text: [Themes: Horror, scatological, violence, zombie, relationships, rpg, horror]
  
  > describe your surroundings
  There's only one more stretch of corridor on this level before one gets to the elevator, which leads down to the ground floor. To the south of this area is the Bead Store, exits otherwise lead west and east.
  There is a crystal ball holder here.
  
  > Go south
  The Bead Store smells strongly of incense and stale joints, and it almost overpowers every other sense. There are shelves on all sides of the store, but none in the middle of the store due to the drawn pentagram.
  A postcard, the X-box are here.
  Sydney and the skeleton are here.
  
  > take Xthe -the box
  I'm carrying too much to take that.
  
  The cold begins to really sting. It's too cold to stay in here, so I scatter back outside the Bead Store.
  
  There's only one more stretch of corridor on this level before one gets to the elevator, which leads down to the ground floor. To the south of this area is the Bead Store, exits otherwise lead west and east.
  There is a crystal ball holder here.
  
  "Hey, Duffy... Casey's got maybe 12 minutes left by my count," says Gibs.
  
  > drop the cards
  Dropped.
  
  The cold begins to really sting. It's too cold to stay in here, so I scatter back outside the Bead Store.
  
  There's only one more stretch of corridor on this level before one gets to the elevator, which leads down to the ground floor. To the south of this area is the Bead Store, exits otherwise lead west and east.
  There is a crystal ball holder here.
  Gibs's lacrosse stick is here.
  
  > Go south
  The Bead Store smells strongly of incense and stale joints, and it almost overpowers every other sense. There are shelves on all sides of the store, but none in the middle of the store due to the drawn pentagram.
  A postcard, the X-box, the Magic: The Gathering cards are here.
  Sydney and the skeleton are here.
  
  > drop all
  glasses: I can't drop my specs! They are a valuable information-gathering tool!
  phone: Dropped.
  aged text: Dropped.
  blue balloon: Dropped.
  urn: Dropped.
  mirrored shades: Dropped.
  menorah: Dropped.
  gaming glove: I will have to take the gaming glove off first.
  
  The cold begins to really sting. It's too cold to stay in here, so I scatter back outside the Bead Store.
  
  There's only one more stretch of corridor on this level before one gets to the elevator, which leads down to the ground floor. To the south of this area is the Bead Store, exits otherwise lead west and east.
  There is a crystal ball holder here.
  Gibs's lacrosse stick is here.
  
  > Go south
  The Bead Store smells strongly of incense and stale joints, and it almost overpowers every other sense. There are shelves on all sides of the store, but none in the middle of the store due to the drawn pentagram.
  A postcard, the X-box, the Magic: The Gathering cards, the aged text, the blue balloon, an urn, the mirrored shades, the menorah are here. Inside the menorah are the crimson candle, the cyan candle, the jade candle, the umber candle, the indigo candle, the canary candle, the black candle, the slate candle, and the white candle.
  Sydney, the skeleton, and the phone are here.
  
  > get the xbox
  Taken.
  
  It's really cold in here.
  
  > Go north
  There's only one more stretch of corridor on this level before one gets to the elevator, which leads down to the ground floor. To the south of this area is the Bead Store, exits otherwise lead west and east.
  There is a crystal ball holder here.
  Gibs's lacrosse stick is here.
  
  > Go outside
  Mall, First Level, East Edge
  This is the first level, or ground floor, of the Funtime Teen Mall. The lone Mall Exit leads in a westerly direction, past a few more stretches of darkness-enveloped corridor, and the Food Court. There's also a few more stores to the west, with the Mall passageways expanding to all four directions at that point.
  
  Exits lead west to the rest of the Mall, and inside to the elevator.
  
  In the center of the corridor is a sculpted marble statue.
  Audrey and Gibs are here.
  
  > go west
  The Food Court is a vast, open area and I can only see about half of it from here due to the lack of light -- the entire western end of it is cloaked in darkness. There are a number of cheap square tables and static plastic chairs bolted to the floor here, although a few have somehow broken off and are loose.
  
  To the northeast is a Nutrition Store. They carry a large assortment of tabs, pills, drugs and spices. The Court has another section to the west, and there is an exit east from where we came.
  
  Audrey lets out a little surprised 'yip!' and runs over towards me.
  
  "Jarret!" she says, "I felt something brush up against my leg! Something's here, in this area with us!" Before I can pooh-pooh her objections to this area, a metal chair comes flying at us. It appears as if a poltergeist has infected the food court.
  A fluorescent light, a garbage can, a brown table, a short gray table, a plastic chair, a metal chair, a broken chair, and some chair parts are here.
  Casey is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  Some chair parts come flying right at me!
  
  I dodge the item, though.
  
  I notice something moving over in the far corner of the Food Court. It's a girl. She is wearing a reserved violet dress and has the most perfect, slim little figure I have ever seen.
  
  The vampire, I guess. It has to be; she's just as stunning as Gibs said.
  
  Focusing harder, I see Casey beside her, unmoving, defeated, completely obedient. The vampire whispers softly to her -- Casey snaps back into proper consciousness, and after a moment begins to look at her with loving trust. They are both several yards away, but I can make what the vampire says to her perfectly: Follow me, my
  pet.
  
  The vampire heads off to the west.
  
  Casey heads off to the west.
  
  > give the xbox to Poltergeist
  My goodwill is ignored.
  
  Something roughly picks up a garbage can and throws it at me!
  
  A garbage can strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  Gibs pipes up for a moment. "Casey's got probably ten minutes left at my count before the ichor spreads."
  
  > go to the west
  I can't get by the Poltergeist!
  
  A broken chair is drawn up from the floor and thrown at me!
  
  A broken chair strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  > drop the xbox
  Dropped.
  
