text: > look around
  The road fades into grass and weeds as it reaches this lonely cabin,
  in the heart of the woods.
  
  At the side of the building is an overgrown bed of flowers.
  
  A set of tarnished wind chimes hangs over the entrance.
  
  EXITS: SOUTH INSIDE
  
  Your trusty bicycle is parked here.
  
  > knock on the door
  No response.
  
  > Enter
  The musty air is thick with the hissing and bubbling of strange concoctions. The oddest things hang from the walls: Faceless
  dolls, strings of beads, dried herbs, and a couple of bleached cow skulls. It looks like every available surface is occupied by some half-finished arcane project. At the center of the chaos is Miss Muriel's big book.
  
  EXITS: OUTSIDE
  
  As you enter, Muriel looks up from her studies. "Good afternoon,
  Becca. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
  
  You wonder how you're going to tell her.
  
  > talk to Muriel
  You take a deep breath and settle yourself. Miss Muriel deals with weird things like this all the time.
  
  "There's something on my skin," you say, and you pull up your sleeve
  to reveal the scales on your shoulder. Muriel gives it a look and clicks her tongue.
  
  "Did you show it to a doctor?"
  
  "No. Should I have?"
  
  "Well, there wouldn't be much point. This isn't a medical condition. It's a curse."
  
  The word isn't as surprising as it should be. Maybe this is what you expected all along. "How? Who cursed me?"
  
  "There's a creature that makes its home in the swamp." Muriel shuffles through her tome until she finds a drawing: A hunched human shape with a snout full of teeth. "Have you heard of Crocodracula?"
  
  "Yeah, we told each other stories about him when we were little kids. He's not real."
  
  "He's very real, Rebecca. And he's marked you for some purpose. He
  must want something from you..." Miss Muriel trails off as she starts poking around the cabin, looking for something.
  
  "What do I do? How do I get rid of the curse? I don't want to do anything for Crocodracula."
  
  "You'll have to destroy him. Here." She finds a sharpened wooden stake in a corner and hands it to you. "Find his castle in the swamp and put this through his heart."
  
  Your mouth hangs open as you contemplate the stake.
  
  "I don't know if I can do that..."
  
  "Sure you can. You'll have the element of surprise. I have complete faith in you, Becca."
  
  > examine Muriel
  Miss Muriel's hair is frizzy and unkempt; her frayed denim jacket is covered in stains from her various experiments. She likes to call herself a "student of nature." There's another word for someone who follows her sort of lifestyle, but Miss Muriel does not like that
  word.
  
  > examine the stake
  You briefly wonder why Miss Muriel had a wooden stake in her cabin,
  but soon you conclude that, for Miss Muriel, it makes a lot of sense.
  
  > Examine book
  Miss Muriel pulls the book away from your prying eyes, and purses her lips disapprovingly.
  
  > look at concoctions
  There are flasks and bottles and vials all over, each with a different potion being mixed or boiled or decanted.
  
  > examine the dolls
  They're not like the dolls your mother makes: They're made out of leather and twigs and who knows what else.
  
  > look at the beads
  Some of the beads almost look like eyeballs. But they're definitely just beads.
  
  > examine the herbs
  the smell of Muriel's potions (or the smell of other plants).
  
  > talk to Muriel
  You ask Miss Muriel how to get to Crocodracula's castle.
  
  "You'll need an airboat to go that deep into the swamp. I know Mister Qualmsley rents airboats, but you might have to pursue... unofficial methods to acquire one."
  
  > Go outside
  The road fades into grass and weeds as it reaches this lonely cabin,
  in the heart of the woods.
  
  At the side of the building is an overgrown bed of flowers.
  
  A set of tarnished wind chimes hangs over the entrance.
  
  EXITS: SOUTH INSIDE
  
  Your trusty bicycle is parked here.
  
  > Ride bike
  You mount the bicycle.
  
  A breeze blows through the wind chimes, and an unmusical jangling echoes through the trees.
  
  > go to the south
  Sandy Road (on the bicycle)
  A strip of dirty sand cuts through the woods. There's nothing but
  trees in every direction.
  
