system
You are the dungeon master of a text adventure game. The game should involve the following genres and tags:
, Australian,built-in map,compass status display,cover art,female protagonist,homosexual,horror,house setting,IF Comp 2010,IFComp Game,mystery,profanity,psychological,thriller,walkthrough,Xyzzy Awards 2010
gpt
Help                  : H
Start a New Game      : (SPACE)
Restore               : R
Quit                  : Q

IMPORTANT: If this is your first time playing The Blind House, please type H and read the Introduction to The Blind House for some general guidelines on how to play.

Two women. Overcoats, the collars turned against the cold. Windswept hair, anxious eyes. Feet shuffling closer to a modest house.

The taller woman, a step behind her companion, suppresses a shiver. Her jaw hardens, almost imperceptibly.

Graphicless version of competition release - for ClubFloyd.

The wind howls at our backs as Marissa fumbles with the lock on the front door. Her little fingers, the tips blue and shrunken, seem to struggle with the bulky mortice key. I bite down on my impatience before it has a chance to flare.

It is uncertainty that holds me back from assisting. It's not exactly by invitation that I find myself here - more, by necessity - so my grasp of social propriety is somewhat shaken. My nerves, already on edge, are further stirred by the unseasonal cold and I rub my hands together, more as something to occupy my mind than as a genuine attempt to fight the numbness.

At last, the lock clicks open and Marissa pushes the door open. "Sorry," she murmurs. "Come in. Please." I oblige without delay, stepping into the relative warmth and darkness of Marissa's entry hall. The dimness, the overall drop in stimulation, is soothing. I try not to look too disappointed when she flicks on the light switch.

"Is there anything... can I get you something?" Marissa's eyes avoid mine as she delicately shrugs off her coat. I get the distinct impression she's not accustomed to playing hostess and I feel an inconvenient twinge of guilt. I mentally stomp on it. Now is not the time for self-doubt.

[1] "I'm fine. Thank you, Marissa."
[2] "Please, don't worry about me. I'm just thankful to be... out of the wind."
[3] "I'm... actually very tired. Would you mind showing me to somewhere I could sleep?"

[To respond in dialogue, enter a number, or enter "repeat" to reacquaint yourself with the options.]
human
2
gpt
"Yes. Yes, of course." She pauses for a moment, staring, then blushes and looks away. "I'll show you the... your room. There are extra blankets in the cupboard if... if it's cold tonight."
We are half way down the hall before I even register we have started walking.

Helena's Bedroom (on the bed)

Marissa closes the door behind her and I sigh in relief, sinking down on the bed.
human
About yourself
gpt
Helena. I'm neatly dressed in a beige overcoat, a white blouse and modest brown skirt. My pale hair follows the curve of my spine in a long, but practical, plait.
human
About you
gpt
Helena. I'm holding together.
human
You check your inventory
gpt
Feeling in my skirt pockets, my fingers brush against the cold, unnerving steel of a kitchen knife. I'm wearing my beige overcoat and my blouse and skirt.
human
You look at the knife
gpt
It's a clean, ordinary kitchen knife.
human
You think about the knife
gpt
I suppose it's for self-defence, but I feel an inexplicable queasiness when I think about it. Something happened last night that I don't wish to contemplate.
human
You examine the bed
gpt
It's a single-sized bed, with a panelled bedhead and deep blue duvet. There is a minimal bedside table next to the bed.
human
You look at the hair
gpt
White-blonde. Even plaited, it nearly reaches my hips.
human
You examine the duvet
gpt
Dark blue. It looks warm.

I struggle against the exhausted trembling of my hands.
human
Wear duvet
gpt
(first trying to take the duvet)
I have no reason to take that.
human
You describe your surroundings
gpt
Helena's Bedroom (on the bed)
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, reflected in a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is a closed door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You examine the mirror
gpt
There's a mirror facing the foot of the bed. I can't see much reflected in it from here.
human
You open the cupboard
gpt
(first getting off the bed)
The room dips threateningly as I get to my feet. My limbs attempt to tremble; I suppress them impatiently. Sleeping somewhere so foreign to me will be difficult, but I must be near collapsing from exhaustion. I should at least try to get some rest.
human
You examine the cupboard
gpt
An oak linen cupboard, imposingly tall and square-edged. Bevelled double-doors hang above a large drawer at the base.
human
You examine the door
gpt
My bedroom door. It's closed.
human
You look at the window
gpt
The window mostly looks out onto the fence between Marissa's property and her neighbour's. The fence itself is plain chain-link, but some privacy is offered by the climbing rose vine.

Evening approaches. It is still light outside, though the sky is dreary.

Cream-coloured venetian blinds are in their compressed position above the window.
human
You enter the bed
gpt
I sit down on the bed.
human
Doff overcoat
gpt
I... no, not right now. My coat gives me a certain feeling of security. I'll take it off later.
human
Sleep
gpt
I'm so tired that my hands are trembling involuntarily, but I'm just not comfortable enough to sleep yet. If only I could make this room feel safer, somehow. It's light in here, and I feel uneasy about my door being unlocked.

The mirror facing the bed stares back at me, menacing.

Fatigue plucks at the edges of my consciousness. It's getting late.
human
You think about the mirror
gpt
A hazy memory from last night wavers at the periphery of my mind. I feel my skin prickle.
human
You lock the door
gpt
(first getting off the bed)
With what key?
human
You look around
gpt
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, reflected in a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is a closed door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You open the drawer
gpt
Sliding open the drawer, I impatiently wave away the wispy cloud of dust that floats forth. I can see some paintings stacked up inside.
human
You examine the paintings
gpt
A stack of old paintings. They can't have been touched for years - even inside the drawer, they've somehow managed to accumulate a thin layer of dust. Their subjects all seem to be women relaxing together in various settings - under parasols in a scenic park, by a fireplace in a cosy living room, lazing on a drifting canal boat.
human
You opethe double-doors
gpt
I open the cupboard doors. Peering inside, I see a few shelves covered in neatly-folded bed linens.

My vision is fading around the edges. I need to sleep, as soon as possible.
human
You take linens
gpt
I take a single blanket from the shelf.
human
You put the blanket on the window
gpt
That would be pointless.
human
You examine the blanket
gpt
It's a cream synthetic blanket.
human
You cover the mirror with the blanket
gpt
I throw the blanket over the mirror.
human
You close the blinds
gpt
I close the blinds.

My eyes take but a moment to adjust; the darkness is soothing.
human
Look around
gpt
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is a closed door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You open the door
gpt
I open my bedroom door.

Light radiates back into the room.
human
You examine the door
gpt
My bedroom door. It's open.
human
You enter door
gpt
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is a door which I can only assume leads to the master bedroom.
human
You knock on the door
gpt
(the east door)
I knock gently on the east door.

There is no response. I don't think Marissa's in there.
human
You knock on the east door
gpt
I knock gently on the east door.

There is no response. I don't think Marissa's in there.
human
You open the east door
gpt
It seems to be locked.
human
You describe your surroundings
gpt
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is a door which I can only assume leads to the master bedroom.

I struggle against the exhausted trembling of my hands.
human
You go to the south
gpt
Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. Doors in the east and west walls lead to other rooms. The living room is to the south.
human
Go west
gpt
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is an open door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You examine the window
gpt
The blinds are closed.
human
You close the door
gpt
I close my bedroom door.

My eyes take but a moment to adjust; the darkness is soothing.
human
You examine the door
gpt
My bedroom door. It's closed.
human
You lock the door
gpt
With what key?
human
You examine the door
gpt
My bedroom door. It's closed.

My vision is fading around the edges. I need to sleep, as soon as possible.
human
Look around
gpt
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is a closed door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You enter the bed
gpt
I sit down on the bed.
human
Sleep
gpt
I'm so tired that my hands are trembling involuntarily, but I'm just not comfortable enough to sleep yet. If only I could make this room feel safer, somehow. I feel uneasy about my door being unlocked.
human
You look around
gpt
Helena's Bedroom (on the bed)
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is a closed door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You examine the cupboard
gpt
An oak linen cupboard, imposingly tall and square-edged. Bevelled double-doors hang above a large drawer at the base.

The double-doors hang open, revealing several shelves covered in bed linens.
human
You open the drawer
gpt
(first getting off the bed)
That's already open.
human
Stab linens
gpt
I'm loath to encourage such violence.
human
Go east
gpt
(first opening my bedroom door)
Hallway
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is a door which I can only assume leads to the master bedroom.

My vision is fading around the edges. I need to sleep, as soon as possible.
human
Go south
gpt
(first opening the hallway door)
Living Room
It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is a display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible through the glass.

A door to the north leads to the hallway and doors in the east and west walls lead to other rooms. The entry hall is to the south.
human
You examine table
gpt
The dining table is so tiny it's almost square.
human
You examine the chairs
gpt
A pair of dining chairs flank each side of the little table.
human
You examine the cabinet
gpt
The cabinet is dark timber with a glass panel. I can see some strange-looking ornaments lining a shelf inside.
human
You examine the ornaments
gpt
I'm a little taken aback by the ornaments. They're crude and disfigured, limbs out of proportion and faces melted into disturbing expressions - screams, sighs, grimaces. They're certainly not what I would choose to display in my own living room.
human
You go south
gpt
A nondescript alcove separates the front door from the living area to the north. Two large windows here allow a little light to permeate the otherwise dull living room.
human
You open the door
gpt
What an unconscionable thought. No. I'm not safe out there.
human
Go north
gpt
It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is a display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible through the glass.

A door to the north leads to the hallway and doors in the east and west walls lead to other rooms. The entry hall is to the south.
human
You go west
gpt
(first opening the west door)
Kitchen
The kitchen has a dated feel to it; a laminate bench runs around two walls of the room, and white tiles line the wall above an aging sink and stove. An old fridge is tucked into the far corner of the room, and several potted plants decorate the bench around the spotless appliances.

A calendar and old-fashioned cordless phone hang on the wall near the door leading east.

