(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XX=")[(text-size: 3.0)[Good Bones]
(text-size: 1.0)[A Haunted Housewarming]
(text-size: 2.0)[|endinglink>[[[Start->Monster under the Bed]]]]
($accomplishmentsMacro:)
(text-size: 1.0)[ (if: $enableCheckpoints is true)[|endinglink>[[[Checkpoints->Checkpoints]]]]
|endinglink>[[[Credits->Credits]]]]
<h4>(link: "Reset Story")[(if: (confirm: "This will reset the story state, including the list of endings found. Reset?", "No", "Yes"))[(restart:)]
]]
(set: $checkpointStack to (a:))It's your first night in your new home, and you awaken mid-slumber. It's not insomnia, but a feeling of uneasiness. Normally you'd hear the sounds of night - the creaking of old timbers, the chirping and buzzing of insects, the dripping of leaky faucets.
[[But tonight you hear...nothing.->Having to Go]]It's as if the night was holding its breath, saving its energy for something wild, fantastical, and horrible. Your skin crawls and your spine tingles as you find yourself thinking that someone...<i>something</i> is in here with you.
You want to pull your sheets over your head and hide from the darkness, but one thing compels you to wake. A force greater than your fear.
[[You have to <i>go</i>...to the BATHROOM!->The Problem]]Years ago you were scared that monsters were under your bed. Now, older and presumably wiser, you cast aside these childish fears. Or, at least, you <i>thought</i> you cast them aside. Now, despite the urge you have to run to the bathroom, you find yourself paralyzed. You can't shake the feeling that <i>something</i> is waiting out there...
|deathlink>[[[Buck up and get out of bed->Creepy Carpet]]]($skullMacro:3)
[[Stay where you are->Reconsidering]]
(set: $checkpointStack to (a: "Monster under the Bed"))
($flagCheckpointMacro: "Monster under the Bed")You feel foolish to think that there are monsters under the bed. What are you, (link-reveal: "six?")[ (Apologies to those of you who are in fact six.)] You throw aside your sheets, swing your legs around and plant your feet squarely on the floor. In a single bound, you are out of bed and standing up.
A second passes, and nothing happens. You expect something, perhaps a hairy claw or slimy tentacle, to come snaking out from under your bed to grab your ankle. Nothing!
With renewed confidence, you stride towards the bedroom door. [[And then...->Eaten by the Creepy Carpet]]You're about to hop out of bed when something stops you. Call it instinct, (link-reveal: "a gut feeling")[, or being scared out of your wits]...But you can't help but think that the next step you take will be your last.
Feeling foolish yet cautious, you reach for something you won't miss - some (link-reveal: "junk mail advertising a timeshare")[ (a little light reading before bed)]. You toss it on the floor. The fully rational part of your brain expects nothing to happen. [[And then...->Choice of Escapes]]You feel something slide over your shoulder. It's thin, ropy, and...fuzzy? The carpet seems deeper than usual, your toes sinking into its plush surface. And then you feel a pulsating sensation on the soles of your feet, (link-reveal: "like the undulation of a wild animal's back.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You try to leap back into bed, only to feel another fuzzy tendril wrap itself around your arm. In the blink of an eye, dozens of black tendrils sprout up around you. Before you can scream, one covers your mouth. You are pulled into the floor, a victim of the CREEPY CARPET.
($handleEndMacro: 3, "Monster under the Bed")
]]
You hear an angry swarming like a hive of bees. In the dim moonlight you also see it - dozens of black tendrils sprouting out of the ground. They seize the envelope and shred it to pieces. Then they withdraw into the floor, taking the torn paper scraps with them.
You gulp. This must be some sort of nightmare! And for the first time you hope it's the kind where you have forgotten to do all your work in class and there is a final you haven't studied for and you have to give a presentation in [[front of your class in your underwear...->The Truth of the Matter]]But no. A twinge in your body reminds you of the truth.
(text-style: "rumble")[<i>You need to get to the bathroom, fast!</i>]
Despite your desperation, you know you can't risk going across that hungry carpet. What will you do?
[[Turn on the lights->No Lights]]
[[Use a flashlight->Flashlight]]
[[Use your phone->Smartphone]]
[[Try something else->Leap of Faith]]In the dim light you can barely see the chair, and you gingerly step onto it. From there, you take another step to get on top of the dresser.
It's a long step, and when you plant your second foot on the dresser it slips on a dustcloth you left there. Losing your balance, you start to fall backwards. You flail your arms as if you're trying to fly, and (link-reveal: "then with a supreme effort...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[...you straighten your back and fall forward against the wall. You're covered in bits of drywall and plaster, but you made it!
Sliding along the wall, you reach the bedroom door and open it. You climb down and [[slip into the hallway beyond...->Upstairs Hallway]]]]The ceiling is more than eight feet above the floor. You visualize yourself springing off the bed, reaching out your arms, grasping one of the fan blades, then swinging around, letting go, and landing next to your bedroom door. (link-reveal: "Having done this, you attempt to manifest your vision...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Reality plays out as you expect, up to the point where you grab the fan blade. Then the whole ceiling assembly creaks, and rips out of the ceiling, dumping you on the carpet. [[The hungry and ravenous carpet is waiting...->The Fan II]]
]]You slink down the hallway, treading with cat-like caution. Moonlight streams through cracks in the ceilings and walls, barely enough to see where you are going. The only sound you hear is your heartbeat pounding in your chest, and your only companion is your shadow sliding along the wall.
You pass the guest bedroom, and then a ladder leading up to the attic. (link-reveal: "You're about to reach the stairs when you see...")[
(text-size: 3.0)[[[IT->The Apparition]]]
]But this time you're ready. The moment you feel the tendrils tickle your toes, you spring up and sprint for the door. Most of the tendrils grasp at the remains of the fan, and don't notice you slipping away until you're halfway out the door. (link-reveal: "Three of the tendrils slither after you...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[...but you shut the door on them, slicing their tips off. They wriggle on the ground, quivering in anger at the loss of their prey.
Shuddering, you turn away from your room. You are now in [[the upstairs hallway...->Upstairs Hallway]]
]]As you watch, your shadow detaches from the wall and start moving towards you. Its hands turn to claws and two glowing eyes appear in its head, its gaze piercing through you.
You are frozen in place, which is no surprise as the APPARITION emanates an icy chill. You have only about two seconds to react before it is upon you. Do you...
|deathlink>[[[Run into the guest bedroom->Guest Bedroom]]]($skullMacro:1)
[[Climb into the attic->Attic]]
[[Dodge past it and get to the stairs->Stairs]]
($lastCheckpointMacro:"Monster under the Bed")You run into the guest bedroom and slam the door shut behind you. Your heart is pounding and sweat sticks to your pajamas. Trying to catch your breath, you take a look at your surroundings.
The room is bare, other than a single doily-covered table with an old-style phonograph record on it. Your eyes are drawn to the phonograph's amplifier, which gapes open like the maw of a hungry beast. A needle drops, and you hear (link-reveal: "a mournful minor-keyed dirge.")[
(link-reveal: "A funeral dirge!")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Panic grips you and you tear open the door and run outside - straight into the arms of the patient apparition. The inky shadow envelops you in its icy embrace and you vanish from the earth so completely that your next-of-kin are frustrated when it takes seven years for the authorities to declare you dead.
($handleEndMacro: 1, "The Apparition")
]]]You clamber up the ladder, just ahead of the apparition, whose grasping claws chill your legs as you barely make it into the attic.
The attic is filled with dust and cobwebs cover a multitude of boxes. You hear steps below -- the apparition is coming after you!
Looking around, you see an old coffin in the corner of the attic. Maybe you could hide in that! You also spy a window above. You could go through it to get to the roof. What will you do?
|deathlink>[[[Hide in the coffin->Coffin]]]($skullMacro:13)
[[Go through the window->Roof]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "The Apparition")You run towards the apparition, hoping to slip by it. (link-reveal: "You shoulder check it")[ -- it's like tackling a block of ice --] and spin past it. You nearly trip over your own feet but regain your balance and tear down the hallway. Before you know it, you're part way down the stairs.
Gasping for breath, you grab onto the stairway railing. You strain your ears to hear if the apparition is following you, but there is no sound. Have you lost it?
You turn to stare at the darkness beneath you. The stairs seem to disappear into an inky blackness. Something tells you there is another danger lurking just below...
|deathlink>[[[Continue down the stairs->Tripped Up]]]($skullMacro:20)
[[Wait a second->Pause on the Stairs]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "The Apparition")You run over to the coffin, a long stone container covered with hieroglyphics. Your realtor told you that the house had a couple of knick-knacks and other collectibles left behind by the previous owners, but you never expected to have an actual ancient Egyptian coffin.
Although it's heavy, the coffin's lid opens with ease. Without looking, you jump in, (link-reveal: "landing on what feels like a pile of musty rags.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You feel two strong bandage-covered arms wrap around you, crushing you like a vise. As you squirm helplessly, you find yourself staring into the yellow, demonic eyes of a (link-reveal: "MUMMY...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Before you can scream, the lid of the coffin comes crashing down.
($handleEndMacro: 13, "Attic")
]]]]The latches on the window are rusty and only after a few agonizing seconds of prying are you able to get them open. You hurl yourself through the window and nearly tumble off the roof.
After staring down at the ground, you take stock of your surroundings. You spy a (link-reveal: "stone gargoyle")[ (which your realtor said "gives the house a great Gothic atmosphere!")], perched above a storm drain pipe. Perhaps you could climb down the pipe and get to safety. On the other hand, it <i>is</i> pretty high up, and you could fall and break your neck.