  EXITS: NORTH SOUTH
  
  > examine the trees
  Gnarled trees with wide branches lean in over the trail, and only a
  few patches of sunlight break through. Thick weeds creep up to the
  edge of the path.
  
  > examine the weeds
  Gnarled trees with wide branches lean in over the trail, and only a
  few patches of sunlight break through. Thick weeds creep up to the
  edge of the path.
  
  Warm wind shakes the leaves.
  
  > go south
  Radio Station (on the bicycle)
  Vines are creeping up the walls of the squat little KSAS building, almost reaching the boarded-up windows. The radio tower stretches overhead, its lower bars covered in rust.
  
  EXITS: NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST INSIDE
  
  > Go east
  Azalea Street (on the bicycle)
  Azalea Street turns ninety degrees at the top of what passes for a
  hill in central Florida. The house on the outside of the curve has a sign posted outside: It's also the studio of Professor Rubach, the piano teacher.
  
  EXITS: SOUTH WEST INSIDE
  
  Eddie Lee is sitting on the sidewalk, plunking out a classical tune on a portable keyboard.
  
  > examine Eddie
  With his Hawaiian shirt and unfortunate lack of a hairstyle, Eddie Lee looks like a gangly, teenaged Thomas Magnum. If he filled out the
  shirt a little better, he might actually look kind of cool. But the
  toy keyboard he's toting makes it clear: Eddie Lee is just a huge
  geek.
  
  > talk to Eddie
  "Eddie Lee, I need your help."
  
  He stops playing and gawks up at you. "Me? With what?"
  
  "I need one of your dad's airboats."
  
  "What for?"
  
  "I can't tell you. It's a secret. A girl thing."
  
  "Aha. Say no more." Works every time. "What exactly am I supposed to do?"
  
  "I just need you to distract your dad for a minute. Can you do that?"
  
  "Sure. If you do something for me first."
  
  Uh-oh. "Like what?"
  
  He gets a sheet of paper out of his pocket. "Zoe has said some very hurtful things recently about me as a person, like that I'm a scrawny little weirdo."
  
  "She also says you're a creep sometimes."
  
  He nods. "And, besides hurting my feelings, the things she says affect how my peers view me. And that affects my social prospects, which affect my chances of getting into a good college���"
  
  "Please get to the point."
  
  "If you get Zoe to sign this retraction," Eddie Lee says, handing you the paper, "I'll gladly help you steal from my dad."
  
  "Got it."
  
  > examine paper
  It's a sheet of looseleaf with Eddie Lee's handwriting on it: "I, the undersigned, hereby retract any and all statements I have made concerning the character of Eddie Lee Qualmsley and his status as a creep, geek, or weirdo. I acknowledge the damage my statements have caused to Mister Qualmsley's reputation, and I promise I will refrain from such libel in the future. Eddie Lee Qualmsley is not a
  creep."
  
  Below that is a place for Zoe to sign, and a place for you to sign as
  a witness.
  
  > go south
  Buchanan High School (on the bicycle)
  School is out for the day, but the doors remain open for various after-school activities. On the other end of the yard is a sign that says "BUCHANAN HIGH - CHESS CLUB CANCELED" in big black letters.
  
  Your house is just a short walk to the east.
  
  EXITS: NORTH EAST WEST INSIDE
  
  Zoe is sitting on a bench near the door.
  
  > talk to Zoe
  "Hey, Zoe, I need to ask you a favor."
  
  "Sure! What is it?"
  
  "I just need you to sign this," you say, placing the document in her hands. She looks it over with an unpromising expression.
  
  "Is he for real?"
  
  Hard to say. "It's the only way he'll help me," you tell her.
  
  Zoe rolls her eyes and pulls out a pen. Using the rough seat of the bench as her flat surface, she scratches impatiently on the statement, then hands it over to you to notarize. You take a bit of time with
  your signature to make up for hers.
  
  "Thanks," you say.
  
  "Whatever," she says. "I doubt it'll hold up in court anyway."
  
