twisty little passages

You are standing in an open field west of a white house.

>go

Which way do you want to go? North, south, east into the house, west away from the house.

>east

You walk to the house. The door blocks you from going farther.

>inventory

You are carrying:

a photograph

a key

a sealed letter

>examine photograph

Two women, one short with dark skin, one taller and paler, both wearing rings. They look happy.

>examine letter

No.

>examine letter

You don’t want to examine the letter.

>look

You are standing in an open field west of a white house. It’s actually more of a yard than a field. There is a mailbox here. By the side of the house to the north is a wooden gate leading into a fenced backyard. Over the house arch thin clouds like the cracked-open ribs of a spatchcocked bird. The sun has just set, recently enough that there’s still an eerie light in the sky, long enough ago that the only colors are blue and paler blue. It’s late summer, and a few fireflies are struggling out.

>open mailbox

There is a utility bill in the mailbox, addressed to you. It says “past due.”

>east

You walk to the house. The door blocks you from going farther.

>unlock door with key

Your key doesn’t unlock this door anymore.

>examine letter

No.

>look

You are standing directly in front of a small white house. The front door is red, and locked. To your left is a bay window with hydrangea bushes underneath. The hydrangeas have not been tended to your standards but are doing okay.

>examine window

The windows are covered in curtains with a graphic print of lemons and leaves. There is a small gap in the curtains.

>look through gap

A spare but homey living room, with a lot of well-tended plants and a very old television. From the light you can see that it’s early afternoon here. A book has been left open upside down on the modern-looking gray sofa—the spine might break; that had better not be your book. There’s half a tomato sandwich on a chipped blue plate on the coffee table and a pair of gold sandals under it. You can hear a laugh from the kitchen.

>knock on window

You still don’t understand, do you?

>turn away

I don’t know what you want me to turn.

>get out of here

You can’t get that.

>move away from window

You are standing in a hydrangea bush in front of a white house. It is twilight here.

>north

The north side of the house. There is a wooden gate here.

>examine gate

There are initials carved on the gate. Someone tried to gouge them out but gave up.

You still don’t understand, do you?

>open gate

You open the wooden gate.

>enter yard

(the backyard)

You enter the backyard. There are two chairs here. There is a firepit dug into the ground. It is night.

>get firepit

You can’t get the firepit.

>examine firepit

The firepit contains:

a quantity of ash

a scrap of photograph

a charred letter

>examine letter

Which letter do you mean, the charred letter or the sealed letter?

>examine charred letter

No.

>examine photograph scrap

Most of the photograph has burned away. What remains is a pale arm and half a face, in shadow.

>sift through ashes

In the ashes you find a ring. The gold plate is charred and flaking.

>get ring

Taken.

>wear ring

You put on the ring. It only fits your pinky finger.

>examine house

It has white vinyl siding. There is a small wooden back porch, inexpertly built, lined with potted herbs. There is a window here.

>look through window

You see the kitchen. Midmorning light frosts a vase of freesia in the center of the table. There’s a bowl that recently held cereal sitting in the sink, not rinsed out, which she knows drives you crazy. You can hear crying coming from somewhere.

>leave yard

(through wooden gate)

You are standing in a front yard west of a white house.

>leave

Which way do you want to go? North, south, east into the house, west away from the house.

>west

The way is blocked.

>north

The way is blocked.

>east

Your key doesn’t unlock this door anymore.

>south

On the south side of the front yard is a skinny dogwood tree. It’s still only mid-spring, but the blossoms are already blown and ratty. A woman in jean shorts is standing under the tree looking at her phone; she is small and rounded, with very short hair and a dozen tiny gold earrings that wink against her skin. For a second she looks around, as if worried someone will see her, but she does not notice you. She smiles in a way you’ve never seen before.

>talk to her

Come on.

>say something

No.

>get her back

You can’t get her back.

>get her back

You can’t get her back.

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