fn DOOR.PT5 *** CHAPTER FIVE *** OF *** THE BLOODY DOOR TO DELOS *** *A CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-DUNGEON ADVENTURE* by Mary Ezzell ******** Here is something new! - a public- domain text adventure which can be played on * ANY COMPUTER! * Because it runs as a TEXT FILE under your OWN text editor. You just use the 'Search' function of your editor to search for your choice. The format to enter is GO-YOUR-CHOICE. (If your editor can't find it by 'searching forward', try searching backward.) To: Search for GO- Begin play START-GAME GO-START-GAME * GO-START-GAME In previous Chapters, you fell into a Troll-hill belonging to a Gnome - who by Delian Law has the right to turn you into wood and use your face to decorate a Cross-bow he is making. Your one chance to escape un-bowed is to find the Key to the Bloody Door to Delos.^ In your search through the dungeon below the Troll-hill, you have found such treasures as a bag of soggy birdseed - and a Ring which is able to lead you toward bright objects.^ But no treasures can help you now!^ You have fallen - a long, long fall! - into deep warm sulphurous water, tumbled head over heels and rushed violently along by the current!^ Then ZOOOM, you are swung round and round in a circle! You are caught in a whirlpool!^ Helplessly, the maelstrom swirls you down, down....^ Your head is going round too, there is nothing but dark swirling water and vertigo - till suddenly you are thrown CLUUUNNG! - flat on your face on top of a rusty iron grill. Water is pounding down on your back, hundreds of gallons!^ Somehow you manage to roll sideways, out from under the worst of the deluge.^ You lie on the flinty floor for what seems hours, panting and breathing the sweet-smoke-filled air. This steep passage looks vaguely familiar - you remember there is some reason why you must lie very still, unseen, unheard....^ You hear a scrabbling of claws against iron, a muttered SQUAAKK - and it all comes back!^ You have just fallen down the waterfall in the passage between the Gnome's chambers and the Bloody Door. At any moment the caged Mynah Bird may see you and summon the Gnome....^ To: Search for GO-^ Run for the Bloody Door BLOODY-DOOR^ Try to bribe the Bird^ with the birdseed you^ are carrying BRIBE-BIRD^ GO-BRIBE-BIRD * GO-BRIBE-BIRD^ Carefully you check the leather pouch at your belt. The leather thongs are tight and tough to untie, but inside the seed is still (more-or- less) dry!^ Getting carefully to your feet, you soggily tip-toe toward the Cage. The Mynah is preening himself, his head turned inside-out under a gleaming black wing.^ You pour a handfull of seed into the cage....^ "What's that, what's that?" At the sound of grain hitting the bottom of the cage, the Bird is instantly down and pecking it. Only when he has gotten every grain out of the joins does he look up. "Any more, any more?"^ "Yes, nice birdy, MUCH more!" You give him a peek inside the bag. "If you'll help me...?"^ "I'll help, I'll help! You want out, look, right there, right there!" ^ Following the Bird's pointing beak, you see a tiny faint crack in the wall - a crack that could be the outline of a Secret Door!^ "Take that way, take that way! Go Bloody Door, you get eaten! Go Secret Door, you go good world! Much food, much sun, much birdseed!^ Thanking the Bird, you pour the rest of the birdseed into the cage. He dives into it happily, but you expect that as soon as he finishes he will forget his gratitude, want suet for dessert and summon the Gnome....^ You had better get out of here - one way or another! - quick!^ To: Search for GO-^ Try the Bloody Door BLOODY-DOOR^ Try the Secret Door SECRET-DOOR^ GO-SECRET-DOOR * GO-SECRET-DOOR With your pocket-knife you are able to trace the complete outline of the secret door. There is even a tiny keyhole.^ The door is locked, the Gnome may be coming any moment! Wildly, you try all the keys on your key-ring!^ The key to your Volkswagen ignition fits! -- Well, it doesn't fit very WELL, but it DOES turn the lock. You push through the door, close it and turn its inside latch behind you.^ The door leads to a spiral stair going up ... and up ... and up.... After a couple of turns, you hear a banging on the door, it gives, and Gnomish footsteps start trotting up after you....^ At the top, the stairs suddenly disappear in an odd barrier of rotted wood. You scarcely have time to examine the barrier, you push against it, and...^ Dazzling light, down-hill stagger!^ ^ You trip over a lichen-covered rock and fall flat on meadow-grass. Above you is the odd, pointed Hill from which you earlier saw the blue smoke!^ A jet plane is leaving a vapor trail behind it. From the road below, you hear cars and smell exhaust and dust. You are back in the American Rockies, just where you started from....^ ^ For months you explore the Hill, looking for the hollow the smoke came from, or the other hollow tree you must have stumbled out of. But they have closed - if, indeed, they ever existed.^ ^ For better or worse, you are back in America, where are safe from magickal perils, can buy all the food and bird-seed you want, and...^ ^ THE GAME IS OVER!