  A metal chair wobbles a bit, and is suddenly hurled at me!
  
  A metal chair strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  > Go west
  I can't get by the Poltergeist!
  
  Something roughly picks up a metal chair and throws it at me!
  
  I dodge the item, though.
  
  > give the balloon to Poltergeist
  My goodwill is ignored.
  
  Something roughly picks up a broken chair and throws it at me!
  
  A broken chair strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  There's a dull, raw ache on the left side of my jaw. I try to rub it away, but it doesn't help.
  
  > eat the garlic
  This probably would do more good if it was not getting an acid bath within my ulcerous stomach.
  
  A metal chair wobbles a bit, and is suddenly hurled at me!
  
  A metal chair strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  > Inventory
  I am carrying my glasses (being worn), the gaming glove (being worn), Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, a pleather purse, some socks, the Magic: The Gathering cards, Gibs's lacrosse stick, the phone, the aged text, the blue balloon, an urn, the garlic clove, and the torch (broken).
  
  My right hand has started to throb, and I take a closer look at it -- it's starting to blacken a little bit. I suspect this is from the mummy.
  
  > Inventory
  I am carrying my glasses (being worn), the gaming glove (being worn), Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, a pleather purse, some socks, the Magic: The Gathering cards, Gibs's lacrosse stick, the phone, the aged text, the blue balloon, an urn, the garlic clove, and the torch (broken).
  
  A short gray table is drawn up from the floor and thrown at me!
  
  A short gray table strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  My hand has begun to rot away.
  
  > Go east
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The rotting sickness has spread to my body.
  
  The spectre arrives from the north.
  
  > get cross
  Taken.
  
  The spectre heads off to the south.
  
  > go west
  The Food Court is a vast, open area, and I can only make out about half of it from here. (The entire west end is shrouded in darkness.)
  
  To the northeast is a Nutrition Store. The Court has another section to the west, and there is an exit east from where we originally came. A fluorescent light, a garbage can, a brown table, a short gray table, a plastic chair, a metal chair, a broken chair, and some chair parts are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  A short gray table wobbles a bit, and is suddenly hurled at me!
  
  I dodge the item, though.
  
  > give the cross to Poltergeist
  My goodwill is ignored.
  
  There's a dull, raw ache on the left side of my jaw. I try to rub it away, but it doesn't help.
  
  > throw the cross
  [Be a more specific about what you'd like me to throw the cross
  at.]
  
  A metal chair wobbles a bit, and is suddenly hurled at me!
  
  A metal chair strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  "Hey, Duffy... Casey's got maybe 12 minutes left by my count," says Gibs.
  
  > get all
  Big Gulp drink: Taken.
  pleather purse: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  socks: Taken.
  Magic: The Gathering cards: I'm carrying too much to take that. lacrosse stick: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  phone: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  aged text: Got it.
  blue balloon: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  urn: Right on.
  garlic clove: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  torch: Got it.
  
  I collapse to the floor. The pain all over my body has gone from a throbbing that I can deal with to sharp, sudden piercings of agony... Audrey sees me fall. She comes to my side.
  
  I lash out to keep her away. I see her talking to me, pleading to get up and get better, but my ears don't pick up the sound. I try to move my hands up to clear them, but there's just molding and seeping sacs of pus where my ears once were.
  
  I try to tell her to stay away and to burn me so that I infect no one else, but I can't make the words escape. She cradles me in her arms anyway. I am up against her cool body, she is stroking my forehead with her hands. I shift. My right arm begins to separate and cracks off into my jacket. Everything feels so warm, this fever is terrible...
  
  Libson couldn't even count. Dramatics of that hit and that round couldn't save it! Ha! Who could choose to slinking over abounds and hell? Hell! one lake algae flash seventeen flash future flash nothing release cradling holding still eyes NO not oh hope flash
  flash dice die die flash nothing ... nothing
  
  > Empty can
  The garbage can is already empty.
  
  Something roughly picks up a brown table and throws it at me!
  
  A brown table strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  There's a dull, raw ache on the left side of my jaw. I try to rub it away, but it doesn't help.
  
  > examine the gray table
  This table is one of the smaller ones in the food court, ideal for four (and only four) teenage girls to roll their eyes around.
  
  Something roughly picks up a garbage can and throws it at me!
  
  I dodge the item, though.
  
  > examine the brown table
  This table is a longish one, six or seven people could sit on a single side of it and eat comfortably.
  
  My right hand has started to throb, and I take a closer look at it -- it's starting to blacken a little bit. I suspect this is from the mummy.
  
  > examine the chair parts
  They are a collection of pieces that were once part of a larger, more whole (wholer?) chair.
  
  > examine the metal table
  I haven't encountered any "metal table". (If you're sure you need to refer to that, try putting it another way.)
  
  > examine the metal chair
  The metal chair is shiny and foldable, but rusted out, so the advanced folding properties are not available.
  
  A brown table wobbles a bit, and is suddenly hurled at me!
  
  A brown table strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  My hand has begun to rot away.
  
  > examine the plastic chair
  It's a one-piece white plastic chair, designed for slovenly types to sit endlessly upon in the Mall.
  
  > examine the broken chair
  This chair has been snapped in half by the poltergeist's mad mind.
  
  A fluorescent light comes flying right at me!
  
  A fluorescent light strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  > Go northeast
  The Nutrition Store is dominated by a series of five-foot high shelves that make up four distinct aisles. The walls are a sickly shade of green and contrast with the subdued nature of the shelves and all the jars of pills placed upon them.
  
  In the rear of the store is a modest wood counter and an ancient analog cash register. Even further, behind the counter and register, is a metal door.
  
