Clowns in the Dark by Grace

Clowns in the Dark

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"Clowns in the Dark"

The Entrance is a room. "You are at the entrance of the annual circus showcase, standing in all its magnificence in the middle of a flat, vacant park field. You can see the extravagant royal red and white stripes of the gigantic circus canopy basking in the warm, welcoming glow of the summer twilight. A gleam of cozy illumination peaks out playfully through the tent’s curtains. 

The Ticketmaster’s booth stands on the left, metres in front of the temporary feeble turnstile leading into the big top.

Despite the excitement bubbling up internally for the evening’s show, you have not yet purchased a ticket. Before entering the Showroom which is north of you, you should talk to the gentleman at the booth, and ask for a ticket."

The gift box is a lockable locked container. The player carries the gift box. The description of the gift box is "A locked gift box. What could it be for?"

The Circusmaster's Key is an object. The Circusmaster's Key is inside the gift box. 

After examining the gift box:
	now the command prompt is "Please enter the password. >";
	continue the action.	
After reading a command when the command prompt is "Please enter the password. >":
	increment the turn count;
	if the player's command matches "1957": 
		now the gift box is unlocked;
		say "You have unlocked the gift box. What could be inside?";
		now the command prompt is ">";
	otherwise:
		say "The gift box remains closed. There might be some clues in the circus about the password.";
		now the command prompt is "Would you like to try again? (Yes or No) >";
	reject the player's command.	
After reading a command when the command prompt is "Would you like to try again? (Yes or No) >":
	if the player's command matches "yes" or the player's command matches "y": 
		now the command prompt is "Please enter the password. >";
		say line break;
		say run paragraph on;
		reject the player's command;
	if the player's command matches "no" or the player's command matches "n": 
		now the command prompt is ">";
		say line break;
		say run paragraph on;
		reject the player's command;
	otherwise:
		say line break;
		say run paragraph on;
		reject the player's command.

The booth is scenery in the Entrance. The Ticketmaster is a person. The Ticketmaster is in the Entrance. The Ticketmaster carries a ticket. There is a booth here.

The description of the Ticketmaster is “A short, sturdy man who seems to be standing on many stacks of books to reach the ticket booth window. His face kindly welcomes you in, yet there’s something that seems off…” 

The description of the booth is “An old fashioned ticket booth engulfed in shiny red paint and gold sparkles. It makes everything look grand, even the shabby field around it.”

The description of the ticket is “A small, red ticket fading in colour. There are stars around the number 1000 printed boldly in the middle. On the other side, it says: admit one.”

The turnstile is a door. The turnstile is north of the Entrance. The turnstile is lockable and locked. The matching key of the turnstile is the ticket. The description of the turnstile is "A turnstile at the Entrance of the circus. You probably need a ticket to go through. You might want to open them with the ticket." 

Talking to is an action applying to one visible thing. Understand “talk to [someone]” or “converse with [someone]” as talking to. 
Check talking to: say “[The noun] doesn’t reply.”

Instead of talking to Ticketmaster: say "Well hello there, how can I help you?"

The Ticketmaster is carrying a ticket. 

Table of Ticketmaster's Replies
Topic	              Replies
"ticket"		"[ticket]"

To say ticket:
	if Ticketmaster carries a ticket:
		say "Ticketmaster says, 'Hello! Welcome to our Annual Circus Show! Congratulations! You are our 1000th customer, and you have won a free ticket to tonight’s show. Please enjoy!' ";
		try Ticketmaster giving a ticket to the player;
	else:
		say "Ticketmaster says, 'Hello, are you here to see the show? It's $20 for one ticket, and each additional ticket is $15.' ".

This is the custom block giving rule: 
	if the actor is Ticketmaster:
		say "[bold type](You have obtained a ticket!)[roman type]";
	else:
		say "[bold type](You have obtained a ticket!)[roman type]".

The custom block giving rule is listed instead of the block giving rule in the check giving it to rulebook.
	
