge of the basin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sink" | ||
| CF | The sink is equipped with the usual faucets, and perches atop a narrow, | ||
| CF | grimy porcelain pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A small hand mirror is perched on the edge of the basin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hand mirror" | ||
| CF | The mirror is about three inches wide and two inches high. It's well | ||
| CF | polished, but it's just a piece of glass - there's no frame or backing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hm. This could be for the device too." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Possibly, yes." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in sack" | ||
| CF | (first taking the hand mirror) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tub" | ||
| CF | The old-fashioned claw-footed bathtub is lined with layers of brown | ||
| CF | sediment. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mirror" | ||
| CF | The mirror is about three inches wide and two inches high. It's well | ||
| CF | polished, but it's just a piece of glass - there's no frame or backing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wall mirror" | ||
| CF | You see no wall mirror here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bathroom mirror" | ||
| CF | You see no bathroom mirror here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The bathroom is cramped and not especially clean. The old-fashioned | ||
| CF | claw-footed bathtub is lined with brown encrustations, and the other | ||
| CF | fixtures are just as old and ill-cared-for. The sink is on a | ||
| CF | free-standing pedestal, with a mirror above it. The door is to the | ||
| CF | south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close sack" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can close. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pedestal" | ||
| CF | The sink is equipped with the usual faucets, and perches atop a narrow, | ||
| CF | grimy porcelain pedestal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop sack" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The bathroom is cramped and not especially clean. The old-fashioned | ||
| CF | claw-footed bathtub is lined with brown encrustations, and the other | ||
| CF | fixtures are just as old and ill-cared-for. The sink is on a | ||
| CF | free-standing pedestal, with a mirror above it. The door is to the | ||
| CF | south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Did we look outta the window?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mirror" | ||
| CF | You see no mirror here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket, a flashlight, | ||
| CF | a gold locket, some faded photographs, an indecipherable map, a stone | ||
| CF | bracelet, a sketchbook, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little | ||
| CF | white pill, some fire tongs, an old shovel, a poker, and a hand mirror) | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take sack" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | Looking out through the window, you can see the gravel driveway below. | ||
| CF | Beyond the driveway is a thicket of bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The bathroom is cramped and not especially clean. The old-fashioned | ||
| CF | claw-footed bathtub is lined with brown encrustations, and the other | ||
| CF | fixtures are just as old and ill-cared-for. The sink is on a | ||
| CF | free-standing pedestal, with a mirror above it. The door is to the | ||
| CF | south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | You see no window here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door" | ||
| CF | The door is made of dark, irregularly water-stained wood, and looks | ||
| CF | quite sturdy. A little brass peephole is set in the door at about eye | ||
| CF | height. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in peephole" | ||
| CF | You press your eye to the peephole, but the lens appears to be one of | ||
| CF | the kind that gives a wide-angle view from the inside. You're on the | ||
| CF | wrong side of the door, so all you can see is a pinprick of light at | ||
| CF | the far end of a dark tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Try going through?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the door) | ||
| CF | The door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock door with brass key" | ||
| CF | There doesn't seem to be any way to do that. There's no visible | ||
| CF | keyhole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "...huh." | |
| DavidW asks, "Try the brass key on the merry-go-round?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "We have an up exit?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh, hrm - I gotta step away sooner than the top of the hour. Y'all keep going. I Will catch up later on whatever I miss." | ||
| DavidW says, "oh right" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | As you climb, the air around you, hot to begin with, gets even hotter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Attic | ||
| CF | It's as hot as a blast furnace in the attic. The ceiling is low, and | ||
| CF | slants down at the sides of the room. A narrow single bed stands | ||
| CF | against one wall and a small dresser against another. The room is | ||
| CF | undecorated except for a rather large doll, which stands stiffly posed | ||
| CF | atop the dresser. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x doll" | ||
| CF | The doll is about a foot tall, and stands stiffly. She has a painted | ||
| CF | china face, and is wearing a blouse that looks as if it was cut from an | ||
| CF | old lace doily and a yellow skirt whose draped corners make it look | ||
| CF | rather like a handkerchief or a small scarf. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dresser" | ||
| CF | The dresser is little more than a box with a couple of drawers in the | ||
| CF | front - it's small enough to fit under the slanting ceiling. Atop the | ||
| CF | dresser is a large doll. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open drawers" | ||
| CF | You have a quick look through the drawers, and find nothing | ||
| CF | interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bed" | ||
| CF | The bed is narrow, and the mattress looks thin and hard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under bed" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Huh." | |
| DavidW says, "This hardly seems to be Phelps' style." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Probably the maid's?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't think the maid lives here at all." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Phelps probably has, like, a magical lock on his door. Somehow." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search doll" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the doll. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock model with brass key" | ||
| CF | The little key slides easily into the keyhole in the base of the | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. You give the key a twist. As you wind up the | ||
| CF | mechanism, the merry-go-round springs into motion. It creaks and | ||
| CF | wheezes a little as it rotates, but as the horses go up and down in a | ||
| CF | festive way a tinkly sentimental tune emanates from within the base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Well...ok then." | |
| DavidW says, "listen to model" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen to model" | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round is playing a tinny little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open model" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "This must be helpful somehow, but I'm not guessing how." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take spider with tongs" | ||
| CF | You see no spider here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The closet is small and pretty much empty. Set in one wall is a little | ||
| CF | metal door about a foot high, which is open, giving you a close-up view | ||
| CF | of the biggest spider you've ever seen. The bedroom is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take spider with tongs" | ||
| CF | (first taking the fire tongs from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | On a normal day, you might be able to grit your teeth and force | ||
| CF | yourself to do something with (or to) the spider. But you're feeling | ||
| CF | pretty nervous today. You just can't quite bring yourself to get that | ||
| CF | close to it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow hops down from the sill to check the floor, sees nothing that | ||
| CF | would interest him, and hops back up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The closet is small and pretty much empty. Set in one wall is a little | ||
| CF | metal door about a foot high, which is open, giving you a close-up view | ||
| CF | of the biggest spider you've ever seen. The bedroom is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take web" | ||
| CF | Even when you grit your teeth, you can't bring yourself to get quite | ||
| CF | close enough to the spider to do that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "blow spider" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm sure that the crow will deal with the spider if we can just move it into the next room." | |
| DavidW asks, "Try the mirror or round object in the curious device?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Do...crows dislike spiders?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "I dunno?" | ||
| DavidW says, "It's just that the crow is obviously waiting for something that isn't in the room yet." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Well, sure." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Crows might eat spiders? Anyway, sure, let's play with that curious doomsday device." | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe the crow wants cheese instead for all I know." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads east, back to the | ||
| CF | dreary bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You walk down the narrow, ill-lit hall, and emerge in the office. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Office | ||
| CF | This room looks as if it serves as Beauregard Phelps's office. It's | ||
| CF | frankly a mess - littered with teetering piles of yellowing paper. | ||
| CF | It's dominated by a big desk, which sits in the center of the room with | ||
| CF | a chair behind it. Beneath the window at the west end of the room is a | ||
| CF | small square table, on which rests a curious device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mirror in bracket" | ||
| CF | (first taking the hand mirror from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You fit the mirror into the brass clip. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x device" | ||
| CF | The device is circular, and about the size of a small lazy susan. | ||
| CF | Bright sunlight shines directly on it through the window. The central | ||
| CF | part of the device is a circular platform of polished wood, in which is | ||
| CF | inlaid an arrow in lighter wood. The arrow points somewhat to the left | ||
| CF | of the window. Also incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters on the stone | ||
| CF | bracelet you found in the dining room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mounted along the edges of the circle are several clear glass prisms | ||
| CF | and several more small rectangular mirrors. The latter are held in | ||
| CF | place by slim brass mounting clips. There are mirrors or prisms in all | ||
| CF | of the clips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As the sunlight hits the prisms, a rainbow of light cascades across the | ||
| CF | surface of the device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x arrow" | ||
| CF | The wooden circle at the center of the curious device is about a foot | ||
| CF | in diameter. The surface is dark except for a lighter-colored inlaid | ||
| CF | arrow, which points out the window, more or less in the direction of | ||
| CF | the afternoon sun. Incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters on the stone | ||
| CF | bracelet you found in the dining room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x round object" | ||
| CF | The small round threaded object looks a lot like the base of a | ||
| CF | lightbulb without the bulb. Where the bulb should be is a flat circle | ||
| CF | of glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in device" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x device" | ||
| CF | The device is circular, and about the size of a small lazy susan. | ||
| CF | Bright sunlight shines directly on it through the window. The central | ||
| CF | part of the device is a circular platform of polished wood, in which is | ||
| CF | inlaid an arrow in lighter wood. The arrow points somewhat to the left | ||
| CF | of the window. Also incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters on the stone | ||
| CF | bracelet you found in the dining room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mounted along the edges of the circle are several clear glass prisms | ||
| CF | and several more small rectangular mirrors. The latter are held in | ||
| CF | place by slim brass mounting clips. There are mirrors or prisms in all | ||
| CF | of the clips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As the sunlight hits the prisms, a rainbow of light cascades across the | ||
| CF | surface of the device. On the wooden circle is a small round threaded | ||
| CF | object. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Not threaded, just there." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put round in sack" | ||
| CF | (first taking the small round threaded object) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet on circle" | ||
| CF | (first taking the stone bracelet from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x device" | ||
| CF | The device is circular, and about the size of a small lazy susan. | ||
| CF | Bright sunlight shines directly on it through the window. The central | ||
| CF | part of the device is a circular platform of polished wood, in which is | ||
| CF | inlaid an arrow in lighter wood. The arrow points somewhat to the left | ||
| CF | of the window. Also incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters on the stone | ||
| CF | bracelet you found in the dining room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mounted along the edges of the circle are several clear glass prisms | ||
| CF | and several more small rectangular mirrors. The latter are held in | ||
| CF | place by slim brass mounting clips. There are mirrors or prisms in all | ||
| CF | of the clips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As the sunlight hits the prisms, a rainbow of light cascades across the | ||
| CF | surface of the device. On the wooden circle is a stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn circle" | ||
| CF | You swivel the device this way and that, but doing so doesn't seem to | ||
| CF | be accomplishing very much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet in sack" | ||
| CF | (first taking the stone bracelet) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm running out of ideas." | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "Can we take the mirror back out?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mirror" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "yes" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put round object in bracket" | ||
| CF | (first taking the small round threaded object from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | The small round threaded object doesn't seem to fit in the brass clip. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Maybe hook the round object in... okay thn." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "put round object in bracket". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Office | ||
| CF | This room looks as if it serves as Beauregard Phelps's office. It's | ||
| CF | frankly a mess - littered with teetering piles of yellowing paper. | ||
| CF | It's dominated by a big desk, which sits in the center of the room with | ||
| CF | a chair behind it. Beneath the window at the west end of the room is a | ||
| CF | small square table, on which rests a curious device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x paper" | ||
| CF | (the indecipherable map) | ||
| CF | The piece of paper is creased and dog-eared. One edge is badly | ||
| CF | charred. The lines and shapes drawn on the piece of paper are | ||
| CF | squirming and writhing. It's impossible to get any clear idea what | ||
| CF | they represent. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x yellowing paper" | ||
| CF | Among the piles of paper you spot a newspaper dated February 1957. | ||
| CF | That's the most interesting thing in the lot, and it's not even faintly | ||
| CF | interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read newspaper" | ||
| CF | Among the piles of paper you spot a newspaper dated February 1957. | ||
| CF | That's the most interesting thing in the lot, and it's not even faintly | ||
| CF | interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 3:45. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Maybe the map goes on the device while the mirror is in the bracket? Not sure why that'd be the case though." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x ceiling" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual about it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through round object" | ||
| CF | You can see nothing through the small round threaded object. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "as a cliffhanger for next session, let's go back into the kitchen" | |
| DavidW asks, "now?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. An exterior door is to the south, interior doorways to | ||
| CF | the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is sitting at the kitchen table, shelling peas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "And stop here?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "save" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cfluisa" | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Fine by me. We've been at it for two hours." | |
| MoyTW says, "I was kinda expecting to get ambushed by somebody, from that wording." | ||
| DavidW says, "That might yet happen." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We might be when we leave." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "I have no objection. Unsure what to do now, aside from I guess seeing if fiddling with the Device can open the door upstairs...?" | ||
| Roger says, "there's something else everyone kinda missed but we can get to that next week, if we feel like continuing" | ||
| DavidW asks, "oh, the door is unlocked while the music plays, maybe?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Maaaaaybe? Maybe check that real quick?" | ||
| DavidW says (to Roger), "Another thing we all missed? This is getting to be a habit." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Which room?" | ||
| Roger exclaims, "sorry, times up!" | ||
| Roger says, "It's nearby though." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Ha." | ||
| DavidW says, "Like, I didn't scope out the dining room chairs or look under the table." | ||
| DavidW says, "And I didn't try entering the fireplace." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Maybe there's a secret path in the fireplace?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Timing." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under table" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the dining table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x chairs" | ||
| CF | The chairs arranged (haphazardly) around the long dining table look as | ||
| CF | if they were bought at various yard sales. And not recently. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | Which window do you mean, the south window, or the east window? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "south" | ||
| CF | The south window looks out toward the double row of cabins. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x east window" | ||
| CF | The east window looks out on an empty section of the porch, and beyond | ||
| CF | that the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door" | ||
| CF | Which door do you mean, the long glass door in the clock, or the screen | ||
| CF | door? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "screen" | ||
| CF | The front door is standing open, but the screen door, in which there | ||
| CF | are only five or six small holes, is pretending to be at work keeping | ||
| CF | bugs out of the house. It's open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "glass door" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x glass door" | ||
| CF | The glass door in the front of the clock protects the pendulum. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | You tug on the door, but it seems to be stuck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pendulum" | ||
| CF | The brass pendulum glints dimly as it swings ponderously back and forth | ||
| CF | in time with the almost hypnotic ticking of the clock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookcase contains a mystery by John Dickson Carr. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carr" | ||
| CF | It's a pristine first edition of a novel called "The Four False | ||
| CF | Weapons," by a British author named John Dickson Carr. (The reason you | ||
| CF | know he's British is because Aunt Caroline is always raving about him.) | ||
| CF | The lurid dust jacket depicts a woman in a yellow evening gown who is | ||
| CF | cowering in fear from a dagger, a revolver, a razor, and a bottle of | ||
| CF | poison, all of which are swirling around her in the air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter fireplace" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bookcase contains a mystery by John Dickson Carr. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open carr" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read carr" | ||
| CF | (first taking the mystery by John Dickson Carr) | ||
| CF | Boh-rring. this would put you to sleep for sure. Looks like Beauregard | ||
| CF | enjoys boring old mysteries as much as your aunt does. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put carr in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Anything that might put Phelps to sleep is a good thing." | |
| MoyTW says, "Wonder if we can drug somebody's food, now that we have kitchen access." | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, probably." | ||
| DavidW says, "anyway, thanks all for the game." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Same." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Thanks, all." | ||
| MoyTW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | ||
| DavidW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Thanks, and good night!" | |
| *** SESSION FIVE *** | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So. Is today a good day to die?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "sort by rating is working better, more like the Top 100 list" | ||
| DavidW says (to lkcampbell), "bg has been telling me some of it. I've mostly noted the URL change and the margins." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Lance), "Nice." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "also, when you post a link in social media, you get a card with the image and description, etc." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "a game lin" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "k" | ||
| zarf says, "that's my favorite" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Very nice" | ||
| DavidW says, "I have noticed that with my Twitter bot, IFClueBot, yes." | ||
| Knight_Otu has arrived. | lkcampbell says, "next update, mobile should look way better" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hey." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "and you can use search parameters to include or exclude the "played" and "wishlist" and "not interested" games" | ||
| DavidW says, "Now that would be helpful and make me more likely to mark all my played games." | ||
| Roger says, "When last we left our heroine, she had broken into a senior citizen's house" | ||
| DavidW says (to Roger), "gosh, it sounds bad when you phrase it like that." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "like if you want to see all games in 2021 that you haven't played or wihlisted or ignored, you will be able to search on published:2021- played:no willplay:no wontplay:no" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yes appeals to all of us completists :)" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "okay, that's my IFDB news flash :)" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Heh. Thanks." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "And yeah, Roger. You make us sound bad." | ||
| DavidW asks, "I should mention that Spring Thing is probably, when, today?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Wasn't the senior citizen then murdered, potentially because of us?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "the deadline is today I think yes" | ||
| DavidW says, "ah, not release date. I knew I saw something." | ||
| Roger says, "We can hope so" | ||
| Roger asks, "did logging get started?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Wait, what, where did it imply that the super-creepy old man got murdered?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Yeah, logging is on." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "I believe its the deadlin for authors to finish their works" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I may -- OH WAIT" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I left early." | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "what's the game?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "So I was confusing the old guy with the drug runner." | ||
| Roger says, "Lydia's Heart" | ||
| DavidW says, "It was Hank, the drug dealer who was murdered. Not Beauregard." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "It wasn't Creepregard, but a drug.... right." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah. Sorry. I thought I returned to read what happened after Hank. Apparently I did not." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "I see what you did there. Good nickname." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yikes...it's a long game :)" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So, Creepregard is dead? Or someone else?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Hank is dead. The dog is missing chasing rabbits. Lydia is a ghost." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Hank is dead, Creepregard still lives and plans our demise." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Right." | ||
| DavidW says, "Everyone else is alive still." | ||
| Roger says, "Our aunt is still #1" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Got it." | ||
| Jacqueline asks (of Roger), "#1? or #2? How do you know?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I would not characterize our Aunt as #1." | ||
| Roger says, "I seem to recall saying we may have missed something important in or near the kitchen" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Or #2." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So what happened with this senior citizen?" | ||
| DavidW says (to Roger), "You did say that." | ||
| Roger says, "His lousy maid let us into his house for no good reason" | ||
| DavidW says, "We can't touch anything in the kitchen with the maid there." | ||
| Jacqueline nods. | ||
| DavidW asks, "I suppose we might've missed something in the Pantry. We walked in and unlocked the door, but I don't remember what else was in there?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I seem to recall it being rather empty, but I'm not certain." | |
| DavidW says, "I think there was rotting food, but we never checked to see if there's a key under it, say." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads south, back to the | ||
| CF | entry hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You walk down the narrow, ill-lit hall, and emerge in the office. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Office | ||
| CF | This room looks as if it serves as Beauregard Phelps's office. It's | ||
| CF | frankly a mess - littered with teetering piles of yellowing paper. | ||
| CF | It's dominated by a big desk, which sits in the center of the room with | ||
| CF | a chair behind it. Beneath the window at the west end of the room is a | ||
| CF | small square table, on which rests a curious device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. An exterior door is to the south, interior doorways to | ||
| CF | the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is sitting at the kitchen table, shelling peas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle is lined with unusually deep shelves, which rest | ||
| CF | (unevenly) on metal brackets attached to the wall. In years past the | ||
| CF | pantry might have been well-stocked, but today the only thing to be | ||
| CF | seen on the shelves are rat droppings and a few shrivelled onions. | ||
| CF | There's an open doorway to the south and a door to the west, which is | ||
| CF | closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x onions" | ||
| CF | The onions appear to be a couple of years old. Some of them have | ||
| CF | sprouted, and the sprouts are brown and dried up too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take onions" | ||
| CF | The onions are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search onions" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the onions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x shelves" | ||
| CF | The bare pine shelves are broad, deep, and mostly bare, except for | ||
| CF | dried rat droppings (plentiful) and shrivelled onions (less so). The | ||
| CF | shelves are fitted into the wall of the pantry by being mounted on | ||
| CF | metal brackets. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x brackets" | ||
| CF | The brackets stick out an inch or so from the walls on both sides of | ||
| CF | the pantry. The brackets are supporting the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look up" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search shelves" | ||
| CF | On the shelves are some rat droppings and some onions. Peering into | ||
| CF | the dim depths at the rear of the shelves, you see what looks like a | ||
| CF | square hatch built into the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Ohh." | |
| DavidW says, "That's new." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Man that's a...not great combination of things." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "@@" | ||
| DavidW says, "unusually deep shelves, it said." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Also, nifty! A hatch! Is it a dumbwaiter?" | ||
| Roger says, "builds character" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open hatch" | ||
| CF | To open the hatch, you'll need to remove the shelves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Gosh" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "remove shelves" | ||
| CF | Glancing out the door of the pantry, you notice that Luisa is still | ||
| CF | sitting at the table - and her eyes flick in your direction, as if | ||
| CF | she's not entirely unaware of your presence. It would undoubtedly be | ||
| CF | better to wait until she goes somewhere else before removing the | ||
| CF | shelves from their brackets so as to get at that intriguing-looking | ||
| CF | hatch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW asks (of Roger), "Was that the item we missed? The hatch?" | Roger says, "That's what I was thinking of" | |
| Jacqueline says, "We can no longer take the dead possum, or I'd suggest we befried her with it, like we did with the dog." | ||
| Roger says, "I guess flail around more until she mosies along" | ||
| Roger says, "gosh Jacqueline is getting spicy with the class commentary now" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "HEY" | ||
| DavidW says, "I see no reason for Luisa to leave until there's a plot event." | ||
| Roger says, "I know I triggered it somehow, but I don't know what I did" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a croquet hoop, a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which | ||
| CF | contains a sequined jacket, a flashlight, a gold locket, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, an indecipherable map, a sketchbook, a pill bottle, the | ||
| CF | key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an old shovel, a poker, a small | ||
| CF | round threaded object, a stone bracelet, and a mystery by John Dickson | ||
| CF | Carr), some fire tongs, and a hand mirror. You're wearing your | ||
| CF | clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Yeah. Before Roger started trying to trash my rep, I was going to suggest we make her a sammich. But I don't think that's the deal." | |
| Jacqueline asks, "Have we shown her stuff?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Like the photos?" | ||
| DavidW says, "We could show the photographs to her. We haven't shown her anything yet." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. An exterior door is to the south, interior doorways to | ||
| CF | the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is sitting at the kitchen table, shelling peas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show photos to luisa" | ||
| CF | (first taking the faded photographs from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | As you start to speak, Luisa scowls at you irritably. "Why don't you | ||
| CF | go outside and play?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is busy working, and pays no attention to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put photos in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, ">LOOK AT THIS PHOTOGRAPH" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Dang" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about phelps" | ||
| CF | Luisa's face crinkles up in an expression that might possibly be a | ||
| CF | smile. "Mr. Phelps, he's good to me. He brought me here from my home. | ||
| CF | Long time ago. I was a girl just like you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Oh wow "Long time ago" is she also immortal?" | |
| MoyTW says, "Did we ask her 'bout Lydia, I forget." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Luisa), "He is good to you, I guess. He didn't murder you." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about Lydia" | ||
| CF | Tentatively you describe the ghostly apparition you saw in the meadow. | ||
| CF | Luisa shakes her head. "Don't you go down there. That's a bad place, | ||
| CF | not a place for a girl like you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about swamp" | ||
| CF | When you mention the swamp, Luisa shakes her head slowly and heavily. | ||
| CF | "There's bad things out there in the swamp. Things that bite you, suck | ||
| CF | out your blood. Don' even think about going swimming out there. I | ||
| CF | wouldn't even go out there in a boat. It might tip over, then where | ||
| CF | would you be? You tell me that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We'd be in the swamp water, of course." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about threaded object" | ||
| CF | "I got work to do," Luisa says. "I don' have time to talk to silly | ||
| CF | girls." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Roger), "I'm sorry. When she talks to us like this, I am tempted to bring her a dead possum." | |
| DavidW says, "Any ideas about what do in the house or should we go? I still think the crow must get rid of the spider somehow." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about spider" | ||
| CF | You start to tell Luisa about the awful white spider in the closet | ||
| CF | upstairs, but she cuts you off. "We get spiders in the house | ||
| CF | sometimes," she says. "Big, ugly ones. You're not ascared of spiders, | ||
| CF | are you?" Her laugh has a contemptuous edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says (to Jacq), "Okayh that's fair" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about crow" | ||
| CF | You mention the crow you saw at the window in the bedroom. "He's | ||
| CF | always out there," Luisa says. "I think he'd like to come inside, find | ||
| CF | somethin' to eat, but I always shoo him away." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "try my shoo-crow pie" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shoo" | ||
| CF | The word "shoo" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "when things get socially awkward, Jacq brings out her dead possum" | |
| lkcampbell says, "it's a good icebreaker" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I don't recall, did we try to put the map onto the strange device? But yeah, I guess the crow wants to be fed the spider." | ||
| DavidW asks, "I don't think we put the map on it, no. Why would that be helpful?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "There was also that toy merry-go-round that we have the key for. But no idea what the toy does." | ||
| Roger says, "It's a pretty neat toy" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Lance), "You haven't known me very long, but yes. That is true." | ||
| DavidW says, "It made music. I was wondering if the music unlocks Phelps's door." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to DavidW), "I'm not sure it'd be helpful, but it's two strange eldritch things that we can combine." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You walk down the narrow, ill-lit hall, and emerge in the office. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Office | ||
| CF | This room looks as if it serves as Beauregard Phelps's office. It's | ||
| CF | frankly a mess - littered with teetering piles of yellowing paper. | ||
| CF | It's dominated by a big desk, which sits in the center of the room with | ||
| CF | a chair behind it. Beneath the window at the west end of the room is a | ||
| CF | small square table, on which rests a curious device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put map on device" | ||
| CF | (first taking the indecipherable map from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x device" | ||
| CF | The device is circular, and about the size of a small lazy susan. | ||
| CF | Bright sunlight shines directly on it through the window. The central | ||
| CF | part of the device is a circular platform of polished wood, in which is | ||
| CF | inlaid an arrow in lighter wood. The arrow points somewhat to the left | ||
| CF | of the window. Also incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters on the stone | ||
| CF | bracelet you found in the dining room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mounted along the edges of the circle are several clear glass prisms | ||
| CF | and several more small rectangular mirrors. The latter are held in | ||
| CF | place by slim brass mounting clips. One of the mounting clips is | ||
| CF | empty, however. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As the sunlight hits the prisms, a rainbow of light cascades across the | ||
| CF | surface of the device. On the wooden circle is an indecipherable map. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x map" | ||
| CF | The piece of paper is creased and dog-eared. One edge is badly | ||
| CF | charred. The lines and shapes drawn on the piece of paper are | ||
| CF | squirming and writhing. It's impossible to get any clear idea what | ||
| CF | they represent. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn circle" | ||
| CF | You swivel the device this way and that, but doing so doesn't seem to | ||
| CF | be accomplishing very much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "I think we took the mirror back out, too?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mirror in bracket" | ||
| CF | You fit the mirror into the brass clip. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn circle" | ||
| CF | You swivel the device this way and that, but doing so doesn't seem to | ||
| CF | be accomplishing very much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x map" | ||
| CF | The piece of paper is creased and dog-eared. One edge is badly | ||
| CF | charred. The lines and shapes drawn on the piece of paper are | ||
| CF | squirming and writhing. It's impossible to get any clear idea what | ||
| CF | they represent. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sun" | ||
| CF | The sun is shining in the window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x arrow" | ||
| CF | The wooden circle at the center of the curious device is about a foot | ||
| CF | in diameter. The surface is dark except for a lighter-colored inlaid | ||
| CF | arrow, which points out the window, more or less in the direction of | ||
| CF | the afternoon sun. Incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters on the stone | ||
| CF | bracelet you found in the dining room. On the wooden circle is an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Okay, clearly a bad idea." | |
| DavidW says, "I tried putting the bracelet on the circle to no better effect, iirc." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take map" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I clearly need to reboot my computer. BRB, hopefully." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet on circle" | ||
| CF | (first taking the stone bracelet from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn circle" | ||
| CF | You swivel the device this way and that, but doing so doesn't seem to | ||
| CF | be accomplishing very much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bracelet" | ||
| CF | The bracelet is made of irregular chunks of gray-white stone about the | ||
| CF | size of marbles. Each stone is incised with a symbol of some sort. | ||
| CF | The symbols look vaguely like letters, but not in any alphabet you've | ||
| CF | ever seen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bracelet" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear bracelet" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn circle" | ||
| CF | You swivel the device this way and that, but doing so doesn't seem to | ||
| CF | be accomplishing very much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet, map in sack" | ||
| CF | stone bracelet: | ||
| CF | (first taking off the stone bracelet) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | indecipherable map: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mirror in sack" | ||
| CF | (first taking the hand mirror) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wind model" | ||
| CF | You give the key a twist. As you wind up the mechanism, the | ||
| CF | merry-go-round springs into motion. It creaks and wheezes a little as | ||
| CF | it rotates, but as the horses go up and down in a festive way a tinkly | ||
| CF | sentimental tune emanates from within the base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the door) | ||
| CF | The door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. As | ||
| CF | the music from the merry-go-round plays, the painting of the clown | ||
| CF | seems for a moment to be rippling, as if his feet are moving. But when | ||
| CF | you squint at the image, you decide you must be mistaken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take model" | ||
| CF | It seems to be attached to the table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x grate" | ||
| CF | The heating grate is set in the baseboard in the west wall of the room. | ||
| CF | It's about a foot high and two feet wide, and is covered with a metal | ||
| CF | grill, which is stained by years of smoky furnace fumes. It's held in | ||
| CF | place by a couple of heavy metal screws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a croquet hoop, a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which | ||
| CF | contains a sequined jacket, a flashlight, a gold locket, a sketchbook, | ||
| CF | a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an old | ||
| CF | shovel, a poker, a small round threaded object, a mystery by John | ||
| CF | Dickson Carr, some faded photographs, a stone bracelet, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, and a hand mirror), and some fire tongs. You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unscrew screws with object" | ||
| CF | You cannot unscrew anything with the small round threaded object. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Hm. The clown image rippled?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unscrew screws with tongs" | ||
| CF | You cannot unscrew anything with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "did it?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wind model" | ||
| CF | You give the key a twist. As you wind up the mechanism, the | ||
| CF | merry-go-round springs into motion. It creaks and wheezes a little as | ||
| CF | it rotates, but as the horses go up and down in a festive way a tinkly | ||
| CF | sentimental tune emanates from within the base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x clown" | ||
| CF | For a moment, you have the odd sensation that the clown is beckoning to | ||
| CF | you, that he has stretched out one hand as if trying to reach toward | ||
| CF | you. But no, it's only your imagination, or a trick of the light. A | ||
| CF | crack in the plaster runs diagonally down through the clown's face and | ||
| CF | across the corner of his mouth, making his expression look less festive | ||
| CF | or playful than ironic or mocking. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "When you re-entered after winding the model." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push clown" | ||
| CF | The painted clown cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open clown" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch clown" | ||
| CF | As your fingers brush the rough surface of the wall, it seems the | ||
| CF | painted clown is reaching out toward you. You can feel the cloth of | ||
| CF | his gloved hand in yours. He tugs on your hand, and - taken by | ||
| CF | surprise - you step toward him. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He places his other hand on your waist, and you put yours on his | ||
| CF | shoulder. As the music from the merry-go-round tinkles, you find | ||
| CF | yourself dancing with the clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The upstairs bedroom dissolves in a smear of circus colors. You aren't | ||
| CF | sure where you are. The clown smiles at you, and you can't tell | ||
| CF | whether it's a friendly smile, or whether he's smirking at you. You | ||
| CF | can smell his greasepaint. His big floppy shoes tread on your toes as | ||
| CF | he whirls you around and around. He dances in a jerky, off-balance | ||
| CF | way, as though he's poking fun at ballroom dancing. But it isn't | ||
| CF | really very funny. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "No, please," you say faintly. "Let me go." The clown seems not to | ||
| CF | have heard. He dances faster. You're getting dizzy. But then he does | ||
| CF | let you go. You stagger backward ... and find that you're not in the | ||
| CF | bedroom anymore, but in a very, very strange place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a Confusing Place | ||
| CF | Vague many-colored blobs of light float gently around you on all sides, | ||
| CF | and there are no shadows here. It's like being trapped inside a great | ||
| CF | big lava lamp, except that you can hear an off-key brass band | ||
| CF | oom-pahing not far away. The painted clown from the abandoned nursery, | ||
| CF | now no longer painted but quite real, is standing in front of you, | ||
| CF | gazing down at you with either pity or wry amusement (it's hard to tell | ||
| CF | which). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Whoa." | |
| MoyTW says, "...wha." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Holy heck." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "I don't know how you stumble upon these things" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "but you do" | ||
| MoyTW exclaims, "Well, I mean, let's ask this clown 'bout his life!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask clown about clown" | ||
| CF | "Where am I?" you ask the clown. "Who are you? How did I get here? | ||
| CF | What kind of place is this?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That's a lot of questions, little girl. Slow down, now. Take it | ||
| CF | easy. You're making my poor head spin." The clown holds his head with | ||
| CF | both hands, as though afraid it's about to fall off, and rocks it back | ||
| CF | and forth. Then he grins at you lopsidedly. "Who am I? As to that, I | ||
| CF | wish I could tell you. I'm not sure I'm anybody, and that's the truth. | ||
| CF | I wouldn't mind being somebody, though, and that's the truth too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Who are you, for that matter? Can you tell me that?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You tell him your name. He nods deeply and soberly, as if that's the | ||
| CF | most interesting thing he's heard in a week. Come to think of it, | ||
| CF | maybe it is. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You decide to have another try at learning what's going on. "Who are | ||
| CF | you? You haven't told me anything." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Well, I'm a clown, I guess you can probably tell that, can't you?" The | ||
| CF | clown grins in a way that's not quite reassuring. "You must have seen | ||
| CF | clowns before. I'm not a real clown, though, only a pretend clown. | ||
| CF | Well, even being a pretend clown is better than being nothing at all, I | ||
| CF | suppose. Can you even imagine being nothing at all? I can't. But if | ||
| CF | there was some way you could help make me into a real person, why, that | ||
| CF | would be a great big favor, wouldn't it? I'd have to do you a great | ||
| CF | big favor in return. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Would you like ... I know: Would you like a gold coin?" Quick as a | ||
| CF | flash, a big, shiny gold coin appears between the clown's gloved | ||
| CF | fingers, but a moment later it's gone again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I don't have any cards," the clown says apologetically, "so I can't do | ||
| CF | card tricks. But I can make a coin appear and disappear. If you can | ||
| CF | bring me something that will make me into a real person, I'll give you | ||
| CF | that nice coin. But I'll have to think for a minute about what you'd | ||
| CF | need to bring. Don't rush me, now. Hmm." The clown taps his foot and | ||
| CF | scratches his chin theatrically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "All right, I'll tell you what. I need three things. First, if I'm to | ||
| CF | become a real person, and walk around in the world, I'll need a | ||
| CF | handkerchief to wipe off this silly clown paint." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, I'm sure I can find a towel or something to bring," you reply. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But the clown shakes his head gravely. "Oh, no. No ordinary towel | ||
| CF | would do. To clean my face I'd need a handkerchief that was soaked | ||
| CF | with a young girl's tears. Only such a thing would do. So that's the | ||
| CF | first item. The second - I'm not solid flesh and blood like you, I'm | ||
| CF | just a poor flat painted thing. For me to be able to walk abroad in | ||
| CF | the world, I'd need some good strong bones for my limbs. The third | ||
| CF | thing would be something nice to wear, so the people I meet would | ||
| CF | respect me. I think I'd like to have a coat made of solid jewels. | ||
| CF | Wouldn't that be grand? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "So that's what you need to bring me - a handkerchief soaked in a young | ||
| CF | girl's tears, and some bones so I can stand up, and a coat of jewels. | ||
| CF | In return, I'll give you my gold coin." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | It occurs to you to protest that if you had a coat made of jewels, you | ||
| CF | certainly wouldn't need a gold coin. But the clown seems so sincere, | ||
| CF | you haven't the heart to point out how absurd his request is. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Well, I guess that's what Sunny's jacket's for." | |
| DavidW says, "The coat we have." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give jacket to clown" | ||
| CF | (first taking the sequined jacket from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You hold up the sequined jacket you filched from Honey Hartwell's | ||
| CF | cabin. "Is this the type of coat you're hoping to have?" Secretly | ||
| CF | you're feeling a little ashamed. If he's fooled into thinking the | ||
| CF | sequins and rhinestones are real jewels, you'll be lying to him by not | ||
| CF | telling the truth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But the clown seems not to notice the deception. Or maybe he doesn't | ||
| CF | care. He stands back a pace to admire the coat. "Well, would you look | ||
| CF | at that! That's a marvelous, marvelous garment. Exactly what I was | ||
| CF | hoping you'd bring. Would you mind if I try it on?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm not sure it's large enough for you," you reply. But when you hand | ||
| CF | the jacket to the clown and he struggles into it, miraculously it seems | ||
| CF | a perfect fit. Perhaps he's not quite as large as he looks - or | ||
| CF | possibly there's no good explanation for it at all. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown struts up and down in the sequined jacket. "Look at me, look | ||
| CF | at me! Oh, I'm as handsome as Mick Jagger. Now if you'll just bring | ||
| CF | me some nice strong bones and a special handkerchief to wipe my face, | ||
| CF | I'll be a real person at last." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "So can we, like, move around this space?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You take a few uncertain steps, but find that you're getting quite | ||
| CF | dizzy and a bit nauseous. In spite of yourself, you're drawn | ||
| CF | irresistibly back to stand next to the clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wake" | ||
| CF | The word "wake" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You take a few uncertain steps, but find that you're getting quite | ||
| CF | dizzy and a bit nauseous. In spite of yourself, you're drawn | ||
| CF | irresistibly back to stand next to the clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The blobs of color that are swirling around you and the clown start | ||
| CF | spinning faster and faster. "Oh, don't go!" cries the clown, reaching | ||
| CF | out toward you. But you feel yourself being spun away from him. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Suddenly you're back in the abandoned nursery, feeling very dizzy and | ||
| CF | confused, staring at the painted clown on the wall. The painted clown | ||
| CF | is not moving. Obviously. He's only painted on the wall. Could the | ||
| CF | whole thing have been your imagination? Maybe you've been out in the | ||
| CF | hot sun too long. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x clown" | ||
| CF | The clown seems to have been painted on the wallboard many years ago, | ||
| CF | in a style that was probably cloyingly cutesy even then. By now the | ||
| CF | image is patchy and faded. A crack in the plaster runs diagonally down | ||
| CF | through the clown's face and across the corner of his mouth, making his | ||
| CF | expression look less festive or playful than ironic or mocking. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "That was weird." | |
| DavidW asks, "We haven't seen any hanky or bones, have we?" | ||
| DavidW says, "yes, it was weird." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We had seen a Hank, but no hanky. Maybe we can find some of Hank's bones, though." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Should we ask Luisa about handkerchief or clown?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We can try." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. An exterior door is to the south, interior doorways to | ||
| CF | the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is sitting at the kitchen table, shelling peas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about clown" | ||
| CF | As you start to speak, Luisa scowls at you irritably. "Why don't you | ||
| CF | go outside and play?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When you mention the painting of the clown, Luisa stares at the floor | ||
| CF | and blinks rapidly. "A long time ago, there was a little girl that | ||
| CF | lived here. That was her bedroom. One time a nice man painted that | ||
| CF | clown on the wall, so she'd be happy. I guess it worked, for a while | ||
| CF | anyway. Sometimes I wonder if it isn't cruel to let children be happy. | ||
| CF | You know what I mean?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You shake your head. "No, I don't think I do." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa sighs heavily. "Never mind, then. I'm just a silly woman. I | ||
| CF | just think if we never let them be happy, they wouldn't be so | ||
| CF | disappointed later, when ... when things don't turn out the way they | ||
| CF | think. They'd know not to expect nothing good. But you wanted to know | ||
| CF | about the clown. There's something not quite right about that clown. | ||
| CF | Sometimes I think he's winking at me. I told you I'm just a silly | ||
| CF | woman. I don't like to go in there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | "You ask too many questions," Luisa says. "You want me to tell Mr. | ||
| CF | Beauregard you're being nosy? Do you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "no" | ||
| CF | Luisa does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about tears" | ||
| CF | "You're just a chatterbox, ain't you? Why don't you go away an' bother | ||
| CF | somebody else, eh?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cry" | ||
| CF | You sniffle a little. It's not proving to be a good day, is it? But | ||
| CF | feeling sorry for yourself probably isn't going to help. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about onions" | ||
| CF | "You ask too many questions," Luisa says. "You want me to tell Mr. | ||
| CF | Beauregard you're being nosy? Do you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle is lined with unusually deep shelves, which rest | ||
| CF | (unevenly) on metal brackets attached to the wall. In years past the | ||
| CF | pantry might have been well-stocked, but today the only thing to be | ||
| CF | seen on the shelves are rat droppings and a few shrivelled onions. | ||
| CF | There's an open doorway to the south and a door to the west, which is | ||
| CF | closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take onions" | ||
| CF | The onions are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "No cutting these onions, I guess." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "maybe if we find a handerchief, Lydia's ghost will cry into it" | ||
| DavidW says, "I suppose we could ask Honey, Aunt Caroline, or Lydia about handkerchief." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Is it okay with everyone if we leave the house?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "yup" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. An exterior door is to the south, interior doorways to | ||
| CF | the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is sitting at the kitchen table, shelling peas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "thank luisa" | ||
| CF | The word "thank" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey leafs through the magazine. Either she didn't hear you, or she's | ||
| CF | pretending she didn't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, Honey goes back to reading (if that's the right word) | ||
| CF | her magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you pass Cabin Four, you notice that its door is standing ajar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Oh." | |
| DavidW says, "That's computer guy's." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Four | ||
| CF | The interior of Cabin Four is much like Cabin Five, except that it has | ||
| CF | a big double bed in place of the twin beds. Also, there's no carpet, | ||
| CF | just a bare linoleum floor, which is peeling up in the corners. The | ||
| CF | plaster is water-stained, the wallpaper suffering from minor rips and | ||
| CF | tears. A gaudy, poorly executed painting of a Southern belle in a hoop | ||
| CF | skirt fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lying on the floor beside the bed is a leather valise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "That was laptop... right." | |
| Jacqueline says, "I'm back and caught up and whoa." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open valise" | ||
| CF | The valise is locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open dresser" | ||
| CF | You open the drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close drawers" | ||
| CF | You close the drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look behind painting" | ||
| CF | You lift one corner and take a peek, but there's nothing under there, | ||
| CF | only the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says (to Jacq), "Whoa indeed." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under beds" | ||
| CF | You see no beds here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "One bed." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "x painting" | ||
| CF | The woman in the painting looks stiff and unhappy, and the reason isn't | ||
| CF | hard to see - it's a good bet she's wearing a tight corset underneath | ||
| CF | that starched pink dress. She's holding a parasol, which leans against | ||
| CF | her shoulder. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under bed" | ||
| CF | Under the bed is a square panel that's not quite flush with the floor. | ||
| CF | It looks like it might be a trapdoor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Oh, ho." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Four | ||
| CF | The interior of Cabin Four is much like Cabin Five, except that it has | ||
| CF | a big double bed in place of the twin beds. Also, there's no carpet, | ||
| CF | just a bare linoleum floor, which is peeling up in the corners. The | ||
| CF | plaster is water-stained, the wallpaper suffering from minor rips and | ||
| CF | tears. A gaudy, poorly executed painting of a Southern belle in a hoop | ||
| CF | skirt fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lying on the floor beside the bed is a leather valise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move bed" | ||
| CF | The bed is very heavy, but by throwing your weight into it you're able | ||
| CF | to push it to one side, uncovering the trapdoor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open trapdoor" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's standing open. A dark | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the dark | ||
| CF | It's pitch black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | You see no flashlight here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's standing open. A dark | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take flashlight" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it on" | ||
| CF | You flip the switch, but nothing happens. The batteries are probably | ||
| CF | dead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "WHA!" | |
| Jacqueline says, "..." | ||
| DavidW says, "And I tried to be so careful with them." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "You did." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "You were." | ||
| Roger says, "no good deed goes unpunished" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I was about to say, you#ve been very careful." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I figured out where we get the tears of a girl now." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf14" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Time to risk grue or pitfall death." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the dark | ||
| CF | It's pitch black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Maybe it's plot-based charge rather than turn-based charge." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | It's too dark; you can't see where you're going. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to KO), "Very true." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | It's too dark; you can't see where you're going. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's standing open. A dark | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | Cabin Four | ||
| CF | The interior of Cabin Four is much like Cabin Five, except that it has | ||
| CF | a big double bed in place of the twin beds. Also, there's no carpet, | ||
| CF | just a bare linoleum floor, which is peeling up in the corners. The | ||
| CF | bed has been pushed to one side, revealing a trapdoor set in the floor. | ||
| CF | The plaster is water-stained, the wallpaper suffering from minor rips | ||
| CF | and tears. A gaudy, poorly executed painting of a Southern belle in a | ||
| CF | hoop skirt fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang | ||
| CF | across the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lying on the floor beside the bed is a leather valise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close trapdoor" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move bed" | ||
| CF | You push the bed back to its normal position, hiding the trapdoor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The tiny, cramped bathroom features a narrow shower stall, a minuscule, | ||
| CF | rust-stained sink above which is a cracked, flyspecked mirror, and a | ||
| CF | commode. The towels stacked on the rack are thin, frayed at the edges, | ||
| CF | and probably none too clean. The small square window is open, but it | ||
| CF | provides no view and not much light either, as a tree has grown up | ||
| CF | quite close to the outside wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door to the cabin is in the east wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Up a Tree | ||
| CF | From this perch in the midst of the scraggly tree, you can't see much. | ||
| CF | The area behind the cabins is obscured by foliage. However, you're | ||
| CF | quite close to the rear wall of Cabin Four, and have a close view of | ||
| CF | the cabin's bathroom window, which is open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Do you know if that's the case? Just curious before we consider something wild like a do-over speed run, only to find out the flashlight will still be dead." | |
| Roger says, "I'm pretty sure this is plot-necessity" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah. Okay. Annoying, but cool." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Good to know." | ||
| DavidW says, "I suppose this is the same trapdoor we saw from the house's cellars." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That's my guess." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "It probably is, yeah." | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "didn't the clown want a towel?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "But I wouldn't put it past this place to have multiple weird trap doors." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "No, a handkerchief." | ||
| DavidW says, "A hanky with a young girl's tears, not a towel." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to lkc), "He wants a -- yeah. A hanky." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Wait, did he say a 'young' girl's tears?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't know if he specified young." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I think so." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "he should use the tears of a clown" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Ah. Well then. I guess these tears I'm crying over the burned out flashlight won't work." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built. The door is standing | ||
| CF | wide open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you pass Cabin Two, you notice that its door is standing ajar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin Two | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky | ||
| CF | painting of a Model T Ford fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a Gideon Bible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x painting" | ||
| CF | The Model T Ford looks rather battered and rusty, but possibly that's | ||
| CF | because of the bits of mold encrusted on the surface of the painting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bible" | ||
| CF | The book has a thin, shiny, pebbled black cover, on which are printed | ||
| CF | in Gothic letters the words "Holy Bible." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | (first taking the Gideon Bible) | ||
| CF | The Bible falls open to a passage that somebody has marked with a | ||
| CF | yellow highlighter, in which God says strangers who see his holy rites | ||
| CF | should be put to death. Whoever used the highlighter seems to have | ||
| CF | been looking for reassurance in all the wrong places. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "open it". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cabin Two | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky | ||
| CF | painting of a Model T Ford fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a Gideon Bible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under bed" | ||
| CF | Which bed do you mean, the bed near the door, or the bed near the | ||
| CF | bathroom? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "door" | ||
| CF | The box springs are sagging, and there's a scatter of tiny dry brown | ||
| CF | pellets that might be mouse droppings. Nothing interesting, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under bathroom bed" | ||
| CF | The box springs are sagging, and there's a scatter of tiny dry brown | ||
| CF | pellets that might be mouse droppings. Nothing interesting, though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | As you step into the closet, a floorboard creaks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold, and the floor is a little wobbly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Two | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky | ||
| CF | painting of a Model T Ford fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a Gideon Bible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Hm. True. You did kind of look under all the beds." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dresser" | ||
| CF | The dresser is built of cheap pressboard. It has three drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "lots of defecating rodents in this game" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open drawers" | ||
| CF | You open the drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close drawers" | ||
| CF | You close the drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the bathroom door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The bathroom is barely big enough to turn around in. There's a narrow | ||
| CF | shower stall, a minuscule, rust-stained sink above which is a cracked, | ||
| CF | flyspecked mirror, and a commode. The towels stacked on the rack are | ||
| CF | thin, frayed at the edges, and probably none too clean. A tiny window | ||
| CF | provides a very little air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door leads westward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "A creaking floorboaard in the closet?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Two | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky | ||
| CF | painting of a Model T Ford fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a Gideon Bible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | As you step into the closet, a floorboard creaks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold, and the floor is a little wobbly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "damn. I miss too many things when I drive." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take floorboard" | ||
| CF | As you pry up the loose floorboard, you find that beneath it is a | ||
| CF | shallow recess beneath the floor. Lying on its back in the recess is | ||
| CF | an evil-looking black figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figurine" | ||
| CF | The evil figurine is like the other one you saw - it's about six inches | ||
| CF | tall, and is carved from a stone so deep red it's almost black. The | ||
| CF | eyes glint black - and you have the disquieting sensation that they're | ||
| CF | actually staring at you. The figure's face is contorted with | ||
| CF | malevolence - the teeth bared, the eyes glaring, the tongue protruding. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Whoa" | |
| DavidW asks, "'other one you saw'?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Charming." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I don't recall another one." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Is the other one the black stone?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Out in the woods?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'm reading it as another figurine, so probably not the altar..." | ||
| DavidW says, "uh, I don't remember any woods in this game." | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "near where Lydia's ghost is?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "The meadow by the swamp?" | ||
| DavidW says, "It has an altar, not a figurine." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I suspect the other one would be in the other open cabin." | ||
| DavidW asks, "And we failed to find it?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "But I don't recall any creaking floorboards there." | ||
| DavidW asks, "What do we do with this one?" | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "how do you know there is another one?" | ||
| DavidW says, "The description." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "oh, sorry, missed that...yes that's weird" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf15" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine" | ||
| CF | (first putting the fire tongs in the burlap sack to make room) | ||
| CF | As you reach out to touch the black-eyed figurine, you have the | ||
| CF | momentary sensation that it has lunged at you and snapped at your | ||
| CF | fingers with its teeth. Obviously, it couldn't actually have moved - | ||
| CF | could it? But a shaft of intense pain shoots up your arm, and you | ||
| CF | recoil as quickly as if you had put your hand in an open flame. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "take figurine". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold, and there's a small hole in the middle of the | ||
| CF | floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The small hole in the floor contains a black-eyed figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "ow" | |
| lkcampbell asks, "you think that's a bug or do you think one was found at some point?" | ||
| lkcampbell asks, "and forgotten?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm guessing minor bug." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "There's been a few weird instances of text, such as suggesting we reincarnate Lydia." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Exorcise it with the bible somehow...?" | ||
| Roger says, "I think one of use would have remembered it" | ||
| Roger says, "err, one of us" | ||
| DavidW says, "I un-took the Bible." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the black-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Nice." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put figurine in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "GJ" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x floorboard" | ||
| CF | The board is about four inches wide, a foot long, and more than an inch | ||
| CF | thick. Though the wood is discolored by age, it feels quite solid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Nice" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close it" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can close. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hole" | ||
| CF | The recessed place beneath the floor is small and dark. It's clotted | ||
| CF | with old spider webs and littered with disagreeable crumbs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I can see a meme like TONGS going far" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close hole" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can close. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put floorboard on hole" | ||
| CF | You fit the loose floorboard over the hole in the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put tongs in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "The perfect crime." | |
| DavidW asks, "Now what?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 4:00. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads north, back to | ||
| CF | cabin two. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Two | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky | ||
| CF | painting of a Model T Ford fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a Gideon Bible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask aunt about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | "I can't hear you, dear," Aunt Caroline calls. "Can't you see I'm in | ||
| CF | the bathroom?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "For hours, yes." | |
| DavidW says, "Don't eat the fish here." | ||
| Roger says, "tell aunt about activia" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell aunt about activia" | ||
| CF | "I can't hear you, dear," Aunt Caroline calls. "Can't you see I'm in | ||
| CF | the bathroom?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "lol" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess we may want to check that other cabin again, if there is a figurine there." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Cabin 2?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Otherwise we have a few topics for Lydia." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Four | ||
| CF | The interior of Cabin Four is much like Cabin Five, except that it has | ||
| CF | a big double bed in place of the twin beds. Also, there's no carpet, | ||
| CF | just a bare linoleum floor, which is peeling up in the corners. The | ||
| CF | plaster is water-stained, the wallpaper suffering from minor rips and | ||
| CF | tears. A gaudy, poorly executed painting of a Southern belle in a hoop | ||
| CF | skirt fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lying on the floor beside the bed is a leather valise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "and we can push their faces together and pretend they're kissing" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock valise with hoop" | ||
| CF | There doesn't seem to be a keyhole, just a combination lock with six | ||
| CF | little wheels that can be set to letters of the alphabet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | |
| DavidW says, "hmmm" | ||
| Roger says, "that rings a bell" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "What was the name of our demon?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "set lock to ixtloc" | ||
| CF | As you set the valise lock to IXTLOC, you hear a soft but satisfying | ||
| CF | snick from the mechanism. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open valise" | ||
| CF | The valise springs open. In the valise is a green-eyed figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yay" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x green figurine" | ||
| CF | The evil figurine is like the others you've seen - it's about six | ||
| CF | inches tall, and is carved from a stone so deep red it's almost black. | ||
| CF | The eyes glint green - and you have the disquieting sensation that | ||
| CF | they're actually staring at you. The figure's face is contorted with | ||
| CF | malevolence - the teeth bared, the eyes glaring, the tongue protruding. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "There it is." | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "OtherS?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "What are we even collecting these terrible, terrible fetishes for?" | ||
| lkcampbell says, "hmmm" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tongs" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take green figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the green-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in sack" | ||
| CF | (the green-eyed figurine) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put tongs in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close valise" | ||
| CF | As you close the valise, its latch mechanism snaps firmly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a croquet hoop, a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which | ||
| CF | contains a gold locket, a sketchbook, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin | ||
| CF | One, a little white pill, an old shovel, a poker, a small round | ||
| CF | threaded object, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, a stone bracelet, an indecipherable map, a hand mirror, a | ||
| CF | black-eyed figurine, a green-eyed figurine, and some fire tongs), and a | ||
| CF | flashlight. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Maybe everyone has one of these things to get their mojo from." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Now I do wonder whether we've seen and yet missed a figurine." | ||
| DavidW says, "Honey must have one." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin One | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like a mirror | ||
| CF | image of the interior of Cabin Five. Except - not really. Honey | ||
| CF | Hartwell seems to have arrived like a hurricane. Her possessions are | ||
| CF | strewn in profusion on every available surface, including the floor. | ||
| CF | Most of the stuff is clothing, every bit of it gaudy and in terrible | ||
| CF | taste. In amongst the garb you can also see half a dozen photo | ||
| CF | magazines devoted to celebrity worship, and the top of the dresser | ||
| CF | (which stands against the east wall, near the door of the bathroom) is | ||
| CF | overflowing with cosmetics. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aside from that, the cabin is unremarkable: the door to the croquet | ||
| CF | court on the west, a walk-in closet to the south, brown bedspreads on | ||
| CF | the twin beds, tacky wood-grain wallpaper that's starting to peel, | ||
| CF | green curtains over the window, and a carpet into which years of grime | ||
| CF | have been ground. A murky painting of a tired-looking Confederate | ||
| CF | soldier only contributes to the air of dejection and decay. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Somewhere not far away you hear the sound of a motorboat, getting | ||
| CF | louder. Shortly it cuts off, and the silence descends again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, there probably are figurines for everyone." | |
| DavidW says, "uh oh. We might have run out of time for something." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Oh, those two took care of Hank's body, did they." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Continue to search here?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess we can." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wallpaper" | ||
| CF | The stuff in the cabin is really not very interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You poke your head in the closet and have a quick look around, but | ||
| CF | there seems to be nothing inside that would be of any use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x curtains" | ||
| CF | The curtains droop sadly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bedspreads" | ||
| CF | The stuff in the cabin is really not very interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x painting" | ||
| CF | The soldier is leaning on his rifle. He looks as if he lost the | ||
| CF | battle, but is too tired to care. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move it" | ||
| CF | You lift one corner and take a peek, but there's nothing under there, | ||
| CF | only the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carpet" | ||
| CF | The stuff in the cabin is really not very interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x floor" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual about it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open dresser" | ||
| CF | You open the top and middle drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open bottom drawer" | ||
| CF | The bottom drawer is already open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close all drawers" | ||
| CF | You see no all drawers here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close all drawer" | ||
| CF | You see no all drawer here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close drawers" | ||
| CF | You close the drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The tiny, cramped bathroom features a narrow shower stall, a minuscule, | ||
| CF | rust-stained sink above which is an open medicine cabinet, and a | ||
| CF | commode. The towels stacked on the rack are thin, frayed at the edges, | ||
| CF | and probably none too clean. A tiny window provides a very little air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door leads westward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x stall" | ||
| CF | The bathroom fixtures are all really depressing. This motel is such a | ||
| CF | dump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open commode" | ||
| CF | Nothing in the bathroom is good for anything other than ... you know, | ||
| CF | what it's good for. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cabinet" | ||
| CF | The medicine cabinet has three shallow, narrow, and rather corroded | ||
| CF | metal shelves. It's open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh, right, we got the pill bottle from there." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin One | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like a mirror | ||
| CF | image of the interior of Cabin Five. Except - not really. Honey | ||
| CF | Hartwell seems to have arrived like a hurricane. Her possessions are | ||
| CF | strewn in profusion on every available surface, including the floor. | ||
| CF | Most of the stuff is clothing, every bit of it gaudy and in terrible | ||
| CF | taste. In amongst the garb you can also see half a dozen photo | ||
| CF | magazines devoted to celebrity worship, and the top of the dresser | ||
| CF | (which stands against the east wall, near the door of the bathroom) is | ||
| CF | overflowing with cosmetics. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aside from that, the cabin is unremarkable: the door to the croquet | ||
| CF | court on the west, a walk-in closet to the south, brown bedspreads on | ||
| CF | the twin beds, tacky wood-grain wallpaper that's starting to peel, | ||
| CF | green curtains over the window, and a carpet into which years of grime | ||
| CF | have been ground. A murky painting of a tired-looking Confederate | ||
| CF | soldier only contributes to the air of dejection and decay. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cosmetics" | ||
| CF | At least a dozen assorted glittery tubes are scattered across the top | ||
| CF | of the dresser - eyeliner, eyeshadow, blusher, mascara, hand cream, | ||
| CF | nail polish, and more. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x handkerchief" | ||
| CF | You see no handkerchief here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "So, this is probably not a thing, I thought it was just setting, but the stairs also creek when you walk up onto the front porch, don't they?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "(For once you're done with your systematic search.)" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "That does sound familiar, Jacq" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x steps" | ||
| CF | The broad flight of steps leads up to the porch. The planks are badly | ||
| CF | warped and split, and the gray paint that was applied to them in some | ||
| CF | remote past is sticking up in thick curling chips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey licks her thumb and turns a page in the magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Hmm, yeah, they did." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under steps" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the porch steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x planks" | ||
| CF | The broad flight of steps leads up to the porch. The planks are badly | ||
| CF | warped and split, and the gray paint that was applied to them in some | ||
| CF | remote past is sticking up in thick curling chips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey inspects her perfectly manicured bright pink nails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take plank" | ||
| CF | You see no plank here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "I thought it was one step up?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take planks" | ||
| CF | You can't take that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey curls a strand of hair around her little finger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Hm. Maybe just not those kind of steps." | |
| MoyTW asks, "...it's interstitial? Also what, he came back?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah. The boat is back." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "They dumped poor Hank." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Ah." | ||
| DavidW says, "Yes. If we wanted to do something on the porch while we was away, we missed our chance." | ||
| DavidW says, "er he was away" | ||
| MoyTW says, "...should've taken the chance to set an IED." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Instructional Eating Device?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "A bomb." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Improvised exposive device." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "I Explode De?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I didn't see a bomb in our inventory." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "no. I think it was a joke." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Heh. That wasn't serious, I just don't like the guy." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "No one does." | ||
| DavidW says, "Tyrone might be back now too, getting rid of Hank's SUV." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Possibly." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey licks her thumb and turns a page in the magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "break steps" | ||
| CF | Breaking that would serve no purpose. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "> ask Tyrone if he got any good engine parts from the SUV" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about van" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You ask Tyrone what he's doing with the van. "Oh, somethin' or other's | ||
| CF | always goin' wrong with it," he says obscurely. "Carburetor, most | ||
| CF | likely. I'll have it fixed up by tomorrow, time these folks is ready | ||
| CF | to leave." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "> ASK TYRONE HOW DUMPING HANKS BODY WENT" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about suv" | ||
| CF | When you ask Tyrone where the big black SUV went, that you saw parked | ||