My vision is fading around the edges. I need to sleep, as soon as possible.
human
You go east
gpt
It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is a display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible through the glass.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to another room. The entry hall is to the south.
human
You go east
gpt
(first trying to open the east door)
It seems to be locked.
human
Go north
gpt
Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. Doors in the east and west walls lead to other rooms. The living room is to the south.
human
Go west
gpt
(first opening the west door)
Bathroom
The bathroom is modestly sized and equipped, and as pristine as a hospital room. A white basin faces the door, a small mirrored cabinet attached to the wall above it. A toilet and shower are fixed against the north and south walls respectively. Just left of the doorway on the east wall is a small plastic table, covered in toiletries and other miscellany.
human
You go east
gpt
Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. A door in the west wall leads to the bathroom and a door in the east wall leads to another room. The living room is to the south.
human
Go east
gpt
(first opening the east door)
Studio
This is surely an artist's studio. The concrete-floored room gives the impression of spaciousness simply because of how empty it is: an artist's easel sits right in the centre of the space, with an expensive-looking chair facing it. A floor-length window on the east wall adds to the discomforting sense of open space. The north wall, bare-bricked, looks strangely out of character with the painted walls of the rest of the house. The door is set into the west wall.

Marissa, apparently deep in concentration, doesn't even glance up from her painting as I enter the room.
human
You talk to Marissa
gpt
Marissa turns her eyes upon me, questioning.

[1] "Is there a key to my room?"
human
1
gpt
Marissa fiddles nervously with her blouse. It strikes me how unnecessarily frilly the thing is; she certainly has plenty to fiddle with. "Is it not by the bedside? I must've forgotten, sorry. A minute..."

I watch her patter down the hallway and dart into my room. Her desire to take care of me seems more genuine than is warranted - or deserved, I catch myself thinking. Before last month, we had not seen each other since sixth form at college, years ago. She had no real reason to help me, no real reason to bring me to her home today.

On the other hand, it seems pointless to question her motives when I'm unable to clarify even my own. Last night... I didn't know what to do. She just happened to be the one I remembered. Maybe I thought I could be anonymous here. Safe.

Maybe I just knew she'd be unable to refuse.

I see Marissa walking back down the hall towards me, an odd look on her face. A vague look, I think. Something approaching regret stirs in me - maybe it's my own unease that has flustered her into losing keys. "Here," she says, dropping the key into my expectant palm, "I'm sorry." I manage to suppress a grimace as she places a well-meaning hand on my injured arm.

"I know having a key must be important to you now," she goes on, "but... you'll be safe here, you know. I don't think anyone could have followed us."

[1] "Thank you for understanding."
[2] "I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Thank you."
[3] "It's difficult to be certain of that. Thanks for the key."
human
You think about the arm
gpt
[To respond in dialogue, enter a number, or enter "repeat" to reacquaint yourself with the options.]
human
1
gpt
She smiles uncertainly and returns to her painting.

I struggle against the exhausted trembling of my hands.
human
You examine the arm
gpt
They're tender.
human
You think about arm
gpt
They're fine. They'll be fine.

Marissa's brush flicks deftly against the canvas as she refines some small detail.
human
Go west
gpt
Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. A door in the west wall leads to the bathroom and a door in the east wall leads to Marissa's studio. The living room is to the south.
human
You lock the door
gpt
(with my bedroom door key)
I lock my bedroom door.
human
You enter the bed
gpt
I sit down on the bed.
human
You look at your surroundings
gpt
I double-check the lock on the door and undress in the dark, tossing my clothes onto a shelf in the wardrobe. The bedsheets are comfortingly crisp against my skin.

I am so thoroughly exhausted that - blissfully - I drift off to sleep almost immediately and am not forced to endure the company of my thoughts for long.

Nightmares chase me for hours.
But I'm already on the bed.
I wake suddenly, disoriented.

The room is dark and I have neither clock nor watch, but I feel certain it is not yet dawn. There is a strange splattering noise coming from outside; it takes me a moment to register it as rain.

The window rattles in the wind and the blinds chatter against the pane. I stand, my bare flesh prickling in the cold, and wander over to the window. The blinds seem damp and I wonder if the window is leaking. Moisture beads, brims, overflows in a pattern that seems chillingly familiar. The slats - so sharp - are not slats: they are knives, and the knives are in my hands. Rivulets of auburn bleed into the rain, plasmatic. Red stains spreading to the rhythm of the rattling window.
A gasp sounds as I bring the knives down again. My gasp. I wake again - properly - my heart racing painfully. Awake. Thank god.
Helena's Bedroom (on the bed)
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is a closed door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.

It is dark in here, but I can still make out the room around me.
human
You look around
gpt
Helena's Bedroom (on the bed)
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is a closed door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.

It is dark in here, but I can still make out the room around me.
human
You look in cupboard
gpt
(first opening the linen cupboard)
Inside the cupboard are a few shelves covered in neatly-folded bed linens. My overcoat is in here, too.
human
You wear the overcoat
gpt
(first trying to take the beige overcoat)
I don't need it just now.
human
You think about House
gpt
Feeling in my skirt pockets, my fingers brush against my bedroom door key and the cold, unnerving steel of a kitchen knife. I'm wearing my blouse and skirt.

>I'm not sure what that refers to.
human
Sleep
gpt
My arms are a mess. I'll have to clean them up before going back to bed.
human
You look at the arms
gpt
My arms look terrible. The blood is fresh and bright, the cuts underneath about a day old. They must have been aggravated as I slept.

Running some water over my arms might help to relieve the heat and itching.
human
You go east
gpt
(first unlocking my bedroom door with my bedroom door key, then opening my bedroom door)
Hallway
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is a door which I can only assume leads to the master bedroom.
human
Go south
gpt
Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. A door in the west wall leads to the bathroom and a door in the east wall leads to Marissa's studio. The living room is to the south.
human
You go to the west
gpt
The bathroom is modestly sized and equipped, and as pristine as a hospital room. A white basin faces the door, a small mirrored cabinet attached to the wall above it. A toilet and shower are fixed against the north and south walls respectively. Just left of the doorway on the east wall is a small plastic table, covered in toiletries and other miscellany.
human
You close the door
gpt
I close the bathroom door.
human
You turn on the sink
gpt
I turn on the basin tap.
human
Wash arms
gpt
I run some cool water over my itching forearms. Bloodied water swirls down the drain, stark against the white of the basin.

Oddly, there seems to be some redness under my fingernails, too. I pick out some dried flakes and wash them away.
human
You examine arms
gpt
With the blood cleaned away, the gashes on my arms are exposed, looking like so many horrid red mouths.
human
You examine the toiletries
gpt
An assortment of feminine toiletries. Nothing unexpected.
human
You open the cabinet
gpt
(first trying to open the medicine cabinet)
It seems to be locked.

>It seems to be locked.
human
Search table
gpt
On the plastic table are some toiletries, a perfume bottle, a packet of plasters, a bottle of hair dye and a vase.
human
You look at the plasters
gpt
A 50-pack of adhesive bandages.
human
You look at the vase
gpt
A traditional tall vase in green glazed ceramic. A few browning flowers hang wilted over the lip of the vase.
human
You turn off the sink
gpt
That's already off.
human
You look at the hair dye
gpt
It's a bottle of hair dye. Auburn #602.
human
You look at the perfume
gpt
A pretty, tulip-shaped glass bottle.
human
Bandage arms
gpt
With what?
human
Bandage arms with bandages
gpt
(first trying to take the packet of plasters)
(first opening the packet)
I take a handful of plasters and slip them into my skirt pocket.
human
You examine arms
gpt
With the blood cleaned away, the gashes on my arms are exposed, looking like so many horrid red mouths.
human
Bandage arms with bandages
gpt
(the plasters in my pocket)
I count out twenty plasters - ten for each arm - and methodically peel off each strip of backing paper and stick them in place.

Something wobbles in my peripheral vision. I snap my head up and stare at the mirror, at once on edge. Nothing. Only my reflection staring back at me. The odour of blood must be affecting my senses.
human
Bandage bandage with bandage
gpt
(first trying to take the plasters)
I'd rather leave the plasters where they are.
human
You examine the arms
gpt
They're clean and plastered.
human
You examine the mirror
gpt
I find myself unable to focus on the mirror. My vision fills with black when I try to look at it.
human
You go east
gpt
As I turn to leave, the surface of the mirror draws my eye; it seems, impossibly, to waver and shimmer. I pinch my forehead, trying to stay in the present, but memories from last night overwhelm my conscious mind. A struggle with a knife. A woman, her name I can't recall - only her eyes: angry tunnels, and then suddenly lifeless. Stunned regret supplanted by terror. Fumbling to clean the fast-coagulating mess. Running. Calling the only number I could focus on. Marissa's gentle concern, innocent of the reason for my distress.

Enough. I'm safe here. I should try to sleep again.
human
Go east
gpt
(first opening the bathroom door)
Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. A door in the west wall leads to the bathroom and a door in the east wall leads to Marissa's studio. The living room is to the south.
human
You go to the north
gpt
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is a door which I can only assume leads to the master bedroom.

I can hear a strange muffled sound here, almost like a human voice.
human
You listen to the east door
gpt
The noise is coming from behind the east door. I lean in, pressing a palm to the doorframe, and listen intently. It sounds like whimpering.
human
You knock on the east door
gpt
I knock gently on the east door.

There is no response.
human
You talk
gpt
(myself)
I try not to make a habit of conversing with myself.
human
You think about the door
gpt
Which do I mean, my bedroom door or the east door?
human
You listen to the east door
gpt
The air is silent, now. Perhaps Marissa has also been suffering from nightmares tonight.
human
Go west
gpt
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is an open door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.

It is dark in here, but I can still make out the room around me.

I feel a weird tingling in my right knuckles. I massage them gingerly.
human
You lock the door
gpt
(with my bedroom door key)
(first closing my bedroom door)
I lock my bedroom door.
human
You examine the knuckles
gpt
They're fine. Perhaps a little red, but that may just be the cold. I'm not sure what that tingling was.
human
You sit
gpt
(on the bed)
I sit down on the bed.
human
Y.
gpt
The bed does look inviting. Should I sleep now?
Wearily, I repeat the motions of undressing and crawl into bed.
Morning. I exhale slowly and run my fingertips along my arms, feeling the plasters there. Apparently, last night wasn't just a dream.

