> s
I move south.

I have a walk-in-closet with lots of room for all my shoes, clothes, and whatnots. Oddly enough, I never really keep my clothes in here. Instead, I always put them in the chest of drawers in my room. The closet serves other purposes, as it has many a use in my make-believes. Before me lies a broom and a dustpan. I can only move north.

> get all
I take the broom and the dustpan.

> n
I move north.

Like any kid's bedroom, it's awful messy. I've got toys piled up in the floor, scraps of paper lying all about, and no intention of cleaning it up. My bed is here, unmade and not without its own compliment of toys and stuffed animals. There are shelves above the bed, and a chest of drawers beside it. A small window is set into the wall, between the shelves and above the bed, and its curtains are waving in the cool breeze. My closet is to the south, and I can reach the second-floor hall by going west. Before me lies an interactive fiction magazine. I can move south and west.

> open drawers
I open the chest of drawers. My apron is inside the chest of drawers.

> get apron
I take my apron from the chest of drawers.

> wear apron
I put on my apron.

> w
I move west.

There are two rooms on the second floor, mine and my older brother's. Stairs lead down from here, and another set leads up into the attic. My brother's door is closed and locked, and a sign is taped to it. He's always got his door closed. Sometimes I wonder if he's making a bomb in there or something, because he's so secretive about things. I can move east, up and down.

> d
I move down.

The living room is almost always tidy, except on Monday football nights, Super Bowl Sundays and any night that my dad is parked in front of the television with his beer-drinking buddies. There is a television here, as well as a couch and a coffee table. Stairs lead up from here to the upstairs hall. The kitchen lies to the north of here, my parents' bedroom to the west (off-limits to me), and the bathroom is to the east. A door leading to the outside is to the south, but I can't go that way yet. Dad is here, lounging on the couch and smoking a cigarette. I can move north, east and up.

> e
I move east.

The bathroom is rather simple. It consists of a sink, a toilet, and a bathtub. A medicine cabinet is built into the wall above the sink, and a drawer is built in underneath it. A towel rack is tacked up next to the bathtub. I can only move west.

> open drawer
I open the sink drawer. A light bulb is inside the sink drawer.

> get bulb
I take the light bulb from the sink drawer.

> open cabinet
I open the medicine cabinet. A bottle of Tylenol is inside the medicine cabinet.

> get tylenol
I take the bottle of Tylenol from the medicine cabinet.

> w
I move west.

The living room is almost always tidy, except on Monday football nights, Super Bowl Sundays and any night that my dad is parked in front of the television with his beer-drinking buddies. There is a television here, as well as a couch and a coffee table. Stairs lead up from here to the upstairs hall. The kitchen lies to the north of here, my parents' bedroom to the west (off-limits to me), and the bathroom is to the east. A door leading to the outside is to the south, but I can't go that way yet. Dad is here, lounging on the couch and smoking a cigarette. I can move north, east and up.

> u
I move up.

There are two rooms on the second floor, mine and my older brother's. Stairs lead down from here, and another set leads up into the attic. My brother's door is closed and locked, and a sign is taped to it. He's always got his door closed. Sometimes I wonder if he's making a bomb in there or something, because he's so secretive about things. I can move east, up and down.

> u
I move up.

I can't see anything up here... perhaps because the overhead light fixture has no bulb in it. I find that it might be necessary to replace the bulb before I can do anything up here besides stumble around in the dark. I can only move down.

> replace bulb
Ahh... that's much better. I can see now.

(press any key to continue)

The attic is pretty big, its ceiling high enough that I could easily walk upright from end to end, even in the more narrow corners. It is also very dusty, and a thick layer of dirt covers the floor. Cobwebs hang from the ceiling, many with their own little spider smack-dab in the middle. A heavy chest sits in the eastern corner, and Christmas decorations are piled up against the western wall. I can only move down.

> clean attic

This sucks...

I begin cleaning, starting in one corner of the room and working my way around it. During my activities, I uncover an old beer bottle, an empty .38 shell, a dozen dead spiders, and a small key. I sweep everything but the small key into the dustpan, and empty it into the trash can my mother has brought up here for me.

When I finish, three hours have passed, and the attic looks much better.

Curious about the key I found earlier, I decide that before I head out today, I might want to try to find out what it goes to. Not much point in rushing anyway, most of my morning has already been ruined. Thanks a lot, Mom...

(press any key to continue)


The attic is pretty big, its ceiling high enough that I could easily walk upright from end to end, even in the more narrow corners. It looks very nice and cozy up here, with the possible reason being that it just received a good cleaning. A heavy chest sits in the eastern corner, and Christmas decorations are piled up against the western wall. I can only move down.

> open chest
I'll have to say this right now... This is probably the single most important thing I will do in my entire life. Everything that happens to me from here on out will be a result of my unlocking this chest.

(press any key to continue)


With quite a bit of nervous wonder, I proceed to unlock the chest. At first, it seems that the key won't work, but after jiggling it around a bit, I finally get it to turn. The latch pops free, and I unsnap the two on either side. Hoping to find something interesting inside, I peer into the...

