Here is my short Twine story. I hope you enjoy! Please feel free to comment on any suggestions, improvements, or issues!
The Run Around
It's cold in here. Always cold. It's the first thing you notice about this place when you wake up. Every time.
You'll have to get going soon. Sitting around doesn't do any good. You've learned that before. Just wait for the bell...
There it is! The bell rang! You start running down the straight corridor. The buzzing neon lights on the ceiling whip past as you sprint.
"Here we go again.", you think.
Back into the maze...
[[Continue onward...]] One minute of running. Two minutes. Three. "Seriously," you think. "How long can one corrider be?"
And at that moment your first choice appears. A break in the wall to left. A small cavity, an indent really. You can see a ladder leading down into the darkness.
The corridor continues past this indent. Far away you see what look like a light.
Do you [[go down the ladder]] or [[continue down the corridor]]? You climb slowly down the ladder, testing each rung with your foot before palcing your full weight on it. You've fallen before. It hurts. And anything that impairs your ability to run is an issue.
You reach the bottom and hesistate. There are no lights down here. Just darkness stretching into the distance ahead and behind you.
The ladder has dropped you in the middle of a corridor.
Now the question is, do you go [[forward]] or [[backward]]? The darkness at the bottom of the ladder looks ominous.
You decide to bypass the ladder and continue down the corridor. You run towards the light.
The corridor is deceptively long. You're starting to feel tired.
You can't keep up this pace for very much longer.
You're not sure if the light is close or far. Speed generally serves you well in the maze. But not if you collapse from exhaustion.
Do you [[slow down]] or continue at the [[same speed]]? You wonder down the corridor in front of you.
For hours you trudge carefully along, not trusting the utter blackness that has enveloped you.
*Thunk* Ouch. That's a dead end isn't it?
You reach your arms out and feel around on the wall.
Your right hand brushes up against a small bump set high on the wall.
Is that a button?
You're not sure.
You consider your options.
You could [[press the mystery button]] or you could [[turn around and head back to the ladder]]. You turn around and begin walking down the corridor.
You want to run but the darkness is closing around you and you don't want to end up running into a wall.
*Thunk* Ow. There's that wall. You stretch out your arms to either side and find that the corridor has diverged into to paths.
Now you must decide: [[Left]] or [[Right]]? You slow to a jog, then a walk. You catch your breath as you make your way towards the light at the end of the corridor.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity of walking, you approach the light.
It's a door. With a window set at eye level. On the other side, a blinding light is pouring out.
The light is intense. You look around to clear the spots from your vision.
You notice that there is a small crack in the wall to your left.
It's pretty thin. Maybe just big enough to squeeze through if you turn sideways and wiggle a bit.
It looks like it continues on for a while.
You stand and ponder your options.
Do you [[go through the door]] or [[squeeze through the crack]]? You stumble foward as fast as you can.
You have to chase the light. You have to get there.
You don't know why. What is happening to you?
You trip and tumble to the ground. You're so tired. Just a quick nap.
As your eyes close, you hear a voice crackle out of a speaker somewhere in the ceiling.
"Subject 16 test conclusion. Time elapsed: 2 hours 24 minutes. Reson for test conclusion: loss of consciousness brought on by acute exhaustion. Stand by for retrieval..."
Your vision fades to black...
(link:"TEST CONCLUDED. MAZE FAILED.")[(goto:"Intro")] You wander down the left hall until you bump into a wall.
It feels like a dead end.
You reach around with hands until you feel a sligh bulge in the wall.
Is that a button?
It is!
You press the button and a door hidden in the wall slides open.
And there it is!
That wonderful platform with glowing ring around its edge.
Your exhaustion forgotten, you sprint forward to stand atop it.
From somewhere in the ceiling you here *DING* and voice crackling.
"Subject 16 test concluded. Time elapsed: 4 hours 18 minutes. Reason for test conclusion: subject has completed the maze. Stand by for extraction."
A smile lights up your face as the platform begins to gently lower you down.
You step off the platform into a small room, sparsely furnished with a bed, a table, and a single chair. A toilet sits in the far corner and a sink sits next to it.
You step off the platform and watch as it rises back into the ceiling.
A faint *CLANK* issues from a box mounted on the wall.
You hurry over to pull it open and reveal a tray laden with food.
Taking the tray to the table, you sit and eat your meal.
You then put the tray back into the box and collapse into the bed.
Better get some rest now before the next trial...
*Congratulations! You won!*
(link:"Click here to start over!")[(goto:"Intro")] You turn blindly to the left and work your way down the new corridor.
Less than a 20 yards later, you begin to notice a change in the surface of the floor.
It feels...tacky.
You continue for another few steps before disaster strikes.
The floor changes completely into a sticky substance.
Your bare feet stick are stuck hopelessly.
The change is so sudden that you are thrown off balance.
As you topple forward, you throw out your hands to catch yourself, effectively trapping them as well.