Rising from the bed, I stumble over to the cupboard to dress - almost tripping on the open drawer on the way. Did I forget to close it last night?
Excuse me?
human
You close the drawer
gpt
(first getting off the bed)
I close the drawer.
human
Inventory
gpt
Feeling in my skirt pockets, my fingers brush against my bedroom door key and the cold, unnerving steel of a kitchen knife. I'm wearing my blouse and skirt.
human
You look in the drawer
gpt
(first opening the drawer)
A stack of old paintings. They can't have been touched for years - even inside the drawer, they've somehow managed to accumulate a thin layer of dust. Their subjects all seem to be women relaxing together in various settings - under parasols in a scenic park, by a fireplace in a cosy living room, lazing on a drifting canal boat.

This painting looks fresher than those beneath it. The image is disturbing. Moreso, the longer I look at it. Depicted is a woman floating naked in the ocean, red strands of seaweed unfurling in the current and... strangling her about the neck. Her dying eyes are wild, staring upwards as though pleading.

A glint of wayward sunlight flashes at me from the mirror. The blanket must have fallen off sometime during the night.
human
You take the blanket
gpt
I start to lift the blanket and pause, my pulse suddenly in my throat. Is that... blood?
human
No
gpt
It's smeared with blood. I can't remember touching it last night... I'd better leave it here for now.

>I don't understand.
human
You go east
gpt
Marissa's studio. The concrete-floored room gives the impression of spaciousness simply because of how empty it is: an artist's easel sits right in the centre of the space, with an expensive-looking chair facing it. A floor-length window on the east wall adds to the discomforting sense of open space. The north wall, bare-bricked, looks strangely out of character with the painted walls of the rest of the house. The door is set into the west wall.
human
You examine the north wall
gpt
Row after row of exposed, unpainted bricks.
human
You examine the easel
gpt
An old but sturdy wooden easel. There's a canvas on the easel.
human
You examine the canvas
gpt
Marissa is painting a landscape, apparently without visual reference. It looks near completion - a desolate cliff overlooking a misty ocean. Melancholic, but admittedly quite beautiful.
human
You go south
gpt
It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is a display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible through the glass.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to another room. The entry hall is to the south.

The house is utterly still; I think Marissa must have gone out for the day. Perhaps I can take this chance to look around a little.
human
West
gpt
The kitchen has a dated feel to it; a laminate bench runs around two walls of the room, and white tiles line the wall above an aging sink and stove. An old fridge is tucked into the far corner of the room, and several potted plants decorate the bench around the spotless appliances.

A calendar and old-fashioned cordless phone hang on the wall near the door leading east.

A handwritten note has been placed near the middle of the bench.
human
You examine the note
gpt
Helena,
I hope you slept well. Sorry we didn't get a chance to talk much last night - it's just that I'm not used to company. I'll be back this evening. Please make yourself at home.
-M
human
You look in the fridge
gpt
(first opening the fridge)
Marissa's fridge seems reasonably well-stocked; perhaps she bought some of these fresher items yesterday after receiving my call.
human
Examine calendar
gpt
It's a calendar, pinned on the wall and open to the current month. It's completely empty of appointments, but every Tuesday has been neatly highlighted in yellow. Today is Tuesday, I suddenly remember.
human
You examine the sink
gpt
Steel, and stainless indeed. Marissa certainly keeps her space clean.
human
You look at the stove
gpt
The kitchen appliances are of little interest to me.
human
You look at plants
gpt
The plants are pleasant enough; they bring a little life into the drab kitchen.
human
You look at the phone
gpt
A telephone base is attached to the wall, next to the door. A basic-looking handset sits on the cradle.
human
You dial 999
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
(first taking the telephone handset)
(dialing "999")
I have no idea who "999" is.
human
You dial the pizza
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
(dialing "pizza")
I have no idea who "pizza" is.
human
You call the mom
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
(dialing "mom")
I have no idea who "mom" is.
human
You dial marissa
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
(dialing "Marissa")
I have no idea who "Marissa" is.
human
You dial Marrisa
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
(dialing "Marrisa")
I have no idea who "Marrisa" is.
human
You look at the handset
gpt
The handset has very little functionality; it must be a relatively old model. On the LCD, there is a remarkably brief list of what appears to be contacts stored in the phone's memory:

1. Estelle: 01395847839
2. CAB: 01395137503
3. PHC: 01395042356
human
You call the CAB
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
(dialing "CAB")
I have no idea who "CAB" is.
human
Dial 2
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
I'm fairly certain that's the number for the local Citizens Advice Bureau. I have no reason to call them myself.
human
Dial 3
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
PHC... I've no idea who or what that might mean. At any rate, I'm not going to call them.
human
Dial 1
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
I don't even know who "Estelle" is!
human
You look around
gpt
The kitchen has a dated feel to it; a laminate bench runs around two walls of the room, and white tiles line the wall above an aging sink and stove. An old fridge is tucked into the far corner of the room, and several potted plants decorate the bench around the spotless appliances.

A calendar and old-fashioned cordless phone hang on the wall near the door leading east.

A handwritten note has been placed near the middle of the bench.
human
You open the fridge
gpt
That's already open.
human
You close the fridge
gpt
I close the fridge.
human
You go east
gpt
I replace the telephone handset on the base.

It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is a display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible through the glass.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to another room. The entry hall is to the south.
human
Examine tv
gpt
The old television set is hooked up to a video recorder. A box on the floor nearby seems to be filled with several video cassettes.

The television is off.
human
You look at the box
gpt
It's a plain cardboard box. Inside, there are some films on cassette tape, as well as some homemade tapes labelled "all the roses that were ever painted" and "Neverending Fantasia".
human
You turn on the tv
gpt
I switch the television on.
human
You put Fantasia in the vcr
gpt
(first taking the "Neverending Fantasia" tape)
Immediately, a new image appears on the television screen.

"Neverending Fantasia" - it looks to be a children's film about a boy who escapes an unhappy reality and ventures into a fantasy world. Even fast-forwarding through it, I can see how the tape has been damaged in sections from countless viewings.
human
You look at all the the roses
gpt
It's a videocassette tape labelled "all the roses that were ever painted".
human
You put all the the roses that were ever painted in the vcr
gpt
(first taking the "all the roses that were ever painted" tape)
(first removing the "Neverending Fantasia" tape)
I put the "Neverending Fantasia" tape back in the box.

Immediately, a new image appears on the television screen.

A documentary about Matisse. Skimming through it, I find myself questioning why the man is so famous; his paintings look gaudy and amateurish to me - not at all like the little I've seen of Marissa's art. The film covers some philosophising about the purity of art and the dangers of expressing "over-excitement" in a painting. Most interesting is the sentiment expressed towards the end, an entreaty to all artists: "guard the original naivet?". Fascinating - at least, as far as it concerns those with naivet? left to guard. I wonder how much Marissa takes these philosophies to heart.
human
You sit on the armchair
gpt
I sit down on the armchair, facing the television. A cardboard box on the floor nearby appears to be providing storage for a collection of video cassettes.
human
You open cabinet
gpt
(first leaving the armchair)
I open the cabinet.

Some misshapen, unglazed red clay ornaments decorate the shelf. They're unsettling to look at.

One ornament stands out from the disturbing clay figures: an imposing porcelain queen, swathed in an elaborate blue gown, her head tilted back regally.
human
You look at the queen
gpt
The detail on the porcelain figure is incredible. It exudes a presence that belies its tiny stature. Quite a contrast to the ugly ornaments surrounding it.
human
You think about the queen
gpt
Judging by the sheer level of detail, this ornament must have cost some serious money. It might even be an antique. It certainly doesn't fit in with anything else in the room. A gift, perhaps?
human
You go east
gpt
(first trying to open the east door)
It seems to be locked.
human
You look around
gpt
It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is an open display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible inside.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to another room. The entry hall is to the south.
human
Go north
gpt
Hallway (north end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the south. In the west wall is a door leading to another room. A striking painting hangs on the north wall.
human
You examine the painting
gpt
The painting is of a brightly coloured landscape: a silhouetted forest against a vivid sunset, stark orange casting the foreground into blues. The figure of a woman can be made out in the darkness, clinging to a tree dramatically. Her long hair covers her face.
human
You think about the painting
gpt
The very bottom of the painting lacks detail - it looks almost unfinished, as though the artist had finished all the important details and then abandoned the effort.
human
You examine the woman
gpt
She is almost draped across the tree, her hair falling wildly across her face, rendering her without identity.
human
Go west
gpt
(first opening the west door)
Laundry
I find myself in a tiny laundry; there is scarcely room to move around the sink and washing machine that occupy most of the space in here, and I'm forced to hunch inelegantly to avoid being battered by the clothes hanging from a line across the ceiling. A crumpled blouse is on the lid of the washing machine.

In the west wall is a door leading outside.
human
You look at the blouse
gpt
(Marissa's blouse)
A pale, long-sleeved blouse, smelling faintly of perfume. It is stained dark on one sleeve.
human
You look at the stain
gpt
It looks like an ink stain, perhaps an imprint from something Marissa had written on her arm. Squinting, I think I can almost make out writing. "4, 9"?
human
Keep going
gpt
It's probably an imprint from something Marissa had written on her arm. It says "4, 9".
human
You look at clothesline
gpt
A thin plastic line is suspended across the ceiling, with an assortment of ladies' garments on hangers arranged along it.
human
You examine the washer
gpt
A top-loading washing machine. A blouse has been tossed onto the lid, presumably waiting to be washed.
human
You look in the washer
gpt
(first taking Marissa's blouse)
(first opening the washing machine)
The washing machine is empty.
human
Don blouse
gpt
(Marissa's blouse)
It's too small for me. Besides, it's not clean.
human
You go west
gpt
I feel cold beads of sweat forming on my neck as I consider going outside. Marissa's assurance that no-one could possibly have followed us here seems empty and foolhardy with the outside world so close. I hesitate, wrestling with my rapid breathing. It is only her back garden, I tell myself. No-one is there.

