The Library by Max Dodziuk

The Library

Played 18 times
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"The Hungry Library"

The Rose Auditorium is a room.
The description of the Rose Auditorium is "You wake in a puddle of your own sweat. There is no one around you. There must have been a reason for your being in the hall. You can't remember how you got to school in the morning. You're wearing your sneakers so you must have biked. What time is it?"


A school bag is in the Rose Auditorium.
The description of the school bag is "It's your faded blue backpack, sitting on the floor. It might be time for a new one."

After taking the school bag:
    say "Bag taken. The exit is to the north. The sign flickers as if it's about to die."

The Hallway is a room.
The Hallway is north of the Rose Auditorium.
The description of the Hallway is "The walls are covered in an aggressive, cheese-grater-looking facade, not charming in the slightest. The stairs to leave are to the east."

The Staircase is a room.
The Staircase is east of the Hallway.
The description of the Staircase is "Light blasts into your poorly adjusted pupils, blinding your senses for a second. You step up each of the dreary concrete stairs. Your knees ache from pressing against the lecture hall chairs. To your north is the revolving door."

The Schoolyard is a room. 
The Schoolyard is north of the Staircase.
The description of the Schoolyard is "It's around midday. No later than 11:30pm you assume, as the lunch crowd hasn't filled the park in front of the library across the street."

The Bench is a room.
The Bench is west of the Schoolyard.
The description of the Bench is "A couple of passersby are sitting on a bench, loudly slurping on lollipops. You get a feeling they're not just for the taste."


The Library is a room.
The Library is east of the Schoolyard.
The description of the Library is "The main hall is a grand, quiet space, but there's a certain rustling sound. You are greeted by a young, shy librarian, who has a glint in their eyes that suggests they're holding back a secret. A student is in the corner, drooling on a book they are holding."

The Archive is a room.
The Archive is north of the Library.
The description of the Archive is "The air is heavy with dust and the scent of old paper. Ghostly images shimmer here and there. A spectral figure is gorging on a stack of books. He whispers 'come closer'."


A librarian is a person in the Library.
The description of the librarian is "A young librarian who is clearly trying to restrain their hunger. Their eyes dart to your bag every few seconds."

A student is scenery in the Library.
The description of the student is "A student is mesmerized by the book they're holding, a long string of drool falling from their mouth and onto the page."

Instead of going north in the Archive:
    say "Suddenly, a ghostly Peter Cooper appears, eating a stack of books. He turns to you, his eyes glowing. 'The key to knowledge isn't in reading, it's in consuming,' he whispers. You understand. The secret is revealed. The game is over.";
    end the story saying "You have discovered the truth."