^ GO-BLOODY-DOOR * GO-BLOODY-DOOR Moving toward the great black iron Bloody Door, in spite of your care you slip and fall in a puddle of spray from the water-fall - making a great splash that even sprinkles the Bird in his cage!^ He indignantly shakes feathers, tail and sets up a loud SQUAAAAAKKKKKKKINGGGG! The Gnome is sure to hear and arrive any minute!^ You pick yourself up and run full tilt to the Iron Door, rattle the (strangely cold!) black iron handle with all your strength!^ < If you have the Ruby Key,^ search for GO-^ HAVE-KEY^ < If you don't have it, ^ search for GO-^ NO-KEY^ GO-NO-KEY * GO-NO-KEY^ Still the great Door will not open!^ The Italianate Poem on the plaque stares at you mockingly:^ THOSE WHO WISH TO PASS THROUGH ME THEY MUST USE MY BLOODY KEY BLOODY THOSE WHO PASS THROUGH ME BRIGHTFIND SEEKS MY BLOODY KEY BLOODY THOSE WHO PASS THROUGH ME To: Search for GO-^ Continue game GNOME-COMING^ GO-HAVE-KEY * GO-HAVE-KEY^ Desperately you fumble the great, cold, jeweled Key into the Keyhole. It seems to fit - but nothing happens!^ The Key will not turn!^ The whole thing - Key, Lock and Handle - feel as helplessly useless as a machine with no power!^ < If you don't have^ the Garnet, search for GO-^ GNOME-COMING^ < If you do have ^ the Garnet, search for GO-^ HAVE-GARNET^ GO-GNOME-COMING * GO-GNOME-COMING You hear the trotting footsteps of the Gnome arriving behind you. "Aweel, me lad, tis late ye be returnin'! But safe ye'll b' f'm now on, safely well em-bowed!"^ You see his magickal measuring tape flick in front of your face, feel a spray of shellac on your eye- lashes....^ And many the Delian year you spend as the decorative wooden face on the Gnome craftsman's elaborate cross-bow! Looking out along the arrow-sights, you see battles and monsters and armouries and the black insides of storage crates ... you bob on the amethyst seas of Delos as your owner's ship sinks under him ... you fall from his clutches as he is carried by a Roc above the Forest of the Night....^ Finally a very strange thing happens. Your Owner (a swart Barbarian) takes aim at a beautiful Bird nesting in a Mirkwood tree, whose plumage shimmers with orange and gold. "Don't shoot," she cries, "Please!"^ He shoots ruthlessly. The arrow flies straight toward the Bird's sunset-coloured bosom - but an inch before it reaches Her, it bursts into flame and disinetgrates as quickly as a shooting star! Along the path the arrow travelled, Fire grows like the trail of a shooting star - but backwards, toward YOU!^ Back the fire follows the path of the arrow, like the path of a Roman Candle, straight back to the arrow- sights.^ Then the whole Cross-Bow bursts into orange-gold flame! The Barbarian barely has time to drop you!^ As the Bow darkens to coals which its disgusted Barbarian owner crushes under his feet, smoke darkens you eyes, you feel the gall-knots of your own em-bowed head catch orange-gold fire, and...^ THE GAME IS OVER GO-HAVE-GARNET * GO-HAVE-GARNET You hear the footsteps of the Gnome trotting closer ... splashing through puddles, with a sound like the rhythmic rustling of golden-green Beech leaves....^ Staring in despair at the appearently useless, bejeweled Key, you notice that there is one big empty set of prongs. Apparently one jewel is missing....^ Suddenly you remember the Garnet which the Beech Tree gave you! With trembling fingers you take it from your pocket and force it between the Prongs....^ The whole Key tingles and glows!^ - And (all by itself!) the Key comes loose from the Necklace you are wearing!^ It is as though the Garnet had completed some sort of magickal power- circuit.^ Hastily you reach the Key back to the Key-hole, and...^ ^ All goes black!^ At least, all in FRONT of you goes black! All behind you is a big, indistinct light. Before you is a giant black arch, from which comes a smell of garlic, of putried meat?^ You are dizzy, staggering for balance. You are standing on some sort of red-gold, giant "pipeline", with boulders sticking out of it. Red, polished, faceted boulders.^ Behind you, the "pipeline" gets bigger, then ends. It is sticking out into empty space!^ In front of you, the "pipeline" goes through the Arch, into the dark, warm, foul-smelling cave....^ ^ "Ah, me lad!"^ A warm humid gale of wind (scented with honey-smelling smoke) descends on you from above, in time with the booming, rumbling words.^ Looking up, you see an upside-down forest of grey thorns sticking down toward you, two giant beady eyes....^ "Ah, tis toothpick size ye b' now, eh, Laddy? Aweel, a fin' wooden swizzle stick ye'l make f'r M'lady Twyla...."^ ^ As a giant Gnomish hand descends toward you, you realize what has happened. You have been shrunk to insect-size! And you are staggering about ON the Ruby Key, which is still sticking into the Keyhole of the Bloody Door!^ The "dark arch" ahead is the Keyhole.... ^ ^ Eluding the Gnome's grasp, you dive straight through the Keyhole into the "dark cave" - just in time!^ ^ The Keyhole seems to shut behind you! You are in total darkness!^ Here inside, the smell of garlic and half-acidified meat is stronger, almost over-powering, warm and humid.^ You are standing on what feels like a thick foam rubber mattress - but wet, warm, and moving!