Empty chest... Well, that's such a letdown.

(press any key to continue)


But wait! Something is inside the chest. Reaching down, I pull out a folded piece of ancient looking paper. After blowing off the dust, I gingerly open it, and am rewarded with a scribbled note and a map. The map part is pretty badly faded, and not of much use, but the writing is fairly clear.

I hid the gold in the caves behind the waterfall (the one northeast of the town of Splintered Rock.) I piled up stones at the entrance, and cemented them in, so you'll probably need a pickaxe to break through. Once inside, beware, for the caves can be quite dangerous, and you'll still have to solve many a puzzle before you can get to my gold.

-- Rupert

(press any key to continue)


Gold? Rupert? Could this be a map made by my great-grandfather? I've got some newspaper clippings about a heist he pulled off over sixty years ago, where he made off with quite a bit of gold. If I remember correctly, the photo album in which I keep the clippings is in the shelves above my bed.

If this is his map, then I could use it to find the gold! Visions of wealth and glamorous living are racing through my little head right now...

Too bad the map is faded. That doesn't matter though; at least I know where to start looking. Oooh, this is so exciting!

And I thought this day was ruined!

(press any key to continue)


The attic is pretty big, its ceiling high enough that I could easily walk upright from end to end, even in the more narrow corners. It looks very nice and cozy up here, with the possible reason being that it just received a good cleaning. A heavy chest sits in the eastern corner, and Christmas decorations are piled up against the western wall. I can only move down.

> d
I move down.

There are two rooms on the second floor, mine and my older brother's. Stairs lead down from here, and another set leads up into the attic. My brother's door is closed and locked, and a sign is taped to it. He's always got his door closed. Sometimes I wonder if he's making a bomb in there or something, because he's so secretive about things. I can move east, up and down.

> d
I move down.

The living room is almost always tidy, except on Monday football nights, Super Bowl Sundays and any night that my dad is parked in front of the television with his beer-drinking buddies. There is a television here, as well as a couch and coffee table. Stairs lead up from here to the upstairs hall. The kitchen lies to the north of here, my parents' bedroom to the west (off-limits to me), and the bathroom is to the east. A door leading to the outside is to the south. Dad is here, lounging on the couch and smoking a cigarette. I can move north, east, south and up.

> s
I move south.

Oddly enough, the front door of my house doesn't face the street. Instead, it faces a privacy fence that was put up to keep nosy neighbors from spying on us. The concrete walk leads eastward out to the street, and runs adjacent to the driveway, which on its southern end terminates at the fence. My father's car is parked in the drive, as it is every weekend that he's off from work. It is late summer... those lazy days before school starts back up, and I can hear the laughter of my neighborhood friends playing some game or the other off in the distance. I can move north and east.

> e
I move east.

Splintered Rock is a small town... so small, in fact, that there is only one paved road, and that also serves as a state highway. We call it Poplar Street, but out-of-towners call it "that wide spot in the road." I live at 216 N. Poplar, on the northernmost of the numbered blocks. If I were to travel further to the north, I would be able to get to County Road 549, which would lead me into Splintered Rock state park (a place where one can often find me). After a short walk in a southerly direction, I can get to the town proper, where I would find Mystery's General Store and Adrift's Aquatic Pets. My house is to the west, and my friend Devon's house is to the east. I can hear laughter coming from the south. I can move north, east, south and west.

> s
I move south.

This area of Splintered Rock is like a big playground for the kids in town. There are no houses on either side of the street, and there's plenty of room to play street hockey, football, and baseball. The traffic isn't bad at all, so it's not very often that a game has to be interrupted to clear the road. Sally is here, playing catch. Tony is here, a ball in his hand, ready to pitch to Sally. Alice is here, drawing on the street with chalk. I can move north and south.

> s
I move south.

This is the town proper, where we've got the only two shops in town; Adrift's Aquatic Pets to the east, and Mystery's General Store to the west. We don't have an arcade, we don't have a pool hall, and we don't have any clubs to go to (not that I'm old enough to go to clubs anyway.) As you can see, this is a very boring little town. To the south are more residences, but mom would skin me alive if I went further than this. I can move north, east and west.

> w
I move west.

This is where most people in town do their shopping. You can get almost anything here, except for medicinal items, which one has to go all the way to Torncloth to buy. There are several rows here stacked floor to ceiling with items. While it's not exactly a Wal-mart, it is a pretty handy place to go when one needs something. Mystery is here, standing behind the counter. I can only move east.

> talk to mystery
"Oooh! I've got such a splitting headache!" Mystery says. "I wish I hadn't left my Tylenol at the house."

> give tylenol to mystery
"Oh, thank you," Mystery says. "Maria, you're a lifesaver! I've got to do something to reward you for such kindness. Wait a second, I've got an idea."

Mystery pulls a large jar of honey out from behind the counter.

"Sweets for a sweetheart," she says, and gives me the honey.

> e
I move east.