No point in dragging Marissa's blouse around. I'll leave it here.

(first opening the back door)
Back Garden
The back door opens westward onto a small, fairly sparse back garden. A pair of concrete steps lead down from the doorway onto a neat but plain lawn, and facing them is a chain-link fence separating Marissa's property from her neighbour's. The fence is completely covered by a thick rose vine bearing magnificent red flowers.
human
You examine the flowers
gpt
The vine is heavy with red roses.
human
You look at the fence
gpt
A chain-link fence, weighed down by a climbing rose vine.
human
Look around
gpt
The back door opens westward onto a small, fairly sparse back garden. A pair of concrete steps lead down from the doorway onto a neat but plain lawn, and facing them is a chain-link fence separating Marissa's property from her neighbour's. The fence is completely covered by a thick rose vine bearing magnificent red flowers.

I find my breath is coming in short gasps. Being outdoors is making me intensely nervous.
human
You take the rose
gpt
(the roses on the vine)
Carefully avoiding the thorns, I gather a handful of roses from the vine.

I blink and frown in the glare of the clouds, conscious that a neighbour could be watching me.
human
Smell the roses
gpt
(the cluster of roses)
They're fresh and heady.
human
Go down
gpt
There's nowhere to go in that direction. The only obvious exit is east (to the laundry).
human
You look at the roses
gpt
(the cluster of roses)
A handful of vivid red roses.
human
Inventory
gpt
I'm holding a cluster of roses.

Feeling in my skirt pockets, my fingers brush against my bedroom door key and the cold, unnerving steel of a kitchen knife. I'm wearing my blouse and skirt.
human
Go east
gpt
The laundry is tiny; there is scarcely room to move around the sink and washing machine that occupy most of the space in here, and I'm forced to hunch inelegantly to avoid being battered by the clothes hanging from a line across the ceiling. A crumpled blouse is on the lid of the washing machine.

In the west wall is a door leading outside.
human
You close the door
gpt
Which do I mean, the back door or the laundry door?
human
Back
gpt
I close the back door.
human
Go east
gpt
Hallway (north end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the south. In the west wall is a door leading to the laundry. A striking painting hangs on the north wall.
human
You examine the painting
gpt
The painting is of a brightly coloured landscape: a silhouetted forest against a vivid sunset, stark orange casting the foreground into blues. The figure of a woman can be made out in the darkness, clinging to a tree dramatically. Her long hair covers her face.
human
You examine the woman
gpt
She is almost draped across the tree, her hair falling wildly across her face, rendering her without identity.
human
You look behind the painting
gpt
The forest has an enchanting illusion of depth to it, but there's only blank wall behind the painting.
human
Go south
gpt
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is a door which I can only assume leads to the master bedroom.
human
Go south
gpt
(first trying to open the front door)
What an unconscionable thought. No. I'm not safe out there.
human
You think about the roses
gpt
These could make a thoughtful gift. No-one has ever given me flowers.
human
You put the flowers in the vase
gpt
(the cluster of roses in the vase)
There's no room for the roses with those dead flowers in the vase.
human
You take dead
gpt
I pluck out the ruined flowers and flush them away. As I begin to tip out the murky water, a quiet clank sounds from inside the vase, and I barely catch a small yale key before it drops down the drain.
human
You put the flowers in vase
gpt
I fill the vase with some water, then take some time to satisfactorily arrange the roses. They improve the room considerably.
human
You examine the flowers
gpt
A handful of vivid red roses.
human
You go east
gpt
As I turn to leave, I catch sight of my hands. My fingertips are slightly stained, as though the red from the roses has rubbed off onto them. Impossible, surely. I turn on the tap and rinse my fingers, frowning. Reddish water swirls down the drain, stark against the white of the basin.

Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. A door in the west wall leads to the bathroom and a door in the east wall leads to Marissa's studio. The living room is to the south.
human
You unlock the east door with the key
gpt
Which do I mean, the yale key or my bedroom door key?
human
Yale
gpt
That's unlocked at the moment.
human
Go north
gpt
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is a door which I can only assume leads to the master bedroom.
human
Go west
gpt
The bathroom is modestly sized and equipped, and as pristine as a hospital room. A white basin faces the door, a small mirrored cabinet attached to the wall above it. A toilet and shower are fixed against the north and south walls respectively. Just left of the doorway on the east wall is a small plastic table, covered in toiletries and other miscellany. A vase of red roses lends some colour to the otherwise monochromatic room.

Marissa's bottle of hairdye has fallen onto the floor. Fortunately, none of the content seems to have spilled.
human
You take the hair dye
gpt
Frowning slightly, I place the bottle back on the plastic table.
human
You unlock the cabinet with the yale key
gpt
I unlock the medicine cabinet.
human
You open medicine cabinet
gpt
I open the medicine cabinet.

The interior of the cabinet is stained with age, but spotlessly clean. Inside, I can see a canister of Valium and a tube of superglue.
human
You examine the glue
gpt
Super Glue. Bonds on contact.
human
You take the glue
gpt
Taken.
human
You think about the Valium
gpt
Valium? I wouldn't have expected Marissa to assent to such quackery.
human
You read the Valium
gpt
Diazepam: anxiolytic, hypnotic. For treating symptoms of anxiety, agitation and insomnia. Take one tablet once a day as directed by doctor.
human
You think about the glue
gpt
Always useful, I suppose.
human
You enter shower
gpt
I'm clean.
human
You look at toilet
gpt
A white toilet.
human
You open the fridge
gpt
Marissa's fridge seems reasonably well-stocked; perhaps she bought some of these fresher items yesterday after receiving my call.
human
Water plants
gpt
They look very well tended to without my interference.
human
Break queen
gpt
For some reason, I do feel violently inclined towards the porcelain queen. I think it's that haughty expression. I'm not going to damage Marissa's possessions, though.
human
You pick up queen
gpt
I lift the queen, involuntarily reverent. She - it - is heavier than it appears, but I'm still so struck by its delicacy that I carefully place it back on its shelf.
human
You pull the chairs
gpt
The chairs are fine where they are.
human
You enter chair
gpt
I sit down on the lesser-used dining chair. I feel an inexplicable discomfort, sitting here.
human
You stand
gpt
I stand.
human
You think about the dining table
gpt
On closer inspection, it looks like the table folds out to a more substantial length, but the hinges are rusted stiff from disuse.
human
Look around
gpt
Living Room (on the chairs)
It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is an open display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible inside.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to another room. The entry hall is to the south.
human
You stand on the table
gpt
(first leaving the chairs)
That's not something I can stand on.
human
You look at the shelf
gpt
There are some ornaments on the shelf. They're crude and disfigured, limbs out of proportion and faces melted into disturbing expressions - screams, sighs, grimaces. They're certainly not what I would choose to display in my own living room.

Odd. That porcelain queen seems to have disappeared from the cabinet. Marissa must have moved it out of sight.
human
Inventory
gpt
Feeling in my skirt pockets, my fingers brush against a tube of superglue, a medicine cabinet key, my bedroom door key and the cold, unnerving steel of a kitchen knife. I'm wearing my blouse and skirt.
human
You look at the ornaments
gpt
They're crude and disfigured, limbs out of proportion and faces melted into disturbing expressions - screams, sighs, grimaces. They're certainly not what I would choose to display in my own living room.
human
You take the ornaments
gpt
They're relatively ugly and uninteresting. I don't care to mess with them.
human
You examine windows
gpt
They let in natural light - a rare commodity in this house, it would seem.
human
You look at the east door
gpt
It's closed and locked.
human
You search the cabinet
gpt
The cabinet is dark timber with a glass panel. I can see some strange-looking ornaments lining a shelf inside.
human
Search ornaments
gpt
They're relatively ugly and uninteresting. I don't care to mess with them.
human
You go north
gpt
There's nowhere to go in that direction. The only obvious exit is east (to the living room).
human
You touch the north wall
gpt
I find myself remembering the strange numbers printed on Marissa's blouse - "4,9". Oh, surely not. Feeling a touch self-conscious, I count across to the fourth brick in the ninth row, and give it a gentle nudge. Sure enough, it is loose.
human
You take the loose brick
gpt
I pull the brick free from the wall. Through the hole it leaves, I can see right into the adjacent room.

I feel a touch dizzy. My hands are covered in mortar grit - and blood?
human
You examine the brick
gpt
An ordinary brown brick.
human
Go west
gpt
Well, no point in lugging this brick around the house. Dropped.

Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. A door in the west wall leads to the bathroom and a door in the east wall leads to Marissa's studio. The living room is to the south.
human
Go west
gpt
The bathroom is modestly sized and equipped, and as pristine as a hospital room. A white basin faces the door, a small mirrored cabinet attached to the wall above it. A toilet and shower are fixed against the north and south walls respectively. Just left of the doorway on the east wall is a small plastic table, covered in toiletries and other miscellany. A vase of red roses lends some colour to the otherwise monochromatic room.
human
You wash hands
gpt
They're clean.
human
You go east
gpt
Marissa's studio. The concrete-floored room gives the impression of spaciousness simply because of how empty it is: an artist's easel sits right in the centre of the space, with an expensive-looking chair facing it. A floor-length window on the east wall adds to the discomforting sense of open space. The north wall, bare-bricked, looks strangely out of character with the painted walls of the rest of the house. The door is set into the west wall.

I can see a brick here.
human
You look in the hole
gpt
I lean in towards the hole, close enough that the edges of the surrounding bricks feel sharp against my brow and cheekbone, and look through to the dimly-lit master bedroom. I can't make out much detail, but there seems to be something unusual about the walls. Perhaps it's only the shadows, but I feel as though I'm being watched.

