Sugarcane

You run your hands over the wall, with equal amazement and terror: the Cabin, the Sky, even the Path are painted -\na beautiful terrible [[illusion]].

It’s another body\nfingers clawed upwards, positioned [[like a tree]].

You carefully make your way across the surface, one step at a time.\nIn the centre the fog clears enough to make out something [[irregular, rising]] from the ground.

Carved into fossilised bark body letters:\n\nBETTY HEART MAC\n\nMac.\n\nYou run back into [[the woods|Maze Room 4]].

The snow is thicker than you thought.\nIt breaks away in chunks, your finger plunging into an eye socket. A garish face takes shape in the stone. The cleft is torn up to the eye sockets, allowing a slue of molten tears to drop to the ground. They spell out a familiar name. \n\nMac\n\nYou recoil into [[the woods|Maze Room 2]].

try {\n version.extensions['DynamicLinkMacro'] = { \n major:1, minor:0, revision:0 \n };\n macros['dynamiclink'] = {\n handler: function(place, macroName, params, parser) {\n this.passageLink = params[0]\n this.passageName = params[1];\n if (/^\s$.*/.test(this.passageName)) {\n var varName = this.passageName.substring(1);\n var varValue = state.history[0].variables[varName];\n this.passageName = varValue;\n }\n new Wikifier(place, "[["+this.passageLink+"|"+this.passageName+"]]");\n },\n init: function() {\n this.passageLink = "";\n this.passageName = "";\n },\n };\n} catch(e) {\n throwError(place,"dynamiclink Setup Error: "+e.message); \n}

You lean in gently to kiss Mac, finally, but still with nearly as much fear as you’ve carried through this long [[terrifying]] night.

The black curtain drops in front of your eyes once again, and you<br>feel<br>feel a slight jolt through your temples \nfeel your [[eyes roll back i-]]

Your run alongside Mac, pounding the ground.\nYou hear the gigantic feet of the Beast splashing through the water.\nIt’s nearly at your heels. You urge each other to run faster, faster.\nYour lungs are burning and your calves are [[agony]].

You fight to recover your breath\n<<timedinsert 1s>>and breathe<<endtimedinsert>>\n<<timedinsert 2s>>and breathe<<endtimedinsert>>\n<<timedinsert 3s>>and breathe<<endtimedinsert>>\n<<timedinsert 5s>>and breathe.\n\nYou are alive.\nYou are in terrible danger, [[but you are alive]].\n<<endtimedinsert>>

You run, your right hand brushing along the wall.\nMac disappears around a [[gap]] in the distance.

/* gets rid of header and footer when using Responsive story format */\n#header-container { display: none }\n#footer-container { display: none }\n\n/* changes Responsive main area font colour to white, background to black */\n#main-container {\n background-color: black;\n color: white;\n}

<<silently>>\n<<set $currMazeRoom = "Maze Room 4">>\n<<set $nextMazeDir = "west">>\n<<set $nextMazeRoom = "Out of the woods">>\n<<endsilently>>\n<<display MazeRoomDescription>>

The claws tear into your back. You fall to the ground [[screaming]].

You step out of the Woods on to a familiar path. The Fog disperses immediately.\nAhead of you is [[the Cabin]].

Betty is standing there, on the control deck. She is still smiling,\npointing behind you,\nover your [[left]] shoulder.

“[[Betty]].”

<<silently>>\n<<set $currMazeRoom = "Maze Room 1">>\n<<set $nextMazeDir = "south">>\n<<set $nextMazeRoom = "Death Room 3">>\n<<endsilently>>\n<<display MazeRoomDescription>>

Suddenly from behind you, you hear the water churning and waking.\n\nFrom its dark centre the Beast arises. He turns to look at you, and snarls.\n\n[[Run!]]