As you consider your options, you hear the sounds of moaning below. You look through the window and spy the apparition gliding through the attic, searching for you. You had better act fast before it finds you!
|deathlink>[[[Climb down the storm drain pipe->The Gargoyle]]]($skullMacro:7)
[[Find another way->Skylight]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Attic")(text-size:2.0)[Endings]
<!--(text-size:1.5)[[[Back->Title Screen]]]-->
(text-size: 1.5)[(link-goto: "Back", $accomplishmentsBackPassage)]
{=
(for: each _i, ...(range: 1, $accomplishments's length)) [
(if: $accompDone's (_i) is true) [
(if: $accompNew's (_i) is true)[
(text-style: "bold", "underline", "emboss")[(print: $accomplishments's (_i) + "\n\n")]
] (else:) [
(print: $accomplishments's (_i) + "\n\n")
]
(set: $accompNew's (_i) to false)
](else:)[
(print: $hiddenAccomps's (_i) + "\n\n")]
]
<!--(text-size:1.5)[[[Back->Title Screen]]]-->
(text-size: 1.5)[(link-goto: "Back", $accomplishmentsBackPassage)]Written by Leon Lin 🎃
(leonwlin@gmail.com)
Version 1.00 (ECTOCOMP 2023 release)
Special thanks to Andrew Schultz and Deborah Sherwood for playtesting.
Created with:
Twine 2.3.16
Harlowe 3.2.3
[[Back->Title Screen]]{=
(set: $startPoint to "Title Screen")
(set: $accomplishmentsBackPassage to "Title Screen")
(set: $alphabet to "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ")
(set: $endingsFound to 0)
(set: $numEndings to (passages: where its tags contains "Ending")'s length)
(set: $accomplishments to
(a: "Ate up by an Apparition",
"Beheaded by a Banshee",
"Consumed by the Creepy Carpet",
"Devoured by a Dark Delver",
"Eaten by a Eerie Eldritch Entity",
"Folded by a Fairy",
"Gargled by a Gargoyle",
"Hotboxed by a Hellhound",
"Impaled by an Infernal Imp",
"Julienned by a Jelly",
"Killed by a Killer Chameleon",
"Lanced by a Lot",
"Mauled by a Mummy",
"Nommed on by a Nombie",
"Ogled by an Ophidian",
"Perforated by a Pumpkin",
"Quartered by a QGJDKSUP",
"Roasted by a Revenant",
"Sautéed by a Spectre",
"Tripped by a Terror",
"Undone by an Undine",
"Vivisected by a Vampire",
"Weatherproofed by a Witch",
"eXsanguinated by a Xerophyte",
"Yeeted by a Yeti",
"Zapped by a Zombie",
"The True End (Congratulations!)"
)
)
(set: $hiddenAccomps to (a:))
(set: $accompDone to (a:))
(set: $accompNew to (a:))
(for: each _acc, ...$accomplishments)[
(set: _hiddenAcc to (str-repeated: _acc's length, "?"))
(set: $hiddenAccomps to $hiddenAccomps + (a: _hiddenAcc))
(set: $accompDone to $accompDone + (a: false))
(set: $accompNew to $accompNew + (a: false))
]
(set: $enableCheckpoints to false)
(set: $checkpointsList to
(a: (dm: "name", "Bedroom",
"passage", "Monster under the Bed",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Upstairs Hallway",
"passage", "The Apparition",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Attic",
"passage", "Attic",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Stairs",
"passage", "Stairs",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Roof",
"passage", "Roof",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Hallway",
"passage", "Hallway",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Toy Room",
"passage", "Toy Room",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Art Gallery",
"passage", "The Banshee",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Natural History",
"passage", "Cactus Man II",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Living Room",
"passage", "Invitation from the Devil",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Dining Room",
"passage", "Dining Room",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Kitchen",
"passage", "Kitchen",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Pantry",
"passage", "Pantry",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Laundry Room",
"passage", "Fairy's Choice",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Garage",
"passage", "Decoction Inspection",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Backyard",
"passage", "Something Wicked",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Near Rose Garden",
"passage", "Further in the Backyard II",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Rose Garden",
"passage", "Rose Garden",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Near Orchard",
"passage", "More of the Backyard",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Orchard",
"passage", "The Orchard",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Castle Entryway",
"passage", "Castle Entryway",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Observatory",
"passage", "The Revenant",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Laboratory",
"passage", "Control Panel",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Beyond Time and Space",
"passage", "Falling Forever",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Armory",
"passage", "Armored Knight",
"visited", false),
(dm: "name", "Torture Chamber",
"passage", "The Final Battle II",
"visited", false)
)
)
(set: $handleEndMacro to
(macro: num-type _a, str-type _passage, [
(if: visits is 1) [
(set: $endingsFound to $endingsFound + 1)
(set: $accompDone's (_a) to true)
(set: $accompNew's (_a) to true)
]
(output:) [(align:"=><=")+(box:"=X=")+(text-size: 1.00)[<b>💀 YOU HAVE DIED 💀</b>]
(if: visits is 1)[<b>[Ending found: (print: $accomplishments's (_a))]</b>]
($checkpointMacro: _passage)
($endingsMacro:)
(if: $enableCheckpoints is true)[(text-size: 1.0)[($checkpointsWarpMacro:)]]
(text-size: 1.00)[|endinglink>[(link-goto:"Return to Start", $startPoint)]]
]])
)
(set: $accomplishmentsMacro to
(macro: [
(set: $accomplishmentsBackPassage to (passage:)'s name)
(output:)[(text-size: 1.00)[|endinglink>[(link-goto: "Endings", "Accomplishments")]]]
])
)
(set: $endingsMacro to
(macro: [
(output:)[(text-size: 1.00)[Endings(click: "Endings")[(dialog: (passage: "Accomplishments Dialog")'s source)]]]
])
)
(set: $checkpointsWarpMacro to
(macro: [
(output:)[Warp to Checkpoint(click: "Warp to Checkpoint")[(dialog: (passage: "Checkpoints Dialog")'s source)]]
])
)
(set: $checkpointMacro to
(macro: str-type _passage, [
(output:)[\
(text-size: 1.00)[|endinglink>[(link-goto: "Last Checkpoint", _passage)]]\
]
])
)
(set: $alphabetMacro to
(macro: str-type _rightPassage, str-type _wrongPassage, str-type _rightAnswer, num-type _start, num-type _end, [
(output:)[\
(for: each _i, ...(range: _start, _end))[\
(set: _letter to (substring: $alphabet, _i, _i))\
(if: _letter is _rightAnswer)[\
|endinglink>[(link-goto: (substring: $alphabet, _i, _i), _rightPassage)]\
] (else:) [\
|endinglink>[(link-goto: (substring: $alphabet, _i, _i), _wrongPassage)]\
]\
]\
]
])
)
(set: $skullMacro to
(macro: num-type _i, [
(output:)[\
(if: $accompDone's (_i) is true)[💀]\
]\
])
)
(set: $lastCheckpointMacroOld to
(macro: str-type _passage, [
(output:)[\
(if: visits > 1)[\
|endinglink>[(link-goto: "Last Checkpoint", _passage)]\
]\
]\
])
)
(set: $checkpointStack to (a:))
(set: $lastCheckpointMacro to
(macro: str-type _passage, [
(set: _currentPassage to (passage:)'s name)
($flagCheckpointMacro: _currentPassage)
(if: $checkpointStack does not contain _currentPassage)[\
(set: $checkpointStack to $checkpointStack + (a: _currentPassage))\
]\
(output:)[\
(if: visits > 1)[\
|endinglink>[(link: "Last Checkpoint")[\
(set: $checkpointStack to $checkpointStack - (a: $checkpointStack's last))\
(if: $checkpointStack's length > 0)[(goto: $checkpointStack's last)]\
(else:)[(goto: _passage)]\
]
(if: $enableCheckpoints is true)[($checkpointsWarpMacro:)]\
]\
]\
]\
])
)
(set: $checkpointWarpMacro to
(macro: str-type _name, str-type _passage, [\
(output:)[(link: _name)[\
(set: $checkpointStack to (a:))\
(goto: _passage)\
]]
])
)
(set: $flagCheckpointMacro to
(macro: str-type _passage, [\
(for: each _i, ...(range: 1, $checkpointsList's length)) [\
(set: _item to $checkpointsList's (_i))\
(if: _item's passage is _passage)[\
(set: _item's visited to true)\
(set: $checkpointsList's (_i) to _item)\
]\
]\
(output:)[]\
])
)As you position yourself to climb down the pipe, you get a good close look at the gargoyle. Though carved from granite, in the moonlight the gargoyle looks eerily realistic, with leathery bat wings, sharp claws, and a hideous gaping mouth filled with razor sharp teeth.
You hold on to the edge of the roof and try to wrap your legs around the storm drain pipe. You think you've secured yourself when all of a sudden, you lose your grip! You start to [[plummet towards the ground...->Eaten by a Gargoyle]]The roof is inclined at a sharp angle, but you manage to climb it. In your haste you don't notice the apex of the roof, and (link-reveal: "tumble over it and down the other side...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You let out a short scream, thinking you're going to plunge down to your death, when you land anticlimactically on a flat part of the roof.
After taking a moment to recover, you see that you are next to a partially open skylight. Looking through it, you see a hallway. It's not too far down - you open the skylight and [[jump down.->Hallway]]
]]You feel a jolt as your fall is suddenly arrested. It feels like someone has caught you at the last second. (link-reveal: "You start to say a word of thanks to your unknown rescuer...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[...when you start to feel sharp claws digging into your arms. Startled by the pain, you look up, and stare right into the gaping maw of the GARGOYLE. You try to wriggle free, but its grip is too tight.
In just a few seconds, the gargoyle pulls you into its mouth and swallows you whole. You manage to feebly kick once or twice before disappearing forever into the gargoyle's gullet.
($handleEndMacro: 7, "Roof")
]]The hallway is dimly lit by candelabras lined up against the wall. Each one is made of brass and holds three blood red wax candles. You've never seen any of these things before and (link-reveal: "wonder who might have placed them there...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Without warning, an EERIE ELDRITCH ENTITY appears before you! It has the general form of a human, if a human had no legs but tentacles, a crab claw for one hand and pincers for another, fingers coming out of its ears, and various other indescribable details that challenge your sanity.
The entity lunges towards you. What will you do?
[[Run away->Choice of Rooms]]
|deathlink>[[[Fight the entity->Fighting the Entity]]]($skullMacro:5)
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Stairs")
]]The stairs are long - longer than you remember when climbing them during the day. Is this because your memory is faulty, or is this a trick of the terrors of the night?