I feel certain this loose brick can't have come about by chance. Marissa must have left that blouse and the co-ordinates out for me to find - maybe she wants me to keep an eye on her.
human
You look at the blood
gpt
A gritty mixture of mortar and blood is smeared over my hands.
human
Rub
gpt
What do I want to rub?
human
Rub blood
gpt
I wipe away the muck on my hands.
human
You look at the window
gpt
The huge window could easily be mistaken for a door, only it doesn't seem to be openable. It looks out onto an isolated street.
human
You examine the street
gpt
The neighbourhood is quiet and leafy. I imagine Marissa must be the youngest inhabitant of the street by far; the houses here have an unmistakable "retiree" look to them.
human
You sit in the chair
gpt
I sit down on the studio chair. I immediately notice that it's at entirely the wrong height and angle for my body.
human
Look around
gpt
Studio (on the chair)
Marissa's studio. The concrete-floored room gives the impression of spaciousness simply because of how empty it is: an artist's easel sits right in the centre of the space, with an expensive-looking chair facing it. A floor-length window on the east wall adds to the discomforting sense of open space. The north wall, bare-bricked, looks strangely out of character with the painted walls of the rest of the house. The door is set into the west wall.

I can see a brick here.
human
You adjust the chair
gpt
Marissa has obviously adjusted this chair to suit her own proportions; I have no reason to meddle with it.
human
You go west
gpt
(first leaving the chair)
Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. A door in the west wall leads to the bathroom and a door in the east wall leads to Marissa's studio. The living room is to the south.
human
West
gpt
There's nowhere to go in that direction. The only obvious exit is east (to hallway (south end)).
human
North
gpt
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is the door to Marissa's bedroom.
human
West
gpt
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, reflected in a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is an open door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.

I can see a blanket here.
human
You open the blinds
gpt
I open the blinds, revealing the window.
human
You look at the window
gpt
The window mostly looks out onto the fence between Marissa's property and her neighbour's. The fence itself is plain chain-link, but some privacy is offered by the climbing rose vine.

The sky outside is overcast and uninviting.

Cream-coloured venetian blinds are in their compressed position above the window.
human
You examine the drawer
gpt
The drawer is at the base of the cupboard, with two squarish knobs protruding from it. I can see some paintings stacked up inside the open drawer.
human
You look at the paintings
gpt
A stack of old paintings. They can't have been touched for years - even inside the drawer, they've somehow managed to accumulate a thin layer of dust. Their subjects all seem to be women relaxing together in various settings - under parasols in a scenic park, by a fireplace in a cosy living room, lazing on a drifting canal boat.

Here is another painting that I'm certain wasn't here before. A mattress lies in the centre of a bare wooden floor, covered in a mass of bloodstained bedsheets. Nested in the middle of the sheets is the body of a woman - she is asleep, or perhaps dead. Her skin is so pale and the brushstrokes so clumsy that it is difficult to tell limb from sheet.
human
You think about the painting
gpt
Where are these paintings coming from? Is Marissa trying to communicate something?
human
You look at the woman
gpt
(the woman in bedsheets)
I think she is smiling. It is a disturbing image.
human
You examine the bedsheets
gpt
Various neutral-coloured linens - blankets, duvets, sheets, pillowcases. They all look freshly-laundered.
human
You examine the bed
gpt
It's a single-sized bed, with a panelled bedhead and deep blue duvet. There is a minimal bedside table next to the bed.
human
You examine the blanket
gpt
It's smeared with blood. I can't remember touching it last night.
human
You look at the table
gpt
It's completely bare. Not even a clock or a lamp to break up the surface.
human
You examine the cupboard
gpt
An oak linen cupboard, imposingly tall and square-edged. Bevelled double-doors hang above a large drawer at the base.

The double-doors hang open, revealing several shelves covered in bed linens. My overcoat is in here, too.
human
You take the overcoat
gpt
It might be prudent to keep my arms covered.

Taken.
human
You wear the overcoat
gpt
I put on the beige overcoat.
human
You check what you're carrying
gpt
Feeling in my skirt pockets, my fingers brush against a tube of superglue, a medicine cabinet key, my bedroom door key and the cold, unnerving steel of a kitchen knife. I'm wearing my beige overcoat and my blouse and skirt.
human
You put the blouse in the washer
gpt
(Marissa's blouse in the washing machine)
(first trying to take Marissa's blouse)
Carrying around the blanket is cumbersome enough. I'd prefer to put that down, first.
human
You put the blanket in the washer
gpt
(first taking Marissa's blouse)
(first opening the washing machine)
I heap the blanket into the machine and run it through a wash cycle, my gaze wandering idly over the room. The washing machine rumbles to a stop. I extract the blanket and hang it over the clothesline.
human
You put the blouse in the washer
gpt
(Marissa's blouse in the washing machine)
I'll let Marissa take care of it.
human
You look at the blanket
gpt
Damp, but clean.
human
You look in the washer
gpt
The washing machine is empty.
human
You examine the hangers
gpt
The clothes are uniformly simple and practical.
human
Go east
gpt
No point in dragging Marissa's blouse around. I'll leave it here.

Hallway (north end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the south. In the west wall is a door leading to the laundry. A striking painting hangs on the north wall.
human
Go south
gpt
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is the door to Marissa's bedroom.
human
Go west
gpt
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, reflected in a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is an open door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You wear the perfume
gpt
(first trying to take the perfume bottle)
I have no reason to take that.
human
You examine the dye
gpt
It's a bottle of hair dye. Auburn #602.
human
You think about the dye
gpt
That sort of vanity has never really made much sense to me. Who is it for, anyway?
human
You think about the perfume
gpt
Does she just wear this around the house?
human
You examine table
gpt
It's white plastic, with a subtle abstract pattern painted on it - that much looks home-made.

Neatly arranged on the table are a bottle of hair dye, some toiletries, a perfume bottle, a packet of plasters and a vase.
human
You look at pattern
gpt
It's deceptively intricate; I imagine such a pattern would have taken some hours to paint.
human
You examine the vase
gpt
A traditional tall vase in green glazed ceramic. An attractive arrangement of red roses fills the vase.
human
Smell the roses
gpt
They're fresh and heady.
human
You check what you're carrying
gpt
Feeling in my skirt pockets, my fingers brush against a tube of superglue, a medicine cabinet key, my bedroom door key and the cold, unnerving steel of a kitchen knife. I'm wearing my beige overcoat and my blouse and skirt.
human
You examine the bench
gpt
Grey marble laminate. A note is on the bench.
human
You read the note
gpt
Helena,
I hope you slept well. Sorry we didn't get a chance to talk much last night - it's just that I'm not used to company. I'll be back this evening. Please make yourself at home.
-M
human
You examine the sink
gpt
Steel, and stainless indeed. Marissa certainly keeps her space clean.
human
You examine the fridge
gpt
A tall white fridge. It seems well-maintained, but age is beginning to show: there are flecks of corrosion along the edges.
human
You look at the stove
gpt
The kitchen appliances are of little interest to me.
human
You look at the phone
gpt
A telephone base is attached to the wall, next to the door. A basic-looking handset sits on the cradle.
human
You examine the handset
gpt
(first taking the handset)
The handset has very little functionality; it must be a relatively old model. On the LCD, there is a remarkably brief list of what appears to be contacts stored in the phone's memory:

1. Estelle: 01395847839
2. CAB: 01395137503
3. PHC: 01395042356
human
Dial 1
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
I don't even know who "Estelle" is!
human
You think about the calendar
gpt
What's the significance of Tuesdays, I wonder?

The calendar seems to be hanging oddly; it isn't flat against the wall.
human
You look behind the calendar
gpt
I lift the calendar, and find a key hanging on the pin behind it.
human
You take the key
gpt
(the mortice key)
I remove the key from behind the calendar and pocket it.
human
You go east
gpt
I replace the telephone handset on the base.

It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is an open display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible inside.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to another room. The entry hall is to the south.
human
You go east
gpt
(first trying to open the east door)
It seems to be locked.
human
You check your inventory
gpt
Feeling in my skirt pockets, my fingers brush against a mortice key, a tube of superglue, a medicine cabinet key, my bedroom door key and the cold, unnerving steel of a kitchen knife. I'm wearing my beige overcoat and my blouse and skirt.
human
You open the east door with the mortice key
gpt
I unlock the east door.
human
Go east
gpt
(first opening the east door)
Study
The modest study has a cold, neglected feel to it; the air is still and oppressive, the silence broken by the stern, relentless ticking of a wall clock. A flimsy desk against the far wall provides support for a primitive-looking computer. An overflowing bookcase sits against the south wall, while the door leads back west to the living room.
human
Smell
gpt
The house has a faint traces of perfume everywhere.
human
You listen
gpt
The ticking sets me on edge if I concentrate on it.
human
You look at the clock
gpt
It's a plain, unattractive, ticking timepiece. The hands point to 7:03.
human
You examine the bookcase
gpt
The bookcase is tall and expansive; despite this, it is crammed beyond its intended capacity with books.
human
Examine books
gpt
The books mostly seem to fall into three genres: art theory, fantasy and romance. There is also a sprinkling of non-fiction books with titles like "Training the Black Dog" and "The Light at the End of Depression".
human
You look at training the black Dog
gpt
There are quite a number of self help books in the bookcase. I can see terms like "cognitive therapy" and "self-esteem" repeating through several of the titles.
human
You look at the desk
gpt
The white desk is of the kind designed to fold up for easier storage. An old computer is on the desk.
human
You examine computer
gpt
The computer is a bulky beige model - it certainly doesn't look recently-bought. The CRT monitor is currently blank.
human
You turn on the computer
gpt
The computer hums and grumbles its way to life.