^ Ahead, you feel, the slick, warm, soft roof lowers. Behind and to each side are smooth squarish blocks... which are beginning to rhythmically raise and drop, like two halves of a millstone!^ Now the soft, moving "floor" rises under you. It is as though the floor is trying to force you between the grinders....^ ^ Wildly you jab at the "floor" with your sword! It jerks and twitches, and your foot feels a fountain of what might (if you could only see!) be warm blood!^ Then the full horror of it hits you! You are INSIDE a giant Mouth, and the Tongue is trying to force you between the Teeth!^ ^ You jab and swing in all directions! Each swing draws blood - you can hardly miss! The Mouth is filling with its own blood, swallowing....^ ^ Your ultimate panic gives way to an icy, logical calm. There is no escape through the grinding teeth, or the foul-smelling gullet. But through the back of the throat - there might just be a chance!^ Always toward the defenseless back of the throat, you aim blow after blow, stggering and even holding onto the jagged, rotten teeth to avoid being swallowed. Blood and more blood! You are making a hole, you may even hack through....^ But you are sliding down the gullet, the Mouth is swallowing in gulps, you can scarcely hold on a minute longer....^ < If you have the plastic^ ziploc, search for GO-^ HAVE-ZIPLOC^ ^ < If you don't have it,^ search for GO-^ NO-ZIPLOC^ GO-NO-ZIPLOC * GO-NO-ZIPLOC The strength of your arm gives out - at the same time as your Will to Survive. 'If THIS is the kind of thing to expect in Delos,' you think, 'I should have gone to Kansas instead....'^ Aloud you shout: "WHATEVER GODS THERE BE! LET'S GET THIS OVER WITH!" -and let go your grip and slide down, down....^ Then, suddenly, no more sliding, no more down! No more acid, no more stink!^ You are standing on a cool, foggy, featureless plain. Dim light seems to come from all directions - but mostly from the toga-clad figures standing all around you....^ Tall, golden figures like Greek statues, with golden braid on their togas and unfading flowers in their hair....^ Indolently, one materializes a cut- glass Decanter, unplugs it, and points it at you. Out comes a spray of water, just like from a garden hose - except that it is warm, effervescent, and scented with roses.^ The figure "hoses you down" till you are quite clean, and another effortlessly removes the (indignant, writhing and twisting) Necklace.^ "You MAY thank us, if you wish," says yet another.^ "Er, yes, gulp, of course!" you mumble. "Er, er, who ARE you?"^ "The Gods of Good Taste. We DO have strong powers in Delos, as co- formers of Delian Law - and you DID call upon us!^ -- Now, be it as your word!"^ The Gods of Good Taste sparkle and vanish.^ The Worlds revolve around you - tastefully - and you find yourself on a modern American city street. Rather a flat street, under dusty hazy air - in downtown Topeka.^ ^ Smelling like a rose, you sigh and begin looking for a bus station, hoping that you have enough money for a ticket back to Colorado, because ^ THIS GAME IS OVER!^ ^ GO-HAVE-ZIPLOC * GO-HAVE-ZIPLOC^ ^ The smell of digestive juices from the gullet is worse. You feel like vomiting, your throat gags....^ It is almost as bad as (your strangely-calm mind gropes for the thought) ... as the smell of the "Treasure" you got from the Rat-King!^ ^ So maybe, just maybe....^ ^ One hand holding to a cadaverous tooth, you use the other to open the cloth bag hanging from your belt, take out the plastic ziploc, tear it open....^ The smell of the spoiled lunch in that ziploc (which the Rats had called their "greatest treasure!") - is the last straw for your OWN reflexes. Dangling half over the Throat, YOU vomit your own breakfast, at the same time as you throw the contents of the ziploc down the Throat!^ ^ With a spasm that seems to shake the whole world, the Throat gags!^ Instead of a stream of blood being swallowed and pulling you down, it backs up, rises.^ This is just the moment you need! Freed of the downward pull, you hack and hack at the back of the mouth...^ ^ ...till suddenly your Sword pokes straight through! You have made a hole out the back!^ ^ The Throat is repeatedly gagging, sending up surges of blood and bile. A few more strokes enlarge the hole - and a new spasmodic surge of nauseous liquid helps force you through it!^ ^ You fall, tumble, strike ground, roll till you are matted with gravel - all the time coming back to full size.^ Then, wide-eyed and gasping in the sudden clean sweet night air - you first see the bright, unfamiliar stars of Delos.^ And from somewhere, all-too-close, you hear the faint evil chuckle, "Heh, heh...."^ < to be continued > ******* You are finished with file DOOR.PT5. To continue your adventure, use your text editor to call up file DOOR.PT6. If you don't have DOOR.PT6, or if you would like to read other stories of mine, please write to: Mary Ezzell 117 East 8th St, Suite 814 Long Beach, CA 90813 P.S. I can't receive E-Mail! Please use the Post Office. And please enclose stamps for reply, otherwise I can't promise to reply. Now, let's get on with the game! See you in Chapter 6!