After asking Ticketmaster about a topic listed in the Table of Ticketmaster's replies, say replies entry. 

test me with "ask Ticketmaster about ticket / g / give ticket to Ticketmaster"

Instead of eating ticket: 
Say “Wait! Don’t eat that! You’ll need it to enter the circus.” 

The Showroom is north of the turnstile. 
The Showroom is a room. “You enter the inviting tent into a grand arena encircled by enough seats to fit hundreds of people.  You can see the performance pit underneath, where the show’s spectacles are set up. A long ladder leading up to a classic tightrope stands  strangely within spectators’ reach on the far side of the arena. Only a few spectators are currently inside right now. Perhaps more people will trickle in nearer to the show’s start. 

A young man, presumably the Ringmaster, stands grandly in the showroom, almost beckoning you to talk to him. 

For now, it is probably okay for you to explore the rest of the circus.”  

The Ringmaster is in the Showroom. The Ringmaster is a person. 
The description of the Ringmaster is "A tall, mysterious man who seems to have been in the industry for quite some time. He is decked head to toe in red, white, and gold, and leaves a fluttering trail of glitter everywhere he goes. He seems like a great entertainer."

Instead of talking to the Ringmaster: 
say "[one of]'Welcome to our show!'[or]'We hope you are having a magnificent stay tonight.'[or]'What can I do for you today, my dear?'[or]'The show will be starting shortly. Why don't you look around first?'[or]'Have you taken a look around yet? This circus has so much to discover.'[or]'I heard they have clown cupcakes backstage!'[stopping]"

A chair is a kind of supporter. It is always enterable.

Report entering a chair (this is the report sitting in a chair rule):
say “You sit.”;
rule succeeds.
The report sitting in a chair rule is listed first in the report entering rulebook.
Report getting off a chair (this is the report standing up from a chair rule):
say “You stand up.”;
rule succeeds.
The report standing up from a chair rule is listed first in the report getting off rulebook.

The seat is in the Showroom.  The seat is a chair. The description of the seat is “Rickety, old bleachers haphazardly surround the ring, with signs indicating the different rows taped on. Is this even safe?”

The popcorn is in the Showroom. The popcorn is edible. The description of the popcorn is “There is a paper box containing popcorn left unattended on a seat. You pessimistically assume that the owner disposed of it owing to its diarrhea-inducing properties.” 
After eating the popcorn: say “The popcorn tasted underseasoned, and there wasn't even a coat of butter. Yet, you feel slightly more energized.”

The soda is in the Showroom. The soda is edible. The description of the soda is “There is a can of soda in a cardboard drink holder. The bottle seems to be branded with a circus logo and some strange writing you can't make out. It completely covers the drink, making you wonder what could be inside. It looks very appetizing. The product designer has done a great job...” 

Instead of drinking the soda: 
say "Try eating the soda instead. This is a circus after all, and things may never be as they seem."

After eating the soda:
Move player to The Eerie Showroom.

After examining the Circusmaster’s key:
Move player to Special Entrance. 

Every turn when the player carries the soda:
say "[one of]You're getting dreadfully thirsty in this circus with no windows or air ventilation. Might as well drink the soda you found...[or]Mmm... the soda you took is starting to look refreshing.[or]You wonder what drink it is... Fanta? Sprite? Coke?[or]The items you carry weigh you down... the soda seems to be of a large size.[or]Your throat itches from talking so much.[or]You cough. Is it the air in the circus? You wish you had something to quench your thirst..[or]Your mouth craves for something sweet.[or]It nears dinnertime and you haven't eaten since lunch...[or]Surely the soda bottle didn't belong to anyone. It's safe to drink, right?[or]The soda is sealed. Brand new. Surely it's safe to drink.[or]The circus label covers the soda bottle completely- you have no clue as to what drink is inside...[or]You're getting thirsty from being in this humid tent...[or]Should you just drink it now?[or]Maybe it's best to save it for later.[or]*Cough, cough*.[or]Your throat is itching again...[stopping]" 

Understand "climb [something]" as opening. 
Instead of climbing ladder: 
say "Try opening then entering it instead." 
The ladder is in the Showroom. The ladder is a door. The ladder is up from the Showroom. The ladder is down from the Tightrope. 
The description of the ladder is “You spy a long, rickety ladder leading up to the tightrope suspended in the air. Surely it violates some workplace safety guidelines, even in a circus.[paragraph break]Try opening it then entering.”   