You are wondering when you will get to the bottom when all of a sudden (link-reveal: "you hear")[
(text-size: 4.0)[[[BOO!->Broken Bones]]]
]You pause, your hands gripping the railing so strongly that you think you'll break a section off. Staring into the darkness, you think you can make out some movement. A tentacle, an antennae, something like a leg or maybe an arm, with (link: "too many joints and fingers.")[too many joints and fingers (like something out of AI-generated art).]
Without thinking, you take the one action that will carry you safely past this terror. You swing a leg over the railing, and hugging it, you slide down, down into the darkness. (link-reveal: "Something thin and scaly brushes past your face as you whip by...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The ride seems to take minutes, but in reality it's only a few seconds later when your slide is checked by your posterior hitting a large ornamental globe at the end of the railing. Although you're sore, you seem to be safe, for now...
[[You continue on to another hallway...->Hallway]]
]]You enter the Art Gallery, a wood-paneled room illuminated by candelabras. The previous owner left quite a collection of paintings, though it has been appraised as having little worth. The pieces are all of strange misty landscapes with cyclopean, oddly-angled structures, except for (link-reveal: "the one directly in front of you.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The painting that hangs there is one you've never seen before. It's of a woman, wearing a deep purple dress and hat and carrying an open parasol of the same color. Her face is expressionless but her eyes betray a sense of restlessness, almost quivering on the canvas.
You find yourself transfixed by the painting and when you get close it starts to emit motes of a translucent purple light. You turn to see where [[the motes are going...->The Banshee]]
]]You find yourself in a large wood-paneled hall. The only light is by a candelabra by the door. As you pick up the candelabra you hear a "click" from the door. You try the knob, and find that you're locked in! There is no choice but to proceed forward.
You meander through the room, trying to find another way out. You reach a wall next to which is mounted an empty pedestal. You turn around, and [[then...->Startled I]]The motes coalesce into a figure standing before you. It's the same woman that you saw in the painting! She wears the same dress, the same hat, (link-reveal: "and carries the same parasol...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Only you look at her face and instead of the gentle features you saw in the portrait, you see a hideous skull with jagged teeth and empty eye sockets staring straight into you. You recoil, and the skull's mouth opens, letting out a shriek like the howl of a hurricane. You realize you are facing a BANSHEE, a spirit whose scream can steal your soul...
The banshee's shriek grows louder and louder, almost too much for you to bear. In your distress, you can only think of two possible options...
|deathlink>[[[Attack the banshee with a candelabra->Killed by the Banshee]]]($skullMacro:2)
[[Burn the painting with a candelabra->Up in Flames]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Hallway")
]]You grab one of the candelabras and wave it menacingly at the banshee. She is unimpressed and advances towards you. You strike at her with the candelabra, hoping to set her dress aflame, but alas, it's made not of earthly fabric, but some (link-reveal: "unnatural, fireproof substance.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The banshee's scream is now so loud that you crumple to the ground, hands clasped to your ears which are now bleeding profusely. Although they don't bleed as much as the rest of your body when the banshee tears your head off your shoulders...
($handleEndMacro: 2, "The Banshee")
]]Grabbing a candelabra, you thrust its flames onto the painting. The banshee, realizing what you are trying to do, rushes at you but it's too late. The painting catches fire, and as it burns, you see the banshee burn in a similar way.
The banshee lets out a final wail as it's reduced to purple ashes, and the silence of the night rushes in to replace its shriek. You have trouble hearing, as if you'd just left a particularly loud rock concert, but a few seconds later you (link: "feel just fine.")[feel just fine - if just a tiny bit (text-style: "rumble")[<i>shaken.</i>]]
In the space where the painting was hanging, there is now a blackened doorway. You gingerly push it open then [[proceed through it...->Living Room]]You arrive in the living room. Earlier in the day the place was only furnished with cardboard boxes and a cheap sofa covered with a paint-splattered cloth, but tonight there are lavish divans, leather-bound easy chairs, and mahogany coffee tables decorating the room.
Candelabras line the walls filling the room with a light that is surprisingly bright and, dare you think it, (link-reveal: "homey.")[ Never mind that you're still in a house filled with monsters trying to kill you...]
On one of the coffee tables sits a tea set, accompanied by a tray of cookies. And sitting on a comically small easy chair next to the teapot is [[a little IMP.->Invitation from the Devil]]You let out a scream as you come face to face with a fearsome feline beast, the size of a large motorcycle. In the dim light you can see the ripple of its powerful muscles, its sharp fangs, and its (link-reveal: "hungry, ravenous look.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You freeze, expecting to be torn apart by the beast, but a heartbeat later, you realize that the creature itself is frozen. It's a stuffed exhibit, labelled "Saber-Toothed Tiger".
Chuckling at your own reaction, you turn away from the display, only to [[to see...->Startled II]]
]]A fur-covered beast, standing some twelve feet high, raises its arms before you, its mouth wide open to (link-reveal: "reveal rows of gleaming teeth.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You scream as you expect to be ripped apart by the creature in front of you until a few seconds pass and you realize that in fact, you have not been ripped to pieces. Taking a closer look at the creature in front of you, you see that it is a stuffed grizzly bear, forever frozen in a pose of attack and (link: "utterly harmless.")[utterly harmless, except to your sanity.]
Breathing a sigh of relief, you back away from the bear, only to [[stumble over something on the floor...->Cactus Man]]
]]You stumble over a pail of water, nearly spilling it all over the floor, then collide with a mop, sending it sliding across the floor. You let out a sound that's a cross between a sob and a laugh - this has just been too much.
As you steady yourself, you hear a shuffling sound. Squinting into the darkness before you, [[you see something...->Cactus Man II]]You grab the bucket of water and throw its contents on the were-cactus. The cactus absorbs all the water and at first seems unaffected by your attack. (link-reveal: "Then the were-cactus stops...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The spindly legs of the were cactus start swelling, as do its arms and body. It seems the old warnings you've heard from gardeners not to overwater (link-reveal: "cactuses")[ (cacti?)] are true! The were-cactus soon grows so big that it can't even walk anymore, and it topples over.
You see the were-cactus is about to explode, so you leap behind the stuffed grizzly bear - just in time! The cactus blows up, scattering its spines everywhere, a few sticking in the wall perilously close to your face.
You find another door that is unlocked. Still breathing heavily, [[you make your way out of the room.->Living Room]]
]]You swing the candelabra at the were-cactus, but it deflects your blow with a swipe of its arm, scattering the candles and plunging the room into darkness. You try to flee, but trip over the mop, falling into the arms of the were-cactus.
Needless to say, you meet a particularly prickly (and bloody) end.
($handleEndMacro: 24, "Cactus Man II")The imp is the spitting image of a cartoon demon. It has horns, a barbed tail, and carries a little trident. It wouldn't look out of place on a tin of deviled ham or a college football field.
"Welcome!" the imp says. It beckons towards the tray of cookies. "How would you like to have some refreshment? It's been a long night for you hasn't it?" The imp grins, showing off a discomfiting amount of teeth.
|deathlink>[[[Have some tea and cookies->The Price of Tea]]]($skullMacro:9)
[[Leave->Dining Room]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Hallway")You shrug and sit down. The imp pours you a cup of tea, handling the teapot with some difficulty as it's almost his size. You accept the cup and pick up a cookie. It's a lemon square, dusted with powdered sugar and decadently soft.
The cookies are delicious, and you find yourself eating them all before you know it, washing them down with several cups of the fragrant tea. As you finish up, wiping the sugar from your hands, (link-reveal: "the imp smiles.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[He pulls out a lengthy scroll. "Oh, by the way," says the imp. "Did you know that by eating the cookies, you agreed to these terms and conditions which give me possession of your soul? You didn't read it? Well, that's the excuse everyone gives." And with that the imp takes its trident and runs you through with it.
($handleEndMacro: 9, "Invitation from the Devil")
]]You turn and run from the living room. Mocking laughter follows you, but nothing else.
The next room you enter is the dining room. The dining table is not how you remembered it. It now has a blood red tablecloth spread over it and silver plates and cutlery set as for a meal. In the center of the table is a covered chafing dish.
There are two exits from this room, an opening to your left leading to a hallway, and a doorway in front of you.
[[Go left->Downstairs Hallway]]
[[Go forward->Kitchen]]
|deathlink>[[[Inspect the chafing dish->Dishes a Monster]]]($skullMacro:10)
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Invitation from the Devil")You reach a hallway at the back of the house. It's in obvious disrepair - the walls are covered with peeling plaster and you can see the drywall underneath, while the wooden floors are slightly (link: "warped from water damage.")[warped from water damage ("a great summer project to fix!" said your realtor).]
As you take a breather from your recent adventures, you see a welcome sight - a bathroom! This reminds you of why you bothered to get up so late at night (link-reveal: "to be chased by hungry monsters.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[When you walk into the bathroom, you see to your dismay that it is in even worse shape than the hallway outside. There is no toilet, but a hole in the ground, with a spiderweb of yellow tape covering it. Realizing that you must seek elsewhere for relief, you re-enter the hallway. You have two choices on how to proceed:
[[Through a nearby door->Garage]]
[[Further down the hallway->Laundry Room]]
]]You enter the kitchen. It has the usual modern conveniences such as a glass-top electric stove and a self-cleaning (link-reveal: "oven")[ (which seems to have something in it)], but there is an addition you haven't seen before: A roaring brick hearth, fired with wood. Various ancient implements sit on top of it, including a copper kettle, a spit on which roasts a chunk of meat, and a (link-reveal: "gigantic frying pan, large enough to hold a person.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[A hooded figure stands at the hearth, fussing with the contents of the frying pan. Anticipating trouble, you turn to leave - only to find the hooded figure standing right in front of you. You stare into its hood and see only a jet black darkness punctuated by two glowing eyes.
The SPECTRE advances menacingly towards you, its cloak billowing in the air.