  There is no front gate to the Nutrition Store, only a ten foot cut in the wall. The opening is not quite centered, however, and a 5'x3' pane of glass has been placed into the southern wall.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The rotting sickness has spread to my body.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > search the shelves
  I don't find anything.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > examine glass
  This smooth, treated plastic counter is towards the back of the store, in front of a steel door.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  The glass pane separates that which happens within the store and that which happens without it. Or something.
  
  There's a dull, raw ache on the left side of my jaw. I try to rub it away, but it doesn't help.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > Go south
  I can't go that way. I can go down to the basement entrance or southwest to the food court's east half.
  
  > look at the pills
  I take a quick look at the shelves and spot a jar of ointment. It catches my eye as its decked out in a bright purple label with the word 'GENERAL OINTMENT' in a canary Impact font. If I remember my general health studies classes, stuff like this has good disease-fighting capabilities.
  
  "Hey, Duffy... Casey's got maybe 12 minutes left by my count," says Gibs.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > take the ointment
  I'm carrying too much to take that.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > Inventory
  I am carrying my glasses (being worn), the gaming glove (being worn), Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, a pleather purse, some socks, the Magic: The Gathering cards, Gibs's lacrosse stick, the phone, the aged text, the blue balloon, an urn, the garlic clove, and the torch (broken).
  
  I collapse to the floor. The pain all over my body has gone from a throbbing that I can deal with to sharp, sudden piercings of agony... Audrey sees me fall. She comes to my side.
  
  I lash out to keep her away. I see her talking to me, pleading to get up and get better, but my ears don't pick up the sound. I try to move my hands up to clear them, but there's just molding and seeping sacs of pus where my ears once were.
  
  I try to tell her to stay away and to burn me so that I infect no one else, but I can't make the words escape. She cradles me in her arms anyway. I am up against her cool body, she is stroking my forehead with her hands. I shift. My right arm begins to separate and cracks off into my jacket. Everything feels so warm, this fever is terrible...
  
  Libson couldn't even count. Dramatics of that hit and that round couldn't save it! Ha! Who could choose to slinking over abounds and hell? Hell! one lake algae flash seventeen flash future flash nothing release cradling holding still eyes NO not oh hope flash
  flash dice die die flash nothing ... nothing
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > go east
  Have you got a photographic memory? If you have you will find the following question to be very easy. If you haven't, please find your novella that came with the game called 'Which Witch?'. Please turn to page 22, then find line 1 (please note that lines start at 1, 'chapter' lines are included, but blank lines are not.) And count to word 10.
  
  Now please enter this word. Or just hit enter. You have three chances to get it right.
  Please enter word :
  
  > go northeast
  The Nutrition Store is dominated by a series of five-foot high shelves that make up four distinct aisles. The walls are a sickly shade of green and contrast with the subdued nature of the shelves and all the jars of pills placed upon them.
  
  In the rear of the store is a modest wood counter and an ancient analog cash register. Even further, behind the counter and register, is a metal door.
  
  There is no front gate to the Nutrition Store, only a ten foot cut in the wall. The opening is not quite centered, however, and a 5'x3' pane of glass has been placed into the southern wall.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  There's a dull, raw ache on the left side of my jaw. I try to rub it away, but it doesn't help.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > drop the cards
  Dropped.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > get ointment
  Taken.
  
  My right hand has started to throb, and I take a closer look at it -- it's starting to blacken a little bit. I suspect this is from the mummy.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > use the ointment
  [Be a little more specific about what you'd like to do with the ointment jar.]
  
  > open the jar
  Opened.
  
  Inside the ointment jar is some salve.
  
  Audrey looks at me with a little bit of inquisitive sympathy, but I don't say or reveal anything.
  
  > use the salve
  [Be a little more specific about what you'd like to do with the salve.]
  
  > Smear salve
  Be a little more specific about what you'd like me to smear.
  
  > smear the salve on yourself
  I apply the salve to myself, hoping to stave off the rotting.
  
  > Go southwest
  The Food Court is a vast, open area, and I can only make out about half of it from here. (The entire west end is shrouded in darkness.)
  
  To the northeast is a Nutrition Store. The Court has another section to the west, and there is an exit east from where we originally came. A fluorescent light, a garbage can, a brown table, a short gray table, a plastic chair, a metal chair, a broken chair, and some chair parts are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  Some chair parts are drawn up from the floor and thrown at me!
  
  Some chair parts strike me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  > drop all
  glasses: I can't drop my specs! They are a valuable information-gathering tool!
  gaming glove: I will have to take the gaming glove off first.
  Big Gulp drink: Dropped.
  pleather purse: Dropped.
  socks: Dropped.
  lacrosse stick: Dropped.
  phone: Dropped.
  aged text: Dropped.
  blue balloon: Dropped.
  urn: Dropped.
  garlic clove: Dropped.
  torch: Dropped.
  ointment jar: Dropped.
  
  > go west
  The Food Court is a vast, open area, and I can only make out about half of it from here. (The entire west end is shrouded in darkness.)
  
  To the northeast is a Nutrition Store. The Court has another section to the west, and there is an exit east from where we originally came. A fluorescent light, a garbage can, a brown table, a short gray table, a plastic chair, a metal chair, a broken chair, and some chair parts are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  A fluorescent light wobbles a bit, and is suddenly hurled at me!
  
  I dodge the item, though.
  
  > get all
  fluorescent light: Taken.
  garbage can: Taken.
  brown table: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  short gray table: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  plastic chair: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  metal chair: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  broken chair: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  chair parts: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  
  > Go east
  Mall, First Level, West Edge
  The area is free from the wreckage. Gibs, though is just standing up, completely motionless, facing the inky blackness that shrouds the Food Court from here. Casey is nowhere to be found.
  Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, a pleather purse, some socks, Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, the blue balloon, an urn, the garlic clove, the torch (broken), the ointment jar are here.
  The phone is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  "Hey, Duffy... Casey's got maybe 12 minutes left by my count," says Gibs.
  