The Tightrope is a room. “After a nerve-wracking climb up the ladder, you make out what seems to be a warning sign. Looking ahead, you realize that that sign refers to the circus floor far underneath the tightly-wound wire. You squint and look around for anything noteworthy, catching a pile of blurry colours on the other side of the rope. You wonder if you can cross over and investigate.

The ladder will lead you back to the Showroom.”

The sign is scenery in the Tightrope. The description of the sign is “You are really curious, aren’t you? A mere, worn-down wooden board with a handle skewered into the floor; it seems to have gone through a lot. Wooden splinters are protruding out, and the paint is peeling off. Upon closer inspection you read: CAUTION: Beware of the ledge...”

The Rings of Fire is southeast of the Showroom.
The Rings of Fire is a room.“The circular stage's elaborate, furnished wooden floor is cluttered with painted vintage designs and other notable objects. You notice the setup of an organized assortment of suspended hoops. Though none are currently ablaze, you can only assume that these are the famed rings of fire that the circus is renowned for showcasing. You cough and sputter as the thick smoky air wafts up your nostrils.

There is a matchbox on the cheap plastic flooring of the stage. It seems to be half-used. You can't help but think about pocketing it.” 

The matchbox is in the Rings of Fire.  The matchbox is an openable closed container. The match is an object. The match is inside the matchbox.

The floor is scenery in the Rings of Fire. The description of the floor is “You spot the culprit — a used matchbox lying on the ground, among the ashy aftermath of a recent practice session.”

The description of the matchbox is “It is a small box that opens to reveal a dozen or so matches.”

The description of the match is “A dozen or so unused matches. They may come in handy later on.” 

The Backstage is north of the Showroom. 
The Backstage is a room. Ballerina is here. Ballerina is a person. “The musty, sweaty stenches of the backrooms engulf you. It is unpleasantly reminiscent of a changing room occupied by a team of adolescent hockey players after a match. Cheap, matted turf covers the grassy field. Enclosed areas acting as dressing rooms litter various portions of the open-concept quarters. A heavy chest of costumes and circus props sits in the corner of the tent. 

You see a ballerina practicing diligently in the background in front of a full-length mirror. She holds such dignified poise, and each move she makes is as graceful as a swan. You wish the best for this ballerina, and can’t wait to see her perform.”

The description of Ballerina is "A gorgeous young lady in a frilly red and white costume. She holds such dignified poise, and each move she makes is as graceful as a swan. Beneath her layers of makeup and elegant clothing, you spy a sinister looking tattoo on her neck: a black, bleeding circus tent."

Instead of talking to Ballerina: say “She is too immersed in her dance to notice you. You admire her beauty from afar instead.” 

The cupcake is in the Backstage. 
The description of the cupcake is “A surprisingly well-decorated cupcake. Whoever piped the frosted clown face clearly has a passion for baking. There’s a ton of powdered sugar on the cupcakes however, though it won’t be a problem for your problematic sweet tooth. ” 

The cupcake is edible. After eating the cupcake: say “The cupcake was sickenly sweet, and the sprinkles on top didn’t make it taste any better. You wonder what sort of baker would put such a disgusting combination together.”

The Puppet Room is east of the Backstage. 
The Puppet Room is a room. “You peer into a spacious, enclosed area by wall partitions and see an uncanny amount of clown eggs lining the walls. A worryingly massive pile of haunting puppets and dolls hauntingly occupy a corner. You can see a contrasting ball pit further down. How fun."

The scary puppet is an object. The scary puppet is scenery in the puppet room. Understand "puppet" as scary puppet. 
The clown egg is an object. The clown egg is in the puppet room. 