[[Fight it->Attacking Spectre]]
|deathlink>[[[Evade it->Evading Spectre]]]($skullMacro:19)
[[Distract it->Distracting Spectre]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Dining Room")
]]Curiosity gets the better of you, and you lift the cover of the chafing dish. Underneath is what looks like some sort of gelatin dessert, green and translucent. It wobbles a little, but you think (link-reveal: "it's because you disturbed it...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[...until you realize that it's wobbling just a little <i>too</i> vigorously. You back away, and notice for the first time that the tablecloth is red because it's stained with blood...
Before you can run, the JELLY changes shape and projects a pseudopod at you. A pseudopod shaped in the form of a long and sharp blade...
($handleEndMacro: 10, "Dining Room")
]]You grab the nearest object - a rolling pin, and brandish it at the spectre. The evil spirit is not in the least intimidated by your threats with a blunt object, and continues moving towards you. You take a swipe at the spectre, only to see the rolling pin pass through its body like a knife through (link-reveal: "butter.")[ <i>Evil</i> butter.]
You (link-reveal: "roll")[ (pun not intended)] out of the way to avoid getting swept up by the spectre's cloak. You'll need to decide on a new course of action, fast.
[[Evade the spectre->Evading Spectre]]
[[Distract the spectre->Distracting Spectre]]You turn to run, but the spectre teleports right in front of you. You turn again, and again the spectre is before you. Finally, you steel yourself and try to run past the spectre. As you do you brush up against its cloak and feel a (link-reveal: "deathly chill run through your bones.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You collapse on the ground, paralyzed but still awake. The spectre lifts you up telekinetically and dumps you into the gigantic frying pan. Unfortunately, you never learn what sort of dish you were (link: "made into.")[made into (but it had a lot of parsley).]
($handleEndMacro: 19, "Kitchen")
]]Looking around the kitchen, you see the oven - and through its window, something baking inside. On a hunch, you run over and open the oven door. Inside is a soufflé, which starts to collapse as the oven loses heat.
The spectre sees this and lets out an unearthly howl. You jump out of the way as the spectre dashes to rescue the dish. While it's preoccupied you take the opportunity to [[exit the kitchen.->Pantry]]You find yourself in the pantry. When you moved in you only had a few cans of ravioli and boxes of cereal but now you see an assortment of vegetables piled up among the shelves and in wicker baskets.
There is also a peculiar smell, which comes from the large, bloody chunks of meat (cut from some unknown but disturbingly human-shaped creature) hanging from the ceiling and blocking your way. Covering your nose, you're trying to duck past the grisly parts when (link-reveal: "you jostle a leg.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The leg moves and you jump back. The creature attached to the leg drops down and advances on you. It has the aspect of a rotting human corpse, but its skull is enormous with comically oversized jaws. (link-reveal: "Although you don't find them particularly funny...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The NOMBIE (for you have heard of this rare variant of undead) lets out a low moan and staggers towards you, its mouth opening and closing. You are backed against the shelves, with nowhere to run!
|deathlink>[[[Throw some meat at it->Throwing Meat]]]($skullMacro:14)
[[Throw some vegetables at it->Throwing Vegetables]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Kitchen")
]]]]Suppressing your disgust, you grab a leg and hurl it at the nombie. The leg bounces off the nombie, making a sound like a sack of dead fish hitting a brick wall. The nombie doesn't even react and continues to (link-reveal: "shamble towards you.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Soon the nombie is upon you. Although you have heard of this creature, you have forgotten that it is a vegetarian. Unfortunately, nombies also have extremely bad eyesight, and this one has mistaken you for a giant stalk of celery.
($handleEndMacro: 14, "Pantry")
]]You grab some carrots out of a basket and hurl them at the nombie. To your amazement, the nombie catches the carrots, and then starts eating them, shredding them with its jaws like a hyperactive blender.
Before the nombie is done eating you shove a basket filled with aubergines, turnips, and tomatoes in front of the creature. The famished nombie plunges its head into the basket, spraying stems, seeds, and stalks all over the room in its feeding frenzy.
Distracted by this feast, the nombie doesn't notice you [[slipping out of the pantry...->Downstairs Hallway]]This is the house's garage. In the dim light you see rickety shelves over a floor of concrete. The smell of shoe polish, motor oil, and mineral solvents is in the air. A tennis ball hangs from the ceiling on a string. (link-reveal: "And in the center of the garage...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[...you see the flickering of flames. A cast-iron cauldron sits upon the fire, pungent steam flowing out of it and onto the floor. And standing over this witches' brew is a bonafide, honest-to-goodness WITCH, pointed hat and broom and all.
[["Who's there?" the witch hisses.->Witches' Brew]]
]]At the end of the hallway is the laundry room, which smells of harsh chemicals with a lemon tinge. While during the day the room only had a washing machine and dryer, it is now filled with metal washbasins and (link-reveal: "piles of rags that smell worse than they look.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)["Hello there!" a voice calls out. A tiny head, the size of a walnut, peeks out from behind a washtub, followed by fluttering gossamer wings. There can be no description of this creature other than a FAIRY.
The fairy notices your surprise at her presence. "Pick up your jaw!" she says. [["I won't hurt you."->Fairy's Choice]]
]]The fairy explains why she is here. "I was just minding my own business in the forest, collecting lily pads and acorns like I usually do, when some big evil meanies captured me! Now they're making me do their laundry! It's awful! Do you know (link-reveal: "how stinky a zombie's pants can get?\"")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Before you can (link-reveal: "answer")[ (this likely rhetorical question)], you hear heavy footsteps outside the laundry room. "Oh no!" cries the fairy. "The overseer is coming! Quick, hide!"
You look around for a suitable hiding spot, but only two possibilities appear to you:
[[Hide in a laundry basket->Laundry Basket]]
|deathlink>[[[Hide in a pile of clothing->Pile of Clothing]]]($skullMacro:6)
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Dining Room")
]]You crawl into the laundry basket. The stench of unwashed clothing is overwhelming enough to make you want out, but then a large, fur-covered ogre -- the overseer -- stomps into the laundry room. You close the basket's lid over your head and (link-reveal: "hold your breath.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)["WHERE IS THE LAUNDRY!" the overseer roars. The flustered fairy lets out a torrent of excuses but the overseer isn't hearing it. The overseer demands that the fairy immediately (link-reveal: "fold a load of laundry.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The fairy folds the laundry at breakneck speed while the overseer watches. When the fairy finishes - in thankfully a shorter time than you expected - the overseer takes the clothes and stomps off.
The fairy lifts the lid of the basket, and you let out your breath. "Hurry up and get out of here!" says the fairy. She gives you a shove, and you stumble out of the laundry room. With nowhere else to go, you head down the hallway and [[through a door.->Garage]]
]]]]The pile of clothing is freshly washed so you feel more comfortable diving into it. Snuggling into the pile as deeply as you can, you hear the overseer, who you can't see but sounds at least eight feet tall, stomp into the room.
"WHERE'S THE LAUNDRY!" the overseer bellows. The fairy is apologetic and says she'll get the spectres' cloaks and the ghouls' breeches all folded and ready to go. The overseer growls that he will stay and watch her (link-reveal: "fold every last piece of clothing.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You are wondering what you will do when the fairy removes enough clothes to reveal your presence when you are yanked out of the pile. In her haste, the fairy, who proves superhumanly strong, grabs you at the same time as a large, ogre-sized shirt. Before she realizes what she is doing the fairy folds you neatly in half once, then twice.
($handleEndMacro: 6, "Fairy's Choice")
]]You exercise the better part of valor and run away from the entity. Luckily the entity has a poor sense of direction and you lose it in the maze of hallways.
After three left turns and a right, you find yourself before three doors. Each one has a label on them:
[[Art Gallery]]
[[Toy Room]]
[[Natural History]]You seize one of the candelabras and poke at the entity with it. The entity is not amused and bites off the end of the candelabra. Then it bites off the end of you.
($handleEndMacro: 5, "Hallway")The witch turns to face you. Her skin is not green, and there isn't a wart on her face, but there is a feral and hungry look on her face. You nervously back off, thinking of old fairy tales where witches eat children with a side of gingerbread.
"Just in time!" says the (link: "witch.")[witch (in a tone you can only describe as "cackling").] "Come here," she says, beckoning with a gnarled, poorly manicured finger. "I want you to look at something." She points to the cauldron.
[[Take a look->The Cauldron]]
[[Leave->The Backyard]]You walk up to the cauldron. The steam coming out of it tastes of turpentine and (link-reveal: "rust")[ (and maybe a bit of eye of newt)]. Your eyes water and you cover your mouth and nose as you gag on the odor.
"Isn't it lovely?" says the witch. "This will revolutionize the world of weatherproofing!"
(link-reveal: "The <i>what?</i>")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)["It's true," says the witch. "Do you know how many hovels, huts, shanties, and shacks are crumbling from exposure to the elements? My fellow witches don't live in towers like wizards, you know. Our more humble abodes need greater protection. And I'm just the person to make it! With this brew, all you have to do is apply a single coat and you're golden against [[rain, snow, sleet, or hail!"->Decoction Inspection]]
]]You mumble an excuse and head for the side door. Passing through the door, you brace yourself for some attack from the witch, perhaps a spell that will (link-reveal: "turn you into a frog or some lesser species of rodent.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[But when you pass through the door still human and unscathed, you realize you are, for the moment, safe.
[[It is not likely that this state of affairs will last for long.->Something Wicked]]
]]"That's great," you say, "but what does this have to do with me?"
