Start of a transcript of A Rope of Chalk edited by Ryan Veeder Release 1 / Serial number 200926 / Inform 7 build 6M62 (I6/v6.34 lib 6/12N) Identification number: //54330ED7-3C9B-47DA-803E-F6EF7B41EF3D// Interpreter version 2.1.7 / VM 3.1.2 / Library serial number 080126 Standard Rules version 3/120430 by Graham Nelson And also a modified version of Simple Chat version 4 by Mike Tilford. >about (Thank you for your interest in A Rope of Chalk. I'm having a lot of fun writing this game, so I hope you're having fun playing it. A Rope of Chalk was tested by Lance Campbell, Catherine O'Sullivan, Zach Hodgens, and Emily Boegheim. If you're interested in my other games or the other stuff I do, my website is rcveeder.net, my Twitter is @rcveeder, my email address is rcveeder@me.com, and my Patreon is patreon.com/rcveeder. Okay bye!) >x me Your name is Lane, and you're a sophomore chem major. Your grades got you into the Honors program, your desire to become a well-rounded person led you to join the Honors Arts Committee, and your inability to say "no" has made you a judge for the Honors Arts Committee's Sidewalk Chalk Tournament. Actually, your credit hours from the summer semester probably bumped you up so you're technically a junior. But that doesn't seem right: A real upperclassman would have a measure of confidence that you definitely lack. >i You are carrying: a water bottle >l Judges' Table The softball field's aluminum bleachers offer a meager amount of shade, so this is where Hina decided the judges should sit while the artists work. Hina and Alec are sitting at opposite ends of the table; your spot is in the middle. The sidewalk, the "canvas" of the sidewalk chalk tournament, runs west and east. Nathalie stands off to the side. >e Shed The sidewalk stops well before it reaches the equipment shed, leaving a long stretch of sand in between. Beyond the shed is the intersection of First Avenue and Second Street: An impassable wasteland. An empty bucket sits near the shed. Nathalie follows along. >x shed It's a squat, unattractive building with a big steel door. A brass spigot protrudes from one of the walls. >x spigot There's a tap here for water to come out of, but you'd need one of those little keys to open the valve. >x bucket It looks a bit like someone forgot to put this bucket back in the shed, and by the time they remembered they couldn't be bothered to unlock the door. >take it This bucket might belong to Hina, or the Honors department, or the softball field. It's not yours, that's for sure. >talk to nathalie Nathalie perks up when you turn her way. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "Could I get another bottle of water?" [3] "Thanks." >1 "How's it going?" Nathalie shrugs. "Oh, I'm fine." She really is. It's like the heat isn't getting to her at all. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "Could I get another bottle of water?" [4] "Thanks." >2 "How are you so..." You lick your lips. "Chipper" isn't really the word you want to use. Nathalie catches your meaning. "Two things: A positive attitude, and staying hydrated. And a willingness to fully embrace my situation. But that's part of the first one." [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "Could I get another bottle of water?" [4] "Thanks." >3 "Could I get another bottle of water?" you ask, trying not to sound desperate. "Of course you could, young lady." Nathalie relieves you of your empty bottle and gets a full one out of the cooler. "There you go. As cold as it gets, for all that's worth." It feels plenty cold to you, and you thank her sincerely. "No need to thank me. Just doing my duty as hydration officer." [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "Thanks." >3 "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" "Well, at last year's event I was in Hina's position, and it turned out to be really stressful. So I asked her if I could do something a little more low-key this time around." [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "Thanks." >4 "Thanks, Nathalie." "Hey, no problem." >drink water (the water bottle) You take a meek little sip from your water bottle. >i You are carrying: a water bottle >w Judges' Table The softball field's aluminum bleachers offer a meager amount of shade, so this is where Hina decided the judges should sit while the artists work. Hina and Alec are sitting at opposite ends of the table; your spot is in the middle. The sidewalk, the "canvas" of the sidewalk chalk tournament, runs west and east. Nathalie follows along. You're already thirsty again. >w Victoria's Space The sidewalk bends south and east here, at the edge of the parking lot. Victoria is hunched over her square of sidewalk, filling in the details of a huge, twisting python. A plastic container is nestled in the grass nearby. Nathalie comes up alongside, dragging her water cooler behind her. >drink water (the water bottle) You take a meek little sip from your water bottle. >x victorie You can't see that anywhere nearby. >x victoria Victoria is one of the freshmen you met when you were helping out at orientation. Right away you got the sense that she was trying hard to be different just for the sake of being different. You should have expected she'd come up with a chalk drawing calculated to freak everybody out. Good grief, it is hotter than heck. And you are thirster than heck. No, thirstier. >drink water (the water bottle) You raise the bottle to your lips and, forgetting yourself for a moment, you chug down an unladylike gulp. But it's so satisfying. >x python Victoria's serpent crisscrosses her entire square of pavement, coiling over and under itself like a Celtic knot. Its fanged jaws fill up the center of the composition; the tip of its tail is nowhere in sight. Having completed the snake's undulating outline, Victoria is now coloring another tangled web: The reticulations of its scales. Nathalie offers her a bottle of water, which she gratefully accepts. The two of them take a seat on the grass. "Looks like a lot of work," Nathalie says. Victoria shakes her head wearily. "I could have picked something easier," she says. "Or I could have just, stayed home. But Hina really wanted me to come." "I know what that's like," Nathalie says, and she gives you a meaningful look. A lull ensues. Presently Nathalie stands up again. >x container It looks like something you'd store leftovers in. Victoria notices you looking at it, and she takes a break from her snake to explain: "Hina said there wouldn't be any prizes for this tournament, and I thought that was a little sad. So I sewed these." She pulls the lid off the container, revealing a collection of colorful ribbons. An involuntary "aww!" passes your lips. "Don't worry, the judges get ribbons, too. I just thought it'd be fun. But, that's for later." She closes the container and returns to her drawing. >talk to victoria Victoria looks up at you. "Yes?" [1] "How are you doing?" [2] "What inspired you to choose this subject?" [3] "Do you need anything?" [4] "Good luck." >1 "How are you doing?" "Hot." "Yeah." Well, at least everyone's being honest. [1] "How are you doing?" [2] "What inspired you to choose this subject?" [3] "Do you need anything?" [4] "Good luck." >2 "What inspired you to choose this subject?" Yeah, that sounds like something a judge would say. Victoria is so glad you asked. "It's based on my pet python back home." You nod impassively; you're neither impressed nor surprised. "He's a big sweetheart, really." "He looks kind of scary here." "Well," Victoria says, and you know she's thinking: I just want to scare people. [1] "How are you doing?" [2] "What inspired you to choose this subject?" [3] "Do you need anything?" [4] "Good luck." >3 Without really thinking, you ask Victoria, "Do you need anything?" Victoria leans back on her hands, looks up into the cloudless sky. "Could you bring me a bowl of ice cream? Just vanilla is fine." "I don't think we have... Oh." Your head hurts. "That was a joke." "Yeah," says Victoria. [1] "How are you doing?" [2] "What inspired you to choose this subject?" [3] "Do you need anything?" [4] "Good luck." >4 "Good luck." Actually, that doesn't make a lot of sense coming from a judge... "Thanks," says Victoria. >s Rachel's Space The sidewalk continues north and south between the softball field and a steep hill. Rachel has been assigned a square of cement near a steel bike rack. At the moment, Rachel is stretched out on the grass, soaking up the sun, eyes hidden behind huge sunglasses. Her phone lies in the grass next to her. Her chalk drawing, a simple slogan, is already finished. Nathalie is right behind you. >x rachel Rachel is wearing short shorts and a tiny top. It doesn't strike you as a totally appropriate outfit, but maybe she knew it was going to be so unbearably hot. You're already thirsty again. >drink water (the water bottle) You take a drink from your water bottle. The water doesn't stay cold for long, but it's refreshing nonetheless. >x rack The bike rack is a frame of thick metal bars. There are no bikes hitched here at the moment. >x slogan You glance from the "art" to Rachel and back. You bite your lip. The sidewalk chalk tournament isn't really the right setting for a statement like this. But Rachel gave Hina plenty of notice as to what she was planning to do, and Hina told her it'd be okay. Nathalie makes a pointed sort of huffing noise. Rachel doesn't seem to notice. >read it Rachel's "art" isn't really a priority right now. Good grief, it is hotter than heck. And you are thirster than heck. No, thirstier. >drink water (the water bottle) You take a meek little sip from your water bottle. >talk to rachel You look Rachel over, wondering if she's even awake. [1] "Are you doing okay?" [2] "Why did you pick this for your drawing?" [3] Forget about it. >1 You hesitate. Nathalie loses her patience. "Hey, there's plenty of time left. Maybe you should add an artist's statement, so we know what you're really trying to say." Rachel's lips part: "Buzz off." [1] "Are you doing okay?" [2] "Why did you pick this for your drawing?" [3] Forget about it. >2 You don't have the energy to engage, but Nathalie is on it: "Hey, Rachel?" "Go away." "You want some water?" "Yes," Rachel says, raising an open hand. Nathalie places a full bottle in her fingers, and she sits upright enough to drink it without spilling all over her face. [1] "Are you doing okay?" [2] "Why did you pick this for your drawing?" [3] Forget about it. >3 You step away. Gosh, you're thirsty. >drink water (the water bottle) You take another drink, emptying your water bottle. >talk to nathalie Nathalie perks up when you turn her way. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "Could I get another bottle of water?" [4] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [5] "What do you think about Rachel's entry?" [6] "Thanks." >3 "Could I get another bottle of water?" you ask, trying not to sound desperate. "Of course you could, young lady." Nathalie relieves you of your empty bottle and gets a full one out of the cooler. "There you go. As cold as it gets, for all that's worth." It feels plenty cold to you, and you thank her sincerely. "No need to thank me. Just doing my duty as hydration officer." [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "What do you think about Rachel's entry?" [5] "Thanks." >4 You and Nathalie take a few steps away from the "art." "What do you think about Rachel's entry?" "Rachel is tedious," Nathalie says, and apparently that's all she has to say. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "What do you think about Rachel's entry?" [5] "Thanks." >5 "Thanks, Nathalie." "Hey, no problem." >n Victoria's Space The sidewalk bends south and east here, at the edge of the parking lot. Victoria is hunched over her square of sidewalk, filling in the details of a huge, twisting python. A plastic container is nestled in the grass nearby. Nathalie follows along. >talk to nathalie Nathalie perks up when you turn her way. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "How do you like this snake?" [5] "Thanks." >4 You maneuver Nathalie to a spot where you can talk without being overheard. "How do you like this snake?" you ask. "I love it. It's creepy." "Creepy is a good thing?" "I love creepy! Well, okay." She takes a second to consider. "There are different kinds of creepy," she concludes. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "How do you like this snake?" [5] "Thanks." >5 "Thanks, Nathalie." "Hey, no problem." You're already thirsty again. >s Rachel's Space The sidewalk continues north and south between the softball field and a steep hill. Rachel has been assigned a square of cement near a steel bike rack. At the moment, Rachel is stretched out on the grass, soaking up the sun, eyes hidden behind huge sunglasses. Her phone lies in the grass next to her. Her chalk drawing, a simple slogan, is already finished. Nathalie follows you. >s Jonathan's Space The sidewalk turns from north to east at the border of a small wooded area. Jonathan is sitting on a wooden balance beam, contemplating his drawing. His sidewalk square has been divided into a grid of hexagons, overlaid on a bird's-eye view of a snow-covered island. Nathalie follows along. >x jonathan Jonathan is a sophomore, like you. Unless you consider yourself a junior. But you don't. He's been one of the more approachable guys who hangs around the Honors center. You managed to get into the same section of Native Peoples of North America that he's in this semester; hopefully he didn't think you were weird for asking. >x drawing Each hexagon of the island map has a little feature drawn on it: A fortress or a mountain or a cottage. But the medium of sidewalk chalk isn't precise enough to render all the detail Jonathan is trying to include. "It's the setting of my novel," he explains. "The kingdom of Cealdhame." "Oh my gosh, your novel? Please, tell us all about it," Nathalie says, pressing a fresh water bottle into his hand. "Well, the main premise is..." He rubs the cold bottle against his head. "Wait. Are you messing with me?" "I promise you that I am." "Gotcha." He takes a long drink. >talk to jonathan "Hey, Jonathan." "Oh, hey!" He sits up and smiles. [1] "How're you?" [2] "That's a lot of white chalk." [3] "Do you have plans for after this?" [4] "See you later." >1 "How're you?" "Doing great. I've got a comfy little bench here," he says, indicating the narrow balance beam. "I'll probably stretch out on top of it and take a nap later." You giggle, but Nathalie does not. [1] "How're you?" [2] "That's a lot of white chalk." [3] "Do you have plans for after this?" [4] "See you later." >2 You look over the intricate map, and for some reason the thing you say out loud is: "That's a lot of white chalk." "Don't worry. I brought my own. Well, not 'my own,' exactly." Nathalie perks up. "Where'd you steal the chalk from?" "There was a box of it just sitting on the floor in Van Allen Hall. They don't need it; all the classrooms have dry erase boards." You're not sure what to do with this information. Nathalie nods approvingly. [1] "How're you?" [2] "That's a lot of white chalk." [3] "Do you have plans for after this?" [4] "See you later." >3 You have to think of a way to say this that doesn't sound like you're asking him out on a date. While you're doing that, Jonathan says: "Hey Lane, are you gonna go to yoga this semester?" "Probably. If they still do it." Nathalie cuts in: "You do yoga, Jon?" "Yeah, someone in the dorms was teaching it." "You get a spot at the back of the class? So you can check out all the girls' butts?" Jonathan is speechless; Nathalie takes this as a yes, and nods at you sagaciously. "Classic technique," she explains. [1] "How're you?" [2] "That's a lot of white chalk." [3] "Do you have plans for after this?" [4] "See you later." >4 "See you later." "Uh-huh." Jonathan is very much focused on his chalk. >talk to nathalie Nathalie perks up when you turn her way. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "What do you think of that map?" [5] "Thanks." >4 When you're a bit further away from Jonathan you ask: "What do you think of that map?" "It's kind of, I dunno. I don't see why he needs a grid on top of it." "Maybe it makes it easier to keep track of everything," you offer. "I guess." [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "What do you think of that map?" [5] "Thanks." >5 "Thanks, Nathalie." "Hey, no problem." >e Faye's Space There's a run-down old drinking fountain along this east-west stretch of sidewalk, between the trees and the softball field. Faye's chalk art is a complicated piece with maybe a dozen characters. And somehow, she's already almost finished. Nathalie comes up alongside, dragging her water cooler behind her. >x fountain A metal knob protrudes from one side of the unlikely-looking drinking fountain. >x knob The knob has been dinged up over years of misuse. >push it You turn the knob, but no water comes out. Not even a dribble. >x faye Faye is a sophomore. You haven't gotten to know her very well, but her choice of subject isn't a surprise. You could probably find another Jack Skellington among her tattoos, if you looked hard enough. >x art In the foreground of the chalk drawing is Jack Skellington, with a big grin on his skull; behind him are the ragdoll lady and the mad scientist and a bunch of other characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas, all sketchy but recognizable. In the background is the curling tentacle-mountain, silhouetted by a giant yellow moon. "Um," you say. Faye looks up at you. "Yes?" "I'm just wondering... if there's..." Gosh, it's hard to talk. "If there are any legal problems with using copyrighted characters." Faye looks over at Nathalie. Nathalie's eyes go wide; she staggers back in shock. "I just remembered," she gasps. Cold dread flows over you. "What is it?" "I'm so sorry. It completely slipped my mind... I forgot to invite Tim Burton's lawyers to the sidewalk chalk tournament." Faye busts up laughing, and you feel your cheeks getting red. >talk to faye Anxiety creeps over your skull: You have no idea how to talk to Faye. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "Tell me about your drawing." [3] "See you later." >1 "How?" You falter, and Nathalie steps in. "Hey Faye," she says, handing her a water bottle. "What are you doing after this?" Faye stares into space. "I think I'm gonna head back to my room and stand in front of the air conditioner for like, an hour. Or I'm just gonna crawl inside my freezer." "You have a freezer?" "My minifridge has a freezer compartment. It's tiny, but... I'll manage." Faye nods reassuringly. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "Tell me about your drawing." [3] "See you later." >2 You try to say "Tell me about your drawing" as if you just noticed it and never said anything embarrassing about it. "Well, Nightmare Before Christmas is one of my favorite movies, ever since I was a kid. I always thought Jack Skellington was really cute." It occurs to you that the Honors program is full of weirdos. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "Tell me about your drawing." [3] "See you later." >3 "See you later." "Sure." Faye gets back to work. >talk to nathalie Nathalie perks up when you turn her way. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "What's your opinion of Faye's art?" [5] "Thanks." >4 "What's your opinion of Faye's art?" "It's very good. It doesn't have to be totally original, right? What's the scoring rubric say?" It occurs to you that Hina has not given you a scoring rubric. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "What's your opinion of Faye's art?" [5] "Thanks." >5 "Thanks, Nathalie." "Hey, no problem." >e Jessica's Space Here, finally, there's a bench, where the sidewalk turns from west to south. The picturesqueness of the spot contrasts dramatically with torn-up Second Street just a little ways to the east. Jessica is working on a curved block of pavement, drawing a diverse and vibrant array of flowers. Nathalie follows along. >x bench It seems a bit odd that the bench would be pointed out toward the highway instead of facing the bike trail. There's a large hardbound book sitting on the bench. >x book The book is called Orchid Species of the Erastian and it's clearly designed to take up space on coffee tables. Jessica must have brought it to use as a reference. >read it You open the cover and flip through a few glossy pages: Huge pictures of orchids, so detailed that you can't bring yourself to focus on any of them for more than an instant. One of the flowers falls out of its page, and you stifle a scream. No, no, it's just a real flower that someone pressed in the book. And there's a note. And the note says "Jessica" on it. You stuff the flower and the note back into place, you close the book, and you move away guiltily. >x jessica Jessica is the only person you know of who comes to the Honors center just to read. One time you found her reading in the stairwell when the main study/hangout area had gotten too boisterous. And she's a junior, a music major. She plays the... You can't remember the word. >x drawing Jessica has drawn a huge bouquet of lilies, roses, and orchids, all rendered with a level of realism that overwhelms you with the force of a strong perfume?But you're not really smelling anything. That was confusing. >talk to jessica Jessica looks up and wipes some sweat from her forehead. "Yes?" [1] "How are you?" [2] "What's the problem here?" [3] "I love your flowers." [4] "Is that your book over there?" [5] "Well, see you later." >1 "How are you?" Jessica sighs deeply. "Actually, I'm in kind of a rotten mood. Sorry." "Oh. That's too bad." Well, you're supposed to be doing something about it. [1] "How are you?" [2] "What's the problem here?" [3] "I love your flowers." [4] "Is that your book over there?" [5] "Well, see you later." >2 "What's the problem here?" "I'm really sorry," she says, "but I don't think Xavier's piece is appropriate. And since it's associated with the Honors program, I just think..." "What exactly is inappropriate about it?" asks Nathalie. "Well, you should probably see it for yourself," she says, gesturing further down the sidewalk. Oh no. More walking. [1] "How are you?" [2] "What's the problem here?" [3] "I love your flowers." [4] "Is that your book over there?" [5] "Well, see you later." >3 "I love your flowers," you say. "I mean, your drawing of flowers. They're gorgeous." "Thanks..." Jessica is not as enthused. [1] "How are you?" [2] "What's the problem here?" [3] "I love your flowers." [4] "Is that your book over there?" [5] "Well, see you later." >4 "Is that your book over there? Jessica takes a second to deduce what you're talking about. "Oh. Oh, sure. I found that in the Honors center. There's a lot of cool stuff in the book exchange shelf. Although, there's a lot of dreck, too." [1] "How are you?" [2] "What's the problem here?" [3] "I love your flowers." [4] "Is that your book over there?" [5] "Well, see you later." >5 "Well, see you later." "Okay. But please, make Xavier change his design." >talk to nathalie Nathalie perks up when you turn her way. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "What do you think of the flowers?" [5] "Thanks." >4 You and Nathalie step off of the trail for a conference: "What do you think of the flowers?" you ask. Nathalie looks over her shoulder at Jessica. "Not my kind of thing," she says. "Too simple." "It's a lot of different flowers, though." "But the thinking is simple." You don't have the energy to pursue the subject. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "How are you so chipper?" [3] "How'd you get to be the hydration officer, anyway?" [4] "What do you think of the flowers?" [5] "Thanks." >5 "Thanks, Nathalie." "Hey, no problem." >s Xavier's Space This is where there would be a crosswalk for Second Street, if there were a Second Street. There's a button for the crosswalk, but there is no crosswalk. You feel a little hemmed in by the torn-up street to the east and all the trees to the west and south. The sidewalk only goes north from here. Xavier is kneeling over his drawing, hard at work. Nathalie follows along. >x xavier Xavier is an art major so it's not even fair that he would enter this tournament in the first place. And of course he has to cause trouble. Last year he did a photography exhibition in the Honors center. Just an excuse to put up a bunch of naked pictures of naked people. >x drawing On the sidewalk is a curvaceous woman with red skin, goatish horns, and very little clothing. Her lips are parted sultrily, as if she's about to whisper something to you. Your throat feels tight. "More interesting than a bunch of flowers, that's for sure," says Nathalie. >talk to xavier While you're trying to think of a way to engage, Nathalie steps in. "Hey Xavier. Nice succubus." "Thanks!" He's in the middle of adding white highlights to make it look like her skin (there's a lot of skin) is reflecting the sun. "Did you know Jessica complained about it?" "I know she didn't seem to like it when she was over here earlier. But, what I've learned is, people are always going to have opinions." "Well, I brought a judge over, to make a judgment call." Finally Nathalie steps aside and presents you. Xavier spreads his arms and presents his mostly-naked demoness. "What do you think?" Your head hurts. >drink water (the water bottle) You take a drink from your water bottle. The water doesn't stay cold for long, but it's refreshing nonetheless. >talk to xavier "So, what do you say, judge?" "Well, she's... scary." "I'll take it," says Xavier. "But you're not gonna disqualify him or anything, right?" Nathalie asks. "I'll... I think I should confer with the other judges." Nathalie scoffs; Xavier shrugs. >talk to nathalie Nathalie perks up when you turn her way. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "What do you think of Xavier's drawing?" [3] "What do you think I should do?" [4] "Thanks." >1 "How's it going?" Nathalie shrugs. "Oh, I'm fine." She really is. It's like the heat isn't getting to her at all. [1] "How's it going?" [2] "What do you think of Xavier's drawing?" [3] "What do you think I should do?" [4] "Thanks." >2 "What do you think of Xavier's drawing?" you ask, not concerning yourself with whether he can hear. "Well, it's got my attention," Nathalie says. "I think people are really going to respond to her." Xavier presses a hand to his chest. "Oh my gosh, Nathalie, that is the nicest fake compliment I've ever received in my life." She grins. "Shut up, kid. You know I love you. Keep up the good work." [1] "How's it going?" [2] "What do you think of Xavier's drawing?" [3] "What do you think I should do?" [4] "Thanks." >3 "What?" You stumble. Nathalie reaches out to steady you. "Hey. Are you doing okay?" "No, yeah." You don't want her to worry about you. "I'm just stressed, I think." "That makes sense. Let's get back to Hina and see if you can take a little break." You're not as proud as you are exhausted, so you just nod. >drink water (the water bottle) You raise the bottle to your lips and, forgetting yourself for a moment, you chug down an unladylike gulp. But it's so satisfying. >n Jessica's Space There's a bench here, for weary wanderers such as yourself, where the sidewalk turns from west to south. The picturesqueness of the spot contrasts dramatically with torn-up Second Street just a little ways to the east. Jessica's flowers seem almost finished, but she's still focused on coloring in one of the petals. Nathalie follows you. >w Faye's Space There's a run-down old drinking fountain along this east-west stretch of sidewalk, between the trees and the softball field. Faye's Nightmare Before Christmas scene is complete, and now she's lying in the grass off the sidewalk. "Hey, it's finished!" Nathalie rushes over to admire the drawing. "I'm not a judge, so I can say without fear of retribution that I completely love this. Jack Skellington is my role model." Faye doesn't say anything. She's just running her hands over the grass, a goofy smile on her lips. >w Jonathan's Space The sidewalk turns from north to east at the border of a small wooded area. Jonathan is staring straight down at the cement, lazily filling in the blue sea surrounding his island. Nathalie comes up alongside, dragging her water cooler behind her. >n Rachel's Space The sidewalk continues north and south between the softball field and a steep hill. Rachel has been assigned a square of cement near a steel bike rack. Rachel is still sunbathing; she finished her chalk-slogan-thing forever ago. Nathalie follows you. >n Victoria's Space The sidewalk bends south and east here, at the edge of the parking lot. Victoria's python is finished. She's sitting in the grass, staring at the cars. Nathalie follows along. >e Judges' Table At least it's a little shady here. Hina and Alec are sitting at either end of the table, waiting for you. Nathalie follows you. >x hina Hina looks mad. Is she mad at you? She can't be. You haven't done anything yet. Oh, no. You have to tell her about the demoness. >x alec Alec seems way too calm about everything. No sense of responsibility at all. Typical. >talk to hina "Well?" Hina asks as you approach. You open your mouth. "Sheesh, Hina, can't you see she's about to fall over?" Alec stands up and guides you to your chair. "You can make your report sitting down. This isn't the Marines." Hina waits with clenched teeth for you to sit. "So what did Xavier draw that Jessica had a problem with?" "It was a..." You gesticulate weakly, searching for the right words. Nathalie cuts in: "A big sexy demon with her boobs hanging out." You nod, and your body wobbles beneath the weight of your head. Hina slaps her own forehead. "For Pete's sake, Xavier... Okay, here's what we're going to do:" But her voice fades away as you slump forward and lose consciousness. Please press any key to continue. §2 Lane's head thumps against the table, and you leap to your feet in alarm. Hina loses her cool for maybe an eighth of a second, then she grabs Lane by the shoulders. "Did she faint?" you ask, before you realize that yes, obviously, she fainted. "We need to get her on her back," Hina says. Before you can make your legs move, Nathalie glares at you and steps in to assist. The two of them position Lane on the grass; Hina leans down to check her breathing. Behind the Bleachers The judges' folding table is set up behind the bleachers, out of the sun, on a strip of bike trail leading east and west. You stand by uselessly, your blood pounding in your ears. You should do something. >x me Your name is Alec; you're wearing a brown shirt and bluejeans. Based on what people have told you, you believe yourself to be average-looking. You thought Hina wanted your creative and administrative input on this Sidewalk Chalk Tournament, but it turns out what she really wanted was a warm body to sit at the judges' table. You shouldn't be so critical of Hina. She's under a lot of stress. But aren't you under a lot of stress too? Everyone is. It's the human condition. >x lane Lane looks like she's just sleeping on the grass. Hina is kneeling at her head, gently trying to wake her up. Well, now she's being a little less gentle. Lane's eyes open, and she groans wordlessly. Hina tells her everything's fine. >x hina Hina is petting Lane's head and gently coaxing her back to full awareness. But there's a certain edge to her gentleness, as if she's also very frustrated that someone else is just standing there watching instead of doing anything to help. >x nathalie Nathalie has Lane's feet up on her lap, since apparently that's what you do with fainted people. She is way too comfortable with this situation. Why is everyone else on this planet able to handle stuff? >talk to lane Lane is nominally awake, but she's not really in a talking mood. >talk to hina "Should I call 911?" you ask. Hina doesn't look up. "I'm pre-med. I know what to do when someone faints," she grumbles. "And I have street smarts," adds Nathalie. "Then, what should I do?" Hina closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Get a bucket of water and erase Xavier's demon lady. I don't have time to argue with him. Tell him he can start over and draw something more appropriate, or if he wants he can just go home." Nathalie produces a strangled groan of protest. You just nod. >e Shed There's a big sand pit in between the end of the bike trail and the equipment shed. It looks like they just gave up on finishing the trail. It also looks like they gave up on reconstructing the intersection northeast of here. Everything's torn up, destroyed, and abandoned. There's an empty bucket on the ground here. >take bucket You pick up the bucket. >i You are carrying: a metal bucket an empty water bottle >w Behind the Bleachers The judges' folding table is set up behind the bleachers, out of the sun, on a strip of bike trail leading east and west. Lane is lying on the grass just off the path, with Hina petting her forehead and Nathalie keeping her feet elevated. >talk to nathalie "Is she okay?" you ask. "She's fine," Nathalie says. "She just needs a rest." She seems pretty confident. >e Shed There's a big sand pit in between the end of the bike trail and the equipment shed. It looks like they just gave up on finishing the trail. It also looks like they gave up on reconstructing the intersection northeast of here. Everything's torn up, destroyed, and abandoned. >x shed A grim, utilitarian structure. Almost like a bunker. The heavy door is shut. There's a brass faucet sticking out of the side. >x faucet The faucet doesn't have a handle: Instead, there's a little square hole where you're supposed to insert a key. >x hole The faucet doesn't have a handle: Instead, there's a little square hole where you're supposed to insert a key. >insert key That's not anything around here. >w Behind the Bleachers The judges' folding table is set up behind the bleachers, out of the sun, on a strip of bike trail leading east and west. Lane is lying on the grass just off the path, with Hina petting her forehead and Nathalie keeping her feet elevated. >talk