The description of the clown egg is "A large chicken egg with a clown face on it. These clown eggs are a tradition in clown culture where in order to officially be recognized uniquely, one must paint their own, personalized clown makeup onto an egg, to be stored safely in a clown egg room like this one. 

You wonder if it is raw." 

Instead of eating clown egg: 
say "How dare you try and eat a cultural artifact!"

The description of the scary puppet is "A plastic doll that looks eerily familiar. You realize that it's the face you see whenever you look into a mirror. From its hair to its chin to the fading colour in its cheeks, everything on the realistic puppet looked... exactly like you. There seems to be something in its mouth." 

Understand "mouth" as puppet mouth. The puppet mouth is a closed openable container. The puppet mouth is on the scary puppet. Inside the puppet mouth is a paper. 

The description of the puppet mouth is "A mouth just like yours but with a grin ever so slightly above the normal range a human's smile could exhibit. There seems to be something inside."

Understand "read [something]" as examining. 
The description of the paper is "A small piece of white paper that simply reads, 'Enjoy your meal!'[paragraph break]What meal is it talking about? The soda and popcorn?" 

The Pit is a room. The pit is south of the Puppet Room. 
"A pit full of brightly coloured red, blue, yellow, and white plastic balls like a paradise for any child. You can barely move through the large rainbow skittles, and you barely want to. Oh to be a kid again."

The Souvenir Shop is east of the Showroom. 
The Souvenir Shop is a room. “Puzzlingly there aren’t many trinkets displayed in the cramped, offensively bright mobile shop, but you can tell that each souvenir was delicately hand-crafted. What little quantity of circus memorabilia available is strewn around lazily on the counter, with price tags only on certain objects. How strange.”

The counter is scenery in the Souvenir Shop. The nail clippers are on the counter. Understand "clown-themed nail clippers" as nail clippers. There is a keychain on the counter. 

The Tradesman is in the Souvenir Shop. The Tradesman is a person. 
The description of the Tradesman is "A maximalistic man bejeweled in dazzling accessories. His hands were rough and calloused from years of craftsmanship." 

Instead of talking to Tradesman: 
say "[one of]'Take whatever you want! Anything for a special guest like you!' The Tradesman exclaims with a big grin.[paragraph break]But what's so special about you?[or]'Would you like these nail clippers?'[or]'Is this keychain to your fancy? I made them myself, you know.'[paragraph break]Should you ask him about it?[stopping]"

Instead of asking Tradesman about "nail clippers":
say "These nail clippers were gifted to me by a very special clown friend of mine. Apparently it was a family heirloom, but I wouldn't know. It's been here for decades! But turns out no one wants a used pair of nail clippers."

Instead of asking Tradesman about "keychain":
say "I made this one myself. Took a long time, like usual. Here, I have other selections as well. Would you like one? Free of charge?"

The description of the counter is “You peer closer at the worn down counter. Among the spare pieces of jewelry and puppets and other small knick knacks, you notice … clown-themed nail clippers? Strange choice of souvenirs, but who are you to judge? ” 

The description of the nail clippers is "A pair of nail clippers. The edge seems to be dull… does it even work? What a silly thing to have as a keepsake of a circus. But then again, this is exactly what a clown might buy."

The description of the keychain is "A cute wooden clown keychain. It looks hand-painted. You wonder how long that took." 

The House of Mirrors is west of the Showroom. 

The House of Mirrors is a room. “Your reflections stare right back at you from all angles in this peculiar establishment. A lone lightbulb hangs limply from the ceiling, barely saving you from the darkness. Clones surround you from mirrors on the no
rth, east and west. They all reflect you subtly and menacingly, and you are too scared to venture further. A mirror shard lies on the ground, though no damaged mirror is in sight.”  

The west mirror is in the House of Mirrors. The east mirror is in the House of Mirrors. The north mirror is in the House of Mirrors. The mirror shard is in the House of Mirrors. 

The description of the west mirror is "You look to the west and see yourself but squished by the mirror. You look wider than you are tall. It looks very silly. You are not pleased with this outcome."

The description of the east mirror is "You look to the east and see yourself but all curved. The mirror seems to bend you in a spaghetti shape and you are all wobbly. It looks silly so you dance around. Haha."

