Sugarcane

"Norman!" You continue to struggle with the fence as the animals descend on Norman. His blood sprays across the carousel and the animals. The ride slowly starts to spin again. The mirrors on the carousel reflect everything you need to know about Norman's death.\n\n[[Leave the Fence and the Carousel|aloneagain2]]

"Mom?" You get a glimpe of your mother's painted face in the rear view mirror. Patchy turns around in an instant and meets your eyes. He laughs over and over again as he continues to circle the carnival. You scream until Patchy's laughter is the only thing you can hear. The analog clock on the dashboard reads three in the morning. \n\n@@color:red;letter-spacing:3px;font-size:1.5em;You have earned an achievement,"Stranger on the Phone".@@\n\nYou've made a valiant effort, but you can't fight fate. You've met yours at the Hell Carnival.\n\n\n\n(The End)

"I want to try that one!" Annie pulls her mother towards a colorful funhouse.Your mother pales and turns toward your father for support. \n\n"I have to use the toilet. Be right back," your father says as he pats your mother on the shoulder, and then disappears into the crowd. \n\nBefore you can get a word out, your mother starts speaking,"<<$name>>, please take your sister into the funhouse. I can't handle it. There are so many mirrors. Your father and I will meet you kids on the otherside." Your mother steps away from the entrance and walks away. You look down at your baby sister, who is now holding your hand. \n\n"Come on. What are you, sissy?" Annie smiles. What do you say? \n\n[["No! Who told you that?"|who?]]\n\n[["I'm just going to leave you in that funhouse"|meanbigbrother]]

"Norman says you're no fun either!" Annie giggles with glee, then disappears around the corner. Knowing your mother will most definitely be cross with you if Annie gets to the otherside without you, you follow after your sister. \n\nAs you navigate the maze of mirrors, trying your best not to bump into every last one of them, you hear a deep laughter. You get the chills. What do you do?\n\n<<choice "Continue searching for Annie.">>\n\n<<choice "Look closely at one of the mirrors.">>

"Tell me what happened." You demand an answer, going as far as to grab Mary-Jane's shoulders and shake her. \n\n"Alright! Alright, I'll tell you. Just please.. stop.." Mary-Jane sobs and shakes violently. You stop, but keep your hands on her shoulders, afraid she may do something drastic. \n\n"S-Something came out of the water. Something big. I-It looked like a rat. Some kind of ugly, green mutant! It grabbed Tara. We tried to pull her back.. b-by her foot. It was the only thing.. Norman could grab in time," Mary-Jane tells her story. You can tell she's quickly losing her mind. You decide not to press her, especially with hell falling down all around you.\n\n[["Is Norman still out there?"|bestfriendproblems]]\n\n[["We can't stay here long. Lets look for them together."|allies]]\n\n

"Who are you?" You look around for a weapon, but find none. You take several steps back for every one Patchy takes. \n\n"Silly questions always come from silly children. I'm not a 'who' anymore," Patchy says, then smiles wide. Bugs slip through the cracks of his teeth. His sharp teeth grind together, but aren't enough to hold the cockroaches in his mouth. \n\n"Why are you doing this?" You ask as your foot makes contact with an empty, glass bottle of beer. \n\n"It's what the Hell Carnival asks us to do. Can't you feel it breathe? Don't you want to stay? Plenty of children come here to stay." \n\n[[Throw the Bottle!|bottlethrower]]

"I found this outside. I thought you might want it back," You say as you drop Mary-Jane's locket into her hand. \n\nMary-Jane opens the locket to see the pictures of her grandmother and little brother inside. "I'll never see them again." She whispers to herself. \n\n"Yes, you will. You can't give up-"\n\n"Don't you get it? We're going to die here! Just like Tara and Norman." \n\n"Shut up, you'll bring those things over here," You hiss into her ear, trying to quiet her down. Mary-Jane pulls away from you. \n\n[[Continue|continue30]]

"Listen, I know you want to leave, but those gates.. they are being guarded. I know it. We have to find another way out." You finally let go of Mary-Jane. She looks at the gates, then back at you.\n\n"Okay, but if we find the way out first, I'm leaving... whether you come with me or not." Mary-Jane doesn't look guilty in the slightest, but you can't blame her. \n\n[[Begin the Search for Norman and the Exit|noturningback]]\n\n@@color:red;letter-spacing:3px;font-size:1.5em;You have earned an achievement,"With A Little Help From My Friends".@@

"Mom, Annie ran away from me in there. I almost cut my head on a mirror." You decide that your little sister isn't going to come out unscathed this time. As expected, your mother isn't happy. Your father picks Annie up and hoists her up over his shoulders. \n\n"Did you break a mirror in there?" Your mother hisses in a tone you've heard a hundred times before. \n\n"Mom, Annie-" \n\n"Come away from here. We all have to get moving. Don't touch another thing, <<$name>>." Yes, your mother is definitely cross with you now. \n\n"How about that consession stand?" Your father asks as he points toward a semi-busy stand in the distance. \n\n[[Carnival Food. Yum.|carnivalfoodyum]]\n

"Who are you?" You look around for a weapon, but find none. You take several steps back for every one Patchy takes. Mary-Jane stays behind you.\n\n"Silly questions always come from silly children. I'm not a 'who' anymore," Patchy says, then smiles wide. Bugs slip through the cracks of his teeth. His sharp teeth grind together, but aren't enough to hold the cockroaches in his mouth. \n\n"Why are you doing this?" You ask as your foot makes contact with an empty, glass bottle of beer. \n\n"It's what the Hell Carnival asks us to do. Can't you feel it breathe? Don't you want to stay? Plenty of children come here to stay." \n\n[[Throw the Bottle!|bottlethrower2]]

The family heads over to a cotton candy vendor. The older man is polite and makes an extra big cotton candy for Annie. Your mother and father share their own. The vendor makes a third cotton candy. \n\n"I don't want any." You say to the vendor, who puts the candy fluff away. \n\n"Don't be such a grump, <<$name>>." Annie says as your parents laugh and refer to her cute, sassy nature as being her best quality. \n\n[[Tell Your Sister She's Adopted|interrupted]]\n\n[[Tell Your Sister to Piss Off|interrupted]]\n\n[[Tell Your Sister That Cotton Candy is Made From People|interrupted]]\n

You retrace your steps, traveling to the places you had been during the day, hoping to find someone. "There has got to be someone here. This doesn't make any sense," You say to no one but yourself, trying to force yourself to be braver than you actually are. \n\nYou come to the cotton candy stand you were at earlier with your family. Upon seeing the bloody stall, you immediately gag. Swallowing down bile, you slowly inch past the stand, unable to comprehend what exactly you are seeing. \n\n[["What the hell is going on here?!"|continue25]]

Luckily, the lights return after just a few minutes of pitch black darkness. You and Norman look around to see that you have been beached on the side of the bank. The face of your swan boat is covered in red paint from crashing head first into one of the giant, bloody hearts. \n\n"You okay?" You ask Norman, but he doesn't seem to hear you. He is looking directly over your shoulder at the girls' swan boat. \n\n"Help us, please!" Mary-Jane gets out of the boat, waving her hands in the air. Norman acts first, jumping into the water. You follow suit. The level of water isn't too terribly tall. It comes just above your knees. \n\n\n[[Help Mary-Jane and her friend.|continue19]]