  > look at the paper
  It's a sheet of looseleaf with Eddie Lee's handwriting on it: "I, the undersigned, hereby retract any and all statements I have made concerning the character of Eddie Lee Qualmsley and his status as a creep, geek, or weirdo. I acknowledge the damage my statements have caused to Mister Qualmsley's reputation, and I promise I will refrain from such libel in the future. Eddie Lee Qualmsley is not a
  creep."
  
  Below that is Zoe's signature (a contemptuous scribble) and yours (notarizing Zoe's).
  
  > talk to Eddie
  "Why, hello, Rebecca. Have you spoken with your lovely friend Zoe?" Eddie Lee says, with a big fake smile.
  
  So you give him a big fake smile back. "Not quite yet, Edward...
  What's Lee short for?"
  
  "I keep asking my dad, but he won't tell me."
  
  > give the paper to Eddie
  "Well?" says Eddie Lee
  
  "Yeah, here you go."
  
  insufferable smile. "Dzi��kuj��!"
  
  "What?"
  
  "Oh, sorry. Polish. It means, 'thanks very much.' He carefully folds
  up the paper and puts it back in his pocket.
  
  "You're super welcome. Hey, while we're on the subject, weren't you going to help me with something?"
  
  "Oh, yeah!" Eddie Lee leaps to his feet. "I'll meet you at my dad's place."
  
  He takes off like a rocket.
  
  > go to the west
  Water Tower (on the bicycle)
  At the center of Opasassa is its water tower, a massive white bulb supported by a web of steel beams. Giant letters are printed on the side: From as far away as Glenburn, you can see them spell out "OPASASSA." From right underneath, though, they barely look like letters.
  
  A narrow ladder is well-hidden among the bars.
  
  EXITS: NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST UP
  
  > Go south
  Water's Edge (on the bicycle)
  Eddie Lee's dad's airboat rental business is situated here at the edge of the Opasassa Swamp. A gravel path connects the buildings to the dock.
  
  The front door is guarded by a motionless plaster alligator.
  
  EXITS: NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST INSIDE
  
  Eddie Lee is standing a ways off from the entrance, waiting for you.
  
  An airboat is floating at the dock.
  
  "So, what's the plan?" Eddie says.
  
  "I don't know. Play something for him on your little piano thing."
  
  "Really? I'm not that good. I've only been playing for trzy miesi��ce."
  
  "What?"
  
  "Three months. Wait, what did I say?"
  
  You just shake your head.
  
  > Dismount
  You dismount the bicycle.
  
  Eddie Lee's dad's airboat rental business is situated here at the edge of the Opasassa Swamp. A gravel path connects the buildings to the dock.
  
  The front door is guarded by a motionless plaster alligator.
  
  EXITS: NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST INSIDE
  
  Your trusty bicycle is parked here.
  
  Eddie Lee is standing a ways off from the entrance, waiting for you.
  
  An airboat is floating at the dock.
  
  > enter
  The AC is cranked so high that you begin to shiver. Mister Qualmsley doesn't seem to notice: He just sits at the cash register, waiting for quitting time to roll around.
  
  An unfortunate fish is mounted on a plaque on the far wall.
  
  EXITS: OUTSIDE
  
  An airboat key is hanging on a hook behind the counter.
  
  Qualmsley waves as you come in. "Hi, Becca! Hey there, Eddie Lee!"
  
  "Eddie Lee wants to play one of his pieces for you," you explain, stepping back to give him center stage.
  
  "Well I'd love to hear it!" says Mister Qualmsley. "I want to see how those lessons are paying off."
  
  "Uh, sure," Eddie Lee says, looking around the room. There's nowhere
  to sit, so he sits on the floor. He switches on the keyboard and
  starts to play.
  
  It's some sort of European dancing tune, switching back and forth between two melodies. Each bouncy, carefree phrase is answered with a solemn section, and then another happy part, and so on.
  
  Even though he's playing on a cheap electronic keyboard, sitting cross-legged on the floor, Eddie Lee is being more serious than you've ever seen him in his life. He seems to have lost himself in the music.
  
  You look over at Mister Qualmsley and find him grinning down at his son's surprising new talent. He's in his own little world, too.
  