The description of the north mirror is "You look straight ahead into the north mirror right in front of you. It shows a stretched version of yourself and you look much taller than you actually are. You are pleased with this outcome."

The description of the mirror shard is "You look into the mirror shard and almost scream. You see your face, but it’s different. It’s mangled. It’s muddied. It’s so different from you that you thought it was a monster- and yet- all its features were…. Recognizable. It was you. Should you hang onto this for now?"

[DARK CIRCUS BEGINS HERE] 
The Eerie Showroom is north of the Circus Gate. The Circus Gate is a door. The Circus Gate is locked. 

The description of the Circus Gate is "A large bronze gate that presumably leads to the entrance. Yet you can't see anything beyond those walls." 
Instead of opening Circus Gate: 
say "You try your best to push open the gate, but it seems to be locked. Why would they lock the circus from the inside? Do they not want you to leave? Who are they? And... who am I?"

The Eerie Showroom is a room. “The room seems eerily absent of any signs of life. The showroom is exactly how you left it, with all the swings, tightropes, and rings set up and yet there’s not a person in sight. The once sturdy and strong ladder was now rusted and creaking- unappealing to climb, but perhaps exploring would be worth your time.

The absence of life comes with the absence of light. It's so dark you can barely make out your shadow, much less a logical reason about how you got there. What once was a bright red and yellow bustling showroom, now was a jarring freak show. The air is musty and damp and somehow, nothing is as it seems. What happened? It must have been because of the Soda you drank. 

The only thing you can make out is a familiar red, white, and gold, tall and lean figure. Is that the Ring Master? But without his iconic glitter trail? He seems to be the only thing that hasn't changed from the Showroom you were just in. Maybe you should talk to him.”  

The old seat is an object. The old seat is in the Eerie Showroom. The old seat is a chair. The description of the old seat is “Rickety, ancient bleachers haphazardly surround the ring, with caution signs roping off different rows. Is this even safe?”   

Instead of climbing rusty ladder: 
say "Try opening then entering it instead." 

The rusty ladder is in the Eerie Showroom. The rusty ladder is a door. The rusty ladder is up from the Eerie Showroom. The rusty ladder is down from the Desolate Tightrope. 

The description of the rusty ladder is “You spy a long, rickety ladder leading up to the tightrope suspended in the air. Surely it violates some workplace safety guidelines, even in a circus.”   

The Ring Master is in the Eerie Showroom. The Ring Master is a person. 

The description of the Ring Master is "A tall, mysterious man who seems to have been in the industry for too long. His once lavish apparel seems to be substituted with a suit fit for a funeral. Nonetheless he seems like a great entertainer, albeit a bit more gloomy in this unsettling setting."

Instead of talking to Ring Master: 
say "[one of]'A four digit number is what you need,[paragraph break]
in order to open your gift and arrive where you please.'[or]'First look at the initial of the initial you received,[paragraph break]
That number will be the initial of your key.'[or]'Second things second you'll need to find,[paragraph break]
A dizzy swan spinning where they reside.'[or]'Thirdly a number that you seek,[paragraph break]
Will be the number of yous you’ll meet.'[or]'Last not least head to the place you'd leave,[paragraph break]
Find a card that will appease.'[or]'Don't forget to always beware,[paragraph break]The truth is never in the air.'[or]'And if you need help I'm always here,[paragraph break] 
For everyone else will be someone to fear.'[or]'A four digit number is what you need,[paragraph break]in order to open your gift and arrive where you please.'[paragraph break]’'First look at the initial of the initial you received,[paragraph break]That number will be the initial of your key.'[paragraph break]'Second things second you'll need to find,[paragraph break]A dizzy swan spinning where they reside.'[paragraph break]'Thirdly a number that you seek,[paragraph break]
Will be the number of yous you’ll meet.'[paragraph break]'Last not least head to the place you'd leave,[paragraph break]Find a card that will appease.'[stopping]"

Instead of asking Ring Master about [object]: 
say "Try talking to Ring Master instead. He may be more keen to help. But why does he only talk in couplets? Was he always like this?" 