This is the town proper, where we've got the only two shops in town; Adrift's Aquatic Pets to the east, and Mystery's General Store to the west. We don't have an arcade, we don't have a pool hall, and we don't have any clubs to go to (not that I'm old enough to go to clubs anyway.) As you can see, this is a very boring little town. To the south are more residences, but mom would skin me alive if I went further than this. I can move north, east and west.

> e
I move east.

This is the only pet store within the county. It's run by Campbell Wild, and is very well stocked. Last year, my mom bought me a fish tank and some fish from here, as a test to see if I was ready for taking care of a pet. I failed that test miserably, and my poor little goldfish are probably swimming in the sewers right now... belly up. I like the owner, though. He lets me browse through the merchandise all the time. Campbell is here, standing behind the counter. I can move east and west.

> talk to campbell
"Ahh, my child," Campbell says in his strange accent. "I see that you are about to embark on a great quest. Perhaps, to get you started, I can have you perform a task for me. You see, I've lost my pet salamander, and I don't know where he went. If you could find him for me, I'd be sure to reward you."

> e
I move east.

This is the most ridiculously small bathroom I've ever seen. There's no sink in here, just a toilet, and I dare say it looks rather... skuzzy. I wonder if Campbell ever cleans up in here. What am I doing in here, anyway? I don't need to use the bathroom. I hope Campbell doesn't get mad about me wandering in here without his permission. I can only move west.

> x toilet
It's a really nasty looking toilet. I'd be afraid to sit down on it, as my bottom might rot off. I think that Campbell needs to get in here and take a scrub brush to the thing. Campbell's toilet is closed.

> open toilet
I open Campbell's toilet. A tiny salamander is inside Campbell's toilet.

> get salamander
I take the tiny salamander from Campbell's toilet.

> w
I move west.

This is the only pet store within the county. It's run by Campbell Wild, and is very well stocked. Last year, my mom bought me a fish tank and some fish from here, as a test to see if I was ready for taking care of a pet. I failed that test miserably, and my poor little goldfish are probably swimming in the sewers right now... belly up. I like the owner, though. He lets me browse through the merchandise all the time. Campbell is here, standing behind the counter. I can move east and west.

> give salamander to campbell
"Wonderful!" Campbell says. "Where'd you find it?" ... "There?!! What in heaven's name was it doing in the bloody loo? Come here, my little baby..."

Campbell takes the salamander from my possession, and pulls something from behind the counter.

"See this little creature here?" he asks. "It's a mongoose, sent to me by mistake from the Pet Warehouse in New York. Bunch of bloody morons if you ask me. As you can see, I only deal with aquatic life here, so you can have the mongoose if you want it. Say hello to your new owner, Mr. Mongoose."

Campbell gives me the cute little mongoose.

> w
I move west.

This is the town proper, where we've got the only two shops in town; Adrift's Aquatic Pets to the east, and Mystery's General Store to the west. We don't have an arcade, we don't have a pool hall, and we don't have any clubs to go to (not that I'm old enough to go to clubs anyway.) As you can see, this is a very boring little town. To the south are more residences, but mom would skin me alive if I went further than this. I can move north, east and west.

> n
I move north.

This area of Splintered Rock is like a big playground for the kids in town. There are no houses on either side of the street, and there's plenty of room to play street hockey, football, and baseball. The traffic isn't bad at all, so it's not very often that a game has to be interrupted to clear the road. Sally is here, playing catch. Tony is here, a ball in his hand, ready to pitch to Sally. Alice is here, drawing on the street with chalk. I can move north and south.

> n
I move north.

Splintered Rock is a small town... so small, in fact, that there is only one paved road, and that also serves as a state highway. We call it Poplar Street, but out-of-towners call it "that wide spot in the road." I live at 216 N. Poplar, on the northernmost of the numbered blocks. If I were to travel further to the north, I would be able to get to County Road 549, which would lead me into Splintered Rock state park (a place where one can often find me). After a short walk in a southerly direction, I can get to the town proper, where I would find Mystery's General Store and Adrift's Aquatic Pets. My house is to the west, and my friend Devon's house is to the east. I can hear laughter coming from the south. I can move north, east, south and west.

> e
I move east.

This is one of my favorite places to be at night. Devon and I spend quite a few late evenings here, watching the sun go down, waiting for dark to fall and the mosquitoes to come out. Then, protected by mosquito repellent, we rock back and forth on the porch swing and watch the mosquitoes get fried by the industrial sized bug zapper. It's loads of fun when there is not much else to do, especially when one of the larger bugs makes it through the wire mesh of the zapper. Devon is here, sitting on the swing. I can move south and west.

> s
I move south.

Devon's father hires a lawn maintenance worker (an old half-deaf man who mows the lawn) to provide his services every week, and because of this the lawn always looks nice. Smack dab in the middle of the beautiful greenery is an ugly tool shed, where he keeps all his plumbing tools and supplies. Because this is such a small town, there's not much of a chance that someone is going to steal his tools, so he usually keeps the shed unlocked and the door wide open. I can move north and in.

> in
I move in.