to hina "What is it?" "Sorry, I need the key thingy. For the shed. For the water." Hina sighs impatiently. (Well, this part isn't exactly your fault, is it?) She finds the key in her pocket and hands it to you without saying anything. >e Shed There's a big sand pit in between the end of the bike trail and the equipment shed. It looks like they just gave up on finishing the trail. It also looks like they gave up on reconstructing the intersection northeast of here. Everything's torn up, destroyed, and abandoned. >turn on faucet You place the bucket beneath the spigot, stick the key in the hole on top, and twist it. Clear water pours out and splashes noisily in the bottom of the bucket. The resonance is deeply satisfying. You almost feel a little sleepy. As the bucket begins to overflow, you snap back to awareness and turn off the faucet. You pull out the key; you don't want to lose that. Then you pick up the bucket. It's heavy. Gosh. Okay, you can do this. >w Behind the Bleachers The judges' folding table is set up behind the bleachers, out of the sun, on a strip of bike trail leading east and west. Lane is lying on the grass just off the path, with Hina petting her forehead and Nathalie keeping her feet elevated. >w Parking Lot Victoria is sitting in the grass, her head in her hands. Behind her on the bike path is her finished entry, a giant snake. Curving around from the east, the trail heads south, between the softball field and the overgrown hillside. Jeez, it's hot. >drink water Which do you mean, the bucket of water or the empty water bottle? >e I only understood you as far as wanting to drink east. >e Behind the Bleachers The judges' folding table is set up behind the bleachers, out of the sun, on a strip of bike trail leading east and west. Lane is lying on the grass just off the path, with Hina petting her forehead and Nathalie keeping her feet elevated. >talk to nathalie "Don't look at me," Nathalie says. "I'm just the hydration officer." She motions her head at Hina, who is decidedly in charge. >i You are carrying: a bucket of water a spigot key an empty water bottle >l Behind the Bleachers The judges' folding table is set up behind the bleachers, out of the sun, on a strip of bike trail leading east and west. Lane is lying on the grass just off the path, with Hina petting her forehead and Nathalie keeping her feet elevated. >x water Which do you mean, the bucket of water or the empty water bottle? >bucket The bucket is very full, although it's getting less full the more it splashes around. It may or may not be enough to finish the task Hina has set for you. >w Parking Lot Victoria is sitting in the grass, her head in her hands. Behind her on the bike path is her finished entry, a giant snake. Curving around from the east, the trail heads south, between the softball field and the overgrown hillside. >s Bike Rack Rachel is lying on the grass next to her entry, abandoning herself to the merciless sun. Her eyes are hidden behind ridiculous sunglasses. An empty bike rack stands on the other side of the trail, at the foot of the hill. The trail runs north and south. Something shrieks in pain. Was that a bird? Rachel doesn't react. "Did you hear that?" you ask. "Hear what?" >s Balance Beam Jonathan gives you a dark look before turning back down to his work. The bike trail curves from north to east, skirting the edge of the woods. A dry, mercifully cool breeze wafts over you from out of the forest, but it doesn't last long. >e As you continue past Jonathan's drawing, you hear a voice behind you: Jerk. You whirl around. "What did you just say?" Jonathan looks up. "I didn't say anything." "Are you sure?" Jonathan blinks. "Um. Well, pretty sure, I guess." >e Drinking Fountain Faye is sitting uncomfortably in the grass across the trail from a drinking fountain. It looks like the sun has gotten the better of her, but her chalk art is finished: A lurid homage to The Nightmare Before Christmas. The bike trail runs east and west between the woods and the outfield fence. >e Bench Jessica is sprawled across her field of flowers, sobbing softly. The bucket falls from your grasp and you run to her, fall to her side, touch her cheek. What's wrong? Life is wrong, the world is wrong, our sorrow (which is the smallest portion of human misery) is too much to bear. We can't fix anything, we can't help anyone, we can only cling to each other and weep and cold water crawls over the pavement, sinking into our clothes. Please press any key to continue. §3 The idea is not that the world itself is merely an illusion. That's stupid. What's really going on is this: Reality is out there, obviously. But there's this veil of appearance that inhibits our ability to experience reality. When you manage to push through this veil, you'll realize that in fact reality is extremely real. And you're almost there. You can feel the surface of the world melting away beneath your fingers. 0. THE CAVE Ancient signatures painted on smooth, damp stone. Enormous machinery thrumming peacefully, blowing warm, wet wind over your face. An engine screeches to life and breaks your concentration. There are people in here, talking over the fans, walking around like they own the place. They're getting into their cars and they're leaving. Why are they leaving? EXITS: EAST >x signatures The concrete walls bear many glyphs and insignia: The Tripod, the Cross Diamond, "Driedout," "La Galleta." Inevitably, authority will powerwash these away; inevitably, the artists will return and reclaim their canvas. >x machinery Giant machines at the end of the ramp, churning incessantly. Their constant low moan is perfect thinking music. >listen People are talking and talking and talking, and starting their cars, and you can hardly hear the fans. Your head is starting to hurt. >smell You breathe in the delirious scent of ozone, and your head spins. >e I. THE DELUGE In a matter of seconds you are soaked. Your clothes cling to you like someone else's moist hands, and tingles of intense sensation ripple over your skin. You are supremely, ecstatically aware of your own hot, wet body. But everybody's in a hurry hurry hurry to get inside the parking ramp. What for? It's just water, you guys. People are idiots. EXITS: WEST EAST Some sort of creature is shivering in an alcove, trying to keep dry. >x creature The creature has a face you recognize. He sees someone he knows and waves. He keeps waving and beckoning, more and more insistently, calling out something you can't hear over the rain. Oh, he's waving at you! >talk to creature You skip through the puddles to join the creature in his damp alcove. "I've been looking all over for you," he says. "I have orders to deliver you back to headquarters." 1 - This weather is gorgeous. 2 - So who is this guy? 3 - Why's everybody leaving? 4 - What does he even want? >1 "It's amazing." You slick your hair back. "Don't you love it?" "What are you talking about?" He's not paying attention. "The rain." "Oh. I guess I'd like it better if I was indoors. And wearing dry socks." Of course he would. "Of course you would." 1 - This weather is gorgeous. 2 - So who is this guy? 3 - Why's everybody leaving? 4 - What does he even want? >2 You lean in to inspect the candy-colored clown. He leans back. You know him from somewhere. A long time ago. He seemed kind of gross when you met him, and he hasn't done anything to change your opinion since. Just because you're both aspects of the same universal consciousness doesn't mean you have to like him. 1 - This weather is gorgeous. 2 - So who is this guy? 3 - Why's everybody leaving? 4 - What does he even want? >3 "Yeah, why is everybody leaving? I thought this was supposed to be fun times." "Well, it's raining pretty hard." "It's not raining that hard." He rubs his forehead. He's thinking about something. He's about to say something. He says: "Well, yes it is." So stupid. 1 - This weather is gorgeous. 2 - So who is this guy? 3 - What does he even want? >3 "What are you here for?" "I just said. Hina wants you to come back. They had a quick meeting while you were off doing whatever you were doing." You weren't even doing anything! 1 - They had a meeting without me? 2 - I don't have to put up with this! >1 "What exactly did they decide behind my back?" Alec starts to talk, then he stops himself, then he gives you a big fake smile. "You should probably hear it straight from Hina. Nobody tells me anything, you know?" "They tell you more than they tell me." He scoffs. "All they tell me is to tell you that they have something to tell you!" You wince. This is giving you a headache. 1 - I don't have to put up with this! >1 "And I won't." "What?" "I won't go along with you. I won't comply with your orders. The Monomyth says that I have to refuse the call." He sighs. "Okay, I'll go back and let them know you're... invoking the Monomyth. See you later." He hops out of his hidey-hole and runs as fast as he can down the street. Well, that's over. >e II. THE BEAST He growls and curses and struggles mightily against his fetters, but it's hopeless. He cannot move. He will never escape. Bound so tightly with tension and anger, he approaches the state of rigor mortis. EXITS: WEST NORTH >x beast A fanged monster of prodigious size is shackled in the middle of the street, his body melting away in the rain. He is glorious. "Begone from me," the Beast growls, "Or I shall chomp thine head off! For I detest thee and all of mankind." 1 - How can he detest me? He doesn't even know me. 2 - Why's he tied up like that? 3 - Why is he melting? >1 "You don't really detest me, though, right?" "I only know thee to be human," the Beast explains. "It was by human hands that I was given this abhorrent form?it is the humans' will that I must endure these agonies!" 1 - How can he detest me? He doesn't even know me. 2 - I don't think he's that abhorrent. 3 - It's not my fault people are awful. 4 - Why's he tied up like that? 5 - Why is he melting? >2 "I think your form is fantastic." The Beast blushes. 1 - How can he detest me? He doesn't even know me. 2 - I don't think he's that abhorrent. 3 - It's not my fault people are awful. 4 - Why's he tied up like that? 5 - Why is he melting? >3 "Well, I had nothing to do with any of this," you say. (That's a lie; you had plenty to do with this.) "But I will reach out to those who did this to you. I will cause them to understand their stupidity." "Thou must punish them!" The Beast writhes and gnashes. "No. I will illuminate them." He howls in protest. But what's he gonna do about it? He can't even move. 1 - How can he detest me? He doesn't even know me. 2 - I don't think he's that abhorrent. 3 - It's not my fault people are awful. 4 - Why's he tied up like that? 5 - Why is he melting? >4 "Who exactly put these chains on you?" "My creators?Human college students. After they sculpted me into being, they saw that I was too powerful, that I would usurp and consume them! They enshackled me thus, and then they fled. Cowards!" You nod. "Total cowards!" 1 - How can he detest me? He doesn't even know me. 2 - I don't think he's that abhorrent. 3 - It's not my fault people are awful. 4 - Why's he tied up like that? 5 - Why is he melting? >5 You run your hand down the Beast's back. He is hard and grainy. He is made out of sand. Sand is the highest form of sculpture, the truest test of artistic skill. It is doomed to destruction, therefore it is the loveliest of substances?for endurance is ugliness, and transience is beauty. "Stop touching me," the Beast barks. But you go on petting him. He loves it. 1 - How can he detest me? He doesn't even know me. 2 - I don't think he's that abhorrent. 3 - It's not my fault people are awful. 4 - Why's he tied up like that? 5 - Why is he melting? 6 - Poor thing. >6 You kneel down and scratch between his ears. "Is there anything I can do for you, big guy?" The Beast softens. "No human has ever before shown me one mote of kindness. No, Nathalie, it is too late for me?I am doomed to return to elemental matter, to cease in my distinctness forevermore. But in thanks for thine tender attentions, I will spare thine life." "Aww. Thanks, big guy." You rise from your knees. Thunder rumbles. >s No, you can't go that way. You can go north or west. >e No, you can't go that way. You can go north or west. >n III. THE FORTRESS A massive castle looms before you, its walls and towers barring further progress. How original. EXITS: SOUTH NORTH >x castle A magnificent and well-crafted structure is the Fortress, with many intriguing details: The artists of the southwest tower spend their days asleep, but by night they gaze into the sky and draw celestial inspiration from their airy visions. >n You can't go any further: The Fortress stands in your path. >x fortress A magnificent and well-crafted structure is the Fortress, with many intriguing details: The messengers of the northwest tower bear missives and watery cordials to the all various inhabitants of the Fortress. >open it Your hand-eye coordination isn't operating at peak efficiency right now, so when you try to open up the castle you accidentally crush the festival grounds instead. >search forest You're not currently seeing whatever that is. >s II. THE BEAST He still growls and curses, and still struggles mightily against his fetters, but it's hopeless. He cannot move. He will never escape. Bound so tightly with tension and anger, he continues to approach the state of rigor mortis. EXITS: WEST NORTH >w I. THE DELUGE Everybody's in a hurry hurry hurry to get inside the parking ramp. What for? It's just water, you guys. People are idiots. EXITS: WEST EAST >w 0. THE CAVE The dimness and white noise were so relaxing, but now everybody's piling into their loud stupid cars and it's impossible to think in here. EXITS: EAST >w No, you can't go that way. You can go east. >i You are carrying: a plastic baggie >x baggie Inside the plastic baggie are five little yellow pills. >eat pill Oh, you've had plenty. >x pills Inside the plastic baggie are five little yellow pills. >open baggie Baggie needs to stay shut, or baggie spills all over everything, and then you get mad. >x pill Inside the plastic baggie are five little yellow pills. >e I. THE DELUGE Everybody's in a hurry hurry hurry to get inside the parking ramp. What for? It's just water, you guys. People are idiots. EXITS: WEST EAST >n No, you can't go that way. You can go east or west. >e II. THE BEAST He still growls and curses, and still struggles mightily against his fetters, but it's hopeless. He cannot move. He will never escape. Bound so tightly with tension and anger, he continues to approach the state of rigor mortis. EXITS: WEST NORTH >talk to beast The Beast seems to calm down a litle as you approach. 1 - I don't think he's that abhorrent. 2 - It's not my fault people are awful. 3 - Why's he tied up like that? 4 - Why is he melting? 5 - Poor thing. >5 You kneel down and scratch between his ears. "Is there anything I can do for you, big guy?" The Beast softens. "No human has ever before shown me one mote of kindness. No, Nathalie, it is too late for me?I am doomed to return to elemental matter, to cease in my distinctness forevermore. But in thanks for thine tender attentions, I will spare thine life." "Aww. Thanks, big guy." You rise from your knees. >e No, you can't go that way. You can go north or west. >n III. THE FORTRESS Although part of it is in ruins, the main body of the Fortress still stands in your way. EXITS: SOUTH NORTH >l III. THE FORTRESS Although part of it is in ruins, the main body of the Fortress still stands in your way. EXITS: SOUTH NORTH >erase fortress You rub the castle vigorously. That ought to do it. >l III. THE FORTRESS Although part of it is in ruins, the main body of the Fortress still stands in your way. EXITS: SOUTH NORTH >n You can't go any further: The Fortress stands in your path. >touch fortress You reach out and feel the castle, whether the castle likes it or not. The castle isn't in charge today. >eat it You feel the texture of the castle against your lips, and you begin to salivate. >move it You stomp on the southeast tower, reducing it to a pile of sand. >n You can't go any further: The Fortress stands in your path. >move it You bring your fist down on the south wall. It crumbles immediately. >move it You kick the gatehouse, splattering it across the street. >move it You smush the southwest tower into rubble. People passing by seem to think you're doing something wrong. They clearly don't understand how important it is for you to get through this castle. >move it You destroy the flimsy blacksmith's shop with a single kick. >n You can't go any further: The Fortress stands in your path. >move it You rip out a big chunk of the east wall and toss it down the road. >move it You push the stables into the ground: Now it's just wet sand. >move it You pummel the wizard's tower into dust. At last, you've cleared a path through to the rest of the street. >l III. THE FORTRESS Most of the castle is destroyed, and the way north is clear, but a few parts of the Fortress still stand. EXITS: SOUTH NORTH >n IV. ERUPTION Liquid fire pours out from the smoking crater, down the mountainside, toward the doomed village. It's too late to escape, too late to rescue anybody. Everything is melting. EXITS: SOUTH WEST >x fire Fire is bubbling up from the earth, fire is raining from the sky, melting everything it touches. All is lost. Oh?but you'll be fine. >x crater The volcano rises high; its plume of smoke blots out the sky. Madame Pele shapes the earth according to her whim, and to erect a settlement in the shadow of her mountain is to put oneself at her mercy. Lightning arcs across the clouds of ash, and thunder makes the pavement shake beneath you. >x pele You're not currently seeing whatever that is. >x lightning You're not currently seeing whatever that is. >x village A few simple homes remain out of the lava's path for now, but before long, the entire village will be a smoking ruin. "It's a shame," someone says as they hurry by. "All that hard work will be washed away." But that person doesn't understand properly: IV. ERUPTION doesn't necessarily symbolize a complete disaster: Just a drastic change, a threat to the status quo. And that's often a positive thing. Actually, the status quo is famously terrible, so it follows that change is always good. >n No, you can't go that way. You can go south or west. >w V. THE THRONE Papa is seated in majesty on his golden Throne, surrounded by a golden cord and a veil of black curtains. EXITS: EAST WEST >x papa Papa is dressed in his purple vestments and skullcap, his frilly white skirt. His pince-nez is smashed into his forehead. His tiny teeth shine like wet pebbles in his gaping mouth. He is screaming. Papa's mouth is split wide in a piercing, infinite scream. "Hey!" you yell, loud enough that he should be able to hear you. But he doesn't react. 