Instead of showing [object] to Ring Master: 
say "Try talking to Ring Master instead. He may be more keen to help. But why does he only talk in couplets? Was he always like this?" 

The Desolate Tightrope is a room. “Cobwebs hanging off of the corners of the room, it seemed as if this place was left abandoned for decades. The pit is as you remembered, but you don’t see a safety net down there. You wonder how many people had fallen down from such a height… The caution sign is still there — but you see that the tightrope seems not to be made of wire, but of a thin, unwinding rope. On the other side, you can make out some sort of chest. For now, it’s best if you didn’t cross over.”

The broken sign is scenery in the Desolate Tightrope. The description of the broken sign is “A wooden board, barely hanging onto it’s post. The paint has worn off, and wooden splinters are protruding out. You can barely make out the words CAUTION, but that’s about it.”

The Sooty Rings of Fire is west from the Eerie Showroom.
The Sooty Rings of Fire is a room. "The dimly lit stage is eerily devoid of any signs of life. The circus ring is how you last saw it in all its mid-performance glory, yet the ambiance feels off. Grimy old floorboards graffitied in disturbing cult-like imagery creak and wail at every step you take, replacing the once admirable furnishings of the floor now. You notice the swing off to the side swaying uncannily, as if it were in use mere moments ago, the ropes screeching in agony at every jerky motion to and fro."

The Barren Backstage is southwest of the Eerie Showroom. 
The Barren Backstage is a room. “A putrid stench engulfs your body as you step backstage. It unpleasantly reminds you of a dumpster with heaps of expired and moldy food everywhere.  Other than the unbearable stench, this area is just as abandoned as the others. Dressing rooms still maniacally litter various portions of the open-concept quarters. A heavy chest of creepily realistic clown masks sits in a corner. You hope. At first they almost looked like human heads donning clown makeup in some twisted joke. [paragraph break]A ballerina does a dance routine a few metres away. But despite her beautiful figure, there's something terrifyingly off about her movements. She's almost too flexible; like a disturbing contortionist. A bit too double-jointed. Her movements are a bit too slow and pointy. Her head doesn't seem to sit right and whenever she turns towards you, with her piercing pitch black eyes lingering a bit too long...  

She looks like a swan with a broken neck, clawing for air, yet still angular and beautiful in her own way. She's busy practicing right now. Maybe you should wait for her to finish her ritual.”

The crooked ballerina is a person. The crooked ballerina is in the Barren Backstage. 

The description of the crooked ballerina is "A tall, slim lady with precise movements. Her clothes are white but charred and ripped, as if she had experienced a catastrophe on stage involving fire. Her dance is beautiful: modern and certainly not traditional ballet. Her legs are bent in the wrong angles and her head can lean back a bit too far. And her turns. Her beautiful, slanted, sloped turns make you wonder how she is still standing.[paragraph break]Why don't you talk to her? But then again, you might want to wait for her to finish her practice first. Why don't you wait for her?" 

Instead of talking to crooked ballerina: 
say "The ballerina stops dancing. Her eyes focus on you, and you notice her white dress is torn around the edges, her makeup is smudged, and there seemed to be a tattoo on her neck, though you can't place what it resembles.[paragraph break]She resumes her turns, eyes focused on you the entire time. Perhaps you should wait for her to finish."

Instead of waiting: 
say "[one of]The ballerina abruptly stops her routine to begin a series of turns. You watch her beautifully monstrous posture carefully.[paragraph break]'One.'[paragraph break]Her turns are slow and teeter-tottering. Is this some kind of technique?[or]'Two.'[paragraph break]Her leg is pointed just a bit too awkwardly, as if her hip was triple jointed. She keeps turning.[or]'Three.'[paragraph break]She keeps turning, with no sign of stopping.[or]'Four.'[or]'Five.'[or]Every time she turns towards you, your eyes meet for a long second in eerie silence before she looks away. You can predict when the next eye contact will be. Now.[paragraph break]'Six.'[or]'Seven.'[or]'Eight.'[paragraph break]She almost stops, but keeps on turning. You wonder if her foot is getting tired.[or]'Nine.'[paragraph break]She abruptly stops, facing you head on. Her face remains expressionless, but she bends down into a curtsey, as if thanking you for watching her performance. Was that for you?[paragraph break]She continues dancing like nothing has happened. Strange. You remember that she did nine turns before resuming...[stopping]"

The moldy cupcake is a thing. The moldy cupcake is in the Barren Backstage. 