"My eyesight isn't what it used to be," says the witch. "My weatherproofing brew needs to be the right shade of chartreuse to be done. I think it's ready, but I'm not sure. Could you please be a dear and take a look for me?"
|deathlink>[[[Look in the cauldron->Weatherproofed]]]($skullMacro:23)
[[Leave->The Backyard]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Dining Room")You peer over the edge of the cauldron. The brew inside is thick, like paint, and bubbling violently. It's hard to see but it seems that the brew is some shade of green. But chartreuse? You're thinking it's closer to lime, or perhaps avocado. (link-reveal: "Maybe celadon...?")[
As you contemplate the shade of the witches' brew, you feel a hard shove from behind. You fall head first into the cauldron. The good news is, you grab onto the edge of the cauldron and (link-reveal: "stop yourself from plunging in.")[
(link-reveal: "The bad news is the edge of the cauldron is extremely hot and burns your hands.")[
(link-reveal: "The good news is that the burns are severe enough that you quickly lose all feeling in your hands.")[
(link-reveal: "The bad news is that you lose your grip on the cauldron as a result and fall in.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Also, you only fall in halfway at first. The witch has to push your legs, sticking up towards the ceiling, to completely submerge you in the cauldron. The witch smiles, knowing she has finally found the last ingredient she needed for her weatherproofing brew...
($handleEndMacro: 23, "Decoction Inspection")
]]]]]]You are outside the house, but still on your property. To your right is a tall fence lined with bushes. There is a gate leading to the front of the house, but (link-reveal: "it is locked.")[ (Which doesn't surprise you given your luck tonight.)
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[As you contemplate your next move you hear footsteps behind you. Something is coming this way! Given all the encounters you've had so far this night, you expect something dangerous. Perhaps you should hide in the bushes. Or will you wait and see what is coming?
|deathlink>[[[Hide->The Yeti]]]($skullMacro:25)
[[Stay put->Further in the Backyard]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Dining Room")
]]You clamber into the bushes. Luckily the branches aren't too sharp, and it isn't too cramped, because you have (link-reveal: "no idea how long you'll be there.")[
(link-reveal: "And as it turns out, you're not there long.")[
(link-reveal: "The footsteps stop, and you feel a burst of warm, moist air at your neck.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Slowly you turn around only to find something else is in the bushes behind you. You try to run out of the bushes, but the (link-reveal: "YETI")[ (on vacation from the Himalayas)] grabs you with its massive arms and pulls you back into the bushes. What transpires next is too grisly even for this tale, but needless to say
($handleEndMacro: 25, "Something Wicked")
]]]]You freeze in place, arms by your side, ready to defend yourself from whatever is going to try to attack you or eat you.
(link-reveal: "Time passes...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[...and you realize no one is coming after all. Then you hear the "footsteps" again, and realize that it's just the wind blowing a few autumn leaves along the ground.
Feeling foolish for your (link-reveal: "paranoia")[ (justified as it may be tonight)], you [[make your way to the backyard.->Further in the Backyard II]]
]]The garden is filled with roses of all colors - red, white, orange, purple, blue, even golden. You wonder whether this is all real and will be here in the morning, for if it is, you'll be opening a (link-reveal: "florist shop.")[ If you're still alive, that is.]
In the center of the rose garden is a marble fountain, and sitting in its center is a statue of a mermaid, sunning herself on a stone pedestal. A light tune dances in the air - is that the sound of harps? - and you hear a lovely voice singing a cheerful melody.
|deathlink>[[[Investigate the voice->The Undine]]]($skullMacro:21)
[[Leave the rose garden->More of the Backyard]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Further in the Backyard II")You descend into the root cellar. A musty, earthy smell permeates the stone walls, and you see particles of dust suspended in the moonlight.
(link-reveal: "You turn and...")[
(text-size: 3.0)+(text-style: "rumble")[[[AHHHH!->Pumpkin]]]
]You walk around the fountain, and are startled by the appearance of a real mermaid swimming in the waters! Her hair is a bright lemon yellow while her fish half is covered in glittering green scales.
The mermaid shyly beckons to you as she sings and you feel compelled to follow her. You climb into the fountain, heedless of how icy cold the water is, and (link-reveal: "approach her.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Only when you get close do you realize your mistake. This is no mermaid, but an UNDINE, a malevolent spirit of the water, and one that (link-reveal: "eats")[ (what else?)] human flesh. Afterwards, there aren't even any leftovers for the other monsters in the house.
($handleEndMacro: 21, "Rose Garden")
]]You move past the rose garden and find yourself before an orchard. It has a large variety of different fruit trees - oranges, lemons, pears, apples, and cherries. They are thickly crowded together, a dark forest that you can't see more than a few feet inside.
Seeing how dangerous the orchard looks, you wonder if there is somewhere else you can go. The only other option is a hothouse. Maybe you can go through it to get somewhere else.
[[Go in the orchard->The Orchard]]
|deathlink>[[[Go in the hothouse->The Hothouse]]]($skullMacro:17)
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Rose Garden")You plunge into the orchard and regret it immediately as almost all light vanishes around you. You can barely see (link-reveal: "five inches")[ (12.7 cm)] in front of your face!
The darkness makes shivers run up your spine and fills you with a feeling of foreboding. You feel the urge to escape as quickly as possible. However in this maze-like tangle of trees, something could be waiting to trip you if you move too fast. Perhaps a slower, more deliberate approach would be better.
[[Move slowly->Emerging from the Forest]]
|deathlink>[[[Move quickly->The Chameleon]]]($skullMacro:11)
($lastCheckpointMacro: "More of the Backyard")In the hothouse you find a large variety of plants. Many of them are orchids, but as you walk through the hothouse you start to see more and more bizarre plants. Misshapen petals, clashing coloration, and stems twisting in non-Euclidean ways are the least of the horrors you see in this place.
You are not quite at the point of regretting coming here when you see (link-reveal: "the worst thing of all:")[
(link-reveal: "The dreaded QGJDKSUP!")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[It is a cross between a venus fly-trap, a horned toad, and some other indescribable things. The QGJDKSUP also does some indescribable things to you, although what's left of you isn't in any condition to care afterwards.
($handleEndMacro: 17, "More of the Backyard")
]]]You make your way through the orchard at a snail's pace, feeling the trees with your hands and taking (link-reveal: "short, deliberate steps.")[
The forest is silent as the grave, and (link-reveal: "you see nothing but darkness in front of you.")[
(link-reveal: "You start to imagine eyes watching you from the branches and knotholes.")[
(link-reveal: "The snap of a twig underfoot could portend doom for you.")[
(text-size: 4.0)[[[`* S N A P `*->Emerging from the Forest II]]]
]]]]You decide you can't waste any more time in here. Who knows what deadly creatures could lurk in here - perhaps a WEREWOLF, or a GHOST, or a (link-reveal: "TWELVE-FOOT-TALL-MAN-EATING-GIANT-LIZARD-THING?")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Your hurried pace soon becomes frantic, and then you start sprinting, and before you know it you are tearing forth in a panic, stumbling through the dark, desperate for an escape from this (link-reveal: "arboreal cage.")[
Eventually you feel exhausted and stop under an ancient tree. Your legs cramp up and you lean against the trunk, (link-reveal: "rubbing your calves.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[And that's when you feel something long and slimy (link-reveal: "wrap itself around your neck.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[It is not a snake, but rather the tongue of a KILLER CHAMELEON lurking in the treetops. You try to stand but your fatigued legs won't hold you, and you fall forward. The chameleon's tongue, still wrapped around you, breaks your neck.
($handleEndMacro: 11, "The Orchard")
]]]]]]]Sitting before you is an outhouse! You would have preferred to use a modern bathroom with all the usual conveniences, but under these circumstances, the sight of a door with a crescent moon carved in it is a welcome sight.
When you get closer to the outhouse, however, disappointment overcomes you. (link-reveal: "Someone")[ (or something?)] has boarded the door shut, and posted a large sign with words written in dripping (link-reveal: "red paint")[ (you hope)]: "OUT OF ORDER".
Dejected, you turn away. Is there any place where you can find a bathroom and [[end this nightmare?->The Last Castle]]After a short walk you reach the end of your backyard. Here there was a pile of stones, which your realtor explained was the remains of a castle the previous owner wanted to build. The venture turned out to be an expensive boondoggle, and the castle was never finished.
Now, in place of that rock pile is an actual castle, complete with clock tower and parapets. Framed against the moonlight, the building has a sinister and frightening aspect - only a sudden flash of lightning would make it more terrifying.
You figure there <i>must</i> be a bathroom inside this structure and if there isn't, well, you have no idea what you'll do. You cross a lowered drawbridge over a (link-reveal: "moat")[ (filled with serpentine creatures slithering through the water)] and [[enter the castle.->Castle Entryway]]The stairway is long, and the steps tall and narrow. When you reach the top your legs are aching and you're short of breath. You've reached the top of the clock tower. All around you are ancient gears and levers, slowly ticking away. Overhead are three bells, cast in bronze and (link-reveal: "shot through with cracks.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You look out a window and see the surrounding landscape. It's an endless vista of fog - you can't see any of the surrounding neighborhood. The moon sits alone in the night sky, its (link-reveal: "full circle shining down on you.")[
You turn from the window to contemplate your next move [[when...->The Dark Delver]]
]]]You find yourself in a room filled with all sorts of odd equipment. There are tables of beakers, test tubes, and stills filled with a rainbow assortment of smoking, seething, bubbling, and sublimating liquids. A Jacob's ladder sits on a table, (link-reveal: "lightning arcing up its length.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[A control panel sits in front of a raised platform. It has innumerable buttons, dials, gauges, and switches on it, but most prominent are three levers, colored (link-reveal: "red, green, and blue.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[A sealed glass case sits on the other side of the room. It contains firearms of various sorts, including a rocket launcher. The case is labelled (link-reveal: "\"BREAK IN CASE OF EMERGENCY\".")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[And over in the corner are several giant glass tubes containing creatures of various shapes, sizes, and body types, (link-reveal: "not all of them symmetrical.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[As you look over this mad laboratory, you hear a thumping sound from one of the giant glass tubes. A ZOMBIE is inside, furiously beating at the walls of its prison. [[The tube falls over and...->Zombie Attack!]]
]]]]]]]]You enter a shrine to science, seemingly out of place amidst the supernatural terrors you've encountered tonight. In the light of candelabras scattered around the room, you see bookshelves and charts on the walls, and a large (link-reveal: "model")[(replace: ?snark)[(It includes Pluto - that's how old it is.)]] of the solar system hanging from the ceiling. |snark>[]
The centerpiece of this chamber is the large telescope pointing towards the sky through a gap in the wall.