A dialog box is on screen, requesting the user password for "Marissa". Damn.
human
Look around
gpt
The modest study has a cold, neglected feel to it; the air is still and oppressive, the silence broken by the stern, relentless ticking of a wall clock. A flimsy desk against the far wall provides support for a primitive-looking computer. An overflowing bookcase sits against the south wall, while the door leads back west to the living room.
human
You look at the clock
gpt
It's a plain, unattractive, ticking timepiece. The hands point to 7:15.
human
You go west
gpt
It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is an open display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible inside.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to the study. The entry hall is to the south.
human
You take the note
gpt
I don't need to take the note with me; I can read it where it is.
human
Turn note
gpt
Nothing obvious happens.
human
You look up the art theory in the books
gpt
Which do I mean, the art theory books, the romance books, the fantasy books or the self help books?
human
You examine the art theory books
gpt
Art theory, history, essays and other related texts.
human
You examine the romance books
gpt
A few "stock standard" Mills & Boon, though most of the books seem to be from smaller publishers.
human
You examine fantasy books
gpt
Fantasy novels about strong-willed lady knights and sorceresses. I think I can see a scrap of paper protruding from one of the books.
human
You take the scrap
gpt
Taken.
human
You examine the scrap
gpt
It's a scrap of lined paper, probably torn from a notebook. In small, neat writing are the words "serenity devoid".
human
Type serenity devoid
gpt
The password field vanishes.

The desktop is displayed. The following icons are available to click on:

Word Processor
human
Open mail
gpt
I'm not sure what that refers to.
[If I am trying to "open" something on the computer screen, I should try "click"-ing it instead.]
human
You click the mail
gpt
I double-click on the "Mail" icon.

Marissa's inbox. The following emails are available to read or reply to:

Plymvale Health Centre   Auto reminder: Prescription renewal Pain~M.eds               80% discounted prices
Helena Jevne             Re: Re: Hi
ClassmateReunion.com     Inquiry Results
Helena Jevne             Re: Hi
Helena Jevne             Hi
Estelle Clements         Thank you
Estelle Clements         Request

I can also click an "escape" button to return to the operating system.
human
You read the request
gpt
I am expecting some company later this week. Would you be available to come over on Wednesday in addition to your usual Tuesday?
Estelle
human
You read thank you
gpt
Thank you. I appreciate it. You are always so reliable.
Estelle
human
You read hi
gpt
Dear Marissa,
It was lovely to run into you again today. You're looking well. It is such a pleasure to speak to you again after so many years. I hope you made it home safely.
Well wishes,
Helena
human
You read the inquiry results
gpt
Dear Marissa,
In response to your recent inquiry, this email is to inform you that your search for "Helena Jevne" returned 0 results.
Thanks for using ClassmateReunion.com!
human
You read the prescription renewal
gpt
This is an automated message to remind you to renew your prescription for Valium. We look forward to seeing you at Plymvale Health Centre soon. Please do not reply to this email.
human
Escape
gpt
[Try "click escape" or "click esc"]
human
You click the escape
gpt
I return to the operating system.

The desktop is displayed. The following icons are available to click on:

Word Processor
human
You click the browser
gpt
I double-click on the "Browser" icon.

The browser is open. The following icons are available to click on:



I can also click an "escape" button to return to the operating system.
human
You click the history
gpt
Empty! Either she doesn't actually use this computer, or she goes to the bother of clearing her history. How paranoid.

The browser is open. The following icons are available to click on:



I can also click an "escape" button to return to the operating system.
human
You click the favourites
gpt
Marissa has very few favourites saved: there are a couple of art blogs, an online bookstore, and one of those "classmate finder" websites.

The browser is open. The following icons are available to click on:



I can also click an "escape" button to return to the operating system.
human
Click bookstore
gpt
I could while away many hours browsing through all this, but then Marissa would likely come home and find me in here. Besides, I'm sure I can manage to occupy myself with other things.
human
You click the Word Processor
gpt
I double-click on the "Word Processor" icon and glance briefly over the program. Marissa has only one recently-opened document: a Tax Invoice template for "M. Ridley Cleaning". Her business, I assume. Interesting. I give the file a cursory glance, then close the word processor.

The desktop is displayed. The following icons are available to click on:

Word Processor
human
You look at the clock
gpt
It's a plain, unattractive, ticking timepiece. The hands point to 3:16.
human
You examine the clock
gpt
It's a plain, unattractive, ticking timepiece. The hands point to 3:17.
human
You go to the west
gpt
It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is an open display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible inside.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to the study. The entry hall is to the south.

I can hear a phone ringing from somewhere to the west.
human
Go west
gpt
The kitchen has a dated feel to it; a laminate bench runs around two walls of the room, and white tiles line the wall above an aging sink and stove. An old fridge is tucked into the far corner of the room, and several potted plants decorate the bench around the spotless appliances.

A calendar and old-fashioned cordless phone hang on the wall near the door leading east.

A handwritten note has been placed near the middle of the bench.

The phone rings out just as I step into the room. It echoes eerily in my head.
human
Dial 1
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
(first taking the telephone handset)
Curious, I dial "Estelle". The phone rings once. Twice. Six times, then a female voice - no, a recording of one - answers in stiff Oxford English: "Hello, you've reached Estelle. I am unable to receive your call at this time, so please leave a message after the tone and I will get back to you as soon as possible." I hang up before the tone.
human
You examine the phone
gpt
(examining the handset)
The handset has very little functionality; it must be a relatively old model. On the LCD, there is a remarkably brief list of what appears to be contacts stored in the phone's memory:

1. Estelle: 01395847839
2. CAB: 01395137503
3. PHC: 01395042356
human
Dial 1
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
Curious, I dial "Estelle". The phone rings once. Twice. Six times, then a female voice - no, a recording of one - answers in stiff Oxford English: "Hello, you've reached Estelle. I am unable to receive your call at this time, so please leave a message after the tone and I will get back to you as soon as possible." I hang up before the tone.
human
Continue
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
I don't really have cause to call her again. Besides, that stiff voice sends a chill up my spine.
human
You think about Estelle
gpt
Her name alone nauseates me. I am certain there is something dangerous about that woman.
human
Dial 3
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
PHC... Plymvale Health Centre? I don't need to call them.
human
You go east
gpt
I replace the telephone handset on the base.

I flinch, startled, as I step into the living room: an elaborately-dressed woman is sitting at Marissa's dining table, bold as day. She looks to be in her late fifties and glares at me from beneath a permanently-wrinkled brow.

[1] "Who are you?"
[2] "What are you doing here?"
human
1
gpt
The woman meets my eyes with a steely gaze. "Surely, you've already read enough of my correspondence with Marissa to know." My vision wobbles threateningly, but I square my shoulders and glare back at her.

[1] "What are you doing here?"
human
1
gpt
She smirks. "Marissa wishes it. Can you honestly say the same for yourself?" I can begin to feel rage quietly building up beneath my ribcage.

[1] "I think you should leave, now."
human
1
gpt
"You utter imbecile. Can't you even recognise yourself in the mirror?"

[1] "Mirror? What would you know about that?"
[2] "Of course I can, you vile woman!"
human
You examine the woman
gpt
An older woman with an air of wealth and haughtiness. She wears a strikingly elaborate blue gown, and a tiara is nestled in her silver perm.
human
You look at gown
gpt
What an excessive garment! It looks oddly familiar.
human
You look at the tiara
gpt
It seems a strange accessory for a grown woman. What might it represent to her?
human
You examine the queen
gpt
(the strange woman)
An older woman with an air of wealth and haughtiness. She wears a strikingly elaborate blue gown, and a tiara is nestled in her silver perm.
human
1
gpt
"I was watching from behind the glass - as, obviously, were you."

I gasp, tiny fibres from the carpet floating into my mouth; somehow I am lying cheek-down on the floor. The woman is gone. Presumably, the old bitch struck me prone.

I raise myself to my feet, feeling angry for the intrusion. Who exactly is this woman that Marissa is dealing with?

I hear the front door open and look over to see Marissa entering the room. She greets me with a shy smile and places her handbag down on the table.
human
You think about the queen
gpt
I'm admittedly relieved the porcelain figure is gone. Somehow, that little queen made me more uncomfortable than the ugly clay ornaments.
human
You talk to Marissa
gpt
Marissa turns her eyes upon me, questioning.

[1] "You're home. How has your day been?"
[2] "Marissa. Where have you been all day?"
human
2
gpt
She seems confronted, her head lowering. "Just at work. There's a lady I help... it's housekeeping. Nothing glamourous. How was your day?"

[1] "I've just... looked around your house a little."
[2] "Fine. Why do you ask?"
[3] "I've had a pleasant stay. Thanks for all your kindness."
human
1
gpt
I feel a twinge of something unpleasant in my chest. Treacherously, my lip twitches. Marissa's eyes, wide and unsettlingly clear, flick down to my mouth, then meet my eyes seriously. That vague look enters her expression again.

"Of course." She closes her eyes for a moment before staring at me seriously. "Helena... I'm sure you'd do no harm here." She almost reaches for my arm, then seems to think better of it. The silence swells.

[1] "I'll let you get on with your business."
human
1
gpt
Marissa clears her throat. "I'm going to take a shower. I'll be out soon. Please don't mind me." She walks off down the hallway and I am again left alone.
human
You look at the handbag
gpt
A soft fabric handbag with a shoulder strap. I can see something inside it.
human
You look in handbag
gpt
The contents of the handbag are neat and few. A purse, a keyring and a piece of paper.
human
You take the keyring and the paper
gpt
No... as a guest, I think I need to be more mindful than that. One action at a time.
human
You take the keyring
gpt
Taken.
human
You take the paper
gpt
(the piece of paper)
Taken.
human
You examine keyring
gpt
A metal keyring, with an intricately plaited decoration of thread and beads trailing from it. On the ring are a well-used mortice key and a gold mortice key.
human
You examine paper
gpt
(the piece of paper)
It's a little memo, written in a stern hand. "Marissa. Kindly make the arrangements today as discussed. The white roses are appreciated. Everything else you'll need is in my room. Estelle."
human
You go north
gpt
Hallway (south end)
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north. A door in the west wall leads to the bathroom and a door in the east wall leads to Marissa's studio. The living room is to the south.