<<silently>>\n<<set $currMazeRoom = "Maze Room 3">>\n<<set $nextMazeDir = "north">>\n<<set $nextMazeRoom = "Death Room 1">>\n<<endsilently>>\n<<display MazeRoomDescription>>

<<silently>>\n<<set $currMazeRoom = "Maze Room 2">>\n<<set $nextMazeDir = "west">>\n<<set $nextMazeRoom = "Death Room 2">>\n<<endsilently>>\n<<display MazeRoomDescription>>

You look up.\n<<timedinsert 3s>>The Sky here is different - <<endtimedinsert>><<timedinsert 6s>>is this what the sky looks like north of the equator?<<endtimedinsert>>\n<<timedinsert 9s>>\nIs this what the sky looks like anywhere?\n\n[[Look away|open mouths 2]]\n<<endtimedinsert>>

X=X/X+X*X-X

You hear her voice, and turn. Mac appears, far down along the wall. She is smiling, waving. She beckons you to [[follow]].

You are back in the cafe, with Mac.\nLaughing at you: the space cadet.\n\nYou remember.\n\n[[Things are going to be ok]].

You are floating through the air, looking down on yourself:\n\n<<timedreplace 5s>>packing a bag then running out to meet your friends in a car<<becomes>>your disappointment in having to ride in the back, and not up front with Mac<<becomes>>the car trip, and the fateful wrong turn<<endtimedreplace>>\n\n<<timedinsert 15s>><<timedreplace 5s>>the confusion and worry about lost friends<<becomes>>the blind panic as you are running from the Cabin through the woods desperately lost<<becomes>>around each corner another of the Beast’s victims<<endtimedreplace>><<endtimedinsert>>\n\n<<timedinsert 30s>>Finally, confrontation: the bloody battle.<<endtimedinsert>>\n\n<<timedinsert 35s>>[[And then reunification]] with Mac.<<endtimedinsert>>

Mac is nowhere to be seen; just your tracks leading from the Woods to the confrontation.\n\nYou stand gingerly, brushing sand from your ripped, bloody clothes. Your body [[burns everywhere]].

You emerge on a bright shiny control deck. Lights wink at you from every surface, framing inky blackness of space, punctuated by tiny little stars.\nIn the centre of the room, where you expect to see Mac\nis the Beast.\nStanding,\n[[frozen]]\non a plinth, staring out into space.

You are lost.\nAll directions [[look alike|Fear]].

/* not sure if this works in Responsive format */\nbody {\n font-size: 125%;\n line-spacing: 175%;\n margin-left: 5em;\n margin-right: 5em;\n margin-top: 4em;\n margin-bottom: 4em;\n}\n\na.internalLink, a.externalLink {\n color: #66ccff;\n text-decoration: none;\n}\n\n/* changes link colours when mousing over them */\na.internalLink:hover, a.externalLink:hover {\n color: #66ccff;\n text-decoration: none;\n}\n\n