You reach the otherside. Mary-Jane appears to be shaken, but otherwise unharmed. \n\n"Are you okay?" Norman asks, trying to check Mary-Jane over. She steps away from Norman. You can blame her. You'd do the same. \n\n"I'm fine, but my friend, Tara, her foot is stuck," Mary-Jane leads you both over to their swan boat. While you both were fortunate to have had your boat hit the bank, Mary-Jane and Tara had crashed into a false tree, tearing the bottom of the boat badly. As a result, Tara's foot has become lodged in the bottom. \n\n"Ew, it looks all-" \n"Not another word, Norman," You shut him up, noting that both Mary-Jane and Tara are frightened beyond words. \n\n[[Free Tara's Foot|freefoot]]\n\n[[Leave Tara's Foot Alone|leavefoot]]

You step away from the clock, fearing it will tumble on top of the both of you. Perhaps that would be a better death than the blood-thirsty monsters that lurked around in the shadows of every concession stand and attraction. \n\nPatchy steps out from behind the clock. He chuckles, but doesn't say a word. He holds his finger to his bright, red lips, then pulls a comically over-sized, but very real butcher knife from behind his back. He finally speaks. "I'm going to cut you up."\n\nYou grab hold of Mary-Jane hand, fearing she may bolt or faint. You aren't sure which would be worse for your situation. \n\n[[Fuck You!|hellyeah2]]\n\n[[Who are you? Why are you doing this?|questions2]]

Hell Carnival

You take the cigarrette from Norman, but the flame has gone out before you can take a hit. "Where did you get these?" You ask as you hold your hand out, waiting to accept Norman's lighter. \n\n"My brother, of course, and I'll light it for you," Norman says as he tries to light your cigarette. \n\n"No. This is beginning to look even more like a date. Give me the lighter," You reply. Norman has a hard time handing over the lighter. You snatch it from him. Before you can light the cigarette, the lights go out. You both hear the girls scream in the boat ahead. \n\n"What the hell did you do, <<$name>>?" Norman begins to panic. \n\nThere is a loud crash, and you both hear the girls scream again. Your swan boat rocks back and forth before getting stuck on something. \n\n[[Continue|continue18]]

You and Norman enter a dark purple tent. The shoddy sign above reads,"The Incredible Snake Boy". There are a good number of people inside, almost too crowded for you and Norman to squeeze through. \n\nAt the front of the room is a thin, malnourished-looking boy. He wiggles around in some sand at the bottom of a glass tank fit for a tiger shark. "Called it." Norman snickers, watching the boy inch around with an obviously fake sack wrapped around his body. \n\nAn attendant drops a rat into the tank. Snake Boy lunges at the rat and misses. His mouth is almost devoid of teeth, except for two long canines, which actually did resemble a snake. He chases his snack around as the crowd watches. "Sick, dude," Norman says. \n\n[[Continue|cruelty]]

You look back at the tunnel entrance. The male attendant slowly waves. He has a big smile on his face that never seems to waver. You feel a chill. The entrance gets darker and darker as you get further into the tunnel. You swear the man's body changes shape in the growing darkness. You get a glimpse of him for a moment. Now in shadows, he appears more like a giant preying mantis.\n\nNorman whacks you in the side of the arm. "Relax, it's just a little lovey ride. Nothing but hearts and penquins in here." You turn back around in your seat. Norman is watching the girls closely up ahead. \n\n[[Continue|Second Act Begins]]

Despite the usual difference in scenary, you find your way back to the two swan boats. Unfortunately, Norman, Mary-Jane, and Tara are nowhere to be found. Hoping to find a clue to where they are, you look around the area for a few good minutes. \n\nThe first thing you notice is that the damaged side of Mary-Jane and Tara's swan boat is covered in blood. You avoid the boat as you continue your search. In the end, you find nothing around the area. You aren't sure whether you'll like what you find in the bloody boat, but you know you shouldn't leave any stone unturned. \n\n[[Peer Inside the Swan Boat|look]]\n\n[[Don't Look And Feel Around Inside the Boat|eyesclosed]]\n\n

You walk around the carnival in a haze of fear and doubt. You reflect Mary-Jane's death, wondering when your time will be next. You look over at a giant clock in the shape of a fat clown. The clockface reads almost half past two. You aren't sure, but you have a dreadful feeling about what could possibly happen if you two were to stay after three. \n\n[[The clock shakes...|clown]]

You notice a crowbar next to a tool box. You grab it, then inspect the fence for weak spots. You notice small part of the fence is busted near the bottom. Your sure you can pry it up even further. \n\nYou use the crowbar to lift part of the fence. Once the hole is big enough you try to squeeze through. \n\nYou look at Norman to see the corroded carousel animals have begun to move. A variety of animals, from lion to pig to horse, start moving towards Norman.\n\n[[Norman!|nonorman]]

"This is a Mermaid?" You hold up the heavy jar. Inside the jar, something that looks more like a tapeworm on steroids sits inside. The creature appears dead. \n\n"Look at all those teeth." You look to Norman. "Norman?" \n\nNorman leans against the table, nearly knocking everything off. \n\n"Watch it!" You sigh and adjust the jars on the table.\n\n"<<$name>>, see that girl over there? She's Mary-Jane Sullivan," Norman holds a hand to his heart dramatically. You've always been aware of Norman's little crush on Mary-Jane, the most popular girl at your high school. How could you forget? Norman never lets you forget it. \n\n[[Ignore Norman|ignorenorman]]

"Stop! Mary-Jane, please!" You run after her, but stop as you notice a pair of hideous ghouls at the ticket counter. Mary-Jane pulls at the gates with the last of her strength. The ghouls crowd around her until she is no longer visible. You cover your ears as you hear her scream.\n\n[[Run!|aloneagain]]

You grab for the heavy candlestick holder. You nearly knock it off the table, but manage to grab it in time. Your fingers are becoming numb, too numb to hold the heavy item. \n\nSnake Boy squeezes harder. You are unable to swing the holder. You only manage to shove the hard wax against Snake Boy's skin, which does nothing. You hear the sound of your own bones being crushed before the time comes when you can barely feel or hear anything. Snake Boy's fangs dig into the top of your head, ending your life.\n\nYou are obviously dead. So what now?\n\n[[Back|snakeboyagain]]

You give in to your exhaustion and pick up the phone. You put in exact change, and then dial once you hear the tone. It only takes a couple of rings before your mother picks up the phone. \n\n"Who is this? Do you know what time it is?" Your mother sounds very upset, but right now it's the most wonderful thing to hear in the world. You breakdown and cry.\n\n"Hello? <<$name>>? Honey, is that you? Where are you calling from?" Your mother's worried tone brings even more tears to the surface. You explain that you are outside the carnival, but don't go into any further detail. "I'll be right there. Don't you move. You and Norman are in a lot of trouble." After your mother hangs up, you put the phone back on the hook. You slide back onto the ground and wait. \n\n[[Your family's station wagon pulls up...|carride]]

You step away from the clock, fearing it will tumble on top of you. Perhaps that would be a better death than the blood-thirsty monsters that lurked around in the shadows of every concession stand and attraction. \n\nPatchy steps out from behind the clock. He chuckles, but doesn't say a word. He holds his finger to his bright, red lips, then pulls a comically over-sized, but very real butcher knife from behind his back. He finally speaks. "I'm going to cut you up."\n\n\n[[Fuck You!|hellyeah]]\n\n[[Who are you? Why are you doing this?|questions]]