[[And standing at the telescope is a robed figure.->Who Is It?]]High above you, a gear turns, a hand moves, and the bells chime. You count out the number of chimes:
(text-size: 3.0)[(seq-link: "One", "Two", "Three", "Four", "Five", "Six", "Seven", "Eight", "Nine", "Ten", "Eleven", "Twelve", "(link-goto: \"Thirteen\", \"The Dark Delver II\")")]...and reveals itself to be a skeletal figure. Coal red eyes glow in its sockets, and the figure radiates a cold that freezes you to your marrow. Call it Death, or the (link-reveal: "Grim Reaper")[, or Super Scary Skeleton], but this being is a REVENANT and will suck the soul out of you like someone (link-reveal: "slurping the last of a milkshake through a straw.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You have no weapons at your disposal - the best you can do is grab a candelabra and hope that its feeble fire can ward off the chill of this undead foe. But maybe it's better not to leave your fate to these flames, but to take to your feet and flee from this place.
|deathlink>[[[Attack the revenant->Roasted]]]($skullMacro:18)
[[Run away->Bravely Ran Away]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Castle Entryway")
]]You swing the candelabra, sweeping it over the revenant's robe in hopes of setting it aflame. Tongues of fire lick at the robe, but instead of burning it, the flames flow upwards like a glowing river (link-reveal: "into the mouth of the revenant.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The revenant concentrates the flames into a roaring inferno. With a howl that shatters the telescope's mirror and sends the solar system model crashing to the ground, the revenant breathes out a torrent of flame. All that is left of you is a sooty spot on the observatory floor.
($handleEndMacro: 18, "The Revenant")
]]You briefly brandish the candelabra at the revenant, then drop it and take to your heels and barrel your way out of the observatory. Without paying much attention to where you're going, you (link-reveal: "lose yourself within the walls of the castle.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You find yourself before a wooden door. Looking behind you, you see no sign of the revenant. Not willing to wait to see if it's catching up with you, you [[go through the door...->Laboratory]]
]]The glass tube crashes against another one, which causes it to fall over and crash into its neighbor as well. The domino effect continues as all the tubes topple over, shattering in a (link-reveal: "symphony of broken glass.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The newly-freed occupants of the tubes, grotesque parodies of human bodies, rise up and swarm towards you. Their tongues loll around in their mouths and their arms claw greedily in your direction. They are moving faster than you expect, and you have little time to react.
[[Throw chemicals at the zombies->Chemicals]]
[[Break the case of firearms->Firearms]]
[[Use the control panel->Control Panel]]
]]You pull the red lever. The Jacob's ladder shoots a kaleidoscopic beam of light at the platform, ripping open a hole in the fabric of time and space. The zombies reach you and are about to (link-reveal: "bite you to death...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[...but you evade, and in a single bound, [[leap through the strange hole...->Falling Forever]]
]]You pull the green lever and hear a grating machine sound. Stones in the floor in front of you descend, making a set of steps leading down. You don't stop to think where they might lead but (link-reveal: "run down them.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You reach the bottom and find an iron door. It is unlocked, and you go through, bolting the door behind you. There is frantic pounding on the other side, but the door holds and the zombies eventually lose interest and wander away. Relieved, you turn to [[see where you have arrived...->The Armory]]
]]You pull the blue lever. To your dismay, it appears to have no effect. But it does. When you pulled the lever, you armed a pressure plate in the room. The plate is used in an experiment involving the Jacob's ladder which requires one to (link-reveal: "stay at a safe distance...")[
(link-reveal: "One of the zombies steps on the plate.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The Jacob's ladder shoots a five million volt bolt of lightning at a precise spot in the lab. You are standing on that spot.
($handleEndMacro: 26, "Control Panel")
]]]You're plummeting through a vortex somewhere beyond space and time as you know it. You have always wondered what such a space looks like, and find that it's much like an endless cup of coffee with hazelnut creamer (link-reveal: "swirled through it.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[There appears to be no up or down in this realm, although you feel the sensation of falling. You're wondering whether there might be some way out of this when you see two more strange holes appear before you. One hole has jagged edges and the other has wavy edges.
You think you can aim yourself towards one of the holes. You steer towards...
|deathlink>[[[...the jagged hole->The Demon Pit]]]($skullMacro:8)
[[...the wavy hole->Warp to the Armory]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Control Panel")
]]You fall through the jagged hole. You instantly feel a wave of heated air hit you, followed by the impact of some rocky ground. Amazingly, you aren't (link-reveal: "hurt")[ (much)] and are able to stand up. When you do, you almost wish you were (link-reveal: "killed on impact.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You're standing in what looks like a literal hellscape. A river of lava flows by you, and in the distance, volcanoes belch gouts of black smoke in the air. There is a persistent haze and a burnt sulfuric taste in the air. Every now and then the ground rumbles, and (link-reveal: "you struggle to keep your footing at each quake.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[After one particularly large tremor, you see something flying out of the mouth of one of the volcanoes. A huge rock, sheathed in flame, comes flying your way. It falls well short of you, but lands in the lava. The resulting splash causes a tidal wave of magma to come rushing at you. [[You run for your life...->The Hellhound]]
]]]]You fall through the wavy hole and land in a room with stone walls. Luckily you land on top of a (link-reveal: "bale of hay")[ (the first real stroke of luck you've had all night!)], and are not hurt. Dusting yourself off, you [[take stock of your surroundings...->The Armory]]Before you are submerged under the tidal wave of lava you spot a small cave entrance. You run into the cave and down some twisting passages. Smoke and steam follow you down, but taking a couple of convenient corners you avoid getting (link-reveal: "hit by the molten metal.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The air grows cooler as you descend, and you stop in a small nook to catch your breath. That's when you realize that there is more light down here than there should be - after all, (link-reveal: "you're underground, aren't you?")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[That's when you see before you a HELLHOUND. The light is from the immense heat given off by its body, which has three heads, each wearing spiked collar and (link-reveal: "an angry, snarling expression.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You yelp and get up to run, and the hellhound lets out a torrent of flame from one of its mouths. The fire misses you, but vaporizes a rock containing noxious chemicals, the resulting cloud of which causes you to choke to death.
($handleEndMacro: 8, "Falling Forever")
]]]]]]You are in an armory. Wooden racks line the walls, holding all sorts of weapons - swords, spears, axes, and lances. Shields and other pieces of (link-reveal: "armor")[ (like hauberks, cuirasses, baldrics, bucklers, and other things only (link-reveal: "nerds")[ like the author] would care about)] are also (link-reveal: "stored here as well.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[An inspection reveals that almost all the weapons and armor are rusted and useless. If your realtor were here he would have called them "antique" but as far as you can tell, they are junk.
There are two exceptions, however. Sitting on a table are a sword, lying naked without a scabbard, and a shield, placed face down. They both seem new and in good condition.
You are thinking they might be of use to you in this adventure, when you hear [[a clanking sound...->Armored Knight]]
]]Standing before you is a twelve-foot tall ARMORED KNIGHT. Its armor is jet black and is spikier than a hedgehog, and it is armed with a (link-reveal: "dark blade")[ (with lots of spikes on it, natch)].
The knight advances towards (link-reveal: "you")[ (isn't that the preferred method of pretty much everything you've encountered tonight?)], making a loud clanking sound with each step. No challenge is issued, no threat is uttered. The knight just raises its sword high above its head, no doubt with the intention of (link-reveal: "cutting off <i>your</i> head.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You only have time to grab one of the items on the table to defend yourself. With only a split second to spare, you take
[[the sword->Only a Flesh Wound]]
|deathlink>[[[the shield->Aegis]]]($skullMacro:15)
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Control Panel")
]]You grab the sword off the table, and as the knight swings its sword at you, you dodge with a well-timed (link-reveal: "shoulder roll.")[ (You always wanted to do that!)] You spring up behind the knight, and swinging the sword with all your might, (link-reveal: "shatter its armor.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The knight staggers as a chunk of its torso armor falls off, hitting the ground with a loud metallic clang. Then, like an unstable tower of cards, the rest of the pieces of armor go clattering to the ground. It turns out there was no one inside - some (link-reveal: "supernatural force animated the armor.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You cautiously poke the remains of the knight with your sword, but there is no response. Satisfied that you've defeated your foe, you press on, through a door at the [[far end of the armory...->Torture Chamber]]
]]]]You run to the table and grab the shield. You drop to a crouch and cover yourself with the shield, (link-reveal: "bracing yourself for impact.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[But the blow doesn't come, and when you get the courage to look out from under the shield you see a curious sight - the knight is standing there, (link-reveal: "frozen in mid-swing!")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Wondering what happened, you creep up to the knight to take a closer look. Its metal armor has turned to stone! You sigh with relief and drop the shield, and as you do so, (link-reveal: "you catch a glimpse of its front side...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You see a terrible sight on the shield, a scowling head with writhing snakes for hair. Unfortunately you have just experienced the petrifying effects of the MEDUSA...
($handleEndMacro: 15, "Armored Knight")
]]]]]]The room you enter is the (link-reveal: "worst of all.")[
The light of many candelabras scattered around the room (link-reveal: "illuminate a scene of pure horror.")[
(link-reveal: "There is a stench of blood and viscera in the air.")[
Implements of torture are scattered around the room - racks, wheels, iron maidens, thumb screws, toe screws, sharpened pokers, vises, pliers, and other dastardly tools of pain. It's clear that (link-reveal: "many of them have been used recently.")[
And the skeletons - there are numerous human skeletons hanging from the ceiling, strapped in the torture devices, and missing parts doubtlessly (link-reveal: "removed while their owners were still alive.")[
(link-reveal: "You wonder if this is what your realtor meant when he said the house had...")[
(text-size: 2.0)[[["Good bones."->The Vampire]]]
]]]]]]You are startled by the voice which is silky yet sepulchral. You turn to its source and see a human-sized figure standing with inhuman balance atop the rack. You recognize him - (link-reveal: "it's the realtor who sold you the house!")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[But now he looks different than he did before. His skin is pallid, his teeth are sharp and pointed, and his eyes have a predator's gleam in them. Without a doubt, your realtor really is a (link-reveal: "VAMPIRE!")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)["It's you! You're behind this!" you exclaim.