You're stuck on your hands and knees.
You remain in that uncomfortable position for hours before eventually succumbing to exhaustion and sinking to the sticky floor.
As you drift to sleep, hopelessly stuck to the floor, you hear a voice crackle from a speaker overhead.
"Subject 16 test concluded. Time elapsed: 5 hours and 49 minutes. Reason for conclusion: Subject effectively trapped. Stand by for retrieval."
(link:"TEST CONCLUDED. MAZE FAILED.")[(goto:"Intro")] You creep towards the door and crack it open.
The blinding light prevents you from seeing anything inside.
Slowly, you inch the door open and step inside.
The door behind you springs closed with a loud *CLANK*.
You turn around, only to find that the door has no handle on this side.
You're trapped.
You wonder the periphery of the room, trying your best to shield your eyes from the intense light.
With a start, you realize that you have no idea *where* the light is coming from.
There is no obvious source. No floodlight or lamp.
It's almost as if...it's coming from the walls themselves?
No sooner than you realize this, you begin to feel the heat that the walls are putting off.
It's not really hot. Just on the slightly more uncomfortable side of warm.
Now what?
You can only think of two options.
Either continue to explore the uncomfortably warm room, or attempt to break the glass window on the door and climb back out.
So which will it be? [[Break the glass]] or [[continue exploring]]? You begin to squeeze your way through the crack.
It's a tight fit, but you manage to slide all the way in and begin to shuffle sideways.
It's a lot of effort and soon you are sweating hard in the claustrophobic space.
You're almost halfway through when the walls begin to get progressively closer.
At first you don't notice, but eventually they're pressing hard enough to seriously impede your progress.
You're faced with a dilemma. Do you [[continue on]] and risk getting stuck? Or do you (link:"turn back now")[(goto:"slow down")] and find another route? You press the button out of sheer curiosity.
With a loud *CLANG* the floor beneath your feet suddenly opens and you drop down into the hole.
You hit the floor below you with a muted *thump*.
A wave of agony seems to eminate from you left ankle.
Is it broken? Sprained?
You're pretty sure it's broken.
The pain is unbearable.
But you have to keep moving.
Slowly you climb to your feet, being careful to keep all your weight on your right leg.
You reach your arms out to feel out the contours of the room.
You realize that the room is small. No more than half a dozen feet in diameter.
There doesn't seem to be a door or hallway.
You're trapped.
The trapdoor above you gives an audible *beep* as you hear it swing shut.
You sit back down. Exhausted and defeated.
Eventually your exhaustion overwhelms you and you drift into an uneasy sleep.
As you eyelids drift closed, you hear a burst of static and voice.
"Subject 16 test conclusion. Time elapsed: 6 hours and 37 minutes. Reason for test conclusion: Subject effectively trapped and injured. Please stand by for retrieval..."
(link:"TEST CONCLUDED. MAZE FAILED.")[(goto:"Intro")] With a weary sigh, you decide not to give in to temptation.
You turn around and trudge (link:"back to the ladder.")[(goto:"go down the ladder")] You approach the locked door and, in desperation, strik out at the glass window.
With a loud *CRASH* the window shatters, cutting your fist in a dozen places.
With your other hand, you carefully clear away the jagged bits and begin to haul yourself up and through.
With a gasp, you tumble into the (link:"previous room")[(goto:"slow down")]. You continue to work your way around the room, feeling for hidden buttons or exits.
The oppressive heat begins to wear on you.
Your thirsty. So thirsty.
You sit down on the floor to catch your breath.
With a sigh, you lie down on the floor. The warmth is making you sleepy...
As your eyes close, you hear a voice coming from a hidden speaker.
"Subject 16 test concluded. Time elapsed: 3 hours 27 minutes. Reason for test conclusion: Subject passed out while trapped in the hot room. Stand by for retrieval."
(link:"TEST CONCLUDED. MAZE FAILED.")[(goto:"Intro")] You press on, squeezing and struggling as hard as you can.
With a gasp, you finally struggle free.
And there it is!
That wonderful platform with glowing ring around its edge.
Your exhaustion forgotten, you sprint forward to stand atop it.
From somewhere in the ceiling you here *DING* and voice crackling.
"Subject 16 test concluded. Time elapsed: 5 hours 12 minutes. Reason for test conclusion: subject has completed the maze. Stand by for extraction."
A smile lights up your face as the platform begins to gently lower you down.
You step off the platform into a small room, sparsely furnished with a bed, a table, and a single chair. A toilet sits in the far corner and a sink sits next to it.
You step off the platform and watch as it rises back into the ceiling.
A faint *CLANK* issues from a box mounted on the wall.
You hurry over to pull it open and reveal a tray laden with food.
Taking the tray to the table, you sit and eat your meal.
You then put the tray back into the box and collapse into the bed.
Better get some rest now before the next trial...
*Congratulations! You won!*
(link:"Click here to start over!")[(goto:"Intro")]
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