You try to reach for the dead attendant's pepper spray, but Snake Boy has you in a tight grip. You feel the blood well up behind your eyes as he squeezes you harder. \n\nYour fingertips touch the pepper spray bottle as your head finally pops off your body. Snake Boy almost purrs as he digs his face into the hole in your neck that once housed your head. Meanwhile, your head rolls underneath the vanity mirror. \n\nYou are obviously dead. So what now?\n\n[[Back|snakeboyagain]]

Mary-Jane walks alongside you, sticking as close to your side as possible. She bumps into you sometimes. She suddenly stops. Before you can ask why, she speaks up. \n\n"<<$name>>, what's that?" Mary-Jane weakly points out a giant clock in the distance. It is in the shape of a fat clown. The clockface reads almost half past two. You aren't sure, but you have a dreadful feeling about what could possibly happen if you two were to stay after three. \n\n"It's just an ugly clock." You say this just to calm her down, but you aren't too sure it is just a clock. The clown clock begins to shake. Mary-Jane cries and covers her head. \n\n[[The clock shakes...|clown2]]

In your line of sight, you see nothing useful and decide you must climb over the fence to get to Norman. You begin climbing the fence. \n\nOnce at the top, you sit for a few seconds, legs on each side. The ride slowly comes to a hault. You are immediately in a hurry to get down. Your pants catch on one of the edges as a result.\n\nYou look back at Norman to see the corroded carousel animals have begun to move. A variety of animals, from lion to pig to horse, start moving towards Norman.\n\n[[Norman!|nonorman]]

Once inside, you take note of your surroundings and quickly realize you are back at Snake Boy's tent. You doubt the boy stuck in the stocking would be much help, but you're willing to bet sn attendent will be with him. \n\nYou walk past the tank, noting that it is empty. You see a light shining from another room that is connected to the tent. A Frank Sinatra record is playing in the background. \n\n[[Peer Inside|continue27]]\n\n[[Leave|continue28]]

As your swan boat turns the corner, following right behind the other boat, you see skeletons and hearts with bloody arrows through them hanging on trees. Overall, you were pretty sure this was the least romantic ride that you had ever been on. \n\n"What a creepy ride," Norman says. \n\n"You said it," you reply as you turn to look at him. Norman lights up a cigarette. After taking a long drag, Norman offers you the cigarette. He holds his breath, trying not to cough. \n\n[[Take the Cigarette|continue16]]\n\n[[Refuse the Cigarette|continue17]]

Like any friend would, you immediately rush to help Norman. A tall fence is surrounding the carousel. The chain is locked, preventing you from opening the gate. You look around, hoping to find something that could help. \n\n[[Bulky Screwdriver|picklock]]\n\n[[Tough Crowbar|liftgate]]\n\n[[Climb the Gate|upandover]]

You and Norman make it to a dark green tent. You both walk inside to see an almost empty room with a wooden, coffee table at the far back. The table has several 'artifacts' of Mermaid culture. \n\nTwo pretty girls, one redhead and the other brunette, are off to the side, talking. \n\nYou and Norman walk up to the table. Norman is checking out the girls, while you look over the items on the table. \n\nThere is a large mason jar on the table with a note card in front that reads, "Real Life Mermaid." \n\n[[Inspect Mason Jar|MermaidJar]]\n

As you sprint towards the front gates, you notice that all of the ghouls are either on fire or already burnt to a crisp. You don't have time to think of what could have caused it. All you care about is the fact that the gates are unguarded. \n\nYou unlock the gates and throw down the key. You never before wanted to touch a prison key, and you especially don't want to hold onto a key to hell. \n\nYou look around the empty parking lot. "I guess they can't come out of the carnival.. Good." You drop to the ground, sitting on the hard pavement. You know you're at least 7 miles away from the nearest gas station. You look off to the side and see a payphone. \n\n[[Call Mom|ending1]]\n\n[[Walk|ending2]]

You peer into one of the mirrors, swearing you saw something swimming around inside. Upon further examination, you decide it was nothing. \n\nYou turn around to see the line of mirrors now in front of you. Instead of yourself, you see a nightmarish clown with a torn, grotesque face and a bloody grin that stetches from ear to ear. You fall back against one of the mirrors, accidently cracking it. \n\nThe image, like all mirrors do, mimicks your movements. With your heart still racing, you stand and test the mirror by moving limbs and making faces. You eventually calm down, putting a hand to your chest. \n\n\n[[Continue|thethingswesay]]\n

You barge into the tent, ready and armed. Inside, you immediately take notice of the tall dunking booth filled with water. Mary-Jane is unconscious and tied to a chair above a trap door in the booth. Another, much larger tank, is connected to the booth. Some kind of human-sized tapeworm is inside the larger tank. Its teeth create a screeching sound on the glass. \n\n[[Try to Get Mary-Jane Out|uhoh1]]\n

"How about the Mermaid Booth?" You turn to your best friend.\n\n"Mermaids? Yeah, sure, maybe they'll be topless," Norman's expression goes from a frown to a smile almost instantly at the prospect of seeing a real life woman instead of a magazine spread. \n\n[[Continue to Mermaid Booth|continuemb]]

You walk past the payphone without giving it another look. The only thing you trust is yourself. You'll make it home. You know you will.\n\nAfter a couple of hours of walking down the highway, you finally reach the nearest gas station and call the police. The entire time you don't let the clerk out of your sight. \n\n@@color:red;letter-spacing:3px;font-size:1.5em;You have earned an achievement,"Not A Clown's Plaything".@@\n\nCongratulations, <<$name>>, you weren't murdered by a demonic clown! Not a lot of people can say that. Or maybe they can... errr, who cares. You survived the Hell Carnival! \n\n(The End)\n\n

"I'm not taking your hand," You say as you step away from the swan boat. \n\n"Oh, do you want to hold that guy's hand instead?" Norman asks as he points over to the creepy attendent with his thumb.\n\n"I don't need to hold anyone's hand!" You jump into the boat. It rocks back and forth, getting Norman wet a little. \n\n"Hey!" Norman smacks you in the arm just before the attendent shoves the boat off into the tunnel. \n\n[[Look Back at the Attendent|continue15]]\n\n

You open the door to the backseat and lay down on the cushions. Your mother hasn't said anything yet, and you can only see the back of her head, but you're sure she must be cross with you over the long drive. \n\nFrom what you can tell, she must have just crawled out of bed and got in the car. Her blond hair is wrapped in pink curlers, like it usually is every night. If you were in better spirits, you might even wonder if she had on that green face mask too, but your mind is too preoccupied with the literal hell that you've been through all night long. \n\nThe silent drive continues for a good five minutes. You lift yourself up and look out the window to see you're not on the highway at all; You've been circling the carnival all this time. \n\n[["Mom?"|mom?]]