| CF | in the driveway earlier, his eyes cloud over, and he turns away without | ||
| CF | answering. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Tyrone dumped the SUV, not the body." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Oh. Right." | ||
| DavidW says, "He knows what's up, though, I'm sure." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "He sure does." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We should go snuggle up to Creepregard, ask him. Maybe get those keys." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "(Sort of kidding)" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "(Kidding about part of it)" | ||
| DavidW says, "We could talk to Lydia first." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, to the kitchen; | ||
| CF | south, to the area behind the cabins; east, to the north end of the | ||
| CF | croquet court; west; northeast, back to the lawn; northwest, to the | ||
| CF | gravel driveway; southwest, to the garden of junk; and in, to in the | ||
| CF | van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ghost of Lydia hovers near the stone block. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, a spirited discussion may help." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lyida about clown" | ||
| CF | The word "lyida" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about clown" | ||
| CF | She's looking off pensively toward the swamp. She seems not to have | ||
| CF | heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about tears" | ||
| CF | "I forget things," she says. "I think I might know something about | ||
| CF | that, only now I can't remember." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about bones" | ||
| CF | She's looking off pensively toward the swamp. She seems not to have | ||
| CF | heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about handerchief" | ||
| CF | "I forget things," she says. "I think I might know something about | ||
| CF | that, only now I can't remember." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about bracelet" | ||
| CF | "I'm sorry," she says. "I don't know much about very much." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show bracelet to lydia" | ||
| CF | (first taking the stone bracelet from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | She gazes sadly at your offering. "That's very nice, I'm sure." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show black figurine to lydia" | ||
| CF | When Lydia sees the evil figurine, she shrieks and flies around the | ||
| CF | meadow like a whirlwind. "Oh, get it away from me, get it away from | ||
| CF | me!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a croquet hoop, a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which | ||
| CF | contains a gold locket, a sketchbook, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin | ||
| CF | One, a little white pill, an old shovel, a poker, a small round | ||
| CF | threaded object, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, an indecipherable map, a hand mirror, a black-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine, a green-eyed figurine, and some fire tongs), a flashlight, | ||
| CF | and a stone bracelet. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about ixtloc" | ||
| CF | "I forget things," she says. "I think I might know something about | ||
| CF | that, only now I can't remember." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "The Carr book is to put someone to sleep, yes?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Possibly, yes." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show sketchbook to lydia" | ||
| CF | (first taking the sketchbook from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | "Is it a hot day today?" she says, gazing off into the distance. "It | ||
| CF | looks like it's a hot day, but I can never tell." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Do they have a reputation for being boring?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put sketchbook in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carr" | ||
| CF | It's a pristine first edition of a novel called "The Four False | ||
| CF | Weapons," by a British author named John Dickson Carr. (The reason you | ||
| CF | know he's British is because Aunt Caroline is always raving about him.) | ||
| CF | The lurid dust jacket depicts a woman in a yellow evening gown who is | ||
| CF | cowering in fear from a dagger, a revolver, a razor, and a bottle of | ||
| CF | poison, all of which are swirling around her in the air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "At least with the protagonist." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read it" | ||
| CF | (first taking the mystery by John Dickson Carr from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Boh-rring. this would put you to sleep for sure. Looks like Beauregard | ||
| CF | enjoys boring old mysteries as much as your aunt does. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "That's why we think it might be a sleep-aid." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "read book to lydia" | ||
| CF | You see no book to lydia here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "read book to lydia" | ||
| CF | You see no book to lydia here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "read book aloud" | ||
| CF | The word "aloud" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "reading to isn't a supported action." | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about figurines" | ||
| CF | Lydia shudders. "They're hateful - hateful! They're what summons the | ||
| CF | - the - I can't even make myself say it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "We can try giving the book to Beauregard, maybe, except he might recognize it as his." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show object to lydia" | ||
| CF | (first taking the small round threaded object from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | "I hope you find a good use for that," she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put object in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carburetor" | ||
| CF | The word "carburetor" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x spark plug" | ||
| CF | The word "spark" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show bracelet to lydia" | ||
| CF | "I don't have much use for things," she says. "In case you hadn't | ||
| CF | noticed." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell asks, "did we show the object to tyrone? to help fix his vehicle maybe?" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "ask her about bracelet" | ||
| CF | She's looking off pensively toward the swamp. She seems not to have | ||
| CF | heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says (to lkcampbell), "I was just wondering that." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | ||
| DavidW says, "We're not having much luck here." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Not as spirited a discussion as I hoped." | ||
| lkcampbell says, "except when we show the figurine" | ||
| Roger says, "haaaaa" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show figurine to lydia" | ||
| CF | Which figurine do you mean, the green-eyed figurine, or the black-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell says, "then she bounces around like a pinball" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "green" | ||
| CF | When Lydia sees the evil figurine, she shrieks and flies around the | ||
| CF | meadow like a whirlwind. "Oh, get it away from me, get it away from | ||
| CF | me!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, the ghost calls after you in a breathy voice: "I hope | ||
| CF | you'll come back and visit me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You follow the path westward, back to Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about screwdriver" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show object to tyrone" | ||
| CF | (first taking the small round threaded object from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | "Well, lookee there," Tyrone says when you show him the small threaded | ||
| CF | object. "You know what that is, don't you? Guess maybe not. Where | ||
| CF | you come from, I reckon they all got circuit breakers an' such. That | ||
| CF | there's a fuse. You put it in a fuse box. Circuit overloads, the fuse | ||
| CF | burns out, electricity stops, your house don't burn down. Then you | ||
| CF | just put in a new fuse. Stove up to the house there always burnin' out | ||
| CF | fuses. Luisa told me it done it again, but I ain't got around to | ||
| CF | fixin' it yet. Fuse box is in the upstairs bedroom. Why don't you | ||
| CF | take care of it for me, honey, seein' as you got the fuse already." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "...huuuuh." | |
| lkcampbell says, "that's something anyway" | ||
| MoyTW says, "And here I thought it was, like, an Arcane Artifact of some sort." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "me too." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about spider" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "That's where the spider is, yes, the fuse box?" | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about handerchief" | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Could be." | |
| lkcampbell says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I wonder if we show the figurine to the spider, if it'll run away." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I doubt it, but we can try." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open cupboard" | ||
| CF | Opening the cupboard reveals a juice glass, a stained blue mug, a brown | ||
| CF | envelope, and a teaspoon. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x envelope" | ||
| CF | The brown envelope says "Cocoa Mix" on both sides. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close cupboard" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open fridge" | ||
| CF | Opening the refrigerator reveals an egg. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x egg" | ||
| CF | It's an ordinary egg. When you touch it it doesn't seem very cold. | ||
| CF | Apparently the refrigerator isn't working. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close fridge" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close window" | ||
| CF | You shut the window, blocking out the alleged breeze. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow fluffs his feathers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shoo crow" | ||
| CF | The word "shoo" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take crow" | ||
| CF | The crow sidles away from you rapidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "'alleged' breeze. Weird." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "crow, w" | ||
| CF | The crow cocks his head and fixes a beady black eye on you, but | ||
| CF | obviously he hasn't understood a word you said. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The closet is small and pretty much empty. Set in one wall is a little | ||
| CF | metal door about a foot high, which is open, giving you a close-up view | ||
| CF | of the biggest spider you've ever seen. The bedroom is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show black figurine to spider" | ||
| CF | You cannot show anything to a fat white spider. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take spider with tongs" | ||
| CF | (first taking the fire tongs from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | On a normal day, you might be able to grit your teeth and force | ||
| CF | yourself to do something with (or to) the spider. But you're feeling | ||
| CF | pretty nervous today. You just can't quite bring yourself to get that | ||
| CF | close to it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow fluffs his feathers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show black figurine to crow" | ||
| CF | The crow does not appear interested. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow hops down from the sill to check the floor, sees nothing that | ||
| CF | would interest him, and hops back up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The closet is small and pretty much empty. Set in one wall is a little | ||
| CF | metal door about a foot high, which is open, giving you a close-up view | ||
| CF | of the biggest spider you've ever seen. The bedroom is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit spider" | ||
| CF | On a normal day, you might be able to grit your teeth and force | ||
| CF | yourself to do something with (or to) the spider. But you're feeling | ||
| CF | pretty nervous today. You just can't quite bring yourself to get that | ||
| CF | close to it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit spider with poker" | ||
| CF | (first putting the flashlight in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | putting the mystery by John Dickson Carr in the burlap sack to make | ||
| CF | room, then putting the croquet hoop in the burlap sack to make room, | ||
| CF | then taking the poker from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | On a normal day, you might be able to grit your teeth and force | ||
| CF | yourself to do something with (or to) the spider. But you're feeling | ||
| CF | pretty nervous today. You just can't quite bring yourself to get that | ||
| CF | close to it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit spider with carr" | ||
| CF | You can't attack anything with the mystery by John Dickson Carr. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a gold | ||
| CF | locket, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an | ||
| CF | old shovel, some faded photographs, an indecipherable map, a hand | ||
| CF | mirror, a black-eyed figurine, a green-eyed figurine, a sketchbook, a | ||
| CF | stone bracelet, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, and a | ||
| CF | croquet hoop), a new fuse, some fire tongs, and a poker. You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fuse box" | ||
| CF | Behind the little metal door is a shallow recess. What lies within is | ||
| CF | largely obscured by a heavy curtain of spiderweb. Within the web a fat | ||
| CF | white spider is busily spinning. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give pill to spider" | ||
| CF | You cannot give anything to a fat white spider. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "What we need is a trail of crumbs to lead the crow into the closet." | |
| Roger says, "hunh" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm guessing." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "That might work." | ||
| DavidW says, "well, we don't have any crumbs." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Maybbe there are some peas left in the kitchen?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow fluffs his feathers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x peas" | ||
| CF | You see no peas here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hrm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open stove" | ||
| CF | Opening the oven reveals a piece of burnt toast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take toast" | ||
| CF | (first putting the fire tongs in the burlap sack to make room) | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close stove" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A crow is perched on the windowsill, looking around the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow squawks mildly at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well that should crumble nicely." | |
| Roger says, "I'm not entirely sure how one opens a stove, by the by" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "make crumbs" | ||
| CF | The word "make" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "crumble toast" | ||
| CF | You crumble up a portion of the toast and scatter the crumbs on the | ||
| CF | floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When the crow sees the breadcrumbs you've scattered, he hops down from | ||
| CF | the windowsill and starts pecking at them. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The closet is small and pretty much empty. Set in one wall is a little | ||
| CF | metal door about a foot high, which is open, giving you a close-up view | ||
| CF | of the biggest spider you've ever seen. The bedroom is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "crumble toast" | ||
| CF | You crumble up a portion of the toast and scatter the crumbs on the | ||
| CF | floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow appears at the door of the closet. It's a confined space, but | ||
| CF | he seems quite fearless. He struts in and starts pecking for crumbs | ||
| CF | around your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Maybe it was a stoven." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The crow catches sight of the fat white spider! He makes a quick dive | ||
| CF | at the fuse box and snaps it up in his beak. A quick head-toss, and | ||
| CF | the spider is no more. Evidently feeling satiated, the crow saunters | ||
| CF | stiffly out of the closet, hops up to the windowsill, and flies away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell exclaims, "yay!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "clean box" | ||
| CF | You brush away the spiderweb, revealing two vertical columns of glass | ||
| CF | circles with three circles in each column. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Spider, gone." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put fuse in box" | ||
| CF | There's no room in the box for anything at all, but that dark circle | ||
| CF | looks as if it doesn't belong. You might be able to remove it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "YAY" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take circle" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x it" | ||
| CF | The fuse is threaded, like the base of a lightbulb without the bulb. | ||
| CF | The flat glass circle on the top of the fuse is dark, as if something | ||
| CF | inside has burned. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Great job." | |
| lkcampbell exclaims, "crisis averted...dilemma resolved!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put new fuse in box" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x old fuse" | ||
| CF | You see no old fuse here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a gold | ||
| CF | locket, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an | ||
| CF | old shovel, some faded photographs, an indecipherable map, a hand | ||
| CF | mirror, a black-eyed figurine, a green-eyed figurine, a sketchbook, a | ||
| CF | stone bracelet, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet | ||
| CF | hoop, and some fire tongs), a poker, a partially crumbled piece of | ||
| CF | burnt toast, and a bad fuse. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Bad fuse, bad!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put poker, toast, bad fuse in sack" | ||
| CF | poker: Done. | ||
| CF | partially crumbled piece of burnt toast: Done. | ||
| CF | bad fuse: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some toast crumbs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | lkcampbell asks, "is it a bad fuse or just evil?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 4:15. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf16" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Those steps creaked too." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Probably nothing again, but..." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "save" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | Knight_Otu says, "Creaky creepy little place." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cflydiasfuse" | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Yes" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "(Well, actually rather big place, but yeah.)" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm not sure what next." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I just get kind of annoyed with that in games, where a thing isn't a thing most of the time, except that one time it is. Though in the real world, it is legit for steps to creak, as well as hidden compartments." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Did fixing the circuit get us lights in the cellar?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle is lined with unusually deep shelves, which rest | ||
| CF | (unevenly) on metal brackets attached to the wall. In years past the | ||
| CF | pantry might have been well-stocked, but today the only thing to be | ||
| CF | seen on the shelves are rat droppings and a few shrivelled onions. | ||
| CF | There's an open doorway to the south and a door to the west, which is | ||
| CF | closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Possibly?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In the dark | ||
| CF | It's pitch black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x switch" | ||
| CF | The flashlight is small and red. The lens is cracked. There's a | ||
| CF | switch on the top and a battery compartment on the underside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "hrm" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shake flashlight" | ||
| CF | Shaking the flashlight has no obvious effect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on flashlight" | ||
| CF | The flashlight is already switched on (but not emitting any light, | ||
| CF | unfortunately). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shake it" | ||
| CF | Shaking the flashlight has no obvious effect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it off" | ||
| CF | You switch off the flashlight, but since it wasn't lighted, nothing | ||
| CF | changes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In the dark | ||
| CF | It's pitch black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | It's too dark; you can't see where you're going. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Maybe ask Tyrone for batteries?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone for batteries" | ||
| CF | Tyrone does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about batteries" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You ask Tyrone whether he might know where there are some fresh | ||
| CF | batteries for the flashlight. He presses his lips together, looking | ||
| CF | exasperated - but at himself, not at you. "I was supposed to pick some | ||
| CF | up, you know, yesterday when I was in town, but I plumb forgot. Sorry, | ||
| CF | honey." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Darnit, Tyrone." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Dang it, Tyrone." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "haha" | ||
| Roger says, "you had one job, tyrone. To be fair, this wasn't it, but still." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Tyrone had a ton of jobs. Not that surprising one gets forgotten." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "True. It seems he has many jobs." | ||
| Roger says, "to do: * get batteries * dump dead guy's SUV" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "* Fix van for after sacrifice of innocent, if annoying, kid." | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe whoever's in cabin 3 has batteries." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell tyrone about fuse" | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, to the kitchen; | ||
| CF | south, to the area behind the cabins; east, to the north end of the | ||
| CF | croquet court; west; northeast, to the lawn; northwest, back to the | ||
| CF | gravel driveway; southwest, to the garden of junk; and in, to in the | ||
| CF | van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Three) | ||
| CF | You tap politely on the door of Cabin Three, and a low voice from | ||
| CF | within bids you enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cabin Three | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A bucolic, | ||
| CF | sentimentalized painting of some Negroes picking cotton adds to the | ||
| CF | oppressive sense that you've somehow slipped back into an earlier, less | ||
| CF | civilized era. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A man is sitting in a wheelchair at the foot of one of the beds. As | ||
| CF | you enter, he looks at you sharply from under lowered eyebrows. "So," | ||
| CF | he says in a soft voice. "You're to be the one. I was hoping - well, | ||
| CF | never mind." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He smiles at you in a sad, sweet way. "My name is David," he says. | ||
| CF | You tell him your name is Diane, but he waves the information away. | ||
| CF | "Yes, I know," he says. "I wish I didn't. That might make it easier - | ||
| CF | a little easier, anyhow." He sighs. "Do you know why your aunt brought | ||
| CF | you here? No, of course you don't. If you knew, you'd - well, you | ||
| CF | wouldn't be standing here exchanging polite chitchat with me, I'm very | ||
| CF | certain." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Man, for an evil cult of sacrificers, these people are terribly unsubtle." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x david" | ||
| CF | David is sitting in a wheelchair, his shoulders hunched forward. | ||
| CF | Although the day is hot, a thin blanket is spread across his lap and | ||
| CF | wrapped around his legs. His complexion is waxy, his hair brown and | ||
| CF | wispy. He seems to be no older than thirty or thirty-five, but the | ||
| CF | lines of pain etched in his face make him look like an old man. | ||
| CF | Occasionally his bony hands twitch at the blanket, as though he yearns | ||
| CF | to toss it aside and stand up - but then the hands fall slack again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wheelchair" | ||
| CF | David's wheelchair is made of metal and black leather. The wheels are | ||
| CF | rubber. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about wheelchair" | ||
| CF | David closes his eyes, and his hands twitch on the blanket that covers | ||
| CF | his knees. "I'm sorry," he says after a moment. "I don't believe I | ||
| CF | caught that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about himself" | ||
| CF | David presses his lips together. "Me? I'm not really very | ||
| CF | interesting. I taught college at one time. And I was married, to a | ||
| CF | woman far more beautiful and charming than I deserved. After I fell | ||
| CF | ill, she - felt that she needed more out of life than I was able to | ||
| CF | provide. We're no longer married, but I've forgiven her. At least, I | ||
| CF | hope I have. She was quite right to move on. In another year or two, | ||
| CF | unless some miracle should intervene, I'll no longer be able to care | ||
| CF | for even my most basic needs. A young, vibrant woman has no business | ||
| CF | sacrificing her entire life in order to see to the care of a helpless | ||
| CF | invalid." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "ready for a long trip down a short pier, david" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about picnic" | ||
| CF | David is silent for so long, his eyes closed, that you start to wonder | ||
| CF | whether you ought to tiptoe away and stop pestering him. But then the | ||
| CF | watery gray eyes open and fix on your face. "I expect what you're | ||
| CF | really wondering," he says, "is why your aunt brought you here. Your | ||
| CF | aunt - your aunt doesn't have your best interests at heart, let's put | ||
| CF | it that way. Unless you're able to escape from this place within the | ||
| CF | next hour or two, I fear the consequences will be dire. Have you | ||
| CF | looked around? Have you seen the stone block that stands in the field | ||
| CF | near the southern extremity of the property? If you have, I need say | ||
| CF | no more. If you haven't, I urge you to go look at it. It's no mere | ||
| CF | archaeological relic; it has an exigent use." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Dang, way to absorb the ableism, David." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about ghost" | ||
| CF | When you tell David about the ghost you met in the meadow, he sighs. | ||
| CF | "Yes, of course there would have been others. Many others, I'm sure. | ||
| CF | Why one of the victims should have remained attached to this rather | ||
| CF | depressing spot, I'm sure I couldn't begin to guess. But since you and | ||
| CF | she have something in common, perhaps you'll be able to establish some | ||
| CF | sort of rapport with her. Not that it will do you any good." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about eternal springs" | ||
| CF | You ask David what he thinks of Eternal Springs. He laughs. "It's not | ||
| CF | a very nice motel, is it? None of us came here for the ambience, I can | ||
| CF | assure you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about phelps" | ||
| CF | "Our esteemed host," David says. He sounds a little sarcastic, and a | ||
| CF | little sad. "Don't underestimate him. He's incredibly dangerous, as | ||
| CF | powerful men so often are. I'd suggest you stay well away from him | ||
| CF | unless making an approach is absolutely essential." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I wonder if we can directly ask about sacrifice." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about demon" | ||
| CF | "It's a...." David pauses for so long, his chin sunk on his chest, that | ||
| CF | you begin to wonder whether he's fallen asleep. But at last he rouses | ||
| CF | himself. "I daresay I'm being disloyal, and I'm quite certain I shall | ||
| CF | regret this, one way or another. But I can't help thinking you deserve | ||
| CF | some explanation. Not that it will do any good. The course of events | ||
| CF | is quite unalterable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "This was all Indian land at one time, you know. Five hundred years | ||
| CF | ago, the empire of the Aztecs stretched this far north. I don't want | ||
| CF | to paint all Native Americans as bloodthirsty savages, certainly, but | ||
| CF | the current popular conception of them as being somehow noble and wise | ||
| CF | because they were in close touch with nature may be no more than a fond | ||
| CF | romanticization - a version of the perennially popular Myth of the | ||
| CF | Golden Age. The reality, I should imagine, is that Native Americans in | ||
| CF | those days were no better than we are, and no worse. Whatever one may | ||
| CF | prefer to believe of the Iroquois or the Navajo, the Aztecs, I'm bound | ||
| CF | to say, were not the sort of people we should describe as pleasant, | ||
| CF | good-natured, or nice. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Through the application of what we should describe as black magic, the | ||
| CF | Aztec priests aroused certain evil entities - entities of great power. | ||
| CF | These demons, to use the modern term, were capable of granting any wish | ||
| CF | that might lodge in the human heart, any wish at all, if only they were | ||
| CF | allowed to gorge on an offering of fresh heart blood." David shudders, | ||
| CF | and goes on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm sure you find this difficult to credit. As I did, at first. But | ||
| CF | at a certain point, I became utterly convinced: At least one of these | ||
| CF | entities still roams the world. Perhaps more than one, if we're to | ||
| CF | judge from recent history. At all events, there is one. The stone | ||
| CF | block at the southeastern extremity of Eternal Springs is its altar. | ||
| CF | Periodically, the local priest - I believe you must have met him, he's | ||
| CF | the fat old man who operates this alleged motor court - makes an | ||
| CF | offering to the demon. On that block. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Or so I've been told. You'll understand that I haven't yet been out | ||
| CF | to see it myself. The path is rather bumpy for someone whose mobility | ||
| CF | is limited. I expect they'll wheel me out there tonight as sunset | ||
| CF | nears. But where was I? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The demon has it in his power to grant the dearest wish of each person | ||
| CF | who is present at the ceremony. Invitations of a sort are sent out | ||
| CF | into the world, in the form of small carved figurines, or statuettes. | ||
| CF | They're images of the demon. They wander the world and somehow find | ||
| CF | their way into the hands of individuals who have an unusually fervent | ||
| CF | desire. On this occasion, I'm one of those people. I'm sure you can | ||
| CF | guess the nature of my desire." He gestures at his useless legs. | ||
| CF | "Through one means or another, we're drawn here when the time for a | ||
| CF | fresh sacrifice is near." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Well, thanks, guilty-conscience man. You're the second-most helpful person here, even if you are willing to sacrifice us." | |
| Roger says, "My wife grew quite intolerant of my exposition dumps" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about house" | ||
| CF | David looks at you uncertainly. "I'm not sure I know what to tell | ||
| CF | you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Yeah. I suspect that's the real reason she left him." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about tyrone" | ||
| CF | "You mean the black hired man," David says, nodding. "At first I | ||
| CF | thought he must be part of Beauregard's little cabal. He was brusque, | ||
| CF | almost hostile. But when he helped me to my cabin he was very gentle | ||
| CF | and considerate. I don't know quite what to make of him." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about swamp" | ||
| CF | David sighs. He seems not to have heard you. More or less to himself, | ||
| CF | he says, "I know it's a hot day, but I feel the cold in my bones." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about figurine" | ||
| CF | "The figurines ... ah, yes. Nasty little things, aren't they? You've | ||
| CF | seen one, I take it? If not, I'll show you one in just a moment." | ||
| CF | David frowns at his knees. He looks so sad you want to hug him, but | ||
| CF | you don't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "They have some sort of magical linkage," he says, "to the actual demon | ||
| CF | to whom the sacrifice is to be made. They make their way out into the | ||
| CF | world somehow - I have no idea how, but I do believe they're not quite | ||
| CF | as inert as they may appear - and attach themselves to certain | ||
| CF | individuals who are predisposed to want what they have to offer, as I | ||
| CF | explained to you earlier. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Once the attachment is formed, no one else can touch the figurine. | ||
| CF | It's quite impossible. I have one here ... if you'll just fetch my | ||
| CF | suitcase from the closet...." He points, and you fetch the suitcase. | ||
| CF | He sets it on his lap, unsnaps the latch, and draws out a hideous | ||
| CF | little carved statue, so deep red it's almost black, with white eyes | ||
| CF | that sparkle like diamonds or chips of ice. You have the disturbing | ||
| CF | sense that the little eyes are actually looking at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David strokes the statue with a kind of reluctant fondness. "I'm torn, | ||
| CF | you see. On the one hand, I'd rather anything happen than what is to | ||
| CF | happen this evening. Please believe that. On the other hand ... to be | ||
| CF | able to walk again, to make love ... well, perhaps that doesn't mean | ||
| CF | much to you. How old are you? Thirteen? Fourteen?" He sighs. "Your | ||
| CF | whole life ahead of you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He pauses again, as if thinking. "I'll tell you what I'll do. I won't | ||
| CF | take any action myself to stop it. I've come too far. I'm committed. | ||
| CF | And in any event, if I were to interpose objections at this late stage, | ||
| CF | I'm quite sure I would be ignored. If not worse. But if you can | ||
| CF | discover for yourself a way to escape your fate, and if there's | ||
| CF | anything I can do to aid you, you have only to ask. I can do that | ||
| CF | much. Perhaps I'm only indulging in a sop to my conscience; I don't | ||
| CF | expect you'll have the slightest chance to evade what's to come. But | ||
| CF | if you're clever enough to do so, I won't stand in your way." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He tucks the repellent figurine away in the suitcase again, and closes | ||
| CF | the suitcase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "There he goes again!" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Also, dang. Creepy." | ||
| Knight_Otu drowns in exposition. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open suitcase" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look" | ||
| CF | Cabin Three | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A bucolic, | ||
| CF | sentimentalized painting of some Negroes picking cotton adds to the | ||
| CF | oppressive sense that you've somehow slipped back into an earlier, less | ||
| CF | civilized era. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David is sitting here in his wheelchair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x suitcase" | ||
| CF | David's suitcase is large, brown, and scuffed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm feeling a bit tired," David says. "If you'll forgive me, I may | ||
| CF | want to close my eyes for a minute or two." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "david, open suitcase" | ||
| CF | David refuses your request. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x suitcase" | ||
| CF | David's suitcase is large, brown, and scuffed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 4:15. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show bracelet to david" | ||
| CF | (first taking the stone bracelet from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | David does not appear interested. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show sketchbook to david" | ||
| CF | (first taking the sketchbook from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You show David the thick book of drawings. He leafs through it idly | ||
| CF | before handing it back. "You can see what you're up against," he says. | ||
| CF | "Those will be copies of carvings found at various sites. I'm no | ||
| CF | archaeologist, but from certain details in the designs, I'd think the | ||
| CF | sites would be in Central America. That region has a long and bloody | ||
| CF | history. As does the rest of the world, of course. Have you ever | ||
| CF | really read the Bible? It's full of the most horrific carnage, most of | ||
| CF | it sanctioned by God, or by whatever entity the Hebrews thought was | ||
| CF | God. One is inclined to wonder...." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about legs" | Jacqueline says, "Why, it just so happens that I have a Bible right here@" | |
| CF | You hesitate to keep pestering David with conversation. He looks | ||
| CF | tired. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "It's in the next cabin, and the rev is probably back in it." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Oh. Ah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell david about hank" | ||
| CF | Hesitantly, you bring up what you saw, or rather heard, in the cabin | ||
| CF | just across the way. David listens to your story, his face grave. "I | ||
| CF | believe I heard the shot," he says. "That's what woke me from my nap. | ||
| CF | This is very bad, far worse than I had feared. They'll stop at | ||
| CF | nothing." As if to himself, he adds, "Well, I knew that already, didn't | ||
| CF | I? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "And you say they took the body out in a boat to dispose of it? Hmm. | ||
| CF | While they're gone from the motel you might want to nose around in | ||
| CF | their cabins. Far be it from me to recommend thievery, but these | ||
| CF | people have certainly lost any claim they might have had to expect | ||
| CF | civil treatment." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | David closes his eyes, and his hands twitch on the blanket that covers | ||
| CF | his knees. "I'm sorry," he says after a moment. "I don't believe I | ||
| CF | caught that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cry" | ||
| CF | You sniffle a little. It's not proving to be a good day, is it? But | ||
| CF | feeling sorry for yourself probably isn't going to help. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, ""Far be it from me to recommend thievery, but I recommend thievery."" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show photographs to david" | ||
| CF | (first taking the faded photographs from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | David does not appear interested. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show locket to david" | ||
| CF | (first taking the gold locket from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | David does not appear interested. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put photos, locket in sack" | ||
| CF | faded photographs: Done. | ||
| CF | gold locket: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about god" | ||
| CF | "Don't get me started," David says with a gentle laugh. "There may | ||
| CF | after all turn out to be a God - I'm certainly not qualified to say - | ||
| CF | but the evidence of His involvement in or concern with human affairs is | ||
| CF | tenuous at best. The evidence for less benign sorts of supernatural | ||
| CF | involvement is, I fear, far better." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about honey" | ||
| CF | You tell David what little you've been able to learn about Honey | ||
| CF | Hartwell - that she's an aspiring singer from Nashville. "Not that I | ||
| CF | want to be critical," you add, "but I don't think she sings very well." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Ah, well," he says. "It's not difficult to infer that her only hope | ||
| CF | of stardom lies in ... what's to happen here today. Another talentless | ||
| CF | wretch who yearns not to be chewed up and spit out by the maw of the | ||
| CF | entertainment industry. If you're looking for evidence of demonic | ||
| CF | workings in human affairs, I daresay the popular music business | ||
| CF | wouldn't be a bad place to start." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about reverend" | ||
| CF | You describe Reverend Gillespie to David. "He seems a little ... | ||
| CF | slimy," you finish, not wanting to seem too critical but also wanting | ||
| CF | to be honest with the one person around here who seems worth talking | ||
| CF | to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David listens sympathetically. "I haven't met the man," he says. "I | ||
| CF | wish I could say I'm surprised to learn that a so-called 'man of God' | ||
| CF | is involved in a ritual of the sort that Beauregard intends to preside | ||
| CF | at today, but I'm not." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about aunt caroline" | ||
| CF | You chat with David about your life in New York, living with your | ||
| CF | neurotic aunt in a small apartment. He listens in an abstracted way, | ||
| CF | and murmurs a few polite responses. The more you tell him, the sadder | ||
| CF | he looks, so after a few minutes you fall silent. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about maid" | ||
| CF | David sighs. He seems not to have heard you. More or less to himself, | ||
| CF | he says, "I know it's a hot day, but I feel the cold in my bones." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about bones" | ||
| CF | David looks at you uncertainly. "I'm not sure I know what to tell | ||
| CF | you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about boys" | ||
| CF | You hesitate to keep pestering David with conversation. He looks | ||
| CF | tired. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about wife" | ||
| CF | David sighs. He seems not to have heard you. More or less to himself, | ||
| CF | he says, "I know it's a hot day, but I feel the cold in my bones." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe we can Carr this guy" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show black figurine to david" | ||
| CF | David does not appear interested. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give book to david" | ||
| CF | (the sketchbook) | ||
| CF | You show David the thick book of drawings. He leafs through it idly | ||
| CF | before handing it back. "You can see what you're up against," he says. | ||
| CF | "Those will be copies of carvings found at various sites. I'm no | ||
| CF | archaeologist, but from certain details in the designs, I'd think the | ||
| CF | sites would be in Central America. That region has a long and bloody | ||
| CF | history. As does the rest of the world, of course. Have you ever | ||
| CF | really read the Bible? It's full of the most horrific carnage, most of | ||
| CF | it sanctioned by God, or by whatever entity the Hebrews thought was | ||
| CF | God. One is inclined to wonder...." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give carr to david" | ||
| CF | (first taking the mystery by John Dickson Carr from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | David looks at you with a kind of cloudy intensity. "There's nothing | ||
| CF | that I want or need. At least, nothing that you have ... other than | ||
| CF | your youth and vitality, of course, but we won't talk about that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put all book in sack" | ||
| CF | You see no book here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put book and carr in sack" | ||
| CF | Which book do you mean, the mystery by John Dickson Carr, or the | ||
| CF | sketchbook? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sketchbook" | ||
| CF | sketchbook: Done. | ||
| CF | mystery by John Dickson Carr: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I just had a thought." | |
| DavidW asks, "It's 4pm and it's time to pause?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We could have maybe gone into the boat house while they were out in the swamp, dumping Hank." | ||
| DavidW says, "yes, maybe we could have." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm actually fine to go longer today. It's up to others." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "If anyone else wants to call it, we certainly can." | ||
| MoyTW says, "I'm good for however long." | ||
| Roger says, "I'm fine either way" | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe they forgot to lock up the boathouse too." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Worth checking?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | "You can leave the door open if you like," David says behind you. "I | ||
| CF | don't mind the fresh air." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Six | ||
| CF | Cabin Six is a lot like Cabin Five. Twin beds with ugly brown | ||
| CF | bedspreads haphazardly made up, water-stained plaster and peeling | ||
| CF | wallpaper, a grimy carpet. A faded painting of a flop-eared hound dog | ||
| CF | entirely fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a small pool of blood in the middle of the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I guess they may have forgotten, yeah" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the boat shed door) | ||
| CF | The boat shed door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I'm just thinking back to the warning in the ReadMe that if you get a character to go away, be warned that they won't go away forever, and you'll have limited time to do what you want to do." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Darnit." | ||
| DavidW says, "It's still or again locked." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Can we save, do an older restore, and just check?" | ||
| lkcampbell goes home. | DavidW says (to Jacqueline), "yeah, but it's hard to know what to do even knowing that." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Well, just to see if we could have gotten in." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Maybe there's an object we need." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf17" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf12" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The old trunk contains a gold locket and some faded photographs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf13" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a sequined jacket, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, an old shovel, a gold locket, and some faded photographs), | ||
| CF | the key to Cabin One, a pill bottle, a little white pill, a croquet | ||
| CF | hoop, a wooden bucket, and an indecipherable map. You're wearing your | ||
| CF | clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | Knight_Otu says, "That looks right." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf14" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's standing open. A dark | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf13" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We have the map, so Hank is dead." | |
| DavidW says, "oh, we do have the map." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built. The door is standing | ||
| CF | wide open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is bathed in shifting light. Watery | ||
| CF | reflections spill through the big door to the south, which has been | ||
| CF | raised. Water laps gently against the walls, and there's no floor at | ||
| CF | all, only a dock that juts out to the south from a narrow platform near | ||
| CF | the door. A small rowboat is tied up to the right of the dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A narrow catwalk runs along the west wall, to the southwest from where | ||
| CF | you're standing. At the end of the catwalk is a large cylindrical | ||
| CF | mechanism from which a chain runs up toward the roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The far wall of the shed is a large door through which the boats must | ||
| CF | be meant to pass in and out. At the moment the door is standing wide | ||
| CF | open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Okay. So there are two boats." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Which is not as good for us." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x rowboat" | ||
| CF | The rowboat is barely big enough for two people to sit in. It looks | ||
| CF | old, battered, and more than a little banged-up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in it" | ||
| CF | (first trying to go over to the rowboat) | ||
| CF | The rowboat is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Do we even know how to row a boat?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter rowboat" | ||
| CF | The rowboat is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | As you start in that direction, suddenly the rowboat and the dock erupt | ||
| CF | in boiling gouts of flame. The heat beats against your face, and you | ||
| CF | cover your face with your hands and stagger backward. Bitter smoke | ||
| CF | fills your nostrils, and even through your hands and eyelids you can | ||
| CF | see the seething flames. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But then the heat is gone, the blood-red light recedes. When you open | ||
| CF | your eyes, the shed hasn't been consumed by fire. The rowboat rocks | ||
| CF | serenely in the water, just as it did before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "WHAT?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | As you start in that direction, suddenly the interior of the shed goes | ||
| CF | pitch dark - or have you been struck blind? You pause, not wanting to | ||
| CF | step off the edge into the water. And then you feel things crawling on | ||
| CF | you. At first it's only a vague itch, but a moment later huge bugs are | ||
| CF | in your clothes, on your face, in your mouth. You try to brush them | ||
| CF | off, scrape them off, slap them away, but it doesn't seem to be | ||
| CF | working. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you writhe in terror, somehow you bump against the door of the shed. | ||
| CF | Its physical solidity dissolves the nightmare. You can see. There | ||
| CF | aren't any bugs, only the boats and the dock and the water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "..." | |
| MoyTW says, "Interesting." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x chain" | ||
| CF | Which chain do you mean, the gold locket, or the drum-shaped mechanism? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drum" | ||
| CF | The drum-shaped mechanism is out at the southwest end of the catwalk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x catwalk" | ||
| CF | The catwalk is a narrow strip of planking that runs along the west side | ||
| CF | of the shed. At the far end of the catwalk is a drum-shaped mechanism. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dock" | ||
| CF | The dock extends out into the middle of the shed from the door at the | ||
| CF | north end. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "So, um, that's our demon, I guess? Keeping us from leaving?" | |
| DavidW says, "This is sorta weird magic like with the clown, I suppose." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Hallucinations, I mean." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Seems so." | ||
| Roger says, "thwarted by hallucinatory soup cans" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "But anyway, there aren't any objects other than the row boat, right?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm thinking there's a ward of some sort. If we can find it and erase it, we might be able to nullify it. Also, there must be a key for it." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "A key for what?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe if we had a figurine, the ward wouldn't affect us." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Did we try plugging in the statues to the...device? at the mansion?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "oh goodness" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I suppose we can check if the dumpers left the key to the shed here, though I doubt it." | ||
| DavidW asks (of Moy), "Obviously not. Also, 'plug'?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under dock" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door" | ||
| CF | Which door do you mean, the big door, or the boat shed door? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Well, can we get the figuring in this save?" | |
| MoyTW says, "I mean. Uh. Put in the clippy thing holders. Though it seems unlikely to be helpful." | ||
| DavidW asks, "wait, two doors?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Like, to see if that gets us through the ward or whatever?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x big door" | ||
| CF | The big door at the south end of the shed is made of horizontal metal | ||
| CF | strips, probably aluminum. An overhead track suggests that the door | ||
| CF | can be rolled up to allow boats to go in and out - and indeed, there's | ||
| CF | a drum-shaped mechanism at the south end of the catwalk from which a | ||
| CF | chain extends up and back along the track. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "It's like a garage, with a man door and a vehicular door" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "One for the boats to leave through." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to David), "There's the door we walked in through, and the big door the boats use." | ||
| DavidW says, "I see now." | ||
| DavidW says, "I thought the other end would be open to the elements." | ||
| Roger says, "too much evil fog around these parts" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Nah, then people come in from the swamp side, steal your gas." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I used to think people who siphoned gas were evil. That's before I knew about demons and child sacrifice." | ||
| DavidW asks, "I don't think we have the tongs yet in this save, so we?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tongs" | ||
| CF | You see no tongs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "possibly also a window here to screw around on the porch?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Oh. And we need the tongs for the figurine." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Should I try to race for the tongs and a figurine and get back here?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "oh my god I just realized we loaded the save to go back in time. wow. I'm...tired, I guess." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Let's try." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm kind of curious." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built. The door is standing | ||
| CF | wide open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the back door) | ||
| CF | The back door seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "knock on door" | ||
| CF | Your knock is answered after a moment by a short, stocky woman whose | ||
| CF | black hair and broad, flat features suggest that her ancestry is | ||
| CF | Central American. She looks down at you impassively. "Oh, it's you," | ||
| CF | she says. "You're the girl, the one they brought. Mr. Beauregard he | ||
| CF | said he didn't want you in the house, but I think he gone off | ||
| CF | somewhere, so I don't care. You can come in if you want to. I'm | ||
| CF | Luisa. I work here, keep the house clean. Just don't make a mess I | ||
| CF | got to clean up, you can go where you want." She has a heavy Hispanic | ||
| CF | accent, but her words are not hard to understand. She turns and goes | ||
| CF | back inside, leaving the door open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. An exterior door is to the south, interior doorways to | ||
| CF | the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is sitting at the kitchen table, shelling peas. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A little oval of grayish stones is lying on the table. It looks rather | ||
| CF | like a crude bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tongs" | ||
| CF | You see no tongs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fireplace" | ||
| CF | The interior of the brick fireplace is charred black, but no fire has | ||
| CF | been laid. (Not surprising, considering the hot weather.) Standing in | ||
| CF | front of the fireplace are a poker and a pair of fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tongs" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The screen door screeches metallically as you open it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search couch" | ||
| CF | You poke around in the couch cushions for a minute, and find absolutely | ||
| CF | nothing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close screen door" | ||
| CF | The screen door closes itself, and in such hot weather there's no need | ||
| CF | to close the main front door. That would only make the house | ||
| CF | unbearably stuffy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey tugs at a strap on her top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you pass Cabin Four, you notice that its door is standing ajar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Four | ||
| CF | The interior of Cabin Four is much like Cabin Five, except that it has | ||
| CF | a big double bed in place of the twin beds. Also, there's no carpet, | ||
| CF | just a bare linoleum floor, which is peeling up in the corners. The | ||
| CF | plaster is water-stained, the wallpaper suffering from minor rips and | ||
| CF | tears. A gaudy, poorly executed painting of a Southern belle in a hoop | ||
| CF | skirt fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lying on the floor beside the bed is a leather valise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "set lock to ixtloc" | ||
| CF | As you set the valise lock to IXTLOC, you hear a soft but satisfying | ||
| CF | snick from the mechanism. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open valise" | ||
| CF | The valise springs open. In the valise is a green-eyed figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the green-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close valise" | ||
| CF | As you close the valise, its latch mechanism snaps firmly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put figurine in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you pass Cabin Two, you notice that its door is standing ajar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built. The door is standing | ||
| CF | wide open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is bathed in shifting light. Watery | ||
| CF | reflections spill through the big door to the south, which has been | ||
| CF | raised. Water laps gently against the walls, and there's no floor at | ||
| CF | all, only a dock that juts out to the south from a narrow platform near | ||
| CF | the door. A small rowboat is tied up to the right of the dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A narrow catwalk runs along the west wall, to the southwest from where | ||
| CF | you're standing. At the end of the catwalk is a large cylindrical | ||
| CF | mechanism from which a chain runs up toward the roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The far wall of the shed is a large door through which the boats must | ||
| CF | be meant to pass in and out. At the moment the door is standing wide | ||
| CF | open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine" | ||
| CF | As you reach out to touch the green-eyed figurine, you have the | ||
| CF | momentary sensation that it has lunged at you and snapped at your | ||
| CF | fingers with its teeth. Obviously, it couldn't actually have moved - | ||
| CF | could it? But a shaft of intense pain shoots up your arm, and you | ||
| CF | recoil as quickly as if you had put your hand in an open flame. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the green-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | As you start in that direction, suddenly it seems to you the whole shed | ||
| CF | is crawling with snakes - hundreds of them writhing over one another. | ||
| CF | The snakes are a carpet that covers the dock, the catwalk, the rowboat. | ||
| CF | They're boiling out of the water, hissing, their heads swaying as their | ||
| CF | red-black beady eyes fix on you. You scream and stagger back toward | ||
| CF | the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A moment later the snakes are gone. You can't quite believe it, | ||
| CF | though: You look around nervously, and see no snakes, nor any other | ||
| CF | menace. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Well, now we know." | |
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Also, I wonder how many horrible hallucinations there are!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | As you start in that direction, suddenly you have the terrifying | ||
| CF | sensation that the room is entirely filled with green water. You don't | ||
| CF | seem to be able to move your limbs, and you can't breathe. It's as if | ||
| CF | the water has filled your mouth and nose - you can taste and smell its | ||
| CF | rotten reek. Indistinct shapes swim toward you, toothless mouths open | ||
| CF | to suck your juices out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a convulsive effort you take a step backward toward the door, | ||
| CF | another step. And then the underwater nightmare is gone. You suck in | ||
| CF | a deep, uneven breath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | As you start in that direction, suddenly half a dozen human skeletons | ||
| CF | rise up out of the water, grinning. No, a dozen of them. No, twenty. | ||
| CF | The skeletons stalk toward you, brandishing long sharp knives! You | ||
| CF | lurch away from them, and lose your footing and nearly fall into the | ||
| CF | water. You scramble backward toward the door, whimpering, crying, "No, | ||
| CF | no, please...." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a dry clacking sound like sticks falling in a heap, the skeletons | ||
| CF | and their wicked knives vanish. The interior of the shed is peaceful | ||
| CF | again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | As you start in that direction, suddenly you have the terrifying | ||
| CF | sensation that the room is entirely filled with green water. You don't | ||
| CF | seem to be able to move your limbs, and you can't breathe. It's as if | ||
| CF | the water has filled your mouth and nose - you can taste and smell its | ||
| CF | rotten reek. Indistinct shapes swim toward you, toothless mouths open | ||
| CF | to suck your juices out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | With a convulsive effort you take a step backward toward the door, | ||
| CF | another step. And then the underwater nightmare is gone. You suck in | ||
| CF | a deep, uneven breath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put figurine in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close boat door" | ||
| CF | Your first impulse is to close the boat shed door so as to have a | ||
| CF | little privacy, but then it occurs to you that if you do that, somebody | ||
| CF | might come along and lock it - and then you'd be trapped! No, better | ||
| CF | leave it open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Too bad those skellingtons were imaginary, or we could get bones for the clown." | |
| MoyTW asks, "One per god/person?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to David), "Thank you, by the way. You're so good at being the driver." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "And I know it's work." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Thanks for doing all of that." | ||
| Roger says, "quite so" | ||
| DavidW says, "Thanks. I've not sure what to do next, though. This is progress, but we're missing something." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||
| Roger says, "I've one idea on the list" | ||
| DavidW asks, "hm?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Yeah?" | ||
| Roger asks, "back in 'the present' wasn't there something else we wanted to do once the pea-shelling was over?" | ||
| DavidW says, "yes, remove the shelves in the pantry." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf16" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle is lined with unusually deep shelves, which rest | ||
| CF | (unevenly) on metal brackets attached to the wall. In years past the | ||
| CF | pantry might have been well-stocked, but today the only thing to be | ||
| CF | seen on the shelves are rat droppings and a few shrivelled onions. | ||
| CF | There's an open doorway to the south and a door to the west, which is | ||
| CF | closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "remove shelves" | ||
| CF | Careful not to make any loud thumping noises, you lift the shelves off | ||
| CF | of the brackets and lean them in a corner. The onions and rat | ||
| CF | droppings slide off. Now it's possible to get at the hatch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open hatch" | ||
| CF | You open the hatch, revealing a box-shaped cavity built into the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cavity" | ||
| CF | The interior of the box is so small that a person your size could | ||
| CF | barely fit into it - maybe - by curling up in a ball. A grown-up would | ||
| CF | never be able to. The dust and cobwebs are thick, but fortunately | ||
| CF | there don't seem to be any spiders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter box" | ||
| CF | You find that it's not possible to cram yourself into the dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | while carrying anything large. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "That involved making her move away, though... wait. When did she leave?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Some time? She was gone when we re-entered I believe." | ||
| DavidW says, "After we found a figurine, I think. I'm not sure." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket and a burlap sack (which contains a | ||
| CF | gold locket, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, | ||
| CF | an old shovel, some faded photographs, an indecipherable map, a hand | ||
| CF | mirror, a black-eyed figurine, a green-eyed figurine, a sketchbook, a | ||
| CF | stone bracelet, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet | ||
| CF | hoop, some fire tongs, a poker, a partially crumbled piece of burnt | ||
| CF | toast, and a bad fuse). You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "huh" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop bucket" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter box" | ||
| CF | You find that it's not possible to cram yourself into the dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | while carrying anything large. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop sack" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter box" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in a Cramped Box | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pull hook" | ||
| CF | The hook cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn hook" | ||
| CF | You cannot turn that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pull rope" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. It appears the box is an old-fashioned dumbwaiter. In a | ||
| CF | few moments you're at the top of the shaft, in near-darkness broken | ||
| CF | only by a faint line of light that traces the shape of a hatch door | ||
| CF | like the one in the pantry below. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open hatch" | MoyTW exclaims, "Hey it is a dumbwaiter!" | |
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hook" | ||
| CF | The iron hook protrudes several inches from the wall of the box, making | ||
| CF | the already cramped space seem almost like a torture chamber. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie rope to hook" | ||
| CF | You wrap the rope several times around the iron hook. It isn't much of | ||
| CF | a knot, but maybe it will hold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I've been somewhat tempted to build a dumbwaiter into my house" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess Creepregard sleeps after all." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "You totally should." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bed" | ||
| CF | The bed looks as if the sheets haven't been changed for years. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under bed" | ||
| CF | You have a peek under the bed. Nope - nothing interesting under there, | ||
| CF | just sagging springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dresser" | ||
| CF | The chipped, warped chest of drawers looks like it's about a hundred | ||
| CF | years old, and has been rejected as junk by every antique shop in the | ||
| CF | state of Mississippi. It stands against the west wall - crookedly, | ||
| CF | because one front leg is visibly shorter than the other. The top is | ||
| CF | littered with a scatter of stuff. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x stuff" | ||
| CF | The stuff on the dresser is about what you'd expect - a couple of | ||
| CF | hairbrushes full of greasy gray hair and dandruff, a chipped saucer | ||
| CF | with some paper clips and thumbtacks in it, and some pecan shells. | ||
| CF | Among the clutter you spot a stubby screwdriver. Now that might come | ||
| CF | in handy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take screwdriver" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take paperclip" | ||
| CF | The word "paperclip" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "SCREWDRIVER!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take paper clip" | ||
| CF | You see no paper clip here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "YES YES YES" | |
| Roger says, "I could go for a stubby Screwdriver right now" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I mean, I'm excited. But also afraid." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open dresser" | ||
| CF | You open the drawers and have a look inside, but there's nothing | ||
| CF | interesting, only an old man's smelly socks and underwear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Roger), "he" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "smell underwear" | Jacqueline says, "er, heh" | |
| CF | You are not aware of any underwear here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close dresser" | ||
| CF | There's no need to fiddle with the bureau drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Wait. Okay. I remember screws but I don't remember where they were." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Ew." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "In the nursery, I think." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "They're in the nursery?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||
| DavidW says, "The grate where the model merry-go-round is." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yep" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open door" | ||
| CF | (first unlocking the door) | ||
| CF | It occurs to you that nobody knows you're snooping in Beauregard | ||
| CF | Phelps's bedroom. And maybe that's just as well. Before throwing the | ||
| CF | door open, it would be sensible to take a quick look through the | ||
| CF | peephole and make sure the coast is clear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through peephole" | ||
| CF | Through the peephole you can see Luisa standing at her ironing board, | ||
| CF | ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "There she is." | |
| Roger says, "I never thought I wanted a peephole in my bedroom door until now" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x archway" | ||
| CF | The word "archway" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a curved dagger and a purple-eyed figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks (of Roger), "Yeah, remember to put a peephole in your dumbwaiter so that your... kids can spy on you?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "The game is usually so helpful with "Maybe not now"s that it feels odd that there may be timed segments that may or may not render the game unwinnable, if the mentioned readme is to be believed." | ||
| DavidW says, "I left the sack behind so I don't know how much I can carry." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dagger" | ||
| CF | The dagger has a wicked-looking slim, curved blade nearly a foot long, | ||
| CF | and a black leather hilt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x purple" | ||
| CF | The evil figurine is like the others you've seen - it's about six | ||
| CF | inches tall, and is carved from a stone so deep red it's almost black. | ||
| CF | The eyes glint purple - and you have the disquieting sensation that | ||
| CF | they're actually staring at you. The figure's face is contorted with | ||
| CF | malevolence - the teeth bared, the eyes glaring, the tongue protruding. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I suspect that the game may have been hit by a round or two of de-cruelling" | |
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "True" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Yeah" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x carving" | ||
| CF | The design of the ornate circular carving is made up of seven or eight | ||
| CF | intertwining rattlesnakes, all of them baring their fangs. Within the | ||
| CF | loops formed by the snakes' coils are symbols that look like letters. | ||
| CF | The letters remind you of the markings on the stone bracelet you found | ||
| CF | in the dining room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says (to Roger), "That could be." | |
| DavidW says, "hm. Maybe the bracelet unlocks this slab." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x grate" | ||
| CF | The grate is a metal grill with a cross-hatch of sturdy wires, which | ||
| CF | are stained dark by years of smoky furnace fumes. The grate is mounted | ||
| CF | in the baseboard of the east wall, down near the floor between the slab | ||
| CF | and the table, and is held in place by a couple of metal screws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unscrew grate" | ||
| CF | You loosen the screws with the screwdriver and rotate the grate away | ||
| CF | from the opening in the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hello grate." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x opening" | ||
| CF | The grate is a metal grill with a cross-hatch of sturdy wires, which | ||
| CF | are stained dark by years of smoky furnace fumes. The grate is mounted | ||
| CF | in the baseboard of the east wall, down near the floor between the slab | ||
| CF | and the table, and is held in place by a couple of metal screws, which | ||
| CF | have been loosened, allowing the grate to be rotated outward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter it" | ||
| CF | The opening is too small for you to squeeze through it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Aw. I guess we could put things into it so we can access them in here." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Re-x it and see if there's something in it?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Perhaps... the grate is how we get *things* in here, and the dumbwaiter is just for us personally." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open grate" | MoyTW says, "...nevermind that's not really how examine usually works." | |
| CF | The grate is already open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "And we had such grate expectations for the screwdriver." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter box" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "lower box" | ||
| CF | You see no box here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a wooden bucket, and a burlap | ||
| CF | sack (which contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin | ||
| CF | One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded photographs, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, a hand mirror, a black-eyed figurine, a green-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a flashlight, a mystery by | ||
| CF | John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, some fire tongs, a poker, a | ||
| CF | partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, and a bad fuse) here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket and sack" | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Taken. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x grate" | ||
| CF | The heating grate is set in the baseboard in the west wall of the room. | ||
| CF | It's about a foot high and two feet wide, and is covered with a metal | ||
| CF | grill, which is stained by years of smoky furnace fumes. It's held in | ||
| CF | place by a couple of heavy metal screws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unscrew screws" | ||
| CF | You loosen the screws with the screwdriver and rotate the grate away | ||
| CF | from the opening in the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x opening" | ||
| CF | The heating grate is set in the baseboard in the west wall of the room. | ||
| CF | It's about a foot high and two feet wide, and is covered with a metal | ||
| CF | grill, which is stained by years of smoky furnace fumes. It's held in | ||
| CF | place by a couple of heavy metal screws, which have been loosened to | ||
| CF | allow the grate to be rotated outward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter grate" | ||
| CF | The opening is too small for you to squeeze through it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm getting a bit exhausted." | |
| Jacqueline says, "mmkay." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We've made amazing progress, I think." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We are getting close-ish to three hours." | ||
| Roger says, "I agree" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I really would like to continue with this, despite Spring Thing." | ||
| DavidW says, "We may have to redo much of the game to fit everything in the right order once we understand what it is we're doing." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Or do people want to put this on ice for a bit?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Yeah. I suspect that's probably true." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, maybe." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'm fine with continuing the game." | ||
| Roger says, "I feel one more good push next week will get us to the point where I gave up forever, so that's my vote." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims (at Roger), "hahaha oh no!" | ||
| DavidW says (to Roger), "oh dear" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "My face right now... I'm not sure how to describe the expression on it." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well, maybe together we can succeed." | ||
| MoyTW says, "...ha." | ||
| DavidW says, "I bet the demon disses us with a casual, 'ehn, junk food again?'" | ||
| Jacqueline says, ";..KO KROWMEAT! [LINK]" | ||
| MoyTW says, "That a reference to something or..." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Thanks again for all the work today." | ||
| DavidW says, "You're welcome. Happy to do it." | ||
| Roger says, "yep, good work all" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to Jacq), "Oh my. They didn't think that quite through, did they." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "Heh. No. I love it, though." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Thanks, all. That was interesting." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I will now never forget the magic of krowmeat." | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "And yeah, thanks David for driving!" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to MoyTW), "Indeed." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Later, folks!" | ||
| Jacqueline disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "save" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| MoyTW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cflydiasgrate" | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Good night, and stay safe, everyone!" | |
| *** SESSION SIX *** | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So, um, about this game we were going to start 17 minutes ago... are we doing that? Or are people not into it?" | ||
| jmac waves. "Just dropping in to get oriented. I have been meaning to play along with Club Floyd for a while!" | MoyTW says, "Oh. Right. Well, whenever you're ready." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I was under the impression we'd continue." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The keyhole in the base of the merry-go-round contains an old-fashioned | ||
| CF | brass key. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | * Jacqueline has added jmac to the channel. | |
| MoyTW asks, "Oh, hey, somebody tell jmac about #clubfloyd?" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to jmac), "Hi." | ||
| MoyTW says, "There we go! Hello, jmac." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We chat on this channel to keep the transcipt clean." | ||
| DavidW says, "uh, so where were we? We need a hankerchief of tears and bones for this clown." | ||
| jmac exclaims, "Whooooops hi! Thank you! Sorry! Hello!" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We opened up the grate between the bedroom and the nursery to... either get something in or out." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to jmac), "We have been playing Lydia's Heart for a few weeks, so I'm afraid you're coming in late to this one." | ||
| jmac says, "Please elide my paintbucket stumbling from the transcript" | ||
| DavidW says, "We were going to use the screwdriver to unscrew both grates so we could push our inventory through." | ||
| DavidW says, "We haven't found Honey's demon figurine." | ||
| jmac says, "Cool, I think imma just observe for a while and duck out. Psyched to join at the start of the next one tho. :)" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to jmac), "No worries, we only just started the transcript." | ||
| DavidW says, "We don't have the key for the boathouse or know how to nullify the ward once inside." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to jmac), "While you're here, I'll add you permanently to the lock on this room so that you don't need that pass." | ||
| DavidW says, "We don't know what to do with the device in the office with the mirrors." | ||
| DavidW says, "We think that maybe the bracelet can act as a key on the slab." | ||
| jmac says (to Jacq), "Thank ye kindly" | ||
| DavidW says, "And David, the guy in the wheelchair, is willing to help us, at least somewhat." | ||
| Roger says, "that matches my recollections" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We've been picking up evil summony demon statues that we're not sure what to use for." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I think we haven't talked to David yet in this save, by the way." | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, I've rather lost track of where we are in save history." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a screwdriver, a wooden bucket, and a burlap sack | ||
| CF | (which contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a | ||
| CF | little white pill, an old shovel, some faded photographs, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, a hand mirror, a black-eyed figurine, a green-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a flashlight, a mystery by | ||
| CF | John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, some fire tongs, a poker, a | ||
| CF | partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, and a bad fuse). You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks (of DW), "Would it be useful for me to post the raw transcript?" | |
| DavidW says, "This would be the version where we didn't go back in save-history to visit the inside of the boathouse." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I think that's right" | ||
| Roger says, "yeah that does sound right" | ||
| DavidW says, "It's very possible that on our current track, we missed a critical something while the body was being disposed of." | ||
| DavidW says, "But since we don't know what that is yet, we can't really act on it." | ||
| Roger says, "I don't think that's the case, but I could be wrong" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "I don't think so, either? Probably?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Won't know 'till we know." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Which still seems odd to me. At other times, it seems time moves at the speed of plot, but the readme we heard about seems to say "Not Always."" | ||
| DavidW says, "I think we should continue on this track, and the most promising idea is to use the bracelet on the slab, I think." | ||
| Knight_Otu nods. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The keyhole in the base of the merry-go-round contains an old-fashioned | ||
| CF | brass key. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x grate" | ||
| CF | The heating grate is set in the baseboard in the west wall of the room. | ||
| CF | It's about a foot high and two feet wide, and is covered with a metal | ||
| CF | grill, which is stained by years of smoky furnace fumes. It's held in | ||
| CF | place by a couple of heavy metal screws, which have been loosened to | ||
| CF | allow the grate to be rotated outward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "How much of our inventory are we gonna try to put into the grate?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a screwdriver, a wooden bucket, and a burlap sack | ||
| CF | (which contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a | ||
| CF | little white pill, an old shovel, some faded photographs, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, a hand mirror, a black-eyed figurine, a green-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a flashlight, a mystery by | ||
| CF | John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, some fire tongs, a poker, a | ||
| CF | partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, and a bad fuse). You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "I mean the bag's all of it." | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "Probably the sack?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put all in grate" | ||
| CF | screwdriver: You push the screwdriver through the grate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: The wooden bucket is too large to fit through the | ||
| CF | opening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | burlap sack: The burlap sack is too large to fit through the opening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | old-fashioned brass key: | ||
| CF | (first taking the old-fashioned brass key) | ||
| CF | You push the old-fashioned brass key through the grate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "So if we can move the bag we can move anything." | |
| MoyTW says, "Big F." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Nope. The magic is gone." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Darnit." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "put all in grate". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet in grate" | ||
| CF | (first taking the stone bracelet from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You push the stone bracelet through the grate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "I guess the tongs for the figurine?" | |
| jmac drops ClubFloyd Pass 09. | ||
| ClubFloyd Pass 09 goes home. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put tongs in grate" | ||
| CF | (first taking the fire tongs from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | The fire tongs are too large to fit through the opening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hrm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put tongs in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "What kinda tongs are these!?" | |
| DavidW says, "fire tongs" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Tongs for picking up evil idols." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Google tells me fire tongs are long, but thin. Anyways 's fine let's keep goin'." | ||
| Roger says, "they're from tonga" | ||
| DavidW says, "We don't know where the figurines actually belong. Do we need to get the ones we have to the purple one or vice versa." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "True." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a screwdriver, a wooden bucket, and a burlap sack | ||
| CF | (which contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a | ||
| CF | little white pill, an old shovel, some faded photographs, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, a hand mirror, a black-eyed figurine, a green-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine, a sketchbook, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a | ||
| CF | croquet hoop, a poker, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad | ||
| CF | fuse, and some fire tongs). You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "okay, I'm going to risk returning to the pantry now." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "But if we can't get the tongs into the grate, we can't get it into the alcove to get the figurines out of the grate..." | ||
| DavidW says (to Knight), "Maybe there's something on the other side of the slab that will aid us." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Possibly." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings and some onions here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop all" | ||
| CF | screwdriver: Dropped. | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Dropped. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter door" | ||