  > take the key
  Keeping an eye on Mister Qualmsley, you slip behind the counter and grab the airboat key. He's too proud of his son to notice.
  
  > go to the west
  At the end of Ash Street is a tall gray house with peeling paint and dark windows. A rickety fence surrounds the garden; the gate is unlocked, and it creaks softly when a breeze passes.
  
  EXITS: EAST INSIDE
  
  Mrs. Idlewyld is pacing up and down the block, poking around in
  various bushes, staying well away from the house.
  
  > examinethe mrs .
  Mrs. Idlewyld wears thick glasses that make her eyes look huge and magnify her apprehension whenever she's worried about something, which is most of the time. Right now she seems slightly more on-edge than usual.
  
  > talk tothe mrs .
  Chatting with Mrs. Idlewyld is usually more trouble than it's worth, but she looks particularly desperate today. "Do you need anything,
  Mrs. Idlewyld?" you ask, keeping a respectful distance.
  
  "I do, dear girl, I do. But I don't know if you can help me. I've mislaid something���a flute. My husband carved it, and I only bring it out on special occasions..."
  
  She doesn't offer any other details, and you're left to wonder how a beloved flute could end up lost in the bushes.
  
  "I'll see what I can do," you say, and Mrs. Idlewyld nods
  distractedly.
  
  > examine the bushes
  Rows of bushes run down the length of Ash Street, except in front of the tall gray house.
  
  > look at the house
  Nobody ever comes out of the house at the end of Ash Street. But Zoe swears she's seen something moving around inside.
  
  > look at the fence
  The flimsy metal fence and its creaking gate are on the verge of falling apart.
  
  > examine the flowers
  The garden is full of pale flowers. Looking closely, you see a lot of them are stained with dirt.
  
  Looking closer, you see they're all fake. A garden of silk flowers!
  
  > search the bushes
  You push some branches aside, but all you find is the inside of a
  bush.
  
  > go inside
  (first opening the windowless door)
  You timidly approach the door and try the handle: It's locked.
  
  > knock on the door
  You rap tentatively on the door.
  
  Nobody answers.
  
  > look through the windows
  You crane your neck to peer inside a window: Darkness.
  
  > go to the west
  Stout concrete columns flank the station's entrance. Sheriff Dillard's squad car is parked outside.
  
  EXITS: NORTH EAST INSIDE
  
  > examine car
  sky if it weren't for the intimidating rack of lights on top. On the side is a white lion, the emblem of the police department.
  
  The license plate says "DLLARD."
  
  > examine the Station
  The lights are on inside. The police welcome visits from concerned citizens at any hour.
  
  > enter
  A portrait of the President smiles at you welcomingly from across the lobby, above a carefully organized bulletin board. It doesn't feel
  like you're standing in the nerve center of Opasassa law enforcement; most rooms back at the high school are more intimidating than this. There's even wall-to-wall carpeting in here.
  
  EXITS: OUTSIDE
  
  Sheriff Dillard is sitting uneasily in his easy chair, twiddling his thumbs in minor agitation.
  
  > look at Dillard
  Sheriff Dillard looks uneasy, like he forgot some homework. But he doesn't have to do homework. He's an adult.
  
  > talk to Dillard
  "Hey, Sheriff. What's wrong?"
  
  "Oh, nothing's wrong, Becca. I just wish I had something to do."
  
  "Don't you usually do a crossword puzzle when you're waiting for
  police work?"
  
  "Yeah. But I did today's crossword. I did every crossword in every paper published in this town going back five or six months. I solved 'em all. I am fresh out of puzzles."
  
  "Aw, I'm sorry to hear that," you say (although you kind of wish you were in his shoes).
  
  > go north
  The neon sign is dark; the Weeping Willow is closed for the day.
  
  Its namesake rustles slightly in the wind.
  
  EXITS: NORTH EAST SOUTH
  
  Kyle is here, working on his Gremlin.
  
  > look at Kyle
  You try to admire Kyle surreptitiously: His dimpled chin, his slicked-back hair, his arms. Then he looks up and waves: As you try to convince your arm to wave back, you notice you've been holding your breath.
  