// http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/5462\n(function(){version.extensions.replaceMacrosCombined={major:1,minor:1,revision:0};\nvar nullobj={handler:function(){}};function showVer(n,notrans){n.innerHTML="";\nnew Wikifier(n,n.tweecode);n.setAttribute("data-enabled","true");\nn.style.display="inline";n.classList.remove("revision-span-out");\nif(!notrans){n.classList.add("revision-span-in");if(n.timeout){clearTimeout(n.timeout)\n}n.timeout=setTimeout(function(){n.classList.remove("revision-span-in");\nn=null},1)}}function hideVer(n,notrans){n.setAttribute("data-enabled","false");\nn.classList.remove("revision-span-in");if(n.timeout){clearTimeout(n.timeout)\n}if(!notrans){n.classList.add("revision-span-out");n.timeout=setTimeout(function(){if(n.getAttribute("data-enabled")=="false"){n.classList.remove("revision-span-out");\nn.style.display="none";n.innerHTML=""}n=null},1000)}else{n.style.display="none";\nn.innerHTML="";n=null}}function tagcontents(b,starttags,desttags,endtags,k){var l=0,c="",tg,a,i;\nfunction tagfound(i,e){for(var j=0;j<e.length;j++){if(a.indexOf("<<"+e[j],i)==i){return e[j]\n}}}a=b.source.slice(k);for(i=0;i<a.length;i++){if(tg=tagfound(i,starttags)){l++\n}else{if((tg=tagfound(i,desttags))&&l==0){b.nextMatch=k+i+tg.length+4;\nreturn[c,tg]}else{if(tg=tagfound(i,endtags)){l--;if(l<0){return null\n}}}}c+=a.charAt(i)}return null}var begintags=[];var endtags=[];\nfunction revisionSpanHandler(g,e,f,b){var k=b.source.indexOf(">>",b.matchStart)+2,vsns=[],vtype=e,flen=f.length,becomes,c,cn,m,h,vsn;\nfunction mkspan(vtype){h=insertElement(m,"span",null,"revision-span "+vtype);\nh.setAttribute("data-enabled",false);h.style.display="none";h.tweecode="";\nreturn h}if(this.shorthand&&flen){while(f.length>0){vsns.push([f.shift(),(this.flavour=="insert"?"gains":"becomes")])\n}}else{if(this.flavour=="insert"||(this.flavour=="continue"&&this.trigger=="time")){vsns.push(["","becomes"])\n}}if(this.flavour=="continue"&&flen){b.nextMatch=k+b.source.slice(k).length;\nvsns.push([b.source.slice(k),vtype])}else{becomes=["becomes","gains"];\nc=tagcontents(b,begintags,becomes.concat(endtags),endtags,k);\nif(c&&endtags.indexOf(c[1])==-1){while(c){vsns.push(c);c=tagcontents(b,begintags,becomes,endtags,b.nextMatch)\n}c=tagcontents(b,begintags,["end"+e],endtags,b.nextMatch)}if(!c){throwError(g,"can't find matching end"+e);\nreturn}vsns.push(c);if(this.flavour=="continue"){k=b.nextMatch;\nb.nextMatch=k+b.source.slice(k).length;vsns.push([b.source.slice(k),""])\n}}if(this.flavour=="remove"){vsns.push(["","becomes"])}cn=0;m=insertElement(g,"span",null,e);\nm.setAttribute("data-flavour",this.flavour);h=mkspan("initial");\nvsn=vsns.shift();h.tweecode=vsn[0];showVer(h,true);while(vsns.length>0){if(vsn){vtype=vsn[1]\n}vsn=vsns.shift();h=mkspan(vtype);h.tweecode=vsn[0]}if(typeof this.setup=="function"){this.setup(m,g,f)\n}}function quantity(m){return(m.children.length-1)+(m.getAttribute("data-flavour")=="remove")\n}function revisionSetup(m,g,f){m.className+=" "+f[0].replace(" ","_")\n}function keySetup(m,g,f){var fl=this.flavour,key=f[0];m.setEventListener("keydown",function l(e){var done=!revise("revise",m);\nif(done){m.removeEventListener("keydown",l)}})}function timeSetup(m,g,f){function cssTimeUnit(s){if(typeof s=="string"){if(s.slice(-2).toLowerCase()=="ms"){return Number(s.slice(0,-2))||0\n}else{if(s.slice(-1).toLowerCase()=="s"){return Number(s.slice(0,-1))*1000||0\n}}}throwError(g,s+" isn't a CSS time unit");return 0}var fl=this.flavour;\nvar tm=cssTimeUnit(f[0]);setTimeout(function timefn(){var done=!revise("revise",m);\nif(!done){setTimeout(timefn,tm)}},tm)}function hoverSetup(m){m.onmouseover=function(){revise("revise",this)\n};m.onmouseout=function(){revise("revert",this)};m=null}function mouseSetup(m){var fl=this.flavour,evt=(window.onmouseenter===null?"onmouseenter":"onmouseover");\nm[evt]=function(){var done=!revise("revise",this);if(done){this[evt]=null\n}};m=null}function linkSetup(m,g,f){var fl=this.flavour,l=Wikifier.createInternalLink(),p=m.parentNode;\nl.className="internalLink replaceLink";p.insertBefore(l,m);l.insertBefore(m,null);\nl.onclick=function(){var p,done=false;if(m&&m.parentNode==this){done=!revise("revise",m);\nscrollWindowTo(m)}if(done){this.parentNode.insertBefore(m,this);\nthis.parentNode.removeChild(this)}};l=null}function visitedSetup(m,g,f){var i,done,shv=state.history[0].variables,os="once seen",d=(m.firstChild&&(this.flavour=="insert"?m.firstChild.nextSibling:m.firstChild).tweecode);\nshv[os]=shv[os]||{};if(d&&!shv[os].hasOwnProperty(d)){shv[os][d]=1\n}else{for(i=shv[os][d];i>0&&!done;i--){done=!revise("revise",m,true)\n}if(shv[os].hasOwnProperty(d)){shv[os][d]+=1}}}[{name:"insert",flavour:"insert",trigger:"link",setup:linkSetup},{name:"timedinsert",flavour:"insert",trigger:"time",setup:timeSetup},{name:"insertion",flavour:"insert",trigger:"revisemacro",setup:revisionSetup},{name:"later",flavour:"insert",trigger:"visited",setup:visitedSetup},{name:"keyinsert",flavour:"insert",trigger:"key",setup:keySetup},{name:"replace",flavour:"replace",trigger:"link",setup:linkSetup},{name:"timedreplace",flavour:"replace",trigger:"time",setup:timeSetup},{name:"mousereplace",flavour:"replace",trigger:"mouse",setup:mouseSetup},{name:"hoverreplace",flavour:"replace",trigger:"hover",setup:hoverSetup},{name:"revision",flavour:"replace",trigger:"revisemacro",setup:revisionSetup},{name:"keyreplace",flavour:"replace",trigger:"key",setup