Despite its outward appearance, things are rather well organized inside the toolshed. Every tool has its own place, and every nail, screw, staple, and washer has its own jar. What's more, several of the tools look brand new... not because they are, but because Devon's father is so adamant about cleaning and polishing them after each use. Before me lies a one-handed pickaxe and a zippo lighter. I can only move out.

> get all
I take the one-handed pickaxe and the zippo lighter.

> out
I move out.

Devon's father hires a lawn maintenance worker (an old half-deaf man who mows the lawn) to provide his services every week, and because of this the lawn always looks nice. Smack dab in the middle of the beautiful greenery is an ugly tool shed, where he keeps all his plumbing tools and supplies. Because this is such a small town, there's not much of a chance that someone is going to steal his tools, so he usually keeps the shed unlocked and the door wide open. I can move north and in.

> n
I move north.

This is one of my favorite places to be at night. Devon and I spend quite a few late evenings here, watching the sun go down, waiting for dark to fall and the mosquitoes to come out. Then, protected by mosquito repellent, we rock back and forth on the porch swing and watch the mosquitoes get fried by the industrial sized bug zapper. It's loads of fun when there is not much else to do, especially when one of the larger bugs makes it through the wire mesh of the zapper. Devon is here, sitting on the swing. I can move south and west.

> w
I move west.

Splintered Rock is a small town... so small, in fact, that there is only one paved road, and that also serves as a state highway. We call it Poplar Street, but out-of-towners call it "that wide spot in the road." I live at 216 N. Poplar, on the northernmost of the numbered blocks. If I were to travel further to the north, I would be able to get to County Road 549, which would lead me into Splintered Rock state park (a place where one can often find me). After a short walk in a southerly direction, I can get to the town proper, where I would find Mystery's General Store and Adrift's Aquatic Pets. My house is to the west, and my friend Devon's house is to the east. I can hear laughter coming from the south. I can move north, east, south and west.

> n
I move north.

I'm at the city limits, which is how far my parents will allow me to walk alone. That's excluding the State Park, which I can reach by walking east along the county road. They (my mom and dad) think that it's good for someone my age to take an interest in the great outdoors, so naturally they support my wilderness activities. I can move east and south.

> e
I move east.

It's a decent little trek to the entrance to the park, but once there it is not too far at all until I reach the nature trail. The nature trail itself will lead right up to the Great Falls, the only waterfall this side of the county line. Supposedly, that's where I'll find the cave entrance that the treasure map mentioned. I can move east and west.

> e
I move east.

I'm almost to the park. I can see the entrance not too far ahead of me, and in the distance I can hear park visitors talking amongst themselves as they enjoy the wildlife. The road here is no longer paved, and the walk is a little more tiresome on the loose gravel, but I don't have that much longer to go. I can move east and west.

> e
I move east.

The park trail leads north into the woods from here, and the county road ends in a gravel parking lot, where a few bicycles and a car are parked. At the entrance to the park trail a wooden arch has been erected, and around the lot rotting railroad ties define the boundary. I can move north and west.

> n
I move north.

I'm on the park trail. I'm afraid that I'm not the only person that has been through here today, as some of the trash lying around looks like it's still fresh. People around here seem to have no respect for the environment. To the south is the entrance to the trail. I can move north and south.

> n
I move north.

This part of the trail has always been a favorite to picnic-goers. There's a wooden picnic table here, where people can sit and have their lunch, and there's a lovely view of the rest of the forest. The land is slightly elevated here, and one can look down at all the trees below. What's most remarkable about this spot, though, is that one can hear the roar of the nearby waterfall, which is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. The path from here leads directly down to the falls. I can move south and down.

> d
I move down.

The water from the Snake River comes in from the east, and takes a nose dive down the rocky cliffs here. The falls are beautiful, and I've been known to sit and watch them all day. Just to the north, the path leads on deeper into the forest. To the east, the Snake river heads to the north along the path. What I'm interested in, however, is the little rocky ledge that I can walk along to get behind the waterfall. I can move up and in.

> in
I move in.

Wow! If I ever thought the falls were beautiful from the outside, I never could have imagined what they look like from the inside. One would have to see it to believe it, and I cannot describe in words what it's like to be behind a waterfall. Of course, I can't stand around here enjoying the scenery all day, now can I? Before me lies a pile of rocks that seem to be cemented into the cliff's wall. I can only move out.

> use pickaxe on wall


I can see now why people say that mining is a tough job. I'm not used to this kind of physical labor, but there's gold in those caves. I'm just sure of it! With quite a bit of effort, I finally manage to break a decent sized hole in the rocks, revealing a darkened cave behind it.



(press any key to continue)


Wow! If I ever thought the falls were beautiful from the outside, I never could have imagined what they look like from the inside. One would have to see it to believe it, and I cannot describe in words what it's like to be behind a waterfall. Of course, I can't stand around here enjoying the scenery all day, now can I? Before me lies a pile of rubble and a nice little hole in the cliff wall. I can move in and out.

> in
I move in.

I should have thought about it before, but it seems as if the problem I might have had with lighting is in no need of being taken care of. A strange glow comes from some of the mushrooms that are scattered around the cave floor, giving me plenty of light to see by. I'm curious as to what type of mushrooms these are, as I've never seen anything quite like them. I can move north, east, south and out.

