dead sprint (final) by Leah Yegneswaran

dead sprint (final)

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"Dead Sprint" by leah yegneswaran

Part - Setting

Chapter - The House

The library is a room. The description of the library is "[if unvisited]You wake up in semi-darkness. Your body aches and your head pounds painfully. It slowly comes to you that you can't remember what happened last night, and worse, you have no idea where you are now. Your stomach twists. You need to figure out where you are. You can LOOK around, EXAMINE items, TAKE things, USE things, and go NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, or WEST. OPEN doors and UNLOCK locks. [else if visited]The room is expansive, and you are surrounded by bookshelves that stretch from wall to wall along the west side of the room. Each is laden with heavy tomes. In the center of the room, a single armchair and lamp take up little space. You can make out other dim rooms through arches to the north and south. To the east is a beautiful door.[end if]". 

The arches are in the library. Understand "arch" as arches. The arches are scenery. The description of the arches is "They're arch-like.".

The stomach is in the library. The stomach is scenery. The description of the stomach is "Sorry, bud, you left your x-ray specs in your other pants." 

Instead of taking stomach: say "That's fixed in place. Thank God."

The library door is scenery. The library door is a door. The library door is east of the library and west of the courtyard. The description of the library door is "It is rather pretty.".

The tomes are scenery in the library. The description of the tomes is "[if the lamp is switched on]The books are mostly scholarly and cover a range of subjects. A number of them are scientific and appear fairly advanced.[else if the lamp is switched off]It’s too dark to make out the details, but there’s a ton of them.[end if]".

Understand "books", "tome" as the tomes. Understand "book" as tomes.

The bookshelf is an undescribed supporter in the library. The bookshelf is fixed in place. Understand "bookshelves", "shelves", and “shelf" as the bookshelf. 

The diploma is on the bookshelf. The description of the diploma is "[if the lamp is switched off]It's too dim to make out the words. [else if the lamp is switched on]The name on the diploma is vaguely familiar. Perhaps you read about the recipient in the news; they appear to have graduated from a famous research institute nearby."

Understand "words" as diploma. Understand "name" as diploma. 

Instead of taking diploma: say "Why would you want to carry that thing around?"

The photograph is on the bookshelf. The description of the photograph is "[if the lamp is switched off]The heavy frame casts shadows over a slim figure; it's too dark to make out a face. [Else if the lamp is switched on]A woman smiles at you from behind the glass. It's an unnerving expression."

Instead of taking photograph: say "The woman makes you nervous. You'd rather forget about her."

Understand "photo" as photograph. Understand "frame", "shadows", "figure", "face" as photograph. Understand "woman" as photograph. Understand "glass" as photograph. Understand "expression" as photograph. 

The notebook is a container on the bookshelf. The description of the notebook is "[if lamp is switched off] It's way too dark to make out the spidery handwriting. [else if lamp is switched on]The notebook is full of messy writing. A cheery post-it note is pressed to the first page. [end if]”.

Instead of taking notebook: say "You don't have a big enough pocket."

Understand "page" as notebook. Understand "writing" as notebook.

The password is in the notebook. The description of the password is "On a post-it is written, 'Password for trapdoor - - Howl'. How peculiar. You probably want to take that; it might come in handy later." The password is a thing. The password unlocks the trapdoor. 

The password is undescribed. Understand "post it" , "post-it note" and "post it note" as password. Understand "Howl" as password.

The armchair is in the library. The armchair is scenery. The armchair is an enterable container. The description of the armchair is "[if the lamp is switched off]It's too dark to see much. [else if the lamp is switched on]A closer look reveals deep scores in the armchair's legs and a ragged tear in the expensive fabric."

Understand "chair", "scores", "legs", "tear", and “fabric" as the armchair.

The lamp is in the library.  The lamp is scenery. The lamp is a device. The lamp can be switched on. Understand "light" as lamp. 

The sitting room is north of the library. "Huge windows dominate, letting in the morning sunlight. The couch looks a bit worse for the wear, as does the low coffeetable before it. To the east, a door is slightly ajar." 

The windows are in the sitting room. The windows are scenery. The description of the windows is "They're huge, and look into a thick forest."

Understand "window" as windows.

The forest is in the sitting room. The forest is scenery. The description of the forest is "It's gorgeous, but dark and slightly foreboding."