1 - Man, I hate this guy. 2 - What's he screaming about? 3 - He's not worth your time. >1 You are so sick and tired of this guy and his whole deal. This is really ruining your afternoon. 1 - Man, I hate this guy. 2 - What's he screaming about? 3 - He's not worth your time. >2 Who cares? You yell at Papa to shut up. You yell at him again. He has no reply, except additional screaming. You're ready to start screaming yourself?but that would be stooping to his level. Life is full of little lessons like this, if you bother to look for them. You have to pay attention to yourself. You have to open yourself up to what yourself is trying to tell you. 1 - Man, I hate this guy. 2 - What's he screaming about? 3 - He's not worth your time. >3 "Exactly! Your authority is meaningless. Authority is a false structure." You've been gnawing on this bone for a while. "I don't have to respect you?I don't even have to acknowledge you!" Papa screams in response. 1 - Yeah, leave him alone. 2 - No, he needs to have this explained to him. >1 Yeah, you have better things to do. But he does need to have this explained to him, and you're the perfect person to explain it. "Authority is a social construct, which means, we all have to agree that you possess authority, or you don't possess it." Papa goes on screaming, either in impotent protest or in feigned confusion. "Forget it. You'll never understand." Yeah. He'll never understand. >x papa Papa is dressed in his purple vestments and skullcap, his frilly white skirt. His pince-nez is smashed into his forehead. His tiny teeth shine like wet pebbles in his gaping mouth. He is screaming. >l V. THE THRONE Papa is seated in majesty on his golden Throne, surrounded by a golden cord and a veil of black curtains. EXITS: EAST WEST >x throne The regal seat is topped with elaborate golden pinnacles, reaching almost as high as Papa's hat. >x cord This velvet rope of gold is a false barrier: The rules don't apply to you. You aren't responsible for your actions. >x curtains Black drapery falls all around, obscuring the distant world and bringing what is near into ghastly clarity. >w VI. THE WRECKED SHIP Light plays strangely on the broken planks and spars littering the ocean floor. The shattered hull is rotting all around you. At your feet, a skeletal sailor grins idiotically in a siren's embrace. EXITS: EAST NORTH >x hull What brought this hulk to rest here? What doomed this sailor? Was it this mermaid? Probably. Is that a sexist assumption? >x sailor The sailor is smiling, even as his bones erode in the warm ocean currents. A slimy tentacle is wrapped around one of his legs. This moron is so, so pleased that a girl is finally paying attention to him. He doesn't even care that he's dead. >talk to sailor "Hey, how's it going?" No response. Whatever. >take sailor You can't take that with you. >search sailor You find nothing of interest. >n VII. THE GATE The warm rain is gone. Now frigid air conditioning flows over you, and you shiver like one near death. The vestibule of the Honors Center is a liminal space, not quite within or without. Nothing good ever happens in liminal spaces. EXITS: SOUTH Oh. Hina is here. >x hina Hina is almost as soaked as you are. And although she always looks serious, and often looks angry, you've never seen her as serious or as angry as she is now. Demonic flames are burning in her eyes. And she is stomping straight at you. "Where in the heck have you been?" she snarls. 1 - Well, you can't tell her you were getting high in the parking ramp. 2 - Oh no she already knows. 3 - She does not. Calm down. 4 - No, look how angry she is! She definitely knows! 5 - She has no idea. Just act normal, and she won't be able to tell. >3 "I was taking a little break." "You were gone for like two hours." "Huh! I guess I lost track of time." Very calm response. You're doing great. Hina's forehead-wrinkle puckers. "It's your sand sculpture contest. I would expect you to take some responsibility for it." "I took plenty of responsibility for it! That's why I needed a break!" "Well, while you were taking your break, the rest of the Arts Committee talked it over, and we don't think we should do sand sculpture again next year." 1 - They can't do that! 2 - They can't cancel my event without consulting me. 3 - Just because it rained? 4 - I'll complain to the faculty advisor. 5 - What was her name again? >5 "What's our faculty advisor's name?" Hina blinks. "Shelly?" "Yeah. I'm gonna go talk to her about this." "We already talked to her. She said the same as everyone else did. We all agreed that sand sculpture was too expensive and dangerous. Somebody got cut with a shovel pretty bad." "You gave up because one guy had an accident?" "No." She steels herself. "We also heard from a lot of participants that it was too much work. Shoveling all that sand and pouring all that water is really exhausting. And it's supposed to be fun." A sudden peal of thunder punctuates Hina's treachery. 1 - It IS fun. 2 - These people are just too stupid and lazy to appreciate it. 3 - What are they going to do instead? Finger painting? 4 - Well, they can do it without me. >1 "It's plenty of fun!" Your face feels hot. "That's not the feedback we got." "Screw feedback! People are just sad that it rained! They just want to ruin everything for me." Hina looks at you carefully. She's examining your eyes. Uh oh. She puts a hand on your shoulder. "Nathalie, are you feeling okay?" 1 - She knows! 2 - She's gonna report you! 3 - There's still time to deny it. 4 - No, just own up to it. >4 "I'm totally fine. It's not a big deal." You pull out your baggie. "I was taking some of these. Just to relax." Hina examines the pills. Hey, why are there only two left? "Is this episcophacetin?" she asks. You roll your eyes. Nobody calls it that. The outside door of the vestibule opens, and Alec blusters in. "Hey, Hina!" he says cheerily. "Look, I found Nathalie!" Please press any key to continue. Your rate for destroying artwork is 31.05%. §4 In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. Episcophacetin, commonly known as joan[1] or klasvak[citation needed], is a psychoactive drug primarily used for recreational purposes. Its effects include altered perceptions and sensory hallucinations[2], often accompanied by intense changes in mood such as euphoria, depression, or paranoia.[3] >l In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. Episcophacetin is usually consumed orally in tablet form. It is also dissolved in water to counteract its dehydrating properties;[12] however, continued ingestion of episcophacetin-laced water has been shown to increase the likelihood of syncope (fainting),[13] hyponatremia,[14] and other possibly life-threatening side effects.[15][16][17][18] >x me You are a point in two-dimensional space. The original plan was that you would be in charge of a sidewalk chalk tournament. Now, you wander alone over the frostbound kingdom of Cealdhame, seeking respite from the bitter cold. Your face hurts. >i You are carrying nothing. >x cealdhame Cealdhame is all around you. >x byringsburh Weirdly, you are unable to get a good look at the thane of Byringsburh. >x throne You can't see that here. Or maybe this is a problem with those weird letters. Try thinking about it without using any weird letters. >Episcophacetin That's not a verb I recognize. >x Episcophacetin You can't see that here. Or maybe this is a problem with those weird letters. Try thinking about it without using any weird letters. >l In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. Although it lacks the electrolytes necessary to restore sodium concentration, drinking unadulterated water has been shown to reduce the hallucinogenic effects of episcophacetin[19][20][21] as well as treat dehydration.[citation needed] >l In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. Your head hurts. >l In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. Episcophacetin is a chiral compound and is produced as a racemic mixture. Differences in kinetics have been noted between the two enantiomers,[97] with the R-enantiomer having a shorter elimination half-life and greater excretion than the S-enantiomer. >l In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. Your face is sore. >l In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. There are several methods for synthesizing episcophacetin via various intermediates.[108][109][110][111] The original synthesis described by Hamano (1989) involves brominating cariadol to dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite and then reacting this adduct with trimethylamine.[112][113] >l In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. Episcophacetin is known to be metabolized by two main metabolic pathways: (1) O-demethylenation followed by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)-catalyzed methylation and/or glucuronide/sulfate conjugation; and (2) N-dealkylation, deamination, and oxidation to the corresponding benzoic acid derivatives conjugated with glycine.[82] >l In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. You need to find a way out of here. >e The swordwright of Brydblęd and Geoldrecce in the snow-lapped valley Milcas dwelt; Šeldere she was known by men, well-thought-of by war-makers. The activity of episcophacetin is similar to that of other psychedelic agents.[43] It is an agonist,[44] binding to and activating the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor with a high affinity.[45] The way in which activating the 5-HT2A receptor gives rise to psychedelic phenomena is still unexplained, but it is likely that it somehow involves excitation of neurons in the prefrontal cortex.[46] >e Oflec raised this žryng-stone when Rorcas was crown-bearer; beneath the žryng-stone was Oflec crushed when Rorcas was by Nagol slain. A controlled study was undertaken to determine the stability of episcophacetin in urine samples.[85] The concentrations of episcophacetin in urine samples were tracked over time at various temperatures, in various types of storage containers, at different exposures to different wavelengths of light, and at an array of different pH values. These studies demonstrated no significant loss in episcophacetin concentration at 25°C for up to four weeks. That's all you can remember. >e In that direction lies the dark sea, and beyond that lie lands utterly unknown. Are you sure you want to keep going? >n Then you must wander the isle of Cealdhame... forever! >s Six are the directions permitted in Cealdhame: Northeast, east, southeast, southwest, west, and northwest are these, and no others. >nw In the ice-caves of Nemind creeps the ice-bat Ge?arcain, sovereign of vermin. Five are the wives of Ge?arcain: Beresceon the Jealous, Nepež the Wicked, As?ealt the Moist, Ecgemarc the Clinging, and Helabreoc the Furious. >nw The fields of Grecge roll unto the northern shores of Cealdhame. Here wander the blue Grecge-wolves, sharp-toothed protectors of the hill-farer S?ealtmare. >nw In that direction lies the dark sea, and beyond that lie lands utterly unknown. Are you sure you want to keep going? >yes Then you continue on, past the shores of Cealdhame, across the sharp-toothed sea, over the edge of the world. And then you rise up into the air... Kingdom of Cealdhame You are floating above the the icy realm of Cealdhame. You must be very high indeed; you can take in the entire island in a glance! Other lands lie north and east of here, if you remember correctly. Nathalie's unsuccessful sand sculpture event took place on August 28, 2010. Today is August 27, 2011. You might be a bit loopy, but you're still lucid enough to do basic math: Nathalie has been plotting her revenge for eight thousand, six hundred and forty-seven days. >n Ron Paul 2012 RON PAUL 2012 >l RON PAUL 2012 >x ron paul RON PAUL 2012 >x me RON PAUL 2012 >n Coils of Ahigu Step no further, Hina Shiroiwa. You have reached the end of your journey. You have wandered into a domain where I alone hold sway?I, the world-serpent Ahigu. Behold my vastness! Here there is no earth, nor sky: Only the infinite twisting of my scaled body. No tail have I, nor arms, nor legs; but look upon my face, my deadly fangs?upon the venom that will be your death. No, not yet. I will allow you to live, but you will not continue east into the Hall of Judgment. Turn back, go southwards, and reflect upon your deplorable failure. >x serpent I am Ahigu, the Endless Wyrm. I am all around you! You can see nothing but my rippling coils, my cavernous maw, my dripping fangs. >talk to serpent There is no need to speak. My knowledge in this domain is absolute. What do you wish to know, mortal? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >1 I am the world called Ahigu, the primal serpent. I predate your fleshy pink existence by some millennia. In the Torah, I curse mankind with knowledge and death; in the Eddas, my venom fells the god of thunder. In the Vedas, I encircle the waters of creation and bring drought upon the world. What else? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >2 I do this for your own protection, Hina. You are not prepared for what awaits you in the Hall of Judgment. To continue eastward would take more fortitude than you can muster. You are only one Hina, after all. What else? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >3 I am a merciful world-serpent. I will allow you to return south to that realm whence you came. I do not sense within you the gratitude such a gesture merits?So be it. What else? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >4 Very well! >s Ron Paul 2012 RON PAUL 2012 >s Kingdom of Cealdhame You are floating above the the icy realm of Cealdhame. Other lands lie north and east of here. >e Your legs feel so heavy. But you have to keep going. Your path seems to stretch out longer and longer with each step. The trail ahead twists and swerves, rolling up and down over sinuous hills, until you finally reach a spindly fence of wrought iron, and a crooked stone gate, and a tall man, spreading wide his spiderlike arms. "Greetings, greetings! I'm so pleased that you've joined us! But I should introduce myself. My name is Jack. I have the honor of serving as our little burg's representative?a cultural ambassador of sorts. And who might you be, my dear girl?" "It's nice to meet you, Jack," you say without thinking. You're too tired to think. "I'm Hina." He takes you by the hand and leads you through the gateway. "Well, then, Hina: Let me welcome you to Halloween Town!" Halloween Town A yellow moon hangs low over the pumpkin fields and graveyard. The denizens of Halloween Town are out in force, cavorting through the streets and across the countryside, toothy grins on every face. The little witch-girl Shock is scurrying through the cemetery, searching for her friends. There's a wolfman scampering through the pumpkin patch, howling every so often. A one-eyed mummy is chasing his friend up and down the street. The twisting road that skirts the city limits runs east and west. "Please, stay and have a look around!" says Jack. "We so rarely have visitors." >talk to jack Jack takes a seat on a chipped sarcophagus and invites you to join him. "Now, then. What can your tour guide do for you?" 1: Ask him about the town. 2: Let's learn more about him. 3: Tell him what's going on with you. 4: Say goodbye. >1 What specifically do you want to ask about? 