  So you have to figure out how to sigh deeply and wave your hand at the same time, and look totally natural doing it, and the effort almost defeats you.
  
  > examine Gremlin
  Kyle's powder-blue Gremlin: A magnificent machine. The little chrome eagle on the hood is perpetually swooping down upon the future.
  
  Kyle has the hood up at the moment, so that he may inspect its mystifying innards.
  
  > talk to Kyle
  You take a deep breath before you approach him.
  
  "Hey, Kyle," you say. "Whatcha working on?"
  
  "I'm giving the old bird a complete overhaul," he says. He calls the Gremlin his "old bird" because of its swooping eagle hood ornament. "Your brother and I might take her to a drag race this weekend."
  
  "That's so cool," you say. You have to steer the conversation away
  from your brother. "What kinds of modifications are you making?"
  
  "Well, I replaced the manifold," he says, pointing to a part that
  looks like all the other parts, "and I realigned the distributor, and
  I adjusted some of the solenoids that were misbehaving. But she needs something else. She needs some extra oomph, or we're not gonna make much of a splash at that race."
  
  He stares down into the heart of his car, and pulls out a towel to
  wipe the sweat from his brow.
  
  > Smell towel
  Kyle is holding the towel at the moment.
  
  > Examine willow
  Which do you mean, the diner or the tree?
  
  > Tree
  The willow seems especially mournful when the diner is nearly abandoned.
  
  > look at the diner
  Through the windows you can see chairs stacked on tables. It's dark in there.
  
  > go inside
  You try the door: Locked.
  
  > Go north
  A mannequin in a threadbare dress stands in a yellowed window, frozen in the middle of waving at you. The front door is propped open with a brick.
  
  EXITS: SOUTH INSIDE
  
  > examine the mannequin
  The mannequin has no face, but it does have a little bit of attitude. The discolored window make its clothes look dirty and its "skin" jaundiced.
  
  > examine the brick
  The brick is painted with a beach scene: Sand, sky, palm trees.
  
  > Enter
  From outside, the window made everything in here look yellow. Inside, the fluorescent lights cast everything in a cadaverous
  blue-white.
  
  Long shelves are filled to capacity with junk. A dented cabinet is displayed near the counter.
  
  EXITS: OUTSIDE
  
  Behind the counter sits Hazel, loudly chewing a huge wad of gum.
  
  > look at Hazel
  Hazel is about your age, but the two of you don't hang out much. She's a bit too bossy, and her fashion sense is hard to deal with. Like
  those cat's-eye glasses she wears all the time.
  
  > examine the junk
  You notice the belt you donated last year is still here. So much stuff here, and none of it is useful.
  
  > look at the cabinet
  Hazel notices your gaze and steps between you and the cabinet.
  
  "I'm gonna tell you a secret, Becky. This cabinet came from the particle physics department up at the university. It got exposed to rays. And now it has powers."
  
  "Powers?" you say, trying not to betray anything with your tone or expression.
  
  "I don't know how it works. I'm not a quantum scientist. But I know what it does. Anything you put inside this cabinet will go back in time. By about three weeks."
  
  You squint at the cabinet. It seems perfectly normal.
  
  "I'm not messing with you. For instance, let's say you have a moldy loaf of bread. Put it in here, close the door, open it again���"
  
  "And the bread won't be moldy anymore?"
  
  Hazel shakes her head. "No, no, no. It'll turn back into flour and
  eggs and stuff. Unless the bread was already more than three weeks old."
  
  "I get it," you say, nodding. But you can tell Hazel isn't convinced that you're convinced.
  
  > enter the cabinet
  You figure the cabinet is big enough that a smallish human like yourself could fit inside. But you're not about to try it while Hazel is watching.
  
  > talk to Hazel
  "Hi, Hazel."
  
  "Hey, Becca. You looking for anything in particular?"
  
  "Uh, no, just browsing," you say.
  
  Hazel responds by popping her gum loudly.
  
  > examine the junk
  Your glance falls on a viola case, and you feel a pang of guilt. So much stuff here, and none of it is useful.
  