:keySetup},{name:"timedremove",flavour:"remove",trigger:"time",setup:timeSetup},{name:"mouseremove",flavour:"remove",trigger:"mouse",setup:mouseSetup},{name:"hoverremove",flavour:"remove",trigger:"hover",setup:hoverSetup},{name:"removal",flavour:"remove",trigger:"revisemacro",setup:revisionSetup},{name:"once",flavour:"remove",trigger:"visited",setup:visitedSetup},{name:"keyremove",flavour:"remove",trigger:"key",setup:keySetup},{name:"continue",flavour:"continue",trigger:"link",setup:linkSetup},{name:"timedcontinue",flavour:"continue",trigger:"time",setup:timeSetup},{name:"mousecontinue",flavour:"continue",trigger:"mouse",setup:mouseSetup},{name:"keycontinue",flavour:"continue",trigger:"key",setup:keySetup},{name:"cycle",flavour:"cycle",trigger:"revisemacro",setup:revisionSetup},{name:"mousecycle",flavour:"cycle",trigger:"mouse",setup:mouseSetup},{name:"timedcycle",flavour:"cycle",trigger:"time",setup:timeSetup},{name:"keycycle",flavour:"replace",trigger:"key",setup:keySetup}].forEach(function(e){e.handler=revisionSpanHandler;\ne.shorthand=(["link","mouse","hover"].indexOf(e.trigger)>-1);\nmacros[e.name]=e;macros["end"+e.name]=nullobj;begintags.push(e.name);\nendtags.push("end"+e.name)});function insideDepartingSpan(elem){var r=elem.parentNode;\nwhile(!r.classList.contains("passage")){if(r.classList.contains("revision-span-out")){return true\n}r=r.parentNode}}function reviseAll(rt,rname){var rall=document.querySelectorAll(".passage ."+rname),ret=false;\nfor(var i=0;i<rall.length;i++){if(!insideDepartingSpan(rall[i])){ret=revise(rt,rall[i])||ret\n}}return ret}function revise(rt,r,notrans){var ind2,curr,next,ind=-1,rev=(rt=="revert"),rnd=(rt.indexOf("random")>-1),fl=r.getAttribute("data-flavour"),rc=r.childNodes,cyc=(fl=="cycle"),rcl=rc.length-1;\nfunction doToGainerSpans(n,fn){for(var k=n-1;k>=0;k--){if(rc[k+1].classList.contains("gains")){fn(rc[k],notrans)\n}else{break}}}for(var k=0;k<=rcl;k++){if(rc[k].getAttribute("data-enabled")=="true"){ind=k\n}}if(rev){ind-=1}curr=(ind>=0?rc[ind]:(cyc?rc[rcl]:null));ind2=ind;\nif(rnd){ind2=(ind+(Math.floor(Math.random()*rcl)))%rcl}next=((ind2<rcl)?rc[ind2+1]:(cyc?rc[0]:null));\nvar docurr=(rev?showVer:hideVer);var donext=(rev?hideVer:showVer);\nvar currfn=function(){if(!(next&&next.classList.contains("gains"))||rnd){docurr(curr,notrans);\ndoToGainerSpans(ind,docurr,notrans)}};var nextfn=function(){donext(next,notrans);\nif(rnd){doToGainerSpans(ind2+1,donext,notrans)}};if(!rev){currfn();\nnextfn()}else{nextfn();currfn()}return(cyc?true:(rev?(ind>0):(ind2<rcl-1)))\n}macros.revert=macros.revise=macros.randomise=macros.randomize={handler:function(a,b,c){var l,rev,rname;\nfunction disableLink(l){l.style.display="none"}function enableLink(l){l.style.display="inline"\n}function updateLink(l){if(l.className.indexOf("random")>-1){enableLink(l);\nreturn}var rall=document.querySelectorAll(".passage ."+rname),cannext,canprev,i,ind,r,fl;\nfor(i=0;i<rall.length;i++){r=rall[i],fl=r.getAttribute("data-flavour");\nif(insideDepartingSpan(r)){continue}if(fl=="cycle"){cannext=canprev=true\n}else{if(r.firstChild.getAttribute("data-enabled")==!1+""){canprev=true\n}if(r.lastChild.getAttribute("data-enabled")==!1+""){cannext=true\n}}}var can=(l.classList.contains("revert")?canprev:cannext);(can?enableLink:disableLink)(l)\n}function toggleText(w){w.classList.toggle(rl+"Enabled");w.classList.toggle(rl+"Disabled");\nw.style.display=((w.style.display=="none")?"inline":"none")}var rl="reviseLink";\nif(c.length<2){throwError(a,b+" macro needs 2 parameters");return\n}rname=c.shift().replace(" ","_");l=Wikifier.createInternalLink(a,null);\nl.className="internalLink "+rl+" "+rl+"_"+rname+" "+b;var v="";\nvar end=false;var out=false;if(c.length>1&&c[0][0]=="$"){v=c[0].slice(1);\nc.shift()}switch(c[c.length-1]){case"end":end=true;c.pop();break;\ncase"out":out=true;c.pop();break}var h=state.history[0].variables;\nfor(var i=0;i<c.length;i++){var on=(i==Math.max(c.indexOf(h[v]),0));\nvar d=insertElement(null,"span",null,rl+((on)?"En":"Dis")+"abled");\nif(on){h[v]=c[i];l.setAttribute("data-cycle",i)}else{d.style.display="none"\n}insertText(d,c[i]);l.appendChild(d)}l.onclick=function(){reviseAll(b,rname);\nvar t=this.childNodes,u=this.getAttribute("data-cycle")-0,m=t.length,n,lall,i;\nif((end||out)&&u==m-(end?2:1)){if(end){n=this.removeChild(t[u+1]);\nn.className=rl+"End";n.style.display="inline";this.parentNode.replaceChild(n,this)\n}else{this.parentNode.removeChild(this);return}}else{toggleText(t[u]);\nu=(u+1)%m;if(v){h[v]=c[u]}toggleText(t[u]);this.setAttribute("data-cycle",u)\n}lall=document.getElementsByClassName(rl+"_"+rname);for(i=0;i<lall.length;\ni++){updateLink(lall[i])}};disableLink(l);setTimeout(function(){updateLink(l);\nl=null},1)}};macros.mouserevise=macros.hoverrevise={handler:function(a,b,c,d){var endtags=["end"+b],evt=(window.onmouseenter===null?"onmouseenter":"onmouseover"),t=tagcontents(d,[b],endtags,endtags,d.source.indexOf(">>",d.matchStart)+2);\nif(t){var rname=c[0].replace(" ","_"),h=insertElement(a,"span",null,"hoverrevise hoverrevise_"+rname),f=function(){var done=!reviseAll("revise",rname);\nif(b!="hoverrevise"&&done){this[evt]=null}};new Wikifier(h,t[0]);\nif(b=="hoverrevise"){h.onmouseover=f;h.onmouseout=function(){reviseAll("revert",rname)\n}}else{h[evt]=f}h=null}}};macros.instantrevise={handler:function(a,b,c,d){reviseAll("revise",c[0].replace(" ","_"))\n}};macros.endmouserevise=nullobj;macros.endhoverrevise=nullobj\n}());