  > drop all
  glasses: I can't drop my specs! They are a valuable information-gathering tool!
  gaming glove: I will have to take the gaming glove off first. fluorescent light: Dropped.
  garbage can: Dropped.
  
  > get all
  brown table: Taken.
  short gray table: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  plastic chair: Taken.
  metal chair: Taken.
  broken chair: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  chair parts: I'm carrying too much to take that.
  
  A short gray table wobbles a bit, and is suddenly hurled at me!
  
  A short gray table strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  > Go east
  Mall, First Level, West Edge
  The area is free from the wreckage. Gibs, though is just standing up, completely motionless, facing the inky blackness that shrouds the Food Court from here. Casey is nowhere to be found.
  Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, a pleather purse, some socks, Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, the blue balloon, an urn, the garlic clove, the torch (broken), the ointment jar, a fluorescent light, a garbage can are here.
  The phone is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > drop all
  glasses: I can't drop my specs! They are a valuable information-gathering tool!
  gaming glove: I will have to take the gaming glove off first.
  brown table: Dropped.
  plastic chair: Dropped.
  metal chair: Dropped.
  
  > go to the west
  The Food Court is a vast, open area, and I can only make out about half of it from here. (The entire west end is shrouded in darkness.)
  
  To the northeast is a Nutrition Store. The Court has another section to the west, and there is an exit east from where we originally came. A short gray table, a broken chair, and some chair parts are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  A broken chair is drawn up from the floor and thrown at me!
  
  A broken chair strikes me, and I take a little bit of damage.
  
  > get all
  short gray table: Taken.
  broken chair: Taken.
  chair parts: Taken.
  
  There doesn't seem to be anything for the Poltergeist to throw at me... it's probably possible for me to get by it and get into the other section of the Food Court now.
  
  > go to the east
  Mall, First Level, West Edge
  The area is free from the wreckage. Gibs, though is just standing up, completely motionless, facing the inky blackness that shrouds the Food Court from here. Casey is nowhere to be found.
  Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, a pleather purse, some socks, Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, the blue balloon, an urn, the garlic clove, the torch (broken), the ointment jar, a fluorescent light, a garbage can, a brown table, a plastic chair, a metal chair are here. The phone is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > drop all
  glasses: I can't drop my specs! They are a valuable information-gathering tool!
  gaming glove: I will have to take the gaming glove off first.
  short gray table: Dropped.
  broken chair: Dropped.
  chair parts: Dropped.
  
  > GET PHONE, STICK, TEXT, URN, BALLOON AND CLOVE
  phone: Taken.
  lacrosse stick: Taken.
  aged text: Got it.
  urn: Right on.
  blue balloon: Taken.
  garlic clove: Got it.
  
  > Go west
  The Food Court is a vast, open area, and I can only make out about half of it from here. (The entire west end is shrouded in darkness.)
  
  To the northeast is a Nutrition Store. The Court has another section to the west, and there is an exit east from where we originally came.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  There doesn't seem to be anything for the Poltergeist to throw at me... it's probably possible for me to get by it and get into the other section of the Food Court now.
  
  > Go west
  This far section of the Food Court pinches off to a slight, concrete wall extension. There were plans to expand this once, by the corporation that owns the Mall, but they now seem forever ago and far away. The rest of the Food Court is to the east, and the final corridor leading out of the Mall completely is around a turn to the northwest.
  Casey and a Revenant are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > talk to Revenant
  Please select one:
  
  (1) "What was supposed to happen upon you finding your killer?"
  (2) "The vampire wasn't your killer, was she?"
  
  > 1
  "REST!" bellows the Revenant. I'm momentarily taken back by his outburst: there are absolutely no other sounds audible this far into the Mall. "A sweet, everlasting relaxation that I so richly deserve. Many cultures have had many different names for it. Nirvana... Heaven... Ragnar?k..."
  
  "Actually, Ragnar?k wasn't a final state of bliss, like the Sanskrit Nirvana, but rather a foretelling of -- " The Revenant cuts me off and continues his monologue. What a complete cock!
  
  "A final resting place for a warrior such as I. It is as I deserve. I crave it, desperately... but first I must find the one that put me into this state and remove her from this world."
  
  I give the guy the fingerguns sign. "Good luck with that," I tell him. Jerk.
  
  Please select one:
  
  (1) "The vampire wasn't your killer, was she?"
  
  > 1
  "She was not," the Revenant says quickly. "It is of little matter, however. Mistakes get made. She offered no real value to this world or any others. She will not be back for the foreseeable future."
  
  "That's excellent," I reply. "Thanks."
  
  "There is no need for thanks. It was not a favor I did, but an attempt to uncover the truth about my death." I give him a quick look of sympathy and understood pain, but it's totally fake. I'm hoping he can't determine my ruse, what with the flamb?ed face and eyes and everything. But either way he seems pretty relaxed.
  
  > examine Casey
  She has brown eyes and jet-black, though obviously dyed, hair. She is wearing a textbook goth outfit, complete with the black fingernails, eyeliner and steel-toed boots. She looks dark, mysterious, dangerous and completely off her rocker.
  
  > Go northwest
  Mall, First Level, North Edge
  We've come to the last long hall. To the north, approximately fifty yards away, are the exit doors. Dawn has yet to creep up upon us. It's still pitch black outside. Freedom is all I can think of at this point.
  
  I take a single step forward. That's when she materializes.
  
  "Hello, Sydney," I say, intentionally agitating the spirit that thinks it's in total control.
  