You walk around the carnival in a haze of fear. You try to get a grip on your sanity, but there's barely anything holding you together in your trip through hell. You think on Norman's gruesome death for a moment. \n\nBecause you continue to walk with your head down, you nearly bump into a massive clock. The sight of it alone sends your heart racing. It's in the shape of a fat clown. The clockface reads almost half past two. You aren't sure, but you have a dreadful feeling about what could possibly happen if you two were to stay after three. \n\n[[The clock shakes...|clown]]

"Norman!" You pull him back just before he can fall out of the bucket. Again, the attendant doesn't look happy. \n\n"You could have died!" You both lean as far away from the edge as you can. The bucket's constant rocking does nothing to help at all. \n\n"Big deal." Norman brushes you off. The ride slows and people are let off as they reach the bottom. Mary-Jane and her friend hold hands as they exit their bucket. Norman all but jumps from your bucket as it reaches the ground. You follow after him. "They're headed for the Tunnel of Love. Lets go." \n\n"I don't want to go there!" Despite your protest, Norman drags you along. \n\n<<choice "Tunnel of Love">>

"You know, I'm just going to leave you in that funhouse. You'll have to fend yourself from the rats," You tell your sister as your she drags you to a place you've never been nor did you ever want to go: A funhouse full of mirrors. \n\n"You'd be eaten before me!" Annie sticks her tongue out at you before making silly faces in the mirrors.Her face and body are projected in different ways depending on which mirror. "Look, I'm taller than you!"\n\nYou say nothing as you look around the room, wishing you weren't there. Annie wretches her hand free and runs to the otherside of the room. "Annie!" \n\n[[Follow Your Sister!|continue2]]

"You want to know what happened while you were gone, <<$name>>?" Mary-Jane backs away the more you try to get closer. You finally stay put and look around, afraid she's brought another hell right down on top of the both of you. \n\n"Something came out of the water. Something big. I-It looked like a rat, an ugly, green mutant! It grabbed Tara. We tried to pull her back.. b-by her foot. It was the only thing.. Norman could grab in time," Mary-Jane shakes as she tells her story.\n\n[[Continue|continue31]]\n

You begin to notice several pairs of red eyes hidden in the shadows, watching and waiting. "It didn't matter in the end. Norman and I left. We seperated outside." \n\n"Bullshit!" You glare at Mary-Jane. "Norman wouldn't have left you alone for a second!" Mary-Jane only cries louder. "Tell me where Norman is." \n\n"I don't know! He went to find you!" Mary-Jane breaks down, wailing even louder. You try to calm her down, looking over your shoulder the entire time. "I'm not staying... Not for another minute!" \n\nMary-Jane bolts towards the exit before you can grab her. \n\n[["Mary-Jane!"|spidermanspiderman]]

You arrive at the Carousel of Wonder. The ride is now covered in a thick layer of rust. As the ride spins some more, you notice Norman tied to one of the poles. His mouth is bound. \n\nHe has noticed you and is looking to you for help. \n\n[[Continue|continue33]]

You grab for the broken shard of glass on the table. The shard is light and sharp. You grip it tightly, knowing that this will be your only chance to get free. Blood drips from your hand and onto the glass. As Snake Boy moves his face closer to yours, you stab in a forward motion, catching him in the rightneye. You drag the shard down his face, ripping open his eye, nose, and mouth. \n\nSnake Boy lets out a shriek and drops you. He slithers to the corner, holding his face. Caring only for your life, you flee without finishing the job. You doubt the boy will follow after you. \n\n[[Continue|continue29]]

You and Mary-Jane walk around the carnival, careful not to draw any attention to yourself. \n\n"We should be leaving this hell hole! The gates are right there," Mary-Jane points to a big, red gate in the distance. \n\n"I'm not leaving without Norman." You can tell Mary-Jane is more than a little upset. \n\n"You're crazy. He's dead... Just like Tara," Mary-Jane wraps her arms around herself. You both stop near a bloody popcorn stand. \n\n[[Give Mary-Jane the Locket|niceguy]]\n\n[[Dont Give Mary-Jane the Locket|thatsucks]]

The glass bottle hits Patchy in the face. He doesn't scream; he only growls. You dart in the opposite direction, ending up at the funhouse you went in with your little sister earlier. \n\nYou walk through the maze, trying to remember every twist and turn along the way. You begin to notice the mirrors or in different places and finally you end up in a large room with only mirrors, even the exit behind you has disappeared. \n\nYou hear that insane clown's laughter again. Patchy's image appears on every mirror. "Ready to see what's on the otherside?" He mocks you, waiting for you to move first. \n\n[[Destroy One of the Mirrors|missedme]]\n\n[[Set the Drapes on Fire|burnbaby]]\n

You take Norman's hand. He grins and pulls your arm hard, launching you into the boat. The boat rocks. You get wet, while Norman stays dry. He cackles, holding his sides until you give him a punch to the ribs. \n\n"Ow! Relax, will you? This will be fun," Norman says as he sits back. The attendent gives the boat a small shove like the one before. \n\n\n[[Look Back at the Attendent|continue15]]\n

The clock counts down from 15. You look down at your weapon, the strong chain. You step back up to the control console and wrap the chain around the wheel. You pull as hard as you can, breaking the skin on your palms. \n\n"<<$name>>!" Mary-Jane cries. The countdown drops to 5. You pull harder. The wheel turns only slightly before you slip and fall onto the ground. The countdown ends at 0, and the trap doors open up beneath Mary-Jane. She falls into the water just as the connected tank next to her opens. The "Mermaid" swims in and attacks Mary-Jane. Blood blocks your few of the feeding and Mary-Jane's last moments. \n\n[[You cover your ears and run.|aloneagain]]

The clock counts down from 15. You look down at your weapon, the fold-out chair. Afraid to set of the trap doors by touching another button or knob, you opt for brute force. You slam the chair against the glass tank as hard as you can. It doesn't even make a sound \n\n"<<$name>>, you asshole! A chair? Do something!" Mary-Jane cries. The countdown drops to 10. \n\n"I'm trying! It was all I could find!" You hit the glass again with the chair. The countdown drops to 5. You run over to the console and bash it with the chair. The console sparks, then the countdowns immediately drops to 0. \n\nThe trap doors open up beneath Mary-Jane. She falls into the water just as the connected tank next to her opens. The "Mermaid" swims in and attacks Mary-Jane. Blood blocks your few of the feeding and Mary-Jane's last moments. \n\n[[You cover your ears and run.|aloneagain]]

The clock counts down from 15. You look down at your weapon, the heavy stanchion. You step back up to the control console. Afraid to set of the trap doors by touching another button or knob, you opt for brute force. You slam the stanchion against the glass tank as hard as you can. It cracks. \n\n"Thank you,<<$name>>!" Mary-Jane cries, feeling as if she will be free soon. The countdown drops to 5. \n\nYou hit the glass harder. It finally shatters as the countdown ends at 0. You crawl inside just as Mary-Jane falls off the chair and through the trap door. You help her up and pull her through the glass as the "Mermaid's" hatch opens, and the worm creature swims through. It flops onto the ground, unable to breath. Mary-Jane steps on it with the heel of her shoe. \n\n[[Let Her|killingisbad]]\n\n[[Pull Her Away|goodchoice]]

"I think it's best if we leave her like this," you speak first, deciding leaving Tara's foot alone is the only right choice you can make. \n\n"Are you kidding me? She's in pain!" Mary-Jane points at Tara. Tara is sobbing to herself. Blood soaks into the water. Her foot is most definitely broken. \n\n"We can't do that, <<$name>>," Norman says, but is less sure than you are. He glances at Mary-Jane. \n\n"What if we make it worse? We should go for help first," You say. You are unable to look at Tara's grotesque foot any longer. \n\n[[Continue|continue22]]

As Patchy continues to laugh, you dig around in your pockets for anything that could help you at this moment. You pull out some pocket change and rubber band. You shove them back into one of the pockets on your pants, and then go right back to searching every other pocket you have on you. Finally, you pull out a lighter. Norman's lighter. \n\n"Thanks, buddy." You whisper to yourself before looking back at Patchy. "Go to hell!" You quickly look for something flammable.\n\nThere are several drapes hanging around the room, mostly over the mirrors. You run over and light them on fire. Patchy finally screams. The mirrors glow red, as if the fire is inside. They begin to shake. The exit appears in the corner along with a red key hanging next to it. \n\n[[Grab the Key and Go!|freedom?]]

