Escape Blackwood Manor

You stand in the damp foyer of Blackwood Manor. The heavy oak door behind you has slammed shut, its locks clicking into place with absolute finality. Ahead of you, the hallway splites into three identical, narrow corridors made of decaying hedge walls that shouldn't exist indoors. The air smells of old dust and copper. A cold draft whispers your name from the darkness. [[Take the left corridor, where a faint candlelight flickers. -> Left Corridor]] [[Take the center corridor, which is pitch black but dead silent.-> Center Corridor]] [[Take the right corridor, where you can hear the sound of dripping water. -> Right Corridor]]

The candlelight comes from a single, floating candelabra. As you approach, it drifts deeper into the maze. You follow it until you reach a dead end. On the wall, written in what looks like wet paint, are the words: (text-color: "red") ["The mirror always lies."] Suddenly, the candelabra drops to the floor, extinguishing itself. In the pitch black, you hear heavy breathing right behind you. (after: 2.5) [In the pitch balck, you hear [HEAVY BREATHING]<shudder|right behind you.] [[Turn around and blindly strike out into the dark. -> The Shadow Takes You (DEAD END)]] [[Feel along the left wall for a hidden door. ->The Mirror Room]]

You move forward in total darkness, hands brushing against cold, slimy brick. The silence is deafening until a sudden, agonizing scream echoes from somewhere above you. You stumble backward in fright and trip over something soft on the floor. Reaching down, your fingers wrap around a cold, metal flashlight. [[Turn on the flashlight. -> Flashlight on]] [[Keep it off and crawl forward in the dark to avoid being seen. -> The Crawlspace]]

The sound of dripping water grows louder, echoing hollowly. You find yourself in a flooded hallway, ankle-deep in freezing, stagnant water. Strands of dark hair float on the surface. At the end of the hall, a pale, waterlogged figure stands with its back to you, blocked a door marked EXIT. [[Try to quietly wade past the figure to reach the exit. -> The Drowned (DEAD END)]] [[Retreat back to the foyer before it turns around. -> Start]]

You swing wildly into the darkness. Your fist hits nothing but cold, empty air. Two icy hands grip your shoulders from behind, freezing you in place. The whisper returns, right at your ear: "You shouldn't have looked." The darkness consumes you. GAME OVER. [[Try Again? -> Start]]

Your fingers find a brass latch. You push, and a section of the wall swings open into a room lined entirely with cracked, dusty mirrors. In the center reflection, you see yourself - but your reflection is smiling a sinister, wide grin, and it's pointing toward a trapdoor in the floor. The real floor beneath you doesn't seem to have a trapdoor.... or does it? [[Trust the reflection and step where it is pointing. -> The Pit]] [[ Smash the main mirror with your heel to vreak the illusion. -> The Shattered Path]]

The beam of light cuts through the darkness, illuminating a horrifying sight: the walls are lined with hundreds of (transition: "fade-in") [twitching, human eyes]. Blinded by the sudden light, the eyes begin to [SHREIK]<shudder| in unison. The sound is so piercing your ears begin to bleed, and the floor opens up beneath you. [[Falling... -> The Pit]]

You keep the light off and crawl. Your knees scrape against gravel. Ahead, you spot a faint green glow. It's an emergency exit sign above a rusted iron door. However, you can hear something heavy dragging itself through the dirt right behind your feet. [[Sprint for the iron door and burst through. -> The Iron Door]] [[Hide in a small alcove and hold your breath -> The Crawlspace Shadow]]

You try to step softly, but the water ripples. The figure instantly snaps its head 180 degrees around to face you. It has no eyes, only a gaping, watery maw. Before you can scream, it lunges forward, dragging you down into the impossibly deep, freezing water. [[Try Again? -> Start]]

You step forward, and the floor gives way entirely. You plummet into an endless, dark abyss, the sound of laughing spirits fading away above you. You are trapped in the house's layout forever. [[Try Again? -> Start]]

Your heel drives into the glass. It cracks, then shatters completely into a thousand glittering shards. But instead of brick behind it, the wall opens up into a foggy, overgrown graveyard. The cool night air hits your face, completely erasing the suffocating smell of the manor. You are outside. [[Run out into the graveyard toward freedom. -> Freedom]]

You throw your weight against the iron door. It protests with a loud screech but gives way. You tumble out onto the overgrown front lawn of Blackwood Manor. The door slams shut behind you, locking automatically. You are shivering, terrified, but alive. [[Look back one last time. -> Freedom]]

You escaped the maze! The morning sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon, casting away the shadows of Blackwood Manor. You are exhausted, but the nightmare is finally over. You won! THE END [[Play Again? -> Start]]

You squeeze into a tiny recess in the dirt wall, pulling your knees to your chest. You shut your eyes and hold your breath until your lungs burn. The dragging sound stops right in front of you. A blast of ice-cold air hits your face, smelling of decay. You open your eyes just in time to see a shadowy silhouette leaning down into the alcoe with you. The whisper returns: "You shouldn't have stopped moving." GAME OVER [[Try Again? -> Start]]