text: [Themes: Tales from Castle Balderstone, castle, multiple protagonists, wolf]
  
  > Look around
  The hospital's cavernous sub-basement glows red and orange over hundreds of flickering candles. The walls and floor are coated with slime. To the west is a door labeled EMPLOYEES ONLY.
  
  In the center of the chamber is a gigantic baby. It holds Caroline against its fat chest and eyes Amy lazily.
  
  > Search bones
  Amy moves toward the bones, but the giant baby swats her away.
  
  > take candle
  The candles are mostly melted into the floor, and the wax is too hot to touch.
  
  > examine baby
  Amy looks up into the giant baby's giant face. Its cheeks are perfect globes; its eyes are huge and wet and inquisitive. Its nose is the slightest bit pointed.
  
  > examine Caroline
  Caroline clings to the giant baby's chest, a satisfied smile on her face. She seems to be asleep."
  
  > Go west
  (first opening the closet door)
  
  The closet is cramped and dusty, lit only faintly by the candles to the east.
  
  An old toolbox sits alone on the shelves.
  
  A huge oxygen tank rests on the floor nearby.
  
  > open the toolbox
  She opens the toolbox, revealing a hefty wrench.
  
  > take the wrench
  Taken.
  
  > Examine tank
  Amy looks over the oxygen tank. It looks like it could be a hundred years old. There used to be a safety warning painted on it, but most of the paint has chipped away. It's mounted on rickety wheels, so with some effort she could push it around.
  
  The nozzle of the tank is secured with a hexagonal nut.
  
  > unscrew the nut
  Amy fixes the wrench around the tank nozzle, and then she leans on the tool until at last the thing turns the slightest bit. The nozzle begins hissing as oxygen escapes into the musty air.
  
  Amy pulls up on the wrench, and the hissing stops. She peeks out from the closet at the giant baby, and her lips purse in a grim half-smile.
  
  > unscrew the nut
  Amy grits her teeth and tries to force the wrench onto the nozzle. She grunts, she puts her weight into it, and the wrench fits into place.
  
  The giant baby looks over at her. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" it whines.
  
  Amy doesn't answer. She positions herself over the wrench, and she pushes it down until the screw gives way. Gas streams out of the nozzle.
  
  Amy looks up at Caroline. The baby is squeezing her harder now, tensing its fat fingers in frustration. But Caroline's expression is blissful.
  
  "Stop it!" the big baby cries. But it doesn't realize what's happening. It doesn't even try to stop her.
  
  Amy grins up at the baby's stupid face. She pushes harder, opening the aperture wider, increasing the flow of oxygen into the room.
  aperture wider, increasing the flow of oxygen into the room.An invisible finger of gas brushes against the flame atop one of the candles.
  candles.A river of fire flows toward the oxygen tank.
  
  > listen
  You hear nothing unexpected.
  
  It is pitch dark, and a cat is howling outside.
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying nothing.
  
  It is pitch dark, and your life is meaningless.
  
  > stand
  But you aren't in anything at the moment.
  
  It is pitch dark, and you are naked.
  
  > Go north
  You can't go that way.
  
  It is pitch dark, and a serial killer is on the loose.
  
  > wake up
  The dreadful truth is, this is not a dream.
  
  It is pitch dark, and there is no way out.
  
  > Exit
  But you aren't in anything at the moment.
  
  It is pitch dark, or is it?
  
  > Go east
  You can't go that way.
  
  It is pitch dark, and something is touching your neck.
  
  > touch yourself
  You achieve nothing by this.
  
  It is pitch dark, and there's nothing you can do about it.
  
  > go south
  You can't go that way.
  
  It is pitch dark, and you are being eaten by a grue.
  
  > Smell
  You smell nothing unexpected.
  
  It is pitch dark, you stupid idiot.
  
  > go to the west
  You can't go that way.
  
  It is pitch dark, but what else is new?
  
  > About yourself
  You are bound and gagged.
  
  She smiles at you. "Are you thinking about your past?"
  
  > say NGGH
  (to the woman)
  You can only grunt through the gag in your mouth.
  
  "I've learned how to forget things," she explains. "I won't remember all the details."
  
  > examine the woman
  Her skin is smooth and white. Her arms are long and lithe. Her dark eyes still glitter welcomingly, but it is too late to succumb or to resist.
  
  "I won't remember you," she says.
  
  For a moment you think you hear music.
  
  > check your inventory
  You are carrying nothing.
  
  She looks up into the mist and lets go of the oars. "This is the place."
  
  > look at the gag
  You can't move.
  
  She raises her hands and calls out to the fog: "O Great Nesphelet! I am Mergeis, your servant, your slave. In accordance with our contract I offer this sacrifice."
  
  Tendrils of mist swirls around the boat. The waters shake, and a voice rises from the bottom of the lake:
  
  The sacrifice is inadequate.
  
  Mergeis stares blankly into the fog.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  Then she finds her voice. "No!" she cries. "This is what you asked for! You can't change the terms now!"
  
  My terms require the sacrifice of a virgin, the voice responds.
  
  Mergeis is baffled for an instant—then she glares at you with insane fury.
  
  > examine the mist
  At times, the fog is so thick that you seem to be floating through a dark cloud. When the waters come into view, they reveal nothing.
  
  "I was lied to!" Mergeis shrieks. "You must accept this one! You must honor our bargain!"
  
  There can be no negotiation.
  
  "No!" She reaches for you, clutches you with cold hands. She shoves you out of the boat, into the lake.
  
  "You must—" she shouts into the mist, as you sink below the surface.
  
  You are falling through the icy waters of the Grey Lake.
  
  > Go upwards
  You struggle uselessly.
  
  You can't hold your breath much longer.