The shattered vase is in the sitting room. The description of the shattered vase is "What looks like a once-expensive vase is broken in pieces on the floor, sprayed everywhere as though the thing had been thrown." 

Instead of taking the shattered vase: say "That seems like a bad idea. You might cut yourself."

The pieces are in the sitting room. The pieces are scenery. The description of the pieces is "They're jagged and wicked looking." 

Instead of taking the pieces: say “Ouch. Bad plan, champ.”

The couch is fixed in place in the sitting room. The couch is an enterable container. The couch is scenery. The description of the couch is "It looks as though a very large cat used the poor thing as a scratching post. Jagged slices mar the upholstery and wood."

Understand “slices”, “slice”, “upholstery” and “wood” as couch.

The coffeetable is fixed in place in the sitting room. The coffeetable is scenery. The description of the coffeetable is "The coffeetable has seen better days. One leg is cracked and strange marks pepper the edges of the surface." 

Understand “leg”, “coffee table”, "marks", "coffee-table" and “surface” as coffeetable.

The bedroom is a room. The bedroom is east of the sitting room. The description of the bedroom is "[if unvisited]You feel your breath catch in your chest. The sheets on the large, elegant bed are twisted and pulled half to the floor. Worse, they are streaked with what can only be blood. And worst of all, in the bed is a girl.

She's not breathing.

Your knees go weak, and you stumble back, tripping over the edge of an expensive looking rug. [else if visited]You have a really bad feeling about this room. [end if]".

The girl is in the bed. The description of the girl is "She's dead. Not good.".

Instead of taking the girl: say "Are you kidding me? You're not touching her."

The bed is scenery in the bedroom. The bed is an enterable container in the bedroom.

The blood is in the bedroom. The blood is scenery. The description of the blood is "There's far more of it than you're comfortable with. As in, any."

The sheets are in the bedroom. "The sheets are stained with blood."

Understand "sheet" as sheets. Instead of taking sheets: say "Sounds like a bad plan." The sheets are scenery.

The rug is in the bedroom. The rug is scenery. The description of the rug is "The rug looks maybe Persian, but more importantly, a metal handle is visible beneath it. Is that a trapdoor?" 

Instead of taking the rug: say “Who do you think you are, Aladdin?"

The handle is in the bedroom. The handle is scenery. The description of the handle is "Is that a trapdoor?" 

Understand "metal handle" as handle.

The trapdoor is scenery. the trapdoor is lockable. the trapdoor is locked. The trapdoor is in the bedroom. The trapdoor is a door. The trapdoor is below the bedroom. The trapdoor is above the basement. The description of the trapdoor is "[if locked]It looks like something out of a bad vampire flick, all heavy wood and thick rivets. But that password-sensitive lock is all modernity.[else if unlocked]Still there. Go figure.[end if]" 

After opening trapdoor: say "You see a wooden staircase, the bottom of which disappears into darkness. You don't really want to, but you feel you must GO DOWN there."

The dining room is south of the library. The description of the dining room is "[if unvisited]Your head spins sickly, and you have to pause to catch your breath. Once your vision clears, you find yourself nose-to-nose with a rather disturbing sight. A human skull in the middle of the banquet-sized dining table. It takes a long, stretched out moment to comprehend what you are seeing. You don't know where you are, but you wish you were anywhere else. 

To the east, you can see a kitchen through another narrow archway [else if visited]The dining room is dark and impressive. The ornately carved table takes up most of the space. Its beauty is tempered by several violent gashes along its legs and sides. 

You're finding it a bit hard to keep your eyes off that skull, though.[end if]".

The gashes are in the dining room. The gashes are scenery. The description of the gashes is "The gashes are long and raw-looking." 
 
The table is an undescribed supporter in the dining room. 

The flashlight is on the table. The flashlight is a device. The flashlight can be switched on. The description of the flashlight is "Funny you didn't notice that at first. What with the skull and all."

The human skull is fixed in place on the table. Instead of taking the human skull: say "Alas, poor Yorick. That skull is too bulky to haul around."

The description of the human skull is "It grins at you. You don't grin back."