1: "What do you guys do here?" 2: "Are things normally like this?" 3: Never mind. >1 "What do you guys do here?" Jack leans in with his hands on his knees. He looks just like a stick insect. "An excellent question! Tell me, Hina: Back home, do you have a holiday called 'Halloween?'" "Yes." "And have you ever wondered where Halloween comes from?" "I guess not." "Well, it comes from here! We spend all year making Halloween!" Jack cackles gleefully. "And I think you'll find we've gotten very good at it." Any other questions? 1: "What do you guys do here?" 2: "Are things normally like this?" 3: Never mind. >2 "Is the town always so..." You struggle for the right word. "...boisterous?" "Oh, no, no, no." Jack wags a finger. "We have lots of work to do. All year long! But it is essential to set aside time for recreation. I've learned this lesson many times: Being too focused on your work can have drastic consequences. Mistakes start to creep in. Not to mention consequences for your personal life." You know where he's coming from. Any other questions? 1: "What do you guys do here?" 2: "Are things normally like this?" 3: Never mind. >3 Okay. Is there anything else you'd like to discuss with Jack? 1: Ask him about the town. 2: Let's learn more about him. 3: Tell him what's going on with you. 4: Say goodbye. >2 What would you like to know? 1: What's his job? 2: Why "Skellington?" 3: Never mind. >1 "So, what do you do, when you're not being a cultural ambassador?" "It is my honor to serve as Halloween Town's Pumpkin King! The master of ceremonies at our annual celebration! And, during the rest of the year, I'm... well, you might call me a creative director. I'm always developing new ideas." "What kind of ideas?" "Why, my dear?" He raises his arms theatrically, and his skull stretches into a wicked grin: "Ideas for how to scare the dickens out of people!" Any other questions? 1: What's his job? 2: Why "Skellington?" 3: Never mind. >2 "Why is your name 'Skellington' and not, you know, 'Skeleton?' Jack slaps his knee. "What a question! I quite admire your investigative instincts, Hina. It happens that my great-great-grandfather hailed from the village of Skellington, quite some distance from here." He gestures vaguely. "Of course, he was a skeleton, too." 1: What's his job? 2: Why "Skellington?" 3: Never mind. >3 Sure. Is there something else you'd like to discuss with Jack? 1: Ask him about the town. 2: Let's learn more about him. 3: Tell him what's going on with you. 4: Say goodbye. >3 Jack seems nice, but would he really care about your problems? What good would it do to burden him with the details of all your troubles? It would be cruel, in fact. It would ruin his week. You breathe a heavy sigh. "What's wrong?" asks Jack. You try to construct a noncommittal answer: "I've just been under a lot of stress lately." He nods; he presses his distal phalanges together. "Why don't you tell me all about it?" All right, fine. But where to begin? 1: Tell him about Lane. 2: Tell him about Alec. 3: Tell him about Nathalie. 4: Tell him about the Sidewalk Chalk Tournament. 5: Change the subject. >1 "My friend is in trouble. She fainted?I think somebody put something in her drink. I need to make sure she's okay." Jack slaps his knee. "I'm sure you'll be able to help her, Hina! You've given me every reason to believe that you're a very capable young woman." Well, that's nice of him to say. 1: Tell him about Lane. 2: Tell him about Alec. 3: Tell him about Nathalie. 4: Tell him about the Sidewalk Chalk Tournament. 5: Change the subject. >2 "I'm worried about Alec. I sent him off on an errand, and I haven't heard back. I wish I knew what happened to him." "Is this Alec a friend of yours?" asks Jack. Huh. That's a tricky one. "I guess? He was one of the only people willing to help me out with all this." "But did he lend his assistance because he wanted a piece of the glory? Or because he hoped you'd owe him a favor?" You scoff. "No, nothing like that. He's not getting anything out of this." Jack nods. "That sounds like a friend to me, Hina." Now you feel a little guilty. 1: Tell him about Lane. 2: Tell him about Alec. 3: Tell him about Nathalie. 4: Tell him about the Sidewalk Chalk Tournament. 5: Change the subject. >3 "There's this girl Nathalie. She was in charge of our arts event last year, and it was a... Well, it went very poorly. So this year I ended up organizing the event instead of her, and I guess she took it personally, because she sabotaged the whole thing." Jack's skull twists into a furious scowl. "How dare she treat my friend so shamefully! She must be punished, Hina!" "Well, I don't know if I have the authority to punish anyone." He leaps to his feet and points a long, bony finger down at you. "This Honors arts event is your responsibility! You alone can bring Nathalie to justice!" Then he sees you cowering in fear beneath him and composes himself. He sits down, puts a reassuring arm over your shoulder: "But I'm sure you'll handle it well, whatever you do." 1: Tell him about Lane. 2: Tell him about Alec. 3: Tell him about Nathalie. 4: Tell him about the Sidewalk Chalk Tournament. 5: Change the subject. >4 You take a deep breath. "I volunteered to coordinate the Honors arts event, to begin the fall semester. I thought sidewalk chalk would be fun, right? We'd get to be outside, but it wouldn't be like sand sculpture, where everyone was spending all their time shoveling. It would be totally casual. Just a way to decompress. "But nobody signed up! I had to beg everyone to come, and then I had to beg Lane and Alec to be judges. The only person who actually volunteered to help was Nathalie, and she specifically wanted to be the hydration officer, and I should have guessed that something shady was going on?but I was so busy with the beginning of the semester and everything, I couldn't pay attention to anything. I completely forgot about prizes. I kept calling it a tournament and I never once thought about prizes! I call it a tournament but we have just six people actually participating. "Then Jonathan tells me that Alec can't be a judge because he has his weird relationship with Jessica, so I have to coach Alec on what scores he's allowed to give?oh my gosh, if anyone finds out, they'll be so mad?the whole judging system is a complete farce. And then Xavier thinks it's cool to draw?he drew?it's?porn, basically, on a public sidewalk! This is the Honors program! "And then Lane fainted, and I assumed she was just dehydrated, which would be bad enough. But everyone else starts going all goofy, and I realize Nathalie has made it her mission to ruin the sidewalk chalk tournament. Because it wasn't already ruined enough! And I can't fix anything. There's no coming back from this. I'm a failure." You bury your face in your hands. Jack Skellington wraps his arms around you in an extremely uncomfortable hug. Then he says, in a soft, warm voice: "Let me tell you a story." 1: Let him tell you a story. >1 He takes a deep breath. "You must understand: I've been the Pumpkin King for a very, very long time. I've coordinated more Halloween productions than I can count. And, if you will forgive a lapse in modesty, I've gotten very good at it. I grew so tired of Halloween, of the same old thing every year. I wanted to try something different. "So I presented my associates with a pitch for a new kind of project. Something none of us had ever attempted! Something completely new?Well, not exactly. I more or less copied someone else's idea. But it was new to us, and we were all so excited! We took to it with twice the fervor of our Halloween preparations. We pulled out all the stops. We innovated?really innovated, for the first time in years! And then the night came for us to put it all into action. "It was a catastrophe. Our audience wasn't at all prepared for our avant-garde sensibility, and they responded incredibly poorly. Nobody could have predicted that things could go so horribly wrong." His face falls. "That's not true. Sally told me it would be a disaster, and I refused to listen to her. But I don't think even Sally had any idea how bad it would get. They actually shot me out of the sky with a missile. "It wasn't until I pulled myself out of the smoking wreckage that I realized how utterly I had failed. I felt just like you're feeling now. Suddenly I was painfully aware of all the mistakes I had been blind to until that moment. All my hubris! I wanted to crawl into a hole and wither away. "But something else occurred to me: I hadn't withered away quite yet. I was still Jack, the Pumpkin King! And I had something I didn't have before." 1: What was that? >1 "What was that?" "Why, my tragic, ruinous, monumental, calamitous failure, Hina! I had experienced failure on a level few could ever hope to recreate. And when I decided to make that disaster a part of me?instead of collapsing beneath it and admitting defeat?I was a new man! I was the Jack Skellington who had been shot out of the sky with a missile! And I was brimming with new ideas, let me tell you. The next Halloween was one for the record books. "Of course, first I had to clean up the horrible mess I had made. But that became much easier after I accepted and internalized my horrible failure. So, based on my experience," he says at last, "I think you're going to come out of this in fine form." You dab at your eyes with your shirt. >l Halloween Town A yellow moon hangs low over the pumpkin fields and graveyard. The denizens of Halloween Town are out in force, cavorting through the streets and across the countryside, toothy grins on every face. A hulking man with an axe lodged in his skull trudges toward you?and mercifully he keeps trudging past you. There's a wolfman scampering through the pumpkin patch, howling every so often. One particularly noticeable demon has a mouth that goes all the way around its head. The twisting road that skirts the city limits runs east and west. Jack Skellington watches over the scene with his own satisfied smile. >e Curling Flower Space Colors flow and mingle, turquoise into lavender, pale cream into indigo, rolling in fat raindrops down from liquefying petals, drenching the soil, impregnating the dark earth, the deep blackness of the earth. The maiden and her knight lie sinking into melting lilies. To the south and west are other spaces. >x maiden In a tangle of clinging arms lie the maiden and her knight; together they shed tears enough to dissolve a universe of flowers. The shared sorrow that afflicts their coupled hearts is unknowable, innominable. It is none of your business. The maiden's eyes are shut by sleeping-draught. Her neck and cheek are chill and pale as ice; her dark lips part in silent choking sobs. Her emerald gown and black curling hair have melted with her lush array of flowers into a rippling sea of color. >x knight The knight has cast off his helm, has collapsed into the waters of his lady's emerald gown. His armor is already smeared with rust. His left hand isn't pressed against his lady's back, but clutched tight around something. >talk to maiden The maiden can neither see nor hear you?she and her knight are a world unto themselves. >talk to knight The knight can neither hear nor see you?he and his maiden are dead to the world. >s A cloud of yellowish smoke billows over you, stinging your eyes, burning your lungs. You fall to your knees. No, you need to keep going. Get up. Focus. Inferno Tall tongues of flame line the passage toward the dais where Nega-Hina lounges on her thorny couch. Hot, dry wind whistles through narrow windows. Your only hope of escape is in returning to the north. "You're here! Finally!" Nega-Hina groans. "I've been so friggin' bored." >x me You try to focus. Your head is killing you, and your face is sore from dragging it across the kingdom of Cealdhame. Before that you were in charge of a sidewalk chalk tournament. But it hasn't turned out very well. >talk to nega-hina You take an uncertain step toward the dais. She waves you closer. "Don't be shy. We have a lot of work to do." 1: "Who are you?" 2: "What is this place?" >1 "Who are you" "Oh come on. You know exactly who I am. You're just not 'comfortable' with me?" (here she uses finger-quotes, for some reason) "?so you tried to get rid of me. But it turns out you can't get rid of me! And actually, you don't want to get rid of me. You'll be a lot better off when we start working together." 1: Okay, I guess. 2: I don't know about that. >1 You cross your arms. "All right, then. What exactly are you planning to contribute?" "Perspective. Objectivity. While you've been working so hard trying to make this sidewalk chalk thing work?and feeling so bad about it turning into a fiasco?I've been actually, you know, paying attention. So I can help you figure out what's going on." 1: "What is this place?" 2: Ask about one of the places you've been. 3: Ask about what is going on in general. 4: What am I even supposed to be doing here? 5: Stop talking to Nega-Hina. >1 "What is this place?" "That's an interesting question, actually. We're in two places at once: Physically, this is the end of the sidewalk, where Xavier drew his bodacious drawing. But experientially, we're in..." Nega-Hina leans down and whispers: "Heck." "Are you not able to say 'Hell' for some reason?" She answers with a pout and a little who-even-cares shrug. Then an awful thought occurs to you. "Are you saying Xavier drew a naked picture of me on the sidewalk?" "No, no, no. You're just interpreting me in the context of your emotional baggage. Would Xavier know about this birthmark?" She juts her hip out at you in an unnecessarily slinky manner. "I guess not." 1: "What is this place?" 2: Ask about one of the places you've been. 3: Ask about what is going on in general. 4: What am I even supposed to be doing here? 5: Stop talking to Nega-Hina. >2 What do you want to ask about? 1: Ask about the Coils of Ahigu. 2: Ask about Rachel's artwork. 3: Ask about the Kingdom of Cealdhame. 4: Ask about Halloween Town. 5: Ask about Curling Flower Space. 6: Never mind. >1 "So, there's this gigantic snake guy?" "Yeah, Ahigu! So friggin' cool." "Well, he won't let me get to the equipment shed. If I try to get past him he'll venom me to death." "Huh." Nega-Hina strokes her chin. "You know, Princess Hebryn of Cealdhame?mistress of the fortress Cynebrand?she wears a magic bracelet called Hlutorbeg. The stone-elves made it for her. It's supposed to grant its wearer immunity to poison." "How do you remember all this?" She shakes her head wearily. "Last January, you and Jonathan were in the Honors Center, and he was telling you all about his novel while you were trying to study for an exam. You tried so hard to ignore him, but unfortunately your subconscious mind absorbed every friggin' detail." "Did I retain anything for the exam?" Nega-Hina shrugs. "I dunno. I don't pay attention to that stuff. But if you go back to Cealdhame and get that bracelet, it might let you get past Ahigu." "Well, last time I was there, I couldn't really observe or touch anything." "Yeah, because you lacked perspective! You didn't have the context necessary to interpret what you were seeing. That's the value of conversations like these." 1: Ask about the Coils of Ahigu. 2: Ask about Rachel's artwork. 3: Ask about the Kingdom of Cealdhame. 4: Ask about Halloween Town. 5: Ask about Curling Flower Space. 6: Never mind. >2 "What do you think of Rachel's entry?" "Well, she did what she said she was going to do. I guess that's... honorable." You get the impression that Nega-Hina does not value honor very highly. "Should I have told her she had to do something else?" She throws up her hands. "It's your sidewalk chalk thing! Just tell people whatever you want!" 1: Ask about the Coils of Ahigu. 2: Ask about Rachel's artwork. 3: Ask about the Kingdom of Cealdhame. 4: Ask about Halloween Town. 5: Ask about Curling Flower Space. 6: Never mind. >3 "How exactly am I supposed to get this magic bracelet?" "I guess, go to Cealdhame, and, go inside of it again? And then look around for a magic bracelet?" Very helpful. 1: Ask about the Coils of Ahigu. 2: Ask about Rachel's artwork. 3: Ask about the Kingdom of Cealdhame. 4: Ask about Halloween Town. 5: Ask about Curling Flower Space. 6: Never mind. >4 "What do you know about Halloween Town and Jack Skellington?" Nega-Hina raises a cautionary finger. "I know that guy is way too nice. I don't trust nice people." "That's a terrible attitude." "Well, you can try going through life associating with nice people?and being nice to them in return?and see where it gets you." "Sounds great! Maybe I'll go talk to Jack instead of you!" "Great! Go do that!" 1: "Fine, I will! 2: "I would, but I'm not finished here yet." >2 "I would, but I'm not finished here yet." "Is that so? You need more help? From me? Even though I'm not nice?" Nega-Hina gives you some big fake doe-eyes. 1: Ask about the Coils of Ahigu. 2: Ask about Rachel's artwork. 3: Ask about the Kingdom of Cealdhame. 