The description of the moldy cupcake is "A clown cupcake. It looks terribly old and moldy, as if its only company in this dusty room has been time. The colours are dull and black, and the stench is bewildering. Though it looks unappetizing, it is certainly intriguing." 

Instead of eating the moldy cupcake: 
say "You take one bite and spit it out. Turns out, under all that frosting and cute clown makeup was a feast for ants, for who knows how long. Disgusting. After the soda incident, you should know better than to eat strange foods."

The Shadowy Puppet Room is southeast of the Eerie Showroom.  
The Shadowy Puppet Room is a room. “You peer into a spacious, enclosed area by wall partitions and see an uncanny amount of clown eggs lining the walls. A worryingly massive pile of haunting puppets and dolls hauntingly occupy a corner. But what catches your eye the most is a lineup of puppets right in front of you. They are all identical in shape, size, hair, and clothing not just to each other, but to you as well. 

The puppet in the middle with two on either side of it seems to have something in it's mouth..." 

The identical puppet is in the shadowy puppet room. The identical puppet is a thing. The scary puppet mouth is a thing. The scary puppet mouth is an open openable container. The scary puppet mouth is on the identical puppet. The ripped paper is a thing. The ripped paper is in the scary puppet mouth. 

The description of the identical puppet is "A plastic doll that looks eerily familiar. You realize that it's the face you see whenever you look into a mirror. But there's something off about it. Are the eyes too big, too sullen, the pupils too broken? Is the face too tilted, too angular? It looks like you, but perhaps if you suffered multiple brain and face surgeries.[paragraph break]There seems to be something in its mouth." 

The description of the scary puppet mouth is "A mouth just like yours but with a grin ever so slightly above the normal range a human's smile could exhibit. There seems to be something inside."

Understand "read [something]" as examining. 

The description of the ripped paper is "A crumpled paper ripped from a notebook. Its handwriting is enough to scare you away.[paragraph break]'Five little puppets jumping in the tent, if the sixth one comes it'll be their end.'[paragraph break]What is it talking about? Five puppets? Who is the sixth puppet--"

The Spooky Souvenir Shop is east of the Eerie Showroom. 
The Spooky Souvenir Shop is a room. “Puzzlingly there aren’t many trinkets displayed in the cramped, mobile shop, but you can tell that each souvenir was delicately hand-crafted. There seems to be only a card box on the counter and a cash register."

The abandoned counter is in the Spooky Souvenir Shop. 
The description of the abandoned counter is “You peer closer at the worn down counter. It looks as if a robbery happened here. Nothing is on the counter, except for an empty cash counter and a box of playing cards.” 

The card box is a closed openable container. The card box is on the abandoned counter. The playing card is in the card box. 

The description of the card box is "A box of regular playing cards with a circus tent on it. It feels too light to contain all 54 cards." 

The description of the playing card is "7 of Spades." 

The cash register is an object. The cash register is on the abandoned counter. 
The description of the cash register is "A regular cash register. It looks like it hasn't been used in a while. Why does nothing here have a price tag?"

The Demolished House of Mirrors is north of the Eerie Showroom.
The Demolished House of Mirrors is a room. “Your reflections stare right back at you from all sorts of angles due to the cracks within the mirrors. A dim, cracked lightbulb flickers upon all the mirror surfaces around you as well as the shards scattered on the floor. You can see your solemn face reflected grimly everywhere. None of these mirrors are fun or silly anymore. 