> s
I move south.

This cavern is huge! It looks a lot like a theater, with the way the boulders are arranged. A large, level rock formation on the eastern end of the room looks just like a stage. I bet that if anyone so desired, they could rent this place out for plays and musicals. Perhaps once I find the gold I'll tell my music teacher about it. I can move north and south.

> s
I move south.

Vines in a cave? I'm assuming their really the roots of the trees above, but they hang down all around this hallway just like vines. Some of them are really long, some are really short, and some of them wrap all the way around the hall multiple times. I can move north and east.

> e
I move east.

This room branches off from the Hall of Vines, and it looks fairly unremarkable compared to some of the rooms I've seen so far. There is a small wooden chair here, perhaps used by my great-grandfather himself those many years ago. On the eastern wall there are more vines, but unlike the others they are brown and dried up. I can only move west.

> burn vines
Striking up the lighter, I set the flame to the vines.

With a big whoosh they go up in flames, and are soon reduced to a pile of ash on the floor. I nearly singe my face in the sudden inferno, but luckily jump away just in time. That was close!

I'm glad that I burned them though, because there seems to be another room behind them.


(press any key to continue)


This room branches off from the Hall of Vines, and it looks fairly unremarkable compared to some of the rooms I've seen so far. There is a small wooden chair here, perhaps used by my great-grandfather himself those many years ago. I can move east and west.

> e
I move east.

I can hear the river in here, and it sounds like a freight train going through. The walls of this cave amplify the sound in a way that is not found in any other part of these caverns. The Snake River must be just above my head. When I think about all that running water, it gives me the chills. Before me lies a sturdy rope. I can only move west.

> get rope
I take the sturdy rope.

> w
I move west.

This room branches off from the Hall of Vines, and it looks fairly unremarkable compared to some of the rooms I've seen so far. There is a small wooden chair here, perhaps used by my great-grandfather himself those many years ago. Before me lies a pile of ash. I can move east and west.

> w
I move west.

Vines in a cave? I'm assuming their really the roots of the trees above, but they hang down all around this hallway just like vines. Some of them are really long, some are really short, and some of them wrap all the way around the hall multiple times. I can move north and east.

> n
I move north.

This cavern is huge! It looks a lot like a theater, with the way the boulders are arranged. A large, level rock formation on the eastern end of the room looks just like a stage. I bet that if anyone so desired, they could rent this place out for plays and musicals. Perhaps once I find the gold I'll tell my music teacher about it. I can move north and south.

> n
I move north.

I should have thought about it before, but it seems as if the problem I might have had with lighting is in no need of being taken care of. A strange glow comes from some of the mushrooms that are scattered around the cave floor, giving me plenty of light to see by. I'm curious as to what type of mushrooms these are, as I've never seen anything quite like them. I can move north, east, south and out.

> n
I move north.

Ugh! I can't believe that I squeezed myself into this place. I've never been in a place so cramped. I guess that's why you've got to have nerves of steel to be a cave explorer. I could have never imagined! Oh, but there's more of those weird mushrooms in here, and I can see quite well. Before me lies an antique gold watch. I can only move south.

> get watch
I take the antique gold watch.

> s
I move south.

I should have thought about it before, but it seems as if the problem I might have had with lighting is in no need of being taken care of. A strange glow comes from some of the mushrooms that are scattered around the cave floor, giving me plenty of light to see by. I'm curious as to what type of mushrooms these are, as I've never seen anything quite like them. I can move north, east, south and out.

> e
I move east.

This hall is so long and magnificent! I shall name it Maria's Hall, after its discoverer. It stretches for almost a football field's length east and west, and with indeed it is worthy of my name. It seems this hall slopes downward as it travels east. I can move north, east, south and west.

> s
I move south.

This room gives me the creeps. I feel as if there is some evil presence lurking in this room, but it could just be my mind playing tricks on me. Every time I turn my head, I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye. I shall call this the "Cave of Evil," because that's a fitting name for it. I really don't like the idea of staying here very long. Before me lies an antique cross. I can only move north.

> get cross
I take the antique cross.

> n
I move north.

This hall is so long and magnificent! I shall name it Maria's Hall, after its discoverer. It stretches for almost a football field's length east and west, and with indeed it is worthy of my name. It seems this hall slopes downward as it travels east. I can move north, east, south and west.

> n
I move north.

The difference between a stalactite and a stalagmite is such; stalactites hang from the ceiling, and stalagmites reach up from the floor. I was taught in school to think of it this way. A stalactite is hanging on "tite" for dear life. A stalagmite is hoping that it "mite" reach all the way to the ceiling some day. This room is filled with stalactites. Before me lies an antique china plate. I can only move south.

> get plate
I take the antique china plate.

> s
I move south.

This hall is so long and magnificent! I shall name it Maria's Hall, after its discoverer. It stretches for almost a football field's length east and west, and with indeed it is worthy of my name. It seems this hall slopes downward as it travels east. I can move north, east, south and west.

> e
I move east.