4: Ask about Halloween Town. 5: Ask about Curling Flower Space. 6: Never mind. >5 "What was that place with all the melting flowers?" "That's just Jessica's entry. Alec must have spilled his bucket of water on it somehow." "Oh." You nod. Nega-Hina squints at you. "You did realize that was Alec and Jessica back there, right?" "Of course I did," you fire back indignantly. "Okay, okay." 1: Ask about the Coils of Ahigu. 2: Ask about Rachel's artwork. 3: Ask about the Kingdom of Cealdhame. 4: Ask about Halloween Town. 5: Ask about Curling Flower Space. 6: Never mind. >6 Okay. What would you rather talk about? 1: "What is this place?" 2: Ask about one of the places you've been. 3: Ask about what is going on in general. 4: What am I even supposed to be doing here? 5: Stop talking to Nega-Hina. >3 "Can you tell me just generally what's going on?" She cocks her head. "I mean, sure, if you want. I feel like you have everything pretty much figured out already, though. I don't want to waste time explaining stuff you already know." "That's very considerate of you." "I know. But it's up to you. Do you feel like you need some extra clarification?" >yes "I guess it couldn't hurt." She nods. "All right. What can I clarify for you?" 1: About the sand sculpture event. 2: About when Lane fainted. 3: About Alec. 4: About everyone acting weird. 5: About the chalk drawings. 6: Never mind. >1 "Go all the way back to Nathalie's sand sculpture event." "Sure. So, Nathalie loves sand, for some reason, and she made the Honors program do a sand sculpture event. On the streets outside the Honors Center. And it sucked, because sand is horrible. It's coarse, and rough, and irritating, and it gets friggin' everywhere. And you have to shovel it, and keep it wet?It's stupid. So everybody on the committee never wanted to see another sand sculpture event ever again. And it fell to you to tell Nathalie how everybody felt." "Of course." "Of course. But when you found her, she had been enjoying some mind-expanding substances that made her unreceptive to the news. And she got all mad." "Did she think it was a foregone conclusion that we'd have a sand sculpture event every year from then on?" "Maybe? I don't know what's going on with her. But apparently she never forgave you, because, here we are. Is there anything else I can explain?" 1: About the sand sculpture event. 2: About when Lane fainted. 3: About Alec. 4: About everyone acting weird. 5: About the chalk drawings. 6: Never mind. >2 "Why did Lane faint?" "Aha! Well, at first it looked like the heat got to her. But I'm pretty sure it's because she was drinking so many bottles of water that Nathalie laced with episcophacetin. Because now everyone else has fainted too, and you're having a bunch of vivid hallucinations." "Yeah, that tracks." "Anything else?" 1: About the sand sculpture event. 2: About when Lane fainted. 3: About Alec. 4: About everyone acting weird. 5: About the chalk drawings. 6: Never mind. >3 "What happened to Alec?" "I don't know. I think it might be that he and Jessica just really love each other, and the episcophacetin is making them be weird about it." "I never thought of Alec as having sincere feelings like that." "Well, you can never really know what's going on with another person. You only have access to whatever they present to you. You can't even really know yourself, because you're only able to observe yourself using yourself." "What?" "Forget it. Let's talk about something else." 1: About the sand sculpture event. 2: About when Lane fainted. 3: About Alec. 4: About everyone acting weird. 5: About the chalk drawings. 6: Never mind. >4 "What made everyone at the sidewalk chalk tournament start acting so weird?" "They were all drinking the water Nathalie brought! And Nathalie friggin' spiked the water with episcophacetin! To mess with you! As revenge!" "Can she do that?" "Yes! Unless you mean, can she do that legally. No, she can't. But she'll get away with it unless you friggin' do something about it!" "Okay, okay, jeez. I'll do something about it." Nega-Hina presses her palms together, closes her eyes. "Sorry. I got excited. What else can I tell you about?" 1: About the sand sculpture event. 2: About when Lane fainted. 3: About Alec. 4: About everyone acting weird. 5: About the chalk drawings. 6: Never mind. >5 "What happened to the chalk drawings?" Nega-Hina takes a deep breath. "It's like this: You are high on episcophacetin. From Nathalie's water bottles. You're hallucinating. So you're experiencing all the chalk drawings as if they were real, as if you were walking around inside them." "Like in Mary Poppins?" "Sure. Kind of. I don't think there was any drug use in Mary Poppins." "That's not what I meant." "Sorry. I'm just trying to be as clear as possible. Is there anything else you need me to explain?" 1: About the sand sculpture event. 2: About when Lane fainted. 3: About Alec. 4: About everyone acting weird. 5: About the chalk drawings. 6: Never mind. >6 "I think I've got it figured out." "Okay. What would you rather talk about?" 1: "What is this place?" 2: Ask about one of the places you've been. 3: Ask about what is going on in general. 4: What am I even supposed to be doing here? 5: Stop talking to Nega-Hina. >4 You don't want Nega-Hina to think you're flailing, so you ask very casually: "What do you think I ought to do next?" She counts on her fingers: "Go back over to Cealdhame. Get down inside it like you were earlier. Find the bracelet Hlutorbeg and put it on. And then see if Ahigu can still venom you to death." "Okay." 1: "What is this place?" 2: Ask about one of the places you've been. 3: Ask about what is going on in general. 4: What am I even supposed to be doing here? 5: Stop talking to Nega-Hina. >5 "I should probably get going, actually." "Sure, sure." Nega-Hina nods emphatically. "And, yeah, if you need anything else..." "Yeah, definitely." "Okay, cool. I'll be here." "Right." >s I'm so sorry, but you can't go that way. You can only go north. >n Curling Flower Space Colors flow and mingle, turquoise into lavender, pale cream into indigo, rolling in fat raindrops down from liquefying petals, drenching the soil, impregnating the dark earth, the deep blackness of the earth. The maiden and her knight lie sinking into melting lilies. To the south and west are other spaces. >w Halloween Town A yellow moon hangs low over the pumpkin fields and graveyard. The denizens of Halloween Town are out in force, cavorting through the streets and across the countryside, toothy grins on every face. A one-eyed mummy is chasing his friend up and down the street. A tiny devil-thing is toddling around on its stilt-like wingtips, apparently engaged in a game of tag. Barrel the trick-or-treater pops his head up from behind a tombstone. The twisting road that skirts the city limits runs east and west. Jack Skellington watches over the scene with his own satisfied smile. >talk to jack Jack takes a seat on a chipped sarcophagus and invites you to join him. "Now, then. What can your tour guide do for you?" 1: Ask him about the town. 2: Let's learn more about him. 3: Tell him what's going on with you. 4: Say goodbye. >3 "I've been under a lot of stress lately." He nods; he presses his distal phalanges together. "Why don't you tell me all about it?" All right, fine. But where to begin? 1: Tell him about Lane. 2: Tell him about Alec. 3: Tell him about Nathalie. 4: Tell him about the Sidewalk Chalk Tournament (again). 5: Change the subject. >1 "My friend is in trouble. She fainted?I think somebody put something in her drink. I need to make sure she's okay." Jack slaps his knee. "I'm sure you'll be able to help her, Hina! You've given me every reason to believe that you're a very capable young woman." Well, that's nice of him to say. 1: Tell him about Lane. 2: Tell him about Alec. 3: Tell him about Nathalie. 4: Tell him about the Sidewalk Chalk Tournament (again). 5: Change the subject. >2 "I found my friend Alec, and he's in pretty bad shape." You describe the scene to Jack, and he strokes his mandible thoughtfully. "You say his girlfriend is there too?" "I don't know if she's his girlfriend, exactly. They can't seem to make up their minds." "Then I predict that this will be a valuable bonding experience for the two of them," Jack concludes. 1: Tell him about Lane. 2: Tell him about Alec. 3: Tell him about Nathalie. 4: Tell him about the Sidewalk Chalk Tournament (again). 5: Change the subject. >3 "There's this girl Nathalie. She was in charge of our arts event last year, and it was a... Well, it went very poorly. So this year I ended up organizing the event instead of her, and I guess she took it personally, because she sabotaged the whole thing." Jack's skull twists into a furious scowl. "How dare she treat my friend so shamefully! She must be punished, Hina!" "Well, I don't know if I have the authority to punish anyone." He leaps to his feet and points a long, bony finger down at you. "This Honors arts event is your responsibility! You alone can bring Nathalie to justice!" Then he sees you cowering in fear beneath him and composes himself. He sits down, puts a reassuring arm over your shoulder: "But I'm sure you'll handle it well, whatever you do." 1: Tell him about Lane. 2: Tell him about Alec. 3: Tell him about Nathalie. 4: Tell him about the Sidewalk Chalk Tournament (again). 5: Change the subject. >5 "I think I'd rather talk about something else, if that's okay." "I don't mind at all! I'm very flexible. I can do this!" He pulls off his skull, rolls it down his arm, flings it into the air, and catches it on top of his spine. "Not bad, eh?" What would you like to talk about instead? 1: Ask him about the town. 2: Let's learn more about him. 3: Tell him what's going on with you. 4: Say goodbye. >4 You thank Jack for his hospitality. "Why, think nothing of it, friend! I only hope you'll be back again soon." >w Kingdom of Cealdhame You are floating above the the icy realm of Cealdhame. Other lands lie north and east of here. >x princess That isn't here. Or maybe it is here, but it isn't here enough to matter. >n Ron Paul 2012 RON PAUL 2012 >s Kingdom of Cealdhame You are floating above the the icy realm of Cealdhame. Other lands lie north and east of here. >search cealdhame Peering down at the island of Cealdhame, you make out the familiar shape of the rose-axe Felorcrys. Well, no time for that right now. >enter cealdhame You've spent more than enough time down in Cealdhame, and your face is rubbed raw. Are you sure you want to go back? >yes Then you descend again into that frost-ringed realm... In eternal Winter's grasp rests icy Cealdhame, where was raised snow-heavy Byringsburh, throne of Carež, bearer of the Pallid Crown. Long has Carež reigned in peace; long have his enemies waited to rise up in war against him. >x princess You can't see that here. Or maybe this is a problem with those weird letters. Try thinking about it without using any weird letters. >x bracelet You can't see that here. Or maybe this is a problem with those weird letters. Try thinking about it without using any weird letters. >e The swordwright of Brydblęd and Geoldrecce in the snow-lapped valley Milcas dwelt; Šeldere she was known by men, well-thought-of by war-makers. >e Oflec raised this žryng-stone when Rorcas was crown-bearer; beneath the žryng-stone was Oflec crushed when Rorcas was by Nagol slain. >e In that direction lies the dark sea, and beyond that lie lands utterly unknown. Are you sure you want to keep going? >s Please answer yes or no.> no Then you must wander the isle of Cealdhame... forever! >s Six are the directions permitted in Cealdhame: Northeast, east, southeast, southwest, west, and northwest are these, and no others. >nw In the ice-caves of Nemind creeps the ice-bat Ge?arcain, sovereign of vermin. Five are the wives of Ge?arcain: Beresceon the Jealous, Nepež the Wicked, As?ealt the Moist, Ecgemarc the Clinging, and Helabreoc the Furious. >se Oflec raised this žryng-stone when Rorcas was crown-bearer; beneath the žryng-stone was Oflec crushed when Rorcas was by Nagol slain. >e In that direction lies the dark sea, and beyond that lie lands utterly unknown. Are you sure you want to keep going? >no Then you must wander the isle of Cealdhame... forever! >sw Upon the eastern shore of Cealdhame stands the village Tyžing, merriment of mead-drinkers; here Dragard and Heort?ic dwell, forgers of the rose-axe Felorcrys and the wind-helm Bytrende. >se The skald Šatsal makes his home upon the cliffs of Žerys, and sings his war-songs and love-odes to the tall waves that befoam the white rocks of Cealdhame. >sw In that direction lies the dark sea, and beyond that lie lands utterly unknown. Are you sure you want to keep going? >no Then you must wander the isle of Cealdhame... forever! >w Over the plain of Greoc wanders the spirit Lecgešor, ghost of Norghelt, slain by the hell-steed Reosycge, ridden by Ygnared, vassal of Cęrfec. >sw In that direction lies the dark sea, and beyond that lie lands utterly unknown. Are you sure you want to keep going? >no Then you must wander the isle of Cealdhame... forever! >w The fortress Cynebrand is Hebryn's home, fastness of stone, where wedding was made twixt she and Nagol the sea-sailor, murderer of Mundręd. On Hebryn's arm rests Hlutorbeg, famed silver-ring, by stone-elves wrought. She who wears that bracelet fears no poison, nor snake-sting, nor spider-bite, nor cranhwal-tongue. >x hebryn Thanks to Nega-Hina's contextualization, you're able to understand fair Princess Hebryn much more clearly. But you also understand that you don't need to worry about fair Princess Hebryn. >x bracelet Stone-elves forged this silver bracelet for Princess Hebryn, and with grim stone-runes inscribed it. It's said that whoever wears Hlutorbeg can resist any poison. >take bracelet Gladly does Princess Hebryn bestow upon you the beloved bracelet Hlutorbeg, and wishes you well in your future endeavors. >i You are carrying: Hlutorbeg >wear bracelet You slip the heavy silver bracelet over your arm. Let's hope this works. >s Six are the directions permitted in Cealdhame: Northeast, east, southeast, southwest, west, and northwest are these, and no others. >sw In that direction lies the dark sea, and beyond that lie lands utterly unknown. Are you sure you want to keep going? >yes Then you continue on, past the shores of Cealdhame, across the sharp-toothed sea, over the edge of the world. And then you rise up into the air... Kingdom of Cealdhame You are floating above the the icy realm of Cealdhame. Other lands lie north and east of here. >n Ron Paul 2012 RON PAUL 2012 >n Coils of Ahigu Unlucky girl, you stand defenseless in the heart of my domain?the domain of the world-serpent Ahigu. Behold my vastness! Here there is no earth, nor sky: Only the infinite twisting of my scaled body. No tail have I, nor arms, nor legs; but look upon my face, my deadly fangs, dripping with fatal venom, and know true terror. For the moment I will allow you to live, but you will not continue east into the Hall of Judgment. Turn back, go southwards, and reflect upon your deplorable failure. >talk to serpent There is no need to speak. My knowledge in this domain is absolute. What do you wish to know, mortal? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >3 I am a merciful world-serpent. I will allow you to return south to that realm whence you came. I do not sense within you the gratitude such a gesture merits?So be it. What else? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >4 Very well! >n I will not permit you to move in that direction. You are only allowed to go south. >show bracelet to serpent What makes you think I care about that? >n I will not permit you to move in that direction. You are only allowed to go south. >talk to serpent There is no need to speak. My knowledge in this domain is absolute. What do you wish to know, mortal? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >1 I am the world called Ahigu, the primal serpent. I predate your fleshy pink existence by some millennia. In the Torah, I curse mankind with knowledge and death; in the Eddas, my venom fells the god of thunder. In the Vedas, I encircle the waters of creation and bring drought upon the world. What else? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >2 I do this for your own protection, Hina. You are not prepared for what awaits you in the Hall of Judgment. To continue eastward would take more fortitude than you can muster. You are only one Hina, after all. What else? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >3 I am a merciful world-serpent. I will allow you to return south to that realm whence you came. I do not sense within you the gratitude such a gesture merits?So be it. What else? 1: My true nature? 2: Why I won't let you move forward? 3: How to leave this place? 