  "Hi there, doll," she says in return. "What happened to her?" she asks, looking over towards Casey. "How unfortunate. I was hoping to add her soul to my collection, but it looks like that won't be possible."
  
  "We have to get out of here before the sun rises. Otherwise she'll die," I say. "Get out of the way."
  
  "The door is shut by my command, Jarret. Though I'll confess that the thought of her turning to sawdust as the sun rises right before I take each of your lives is especially intriguing. We could do it that way. That's fine with me."
  
  "Shut up," suggests Audrey. "We know how to exorcise you, and we're going to do exactly that."
  
  Audrey turns towards me and looks at me with a kind of love and somber happiness that I have never before seen. "Read the passage from the book, Jarret..."
  The ghast's head is here.
  Sydney, Audrey, Gibs, and Casey are here.
  
  Gibs pipes up for a moment. "Casey's got probably ten minutes left at my count before the ichor spreads."
  
  > read the book
  I turn over the book and it opens to a section in the back. Just like in the Dungeon Master's Guide and, I suppose, The
  Bible, this is where all the good bits are:
  
  Tombs containing carrion, and hate within the ground
  A claw-scratched forced Caesarian, who could not remain bound
  Groping, moaning pantomime, beasts within the air
  Rending tortured friends of mine, killing with a stare
  
  Stacked on a forgotten grave, crushing souls and mud
  Virgin souls we try to save, walls crying with blood
  Leave the host, this eve, you took -- no longer will you dine
  The mart's collapse, the walls all shook -- your attention shall
  be mine!
  
  All the arrogance and jeering has left Sydney, and she remains hovering over with an expectant, slightly confused expression on her face. We've got her enraptured for the moment, it would seem.
  
  "We need someone to drink the water... But whoever does needs to be a virgin," says Audrey.
  
  > Drink urn
  Not quite sure what you hope I will accomplish with that.
  
  I can't drink the urn.
  
  > examine Sydney
  Sydney has been possessed. Her aura can be seen as a strong,
  hazy glow and her eyes have turned red. She does not exist on this physical plane and cannot be touched. The air around her is much colder than it is elsewhere in this room. She is levitating herself just out of reach, and regards us all with supernatural superiority and arrogance.
  
  > Go southeast
  This far section of the Food Court pinches off to a slight, concrete wall extension. There were plans to expand this once, by the corporation that owns the Mall, but they now seem forever ago and far away. The rest of the Food Court is to the east, and the final corridor leading out of the Mall completely is around a turn to the northwest.
  A Revenant is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > kick Revenant
  "And then I kicked him in the head till he was dead!" I say,
  quoting Baldur's Gate. I hit a Revenant!
  
  A Revenant attacks and hits me!
  
  > go east
  Mall, First Level, West Edge
  The area is free from the wreckage. Gibs, though is just standing up, completely motionless, facing the inky blackness that shrouds the Food Court from here. Casey is nowhere to be found.
  Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, a pleather purse, some socks, the torch (broken), the ointment jar, a fluorescent light, a garbage can, a brown table, a plastic chair, a metal chair, a short gray table, a broken chair, some chair parts are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > go east
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > put water in the urn
  (taking the water first)
  (I'll only be able to hold the water for a couple moments before it flows through my hands...)
  
  Done.
  
  > examine urn
  This rather large urn is crafted in the shape of an upside-down mushroom. It's a base silver in color with a floral pattern painted on top.
  
  Inside the urn is some water.
  
  > Leave
  I get out of the fountain.
  
  > Go west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > Go west
  Mall, First Level, West Edge
  The area is free from the wreckage. Gibs, though is just standing up, completely motionless, facing the inky blackness that shrouds the Food Court from here. Casey is nowhere to be found.
  Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, a pleather purse, some socks, the torch (broken), the ointment jar, a fluorescent light, a garbage can, a brown table, a plastic chair, a metal chair, a short gray table, a broken chair, some chair parts are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > go northwest
  Mall, First Level, North Edge
  We are before the last long hall. To the north, approximately fifty yards away, are the exit doors. There are no stores to either side of us. An informational kiosk and some planted trees are the only things in between us and the exit. Well, that and the levitating, possessed body of one of my friends, natch.
  The ghast's head is here.
  Sydney and Casey are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  "I have a knock-knock joke for you," says Gibs.
  
  "Now is not a good time. OK?"
  
  "Knock knock."
  
  "Jesus Fuck. 'Who's there?'"
  
  "Not Casey. Casey's dying in eight minutes." Gibs stares furiously ahead.
  
  > kick Sydney
  Nah.
  
  > examine the ghast
  It's a disembodied head. One with kind of a squashed-in face, like... er, somebody whacked it with their boot or something. Most of the hair and flesh is still hanging on, but both the eyes are gone and the jaw hangs open in a particularly grotesque manner. The head formerly belonged to a guy named Randolph who would guilt people into taking his surveys and was always talking about all the women he met at his job, though none of them would ever go out with him because, hey, he's the Survey Guy.
  
  > give the water to the ghast
  (taking the water first)
  (I'll only be able to hold the water for a couple moments before it flows through my hands...)
  
  The kind gesture goes unnoticed by the head.
  
  > Go southeast
  This far section of the Food Court pinches off to a slight, concrete wall extension. There were plans to expand this once, by the corporation that owns the Mall, but they now seem forever ago and far away. The rest of the Food Court is to the east, and the final corridor leading out of the Mall completely is around a turn to the northwest.
  A Revenant is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > Go east
  The Food Court is a vast, open area, and I can only make out about half of it from here. (The entire west end is shrouded in darkness.)
  