// http://www.glorioustrainwrecks.com/node/5452\n(function () {\n\tvar bs = String.fromCharCode(92);\n\tWikifier.formatters.unshift({\n\t\tname: "htmltag",\n\t\tmatch: "<"+bs+"w+(?:(?:"+bs+"s+"+bs+"w+(?:"+bs+"s*="+bs+"s*(?:"+'"'+".*?"+'"'+"|'.*?'|[^'"+'"'+">"+bs+"s]+))?)+"+bs+"s*|"+bs+"s*)"+bs+"/?>",\n\t\ttagname: "<("+bs+"w+)",\n\t\tvoids: ["br", "hr", "area", "img", "input", "embed", "param", "source", "track"],\n\t\thandler: function (a) {\n\t\t\tvar re, tn, e;\n\t\t\tre = new RegExp(this.tagname).exec(a.matchText);\n\t\t\ttn = re && re[1];\n\t\t\tif(tn) {\n\t\t\t\te = document.createElement(a.output.tagName);\n\t\t\t\te.innerHTML = a.matchText;\n\t\t\t\te = e.firstChild;\n\t\t\t\tif(this.voids.indexOf(tn.toLowerCase()) == -1) {\n\t\t\t\t\ta.subWikify(e, "<" + bs + "/" + bs + "s*" + tn + bs + "s*>");\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\ta.output.appendChild(e);\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t});\n}());\n