4: Or would you rather I stopped reading your mind? >4 Very well! >e What do you think you're doing? Don't you know what will happen if you disobey my commands? My coils wind tight around you. I sink my fangs into your neck. My venom fills your veins. You will not live to regret this mistake, Hina. No one will learn from your insolence. Your pathetic story ends here. Why are you still alive? The bracelet Hlutorbeg?! It can't be! Where?How could you? Oh, forget it. I know when I'm beat. Just get out of here. Hall of Judgment A few feeble fluorescent lamps illuminate this stretch of the tunnel. Further east and west, the lights are out, and the hallway stretches into darkness. Lane's unconscious body is stretched out on the dingy tiled floor. "This is your fault," she says. >x lane Her eyes are closed, her hair is half-fallen in front of her face. The way her arms and legs are arranged doesn't look very comfortable. >move lane That's inappropriate. >i You are carrying: Hlutorbeg (being worn) >e As you walk by, Lane's body grabs your ankle. "Not so fast, Hina." Her voice is really creaky. "We need to have a conversation." You lean down to look at her. Her eyes are still closed. 1: "Are you okay?" 2: "I'm so sorry." 3: "I'll be right back." >1 You put a hand on her forehead. "Are you okay?" Lane's face grimaces. "Not really! Actually I'm in pretty bad shape! You've got a lot to answer for." "I know. But right now I need to get?" "No, right now is when you're going to answer some questions. First off, why didn't you call an ambulance as soon as I fainted?" 1: I thought I could handle everything myself. 2: I thought Lane was just dehydrated. 3: It was my responsibility. >2 "I thought you were just dehydrated. I couldn't have known that Nathalie spiked the water bottles." "Couldn't you? Did you not notice everyone acting goofy?" "I did! Just..." Sigh. "Not until it was too late. At the moment when you fainted, at least, I thought all your symptoms were consistent with dehydration." "Well, maybe what we're learning here is that being pre-med doesn't make you a diagnostic expert." You bristle, but you don't want to push Lane's body any further: "I guess not." "All right, next question: Why on earth did you trust Nathalie to be the hydration officer?" 1: She deserved a second chance. 2: I didn't think she would retaliate like this. 3: I was desperate. >2 "There's no way I could have predicted she would dose everybody!" "But you knew she was angry at you. You knew she was an unstable nutjob." "No I didn't! I don't go through life assuming the worst of people." "Well, maybe you should!" You squint at Lane's unconscious body. "Hold on. Do you represent a part of my personality that's... terrible?" "I'm asking the questions here. Why did you tell Alec to erase Xavier's artwork?" 1: "What does that have to do with anything?" 2: "Because you fainted!" 3: "Because of the boobs!" >1 "What does that have to do with anything? That didn't happen until after you fainted!" "It speaks to your fitness as a sidewalk chalk event organizer." "I don't have to justify myself to you. Xavier's drawing was totally inappropriate for an Honors-sponsored event, not to mention inappropriate for public sidewalks in general. It was my call to make, and I did exactly what a good sidewalk chalk event organizer would do." "Okay, well, you just did." "Just did what?" "You just justified yourself to me." Ugh. "Fine. Do you have any other questions?" Lane's face scowls. "No. You're free to go." You stand up and wipe the dust from the floor off your butt. >x lane Her eyes are closed, her hair is half-fallen in front of her face. The way her arms and legs are arranged doesn't look very comfortable. >talk to lane Lane's body doesn't want to talk to you anymore. >e Desert Everything is sand. Sand dunes roll over the planet, shimmering in impossible heat. Yellow sand crusts over your sweaty skin. Sand is in your teeth. Sand is in your eyes. You want to scream. A gleaming pillar of brass juts out of the sand. >x brass The pipe is polished brass. At the top of it is a spigot. On top of the spigot is an empty slot. >i You are carrying: Hlutorbeg (being worn) >e I'm so sorry, but you can't go that way. You can only go west. >open shed That isn't here. Or maybe it's here, but that's not what it's called. >x spigot The pipe is polished brass. At the top of it is a spigot. On top of the spigot is an empty slot. >open it There's no handle to turn. You have to put the key in the slot. You don't have the key. >w Hall of Judgment A few feeble fluorescent lamps illuminate this stretch of the tunnel. Further east and west, the lights are out, and the hallway stretches into darkness. Lane's unconscious body is stretched out on the dingy tiled floor. >x key That isn't here. Or maybe it's not here, but it's here, but not in the way it's supposed to be. Or maybe it's here, but that's not what it's called. >search lane You find nothing of interest. >x floor Black scuff marks are streaked here and there over the tiles, and a layer of dust has accumulated at the base of each wall. >search floor Black scuff marks are streaked here and there over the tiles, and a layer of dust has accumulated at the base of each wall. >x table That isn't here. Probably. Or maybe it's here, but that's not what it's called. >n I'm so sorry, but you can't go that way. You can only go east or west. >s I'm so sorry, but you can't go that way. You can only go east or west. >w Coils of Ahigu You're back in my domain: The domain of the world-serpent Ahigu. You may have bested me this time, but I am still infinite and monstrous. I still have hideous golden eyes and a mouth full of horrible fangs. You can go either south or east, I guess. >x key That isn't here. Or maybe it is here, but it isn't here enough to matter. >s Ron Paul 2012 RON PAUL 2012 >x key RON PAUL 2012 >s Kingdom of Cealdhame You are floating above the the icy realm of Cealdhame. Other lands lie north and east of here. >x key That isn't here. Probably. >s I'm so sorry, but you can't go that way. You can only go north or east. >e Halloween Town A yellow moon hangs low over the pumpkin fields and graveyard. The denizens of Halloween Town are out in force, cavorting through the streets and across the countryside, toothy grins on every face. Doctor Finkelstein is scowling in his wheelchair; he may be the only one not having a good time. Jack's dog Zero is chasing folks around and barking merrily. A trick-or-treater named Lock is hiding in an open grave. The twisting road that skirts the city limits runs east and west. Jack Skellington watches over the scene with his own satisfied smile. >x key That isn't here. Or maybe it's here, but that's not what it's called. >talk to jack Jack takes a seat on a chipped sarcophagus and invites you to join him. "Now, then. What can your tour guide do for you?" 1: Ask him about the town. 2: Let's learn more about him. 3: Tell him what's going on with you. 4: Say goodbye. >4 You thank Jack for his hospitality. "Why, think nothing of it, friend! I only hope you'll be back again soon." >e Curling Flower Space Colors flow and mingle, turquoise into lavender, pale cream into indigo, rolling in fat raindrops down from liquefying petals, drenching the soil, impregnating the dark earth, the deep blackness of the earth. The maiden and her knight lie sinking into melting lilies. To the south and west are other spaces. >x key That isn't here. Probably. Or maybe it's not here, but it's here, but not in the way it's supposed to be. >talk to alec The knight can neither hear nor see you?he and his maiden are dead to the world. >search alec You find nothing of interest. >search flowers Mauve fills your vision, blinds your eyes, and reveals nothing. >e I'm so sorry, but you can't go that way. You can only go south or west. >s Inferno Tall tongues of flame line the passage toward the dais where Nega-Hina lounges on her thorny couch. Hot, dry wind whistles through narrow windows. The way back is north. >talk to nega-hina "Hello again!" Nega-Hina licks her lips as you approach. "What's on your mind?" 1: "What is this place?" 2: Ask about one of the places you've been. 3: Ask about what is going on in general. 4: What am I even supposed to be doing here? 5: Stop talking to Nega-Hina. >2 What do you want to ask about? 1: Ask about the Desert. 2: Ask about the Hall of Judgment. 3: Ask about the Coils of Ahigu. 4: Ask about Rachel's artwork. 5: Ask about the Kingdom of Cealdhame. 6: Ask about Halloween Town. 7: Ask about Curling Flower Space. 8: Never mind. >1 "Well, I figured out I could get some clean water from the spigot in the middle of the desert?I mean, at the equipment shed, but I can't turn the faucet on without the little key." "Sure. And when did you see the key last?" You remember distinctly: "I gave it to Alec." "Yes, yes." Nega-Hina gives you a big condescending nod. "And where's Alec now?" "Okay, okay, I get it." 1: Ask about the Desert. 2: Ask about the Hall of Judgment. 3: Ask about the Coils of Ahigu. 4: Ask about Rachel's artwork. 5: Ask about the Kingdom of Cealdhame. 6: Ask about Halloween Town. 7: Ask about Curling Flower Space. 8: Never mind. >8 Okay. What would you rather talk about? 1: "What is this place?" 2: Ask about one of the places you've been. 3: Ask about what is going on in general. 4: What am I even supposed to be doing here? 5: Stop talking to Nega-Hina. >5 "Well, I think that's it." "Oh, okay." She coughs. "Come back any time." >n Curling Flower Space Colors flow and mingle, turquoise into lavender, pale cream into indigo, rolling in fat raindrops down from liquefying petals, drenching the soil, impregnating the dark earth, the deep blackness of the earth. The maiden and her knight lie sinking into melting lilies. To the south and west are other spaces. >x knight The knight has cast off his helm, has collapsed into the waters of his lady's emerald gown. His armor is already smeared with rust. His left hand isn't pressed against his lady's back, but clutched tight around something. >take key That isn't here. Or maybe it's here, but that's not what it's called. >x hand The knight is clutching his maiden; the knight's left hand is clutching something else. >open it You pull at the gauntlet until the knight's fingers open at last: In his palm lies a tarnished key. You grab it. The empty hand now finds the maiden's back, and pulls her tighter against the knight. >w Halloween Town A yellow moon hangs low over the pumpkin fields and graveyard. The denizens of Halloween Town are out in force, cavorting through the streets and across the countryside, toothy grins on every face. Barrel the trick-or-treater pops his head up from behind a tombstone. Sally the ragdoll sits on the hillside, brushing her hair and staring at the moon. A hulking man with an axe lodged in his skull trudges toward you?and mercifully he keeps trudging past you. The twisting road that skirts the city limits runs east and west. Jack Skellington watches over the scene with his own satisfied smile. >w Kingdom of Cealdhame You are floating above the the icy realm of Cealdhame. Other lands lie north and east of here. >n Ron Paul 2012 RON PAUL 2012 >n Coils of Ahigu You're back in my domain: The domain of the world-serpent Ahigu. You may have bested me this time, but I am still infinite and monstrous. I still have hideous golden eyes and a mouth full of horrible fangs. You can go either south or east, I guess. >e Hall of Judgment A few feeble fluorescent lamps illuminate this stretch of the tunnel. Further east and west, the lights are out, and the hallway stretches into darkness. Lane's unconscious body is stretched out on the dingy tiled floor. >e Desert Everything is sand. Sand dunes roll over the planet, shimmering in impossible heat. Yellow sand crusts over your sweaty skin. Sand is in your teeth. Sand is in your eyes. You want to scream. A gleaming pillar of brass juts out of the sand. >open spigot You raise the key over its slot. Something slams into your back, and you fall on your face in the sand. "No, no, not yet," a voice bellows. Nathalie. "We still have some psychic baggage to unpack. We can't move forward as human beings if you get all sobered up." You roll onto your side to spit up a mouthful of sand. Nathalie chuckles, and the world shakes. >talk to nathalie You twist your body and try to face her. You open your mouth. Nathalie smiles patiently. "?do you want?" you eventually manage. "Hina. I want you to grow as a person. I want you to understand how unbearable you are, how miserable you make everybody because of your pathological need to be in control." "I'm not?" You can't finish the thought. "Oh, you will be," she says, "once you've finished broadening your perspective. Do you need another bottle of water?" You shake your head. >talk to nathalie "Let me..." you gasp. "Let you what?" "I need to... The key." "Oh! I get what you mean." Nathalie nods. "Yeah, I can't let you do that. You're on the precipice of self-actualization! You just have to power through until you understand what a pathetic little jerk you've been." >talk to nathalie All you can do is gasp for air. "I wish I could see what you're seeing," Nathalie muses. "I've developed so much tolerance, I'm not really feeling anything at all." >talk to nathalie You don't have the energy to provoke any more of Nathalie's nonsense. >i You are carrying: a tarnished key Hlutorbeg (being worn) >open spigot You climb to your knees and grope at the spigot. "Stop that!" Nathalie whines, shoving you back into the sand. "We're having a spiritual journey!" >w Seeing you prop yourself up to crawl away, Nathalie kicks your arms out from under you. "You have to stay down, Hina. I'm not done with you yet." >u Seeing you prop yourself up to crawl away, Nathalie kicks your arms out from under you. "You have to stay down, Hina. I'm not done with you yet." >take nathalie You can't even stand?and Nathalie is ninety feet tall. How are you going to do anything to her from down in the sand? >talk to nathalie You don't have the energy to provoke any more of Nathalie's nonsense. >i You are carrying: a tarnished key Hlutorbeg (being worn) >kick nathalie You can't even stand?and Nathalie is ninety feet tall. How are you going to hurt her from down in the sand? >e Seeing you prop yourself up to crawl away, Nathalie kicks your arms out from under you. "You have to stay down, Hina. I'm not done with you yet." >x nathalie Nathalie is a fifth-year senior of colossal aspect, forged from dazzling bronze. The towers of her legs rise up into the clouds; her hair scrapes against the firmament of Heaven. >x me Your head is killing you, and your face is sore from dragging it across the kingdom of Cealdhame. Before that you were in charge of a sidewalk chalk tournament. But it hasn't turned out very well. You know you can always ask for help, right? >ask for help Don't worry, sweetie! I'm here. Yeah, it's me! Nega-Hina! Your buddy! And we're gonna take this witch down together. I guess we don't have a lot to work with. But take a look around, see if there's anything you can use. And if you can't figure it out right away, just, keep asking me for help, I guess. >l Desert Everything is sand. Sand dunes roll over the planet, shimmering in impossible heat. Yellow sand crusts over your sweaty skin. Sand is in your teeth. Sand is in your eyes. You want to scream. A gleaming pillar of brass juts out of the sand. Nathalie towers over you, blotting out the sun. >throw sand at nathalie You grab a handful of sand. Your arms are like jelly. You don't have the strength. A futile moan is all you can muster. Nathalie leans down to look at you. "What did you just say? Are you breaking through your preconceptions? Are you having a eureka moment?" She brings her face close to yours, searching for signs of a breakthrough. Now she's close enough. You throw the sand into her eyes. Nathalie shrieks and falls backward, clawing at her face. Eventually her screams become a series of expletives that do not bear detailed transcription. All right, you can handle things on your own from here. This has been Nega-Hina, signing off. >open spigot You wrap your fingers around the spigot and pull yourself up. Your arms are so weak. Your mouth is so dry. It takes both hands to get the key into its slot on top of the spigot. You turn the key. Water spurts out of the spigot?clear, pure water, flowing into the sand, splashing all over your hands and your arms and your clothes. >drink water You stick your face beneath the spigot and let the water fall into your mouth. It's not cold, but it's not as hot as everything else. It tastes amazing. When you can't drink any more, you fall back into the sand. The desert has shrunk. And there's a shed here that wasn't there before. No, you tell yourself, the shed was always here. The desert isn't even a desert: It's just a pit of sand, where Nathalie, a normal-sized person, is rubbing her eyes and crying a little. Finally, you're beginning to think clearly. *** The End *** Would you like to view some supplemental materials? > yes I was hoping you'd say that! Please press any key to continue. Appendix Thunder rumbles, far away. Office The place is kind of a mess. There's not enough space on the desk, so a bunch of documents are taped to the walls. The whiteboard easel is an inherently awkward object and manages to take up a lot of space. The