I can hear the shower running.
human
You go north
gpt
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is the door to Marissa's bedroom.
human
You open the east door witthe well-used mortice key
gpt
I unlock Marissa's bedroom door.
human
You go to the east
gpt
(first opening Marissa's bedroom door)
Marissa's Bedroom
Marissa's bedroom is initially confusing to the eye; the walls are almost entirely covered in an eccentric display of unframed paintings and tiny mirrors in mismatched frames. Lace curtains drape over a window in the north wall, letting dappled light filter onto a white-framed bed. In the dimly-lit south side of the room is a bedside table, covered in a pale floral cloth and a reading lamp. A white wardrobe, far less intimidating than the one in the spare room, is here too. The door is to the west.
human
You look at the paintings
gpt
The paintings are nearly all landscapes, with any human figures silhouetted or obscured by scenery. Every painting seems almost to glitter with creativity, and yet there is a sense of longing to all of them - each waterfall is not dramatically foregrounded, but lingers, hazy, behind a layer of mist; each sky seems to stretch endlessly, not quite delivering on the promise of a horizon.
human
You examine the wardrobe
gpt
A tall white wardrobe for clothes.
human
You open the wardrobe
gpt
I open the white wardrobe, revealing some clothes.
human
You examine the clothes
gpt
Marissa's clothes - mostly simple garments, with a few lacy affairs tossed in.
human
You examine mirrors
gpt
There are dark eyes everywhere, blinking at me from every wall. The mirrors are framed in a whimsical assortment of frames, ranging from dark wrought iron, to embossed silver, to raw timber.
human
You examine the curtains
gpt
The window looks out to the north. The neighbourhood looks lifeless beneath the grey sky.
human
You look at the table
gpt
A little round table with a floral cloth draped over it. A drawer, its face rounded with the curve of the table, faces towards the bed.
human
You open the drawer
gpt
Around me, all over the walls, blonde women lunge forward in reflective fragments. Dizzy, I focus on the drawer. There is a small diary inside, its cover hand painted.
human
You examine diary
gpt
The cover is a painting of a girl, her head rested on her folded arms, melancholy blue eyes staring out beyond the image.
human
You open diary
gpt
It is important that I know as much as possible about Marissa's situation in order to help her. Later, I am sure she will understand to thank me for my concern. I remove the diary from the drawer and spread it open on the bed.

There are several pages filled with text. I read the first entry.

"Life outside the studio window blurs on without me. Sometimes, when the loneliness is at its strongest, I move my easel close to the door and hide behind it, watching the neighbourhood's movements. There is a little old lady across the road who I often see struggling to carry her groceries inside from the bus. No-one is ever there to help her. I wonder what her name is, why she is alone."
Excuse me?
human
You read diary
gpt
I continue reading.

"I'm trying to keep to my schedule. Cleaning, always cleaning. Nothing is ever clean enough. Nothing is ever essential enough. I look away from my canvas and everything seems without essence and covered in dirt."
human
Continue
gpt
"Estelle is the kindest employer I could ever hope for. Today she told me a little more about her work at the opera theatre. I listened, spell-bound as a child. I think she knows I have no anecdotes of my own to contribute, so she just talks and smiles kindly. I guess what she is is a friend, though I retreat from the word with uncertainty."
human
Keep going
gpt
"I am sure the sunrise is influencing my palette - dear Matisse would not approve! - but oh, the studio is spectacular in the dawn light. I paint all night until I am too exhausted to think, and then I sleep and sleep and sometimes I can't get out of bed. The itch of tears is fresh in my eyes when I wake because I dream of such pretty things and then I wake, and I stare at my blank ceiling, blankness reflected in such blank eyes."
human
You continue
gpt
"Oh Nan, how is it that I live like this? I dreamt of you and I hope I keep your house well enough for you because I do still miss you, every day. I hope you are in peace."
human
Continue
gpt
"Coming back from Estelle's today, I ran into Helena Jevne. She is still as strikingly beautiful as she was back in school. And goodness, so tall. Nervous as I was, I could not escape from our conversation for over two hours... but in retrospect, I am glad. She seems such a strong-minded, sensible person. Better-adjusted than me, most likely. She has brought me back from this slumber of blankness, I think. I dare to hope that maybe I will see her again."
human
Continue
gpt
"Alone. It bites at me over and over and over and I have forgotten my schedule, but it seems so meaningless so meaningless so"
human
Continue
gpt
"I almost can't look at my paintings after they are painted. The loss of that moment of creation is painful. I dreamt of so many things, once. Now I hold onto a series of singular dreams, fluttering against my palms as I grasp them, almost too afraid to breathe for fear of crushing their delicacy, and I paint them with a mechanical concentration. And can't look back. I am beginning on the cliffside I saw in my dream. I hope it will be enough for now."
human
Keep going
gpt
"Emails. So nerve-wracking. Of course I am intimidated by her; her wisdom and her worldliness must see right through my meek existence. 'Purity' is what I value, I tell myself. In the face of another human being, though, my convictions waver... and even if I weren't so shy, I don't know if I could let a person into my life. Especially... well, oh. I don't know."
human
Keep going
gpt
This page is smeared with dark stains, rendering most of it illegible. "... phone call in the night ... ecked and the key wasn't there ... rror had been smashed in viole ..."
human
You keep going
gpt
The dark stains continue on this page, and the following. "... been here for over a week now ... re white roses from the garden, stained with hairdye! She must have tak ... aints, everywhere! ... drawer, found the most terrible thing but didn't dare ..."
human
Continue
gpt
I flip through the pages, reading the few fragments I can, all written in a hand seemingly overcome by distress. "... ntire mirror covered in plasters! and I ... heart-stopping crashes and then a thud on my door ... ound the mark of a fist! What does sh ... scraping at the brickwork ... a knife, no less! and bloo ..."
human
You keep going
gpt
The rest of the pages are blank.

From somewhere to the west, I can hear Marissa calling for me. My clammy palms betray an inexplicable apprehension.
human
You look at what you're carrying with you
gpt
Feeling in my skirt pockets, my fingers brush against Estelle's memo, a keyring, a scrap of paper, a study door key, a medicine cabinet key, my bedroom door key and the cold, unnerving steel of a kitchen knife. I'm wearing my beige overcoat and my blouse and skirt.

I thought there was something else I was carrying before... well, perhaps not.
human
Describe the surroundings
gpt
Marissa's bedroom is initially confusing to the eye; the walls are almost entirely covered in an eccentric display of unframed paintings and tiny mirrors in mismatched frames. Lace curtains drape over a window in the north wall, letting dappled light filter onto a white-framed bed. In the dimly-lit south side of the room is a bedside table, covered in a pale floral cloth and a reading lamp. A white wardrobe, far less intimidating than the one in the spare room, is here too. The door is to the west.
human
You go west
gpt
I quickly return the diary.

The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is the door to Marissa's bedroom.

Marissa runs past in a tearful blur, almost crashing into me as she dashes into the bedroom.
human
You go east
gpt
Marissa's bedroom is initially confusing to the eye; the walls are almost entirely covered in an eccentric display of unframed paintings and tiny mirrors in mismatched frames. Lace curtains drape over a window in the north wall, letting dappled light filter onto a white-framed bed. In the dimly-lit south side of the room is a bedside table, covered in a pale floral cloth and a reading lamp. A white wardrobe, far less intimidating than the one in the spare room, is here too. The door is to the west.

Marissa is here. Her small frame heaves with silent sobbing, her eyes unfocused.
human
You go north
gpt
"Never mind," I mutter. Marissa's eyes glaze over for a moment, and then - as though I had never disturbed her - she resumes her crying.
human
You go west
gpt
Feeling particularly cautious, I lock the door behind me. There could be all manner of danger in this house, and I feel obliged to keep Marissa safe.

The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is the door to Marissa's bedroom.
human
You look in it
gpt
The interior of the cabinet is stained with age, but spotlessly clean. Inside, I can see a canister of Valium.
human
You examine the Valium
gpt
Diazepam: anxiolytic, hypnotic. For treating symptoms of anxiety, agitation and insomnia. Take one tablet once a day as directed by doctor.
human
You look in the vase
gpt
In the vase is a cluster of roses.
human
You look through the hole
gpt
I lean in towards the hole and look through to the dimly-lit master bedroom. I can see the shadowy figure of Marissa hunched into herself on the bed, oddly silhouetted by the window behind her. Her face is flecked with reflected light from the mirrors on the bedroom walls, highlighting the tears on her cheeks.
human
You look at the window
gpt
The huge window could easily be mistaken for a door, only it doesn't seem to be openable. It looks out onto an isolated street.
human
Go south
gpt
It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with a handbag placed on top and two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is an open display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible inside.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to the study. The entry hall is to the south.
human
You look at the ornaments
gpt
They're crude and disfigured, limbs out of proportion and faces melted into disturbing expressions - screams, sighs, grimaces. They're certainly not what I would choose to display in my own living room.
human
You go west
gpt
The kitchen has a dated feel to it; a laminate bench runs around two walls of the room, and white tiles line the wall above an aging sink and stove. An old fridge is tucked into the far corner of the room, and several potted plants decorate the bench around the spotless appliances.

A calendar and old-fashioned cordless phone hang on the wall near the door leading east.
human
Go west
gpt
There's nowhere to go in that direction. The only obvious exit is east (to the living room).
human
Dial 1
gpt
(on the telephone handset)
(first taking the telephone handset)
I don't really have cause to call her again. Besides, that stiff voice sends a chill up my spine.
human
Go east
gpt
I replace the telephone handset on the base.

It's a beige little living room; the offering of pale light filtering from the entry hall to the south somehow doesn't help to shake the sleepy, lifeless feeling here. An undersized dining table forms the centrepiece of the room, with a handbag placed on top and two chairs pushed beneath it. Wedged into the northwest corner of the room is a television, an old-fashioned armchair tucked up next to it. Against the north wall to the east is an open display cabinet with a single shelf of ornaments visible inside.