| CF | (the hatch) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pull rope" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. In a few moments you're at the top of the shaft, in | ||
| CF | near-darkness broken only by a faint line of light that traces the | ||
| CF | shape of a hatch door like the one in the pantry below. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie rope to hook" | ||
| CF | You wrap the rope several times around the iron hook. It isn't much of | ||
| CF | a knot, but maybe it will hold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | (first opening the hatch door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a stone bracelet here. On the shallow table are a curved | ||
| CF | dagger and a purple-eyed figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bracelet" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x slab" | ||
| CF | The gray stone slab is set in the east wall like a door, but it's both | ||
| CF | taller and wider than a typical door, and there's certainly no | ||
| CF | doorknob. Set in the face of the slab is an ornate circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet on slab" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the slab. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear bracelet" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open slab" | ||
| CF | You push and prod at the slab, but it's unyielding. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take purple" | ||
| CF | As you reach toward the figurine, the dagger rises into the air, guided | ||
| CF | by no hand that you can see, and slashes at your face! You back away | ||
| CF | quickly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take dagger" | ||
| CF | It would slice your fingers to ribbons! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dagger slashes and jabs at you, dancing and swooping and slashing | ||
| CF | in midair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Oh that's a different method of defense than the others." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Uh oh." | ||
| DavidW says, "I didn't knwo the dagger was animated." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dagger" | ||
| CF | The dagger has a wicked-looking slim, curved blade nearly a foot long, | ||
| CF | and a black leather hilt. The dagger is dating and zigzagging at you | ||
| CF | in the air, jabbing at your face. It's all you can do to duck, dodge, | ||
| CF | and twist out of its murderous path. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dagger" | ||
| CF | You see no dagger here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dagger" | ||
| CF | The dagger has a wicked-looking slim, curved blade nearly a foot long, | ||
| CF | and a black leather hilt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, ""The dagger is dating"? How would we know?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Given that we sort of fit in this dumbwaiter, it's got me wondering why houses didn't make such contraptions that would work for people... safety, perhaps. But with enough pullies..." | ||
| DavidW says, "okay, it quieted down went we left the room." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "...can we grab it before it animates?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "If if was a dog, we'd give it a gone. What does one give a dagger?" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks (of Jacq), "Wouldn't that essentially be a paternoster?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take dagger" | ||
| CF | As you reach out to pick up the dagger, it scoots away from you! A | ||
| CF | moment later, quivering, it's airborne. Guided by no hand that you can | ||
| CF | see, the dagger swoops straight at your face! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "take dagger". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to KO), "I have never ever heard of a paternoster." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ixtloc" | ||
| CF | The word "ixtloc" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "say ixtloc" | ||
| CF | The word "ixtloc" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Probably called a different name in English." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Nope" | ||
| MoyTW says, "What...what the heck!? "A paternoster or paternoster lift is a passenger elevator which consists of a chain of open compartments that move slowly in a loop up and down inside a building without stopping. Passengers can step on or off at any floor they like." (wikipedia)" | ||
| DavidW says, "There was a paternoster in Zeppelin Adventure." | ||
| MoyTW says, "wtfwtfwtf" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Called the same thing. And when you type 'paternoster' into Google, it autocompletes the entry with words like 'dangerous' and 'death'" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "So that's nice." | ||
| DavidW says, "That is the English name for it." | ||
| MoyTW says, "good freakin' Lord what the heck why would you ever make this horrifying contraption" | ||
| Roger says, "also they had that big one at The Wall" | ||
| DavidW says, "It's an elevator with a death wish for its passengers." | ||
| Jacqueline | Face Your Fear in Prague's “Elevator of Death”: The Paternoster | ||
| jmac laughs delightedly | ||
| DavidW says, "like, imagine a slow-moving ferris wheel you were expected to walk onto and walk off of." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to jmac), "See, we don't just play IF here, we also learn stuff." | ||
| Roger says, "This sounds like a hack for those really orthodox Jews who won't even push an elevator floor button on Sabbath" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "I think this would miss the spirit of that." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Anyway, my bracelet idea didn't work. What now?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Anyway, cool. I had no idea." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "But now back to avoiding the other kind of death: ritual sacrifice." | ||
| Roger says, "Anyway y'all are pretty warm here (I think); keep going" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Do we want to try to somehow get the tongs up the dumbwaiter?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Can we x the bracelet?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bracelet" | ||
| CF | The bracelet is made of irregular chunks of gray-white stone about the | ||
| CF | size of marbles. Each stone is incised with a symbol of some sort. | ||
| CF | The symbols look vaguely like the letters on the carving on the stone | ||
| CF | slab in Beauregard Phelps's bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet in carving" | ||
| CF | You can't put anything in the circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet on carving" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "I can't recall: what happens if we wear the bracelet?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Nuttin' I think." | ||
| DavidW says, "We are wearing it currently." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We are wearing the bracelet a.. right." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shake bracelet" | ||
| CF | Shaking the stone bracelet has no obvious effect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "kiss bracelet" | ||
| CF | Kissing the stone bracelet has no obvious effect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "oh" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "rub bracelet" | ||
| CF | You feel nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x carving" | ||
| CF | The design of the ornate circular carving is made up of seven or eight | ||
| CF | intertwining rattlesnakes, all of them baring their fangs. Within the | ||
| CF | loops formed by the snakes' coils are symbols that look like letters. | ||
| CF | The letters look exactly like the markings on the stone bracelet you | ||
| CF | found in the dining room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hiss" | ||
| CF | The word "hiss" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x loops" | ||
| CF | The design of the ornate circular carving is made up of seven or eight | ||
| CF | intertwining rattlesnakes, all of them baring their fangs. Within the | ||
| CF | loops formed by the snakes' coils are symbols that look like letters. | ||
| CF | The letters look exactly like the markings on the stone bracelet you | ||
| CF | found in the dining room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Okay, loops is a synonym, not a nested thing." | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "arrange bracelet" | ||
| CF | The word "arrange" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I suppose we could push the poker through the grate and try to swordfight the dagger with that, but the chance of success is low." | |
| Jacqueline says, "This somehow feels like Not A Thing We Need to Do, while also seeming to be Important And Surely There Is A Reason To Do Something." | ||
| jmac exclaims, "OK, I gotta roll out, but I get the gist and I look forward to joining y'all later, hopefully at the start of the next game!" | ||
| jmac goes home. | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Bye, jmac!" | |
| Jacqueline says (to jmac), "Bye - hope to see you again here." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "open slab with bracelet" | ||
| CF | The slab is not something you can pry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks (of Roger), "Have we missed an Important Thing somewhere?" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "touch slab with bracelet" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "say open sesame" | ||
| CF | The word "sesame" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "no I don't think so; you are, in fact, really close, I think" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Roger), "huh" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x table" | ||
| CF | The scarred old wooden table is both taller and shallower than a normal | ||
| CF | table - about four feet high and no more than a foot deep. On the | ||
| CF | shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pull table" | ||
| CF | The shallow table cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under it" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the shallow table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "What stuff can we shove through the grate? Can we bop the figurine off the table with something long?" | |
| DavidW says, "The long thing would be the poker. Worth a try, certainly." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter dumbwaiter" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying nothing, and are wearing your clothes and a stone | ||
| CF | bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "We could've brought the bracelet up this way." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a screwdriver, a wooden | ||
| CF | bucket, and a burlap sack (which contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, | ||
| CF | the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, an indecipherable map, a hand mirror, a black-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine, a green-eyed figurine, a sketchbook, a flashlight, a mystery | ||
| CF | by John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a poker, a partially crumbled | ||
| CF | piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, and some fire tongs) here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all" | ||
| CF | rat droppings: The rat droppings are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | onions: The onions are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | screwdriver: Taken. | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Taken. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put poker in grate" | ||
| CF | (first taking the poker from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You push the poker through the grate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings and some onions here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop all" | ||
| CF | stone bracelet: | ||
| CF | (first taking off the stone bracelet) | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | screwdriver: Dropped. | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Dropped. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. In a few moments you're looking out at the bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Bracelet!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a stone bracelet, a | ||
| CF | screwdriver, a wooden bucket, and a burlap sack (which contains a gold | ||
| CF | locket, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an | ||
| CF | old shovel, some faded photographs, an indecipherable map, a hand | ||
| CF | mirror, a black-eyed figurine, a green-eyed figurine, a sketchbook, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially | ||
| CF | crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, and some fire tongs) here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bracelet" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear it" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. In a few moments you're looking out at the bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie rope to hook" | ||
| CF | You wrap the rope several times around the iron hook. It isn't much of | ||
| CF | a knot, but maybe it will hold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a poker here. On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine | ||
| CF | and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Sorry for shouting there." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take poker" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit figurine with poker" | ||
| CF | As you reach toward the figurine, the dagger rises into the air, guided | ||
| CF | by no hand that you can see, and slashes at your face! You back away | ||
| CF | quickly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit dagger with poker" | ||
| CF | You take a valiant swing at the flying dagger, but it veers aside and | ||
| CF | you miss. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dagger slashes and jabs at you, dancing and swooping and slashing | ||
| CF | in midair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | You take a valiant swing at the flying dagger, but it veers aside and | ||
| CF | you miss. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dagger slashes and jabs at you, dancing and swooping and slashing | ||
| CF | in midair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | You take a valiant swing at the flying dagger, but it veers aside and | ||
| CF | you miss. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dagger slashes and jabs at you, dancing and swooping and slashing | ||
| CF | in midair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Don't think that's gonna play out." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet on dagger" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dagger slashes and jabs at you, dancing and swooping and slashing | ||
| CF | in midair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Duelists, we are not." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push figurine with poker" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x peephole" | ||
| CF | The peephole is a little brass ring mounted in the door, with a glass | ||
| CF | lens in the center. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in it" | ||
| CF | Through the peephole you can see Luisa standing at her ironing board, | ||
| CF | ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "This game, man." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search slab" | ||
| CF | You must open the slab before you can do that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open slab" | ||
| CF | You push and prod at the slab, but it's unyielding. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "There's something that might have got missed or confused during all the save-game chicanery, I think, if you want a hint in that direction" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry slab with poker" | ||
| CF | The slab is not something you can pry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The poker might help with the barrel of tar, I suppose." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I seem to recall that the device also had similar markings, but we found no way to really use it." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Maybe re-look at the sketchbook for a clue?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You see no rope here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dumbwaiter" | ||
| CF | The interior of the box is so small that a person your size could | ||
| CF | barely fit into it - maybe - by curling up in a ball. A grown-up would | ||
| CF | never be able to. The dust and cobwebs are thick, but fortunately | ||
| CF | there don't seem to be any spiders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter it" | ||
| CF | You find that it's not possible to cram yourself into the dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | while carrying anything large. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | (first unlocking the door, then opening it) | ||
| CF | The bolt makes a soft scraping noise as you gently slide it back. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When Luisa sees that the door of Phelps's bedroom is open, she crosses | ||
| CF | herself, mutters something that sounds like, "Madre de dios," and | ||
| CF | rushes off down the hall. As you're wondering what to do next, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps rushes up to you and grips your arm so hard you cry | ||
| CF | out in pain. "So," he says. "We got ourselves a sneak thief. Luisa | ||
| CF | tells me you got into my room. Well, no harm done. But I reckon we'll | ||
| CF | have to put you away where you can't get in no more mischief between | ||
| CF | now and the time for the ritual." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You try to protest that it's all a silly mistake, but he only laughs. | ||
| CF | Not letting his grip slacken for an instant, he drags you down to the | ||
| CF | cellar of the house and thrusts you into a big shipping trunk. The lid | ||
| CF | slams shut, and you're left curled up in a painful knot in total | ||
| CF | darkness. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A long time passes - you're not sure how long. When you hear footsteps | ||
| CF | approaching, and voices, a flush of hope jolts through you. The trunk | ||
| CF | lid springs open and you're hauled out. You start to protest about | ||
| CF | your treatment, but then you see that Aunt Caroline is carrying the | ||
| CF | white dress, and your words freeze in your throat. Your aunt's mouth | ||
| CF | is set in a grim line. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | While the others watch, ignoring your shame, she and Honey Hartwell | ||
| CF | force you to take off your clothes and put on the white dress. Then | ||
| CF | the whole party, with you in the middle crying and trying to get away, | ||
| CF | marches out to the meadow where the block of stone is standing. "It's | ||
| CF | almost time now," Phelps says, his voice bubbling with an undercurrent | ||
| CF | of glee. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As sunset arrives, there's a thickening in the air, a sense of a foul | ||
| CF | presence gathering. Shortly you can see it hovering above the stone | ||
| CF | block, a huge form that grows darker and more solid by the moment. The | ||
| CF | monster's fangs and claws are exactly like those on the little | ||
| CF | figurines, but far larger and more terrifying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The demon reaches toward you, its thick red tongue writhing out | ||
| CF | obscenely. Your aunt and a well-dressed man whose aftershave smells, | ||
| CF | nauseatingly, of mint force you down on your back on the stone block, | ||
| CF | and Beauregard Phelps stalks ponderously forward, raising his curved | ||
| CF | dagger high and bringing it down toward your breast in a swift slashing | ||
| CF | arc. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** You have died on the altar of an ancient demon. *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO the | ||
| CF | last move, or QUIT? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "n". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yikes." | |
| MoyTW says, "Big Fs. There's death #1." | ||
| DavidW says, "Sorry! Typed north by mistake!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop poker" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "I'm wondering what happens if we don't tie the rope to the hook?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Probably nothing good." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Do we just lose the dumbwaiter car and get trapped up here?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Belatedly, killed by a typo. Damn." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Trying to maneuver your way through the narrow opening, you | ||
| CF | inadvertently let go of the rope. As your grip on the rope slackens, | ||
| CF | the box plummets back down the shaft! You land with a jarring thud at | ||
| CF | the bottom, your hands stinging from rope burns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "out". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a screwdriver, a wooden | ||
| CF | bucket, and a burlap sack (which contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, | ||
| CF | the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, an indecipherable map, a hand mirror, a black-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine, a green-eyed figurine, a sketchbook, a flashlight, a mystery | ||
| CF | by John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of | ||
| CF | burnt toast, a bad fuse, and some fire tongs) here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all" | ||
| CF | rat droppings: The rat droppings are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | onions: The onions are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | screwdriver: Taken. | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Taken. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x scrapbook" | ||
| CF | The word "scrapbook" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sketchbook" | ||
| CF | The cloth-covered book is hundreds of pages thick and more than a foot | ||
| CF | square. The pages don't fit neatly between the covers; the book | ||
| CF | appears to have been bound by hand. The front cover, of well-worn | ||
| CF | coarse cloth, is blank: No title or author, no lettering of any kind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "read it" | ||
| CF | (first taking the sketchbook from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | The book proves to contain almost nothing but hand-drawn pencil | ||
| CF | sketches - more than a hundred of them on thick, stiff paper. Each | ||
| CF | sketch is different, but there's a common theme. Most show monsters | ||
| CF | and demons of various sorts, in various poses and settings. As you | ||
| CF | leaf through the book, you find that you're becoming more and more | ||
| CF | disturbed by the gruesome images. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the bottom of each sketch, a single word has been written in block | ||
| CF | capitals. The words themselves have an exotic, foreign flavor that | ||
| CF | matches the bizarre pictures. Here's a sketch of two demons with fangs | ||
| CF | and spears stabbing a huge feathered serpent, or possibly a dragon. | ||
| CF | Beneath the sketch is the word HUATLI. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another sketch, perhaps the most frightening of the lot, shows a young | ||
| CF | girl lying naked on her back on a block of stone. A man in an | ||
| CF | elaborate headdress looms over her with an upraised dagger, while a | ||
| CF | huge demon with claws and flaming eyes looks on. Beneath this image is | ||
| CF | the word OLTIOC. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A sketch of a demon eating what looks disgustingly like a human heart | ||
| CF | is labelled ZIATLI. A sketch of two men in headdresses holding a girl | ||
| CF | between them and presenting her to a giant serpent is labelled MAZIDI. | ||
| CF | A sketch of a girl being - no, that one is too upsetting even to think | ||
| CF | about, but you notice the word UMIXIM below it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You flip past the other images hurriedly, drawn back in spite of | ||
| CF | yourself to the one that shows the horrible carving on the stone block | ||
| CF | in the meadow. Below it is the mysterious word IXTLOC. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "I forget is "say X" a usable action?" | |
| DavidW says, "It's a legal action, but I don't know if this game really supports it." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Was just wonderin' if we'd said the demon's name to the slab while wearing the bracelet." | ||
| DavidW says, "I thought I had tried that." | ||
| DavidW says, "I was wondering if I tried the wrong name, however." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet in sack" | ||
| CF | (first taking off the stone bracelet) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put poker in sack" | ||
| CF | You see no poker here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You walk down the narrow, ill-lit hall, and emerge in the office. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Office | ||
| CF | This room looks as if it serves as Beauregard Phelps's office. It's | ||
| CF | frankly a mess - littered with teetering piles of yellowing paper. | ||
| CF | It's dominated by a big desk, which sits in the center of the room with | ||
| CF | a chair behind it. Beneath the window at the west end of the room is a | ||
| CF | small square table, on which rests a curious device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take red figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You see no red figurine here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tongs" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | Which figurine do you mean, the green-eyed figurine, or the black-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "black" | ||
| CF | You pick up the black-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it on device" | ||
| CF | (the black-eyed figurine) | ||
| CF | The black-eyed figurine is too large for the wooden circle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put black in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a screwdriver, a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which | ||
| CF | contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little | ||
| CF | white pill, an old shovel, some faded photographs, an indecipherable | ||
| CF | map, a hand mirror, a green-eyed figurine, a flashlight, a mystery by | ||
| CF | John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt | ||
| CF | toast, a bad fuse, a stone bracelet, and a black-eyed figurine), a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, and some fire tongs. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x device" | ||
| CF | The device is circular, and about the size of a small lazy susan. | ||
| CF | Bright sunlight shines directly on it through the window. The central | ||
| CF | part of the device is a circular platform of polished wood, in which is | ||
| CF | inlaid an arrow in lighter wood. The arrow points somewhat to the left | ||
| CF | of the window. Also incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters you saw carved | ||
| CF | on the stone slab upstairs in Beauregard's bedroom and those on the | ||
| CF | stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mounted along the edges of the circle are several clear glass prisms | ||
| CF | and several more small rectangular mirrors. The latter are held in | ||
| CF | place by slim brass mounting clips. One of the mounting clips is | ||
| CF | empty, however. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As the sunlight hits the prisms, a rainbow of light cascades across the | ||
| CF | surface of the device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "Maybe the thing needs to be in this thing" | |
| DavidW asks, "Maybe we need something shiny?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "put mirror in device" | ||
| CF | (first taking the hand mirror from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You fit the mirror into the brass clip. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks (of Roger), "er, 'thing'?" | |
| Roger says, "yeah that thing" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x devive" | ||
| CF | The word "devive" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x device" | ||
| CF | The device is circular, and about the size of a small lazy susan. | ||
| CF | Bright sunlight shines directly on it through the window. The central | ||
| CF | part of the device is a circular platform of polished wood, in which is | ||
| CF | inlaid an arrow in lighter wood. The arrow points somewhat to the left | ||
| CF | of the window. Also incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters you saw carved | ||
| CF | on the stone slab upstairs in Beauregard's bedroom and those on the | ||
| CF | stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Mounted along the edges of the circle are several clear glass prisms | ||
| CF | and several more small rectangular mirrors. The latter are held in | ||
| CF | place by slim brass mounting clips. There are mirrors or prisms in all | ||
| CF | of the clips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As the sunlight hits the prisms, a rainbow of light cascades across the | ||
| CF | surface of the device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x surface" | ||
| CF | You see no surface here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x circle" | ||
| CF | Which circle do you mean, the wooden circle, or the bad fuse? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), " wooden" | ||
| CF | The wooden circle at the center of the curious device is about a foot | ||
| CF | in diameter. The surface is dark except for a lighter-colored inlaid | ||
| CF | arrow, which points out the window, more or less in the direction of | ||
| CF | the afternoon sun. Incised in the wood are some abstract figures or | ||
| CF | designs. They look rather like the mysterious letters you saw carved | ||
| CF | on the stone slab upstairs in Beauregard's bedroom and those on the | ||
| CF | stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "turn arrow" | ||
| CF | You swivel the device this way and that, but doing so doesn't seem to | ||
| CF | be accomplishing very much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet on device" | ||
| CF | (first taking the stone bracelet from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "turn arrow" | ||
| CF | You swivel the device this way and that, but doing so doesn't seem to | ||
| CF | be accomplishing very much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hrm" | |
| Roger says, "I think the arrow needs to be pointed at something" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "read bracelet" | ||
| CF | The bracelet is made of irregular chunks of gray-white stone about the | ||
| CF | size of marbles. Each stone is incised with a symbol of some sort. | ||
| CF | The symbols look vaguely like the letters on the carving on the stone | ||
| CF | slab in Beauregard Phelps's bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "point arrow at me" | ||
| CF | That makes no sense. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "point" | ||
| CF | (the evil figurines) | ||
| CF | (first trying to take the evil figurines) | ||
| CF | As you reach out to touch the nearest of the figurines, you have the | ||
| CF | momentary sensation that it has lunged at you and snapped at your | ||
| CF | fingers with its teeth. Obviously, it couldn't actually have moved - | ||
| CF | could it? But a shaft of intense pain shoots up your arm, and you | ||
| CF | recoil as quickly as if you had put your hand in an open flame. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "point arrow" | ||
| CF | Waving the wooden circle has no visible effect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "point arrow at figurines" | ||
| CF | Pointing the curious device at the evil figurines has no obvious | ||
| CF | effect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "look through window" | ||
| CF | Through the window you can see the driveway and the afternoon sun, | ||
| CF | which shines down brightly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x sun" | ||
| CF | The sun is shining in the window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "point arrow at sun" | ||
| CF | You swivel the device so as to aim the arrow on the wooden circle | ||
| CF | straight at the afternoon sun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As the rainbows of light play across the surface of the device, the | ||
| CF | bracelet begins to emit a warm hum. The hum is pleasant, but almost | ||
| CF | too soft to be sensed. For a few moments it seems the bracelet is | ||
| CF | glowing with its own light, the strange letters on the stones shifting | ||
| CF | into new shapes. When the effect subsides, the bracelet looks much the | ||
| CF | way it did before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well huh." | |
| DavidW says, "That's new." | ||
| MoyTW says, "I guess we charged the bracelet." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "'shifting into new shapes'" | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims (at Moy), "Oh, maybe!" | ||
| DavidW asks, "So, maybe the bracelet will work upstairs now?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Worth a go." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings and some onions here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop all but bracelet" | ||
| CF | screwdriver: Dropped. | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Dropped. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Dropped. | ||
| CF | sketchbook: Dropped. | ||
| CF | fire tongs: Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. In a few moments you're looking out at the bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie rope to hook" | ||
| CF | You wrap the rope several times around the iron hook. It isn't much of | ||
| CF | a knot, but maybe it will hold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Did we take the bracelet?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a poker here. On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine | ||
| CF | and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying nothing, and are wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "We weren't wearing it?!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I put it onto the device." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | You'll need to untie the rope from the hook first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a screwdriver, a wooden | ||
| CF | bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, the | ||
| CF | key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, an indecipherable map, a green-eyed figurine, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially | ||
| CF | crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, and a black-eyed figurine), | ||
| CF | a sketchbook, and some fire tongs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You walk down the narrow, ill-lit hall, and emerge in the office. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Office | ||
| CF | This room looks as if it serves as Beauregard Phelps's office. It's | ||
| CF | frankly a mess - littered with teetering piles of yellowing paper. | ||
| CF | It's dominated by a big desk, which sits in the center of the room with | ||
| CF | a chair behind it. Beneath the window at the west end of the room is a | ||
| CF | small square table, on which rests a curious device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the wooden circle is a stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bracelet" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear it" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a screwdriver, a wooden | ||
| CF | bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, the | ||
| CF | key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, an indecipherable map, a green-eyed figurine, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially | ||
| CF | crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, and a black-eyed figurine), | ||
| CF | a sketchbook, and some fire tongs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. In a few moments you're looking out at the bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie rope to hook" | ||
| CF | You wrap the rope several times around the iron hook. It isn't much of | ||
| CF | a knot, but maybe it will hold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a poker here. On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine | ||
| CF | and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take poker" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open slab" | ||
| CF | You push and prod at the slab, but it's unyielding. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push carving" | ||
| CF | The circular carving cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet on carving" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet in carving" | ||
| CF | You can't put anything in the circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet on slab" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the slab. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet in slab" | ||
| CF | You can't put anything in the slab. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear bracelet" | ||
| CF | You're already wearing it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take dagger" | ||
| CF | As you reach out to pick up the dagger, it scoots away from you! A | ||
| CF | moment later, quivering, it's airborne. Guided by no hand that you can | ||
| CF | see, the dagger swoops straight at your face! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "take dagger". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bracelet" | ||
| CF | The bracelet is made of irregular chunks of gray-white stone about the | ||
| CF | size of marbles. Each stone is incised with a symbol of some sort. | ||
| CF | The symbols look vaguely like the letters on the carving on the stone | ||
| CF | slab in Beauregard Phelps's bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "rub it" | ||
| CF | The bracelet tingles faintly under your fingertips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "rub bracelet on carving" | ||
| CF | You see no bracelet in the circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch carving" | ||
| CF | As your fingers brush the circular carving on the slab, a blaze of | ||
| CF | light bursts from it. At the same moment, a deep grinding rumble | ||
| CF | emanates from within the slab, so loud it rattles your teeth and raises | ||
| CF | little dust spurts on the floor. You take an involuntary step backward | ||
| CF | and watch apprehensively as the slab pivots to the side, creating a | ||
| CF | narrow opening through which you can pass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, there it is." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take poker" | ||
| CF | You are already carrying the poker. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf18" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Behind you, the slab pivots shut with a deep, reverberating boom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Room of Seven Doors | ||
| CF | This broad circular chamber is low-ceilinged and torchlit. The air of | ||
| CF | heavy stillness gives you the feeling that you're deep inside a | ||
| CF | building, or perhaps underground. The circumference of the room is | ||
| CF | lined by massive stone slabs like the one through which you arrived. | ||
| CF | Though the room itself is disorienting, not to mention that in a place | ||
| CF | like this your sense of direction is a little hazy, you're fairly sure | ||
| CF | you arrived through the slab to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Other slabs are to the west, northwest, and so on. Each of them is | ||
| CF | carved with intricate and indecipherable designs. The eighth exit is | ||
| CF | an open doorway directly to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "hooray" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Yes. Well done." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Also, huh. All these doors!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x north slab" | ||
| CF | The stone slab set in the north curve of the room looks much like the | ||
| CF | others. The abstract lines and shapes incised on its surface look a | ||
| CF | bit like a design for a primitive computer circuit board. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x northeast slab" | ||
| CF | The stone slab set in the northeast curve of the room looks much like | ||
| CF | the others. The abstract lines and shapes incised on its surface look | ||
| CF | a bit like a design for a primitive computer circuit board. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "I vote going east?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take torch" | ||
| CF | You see no torch here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Silver Bridge | ||
| CF | A square-cut channel, too broad to jump and seemingly bottomless | ||
| CF | (though in the dim light it's hard to be certain) stretches from north | ||
| CF | to south here. Spanning it is a narrow ribbon of silver, barely wide | ||
| CF | enough to walk on. The ribbon shimmers slightly, as if it's made of | ||
| CF | oily light. The walls of close-fitting gray stone were obviously made | ||
| CF | by human hands - or at least, by hands of some sort. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open doorway leads west, and the silver bridge affords a slightly | ||
| CF | vertiginous path to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Weren't we upstairs in a house?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "We were." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "MAGIC" | ||
| MoyTW says, "A wizard did it." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Or, I guess, an ancient god did it." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "There's a heart-collecting demon out there. What's a little strange geography, then?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x channel" | ||
| CF | The chasm is deep and wide. Looking down into it, you can't see the | ||
| CF | bottom, but faint sounds echoing up from far below suggest that it's | ||
| CF | not actually bottomless. The sides are certainly too steep to climb, | ||
| CF | though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look up" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bridge" | ||
| CF | The silver bridge is barely wide enough to walk on. It shimmers and | ||
| CF | ripples, as if it's made of oily light. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "What if it is only light?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "I mean, fair enough, but ... yeah, I feel like this is a Silver Bridge too far." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You step lightly and carefully across the narrow silver bridge. As you | ||
| CF | reach the far end, a sizzling, crackling noise behind you makes you | ||
| CF | whirl and look back. The bridge is evaporating at your heels into a | ||
| CF | drift of silver sparks. The sparks spin, dimming, into the abyss. In | ||
| CF | a moment the bridge is gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oopsie. One-use bridge is gone." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Oh dear." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Enh. You saved." | ||
| MoyTW says, "'s fiiine, let's just keep goin'." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Like, had I left and come back, I would now think y'all had switched games." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I mean, Cragne Manor had that underground bridge in the middle of an aboveground town." | ||
| DavidW says, "Down into gloom seems dangerous without a light source." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Can we go north or south, then?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door" | ||
| CF | The bronze door is standing open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cabinet" | ||
| CF | The cabinet is six feet tall and three wide. It's a fine example of | ||
| CF | the woodworker's art - the blond wood of the front panel is so highly | ||
| CF | polished it practically glows. Inlaid in the center of the front is a | ||
| CF | large circle of darker wood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | The cabinet seems to be locked, and there's no obvious keyhole, only a | ||
| CF | smooth surface of fine wood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push circle" | ||
| CF | The wooden circle on the cabinet door cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "smell" | ||
| CF | You smell nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mats" | ||
| CF | The mats are quite large - at least five feet wide, and six or seven | ||
| CF | feet long. They're painted with elaborate and somewhat unnerving | ||
| CF | designs in red and black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "x designs" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x designs" | ||
| CF | Which designs do you mean, the letters on the bracelet, or the straw | ||
| CF | mats? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "mats" | ||
| CF | The mats are quite large - at least five feet wide, and six or seven | ||
| CF | feet long. They're painted with elaborate and somewhat unnerving | ||
| CF | designs in red and black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'd like to know if 'unnerving' means sex or not." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I'd assume more ritual sacrifice." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Or just -- yeah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under mats" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the straw mats. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | With a bit of fiddling, you're able to detach one of the mats from the | ||
| CF | hook on which it's hanging. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a poker and a straw mat, and you're wearing your | ||
| CF | clothes and a stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline makes the air quotes when she says, "just" ritual sacrifice. | |
| DavidW says, "Maybe the mat is a flying carpet back across the channel." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "That sounds silly, except now pretty much everything is on the table." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Any further ideas about the cabinet or shall I continue north?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x circle" | ||
| CF | The wooden circle on the front of the cabinet is rather larger than a | ||
| CF | human face. Seven designs or glyphs are inlaid on the circle - in no | ||
| CF | particular order, a circle surrounded by rays that must represent the | ||
| CF | sun, a long curved dagger, the stylized head of a snarling jaguar, a | ||
| CF | bird with outstretched wings, a tilted jug from whose mouth a stream of | ||
| CF | water is pouring, an ear of corn, and a coiled rattlesnake with bared | ||
| CF | fangs. Directly above the circle is a large arrowhead whose point aims | ||
| CF | straight down at the upper edge of the circle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh. It's a safe and this is its dial." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Seems like it." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I didn't quite expect this much detail on a "circle"." | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't know the combo so I'm continuing the exploration." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On a Narrow Balcony | ||
| CF | This little balcony overlooks a small but well-maintained formal garden | ||
| CF | dotted with fruit trees. Looming over the garden to the east is an | ||
| CF | imposing, windowless building whose heavy, close-set stone pillars | ||
| CF | suggest Egypt or Ancient Rome. An open archway to the south leads back | ||
| CF | into the chamber, and a steep flight of stairs leads down into the | ||
| CF | garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Fair." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x garden" | ||
| CF | The word "garden" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x building" | ||
| CF | The building is massive and windowless. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I have a feeling we're not in Eternity Springs anymore." | |
| DavidW says, "We might not even be in the same century." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says, "I think if we go down into the garden, bad things might happen. Or we escape this way to an uncertain future." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "I feel like it would be impossible to confuse ancient Roman/Egyptian architecture, unless we're talking 'bout Roman Egypt. Then again Ptolmaic Egypt could look p. Greek so...?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | A Tropical Garden | ||
| CF | Winding walks of crushed gravel snake between glossy-leaved, | ||
| CF | well-pruned trees and flowering shrubs. The air is warm and so | ||
| CF | freighted with the scent of blossoms as to be almost foetid. In the | ||
| CF | center of the garden stands a handsome but rather spindly fruit tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The garden is walled on all sides, with a tall, heavy building to the | ||
| CF | east and south, and ordinary exterior walls on the north and west. A | ||
| CF | stairway leads up to a little balcony. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "oh, walled in." | |
| MoyTW says, "(nitpicky of me)" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tree" | ||
| CF | The tree in the center of the garden has a slim trunk and a profusion | ||
| CF | of foliage. Possibly the fruit has recently been harvested, but if so, | ||
| CF | the gardeners didn't quite finish the job. Hanging from one upper | ||
| CF | bough, half-hidden among the leaves, is a single large, ripe golden | ||
| CF | fruit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, apparently we're failing World History, so..." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x fruit" | ||
| CF | The fruit is of a rosy golden hue, like a peach, and as globular as an | ||
| CF | orange. Whatever it is, it looks delectable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "Eat the fruit! Eat the fruit! Eat the fruit!" | |
| DavidW asks, "Any object to taking the last fruit from the garden of whatever?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take fruit" | ||
| CF | The fruit is well out of reach among the upper branches of the tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "Do not eat! Do not eat! Do not eat!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "climb tree" | ||
| CF | You try to haul yourself up the trunk of the fruit tree in the center | ||
| CF | of the garden, but it sways dangerously. Evidently the tree is just | ||
| CF | too spindly to support your weight. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shake tree" | ||
| CF | You grab the trunk of the tree and give it an experimental shake. The | ||
| CF | leaves rustle and the golden fruit sways on its stem, so you push a | ||
| CF | little harder. The leaves rustle more loudly - and after bobbing and | ||
| CF | waggling back and forth a few times, the golden fruit drops free and | ||
| CF | lands on the ground at your feet with a soft thump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "Eat it eat it eat it eatiteatiteatit!" | |
| Jacqueline says, "nonononononoonononononono. no." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well, chances are we can undo if we're thrown out." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take fruit" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "what a joker" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "smell it" | ||
| CF | It smells delicious. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf19" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Saving is good." | |
| Jacqueline leans in. | ||
| MoyTW says, "Saving lets you both eat, and not eat, the fruit." | ||
| DavidW says, "here's where the genie that owns the tree kills us." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "eat fruit" | ||
| CF | As you're about to bite into the tempting piece of fruit, it occurs to | ||
| CF | you that you haven't really been feeling much of an appetite all | ||
| CF | afternoon. Maybe you could find some other use for it. Throwing it at | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps? No, maybe not. But it ought to be good for | ||
| CF | something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "But of course, in reality, we shouldn't just eat strange fruit that we know nothing about." | |
| MoyTW says, "Oh come on game." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Moy), "Yes, very Schrodinger" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Not even a hilarious death sequence? I am disappointed." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads up to the narrow | ||
| CF | balcony. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wall" | ||
| CF | You see no wall here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x building" | ||
| CF | The building is massive and windowless. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Wait. We throw it at the nest?" | |
| Jacqueline asks, "Was that the hint?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "The wasp nest on the porch?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Possibly." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "We came all this way to get a thing to throw at the wasp nest?" | ||
| Jacqueline gives the game the side eye. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | On a Narrow Balcony | ||
| CF | This little balcony overlooks a small but well-maintained formal garden | ||
| CF | dotted with fruit trees. Looming over the garden to the east is an | ||
| CF | imposing, windowless building whose heavy, close-set stone pillars | ||
| CF | suggest Egypt or Ancient Rome. An open archway to the south leads back | ||
| CF | into the chamber, and a steep flight of stairs leads down into the | ||
| CF | garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I mean hopefully not just." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Tropical Garden | ||
| CF | Winding walks of crushed gravel snake between glossy-leaved, | ||
| CF | well-pruned trees and flowering shrubs. The air is warm and so | ||
| CF | freighted with the scent of blossoms as to be almost foetid. In the | ||
| CF | center of the garden stands a handsome but rather spindly fruit tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The garden is walled on all sides, with a tall, heavy building to the | ||
| CF | east and south, and ordinary exterior walls on the north and west. A | ||
| CF | stairway leads up to a little balcony. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "I'm gonna be cross if you can't throw a rock at a nest, you need to go to a magical ancient realm to harvest a mythologically-charged fruit to throw instead." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on mat" | ||
| CF | You can't sit on that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand" | ||
| CF | You're already standing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "A mat we can't sit on. Curious." | |
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "Yeah, I'm sure it's not 'just' this. But what Moy said." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | On a Narrow Balcony | ||
| CF | This little balcony overlooks a small but well-maintained formal garden | ||
| CF | dotted with fruit trees. Looming over the garden to the east is an | ||
| CF | imposing, windowless building whose heavy, close-set stone pillars | ||
| CF | suggest Egypt or Ancient Rome. An open archway to the south leads back | ||
| CF | into the chamber, and a steep flight of stairs leads down into the | ||
| CF | garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A little brown spider monkey is wandering across the courtyard. When | ||
| CF | he sees you, he scuttles away into the shadows, but a moment later he | ||
| CF | creeps cautiously back and stares at you from a safe distance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "And yeah, it would be rather odd if we can't just toss a rock." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Oh hi monkey. Do YOU want this delicious, mythologically-charged fruit?" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Spider monkey, or spider-monkey?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey is light brown, with large eyes and a long slim tail. He's | ||
| CF | not much more than a foot tall. Your presence seems to make him a bit | ||
| CF | nervous. He's curious about you, but keeping his distance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pool" | ||
| CF | The surface of the square pool is rippling faintly in a breath of | ||
| CF | breeze, and the ripples catch bright glints of sunlight and toss them | ||
| CF | out across the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x benches" | ||
| CF | The benches provide a border around the square pool. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on bench" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now sitting on the low benches. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "swim" | ||
| CF | There's nothing here to swim in. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter pool" | ||
| CF | You glance at the shallow pool and instantly dismiss it as unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pet monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey edges away from you, looking doubtful. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ook" | ||
| CF | The word "ook" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give fruit to monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey accepts the golden fruit from you gravely, taking it in both | ||
| CF | hands, sniffing it, and touching the tip of his tongue to the skin. | ||
| CF | Apparently it meets with his approval - he bites into it, chews | ||
| CF | quickly, and eats more. As you watch, he devours the whole thing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your magnanimous gesture seems to have convinced the little monkey that | ||
| CF | you're his friend. He tugs at your pants leg and gazes up at you | ||
| CF | trustingly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "He does! We have made a friend." | |
| Roger says, "feeding wild animals is always a good idea, right Jacq" | ||
| DavidW says, "Nicest part of this game so far, I think. Most pleasant." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, there was that one time we befriended a dog with a dead and stinky possum." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show bracelet to monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey makes a tiny chittering sound that might be laughter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "But yeah, I suppose this is nicer." | |
| DavidW says, "And we replaced a fuse." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "A fuse for the horror house." | ||
| DavidW asks, "We seem to have four exits from here. North first?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | (first standing up) | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Temple | ||
| CF | The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. | ||
| CF | A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars | ||
| CF | can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You | ||
| CF | tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. | ||
| CF | It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the | ||
| CF | little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them | ||
| CF | that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before | ||
| CF | the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the | ||
| CF | south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll | ||
| CF | have to pass quite close to the hideous statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x statue" | ||
| CF | The statue has wide, glaring eyes that glitter a deep red, outstretched | ||
| CF | hands with fearsome claws, and a grimacing mouth lined with pointed | ||
| CF | teeth. Looking at it sets your heart tapping in your chest. As you | ||
| CF | move across the floor of the temple, the statue's smoldering eyes seem | ||
| CF | to follow you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x eyes" | ||
| CF | You see no eyes here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cube" | ||
| CF | The cube looks to be made of polished black stone - obsidian, or | ||
| CF | something like it. It's positioned directly before the hideous statue. | ||
| CF | Steps lead up to the top of the cube from the left and right. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pillars" | ||
| CF | The pillars are monumental. They seem to glow faintly in the cavernous | ||
| CF | room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "climb pillars" | ||
| CF | There are no suitable handholds or footholds on the surfaces of the | ||
| CF | pillars. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "get on cube" | ||
| CF | No power on Earth could entice you to ascend the steps to the top of | ||
| CF | the cube. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "now we'll never gleam it" | |
| DavidW | show fruit to monkey. n. (he follows) put fruit on cube. | ||
| MoyTW asks, "?" | ||
| Jacqueline grumbles. | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm thinking we may have made a mistake and could have sacrificed the monkey to this monster statue." | ||
| MoyTW says, "uh" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | As you try to sidle past the hideous statue, it leans sideways, reaches | ||
| CF | out with its claws, and slashes at you! You scramble backward to get | ||
| CF | out of its reach. Your first impulse is to run as fast as you can back | ||
| CF | down the temple and out into the courtyard, but after a moment you see | ||
| CF | that the statue is not coming after you. It's as motionless as it was | ||
| CF | before you approached. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh we fed that crow too" | |
| MoyTW asks, "Well I mean, we can load and try...?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "RESTORE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf19" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Tropical Garden | ||
| CF | Winding walks of crushed gravel snake between glossy-leaved, | ||
| CF | well-pruned trees and flowering shrubs. The air is warm and so | ||
| CF | freighted with the scent of blossoms as to be almost foetid. In the | ||
| CF | center of the garden stands a handsome but rather spindly fruit tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The garden is walled on all sides, with a tall, heavy building to the | ||
| CF | east and south, and ordinary exterior walls on the north and west. A | ||
| CF | stairway leads up to a little balcony. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a poker, a straw mat, and a piece of golden fruit, and | ||
| CF | you're wearing your clothes and a stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "That's awful inconsiderate of us though." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | On a Narrow Balcony | ||
| CF | This little balcony overlooks a small but well-maintained formal garden | ||
| CF | dotted with fruit trees. Looming over the garden to the east is an | ||
| CF | imposing, windowless building whose heavy, close-set stone pillars | ||
| CF | suggest Egypt or Ancient Rome. An open archway to the south leads back | ||
| CF | into the chamber, and a steep flight of stairs leads down into the | ||
| CF | garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead south to the sumptuously | ||
| CF | decorated chamber, and down to the tropical garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A little brown spider monkey is wandering across the courtyard. When | ||
| CF | he sees you, he scuttles away into the shadows, but a moment later he | ||
| CF | creeps cautiously back and stares at you from a safe distance. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show fruit to monkey" | ||
| CF | As you hold out the golden fruit, the monkey edges toward you, opening | ||
| CF | and closing his little mouth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Temple | ||
| CF | The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. | ||
| CF | A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars | ||
| CF | can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You | ||
| CF | tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. | ||
| CF | It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the | ||
| CF | little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them | ||
| CF | that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before | ||
| CF | the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the | ||
| CF | south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll | ||
| CF | have to pass quite close to the hideous statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "he didn't follow" | |
| MoyTW asks, "I mean if you really want to be sacrificin', you can see if you can befriend him and then pick him up and put him on the cube...?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey sits by the edge of the pool and stares into it, possibly at | ||
| CF | his own reflection. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give fruit to monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey accepts the golden fruit from you gravely, taking it in both | ||
| CF | hands, sniffing it, and touching the tip of his tongue to the skin. | ||
| CF | Apparently it meets with his approval - he bites into it, chews | ||
| CF | quickly, and eats more. As you watch, he devours the whole thing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your magnanimous gesture seems to have convinced the little monkey that | ||
| CF | you're his friend. He tugs at your pants leg and gazes up at you | ||
| CF | trustingly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look at reflection" | ||
| CF | The word "reflection" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Temple | ||
| CF | The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. | ||
| CF | A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars | ||
| CF | can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You | ||
| CF | tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. | ||
| CF | It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the | ||
| CF | little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them | ||
| CF | that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before | ||
| CF | the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the | ||
| CF | south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll | ||
| CF | have to pass quite close to the hideous statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "kiss monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey allows you to pet him gently. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey allows himself to be picked up, but quickly grows restless | ||
| CF | in your arms. Taking pity on him, you set him back down. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put monkey on cube" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the polished black cube. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "well then. That's not the answer." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "No monkey sacrifices in this temple." | ||
| DavidW says, "Not this way or not yet." | ||
| Roger says, "only monkey-kissing" | ||
| DavidW says, "I guess see the other courtyard exits" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Top of a Broad Stairway | ||
| CF | Behind you, to the west, is the imposing edifice of the building, which | ||
| CF | is broken here by a row of arches. To the east a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | stairs at least fifty feet wide glides down to the near edge of what | ||
| CF | appears to be a slum. Mud-brick hovels, some thatch-roofed and some | ||
| CF | topped with red ceramic tile, are crammed together in a cityscape that | ||
| CF | stretches to the horizon. Brown-skinned, black-haired people are | ||
| CF | moving in and out among the nearer structures; they don't seem to have | ||
| CF | noticed you yet, but you're very visible. Clearly, this is not a safe | ||
| CF | place to linger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Save and go say hi." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I'll be right back." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf20" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | For a moment you consider venturing out into the slum - but it would | ||
| CF | take you days to explore it, and the local people could hardly fail to | ||
| CF | notice the blond stranger. No, whatever you hope to gain in this | ||
| CF | strange place surely lies in the building behind you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x people" | ||
| CF | The people move slowly and aimlessly in the heat of the sun. They're | ||
| CF | shabbily dressed and unsmiling. None of them is looking in your | ||
| CF | direction, and that's probably just as well. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Room of Bones | ||
| CF | This appalling chamber is lit only by the gray daylight that spills in | ||
| CF | from the open doorway to the north. The floor here is heaped with | ||
| CF | piles of bones - human bones. Skulls lie in heaps, and the floor is | ||
| CF | carpeted with a mad xylophone of crisscrossing ribs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Against one wall a nearly complete skeleton is slumped in an attitude | ||
| CF | of dejection. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "We actually have bones on our shopping list. The clown wants some." | |
| MoyTW says, "I can only think of "Spooky scary skeletons send shivers down your spine..." whenever I see Ominous Skeleton Stuff now." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x skeleton" | ||
| CF | The skeleton is about five feet tall, and seems to be nearly complete. | ||
| CF | The flesh has long since dried up and blown away, except for slender | ||
| CF | ligaments that look to be holding the bones together in a coherent form | ||
| CF | - for now, anyway. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bones" | ||
| CF | There must be hundreds of skeletons here, lying in a dreadful and | ||
| CF | pathetic jumble. The bones are old and dry, every scrap of flesh long | ||
| CF | since gnawed away by vermin. The thought that all these were once | ||
| CF | living, breathing people fills you with almost unbearable sadness. One | ||
| CF | skeleton, slumped against a wall, seems still to be intact. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Oh yeah" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x skulls" | ||
| CF | There must be hundreds of skeletons here, lying in a dreadful and | ||
| CF | pathetic jumble. The bones are old and dry, every scrap of flesh long | ||
| CF | since gnawed away by vermin. The thought that all these were once | ||
| CF | living, breathing people fills you with almost unbearable sadness. One | ||
| CF | skeleton, slumped against a wall, seems still to be intact. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Anyways yeah let's grab us some bones. Rip those ligaments apart." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take skeleton" | ||
| CF | Your hands are too full to hold the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a poker and a straw mat, and you're wearing your | ||
| CF | clothes and a stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Ugh, right, no sack." | |
| Roger says, "This is about the point I put the game down" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That's part of the 'fun'" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Wait. Were we...not carrying the sack, or did the sack vanish on transition?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I left the sack back in the pantry." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We couldn't bring it with us -- right" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Oh. Ooooh, right, dumbwaiter." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Give it to the monkey?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe if we emptied the sack, we could bring it here." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Maybe." | ||
| DavidW asks (of Moy), "Give what to the monkey?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "That seems like a better idea than trying to rely on a monkey porter." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Either the poker or Mr. Bones." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give skeleton to monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey yawns, showing quite a lot of tiny sharp teeth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to DW), "Oh, good point." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put skeleton in mat" | ||
| CF | (first trying to take the skeleton) | ||
| CF | Your hands are too full to hold the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put skeleton on mat" | ||
| CF | (first taking the skeleton) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | If you pick up the mat now, what's on it will slide off. You might try | ||
| CF | rolling it up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "roll mat" | ||
| CF | You roll up the mat, concealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Cleo, you look mahvelous." | |
| DavidW says, "We still don't have a way back to the house, but there's more to explore. But it's now just after 4 pm." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "It... is." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Do we stop here for today or continue?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "No opinion, good on either." | ||
| Roger says, "me too" | ||
| DavidW says, "okay, let's go another hour then." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm kind of fine with the idea of continuing, but I also could go for a nap. You all could keep going, and I could nap." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I do not want to stand in the way." | ||
| DavidW says, "okay. Have a pleasant nap." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "(I would rather lie down in the way.)" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | A Room of Bones | ||
| CF | This appalling chamber is lit only by the gray daylight that spills in | ||
| CF | from the open doorway to the north. The floor here is heaped with | ||
| CF | piles of bones - human bones. Skulls lie in heaps, and the floor is | ||
| CF | carpeted with a mad xylophone of crisscrossing ribs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I'll read through it when I wake up, though." | |
| Jacqueline exclaims, "G'luck!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x ribs" | ||
| CF | There must be hundreds of skeletons here, lying in a dreadful and | ||
| CF | pathetic jumble. The bones are old and dry, every scrap of flesh long | ||
| CF | since gnawed away by vermin. The thought that all these were once | ||
| CF | living, breathing people fills you with almost unbearable sadness. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search bones" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the bones. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Overlooking the Guard Room | ||
| CF | The passage from the north opens out here on a balcony overlooking a | ||
| CF | jarringly prosaic scene. Half a dozen men wearing camouflage combat | ||
| CF | fatigues and black berets are lounging around a long table, smoking | ||
| CF | cigarettes and talking in low voices. The men are armed with what look | ||
| CF | like automatic rifles. Fortunately, they don't seem to have noticed | ||
| CF | you. A stairway leads down from the balcony into the middle of the | ||
| CF | room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well that is a contrast." | |
| DavidW says, "I suggest not visiting the soldiers." | ||
| MoyTW says, "I am all for saving, and then visiting the soldiers." | ||
| DavidW says (to Moy), "I'll remind you that we are playing a female teenager." | ||
| DavidW says, "The soldiers might be unpleasant." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figure" | ||
| CF | The figure is carved of red stone. Its face is contorted in a grimace, | ||
| CF | and its body is bare except for a stylized loin cloth. Its stumpy legs | ||
| CF | are firmly planted on a round base, and are slightly bowed. Its right | ||
| CF | arm is extended in a grasping gesture. The arm is pointed straight | ||
| CF | toward the end wall of the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wall" | ||
| CF | Which wall do you mean, the west wall, the east wall, the north wall, | ||
| CF | or the south wall? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "west" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual about it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x base" | ||
| CF | The figure is carved of red stone. Its face is contorted in a grimace, | ||
| CF | and its body is bare except for a stylized loin cloth. Its stumpy legs | ||
| CF | are firmly planted on a round base, and are slightly bowed. Its right | ||
| CF | arm is extended in a grasping gesture. The arm is pointed straight | ||
| CF | toward the end wall of the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "turn it". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Why undo?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "That felt correct to me." | ||
| DavidW says, "Until I know what statue configuration I want, I'd like to keep the original setting." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Fair." | ||
| DavidW says, "i'm guessing there may be additional statues." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the east end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hm. Okay. Maybe turning the statue opens this wall and it's just that simple." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn stone" | ||
| CF | You glance at the stone wall and instantly dismiss it as unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn statue" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the east end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figure" | ||
| CF | The figure is carved of red stone. Its face is contorted in a grimace, | ||
| CF | and its body is bare except for a stylized loin cloth. Its stumpy legs | ||
| CF | are firmly planted on a round base, and are slightly bowed. Its right | ||
| CF | arm is extended in a grasping gesture. The arm is pointed straight back | ||
| CF | down the tunnel the way you came. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Crazy thought - maybe this statue is connected with the temple." | |
| DavidW says, "maybe" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the south end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x statue" | ||
| CF | The figure is carved of red stone. Its face is contorted in a grimace, | ||
| CF | and its body is bare except for a stylized loin cloth. Its stumpy legs | ||
| CF | are firmly planted on a round base, and are slightly bowed. Its right | ||
| CF | arm is extended in a grasping gesture. The arm is pointed straight back | ||
| CF | down the tunnel the way you came. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn statue" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x statue" | ||
| CF | The figure is carved of red stone. Its face is contorted in a grimace, | ||
| CF | and its body is bare except for a stylized loin cloth. Its stumpy legs | ||
| CF | are firmly planted on a round base, and are slightly bowed. Its right | ||
| CF | arm is extended in a grasping gesture. The arm is pointed straight | ||
| CF | toward the end wall of the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the east end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figure" | ||
| CF | The figure is carved of red stone. Its face is contorted in a grimace, | ||
| CF | and its body is bare except for a stylized loin cloth. Its stumpy legs | ||
| CF | are firmly planted on a round base, and are slightly bowed. Its right | ||
| CF | arm is extended in a grasping gesture. The arm is pointed straight | ||
| CF | toward the end wall of the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn statue" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "That's 3 statues turned." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x statue" | ||
| CF | The figure is carved of red stone. Its face is contorted in a grimace, | ||
| CF | and its body is bare except for a stylized loin cloth. Its stumpy legs | ||
| CF | are firmly planted on a round base, and are slightly bowed. Its right | ||
| CF | arm is extended in a grasping gesture. The arm is pointed straight back | ||
| CF | down the tunnel the way you came. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "I think this is new?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the north end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I think so, yeah." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the north to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead back to the north and west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the north to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the south to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figure" | ||
| CF | The figure is carved of red stone. Its face is contorted in a grimace, | ||
| CF | and its body is bare except for a stylized loin cloth. Its stumpy legs | ||
| CF | are firmly planted on a round base, and are slightly bowed. Its right | ||
| CF | arm is extended in a grasping gesture. The arm is pointed straight back | ||
| CF | down the tunnel the way you came. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the south to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the north end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the north to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm somewhat confused. I don't have a clear idea of the map." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Are you mapping?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I admit I'm a bit lost too." | ||
| DavidW says, "I was earlier but not for this stuff." | ||
| MoyTW says, "(I'm not mapping I just sort of assumed you were)" | ||
| DavidW says, "ok. Gimme a few minutes" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the north to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the south to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the south to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the north end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the north end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, east, and back to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think we lost our way out." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Huh." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the north end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn figure" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "yeah, this is the maze that made me quit. I have no regrets." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x it" | ||
| CF | The figure is carved of red stone. Its face is contorted in a grimace, | ||
| CF | and its body is bare except for a stylized loin cloth. Its stumpy legs | ||
| CF | are firmly planted on a round base, and are slightly bowed. Its right | ||
| CF | arm is extended in a grasping gesture. The arm is pointed straight back | ||
| CF | down the tunnel the way you came. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Understandable." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the north end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nf s" | ||
| CF | The word "nf" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "This was a corner before." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the east end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn figure" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "So...is the geography mutating with the statue turns?" | |
| DavidW says, "Walls are opening into passages." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. There are no side | ||
| CF | exits. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "There was a passage west." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. There are no side | ||
| CF | exits. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Throne Room | ||
| CF | This high-ceilinged chamber is dimly lit by dusty beams that filter | ||
| CF | down from far above. The walls and floor are of rough-hewn, gray | ||
| CF | blocks of stone. The room's only furnishing is a very large, heavily | ||
| CF | built throne of the same gray stone. The throne stands in the center | ||
| CF | of the room. Its square-cut seat, arms, and back look so very | ||
| CF | uncomfortable that it's hard to believe anybody would ever have sat on | ||
| CF | it willingly, and the coating of dust that covers the throne and the | ||
| CF | floor, though somewhat scuffed, suggests that nobody has come here in a | ||
| CF | very long time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The only exit is back to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, there's something new." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x throne" | ||
| CF | The throne is almost large enough that a giant could sit in it, but you | ||
| CF | could probably clamber up into the seat if there were any reason to. | ||
| CF | It's carved of the same dark gray stone as the walls and floor, and its | ||
| CF | stark contours are unrelieved by ornamentation or markings of any kind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Clearly we must sit on the throne." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push throne" | ||
| CF | The gray stone throne cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on it" | ||
| CF | From your hard perch on the throne, you notice for the first time what | ||
| CF | had been invisible before: A strip of carvings runs along the wall, | ||
| CF | high up in the gloom. Carved in this frieze is a series of figures, | ||
| CF | which are repeated rhythmically along the strip. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x frieze" | ||
| CF | The frieze has been carved into the walls in a strip that runs around | ||
| CF | three sides of the room at a height of about ten feet. A series of | ||
| CF | five figures or glyphs is repeated along the frieze, each group | ||
| CF | separated by vertical marks from the identical groups to either side. | ||
| CF | From left to right, the glyphs are of a stylized jaguar's head, a rayed | ||
| CF | circle that must represent the sun, a coiled rattlesnake with bared | ||
| CF | fangs, a curved dagger, and a tilted jug from which water is pouring | ||
| CF | out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "urgh. ok. well, somebody that isn't me should probably write that down?" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "Safe combo?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "(that's the set for that circle)" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says, "agreed" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Text file'd." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now standing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Is there anything else from this room?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Throne Room | ||
| CF | This high-ceilinged chamber is dimly lit by dusty beams that filter | ||
| CF | down from far above. The walls and floor are of rough-hewn, gray | ||
| CF | blocks of stone. The room's only furnishing is a very large, heavily | ||
| CF | built throne of the same gray stone. The throne stands in the center | ||
| CF | of the room. Its square-cut seat, arms, and back look so very | ||
| CF | uncomfortable that it's hard to believe anybody would ever have sat on | ||
| CF | it willingly, and the coating of dust that covers the throne and the | ||
| CF | floor, though somewhat scuffed, suggests that nobody has come here in a | ||
| CF | very long time. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | So far overhead that the details are almost lost to view, a carved | ||
| CF | frieze runs around the walls in a horizontal strip. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The only exit is back to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x seat" | ||
| CF | The throne is almost large enough that a giant could sit in it, but you | ||
| CF | could probably clamber up into the seat if there were any reason to. | ||
| CF | It's carved of the same dark gray stone as the walls and floor, and its | ||
| CF | stark contours are unrelieved by ornamentation or markings of any kind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x arms" | ||
| CF | The word "arms" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "clean throne" | ||
| CF | You wouldn't know how to clean that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. There are no side | ||
| CF | exits. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the east end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Doesn't really look like it. In real life I might look behind the throne, but in a game, I doubt it." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn figure" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the north end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn figure" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the north end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the south to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn figure" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a Corner | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel turns from the south to the west here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from north to south here. Another passage | ||
| CF | leads away to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the west end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An ugly figure of red stone stands here. It's about as tall as your | ||
| CF | waist, and one stubby arm is outstretched, as if it were frozen in the | ||
| CF | act of grasping with its claws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn figure" | ||
| CF | You apply your weight to the stone figure, and find that it rotates | ||
| CF | easily on its base. The grinding noise of stone against stone is not | ||
| CF | loud, but it's echoed in a deep, prolonged thunder from back down the | ||
| CF | tunnel. Even after the figure itself has ceased moving, you feel a | ||
| CF | vibration beneath your feet, and a little dust seeps down from | ||
| CF | somewhere overhead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Whew." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf21" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn wooden circle to jaguar" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the jaguar is beneath the point of the | ||
| CF | arrow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it to sun" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the sun is beneath the point of the | ||
| CF | arrow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it to snake" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the rattlesnake is beneath the point of | ||
| CF | the arrow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it to dagger" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the dagger is beneath the point of the | ||
| CF | arrow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it to jug" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the tilted jug is beneath the point of | ||
| CF | the arrow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open cabinet" | ||
| CF | The cabinet seems to be locked, and there's no obvious keyhole, only a | ||
| CF | smooth surface of fine wood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Did I make a mistake?" | |