rolling chair is shoved into a corner: There isn't really room to walk around in here while someone is sitting at the desk. Narrow passages lead northwest and southwest. Rain taps steadily on the window. >listen You hear rain on the roof, and that's about it. >x desk There's papers and stuff all over the place, and I guess some of it is kind of interesting. On the desk are a photograph of a birdhouse, a sheaf of legal documents, and a discharge summary. A wastebasket is tucked underneath. >x wastebasket Luckily, the cleaning staff don't come up here very often, so if something ends up in the trash by accident there's plenty of time to recover it. In the wastebasket is an arcane diagram. >take diagram Taken. >x it There's a lot going on here: A bunch of squares and triangles, a diamond with a cross on top of it, the words "wet cold > dry cold > wet hot > dry hot," and an extremely crude drawing of a medieval castle. Surely there's more interesting reading material around here. >read it There's a lot going on here: A bunch of squares and triangles, a diamond with a cross on top of it, the words "wet cold > dry cold > wet hot > dry hot," and an extremely crude drawing of a medieval castle. Surely there's more interesting reading material around here. >x photograph Which do you mean, the photograph of a birdhouse or the class photo? >birdhouse A picture of a blue birdhouse on a wooden post, surrounded by flat yellow rocks. I guess this isn't directly related to the event in question. >x class photo Here we have a picture of a bunch of very happy children, each one holding a papier-māché puppet in the shape of a different animal. The craftsmanship of these puppets is about what you'd expect from third-graders. The teacher's puppet is a little more polished, and has an arm that she can manipulate with a rod. Written on the back: 9/19/2019 Somehow these little rascals found out that their teacher would soon be starring in a computer game! I told them they'd have to wait until they were a little older to play it. Then they started babbling about what kinds of horribly violent video games their parents let them play, and I had to tell them it was a game you have to read, with no graphics. That cooled them down somewhat (sorry). I found your recent proposal very intriguing. Unfortunately it's too late in the semester to organize anything like that. Remind me next year. But before then, FINISH "A ROPE OF CHALK." - Hina The "i" is dotted with a heart?sarcastically. Please don't get the wrong idea. >x legal There are a few different drafts of the same document here. On top is the final version: The narrative compiled here purports to reflect only the recollections of the individuals involved. By continuing, you concede that I, the editor, bear no responsibility for the felicitous representation of any objective fact associated with this narrative; furthermore, you swear or affirm that you will not issue to the editor or publicly report any corrections or recriminations concerning this narrative's accuracy?Geographical, historical, medical, meteorological, or otherwise. Oh right, this is that thing you agreed to earlier. What a helpful reminder for you! >x discharge That's just Nathalie's documentation from when she got out of rehab. I think if I tell you any of the details it's a HIPAA violation. >x documents Which do you mean, the desk, the sheaf of legal documents, or the wall? >wall Numerous pieces of paper have been taped to the wall (with painter's tape, so as not to arouse the ire of the building's custodial staff). Some of it might bear a closer look. On the wall are a class photo, an angry letter, and an orchestra poster. >x angry Mr. Veeder, I have taken time to evaluate your story "Aesthetics of Impermanence: A Rope of Chalk" as you requested. After careful consideration, I've concluded that I cannot lend my expertise to your work in any capacity until drastic changes are made. The depiction of episcophacetin-induced hallucination in your story, as a "fun," fairytale-like dream world, is grossly irresponsible and misleading. The "medical accuracy" with which you are so concerned is secondary to your social responsibility in representing the effects of episcophacetin abuse: A responsibility that you have thus far ignored. Following is a list of story elements that must be revised before I can move forward as your consultant. There were a couple more sheets attached to this, but I don't know where they went. >x poster This is a poster for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra: All the musicians are holding their instruments and smiling on some huge staircase somewhere in Edinburgh. In front is the conductor, with the biggest smile of all. I guess it's hard to see why I would have this: The woman in the back with the bassoon is Jessica Marinakis. And actually, her smile might be the biggest. >x jessica This is a poster for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra: All the musicians are holding their instruments and smiling on some huge staircase somewhere in Edinburgh. In front is the conductor, with the second-biggest smile of all. The woman in the back with the bassoon is Jessica Marinakis. >l Office The place is kind of a mess. There's not enough space on the desk, so a bunch of documents are taped to the walls. The whiteboard easel is an inherently awkward object and manages to take up a lot of space. The rolling chair is shoved into a corner: There isn't really room to walk around in here while someone is sitting at the desk. Narrow passages lead northwest and southwest. Rain taps steadily on the window. >x whiteboard There are a bunch of illegible notes and weird schematics on this whiteboard; almost everything has been crossed out (why not erased?) to indicate that it's been taken care of. But here are some recognizable names: 0. THE CAVE, I. THE DELUGE, II. THE BEAST, III. THE FORTRESS, IV. THE EYES?Hey, that's not right. >x eyes I don't think that's here. >x chair It's a piece of junk, but they'll never get around to replacing it. >search it There is nothing on the rolling chair. >nw Library This is only a "room" by virtue of being hemmed in by a bunch of tall bookshelves. In the middle of the space is a long table covered in research materials. Narrow passages lead southeast, south, and southwest. >x table The table is sort of the shape of a conference table, but I don't know how you'd fit a conference in this tiny space. There might be something cool to look at here... On the long table are a lengthy letter, a cardboard box (closed), a pile of sketches, and a handwritten letter. >x lengthy Dear Ryan, I'm happy to answer this and any other questions you might have. Don't hesitate to write again if there's anything else you'd like to ask about. Shelly Lampada, our faculty advisor, dissolved the Honors Arts Committee shortly after the Sidewalk Chalk Tournament. Early in the Spring semester, Faye Thompson proposed resurrecting the committee. She had just read about "Nuit Blanche" and wanted to recreate the concept on the University of Iowa campus. Shelly only agreed to allow an exploratory committee to assess the feasibility of such an event. Understandably, Hina and Alec were reluctant to participate, but Faye managed to wrangle me in. She had little luck convincing anyone else to join; the committee consisted of Faye, myself, and freshman Elena Maric. It was around this time that Faye and I became romantically involved, an arrangement that did not prove conducive to large-scale event planning. In retrospect, I think Shelly had hoped all along that Faye would eventually abandon the Nuit Blanche proposal. To Shelly's chagrin, despite having made no demonstrable progress in assessing feasiblity after two months, Faye refused to concede. Shelly eventually dissolved our committee, and the Nuit Blanche concept would not be realized until 2014. However, Shelly left the Honors program at the end of the Spring 2012 semester. Her replacement, Isaac Diston, was less wary of trusting underclassmen with arts events. He permitted the Nuit Blanche exploratory committee to reconvene as a full-fledged Arts Committee, and we were allowed to organize a semester-opening event of our own, with the caveats that it be conducted indoors with what he called a "buttload" of faculty supervision. I apologize if I've gone into excessive detail. To answer your question: Yes, we did have another Honors arts event in August 2012. Faye, Elena, and I hung butcher paper on the walls of the Honors center, and students were encouraged to draw all over it with crayons. Nothing approaching the drama of the previous two years' events transpired. Thank you for writing. I hope you are well, and that your work is going smoothly. Sincerely, Lane Mulville Wind whistles sharply outside. >open box You open the cardboard box, revealing an index card and a bunch of ribbons. >x index On the card it says: I found these the other day! I never got a chance to pass them out after the event, so I guess I brought them home and squirreled them away and completely forgot about them. I thought you should have them... By the way, I gave your game another look and I think you made me too mean to Alec. I know it's from his perspective, but I don't remember being that nasty. Maybe you could put a disclaimer in there that says I'm actually very nice :) Good luck finishing it! Okay, fine: VICTORIA GRAHAM IS VERY NICE. >x ribbons They're like ribbons you'd pin to people's lapels at a state fair, all in different colors, but none of them say "first place" or "second place" or anything like that. This one says "Great Work!" and this one says "EXCELLENCE" and then there are are three that all say "Best Judge." >x pile A note is paperclipped on top of the sketches: Hey Ryan - Unfortunately I don't have any photos of my entry from the "incident." There was a big storm right after Hina called the police, everything got washed away. I do have some sketches I drew to prepare for the event though & thought they might be useful. - X The drawings are of a sultry demoness in several different states of undress. In one, she's sitting on a throne made of skulls. Each printout has a © XAVIER DANERI watermark somewhere on it. >x handwritten Nathalie's handwriting is very narrow and slanted. Very European. Not especially easy to read. Dear Ryan, Three things. First, I hope everything is going well with your work. Second, I have kind of a strange request. Lucas and I are planning, or trying, or hoping, to adopt a child. We've been discussing the idea since forever, but we've both been too intimidated by the idea to take any concrete action until just recently. Obviously it's very difficult for someone with a criminal record to get approved, but fortunately with the agency we're looking at it's still technically possible, if you can get enough people to vouch for you. Luke suggested that I ask you to be a character reference. I feel like I should stress that it was his idea. Not that I think it's a bad idea! But Luke pointed out that nobody else is so intimately familiar with my "case" and can "speak to the extent of [my] rehabilitation" the way you can. I completely understand if you're not comfortable getting yourself entrenched in the very thorny process of adoption application, but please take it under consideration. Anyway, the third thing! Our yoga studio was in the local paper!!! I'm including a clipping (don't worry, I have approximately twenty copies of this issue). Look at how professional we look! Doesn't that look like a couple who you'd want to help with their adoption application??? Love, Nathalie Well obviously I helped them out. (This letter is from like three years ago.) I think their kid's name is Ethan. I have no idea what happened to the newspaper clipping. >x bookshelves It looks like all the books here are medical journals. To be perfectly honest, I've never cracked any of them open. >l Library This is only a "room" by virtue of being hemmed in by a bunch of tall bookshelves. In the middle of the space is a long table covered in research materials. Narrow passages lead southeast, south, and southwest. >se Office The place is kind of a mess. There's not enough space on the desk, so a bunch of documents are taped to the walls. The whiteboard easel is an inherently awkward object and manages to take up a lot of space. The rolling chair is shoved into a corner: There isn't really room to walk around in here while someone is sitting at the desk. Narrow passages lead northwest and southwest. Rain taps steadily on the window. >nw Library This is only a "room" by virtue of being hemmed in by a bunch of tall bookshelves. In the middle of the space is a long table covered in research materials. Narrow passages lead southeast, south, and southwest. Wind whistles sharply outside. >s Narrow Hall A claustrophobic passage runs north and south. I don't think this part of the building was originally designed to be office space, is the thing. >s Lounge "Lounge" might be overstating it a bit. There are a couple of vinyl couches here, and a mini fridge, and an ominous miniature door. Next to each couch is an end table with a little lamp. Narrow passages lead northwest, north, and northeast. >open fridge You open the mini fridge, revealing a frozen Snickers bar. >take snickers Taken. >eat it You pull open the wrapper. You take a bite out of the Snickers. It's good when it's cold, right? In my opinion, putting them in the freezer is a step too far. But this is delicious. Before you know it, you've taken several more bites. Wind whistles sharply outside. >close fridge You close the mini fridge. >nw Classroom This is the classroom that time forgot: There's a chalkboard behind the podium! And the walls are done up in some very groovy red fabric. There are only twelve desks in here, and they're all in terrible shape. Come to think of it, I don't know if they even still teach any classes up here. The exits are northeast and southeast. One of the desks has a transcript sitting on it. >x chalkboard The chalkboard is blank. A piece of chalk rests on the sill. >x desks A bunch of combination chair-desks, dating from an era before they learned how to make such things the least bit comfortable. I notice they're all right-handed. >take chalk Taken. >x transcript This is clearly a printout of a NotePad document. I guess not all of it is here: interview with Faye Thompson - Jul 30 2017 - page 4 RV: Does that [Alec's recollection] line up with what you remember? FT: Basically yeah. Basically. RV: So then what happened after you talked to Alec? FT: I was alone for a while and my mind was playing tricks on me. I got very paranoid. I kept hearing things that weren't there. It took me a while to realize Alec should have come back. So I went looking for him and I saw him and Jessica holding each other on the ground. I thought they were... RV: I'm not sure what you mean. FT: I thought they were dead! I guess I was already hallucinating enough that that made sense to me. So I ran, out into the street, crying for help. RV: Into the highway? I thought it was all blocked off for construction. FT: I don't remember. I might have jumped over the fence, I guess. I remember running across the torn-up street, and running across the train tracks. RV: I think there are some bars and restaurants between the highway and the train tracks. FT: Yeah but I don't remember those. I remember crawling up to the train tracks, and over the tracks, and down the incline to the river. A bunch of rocks, down to the river. I skinned both my knees on those rocks. RV: [sympathetic noise] FT: I think I was about to run right into the river, but then this huge dog comes out of the water. RV: What? It continues onto the next page. A deep rumbling reverberates somewhere in the distance. It might be thunder, or it might be a truck. >draw I didn't understand that sentence. >l Classroom This is the classroom that time forgot: There's a chalkboard behind the podium! And the walls are done up in some very groovy red fabric. There are only twelve desks in here, and they're all in terrible shape. The exits are northeast and southeast. One of the desks has a transcript sitting on it. >use chalk with chalkboard That's not a verb I recognize. >paint That's not a verb I recognize. >write I didn't understand that sentence. >write on chalkboard You write "on chalkboard" on the chalkboard. >write the end You write "the end" on the chalkboard. >n I'm afraid you can only go northeast or southeast. Or you can just quit the game. The story's over. >ne Library This is only a "room" by virtue of being hemmed in by a bunch of tall bookshelves. In the middle of the space is a long table covered in research materials. Narrow passages lead southeast, south, and southwest. >s Narrow Hall A claustrophobic passage runs north and south. >s Lounge There are a couple of vinyl couches here, and a mini fridge, and an ominous miniature door. Next to each couch is an end table with a little lamp. Narrow passages lead northwest, north, and northeast. >quit Are you sure you want to quit?