text: [Themes: Slice of life, contemplative, flashback]
  
  > look at your surroundings
  Your bathroom is small but functional. There is a bath, toilet and a hand basin. The room also has a small wall-mounted mirror. The living room is to the south.
  
  > go to the south
  Living Room (West)
  This area of your living room doubles as a kitchen. There is a small sink here, a gas stove, refrigerator and a cupboard. Your bathroom is to the north and a door to the west leads outside.
  
  > Go west
  It's cold outside. You have no wish to leave the house right now.
  
  > Go east
  Living Room (East)
  Your living room is full of clutter. Your armchair is here in front of the wood stove. A doorway to the north leads to your bedroom and the living area continues west. The back door is to the east.
  
  An old pine mantel leans against the wall near the window.
  
  > take the mantel
  The mantel is too heavy to lift.
  
  > examine the mantel
  The pine mantel stands propped up against the wall, near the window.
  
  > sit on it
  You sit back in your armchair.
  
  > search the cushions for the change
  [The story read that as "search cushions for each"].
  You see no cushions here.
  
  > examine the fire
  [The story read that as "set"].
  What do you want to set?
  
  It's a pot-bellied wood stove. A fire blazes within and there is a supply of firewood beside it.
  
  > wait
  Time passes.
  
  > gaze into the fire
  [The story read that as "z into fire"].
  I only understood you as far as wanting to wait.
  
  > think
  To think about an item or topic, you should use the form "THINK ABOUT item/topic".
  
  > think about illness
  Nothing of interest occurs to you.
  
  > shiver
  [The story read that as "shine"].
  What do you want to shine?
  
  > examine the door
  The door to the balcony is closed.
  
  > warm yourself
  [The story read that as "wear yourself"].
  You see no yourself here.
  
  > Go outside
  You get out of the armchair.
  
  Living Room (East)
  Your living room is full of clutter. Your armchair is here in front of the wood stove. A doorway to the north leads to your bedroom and the living area continues west. The back door is to the east.
  
  An old pine mantel leans against the wall near the window.
  
  > go to the east
  (first opening the back door)
  
  You are on a wooden balcony that looks out over a river valley. An open door to the west leads back into the house.
  
  > jump
  It's a long way down. Jumping from here would only further complicate your day.
  
  > examine the bird
  The bird has gone.
  
  > search the clutter
  You rummage around in the junk for a while. You get as far as the dusty cardboard carton you found last time you decided to have a clean-up. It was in this same box that you found the photograph, and once more you get no further.
  
  There is a cardboard carton here.
  
  > examine the carton
  The carton contains a number of old possessions scattered loose, including a pile of photographs and various unrelated oddments. The only things there that hold any interest for you right now are a rather moth-eaten animal skin hat and a small brass ornament.
  
  > examine the photos
  Some of the photos date from your days at the office, and all feature people or places you either don't remember or would rather forget. The rest of the items are an eclectic mix of bits and pieces that are of no particular interest or worth. The most bizarre of these items is a jar containing your appendix, which was removed when you were a child.
  
  > examine the ornament
  The ornament is an ankh. A gift from Nadia.
  
  > examine the hat
  The hat is made from possum skin. You remember it well.
  
  > look at  appendix
  It's a glass jar containing your appendix. You have no idea why you kept it.
  
  > take the hat
  Taken.
  
  > Inventory
  You are wearing your possum skin hat.
  
  > look at the hat
  It's your favourite hat. You wear it almost wherever you go.
  
  > remove the hat
  You take off your possum skin hat.
  
  > wear it
  You put on your possum skin hat.
  
  > About yourself
  You're a scrawny kid, wearing as ever, your possum skin hat and a thick duffel coat. Thin pipe-cleaner legs are visible below your shorts - "Hollow legs", your grandmother calls them, although you wonder how anything so thin could be hollow. On your feet are rather worn leather walking boots.
  
  > Vu
  [The story read that as "c"].
  What do you want to c?
  
  > go upward
  You are on a rocky track, surrounded by eucalypt forest. The track rises steeply to the northwest and winds back down the slope to the east. Another narrower path, not much more than an animal trail, leads away to the south.
  
  > go south
  Part way along the track you spot an echidna, digging for ants on the path. At your approach it abandons its labour and shuffles with surprising speed off the track and into the undergrowth. As you pass you hear it furiously digging itself into the earth, spraying sod and
  
  > Go south
  dirt over the long quills on its back.
  
  You have entered a small, familiar clearing surrounded in all directions except to the south by stands of white gum eucalypt trees and dense undergrowth. To the south rises a large lichen-covered rock. The air here is damp and close - heavy with the scents of eucalyptus and wild flowers. A narrow trail leads back to the north.
  
  You clamber up the side of the rock, deftly finding those hand and footholds that you know so well.
  
  This rock is your favourite place - a place where you like to come to sit and think, or just to be alone. It's only after making the short climb from the clearing that you can see the rock for what it is - and get some idea of its magnitude. Before you it drops away sharply, towering over the trees of the forest below, giving you a superb view out over of the rolling foothills of the mountain and the wide river valley beyond. Out on the rock you're exposed to the full force of the Southerly wind and you brace yourself against it. As you do so, you catch sight of something you hadn't noticed before in a crack near the rock's far edge.
  
  > examine crack
  There's a small white gum seedling growing in the dirt that has collected in the crack. On seeing the seedling you immediately feel an affinity with it, and can't help feeling concerned for its predicament. It has no chance of growing into a tree where it is.
  
  > go north
  You carefully climb back down to the clearing.
  
