text: > look around
  This vacant lot is presumably the Oak Street Garage wrecking yard. Strange pieces of metal which once were cars are scattered all over the weed-ridden ground in apparent chaos. One car body is newer, almost intact. The workshop door to the north is the only way back.
  
  Sitting on the car body is a water valve.
  
  There is a large, mean and hungry guard dog here.
  
  The guard dog growls menacingly.
  
  > get the valve
  The dog charges, barking furiously, as you try to take the valve. You back away slowly and it calms down.
  
  The guard dog snarls at you.
  
  > Attack dog
  (with the shining yellow sword)
  You swing the shining yellow sword at the guard dog. The sword's blade passes through the guard dog with no visible effect.
  
  The guard dog sniffs at you and bares its teeth.
  
  > go north
  Oak Street Garage, in workshop
  You are in a small dirty workshop where the Oak Street Garage mechanics fix cars and sell motoring equipment. The workshop is empty at the moment except for one mechanic. There is a small door in the south wall marked "Wrecking Yard", and the workshop opens back onto Oak Street to the north.
  
  You see an oil can here.
  
  The mechanic wipes his hands on a rag.
  
  > Go north
  You are outside a small garage which sells petrol and services motor vehicles. The workshop opens to the south, and Oak Street continues east and west. To the north, Post Office Park is visible.
  
  > go north
  You are outside your formerly ordinary house, which is now a smouldering pile of rubble to the east. Clouds gather ominously in the sky overhead. Maple Drive leads north and south from here, and Post Office Park is to the west.
  
  A cold shiver runs down your spine for a moment.
  
  > go to the east
  Charred bricks and cinders are all that remains of your formerly ordinary house. Your yard is to the west.
  
  You see a raw steak and a cash card here.
  
  > examine CARD
  "Fairhaven Savings and Investment Bank
  CASH CARD
  J. Random Hero"
  
  > Go west
  You are outside your formerly ordinary house, which is now a smouldering pile of rubble to the east. Clouds gather ominously in the sky overhead. Maple Drive leads north and south from here, and Post Office Park is to the west.
  
  Dark clouds roll across the sky.
  
  > Go south
  Oak Street Garage, in workshop
  You are in a small dirty workshop where the Oak Street Garage mechanics fix cars and sell motoring equipment. The workshop is empty at the moment except for one mechanic. There is a small door in the south wall marked "Wrecking Yard", and the workshop opens back onto Oak Street to the north.
  
  You see an oil can here.
  
  The mechanic tests some spark plugs.
  
  > go to the south
  This vacant lot is presumably the Oak Street Garage wrecking yard. Strange pieces of metal which once were cars are scattered all over the weed-ridden ground in apparent chaos. One car body is newer, almost intact. The workshop door to the north is the only way back.
  
  Sitting on the car body is a water valve.
  
  There is a large, mean and hungry guard dog here.
  
  The guard dog growls menacingly.
  
  > give the steak to the dog
  The dog snaps up the steak and walks away to devour it.
  
  The guard dog whines contentedly.
  
  > get the valve
  Taken.
  
  The guard dog chews on the steak.
  
  > look at it
  It looks like some important part of the town's water supply system.
  
  The guard dog chews on the steak.
  
  > examine valve
  It looks like some important part of the town's water supply system.
  
  > Go north
  You are outside a small garage which sells petrol and services motor vehicles. The workshop opens to the south, and Oak Street continues east and west. To the north, Post Office Park is visible.
  
  > go north
  You are walking in Post Office Park, a quaint old grassy field extending to the road in all directions. In the distance you can see the ruins of your house, a garage, some stores, the library and school, and of course the very new and modern Post Office Tower to the north. Before you, in the centre of the park, is a dingy old dribbling fountain.
  
  A cold wind blows briefly.
  
  > go south
  Post Office Tower, Floor 8
  The Fairhaven Savings & Investment Bank has a much more sober and reserved atmosphere than the rest of the Post Office Tower. Expensively-dressed Assistant Branch Managers stride around making important decisions, and ignoring you. A cash-card machine on one wall offers instant withdrawals, and the sleek, ultra-modern lift opens to the north.
  