Holy cripes! A big frickin' rattlesnake sits in the corner of this room! I'm too scared to go anywhere but the way I entered from. I've got to get rid of it somehow!

... Before me lies the snake. I can only move west.

> unleash the mongoose
My precious little baby... Campbell must have known I would need you, and I surely do! Thank God for you!

I release the mongoose. At first, it seems as if it isn't going to do anything but sit there on its haunches, but then it has a glimpse of the rattlesnake. With a shot, it takes off after it, scratching and biting the thing until it retreats into a mouse-sized hole in the wall. The mongoose follows after it, and for a while I can hear the two going at it with each other. I do hope the mongoose won.

Whew! That was a close call!


(press any key to continue)


I now dub this room the Riki Tiki Cavern, in honor of the glorious battle that my mongoose fought. I'm so proud of that little thing! The rattlesnake is gone, and now I can explore further through the caves. Before me lies the snake. I can move east and west.

> e
I move east.

I shall call this room the pit, and I'll explain why. In the center of the room there is a large pit, which looks like it goes down quite a ways. Off to its side, there is a stalagmite, reaching up towards the ceiling. There are no other rooms save the one I entered from. I'm supposing that I need to descend into the pit to get any further, and to do that, I need some rope. I could tie the rope to the stalagmite and throw it down into the pit. I can only move west.

> tie the rope to the stalagmite

Good thing I found this rope.

I tie the rope around the stalagmite, giving it several granny knots to keep it from coming undone. When finished, I slowly lower the other end down into the pit. It seems to hit bottom long before it runs out, so I feel that it will be relatively safe to descend.


(press any key to continue)


I shall call this room the pit, and I'll explain why. In the center of the room there is a large pit, which looks like it goes down quite a ways. Off to its side, there is a stalagmite, reaching up towards the ceiling. My rope is tied to the stalagmite, and it is also hanging down into the pit, so now I can descend downward if I wish. I can move west and down.

> d
I move down.

This has to have been my great-grandfather Rupert's hideout. There's a chair here, and the petrified remains of a campfire. There's also a treasure chest off to the side of the room, but it appears too small for the housing of three million dollars worth of gold. I can move east and up.

> open chest
I open the treasure chest. An antique compass is inside the treasure chest.

> get compass
I take the antique compass from the treasure chest.

> e
I move east.

First the rattlesnake, now this! There's a huge cave bear here, and it looks exceedingly hungry! It hasn't attacked me yet, but it might if I give it enough of a chance. I can still escape, or I could always try to feed it something (besides myself). Now what, besides little girls, do bears like to eat?

... Before me lies the hungry cave bear. I can only move west.

> feed the honey to the bear

I toss the jar of honey to the bear, which sniffs at it and then begins to devour it. It's cute to watch, and I almost forget for a minute that I'm in grave peril. The bear seems to enjoy its dish.

After it is finished eating, the bear snorts at me, and then moves off into another area of the caves.


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In this room I narrowly escaped with my life, but I am now free to explore the rest of the cave. The gold is near, I can feel it in my bones. I'm just a little way away from becoming the richest kid in Splintered Rock! I can't wait to find it! Before me lies the hungry cave bear. I can move east and west.

> e
I move east.

As I walk into the room, something hits me in the back from behind, causing me to fall to the ground. In my fall, my head hits the rock floor with a smack, and for a moment I nearly pass out. Dizzy and disoriented, I look around as the room spins about me.

Three men stand around me, laughing and jeering. The Trask boys! Well, really, they're grown men, but everyone calls them the Trask boys. They're troublemakers, and they come from a long line of troublemakers. What are they doing down here? I need not ask them that question though, as the eldest one soon speaks up and answers it.

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"Ahh, looks like we caught her off guard," the eldest boy, whose name is Mike, says, chortling in a manner that I don't really find pleasing. The other boys laugh along with him. "We've been following you ever since you started hacking away at that wall outside there."

"Hey, missy," the youngest one, whose name is John, chuckles, "Whatcha doin down here?"

"Nothing..." I say.

"Nothing eh?" Bill, the other brother, says. "Doesn't look like you're doing nothing."

"I'm... I'm just exploring," I say, quivering with fear.

"Exploring?" Mike asks. "What's that old map you've got there?"

I try to hide the map, but Mike stomps down on my wrist with his huge steel-toed boot, causing me to cry out in pain. He grabs the map from my hand and glances it over.

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"Well boys," he says, "looks like we've got a genuine treasure map here. Not that we didn't guess it, eh?"

"You see, missy," John says, "We know who your great-grandpappy was. Our grand-pappy used to run with him all the time. We figured if you were doing some digging around here, that you must have some idea where he stashed all that gold."

I'm speechless, and in a lot of pain. I don't think they've broken my wrist, but it sure hurts like the dickens.

"See, what we're going to do, is take care of finding the gold for you," Bill says. "Of course, we'll have to keep the reward, but at least you will have gotten the chance to lead us right to it."

"Yep," John says. "Since you've got us past that snake, and that big old bear, we'll show our thanks by letting you live out the rest of your life... of course, it'll be spent locked up in our closet, but, hey, at least you'll live. We'll even feed you. Do you like Alpo?"