The ambient temperature drops suddenly.\n\nYou’re standing in a small clearing, icy stalagmites extending from the fog as if weightless. \n\nIn the centre of the clearing, humanoid plinths wear [[snowy masks]].

You wake on the Lake shore, warm waves gently lapping against your bare soles. You feel heat from a [[sun, high above]] but the Sky is a curved unbroken Blue.

Suddenly, from the water behind you, you hear a churning-\n\n[[RUN]]

You are already halfway down the shore when you hear the Beast emerging from the water snarling.\n\n[[The Woods]] open their arms to you.

Bundles of beetles glitter like the night sky. Inspecting one mouth closely, you notice minor colour differences that create the outline of a letter. \n\nFour bodies, four mouths, four letters. D-I-E-S.\n\nDarkness floods the clearing and you find yourself back in [[the woods|Maze Room 3]].

You tell yourself to focus; hold yourself.\nYou hear your own voice, and then [[another|Maze Room 1]].

Piles of rocks carefully arranged in a semicircle.\nExcept, not rocks:\nbodies.\nThe bodies are cowering, their hands raised against the fog, heads tilted to one side. Fog seeps from the [[open mouths]].

You push through fog and your feet crunch on ice, extending in all directions through the clearing.\nYou bend down to check it’s firmness, but it doesn’t feel like ice; it’s cold, but it’s [[too smooth]] and uniform.