The vampire smiles. "Of course," he says. "The last owner finally couldn't supply any more blood - and pain - to satisfy my needs anymore. I had to find another willing dupe to move into my domain."
"So this place is just a trap you sell over and over again to find victims for your hunger," you say. (link-reveal: "\"Why?\"")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[(link-reveal: "\"Because it beats selling timeshares,\" says the vampire.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[At this point you should be paralyzed with fear. But after all you've been through this night, all the trouble and running and dodging and hiding, (link-reveal: "you're feeling...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[(link-reveal: "Defiant.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)["You'll never get away with this," you proclaim. "I'm going to defeat you!"
The vampire sees that you aren't going to meekly submit to his tender ministrations. He leaps towards you with a snarl, and [[the fight is on.->The Final Battle]]
]]]]]]]]]]]]The vampire swoops down at you, (link-reveal: "fangs bared...")[
(link-reveal: "...but you manage to dodge by sliding under the rack!")[
(link-reveal: "He attacks you from another angle...")[
[[...but you get out of the way just in time!->The Final Battle II]]
]]]You still have the sword from your battle with the armored knight. Surely, it will be an effective weapon against this winged undead! You stand tall, (link-reveal: "brandishing the burnished blade in your hand.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The vampire looks at you with amused contempt. His eyes flash, and two beams of intense red light blaze forth, striking your sword and melting it to slag.
"Wait," you squeak. "You can do that?"
[[The vampire smiles.->A Grisly End]]
]]
(set: $vampireEnd1 to true)You grab a candelabra. The vampire, who had been full of confidence, suddenly seems hesitant for a moment, then (link-reveal: "charges at you at his fastest speed yet.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Like a batter trying to hit a fastball, you blindly swing at the vampire as he flies in. The candelabra snaps in half as it strikes the vampire, and the force of the impact (link-reveal: "throws you to the ground.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The vampire stands triumphantly over you, grinning in victory. "You didn't think you could defeat me, did you human?" he crows. He crouches [[to bury his fangs in your neck...->The End of the Vampire]]
]]]]You decide there's nothing for it. Only good old-fashioned muscle will win the day. As the vampire swoops down on you, you pull your arm back, and with all the force you can muster, (link-reveal: "throw a fierce punch at your enemy...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[(link-reveal: "...that just passes harmlessly through the vampire's body!")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)["My, my," says the vampire. "Don't you remember that we vampires can change into a gaseous form? And now that [[we are done playing..."->A Grisly End]]
]]]]
(set: $vampireEnd2 to true)You realize that brains, not brawn will win the day. You run in front of the iron maiden. You idea is to wait until the last second as the vampire flies towards you, then jump aside and open the maiden, hoping that the vampire will fly inside. Then you'll close the maiden on him, (link-reveal: "hopefully ending his reign of terror.")[
(link-reveal: "Well, there's theory and then there's practice.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You jump when the vampire gets close to you but with his supernatural speed he changes course and slams into you instead of the iron maiden. You lie [[dazed and helpless on the ground...->A Grisly End]]
]]]
(set: $vampireEnd3 to true)Suddenly the vampire straightens up. Wisps of smoke curl from the edges of his cape. The vampire lets out an embarrassingly high squeal as he tries to beat out the flames, but his action only (link-reveal: "sets his own hands on fire.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The vampire staggers back from you. "I'm burning, I'm BURNING!" he cries, as his arms combust and turn to ash like the ends of lit cigarettes. The flames spread to his clothing and hair. "Oh, what a world, what a world!" he cries as he breaks into two at the waist, his top half hitting the ground and (link-reveal: "exploding into a cloud of gray particles.")[
[[Soon, all that is left of the vampire is a pile of smoldering ashes.->Aftermath]]
]]]There is a stillness in the air, a sense of peace you haven't felt since you got out of bed. (link-reveal: "Is it truly over?")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You get up. Your legs feel weak, and you feel tired enough to sleep for a hundred hours. And as you turn to leave this chamber of horrors, the site of your final battle against the forces of darkness, (link-reveal: "you see...")[
(text-size: 3.0)[[[IT->The Bathroom]]]
]]]Off to the side of the torture chamber is a small room. A room with a sink and mirror (link-reveal: "and...")[
(link-reveal: "a toilet.")[
(link-reveal: "A BATHROOM!")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[You remember the reason for your getting up and you rush into the bathroom. Two minutes later you're washing your hands and feeling a palpable sense of relief. Now you can go back to bed. You need to make up the sleep you've lost. After all, (link-reveal: "it's been TWENTY MINUTES since you got out of bed.")[
Of course, the night isn't over yet. And you still have to make it back to your bedroom. But that's a story for another time. (link-reveal: "For now...")[
(align:"=><=")+(box:"=X=")+(text-size: 1.00)[CONGRATULATIONS!
YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY FINISHED THE STORY!]
(set: $accompDone's 27 to true)
(set: $accompNew's 27 to true)
(set: $enableCheckpoints to true)
(text-size: 1.00)[(link-goto:"Return to Start", $startPoint)]
]]]]]]What follows cannot be described without horrifying the reader past the point of sanity and good taste, but needless to say, under the careful attentions of the vampire, who likes his meals highly processed, your experience is (link-reveal: "much worse than you could have ever imagined.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Surely, in the annals of all choice narratives no fate could be more bloody, painful, grisly, and nauseatingly terrible and awful. Your torment lasts years, but finally, in the end
($handleEndMacro: 22, "The Final Battle II")
]]You groan at the prospect of getting up in the middle of this cold autumn night to heed nature's call. The upstairs bathroom is under repair, and you'll have to trudge downstairs to use another one. Just another problem you're having with your new home.
The electrical system doesn't work. Half the plumbing has to be replaced. The insulation was once used as snow in a local theater production in 1939. And there are the stories about the strange sounds coming from the house at night, and the previous owner's mysterious disappearance...
Still, the place was affordable and your realtor reassured you that this house, despite its issues, was quite solid deep down. What was that term he used? [[Your realtor said that the house had->Title Screen]]The sound startles you so much that you lose your footing in mid-step. You try to regain your balance but when you do, you feel the long, scaly appendage of a TERROR underfoot which causes you to tumble head over heels to the bottom of the stairs. You break 200 of the 206 bones in your body. Needless to say
($handleEndMacro: 20, "Stairs")At first it appears to be a tall cactus, its crooked arms pointed up and down. But as it comes into focus, you see its arms bend to point towards you! It lurches forward, and you gasp at the sight of the WERE-CACTUS coming (link-reveal: "towards you on two spindly legs.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[The were-cactus tries to grab you with its spiny arms, and you barely manage to evade it. You dash between the stuffed grizzly and saber-toothed tiger, but can't lose the were-cactus. What can you do?
[[Throw the bucket of water on it->Overwatered]]
|deathlink>[[[Light it on fire with the candelabra->Bleeding Out]]]($skullMacro:24)
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Hallway")
]]The backyard is spacious, and you remember your realtor touting it as one of the best parts of the home. "Think of the barbecues and soirees and frisbee golf tournaments you can hold there!" he said.
You aren't sure you'll be throwing frisbees with your friends any time soon, as the backyard is dominated by a large rose garden, which is a surprise since previously there was only a wheelbarrow and a half-dug hole for a swimming pool. The roses look beautiful, but will going in the garden get you any closer to your goal?
You also spot the entrance to a root cellar in the side of your house. Perhaps you should try to get back in your home, although you can't remember if there's a way in through the root cellar...
[[Go in the rose garden->Rose Garden]]
|deathlink>[[[Go in the root cellar->Root Cellar]]]($skullMacro:16)
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Something Wicked")Sitting before you is a PUMPKIN, with a grotesque face carved in it. When you realize what you just saw, you start chuckling, amused at how you were scared by (link-reveal: "a simple jack o'lantern.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[And then the pumpkin's eyes and mouth light up as if illuminated by an unearthly candle. You start to back away, and the pumpkin turns (link-reveal: "to track your every move.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Instinct tells you to run, but before you can escape, the pumpkin spits hundreds of seeds out of its mouth, each one hitting you as hard as a bullet.
($handleEndMacro: 16, "Further in the Backyard II")
]]]][[Nothing happens.->Emerging from the Forest III]](t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Eventually, the curtain of darkness is swept aside and you emerge into the moonlight. You are covered with dirt and scratches, but otherwise are unharmed. And then you see [[something you'd been hoping to see since this all started...->The Outhouse]]
]You find yourself in a cramped stone hallway, with candelabras providing illumination. The hallway continues on, but there is a spiral staircase going both up and down.
|deathlink>[[[Go up the stairs->Clock Tower]]]($skullMacro:4)
[[Go down the stairs->Laboratory]]
[[Continue down the hallway->Observatory]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "The Orchard")Before you can comprehend the meaning of the thirteenth chime, something drops down on you from the top of the tower. It is a DARK DELVER, which normally resides deep in the depths of the earth, but has come up here for a vacation and to enjoy the view. And unfortunately for you, it has taken your presence to be the arrival of room service.
($handleEndMacro: 4, "Castle Entryway")A chill feeling washes over you and you decide to make your exit before (link-reveal: "you are noticed.")[
(link-reveal: "Unfortunately you trip over a smaller telescope someone carelessly left lying on the ground.")[
You manage to avoid hitting the ground by catching a railing, but (link-reveal: "make a lot of noise doing so.")[
[[The robed figure turns...->The Revenant]]
]]]You jump on the platform to reach the control panel. You have no idea what any of the many controls do, and with the zombie army bearing down on you, you have no time to figure it out. You only have time to pull one of the colored levers:
[[Pull the red lever->Portal to Hell]]
[[Pull the green lever->Stairway to Armory]]
|deathlink>[[[Pull the blue lever->Pressure Plate]]]($skullMacro:26)
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Castle Entryway")(if: visits is 1)[You grab a beaker full of a greenish liquid and hurl it at the attacking zombies. The beaker shatters, dousing the undead with its (link-reveal: "noxious contents.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[Unfortunately, these chemicals were used in the creation of these foul beings. Rather than being harmed, the zombies feel (link-reveal: "refreshed")[ (those chemicals had electrolytes)], but their insatiable hunger continues unabated. You must try something else!