  To the northeast is a Nutrition Store. The Court has another section to the west, and there is an exit east from where we originally came.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  There doesn't seem to be anything for the Poltergeist to throw at me... it's probably possible for me to get by it and get into the other section of the Food Court now.
  
  The water flows through my fingers.
  
  The water flows away and disappears.
  
  > give the urn to Revenant
  My goodwill is ignored.
  
  The water flows through my fingers.
  
  The water flows away and disappears.
  
  > go east
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre heads off to the north.
  
  > Inventory
  I am carrying my glasses (being worn), the gaming glove (being worn), the phone, Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, an urn, the blue balloon, and the garlic clove.
  
  > examine the text
  The text has a grooved, sturdy cover, designed out of pressed reed and dyed a rich burgundy. It is about fifteen inches long, nine or ten inches thick.
  
  "Six minutes, Jarret," says Gibs.
  
  > Go east
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre arrives from the east.
  
  > go to the east
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > Go south
  The Poster Store sells posters... and little else. There's a hanging flip-rack of posters in the corner of the store, and a few hanging up on the walls.
  
  Alongside the far wall is a set of oversized disembodied lips.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > put the water in urn
  The water is already in the urn.
  
  > Go west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  "I don't mean to be annoying," says Gibs, "Not now, anyway, but Casey's got maybe four minutes left before she can no longer be saved."
  
  > go northwest
  Mall, First Level, North Edge
  We are before the last long hall. To the north, approximately fifty yards away, are the exit doors. There are no stores to either side of us. An informational kiosk and some planted trees are the only things in between us and the exit. Well, that and the levitating, possessed body of one of my friends, natch.
  The ghast's head is here.
  Sydney and Casey are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > Drink water
  [ Use "TALK TO CHARACTER" to talk to a particular character in the game. ]
  
  > get the water
  (I'll only be able to hold the water for a couple moments before it flows through my hands...)
  
  > give the water to Casey
  My goodwill is ignored.
  
  "Three minutes for Casey," says Gibs.
  
  > talk to Audrey
  Please select one:
  
  (1) "Lay it on me, then. What's up?"
  (2) "Whoa, that was you in the vision! What does a plus mean?"
  
  > 2
  "What does a plus mean?" asks Audrey. "On a home pregnancy test? It means that you're not pregnant. Thank God."
  
  "Did you have a close call or something?"
  
  "Yes, we had a close call. Don't you remember? It wasn't that
  long ago. I had got off ICQ talking to one of your ex-girlfriends the night before. She told me that you, quote, 'wig out' when spoken to in Elvish or some other made-up language along those lines."
  
  Audrey continues her story, but I start to get a flood of memories back from that night. I had actually deigned to go out clubbing with her for a night a few weeks back. (I usually don't, as I am such a lousy, self-conscious dancer.) She was wearing this tight little gray dress with slight horizontal lines across it, made out of this fuzzy fabric -- the outfit practically squealed 'do me' by itself.
  
  Audrey was grinding her way up against me every time I went onto the floor. I just seizured out. That's the only way I know how to dance. I almost never really consume much alcohol, but that night I was taking pull after pull of some Safeway Vodka that Sydney had smuggled into the club as if the contents of the bottle were nothing more innocuous than Mexican Kool-Aid. Audrey and I took a cab back to her place, and we were all over one another before we could find the light switch.
  
  She was on top of me for what seemed like the better part of an hour when she dipped down and whispered something into my ear.
  Tye-mela'ne. It's Tolkein Elvish for 'I love you.' We don't
  seem to say that to each other very much, but even drunk I instantly translated what she said and I... well, I went off like a Soviet Catapult: unexpectedly, unpredictably, and altogether quite messily.
  
  I hadn't thought about it -- about the consequences of it -- until just right now. I didn't mean for her to go through a pregnancy scare like that by herself. I just wasn't thinking about the details.
  
  (For what it's worth, the story that Audrey related as I had this flashback was pretty much exactly like mine, except that she said that we only jammed for something like fifteen minutes. She's got this crazy, post-Einsteinian view of how time really works though, so don't believe her.)
  
  Please select one:
  
  (1) "Lay it on me, then. What's up?"
  
  > Go southeast
  This far section of the Food Court pinches off to a slight, concrete wall extension. There were plans to expand this once, by the corporation that owns the Mall, but they now seem forever ago and far away. The rest of the Food Court is to the east, and the final corridor leading out of the Mall completely is around a turn to the northwest.
  A Revenant is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > go east
  The Food Court is a vast, open area, and I can only make out about half of it from here. (The entire west end is shrouded in darkness.)
  
  To the northeast is a Nutrition Store. The Court has another section to the west, and there is an exit east from where we originally came.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > enter the fountain
  Entered!
  
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge, in the fountain
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  Audrey and Gibs are here.
  
  > go west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre arrives from the south.
  
  > give the urn to the spectre
  That's not what the spectre seems to be looking for.
  
  The spectre heads off to the south.
  
  > Go south
  Mall, First Level, Southern Edge
  This is the southern-most section of the Mall. There's a large block of impenetrable cement to the south, which covers over the failed Outlet Store, and two paths to two other stores: the candle store (west) and party favors store (east).
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > follow the spectre
  The spectre is right here.
  
  > Kiss spectre
  I try to get close, but the spectre resonates extreme cold from his person... much too painfully cold to touch.
  
  The spectre heads off to the west.
  
  > go west
  The Candle Store is the second-most picketed store, right after Choad's. It used to be a lot worse when it was a nail and board emporium, though. Some old and independently wealthy latin guy owns the place, though, and he just doesn't care about the Cash-In of the Christ.
  
  Christ's Candles is decked out in a similar manner to the Bead Store, hippie stuff and dark shadows even when the power isn't completely out. This isn't the kind of city where one can set up a number of candles on stands like in the video to 'Wrapped Around Your Finger,' so instead all the candles and other objects are on shelves.
  
