text: [Themes: Magical Realism, magical realism]
  
  > Look around
  The house feels comfortable and homey. Everything is better with cake.
  
  Now you notice a large steamer trunk in one corner of the little house. It shouldn't be suspicious, even a troll needs some storage space...but there is no denying that it feels incredibly suspicious. The snake coiled on top might be adding to your discomfort.
  
  A beautifully frosted and perfectly baked cake sitting atop an overturned round tin on the floor the Old House. Almost half is already gone and a few moist crumbs lie scattered around it.
  
  The front door is open, letting in rays of golden light.
  
  The troll is puttering around the little house.
  
  > look at the snake
  A coil of reptilian muscle, you shudder and decide not to disturb it.
  
  "Bit intimidating," the Troll admits, "I'm much too afraid to do anything with him myself."
  
  > ask the snake about the snake
  "SSSSssssssss" saysss the ssnake.
  
  > play the flute
  You place the little flute to your lips and blow a few experimental notes. The sound is soft and a little melancholy.
  The snake waves its head side to side as you play, turning jeweled eyes to you, and flicking his delicate tongue. Then he wiggles from off the steamer trunk and through the open window out into the perfumed garden.
  
  > eat the cake
  Since there isn't a dessert plate or a cake serving set handy, you wipe your hand on your pants and, as genteelly as possible, take a handful of pink frosted cake.
  
  You remember mindfully eating the apple and again pause just one moment before taking a first bite, smelling the treat and even enjoying the feel of cake in your hand.
  
  Then you take a bite. It is sweet and buttery and still warm from the oven. You imagined what it took for this to get to your hands: from growing the wheat and sugar cane to waiting while the troll frosted the layers. You notice the first burst of flavor and how it gradually fades at the end of each mouthful; paying attention fully as if it were your first time ever eating cake.
  Very slowly chewing, appreciating the change in texture and taste, you finished the handful and felt completely satisfied
  
  > open the trunk
  You open the steamer trunk, revealing a bird's nest and an egg.
  
  > examine the nest
  A nest of paper and ribbons might seem nice, but this is part of Hope's prison. It was built from starving gratitudes until they shriveled up and died. Though an inanimate object, it seethes with resentment.
  
  > examine egg
  The egg is cream colored and the size of a ball. The shell is dimpled slightly all over. Part of Hope's prison, the longer you look at it the colder you feel.
  
  > take the nest and the egg
  bird's nest: You don't want to get too close to that tangle.
  egg: That's fixed in place.
  
  > ask Troll about Hope
  After your long journey you can't resist asking, "what really happened to Hope?"
  The troll pauses a moment thinking, "it wasn't any one thing thing in particular. All of Eunice slowly grew grayer and darker. I thought that it was just happening to me alone, so I didn't say anything, and began to think maybe it was my fault. I didn't know what to do. I guess none of us did. It got worse. It got to where I couldn't do any of the things I used to love, like reading poetry."
  
  > ask Troll about the Poem
  You mention poetry and troll recites in a pleasing deep voice, "For oft, when on my couch I lie
  In vacant or in pensive mood,
  They flash upon that inward eye
  Which is the bliss of solitude;
  And then my heart with pleasure fills,
  And dances with the daffodils." he sighs, "good stuff, good stuff."
  
  > Inventory
  You are carrying:
  flute, house key and origami bird
  
  > put the bird on the egg
  You carefully take the folded paper bird, remembering some things you were grateful for, and place the little paper bird on top of the enormous egg. It balances, just a little lopsided. For the moment, nothing happens.
  
  Then the paper bird flutters and settles in to warm the egg. Slowly the egg begins to wobble, then shake. The paper bird flaps away through the window and out into Eunice.
  
  ...
  ...A crack forms in the shell. The crack expands and spreads.
  
  After what feels like hours, you can see a tiny beak poking through. As Hope breaks free of its prison, sunlight fills the house.
  
  ...
  ...The hatchling is a delicate thing with feathers. It makes a shrill chirp and shuffles its baby bird body. Slowly, it spreads its wings. Before your eyes it grows and grows. It flies across all of Eunice like a cloud, yet filling it with sunlight. Hope has returned to the land.
  
  > tell Troll a the joke
  "Hhhrrmmmm" says the Troll, "hhrrrmmmm" then he seems to forget what you were talking about.
  
  > tell Troll about the joke
  You remember a few silly jokes, and tell one to the Troll. "A wizard was driving down the street, what went wrong? He turned into a driveway!"
  
  The Troll's belly shakes and he makes a barking-burping noise. He is laughing!
  He shakes himself vigorously and begins puttering around the old house.
  
  > Continue
  You remember a few silly jokes, and tell one to the Troll. "What did the 0 say to the 8? Nice belt."
  
  The Troll's belly shakes and he makes a barking-burping noise. He is laughing!
  He shakes himself vigorously and begins puttering around the old house.
  
  > continue
  You remember a few silly jokes, and tell one to the Troll. "What bow can't be tied? A rainbow."
  
  The Troll's belly shakes and he makes a barking-burping noise. He is laughing!
  He shakes himself vigorously and begins puttering around the old house.