A door to the north leads to the hallway, a door in the west wall leads to the kitchen and a door in the east wall leads to the study. The entry hall is to the south.
human
You examine the paintings
gpt
A stack of old paintings. They can't have been touched for years - even inside the drawer, they've somehow managed to accumulate a thin layer of dust. Their subjects all seem to be women relaxing together in various settings - under parasols in a scenic park, by a fireplace in a cosy living room, lazing on a drifting canal boat.

Another new painting. This one is so messy it's difficult to be certain of the details, but it looks to be a figure of a blonde giantess attacking a human female with a knife. The giantess figure is apparently translucent: within her, another female is visible, her mouth frozen in a scream.
human
You examine the duvet
gpt
Which do I mean, the blankets or the duvet?
human
Blue
gpt
Dark blue. It looks warm.
human
You think about yourself
gpt
Why should I be afraid of whatever is inside me? I have every right to companionship. I am the only one who could possibly appreciate someone like Marissa. She needs me.
human
You examine the mirror
gpt
I find myself unable to focus on the mirror. My vision fills with black when I try to look at it.
human
You examine vine
gpt
From here, it appears that the rose vine has laid claim to the entire fence.
human
You examine the blinds
gpt
Plastic venetian blinds. Cream-coloured.
human
Look around
gpt
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, reflected in a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is an open door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You examinthe double-doors
gpt
They're bevelled and panelled, and stained dark like the rest of the cupboard.
human
You look at the shelves
gpt
Several shelves supporting a variety of bed linens. There'd be room for my clothes in here.
human
You think
gpt
About what, specifically?
human
You think about the painting
gpt
I can't begin to imagine what this is supposed to mean! Is this some obscure message from Marissa?
human
You pull the bed
gpt
It is fixed in place.
human
You wake
gpt
As far as I'm aware, I'm awake.
human
Look around
gpt
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, reflected in a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is an open door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You look at the window
gpt
The window mostly looks out onto the fence between Marissa's property and her neighbour's. The fence itself is plain chain-link, but some privacy is offered by the climbing rose vine.

The sky outside is overcast and uninviting.

Cream-coloured venetian blinds are in their compressed position above the window.
human
Search window
gpt
(on the bed)
I sit down on the bed.

>(first getting off the bed)
From here, it appears that the rose vine has laid claim to the entire fence.
human
Blue
gpt
Soft.
human
You look around
gpt
Helena's Bedroom (on the bed)
This is my room, at least for now. It is remarkably clean, the walls a warm off-white. The bed rests against the west wall, reflected in a portrait-sized mirror facing the foot of the bed. Right of the mirror, in the east wall, is an open door, and right of that is an imposing oak cupboard. A window in the north wall overlooks the bed.
human
You look at the table
gpt
It's completely bare. Not even a clock or a lamp to break up the surface.
human
Clean table
gpt
(first getting off the bed)
That would be pointless.
human
Search table
gpt
Although the table is bare, I think I can see some scratches in the wood: on the north edge, there are 3 notches, on the east edge, there are 4 notches and on the south edge, there is 1 notch.
human
You look at the scratches
gpt
(the bedside table)
It's completely bare. Not even a clock or a lamp to break up the surface.
human
Turn table
gpt
Nothing obvious happens.
human
You examine the gold key
gpt
It's a mortice key, most likely fitting a door.
human
You look at the keyring
gpt
A metal keyring, with an intricately plaited decoration of thread and beads trailing from it. On the ring are Marissa's bedroom door key and a gold mortice key.
human
You go to the east
gpt
The carpeted hallway extends away to the north and south. In the west wall is a door leading to the guest bedroom, and in the east wall is the door to Marissa's bedroom.
human
You go south
gpt
(first trying to open the front door)
This is hardly the time to abandon Marissa!
human
You lock the front door
gpt
(with the gold mortice key)
I ensure the front door is securely locked. For Marissa's own protection.

I lock the front door.
human
Go east
gpt
(first unlocking Marissa's bedroom door with Marissa's bedroom door key, then opening Marissa's bedroom door)
Marissa's Bedroom
Marissa's bedroom is initially confusing to the eye; the walls are almost entirely covered in an eccentric display of unframed paintings and tiny mirrors in mismatched frames. Lace curtains drape over a window in the north wall, letting dappled light filter onto a white-framed bed. In the dimly-lit south side of the room is a bedside table, covered in a pale floral cloth and a reading lamp. A white wardrobe, far less intimidating than the one in the spare room, is here too. The door is to the west.

Marissa is here. She weeps steadily into one hand.
human
You examine Marissa
gpt
She glances up from crying and meets my eyes for the briefest of moments, her gaze watery and fearful.
human
Y.
gpt
Marissa looks at me with teary eyes, a startling red ringing the grey irises. I hesitate, sensing the likely gravity of this conversation. Should I talk to her now?
[1] "Why are you crying?"
human
1
gpt
Marissa swallows and just stares.

[1] "Is someone trying to hurt you? I might know who."
human
1
gpt
She looks disbelieving and glances around the room, as though looking for an exit.

I follow her gaze across the dozens of tiny mirrors on the walls. In each one, I see a different angle of the face of the woman I killed. My pocket feels suddenly heavy and I slip my hand in there, sweatily clutching the handle of my knife.

[1] "It's that woman, isn't it? The one you work for. Marissa, you deserve so much more. She came here today, you know. Just walked straight in the front door. I won't let her hurt you."
[2] "I won't hurt you, Marissa."
[3] "I know what it's like to be alone."
human
1
gpt
Marissa's words come out almost in a whisper, but they strike me as painfully as an open palm. "What are you doing, Helena? What do you want from me?"

My consternation must show in my features. Marissa, apparently emboldened, says, "I think... W-what I think is that you've been trying to trap me here. In my own house." She takes a deep breath. "B-but I don't think you're capable of really hurting anyone other than yourself." She is visibly shaking. I might be, too.

"Helena?"

I pluck listlessly at the bandages on my arm. Damnably, I don't think she is wrong. She stares at me and I understand - completely, at last - that this has to end here.

I try to speak but my tongue seems to have closed off my throat.
I glance back at her one last time - that perfectly preserved girl - and start walking down the hallway. My eyes fall on the fist-shaped dent where I "knocked" on her bedroom door my second night here, the bathroom mirror, completely obscured by adhesive bandages, the once-white roses turned ruddy as they drink their vase of hair dye. I pass through the living room and glance briefly at the porcelain ornament smashed into pieces on the floor.

Yes, everything she said about me was true.

I open the front door.
human
You repeat
gpt
The available options are:

[1] "It's that woman, isn't it? The one you work for. Marissa, you deserve so much more. She came here today, you know. Just walked straight in the front door. I won't let her hurt you."
[2] "I won't hurt you, Marissa."
[3] "I know what it's like to be alone."
human
2
gpt
We look at each other quietly. Marissa's face is soft and open. 'Impressionable' seems the fitting word, as though I could mould her features with a gesture. The edge of a sunset filters in across the bed, softly meshed with the shadow of the lace curtain.

"I saw what you've written about me," I eventually confess. She looks afraid, lowering her eyelashes. "Sometimes," I explain, "fear can distort your perception of events. You needn't be afraid, though. Anything I have done is only to protect you. I'm here, now. You don't have to be alone anymore." She lifts her eyes to meet mine and slowly takes a breath, about to say something - but seems to choke on her words.

I lean forward and embrace her gently. Her little frame, at first so tense, eventually softens in my arms. "What I dream of," she murmurs, "is a life of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of trouble or depression." It sounds like a quote, but the sentiment is clear to me. I smile into her hair, holding her closer. She slumps into me, quiet and submissive.
With me, she will be safe. And I know she will not stray from me again.
human
You kill Marissa
gpt
I shiver. No.
human
You give the keyring to Marissa
gpt
I think I'll keep that to myself.
human
Y.
gpt
Marissa looks at me with teary eyes, a startling red ringing the grey irises. I hesitate, sensing the likely gravity of this conversation. Should I talk to her now?
[1] "Why are you crying?"
human
1
gpt
Marissa swallows and just stares.

[1] "Is someone trying to hurt you? I might know who."
human
1
gpt
She looks disbelieving and glances around the room, as though looking for an exit.

I follow her gaze across the dozens of tiny mirrors on the walls. In each one, I see a different angle of the face of the woman I killed. My pocket feels suddenly heavy and I slip my hand in there, sweatily clutching the handle of my knife.

[1] "It's that woman, isn't it? The one you work for. Marissa, you deserve so much more. She came here today, you know. Just walked straight in the front door. I won't let her hurt you."
[2] "I won't hurt you, Marissa."
[3] "I know what it's like to be alone."
human
1
gpt
She shifts away from me a little, sliding across the duvet, and I feel a pang of irritation.

"I know there's something going on, Marissa. Please don't try to deceive me. Your tears are evidence enough." I brush her cheekbone gently with my thumb. She blinks and flinches. My right hand, still in my pocket, twitches.
human
You press the space
gpt
I hesitate, moistening my lips. "I'm sure you're being exploited. You..." She isn't looking at me. I catch her by the chin and force her eyes to meet mine. "You make yourself an easy target, all alone here." I continue. Her breathing is lightly audible. It rings in my ears like the ocean. "I don't think you understand what people are like. They can't possibly understand how to appreciate you."

"What are you talking about." Her words fall flat; more of a statement than a question. It is obvious she knows exactly what I am talking about; the girl is addled by years of solitude. "But I am here to end that! Don't you see?" I smile, my heart almost leaping out my throat. She just stares.

I lean forward to smooth out the tear-clumped tangles in her hair. Frustratingly, she edges back further. "There was a girl before, you know," I explain, "But she and I used to argue now and then."

"Was there?" she asks. She is almost flat on the bed, now. I think I am leaning a little too heavily on her abdomen, but I feel I shouldn't draw away just yet. Her body is so warm against my hand. And there, she is crying again. Her eyes are wide. She looks shocked, but that will pass. "Just hush," I say, stroking her hair. "Hush." Her crying soon fades to silence.
I curl up close to her, burying my face in her still-warm neck. I lie with her, long after it goes cold.