  There is a Serious Fraud here.
  
  The Serious Fraud sells parking space on the Brooklyn Bridge to one of the bank managers.
  
  > look at the machine
  It's a very new and modern 'FastCash' machine, with ultra simple controls. There is a slot to insert a cash card, a screen to display instructions, and a single button marked 'Withdraw $10'. It doesn't even need a PIN number, since the Fairhaven Savings & Investment Bank is such a respectable organisation that there is absolutely no chance of fraud.
  
  The Serious Fraud sells parking space on the Brooklyn Bridge to one of the bank managers.
  
  > put the CARD in the machine
  Done. The screen shows:
  
  J. Random Hero
  Warning - account is low.
  Your account balance is $10.00.
  
  Odd. Your account certainly wasn't that low last time you checked.
  
  The Serious Fraud murmurs that the Mayor is taking bribes.
  
  > withdraw
  The machine beeps, and produces 10 dollars. Taken.
  The screen shows:
  
  J. Random Hero
  WARNING! Account is EMPTY!
  Your account balance is $0.00.
  
  The Serious Fraud attempts to convince you that black is white.
  
  > get CARD
  Taken.
  
  The Serious Fraud whispers that everything you have just heard, including this sentence, is false.
  
  > Go north
  You are in the Post Office Tower's sleek, ultra-modern lift car.
  Beside the doors to the south (currently open) is a sleek, futuristic keypad and display.
  
  > buy can
  The mechanic seems unable to see you.
  
  > remove glasses
  As you remove the glasses, you feel a faint sense of numbness. Everything somehow looks dull and flat.
  
  > buy can
  The mechanic thanks you, and sells you the oil can for 4 dollars. Taken.
  
  > Go west
  You are on the pavement outside the Fairhaven General Store, one of the oldest shops still trading in the town. The store is open to the southwest. Beech Avenue runs off to the north, and Oak Street to the east.
  
  A stranger bumps into you, and mutters something rude.
  
  > go south
  You are in the town's old General Store. The shelves hold only a small selection of items, but the charming old-world atmosphere more than makes up for the lack of variety. The shopkeeper stands behind her counter ready to serve you.
  
  You see an electric torch and a newspaper here.
  
  The shopkeeper counts the change in her cash register.
  
  > buy the torch
  The shopkeeper thanks you, and sells you the electric torch for 5 dollars. Taken.
  
  > buy paper
  The shopkeeper thanks you, and sells you the newspaper for 1 dollar. Taken.
  
  > read the paper
  Serious Fraud Suspected In Fairhaven Bank!
  
  Rumours are spreading that the Fairhaven Savings and Investment Bank is under investigation for serious fraud. Many customers are complaining that their bank balances have mysteriously run into overdraft. Bank officials are hotly denying the rumours, blaming them on mass hysteria caused by the water shortage.
  
  Bedlam in School!
  
  Teachers from the Fairhaven Public School are complaining that shrinking budgets and lack of resources have turned classes into a nightmare. "I don't know what to say," said the teachers' spokesperson, Sally Knight. "I can't control my students, and it's getting worse. We need help desperately!"
  
  'Hydrophobia' Grows As Water Shortage Worsens!
  
  Fairhaven is heading into the third dry week of the longest-running water shortage in town history. The Council met today to decide urgent solutions to the problem which has their best experts baffled. "We have no idea what's happening," observed the Mayor. "All our pumping equipment seems to be breaking down for no reason. It's just plain bizarre."
  
  The paper ends with a series of full-colour advertisements for the Nytemare Video Plaza.
  
  > go east
  You are outside a small garage which sells petrol and services motor vehicles. The workshop opens to the south, and Oak Street continues east and west. To the north, Post Office Park is visible.
  
  A few drops of rain splatter on the ground.
  
  > Oil manhole
  You pour some oil onto the rusty manhole and it frees up a little.
  
  > wear the glasses
  As you put the glasses over your eyes, you feel a faint tingling sensation down your spine. Everything somehow looks sharper than before.