  The floorspace towards the rear of the store is completely taken up by the long display table against the western wall.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > give the water to the spectre
  The spectre shakes his head sadly. "I'm not thirsty for that," he says. "Not at all..." His eyes narrow, his head tilts slightly to the side -- he's trying to communicate something to me, and
  unlike some of the other denizens of the Mall, it's not a horrible curse or disease.
  
  "Six minutes, Jarret," says Gibs.
  
  The spectre heads off to the east.
  
  > Go east
  Mall, First Level, Southern Edge
  This is the southern-most section of the Mall. There's a large block of impenetrable cement to the south, which covers over the failed Outlet Store, and two paths to two other stores: the candle store (west) and party favors store (east).
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre heads off to the south.
  
  > Inventory
  I am carrying my glasses (being worn), the gaming glove (being worn), the phone, Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, an urn, the blue balloon, and the garlic clove. Inside the urn is some water.
  
  > go south
  The Bead Store smells strongly of incense and stale joints, and it almost overpowers every other sense. There are shelves on all sides of the store, but none in the middle of the store due to the drawn pentagram.
  A postcard, the X-box are here.
  The skeleton is here.
  
  > Go east
  This is far east as the Mall goes. The Mall technically dips a bit as one goes west, as it was originally constructed upon a landfill. There's a three-sided advertising kiosk in the middle of the corridor.
  
  To the west is the Beads Store, Sporting Good Outlet and the (closed) Arcade.
  
  My store, the Gaming and Role-Playing Emporium, is to the south.
  
  "I don't mean to be annoying," says Gibs, "Not now, anyway, but Casey's got maybe four minutes left before she can no longer be saved."
  
  > go west
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  "Three minutes for Casey," says Gibs.
  
  > go west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre arrives from the south.
  
  > Go south
  Mall, First Level, Southern Edge
  This is the southern-most section of the Mall. There's a large block of impenetrable cement to the south, which covers over the failed Outlet Store, and two paths to two other stores: the candle store (west) and party favors store (east).
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > go north
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  "Two minutes, Jarret," says Gibs."
  
  > wait
  Time passes...
  
  The spectre arrives from the south.
  
  > give the text to the spectre
  That's not what the spectre seems to be looking for.
  
  The spectre heads off to the south.
  
  > Go south
  Mall, First Level, Southern Edge
  This is the southern-most section of the Mall. There's a large block of impenetrable cement to the south, which covers over the failed Outlet Store, and two paths to two other stores: the candle store (west) and party favors store (east).
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > give the balloon to the spectre
  That's not what the spectre seems to be looking for.
  
  The spectre heads off to the west.
  
  > Go west
  The Candle Store is the second-most picketed store, right after Choad's. It used to be a lot worse when it was a nail and board emporium, though. Some old and independently wealthy latin guy owns the place, though, and he just doesn't care about the Cash-In of the Christ.
  
  Christ's Candles is decked out in a similar manner to the Bead Store, hippie stuff and dark shadows even when the power isn't completely out. This isn't the kind of city where one can set up a number of candles on stands like in the video to 'Wrapped Around Your Finger,' so instead all the candles and other objects are on shelves.
  
  The floorspace towards the rear of the store is completely taken up by the long display table against the western wall.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre heads off to the east.
  
  > Go east
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  "Casey doesn't have much time left, Duff," says Gibs, quietly.
  
  > go to the north
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  "I'm not going to say that I am an expert on the supernatural, but I can't imagine that we could still save Casey," whispers Gibs.
  
  > Go east
  This store is mostly unfurnished, with a low, bare ceiling, cold floor covered in cheap carpeting, and blankets and rugs thumb-tacked up to hide the peeling wallpaper and crumbling drywall.
  
  The contents of the room are a cluttered mess, as this place seems to be more of a craftsman's think-tank and construction area than pure chamber for commerce like so many other shops in the Mall. There's a workdesk and mirror along the northern wall and a file cabinet across from it. A small window is visible behind some junk, and directly across from the entrance are seven masks attached to the back wall in a proud display. Attached to one of the naked support beams is a disco laser pointer.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > look at the mirror
  A stylin' and engaging Chortlemaster with great hair is staring back at me.
  
  The spectre arrives from the west.
  
  > examine the laser
  The laser pointer is out there jivin'! It's scattering laser light everywhere and it's turned this placed into a Block Party Central! Whoo-hoo!
  
  The spectre heads off to the west.
  
  > Inventory
  I am carrying my glasses, the gaming glove (being worn), the phone, Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, an urn, the blue balloon, the garlic clove, Barnaby's Big Gulp drink, and the mirrored shades. Inside the urn is some water.
  
  > wear the shades
  I put the shades on.
  
  > examine the laser
  The laser pointer is out there jivin'! It's scattering laser light everywhere and it's turned this placed into a Block Party Central! Whoo-hoo!
  
  > examine the mirror
  A stylin' and engaging Chortlemaster with great hair is staring back at me.
  
  > Empty urn
  water: Done.
  
  > Wait
  Time passes...
  
  The water flows away and disappears.
  
  > go to the east
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  A little more water trickles into the fountain.
  
  The spectre arrives from the south.
  
  > go to the west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  The cross is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre arrives from the east.
  
  > drop all
  glasses: I can't drop my specs! They are a valuable information-gathering tool!
  gaming glove: I will have to take the gaming glove off first.
  phone: Dropped.
  lacrosse stick: Dropped.
  aged text: Dropped.
  urn: Dropped.
  blue balloon: Dropped.
  garlic clove: Dropped.
  Big Gulp drink: Dropped.
  mirrored shades: I will have to take the mirrored shades off first.
  