The others get quite a chuckle out of this. I find it less than amusing.

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In a flash, they have me up, and are already starting to tie my wrists and ankles together. I try to get in a few good kicks, but any attempt at struggle causes them to throw a few elbows and fists in my general direction. They even go as far as to put a dirty washcloth in my mouth and duct-tape over my face (which goes to show that they do this kind of thing often, because why else would they be carrying duct-tape with them everywhere they go?) When they are finished, they toss me back to the ground.

"We'll be back for you," Bill says. "Now you just stay put."

The dynamic trio pass off into the next area of the cave. I can hear their footsteps receding, and finally fading away to nothing.

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A while later (how long, I don't know) the Trask boys return and pick me back up.

"Oh yeah, we found your gold alright," Mike says. "All of it."

"We'll need to get a wagon and our pickup truck," John says. "We can't even begin to carry it out like this. It's too heavy. You're not, though." With that last word, he picks me up and tosses me over his shoulder... a very uncomfortable position for someone who likes to breathe.

We slowly make our way out of the caves in this fashion. When we hit the outside, I notice that night has fallen. With a bit of caution, always watchful for other people, the Trask boys take turns carrying me to the parking lot, where their car is sitting. Bill goes around behind the car and unlocks the trunk. I get tossed inside without a bit of gentleness.

"I hope you like bumpy rides," Bill laughs, and slams the trunk lid.

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The ride is bumpy indeed. The Trask boys live in Torncloth, which is a 30 minute drive from Splintered Rock, and it seems that they take every gravel road along the way. When I finally hear the car come to a complete stop, and the engine shutting off, I let out a sigh of semi-relief.

Shortly thereafter, Bill opens the trunk lid. Picking me up and tossing me over his shoulder again, he carries me through the garage and into the house. The boys laugh as he throws me into the closet and closes the door on me.

"Now, see here," he says through the closet door. "We're leaving you bound until we can get a lock on this thing. So, you just stay put while we go out after that gold, and we might untie you later on."

I hear the outside door slam and a truck starting up. It seems like I'm in for a long night.

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I've got to get out of here! During my ride in the trunk of the car, I've loosened up my bindings enough that I'm able to get free. I quickly pull the rest of my bonds off, and then remove the duct-tape with a painful yank.

Spitting the washcloth out of my mouth disgustedly, I take in a deep gasp of air. In a fit of rage, I slam into the closet door, causing it to tear off its hinges.

I've got to get out of this house and contact the police!

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The Trask boys live in a nasty house, and this is a nasty closet. I can't believe that they actually expected me to stay in here the rest of my life! Well, I'm not about to give them that pleasure. I'm getting out of here! I can only move west.

> w
I move west.

These guys don't exactly live high on the hog. They must camp out on the floor here, because besides the garage and the closet, this is the only room in the house, and there's no furniture! I guess it makes a decent hideout, though. I don't particularly care for it. As a matter of fact, I like it just as much as I like my would-be captors, which is not at all. I've made it this far, though, and I'm not planning on sticking around long enough for them to get back. I can move east and west.

> w
I move west.

I'm in luck! I can see the Police Station to the north of here. The hated Trask house is to the east, and I'm in the clear. Perhaps I should be getting to the police now. I'm sure they'd love to hear my story. I can move north and east.

> n
I move north.

The police station is to the east of me, and it looks like all the lights are blazing inside. To my west, there's an antique shop, and it looks like it might be open as well. I have no idea what time it is, but it's probably not after 10:00, as that's when most places close down in these smaller towns. As I stand here, in the street, I take deep breaths of free air. I can move east, south and west.

> w
I move west.

I don't know why I'm in here, what with me needing to make haste to the police station, but the Antique Shop has a very inviting aura about it. Tons of interesting items are scattered about the place, and the shopkeeper is a wise looking old man that doesn't seem as if he'll do me any harm. Despite my situation, I probably wouldn't mind sticking around here for a little bit. Barlow is here, wishing someone might give him some antique items for trade. I can only move east.

> give watch to barlow
"Oh, this? Ooh, this is worth quite a bit! I can't pay you now, but I can give you credit and you can get the money later, how does that sound?"

> give plate to barlow
"Oh, this? Ooh, this is worth quite a bit! I can't pay you now, but I can give you credit and you can get the money later, how does that sound?"

> give cross to barlow
"Oh, this? Ooh, this is worth quite a bit! I can't pay you now, but I can give you credit and you can get the money later, how does that sound?"

> give compass to barlow
"Oh, this? Ooh, this is worth quite a bit! I can't pay you now, but I can give you credit and you can get the money later, how does that sound?"

> e
I move east.

The police station is to the east of me, and it looks like all the lights are blazing inside. To my west, there's an antique shop, and it looks like it might be open as well. I have no idea what time it is, but it's probably not after 10:00, as that's when most places close down in these smaller towns. As I stand here, in the street, I take deep breaths of free air. I can move east, south and west.

> e
I move east.