| Roger says, "aha I was wondering if that was going to be the twist" | ||
| Roger says, "we read the symbols from left to right but that's sort of arbitrary isn't it" | ||
| DavidW says, "It is." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Maybe the symbols were... what Roger said." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "set it to jug" | ||
| CF | You cannot set that to anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "set dial to jug" | ||
| CF | You see no dial here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "set wooden circle to jug" | ||
| CF | That's not something the circle can be turned to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn wooden circle to jug" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the tilted jug is beneath the point of | ||
| CF | the arrow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it to dagger" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the dagger is beneath the point of the | ||
| CF | arrow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it to snake" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the rattlesnake is beneath the point of | ||
| CF | the arrow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it to sun" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the sun is beneath the point of the | ||
| CF | arrow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it to jaguar" | ||
| CF | You rotate the circle so that the jaguar is beneath the point of the | ||
| CF | arrow. Within the cabinet you hear a heavy click. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "huzzah" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open cabinet" | ||
| CF | There are no obvious handles on the front panel, but when you press in | ||
| CF | on it and then release the pressure, it springs out at one side, | ||
| CF | allowing you to insert your fingers into the narrow aperture and swing | ||
| CF | the door open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from a hook in the cabinet is a heavy golden cape. At the | ||
| CF | bottom of the cabinet lies a golden helmet with a high crest. And | ||
| CF | leaning in the corner of the cabinet is a long wooden staff. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Wooo!" | |
| Roger says, "let my people goooooo" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Nice." | ||
| DavidW says, "This looks like hero stuff." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x cape" | ||
| CF | The cape is intricately woven in a pattern red and gold thread, into | ||
| CF | which are sewn rectangular metal plates that have the gleam of polished | ||
| CF | brass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Or priest stuff." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x helmet" | ||
| CF | The helmet gleams like gold, or possibly brass. It has a high crest, | ||
| CF | sidepieces that shield the wearer's cheeks, and a leather chinstrap to | ||
| CF | hold it in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x staff" | ||
| CF | The staff is a straight piece of polished dark wood nearly six feet | ||
| CF | long and about an inch in diameter. The head of the staff broadens and | ||
| CF | flattens slightly, and is curved forward, giving the staff somewhat the | ||
| CF | look of an upside-down capital 'J' from which most of the curved part | ||
| CF | has been broken off. It's not broken, however. It looks quite well | ||
| CF | cared for, if such a thing can be said of a stick. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Probably turns into a snake with the right gesture or word." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all from cabinet" | ||
| CF | You see nothing suitable here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take cape, helmet, staff" | ||
| CF | golden cape: Your hands are too full to hold the golden cape. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | golden helmet: Your hands are too full to hold the golden helmet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | wooden staff: Your hands are too full to hold the wooden staff. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Sigh." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take cape" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear it" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the golden cape. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take helmet" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear it" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the golden helmet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take staff" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Your hands are too full to hold the rolled-up straw mat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "well, we can come back for that." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Roll the staff into the mat with Mr. Bones...?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Hoo-Ray for inventory limits." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Or, like, yeah, we can just remember." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Temple is which way? North of courtyard?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Courtyard then north I think." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a poker and a wooden staff, and you're wearing your | ||
| CF | clothes, a stone bracelet, a golden cape, and a golden helmet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop poker" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Wait. We're carrying the poker too?" | |
| DavidW says, "Well, I thought we might need it." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Well sure." | ||
| Roger says, "there could have been things that needed poking" | ||
| DavidW says, "We needed to push something through the grate and the bracelet didn't need that." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Temple | ||
| CF | The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. | ||
| CF | A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars | ||
| CF | can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You | ||
| CF | tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. | ||
| CF | It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the | ||
| CF | little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them | ||
| CF | that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before | ||
| CF | the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the | ||
| CF | south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll | ||
| CF | have to pass quite close to the hideous statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The ceiling appears to be quite solid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. You sidle carefully past | ||
| CF | the statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Echoing Passage | ||
| CF | This dimly lit passage runs from north to south. Although the passage | ||
| CF | is narrow, it's also quite high-ceilinged. To the north you hear a | ||
| CF | susurrus of sifting, skittering sounds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Skitter sounds!" | |
| MoyTW exclaims, "Alliteration!" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh Lydia mentioned this, weeks ago." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "...?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "And yet, just hours ago." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "In relation to her heart, I believe." | ||
| DavidW says, "well, I forget what she said exactly, but yes, her heart, and others." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Threshold of the Room of Sand | ||
| CF | You are standing on a stone ledge, perhaps six feet square, at the | ||
| CF | south side of a broad but low-ceilinged chamber. Behind you, to the | ||
| CF | south, is the open doorway that leads back to the temple. The floor of | ||
| CF | this chamber, which stretches away to the north, appears to be of sand. | ||
| CF | And not ordinary sand, either. As you watch, the sand shifts and | ||
| CF | seethes and ripples in a treacherous, dusty, incessant way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But that isn't the worst of it. Scampering and skittering across the | ||
| CF | sand are dozens of shockingly large and alert-looking scorpions. At | ||
| CF | the moment the scorpions are paying no special attention to you, but | ||
| CF | you have a strong suspicion that if you were to venture out across the | ||
| CF | sand, they would soon notice you and not take kindly to your presence. | ||
| CF | Even if the sand provided safe footing (and obviously it doesn't), | ||
| CF | crossing the chamber would be extremely hazardous. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Arrayed around three sides of the chamber are dozens - no, hundreds - | ||
| CF | of low pedestals of white stone. On each pedestal sits a large and | ||
| CF | beautiful red jewel. The jewels throb in slow, hypnotic rhythms, | ||
| CF | filling the room with undulating red light. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hundreds of hearts." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Well I guess we need to find which one's Lydia's, somehow...? and gank it?" | ||
| DavidW says, "The red jewels are the hearts, I suppose." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x scorpions" | ||
| CF | The scorpions prance and dance across the shifting sand. Even the | ||
| CF | small ones are as large as lobsters. Their claws wave and snap, and | ||
| CF | their stingers arch and jab the air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sand" | ||
| CF | The sand looks to be quite dry, but it moves restlessly, like water. | ||
| CF | The scorpions appear to be able to walk on it, but they can't weigh | ||
| CF | much. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x jewels" | ||
| CF | Each jewel sits serenely on its low white pedestal. Some of them are | ||
| CF | perfect spheres, others are many-faceted. All of them are throbbing | ||
| CF | with light, each pulsing in its own slow, hypnotic rhythm. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Perhaps the locket, if we had it, would help here." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch jewels" | ||
| CF | The pulsing jewels are too far away to touch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "If." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pedestals" | ||
| CF | The pedestals appear to be of stone, but they're such a pure white that | ||
| CF | they appear almost to be glowing with their own light. On each | ||
| CF | pedestal sits a large and beautiful red jewel. Some of the jewels are | ||
| CF | perfect spheres, others are many-faceted. All of them are throbbing in | ||
| CF | slow, hypnotic rhythms, filling the room with undulating red light. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "talk to jewels" | ||
| CF | None of the jewels are within reach. To get to the nearest of them | ||
| CF | you'd have to cross at least twenty feet of scorpion-infested sand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wave staff" | ||
| CF | You wave the staff in the air, but nothing obvious happens as a result. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "point to jewels" | ||
| CF | You point at the jewels, and the monkey looks at you in perplexity, as | ||
| CF | if he'd like to help but doesn't understand what you have in mind. | ||
| CF | Maybe the difficulty is that there are so many jewels. He has no way | ||
| CF | of telling them apart. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "ah. Monkey can fetch the right heart." | |
| DavidW says, "okay. Perhaps we need to figure out how to get the bridge back." | ||
| Roger says (to floyd), "talk to lydia" | ||
| CF | You see no lydia here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe" | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x lydia's heart" | ||
| CF | You see no heart here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "My best guess is we give the locket to the monkey, then point at the jewels, and some resonance helps him know which one." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Maybe." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Good as any other; we'd need to get back to normal world for that, so our objective could be going back." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look" | ||
| CF | The Threshold of the Room of Sand | ||
| CF | You are standing on a stone ledge, perhaps six feet square, at the | ||
| CF | south side of a broad but low-ceilinged chamber. Behind you, to the | ||
| CF | south, is the open doorway that leads back to the temple. The floor of | ||
| CF | this chamber, which stretches away to the north, appears to be of sand. | ||
| CF | And not ordinary sand, either. As you watch, the sand shifts and | ||
| CF | seethes and ripples in a treacherous, dusty, incessant way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But that isn't the worst of it. Scampering and skittering across the | ||
| CF | sand are dozens of shockingly large and alert-looking scorpions. At | ||
| CF | the moment the scorpions are paying no special attention to you, but | ||
| CF | you have a strong suspicion that if you were to venture out across the | ||
| CF | sand, they would soon notice you and not take kindly to your presence. | ||
| CF | Even if the sand provided safe footing (and obviously it doesn't), | ||
| CF | crossing the chamber would be extremely hazardous. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Arrayed around three sides of the chamber are dozens - no, hundreds - | ||
| CF | of low pedestals of white stone. On each pedestal sits a large and | ||
| CF | beautiful red jewel. The jewels throb in slow, hypnotic rhythms, | ||
| CF | filling the room with undulating red light. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Echoing Passage | ||
| CF | This dimly lit passage runs from north to south. Although the passage | ||
| CF | is narrow, it's also quite high-ceilinged. To the north you hear a | ||
| CF | susurrus of sifting, skittering sounds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Temple | ||
| CF | The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. | ||
| CF | A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars | ||
| CF | can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You | ||
| CF | tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. | ||
| CF | It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the | ||
| CF | little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them | ||
| CF | that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before | ||
| CF | the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the | ||
| CF | south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll | ||
| CF | have to pass quite close to the hideous statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "What, if anything, do we put on the cube altar here?" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "Creepregard's corpse?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I didn't put that in the suitcase." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "(I know, I know.)" | ||
| MoyTW says, "If only." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drink water" | ||
| CF | You glance at the shallow pool and instantly dismiss it as unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, to the sumptuously | ||
| CF | decorated chamber; south, to opposite the doorway; and east, back to | ||
| CF | the wide courtyard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the T-shaped | ||
| CF | junction; south, to the guard room; and down. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x channel" | ||
| CF | The chasm is deep and wide. Looking down into it, you can't see the | ||
| CF | bottom, but faint sounds echoing up from far below suggest that it's | ||
| CF | not actually bottomless. The sides are certainly too steep to climb, | ||
| CF | though. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "may the monkey be with you" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wave staff" | ||
| CF | As you wave the staff, a low hum emanates from a couple of | ||
| CF | footrest-sized blocks at the edge of the chasm. A band of light leaps | ||
| CF | out across the abyss, and in a moment the shimmering silver bridge is | ||
| CF | restored! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "hooray!" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Good old magic staffs." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead back to the south, east, and | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors. A | ||
| CF | slim silver bridge crosses the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a rolled-up straw mat and a poker here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "remove helmet" | ||
| CF | As you start to slip the helmet from your head, you can feel the wooden | ||
| CF | staff writhe restlessly and muscularly beneath your hand. Alarmed, you | ||
| CF | set the helmet back in place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "remove cape" | ||
| CF | As you start to slip the cape from your shoulders, you can feel the | ||
| CF | wooden staff start to writhe restlessly and muscularly beneath your | ||
| CF | hand. Alarmed, you pull the cape back around you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put staff in cabinet" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "remove cape" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're no longer wearing the golden cape. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Why are we removing our priest outfit?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "So we can get poker and mat, I guess." | ||
| DavidW says, "well, maybe we have to leave the poker" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear cape" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the golden cape. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take staff" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden staff and a rolled-up straw mat, and you're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes, a stone bracelet, a golden cape, and a golden | ||
| CF | helmet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "I think we're gonna have to be able to transit back and forth." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "(Also, the outfit may cause questions.)" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take poker" | ||
| CF | Your hands are too full to hold the poker. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Let's see if we can make several trips." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the | ||
| CF | sumptuously decorated chamber; south, to opposite the doorway; and | ||
| CF | east, to the wide courtyard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors. A | ||
| CF | slim silver bridge crosses the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Showing up at Eternal Springs with stuff that obviously came from here | ||
| CF | (wherever "here" is) and probably belongs to someone important - | ||
| CF | someone Beauregard Phelps surely knows - would be a big mistake. After | ||
| CF | a moment's thought, you decide it would be a lot safer to leave what | ||
| CF | you found in the cabinet in the Sumptuous Chamber behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At an Intersection | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel extends from east to west here. Another passage leads | ||
| CF | away to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors. A | ||
| CF | slim silver bridge crosses the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a poker here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put staff in cabinet" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put cape in cabinet" | ||
| CF | (first trying to take off the golden cape) | ||
| CF | Your hands are too full to hold the golden cape. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put cape in cabient" | ||
| CF | The word "cabient" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put cape in cabinet" | ||
| CF | (first taking off the golden cape) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put helmet in cabient" | ||
| CF | The word "cabient" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put helmet in cabinet" | ||
| CF | (first taking off the golden helmet) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat and poker" | ||
| CF | rolled-up straw mat: Taken. | ||
| CF | poker: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a rolled-up straw mat and a poker, and you're wearing | ||
| CF | your clothes and a stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the | ||
| CF | sumptuously decorated chamber; south, to opposite the doorway; and | ||
| CF | east, to the wide courtyard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors. A | ||
| CF | slim silver bridge crosses the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You step lightly and carefully across the narrow silver bridge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Silver Bridge | ||
| CF | A square-cut channel, too broad to jump and seemingly bottomless | ||
| CF | (though in the dim light it's hard to be certain) stretches from north | ||
| CF | to south here. Spanning it is a narrow ribbon of silver, barely wide | ||
| CF | enough to walk on. The ribbon shimmers slightly, as if it's made of | ||
| CF | oily light. The walls of close-fitting gray stone were obviously made | ||
| CF | by human hands - or at least, by hands of some sort. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open doorway leads west, and the silver bridge affords a slightly | ||
| CF | vertiginous path to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf22" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The Room of Seven Doors | ||
| CF | This broad circular chamber is low-ceilinged and torchlit. The air of | ||
| CF | heavy stillness gives you the feeling that you're deep inside a | ||
| CF | building, or perhaps underground. The circumference of the room is | ||
| CF | lined by massive stone slabs like the one through which you arrived. | ||
| CF | Though the room itself is disorienting, not to mention that in a place | ||
| CF | like this your sense of direction is a little hazy, you're fairly sure | ||
| CF | you arrived through the slab to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Other slabs are to the west, northwest, and so on. Each of them is | ||
| CF | carved with intricate and indecipherable designs. The eighth exit is | ||
| CF | an open doorway directly to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You must open the southwest stone slab first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open sw slab" | ||
| CF | As your fingers brush the ridged design on the slab, lights begin to | ||
| CF | course up and down through the stone channels on the surface. At the | ||
| CF | same moment, a deep grinding rumble emanates from within the slab. You | ||
| CF | step backward and watch as the slab pivots to the side, creating a | ||
| CF | narrow opening through which you can pass. Beyond the opening you can | ||
| CF | glimpse the comforting hominess of Beauregard Phelps's bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Monkey friend seems to stay in magic land." | |
| DavidW says, "Sensible." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Behind you, the slab pivots shut with a deep, reverberating boom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Uuuuh game "comforting hominess of Beauregard Phelps's bedroom" I don't think so." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mat in grate" | ||
| CF | The rolled-up straw mat is too large to fit through the opening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Should we try to put the skeleton by itself through the grate?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I mean, it's surely not comforting, true, but probably a bit more so than whereever we just were." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to David), "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open mat" | ||
| CF | You unroll the mat, revealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put skeleton in grate" | ||
| CF | (first taking the skeleton) | ||
| CF | The skeleton is not something that can be put through the grate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ligaments holding the skeleton's larger bones together are starting | ||
| CF | to stretch like rubber bands. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I mean, I was wondering if a skeleton would fit... and there's the answer." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "put skeleton in grate". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat (on which is a skeleton) here. On the shallow | ||
| CF | table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "open mat". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a rolled-up straw mat here. On the shallow table are a | ||
| CF | purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Are we supposed to put the bones into the dumbwaiter?" | |
| DavidW says, "Also, it's after 5 pm now." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Hmm that could work, except nobody can recieve them without us." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I honestly don't know." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Also yeah 's been 'n hour." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, near three hours total." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through peephole" | ||
| CF | Through the peephole you can see Luisa standing at her ironing board, | ||
| CF | ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Also, if we barely fit in that thing..." | |
| DavidW says, "We can leave that way when she's gone." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a poker, and you're wearing your clothes and a stone | ||
| CF | bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a rolled-up straw mat here. On the shallow table are a | ||
| CF | purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | You find that it's not possible to cram yourself into the dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | while carrying anything large. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mat in dumbwaiter" | ||
| CF | You can't put anything in the box. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "So the door is the only way out for this?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Unless we're supposed to get the skeleton to fall apart." | |
| DavidW says, "The dagger could probably cut those ligaments just fine." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open mat" | ||
| CF | You unroll the mat, revealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take skeleton" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ligaments holding the skeleton's larger bones together are starting | ||
| CF | to stretch like rubber bands. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it on table" | ||
| CF | The skeleton is too large for the shallow table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A finger bone drops off of the skeleton's hand. No, carrying it around | ||
| CF | like this just isn't going to work. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The skull sags sideways onto your shoulder, giving you a nasty start. | ||
| CF | On close inspection, you find that the skull is awfully close to | ||
| CF | dropping free of the backbone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Another finger bone drops and bounces. If you want to do anything with | ||
| CF | the skeleton, you're going to have to figure out a safe way to carry | ||
| CF | it. Either that or find a good book on human anatomy and a really big | ||
| CF | tube of glue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "I guess we don't want it to fall apart." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "RESTORE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf22" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Silver Bridge | ||
| CF | A square-cut channel, too broad to jump and seemingly bottomless | ||
| CF | (though in the dim light it's hard to be certain) stretches from north | ||
| CF | to south here. Spanning it is a narrow ribbon of silver, barely wide | ||
| CF | enough to walk on. The ribbon shimmers slightly, as if it's made of | ||
| CF | oily light. The walls of close-fitting gray stone were obviously made | ||
| CF | by human hands - or at least, by hands of some sort. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open doorway leads west, and the silver bridge affords a slightly | ||
| CF | vertiginous path to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The Room of Seven Doors | ||
| CF | This broad circular chamber is low-ceilinged and torchlit. The air of | ||
| CF | heavy stillness gives you the feeling that you're deep inside a | ||
| CF | building, or perhaps underground. The circumference of the room is | ||
| CF | lined by massive stone slabs like the one through which you arrived. | ||
| CF | Though the room itself is disorienting, not to mention that in a place | ||
| CF | like this your sense of direction is a little hazy, you're fairly sure | ||
| CF | you arrived through the slab to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Other slabs are to the west, northwest, and so on. Each of them is | ||
| CF | carved with intricate and indecipherable designs. The eighth exit is | ||
| CF | an open doorway directly to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open w door" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open w slav" | ||
| CF | The word "slav" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open w slab" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open western slab" | ||
| CF | The word "western" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead east, back to the foot of | ||
| CF | the silver bridge; and southwest, to the alcove. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead east, back to the foot of | ||
| CF | the silver bridge; and southwest, to the alcove. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "So those doors just never open, I guess" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open sw slab" | ||
| CF | As your fingers brush the ridged design on the slab, lights begin to | ||
| CF | course up and down through the stone channels on the surface. At the | ||
| CF | same moment, a deep grinding rumble emanates from within the slab. You | ||
| CF | step backward and watch as the slab pivots to the side, creating a | ||
| CF | narrow opening through which you can pass. Beyond the opening you can | ||
| CF | glimpse the comforting hominess of Beauregard Phelps's bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Behind you, the slab pivots shut with a deep, reverberating boom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Probably." | |
| DavidW says, "I guess next time, we try to get locket to monkey and see if that helps him get the jewel/heart." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, that sounds like a plan." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "save" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | MoyTW says, "Mrmyep." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cflydiasskeleton" | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Thank you for driving! Especially that maze!" | |
| DavidW says, "thanks for all your help, everyone. We made progress." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yeah, thanks, that was cool." | ||
| Roger exclaims, "woo!" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm heading back to the lounge, but likely I'll also want a nap." | ||
| MoyTW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | DavidW says, "thanks again!" | |
| DavidW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Good night, and stay save!" | |
| *** SESSION SEVEN *** | ||
| MoyTW says, "Mornin', afternoon." | ||
| Knight_Otu has arrived. | DavidW says, "hi Moy. hi Knight." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hey." | ||
| DavidW says, "gimme a sec. I want to upload up current notes." | ||
| DavidW says, "[TEMP LINK NO LONGER EXISTS]" | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Thanks!" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Good morning. I am sort of here. Hello." | ||
| DavidW asks, "If I remember correctly, we were struggling with how to get the skeleton to the clown. I also want to try to figure out how the monkey can get Lydia's heart, maybe by giving the locket to the monkey?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yeah." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, that sounds right." | ||
| DavidW says, "We also don't know how to move the purple figurine, since we seem unable to get the tongs to the alcove." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yep yep yep" | ||
| DavidW says, "We never got the key to the boathouse." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I forgot that I wanted to reread the clown section, whether they need an intact skeleton or just bones." | ||
| DavidW says, "I think the clown mostly insisted on strong bones, iirc." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Hrm. I could look that up, I guess." | ||
| DavidW says, "But if the skeleton falls apart, I don't think we get a bone collection instead." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We know the boathouse key is in Creepregard's pants." | ||
| DavidW says (to KO), "yes" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I've been trying to harden up for weeks, but I still don't want to think about that particular puzzle." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Neither." | ||
| DavidW says, "I would also like to point out that the stuff in the kitchen seems to strongly suggest that making a cup of hot cocoa is possible, which would let us use the sleeping pills." | ||
| DavidW says, "We also might test if the poker can open the barrel of tar." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "That could be the case. And yeah, that barrel also still sits unused." | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't know why we'd want tar, though." | ||
| DavidW says, "There's also that too-narrow gap in the brambles near the end of the road." | ||
| inky asks, "how long have you guys been playing this game for?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW asks (of inky), "oh, geez, who knows anymore?" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Four weeks, I think?" | ||
| DavidW says, "At least four." | ||
| DavidW says, "Feels like six." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Forever, really." | ||
| Jacqueline | But the clown shakes his head gravely. "Oh, no. No ordinary towel would do. To clean my face I'd need a handkerchief that was soaked with a young girl's tears. Only such a thing would do. So that's the first item. The second - I'm not solid flesh and blood like you, I'm just a poor flat painted thing. For me to be able to walk abroad in the world, I'd need some good strong bones for my limbs. The third thing would be something nice to wear, so the people I meet would respect me. I think I'd like to have a coat made of solid jewels. Wouldn't that be grand? | ||
| Jacqueline | "So that's what you need to bring me - a handkerchief soaked in a young girl's tears, and some bones so I can stand up, and a coat of jewels. In return, I'll give you my gold coin." | ||
| Jacqueline | @end paste | ||
| Jacqueline says, "grr. There." | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Thanks, Jacq!" | ||
| DavidW asks, "And what do we need a gold coin for?" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh, I forgot there's that animated dagger to deal with someday too." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "I don't quite remember, but I think we had a reason?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Right, the dagger." | ||
| DavidW says, "anyway, the easiest two things we can try are the tar barrel and the locket to monkey." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We're also still looking for a compass, and possibly a way to de-eldritchify our map." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Sorry, the gold coin's related to the dagger - oh you mean, just, like, don't forget it." | ||
| DavidW asks, "The coin's related to the dagger?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Ha." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Blood-relation, I assume?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I was saying "Sorry, the gold coin's related to the dagger how?" before I interjected myself." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess since we're still in the house, trying out the locket would be easiest for now." | ||
| DavidW asks, "I think Hank said we'd need a compass in addition to the map?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says, "okay, so let's get the locket." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Except I think it was Lydia." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a rolled-up straw mat and a poker, and you're wearing | ||
| CF | your clothes and a stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat and poker" | ||
| CF | rolled-up straw mat: Dropped. | ||
| CF | poker: Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | You'll need to untie the rope from the hook first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a screwdriver, a wooden | ||
| CF | bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a gold locket, a pill bottle, the | ||
| CF | key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, an indecipherable map, a green-eyed figurine, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially | ||
| CF | crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, and a black-eyed figurine), | ||
| CF | a sketchbook, and some fire tongs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take locket" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. In a few moments you're looking out at the bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie rope to hook" | ||
| CF | You wrap the rope several times around the iron hook. It isn't much of | ||
| CF | a knot, but maybe it will hold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a rolled-up straw mat and a poker here. On the shallow table | ||
| CF | are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a gold locket, and you're wearing your clothes and a | ||
| CF | stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You must open the slab first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch slab" | ||
| CF | As before, the touch of your fingers on the carving causes it to | ||
| CF | radiate fierce light, and the slab pivots sideways, opening the | ||
| CF | passage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Behind you, the slab pivots shut with a deep, reverberating boom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Room of Seven Doors | ||
| CF | This broad circular chamber is low-ceilinged and torchlit. The air of | ||
| CF | heavy stillness gives you the feeling that you're deep inside a | ||
| CF | building, or perhaps underground. The circumference of the room is | ||
| CF | lined by massive stone slabs like the one through which you arrived. | ||
| CF | Though the room itself is disorienting, not to mention that in a place | ||
| CF | like this your sense of direction is a little hazy, you're fairly sure | ||
| CF | you arrived through the slab to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Other slabs are to the west, northwest, and so on. Each of them is | ||
| CF | carved with intricate and indecipherable designs. The eighth exit is | ||
| CF | an open doorway directly to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Silver Bridge | ||
| CF | A square-cut channel, too broad to jump and seemingly bottomless | ||
| CF | (though in the dim light it's hard to be certain) stretches from north | ||
| CF | to south here. Spanning it is a narrow ribbon of silver, barely wide | ||
| CF | enough to walk on. The ribbon shimmers slightly, as if it's made of | ||
| CF | oily light. The walls of close-fitting gray stone were obviously made | ||
| CF | by human hands - or at least, by hands of some sort. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open doorway leads west, and the silver bridge affords a slightly | ||
| CF | vertiginous path to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You step lightly and carefully across the narrow silver bridge. As you | ||
| CF | reach the far end, a sizzling, crackling noise behind you makes you | ||
| CF | whirl and look back. The bridge is evaporating at your heels into a | ||
| CF | drift of silver sparks. The sparks spin, dimming, into the abyss. In | ||
| CF | a moment the bridge is gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pet monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey allows you to pet him gently. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "That darn bridge." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The heavy wood cabinet contains a wooden staff, a golden cape, and a | ||
| CF | golden helmet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear helmet" | ||
| CF | (first taking the golden helmet) | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the golden helmet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear cape" | ||
| CF | (first taking the golden cape) | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the golden cape. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take staff" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Temple | ||
| CF | The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. | ||
| CF | A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars | ||
| CF | can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You | ||
| CF | tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. | ||
| CF | It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the | ||
| CF | little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them | ||
| CF | that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before | ||
| CF | the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the | ||
| CF | south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll | ||
| CF | have to pass quite close to the hideous statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. You sidle | ||
| CF | carefully past the statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Echoing Passage | ||
| CF | This dimly lit passage runs from north to south. Although the passage | ||
| CF | is narrow, it's also quite high-ceilinged. To the north you hear a | ||
| CF | susurrus of sifting, skittering sounds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Threshold of the Room of Sand | ||
| CF | You are standing on a stone ledge, perhaps six feet square, at the | ||
| CF | south side of a broad but low-ceilinged chamber. Behind you, to the | ||
| CF | south, is the open doorway that leads back to the temple. The floor of | ||
| CF | this chamber, which stretches away to the north, appears to be of sand. | ||
| CF | And not ordinary sand, either. As you watch, the sand shifts and | ||
| CF | seethes and ripples in a treacherous, dusty, incessant way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But that isn't the worst of it. Scampering and skittering across the | ||
| CF | sand are dozens of shockingly large and alert-looking scorpions. At | ||
| CF | the moment the scorpions are paying no special attention to you, but | ||
| CF | you have a strong suspicion that if you were to venture out across the | ||
| CF | sand, they would soon notice you and not take kindly to your presence. | ||
| CF | Even if the sand provided safe footing (and obviously it doesn't), | ||
| CF | crossing the chamber would be extremely hazardous. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Arrayed around three sides of the chamber are dozens - no, hundreds - | ||
| CF | of low pedestals of white stone. On each pedestal sits a large and | ||
| CF | beautiful red jewel. The jewels throb in slow, hypnotic rhythms, | ||
| CF | filling the room with undulating red light. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give locket to monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey makes a tiny chittering sound that might be laughter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show locket to monkey" | ||
| CF | The monkey looks at you wide-eyed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "point at heart" | ||
| CF | You see no heart here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "point at jewels" | ||
| CF | You point at the brightest, most swiftly pulsing of the jewels, and the | ||
| CF | monkey seems to be as intrigued by it as you are. He scampers out | ||
| CF | across the sand, weaving a devious path among the feisty scorpions, | ||
| CF | hops up on the pedestal, hugs the jewel in both arms, hops down, and | ||
| CF | scuttles back across the sand to you. He holds the jewel out to you. | ||
| CF | You take it from him and give him a warm pat on the head. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "...uh. Like. Just, the brightest one?" | |
| MoyTW says, "Well I sure hope this is the right one." | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe we just needed to do it twice." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a gold locket, a wooden staff, and a very large, | ||
| CF | softly pulsing ruby. You're wearing your clothes, a stone bracelet, a | ||
| CF | golden helmet, and a golden cape. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x ruby" | ||
| CF | The ruby is a perfect polished sphere as large as a softball. Deep | ||
| CF | within it, red light pulses warmly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Show it to Lydia...?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I think we did try it multiple times, but maybe not." | ||
| DavidW says, "yes. Let me get back to the alcove first." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey scampers beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Echoing Passage | ||
| CF | This dimly lit passage runs from north to south. Although the passage | ||
| CF | is narrow, it's also quite high-ceilinged. To the north you hear a | ||
| CF | susurrus of sifting, skittering sounds. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is crouching at your feet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Temple | ||
| CF | The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. | ||
| CF | A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars | ||
| CF | can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You | ||
| CF | tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. | ||
| CF | It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the | ||
| CF | little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them | ||
| CF | that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before | ||
| CF | the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the | ||
| CF | south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll | ||
| CF | have to pass quite close to the hideous statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey follows you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The monkey arrives on your heels. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The monkey trails faithfully along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey goes off to take a quick look around, but soon returns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The monkey goes down onto all fours to keep up with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey is still with you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the | ||
| CF | sumptuously decorated chamber; south, to opposite the doorway; and | ||
| CF | east, to the wide courtyard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wave staff" | ||
| CF | You wave the staff in the air, but nothing obvious happens as a result. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Seeing you leave, the little monkey scuttles after you. When you | ||
| CF | pause, he looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The monkey looks up at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wave staff" | ||
| CF | As you wave the staff, a low hum emanates from a couple of | ||
| CF | footrest-sized blocks at the edge of the chasm. A band of light leaps | ||
| CF | out across the abyss, and in a moment the shimmering silver bridge is | ||
| CF | restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You look around and notice that the cute little monkey is gone. | ||
| CF | Probably he was just getting bored. It doesn't seem too likely you'll | ||
| CF | need his services again, but you feel a little sad anyway. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "bye bye monkey" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Aww monkey is gone." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put staff in cabinet" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put cape in cabinet" | ||
| CF | (first taking off the golden cape) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Glad that the monkey just leaves, rather than getting killed by the scorpions in a display of heroism." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put helmet in cabinet" | ||
| CF | (first taking off the golden helmet) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors. A | ||
| CF | slim silver bridge crosses the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You step lightly and carefully across the narrow silver bridge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Silver Bridge | ||
| CF | A square-cut channel, too broad to jump and seemingly bottomless | ||
| CF | (though in the dim light it's hard to be certain) stretches from north | ||
| CF | to south here. Spanning it is a narrow ribbon of silver, barely wide | ||
| CF | enough to walk on. The ribbon shimmers slightly, as if it's made of | ||
| CF | oily light. The walls of close-fitting gray stone were obviously made | ||
| CF | by human hands - or at least, by hands of some sort. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open doorway leads west, and the silver bridge affords a slightly | ||
| CF | vertiginous path to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead east, back to opposite the | ||
| CF | doorway; and west, to the room of seven doors. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The Room of Seven Doors | ||
| CF | This broad circular chamber is low-ceilinged and torchlit. The air of | ||
| CF | heavy stillness gives you the feeling that you're deep inside a | ||
| CF | building, or perhaps underground. The circumference of the room is | ||
| CF | lined by massive stone slabs like the one through which you arrived. | ||
| CF | Though the room itself is disorienting, not to mention that in a place | ||
| CF | like this your sense of direction is a little hazy, you're fairly sure | ||
| CF | you arrived through the slab to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Other slabs are to the west, northwest, and so on. Each of them is | ||
| CF | carved with intricate and indecipherable designs. The eighth exit is | ||
| CF | an open doorway directly to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You must open the southwest stone slab first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open southwest slab" | ||
| CF | As before, the touch of your fingers on the slab causes light to course | ||
| CF | up and down its surface, and the slab pivots sideways, opening the | ||
| CF | passage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Behind you, the slab pivots shut with a deep, reverberating boom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a rolled-up straw mat and a poker here. On the shallow table | ||
| CF | are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf23" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put ruby in grate" | ||
| CF | You push the very large, softly pulsing ruby through the grate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put poker in grate" | ||
| CF | (first taking the poker) | ||
| CF | You push the poker through the grate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a screwdriver, a wooden | ||
| CF | bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a pill bottle, the key to Cabin | ||
| CF | One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded photographs, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, a green-eyed figurine, a flashlight, a mystery by | ||
| CF | John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt | ||
| CF | toast, a bad fuse, and a black-eyed figurine), a sketchbook, and some | ||
| CF | fire tongs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all but rat, onions" | ||
| CF | screwdriver: Taken. | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Taken. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | sketchbook: Taken. | ||
| CF | fire tongs: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Why on earth to we have the bucket with us?" | |
| Jacqueline asks, "Never know when you gotta look in a window?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put tons, sketchbook, screwdriver in sack" | ||
| CF | The word "tons" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put tongs, sketchbook, screwdriver in sack" | ||
| CF | fire tongs: Done. | ||
| CF | sketchbook: Done. | ||
| CF | screwdriver: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a very large, softly pulsing ruby and a poker here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put ruby, poker in sack" | ||
| CF | very large, softly pulsing ruby: | ||
| CF | (first taking the very large, softly pulsing ruby) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | poker: | ||
| CF | (first taking the poker) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bracelet, locket in sack" | ||
| CF | stone bracelet: | ||
| CF | (first taking off the stone bracelet) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | gold locket: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ghost of Lydia hovers near the stone block. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show ruby to Lydia" | ||
| CF | (first taking the very large, softly pulsing ruby from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | As you extend the giant ruby toward the ghostly girl, she moves toward | ||
| CF | it, entranced. "That's - oh. Oh. Ohhhh...." The ruby itself begins | ||
| CF | to vibrate, setting your fingers tingling, and it grows warmer, almost | ||
| CF | hot. You hold it out, and it floats free from your fingers, drifting | ||
| CF | toward her through the air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The light blazing from the ruby grows more intense. It's too bright, | ||
| CF | you have to look away, but you can't. Seared on your eyes is the | ||
| CF | miraculous image of the jewel and the ghost merging, becoming one. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A moment later the light dims. When you blink back tears and rub your | ||
| CF | eyes, you find that the ghost has been transformed. A living girl | ||
| CF | stands before you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The girl steps tentatively toward you through the long grass. "You - | ||
| CF | you've brought me back to life. I never thought...." She pauses to | ||
| CF | take a deep breath, and then she starts to cry. You give her such a | ||
| CF | close hug you can feel her heart beating. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At last she pulls away. "I think maybe you've guessed already, but | ||
| CF | I'll tell you anyway. Some people, a long time ago, they sacrificed me | ||
| CF | to a monster. It happened right here. The jewel you brought back was | ||
| CF | my heart. They ripped it out, and the monster ate it. I don't know | ||
| CF | where you found it, or how you brought it back, but I guess if you can | ||
| CF | do that you can do almost anything. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "But that doesn't mean you're safe. They're planning to do the same | ||
| CF | thing to you! Now listen: You've got to get away from here. We both | ||
| CF | have to. If we don't get away, and quickly, it will all happen again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'll help you if I can, but it won't be easy. The people here mustn't | ||
| CF | see me. I think the best thing would be for me to stay here and hide | ||
| CF | until you're all ready for us to escape. When you're ready to leave, | ||
| CF | or if you want to talk to me, you'll have to come back here and shout, | ||
| CF | 'Olly olly oxen free.'" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You admit to being puzzled. Lydia looks exasperated. "Haven't you | ||
| CF | ever played hide-and-go-seek?" You tell her you grew up in New York | ||
| CF | City, where there's no place to hide. She waves your explanation away. | ||
| CF | "We can talk about that later. Just remember - 'olly olly oxen free.' | ||
| CF | If I'm waiting for you here, I won't come until you say that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Have you thought how we're going to escape?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You tell her you were thinking of maybe stealing a boat. She nods | ||
| CF | excitedly. "Yes, yes - that might work. But the swamp is really | ||
| CF | confusing. I've been out there lots of times, but, you know, I guess I | ||
| CF | can't float through the air anymore. So if we get lost, we''ll be in | ||
| CF | big trouble. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What we need, I think - we need a map of the swamp. And another | ||
| CF | thing: You see how it's getting all cloudy?" She points upward, and you | ||
| CF | notice for the first time that a film of haze has blotted out the sun. | ||
| CF | "If we can't see the sun, we can't tell which way is west, so we'll | ||
| CF | need a compass too. And a key so we can get into the boat shed. I | ||
| CF | guess that's all." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You tell her it sounds like she's thought of everything. "Well, I hope | ||
| CF | so," she says. "I have a bad feeling there are a couple of things I've | ||
| CF | forgotten, though. Now, have you got a map?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You show her the map. "Oh, but we can't read that!" she cries. "It's | ||
| CF | all twisty! I bet the monster is making it do that. I don't know how | ||
| CF | to make it stop, though. We can't go anywhere until you make the map | ||
| CF | lie down and behave. And even then, we'll need a compass. Do you have | ||
| CF | one?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You shake your head sadly. "I don't have a compass," you tell her. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She looks crestfallen. "What about the key to the boat shed? Do you | ||
| CF | have that?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You shake your head. "I don't have the key," you explain. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "So you still need to do some stuff," Lydia says. "You need to figure | ||
| CF | out a way to fix the map so we can read it. You need to find a compass | ||
| CF | so we won't get lost in the swamp. You need to get your hands on the | ||
| CF | key to the boat shed. I guess that's all." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Lotsa text." | |
| MoyTW says, "Well, those are all the things we already knew, but that "Oh I might have forgotten things though" is onimous." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Also: hooray, it was the right one." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf24" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "time" | ||
| CF | You aren't wearing a wristwatch. Usually you'd keep track of time by | ||
| CF | glancing at your cell phone, but you seem to have misplaced that today. | ||
| CF | At a guess, it's about 5:00. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "When does the 'picnic' start?" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "6:30 I think?" | ||
| DavidW says, "okay." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I might be wrong, but I think around then." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I have a new plan." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Why don't we just let them sacrifice her instead?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "I don't know anywhere to find a compass. I didn't see one in the house. Should we ask Tyrone?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Or ask David?" | ||
| DavidW says (to Jacqueline), "I didn't expect that suggestion." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, let's talk to David." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, Lydia calls after you, "I'm going to hide now. Be | ||
| CF | sure to come back when you're ready for us to escape, and call 'olly | ||
| CF | olly oxen free.'" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You follow the path westward, back to Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Three) | ||
| CF | You tap politely on the door of Cabin Three, and a low voice from | ||
| CF | within bids you enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cabin Three | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A bucolic, | ||
| CF | sentimentalized painting of some Negroes picking cotton adds to the | ||
| CF | oppressive sense that you've somehow slipped back into an earlier, less | ||
| CF | civilized era. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A man is sitting in a wheelchair at the foot of one of the beds. As | ||
| CF | you enter, he looks at you sharply from under lowered eyebrows. "So," | ||
| CF | he says in a soft voice. "You're to be the one. I was hoping - well, | ||
| CF | never mind." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He smiles at you in a sad, sweet way. "My name is David," he says. | ||
| CF | You tell him your name is Diane, but he waves the information away. | ||
| CF | "Yes, I know," he says. "I wish I didn't. That might make it easier - | ||
| CF | a little easier, anyhow." He sighs. "Do you know why your aunt brought | ||
| CF | you here? No, of course you don't. If you knew, you'd - well, you | ||
| CF | wouldn't be standing here exchanging polite chitchat with me, I'm very | ||
| CF | certain." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "oh, have we not met him before in this branch?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "huh" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Guess not." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We haven't." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask David about David?" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about david" | ||
| CF | David presses his lips together. "Me? I'm not really very | ||
| CF | interesting. I taught college at one time. And I was married, to a | ||
| CF | woman far more beautiful and charming than I deserved. After I fell | ||
| CF | ill, she - felt that she needed more out of life than I was able to | ||
| CF | provide. We're no longer married, but I've forgiven her. At least, I | ||
| CF | hope I have. She was quite right to move on. In another year or two, | ||
| CF | unless some miracle should intervene, I'll no longer be able to care | ||
| CF | for even my most basic needs. A young, vibrant woman has no business | ||
| CF | sacrificing her entire life in order to see to the care of a helpless | ||
| CF | invalid." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about picnic" | ||
| CF | David is silent for so long, his eyes closed, that you start to wonder | ||
| CF | whether you ought to tiptoe away and stop pestering him. But then the | ||
| CF | watery gray eyes open and fix on your face. "I expect what you're | ||
| CF | really wondering," he says, "is why your aunt brought you here. Your | ||
| CF | aunt - your aunt doesn't have your best interests at heart, let's put | ||
| CF | it that way. Unless you're able to escape from this place within the | ||
| CF | next hour or two, I fear the consequences will be dire. Have you | ||
| CF | looked around? Have you seen the stone block that stands in the field | ||
| CF | near the southern extremity of the property? If you have, I need say | ||
| CF | no more. If you haven't, I urge you to go look at it. It's no mere | ||
| CF | archaeological relic; it has an exigent use." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about figurine" | ||
| CF | "The figurines ... ah, yes. Nasty little things, aren't they? You've | ||
| CF | seen one, I take it? If not, I'll show you one in just a moment." | ||
| CF | David frowns at his knees. He looks so sad you want to hug him, but | ||
| CF | you don't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "They have some sort of magical linkage," he says, "to the actual demon | ||
| CF | to whom the sacrifice is to be made. They make their way out into the | ||
| CF | world somehow - I have no idea how, but I do believe they're not quite | ||
| CF | as inert as they may appear - and attach themselves to certain | ||
| CF | individuals who are predisposed to want what they have to offer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Once the attachment is formed, no one else can touch the figurine. | ||
| CF | It's quite impossible. I have one here ... if you'll just fetch my | ||
| CF | suitcase from the closet...." He points, and you fetch the suitcase. | ||
| CF | He sets it on his lap, unsnaps the latch, and draws out a hideous | ||
| CF | little carved statue, so deep red it's almost black, with white eyes | ||
| CF | that sparkle like diamonds or chips of ice. You have the disturbing | ||
| CF | sense that the little eyes are actually looking at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David strokes the statue with a kind of reluctant fondness. "I'm torn, | ||
| CF | you see. On the one hand, I'd rather anything happen than what is to | ||
| CF | happen this evening. Please believe that. On the other hand ... to be | ||
| CF | able to walk again, to make love ... well, perhaps that doesn't mean | ||
| CF | much to you. How old are you? Thirteen? Fourteen?" He sighs. "Your | ||
| CF | whole life ahead of you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He pauses again, as if thinking. "I'll tell you what I'll do. I won't | ||
| CF | take any action myself to stop it. I've come too far. I'm committed. | ||
| CF | And in any event, if I were to interpose objections at this late stage, | ||
| CF | I'm quite sure I would be ignored. If not worse. But if you can | ||
| CF | discover for yourself a way to escape your fate, and if there's | ||
| CF | anything I can do to aid you, you have only to ask. I can do that | ||
| CF | much. Perhaps I'm only indulging in a sop to my conscience; I don't | ||
| CF | expect you'll have the slightest chance to evade what's to come. But | ||
| CF | if you're clever enough to do so, I won't stand in your way." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He tucks the repellent figurine away in the suitcase again, and closes | ||
| CF | the suitcase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Well, great. Let's talk to him and let him say the creepy things he says, like how he needs us to be sacrificed so he will be able to escape the ableist tropes and know the touch of a woman." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about compass" | ||
| CF | David looks at you uncertainly. "I'm not sure I know what to tell | ||
| CF | you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "bummer" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about map" | ||
| CF | You describe the map to David, and he frowns, perplexed. "I think I | ||
| CF | might be able to help with that, or at least make a suggestion. It | ||
| CF | would help if I could see the map for myself." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show map to david" | ||
| CF | (first taking the indecipherable map from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | David leans forward to peer at the map. "Oh, dear. You say this | ||
| CF | purports to be a map of the swamp? I can see how little use it will be | ||
| CF | in its present state. Plainly, something is exerting a force on it to | ||
| CF | render it illegible. And I think both you and I can guess.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What you must understand is that the entity responsible for this has | ||
| CF | only a very limited form of power - until a certain ceremony is | ||
| CF | performed, that is. What power it possesses is focussed through | ||
| CF | certain physical objects. Have you seen the figurines carried by those | ||
| CF | who have gathered here? Of course you have. I showed you mine earlier. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "My best guess," David says, "-and I suppose you'll have to accept on | ||
| CF | faith my assurance that I've researched the matter in some detail, | ||
| CF | though not, of course, with reference to your current predicament - is | ||
| CF | that a certain malign entity is focussing its energy through these | ||
| CF | little statues in order to render the map illegible. The entity is | ||
| CF | determined to keep you here, you see, until ... until later this | ||
| CF | evening. It knows the value that the map may have to you. Nor, I | ||
| CF | regret to say, is this optical illusion likely to be the only obstacle | ||
| CF | it throws in your path. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The only way to get the map to behave itself is surely to destroy all | ||
| CF | of the figurines. Of course, getting them away from their owners won't | ||
| CF | be easy. I'd be happy to give you mine. But here we encounter a | ||
| CF | further difficulty. You can't touch them. It's quite impossible. So | ||
| CF | you see, you don't have a usable map, so you're not going anywhere, so | ||
| CF | it would be not only pointless but suicidal for me to give you my own | ||
| CF | little horror, even if you could take it, which you can't." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "ALL of the figurines? Whoof." | |
| MoyTW says, "That's an excessive number of figurines." | ||
| DavidW asks, "How many figurines are there?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x red figurine" | ||
| CF | You see no red figurine here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open suitcase" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "One for each person here." | |
| MoyTW says, "One per person, so, uh, preacher, David, creeper, aunt, Sunny" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Jury's out on maid & Tyrone?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm sure the maid and Tyrone don't have figurines." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "They probably have no figurine, right." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "yeah" | ||
| DavidW asks, "So, six, then?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, with laptop guy, that'd be six." | ||
| DavidW says, "Well, we have laptop guy's and the reverend's already." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a pill | ||
| CF | bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some | ||
| CF | faded photographs, a green-eyed figurine, a flashlight, a mystery by | ||
| CF | John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt | ||
| CF | toast, a bad fuse, a black-eyed figurine, some fire tongs, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a screwdriver, a poker, a stone bracelet, and a gold | ||
| CF | locket), and an indecipherable map. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "And we know where Creepregard's is." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Heh. I'd forgotten his nickname." | ||
| DavidW asks, "How can we destroy a figurine?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We haven't found Honey's, or Aunt's." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "That is a good question. Have we tried bashing one with the poker?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tongs" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take black figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the black-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm feeling a bit tired," David says. "If you'll forgive me, I may | ||
| CF | want to close my eyes for a minute or two." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take poker" | ||
| CF | (first putting the indecipherable map in the burlap sack to make room) | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "smash black figurine with poker" | ||
| CF | That is not something it would be useful to break. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "smash black figurine" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hey, now, game." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "destroy black figurine" | ||
| CF | It's not immediately clear how you would go about doing that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "break black figurine with poker" | ||
| CF | That is not something it would be useful to break. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "throw black figurine" | ||
| CF | What do you want to throw it at? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "david" | ||
| CF | (first putting the poker in the burlap sack to make room, then trying | ||
| CF | to take the black-eyed figurine from the fire tongs) | ||
| CF | As you reach out to touch the black-eyed figurine, you have the | ||
| CF | momentary sensation that it has lunged at you and snapped at your | ||
| CF | fingers with its teeth. Obviously, it couldn't actually have moved - | ||
| CF | could it? But a shaft of intense pain shoots up your arm, and you | ||
| CF | recoil as quickly as if you had put your hand in an open flame. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take black figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You're already holding something in the the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "'That is not something it would be useful to break'??" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show it to david" | ||
| CF | (the fire tongs) | ||
| CF | David nods. "My figurine. Yes. But have you figured out a way to | ||
| CF | handle it? I could put it in a container for you, to be sure, but | ||
| CF | unless you can take it out again when you've carried it to the place | ||
| CF | where you plan to destroy it, for me to do so would be utterly | ||
| CF | pointless." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hold up the fire tongs, and David's eyes widen. "Yes, yes! I | ||
| CF | believe that would work! At least you can carry it from place to | ||
| CF | place. What you'll do with it, ultimately - I don't think I want to | ||
| CF | know. Just a moment, I'll get it." He leans over to get the suitcase, | ||
| CF | wrestles it into his lap, and pops it open. With a certain tender | ||
| CF | reluctance, he sets the white-eyed figurine on the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Ah - 'the place where you plan to destroy it'" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put black figurine in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take white figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the white-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in sack" | ||
| CF | (the white-eyed figurine) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "The vise in the cellar?" | |
| MoyTW says, "I assume dumping it in the incinerator is insufficient." | ||
| DavidW says, "Two possibilities come to mind: the incinerator, and the temple block." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "I bet temple block > incinerator but no reason not to try both?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about boathouse" | ||
| CF | David sighs. He seems not to have heard you. More or less to himself, | ||
| CF | he says, "I know it's a hot day, but I feel the cold in my bones." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about key" | ||
| CF | You hesitate to keep pestering David with conversation. He looks | ||
| CF | tired. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Should we try putting a figurine into the incinerator, just to see?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | "I wish you the very best of luck," David says softly. "You'll need | ||
| CF | it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x incinerator" | ||
| CF | The incinerator is the size of a large garbage can. Its rusted metal | ||
| CF | sides are pierced by large holes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take white figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the white-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in incinerator" | ||
| CF | (the white-eyed figurine) | ||
| CF | Putting things in the incinerator would only get them messy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "okay. That's not it." | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "So, perhaps the vise?" | ||
| DavidW says, "hm. Worth a try." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings and some onions here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tongs" | ||
| CF | The tongs are made of wrought iron. They're shaped roughly like | ||
| CF | scissors or pliers, but they're about three feet long. They contain a | ||
| CF | white-eyed figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put white figurine in vise" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close vise" | ||
| CF | As you tighten the vise, the figurine begins to writhe. Its tiny arms | ||
| CF | and legs windmill frantically, its eyes bulge, and a terrible high | ||
| CF | keening sound escapes from it. You continue, remorseless. A moment | ||
| CF | later, with a loud crunching noise, the figurine shatters, and some | ||
| CF | harmless gray dust sifts to the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When the other figurines see what you've done, they spring to life! | ||
| CF | They jump down onto the floor and start running around in aimless | ||
| CF | panic, shrieking in tiny, high-pitched voices and waving their arms. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "hahahahaha, uuuh" | |
| MoyTW says, "well" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take green figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | The figurine is scurrying around so rapidly that it easily evades your | ||
| CF | attempts to catch it with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, I didn't expect the other figurines to panic like that." | |
| MoyTW exclaims, "dang, I didn't expect that!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "take green figurine with tongs". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a green-eyed figurine and a black-eyed figurine here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "close vise". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The vise contains a white-eyed figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "I cannot help but visualize this as, like, one of the sour patch kids commercials." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop sack" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The vise contains a white-eyed figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close vise" | ||
| CF | As you tighten the vise, the figurine begins to writhe. Its tiny arms | ||
| CF | and legs windmill frantically, its eyes bulge, and a terrible high | ||
| CF | keening sound escapes from it. You continue, remorseless. A moment | ||
| CF | later, with a loud crunching noise, the figurine shatters, and some | ||
| CF | harmless gray dust sifts to the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a burlap sack (which contains a pill bottle, the key to Cabin | ||
| CF | One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded photographs, a | ||
| CF | green-eyed figurine, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a | ||
| CF | croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a screwdriver, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, a poker, and a black-eyed figurine) here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take green figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the green-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put figurine in vise" | ||
| CF | (first opening the vise) | ||
| CF | You turn the crank, and the jaws of the vise separate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close vise" | ||
| CF | As you tighten the vise, the figurine begins to writhe. Its tiny arms | ||
| CF | and legs windmill frantically, its eyes bulge, and a terrible high | ||
| CF | keening sound escapes from it. You continue, remorseless. A moment | ||
| CF | later, with a loud crunching noise, the figurine shatters, and some | ||
| CF | harmless gray dust sifts to the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a burlap sack (which contains a pill bottle, the key to Cabin | ||
| CF | One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded photographs, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially | ||
| CF | crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a screwdriver, | ||
| CF | a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an indecipherable map, a poker, and a | ||
| CF | black-eyed figurine) here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the black-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put figurine in vise" | ||
| CF | (first opening the vise) | ||
| CF | You turn the crank, and the jaws of the vise separate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn crank" | ||
| CF | As you tighten the vise, the figurine begins to writhe. Its tiny arms | ||
| CF | and legs windmill frantically, its eyes bulge, and a terrible high | ||
| CF | keening sound escapes from it. You continue, remorseless. A moment | ||
| CF | later, with a loud crunching noise, the figurine shatters, and some | ||
| CF | harmless gray dust sifts to the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a burlap sack (which contains a pill bottle, the key to Cabin | ||
| CF | One, a little white pill, an old shovel, some faded photographs, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet hoop, a partially | ||
| CF | crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a screwdriver, | ||
| CF | a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an indecipherable map, and a poker) | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take sack" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf25" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Figurines slain - 3." | |
| DavidW says, "yes! Thank you for the vise suggestion!" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x map" | ||
| CF | The piece of paper is creased and dog-eared. One edge is badly | ||
| CF | charred. The lines and shapes drawn on the piece of paper are | ||
| CF | squirming and writhing. It's impossible to get any clear idea what | ||
| CF | they represent. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Still leaves Auntie's, Honey's, and Creepy's figurines." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black metal barrel is standing on the shoulder of the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry barrel with poker" | ||
| CF | (first taking the poker from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You attempt to wedge the end of the poker under the edge of the lid, | ||
| CF | but there isn't enough space between the lid and the rim. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry barrel with tongs" | ||
| CF | The fire tongs are not something you can use for prying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Hm. How else might we pry it if not with the poker?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put tongs, poker in sack" | ||
| CF | fire tongs: Done. | ||
| CF | poker: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry barrel with hoop" | ||
| CF | The croquet hoop is not something you can use for prying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket and a burlap sack (which contains a | ||
| CF | pill bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, an old shovel, | ||
| CF | some faded photographs, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a | ||
| CF | croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a screwdriver, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, some fire tongs, and a poker). You're wearing your | ||
| CF | clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry barrel with shovel" | ||
| CF | (first taking the old shovel from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You attempt to wedge the end of the old shovel under the edge of the | ||
| CF | lid, but there isn't enough space between the lid and the rim. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "pry barrel with shovel". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black metal barrel is standing on the shoulder of the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry barrel with screwdriver" | ||
| CF | (first taking the screwdriver from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You insert the end of the screwdriver under the edge of the barrel lid | ||
| CF | and bear down. The edge of the lid pops up half an inch, so you move | ||
| CF | the screwdriver around to the other side and repeat the process. This | ||
| CF | time the lid pops free and drops to the ground. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in barrel" | ||
| CF | In the barrel is a sticky, gooey mass of half-liquid road tar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tar" | ||
| CF | The tar is black and smelly. Its surface glistens with an oily sheen. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Okay, I guess that is possible. I expected the screwdriver to be too small." | |
| DavidW says, "yeah, I can imagine opening a paint can with a screwdriver. A barrel, not so much." | ||
| DavidW says, "This means we haven't used the poker for anything yet." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel" | ||
| CF | If you push the barrel over on its side, the tar will spill out in the | ||
| CF | road. Maybe you should put the lid back on first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Are we... meant to roll it somewhere?" | |
| DavidW says, "I don't know." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put lid on barrel" | ||
| CF | (first taking the tar barrel lid) | ||
| CF | You fit the lid over the top of the barrel and bang it down with the | ||
| CF | heel of your hand. It fits snugly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel" | ||
| CF | The barrel tilts as you push, and then falls over on its side. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel w" | ||
| CF | You roll the barrel down the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel s" | ||
| CF | You slip into the gap in the hedge, and find yourself angled in a | ||
| CF | twisty maze of thorny bramble-bushes. For a couple of minutes you | ||
| CF | stumble around, trying to avoid getting stuck by the razor-sharp | ||
| CF | thorns. Eventually you find your way back to the road, shaken by the | ||
| CF | ordeal but not too badly scratched up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "push barrel s". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel w" | ||
| CF | You roll the barrel down the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | By a Farm | ||
| CF | The east/west road passes close by the front gate of a trashy-looking | ||
| CF | farm. Two large, smirking farm boys are lounging by the gate, chewing | ||
| CF | lengths of grass and looking at you in a keen and unhealthy way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel e" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, you hear the boys snickering about something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I can't think of a place where we might want a tar puddle." | |
| Jacqueline says, "I had the unhelpful thought that maybe we were supposed to put said puddle in front of the SUV before it was moved or something." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, not sure where we might want it." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Could it just be an alternate solution to looking in a window, standing on the barrel instead of a bucket?" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks (of David), "Maybe?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to Jacq), "I sure hope you're wrong." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh, possibly." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "Yeah, me too." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel s" | ||
| CF | You see no barrel here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "f w" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel e" | ||
| CF | You roll the barrel down the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | You roll the barrel down the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Hm - I don't know that we're meant to make a puddle, though - it didn't want us to push the barrel over with the lid off (though maybe that is a location-based thing)." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel s" | ||
| CF | The gravel crunches as you roll the barrel down the driveway. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry barrel with screwdriver" | ||
| CF | If you open the barrel here, the tar will pour out and make a mess. If | ||
| CF | there's a place where you might want a pool of tar, this surely isn't | ||
| CF | it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Oh. Hrm" | |
| MoyTW asks, "Heavily implying we want the barrel for its contents. Uh, maybe...distract the maid...?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I wonder if we use that to sabotage the other boat." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Oh possibly." | ||
| DavidW says, "Well, I'm stumped where we might want tar. I'd like to ask Tyrone about a compass and maybe ask Honey about her figurine since we can't seem to locate hers." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess we can try." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "sure" | ||
| DavidW says, "We might also ask Lydia about a handkerchief" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Tyrone about compass" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Tyrone about figurine" | ||
| CF | When you mention the black figurine, Tyrone's eyes widen. "You been | ||
| CF | pokin' around some, ain'tcha? Mr. Beauregard, he got him one o' them | ||
| CF | nasty things up at the house. I seen it. I know what it is. It's | ||
| CF | pure evil, that's what it is. The man what carved 'em - there's more'n | ||
| CF | one of 'em, you know, I expect probably half a dozen - he done it a | ||
| CF | hundred years ago, maybe two hundred. He's dead now, Mr. Beauregard | ||
| CF | seen to that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "What them little dolls is for, they go out in the world and find their | ||
| CF | way into the hands of people what want somethin' bad enough, you know? | ||
| CF | They gotta want it real bad, whatever it is. Then they don't mind what | ||
| CF | they gotta do to get it, see? Them as ends up with one, they's the | ||
| CF | congregation, in a manner o' speakin'." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey wiggles her toes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about compass" | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey leafs through the magazine. Either she didn't hear you, or she's | ||
| CF | pretending she didn't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey licks her thumb and turns a page in the magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about figurine" | ||
| CF | "Hey, what's that in there?" You down point at the straw bag. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hesitates, and then smiles. "That little old thing?" She picks | ||
| CF | it up out of the bag and cuddles it at her breast as if it were a baby | ||
| CF | - which is shocking, as it's a grotesquely ugly little statue. Its | ||
| CF | teeth are bared, its tongue protrudes, and its tiny jewel eyes glow a | ||
| CF | livid, mustard yellow. "I found it in an antique store, you believe | ||
| CF | that? It called out to me." After a lingering, thoughtful look at you, | ||
| CF | she tucks the figurine away again in the bag. "I shouldn't ought to be | ||
| CF | talkin' about that, though." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well...." | |
| MoyTW asks, "What. She has hers on her?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't think I noticed any straw bag." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Hmm. Uh, can we re-x her?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x honey" | ||
| CF | Honey is in her early twenties, and quite glamorous in a trashy sort of | ||