  The spectre heads off to the east.
  
  > go east
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre heads off to the west.
  
  > go west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, an urn, the blue balloon, the garlic clove, Barnaby's Big Gulp drink are here.
  The phone and the spectre are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > give the cross to spectre
  That's not what the spectre seems to be looking for.
  
  The spectre heads off to the south.
  
  > Go north
  A fair bit of ether has snaked itself into the room. It combines with the hand-picked and market-researched atmospheric lights that still function to give off a very deep, defracted and soothing look to the room. Vibrant purples and deep blues dominate the walls and counters of the Sunglasses Hut.
  
  I worked at this place for a week once when I was fighting with my manager at the D&D store. I acquired a little bit of trivia regarding this place (for instance, the center display case will open if it's tapped upon) but nothing useful otherwise.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > go west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, an urn, the blue balloon, the garlic clove, Barnaby's Big Gulp drink are here.
  The phone is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > go west
  Mall, First Level, West Edge
  The area is free from the wreckage. Gibs, though is just standing up, completely motionless, facing the inky blackness that shrouds the Food Court from here. Casey is nowhere to be found.
  A pleather purse, some socks, the torch (broken), the ointment jar, a fluorescent light, a garbage can, a brown table, a plastic chair, a metal chair, a short gray table, a broken chair, some chair parts are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > examine the light
  This light fixture is from a chunk of the Mall's ceiling. It's at least a couple feet long, and mostly cylindrical in shape. It's non-functioning, of course, and quite heavy.
  
  > insert light
  You'll have to be a little more specific about exactly with what you'd like me to do that.
  
  > put the light in the spotlights
  [ The word "shadows" is not recognized by the game. ]
  
  [ The word "spotlights" is not recognized by the game. ]
  
  > examine girl
  The crucified girl seems to be of mild Hispanic descent. Her features are slightly olive, her hair dark and her eyes stained all the round by blood. She is wearing a torn black tank top, blue bandana with floral print, and sleek pair of tight shorts. Her build is slight -- she is probably about five foot five at most, with slim, athletic legs.
  
  She has not been dead long as she is just a few degrees cooler than living human flesh ought to be.
  
  She is dead.
  
  > Inventory
  I am carrying my glasses, the gaming glove (being worn), the mirrored shades (being worn), and a fluorescent light.
  
  > examine the shades
  They are circular frames, with perfect mirrors on the outside. My eyes are completely hidden while wearing the sunglasses, at the expense of a lot of light getting through.
  
  > Go south
  Mall, First Level, West Edge
  The area is free from the wreckage. Gibs, though is just standing up, completely motionless, facing the inky blackness that shrouds the Food Court from here. Casey is nowhere to be found.
  A pleather purse, some socks, the torch (broken), the ointment jar, a garbage can, a brown table, a plastic chair, a metal chair, a short gray table, a broken chair, some chair parts, the cross are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > examine the rubble
  It seems to be constructed of the cheap concrete that was poured onto the roof of the Mall a few years back.
  
  > examine the lips
  The Magic Mouth is a set of purple disembodied lips, measuring roughly two feet wide and a little less than a foot high. They are stuck on the side of the wall as if they are part of it and seem (supernaturally, natch) integrated within them. No discernable teeth or tongue or lungs are present, so whatever causes it to vibrate the air is wholly beyond me.
  
  > go west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, an urn, the blue balloon, the garlic clove, Barnaby's Big Gulp drink are here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > Go south
  Mall, First Level, Southern Edge
  This is the southern-most section of the Mall. There's a large block of impenetrable cement to the south, which covers over the failed Outlet Store, and two paths to two other stores: the candle store (west) and party favors store (east).
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre arrives from the south.
  
  > Examine spectre
  The spectre is a powerful, intangible, undead spirit consumed with hatred for those with warmth in their souls. Its touch drains an enormous amount of life energy, it is unaffected by silver, 'normal' iron, or cold.
  
  It would be powerless in daylight, but I am obviously several hours away from any such thing. It may be best to just avoid and and not antagonize it.
  
  > touch the spectre
  I try to get close, but the spectre resonates extreme cold from his person... much too painfully cold to touch.
  
  The spectre heads off to the north.
  
  > go north
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  Gibs's lacrosse stick, the aged text, an urn, the blue balloon, the garlic clove, Barnaby's Big Gulp drink are here.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > get the urn
  Right on.
  
  The spectre heads off to the east.
  
  > get the text
  Got it.
  
  The spectre arrives from the east.
  
  > get the balloon
  Taken.
  
  The spectre heads off to the east.
  
  > Go east
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre heads off to the south.
  
  > go south
  The Poster Store sells posters... and little else. There's a hanging flip-rack of posters in the corner of the store, and a few hanging up on the walls.
  
  Alongside the far wall is a set of oversized disembodied lips.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  The spectre heads off to the north.
  
  > Go north
  Mall, First Level, Eastern Edge
  This bit of hallway features an enormous and beautiful fountain. There are exits in all four primary compass directions.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > give the garlic to the spectre
  That's not what the spectre seems to be looking for.
  
  The spectre heads off to the west.
  
  > follow the spectre
  Which way did it go?
  
  > go to the west
  Mall, First Level, Central Corridor
  This stretch of the Mall hallway is covered with just a bit of rubble. There are clear exits to the west and south. The gate to the Record Store is down to the north.
  Gibs's lacrosse stick, Barnaby's Big Gulp drink are here.
  The spectre is here.
  
  Audrey and Gibs follow me.
  
  > move the rubble
  I can't move the chunk of rubble.
  
  The spectre heads off to the east.
  
  > get the rubble
  Done.