You decide not to press your luck, knowing Mary-Jane is completely broken. "We can't stay here for much longer. Lets look for them together, Mary-Jane." You keep your hands firmly on her shoulders, making sure she can't go anywhere. \n\n"You really think.." Mary-Jane gulps down a lump in her throat,".. that they could be alive?" Her eyes look somewhat hopeful, but her body language suggests she's already given up. \n\n[[Reason with Mary-Jane|listenup]]\n\n\n\n\n

"Me? I don't want to go. I don't even know where to go," you can't help but say. \n\n"You gotta do it, <<$name>>. Just follow the bank back. It was basically a straight shot. Someone has to stay with them," Norman replies. \n\n"We can take care of ourselves," Mary-Jane says. You and Norman silently agree that leaving the girls alone would be a bad idea. \n\n"Fine. I'll be back soon," You say. You don't waste any time. You and Norman shake hands. He gives you the usual 'be careful' speech before you part ways. \n\n[[Continue|Outside Again]]

"We are getting her out!" Mary-Jane goes to work. Unable to sit back and watch, Norman decides to help Mary-Jane. \n\nYou give in, helping them wretch Tara's foot free. It looks even worse than before. A bone is obviously in view, while thick pieces of flesh hang off. Tara screams and cries. Norman covers his ears, while Mary-Jane, far more patient with her friend, tries her best to calm her down.\n\nAfter a while, Tara's cries get quieter. \n\n[["You definitely won't be walking anytime soon."|continue20]]\n\n[[Isn't there someone in here with us?|continue21]]

"Shouldn't someone have shown up by now?" You ask, looking around at the surroundings. Norman looks around too. \n\n"Yeah. Why isn't anyone running out and begging us not to sue?" Norman gets close to Mary-Jane. \n\n"Who cares! Just go get someone! Tara's foot might get infected. Just look at that water! There's no telling what's in it," Mary-Jane hisses under her breath, trying not to upset Tara further. Tara is barely hanging on to consciousness. \n\nNorman looks to you. \n\n[["Me? Oh, no."|continue23]]\n\n[["I'll go."|continue24]]\n\n

You arrive at the Mermaid Booth tent. You look around for a weapon, deciding not to go in unarmed this time. \n\n[[Long Chain|wheelmermaid]]\n\n[[Metal Stanchion|glassmermaid]]\n\n[[Flimsy Chair|uselessmermaid]]

You decide to peer inside. You move the curtain slowly to the side. Inside, Snake Boy is sitting in a chair in front of a cracked vanity mirror. Two dead attendants lie next to his feet. They bodies are pale, and their veins look dry. They both have an expression of shock and fear. A large shedding of snake skin is beside them. \n\nSnake Boy's body appears real now. His torso is snake-like, while his skin is completely covered in scales. \n\nYou can't stop the whimper that slips past your lips. Within seconds, Snake Boy wraps you around you. You manage to slip one arm out as he throws you against the vanity desk. The mirror breaks further. Snake Boy begins to crush you. \n\n[[Grab for the glass shard on the desk.|option1]]\n\n[[Grab for the heavy candlestick holder.|option2]]\n\n[[Grab for the attendant's pepper spray.|option3]]

You run as fast you can from the legless vendor. You stop next a familiar tent.\n\n"I gotta get back to the tunnel. I gotta tell Norman," You pace back and forth. You know Norman won't believe you, but he'll see it with his own eyes soon enough. A garage can rattles next to you. You inch closer, ready to whack whatever it is in the head. \n\nA black cat darts out of the can, startling you and causing you to fall backwards against the tent. You tumble inside. \n\n[[Continue|snakeboyagain]]\n

You finally catch sight of the "cotton candy man". The kindly man from before is now hanging over the cotton candy machine, minus the lower half of his body. His intestines are being fed into the machine, like the cotton candy from before. His skin is red and blistered. He smiles at you. This time, it sends chills down your spine and stirs a sickness in your gut. \n\nDisturbingly enough, the vendor looks a lot happier with his job than he did before. Attempting to reach you, he moves from board to board like they are playground monkey bars. \n\n[[Run!|continue26]]

"Don't worry. I'll find someone. There is a park full of people outside. I'm sure any one of them would rush to get on the evening news," You say as you prepare to leave. \n\n"Be careful, <<$name>>. There are some freaks out there," Norman smiles. \n\n"Norman, it's a carnival," You reply. \n\n"Yeah." Norman puts his hands in his pocket. \n\n"I won't bring back a clown." You sigh and shake your best friend's hand. \n\n"Promise?" Norman grins now. You reassure Norman. Mary-Jane thanks you before you leave. \n\n[[Continue|Outside Again]]

Kathrine Rucker

You sit beneath a carnival game booth. Like all the others, the stall is covered in blood, but for the first time you aren't bothered by it. You're just happy to be completely alone. After taking a breather, you decide to head back to the tunnel, but before you can leave you hear the sound of laughter. \n\nYou turn to look to see the clown from earlier that day, Patchy. He looks uglier and far more sadistic than when he was with your sister. He puffs slowly on a cigar. You step back, while he decides to take a step forward. \n\n"I was hoping you'd stay tonight. Is there anyone else? Children your age are my favorite," Patchy says. \n\n[[Continue|A Clown Named Patchy]]

You decide to leave. Just as you turn around you hear an unforgettable sound that reminds you have bones being snapped. You take a step closer to the curtain and peer in for a second to see Snake Boy dropping an attendant onto the ground. He's the same one from earlier that day, who fed Snake Boy the rat. Snake Boy snow stands over two dead attendants. They bodies are pale, and their veins look dry. They both have an expression of shock and fear. A large shedding of snake skin is beside them. \n\nSnake Boy's body appears real now. His torso is snake-like, while his skin is completely covered in scales. He sits back down at the vanity mirror and tries to wipe his face of blood, but only smears it. \n\nYou can't stop the whimper that slips past your lips. Within seconds, Snake Boy wraps you around you. You manage to slip one arm out as he throws you against the vanity desk. The mirror breaks further. Snake Boy begins to crush you. \n\n[[Grab for the glass shard on the desk.|option1]]\n\n[[Grab for the heavy candlestick holder.|option2]]\n\n[[Grab for the attendant's pepper spray.|option3]]

You arrive at the Ferris Wheel to see Norman waving his arms above his head, signaling for you to hurry over. The attendant next to him looks less than thrilled. You rush over, and the two of you get in a bucket. The attendant slides a thin bar down, then flips a switch. The ride begins to move. \n\n"Look up," Norman points upwards, staring at you with a smirk. You look up and see Mary-Jane and her friend a few buckets up. They laugh, having a good time and not noticing the two creeps below looking at them. "You can almost see her panties," Norman leans over a little, trying to get a better look.The bar collapses under his weight. \n\n[[Save Norman!|nodeathforyoufriend]]

"Mary-Jane, I need you to tell me where Norman is. Please, can you do that?" You can't stop yourself from pressing Mary-Jane on information. \n\n"After Tara... We left together, then we seperated outside." \n\n"Bullshit!" You glare at Mary-Jane. "Norman wouldn't have left you alone for a second!" Mary-Jane only cries louder. "Tell me where Norman is." \n\n"I don't know! He went to find you!" Mary-Jane wails louder. You try to calm her down, look over your shoulder the entire time. "I'm not staying... Not for another minute!" \n\nMary-Jane bolts towards the exit before you can grab her. \n\n[["Mary-Jane!"|spidermanspiderman]]