| CF | Nashville way. She's wearing great big dark glasses, too much lip | ||
| CF | gloss, a wide-brimmed pink straw hat, and matching skin-tight shorts. | ||
| CF | She's lounging on the chaise longue in the sun, a large floppy straw | ||
| CF | purse yawning open beside her on the lawn, leafing idly through a | ||
| CF | magazine that, as well as you can judge from looking at it upside down, | ||
| CF | is devoted mostly to large photos of movie stars. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey tugs at a strap on her top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "??? Okay, sure, game." | |
| DavidW says, "bag/purse" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x purse" | ||
| CF | It would be impolite to show too much interest in Honey's oversize | ||
| CF | straw bag, but you sidle over and glance down at it casually. The bag | ||
| CF | appears to be crammed with a variety of necessities, among which you | ||
| CF | glimpse a carved black figurine. It looks a little like a doll, but | ||
| CF | not really. It's quite fearsomely ugly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Aaah." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tongs" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey inspects her perfectly manicured bright pink nails. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | It would be rude to fish things out of Honey's bag while she's sitting | ||
| CF | here watching. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey yawns ostentatiously and goes back to reading her magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "But it wouldn't be rude to sacrifice a 14-year old for a singing career, the game seems to imply." | |
| DavidW says, "> tell Honey her agent has a movie script for you to read; he's at the front desk; go look." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Should we make her sleepy? Or stir up hornets nearby?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't think we found a way to deal with the hornets." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard points at where Honey is sunbathing on the lawn. "Quite a | ||
| CF | little heifer, ain't she? Course, you wouldn't know." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wasps" | ||
| CF | The evil-looking yellow insects (being a city girl, you aren't sure | ||
| CF | whether they're wasps or hornets) are flying in and out of a large nest | ||
| CF | constructed of dried mud, which is tucked up under the eaves of the | ||
| CF | porch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Wish I had me a seegar," Beauregard says wistfully. "Summer | ||
| CF | afternoons just ain't the same since I gave up them seegars." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Knight), "I feel like maybe one of the things we struggle with in this game is that we're normal, ethical people who don't want to murder a teenager for selfish reasons." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit nest with poker" | ||
| CF | Disturbing the wasps would be a really, really bad idea. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about honey" | ||
| CF | Having been taught good manners, you can't quite bring yourself to | ||
| CF | ignore Phelps, so you nod to him and mumble a hello. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He smiles at you and nods heavily. "You enjoyin' our balmy Southern | ||
| CF | weather, darlin'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When you mention Honey Hartwell, Beauregard sighs heavily. "She is a | ||
| CF | sight for sore eyes, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Possibly." | |
| Jacqueline says (to Game), "Yes, we know it would be a bad idea to disturb the wasps." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about nest" | ||
| CF | "You worried about them wasps, sweet pea? They won't bother you none." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard belches, and doesn't apologize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "It is wrong to not apologize after a belch, but murdering a child is fine." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, like it's the worst thing he's ever done." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Phelps about aunt" | ||
| CF | "This useta all be prime farm land, once," Beauregard says, waving his | ||
| CF | arm. "We grew us a fine crop o' leaf. Was you sayin' somethin'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams at you in a slimy, sweaty way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about david" | ||
| CF | "You're just a regular little chatterbox, ain'tcha?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I heard your aunt's gonna get you all dolled up for the picnic. I | ||
| CF | just can't wait!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about cigar" | ||
| CF | "I hope I git up to see New York sometime," Beauregard says | ||
| CF | irrelevantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about tobacco" | ||
| CF | Beauregard stifles a yawn. "Gettin' time for my afternoon nap, but I'm | ||
| CF | just too keyed up this afternoon to sleep." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about sleep" | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams benignly at you. "You are just the cutest little | ||
| CF | thang. I can't get over it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about cocoa" | ||
| CF | Beauregard pulls his gaze back from the lawn. "Was you sayin' | ||
| CF | somethin', sweet pea?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard belches, and doesn't apologize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about maid" | ||
| CF | Beauregard shows his teeth in a grimace that he probably thinks is a | ||
| CF | smile. "You're gonna look so cute in that white dress!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard smacks his lips. "That young lady from Nashville, now - | ||
| CF | she's quite somethin', ain't she?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "What are we hoping to accomplish here." | |
| Knight_Otu says, ">murder phelps in self-defense" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm looking for a clue on what to do next." | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't know how to move Honey to get her figurine. I don't know how to get the key." | ||
| DavidW says, "We keep stalling on the wasps and maybe that's not the answer." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Perhaps we have to give the sleeping pill to Honey or Creeps." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams benignly at you. "You are just the cutest little | ||
| CF | thang. I can't get over it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard lazily waves away a curious wasp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Let's see if we can find Aunt Caroline's figurine." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Phelps turns away from you, scratches himself, and goes back to gazing | ||
| CF | out across the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, let's." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry steps with poker" | ||
| CF | The porch steps is not something you can pry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey licks her thumb and turns a page in the magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under steps" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual under the porch steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see Aunt Caroline's suitcase and your suitcase here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open aunt suitcase" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in it" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline's suitcase is empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close it" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask aunt about figurine" | ||
| CF | Hesitantly you bring up the subject of the little black statues. "Have | ||
| CF | you been nosing around in my things?" Aunt Caroline says sharply. | ||
| CF | "Well, don't. Not if you know what's good for you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "ask aunt about figurine". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dresser" | ||
| CF | The dresser is built of cheap pressboard. It has three drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open top" | ||
| CF | Opening the top drawer reveals Aunt Caroline's clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search clothes" | ||
| CF | (Aunt Caroline's clothes) | ||
| CF | You lift a couple of garments to peek beneath them, and decide there's | ||
| CF | really nothing useful or interesting in the drawer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | (Aunt Caroline's clothes) | ||
| CF | You lift a couple of garments to peek beneath them, and decide there's | ||
| CF | really nothing useful or interesting in the drawer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take clothes" | ||
| CF | You have no special use for cashmere sweaters or blouses with big | ||
| CF | floppy bows. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close top" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open middle" | ||
| CF | Opening the middle drawer reveals your other clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close it" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open bottom" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in it" | ||
| CF | The bottom drawer seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close it" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bed door" | ||
| CF | The bed looks sort of lumpy, and the pillow is flat and undoubtedly | ||
| CF | hard. A threadbare brown coverlet is spread over the bed. On the bed | ||
| CF | near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bed bathroom" | ||
| CF | The bed looks sort of lumpy, and the pillow is flat and undoubtedly | ||
| CF | hard. A threadbare brown coverlet is spread over the bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search it" | ||
| CF | You see nothing on the bed near the bathroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x floorboard" | ||
| CF | You see no floorboard here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dresser" | ||
| CF | The dresser is built of cheap pressboard. It has three drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open top" | ||
| CF | Opening the top drawer reveals Aunt Caroline's clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figurine" | ||
| CF | You see no figurine here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close top" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Can we search the bed? The 'lumpy' 'undoubtedly hard'?" | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "We did look behind the painting pretty early, I believe?" | ||
| DavidW | You say (to ClubFloyd), "search it" || CF | You see nothing on the bed near the bathroom. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x lump" | ||
| CF | You see no lump here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "unmake bed" | ||
| CF | The word "unmake" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "look in bed" | ||
| CF | Which bed do you mean, the bed near the door, or the bed near the | ||
| CF | bathroom? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "near door" | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline grumbles. | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x pillows" | ||
| CF | The word "pillows" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The door bed is ours." | |
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "x pillow" | ||
| CF | Which pillow do you mean, the bed near the door, or the bed near the | ||
| CF | bathroom? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "bathroom" | ||
| CF | The bed looks sort of lumpy, and the pillow is flat and undoubtedly | ||
| CF | hard. A threadbare brown coverlet is spread over the bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "pillow seems to be a synonym for bed, but prove me wrong." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, it is." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "look behind painting" | ||
| CF | You lift one corner and take a peek, but there's nothing under there, | ||
| CF | only the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to ClubFloyd), "push dresser" | ||
| CF | The dresser cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I know we searched all this in the very first session." | |
| DavidW says, "Still, that damn figurine must be here." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Of course, back then we didn't know about the figurines." | ||
| DavidW says, "And knowing is half the battle, yes." | ||
| DavidW says, "Knowing can make a difference." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take dress" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search it" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "We couldn't take the dress before, could we?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bed door" | ||
| CF | The bed looks sort of lumpy, and the pillow is flat and undoubtedly | ||
| CF | hard. A threadbare brown coverlet is spread over the bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I think we could, just not outside." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear dress" | ||
| CF | You consider stripping off your slacks and top and trying on the white | ||
| CF | dress, but three things stop you. First, you're mad at Aunt Caroline | ||
| CF | for hauling you all the way down here, so you really don't want to give | ||
| CF | her the pleasure of trying on the dress she insisted on bringing for | ||
| CF | you. Second, you want to spend the afternoon looking around this dumpy | ||
| CF | motel to see if there's anything fun to do, and the dress would surely | ||
| CF | get dirty. Third, it would look really tacky with your sneakers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "I remember we couldn't wear it or leave with it?" | |
| MoyTW says, "Yeah, we're pretty far beyond that text at this point." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put dress on bed door" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Can we rip it, to get Caroline out?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "rip dress" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tear dress" | ||
| CF | The white dress is not something that can be crumbled. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, ""Fourth, I don't wanna get sacrificed by those cultist creeps."" | |
| Jacqueline says, "I wonder if she took the figurine to the loo with her." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "It's possible, I guess." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Yeah, my guess is it's on her/in the room and we need to create some sort of crises?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Could the boys have a compass?" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Mmmaybeee?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Also, what's the shovel for?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Did we see anywhere to dig?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I believe we tried the obvious digging spots, but I might be forgetting some." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey wiggles her toes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig" | ||
| CF | What do you want to dig in? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ground" | ||
| CF | (with the old shovel) | ||
| CF | You have no reason to dig in that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, uneven ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot, | ||
| CF | and a walk leads off through some tall bushes to the south. Beyond the | ||
| CF | bushes can be glimpsed the roof of the main house. On the north side | ||
| CF | of the road is a ditch choked with bramble bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "n". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch gazing out across the lawn, | ||
| CF | seemingly oblivious to the fact that you're skulking around down here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig" | ||
| CF | What do you want to dig in? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "flower-bed" | ||
| CF | You have nothing to dig with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take shovel" | ||
| CF | (first putting the fire tongs in the burlap sack to make room) | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig in flower-bed" | ||
| CF | You poke around in the weeds for a minute with the shovel, but there | ||
| CF | seems to be no buried treasure here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | You poke around in the weeds for a minute with the shovel, but there | ||
| CF | seems to be no buried treasure here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "exits" | ||
| CF | The only obvious exit leads southeast to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey curls a strand of hair around her little finger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, uneven ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot, | ||
| CF | and a walk leads off through some tall bushes to the south. Beyond the | ||
| CF | bushes can be glimpsed the roof of the main house. On the north side | ||
| CF | of the road is a ditch choked with bramble bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, uneven ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot, | ||
| CF | and a walk leads off through some tall bushes to the south. Beyond the | ||
| CF | bushes can be glimpsed the roof of the main house. On the north side | ||
| CF | of the road is a ditch choked with bramble bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig ditch" | ||
| CF | You glance at the ditch and instantly dismiss it as unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | By a Farm | ||
| CF | The east/west road passes close by the front gate of a trashy-looking | ||
| CF | farm. Two large, smirking farm boys are lounging by the gate, chewing | ||
| CF | lengths of grass and looking at you in a keen and unhealthy way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask boys about compass" | ||
| CF | "Hello again," you say, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Was she gone?" the smaller boy says. "I din't notice." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Trying to be casual, you ask the boys whether they might be willing to | ||
| CF | part with the compass they showed you. "Oh, that there's valuable," | ||
| CF | the larger boy says, scowling. "You got anything we'd want?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I know what you're thinking about," you retort, "and the answer is no! | ||
| CF | But how about if I bring you something to trade for it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'd take a million bucks for it," says the smaller, dirtier boy. "Or | ||
| CF | even a hundred bucks, I guess. In cash." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The large boy nudges his companion. "Hey, show her what we stole offa | ||
| CF | that Boy Scout!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The smaller boy looks exasperated. "What does a girl care about that?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Nah, c'mon." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The smaller boy digs in his jeans pocket and hauls out a small | ||
| CF | hand-held compass, which he holds out to you - but not close enough | ||
| CF | that you could grab it. "Pretty nifty, hunh?" He closes his fist on | ||
| CF | the compass and jams it back into his pocket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "...dammit. We do have to interact with them." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Ugh." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess the gold coin is for these guys then." | ||
| DavidW says, "hmm. Maybe." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask boys about gold" | ||
| CF | "Do we look like the Encyclopedia Bittranica?" the larger boy says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "They got any guys as good-lookin' as us back where you come from?" The | ||
| CF | larger boy runs his hand over his hair and sticks out his jaw. "I bet | ||
| CF | not." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Knowing the boys are likely to make fun of anything you say, you just | ||
| CF | turn and walk away without saying goodbye. As you walk away, you hear | ||
| CF | the boys snickering about something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead east, down the road to the | ||
| CF | east; and west, back down the road. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about cocoa" | ||
| CF | "Excuse me," you venture. "Are you ironing?" Of course she's ironing, | ||
| CF | you can see she's ironing. You're aware as the words tumble out of | ||
| CF | your mouth that it's a stupid question - but at least it's better than, | ||
| CF | "Excuse me, are you the maid?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The woman looks up from her ironing board and levels a smoky gaze at | ||
| CF | you. "No, I'm dancing with Clark Gable." She doesn't look very | ||
| CF | friendly, that's for sure. "You're the girl," she goes on. "The one | ||
| CF | they brought. I'm Luisa. I work here, keep the house clean. I | ||
| CF | thought Mr. Beauregard didn't want you in the house, but now you're | ||
| CF | here, I guess it's okay. Just don't make no mess." She has a heavy | ||
| CF | Hispanic accent, but her words are not hard to understand. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You mention the cocoa mix in the kitchen, and Luisa nods. "Mr. Phelps, | ||
| CF | he likes his cocoa every afternoon. Much nicer than those stinky old | ||
| CF | cigars he used to smoke." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell luisa about fuse" | ||
| CF | You ask Luisa whether she knows one of the fuses in the fuse box is | ||
| CF | burnt out. "Oh, yeah," she says nonchalantly. "Happens all the time. | ||
| CF | I'll fix it later." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Maybe we're supposed to give Phelps a spiked cocoa and steal the key then." | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "I guess sleeping pill in cocoa?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Cocoa with... sleeping pills" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Great minds, and all that." | ||
| DavidW says, "I suspect we'd want to do that after we've done almost everything else, though." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Luisa about clown" | ||
| CF | "I don't think I want to talk about that no more," Luisa says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline Because when he wakes up he'll be pissed and we should already be in a boat finding our way out of the swamp? | Jacqueline asks, "Because when he wakes up he'll be pissed and we should already be in a boat finding our way out of the swamp?" | |
| DavidW says, "yes, there's bound to be a chase scene." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel se" | ||
| CF | A gentle upward slope at the south end of the driveway, which you | ||
| CF | hardly noticed while walking, makes it impossible to push the barrel | ||
| CF | any further. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a pill | ||
| CF | bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet | ||
| CF | hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an indecipherable map, a | ||
| CF | poker, and some fire tongs), a screwdriver, and an old shovel. You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel e" | ||
| CF | The barrel thumps and bumps as it rolls down the steps into the cellar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "There's the Garden of Junk. Did we do anything much there?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push barrel e" | ||
| CF | There's a step up between here and the other cellar room. It's not | ||
| CF | something you had even noticed initially, but it makes rolling the | ||
| CF | barrel into the other part of the cellar impossible. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x floor" | ||
| CF | You see nothing unusual about it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry barrel with screwdriver" | ||
| CF | You insert the end of the screwdriver under the edge of the barrel lid | ||
| CF | and bear down. The edge of the lid pops up half an inch, so you move | ||
| CF | the screwdriver around to the other side and repeat the process. This | ||
| CF | time the lid pops free and drops to the floor. Within moments, a | ||
| CF | thick, gooey mess of tar has flowed out into a shallow depression in | ||
| CF | the cellar floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "OH! To stop the figurines from running about!" | |
| DavidW says, "aha" | ||
| MoyTW says, "...hah. Okay." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in barrel" | ||
| CF | In the barrel is a sticky, gooey mass of half-liquid road tar. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "well, at least we know what that's for." | |
| Jacqueline says, "um, okay" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a pill | ||
| CF | bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet | ||
| CF | hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an indecipherable map, a | ||
| CF | poker, and some fire tongs), a screwdriver, and an old shovel. You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "olly olly oxen free" | ||
| CF | At first it seems your silly shouting will go unanswered, but then | ||
| CF | Lydia comes toward you from among the trees. "I hope you found | ||
| CF | everything we need," she says. "Show me what you've found. I can't | ||
| CF | wait to get away from here." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | Lydia does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show map to lydia" | ||
| CF | (first taking the indecipherable map from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Lydia looks eagerly at the map, but then her face falls. "You showed | ||
| CF | me that before," she says. "We still can't read it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about tears" | ||
| CF | Lydia does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about clown" | ||
| CF | Lydia does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about aunt caroline" | ||
| CF | You tell Lydia how your aunt brought you down here from New York for no | ||
| CF | apparent reason, and brought along this white dress for you to wear to | ||
| CF | some kind of supposed picnic. Lydia nods vigorously. "That's just | ||
| CF | like me with my cousin Jake. I guess he needed money more than | ||
| CF | anything. I think the horrid thing grants people's wishes. I guess it | ||
| CF | must have made Jake rich. I'll bet your aunt is the same way. I'll | ||
| CF | bet she wants something so much she's willing to let them - no, not let | ||
| CF | them, she's willing to help them kill you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I guess it won't be Lydia's tears." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, Lydia calls after you, "I'm going to hide now. Be | ||
| CF | sure to come back when you're ready for us to escape, and call 'olly | ||
| CF | olly oxen free.'" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You follow the path westward, back to Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cry" | ||
| CF | You sniffle a little. It's not proving to be a good day, is it? But | ||
| CF | feeling sorry for yourself probably isn't going to help. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin Three | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A bucolic, | ||
| CF | sentimentalized painting of some Negroes picking cotton adds to the | ||
| CF | oppressive sense that you've somehow slipped back into an earlier, less | ||
| CF | civilized era. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David is sitting here in his wheelchair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cry" | ||
| CF | You sniffle a little. It's not proving to be a good day, is it? But | ||
| CF | feeling sorry for yourself probably isn't going to help. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | David closes his eyes, and his hands twitch on the blanket that covers | ||
| CF | his knees. "I'm sorry," he says after a moment. "I don't believe I | ||
| CF | caught that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | "You can leave the door open if you like," David says behind you. "I | ||
| CF | don't mind the fresh air." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey tugs at a strap on her top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cry" | ||
| CF | You sniffle a little. It's not proving to be a good day, is it? But | ||
| CF | feeling sorry for yourself probably isn't going to help. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hums a little off-key tune to herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey leafs through the magazine. Either she didn't hear you, or she's | ||
| CF | pretending she didn't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, Honey goes back to reading (if that's the right word) | ||
| CF | her magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask caroline about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | "I can't hear you, dear," Aunt Caroline calls. "Can't you see I'm in | ||
| CF | the bathroom?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Two) | ||
| CF | Reverend Gillespie appears at the door of Cabin Two and looks down at | ||
| CF | you. "Yes? I'm really very busy just now, but if it's important...." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask rev about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | Gillespie smiles a meaningless smile. "My, but it's hot this | ||
| CF | afternoon." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about shack" | ||
| CF | "That little ole shack?" Tyrone shrugs. "It ain't much, but I call it | ||
| CF | home. Suits me pretty good, if you want to know the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "dig" | ||
| CF | What do you want to dig in? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ground" | ||
| CF | (with the old shovel) | ||
| CF | You have no reason to dig in that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open window" | ||
| CF | There's no obvious way to do that. A quick inspection reveals that the | ||
| CF | screen is held firmly in place by half a dozen heavy screws. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I'm beginning to wonder if Aunt Caroline's secret wish -- the reason she's brought us her, the reason she's willing to help them murder us -- is to cure her IBS." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unscrew screen with screwdriver" | ||
| CF | The screws are pretty tight, but with a bit of effort you're able to | ||
| CF | unscrew all but one of them with the screwdriver. The window screen is | ||
| CF | left dangling by one stubborn screw, but it's out of the way. Climbing | ||
| CF | in the window should be easy now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter window" | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Hullo there scary mask." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mask" | ||
| CF | The hand-carved ebony mask is larger than a human face, and its oval | ||
| CF | tapers to points at the top and bottom. The expression on the face is | ||
| CF | solemn and hostile. Dominating the face are the eyes, which are wide, | ||
| CF | round, and glaring. As you move around the little room, you can't | ||
| CF | escape the eerie sensation that the eyes are turning to watch you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Wear it!~" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x table" | ||
| CF | The table is old and paint-stained, and one leg is a little crooked. | ||
| CF | The table is littered with an assortment of stuff. No, make that a | ||
| CF | mound. Your first impulse is to dismiss it as junk, but that would be | ||
| CF | an insult to the man who lives here. These are his possessions - | ||
| CF | probably all he owns. Lying diagonally across the junk is a fishing | ||
| CF | pole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pole" | ||
| CF | The pole is thin, flexible, and about seven feet long. It's the kind | ||
| CF | you've seen in old illustrations in books like The Adventures of | ||
| CF | Huckleberry Finn. It doesn't even have a reel for reeling the line in | ||
| CF | and out - but there is a line, which is attached to the tip of the pole | ||
| CF | and dangles free. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bed" | ||
| CF | The bed is sagging and rumpled, as if it has been slept in for years by | ||
| CF | someone large and heavy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under bed" | ||
| CF | As you start to, the mouth of the mask opens and it emits a horrible | ||
| CF | howling noise! Looks like Tyrone has set up a voodoo burglar alarm. | ||
| CF | You stand silent and tense with your fingers crossed, hoping nobody | ||
| CF | heard the noise. After a minute, you relax. It seems you got away | ||
| CF | with it ... once. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Also we're being kinda rude, aren't we." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "look under bed". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "'voodoo burglar alarm'" | |
| MoyTW says, "man this game, sometimes" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear mask" | ||
| CF | That isn't something you can wear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Yeah. It's ... yeah. Not great." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mask" | ||
| CF | As you start to, the mouth of the mask opens and it emits a horrible | ||
| CF | howling noise! Looks like Tyrone has set up a voodoo burglar alarm. | ||
| CF | You stand silent and tense with your fingers crossed, hoping nobody | ||
| CF | heard the noise. After a minute, you relax. It seems you got away | ||
| CF | with it ... once. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "take mask". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "gag mask" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "gag mask" | ||
| CF | The word "gag" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "muffle mask" | ||
| CF | The word "muffle" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Ideas?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "I kinda want to know what happens if we make it scream more than once. Just to see." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Turn it, cover it?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Cover it with what?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I don't know." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf26" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under bed" | ||
| CF | As you start to, the mouth of the mask opens and it emits a horrible | ||
| CF | howling noise! Looks like Tyrone has set up a voodoo burglar alarm. | ||
| CF | You stand silent and tense with your fingers crossed, hoping nobody | ||
| CF | heard the noise. After a minute, you relax. It seems you got away | ||
| CF | with it ... once. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Once again, the mask sets up its horrible howl. A moment later the | ||
| CF | door bursts open and Tyrone seizes you firmly by the arm. "So, we got | ||
| CF | ourselves a sneak thief," he says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You try to squirm out of his grip. "Ow, you're hurting me!" But he's | ||
| CF | much stronger than you, and from the look in his eyes, he isn't about | ||
| CF | to be sweet-talked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He drags you outside, slams the door, and finally releases you. "Look | ||
| CF | here," he says. "I know you're just a kid. And I expect you're | ||
| CF | lookin' around for somethin' that might help get you outta the fix | ||
| CF | you're in. So I ain't gonna whop you upside the head, though maybe I | ||
| CF | ought to. But that stuff in there's mine, you understand? See you | ||
| CF | leave it alone. Now run along." Without another word, he goes back to | ||
| CF | working on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "RESTORE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf26" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "I mean, that's entirely fair, really." | |
| DavidW says, "yes" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask Tyrone about voodoo" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take pole" | ||
| CF | As you start to, the mouth of the mask opens and it emits a horrible | ||
| CF | howling noise! Looks like Tyrone has set up a voodoo burglar alarm. | ||
| CF | You stand silent and tense with your fingers crossed, hoping nobody | ||
| CF | heard the noise. After a minute, you relax. It seems you got away | ||
| CF | with it ... once. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "take pole". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Ask him 'bout voodoo" | |
| DavidW says, "I did." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh. I missed it." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a pill | ||
| CF | bottle, the key to Cabin One, a little white pill, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, a flashlight, a mystery by John Dickson Carr, a croquet | ||
| CF | hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, a poker, and some fire | ||
| CF | tongs), a screwdriver, an old shovel, and an indecipherable map. | ||
| CF | You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Did he say anything of any use about it?" | |
| DavidW says, "no, nothing. It wasn't a valid topic for him." | ||
| Jacqueline nods. "Thanks." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give carr to honey" | ||
| CF | (first taking the mystery by John Dickson Carr from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey pats her fingers over her lips, politely stifling a yawn. "You | ||
| CF | found a storybook, that's nice. You want to read me a story? On | ||
| CF | second thought, don't bother. I'm not in the mood." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hums a little off-key tune to herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you walk away, Honey goes back to reading (if that's the right word) | ||
| CF | her magazine. As you put your weight on the steps, several of the | ||
| CF | boards creak loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give carr to phelps" | ||
| CF | "I want to talk to you," you say to Beauregard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | His eyes widen mildly. "So talk, then." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When he sees the book, Beauregard smiles benignly. "I see you found my | ||
| CF | old mysteries," he says. "I don't do a lot of readin' myself, not no | ||
| CF | more, but I'll bet your aunt would be keen to look at that, her bein' a | ||
| CF | mystery writer and all." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard points at where Honey is sunbathing on the lawn. "Quite a | ||
| CF | little heifer, ain't she? Course, you wouldn't know." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I hate him so." | |
| MoyTW says, "lol he's shocked when you say "I want to talk to you"" | ||
| DavidW says, "huh. Aunt would like Carr." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Phelps turns away from you, scratches himself, and goes back to gazing | ||
| CF | out across the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "To be fair, he should be shocked that anybody wants to talk to him." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "That went better than expected, though, for showing him that we broke into his house." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says (to Knight), "yes, it was a risk." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give Carr to Aunt" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline is in the bathroom, and the door is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask aunt about carr" | ||
| CF | Talking through the bathroom door, you mention to Aunt Caroline that in | ||
| CF | the bookcase in the house you saw some first editions by John Dickson | ||
| CF | Carr. The door pops open and Aunt Caroline's head pops out. Then the | ||
| CF | rest of her slides out, leaving the bathroom door narrowly ajar. | ||
| CF | "Rubbish," she declares. "You saw no such thing." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show carr to aunt" | ||
| CF | Triumphantly you hold up the copy of The Four False Weapons. Aunt | ||
| CF | Caroline's squinty eyes widen, and she practically tears the book from | ||
| CF | your hands. "Let me see that. It can't be. No, it is. You say you | ||
| CF | got this in the house? And there are more like it?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You nod. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Without another word, Aunt Caroline makes a beeline for the door of the | ||
| CF | cabin. But then, struck by a thought, she turns back. She slips into | ||
| CF | the bathroom for a moment and emerges holding something, pressing it | ||
| CF | tight against her as if it were a baby. Hiding whatever it is from you | ||
| CF | with her body, she sidles into the closet. You hear a clicking noise. | ||
| CF | A moment later she emerges from the closet and strides out the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "!" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Of course she takes it along." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Ok well at least she's not locked in a room anymore. But she's being careful. Which...grr." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I thought she was gonna take the book and go back to the toilet with it." | ||
| DavidW says, "I think she hid the figurine in her suitcase." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see Aunt Caroline's suitcase and your suitcase here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Oh, right, I misread that." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open aunt suitcase" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline's suitcase seems to be locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock aunt suitcase" | ||
| CF | (with the key to Cabin One) | ||
| CF | (first taking the key to Cabin One from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | The key to Cabin One doesn't fit the lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads north, back to | ||
| CF | cabin five. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm inclined to crush the entire suitcase in the vise if we can." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "break aunt suitcase with poker" | ||
| CF | That is not something it would be useful to break. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Can you pry it open? Is it one of them little flip suitcase locks?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess we can try." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry aunt suitcase with screwdriver" | ||
| CF | That doesn't seem to be a suitable implement for prying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pry aunt suitcase with poker" | ||
| CF | (first putting the old shovel in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | taking the poker from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You have a go at wedging the poker under the lid of the suitcase, but | ||
| CF | it's too tight a fit. After a few moments of mounting frustration, it | ||
| CF | occurs to you that maybe you ought to just haul off and hit the silly | ||
| CF | thing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit aunt suitcase with poker" | ||
| CF | You haul off and smite the suitcase a mighty blow with the poker. In | ||
| CF | response, the shiny brass lock emits a tiny sproinggg. Quite possibly | ||
| CF | you've broken the lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "Yay!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open aunt suitcase" | ||
| CF | Opening Aunt Caroline's suitcase reveals a red-eyed figurine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "That works." | |
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Violence sometimes *is* the answer!" | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Violence was the answer ... dangit, Jacq!" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "hahaha." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take red figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | (first putting the indecipherable map in the burlap sack to make room, | ||
| CF | then taking the fire tongs from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You pick up the red-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put poker in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put figurine in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The bathroom is barely big enough to turn around in. There's a narrow | ||
| CF | shower stall, a minuscule, rust-stained sink above which is a cracked, | ||
| CF | flyspecked mirror, and a commode. The towels stacked on the rack are | ||
| CF | thin, frayed at the edges, and probably none too clean. A tiny window | ||
| CF | provides a very little air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door leads eastward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a fat white candle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x candle" | ||
| CF | The candle is a couple of inches in diameter, and perhaps three inches | ||
| CF | tall. Evidently Aunt Caroline has been burning it, but it's not | ||
| CF | burning now. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take candle" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "We never saw matches, did we?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I don't think so." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I don't recall any, no." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Any idea why she'd be burning a candle for hours in the bathroom?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Is it a scented candle for calming or, like, a Ritual Candle for eldrich summonings?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "smell candle" | ||
| CF | You smell nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Two) | ||
| CF | Reverend Gillespie appears at the door of Cabin Two and looks down at | ||
| CF | you. "Yes? I'm really very busy just now, but if it's important...." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin Three | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A bucolic, | ||
| CF | sentimentalized painting of some Negroes picking cotton adds to the | ||
| CF | oppressive sense that you've somehow slipped back into an earlier, less | ||
| CF | civilized era. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David is sitting here in his wheelchair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show candle to david" | ||
| CF | (first taking the fat white candle from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | David does not appear interested. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about candle" | ||
| CF | You hesitate to keep pestering David with conversation. He looks | ||
| CF | tired. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | "Goodbye for now," David says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tar barrel lid and a pool of tar here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take red figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the red-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in vise" | ||
| CF | (the red-eyed figurine) | ||
| CF | (first opening the vise) | ||
| CF | You turn the crank, and the jaws of the vise separate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close vise" | ||
| CF | As you tighten the vise, the figurine begins to writhe. Its tiny arms | ||
| CF | and legs windmill frantically, its eyes bulge, and a terrible high | ||
| CF | keening sound escapes from it. You continue, remorseless. A moment | ||
| CF | later, with a loud crunching noise, the figurine shatters, and some | ||
| CF | harmless gray dust sifts to the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf27" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "hooray" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Another one turned to dust." | ||
| DavidW says, "And it's just after 4 pm." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Progress." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Solid progress." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Do you want to stop for today?" | ||
| DavidW says, "So hanky + skeleton => coin => compass." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "What is the highest number of sessions you guys've spent on a game?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm good either way." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to Jacq), "Definiteoy progress, yeah." | DavidW says, "destroy all figurines => usable map" | |
| MoyTW says, "Also yeah I'm good to stop or go." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to Moy), "Untold sessions on Cragne Manor." | ||
| DavidW says, "cocoa + pill => key" | ||
| DavidW asks, "key + map + compass + olly olly oxen free => win?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I feel like Cragne Manor is cheating." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Well there's probably Boat Hilarity too." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I mean, maybe it's cheating, but it is the highest number easily." | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, the boathouse has something weird. And I didn't expect voodoo mask alarm in Tyrone's shack." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Cragne Manor was 19 sessions." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, the mask was...." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "bad." | ||
| DavidW asks, "like, what would we fish for?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "And what might be under Tyrone's bed?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Honey's figurine? That's the best use i can think of, and that's a stretch." | ||
| DavidW says, "I think we need to maybe put Honey to sleep or scare her away (maybe with wasps, finally)." | ||
| DavidW says, "Sleep, distraction, something." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Savoir Faire was nine sessions. I wonder if that was our second-longest." | ||
| DavidW says, "I still don't know where a hanky is." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Fishing for her figuring sounds like it's worth trying, honestly" | ||
| DavidW asks, "That would be less obvious than the tongs?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "If it weren" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "er, if it were a thing we could do from an adjacent location." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Which I doubt it is." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Fish from the porch, you mean?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tar barrel lid and a pool of tar here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard belches, and doesn't apologize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x straw purse" | ||
| CF | You see no straw purse here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x figurine" | ||
| CF | You see no figurine here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fish" | ||
| CF | To do that, you'd need a fishing pole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I heard your aunt's gonna get you all dolled up for the picnic. I | ||
| CF | just can't wait!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about wasps" | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You casually mention spotting some wasps up under the eaves of the | ||
| CF | porch. Honey leaps up from the chaise longue. "Where? Where? Oh, my | ||
| CF | God! Up there? Thank you for tellin' me!" She rushes off toward her | ||
| CF | cabin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "..." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the yellow-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Well OKAY THEN." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "That was way easier than we made it out to be." | ||
| MoyTW says, "I'm actually crying, for all the time and effort we spent on the nest and then that." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tar barrel lid and a pool of tar here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put figurine in vise" | ||
| CF | (first opening the vise) | ||
| CF | You turn the crank, and the jaws of the vise separate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close vise" | ||
| CF | As you tighten the vise, the figurine begins to writhe. Its tiny arms | ||
| CF | and legs windmill frantically, its eyes bulge, and a terrible high | ||
| CF | keening sound escapes from it. You continue, remorseless. A moment | ||
| CF | later, with a loud crunching noise, the figurine shatters, and some | ||
| CF | harmless gray dust sifts to the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf28" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "okay, now let's stop for now." | |
| Knight_Otu asks, "Also, Creepregard was creeping on Honey, so shouldn't he have seen us there?" | ||
| DavidW says, "yeah, maybe." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "'kay" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Maybe that's what the pills be for." | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to David), "Yeah, this seems like a good place. Five figurines down." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "save" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cflydias5figs" | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Maybe the candle helps with the mask or the dagger, but maybe it's really for the tunnel." | |
| Jacqueline says (to DW), "Oh yeah. Alt light source, maybe." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Candles suck as light sources, but maybe." | ||
| DavidW says, "Can't suck worse than the flashlight." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "This is true." | ||
| DavidW says, "I suppose either the oven or the office device with the mirrors could light it." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "The...oven?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Or stove? In the kitchen." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Ah. That's a lot more sensical." | ||
| DavidW says, "I've seen people light cigarettes using a stove burner." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Probably gas, right?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I dunno. We haven't messed with the kitchen much yet." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yeah, but electric won't work. Though this house is old so...gas probably." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Anyways, thanks, all." | ||
| MoyTW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | DavidW says, "Might want to ask Lucia about a handkerchief. We've asked almost everyone else. Unless Aunt Caroline cries when reading Carr books." | |
| Jacqueline says, "You can light a cigarette with an electric eye. Not sure about a candle, but maybe." | ||
| DavidW says, "yes, thanks everyone. See you all next week. Don't forget that Spring Thing is running." | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Thanks for driving, David. Good night!" | ||
| Knight_Otu goes home. | ||
| DavidW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | ||
| *** SESSION EIGHT *** | ||
| DavidW says, "hi Jacqueline, Perry, Roger." | ||
| Roger says, "yo" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "yo word" | ||
| DavidW says, "I updated my notes last night: [TEMP LINK NO LONGER EXISTS]" | ||
| Knight_Otu has arrived. | DavidW says, "hi Knight" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hey." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So: Will today be a good day to (not) die?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Who knows." | ||
| Roger says, "I think so" | ||
| DavidW says, "I don't know if we can finish the game today or not. Too many unknowns." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Fair." | ||
| DavidW says, "It's impossible to guess if there will be an extended chase scene in the swamp even if we do stack the ducks in the correct order." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Wait for Moy, then we'll see." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Those ... you mean proverbial ducks, right?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "... yes?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Because stacking literal ducks sounds impossible." | ||
| DavidW says, "We have a puddle of tar." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "heh. True!" | ||
| DavidW says, "One thing I forgot to add to my 'ideas to try' list is re-examining Phelps's bedroom. Perhaps there's something in there we missed that might help out. Also, we could dare descending from the temple as a priest to see if the otherworld natives tell us or give us anything new." | ||
| MoyTW has arrived. | DavidW says, "hi Moy" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hey there." | ||
| DavidW says, "My updated notes are at [TEMP LINK NO LONGER EXISTS]" | ||
| DavidW says, "I think we should start with either making cocoa or annoying Luisa." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'm not sure annoying her will do us much good, but sure." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Sure" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm thinking that we may need to be rough with her. Knock her out, lock her in the bathroom, something to get her out of the way of the bedroom door." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We are a 14-year old. That won't be easy." | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe put the skeleton in Phelps's bed, unlock the door, go 'round and open the door in front of Luisa, and maybe the skeleton will scare her." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tar barrel lid and a pool of tar here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is standing open, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings and some onions here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | (the door) | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline is standing by the bookcase, absorbed in a book. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x aunt" | ||
| CF | Your Aunt Caroline is a thin, pale woman of about 40, with mousy hair | ||
| CF | and a pinched face. Her glasses are perched, as usual, halfway down | ||
| CF | her nose. Her fingernails are gnawed. At the moment she's standing in | ||
| CF | front of the bookcase, lingering over the pages of a mystery novel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "This may be the first time we've examined Auntie?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask aunt about fingernails" | ||
| CF | "Where did you get that? No, don't tell me. I don't want to know." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a pill | ||
| CF | bottle, a little white pill, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a | ||
| CF | croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old shovel, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, and a poker), a screwdriver, the key to Cabin One, | ||
| CF | some fire tongs, and a fat white candle. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask aunt about novel" | ||
| CF | "You already know John Dickson Carr is one of my favorite authors," | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline says. "I doubt you have anything fresh to contribute on | ||
| CF | that subject." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah, since she stayed in the bathroom the whole time." | |
| Jacqueline says (to Moy), "You're on the wrong channel." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask aunt about candle" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline sets her glasses more firmly on her nose. "Put that back | ||
| CF | where you found it, at once." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "(Easy to miss)" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "ask aunt about candle". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline is standing by the bookcase, absorbed in a book. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask aunt about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | "Later, dear." Aunt Caroline's voice sounds thin and strained. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "RIP." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x glasses" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline's glasses have heavy, blocky tortoiseshell frames. | ||
| CF | They're very unattractive. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "heh" | |
| DavidW says, "well, she's not crying, so no hanky here." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Wasn't there an age thing on that request?" | |
| MoyTW says, "I thought that it'd have to either be us or Lydia, but I might be misremembering." | ||
| DavidW says (to Moy), "I'm unclear on that part." | ||
| DavidW says, "but yes, maybe it has to be us that cries." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x luisa" | ||
| CF | Luisa is short and stocky, and has the olive complexion and broad, | ||
| CF | impassive features of a Mexican or Central American whose ancestry is | ||
| CF | strongly Mayan. Beneath an apron bulging with cleaning implements, her | ||
| CF | dress is gray and shapeless. Her long black hair, drawn back in a | ||
| CF | loose ponytail, is streaked with gray, and her dark eyes are not | ||
| CF | especially friendly. She's standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "You've already seen the thing you need, I'll say." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x laundry" | ||
| CF | The big wicker basket is full of laundry. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, ""Young girl", I'm sure the clown said." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search basket" | ||
| CF | The laundry basket seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x ironing board" | ||
| CF | It's an ordinary ironing board, with green metal fold-up legs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about handkerchief" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Luisa," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She looks up from her ironing. "What do you want? You want | ||
| CF | somethin'?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "That's not something I goin' to worry about," she says. "Not right | ||
| CF | now." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about laundry" | ||
| CF | "I got work to do," Luisa says. "I don' have time to talk to silly | ||
| CF | girls." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search laundry" | ||
| CF | The laundry basket seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open door" | ||
| CF | The door seems to be locked. You hear a low snort behind you, as if | ||
| CF | Luisa is expressing contempt or amusement. But when you turn to look, | ||
| CF | she's placidly ironing, not looking at you at all. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about attic" | ||
| CF | "You're just a chatterbox, ain't you? Why don't you go away an' bother | ||
| CF | somebody else, eh?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open window seat" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter it" | ||
| CF | You can't stand in that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "scare luisa" | ||
| CF | The word "scare" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push luisa" | ||
| CF | Luisa probably wouldn't like that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | As you climb, the air around you, hot to begin with, gets even hotter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Attic | ||
| CF | It's as hot as a blast furnace in the attic. The ceiling is low, and | ||
| CF | slants down at the sides of the room. A narrow single bed stands | ||
| CF | against one wall and a small dresser against another. The room is | ||
| CF | undecorated except for a rather large doll, which stands stiffly posed | ||
| CF | atop the dresser. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x doll" | ||
| CF | The doll is about a foot tall, and stands stiffly. She has a painted | ||
| CF | china face, and is wearing a blouse that looks as if it was cut from an | ||
| CF | old lace doily and a yellow skirt whose draped corners make it look | ||
| CF | rather like a handkerchief or a small scarf. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x skirt" | ||
| CF | The doll's skirt is rather faded and threadbare. It may once have been | ||
| CF | a cheerful lemon yellow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take skirt" | ||
| CF | With only a bit of fiddling, you're able to remove the skirt from the | ||
| CF | doll. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Ah, there it is." | |
| Roger says, "nice" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a wooden bucket, a burlap sack (which contains a pill | ||
| CF | bottle, a little white pill, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a | ||
| CF | croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old shovel, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, and a poker), a screwdriver, the key to Cabin One, | ||
| CF | some fire tongs, a fat white candle, and a faded yellow scarf. You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cry" | ||
| CF | You try to summon up some tears, but can't quite manage it. On close | ||
| CF | inspection, though, the scarf is not exactly new. Maybe someone else's | ||
| CF | tears have already soaked into it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wind model" | ||
| CF | You give the key a twist. As you wind up the mechanism, the | ||
| CF | merry-go-round springs into motion. It creaks and wheezes a little as | ||
| CF | it rotates, but as the horses go up and down in a festive way a tinkly | ||
| CF | sentimental tune emanates from within the base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch clown" | ||
| CF | Knowing more or less what may happen, and sort of dreading it but sort | ||
| CF | of hoping for it at the same time, you reach out and touch the clown. | ||
| CF | Again you have the sensation that his gloved hand is reaching toward | ||
| CF | you. A moment later, the music from the merry-go-round seems to swell, | ||
| CF | and you're dancing with him. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The bedroom dissolves in a smear of circus colors. When the clown | ||
| CF | releases you, you're in the place that isn't a place, surrounded by | ||
| CF | floating, swirling blobs of color, and the clown is standing directly | ||
| CF | in front of you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a Confusing Place | ||
| CF | Vague many-colored blobs of light float gently around you on all sides, | ||
| CF | and there are no shadows here. It's like being trapped inside a great | ||
| CF | big lava lamp, except that you can hear an off-key brass band | ||
| CF | oom-pahing not far away. The painted clown from the abandoned nursery, | ||
| CF | now no longer painted but quite real, is standing in front of you, | ||
| CF | gazing down at you with either pity or wry amusement (it's hard to tell | ||
| CF | which). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I mean, that tacky jacket was good enough for the clown." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give scarf to clown" | ||
| CF | "Hello again," you venture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again yourself," the clown replies. "I was wondering if you'd | ||
| CF | come back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You show the yellow scarf to the clown. "Is this - would this do what | ||
| CF | you want? I found it on an old doll in the attic." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He inspects it gravely. "Yes, yes, I remember now. I remember how the | ||
| CF | little girl used to sit and cry and wipe her eyes with it. I doubted | ||
| CF | you could find anything of the sort, but you've proved me wrong. May | ||
| CF | I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hand him the scarf, and he wipes his face with the scarf. Sure | ||
| CF | enough, his greasepaint swabs right off. In a few moments he's | ||
| CF | transformed into an odd-looking but not unhandsome middle-aged man. | ||
| CF | (Could there be a faint resemblance to Hank? No, that's just your | ||
| CF | overactive imagination. Whatever Hank may have been, he certainly | ||
| CF | wasn't a clown.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Well? How do I look?" He smiles at you. Truth be told, he still | ||
| CF | looks very odd, what with the sticking-straight-up red hair, the wide | ||
| CF | green suspenders, and the big floppy shoes, but you politely tell him | ||
| CF | he looks very presentable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Well, then," he says, rubbing his hands together. "Only one more item | ||
| CF | to go - some nice strong bones so I'll be able to stand up straight | ||
| CF | when I go out walking in the world." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Huh man that "little girl crying" thing was a bit of a goose chase wasn't it? I feel decieved by the game now." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Remind me who "Hank" is?" | ||
| DavidW says, "Hank was a drug dealer in cabin 6, murdered." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We got his map." | ||
| DavidW says, "He had the map and the SUV was his." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Ah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf29" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | What do you want to move out of? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You take a few uncertain steps, but find that you're getting quite | ||
| CF | dizzy and a bit nauseous. In spite of yourself, you're drawn | ||
| CF | irresistibly back to stand next to the clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You take a few uncertain steps, but find that you're getting quite | ||
| CF | dizzy and a bit nauseous. In spite of yourself, you're drawn | ||
| CF | irresistibly back to stand next to the clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You take a few uncertain steps, but find that you're getting quite | ||
| CF | dizzy and a bit nauseous. In spite of yourself, you're drawn | ||
| CF | irresistibly back to stand next to the clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You take a few uncertain steps, but find that you're getting quite | ||
| CF | dizzy and a bit nauseous. In spite of yourself, you're drawn | ||
| CF | irresistibly back to stand next to the clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You take a few uncertain steps, but find that you're getting quite | ||
| CF | dizzy and a bit nauseous. In spite of yourself, you're drawn | ||
| CF | irresistibly back to stand next to the clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You take a few uncertain steps, but find that you're getting quite | ||
| CF | dizzy and a bit nauseous. In spite of yourself, you're drawn | ||
| CF | irresistibly back to stand next to the clown. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Once again the blobs of color start swirling faster and faster, making | ||
| CF | your head spin. Once again the clown reaches out toward you as if to | ||
| CF | hold onto you, but you're pulled down the whirlpool. A moment later | ||
| CF | you're back in the abandoned nursery, feeling as dizzy as before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "hm. I guess the music has to stop playing?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Maybe. It would maake sense." | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm going to try unlocking the bedroom door from the inside without opening it." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Belatedly: I just love how very out of context and yet completely on brand it sounds when someone casually says, 'Hank was a drug dealer in cabin 6, murdered.'" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings and some onions here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | You find that it's not possible to cram yourself into the dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | while carrying anything large. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop all" | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Dropped. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Dropped. | ||
| CF | screwdriver: Dropped. | ||
| CF | key to Cabin One: Dropped. | ||
| CF | fire tongs: Dropped. | ||
| CF | fat white candle: Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put candle, cabin key, screwdriver in sack" | ||
| CF | fat white candle: | ||
| CF | (first taking the fat white candle) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | key to Cabin One: | ||
| CF | (first taking the key to Cabin One) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | screwdriver: | ||
| CF | (first taking the screwdriver) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. In a few moments you're looking out at the bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie rope to hook" | ||
| CF | You wrap the rope several times around the iron hook. It isn't much of | ||
| CF | a knot, but maybe it will hold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock door" | ||
| CF | The bolt makes a soft scraping noise as you gently slide it back. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a wooden bucket, a burlap sack | ||
| CF | (which contains a pill bottle, a little white pill, some faded | ||
| CF | photographs, a flashlight, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece | ||
| CF | of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold | ||
| CF | locket, an old shovel, an indecipherable map, a poker, a fat white | ||
| CF | candle, the key to Cabin One, and a screwdriver), and some fire tongs | ||
| CF | here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all" | ||
| CF | rat droppings: The rat droppings are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | onions: The onions are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Taken. | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | fire tongs: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open door" | ||
| CF | You glance over your shoulder at Luisa and decide maybe it would be | ||
| CF | better if she didn't see you waltzing through a door that she thinks is | ||
| CF | safely locked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "okay, so that's a no-go" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hm." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Maybe the drugged cocoa next?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Let's poison the creeper, sure." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take kettle" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill kettle" | ||
| CF | You turn on the tap, fill the kettle, and turn off the tap again. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x kettle" | ||
| CF | The old-fashioned tea kettle has a long spout. It's rather dented. By | ||
| CF | sloshing it from side to side, you can feel that it's full of water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it on stove" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open cabinet" | ||
| CF | Opening the cupboard reveals a juice glass, a stained blue mug, a brown | ||
| CF | envelope, and a teaspoon. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mug, envelope, teaspoon" | ||
| CF | stained blue mug: Taken. | ||
| CF | brown envelope: Taken. | ||
| CF | teaspoon: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x glass" | ||
| CF | The juice glass is about three inches tall, and an inch in diameter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open fridge" | ||
| CF | Opening the refrigerator reveals an egg. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x egg" | ||
| CF | It's an ordinary egg. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close fridge" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on stove" | ||
| CF | You switch on the burner beneath the kettle, and shortly the burner | ||
| CF | begins to glow with heat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open envelope" | ||
| CF | You rip off one corner of the envelope, revealing a fragrant brown | ||
| CF | powder that's quite likely to be cocoa mix. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mix in mug" | ||
| CF | You empty the brown envelope into the mug. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put envelope in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The kettle whistles merrily as steam escapes from it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water into mug" | ||
| CF | You need to be holding the kettle in order to do that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The kettle whistles merrily as steam escapes from it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take kettle" | ||
| CF | (first putting the fire tongs in the burlap sack to make room) | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water into mug" | ||
| CF | You pour steaming hot water from the kettle into the mug, where it | ||
| CF | swiftly dissolves the cocoa powder, producing a mug of hot cocoa. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn off stove" | ||
| CF | You switch off the electric burner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put kettle on stove" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put pill in mug" | ||
| CF | (first taking the little white pill from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You drop the pill into the mug, where it swiftly dissolves in the | ||
| CF | steaming cocoa. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stir mug" | ||
| CF | The word "stir" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "hmm.. what's the spoon for, then?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mug" | ||
| CF | The mug is large, thick-handled, blue, and stained with the residue of | ||
| CF | years of beverages. It contains some hot cocoa. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Decoration?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf30" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The screen door screeches metallically as you open it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give mug to phelps" | ||
| CF | "I want to talk to you," you say to Beauregard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | His eyes widen mildly. "So talk, then." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard accepts the mug of steaming cocoa from you with grave | ||
| CF | courtesy and slurps. He smacks his lips. "Just the way I like it - | ||
| CF | thank you kindly, little lady. Now why don't you run along and enjoy | ||
| CF | what's left of this fine summer afternoon?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Stay and watch or go visit Honey or David?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I'm surprised he doesn't react to us coming out of his house." | ||
| DavidW says (to Knight), "yes, it was another risk" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Maybe stay and chat?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about doll" | ||
| CF | "I hope I git up to see New York sometime," Beauregard says | ||
| CF | irrelevantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about luisa" | ||
| CF | Beauregard pulls his gaze back from the lawn. "Was you sayin' | ||
| CF | somethin', sweet pea?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask phelps about matches" | ||
| CF | "You're just a regular little chatterbox, ain'tcha?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I don't care to wait" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Phelps turns away from you, scratches himself, and goes back to gazing | ||
| CF | out across the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "oh, Honey is back?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "So it would seem." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Are the wasps gone?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Wasps lost their sting it seems." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x wasps" | ||
| CF | The wasps' nest is tucked up under the roof at one end of the porch. | ||
| CF | Quite a traffic of insects is flying in and out. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey wiggles her toes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "THere never were wasps, 'least now where she was." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask honey about wasps" | ||
| CF | Honey lowers her magazine and turns her big round dark glasses in your | ||
| CF | direction. "Well, hello, there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You casually mention spotting some wasps up under the eaves of the | ||
| CF | porch. Honey leaps up from the chaise longue. "Where? Where? Oh, my | ||
| CF | God! Up there? Thank you for tellin' me!" She rushes off toward her | ||
| CF | cabin. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "ask honey about wasps". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is leaning back on the couch, snoring. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search phelps" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey tugs at a strap on her top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The screen door screeches metallically as you open it. Beauregard | ||
| CF | Phelps makes a snorting noise, sits up a little straighter on the | ||
| CF | couch, rubs his eyes, and yawns ferociously. "My goodness! Must of | ||
| CF | dozed off for a minute there, but you woke me up." He smiles at you | ||
| CF | vaguely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "e". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I was worried about that. The screen door and the porch steps are both noisy enough to wake him." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is leaning back on the couch, snoring. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop bucket" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "flip it" | ||
| CF | You cannot flip that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn bucket" | ||
| CF | You turn the bucket over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand on bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now standing on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search phelps" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The railing would probably come off if you tried to climb up. That | ||
| CF | would make a lot of noise, which would attract attention. Besides, you | ||
| CF | might easily fall and break your tailbone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "jump" | ||
| CF | You jump a little, and land back where you started. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | There are no visible entrances to caves in the vicinity. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "get off bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're no longer on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket" | ||
| CF | You pick up the bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hums a little off-key tune to herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. Beauregard Phelps makes a snorting noise, sits up a little | ||
| CF | straighter on the couch, rubs his eyes, and yawns ferociously. "My | ||
| CF | goodness! Must of dozed off for a minute there, but you woke me up." | ||
| CF | He smiles at you vaguely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "w". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "jump over steps" | ||
| CF | You can't jump over that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "jump over step" | ||
| CF | The word "step" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x step" | ||
| CF | The word "step" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x steps" | ||
| CF | The broad flight of steps leads up to the porch. The planks are badly | ||
| CF | warped and split, and the gray paint that was applied to them in some | ||
| CF | remote past is sticking up in thick curling chips. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey curls a strand of hair around her little finger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We... might have to sit on the couch once he falls asleep." | |
| DavidW says, "Or maybe we can oil the door somehow." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tip toe" | ||
| CF | The word "toe" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tiptoe" | ||
| CF | The word "tiptoe" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Is the suggestion to sit on the couch and wait for him to sleep?" | |
| Jacqueline asks, "He won't fall asleep with us there, right?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Timing." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "I mean, that'd be my first choice. We waited, but maybe it takes a bit longer?" | ||
| DavidW says (to Jacqueline), "that seems to be the case, so I don't know if sitting would help." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh, hrm. Yeah - I bet you *have* to sit" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I'd rather wait for him to fall asleep, then sit." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Because we (got this sounds wrong) want inside his pants." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Probably easiest if we are sitting next to him." | ||
| Jacqueline wrinkles up her nose. | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm willing to try to wait if I can have a limit where we give up waiting." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you put your weight on the steps, several of the boards creak | ||
| CF | loudly. Beauregard Phelps makes a snorting noise, sits up a little | ||
| CF | straighter on the couch, rubs his eyes, and yawns ferociously. "My | ||
| CF | goodness! Must of dozed off for a minute there, but you woke me up." | ||
| CF | He smiles at you vaguely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Porch | ||
| CF | The front porch runs the length of the east side of the house. It's | ||
| CF | not screened in, though it probably ought to be, as there's a busy | ||
| CF | wasps' nest up under one corner of the roof. The floorboards are | ||
| CF | uneven, and the railing looks pretty wobbly. A long beige couch, from | ||
| CF | which the padding is escaping, is jammed against the inside wall, below | ||
| CF | a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The screen door to the house is to the west, and a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | steps leads down to the east, to the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is sitting on the couch, gazing out placidly across | ||
| CF | the lawn. Once in a while his eyes flick toward you, as if he's | ||
| CF | watching you while pretending not to. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on couch" | ||
| CF | You're not eager to get that close to Beauregard Phelps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard points at where Honey is sunbathing on the lawn. "Quite a | ||
| CF | little heifer, ain't she? Course, you wouldn't know." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "And we don't want in his pants, we want in his pocketses." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sit on floorboards" | ||
| CF | You can't sit on that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I heard your aunt's gonna get you all dolled up for the picnic. I | ||
| CF | just can't wait!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | The window is on the wall behind the ratty beige couch, almost directly | ||
| CF | above Beauregard Phelps's spotty bald head. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open window" | ||
| CF | To do that, you'd have to lean directly across Beauregard Phelps, and | ||
| CF | he might grab you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Keep waiting or see where the other side of that window is?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Wish I had me a seegar," Beauregard says wistfully. "Summer | ||
| CF | afternoons just ain't the same since I gave up them seegars." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard belches, and doesn't apologize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams at you in a slimy, sweaty way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard smacks his lips. "That young lady from Nashville, now - | ||
| CF | she's quite somethin', ain't she?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard lazily waves away a curious wasp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard hitches up his suspenders. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I heard your aunt's gonna get you all dolled up for the picnic. I | ||
| CF | just can't wait!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard belches, and doesn't apologize. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard beams at you in a slimy, sweaty way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard smacks his lips. "That young lady from Nashville, now - | ||
| CF | she's quite somethin', ain't she?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "hrm" | |
| DavidW says, "I really don't think waiting works." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | As you reach for the screen door, Beauregard Phelps smiles at you in a | ||
| CF | slimy way. You smile back and get ready to run, but it seems he's no | ||
| CF | longer quite so interested in visiting with you as he was earlier. | ||
| CF | You're able to reach the door and open it without interference. The | ||
| CF | screen door screeches metallically as you open it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | After you go through the screen door, it closes behind you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Have we seen anything we could use to oil the hinges?" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "We wsa asleep for that one bit, though." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x phelps" | ||
| CF | You see no phelps here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through door" | ||
| CF | Which door do you mean, the long glass door in the clock, or the screen | ||
| CF | door? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "screen door" | ||
| CF | You can't see much through the screen door from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x screen door" | ||
| CF | The front door is standing open, but the screen door, in which there | ||
| CF | are only five or six small holes, is pretending to be at work keeping | ||
| CF | bugs out of the house. It's open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cut door" | ||
| CF | What do you want to cut it with? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a pill bottle, some | ||
| CF | faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled | ||
| CF | piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a | ||
| CF | gold locket, an old shovel, an indecipherable map, a poker, a fat white | ||
| CF | candle, the key to Cabin One, a screwdriver, a brown envelope, and some | ||
| CF | fire tongs), a teaspoon, and a wooden bucket. You're wearing your | ||
| CF | clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cut screen with screwdriver" | ||
| CF | You can't cut anything with the screwdriver. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | You see no window here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | Which window do you mean, the south window, or the east window? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "east" | ||
| CF | The east window looks out on an empty section of the porch, and beyond | ||
| CF | that the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through it" | ||
| CF | Through the east window you can see the porch and the lawn. Through | ||
| CF | the south window you can see the cabins. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | The window is stuck. You strain to lift it, but it won't budge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline is standing by the bookcase, absorbed in a book. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | The window looks out on the porch, and beyond that the lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through window" | ||