  > examine the junk
  On the top shelf is a ceramic duck that someone did a poor job of gluing back together. So much stuff here, and none of it is useful.
  
  > Go outside
  A mannequin in a threadbare dress stands in a yellowed window, frozen in the middle of waving at you. The front door is propped open with a brick.
  
  EXITS: SOUTH INSIDE
  
  > think
  You mutter to yourself: "Am I missing something? Is there somewhere I haven't looked? Someone I haven't talked to? Zoe might know what to
  do. Or Miss Muriel..."
  
  > Go east
  Can't go that way!
  
  AVAILABLE EXITS: SOUTH INSIDE
  
  > Go east
  The junkyard is surrounded by tall walls of rusty sheet metal. A
  little booth sits at the entrance. Inside are long rows of disintegrating cars and occasional unidentifiable debris.
  
  EXITS: WEST
  
  Hank is slumped over the sill of his booth, struggling to keep both eyes open.
  
  > examine Hank
  As far as you can tell, Hank's only job is to guard his salvage yard from intruders. The trouble is, he tends to be sleeping on the job
  most of the time. Right now, it looks like he's just dozing, which is really a best-case scenario for him.
  
  > Examine booth
  Hank seems to spend most of his life in his claustrophobic guard post. It looks like he has a TV in there.
  
  You could almost imagine yourself enjoying being stuck in such a cozy little place, if it weren't for the surroundings.
  
  > look at the cars
  From outside you can only see a fraction of Hank's massive collection of refuse. None of it looks valuable or even interesting.
  
  > talk to Hank
  "Hank? Hello?"
  
  Hank looks up from the ground and shakes his shaggy head. "Oh, hey, Rebecca. Sorry, I just..."
  
  His eyes close, and he returns to his original position.
  
  > Go inside
  As you move past the booth, Hank snaps at you: "This ain't no place
  for little girls, Miss Drapkin."
  
  You back off.
  
  > go west
  Vines are creeping up the walls of the squat little KSAS building, almost reaching the boarded-up windows. The radio tower stretches overhead, its lower bars covered in rust.
  
  EXITS: NORTH SOUTH EAST WEST INSIDE
  
  > Go south
  At the center of Opasassa is its water tower, a massive white bulb supported by a web of steel beams. Giant letters are printed on the side: From as far away as Glenburn, you can see them spell out "OPASASSA." From right underneath, though, they barely look like letters.
  
  A narrow ladder is well-hidden among the bars.
  
  EXITS: NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST UP
  
  > Go east
  hill in central Florida. The house on the outside of the curve has a sign posted outside: It's also the studio of Professor Rubach, the piano teacher.
  
  EXITS: SOUTH WEST INSIDE
  
  > go inside
  The carpet in here is so nice, you wonder if you were supposed to take off your shoes. Well, too late now.
  
  Most of Professor Rubach's living room is taken up by a gleaming baby grand piano. Two paintings hang on the wall: On the left, a gamboling faun; on the right, a stern portrait.
  
  EXITS: OUTSIDE
  
  You can see Professor Rubach here.
  
  > examine the faun
  A goat-legged man is hopping through the forest, playing a pan flute.
  A smear of pink paint in the background might be someone chasing after him.
  
  > examine stern
  A man with sunken eyes and a pointed beard glares off to the side, perpetually unimpressed with whatever is happening beneath him.
  
  > Examine prof.
  The professor is built like a Mack truck, and it's hard to believe his huge fingers are any use on the delicate keys of a piano. But his face is warm and friendly, to match the coziness of his little studio.
  
  > examine the piano
  The piano seems like it should be impossible to play: So many
  different keys! They can't all be completely necessary.
  
  > talk tothe prof .
  "Hey, Professor."
  
  "Hello, Rebecca! Are you interested at all in taking piano lessons?"
  
  "Uh, not at the moment. I just wanted to know how Eddie Lee is doing."
  
  "He's doing very well, I must say. He has a natural talent for the instrument, and an admirable devotion to musicianship."
  
  "That's great to hear," you say, although you'd like to add: Are you sure you mean Eddie Lee?