You cling to your desired animal as the ride starts. Mary-Jane and her friend are just in front of you and Norman. \n\nAs you enjoy one of your favorite childhood rides, you take note of Norman, who looks as though he's sinking into the seat and holding on for dear life. You'll never understand that guy. \n\n[[Enjoy the Ride|endcarouselride]]\n\n

You wander the fairgrounds, ready to face whatever comes your way. You arrive at the same three-way sign. After tangling with Snake Boy, you're sure Norman and Mary-Jane aren't there. You must decide where to go next, knowing you'll most likely only reach one of them in time. \n\n[[Mermaid Booth|Mary-Jane]]\n\n[[Carousel of Wonder|Norman]]

<<set $name to prompt ("What's your name?", "Your name")>>\n1974, Carthage, Texas\n\n\nThe Brolin family is like any other traditional family. There is a father, mother, little sister "Annie", and of course, you, <<$name>>, a rebellious fifteen year old. \n\nToday isn't any more special than yesterday or the day after, but there is something happening today, and today only. Ulysses' Carnival has come to town, your town. Ulysses' is a traveling carnival that only appears in small towns, choosing to stay away from the bigger cities for a reason nobody knows. While not the best around, the carnival and its odditities never fail to draw a crowd. Your father and mother have decided to celebrate Annie's birthday with a trip to this very carnival. How can you not enjoy a carnival? \n\n\n<<choice "Walk through the gates.">>\n\n\n\n[[JUMP TO ACT2|Second Act Begins]]\n\n[[JUMP TO ACT 3|entertunnel]]

The three of you spread out. Mary-Jane consoles Tara, while also preventing her from moving around so much. Norman pulls at the splintered boards, while you, unfortunately, are tasked with pulling Tara's foot free. \n\nWorking together, you all free Tara's foot. It looks even worse than before. Tara screams and cries. Norman covers his ears, while Mary-Jane, far more patient with her friend, tries her best to calm her down. Tara's foot is grotesque. A bone is obviously in view, while thick pieces of flesh hang off. \n\n[["You definitely won't be walking anytime soon."|continue20]]\n\n[[Isn't there someone in here with us?|continue21]]

As soon as you touched the controls, the "attraction" starts. The machine and booth lights up and annoying carnival music plays. Mary-Jane regains consciousness. \n\nYou stand back, wondering what you've done. "Get me out of here, <<$name>>! Please!" You are too afraid to touch anything else. \n\n[[A countdown begins...|countdown3]]

"Get away from me!" You run faster than you did with the cotton candy vendor and Snake Boy. You really didn't like clowns, and you had a feeling he was going to do more than Snake Boy would have. You hear his laughter crystal clear no matter how far you get. \n\nYou take in your surroundings as you run past. Despite everything being mostly a blur, you appear to know your way around. You know you're headed in the right direction. \n\n[[Back to the Tunnel of Love|backtothetunnel]]

Unable to stomach the clown's mocking words and annoying laugh any longer, you pull your arm back, ready for anything. Patchy stops laughing as you hit the glass hard with your fist. The glass shatters. Shards bounce off your arms and face. Patchy is gone. \n\nYou look around for a moment, wondering if you've finally gotten rid of him. You turn around, looking for the exit. Patchy reaches out from the otherside of the broken mirror, grabbing your shoulder with one hand and covering your mouth with the other. He pulls you back into the darkness. \n\nAll of the mirrors shatter in one, single moment. Blood seeps out onto the floor. You are now just another victim of the Hell Carnival. \n\n[[Pick Again?|bottlethrower2]]

The carousel ride slowly comes to a hault. Norman all but bolts off the ride. \n\n"You sick?" You can't help asking. \n\n"No!.. Those animals just give me the creepys. Merry-go-rounds always have." With that, Norman ends the conversation. He focuses mainly on the two girls getting off the carousel.\n\nMary-Jane and her friend walk away. You were headed in the opposite direction, but Norman stops you. \n\n"Let's go, <<$name>>. I think they are headed for the Ferris Wheel." Without a word from you, Norman chases after Mary-Jane. You have no choice but to pursue Norman and his dream girl. \n\n[[Follow the Chicks|Ferris Wheel]]\n

Recalling Norman's fear of the carousel, you make the decision to head towards the Carousel of Wonder. You hope you'll find Norman there. Alive. \n\n[[continue|continue32]]\n\n

You empty the contents of your stomach behind the swan boat. You hear the sound of moving water downstream. A shadow rises at the end of the tunnel. You fear the sound of your vomitting may have stirred the interest of whatever got Tara.\n\n[[You Bolt for the Exit. Back to the Carnival.|welcomeback]]

The glass bottle hits Patchy in the face. He doesn't scream; he only growls. You and Mary-Jane dart in the opposite direction, ending up at the funhouse you went in with your little sister earlier. \n\n"Come on, we gotta go." You try to pull Mary-Jane inside. She screams and struggles, eventually ripping her arm out of your grip. \n\n"N-No! I can't go in there!" Mary-Jane shakes, moving further away from you. She appears frightened of the funhouse. \n\n"Yes, you can. Please, come with me." You hold your hand out to her. \n\n"I'm sorry, <<$name>>.. " Mary-Jane turns and runs away from you and straight into Snake Boy's tent. You step away from the funhouse, but stop as you hear Mary-Jane's screams. After a few seconds, her screams die down, and you hear only silence. \n\n[[Walk Into the Funhouse|timeandtimeagain]]\n\n\n

"That's enough. Lets go before he shows up," you say as you pull Mary-Jane away from the creature. It slowly shrinks and slithers into a small puddle, trying to breathe. \n\n"Before who shows up?" Mary-Jane asks as you pull her out of the tent. \n\nUnsure of how to put your fear into words, especially after Mary-Jane's ordeal, you say the only thing you can. "Some clown."\n\n[[Together, you both leave the Mermaid Booth behind.|run]]

Luckily, your mother is nowhere to be seen at the carousel. \n\n"I'm not getting on that thing," Norman appears to cringe, backing away from the carousel. \n\n"What's wrong?" You ask. \n\n"I don't like it. The horses are creepy," Norman replies. You've never seen Norman act this way. \n\n"Ride one of the little kitty cats then."\n\n"Shut up. I'm serious." Norman catches sight of a cute pair of chicks, one with red hair and the other brunette. "<<$name>>, see that girl?" Norman grabs you by the collar and points at the redhead. \n\n"Yeah, I see, now let go, man." You pull away from Norman, rubbing your neck. \n\n"That's Mary-Jane Sullivan," Norman says as he pulls you closer to the carousel. You roll your eyes, not wanting to hear another Mary-Jane story. \n\n"Norman, man-"\n\n"Lets get on the ride." Norman drags you onto the carousel. Norman avoids the animals and instead sits on one of the many carriages that remain stagnant amid the bouncing animals. \n\n[[Pick the Pink Pig|carouselride]]\n\n[[Pick the Clay Horse|carouselride]]\n\n[[Pick the Purple Alligator|carouselride]]\n\n