[[Break the case of firearms->Firearms]]
[[Use the control panel->Control Panel]]
]]]\
(else:)[You already tried the chemicals and they didn't work. You must think of some other plan...
[[Break the case of firearms->Firearms]]
[[Use the control panel->Control Panel]]](if: visits is 1)[You try to get to the glass case containing the firearms, but the zombies move to block you. There is no way you can get to the weapons without being torn apart! There must be something else you can do...]\
(else:)[You try to get to the case of firearms again, but to no avail. You must try something else.]
[[Throw chemicals at the zombies->Chemicals]]
[[Use the control panel->Control Panel]]{=
<style>
div {
overflow: scroll;
width: 400px;
height: 300px;
}
</style>
(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XX=")[Endings]
<div>
(for: each _i, ...(range: 1, $accomplishments's length)) [
(if: $accompDone's (_i) is true) [
(if: $accompNew's (_i) is true)[
(text-style: "bold", "underline", "emboss")[(print: $accomplishments's (_i) + "\n\n")]
] (else:) [
(print: $accomplishments's (_i) + "\n\n")
]
(set: $accompNew's (_i) to false)
](else:)[
(print: $hiddenAccomps's (_i) + "\n\n")]
]
</div>You find yourself in a room with walls lined with deep green velvet. It was empty the first time you saw it, but now there are two sets of objects here that (link-reveal: "catch your eye.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[In one corner of the room is a pile of blocks. Taking a closer look, they appear to be alphabet blocks. In the other corner of the room is a collection of toy soldiers made of tin.
You hear the sound of a bolt sliding into place. Suspicious, you try the door, and realize that someone has locked it! Looking at the toys in the room, you surmise that you must solve a puzzle involving them in order to escape from this room...
[[Examine the toy soldiers->Toy Soldiers]]
[[Examine the alphabet blocks->Alphabet Blocks]]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Hallway")
]]You examine the toy soldiers, which are scattered around the corner of the room. They are dressed in Napoleonic era uniforms, and each one carries a rifle with a bayonet attached to its end. You can't help but notice how long and sharp each bayonet is...
You wonder what you need to do with the toy soldiers. Perhaps arrange them in some neat formation? You could try that, or move on and look at the alphabet blocks instead.
|deathlink>[[[Arrange the toy soldiers->Bayonet Charge]]]($skullMacro:12)
[[Look at the alphabet blocks->Alphabet Blocks]]You examine the pile of alphabet blocks. There appear to be dozens of the blocks, with every letter represented multiple times. You wonder what, if anything, you are supposed to do with the blocks.
Perhaps you should try spelling something out? Or maybe your time would be better spent examining the toy soldiers in the other corner of the room.
[[Play with the alphabet blocks->Haunted Blocks]]
[[Examine the toy soldiers->Toy Soldiers]]You start arranging the toy soldiers in rows. It takes a while as there are hundreds of toy soldiers but you eventually line them all up in a formation ten ranks deep.
Nothing happens. (link-reveal: "You wonder what you were expecting.")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[And something <i>does</i> happen - the soldiers start moving on their own! They turn towards you and point their bayonets at you. Before you can do anything, the soldiers charge at you and run you through with their bayonets. All 200 of them. <i>Ouch.</i>
($handleEndMacro: 12, "Toy Room")
]]As you reach for one of the blocks, the entire pile starts to shake and glow with a faint green light! You draw back, wondering if [[some terrible thing is about to happen...->Puzzle I]]Several of the blocks move as if guided by some ghostly hand. They fly through the air, make a couple of loops around the room, and finally come to rest in a line in front of you. The arrangement of blocks is:
(text-size: 1.0)[A B C - E F G]
There is a noticeable gap between the "C" and "E" blocks. It occurs to you that you have to place a block in that gap. Which block do you place?
($alphabetMacro: "Puzzle I Right", "Puzzle I Wrong", "D", 1, 13)
($alphabetMacro: "Puzzle I Right", "Puzzle I Wrong", "D", 14, 26)You place the chosen block in the gap. The green light glows more intensely, and you wonder if you have solved the puzzle. The answer comes when you hear a sound similar to a buzzer. The block you placed goes flying back into the pile.
You realize that you chose the wrong block. However, you sense that you could try again...
[[Try Again->Puzzle I]]
[[Look at the toy soldiers instead->Toy Soldiers]]As you place the "D" block in the gap, you hear a chime ring. The blocks vanish, and you wonder if you have solved the puzzle and can now escape from the room.
Instead, more blocks rise from the pile and after a short flight, [[settle into a line before you...->Puzzle II]]The blocks are arranged as follows:
(text-size: 1.0)[M T - T F S S]
There is a noticeable gap between both "T" blocks. Which block do you place in the gap?
($alphabetMacro: "Puzzle II Right", "Puzzle II Wrong", "W", 1, 13)
($alphabetMacro: "Puzzle II Right", "Puzzle II Wrong", "W", 14, 26)You place your chosen block in the gap. The moment you do so, a harsh buzzer sounds. The block you placed flies back into the pile. It seems you have a chance to try again, if you wish.
[[Try Again->Puzzle II]]
[[Look at the toy soldiers instead->Toy Soldiers]]You place a "W" block in the gap and again hear a chime. The blocks again vanish, and you wait to see what happens.
To your disappointment, another set of blocks rises from the pile and [[arrange themselves in a line before you...->Puzzle III]]The blocks are now arranged as follows:
(text-size: 1.0)[O T T - F S S]
There is a noticeable gap between the second "T" and "F" blocks. Which block do you place in the gap?
($alphabetMacro: "Puzzle III Right", "Puzzle III Wrong", "F", 1, 13)
($alphabetMacro: "Puzzle III Right", "Puzzle III Wrong", "F", 14, 26)You place your chosen block in the gap. The moment you do so, a harsh buzzer sounds. The block you placed flies back into the pile. It seems you have a chance to try again, if you wish.
[[Try Again->Puzzle III]]
[[Look at the toy soldiers instead->Toy Soldiers]]You place the "F" block in the gap. There is once again a chime and the blocks vanish. You are wondering if you have to solve yet another puzzle when the blocks start to (link-reveal: "glow intensely green...")[
The glow gets so bright that you have to shield your eyes. You hear a loud "pop!" sound and (link-reveal: "the glow fades...")[
(t8n:"fade")+(transition-time: 1s)[In the midst of the resulting silence you hear the sound of a bolt unlocking from a door on the opposite side of the room. You run over to it and find it is indeed unlocked.
As you leave the room, you wonder what was up with those blocks. Were they the work of [[someone obsessed with the alphabet?->Living Room]]
]]]You soon realize that the vampire is deliberately holding back, moving much more slowly than he could. Is he toying with you?
Scampering from one cover to the next, you know you can't keep running forever. You have to fight back. But how will you attack the vampire?
|deathlink>[[[Attack it with your sword->Mightier than the Sword]]](if: $accompDone's 22 is true and $vampireEnd1 is true)[💀]
[[Attack it with a candelabra->Candelabra Inferno]]
|deathlink>[[[Punch the vampire->Kung Fu Fighting]]](if: $accompDone's 22 is true and $vampireEnd2 is true)[💀]
|deathlink>[[[Trick the vampire->Nice Try]]](if: $accompDone's 22 is true and $vampireEnd3 is true)[💀]
($lastCheckpointMacro: "Armored Knight")You can't turn on the lights, as the house's electrical system is still under repair. You were told this would be fixed in two weeks.
You don't have two weeks.
[[Use a flashlight->Flashlight]]
[[Use your phone->Smartphone]]
[[Try something else->Leap of Faith]](if: visits is 1)[You pick up the flashlight you keep next to your bed. It doesn't turn on. That's odd, as you just changed the batteries earlier today.]\
(else:)[Trying the flashlight repeatedly doesn't make it work.]
[[Turn on the lights->No Lights]]
[[Use your phone->Smartphone]]
[[Try something else->Leap of Faith]](if: visits is 1)[Thank goodness for your smartphone! If this story took place just (link-reveal: "20 years ago")[ (this is 2023, for those of you playing in the future)] you'd be in real trouble.
And maybe you are, as your phone fails to wake up from sleep. Its battery seems to have run out of power. Which is strange as you just charged the phone today...]\
(else:)[Your phone is still dead. No (link-reveal: "calling 911")[ (or playing interactive fiction)] for you.]
[[Turn on the lights->No Lights]]
[[Use a flashlight->Flashlight]]
[[Try something else->Leap of Faith]]Looking around your room, you see two possibilities for getting out. There's a long, low dresser next to your bed, almost as long as the wall and reaching the door. You could climb onto it from a chair next to your bed, then walk across the dresser to reach the exit.
There is also a fan hanging from the ceiling. You could try jumping from your bed, catching the fan, and (link-reveal: "swinging around to land near the door.")[ (Just like in the movies!)]
[[Escape via the dresser->The Dresser]]
[[Escape via the fan->The Fan]](for: each _i, ...(range: 1, $checkpointsList's length)) [\
(set: _item to $checkpointsList's (_i))\
(if: _item's visited is true) [\
($checkpointWarpMacro: _item's name, _item's passage)\
(print: "\n\n")\
](else:)[\
(print: (str-repeated: _item's name's length, "?") + "\n\n")\
]\
](text-size:2.0)[Checkpoints]
(text-size:1.5)[[[Back->Title Screen]]]
(display: "Checkpoints List")
(text-size:1.5)[[[Back->Title Screen]]]{=
<style>
div {
overflow: scroll;
width: 400px;
height: 300px;
}
</style>
(align:"=><=")+(box:"=XX=")[Checkpoints]
<div>
(display: "Checkpoints List")
</div>