| CF | You can see nothing through the east window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | The window is stuck. You strain to lift it, but it won't budge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "So the window isn't the silent way to the porch." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Damn you, Jim Aiken." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The ceiling appears to be quite solid. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | You see no window here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | The window overlooks the cabins to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some toast crumbs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through window" | ||
| CF | Most of the view out the window is obscured by trees that stand against | ||
| CF | the house. Through the trees you can glimpse a little of the two-lane | ||
| CF | blacktop that runs past Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead south, back to the upstairs | ||
| CF | hall; and west, to the closet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter window" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "go through window" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can go through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "So no east-facing windows." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open window" | ||
| CF | You glance at the window and instantly dismiss it as unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is leaning back on the couch, snoring. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "crawl under porch" | ||
| CF | The porch is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads southeast to the | ||
| CF | lawn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under porch" | ||
| CF | The porch is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch railing" | ||
| CF | You feel nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "climb railing" | ||
| CF | The railing looks quite flimsy. It would probably pull loose and make | ||
| CF | a lot of noise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hrm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x phelps" | ||
| CF | He's leaning back on the couch on the porch, eyes closed, mouth wide | ||
| CF | open, snoring as loud as a locomotive. His pants pocket is sagging | ||
| CF | open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pocket" | ||
| CF | Phelps's trousers provide plenty of fabric to cover the lower part of | ||
| CF | his considerable bulk. They're khaki-colored and held up by | ||
| CF | suspenders. The pockets are sagging open, possibly because of the | ||
| CF | relaxed way he's half-reclining on the couch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in pocket" | ||
| CF | His trousers are too far away for you to reach them. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop bucket" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it" | ||
| CF | You turn the bucket over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand on bucket" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now standing on the wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in pocket" | ||
| CF | His trousers are too far away for you to reach them. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "reach in pocket" | ||
| CF | The word "reach" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x couch" | ||
| CF | You see no couch here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "FISHING POLE!" | |
| DavidW says, "The very fact that the 'pocket' object is here must be significant." | ||
| DavidW says (to Jacqueline), "yes, that's why I was checking the upstairs windows." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I mean, I know the fishing pole sounds bizarre and improbable, but..." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess we have to steal from Tyrone." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "How do we deal with alarm though?" | ||
| DavidW says, "To get the pole, we need to deal with the mask." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh. Right. That." | ||
| DavidW says, "I do have an idea." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | (first moving off of the wooden bucket) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey adjusts the angle of her straw hat microscopically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about fishing" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about fishing pole" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Hah." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone for fishing pole" | ||
| CF | Tyrone does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "aw" | |
| Jacqueline says, "That would have been sweet if it had worked." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Worth a try." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "We get one alarm, just not two, right?" | ||
| DavidW says, "It was unlikely, but yeah, he might've just loaned it." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to David), "Totally." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Poor li'l girl, 'bout to die. Sure, you take my pole and do some fishin' before you're gutted by a demon." | ||
| DavidW says, "The alarm doesn't alert Tyrone the first time, true, but it still stops us." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says, "My second idea is asking/showing David the candle." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about candle" | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show candle to tyrone" | ||
| CF | (first taking the fat white candle from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Tyrone shakes his head. "Oh, honey, you carryin' a heavy load, | ||
| CF | ain'tcha? Wish I could lighten it some." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, to the kitchen; | ||
| CF | south, to the area behind the cabins; east, to the north end of the | ||
| CF | croquet court; west; northeast, back to the lawn; northwest, to the | ||
| CF | gravel driveway; southwest, to the garden of junk; and in, to in the | ||
| CF | van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin Three | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A bucolic, | ||
| CF | sentimentalized painting of some Negroes picking cotton adds to the | ||
| CF | oppressive sense that you've somehow slipped back into an earlier, less | ||
| CF | civilized era. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David is sitting here in his wheelchair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show candle to david" | ||
| CF | David does not appear interested. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about candle" | ||
| CF | David looks at you uncertainly. "I'm not sure I know what to tell | ||
| CF | you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | It wouldn't be polite to go snooping around David's cabin while he's | ||
| CF | sitting right here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about voodoo" | ||
| CF | David closes his eyes, and his hands twitch on the blanket that covers | ||
| CF | his knees. "I'm sorry," he says after a moment. "I don't believe I | ||
| CF | caught that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about mask" | ||
| CF | David sighs. He seems not to have heard you. More or less to himself, | ||
| CF | he says, "I know it's a hot day, but I feel the cold in my bones." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | "I wish you the very best of luck," David says softly. "You'll need | ||
| CF | it." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about mask" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You consider asking Tyrone about the ebony mask - but he doesn't know | ||
| CF | you've been inside his shack, and maybe it's better that way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about voodoo" | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | Up a Tree | ||
| CF | From this perch in the midst of the scraggly tree, you can't see much. | ||
| CF | The area behind the cabins is obscured by foliage. However, you're | ||
| CF | quite close to the rear wall of Cabin Four, and have a close view of | ||
| CF | the cabin's bathroom window, which is open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in window" | ||
| CF | The bathroom looks ordinary enough. Beyond the open bathroom door, a | ||
| CF | man is sitting on the bed, hunched over a laptop computer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x man" | ||
| CF | The man is intent on what he's doing with the computer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Peering cautiously in the window, you can see straight out through the | ||
| CF | door of the bathroom and into the cabin, proper. A man is sitting on | ||
| CF | the bed, hunched over and frowning in concentration as he types on the | ||
| CF | keyboard of a small laptop computer. If you try to climb in the | ||
| CF | window, he's bound to spot you in an instant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about matches" | ||
| CF | As you start to speak, Luisa scowls at you irritably. "Why don't you | ||
| CF | go outside and play?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Oh, that." Luisa shrugs. "It ain't none of my business." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You walk down the narrow, ill-lit hall, and emerge in the office. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Office | ||
| CF | This room looks as if it serves as Beauregard Phelps's office. It's | ||
| CF | frankly a mess - littered with teetering piles of yellowing paper. | ||
| CF | It's dominated by a big desk, which sits in the center of the room with | ||
| CF | a chair behind it. Beneath the window at the west end of the room is a | ||
| CF | small square table, on which rests a curious device. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put candle on device" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn arrow to sun" | ||
| CF | The arrow on the device is already pointing straight at the sun. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take candle" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x desk" | ||
| CF | The big desk is made of some dark wood, possibly oak. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open drawer" | ||
| CF | You see no drawer here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x clock" | ||
| CF | The grandfather clock stands as stiff and still as a tombstone, except | ||
| CF | that within it a brass heart ticks as the pendulum swings back and | ||
| CF | forth behind the long glass door. The clock face is numbered using | ||
| CF | Roman numerals, to which a pair of ornate old-fashioned brass hands | ||
| CF | (rather bent and tarnished) are pointing. If the clock is to be | ||
| CF | believed, it's now 5:41. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open glass door" | ||
| CF | You tug on the door, but it seems to be stuck. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push it" | ||
| CF | The long glass door in the clock cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x face" | ||
| CF | Which face do you mean, the snapshot, or the clock face? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "clock face" | ||
| CF | The clock face, which is behind glass, has the usual Roman numerals in | ||
| CF | the usual positions, and a pair of ornately curlicued brass hands. If | ||
| CF | the clock is to be believed, it's now 5:41. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hands" | ||
| CF | The brass hands might once have been well polished, but by now they're | ||
| CF | splotchy with bits of corrosion. The hands point to the hour of 5:41. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take hands" | ||
| CF | You can't have those; they're part of the grandfather clock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "set clock to 4:00" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move hands" | ||
| CF | The ornate brass hands cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "I had to step away for a second since the 'asking Tyrone for the pole' moment. Did I miss anything significant? I didn't see you all chat about anything, so I'm guessing not?" | |
| DavidW says, "None of my ideas are panning out." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Don't think so. But I'm not sure what we're trying to do right now." | ||
| Roger asks, "Did we get the clown sorted out?" | ||
| DavidW says, "We need to get the key from Phelps. That might involve using the fishing pole at the weedy flower-bed. But we can't take the pole because of the mask." | ||
| DavidW says, "We still need to get the skeleton to the clown." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Gotta get the bones to the clown, but bones can't go through the dumbwaiter, so we gotta figure out how to (distract/incapacitate/whatever) Luisa, I think." | ||
| DavidW says, "I'll return to the bedroom/alcove." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings and some onions here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop all" | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Dropped. | ||
| CF | teaspoon: Dropped. | ||
| CF | fat white candle: Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. In a few moments you're looking out at the bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie rope to hook" | ||
| CF | You wrap the rope several times around the iron hook. It isn't much of | ||
| CF | a knot, but maybe it will hold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search bed" | ||
| CF | You see nothing on the bed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open dresser" | ||
| CF | You open the drawers and have a look inside, but there's nothing | ||
| CF | interesting, only an old man's smelly socks and underwear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x socks" | ||
| CF | The word "socks" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x underwear" | ||
| CF | You see no underwear here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search dresser" | ||
| CF | You see nothing on the chest of drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close it" | ||
| CF | There's no need to fiddle with the bureau drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a rolled-up straw mat here. On the shallow table are a | ||
| CF | purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mat in grate" | ||
| CF | The rolled-up straw mat is too large to fit through the opening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tighten mat" | ||
| CF | You see no way to screw the rolled-up straw mat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hug mat" | ||
| CF | The word "hug" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "maybe the bones can go through matless?" | |
| Roger says, "hopefully without all falling appart" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open mat" | ||
| CF | You unroll the mat, revealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "We tried that, didn't we?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf31" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take skeleton" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ligaments holding the skeleton's larger bones together are starting | ||
| CF | to stretch like rubber bands. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put skeleton in grate" | ||
| CF | The skeleton is not something that can be put through the grate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A finger bone drops off of the skeleton's hand. No, carrying it around | ||
| CF | like this just isn't going to work. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "put skeleton in grate". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat here. On the shallow table are a purple-eyed | ||
| CF | figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "take skeleton". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat (on which is a skeleton) here. On the shallow | ||
| CF | table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "ahh hmm" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push mat throough grate" | ||
| CF | The word "throough" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mat in grate" | ||
| CF | (first trying to take the straw mat) | ||
| CF | If you pick up the mat now, what's on it will slide off. You might try | ||
| CF | rolling it up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "roll mat" | ||
| CF | You roll up the mat, concealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mat on bed" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open mat" | ||
| CF | Before unrolling the mat, you need to put it down. Otherwise, there's | ||
| CF | no telling what might happen to what's in it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "That implies the author never considered the mat might put onto a surface." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mat on table" | ||
| CF | The rolled-up straw mat is too large for the shallow table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter grate" | ||
| CF | The opening is too small for you to squeeze through it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north; east, back to the | ||
| CF | alcove; and in, to the dumbwaiter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | You find that it's not possible to cram yourself into the dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | while carrying anything large. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mat in dumbwaiter" | ||
| CF | You can't put anything in the box. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look in dumbwaiter" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the box. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open box" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x rope" | ||
| CF | You see no rope here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | You see no window here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "smell bed" | ||
| CF | The bed smells disgusting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dresser" | ||
| CF | The chipped, warped chest of drawers looks like it's about a hundred | ||
| CF | years old, and has been rejected as junk by every antique shop in the | ||
| CF | state of Mississippi. It stands against the west wall - crookedly, | ||
| CF | because one front leg is visibly shorter than the other. The top is | ||
| CF | littered with a scatter of stuff. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "heh" | |
| Jacqueline says, "I am not surprised about the bed smell." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x stuff" | ||
| CF | The stuff on the dresser is about what you'd expect - a couple of | ||
| CF | hairbrushes full of greasy gray hair and dandruff, a chipped saucer | ||
| CF | with some paper clips and thumbtacks in it, and some pecan shells. | ||
| CF | There's nothing else of interest among the stuff on the dresser. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hairbrushes" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hair" | ||
| CF | The stuff on the dresser is about what you'd expect - a couple of | ||
| CF | hairbrushes full of greasy gray hair and dandruff, a chipped saucer | ||
| CF | with some paper clips and thumbtacks in it, and some pecan shells. | ||
| CF | There's nothing else of interest among the stuff on the dresser. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x shells" | ||
| CF | The pecan shells are not worth worrying about. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hrm. We couldn't get a towel in any of the bathrooms, right? That could cover up the mask. I'm not sure what to do about the skeleton." | |
| Jacqueline says, "I... hope there's not a puzzle where we use his hair and dandruff for a cursing spell." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x saucer" | ||
| CF | The stuff on the dresser is about what you'd expect - a couple of | ||
| CF | hairbrushes full of greasy gray hair and dandruff, a chipped saucer | ||
| CF | with some paper clips and thumbtacks in it, and some pecan shells. | ||
| CF | There's nothing else of interest among the stuff on the dresser. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says (to Jacqueline), "well, the hair doesn't seem to be a separate item from the brush." | |
| Jacqueline says, "PHEW" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "use brush" | ||
| CF | The word "use" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "comb hair" | ||
| CF | The word "comb" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search stuff" | ||
| CF | You see nothing on the chest of drawers. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move chest" | ||
| CF | The chest of drawers cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move bed" | ||
| CF | The bed is too heavy. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh hmmm new random idea; hear me out" | |
| Roger says, "Luisa is ironing, right" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through keyhole" | ||
| CF | You see no keyhole here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through peephole" | ||
| CF | Through the peephole you can see Luisa standing at her ironing board, | ||
| CF | ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "ironing requires electricty" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "moan" | ||
| CF | The word "moan" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "scream" | ||
| CF | You have a momentary impulse to shout, but you quickly realize it would | ||
| CF | be better not to call attention to yourself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Oh." | |
| Roger asks, "maybe?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Luisa is ironing, yes?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "You want to take the fuse?" | ||
| Roger says, "might be worth a try" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Damn. Convoluted, but good." | ||
| DavidW says, "sure, nothing else has worked." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Seems very possible." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop rug" | ||
| CF | You see no rug here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a burlap sack (which contains | ||
| CF | a pill bottle, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet hoop, a | ||
| CF | partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a | ||
| CF | stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old shovel, an indecipherable map, a | ||
| CF | poker, the key to Cabin One, a screwdriver, a brown envelope, and some | ||
| CF | fire tongs), a teaspoon, and a fat white candle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all" | ||
| CF | rat droppings: The rat droppings are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | onions: The onions are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | teaspoon: Taken. | ||
| CF | fat white candle: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put candle and spoon in sack" | ||
| CF | fat white candle: Done. | ||
| CF | teaspoon: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some toast crumbs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The closet is small and pretty much empty. Set in one wall is a little | ||
| CF | metal door about a foot high, which is open. The bedroom is to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some toast crumbs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take new fuse" | ||
| CF | Now that you've put the new fuse in the fuse box, there's really no | ||
| CF | need to do anything further with it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads east, back to the | ||
| CF | dreary bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads east, back to the | ||
| CF | dreary bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Grr." | |
| Roger says, "well nuts" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dreary Bedroom | ||
| CF | This stark bedroom seems to be a repository for cast-off furniture, | ||
| CF | some of which probably dates back to the Civil War. The bedstead has | ||
| CF | an iron frame, but no mattress. The door back to the hall is to the | ||
| CF | south, and an open doorway leads west into a closet. In the north wall | ||
| CF | is a window. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some toast crumbs here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "No strategic power outages today, I guess." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x iron" | ||
| CF | You see no iron here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x plug" | ||
| CF | You see no plug here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "unrelatedly, I did figure out what to do with the evil figurines, if we haven't done that yet" | |
| DavidW says, "We have crushed 5 out of 6 in the vise." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We vised ... right." | ||
| Roger says, "oh! good job." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Smash'm, mash'm, put'm in a stew?" | ||
| DavidW says, "We could try exploring the alien world a bit more, even though that's almost certainly a mistake." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I guess we could." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x table" | ||
| CF | The old wooden table is a small, square, utilitarian surface, rather | ||
| CF | battered and with one crooked leg. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x appliances" | ||
| CF | The appliances include the sink, the stove, and the refrigerator. To | ||
| CF | interact with them, you need to refer to them singly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sink" | ||
| CF | The sink is lined with a mottled crust of scum. A faucet is mounted | ||
| CF | above it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings and some onions here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop all" | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying nothing, and are wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bracelet" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear it" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | You grasp the rope firmly in both hands and pull, and the box in which | ||
| CF | you're confined rises, foot by swaying foot, up the shaft in which it's | ||
| CF | suspended. In a few moments you're looking out at the bedroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie rope to hook" | ||
| CF | You wrap the rope several times around the iron hook. It isn't much of | ||
| CF | a knot, but maybe it will hold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a rolled-up straw mat here. On the shallow table are a | ||
| CF | purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch carving" | ||
| CF | As before, the touch of your fingers on the carving causes it to | ||
| CF | radiate fierce light, and the slab pivots sideways, opening the | ||
| CF | passage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open slab" | ||
| CF | The slab is already open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Behind you, the slab pivots shut with a deep, reverberating boom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Room of Seven Doors | ||
| CF | This broad circular chamber is low-ceilinged and torchlit. The air of | ||
| CF | heavy stillness gives you the feeling that you're deep inside a | ||
| CF | building, or perhaps underground. The circumference of the room is | ||
| CF | lined by massive stone slabs like the one through which you arrived. | ||
| CF | Though the room itself is disorienting, not to mention that in a place | ||
| CF | like this your sense of direction is a little hazy, you're fairly sure | ||
| CF | you arrived through the slab to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Other slabs are to the west, northwest, and so on. Each of them is | ||
| CF | carved with intricate and indecipherable designs. The eighth exit is | ||
| CF | an open doorway directly to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Silver Bridge | ||
| CF | A square-cut channel, too broad to jump and seemingly bottomless | ||
| CF | (though in the dim light it's hard to be certain) stretches from north | ||
| CF | to south here. Spanning it is a narrow ribbon of silver, barely wide | ||
| CF | enough to walk on. The ribbon shimmers slightly, as if it's made of | ||
| CF | oily light. The walls of close-fitting gray stone were obviously made | ||
| CF | by human hands - or at least, by hands of some sort. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open doorway leads west, and the silver bridge affords a slightly | ||
| CF | vertiginous path to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You step lightly and carefully across the narrow silver bridge. As you | ||
| CF | reach the far end, a sizzling, crackling noise behind you makes you | ||
| CF | whirl and look back. The bridge is evaporating at your heels into a | ||
| CF | drift of silver sparks. The sparks spin, dimming, into the abyss. In | ||
| CF | a moment the bridge is gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The heavy wood cabinet contains a wooden staff, a golden cape, and a | ||
| CF | golden helmet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear cape" | ||
| CF | (first taking the golden cape) | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the golden cape. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear helmet" | ||
| CF | (first taking the golden helmet) | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now wearing the golden helmet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take staff" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Temple | ||
| CF | The vaulted ceiling of this huge room is at least fifty feet above you. | ||
| CF | A double row of fat pillars lines the east and west walls. The pillars | ||
| CF | can't very well be real gold (can they?), but they look like gold. You | ||
| CF | tread lightly, yet your footsteps echo. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the north end of the room stands a huge and hideous black statue. | ||
| CF | It's at least twenty feet tall, and looks almost exactly like the | ||
| CF | little statuettes you've seen at Eternal Springs - so much like them | ||
| CF | that looking at it makes your mouth dry and your hands cold. Before | ||
| CF | the statue is a polished cube of black stone six feet high. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The high arched doorway that leads back to the courtyard is to the | ||
| CF | south. There's also a passage to the north, but to reach it you'll | ||
| CF | have to pass quite close to the hideous statue. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wave staff" | ||
| CF | You wave the staff in the air, but nothing obvious happens as a result. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "get on cube" | ||
| CF | No power on Earth could entice you to ascend the steps to the top of | ||
| CF | the cube. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x statue" | ||
| CF | The statue has wide, glaring eyes that glitter a deep red, outstretched | ||
| CF | hands with fearsome claws, and a grimacing mouth lined with pointed | ||
| CF | teeth. Looking at it sets your heart tapping in your chest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | You've already taken a mat. No need to collect the lot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On a Narrow Balcony | ||
| CF | This little balcony overlooks a small but well-maintained formal garden | ||
| CF | dotted with fruit trees. Looming over the garden to the east is an | ||
| CF | imposing, windowless building whose heavy, close-set stone pillars | ||
| CF | suggest Egypt or Ancient Rome. An open archway to the south leads back | ||
| CF | into the chamber, and a steep flight of stairs leads down into the | ||
| CF | garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | A Tropical Garden | ||
| CF | Winding walks of crushed gravel snake between glossy-leaved, | ||
| CF | well-pruned trees and flowering shrubs. The air is warm and so | ||
| CF | freighted with the scent of blossoms as to be almost foetid. In the | ||
| CF | center of the garden stands a handsome but rather spindly fruit tree. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The garden is walled on all sides, with a tall, heavy building to the | ||
| CF | east and south, and ordinary exterior walls on the north and west. A | ||
| CF | stairway leads up to a little balcony. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | On a Narrow Balcony | ||
| CF | This little balcony overlooks a small but well-maintained formal garden | ||
| CF | dotted with fruit trees. Looming over the garden to the east is an | ||
| CF | imposing, windowless building whose heavy, close-set stone pillars | ||
| CF | suggest Egypt or Ancient Rome. An open archway to the south leads back | ||
| CF | into the chamber, and a steep flight of stairs leads down into the | ||
| CF | garden. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Overlooking the Guard Room | ||
| CF | The passage from the north opens out here on a balcony overlooking a | ||
| CF | jarringly prosaic scene. Half a dozen men wearing camouflage combat | ||
| CF | fatigues and black berets are lounging around a long table, smoking | ||
| CF | cigarettes and talking in low voices. The men are armed with what look | ||
| CF | like automatic rifles. Fortunately, they don't seem to have noticed | ||
| CF | you. A stairway leads down from the balcony into the middle of the | ||
| CF | room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Letting the armed men notice you would be suicidal. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "hm, even in our priest outfit." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Dead End | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel terminates here against a solid block of stone that | ||
| CF | stretches from floor to ceiling at the east end. The only way you can | ||
| CF | go is back to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Narrow Stairway | ||
| CF | The walls of this tunnel are of rough-hewn, square-cut dark gray stone. | ||
| CF | The ceiling is high, and the walls seem to press close, as the tunnel | ||
| CF | itself is not wide. The air is cooler here than in the upper passage, | ||
| CF | and smells a bit dank. A narrow stairway ascends to the west, and the | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away into the gloom to the north and east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wave staff" | ||
| CF | You wave the staff in the air, but nothing obvious happens as a result. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pool" | ||
| CF | The surface of the square pool is rippling faintly in a breath of | ||
| CF | breeze, and the ripples catch bright glints of sunlight and toss them | ||
| CF | out across the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fish" | ||
| CF | To do that, you'd need a fishing pole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | At the Top of a Broad Stairway | ||
| CF | Behind you, to the west, is the imposing edifice of the building, which | ||
| CF | is broken here by a row of arches. To the east a shallow flight of | ||
| CF | stairs at least fifty feet wide glides down to the near edge of what | ||
| CF | appears to be a slum. Mud-brick hovels, some thatch-roofed and some | ||
| CF | topped with red ceramic tile, are crammed together in a cityscape that | ||
| CF | stretches to the horizon. Brown-skinned, black-haired people are | ||
| CF | moving in and out among the nearer structures; they don't seem to have | ||
| CF | noticed you yet, but you're very visible. Clearly, this is not a safe | ||
| CF | place to linger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | For a moment you consider venturing out into the slum - but it would | ||
| CF | take you days to explore it, and the local people could hardly fail to | ||
| CF | notice the blond stranger. No, whatever you hope to gain in this | ||
| CF | strange place surely lies in the building behind you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "...huh. Explicit fishing pole mention." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fish" | ||
| CF | To do that, you'd need a fishing pole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "It's not room-specific." | |
| MoyTW says, "Aaaah." | ||
| DavidW says, "My idea to visit the natives as a priest has failed. Waving the staff around in new places hasn't turned up anything new." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Wide Courtyard | ||
| CF | Though paved in polished marble and enclosed on all sides, this large | ||
| CF | square room is open to the sky above. Aside from some low benches, | ||
| CF | also of marble, that surround a shallow, square pool of water in the | ||
| CF | center of the room, it's unfurnished. There's a high arched doorway to | ||
| CF | the north, a row of lower arches on the east, a tunnel entrance to the | ||
| CF | west, and a square-cut doorway to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors, but | ||
| CF | the slim silver bridge that was here before seems to have vanished, | ||
| CF | leaving you no way to cross the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wave staff" | ||
| CF | As you wave the staff, a low hum emanates from a couple of | ||
| CF | footrest-sized blocks at the edge of the chasm. A band of light leaps | ||
| CF | out across the abyss, and in a moment the shimmering silver bridge is | ||
| CF | restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Sumptuously Decorated Chamber | ||
| CF | This large room, which smells cloyingly of incense, is luxuriously | ||
| CF | furnished in an style that you'd probably be able to identify if you | ||
| CF | hadn't been daydreaming so much during World History. Possibly it's | ||
| CF | Aztec, Mayan, Incan, or even Egyptian. Straw mats hang from the walls, | ||
| CF | painted with elaborate designs in red and black. A heavy cabinet | ||
| CF | stands against the east wall. The bronze door is to the south, and | ||
| CF | daylight spills through an open archway to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put staff in cabinet" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put helmet in cabinet" | ||
| CF | (first taking off the golden helmet) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put cape in cabinet" | ||
| CF | (first taking off the golden cape) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | At a T-Shaped Junction | ||
| CF | The stone tunnel continues south (along the channel) and turns to the | ||
| CF | east here. A square of daylight can be glimpsed at the end of the east | ||
| CF | branch. A bronze door set in an ornate frame of carved stone is to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Opposite the Doorway | ||
| CF | A broad passageway runs north and south here, flanked on the west by a | ||
| CF | square-cut channel of unguessable depth. Directly across the channel, | ||
| CF | to the west from where you're standing, is an open doorway through | ||
| CF | which can be glimpsed the cheerfully torchlit room of seven doors. A | ||
| CF | slim silver bridge crosses the channel. On the east side of the | ||
| CF | passageway is a narrow opening, beyond which a stairway leads down into | ||
| CF | the gloom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x step" | ||
| CF | The word "step" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You step lightly and carefully across the narrow silver bridge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | At the Foot of a Silver Bridge | ||
| CF | A square-cut channel, too broad to jump and seemingly bottomless | ||
| CF | (though in the dim light it's hard to be certain) stretches from north | ||
| CF | to south here. Spanning it is a narrow ribbon of silver, barely wide | ||
| CF | enough to walk on. The ribbon shimmers slightly, as if it's made of | ||
| CF | oily light. The walls of close-fitting gray stone were obviously made | ||
| CF | by human hands - or at least, by hands of some sort. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | An open doorway leads west, and the silver bridge affords a slightly | ||
| CF | vertiginous path to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead east, back to opposite the | ||
| CF | doorway; and west, to the room of seven doors. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The Room of Seven Doors | ||
| CF | This broad circular chamber is low-ceilinged and torchlit. The air of | ||
| CF | heavy stillness gives you the feeling that you're deep inside a | ||
| CF | building, or perhaps underground. The circumference of the room is | ||
| CF | lined by massive stone slabs like the one through which you arrived. | ||
| CF | Though the room itself is disorienting, not to mention that in a place | ||
| CF | like this your sense of direction is a little hazy, you're fairly sure | ||
| CF | you arrived through the slab to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Other slabs are to the west, northwest, and so on. Each of them is | ||
| CF | carved with intricate and indecipherable designs. The eighth exit is | ||
| CF | an open doorway directly to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You must open the southwest stone slab first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open southwest slab" | ||
| CF | As before, the touch of your fingers on the slab causes light to course | ||
| CF | up and down its surface, and the slab pivots sideways, opening the | ||
| CF | passage. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Behind you, the slab pivots shut with a deep, reverberating boom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a rolled-up straw mat here. On the shallow table are a | ||
| CF | purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mat" | ||
| CF | The mat is quite large - at least five feet wide, and six or seven feet | ||
| CF | long. At the moment it's rolled up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x dagger" | ||
| CF | The dagger has a wicked-looking slim, curved blade nearly a foot long, | ||
| CF | and a black leather hilt. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x hilt" | ||
| CF | The word "hilt" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x table" | ||
| CF | The scarred old wooden table is both taller and shallower than a normal | ||
| CF | table - about four feet high and no more than a foot deep. On the | ||
| CF | shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pull table" | ||
| CF | The shallow table cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "break table" | ||
| CF | Breaking that would serve no purpose. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shake table" | ||
| CF | Shaking the shallow table has no obvious effect. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take table" | ||
| CF | You can't take that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | You're not carrying that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open mat" | ||
| CF | You unroll the mat, revealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take skeleton" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ligaments holding the skeleton's larger bones together are starting | ||
| CF | to stretch like rubber bands. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop it" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wear it" | ||
| CF | That isn't something you can wear. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "roll it" | ||
| CF | You roll up the mat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put mat in grate" | ||
| CF | The rolled-up straw mat is too large to fit through the opening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open mat" | ||
| CF | You unroll the mat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mat" | ||
| CF | The mat is quite large - at least five feet wide, and six or seven feet | ||
| CF | long. It's painted with an elaborate and somewhat unnerving design in | ||
| CF | red and black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "hmm okay I have a hint about maid removal" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x design" | ||
| CF | The mat is quite large - at least five feet wide, and six or seven feet | ||
| CF | long. It's painted with an elaborate and somewhat unnerving design in | ||
| CF | red and black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks (of Roger), "yes?" | |
| DavidW asks, "oh wait, you know what to do?" | ||
| Roger says, "we could talk to her about things we've already seen or that she's already mentioned and see if she'll get too upset to iron" | ||
| DavidW says, "oh. That route." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put skeleton on mat" | ||
| CF | (first trying to take the skeleton) | ||
| CF | Your hands are too full to hold the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put skeleton on mat" | ||
| CF | (first taking the skeleton) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "roll mat" | ||
| CF | You roll up the mat, concealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, and a burlap sack (which | ||
| CF | contains a pill bottle, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet | ||
| CF | hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a gold locket, an old shovel, an indecipherable map, a | ||
| CF | poker, the key to Cabin One, a screwdriver, a brown envelope, some fire | ||
| CF | tongs, a fat white candle, and a teaspoon) here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all" | ||
| CF | rat droppings: The rat droppings are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | onions: The onions are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "remove bracelet. put it in sack" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're no longer wearing the stone bracelet. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about figurines" | ||
| CF | As you start to speak, Luisa scowls at you irritably. "Why don't you | ||
| CF | go outside and play?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa's attention is on her ironing. She seems not to have heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about ghost" | ||
| CF | "You're just a chatterbox, ain't you? Why don't you go away an' bother | ||
| CF | somebody else, eh?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about swamp" | ||
| CF | When you mention the swamp, Luisa shakes her head slowly and heavily. | ||
| CF | "There's bad things out there in the swamp. Things that bite you, suck | ||
| CF | out your blood. Don' even think about going swimming out there. I | ||
| CF | wouldn't even go out there in a boat. It might tip over, then where | ||
| CF | would you be? You tell me that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about hank" | ||
| CF | Luisa's attention is on her ironing. She seems not to have heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about tyrone" | ||
| CF | Luisa shrugs. "He's all right. He treats me all right." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about dagger" | ||
| CF | "That's not something I goin' to worry about," she says. "Not right | ||
| CF | now." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about phelps" | ||
| CF | Luisa's face crinkles up in an expression that might possibly be a | ||
| CF | smile. "Mr. Phelps, he's good to me. He brought me here from my home. | ||
| CF | Long time ago. I was a girl just like you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about clown" | ||
| CF | "I don't think I want to talk about that no more," Luisa says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about ironing" | ||
| CF | "Oh, that." Luisa shrugs. "It ain't none of my business." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about eternal springs" | ||
| CF | "It's okay here," Luisa says when you ask about Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | "There's worse places. I get lonely sometimes, but it's not too bad." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about bracelet" | ||
| CF | "I got work to do," Luisa says. "I don' have time to talk to silly | ||
| CF | girls." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about altar" | ||
| CF | Luisa shakes her head. "I don't know nothin' about that. And I don't | ||
| CF | want to know, neither." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about demon" | ||
| CF | "You ask too many questions," Luisa says. "You want me to tell Mr. | ||
| CF | Beauregard you're being nosy? Do you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "yes" | ||
| CF | Luisa does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about device" | ||
| CF | "That funny circle thing in the office," you say to Luisa. "The thing | ||
| CF | with all the mirrors. What is it, anyhow?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | She shrugs. "I don't know. It belong to Mr. Beauregard, that's all. | ||
| CF | I seen letters like that on some old things when I was a little girl, | ||
| CF | but not in a long time. He got a bracelet with some letters like that | ||
| CF | on the stones, too, you know? One time I seen him put the bracelet on | ||
| CF | the thing in the office an' turn it. The sun was coming in the window | ||
| CF | so bright it almost blinded me, like it was flashing a rainbow on the | ||
| CF | mirrors." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hey, a hint for that." | |
| DavidW says, "huh. An explicit hint for the bracelet there." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "nice" | ||
| DavidW says, "A bit late, but very nice." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "heh" | ||
| DavidW asks, "I seem to be asking Luisa the wrong questions. Can someone else try?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I need a break from driving, I think." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I can't really think of other topics." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Moy? Jacqueline? Do you have any topic ideas?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Not...really." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Maybe ask her about herself...?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show sketchbook to luisa" | ||
| CF | (first taking the sketchbook from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | When she sees the book, Luisa says sternly, "You put that back in the | ||
| CF | bookcase where it belongs." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a sketchbook" | ||
| CF | "There's a lot of books in the bookcase," Luisa says. "Nice books. I | ||
| CF | always dust them. I don't think anybody reads them, though." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a herself" | ||
| CF | When you ask Luisa about herself, she looks away. "I'm nobody," she | ||
| CF | says. "I just clean the house is all." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Aw" | |
| MoyTW says, "Hard to know what'll make somebody upset if you don't know'm, is what I'm saying." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a house" | ||
| CF | "It's an old house," Luisa says. "Really old. It's not too nice, but | ||
| CF | I keep it clean." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put sketchbook in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "maybe something sad in the house that we've seen; some evidence of tragedy" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a ixtloc" | ||
| CF | Luisa's attention is on her ironing. She seems not to have heard you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "The doll that [whoever] cried into?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "a iron" | ||
| CF | "I got work to do," Luisa says. "I don' have time to talk to silly | ||
| CF | girls." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a attic" | ||
| CF | "That's not something I goin' to worry about," she says. "Not right | ||
| CF | now." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a doll" | ||
| CF | "The doll in my room, you mean?" Luisa glares at you. "What do you | ||
| CF | been sneaking in my room for? Well, it don't matter. I don't got | ||
| CF | nothing anybody'd want to steal. That doll, it used to belong to the | ||
| CF | little girl I told you about, the one who lived here, Jessie. After | ||
| CF | she wasn't here no more, I took the doll upstairs so I could look at it | ||
| CF | sometimes and not have to go in the room with the clown." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a jessie" | ||
| CF | When you ask Luisa about the little girl who used to live in the | ||
| CF | nursery, she gazes at you in a direct, stricken way. Without saying | ||
| CF | anything, she turns away. A sob tears itself from her throat, and she | ||
| CF | lurches toward the attic stairs. You hear her heels thumping heavily | ||
| CF | on the stairs. She's gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Who's Jessie?" | |
| MoyTW says, "Ah." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "She got murderized, I guess?" | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "!" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Well..." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "She's gone!" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Gosh" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | As you open the door, it occurs to you that Luisa may not be gone from | ||
| CF | the hall for very long. Did you leave the dumbwaiter upstairs or | ||
| CF | downstairs? You try to remember, but so much has been going on in the | ||
| CF | past hour.... If it's downstairs, and if she comes back, you'd end up | ||
| CF | trapped in the bedroom! You wouldn't want that to happen, that's for | ||
| CF | sure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a rolled-up straw mat here. On the shallow table are a | ||
| CF | purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wind model" | ||
| CF | You give the key a twist. As you wind up the mechanism, the | ||
| CF | merry-go-round springs into motion. It creaks and wheezes a little as | ||
| CF | it rotates, but as the horses go up and down in a festive way a tinkly | ||
| CF | sentimental tune emanates from within the base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch clown" | ||
| CF | The clown reaches out and takes your hand, the merry-go-round's tinkly | ||
| CF | music swells, and you're spun out of the upstairs bedroom into that | ||
| CF | other place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a Confusing Place | ||
| CF | Vague many-colored blobs of light float gently around you on all sides, | ||
| CF | and there are no shadows here. It's like being trapped inside a great | ||
| CF | big lava lamp, except that you can hear an off-key brass band | ||
| CF | oom-pahing not far away. The painted clown from the abandoned nursery, | ||
| CF | now no longer painted but quite real, is standing in front of you, | ||
| CF | gazing down at you with either pity or wry amusement (it's hard to tell | ||
| CF | which). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "drop mat". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a Confusing Place | ||
| CF | Vague many-colored blobs of light float gently around you on all sides, | ||
| CF | and there are no shadows here. It's like being trapped inside a great | ||
| CF | big lava lamp, except that you can hear an off-key brass band | ||
| CF | oom-pahing not far away. The painted clown from the abandoned nursery, | ||
| CF | now no longer painted but quite real, is standing in front of you, | ||
| CF | gazing down at you with either pity or wry amusement (it's hard to tell | ||
| CF | which). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give mat to clown" | ||
| CF | "Hello again," you venture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again yourself," the clown replies. "I was wondering if you'd | ||
| CF | come back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown giggles. "I might have a use for a thing like that," he | ||
| CF | declares. "Oh, yes, truly I might. I just can't think right at this | ||
| CF | moment what use it might be." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | You unroll the mat, revealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take skeleton" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The skull sags sideways onto your shoulder, giving you a nasty start. | ||
| CF | On close inspection, you find that the skull is awfully close to | ||
| CF | dropping free of the backbone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give skeleton to clown" | ||
| CF | You gesture at the skeleton. "Do you think these bones are what you | ||
| CF | need?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown inspects the skeleton gravely. "I do believe they'll serve. | ||
| CF | Where did you - no, don't tell me. I don't want to know. Whoever | ||
| CF | these belonged to doesn't need them anymore, that's all that matters." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He picks up the skeleton. First he clasps it to him, so that it looks | ||
| CF | as if he's planning to dance with it. (The music is still oom-pahing | ||
| CF | away in the background.) But then he ... it's hard to say exactly what | ||
| CF | he does with the skeleton. It looks a bit like putting on a pair of | ||
| CF | pajamas, except sort of inside out. It's as if the pajamas were | ||
| CF | putting on the person, somehow. First he steps on the skeleton's feet, | ||
| CF | and somehow the feet are inside his, and then the legs, and then the | ||
| CF | rest. In a moment the skeleton is entirely gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown jumps up in the air and clicks his heels together. "Oh, I | ||
| CF | feel wonderful! So much more solid! You've done it - you've brought | ||
| CF | me everything I need to be a real person. I never doubted you for a | ||
| CF | moment, you know. I knew you'd do it." The clown digs down into one of | ||
| CF | the capacious pockets in his baggy trousers, produces the gold coin, | ||
| CF | and solemnly hands it to you. "You see? I've kept my end of the | ||
| CF | bargain, haven't I? Spend it wisely, young lady. Now, if you'll | ||
| CF | forgive me, I really must be going. I've so much to see! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Perhaps we'll meet again someday," he adds. "I'd like that. I do | ||
| CF | hope you'll stay safe until then. The world - what little of it I've | ||
| CF | seen so far, which is very little indeed - seems quite full of dreadful | ||
| CF | dangers. I do hope you'll be very careful! Farewell, then." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown bows to you, and then turns and walks away with a kind of | ||
| CF | proud, sauntering stride, the spangly tails of the coat swaying behind | ||
| CF | him. As he goes, the blobs of color swirling around you begin to | ||
| CF | dissolve. In a few moments you're back in the upstairs bedroom - and | ||
| CF | the wall where the clown was painted is blank! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You rush to the window and look out. A figure is just ducking out of | ||
| CF | sight around the corner of the house - a figure with red hair and a | ||
| CF | coat that seems to shimmer in the sun. He turns and waves, and then | ||
| CF | he's gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "Bye clown! Have a good life!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x coin" | ||
| CF | The gold coin is about the size of a silver dollar. It has a striding | ||
| CF | Goddess of Liberty on the front, and an eagle flying across a rising | ||
| CF | sun on the reverse. It's dated 1907. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Lives created - 2." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf32" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "No identity to go with them though." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads north, back to the | ||
| CF | upstairs hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round falls silent and the little horses stop moving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the shallow table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you're wondering what to do next, Beauregard Phelps rushes up to you | ||
| CF | and grips your arm so hard you cry out in pain. "So," he says. "We | ||
| CF | got ourselves a sneak thief. Luisa tells me you got into my room. | ||
| CF | Well, no harm done. But I reckon we'll have to put you away where you | ||
| CF | can't get in no more mischief between now and the time for the ritual." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You try to protest that it's all a silly mistake, but he only laughs. | ||
| CF | Not letting his grip slacken for an instant, he drags you down to the | ||
| CF | cellar of the house and thrusts you into a big shipping trunk. The lid | ||
| CF | slams shut, and you're left curled up in a painful knot in total | ||
| CF | darkness. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A long time passes - you're not sure how long. When you hear footsteps | ||
| CF | approaching, and voices, a flush of hope jolts through you. The trunk | ||
| CF | lid springs open and you're hauled out. You start to protest about | ||
| CF | your treatment, but then you see that Aunt Caroline is carrying the | ||
| CF | white dress, and your words freeze in your throat. Your aunt's mouth | ||
| CF | is set in a grim line. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | While the others watch, ignoring your shame, she and Honey Hartwell | ||
| CF | force you to take off your clothes and put on the white dress. Then | ||
| CF | the whole party, with you in the middle crying and trying to get away, | ||
| CF | marches out to the meadow where the block of stone is standing. "It's | ||
| CF | almost time now," Phelps says, his voice bubbling with an undercurrent | ||
| CF | of glee. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As sunset arrives, there's a thickening in the air, a sense of a foul | ||
| CF | presence gathering. Shortly you can see it hovering above the stone | ||
| CF | block, a huge form that grows darker and more solid by the moment. The | ||
| CF | monster's fangs and claws are exactly like those on the little | ||
| CF | figurines, but far larger and more terrifying. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The demon reaches toward you, its thick red tongue writhing out | ||
| CF | obscenely. Your aunt and a well-dressed man whose aftershave smells, | ||
| CF | nauseatingly, of mint force you down on your back on the stone block, | ||
| CF | and Beauregard Phelps stalks ponderously forward, raising his curved | ||
| CF | dagger high and bringing it down toward your breast in a swift slashing | ||
| CF | arc. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** You have died on the altar of an ancient demon. *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, UNDO the | ||
| CF | last move, or QUIT? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "e". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "s". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "z" | ||
| CF | Time passes... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa comes down the stairs, moving slowly and heavily. Not looking at | ||
| CF | you, she resumes her ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tongs" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about jessie" | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about doll" | ||
| CF | "The doll in my room, you mean?" Luisa glares at you. "What do you | ||
| CF | been sneaking in my room for? Well, it don't matter. I don't got | ||
| CF | nothing anybody'd want to steal. That doll, it used to belong to the | ||
| CF | little girl I told you about, the one who lived here, Jessie. After | ||
| CF | she wasn't here no more, I took the doll upstairs so I could look at it | ||
| CF | sometimes and not have to go in the room with the clown." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about jessie" | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I think we need to backtrack to get the figurine at the same time" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "That may be likely. :/" | ||
| DavidW says, "I was hoping I could get Luisa away a 2nd time." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf31" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat (on which is a skeleton) here. On the shallow | ||
| CF | table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look through peephole" | ||
| CF | Through the peephole you can see Luisa standing at her ironing board, | ||
| CF | ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying nothing, and are wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a burlap sack (which contains | ||
| CF | a pill bottle, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet hoop, a | ||
| CF | partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a | ||
| CF | stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old shovel, an indecipherable map, a | ||
| CF | poker, the key to Cabin One, a screwdriver, a brown envelope, and some | ||
| CF | fire tongs), a teaspoon, and a fat white candle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all" | ||
| CF | rat droppings: The rat droppings are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | onions: The onions are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | teaspoon: Taken. | ||
| CF | fat white candle: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put teaspoon and candle in sack" | ||
| CF | teaspoon: Done. | ||
| CF | fat white candle: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take tongs" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about doll" | ||
| CF | As you start to speak, Luisa scowls at you irritably. "Why don't you | ||
| CF | go outside and play?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The doll in my room, you mean?" Luisa glares at you. "What do you | ||
| CF | been sneaking in my room for? Well, it don't matter. I don't got | ||
| CF | nothing anybody'd want to steal. That doll, it used to belong to the | ||
| CF | little girl I told you about, the one who lived here, Jessie. After | ||
| CF | she wasn't here no more, I took the doll upstairs so I could look at it | ||
| CF | sometimes and not have to go in the room with the clown." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about jessie" | ||
| CF | When you ask Luisa about the little girl who used to live in the | ||
| CF | nursery, she gazes at you in a direct, stricken way. Without saying | ||
| CF | anything, she turns away. A sob tears itself from her throat, and she | ||
| CF | lurches toward the attic stairs. You hear her heels thumping heavily | ||
| CF | on the stairs. She's gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | As you open the door, it occurs to you that Luisa may not be gone from | ||
| CF | the hall for very long. Did you leave the dumbwaiter upstairs or | ||
| CF | downstairs? You try to remember, but so much has been going on in the | ||
| CF | past hour.... If it's downstairs, and if she comes back, you'd end up | ||
| CF | trapped in the bedroom! You wouldn't want that to happen, that's for | ||
| CF | sure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat (on which is a skeleton) here. On the shallow | ||
| CF | table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | As you reach toward the figurine, the dagger rises into the air, guided | ||
| CF | by no hand that you can see, and slashes at your face! You back away | ||
| CF | quickly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The damn dagger is still a problem." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Darnit." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf31" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat (on which is a skeleton) here. On the shallow | ||
| CF | table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Until we deal with the dagger, we can't ask Luisa about Jessie." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | There are no visible stairways hereabouts. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "in" | ||
| CF | Curled Up in the Dumbwaiter | ||
| CF | You're curled nearly double in a cramped wooden box in half-darkness. | ||
| CF | A sturdy length of rope is hanging vertically here, so close to your | ||
| CF | face you could scratch your nose against it if your nose itched. And | ||
| CF | that might be easier than scratching your nose any other way, because | ||
| CF | there's barely room here to move your arms. A small but sturdy-looking | ||
| CF | iron hook protrudes from the wall right next to your cheek. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | You'll need to untie the rope from the hook first. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "untie rope from hook" | ||
| CF | You unwrap the rope from around the hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | As you let the rope play out upward, the box wobbles its way down the | ||
| CF | shaft. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings, some onions, a burlap sack (which contains | ||
| CF | a pill bottle, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet hoop, a | ||
| CF | partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a | ||
| CF | stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old shovel, an indecipherable map, a | ||
| CF | poker, the key to Cabin One, a screwdriver, a brown envelope, and some | ||
| CF | fire tongs), a teaspoon, and a fat white candle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take all" | ||
| CF | rat droppings: The rat droppings are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | onions: The onions are of no conceivable use to you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | burlap sack: Taken. | ||
| CF | teaspoon: Taken. | ||
| CF | fat white candle: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the stove is a tea kettle. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put kettle on table" | ||
| CF | (first taking the tea kettle) | ||
| CF | The tea kettle is too large for the table. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put kettle on counter" | ||
| CF | The word "counter" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put kettle in sink" | ||
| CF | The tea kettle is too large for the sink. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take kettle" | ||
| CF | You are already carrying the tea kettle. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop it" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on stove" | ||
| CF | You switch on a burner, and shortly the burner begins to glow with | ||
| CF | heat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "light candle" | ||
| CF | What do you want to light it with? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stove" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can burn. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put candle on stove" | ||
| CF | Putting things on the stove while it's switched on would be dangerous. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn off stove" | ||
| CF | You switch off the electric burner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put candle on stove" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on stove" | ||
| CF | Turning on the stove while there are things on it other than the kettle | ||
| CF | could be dangerous. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take candle" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "A rather picky stove." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "I mean, if all stoves were that picky..." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put candle in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline is standing by the bookcase, absorbed in a book. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask aunt about candle" | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline sets her glasses more firmly on her nose. "Put that back | ||
| CF | where you found it, at once." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "ask aunt about candle". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Living Room | ||
| CF | The living room is not actually a small room, but it feels cramped | ||
| CF | because of the amount of thrift-shop furniture crammed into it. | ||
| CF | There's a fireplace on the north side of the room, a window to the | ||
| CF | east, and a tall, heavy bookcase against the west wall. An archway | ||
| CF | leads back to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Aunt Caroline is standing by the bookcase, absorbed in a book. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask aunt about glasses" | ||
| CF | "We can talk about that later," Aunt Caroline says firmly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take glasses" | ||
| CF | You glance at the glasses and instantly dismiss them as unimportant. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter fireplace" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can enter. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move bookcase" | ||
| CF | The bookcase cannot be moved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "So tempted to do a murder." | |
| Jacqueline says, "But of course I'm sure we cannot." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We're the planned victim, so.." | ||
| DavidW says, "What about the gap in the brambles? I was hoping the mat might be wearable, but that didn't work." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah. I was thinking of a pre-meditated, pre-retribution-worthy-event murder on our Aunt." | ||
| Roger says, "I'm mostly out of hints now I think" | ||
| DavidW asks, "We definitely can't take a blanket off a bed, right?" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Did we talk to the two boys about that gap?" | ||
| DavidW says, "no" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tea kettle here. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about gap" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x gap" | ||
| CF | The gap is narrow, and the bushes within seem to be covered with | ||
| CF | nasty-looking thorns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bushes" | ||
| CF | The bushes bristle with brambles. It's - well, it's a briar patch, | ||
| CF | basically. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x thorns" | ||
| CF | The gap is narrow, and the bushes within seem to be covered with | ||
| CF | nasty-looking thorns. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "crawl" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | By a Farm | ||
| CF | The east/west road passes close by the front gate of a trashy-looking | ||
| CF | farm. Two large, smirking farm boys are lounging by the gate, chewing | ||
| CF | lengths of grass and looking at you in a keen and unhealthy way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask boys about gap" | ||
| CF | "Hello again," you say, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Was she gone?" the smaller boy says. "I din't notice." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The larger boy sticks a finger in his ear and twirls it around, | ||
| CF | wrinkling his face in concentration. "You hear a skeeter?" he says. | ||
| CF | "I thought I heard some buzzin'." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask boys about brambles" | ||
| CF | "What you askin' us for?" the smaller boy says. "Bet you know all the | ||
| CF | answers already." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The boys make loud kissing noises at you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask boys about road" | ||
| CF | The boys both shrug. "Don't mean nothin' to us," one of them says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The boys edge toward you casually. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we might have something that'll impress them now" | |
| DavidW says, "We don't have the coin." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a pill bottle, some | ||
| CF | faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled | ||
| CF | piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a | ||
| CF | gold locket, an old shovel, an indecipherable map, a poker, the key to | ||
| CF | Cabin One, a screwdriver, a brown envelope, some fire tongs, and a fat | ||
| CF | white candle) and a teaspoon. You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Oh, right, we went back in time." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Stupid time." | ||
| DavidW says, "Since it seems we need to deal with the figurine and the skeleton at the same time." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Knowing the boys are likely to make fun of anything you say, you just | ||
| CF | turn and walk away without saying goodbye. As you walk away, you hear | ||
| CF | the boys snickering about something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x sign" | ||
| CF | The sign is sagging sideways at a drunken angle, and looks as if it's | ||
| CF | about to fall over sideways. In florid pink letters the sign proclaims | ||
| CF | that the name of the establishment is "Eternal Springs." An earlier | ||
| CF | layer seems to have been painted over, but thanks to the irregularities | ||
| CF | in the surface (which are many) and the flaking away of the top layer | ||
| CF | (which is considerable), you're able to trace out the former name of | ||
| CF | the motel, which seems to have been "Bye Bayou." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "clean sign" | ||
| CF | You wouldn't know how to clean that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about brambles" | ||
| CF | "Hello, Tyrone," you say. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again," he says. "How you gettin' along, now?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about bye bayou" | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about screen door" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about oil" | ||
| CF | You mention the squeaky screen door to Tyrone. "Can't you oil it or | ||
| CF | something, it's driving me crazy." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He only shrugs. "Gotta get the van runnin' right now. I'll get to it | ||
| CF | later. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. You don't want it makin' a | ||
| CF | racket, just don't go in or out through there." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about steps" | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about porch steps" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Well, at least he acknowledges it." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about railing" | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about van" | ||
| CF | You ask Tyrone what he's doing with the van. "Oh, somethin' or other's | ||
| CF | always goin' wrong with it," he says obscurely. "Carburetor, most | ||
| CF | likely. I'll have it fixed up by tomorrow, time these folks is ready | ||
| CF | to leave." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about carburetor" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about engine" | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x engine" | ||
| CF | You see no engine here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about batteries" | ||
| CF | You ask Tyrone whether he might know where there are some fresh | ||
| CF | batteries for the flashlight. He presses his lips together, looking | ||
| CF | exasperated - but at himself, not at you. "I was supposed to pick some | ||
| CF | up, you know, yesterday when I was in town, but I plumb forgot. Sorry, | ||
| CF | honey." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "hahahahahaha" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about match" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about god" | ||
| CF | Tyrone spreads his hands. "You got me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about bible" | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about magic" | ||
| CF | Tyrone grins and shakes his head. "You're just full o' questions, | ||
| CF | ain't you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask tyrone about jessie" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs. "None o' my concern, and that's the truth." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a david" | ||
| CF | "The crippled guy? Gettin' him in and out o' the van wasn't no picnic, | ||
| CF | I can tell you that." Tyrone shrugs. "Seemed nice enough to me, | ||
| CF | though. Don't know what he's doin' gettin' all mixed up with ... well, | ||
| CF | I guess I do know. Cain't be fun, goin' through life all crippled up | ||
| CF | like that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a cabin 4" | ||
| CF | Tyrone scratches his head. "I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a cabins" | ||
| CF | "It's a pretty run-down old dump, ain't it?" Tyrone looks around the | ||
| CF | yard vaguely. "I keep meanin' to fix things up some, maybe knock down | ||
| CF | the wasp nests and slap a coat of paint on the cabins, but I never seem | ||
| CF | to get around to it. Mr. Beauregard, he don't care. Long as the | ||
| CF | plumbin' ain't stopped up, he's happy." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a plumbing" | ||
| CF | "I really ought to get back and work some more on that van," Tyrone | ||
| CF | says apologetically. "I love talkin' with you, an' that's the truth, | ||
| CF | but I don' want Mr. Beauregard gettin' mad at me, now, do I?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Tyrone shrugs and goes back to work on the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Six | ||
| CF | Cabin Six is a lot like Cabin Five. Twin beds with ugly brown | ||
| CF | bedspreads haphazardly made up, water-stained plaster and peeling | ||
| CF | wallpaper, a grimy carpet. A faded painting of a flop-eared hound dog | ||
| CF | entirely fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a small pool of blood in the middle of the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x blood" | ||
| CF | The shallow pool of blood in the middle of the floor is spattered and | ||
| CF | smeared, as if something has been dragged through it. Flies are | ||
| CF | circling above it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take it" | ||
| CF | Picking up a pool of blood would be impractical, pointless, and really | ||
| CF | creepy too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x flies" | ||
| CF | The shallow pool of blood in the middle of the floor is spattered and | ||
| CF | smeared, as if something has been dragged through it. Flies are | ||
| CF | circling above it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Can't argue with that much." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take flies" | ||
| CF | Picking up a pool of blood would be impractical, pointless, and really | ||
| CF | creepy too. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch blood" | ||
| CF | Getting blood on your fingers, especially the blood of someone you just | ||
| CF | met ... what a dreadfully repulsive thought! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "We do have a bucket, but I'm not sure that makes it...better." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Or more, like, usefl to do?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Useful, even." | ||
| DavidW says, "I was wondering if the dagger would like blood." | ||
| DavidW says, "Like, here's some blood, now sleep in the corner for a bit." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yeah, I wonder where we could get a hint for that thing." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "What a fun game." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "(It is. Just... yeah.)" | ||
| DavidW says, "David, Lydia, Phelps, I guess." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin Three | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A bucolic, | ||
| CF | sentimentalized painting of some Negroes picking cotton adds to the | ||
| CF | oppressive sense that you've somehow slipped back into an earlier, less | ||
| CF | civilized era. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David is sitting here in his wheelchair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about dagger" | ||
| CF | David closes his eyes, and his hands twitch on the blanket that covers | ||
| CF | his knees. "I'm sorry," he says after a moment. "I don't believe I | ||
| CF | caught that." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell david about dagger" | ||
| CF | David sighs. He seems not to have heard you. More or less to himself, | ||
| CF | he says, "I know it's a hot day, but I feel the cold in my bones." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about mask" | ||
| CF | You hesitate to keep pestering David with conversation. He looks | ||
| CF | tired. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about batteries" | ||
| CF | David looks at you uncertainly. "I'm not sure I know what to tell | ||
| CF | you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask david about matches" | ||
| CF | David sighs. He seems not to have heard you. More or less to himself, | ||
| CF | he says, "I know it's a hot day, but I feel the cold in my bones." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell david about clown" | ||
| CF | A little diffidently - you're pretty sure he'll think you're crazy - | ||
| CF | you tell David that you had a sort of hallucination when you were | ||
| CF | upstairs in the house, a vision in which you were dancing and talking | ||
| CF | with a clown that had been painted on the wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David listens solemnly. "Not even the wickedest force can wholly | ||
| CF | banish the good," he says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "Because Good is Better." | |
| MoyTW says, "...is that random or just, like. Very annoyingly cryptic and alien. I could go either way." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell david about lydia" | ||
| CF | You consider telling David how you restored Lydia to life - but could | ||
| CF | he possibly believe the story? You're not sure you believe it | ||
| CF | yourself, and you saw it with your own eyes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x locket" | ||
| CF | The gold locket is an old-fashioned oval no bigger than the last joint | ||
| CF | of your little finger. It's suspended from a delicate gold chain. | ||
| CF | Inside the locket is a tiny snapshot of a woman's face. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell david about temple" | ||
| CF | David looks at you uncertainly. "I'm not sure I know what to tell | ||
| CF | you." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tell david about statue" | ||
| CF | "The figurines ... ah, yes. Nasty little things, aren't they?" David | ||
| CF | frowns at his knees. He looks so sad you want to hug him, but you | ||
| CF | don't. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "They have some sort of magical linkage," he says, "to the actual demon | ||
| CF | to whom the sacrifice is to be made. They make their way out into the | ||
| CF | world somehow - I have no idea how, but I do believe they're not quite | ||
| CF | as inert as they may appear - and attach themselves to certain | ||
| CF | individuals who are predisposed to want what they have to offer. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Once the attachment is formed, no one else can touch the figurine. | ||
| CF | It's quite impossible." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "After being hunted down by a creepy elder god statue and coming here for a blood sacrifice I think he'd be at least open to believing it." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Yes" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead south; east; and west, back | ||
| CF | to the south end of the croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | It wouldn't be polite to go snooping around David's cabin while he's | ||
| CF | sitting right here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Cabin Three | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room looks pretty much like the | ||
| CF | interior of Cabin Five, except that it's a mirror image, with the door | ||
| CF | to the croquet court on the west side. Bedspreads the color of mud | ||
| CF | cover the twin beds. The tacky wood-grain wallpaper is starting to | ||
| CF | peel, and years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A bucolic, | ||
| CF | sentimentalized painting of some Negroes picking cotton adds to the | ||
| CF | oppressive sense that you've somehow slipped back into an earlier, less | ||
| CF | civilized era. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the right | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the east | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | David is sitting here in his wheelchair. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bedspreads" | ||
| CF | The stuff in the cabin is really not very interesting. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I'm feeling a bit tired," David says. "If you'll forgive me, I may | ||
| CF | want to close my eyes for a minute or two." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Two) | ||
| CF | Reverend Gillespie appears at the door of Cabin Two and looks down at | ||
| CF | you. "Yes? I'm really very busy just now, but if it's important...." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "a bible" | ||
| CF | (asking Reverend Gillespie) | ||
| CF | "Ah, the Holy Scripture," the reverend intones. "I read it daily. | ||
| CF | It's often a source of great comfort when I am sore afflicted." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Feeling a little feisty, you ask the reverend if he'd be so good as to | ||
| CF | read a verse to you right now. "Yes, of course," he says instantly ... | ||
| CF | but then his face contorts with a swift and startling variety of | ||
| CF | expressions. His eyes dart around as if he's wondering whether anyone | ||
| CF | is there to overhear. "Well, perhaps not right now," he says, drawing | ||
| CF | the words out hesitantly. "Perhaps later. Yes." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "ask reverend for bible" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask reverend for bible" | ||
| CF | Reverend Gillespie does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first trying to open the door of Cabin Two) | ||
| CF | As you try to slip past Reverend Gillespie so as to get into his cabin, | ||
| CF | he inserts himself directly in your path. "There's nothin' in there | ||
| CF | you need to concern yourself with, young lady." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "You'd think he want to give us the word of God." | |
| DavidW says, "I'm wondering if we needed to steal the Gideon bible when we had the chance." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "To...call him out?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Hopefully not." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "To exorcise the dagger?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "To...exorcise the dagger?" | ||
| MoyTW exclaims, "Ha!" | ||
| DavidW says, "To read to the dagger or to the mask." | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Timing!" | ||
| DavidW says, "I'm running on gas fumes here and I need more ideas." | ||
| Roger says, "I'm all out, sorry" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tongs" | ||
| CF | The tongs are made of wrought iron. They're shaped roughly like | ||
| CF | scissors or pliers, but they're about three feet long. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I thought there were Bibles in other cabins. I guess not." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bible" | ||
| CF | You see no bible here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unscrew tongs with screwdriver" | ||
| CF | You see no way to unscrew the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open tongs" | ||
| CF | Those are not something you can open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "I don't recall any." | |
| Jacqueline says, "I probably just had that in my head from being a kid in a time where every hotel room had a copy." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take blanket" | ||
| CF | The word "blanket" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bedspread" | ||
| CF | Which bedspread do you mean, the bed near the door, or the bed near the | ||
| CF | bathroom? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "(Yes, that was a thing in the US. Not so sure it is still.)" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "door" | ||
| CF | You can't take that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "Gideons were or are active up here, too" | |
| DavidW says (to Jacqueline), "I suspect it's still common but less so." | ||
| DavidW says, "It's been a while since I've stayed in a hotel room, but I do remember them there." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I mean, it's okay to quit early. Think on things." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I feel like we've put in enough time on this that we should try to finish it, though. (And I know some people would love a transcript, and I'm sure David would like to be able to add this to his amazing list of walkthroughs)" | ||