You notice a big tool box. After digging through useless tools, you come across a screwdriver. With little time to spare, you rush back to the fence. You stick the screwdriver into the padlock and twist, hoping the force will break it. The padlock doesn't budge. \n\nYou look back at Norman to see the corroded carousel animals have begun to move. A variety of animals, from lion to pig to horse, start moving towards Norman.\n\n[[Norman!|nonorman]]

"My mother isn't here. Johnny is though. He said he'd take us home after the carnival. Maybe get us a few cigarettes. Even gave me his lighter. See." Norman is playing with a gold lighter with a white skull embellished on the side. \n\n"Your brother is an idiot," You reply as you both come to a stop, away from the crowd. \n\n"Okay, Mr. Buzzkill, how about you pick where to go?" There is a sign in front of the both of you, naming the location of three different exhibitions. \n\nWhere do you go? \n\n<<choice "Mermaid Booth">>\n\n<<choice "Snake Boy">> \n\n<<choice "Carousel of Wonder">>

"How terrible! This whole carnival should be dismantled!" a fiery redhead shouts from in the crowd. Norman looks over. A brunette pulls her towards the entrance. \n\n"Calm down, Mary-Jane. Come on, lets go to the Ferris wheel," the brunette says as she pulls her friend out of the tent. \n\n"That's Mary-Jane Sullivan!" Norman turns away from Snake Boy and tries to get through the crowd. \n\n"And?" You follow after Norman. You're not really interested in this part of the show anyway. Mary-Jane was Norman's long time crush. She also didn't know he existed. \n\n"Dude, I think she likes me. I mean, I've been leaving notes in her locker every day," Norman said. Well, she probably knew he existed in some way. \n\n"That was you? I heard she talked to the principal and janitor about that." You try to bring Norman back down to earth, but he doesn't appear to have heard a word you've said. \n\n"They are going to the Ferris wheel. Come on," Norman leaves the tent.\n\n[[Follow the Chicks|Ferris Wheel]]

"Fuck you, clown," You flip off Patchy. Your mother was right. Your language had gotten worse since meeting Norman.\n\n"Do you think you're brave? Your friends weren't. But that's okay. They're all in my jars now. Soon you will be too," Patchy says, then smiles wide. Bugs slip through the cracks of his teeth. His sharp teeth grind together, but aren't enough to hold the cockroaches in his mouth. \n\n"I'm not going to be part of your collection." Your foot makes contact with an empty, glass bottle of beer. Patchy appears upset.\n\n"Don't you want to stay here forever? Plenty of children come here to say. The Hell Carnival is 'mother'. Can't you feel her breathe?" \n\n\n[[Throw the Bottle!|bottlethrower]]

"I am not, Annie. Who told you I was?" You ask as your sister drags you to a place you've never been nor did you ever want to go: A funhouse full of mirrors. \n\n"Norman said it," Annie said as she makes silly faces in the mirrors. Her face and body are projected in different ways depending on which mirror. "Look, I'm taller than you!"\n\n"Norman was joking," You said with little doubt. Annie wretches her hand free and runs to the otherside of the room. "Annie!"\n \n[[Follow Your Sister!|continue2]]\n

You take a deep breath and prepare yourself. You peer into the boat and immediately catch sight of the only thing at the bottom of the boat, Tara's severed foot. \n\nYou pull away from the boat and slowly sit back. You take a few more deep breaths, then stand up and inspect the bloodly limb. The foot is horrifically mangled, looking as if it had been ripped off during quite a struggle. Tara's silver ankle bracelet is cutting into the swollen flesh. \n\nDetermined to find your pal, Norman, you walk away from the scene, ready to enter the Hell Carival again. \n\n[[Nowhere to Run. Back to the Carnival.|welcomeback]]

"Are you kidding me? Are you really smoking in here?" You refuse the cigarette. \n\n"Jeez, you don't have to bite my head off, <<$name>>," Norman tosses the cigarette into the water. "Feel better, princess?" Norman smiles. You snatch the lighter from his hand. \n\n"Better." You smirk at Norman. Norman glares, but eventually smiles back and holds out his hand, waiting for you to give back the lighter. \n\nBefore you can hand the lighter back, the lights go out, leaving you both in total darkness. You both hear the girls scream in the boat ahead. \n\n"What the hell! Y-You don't think I did that, do you?" Norman begins to panic. \n\nThere is a loud crash, and you both hear the girls scream again. Your swan boat rocks back and forth before getting stuck on something. \n\n[[Continue|continue18]]

"Did you know that some clown was just fondling your daughter?" You ask as your father hoists Annie up onto his shoulders. She tries to stick the balloon giraffe into his ear. Although annoyed, he doesn't stop the eight year old girl. \n\n"Watch your mouth, young man!" Your mother smacks you upside the head. A couple of girls walking by share a laugh at your expense. \n\n"I'm serious! That clown gives me the creeps. He looks kind of like the one I saw in the mirror," you try to enlist your father's help, but he's not stepping into the line of fire any time soon. \n\n"I don't want to hear anymore about it. We were watching the whole time. He took care of your poor sister, while you had your fun in there." You decide it's best not to argue any further.\n\n"Anyone hungry?" Your father speaks up. \n\n[[Carnival Food. Yum.|carnivalfoodyum]]\n\n

After receiving your wrist bands, you and your family walk through the gates. Your little sister, Annie, leads the way, tugging on your mother's hand. "What do you want to do first, Annie, dear?" Your mother asks. Your family is stopped in a center of a crowd. You feel more uncomfortable as people walk by, both Carthage residents and carnival folk alike. \n\n[[Continue|continue1]]

You arrive outside the tunnel of love. You feel more relaxed after losing Patchy and his voice. Unlike before, the tunnel entrance looks more like a sewer entrance than a magical gateway of love. All the swan boats are drenched in blood, some even have X's over their eyes. \n\nAs you walk towards the entrance you step on something notable. You bend down and pick up what appears to be Mary-Jane's heart-shaped locket. You stuff it into your pocket and remind yourself to give it back to her. You hope she won't mind the dent. \n\n[[Enter|entertunnel]]

Whatever you were going to say to your rotten sister, you never get the chance because you are distracted by the sound of your name. \n\n"<<$name>>!" A short, chubby dark haired boy walks over to your family. \n\n"Norman, what are you doing here?" You ask. \n\n"That's a stupid question," Norman says before turning his attention to your mother. \n\n"That's a beautiful, floral dress, Mrs. B. I especially like the-"\n\n"What do you want, Norman?" Your mother interrupts Norman's line of compliments. \n\n"Well, ma'am, my mother said I could invite one friend to sleepover tonight. I always sleep over at your house so I thought I'd return the favor and take <<$name>> off your hands for the night," Norman said. \n\n[[Continue|normansplan]]

"I don't like this place. There was a clown in the funhouse." You cross your arms as your father hoists Annie onto his shoulders. She beats the balloon giraffe against his head. \n\n"Oh, a clown in the funhouse you say. Imagine why he would be there. What a strange place to find a clown." Your mother isn't amused.\n\n"That's not what I meant. It was a mirror," You try to explain.\n\n"Better watch out. There's a mirror in our bathroom too." Your father joins in. \n\n"Can you please just enjoy yourself, <<$name>>?" Your mother asks before suggesting that the family should grab some chow. \n\n[[Carnival Food. Yum.|carnivalfoodyum]]