<<silently>>\n<<set document.title = "The Woods">>\n<<endsilently>>\nThe Woods surround you, identical paths through identical trees. The fog is thicker here.\nYou could try going <<if $returnToPath eq "north">><<dynamiclink "north" $currMazeRoom>><<else>>[[north|LostRoom]]<<endif>>, <<if $returnToPath eq "east">><<dynamiclink "east" $currMazeRoom>><<else>>[[east|LostRoom]]<<endif>>, <<if $returnToPath eq "west">><<dynamiclink "west" $currMazeRoom>><<else>>[[west|LostRoom]]<<endif>> or <<if $returnToPath eq "south">><<dynamiclink "south" $currMazeRoom>><<else>>[[south|LostRoom]]<<endif>>.

Your face.\nJust for a second, then the face flickers and returns to the beast’s fearsome maw. You [[shiver]].

You easily scale the vine wall up and up through space.\nFar below you see the Beast, now on two legs, scaling the wall. Its thick muscular arms effortlessly lift its body from one rock to the next.\nYou run away, [[deep in]]to the Woods.

You step cautiously toward the plinth and the Beast.\nCircle it and look [[up]].

Bundles of beetles glitter like the [[night sky]]. Inspecting one mouth closely, you notice minor colour differences that create the outline of a letter. \n\nFour bodies, four mouths, four letters. D-I-E-S.\n\nDarkness floods the clearing and you find yourself back in [[the woods|Maze Room 3]].

/* required for the replace macros */\n.revision-span-in {\n\topacity: 0;\n}\n.revision-span:not(.revision-span-out) {\n\ttransition: 1s; -webkit-transition: 1s;\n}\n.revision-span-out {\n\tposition:absolute;\n\topacity: 0;\n}

Except it’s not.\n\nYou reach out for the door and your fingers brush a smooth surface. Your stomach churns as you [[feel the wall]].

Mac

You turn and see the Beast\nits muscles tight\nclaws out stretched\nIts eyes.. your eyes. \n\nBetty pulls back, tenses to pounce.\n\nMac is still there, smiling.\n\n[[You close your eyes|eyes]].

<<silently>>\n<<set document.title = "The Woods">>\n<<endsilently>>\nThe Woods surround you, identical paths through identical trees. Fog fills your ears with cold vowels:\n<<if $nextMazeDir eq "west">>\n "rae reyiel gwo tiueq"\n<<elseif $nextMazeDir eq "east">>\n "necsil’e lal fins he’tsate"\n<<elseif $nextMazeDir eq "north">>\n "fraen dwin nilas foe"\n<<elseif $nextMazeDir eq "south">>\n "cat’nhlep sow’nthlep"\n<<endif>>\nYou could try going <<if $nextMazeDir eq "north">><<dynamiclink "north" $nextMazeRoom>><<else>>[[north|LostRoom][$returnToPath = "south"]]<<endif>>, <<if $nextMazeDir eq "east">><<dynamiclink "east" $nextMazeRoom>><<else>>[[east|LostRoom][$returnToPath = "west"]]<<endif>>, <<if $nextMazeDir eq "west">><<dynamiclink "west" $nextMazeRoom>><<else>>[[west|LostRoom][$returnToPath = "east"]]<<endif>> or <<if $nextMazeDir eq "south">><<dynamiclink "south" $nextMazeRoom>><<else>>[[south|LostRoom][$returnToPath = "north"]]<<endif>>.

/* removes sidebar in sugarcane story format */\n#sidebar { display: none; }\n\n/* centres the main content in Sugarcane format */\n#passages { \n border: none;\n margin-left: auto;\n margin-right: auto;\n width: 50%;\n}

You are sitting in a cafe, over hot chocolate. It’s the first time you realised that you wanted Mac. You’d been staring into space, somewhere just off her left shoulder.\n\n“Betty, are you ok?”\nShe smiles, and [[tilts]] her head to one side.