| DavidW asks, "well, what if we do need the bible and have to restart?" | ||
| Roger says, "the game's protestations to the contrary, I don't think it's cruel in that way" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, I was thinking on that. If it is, it is. There's no easy way to test it, is there? It's a lot of stuff in order." | ||
| Jacqueline asks (of Roger), "Really?" | ||
| Roger says, "It's my belief; I could be wrong." | ||
| DavidW asks, "So maybe we just need to pray in front of the dagger and it getting scared of us?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, I do get the impression that the thing we read about how cruel it is was written for the first release, and I think (think?) we're playing a subsequent release that was made to be slightly less cruel." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pray" | ||
| CF | The word "pray" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Nope" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Also, hilarious that that verb is not implemented in a game where you're going to be sacrificed." | ||
| inky asks, "are you guys actually stuck, or it just eems like too much work to redo stuff?" | ||
| Roger says, "are you sure we tried to take the dagger-protected figurine with the tongs and not just 'take it'? I can't remember now" | ||
| DavidW says (to inky), "I don't know." | ||
| Roger says (to inky), "a bit of both" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I am reasonably sure that praying/reading the bible won't work, because it feels too much like special-casing - like, exorcising the dagger would be weird if you couldn't exorcise a figurine - but, ehhhh." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | Cabin Five | ||
| CF | The interior of this rustic motel room has seen better days. | ||
| CF | Bedspreads the color of mud cover the twin beds, though not in a very | ||
| CF | tidy way. The plaster on one wall is discolored in mottled patches, | ||
| CF | and the tacky wood-grain wallpaper on another wall is starting to peel. | ||
| CF | Years of grime have been ground into the carpet. A murky painting of | ||
| CF | some ducks fails to add a sporty air. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Curtains the color of old pea soup hang beside the window to the left | ||
| CF | of the door. A chipped and scarred dresser stands against the west | ||
| CF | wall, near the door of the bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the | ||
| CF | south side of the room, and the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | On the bed near the door is a white dress. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door of Cabin Four) | ||
| CF | You tap on the door, and a male voice within, sounding a bit annoyed, | ||
| CF | says, "Go away." Okay, he's still in there. No harm in checking. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey stretches languidly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is leaning back on the couch, snoring. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a wooden bucket here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | inky asks, "apparently the original game (last resort) had an in-game hint system - I take it this one doesn't?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take bucket" | ||
| CF | You pick up the bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey tugs at a strap on her top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tea kettle here. The cupboard contains a juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "We never tried hinting in game." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take glass" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "D - does it?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the kitchen; | ||
| CF | south, to the area behind the cabins; east, to the north end of the | ||
| CF | croquet court; west; northeast, to the lawn; northwest, to the gravel | ||
| CF | driveway; southwest, to the garden of junk; and in, to in the van. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "the hint menus are usually incompatible with Floyd" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cabin Six | ||
| CF | Cabin Six is a lot like Cabin Five. Twin beds with ugly brown | ||
| CF | bedspreads haphazardly made up, water-stained plaster and peeling | ||
| CF | wallpaper, a grimy carpet. A faded painting of a flop-eared hound dog | ||
| CF | entirely fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There's a small pool of blood in the middle of the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill glass" | ||
| CF | You'll need to be more specific about what you want to fill the juice | ||
| CF | glass with. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill glass with blood" | ||
| CF | That's not something you can put in the juice glass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The Middle of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots, suggesting that at one | ||
| CF | time the open area might have been used as a croquet court. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Five (to the west) and Cabin Two (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north and south from here. Further | ||
| CF | to the north you can see a dusty stretch of lawn beside the house, and | ||
| CF | some distance to the south are the brackish, unhealthy-looking waters | ||
| CF | of a swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I mean, one of us could load the game locally and take a look at the hints, I guess." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | The North End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Four (to the west) and Cabin One (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues south from here, the land sloping | ||
| CF | gently downward toward the swamp - almost as if the cabins are gently | ||
| CF | sliding into the swamp or marching, with a ponderous but imperceptible | ||
| CF | tread, toward it. To the north is a broad stretch of dusty lawn, and | ||
| CF | beside it to the west a large and rather ramshackle two-story house. | ||
| CF | An overgrown and uneven brick walkway leads off to the northwest, | ||
| CF | around the corner of Cabin Four. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I've half-forgotten what I was doing." | |
| DavidW asks, "what was my plan?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks (of Roger), "Didn't you say you played this some on your machine? Can you take a look at the hint system for a nudge?" | ||
| Roger asks, "screw around with the mask?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "There are hints." | ||
| DavidW asks (of Roger), "Screw around how exactly?" | ||
| Roger says (to Jacq), "I could except the hints are progress-locked and I couldn't be bothered to hack through the maze" | ||
| Roger says (to DW), "I dunno; I thought that might have been your planb" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Is the courtyard pool full of holy water?" | ||
| Roger says, "but if we're dedicated to pushing through on this then I can see what I can do about getting some hints for next week" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Ah." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We could at least try the hint system here. See if it works." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | (Warning: Some people don't like built-in hints, since the temptation | ||
| CF | to ask for help prematurely can become overwhelming when hints are so | ||
| CF | close at hand. If you're worried that your willpower won't hold up, | ||
| CF | you can disable hints for the rest of this session by typing HINTS OFF. | ||
| CF | If you still want to see the hints now, type HINT.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "2" | ||
| CF | 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the House | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How can I get the things the clown is asking for? | ||
| CF | 2. How can I get the telephone to work? | ||
| CF | 3. I can't control when I leave the place where the clown is. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | q | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "3" | ||
| CF | 3 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Figurines | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. So what's the deal with the evil figurines? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | q | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | MoyTW says, "I think we'd want to load our most-progressed file to use hints." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "5" | ||
| CF | 5 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How do I get the key to the boat shed? | ||
| CF | 2. How can I defeat the ebony mask? | ||
| CF | 3. How can I get my hands on a compass? | ||
| CF | 4. How do I get the stuff the clown is asking for? | ||
| CF | 5. How do I get the large, fragile item out of Beauregard's bedroom? | ||
| CF | 6. How do I get a map of the swamp? | ||
| CF | 7. How do I fix the map so it's readable? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | Roger says, "oh that's not too bad at all" | |
| MoyTW says, "Oh! #2 seems helpful." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "2" | ||
| CF | 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | How can I defeat the ebony mask? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mask is a sort of voodoo burglar alarm. [1/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | If you try to pick up anything that belongs to Tyrone, the mask will | ||
| CF | see you and howl. [2/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | MoyTW says, "Which is still, like, 'ugh' game. Seriously." | |
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | You can't prevent Tyrone from hearing the mask. [3/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | So you need a way to prevent it from seeing what you're doing. [4/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | DavidW asks, "LIke a blindfold?" | |
| Roger says, "hmmm maybe" | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | You don't have a cloak of invisibility. [5/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | Roger says, "cover it up or flip it or make it dark or something" | |
| MoyTW says, "A Towel Or Something; that was suggested earlier but we have no readily available large cloth sheets I can remember." | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | But you might be able to figure out a way to cover the mask's enormous, | ||
| CF | staring eyes. [6/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | Roger says, "We have a sack" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Dump everything out and...hang the sack in front of it?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a pill bottle, some | ||
| CF | faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled | ||
| CF | piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a | ||
| CF | gold locket, an old shovel, an indecipherable map, a poker, the key to | ||
| CF | Cabin One, a screwdriver, a brown envelope, some fire tongs, and a fat | ||
| CF | white candle), a teaspoon, a wooden bucket, and a juice glass. You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x bucket" | ||
| CF | It's an old-fashioned, leaky-looking wooden bucket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "oh. huh. Maybe." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bucket on mask" | ||
| CF | There's no suitable surface on the ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put bucket over mask" | ||
| CF | What do you want to put it in? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cover mask with bucket" | ||
| CF | There's no suitable surface on the ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I might be wrong" | |
| DavidW says, "I really don't want to empty the sack." | ||
| Roger says, "using the mirror to reflect sunlight into the eyes would be possibly too clever" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "I think the bucket is not what we are looking for; I think we need cloth." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "empty sack" | ||
| CF | You pour out the stuff that's in the burlap sack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "The only cloth was the scarf we gave to the clown" | |
| Roger says, "our huge white dress, but we can't interact with it" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put sack over mask" | ||
| CF | What do you want to put it in? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put sack on mask" | ||
| CF | There's no suitable surface on the ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I'm fine to push for another hint or two" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put sack on eyes" | ||
| CF | There's no suitable surface on the ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline rolls her eyes and sighs. | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | Jacqueline says, "Poop" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "5" | ||
| CF | 5 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How do I get the key to the boat shed? | ||
| CF | 2. How can I defeat the ebony mask? | ||
| CF | 3. How can I get my hands on a compass? | ||
| CF | 4. How do I get the stuff the clown is asking for? | ||
| CF | 5. How do I get the large, fragile item out of Beauregard's bedroom? | ||
| CF | 6. How do I get a map of the swamp? | ||
| CF | 7. How do I fix the map so it's readable? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "2" | ||
| CF | 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | How can I defeat the ebony mask? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mask is a sort of voodoo burglar alarm. [1/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you try to pick up anything that belongs to Tyrone, the mask will | ||
| CF | see you and howl. [2/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can't prevent Tyrone from hearing the mask. [3/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | So you need a way to prevent it from seeing what you're doing. [4/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You don't have a cloak of invisibility. [5/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But you might be able to figure out a way to cover the mask's enormous, | ||
| CF | staring eyes. [6/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | There are two ways to do it. [7/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | MoyTW says, "Assume I'm not only fine with hints, but terribly enthusiastic." | |
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | You need something gooey - something that can be applied to the eyes | ||
| CF | and will stick. [8/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | DavidW asks, "TAR?" | |
| Roger says, "hrm mayeb" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh huh" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "HUH" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "push space" | ||
| CF | The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How do I get the key to the boat shed? | ||
| CF | 2. How can I defeat the ebony mask? | ||
| CF | 3. How can I get my hands on a compass? | ||
| CF | 4. How do I get the stuff the clown is asking for? | ||
| CF | 5. How do I get the large, fragile item out of Beauregard's bedroom? | ||
| CF | 6. How do I get a map of the swamp? | ||
| CF | 7. How do I fix the map so it's readable? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | MoyTW asks, "Do burgler alarms usually let you physically tamper with them like that...?" | |
| Roger says, "good news Tyrone got your tar paper shack right here" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "2" | ||
| CF | 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | How can I defeat the ebony mask? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The mask is a sort of voodoo burglar alarm. [1/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you try to pick up anything that belongs to Tyrone, the mask will | ||
| CF | see you and howl. [2/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can't prevent Tyrone from hearing the mask. [3/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | So you need a way to prevent it from seeing what you're doing. [4/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You don't have a cloak of invisibility. [5/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But you might be able to figure out a way to cover the mask's enormous, | ||
| CF | staring eyes. [6/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are two ways to do it. [7/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You need something gooey - something that can be applied to the eyes | ||
| CF | and will stick. [8/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Once you've lured Aunt Caroline out of the bathroom, you'll find that | ||
| CF | she left a white candle behind. [9/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | And fortunately, it's a very hot day. [10/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | Roger says, "I must register a complaint about this puzzle, Jim" | |
| MoyTW says, "What." | ||
| DavidW asks, "melt the wax with the sun and ...?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Okay now I'm curious what's the other way he put in." | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | If you knead the candle, it will turn into a soft lump of wax. [11/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | Knight_Otu asks, "KNEAD?" | |
| MoyTW says, "What." | ||
| DavidW says, "KNEAD. Yes, that's a common command verb that doesn't need clueing." | ||
| Roger says, "Kneadful Candles, sure, why not" | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Put the wax on the mask's eyes. (You can also put some road tar from | ||
| CF | the barrel in the juice glass and apply it to the eyes with the spoon, | ||
| CF | but that's a lot more trouble.) [12/12] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [The End] | ||
| CF | | MoyTW asks, "What in the world, haha?" | |
| MoyTW says, "Anyways, sure, ok, why not, fine." | ||
| DavidW says, "Okay, that's beyond outlandish." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We could have taken a long time to work that out. If ever." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "hahaha" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Sometimes, hints are justified." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How do I get the key to the boat shed? | ||
| CF | 2. How can I defeat the ebony mask? | ||
| CF | 3. How can I get my hands on a compass? | ||
| CF | 4. How do I get the stuff the clown is asking for? | ||
| CF | 5. How do I get the large, fragile item out of Beauregard's bedroom? | ||
| CF | 6. How do I get a map of the swamp? | ||
| CF | 7. How do I fix the map so it's readable? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | q | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a pill bottle, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet | ||
| CF | hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a | ||
| CF | sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old shovel, an | ||
| CF | indecipherable map, a poker, the key to Cabin One, a screwdriver, a | ||
| CF | brown envelope, some fire tongs, and a fat white candle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put all in sack" | ||
| CF | teaspoon: Done. | ||
| CF | wooden bucket: Done. | ||
| CF | juice glass: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | pill bottle: | ||
| CF | (first taking the pill bottle) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | faded photographs: | ||
| CF | (first taking the faded photographs) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | flashlight: | ||
| CF | (first taking the flashlight) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | croquet hoop: | ||
| CF | (first taking the croquet hoop) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | partially crumbled piece of burnt toast: | ||
| CF | (first taking the partially crumbled piece of burnt toast) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | bad fuse: | ||
| CF | (first taking the bad fuse) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | sketchbook: | ||
| CF | (first taking the sketchbook) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | stone bracelet: | ||
| CF | (first taking the stone bracelet) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | gold locket: | ||
| CF | (first taking the gold locket) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | old shovel: | ||
| CF | (first taking the old shovel) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | indecipherable map: | ||
| CF | (first taking the indecipherable map) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | poker: | ||
| CF | (first taking the poker) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | key to Cabin One: | ||
| CF | (first taking the key to Cabin One) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | screwdriver: | ||
| CF | (first taking the screwdriver) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | brown envelope: | ||
| CF | (first taking the brown envelope) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | fire tongs: | ||
| CF | (first taking the fire tongs) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | fat white candle: | ||
| CF | (first taking the fat white candle) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "What the heck, why not just go with "hang a cloth over the camera" instead of "cover the eyes with wax/tar"?" | |
| MoyTW exclaims, "Anyways, well, now we know!" | ||
| DavidW says (to MoyTW), "I don't know." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I thought it would just be 'put tar on eyes,' yeah." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a teaspoon, a wooden | ||
| CF | bucket, a juice glass, a pill bottle, some faded photographs, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, | ||
| CF | a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old | ||
| CF | shovel, an indecipherable map, a poker, the key to Cabin One, a | ||
| CF | screwdriver, a brown envelope, some fire tongs, and a fat white | ||
| CF | candle). You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Not spooky enough, I guess." | |
| DavidW says, "Are we okay with sacrificing the candle? Or should I fill my glass with tar instead of blood or water." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yes." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take candle" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "knead it" | ||
| CF | With a few moments of squeezing, you're able to reduce the candle to a | ||
| CF | warm, soft lump of white wax. If the weather weren't so hot, you never | ||
| CF | would have been able to do it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put wax on eyes" | ||
| CF | By pressing and smoothing the wax with your thumbs, you're able to | ||
| CF | completely cover the mask's eyes with a thick layer of white wax. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take pole" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look under bed" | ||
| CF | You kneel to look under the bed, and see something far back against the | ||
| CF | wall. Reaching and groping, your fingers close on a square-cornered | ||
| CF | object, which you draw forth. It proves to be a cigar box. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "And it never screams while you put the wax in its eyes." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open box" | ||
| CF | Opening the cigar box reveals a fish hook. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take hook" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close box" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put box under bed" | ||
| CF | You can't put anything under that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put hook on pole" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the fishing pole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pole" | ||
| CF | The pole is thin, flexible, and about seven feet long. It's the kind | ||
| CF | you've seen in old illustrations in books like The Adventures of | ||
| CF | Huckleberry Finn. It doesn't even have a reel for reeling the line in | ||
| CF | and out - but there is a line, which is attached to the tip of the pole | ||
| CF | and dangles free. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put hook on line" | ||
| CF | There's no good surface on the fishing pole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "tie line to hook" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put pole in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey tugs at a strap on her top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, to down the road; | ||
| CF | south, to the north end of the croquet court; west, to the porch; | ||
| CF | northwest, to the flower-bed; and southwest, back to the front of the | ||
| CF | shack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey wiggles her toes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Good that the pole fits in the sack." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is leaning back on the couch, snoring. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take pole" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fish" | ||
| CF | While Phelps snoozes peacefully, you extend the fishing pole and dangle | ||
| CF | the hook over his gaping pants pocket. Delicately you lower the hook. | ||
| CF | As you feel it snag on something, it occurs to you - a little too late | ||
| CF | - that you're more likely to hook the fabric of his pants than anything | ||
| CF | that's in the pocket. But no, this time you're in luck. When you | ||
| CF | gently lift the end of the pole, the gleam of brass tells you that | ||
| CF | you've successfully hooked the key that was in his pocket. Hardly | ||
| CF | daring to breathe, you draw the pole back across the porch railing. | ||
| CF | The key remains hooked until you reach out and grab it. Success! | ||
| CF | Clutched in your sweaty palm is a shiny brass key. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "It would have been cool to use the pole to make a bindle" | |
| MoyTW says, "Okay I forgot what this even was for." | ||
| Roger says, "my guess is boatshed" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Boat house key." | ||
| DavidW says, "yes, it's for the boat house." | ||
| Roger says, "which is like a watershed but for boats" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Ah, nice." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put pole and key in sack" | ||
| CF | fishing pole (to which a fish hook has been tied): Done. | ||
| CF | shiny key: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf33" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Yeah. I'm sure it's the boatshed. For some reason." | |
| Jacqueline asks, "I guess it could be something else?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "But yeah." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I do like that, after ALL of that, the command was just >FISH" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We've been told Creepregard keeps that key in his pocketses." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay, yeah. I guess that's why." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Thanks" | ||
| DavidW says, "Unfortuantely, the dagger has no eyes." | ||
| Roger asks, "back to the well of hints?" | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "And we got the key without having to touch him!" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to KO), "Truly, that's the win." | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe the tar can be used on the dagger." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "3" | ||
| CF | 3 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Figurines | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. So what's the deal with the evil figurines? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "1" | ||
| CF | 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | So what's the deal with the evil figurines? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are three things you'll need to learn about the evil figurines. | ||
| CF | [1/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | First, how many of them are there? [2/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | DavidW says, "Sic." | |
| DavidW says, "six" | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Second, how can they be handled? [3/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | DavidW says, "With the tongs." | |
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Third, what should be done with them? [4/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | DavidW says, "CRUSH EM" | |
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | These questions are discussed in separate lists of hints. [5/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [The End] | ||
| CF | | DavidW says, "That did not mention the dagger." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "5" | ||
| CF | 5 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How do I get the key to the boat shed? | ||
| CF | 2. How can I get my hands on a compass? | ||
| CF | 3. How do I get the stuff the clown is asking for? | ||
| CF | 4. How do I get the large, fragile item out of Beauregard's bedroom? | ||
| CF | 5. How do I get a map of the swamp? | ||
| CF | 6. How do I fix the map so it's readable? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | Roger says, "maybe it's in House hints (#2)" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | q | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "2" | ||
| CF | 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the House | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How can I get the things the clown is asking for? | ||
| CF | 2. How can I get the telephone to work? | ||
| CF | 3. I can't control when I leave the place where the clown is. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | Roger says, "Or I could be wrong again" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | q | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "4" | ||
| CF | 4 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How do I open the other six doors in the Room of Seven Doors? | ||
| CF | 2. How can I transport the skeleton safely? | ||
| CF | 3. How do I find a route among the stone tunnels? | ||
| CF | 4. Help! I'm lost in the stone tunnels! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | q | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "1" | ||
| CF | 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | General Questions | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. What am I supposed to be doing? | ||
| CF | 2. I seem to be stuck. Is it possible to reach a point where the game | ||
| CF | is unwinnable? | ||
| CF | 3. Okay, I got the figurines out of Cabins Two and Four, but now I'm | ||
| CF | stuck. What do I need to do next? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | Roger says, "unless the dagger does not need to be solved, I guess" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "2" | ||
| CF | 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | I seem to be stuck. Is it possible to reach a point where the game is | ||
| CF | unwinnable? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you're feeling stuck, the most likely explanation by far is that you | ||
| CF | haven't figured out what you need to do next. There will be times when | ||
| CF | you can take any of a number of different actions to move the story | ||
| CF | forward, and other times when your options will be narrowly | ||
| CF | circumscribed. [1/8] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | That said.... Yes, it's possible to make the game unwinnable. [2/8] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | MoyTW says, "Huh, #2 is something I think should probably be up front." | |
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | The easiest way to get in trouble is to drop things in places where you | ||
| CF | can't retrieve them later. Most of the time you'll be given a warning | ||
| CF | when you do this - if you throw things into the swamp, for instance. | ||
| CF | But in a few specific situations, you may not receive any warning. | ||
| CF | [3/8] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | Roger says, "hmmm unless the hint we need is locked, since we went back in time right" | |
| Roger says, "possibly we need to resolve the clown again" | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | During the course of the story, some of the other characters will be | ||
| CF | moving around. They might, for instance, lock or unlock doors for | ||
| CF | reasons of their own. If you've just gained access to a new area (or, | ||
| CF | for that matter, if you've had free access to it ever since the | ||
| CF | beginning of the story), don't assume it will always remain accessible. | ||
| CF | [4/8] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Fortunately, there's no need to leave things behind. If you look | ||
| CF | around the outdoor area, you'll find a hefty burlap bag. This bag can | ||
| CF | contain almost anything (with one or two important exceptions). When | ||
| CF | you find an item that you think might be useful later, put it in the | ||
| CF | bag, and don't let the bag out of your sight. None of the other | ||
| CF | characters will ever notice the bag or ask what's in it. [5/8] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | They'll be quite alarmed, however, if they see you carrying certain | ||
| CF | other things. In this type of situation, the character will have an | ||
| CF | immediate, obvious reaction. Typing 'undo' will let you backtrack to | ||
| CF | before the problem arose. [6/8] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | There's also an important object that is quite fragile. If you pick | ||
| CF | something up and it seems to be in danger of falling apart, take the | ||
| CF | warning seriously. Put it down at once, and look for an alternate way | ||
| CF | to transport it. Once it falls apart, you're doomed. [7/8] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | In addition, two puzzles require that you find a way to move a | ||
| CF | character other than yourself to another location temporarily. In both | ||
| CF | cases, you can do this only a few times before the character will balk | ||
| CF | and refuse to be coaxed or bamboozled anymore. You'll be given more | ||
| CF | tries than you strictly need - but if you haven't solved the particular | ||
| CF | problem before you run out of tries, you'll be completely deadlocked. | ||
| CF | So before you set another character in motion, think carefully about | ||
| CF | what you're hoping to accomplish while they're out of the way, and | ||
| CF | whether you have the resources you need to accomplish it. If they | ||
| CF | react to what you thought was an innocuous question by running off, you | ||
| CF | may want to use the UNDO command and wait until you know what you're | ||
| CF | hoping to accomplish before you ask that question again. [8/8] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [The End] | ||
| CF | | Jacqueline asks (of ghira), "... You mean the one that was buddies with Epstein?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "ILAC" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "5" | ||
| CF | 5 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How do I get the key to the boat shed? | ||
| CF | 2. How can I get my hands on a compass? | ||
| CF | 3. How do I get the stuff the clown is asking for? | ||
| CF | 4. How do I get the large, fragile item out of Beauregard's bedroom? | ||
| CF | 5. How do I get a map of the swamp? | ||
| CF | 6. How do I fix the map so it's readable? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "6" | ||
| CF | 6 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | How do I fix the map so it's readable? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | If you show the map to David or Tyrone, they may offer a hint or two. | ||
| CF | [1/6] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | Jacqueline asks, "So, one was moving the maid out of the room by asking about Jessie, and the other is moving Aunt C out of the loo?" | |
| DavidW says, "Or telling Honey about the wasps" | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Some occult power is making the map unreadable. [2/6] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | Jacqueline says, "Okay. That's more than two." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Auntie seems to live with the books now." | ||
| Roger says, "and maybe sleepytime Beau" | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | That power is involved in just about everything that's happening at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs. [3/6] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | In particular, the gathering this afternoon, for which the nasty little | ||
| CF | figurines were sent out as magical invitations. [4/6] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Getting rid of the figurines would probably diminish the power of the | ||
| CF | entity who is causing the map to squirm. [5/6] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | The method by which you do that is discussed in a separate set of | ||
| CF | hints. [6/6] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [The End] | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'm seeing nothing about the dagger in the hints." | |
| MoyTW asks, "I think there was a specific menu for the figurines, it might be int hat?" | ||
| DavidW says, "It Was Not." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I don't think there was." | ||
| Jacqueline frowns. | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe we drip spoonfed tar on the dagger. I dunno." | ||
| DavidW says, "Or maybe we just hit it with the poker twelve times until we win." | ||
| Roger asks, "sorry if I'm repeating myself, but: more hints might be unlocked once we sort out the clown (again) since I think we went back in time, yeah?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "But if we can't get rid of Louisa a second time..." | ||
| DavidW says (to Roger), "If we do the clown, we've lost our chance to get the purple-eyed figurine out the door." | ||
| Roger says, "well... there's actually an additional way to move Luisa, turns out, according to More Hints" | ||
| Roger says, "It's even worse than the other way" | ||
| Roger says, "but whatever y'all like is fine by me" | ||
| DavidW says, "So you're saying ignore the dagger and purple-eyed figurine for now and trust we can still get them later." | ||
| Roger says, "That would be my suggestion" | ||
| Jacqueline grits her teeth. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf34" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "This game. Why, Jim? Why?" | |
| Roger says, "Lydia you're tearing us apart" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "hahaha" | ||
| MoyTW says, "'s a puzzle game, so, yannow. puzzles." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Maybe it would be better to just let them kill us." | ||
| DavidW asks, "okay, so we're doing clown, coin, compass, 'more' hints? Is that the new plan?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is leaning back on the couch, snoring. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey licks her thumb and turns a page in the magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tea kettle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a teaspoon, a wooden | ||
| CF | bucket, a juice glass, a pill bottle, some faded photographs, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, | ||
| CF | a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old | ||
| CF | shovel, an indecipherable map, a poker, the key to Cabin One, a | ||
| CF | screwdriver, a brown envelope, some fire tongs, a fishing pole (to | ||
| CF | which a fish hook has been tied), and a shiny key) and a cigar box. | ||
| CF | You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put cigar box in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "I'd like to have the tongs out and ready to go" | |
| DavidW says, "This Is Not The Tongs Task. This Is The Skeleton Task." | ||
| Roger says, "okay" | ||
| DavidW says, "We CANNOT DO THE TONGS BECAUSE OF DAGGER" | ||
| Roger says, "you got it" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about doll" | ||
| CF | As you start to speak, Luisa scowls at you irritably. "Why don't you | ||
| CF | go outside and play?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The doll in my room, you mean?" Luisa glares at you. "What do you | ||
| CF | been sneaking in my room for? Well, it don't matter. I don't got | ||
| CF | nothing anybody'd want to steal. That doll, it used to belong to the | ||
| CF | little girl I told you about, the one who lived here, Jessie. After | ||
| CF | she wasn't here no more, I took the doll upstairs so I could look at it | ||
| CF | sometimes and not have to go in the room with the clown." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about jessie" | ||
| CF | When you ask Luisa about the little girl who used to live in the | ||
| CF | nursery, she gazes at you in a direct, stricken way. Without saying | ||
| CF | anything, she turns away. A sob tears itself from her throat, and she | ||
| CF | lurches toward the attic stairs. You hear her heels thumping heavily | ||
| CF | on the stairs. She's gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | As you open the door, it occurs to you that Luisa may not be gone from | ||
| CF | the hall for very long. Did you leave the dumbwaiter upstairs or | ||
| CF | downstairs? You try to remember, but so much has been going on in the | ||
| CF | past hour.... If it's downstairs, and if she comes back, you'd end up | ||
| CF | trapped in the bedroom! You wouldn't want that to happen, that's for | ||
| CF | sure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat (on which is a skeleton) here. On the shallow | ||
| CF | table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | If you pick up the mat now, what's on it will slide off. You might try | ||
| CF | rolling it up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "undo" | ||
| CF | Taking back one turn: "w". | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat (on which is a skeleton) here. On the shallow | ||
| CF | table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "roll mat" | ||
| CF | You roll up the mat, concealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wind model" | ||
| CF | You give the key a twist. As you wind up the mechanism, the | ||
| CF | merry-go-round springs into motion. It creaks and wheezes a little as | ||
| CF | it rotates, but as the horses go up and down in a festive way a tinkly | ||
| CF | sentimental tune emanates from within the base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads north, back to the | ||
| CF | upstairs hall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch clown" | ||
| CF | The clown reaches out and takes your hand, the merry-go-round's tinkly | ||
| CF | music swells, and you're spun out of the upstairs bedroom into that | ||
| CF | other place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a Confusing Place | ||
| CF | Vague many-colored blobs of light float gently around you on all sides, | ||
| CF | and there are no shadows here. It's like being trapped inside a great | ||
| CF | big lava lamp, except that you can hear an off-key brass band | ||
| CF | oom-pahing not far away. The painted clown from the abandoned nursery, | ||
| CF | now no longer painted but quite real, is standing in front of you, | ||
| CF | gazing down at you with either pity or wry amusement (it's hard to tell | ||
| CF | which). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open mat" | ||
| CF | You unroll the mat, revealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take skeleton" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The ligaments holding the skeleton's larger bones together are starting | ||
| CF | to stretch like rubber bands. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give it to clown" | ||
| CF | "Hello again," you venture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again yourself," the clown replies. "I was wondering if you'd | ||
| CF | come back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You gesture at the skeleton. "Do you think these bones are what you | ||
| CF | need?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown inspects the skeleton gravely. "I do believe they'll serve. | ||
| CF | Where did you - no, don't tell me. I don't want to know. Whoever | ||
| CF | these belonged to doesn't need them anymore, that's all that matters." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He picks up the skeleton. First he clasps it to him, so that it looks | ||
| CF | as if he's planning to dance with it. (The music is still oom-pahing | ||
| CF | away in the background.) But then he ... it's hard to say exactly what | ||
| CF | he does with the skeleton. It looks a bit like putting on a pair of | ||
| CF | pajamas, except sort of inside out. It's as if the pajamas were | ||
| CF | putting on the person, somehow. First he steps on the skeleton's feet, | ||
| CF | and somehow the feet are inside his, and then the legs, and then the | ||
| CF | rest. In a moment the skeleton is entirely gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown jumps up in the air and clicks his heels together. "Oh, I | ||
| CF | feel wonderful! So much more solid! You've done it - you've brought | ||
| CF | me everything I need to be a real person. I never doubted you for a | ||
| CF | moment, you know. I knew you'd do it." The clown digs down into one of | ||
| CF | the capacious pockets in his baggy trousers, produces the gold coin, | ||
| CF | and solemnly hands it to you. "You see? I've kept my end of the | ||
| CF | bargain, haven't I? Spend it wisely, young lady. Now, if you'll | ||
| CF | forgive me, I really must be going. I've so much to see! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Perhaps we'll meet again someday," he adds. "I'd like that. I do | ||
| CF | hope you'll stay safe until then. The world - what little of it I've | ||
| CF | seen so far, which is very little indeed - seems quite full of dreadful | ||
| CF | dangers. I do hope you'll be very careful! Farewell, then." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown bows to you, and then turns and walks away with a kind of | ||
| CF | proud, sauntering stride, the spangly tails of the coat swaying behind | ||
| CF | him. As he goes, the blobs of color swirling around you begin to | ||
| CF | dissolve. In a few moments you're back in the upstairs bedroom - and | ||
| CF | the wall where the clown was painted is blank! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You rush to the window and look out. A figure is just ducking out of | ||
| CF | sight around the corner of the house - a figure with red hair and a | ||
| CF | coat that seems to shimmer in the sun. He turns and waves, and then | ||
| CF | he's gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I'll leave the mat here" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "sure" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tea kettle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | By a Farm | ||
| CF | The east/west road passes close by the front gate of a trashy-looking | ||
| CF | farm. Two large, smirking farm boys are lounging by the gate, chewing | ||
| CF | lengths of grass and looking at you in a keen and unhealthy way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show coin to boys" | ||
| CF | "Hello again," you say, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Was she gone?" the smaller boy says. "I din't notice." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hold out the coin. "I found this. Would you take it as a trade | ||
| CF | for the compass?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Both boys' eyes widen as they stare at the coin. "Gotta be a fake," | ||
| CF | the smaller boy says, but the other one nudges him hard and whispers | ||
| CF | harshly in his ear. You hear the scraps of a few words - "double | ||
| CF | eagle" and "stole it from Old Beauregard." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Aw, okay," the smaller boy says. "We'll take it." In a moment the | ||
| CF | deal is done: The boys have the gold coin, and you have the compass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Yay." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x compass" | ||
| CF | The compass is encased in blue plastic, and is about the right size to | ||
| CF | fit in the palm of your hand. Beneath the clear plastic cover is a | ||
| CF | round white piece of cardboard lettered with the letters N, E, S, and | ||
| CF | W. The needle quivers faintly as it points to the N. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put compass in sack" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu exclaims, "Weee!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf35" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "cool" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "2" | ||
| CF | 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the House | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. How can I get the telephone to work? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "1" | ||
| CF | 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | How can I get the telephone to work? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Calling the police would be a wonderful idea in the circumstances. | ||
| CF | Unfortunately, there's no way to get the telephone to work. [1/1] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [The End] | ||
| CF | | MoyTW says, "I wasn't aware we wanted the telephone to work." | |
| MoyTW says, "Oh." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I am looking for the Fabelled Hints of More." | |
| Jacqueline says, "heehee" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I love (hate) how the hints are now a puzzle in and of themselves" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "Where, Brave Companions, shall we search for the More-ian Hints." | ||
| CF | The word "Where" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "3" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "maybe #3 Figurines ?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "3" | ||
| CF | 3 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Figurines | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. So what's the deal with the evil figurines? | ||
| CF | 2. How many of the evil figurines are there, and where will I find | ||
| CF | them? | ||
| CF | 3. How can I manipulate the figurines? | ||
| CF | 4. What do I need to do with the figurines? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "3" | ||
| CF | 3 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | How can I manipulate the figurines? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can't touch them yourself. And no one will help you. [1/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | How might you be able to pick them up without touching them? [2/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | No, you have no psychic powers. There are two physical objects that | ||
| CF | will do the job. [3/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | DavidW asks, "Two objects, eh?" | |
| MoyTW asks, "What's the other one?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Huh." | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | You can pick up the figurines with either the fire tongs (which are in | ||
| CF | the living room, standing next to the fireplace) or the shovel. The | ||
| CF | command 'pick up figurine with tongs' works. When it comes to carrying | ||
| CF | them around, though.... [4/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | DavidW says, "oh, the shovel" | |
| MoyTW says, "Oh. Yeah. That makes sense." | ||
| DavidW says, "We did use the shovel for the possum, by the way." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "True." | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | The tongs and shovel can hold only one figurine at a time. You'll find | ||
| CF | it more convenient to carry them in your suitcase, or in the burlap | ||
| CF | sack. Putting them in a container has the added advantage that you | ||
| CF | won't risk anyone seeing you carrying one around. That would almost | ||
| CF | certainly be fatal. [5/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [The End] | ||
| CF | | Knight_Otu says, "Still no dagger info." | |
| DavidW says, "I wonder if the shovel fits through the grate." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | The Figurines | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. So what's the deal with the evil figurines? | ||
| CF | 2. How many of the evil figurines are there, and where will I find | ||
| CF | them? | ||
| CF | 3. How can I manipulate the figurines? | ||
| CF | 4. What do I need to do with the figurines? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "2" | ||
| CF | 2 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | How many of the evil figurines are there, and where will I find them? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Each member of the conspiracy that has gathered at Eternal Springs has | ||
| CF | a figurine. Not everyone you'll meet is a member of the conspiracy, | ||
| CF | however. [1/4] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | MoyTW asks, "What did #2 tell us about where to find them specifically, or did it just say "'s in the other section"?" | |
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Talk to the people you meet and observe their behavior. All of the | ||
| CF | conspirators but one are outsiders - recent arrivals. [2/4] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Tyrone is not part of the group, nor Luisa, nor the farm boys, nor Hank | ||
| CF | Slocum, nor Lydia. [3/4] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | That leaves six people (some of whom you may not have met yet) - | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps, Aunt Caroline, David, Honey Hartwell, Reverend | ||
| CF | Gillespie, and Owens Mackenzie (the man in Cabin Four). The figurines | ||
| CF | can be distinguished from one another by eye color: one is red, one | ||
| CF | white, one black, one purple, and so on. [4/4] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [The End] | ||
| CF | | DavidW says, "huh. First time we got a name for Cabin 4 guy." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Gee, I was sure Lydia would have one of these figurines" | ||
| DavidW says, "Still No Dagger Mention." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "3" | ||
| CF | 3 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Figurines | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. So what's the deal with the evil figurines? | ||
| CF | 2. How many of the evil figurines are there, and where will I find | ||
| CF | them? | ||
| CF | 3. How can I manipulate the figurines? | ||
| CF | 4. What do I need to do with the figurines? | ||
| CF | 5. Where will I find Aunt Caroline's figurine? | ||
| CF | 6. Where will I find Beauregard's figurine, and how can I get it? | ||
| CF | 7. Where will I find David's figurine? | ||
| CF | 8. Where will I find Honey Hartwell's figurine, and how can I get it? | ||
| CF | 9. Where will I find Owens Mackenzie's figurine? | ||
| CF | 10. Where will I find Reverend Gillespie's figurine? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "6" | ||
| CF | 6 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Where will I find Beauregard's figurine, and how can I get it? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's figurine is the only one that's in plain sight. | ||
| CF | [1/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | He owns the house. Where do you suppose he sleeps? [2/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | The figurine is in his bedroom (or rather, in the alcove off his | ||
| CF | bedroom), which is behind the locked door in the upstairs hall. [3/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | The hints for getting through the locked door are in a separate list. | ||
| CF | Once you've accomplished that, you'll find that you have another | ||
| CF | problem. [4/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | In order to acquire the figurine, you need to deal with the flying | ||
| CF | dagger that's guarding it. [5/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | DavidW says, "FINALLY" | |
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | If you try to pick up the figurine (using the method described in a | ||
| CF | separate set of hints), the dagger will spring to life and get in your | ||
| CF | way. [6/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | It won't actually succeed in cutting you. It's mainly a nuisance. | ||
| CF | There are two very different ways to deal with it. One is to capture | ||
| CF | it. [7/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | MoyTW says, "man. hint menus being locked is very vexing." | |
| MoyTW asks, "So where's the pokeball?" | ||
| DavidW says, "The closest thing to a pokeball would be our suitcase, maybe." | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | You can't catch the flying dagger with your bare hands. [8/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Have you ever seen a knife-throwing exhibition? [9/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | DavidW says, "NO I HAVE NOT" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Game, seriously" | ||
| MoyTW says, "...uh is this like, I, what." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "I guess we need to get a sexy lady and put her on a spinning wheel to attract the knife?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That is my working knowledge of knife throwing exhibitions." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Do we need a target other than ourselves for the dagger's wrath?" | ||
| DavidW asks, "The doll, maybe?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Maybe we just hold up a wooden board in front of us." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Have we seen a wooden board?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Or...something. But if it's animated it'd pull itself out sooooooo." | ||
| DavidW says, "We left the loose floorboard in cabin 2." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "So, again, maybe this time it *is* the sack?" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Capture it in the sack?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I dunno you can cannibalize the house, 's fine." | ||
| MoyTW asks, "I don't want it ripping holes in the sack though, that's where we keep our stuff! Maybe the straw mat...?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "(tbh I'd just run through the 14 hints though)" | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | If you hold up a piece of wood, the dagger will impale itself and be | ||
| CF | stuck. [10/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | MoyTW says, "lol" | |
| Roger says, "the old reverse-vampire eh" | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "I guess yeah, maybe that floorboard?" | ||
| DavidW says, "But we really did leave the floorboard way back when. We can't get it now." | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | There are two pieces of wood at Eternal Springs that you can use. | ||
| CF | [11/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | Roger says, "maybe we have other wood" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Hopefully there's others." | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | One is the bucket. You'll find it near the boat shed. And somewhere | ||
| CF | or other you might find a loose floorboard. The command HOLD UP BOARD | ||
| CF | will work when the dagger is flying. [12/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | Knight_Otu says, "Oh right the bucket is wood." | |
| DavidW says, "The bucket. HOLD UP is another common command like KNEAD." | ||
| MoyTW exclaims, ""hold up" come on!" | ||
| Roger says, "Hold up, Jim. Just hold up." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Wait. Hold up: HOLD UP?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Come on, game! Grr." | ||
| DavidW says, "Capture was one method. I'm curious what the other method is." | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | If that's too much trouble, you can use the poker from the fireplace in | ||
| CF | the living room. [13/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Sneak up on the dagger. (Each time you leave the alcove it will lie | ||
| CF | down on the table.) While it's lying there peacefully, hit it with the | ||
| CF | poker. That will kill it. Now you can get at the figurine. [14/14] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | [The End] | ||
| CF | | MoyTW says, "...huh." | |
| MoyTW says, "What. What!? WHAT." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "We ... WHAT?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "WHA" | ||
| Jacqueline laughs. "Damn." | ||
| MoyTW says, "What. Why would that. Grr." | ||
| Roger says, "sometimes violence is the answer to this one" | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "Didn't we even try that?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I hate this game, but am amused by our outrage." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I think we tried fighting it" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "But not sneaking up on it and killing it." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Silly us." | ||
| MoyTW says, "We tried *fighting* it, not, like, doing a sneak attack for +...I don't know enough about D&D to make that joke." | ||
| DavidW says, "Only when it was attacking did we try. We didn't try to murder the dagger in its sleep." | ||
| MoyTW says, "but, like, something, something, d6es" | ||
| Roger says, "covering the sleeping dagger with the bucket would be a somewhat legit puzzle" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Grr. Well. I mean. Fine. 'least we know now." | ||
| DavidW says, "okay, this helps us defeat the dagger, but we can't get the tongs into the alcove. I hope we can get the shovel in there." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | By a Farm | ||
| CF | The east/west road passes close by the front gate of a trashy-looking | ||
| CF | farm. Two large, smirking farm boys are lounging by the gate, chewing | ||
| CF | lengths of grass and looking at you in a keen and unhealthy way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Knowing the boys are likely to make fun of anything you say, you just | ||
| CF | turn and walk away without saying goodbye. As you walk away, you hear | ||
| CF | the boys snickering about something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tea kettle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you climb. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put shovel in grate" | ||
| CF | (first taking the old shovel from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | The old shovel is too large to fit through the opening. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "sorry what's the problem?" | |
| MoyTW asks, "No, we can, we just can't get'm out right? We make Luisa leave, we can take stuff in, right?" | ||
| DavidW says, "DAMN" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I mean I guess we can get'm out too, by the same logic." | ||
| DavidW asks (of Moy), "You think the sad Jessie story works now? She's had enough time to get re-sad?" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Well Roger said there was another way but we could also rewind and do all of it in one go?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "If...there's not a turn timer on it?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about jessie" | ||
| CF | As you start to speak, Luisa scowls at you irritably. "Why don't you | ||
| CF | go outside and play?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "g" | ||
| CF | Luisa snuffles and wipes her eyes. "I don't want to talk about that," | ||
| CF | she says hoarsely. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "My guess is that Jessie was a one-trick pony." | |
| MoyTW says, "I don't think she'll - yeah." | ||
| DavidW says, "Which is why I DID NOT want to do the clown !!!" | ||
| asks, "Rewind to CF34 just after the fishing trip?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Breathe. We'll get there." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "restore" | ||
| CF | Please select the saved position file to restore > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf34" | ||
| CF | Restored. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Weedy Flower-Bed | ||
| CF | You're standing in the weed-infested remains of a small flower-bed. | ||
| CF | The porch railing is directly above you, almost close enough to reach, | ||
| CF | and the lawn is back to the east. Only a few feet away, on the porch, | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps is leaning back on the couch, snoring. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | On the Lawn | ||
| CF | This lumpy, patchy stretch of lawn is the most pleasant outdoor spot at | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs, though that isn't saying much. A rusted, sagging | ||
| CF | chaise longue is provided for the comfort of anyone who would like to | ||
| CF | bask in the scorching heat of the afternoon sun. (There's precious | ||
| CF | little shade here, other than the low oblong of obscurity wedged | ||
| CF | beneath the chaise.) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the east, the lawn is bordered by a high hedge of a virulent and | ||
| CF | sickly green, whose foliage is laden with a bounty of pulpy red | ||
| CF | flowers. The arid stretch of dirt between the cabins stretches out to | ||
| CF | the south. The main house stands, crooked and bleak but stubbornly | ||
| CF | attempting a faded grandeur, to the west, a short, broad flight of | ||
| CF | board steps leading up to the long porch, which is roofed over but | ||
| CF | nonetheless gapes open on the afternoon. A tiny, weed-infested | ||
| CF | flower-bed crouches to the right of the steps. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A cracked and buckled concrete walk leads away through some tall bushes | ||
| CF | to the north, and another walk, whose slabs are tossed as if by some | ||
| CF | prehistoric geological upheaval, curves out of sight to the southwest | ||
| CF | around the corner of the house. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey Hartwell is reclining on the chaise longue, leafing through a | ||
| CF | magazine. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Honey hums a little off-key tune to herself. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tea kettle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "or did you want to try the alternate Luisa-ridder? Or not, that's ok." | |
| DavidW says, "I DONT KNOW THAT" | ||
| DavidW says, "And I've already restored." | ||
| Roger says, "okay let's keep pressing onwards." | ||
| DavidW says, "pressing something" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The stairs squeak unsteadily, a sound that sets your teeth on edge. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Luisa is standing at the ironing board, ironing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "I am deeply interested to know what the alternate riddle is because I want to know how obscure/insane/wtf it is." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take poker and tongs" | ||
| CF | poker: Taken. | ||
| CF | fire tongs: Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about doll" | ||
| CF | As you start to speak, Luisa scowls at you irritably. "Why don't you | ||
| CF | go outside and play?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "The doll in my room, you mean?" Luisa glares at you. "What do you | ||
| CF | been sneaking in my room for? Well, it don't matter. I don't got | ||
| CF | nothing anybody'd want to steal. That doll, it used to belong to the | ||
| CF | little girl I told you about, the one who lived here, Jessie. After | ||
| CF | she wasn't here no more, I took the doll upstairs so I could look at it | ||
| CF | sometimes and not have to go in the room with the clown." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask luisa about jessie" | ||
| CF | When you ask Luisa about the little girl who used to live in the | ||
| CF | nursery, she gazes at you in a direct, stricken way. Without saying | ||
| CF | anything, she turns away. A sob tears itself from her throat, and she | ||
| CF | lurches toward the attic stairs. You hear her heels thumping heavily | ||
| CF | on the stairs. She's gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | As you open the door, it occurs to you that Luisa may not be gone from | ||
| CF | the hall for very long. Did you leave the dumbwaiter upstairs or | ||
| CF | downstairs? You try to remember, but so much has been going on in the | ||
| CF | past hour.... If it's downstairs, and if she comes back, you'd end up | ||
| CF | trapped in the bedroom! You wouldn't want that to happen, that's for | ||
| CF | sure. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | In an Alcove | ||
| CF | This narrow, windowless room is lit only by the daylight that spills | ||
| CF | through the open doorway to the west, which leads back to the bedroom. | ||
| CF | A narrow table stands against the north wall, and at the foot of the | ||
| CF | table, in the east wall, a metal grate is set in the baseboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the east wall, where you might ordinarily expect to see a door to | ||
| CF | another room, is a massive slab of stone, both broader and higher than | ||
| CF | a door. In the upper center of the slab is a circular carving. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat (on which is a skeleton) here. On the shallow | ||
| CF | table are a purple-eyed figurine and a curved dagger. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hit dagger with poker" | ||
| CF | You smite the dagger a mighty blow where it lies with an overhead swing | ||
| CF | from the poker. The steely clang sounds faintly like a whimper, and | ||
| CF | the dagger bounces a couple of times and then lies very still. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | You pick up the purple-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in sack" | ||
| CF | (the purple-eyed figurine) | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take rug" | ||
| CF | You see no rug here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | If you pick up the mat now, what's on it will slide off. You might try | ||
| CF | rolling it up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "roll mat" | ||
| CF | You roll up the mat, concealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take mat" | ||
| CF | (first putting the fire tongs in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | putting the poker in the burlap sack to make room) | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Beauregard Phelps's Bedroom | ||
| CF | The furnishings in the bedroom are about what you'd expect - a rumpled | ||
| CF | bed whose sour odor permeates the room and a dresser with a scatter of | ||
| CF | stuff on top. There's a wide archway to the east and an | ||
| CF | imposing-looking door in the north wall. The square hatch by which you | ||
| CF | first entered the room is set into the east wall at the northeast | ||
| CF | corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | West End of the Hall | ||
| CF | The upstairs hall, which extends eastward, widens here to form an | ||
| CF | odd-shaped space. It's too open to be called a room, but too | ||
| CF | functional to be called a hallway. An ironing board is set up in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, and behind it a narrow, steep stairway ascends. | ||
| CF | There's a doorway to the north, a wide, massive closed door to the | ||
| CF | south, and a broad window on the west wall, beneath which is a | ||
| CF | box-shaped window seat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "the perfect crime" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf36" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Whew." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. Dominating the south wall is a large, rather faded | ||
| CF | image of a clown, which has been painted directly on the wallboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "wind model" | ||
| CF | You give the key a twist. As you wind up the mechanism, the | ||
| CF | merry-go-round springs into motion. It creaks and wheezes a little as | ||
| CF | it rotates, but as the horses go up and down in a festive way a tinkly | ||
| CF | sentimental tune emanates from within the base. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch clown" | ||
| CF | The clown reaches out and takes your hand, the merry-go-round's tinkly | ||
| CF | music swells, and you're spun out of the upstairs bedroom into that | ||
| CF | other place. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a Confusing Place | ||
| CF | Vague many-colored blobs of light float gently around you on all sides, | ||
| CF | and there are no shadows here. It's like being trapped inside a great | ||
| CF | big lava lamp, except that you can hear an off-key brass band | ||
| CF | oom-pahing not far away. The painted clown from the abandoned nursery, | ||
| CF | now no longer painted but quite real, is standing in front of you, | ||
| CF | gazing down at you with either pity or wry amusement (it's hard to tell | ||
| CF | which). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop mat" | ||
| CF | Dropped. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open mat" | ||
| CF | You unroll the mat, revealing the skeleton. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give skeleton to clown" | ||
| CF | "Hello again," you venture. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Hello again yourself," the clown replies. "I was wondering if you'd | ||
| CF | come back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You gesture at the skeleton. "Do you think these bones are what you | ||
| CF | need?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown inspects the skeleton gravely. "I do believe they'll serve. | ||
| CF | Where did you - no, don't tell me. I don't want to know. Whoever | ||
| CF | these belonged to doesn't need them anymore, that's all that matters." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | He picks up the skeleton. First he clasps it to him, so that it looks | ||
| CF | as if he's planning to dance with it. (The music is still oom-pahing | ||
| CF | away in the background.) But then he ... it's hard to say exactly what | ||
| CF | he does with the skeleton. It looks a bit like putting on a pair of | ||
| CF | pajamas, except sort of inside out. It's as if the pajamas were | ||
| CF | putting on the person, somehow. First he steps on the skeleton's feet, | ||
| CF | and somehow the feet are inside his, and then the legs, and then the | ||
| CF | rest. In a moment the skeleton is entirely gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown jumps up in the air and clicks his heels together. "Oh, I | ||
| CF | feel wonderful! So much more solid! You've done it - you've brought | ||
| CF | me everything I need to be a real person. I never doubted you for a | ||
| CF | moment, you know. I knew you'd do it." The clown digs down into one of | ||
| CF | the capacious pockets in his baggy trousers, produces the gold coin, | ||
| CF | and solemnly hands it to you. "You see? I've kept my end of the | ||
| CF | bargain, haven't I? Spend it wisely, young lady. Now, if you'll | ||
| CF | forgive me, I really must be going. I've so much to see! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Perhaps we'll meet again someday," he adds. "I'd like that. I do | ||
| CF | hope you'll stay safe until then. The world - what little of it I've | ||
| CF | seen so far, which is very little indeed - seems quite full of dreadful | ||
| CF | dangers. I do hope you'll be very careful! Farewell, then." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The clown bows to you, and then turns and walks away with a kind of | ||
| CF | proud, sauntering stride, the spangly tails of the coat swaying behind | ||
| CF | him. As he goes, the blobs of color swirling around you begin to | ||
| CF | dissolve. In a few moments you're back in the upstairs bedroom - and | ||
| CF | the wall where the clown was painted is blank! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You rush to the window and look out. A figure is just ducking out of | ||
| CF | sight around the corner of the house - a figure with red hair and a | ||
| CF | coat that seems to shimmer in the sun. He turns and waves, and then | ||
| CF | he's gone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Abandoned Nursery | ||
| CF | This room has been mostly stripped of furniture. The wood floor is | ||
| CF | bare, the window uncurtained. A bulky, old-fashioned cradle stands in | ||
| CF | the center of the room. A metal heating grate is built into the | ||
| CF | baseboard in the west wall, and there's a small square table in the | ||
| CF | northeast corner, on which stands an old-fashioned model | ||
| CF | merry-go-round. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a straw mat here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The merry-go-round continues tinkling its wistful little tune. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Upstairs Hall | ||
| CF | This stuffy passageway extends westward from the head of the stairs, | ||
| CF | which lead down to the entry hall. The wallpaper is blotchy, and the | ||
| CF | residual grime along the baseboard suggests that the housekeeping has | ||
| CF | been perfunctory at best. There are doorways in the north and south | ||
| CF | walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | The stairs creak a bit as you descend, a low-pitched sigh like a heavy | ||
| CF | old woman getting comfortable. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Entry Hall | ||
| CF | The entry hall of Eternal Springs is bare of decoration. The only | ||
| CF | furnishings are a grandfather clock, which ticks heavily, and a small | ||
| CF | round telephone table. The front door of the house stands open to the | ||
| CF | east, the screen door providing, at best, a very partial barrier | ||
| CF | against the ingress of insects. There are open archways to the north | ||
| CF | and south, and a narrow staircase with a threadbare runner leads | ||
| CF | upward. The hall extends further to the west, alongside the staircase. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Dining Room | ||
| CF | The big dining room has windows on the east and south and doorways on | ||
| CF | the north and west. Other than a long dining table and some | ||
| CF | ill-assorted chairs, the room is bare and featureless. It smells sour, | ||
| CF | as if food served and eaten here a long time ago still lingers in the | ||
| CF | plaster of the walls. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Kitchen | ||
| CF | The kitchen is large and not especially neat. The appliances are all | ||
| CF | ancient, their surfaces dented and chipped. The refrigerator stands | ||
| CF | against one wall, the stove against another, and there's a cupboard | ||
| CF | above the sink. Against an inner wall stands a small square table, | ||
| CF | with a wooden chair beside it. An exterior door is to the south, | ||
| CF | interior doorways to the east and north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tea kettle here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Pantry | ||
| CF | This cheerless cubicle looks oddly stark with the shelves leaning in | ||
| CF | one corner. There's an open doorway to the south, a door to the west, | ||
| CF | which is closed, and a square hatch in the north wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Several long pine planks are leaning in a corner. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some rat droppings and some onions here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tar barrel lid and a pool of tar here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take figurine with tongs" | ||
| CF | (first taking the fire tongs from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You pick up the purple-eyed figurine with the fire tongs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put it in vise" | ||
| CF | (the purple-eyed figurine) | ||
| CF | (first opening the vise) | ||
| CF | You turn the crank, and the jaws of the vise separate. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close vise" | ||
| CF | As you tighten the vise, the figurine begins to writhe. Its tiny arms | ||
| CF | and legs windmill frantically, its eyes bulge, and a terrible high | ||
| CF | keening sound escapes from it. You continue, remorseless. A moment | ||
| CF | later, with a loud crunching noise, the figurine shatters, and some | ||
| CF | harmless gray dust sifts to the floor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | By a Farm | ||
| CF | The east/west road passes close by the front gate of a trashy-looking | ||
| CF | farm. Two large, smirking farm boys are lounging by the gate, chewing | ||
| CF | lengths of grass and looking at you in a keen and unhealthy way. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show coin to boys" | ||
| CF | "Hello again," you say, trying to sound cheerful. "I'm back." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Was she gone?" the smaller boy says. "I din't notice." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hold out the coin. "I found this. Would you take it as a trade | ||
| CF | for the compass?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Both boys' eyes widen as they stare at the coin. "Gotta be a fake," | ||
| CF | the smaller boy says, but the other one nudges him hard and whispers | ||
| CF | harshly in his ear. You hear the scraps of a few words - "double | ||
| CF | eagle" and "stole it from Old Beauregard." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Aw, okay," the smaller boy says. "We'll take it." In a moment the | ||
| CF | deal is done: The boys have the gold coin, and you have the compass. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "allegedly the map should be clearer now?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x map" | ||
| CF | The piece of paper is creased and dog-eared. One edge is badly | ||
| CF | charred. The map is crudely drawn. The network of squiggles and | ||
| CF | scribbled legends seems to show the locations of a number of bayous, | ||
| CF | islands, and sandbars. Near one edge is an irregular little square | ||
| CF | marked "Eternal Springs." In another corner is a circle with an arrow | ||
| CF | pointing upward out of it; the arrow is marked "N." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "ah good deal" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf37" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put compass and poker in sack" | ||
| CF | compass: Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | poker: The poker is already in the burlap sack. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Knowing the boys are likely to make fun of anything you say, you just | ||
| CF | turn and walk away without saying goodbye. As you walk away, you hear | ||
| CF | the boys snickering about something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger exclaims, "for the horrid record, apparently the alternate Luisa method is: drop the egg on the floor of the kitchen to make a mess, then tell Luisa about it, so she has to leave to clean it up. Jim!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of a Shack | ||
| CF | A slant-roofed, sagging shack stands here. There might have been a bit | ||
| CF | of vegetable garden beside it at one time, but all that's left now is a | ||
| CF | jumble of weeds and rusting junk. The large passenger van belonging to | ||
| CF | the resort stands in front of the shack, its hood up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Tyrone is standing hunched over the van's engine, peering down into the | ||
| CF | innards. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go south to the open area behind the cabins, northwest along | ||
| CF | the gravel driveway, north to the back door of the main house, or | ||
| CF | northeast on a path that leads around the corner of the house. An | ||
| CF | overgrown brick walkway leads east along the side of the nearest cabin. | ||
| CF | The shack itself is to the west from this spot, and the garden beside | ||
| CF | it is to the southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I was wondering what the egg was for." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The path meanders eastward along the shore of the swamp. Shortly the | ||
| CF | shore curves away southward, and you find yourself in a broad meadow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Meadow | ||
| CF | A few trees, tall and old but gnarled, reach up out of the long grass | ||
| CF | of this meadow like grasping bony fingers, tattered streamers of moss | ||
| CF | and vine trailing from their crooked branches. The meadow is bordered | ||
| CF | on the south by the swamp and on the north by an intimidating | ||
| CF | barbed-wire fence, and continues for some distance to the east. The | ||
| CF | path along the edge of the swamp runs westward from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Standing in the center of the meadow is a large, rough block of black | ||
| CF | stone. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "olly olly oxen free" | ||
| CF | At first it seems your silly shouting will go unanswered, but then | ||
| CF | Lydia comes toward you from among the trees. "I hope you found | ||
| CF | everything we need," she says. "Show me what you've found. I can't | ||
| CF | wait to get away from here." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show map to lydia" | ||
| CF | (first taking the map of the swamp from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | When Lydia sees that the map is no longer squirming, she claps her | ||
| CF | hands. "Well done! But you still have to find the compass and the key | ||
| CF | to the boat shed. When you find those, come back here and show them to | ||
| CF | me, and we'll be ready to go." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show compass to lydia" | ||
| CF | (first taking the compass from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | "Oh, that's wonderful! I'll bet you sweet-talked those nasty farm boys | ||
| CF | into giving it to you. Now all you need to do is find the key to the | ||
| CF | boat shed, and we can go." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show key to lydia" | ||
| CF | Which key do you mean, the shiny key, or the key to Cabin One? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shiny" | ||
| CF | (first taking the shiny key from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | "Oh, that's wonderful! That's the key to the boat shed, isn't it? So | ||
| CF | you have everything we need, right - the key, the compass, and the map. | ||
| CF | What are we waiting for? Let's go!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Lydia walks along beside you. You follow the path westward, back to | ||
| CF | Eternal Springs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Shore of the Swamp | ||
| CF | The brackish, oily, unpleasant waters of the swamp stretch south from | ||
| CF | here. Large trees festooned with slimy green creepers stand in the | ||
| CF | water. To the west is a shed, to the east a path along the shore. The | ||
| CF | cabins are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wanting to hurry along, so as not to catch another | ||
| CF | glimpse, even out of the corner of your eye, of the terrible | ||
| CF | swamp-thing you saw - or imagined you saw - before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is standing close by. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Lydia walks beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia looks at you expectantly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "maybe save?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf38" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "unlock door with shiny key" | ||
| CF | Unlocked. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first opening the boat shed door) | ||
| CF | Lydia trails along behind. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. There's also a | ||
| CF | narrow catwalk that runs along the west wall, to the southwest from | ||
| CF | where you're standing. At the end of the catwalk is a large | ||
| CF | cylindrical mechanism from which a chain runs up toward the roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Two boats are tied up here - a small rowboat on the west side of the | ||
| CF | dock and a much bigger and sleeker power boat on the east side. The | ||
| CF | far wall of the shed is a large door through which the boats must be | ||
| CF | meant to pass in and out. At the moment the door is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia takes a quick look around. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | You close the boat shed door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia looks around at the interior of the boat shed. "It's nice and | ||
| CF | shady in here," she says. "I'm not so used to the bright sunshine. I | ||
| CF | think it would be safer for me to wait here for you - I mean, if you | ||
| CF | have to go get anything else before we can leave. Do you think we'll | ||
| CF | need anything else? I'm trying to think if there's anything." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "lock it" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I hope we're almost ready to go," Lydia says. "What are we waiting | ||
| CF | for?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I feel like... I'm worried about a boat chase." | |
| MoyTW asks, "Did we crush the figurine?" | ||
| Roger says (to Moy), "yeah" | ||
| MoyTW says, "k" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the front of | ||
| CF | the boat shed; south; and southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes around nervously at the gloomy interior of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | As you start in that direction, suddenly both of the boats erupt in | ||
| CF | boiling gouts of flame. The heat beats against your face, and you | ||
| CF | cover your face with your hands and stagger backward. Bitter smoke | ||
| CF | fills your nostrils, and even through your hands and eyelids you can | ||
| CF | see the seething flames. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | But then the heat is gone, the blood-red light recedes. When you open | ||
| CF | your eyes, the boats haven't been consumed by fire. They're rocking | ||
| CF | serenely in the water, just as they were before. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia cries out. "Did you see that? Oh, it's horrible. But I | ||
| CF | remember now. The same thing happened to me before - the first time I | ||
| CF | tried to steal a boat, back before they ... did what they did to me. | ||
| CF | That awful creature is trying everything it can to keep us from getting | ||
| CF | away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Now be quiet and let me think a minute. It's all so hazy, but I'm | ||
| CF | trying to remember. Somehow I made the horrid visions stop, so I could | ||
| CF | get in the boat." She fiddles with her hair as she frowns in | ||
| CF | concentration. "There was an old man, I remember now. An old colored | ||
| CF | man. He was very kindly. He ... he gave me a little cloth sack with | ||
| CF | some dried leaves in it. He told me, 'If you ever get so frightened | ||
| CF | you can't go another step, chew up one of these, it will give you | ||
| CF | heart.' | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I think - I'm not sure, but I think I hid that little sack somewhere | ||
| CF | around here. Or maybe not here, I don't think they had a shed for the | ||
| CF | boats then. It might have been in the house." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You tell her you can't imagine a little sack would still be wherever | ||
| CF | she left it all those years ago. It's bound to be long gone by now. | ||