  You are in a small, familiar clearing surrounded in all directions except to the south by stands of white gum eucalypt trees and dense undergrowth. To the south rises a large lichen-covered rock. The air here is damp and close - heavy with the scents of eucalyptus and wild flowers. A narrow trail leads back to the north.
  
  > Plant seed
  [The story read that as "plant me"].
  (first taking yourself)
  You are always self-possessed.
  
  > Plant tree
  The ground here is too rocky.
  
  > check what you're carrying
  You are wearing your possum skin hat.
  You are carrying a white gum seedling.
  
  > Go northwest
  Verge (beside the road)
  You've come up a steep incline onto a cleared dirt verge beside the mountain summit road. This is a bend in the gravel road, which runs on and up towards the north like a ragged scar across the face of the mountain, and back to the southwest where it winds its way steadily down through the foothills and towards the city. On the far side of the road is a ditch, etched out over the years by the elements and run-off. Just beyond the ditch is a sheer cliff several times your height, marking where this part of the road has been cut into the mountain-side. A rocky track leads back down to the southeast.
  
  You hear your grandmother calling. Your lunch must be ready.
  
  > Plant gum
  (the seedling)
  You dig a small hole and carefully plant the seedling.
  
  > Go east
  You are on a rocky track, surrounded by eucalypt forest. The track leads down a gentle slope to the northeast towards your house and continues higher up the mountain to the west.
  
  > go to the north-east
  You are at the back door to your grandparents' house which is to the east. The forest extends almost down to the back veranda and a rocky track to the southwest leads back into the bush. Through a window you can see into the kitchen, where your grandmother and grandfather are sitting at the table having lunch. They seem to be arguing about something. You can hear their raised voices. You could probably listen without being noticed.
  
  > listen
  You hear your grandparents arguing. As usual, it is your grandmother who has the most to say. She is angry as it seems your grandfather has loaned a lot of money to Mr Timpson, who runs the local store. Your grandmother doesn't think they can spare the money and obviously doesn't think they'll ever see it again. You've never liked Mr Timpson, but you know his father and your grandfather were friends.
  
  > Go east
  As you open the back door and enter the kitchen your grandparents abruptly stop their argument. Your grandfather looks up from his food, and gives you a conspiratory wink. Your grandmother snorts, and points towards your seat. The air at the table is tense, but you barely notice as you hungrily eat your lunch.
  
  Those days seem such a long time ago now...
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying a possum skin hat and the picture-frame.
  
  > look at the carton
  The carton contains a number of old possessions scattered loose, including a pile of photographs and various unrelated oddments. The only thing there that holds any interest for you right now is a small brass ornament.
  
  > examine the ornament
  The ornament is an ankh. A gift from Nadia.
  
  > open the frame
  You lose yourself in thought...
  It's Saturday and as usual you're at your market stall. You make the journey here once a week to sell old tools, books and assorted junk. The weekly market is set outdoors among the convict-built sandstone buildings near the city's waterfront - once warehouses, seedy pubs and brothels, but now mostly converted to art galleries, craft shops and caf?s. Beyond these colonial buildings and the modest high-rises behind them, you see the mountain - a stark and imposing backdrop to the city, and for once not covered in clouds. The surrounding stalls have brightly coloured awnings, making yours appear somewhat drab in comparison. To the south a busker plays a violin, while from the north come the strains of South American folk music played on guitar and pan-pipes. Nearby, a man dressed as a clown twists balloons into animal shapes.
  
  It's a hot day and the place is busy, though not for you. You haven't sold a thing all morning. To top it off, Nadia should be here helping with the stall, but you haven't seen her in nearly two days. You wonder what her excuse might be, this time.
  
  At the Market (behind your stall)
  You are tending your stall at the weekly outdoor market near the city's waterfront. Nearby, a man dressed as a clown is making balloon animals.
  
  > About you
  Although well into your thirties, you're still pretty fit.
  
  > look at the stall
  Your stall consists of two covered wooden trestle tables, set out with the old tools, books and assorted junk you've brought along to sell.
  
  > look at the books
  There is nothing remarkable about any of the items you have for sale. You sometimes have rare, or sought-after stuff, but not today. It's therefore small wonder that you haven't sold anything.
  
  > sell the books
  I beg your pardon?
  
  > look at the man
  Which do you mean, the clown or the busker?
  
  > Clown
  The clown is twisting helium-filled balloons into the shape of a dog. To entertain the waiting children he sings a nursery rhyme.
  
  "Hey, diddle, diddle,
  The cat and the fiddle,
  The cow jumped over the moon,
  The little dog laughed to see such sport,
  And the dish ran away with the spoon."
  
  On noticing your attention the clown winks, then waves, accidentally bursting one of the balloons in the process and uttering a very un-clown-like exclamation.
  
  An elderly lady arrives at your stall and begins carefully considering an 'antique' porcelain cat. She looks up as though about to ask something, then changes her mind and hobbles away.
  
  > examine the busker
  The busker is an old man, raggedly dressed. He is dancing and playing a jig on a violin. A battered violin case lies open on the ground in front of him. The area around the busker is one of the few uncrowded spaces at the market. The lack of an audience doesn't seem to be concerning him one bit.
  
  > talk to the busker
  To talk to someone you should use the form "TALK TO person ABOUT topic".
  
  You can't help noticing that the clown is having more problems with his balloon animals. It's always reassuring to see someone having a worse day than you.
  
  > talk to the clown about the balloons
  The clown is preoccupied and doesn't respond.
  
  Things are going very slowly. You really do wonder where Nadia is. You could do with a break.
  
  > talk to the busker about the violin
  The busker smiles and plays a little faster.