The kitchen is east of the dining room. "[if unvisited]As you cross the threshold, you're hit by the stink of rotting meat. Your stomach churns, and it's all you can do not to vomit.[else if visited]Despite the cheery sunlight that floods the kitchen, the place is a wreck. The refrigerator is wide open, revealing spoiling food, some of which has been torn into and spread across the floor. The kitchen table is shoved up against one wall, glass shattered on the floor under it.[end if]" 

The meat is in the kitchen. The meat is scenery. The description of the meat is "Gross."

The glass is scenery in the kitchen. The description of the glass is "It's as smashed as Ke$ha at a party." Instead of taking the glass: say "You cut your hand and swear."

The refrigerator is scenery in the kitchen. The description of the refrigerator is "It's pretty insane." 

The fridge door is scenery in the kitchen. The description of the fridge door is "It's pretty insane." 

The food is scenery in the kitchen. The description of the food is "It's pretty insane." 

The floor is scenery in the kitchen. The description of the floor is "It's pretty insane." 

The kitchen table is an undescribed supporter. The kitchen table is in the kitchen. The description of the kitchen table is "A few stray items rest here and there on the scarred surface but the most interesting is, of course, the knife." 

The knife is a thing. The knife is on the kitchen table. The description of the knife is "The blade is streaked with dried, crusty brown blood. Not terribly pleasant.".

After taking knife: say "It feels disturbingly familiar in your hand."

Understand "surface" as table. The surface is scenery in the kitchen.

Chapter - The Basement

The basement is a room. The description of the basement is "[if the flashlight is switched off]You're terrified out of your mind. Something very wrong is going on in this house, and a horrible feeling is nagging at the back of your mind, like an itch you can't scratch. The faster you get out of here, the better. The place is freezing cold. It's pitch black. You can't see a thing and the room feels too huge; anything could be lurking down here. At the same time, you feel so claustrophobic, so closed in. [else if the flashlight is switched on]As you swing the light around, you see that the room is sterile, bare. The walls are blank cement, and there are only two pieces of furniture. One, a plain, crappy pine desk. 

The other is a large cage. [end if]"

The cage is scenery in the basement. The description of the cage is "You really, really, really don't want to think too hard about that cage. Or the dark stain that marks the bottom."

The stain is scenery in the basement. The description of the stain is "More blood. Of course."

The desk is an undescribed container in the basement. The description of the desk is "The desk is very plain, very tidy. It's got several drawers. You tug on the handles, but they are locked. You'll need something sharp to get in there and break the small lock." Understand "lock" as desk. Understand "keyhole" as desk. The knife unlocks the desk. 

The scrapbook and the iron key are in the desk. The desk is locked.

Understand "drawer" and "drawers" as desk. 

The description of the scrapbook is "You flip the scrapbook open, and see a bevy of newspaper clippings describing disappearances of local girls. Your heart thuds. You flip more pages. Faces flash before your eyes, one girl after another, after another, after another.

You turn another page, your throat dry. You're looking at a FBI sketch of suspect in the disappearances.

It's you.

Memories snap into place. Just flashes, here and there. Picking up a girl in town. Taking her back to your place. The gate locking behind you automatically. Not to keep the monsters out. 

To keep her in.

Fighting. A knife. A struggle. She was so strong--she threw the vase at you. She hit your head. It hurt. It hurt so much, you saw stars. You saw red.

You killed her.

Made it to the kitchen. Tried to clean up. Couldn't walk straight, see straight, think straight. Wrecked the place. Agony. Staggering, blinding, screaming agony. And then... blackness. You drop the scrapbook.

You've got to get out of here."

The description of the iron key is "The key is iron. No kidding. Looks like it might go to that gate." 

Chapter - Outdoors

The courtyard is east of the glass door. "You are in a sunny courtyard. The stone tiles are warm beneath your bare feet. An attractive iron fence runs around the perimeter. Dead center is a beautifully decorated gate, complete with a heavy lock."

The tiles are scenery in the courtyard. "The tiles are warm and a rather nice shade of grey."

The fence is scenery in the courtyard. "Those are some impressive spikes on top of that thing." 

The spikes are scenery in the courtyard. The description of the spikes is "Pointy."

The gate is east of the courtyard. The gate is west of the path. The path is a room.The gate is scenery. The gate is a door. The gate is locked. The iron key unlocks the gate. The description of the gate is "Pretty fashionable gate. As gates go." Understand "lock" as gate.

After opening the gate: 
say "The gate swings open. The path stretches before you, long and unbroken.

You run.";
end the game in victory