| CF | She frowns in exasperation. "Don't be such a wet blanket. Let me | ||
| CF | think. I ... that's what it was. I hid in the cellar while they were | ||
| CF | all running around looking for me. I'm almost sure that's what I did. | ||
| CF | I found this little cranny I could crawl into, down in the cellar, and | ||
| CF | that's where I left the sack with the leaves. Well, stop looking at me | ||
| CF | like that. It won't hurt you to go look, will it? If the sack isn't | ||
| CF | there, we're as good as dead." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You tell her you'd rather she came with you. She might remember more | ||
| CF | when she sees the cellar. But she says, "No, I don't feel safe running | ||
| CF | all around in broad daylight. You go. They won't think anything if | ||
| CF | they see you. It's somewhere in the cellar, that's all I know. If | ||
| CF | it's anywhere, I mean." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia kneels and dips her fingers in the water. "Ick!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Well sure, game. Last-minute fetch quest. Fine." | |
| DavidW says, "And our flashlight doesn't work." | ||
| Roger says, "one last kick in the crotch for good measure" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | (first opening the boat shed door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Behind the Cabins | ||
| CF | The open area behind the western row of cabins is thinly carpeted with | ||
| CF | scruffy, dusty weeds. A large, rusted incinerator stands in the middle | ||
| CF | of the open space. A scraggly tree has set down roots quite close to | ||
| CF | the leftmost of the three cabins whose rear walls form a barrier to the | ||
| CF | east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | To the south is the shed at the edge of the swamp. You can go north to | ||
| CF | the area in front of the run-down shack, where the motel's dusty van is | ||
| CF | parked. The overgrown, junk-strewn garden beside the shack is to the | ||
| CF | west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | As you're about to head toward the area at the front of Tyrone's shack, | ||
| CF | you happen to glance up from your study of the dirt and weeds just in | ||
| CF | time to notice that Reverend Gillespie and Aunt Caroline are standing | ||
| CF | in front of the shack with two of the armed men you saw earlier in the | ||
| CF | temple - or at least, two men who look a lot like them. The men have | ||
| CF | automatic rifles slung over their shoulders. Gillespie is waving his | ||
| CF | arms as he talks to them. They haven't looked in this direction yet, | ||
| CF | but clearly something bad is going on. If they see you (or, worse, | ||
| CF | Lydia), there's just bound to be big trouble. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | Up a Tree | ||
| CF | From this perch in the midst of the scraggly tree, you can't see much. | ||
| CF | The area behind the cabins is obscured by foliage. However, you're | ||
| CF | quite close to the rear wall of Cabin Four, and have a close view of | ||
| CF | the cabin's bathroom window, which is open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | With only a little effort, you're able to shimmy through the window | ||
| CF | feet-first and thump down on the floor of the bathroom. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Bathroom | ||
| CF | The tiny, cramped bathroom features a narrow shower stall, a minuscule, | ||
| CF | rust-stained sink above which is a cracked, flyspecked mirror, and a | ||
| CF | commode. The towels stacked on the rack are thin, frayed at the edges, | ||
| CF | and probably none too clean. The small square window is open, but it | ||
| CF | provides no view and not much light either, as a tree has grown up | ||
| CF | quite close to the outside wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The door to the cabin is in the east wall. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cabin Four | ||
| CF | The interior of Cabin Four is much like Cabin Five, except that it has | ||
| CF | a big double bed in place of the twin beds. Also, there's no carpet, | ||
| CF | just a bare linoleum floor, which is peeling up in the corners. The | ||
| CF | plaster is water-stained, the wallpaper suffering from minor rips and | ||
| CF | tears. A gaudy, poorly executed painting of a Southern belle in a hoop | ||
| CF | skirt fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang across | ||
| CF | the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lying on the floor beside the bed is a leather valise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move bed" | ||
| CF | The bed is very heavy, but by throwing your weight into it you're able | ||
| CF | to push it to one side, uncovering the trapdoor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open trapdoor" | ||
| CF | Opened. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's standing open. A dark | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the dark | ||
| CF | It's pitch black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "shake flashlight" | ||
| CF | You see no flashlight here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's standing open. A dark | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x flashlight" | ||
| CF | The flashlight is small and red. The lens is cracked. There's a | ||
| CF | switch on the top and a battery compartment on the underside. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Expertly done." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it on" | ||
| CF | The flashlight is already switched on (but not emitting any light, | ||
| CF | unfortunately). | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it off" | ||
| CF | You switch off the flashlight, but since it wasn't lighted, nothing | ||
| CF | changes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it on" | ||
| CF | You flip the switch, but nothing happens. The batteries are probably | ||
| CF | dead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Hrm." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it off" | ||
| CF | You switch off the flashlight, but since it wasn't lighted, nothing | ||
| CF | changes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Now what?" | |
| Roger says, "maybe see if we can go in the long way without getting caught, I guess" | ||
| Roger says, "this was a good idea though" | ||
| DavidW says, "It's dark whichever way one enters in." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tunnel" | ||
| CF | The word "tunnel" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the dark | ||
| CF | It's pitch black. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hide" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch ground" | ||
| CF | You feel nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "touch walls" | ||
| CF | You see no walls here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "smell" | ||
| CF | You smell nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "what, even over by the vice" | |
| Roger asks, "?" | ||
| DavidW says, "No, east of the vice." | ||
| Roger says, "Ot" | ||
| Roger says, "err it's a big cellar; could be anywhere" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm guessing the candle was not the (only) solution here, given the mask puzzle." | ||
| DavidW says, "Perhaps I failed to turn the flashlight off the once and doomed us all." | ||
| DavidW says, "Maybe if we whistle, the monkey will bring us Jessie's heart to see by." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "hint" | ||
| CF | Hints | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. General Questions | ||
| CF | 2. In the House | ||
| CF | 3. The Figurines | ||
| CF | 4. Beyond the Stone Slab | ||
| CF | 5. The Great Escape | ||
| CF | 6. The Endgame | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "6" | ||
| CF | 6 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The Endgame | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | 1. Okay, I found the tunnel, but it's dark down there, and the | ||
| CF | flashlight is dead. | ||
| CF | 2. Now I'm back in the cellar, but I can't find the thing Lydia sent me | ||
| CF | for. | ||
| CF | 3. How can I open the big door at the south end of the boat shed? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Select a topic number, or press 'p' for the previous menu or 'q' to | ||
| CF | quit: | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "1" | ||
| CF | 1 | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Okay, I found the tunnel, but it's dark down there, and the flashlight | ||
| CF | is dead. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Press the space bar to display the next line, 'P' to go to the previous | ||
| CF | menu, or 'Q' to quit. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | There are no more batteries for the flashlight. [1/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | Another light source might be found near the entrance to the tunnel. | ||
| CF | [2/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW pushes the green 'space' button. | ||
| CF | You may have looked in the closet in Cabin Four earlier, and found | ||
| CF | nothing. Look again. [3/5] | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "q" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | It's too dark; you can't see where you're going. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's standing open. A dark | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | Cabin Four | ||
| CF | The interior of Cabin Four is much like Cabin Five, except that it has | ||
| CF | a big double bed in place of the twin beds. Also, there's no carpet, | ||
| CF | just a bare linoleum floor, which is peeling up in the corners. The | ||
| CF | bed has been pushed to one side, revealing a trapdoor set in the floor. | ||
| CF | The plaster is water-stained, the wallpaper suffering from minor rips | ||
| CF | and tears. A gaudy, poorly executed painting of a Southern belle in a | ||
| CF | hoop skirt fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang | ||
| CF | across the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lying on the floor beside the bed is a leather valise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Closet | ||
| CF | The interior of the closet is a dim and cramped little box. It smells | ||
| CF | powerfully of mold. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a laptop computer here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "oh of course" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take computer" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "..." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Cabin Four | ||
| CF | The interior of Cabin Four is much like Cabin Five, except that it has | ||
| CF | a big double bed in place of the twin beds. Also, there's no carpet, | ||
| CF | just a bare linoleum floor, which is peeling up in the corners. The | ||
| CF | bed has been pushed to one side, revealing a trapdoor set in the floor. | ||
| CF | The plaster is water-stained, the wallpaper suffering from minor rips | ||
| CF | and tears. A gaudy, poorly executed painting of a Southern belle in a | ||
| CF | hoop skirt fails to add cheer to the room. Tattered curtains hang | ||
| CF | across the window, which is to the left of the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The dresser stands against the west wall, near the door of the | ||
| CF | bathroom. There's a walk-in closet on the south side of the room, and | ||
| CF | the door of the cabin is to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lying on the floor beside the bed is a leather valise. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "d" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's standing open. A dark | ||
| CF | tunnel extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn on computer" | ||
| CF | You can't see any on/off switch. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger asks, "open it?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x laptop" | ||
| CF | The miniature laptop is small, flat, rectangular, and pale gray. A | ||
| CF | little thumb-push thingie at the front of the lid allows it to be | ||
| CF | opened when it's shut. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open it" | ||
| CF | You flip up the laptop's top. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn it on" | ||
| CF | You switch on the laptop. After a moment, its screen begins to emit a | ||
| CF | cheerful blue glow. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In a Low Tunnel | ||
| CF | This low, earthy-smelling tunnel is no more than four feet high. The | ||
| CF | dirt floor is uneven, and the ceiling seems to be held up by a few | ||
| CF | crooked, widely spaced beams. The tunnel runs from north to south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x beams" | ||
| CF | The beams are holding up the uneven dirt roof of the tunnel. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search beams" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the beams. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search clutter" | ||
| CF | Prowling nervously among the dim and dusty shapes, you spot a darker | ||
| CF | patch in the wall. At first it seems to be only a shadow, but on | ||
| CF | closer inspection it turns out to be a hole in the wall that's just | ||
| CF | about big enough to crawl into. You never would have found it if Lydia | ||
| CF | hadn't told you to look for it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter hole" | ||
| CF | Okay, you're now standing in the spooky hole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look" | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar (standing in the spooky hole) | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger exclaims, "okay!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search hole" | ||
| CF | As you grope around in the filth, your fingers close on a little cloth | ||
| CF | pouch! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pouch" | ||
| CF | The cloth pouch is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. | ||
| CF | There's a drawstring around the mouth, with which the pouch can be | ||
| CF | opened and closed. It's closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Race back to the boathouse?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | (the spooky hole) | ||
| CF | Okay, you're no longer in the spooky hole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In a Low Tunnel | ||
| CF | This low, earthy-smelling tunnel is no more than four feet high. The | ||
| CF | dirt floor is uneven, and the ceiling seems to be held up by a few | ||
| CF | crooked, widely spaced beams. The tunnel runs from north to south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "finally, Lydia's joint of bravery" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Below the Trapdoor | ||
| CF | This earth-walled chamber is so low you can't stand up straight. | ||
| CF | There's a square trapdoor in the ceiling; it's closed. A dark tunnel | ||
| CF | extends away to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to Roger), "haha" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close laptop" | ||
| CF | You snap down the lid of the laptop, and the glow from its screen | ||
| CF | vanishes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | Roger says, "so long forever and I'm keeping your laptopppppp" | |
| CF | (first trying to open the trapdoor) | ||
| CF | You hear the voices of several men almost directly overhead. They're | ||
| CF | arguing with one another. No way are you going to let them know you're | ||
| CF | down here! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Let's get out of this hellhole." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open laptop" | ||
| CF | You flip up the laptop's top, and the cheerful blue glow of the screen | ||
| CF | shines forth. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In a Low Tunnel | ||
| CF | This low, earthy-smelling tunnel is no more than four feet high. The | ||
| CF | dirt floor is uneven, and the ceiling seems to be held up by a few | ||
| CF | crooked, widely spaced beams. The tunnel runs from north to south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Deeper in the Cellar | ||
| CF | This side of the cellar is cluttered with large, dusty, cobwebbed | ||
| CF | objects, which are draped with soiled drop cloths. Most likely it's | ||
| CF | old furniture, but in the fitful light the clutter is deeply shadowed | ||
| CF | and rather ominous-looking. A large shipping trunk squats prominently | ||
| CF | at the front of the jumble of clutter. Though it's difficult to make | ||
| CF | out in the pervading gloom, there appears to be an even darker patch in | ||
| CF | the south wall, possibly the opening of a tunnel. The door to the | ||
| CF | better lit side of the cellar is to the west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tar barrel lid and a pool of tar here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Gillesipie, your aunt, and the armed men are still standing in front of | ||
| CF | the shack. They still haven't noticed you lurking here, but it | ||
| CF | wouldn't be safe to go any further north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tar barrel lid and a pool of tar here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "u" | ||
| CF | The Top of the Stairs | ||
| CF | This flimsy wooden platform overlooks the cellar. Stairs lead downward | ||
| CF | to the west, and there's a door to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | (first opening the door) | ||
| CF | As you're about to waltz through the door at the top of the stairs, you | ||
| CF | hear loud voices on the other side - Honey Hartwell, sounding shrill, | ||
| CF | and the voices of men with Hispanic accents. They're talking about | ||
| CF | you! "She stole it and smashed it," Honey declares. "You have to find | ||
| CF | her before she gets away, or it's all spoiled!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Is there an escape route I've missed?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Well, darn it." | ||
| DavidW says, "hold on" | ||
| Roger asks, "hmmm maybe we can finally get through the horrid brambles?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Cellar | ||
| CF | The cellar is low-ceilinged and grimy, with an irregular concrete floor | ||
| CF | and cobwebs that droop from the exposed rafters. The vague light comes | ||
| CF | from a couple of tiny windows and the door to the driveway. Along an | ||
| CF | inner wall is a workbench. The door to the driveway is to the west, a | ||
| CF | doorway opens eastward on absolute darkness, and a staircase against | ||
| CF | the north wall leads upward. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A black tar barrel is lying here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a tar barrel lid and a pool of tar here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Gravel Driveway | ||
| CF | The gravel driveway runs behind the big house, which looms over you to | ||
| CF | the east. At the north end the driveway passes through a high hedge, | ||
| CF | and at the south it opens out into an area in front of a shack, where a | ||
| CF | dusty van is parked. A pair of low doors angles out from the | ||
| CF | foundation of the house at this spot. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see a dead possum here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | A narrow, bumpy ribbon of blacktop runs east and west at this spot. To | ||
| CF | the south, a gravel driveway leads off through some tall bushes. | ||
| CF | Standing - or rather, leaning - next to the driveway is a sign that | ||
| CF | says, "Eternal Springs." The north side of the road is impassable due | ||
| CF | to a nasty-looking thicket of berry bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "..." | |
| Roger says, "because why not, game" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x twigs" | ||
| CF | The twigs are scattered in a random pattern. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your face is itching because of the heat and dust. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search twigs" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the scatter of twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A snake slithers away into the underbrush. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x map" | ||
| CF | The piece of paper is creased and dog-eared. One edge is badly | ||
| CF | charred. The map is crudely drawn. The network of squiggles and | ||
| CF | scribbled legends seems to show the locations of a number of bayous, | ||
| CF | islands, and sandbars. Near one edge is an irregular little square | ||
| CF | marked "Eternal Springs." In another corner is a circle with an arrow | ||
| CF | pointing upward out of it; the arrow is marked "N." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The heavy scrawwkkk! of a crow is so loud it makes you jump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take twigs" | ||
| CF | There's no reason to load yourself down with a mess of dry twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Is it your imagination, or are the thorns larger than they were a | ||
| CF | minute ago? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hear rustling, skittering noises in the depths of the thicket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Roger says, "we had so much fun with the previous maze" | |
| DavidW asks, "Is this a maze we need to map?" | ||
| Roger says, "that would be my guess" | ||
| DavidW says, "If so, I don't know if I'm up to doing that right now." | ||
| Roger says, "just making sure there's no residual goodwill left for this game at all" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We've been going quite a while." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Yeah." | ||
| DavidW says, "This has been nearly a four-hour session." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yeah. I don't like this game. I vote next time we just hint our way through it, if we want to finish." | ||
| DavidW says, "no, five hours" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Four hours." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "But yeah." | ||
| Roger says, "surely the end is near, next week" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Let's break for this week." | ||
| DavidW says, "ok, it is four. Hard to remember numbers in my head." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Man." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "save" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | Roger says, "Well-done, team, for keeping it together" | |
| MoyTW says, "Sounds good to me. This sure is a game." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cflydiasbrambles" | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "It is indeed a game." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Good job everyone - especially David." | ||
| DavidW says, "thanks. Sorry I was getting testy in the last few hours." | ||
| Jacqueline gives David a hug. | ||
| DavidW says, "I just KNEAD to HOLD ON a little longer." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Thanks for driving, David." | ||
| MoyTW says, "hahaha..." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh my god you did not just say that" | ||
| Jacqueline laughs. | ||
| DavidW says, "And to think the handkerchief was the easiest part of today's session." | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "I really ought to log off. Thanks, and good night!" | ||
| Knight_Otu goes home. | ||
| MoyTW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | MoyTW says, "Same, thanks all." | |
| DavidW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | DavidW says, "yes, thanks all" | |
| *** SESSION NINE *** | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Oh, we do not yet have a David." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "So it seems." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "And here I was, frantically rushing." | ||
| Knight_Otu asks, "That eager for a maze?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Hope he's doing okay." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Aw, snap. I'd forgotten about the maze." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to MoyTW), "Most likely he is sleeping." | ||
| Roger says, "I'm sure I saw him around earlier this morning" | ||
| Roger says, "but maybe that was late last night" | ||
| Roger says, "I'm not up to this game without him, I don't think" | ||
| MoyTW exclaims, "Hahahaha. Also it'd feel bad to cut out the end for him!" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "If he doesn't seem to show, maybe pick something fast and do that and come back next week?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We could either pick something fast or (my preference) just chill, hang out, give him a half hour to an hour (he has accidentally laid down for a nap and then joined us up to an hour in with apologies before...)." | ||
| Roger says, "I'm fine with that also" | ||
| MoyTW says, "No objections." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I would kind of prefer to not do a short game, because if he shows up then I want to jump on our conclusion." | ||
| Roger says, "I'm not sure I can put my finger on any specific about this game that isn't fun and yet I'm not really finding it entertaining" | ||
| MoyTW says, "This game is like...my least-favorite kind of game. So." | ||
| MoyTW exclaims, "Hey at least it had me laughing a lot with the kneading thing!" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "I'm ... I guess we have enough time invested that I want to see it through and I am curious to watch the ending. But yeah, this has been like a very-slow-roll Riff Trax of a somewhat Manos Hands of Fate type story." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Like, not actually funny, but just weird and wtf and seriously and ... yeah" | ||
| Roger says, "yeah it's a bit too kitchen-sinky in both the story stuff and also the puzzle stuff" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Funny in a way, but not intentionally funny, while also being creepy af. And I'm still weirded out by the HEY NOW WE'RE INANOTHER DIMENSION OR SOMETHING section that came out of kinda nowhere." | ||
| MoyTW says, "I actually found the story pretty okay? like not, great, but it does do a good job of cultivating an aura of "wtf" and "oh god no". Just the gameplay, wowee! Onenna those thing's that's Not For Me." | ||
| Jacqueline asks, "Do you mean in that it's more cruel than it needs to be for plot advancement?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Hmm, "needs" is subjective? The plot isn't, on its own, a particularly scary plot." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, ">HOLD UP BUCKET." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Whoa I just noticed my client tells you how long your session's been. Apparently I've left this running for seven days." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Well, it's... it's on such a slow roll that it's not scary (god, can you imagine if this was on an actual turn-clock instead of a plot-clock??), but the overall plot is creepy. It may seem creepier because I was once a young teenage girl, though." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah. You can see that if you type 'who MoyTW'" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "I think you could, like, reframe the game so it has an adventure-serial tone while keeping the same plot? and rewriting literally every piece of text?" | ||
| MoyTW says, "See I'm trying to think of a similar plot with an adventure tone and I keep thinking of that one Indiana Jones scene so I can't actually come up with an example." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Hm. What's an 'adventure-serial' tone? Like, TUNE IN NEXT WEEK TO SEE IF YOU DIE? Because I've felt that way every week." | ||
| Roger says, "It reminds me a bit, on a different scale, of The Island / Logan's Run / hey we're clone organ banks" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "I'm thinkin', like, Young Indiana Jones? but I'm pretty sure I've literally never read Young Indiana Jones and have no idea what that tone is. That...exists, right?" | ||
| Roger says, "on a smaller scale, Harry Potter was going to get sacrificed a few times now I think" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Was he or was he just gonna get, like. Murdered." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Young Indiana Jones exists, but it's a bit too campy for the tone Aiken's going for here, I suspect." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, but HP is also different." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "HP was going to be murdered to get him out of the way, because he's a hero." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Our PC is getting murdered not because she's the chosen one or anyone special, but just because selfish desperate people need a young girl's heart." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "The latter is worse, imo" | ||
| MoyTW says, "Yeah. Also the game, like, is frustrating to play? so, if I read it in short story form maybe I'd feel differently." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "That's fair." | ||
| Roger says, "a great game along similar lines is Taco Fiction" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "This game is an interesting blend of actually cruel, not cruel but very frustrating, and seemingly cruel but it's a facade and it's actually patient and forgiving. You just never quite know which you're dealing with in the moment." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Hmm is there a way to set up an automapper with the online interpreter thing or, like, do I need to...download...something." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Oh Taco Fiction's Veeder, huh. Hmm." | ||
| Roger says, "it might be more fun if the PC was one of the regretful cultists who was trying to figure out a clever way to save the girl without dooming themselves" | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "Who knows? Maybe that sequel is already in the works!" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "'Sequel' in the way that 'American Horror Story' seasons are sequels (i.e. they are not, it's just the same people, different story)." | ||
| DavidW has arrived. | MoyTW says, "The ratings on IFDB are 4/5, which is pretty high, isn't it? I wonder if there's a very strong selection effect at work here." | |
| DavidW says, "I'm awake. Sorry sorry sorry" | ||
| MoyTW says, "'allo there David." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims (at DW), "!" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Late, y'all. I'm going to use my ability to predict the future to play the stock market and lottery." | ||
| DavidW says, "I went back to bed instead of getting breakfast and overslept." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Okay these reviews all seem to mention *liking* the puzzles. So." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "LateR. Dammit, typo." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to MoyTW), "Yeah, people are weird. They like puzzles. That's why I hang out with weird friends like you all, so that I can experience games that I would not otherwise have the patience for." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Which brings us to... today's MAZE" | ||
| DavidW asks, "Did you play?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Nope" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "We were too scared of the evil maze." | ||
| DavidW says, "oh boy" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We waited ofr you. Yeah. We were scared." | ||
| DavidW asks, "Can you wait a smidge longer so I can visit the bathroom?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Mrmhrm." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Absolutely." | ||
| Jacqueline gets ClubFloyd Pass 09. | ||
| Jacqueline disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | ||
| Jacqueline has arrived. | * Jacqueline has added za3k to the channel. | |
| za3k has arrived. | MoyTW says, "Oh, 'allo." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Hey, y'all please welcom za3k, who knows we're in the middle of a long game, but wants to observe and stuff." | ||
| za3k waves | Knight_Otu says, "Hey there." | |
| Jacqueline says (to za3k), "So the main thing is that, to keep our transcript tidy, you should speak or emote on the channel." | ||
| DavidW says, "back" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "If you need help with channels, let us know." | ||
| za3k waves on the channel | ||
| Jacqueline says (to za3k), "Yay" | ||
| DavidW says, "okay. I'm logging and I have a clipboard of blank paper." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "look" | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something is crawling on your pants. You brush it off hurriedly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW says, "I plan to just drop objects one-per-room" | |
| Knight_Otu says, "Sure." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf39" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a teaspoon, a wooden | ||
| CF | bucket, a juice glass, a pill bottle, some faded photographs, a | ||
| CF | flashlight, a croquet hoop, a partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, | ||
| CF | a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old | ||
| CF | shovel, the key to Cabin One, a screwdriver, a brown envelope, a | ||
| CF | fishing pole (to which a fish hook has been tied), and a poker), a | ||
| CF | cigar box, some fire tongs, a map of the swamp, a compass, a shiny key, | ||
| CF | a laptop computer (providing light), and a little cloth pouch. You're | ||
| CF | wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're not entirely sure you haven't lost your sense of direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drop pill bottle" | ||
| CF | (first taking the pill bottle from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | Better not drop anything in the thicket. If you do, you may never find | ||
| CF | it again ... and there's no telling what you might need before the | ||
| CF | afternoon is over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wondering whether trying to find a path through the | ||
| CF | thicket might have been a mistake. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Hahahahaha." | |
| Knight_Otu says, "..." | ||
| DavidW says, "okay. Let's back out." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hear rustling, skittering noises in the depths of the thicket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something is crawling in your hair. You brush it off hurriedly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW exclaims, "Aikin's on to your tricksy ways!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "listen to thicket" | ||
| CF | You hear nothing out of the ordinary. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "crawl" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x twigs" | ||
| CF | The twigs are scattered in a random pattern. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take twigs" | ||
| CF | There's no reason to load yourself down with a mess of dry twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "count twigs" | ||
| CF | The word "count" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to za3k), "We're playing Lydia's Heart, which is a story about a bunch of desperate people who have all gathered for a terrible dark rite in which they plan to sacrifice a young girl and have a demon take her heart. And we are that girl, and we've been working (all day in game time, for weeks now in real time) to figure out how to escape." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pattern" | ||
| CF | You see no pattern here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x paths" | ||
| CF | The word "paths" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large black fly buzzes straight at your face, then zips away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x twigs" | ||
| CF | The twigs are scattered in a random pattern. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a faint breath of breeze, the heavier branches of the thicket clack | ||
| CF | together like dried bones. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move twigs" | ||
| CF | Nudging the twigs around at random with your toe, you find that you've | ||
| CF | accidentally formed the shape of the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you turn this way and that, searching for the right path, a vicious | ||
| CF | thorn that you hadn't noticed scrapes your forearm, drawing a bead of | ||
| CF | blood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x twigs" | ||
| CF | The twigs are arranged in the shape of the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "l" | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a faint breath of breeze, the heavier branches of the thicket clack | ||
| CF | together like dried bones. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Is it your imagination, or are the thorns larger than they were a | ||
| CF | minute ago? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move twigs" | ||
| CF | Nudging the twigs around at random with your toe, you find that you've | ||
| CF | accidentally formed the shape of the letter V. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something is crawling in your hair. You brush it off hurriedly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move twigs" | ||
| CF | Nudging the twigs around at random with your toe, you find that you've | ||
| CF | accidentally formed the shape of the letter R. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wondering whether trying to find a path through the | ||
| CF | thicket might have been a mistake. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter R. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large black fly buzzes straight at your face, then zips away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something is crawling on your pants. You brush it off hurriedly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move twigs" | ||
| CF | Nudging the twigs around at random with your toe, you find that you've | ||
| CF | accidentally formed the shape of the letter U. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hear rustling, skittering noises in the depths of the thicket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I 'love' a maze." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you turn this way and that, searching for the right path, a vicious | ||
| CF | thorn that you hadn't noticed scrapes your forearm, drawing a bead of | ||
| CF | blood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move twigs" | ||
| CF | Nudging the twigs around at random with your toe, you find that you've | ||
| CF | accidentally formed the shape of the letter W. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hear rustling, skittering noises in the depths of the thicket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter U. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your face is itching because of the heat and dust. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter W. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter V. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The heavy scrawwkkk! of a crow is so loud it makes you jump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter W. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're not entirely sure you haven't lost your sense of direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter U. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter W. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter W. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A snake slithers away into the underbrush. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter W. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | As you turn this way and that, searching for the right path, a vicious | ||
| CF | thorn that you hadn't noticed scrapes your forearm, drawing a bead of | ||
| CF | blood. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter V. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're not entirely sure you haven't lost your sense of direction. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter W. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter V. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter V. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A snake slithers away into the underbrush. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A large black fly buzzes straight at your face, then zips away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The heavy scrawwkkk! of a crow is so loud it makes you jump. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter R. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something is crawling in your hair. You brush it off hurriedly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter V. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Is it your imagination, or are the thorns larger than they were a | ||
| CF | minute ago? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter V. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In a faint breath of breeze, the heavier branches of the thicket clack | ||
| CF | together like dried bones. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter V. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter W. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Something is crawling on your pants. You brush it off hurriedly. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Country Road | ||
| CF | The narrow, potholed ribbon of blacktop runs east and west between | ||
| CF | thorny thickets to the north and south. A narrow gap in the shrubbery | ||
| CF | to the south might be wide enough for you to squeeze through. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead south, east down the road, | ||
| CF | and west to the road past the farm. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter P. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hear rustling, skittering noises in the depths of the thicket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter V. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Your face is itching because of the heat and dust. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter R. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You find yourself wondering whether trying to find a path through the | ||
| CF | thicket might have been a mistake. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter U. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | random scatter of dried twigs. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You hear rustling, skittering noises in the depths of the thicket. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "move twigs" | ||
| CF | Nudging the twigs around at random with your toe, you find that you've | ||
| CF | accidentally formed the shape of the letter Z. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | Stumbling and squirming among the brambles, you find that you've | ||
| CF | arrived in.... | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A Thicket of Brambles | ||
| CF | You're in the midst of a tangled thicket of thorny bramble-bushes. You | ||
| CF | have to edge sideways to avoid being impaled on the long, sharp, | ||
| CF | vicious-looking thorns, and it's hardly possible to stand up straight | ||
| CF | for fear you'll tangle your hair in them. Littering the ground is a | ||
| CF | scatter of dried twigs, which have been loosely nudged into a shape | ||
| CF | that resembles the letter Z. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Narrow, twisting paths lead off in all directions. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, ".za3k It's normally not us just watching David solve a maze, I swear. You've just arrived at an awkward time." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pouch" | ||
| CF | The cloth pouch is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. | ||
| CF | There's a drawstring around the mouth, with which the pouch can be | ||
| CF | opened and closed. It's closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | (first opening the boat shed door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. There's also a | ||
| CF | narrow catwalk that runs along the west wall, to the southwest from | ||
| CF | where you're standing. At the end of the catwalk is a large | ||
| CF | cylindrical mechanism from which a chain runs up toward the roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Two boats are tied up here - a small rowboat on the west side of the | ||
| CF | dock and a much bigger and sleeker power boat on the east side. The | ||
| CF | far wall of the shed is a large door through which the boats must be | ||
| CF | meant to pass in and out. At the moment the door is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is standing here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia whispers, "Hurry, hurry! I thought I heard something!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "show pouch to lydia" | ||
| CF | "Oh, you found it! I'm so glad! Are there still any of the leaves in | ||
| CF | it? They must be all dried up by now. If there are any left, we | ||
| CF | should each eat one." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gnaws on a fingernail. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu says, "Whew." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open pouch" | ||
| CF | Opening the little cloth pouch reveals two dry brown leaves. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia says, "I wonder what the world is like now. When we get away, I | ||
| CF | want you to tell me everything." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "WOW YAY" | |
| za3k goes home. | MoyTW exclaims, "Hooray!" | |
| MoyTW says, "Hahaha, that timing." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "give leaf to lydia" | ||
| CF | (first taking the dry brown leaf from the little cloth pouch) | ||
| CF | Lydia takes the leaf from you gratefully and nibbles at it, then stuffs | ||
| CF | it into her mouth and chews. "I haven't had anything to eat in a | ||
| CF | really long time," she says indistinctly. "This tastes sooo good!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "eat leaf" | ||
| CF | (first taking the dry brown leaf from the little cloth pouch) | ||
| CF | You cram the leaf into your mouth and chew vigorously, nearly choking | ||
| CF | on the dry, dusty, bitter taste. You suffer a momentary spasm of fear | ||
| CF | - you don't really know Lydia at all. What if she's trying to poison | ||
| CF | you? But it's too late now, and anyway you feel you can trust her. | ||
| CF | You swallow the last bits and cough to clear your throat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes over at the big engine in the stern of the power boat and | ||
| CF | purses her lips thoughtfully. "I'm trying to remember something. Be | ||
| CF | quiet for a minute. Oh, that's what it was! Listen, listen, this is | ||
| CF | incredibly important! The first time, all those years ago, when I | ||
| CF | almost got away, what happened was, they came after me in a motorboat | ||
| CF | and brought me back, and you know what happened after that. It wasn't | ||
| CF | this boat, this one is a lot bigger and shinier, but the same thing | ||
| CF | will happen again if we don't do something. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Isn't there anything you can think of? Maybe we could chop a hole in | ||
| CF | the bottom of it so it would sink." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You tell her you don't have an axe. "Anyway," you add, "chopping a | ||
| CF | hole would make a lot of noise. Somebody would be bound to hear." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Well, there just has to be some way to do it! You're much cleverer | ||
| CF | than I am. You've got to think." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline asks, "Wait, should we undo and save?" | |
| Jacqueline asks, "Or just save now?" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf40" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x boat" | ||
| CF | Which boat do you mean, the power boat, or the rowboat? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "power boat" | ||
| CF | The power boat is freshly painted red and white, and is about twenty | ||
| CF | feet long, with a muscular-looking outboard motor mounted at the stern. | ||
| CF | The boat sits high in the water, its bow pointed south, toward the big | ||
| CF | door. You could probably scramble up into it from the dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close door" | ||
| CF | You close the boat shed door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "lock it" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing on the dock) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. Standing on the | ||
| CF | dock, you can step into the power boat that's tied up on the east side, | ||
| CF | or into the rowboat on the west side. The threshold of the shed and | ||
| CF | the door by which you entered are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia moves out onto the dock beside you and peers curiously into the | ||
| CF | boats. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Hm. I had this vision of Lydia being an ancient (or at least, like, Victorian/Edwardian ghost... not from a time of motorboats." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter motor boat" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing in the power boat) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. The dock is to | ||
| CF | the west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The power boat rocks gently. The controls on the dashboard in front of | ||
| CF | you are gleaming and incomprehensible. At the rear of the boat is | ||
| CF | mounted a large outboard motor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is standing on the dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x motor" | ||
| CF | The outboard motor is as big as a small refrigerator. It's mounted on | ||
| CF | the rear of the boat (which you have a vague idea is called the stern). | ||
| CF | On one side of the motor is a round chrome-covered cap about three | ||
| CF | inches in diameter. If you had to guess, you'd say it's the gas cap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Dump stuff into the gas tank?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "open gas cap" | ||
| CF | You unscrew the gas cap, revealing a round opening that must be the | ||
| CF | fuel intake pipe. The gas cap is attached to the motor by a short | ||
| CF | chain, from which it now dangles. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Wasn't she from the 19somethings?" | |
| Jacqueline says, "Yeah, that's what I meant by Edwardian. I was thinking early early 1900s" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fill bucket" | ||
| CF | (first taking the wooden bucket from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You fill the bucket from the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water in motor" | ||
| CF | The outboard motor is not in need of a bath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "Which, heck, maybe they had power motorboats then" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put water in motor" | ||
| CF | You can't put anything in the outboard motor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put water in gas cap" | ||
| CF | You can't put anything in the gas cap. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline | Historians date the very first motorboat as far back as 1886 | |
| MoyTW asks, "fuel intake pipe?" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Okay, fine." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put water in pipe" | ||
| CF | (first trying to take the water in the bucket from the wooden bucket) | ||
| CF | You can't pick up liquids with your bare hands. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "pour water in pipe" | ||
| CF | The gas intake pipe is not in need of a bath. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says (to MoyTW), "That 'okay fine' was to myself, not you" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x pipe" | ||
| CF | The gas intake pipe is a small round opening that leads down into the | ||
| CF | innards of the outboard motor. It smells strongly of gasoline. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a teaspoon, a juice | ||
| CF | glass, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet hoop, a | ||
| CF | partially crumbled piece of burnt toast, a bad fuse, a sketchbook, a | ||
| CF | stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old shovel, the key to Cabin One, a | ||
| CF | screwdriver, a brown envelope, a fishing pole (to which a fish hook has | ||
| CF | been tied), and a poker), a cigar box, some fire tongs, a map of the | ||
| CF | swamp, a compass, a shiny key, a laptop computer (providing light), a | ||
| CF | little cloth pouch, a pill bottle, and a wooden bucket (which contains | ||
| CF | some water). You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Ha, 's how I read't. Anyways it's gonna be something silly. We're gonna have to siphon it out or something aren't we." | |
| Jacqueline says, "Oh. That's not a great response for trying to put water in the pipe! heehee" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put toast in pipe" | ||
| CF | (first taking the partially crumbled piece of burnt toast from the | ||
| CF | burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You can't put that in the gas intake pipe. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put toast in sack" | ||
| CF | Which sack do you mean, the little cloth pouch, or the burlap sack? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "burlap" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | DavidW asks, "Should we have some salt or sugar or something like that?" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "drain pipe" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "suck pipe" | ||
| CF | The gas intake pipe is not something it would be useful to suck on. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I feel like if that were a thing (salt or sugar) we'd have picked it up." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "siphon tube" | ||
| CF | The story doesn't understand that command. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search pipe" | ||
| CF | The gas intake pipe seems to be empty. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "break chain" | ||
| CF | Breaking that would serve no purpose. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take cap" | ||
| CF | The gas cap is attached to the outboard motor by a short chain, and | ||
| CF | there's no evident means of detaching it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ask lydia about pipe" | ||
| CF | Lydia does not respond. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW says, "Well in order to siphon gas you need tubing." | |
| DavidW says, "I have no tubing that I remember." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x tube" | ||
| CF | You see no tube here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x lkajs" | ||
| CF | The word "lkajs" is not necessary in this story. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x rubber" | ||
| CF | You see no rubber here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | MoyTW asks, "Maybe messing the gas isn't the thing we're trying to do then; look around and see what else is here?" | |
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "i" | ||
| CF | You are carrying a burlap sack (which contains a teaspoon, a juice | ||
| CF | glass, some faded photographs, a flashlight, a croquet hoop, a bad | ||
| CF | fuse, a sketchbook, a stone bracelet, a gold locket, an old shovel, the | ||
| CF | key to Cabin One, a screwdriver, a brown envelope, a fishing pole (to | ||
| CF | which a fish hook has been tied), a poker, and a partially crumbled | ||
| CF | piece of burnt toast), a cigar box, some fire tongs, a map of the | ||
| CF | swamp, a compass, a shiny key, a laptop computer (providing light), a | ||
| CF | little cloth pouch, a pill bottle, and a wooden bucket (which contains | ||
| CF | some water). You're wearing your clothes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x power boat" | ||
| CF | The power boat is freshly painted red and white, and is about twenty | ||
| CF | feet long, with a muscular-looking outboard motor mounted at the stern. | ||
| CF | The boat sits high in the water, its bow pointed south, toward the big | ||
| CF | door. The power boat rocks gently. The controls on the dashboard in | ||
| CF | front of you are gleaming and incomprehensible. At the rear of the | ||
| CF | boat is mounted a large outboard motor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x controls" | ||
| CF | The dashboard of the power boat looks about as easy to operate as the | ||
| CF | bridge of the Starship Enterprise. There are more dials and knobs than | ||
| CF | you can count. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search controls" | ||
| CF | No matter how great the urgency, you find that you're unable to figure | ||
| CF | out any way to operate the controls on the dashboard. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fish" | ||
| CF | To do that, you'd need a fishing pole. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take pole" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "fish" | ||
| CF | There's no suitable body of water nearby. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put pole in burlap" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| za3k has arrived. | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "out" | ||
| CF | What do you want to move out of? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "power boat" | ||
| CF | You can't get out of that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "stand" | ||
| CF | You're already standing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x fuse" | ||
| CF | The fuse is threaded, like the base of a lightbulb without the bulb. | ||
| CF | The flat glass circle on the top of the fuse is dark, as if something | ||
| CF | inside has burned. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| Jacqueline says (to ClubFloyd), "x fuse box" | ||
| CF | You see no fuse box here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads west, back to the | ||
| CF | dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The boat sways as you lever yourself up over the side and out onto the | ||
| CF | dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing on the dock) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. Standing on the | ||
| CF | dock, you can step into the power boat that's tied up on the east side, | ||
| CF | or into the rowboat on the west side. The threshold of the shed and | ||
| CF | the door by which you entered are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is standing here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, to the threshold of | ||
| CF | the boat shed; east, back to the power boat; and west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, to the threshold of | ||
| CF | the boat shed; east, back to the power boat; and west. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x boat" | ||
| CF | Which boat do you mean, the power boat, or the rowboat? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "rowboat" | ||
| CF | The rowboat is barely big enough for two people to sit in. It looks | ||
| CF | old, battered, and more than a little banged-up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter it" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (in the rowboat) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. The dock is to | ||
| CF | the east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rowboat rocks and sways in a way that makes you feel just slightly | ||
| CF | ill. The boat has oarlocks on the sides. A pair of oars is lying in | ||
| CF | the bottom of the boat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some oars here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is standing on the dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia climbs into the rowboat with surprising grace - it rocks only a | ||
| CF | little - and sits down beside you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x oars" | ||
| CF | The oars are lying in the bottom of the boat. They're made of wood, | ||
| CF | and look pretty much the way you'd expect oars to look. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x window" | ||
| CF | You see no window here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | The boat sways as you clamber up onto the dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing on the dock) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. Standing on the | ||
| CF | dock, you can step into the power boat that's tied up on the east side, | ||
| CF | or into the rowboat on the west side. The threshold of the shed and | ||
| CF | the door by which you entered are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I think I'll stay here and wait," Lydia says. "You won't be too long, | ||
| CF | will you?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. There's also a | ||
| CF | narrow catwalk that runs along the west wall, to the southwest from | ||
| CF | where you're standing. At the end of the catwalk is a large | ||
| CF | cylindrical mechanism from which a chain runs up toward the roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Two boats are tied up here - a small rowboat on the west side of the | ||
| CF | dock and a much bigger and sleeker power boat on the east side. The | ||
| CF | far wall of the shed is a large door through which the boats must be | ||
| CF | meant to pass in and out. At the moment the door is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes around nervously at the gloomy interior of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | (first opening the boat shed door) | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | The South End of the Croquet Court | ||
| CF | Two rows of small, dilapidated cabins, three on each side, stand to the | ||
| CF | east and west of this stretch of bare dirt. Several croquet hoops are | ||
| CF | stuck crookedly into the ground at odd spots. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You're standing between Cabin Six (to the west) and Cabin Three (to the | ||
| CF | east). The croquet court continues north from here. To the south, a | ||
| CF | little slope ends at the watery edge of a swamp, and a path to the | ||
| CF | southwest leads toward a good-sized shed that stands at the edge of the | ||
| CF | water. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "nw" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "So, if I were going to disable a power boat, I'd pull fuses, cut wiring, put stuff in the gas tank, steal the keys..." | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | Gillesipie, your aunt, and the armed men are still standing in front of | ||
| CF | the shack. They still haven't noticed you lurking here, but it | ||
| CF | wouldn't be safe to go any further north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the Shack | ||
| CF | This cluttered, low-ceilinged little room is obviously lived in. | ||
| CF | There's a rumpled bed against one wall and a table littered with stuff. | ||
| CF | The door is to the east and the window to the south. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Hanging from one wall is a large, fearsome-looking ebony mask. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x stuff" | ||
| CF | Bits of wood carvings, crumpled junk-food wrappers, small complicated | ||
| CF | metal gadgets that look like they came from disassembled cars and were | ||
| CF | disassembled further after they got here - it's all pretty depressing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search stuff" | ||
| CF | There's nothing unusual in the assortment of junk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | A Garden of Junk | ||
| CF | This may once have been a garden, but now it's just a final resting | ||
| CF | place for junk - lots and lots of junk - and nothing grows here but | ||
| CF | weeds. The falling-down shack stands (if that's the right word) north | ||
| CF | of here, its single square window looking out on the junk. The area | ||
| CF | where the van is parked is to the northeast, and the area behind the | ||
| CF | cabins is east. Off to the southeast stands the shed at the edge of | ||
| CF | the swamp. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The way westward is blocked by an improbably dense thicket of | ||
| CF | bramble-bushes. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "search junk" | ||
| CF | Poking around in the junk, you spot a length of rubber hose. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take hose" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline exclaims, "!" | |
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | In Front of the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | A large shed is built out over the waters of the swamp at this spot. | ||
| CF | The planks of the shed are weathered to a grayish color and the paint | ||
| CF | is peeling, but the shed looks solidly built, and there's a shiny new | ||
| CF | lock on the door. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You can go southwest around the side of the shed, northeast to the area | ||
| CF | between the cabins, and north or northwest to an open area behind the | ||
| CF | western row of cabins. The door of the shed is directly to the south, | ||
| CF | and a stretch of swampy shore lies to the east. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. There's also a | ||
| CF | narrow catwalk that runs along the west wall, to the southwest from | ||
| CF | where you're standing. At the end of the catwalk is a large | ||
| CF | cylindrical mechanism from which a chain runs up toward the roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Two boats are tied up here - a small rowboat on the west side of the | ||
| CF | dock and a much bigger and sleeker power boat on the east side. The | ||
| CF | far wall of the shed is a large door through which the boats must be | ||
| CF | meant to pass in and out. At the moment the door is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia kneels and dips her fingers in the water. "Ick!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the front of | ||
| CF | the boat shed; south, to the dock; and southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes around nervously at the gloomy interior of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "se" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the front of | ||
| CF | the boat shed; south, to the dock; and southwest. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia says, "I wonder what the world is like now. When we get away, I | ||
| CF | want you to tell me everything." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "enter power boat" | ||
| CF | The power boat is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia whispers, "Hurry, hurry! I thought I heard something!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing on the dock) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. Standing on the | ||
| CF | dock, you can step into the power boat that's tied up on the east side, | ||
| CF | or into the rowboat on the west side. The threshold of the shed and | ||
| CF | the door by which you entered are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There must be a way to open the door so the boats can go in and out," | ||
| CF | Lydia says. "Can you figure it out?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You scramble up over the side of the big power boat and thump down into | ||
| CF | it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing in the power boat) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. The dock is to | ||
| CF | the west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The power boat rocks gently. The controls on the dashboard in front of | ||
| CF | you are gleaming and incomprehensible. At the rear of the boat is | ||
| CF | mounted a large outboard motor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I hope we're almost ready to go," Lydia says. "What are we waiting | ||
| CF | for?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put hose in pipe" | ||
| CF | You feed one end of the hose down into the gas tank. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia kneels and dips her fingers in the water. "Ick!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "suck hose" | ||
| CF | You've never tried to siphon gas from a tank before, but there's a | ||
| CF | first time for everything. You suck vigorously on the hose and then | ||
| CF | pull your mouth out of the way. No gas flows forth. You try again, | ||
| CF | and this time almost get a mouthful of gas. A little splashes on your | ||
| CF | sneakers before you can stick the hose out over the side of the boat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Gas gurgles out for almost a minute before it stops. With any luck, | ||
| CF | the tank is now empty, or almost. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gnaws on a fingernail. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take hose" | ||
| CF | You pull the hose out of the gas intake pipe. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia whispers, "Hurry, hurry! I thought I heard something!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The boat sways as you lever yourself up over the side and out onto the | ||
| CF | dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing on the dock) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. Standing on the | ||
| CF | dock, you can step into the power boat that's tied up on the east side, | ||
| CF | or into the rowboat on the west side. The threshold of the shed and | ||
| CF | the door by which you entered are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia says, "I wonder what the world is like now. When we get away, I | ||
| CF | want you to tell me everything." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x door" | ||
| CF | Which door do you mean, the boat shed door, or the big door? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "big" | ||
| CF | The big door at the south end of the shed is made of horizontal metal | ||
| CF | strips, probably aluminum. An overhead track suggests that the door | ||
| CF | can be rolled up to allow boats to go in and out - and indeed, there's | ||
| CF | a drum-shaped mechanism at the south end of the catwalk from which a | ||
| CF | chain extends up and back along the track. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes around nervously at the gloomy interior of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close shed door" | ||
| CF | The boat shed door is too far away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia kneels and dips her fingers in the water. "Ick!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. There's also a | ||
| CF | narrow catwalk that runs along the west wall, to the southwest from | ||
| CF | where you're standing. At the end of the catwalk is a large | ||
| CF | cylindrical mechanism from which a chain runs up toward the roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Two boats are tied up here - a small rowboat on the west side of the | ||
| CF | dock and a much bigger and sleeker power boat on the east side. The | ||
| CF | far wall of the shed is a large door through which the boats must be | ||
| CF | meant to pass in and out. At the moment the door is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There must be a way to open the door so the boats can go in and out," | ||
| CF | Lydia says. "Can you figure it out?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "close shed door" | ||
| CF | Closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I hope we're almost ready to go," Lydia says. "What are we waiting | ||
| CF | for?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "lock it" | ||
| CF | That is not something you can lock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gnaws on a fingernail. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing on the dock) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. Standing on the | ||
| CF | dock, you can step into the power boat that's tied up on the east side, | ||
| CF | or into the rowboat on the west side. The threshold of the shed and | ||
| CF | the door by which you entered are to the north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia whispers, "Hurry, hurry! I thought I heard something!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn crank" | ||
| CF | You see no crank here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x drum" | ||
| CF | The drum-shaped mechanism is out at the southwest end of the catwalk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia says, "I wonder what the world is like now. When we get away, I | ||
| CF | want you to tell me everything." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the threshold | ||
| CF | of the boat shed; east, to the power boat; and west, to the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I hope we're almost ready to go," Lydia says. "What are we waiting | ||
| CF | for?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x big door" | ||
| CF | The big door at the south end of the shed is made of horizontal metal | ||
| CF | strips, probably aluminum. An overhead track suggests that the door | ||
| CF | can be rolled up to allow boats to go in and out - and indeed, there's | ||
| CF | a drum-shaped mechanism at the south end of the catwalk from which a | ||
| CF | chain extends up and back along the track. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There must be a way to open the door so the boats can go in and out," | ||
| CF | Lydia says. "Can you figure it out?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "I thnk Lydia does not need to say something every darn turn." | |
| MoyTW says, "I wish we could tell Lydia to make herself useful if she's gonna be so -" | ||
| MoyTW says, "hahaha." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x mechanism" | ||
| CF | The drum-shaped mechanism is out at the southwest end of the catwalk. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia kneels and dips her fingers in the water. "Ick!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. Obvious exits lead north, back to the threshold | ||
| CF | of the boat shed; east, to the power boat; and west, to the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes around nervously at the gloomy interior of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "n" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. There's also a | ||
| CF | narrow catwalk that runs along the west wall, to the southwest from | ||
| CF | where you're standing. At the end of the catwalk is a large | ||
| CF | cylindrical mechanism from which a chain runs up toward the roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Two boats are tied up here - a small rowboat on the west side of the | ||
| CF | dock and a much bigger and sleeker power boat on the east side. The | ||
| CF | far wall of the shed is a large door through which the boats must be | ||
| CF | meant to pass in and out. At the moment the door is closed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gnaws on a fingernail. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing on the catwalk) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is dimly lighted by sunlight coming in through | ||
| CF | the single small window set high in the west wall. Water laps gently | ||
| CF | against the walls, and there's no floor at all, only a dock that juts | ||
| CF | out to the south from a narrow platform near the door. Two boats are | ||
| CF | moored at the dock, but you can't reach them from here. At the south | ||
| CF | end of the catwalk, near the big door that forms the south wall of the | ||
| CF | shed, is a large cylindrical mechanism from which a chain runs up | ||
| CF | toward the roof. The threshold of the shed and the door by which you | ||
| CF | entered are to the northeast. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "There must be a way to open the door so the boats can go in and out," | ||
| CF | Lydia says. "Can you figure it out?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads northeast to the | ||
| CF | threshold of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gnaws on a fingernail. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "sw" | ||
| CF | You can't go that way. The only obvious exit leads northeast to the | ||
| CF | threshold of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I hope we're almost ready to go," Lydia says. "What are we waiting | ||
| CF | for?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x drum" | ||
| CF | The mechanism is shaped like a large metal drum. A chain extends up | ||
| CF | from the drum and, by a series of pulleys, back along an overhead | ||
| CF | track. A small but strong-looking metal tab with a round hole in it | ||
| CF | extends out from one end of the drum. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia kneels and dips her fingers in the water. "Ick!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn tab" | ||
| CF | There's no obvious way to do that. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia says, "I wonder what the world is like now. When we get away, I | ||
| CF | want you to tell me everything." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put poker in hole" | ||
| CF | (first putting the fire tongs in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | taking the poker from the burlap sack) | ||
| CF | You put the poker in the tab. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia whispers, "Hurry, hurry! I thought I heard something!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "turn tab" | ||
| CF | You throw your weight against the metal rod. It's quite a job, but as | ||
| CF | you rotate the drum mechanism the big door groans and bit by bit inches | ||
| CF | upward. At last it's done - the door is open, revealing the sunlit | ||
| CF | waters of the swamp! | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes around nervously at the gloomy interior of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take poker" | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "I hope we're almost ready to go," Lydia says. "What are we waiting | ||
| CF | for?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "SAVE" | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "cf41" | ||
| CF | Please select a file in which to save the current position > | ||
| CF | Saved. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Knight_Otu asks, "Are we almost out now?" | |
| MoyTW asks, "So...do we just, like, smash up the instruments on the power boat?" | ||
| DavidW says, "I think not." | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "ne" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is bathed in shifting light. Watery | ||
| CF | reflections spill through the big door to the south, which has been | ||
| CF | raised. Water laps gently against the walls, and there's no floor at | ||
| CF | all, only a dock that juts out to the south from a narrow platform near | ||
| CF | the door. There's also a narrow catwalk that runs along the west wall, | ||
| CF | to the southwest from where you're standing. At the end of the catwalk | ||
| CF | is a large cylindrical mechanism from which a chain runs up toward the | ||
| CF | roof. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Two boats are tied up here - a small rowboat on the west side of the | ||
| CF | dock and a much bigger and sleeker power boat on the east side. The | ||
| CF | far wall of the shed is a large door through which the boats must be | ||
| CF | meant to pass in and out. At the moment the door is standing wide | ||
| CF | open. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gnaws on a fingernail. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "s" | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing on the dock) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is bathed in shifting light. Watery | ||
| CF | reflections spill through the big door to the south, which has been | ||
| CF | raised. Water laps gently against the walls, and there's no floor at | ||
| CF | all, only a dock that juts out to the south from a narrow platform near | ||
| CF | the door. Standing on the dock, you can step into the power boat | ||
| CF | that's tied up on the east side, or into the rowboat on the west side. | ||
| CF | The threshold of the shed and the door by which you entered are to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes around nervously at the gloomy interior of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "e" | ||
| CF | You scramble up over the side of the big power boat and thump down into | ||
| CF | it. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing in the power boat) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is bathed in shifting light. Watery | ||
| CF | reflections spill through the big door to the south, which has been | ||
| CF | raised. Water laps gently against the walls, and there's no floor at | ||
| CF | all, only a dock that juts out to the south from a narrow platform near | ||
| CF | the door. The dock is to the west from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The power boat rocks gently. The controls on the dashboard in front of | ||
| CF | you are gleaming and incomprehensible. At the rear of the boat is | ||
| CF | mounted a large outboard motor. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia says, "I wonder what the world is like now. When we get away, I | ||
| CF | want you to tell me everything." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "break controls with poker" | ||
| CF | Smashing the dashboard would almost certainly make too much noise. | ||
| CF | Someone would be bound to hear you. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia whispers, "Hurry, hurry! I thought I heard something!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | The boat sways as you lever yourself up over the side and out onto the | ||
| CF | dock. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (standing on the dock) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is bathed in shifting light. Watery | ||
| CF | reflections spill through the big door to the south, which has been | ||
| CF | raised. Water laps gently against the walls, and there's no floor at | ||
| CF | all, only a dock that juts out to the south from a narrow platform near | ||
| CF | the door. Standing on the dock, you can step into the power boat | ||
| CF | that's tied up on the east side, or into the rowboat on the west side. | ||
| CF | The threshold of the shed and the door by which you entered are to the | ||
| CF | north. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting in the rowboat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia kneels and dips her fingers in the water. "Ick!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "w" | ||
| CF | You scramble down into the rowboat, which sways alarmingly but doesn't | ||
| CF | tip over. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | In the Boat Shed (in the rowboat) | ||
| CF | The interior of the shed is bathed in shifting light. Watery | ||
| CF | reflections spill through the big door to the south, which has been | ||
| CF | raised. Water laps gently against the walls, and there's no floor at | ||
| CF | all, only a dock that juts out to the south from a narrow platform near | ||
| CF | the door. The dock is to the east from here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The rowboat rocks and sways in a way that makes you feel just slightly | ||
| CF | ill. The boat has oarlocks on the sides. A pair of oars is lying in | ||
| CF | the bottom of the boat. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You see some oars here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia is sitting here. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes out the big door at the swamp. "What a horrible place," | ||
| CF | she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "take oars" | ||
| CF | (first putting the little cloth pouch in the burlap sack to make room, | ||
| CF | then putting the pill bottle in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | putting the map of the swamp in the burlap sack to make room, then | ||
| CF | putting the compass in the burlap sack to make room, then putting the | ||
| CF | shiny key in the burlap sack to make room, then putting the cigar box | ||
| CF | in the burlap sack to make room, then putting the laptop computer in | ||
| CF | the burlap sack to make room, then putting the rubber hose in the | ||
| CF | burlap sack to make room, then putting the poker in the burlap sack to | ||
| CF | make room) | ||
| CF | Taken. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia whispers, "Hurry, hurry! I thought I heard something!" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "row boat" | ||
| CF | There are no oars in the oarlocks. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes around nervously at the gloomy interior of the boat shed. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "put oars in oarlocks" | ||
| CF | Done. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gazes out the big door at the swamp. "What a horrible place," | ||
| CF | she says. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "x map" | ||
| CF | The piece of paper is creased and dog-eared. One edge is badly | ||
| CF | charred. The map is crudely drawn. The network of squiggles and | ||
| CF | scribbled legends seems to show the locations of a number of bayous, | ||
| CF | islands, and sandbars. Near one edge is an irregular little square | ||
| CF | marked "Eternal Springs." In another corner is a circle with an arrow | ||
| CF | pointing upward out of it; the arrow is marked "N." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Lydia gnaws on a fingernail. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | ||
| DavidW says (to ClubFloyd), "row boat" | ||
| CF | As you work the oars, the rowboat glides out through the big doors into | ||
| CF | the steaming sunlit swamp. Rowing is hard work, especially when an oar | ||
| CF | gets caught in an underwater snag, so you and Lydia take turns. Using | ||
| CF | the map, you're able to find what you hope is the right route among the | ||
| CF | tricky waterways. You steer a course that should lead to a public boat | ||
| CF | landing a couple of miles away. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | A long time passes, and you worry that you're lost in the swamp, but | ||
| CF | Lydia keeps saying, "Don't you dare give up on me! We're almost | ||
| CF | there." The sun sets, turning the sky to blood and then to ash. As the | ||
| CF | dusk thickens the gnarled trees look more and more sinister - as if | ||
| CF | they're reaching out to grab you. But then you spy the cheerful glint | ||
| CF | of lights. The landing dock is just ahead. "There it is," you say, | ||
| CF | pointing. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Yes, yes! See, I told you!" Lydia hugs you, which causes the boat to | ||
| CF | rock dangerously, but you're able to avoid capsizing. A few minutes | ||
| CF | later you climb up on the dock at the landing. Three men are standing | ||
| CF | there, including, miraculously, one in the uniform of a county sheriff. | ||
| CF | You babble out your story about being kidnapped and threatened by | ||
| CF | cultists. The sheriff asks you to slow down, but he seems to take your | ||
| CF | account seriously. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | When you mention how Hank was shot, the sheriff nods soberly. "That's | ||
| CF | why I'm out here. Stevie Ray here found a body floatin' about an hour | ||
| CF | ago. Reckon it'll be the fella you're talkin' about. Well, I'll radio | ||
| CF | this in to headquarters. We'll send some squad cars out there and take | ||
| CF | 'em all into custody. You say one of 'em's your aunt? That's hard to | ||
| CF | believe." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Suddenly your teeth are chattering. You hug yourself hard, and | ||
| CF | somebody finds a blanket to wrap around you. "You can believe it," you | ||
| CF | tell him. "She brought me down here so they could k-k-kill me." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | The sheriff shakes his head sadly. "What's the world comin' to? You | ||
| CF | got any other kin?" | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You tell him no, and add that Lydia doesn't either. You don't feel | ||
| CF | it's worth mentioning that that's because she died in 1934. If you | ||
| CF | tell him that part, he'll start thinking you made the whole thing up. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | "Well, all right, then," he says. "You girls hop into my car and I'll | ||
| CF | take you into town, get you settled with one of the ladies in the | ||
| CF | department until tomorrow. Get you some supper, too. You look all | ||
| CF | in." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | You stammer your thanks. "Don't think nothin' of it," the sheriff | ||
| CF | says. "Everything's gonna be all right now. You'll see." | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | And as it turns out, he's absolutely right. | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | *** You and Lydia are free to live out your lives. *** | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | Would you like to RESTORE a saved position, RESTART the story, or QUIT? | ||
| CF | | ||
| CF | > | Jacqueline says, "TEXT DUMP WIN" | |
| Roger says, "yay us" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Hooray. Did I miss the part where we messed with the big boat?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "I uess you did. David Syphoned the gas." | ||
| DavidW says, "yes, I siphoned the gas out of the tank." | ||
| DavidW says, "The controls weren't smashable." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Oh! So I did." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "And darnit, I guess Creepregard wasn't eaten by the demon." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Finally, done with that game." | ||
| DavidW says, "hooray we won. Shame the others are just getting jail time." | ||
| za3k says, "That was indeed an odd place to join. Maybe I'll have to give this a try from the start sometime" | ||
| MoyTW asks, "Uh, how much do you like puzzles za3k?" | ||
| DavidW says, "hi za3k" | ||
| Roger says, "yeah a bit more denouement and people getting their just desserts would have been in order" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to za3k), "Definitely. Something new next week for sure." | ||
| DavidW says, "sorry how confused I got with the dock catwalk geography." | ||
| Jacqueline exclaims, "You have nothing for which to apologize!" | ||
| Jacqueline says, "Thank you all so much. I *am* glad we slogged through this." | ||
| Jacqueline says, "We'll see if I have it in me later today to edit and post the transcript. Probably I will. We'll see. I have another thing to do first." | ||
| Roger says, "I guess I should do the responsible thing and submit a review" | ||
| MoyTW says, "I will treasure that feeling of pure and utter exasperation I felt after that alarm hint forever." | ||
| DavidW says, "At some point, I need to eat something. I think I've only had protein powder today? Did eat a lot yesterday, though." | ||
| Jacqueline says (to Roger), "Good job, citizen of IF." | ||
| Knight_Otu says, "KNEAD WAX surely must be turned into a standard of IF going forward." | ||
| Jacqueline asks (of KO), "How about no?" | ||
| Knight_Otu says (to Jacq), "Yeah, no sounds better." | ||
| MoyTW says, "Look once enough games add in "KNEAD" as a standard verb it'll become second-nature." | ||
| DavidW asks, "I'm wondering if RUB CANDLE or MOLD CANDLE would have worked as well?" | ||
| za3k says, "Nice to meet you all" | ||
| MoyTW disappears through an invisible gap in the MUD. You think you may have heard the sounds of chatting before the gap closed again. | DavidW says, "thanks, all" | |
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Thanks, David!" | ||
| DavidW says, "you're welcome" | ||
| Jacqueline says (to za3k), "Thanks for joining us. See you soon." | ||
| Knight_Otu exclaims, "Good night, and stay safe!" | ||