"Do whatever makes you feel better." You let Mary-Jane take her anger out on the defenseless worm. Mary-Jane digs her heel into the monster's eye. It squeals and shrivels up. Despite her constant kicks, the creature doesn't move again. \n\n"That's more like it," Mary-Jane says as she flips her hair over her shoulder and turns her back to the "wonderous Mermaid". \n\n"What happened to Norman? Tara?" You can't hold your questions in any longer. Before Mary-Jane can answer, the sea creature gets up and bites into the top of her head with its hundred teeth. You step back as the worm works its way down from Mary-Jane's head to her neck, then her shoulders and so on.\n\n[[Run!|run]]

"That's one scary mirror. How does it do that?" You notice the exit door off to the side. "I hope Annie didn't see it." \n\nAfter finding the exit, you walk through, reasoning that Annie must be outside by now. Outside, you see a much friendlier looking clown holding up your baby sister. \n\n"Hey! Put her down," You fumble with your words, understandably upset with clowns at the moment. You decide against moving forward.\n\nHe smiles at you. He is bald for the most part, except for two lavender cones of hair on the sides of his head. \n\nFinally, the clown puts your sister on the ground. They smile at each other, and he pats her on the head. He pulls a perfectly made balloon animal out of his pocket. Annie takes the yellow giraffe and holds it close. \n\nThe clown returns his attention to you, smiling and offering a friendly wave before he heads back into the crowd. Your mother and father arrive just in time for you to take Annie's hand. "Looks like you two had fun," your mother says.\n\n<<choice "'I don't like this place.'">>\n\n<<choice "'Annie ran away from me.'">>\n\n<<choice "'Some clown was just fondling your daughter.'">>

"Asshole!" Mary-Jane yells at you. If looks could kill, you'd be in far worse condition than Tara. \n\n"Forgive him. He's always like this. Just one of those pessimistic fuckers. He doesn't mean anything by it," Norman says, 'defending' you. "He's right though, Mary-Jane. Tara isn't going to be getting up any time soon. We should look for help." \n\n"I can't leave her," Mary-Jane says. Tara looks to be unconscious now. Norman turns to look at you. \n\n[["Me? Oh, no."|continue23]]\n\n[["I'll go."|continue24]]

His words fall on deaf ears as you take notice of the mermaid jar once more. \n\nYou pick it up, studying the eel-like creature inside. The serpent's eyes flourish for a moment and set their gaze on you. \n\nHastily, you put the jar down and grab Norman by the arm, pulling him out of the Mermaid exhibit tent.\n\n“Hey, man! You can't just take me away from chasing tail, I had her right where I wanted her.” Norman notices Mary-Jane exiting from the front of the tent, friend in hand. “If we act quickly we can still catch them, dude!”\n\nYou aren't listening. You shake for a moment. \n\n“You alright?” Norman puts his hand on your shoulder.\n\n“Yeah, I am fine.”\n\n[[Follow the Chicks|Ferris Wheel]]

"How about the carousel?" You start walking in the direction that the sign points to. \n\n"Seriously? A kiddie carousel?" Norman follows, but doesn't appear to agree with your choice. \n\n"Why did you even ask me to pick then?" You walk ahead, while Norman follows. \n\n"Okay, okay, <<$name>>, I'll forgive you. Maybe there will be some hot moms there or something," Norman says, looking on the positive side. "Your mom might even be there," Norman adds. \n\n"Shut up." You walk with Norman to the carousel, wondering how you two opposites ever became such close friends. \n\n[[Continue|normanthejerk]]

Unable to overcome your fear, you instead choose to search the boat without looking inside. You look over your shoulder, making sure that you can watch your back, while also avoiding the chance that you could accidently peak into the boat. \n\nFinally, you grab hold of what you assume is a thin, metal chain. You give a small yank and look down at your hand to see Tara's bloody ankle bracelet. The shock causes you to look into the boat. Inside there is only Tara's severed foot. The foot is horrifically mangled, looking as if it had been ripped off during quite a struggle. \n\nYou weren't ready for this kind of sight. You feel a sickness rise in your throat.\n\n[[Puke the Carnival's Goodies|puke]]

"This is bullshit." You cover your ears, trying your best to drown out the sounds of the laughter as you continue through the maze in search of Annie. \n\nThe laughter soon becomes too loud to ignore. It appears to be coming right behind you, clear as bells as if someone is laughing next to your ear. You feel a hand grip your shoulder. You turn around sharply, tripping over your own feet. You fall back against one of the mirrors, cracking it down the middle. \n\nIn the mirror next to you, you can see a terrifying clown in the same position you are in. Pushing your feet away from the mirror, you slide backwards. \n\n[[Continue|thethingswesay]]

After traveling through the tunnel for what seems like a half hour, you finally catch sight of the entrance again. The daylight has come and gone, leaving you to wonder if you four had really been in there that long. \n\nYou walk out onto the carnival grounds, seeing no soul in sight. The place appears desserted, complete with trash floating in the breeze. An empty popcorn bucket rolls past you. You immediately think of your parents and sister, wondering how long ago they must have left the fairgrounds. \n\n[[Continue|Cotton Candy Vendor]]

Your mother and father exchange looks, then nudge you towards Norman. \n\n"Your mother is here, right?" Your mother questions Norman on the spot.\n\n"Of course, Mrs. Brolin," Norman smiles. He takes you by the wrist and leads you into the crowd of people. You lose sight of your parents. \n\n"Listen up," Norman starts. \n\n[[Listen|listen]]

Mary-Jane and her friend board a swan boat. They are helped in by a friendly attendant, who waves as they are shipped off into the romantic tunnel. Norman walks up to a swan boat and jumps in, splashing water out of the river and onto the ground. \n\n"Why are you picking all these romantic rides?"\n\n"I'm not! They are. Come on, lets go in." Norman holds out his hand to help you on. The attendant is standing off to the side. \n\n[[Take Norman's Hand|Take Norman's Hand]]\n\n[[Don't Take Norman's Hand|Don't Take Norman's Hand]]\n\n\n

You walk through the maze, trying to remember every twist and turn along the way. You begin to notice the mirrors or in different places and finally you end up in a large room with only mirrors, even the exit behind you has disappeared. \n\nYou hear that insane clown's laughter again. Patchy's image appears on every mirror. "Ready to see what's on the otherside?" He mocks you, waiting for you to move first. \n\n[[Destroy One of the Mirrors|missedme]]\n\n[[Set the Drapes on Fire|burnbaby]]\n\n[[Mouth Off to Patchy|wordshurt]]

"How about we see this Snake Boy?" You walk in the direction that the sign points to. "I bet it's a croc," Norman doesn't seem happy or upset with your choice. "Probably." You add. The both of you laugh before heading over to your new destination. \n\n[[Continue|boymeetsnake]\n

"Fuck you, clown," You flip off Patchy. Your mother was right. Your language had gotten worse since meeting Norman. Mary-Jane seems to appreciate your courage. She squeezes your hand harder. \n\n"Do you think you're brave? Your friend.. what was his name? Oh, Norman. He wasn't very brave at all. But that's okay. He's in one of my special jars now. Soon you two will be too," Patchy says, then smiles wide. Bugs slip through the cracks of his teeth. His sharp teeth grind together, but aren't enough to hold the cockroaches in his mouth. \n\n"We're not going to be part of your collection." Your foot makes contact with an empty, glass bottle of beer. Patchy appears upset.\n\n"Don't you want to stay here forever? Plenty of children come here to say. The Hell Carnival is 'mother'. Can't you feel her breathe?" \n\n[[Throw the Bottle!|bottlethrower2]]