You look straight forward into a mirror, at yourself. But the reflection looks too realistic. Too similar to your features, each pore on your face moves to your rhythm as you move closer to touch the mirror- or, whatever is in front of you.”

The clone is a person. The clone is in the Demolished House of Mirrors. 

The description of the clone is "An exact replica of you. From head to toe, front to back, the shape of your chin to the hairs on your arm. You wonder what would happen if you killed it. But there isn't anything you can do to it for now..." 

Every turn:
	After eating the soda:
	if the location of the clone is not the location of the player:
		let the way be the best route from the location of the clone to the location of the player, using doors;
		try the clone going the way;
	otherwise:
		say "[one of]The clone hisses at you, taunting you. 'Give up, give up, just give up. Stay here, stay here forevermore. Surrender that gift box to us — let us share all the nice things, together as one.'[or]The figure of you is still behind you, following you as you look around for a way out. Sometimes it is silent as a corpse, other times it’s going on demented tangents. [or]What even is that clone? Is it possible that this thing is even a duplicate of you? It perfectly resembles you down to the last atom; its prowl, its sneer, its articulation. You can barely even hear its footsteps, synchronizing perfectly with your own.[or]The clone is at it again. Taunting. The more it talks, the more disturbing its diction becomes. How does it know so much about your life?[paragraph break]'I know everything you know. Where we came from and how we ended up here. I even know our way back.  HEEHEE. But you don't.'[or]Turns out, your clone follows you around everywhere you go....[paragraph break]It doesn't interact with what you interact with, but it's still annoying.[or]It's the worst when they sneak up on you and whisper scary little nothings in your ear.[paragraph break]'Boo. Worthless scum. Why did the Ticketmaster choose us of all people? Can't even solve this simple puzzle? Oh come on.'[or]Your clone truly is persistent.[paragraph break]'Do we need a hint? A little hint for our little brain — no, for your precious little mind, ruined with the beauty of your world? HAHAHA. How are we the same person?'[paragraph break]More than scaring you, that evil little thing is just getting on your nerves.[or]The clone never seems to leave…[or]Why is the clone still following you?[or]Why is the Ring Master not doing anything about this?[or]Is this normal? Is it normal for there to be another you following you everywhere you go? This is a circus after all...[or]How much weirder can this circus get? There's literally a clone behind you![or]The clone makes it very distracting to focus on the clues...[or]You consider asking the clone for some help, but they probably won't be of any.[or]What is even happening right now?[or]'GRRRRFLSUDHSNFGGGGKKK'[paragraph break]Oh come on, you've never made that sound in your life. If it wants to imitate you, actually do it right.[or]The clone never seems to see anything else other than you.[or]You wish it would stop making weird noises behind you… are those the sounds you make? How embarrassing.[or]Looks like there’s nothing you can do… Your clone will follow you around forever. ‘Heeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheeheehee.’[or]’Heeheeheehee.’[or]’Heeheehee…’[stopping]"

Instead of talking to the clone:
say "talk to clone."

Instead of eating the clone: 
say "eat clone." 

Instead of searching the clone:
say "search clone."

Instead of asking the clone about [noun]:
say "ask clone about [noun]." 

The broken shard is an object. The broken shard is in the Demolished House of Mirrors. 
The description of the broken shard is "A cracked mirror shard. Why are all these mirrors cracked? You look into the shard and see your eyeball staring back at you. Unsettling." 

The Special Entrance is a room. 
“Congratulations on surviving the circus escape game, Clowns in the Dark! You have won a special prize of a gift box and a ticket![paragraph break]That was such a fun adventure we went on, and I hope to see you again soon. Do not forget, I’ll always be here, watching you from the other side. Goodbye, my little puppet. Heeheehee..” 

Every turn:
	if player is in the Special Entrance:
		say "[bold type]Success! Do you wish to play again?[roman type]"; 
		end the game in victory; 
	if the clone carries the gift box:
		say "[italic type]MUAHAHHAHAHAHA thank you for givng me the gift box... Now I shall be the one to escape, and YOU shall be stuck here forever... just like I was.[roman type]";
		end the game in death;