This is just the place I need to be. The police can help me now, I've just got to tell them what happened. Sheriff Marcus is here.

> talk to sheriff marcus


"What seems to be the problem, little lady?" the Sheriff asks.

"The... the... the Trask boys!" I say, stuttering. "They..."

"What about them?" the Sheriff says. "Slow down and take a few deep breaths."

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I tell the Sheriff my story, starting with the treasure map, and ending with my escape from the Trask house. He then counters my story with one of his own. It seems that my parents have been looking for me for a couple of days, and they've got the police all around searching for me.

"A couple of days?" I ask. How long could I have been in those caves? It seemed like an eternity, but I would have never guessed that I was there that long. Perhaps I lost all sense of time when the Trask boys went off in search of the gold.

"Yes," the Sheriff says, "and that's why I believe you. Well, I don't really believe you about the gold, but I don't doubt those boys kidnapped you. I can see the rope burns on your wrists and ankles. And if you don't mind me saying, it seems as if you've got a really nasty red mark where that duct tape was on your face."

"Please help me, sir," I say. "I don't want them to hurt me."

"Calm down, little miss," he replies. "I'm going to radio out to my boys on the road, and then you, young lady, are going to the hospital. If you ask me, it seems like you're just a wee bit dehydrated. And of course, they'll need to do some examinations. I'll also call your mom and dad, as they're probably sick with worry about you."

For a while, I sit on the bench as the Sheriff makes his calls. In a while I am stood up, half-asleep, and put in the Sheriff's car. He drives me to the hospital, and I am escorted into the emergency room.

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I won't describe in detail what I went through in the emergency room, but I will say that I was checked thouroughly for bruises and stuff. I was so embarassed, but now it's over, and I'm resting on a gurney, an IV sticking out of my arm.

The Sheriff comes in and tells me that they had just pulled over a late model pickup truck, with three very drunk Trask boys in it. "And guess what we found in the back?" he asks me.

"What?"

"Your gold," he says, with a twinkle in his eye. "At first, I didn't believe you, but knowing this, it seems I have no choice but to believe. It looks like you're going to be a really rich little girl. I don't think they'd give the reward to those loonies. There is something that is troubling me, though, and I don't really know if I should tell you."

"Tell me," I say, "I can handle it."

"Well, one of the boys escaped," the Sheriff says, his smile turning to a frown.

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A chill spreads down my spine.

"Oh no," is all I can say.

"Look," the Sheriff says, "I don't think he'll try to come after you, but just in case, I'll stick one of my deputies outside your door. You're going to be staying here tonight, and you'll be perfectly safe."

With this, he turns and walks out the door. The nurses then come to push me off to my room. I hear them talking excitedly to me about the gold, but I'm too tired to listen. They help me into my hospital bed, and as soon as my head hits the pillow, I'm sound asleep.

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I wake up some hours later, alone and frightened. I can feel a draft coming from the window on the far side of the room, but it's too dark to see anything. Why is the window open? My mind starts racing.

When I came to the hospital, how many floors did it have? Just one...

I'm on the ground floor. My window is just a couple of feet off the ground, and it's open.

I hear what sounds like stealthy footsteps approaching me.

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I am frozen with fear. I can't move, and even if I were to get up, they've got me on two IV's right now, and they'd just drag me down. Someone is approaching my bed, and I can hear his ragged breathing and can smell the scent of alcohol on his breath. I can't do anything. Where's that deputy? I need him. I can't find my call button. What to do?

> shout


Well, I haven't lost the use of my voice, that's for sure. My loud scream startles the intruder, and he makes a gallop towards the window. He doesn't make it, for just as I start screaming, the Deputy tears through the door, and attacks the intruder.

The lights come on, and I see the deputy slapping handcuffs on Bill Trask. My parents rush into my room, and both fall to my side, holding and comforting me. Shortly after, the deputy pulls Bill to his feet and escorts him out the door.

"It's all right, sweetie," my mom says, as I slowly start to lose conciousness. "Everything's going to be alright, now."

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I won't bore you with the details of what came after, what with all the paperwork and investigations and all, but I can tell you this; in the end, I did get my gold. Well, in truth, I didn't get the gold, but I got the reward for finding it.

All $1.5 million of it.

Of course, one could say that's not a lot of money. In fact, all of that is gone now. It's been only two years, and I've dried it all up. That's no big problem though. My best-selling book about the ordeal (my father and mother helped me write it, by the way) earned me over $30 million. I've also been on several talk shows, and they have netted me quite a bit of cash. Some of the money I can't touch until I graduate high school, but I'm not living uncomfortably.

I get everything I want now. My life has become an endless whirlwind of celebrity and wealth. I'm now working on my second book, Exploring the Caves of Splintered Rock, which I'm not expecting to sell as well. It might fetch a good price, though, just for the fact that people will buy a book just for the author's name.

Now you know my story. My life's just beginning, though. There are many more adventures, and many more tales to tell. This was just one of them. Perhaps, in a few more years, I might tell you another. It's been a long telling, though, and I am weary. Good night! I'm off to bed.

(press any key to continue)



The End


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