Play of Shadows

2.17: Burnt Sugar

The conversation soured quickly after that. Michael thought it was his friend's guilty conscience that kept him mute. Ann was caught in a confusing tangle of relief and anger and couldn't be bothered with Michael at all.

They followed the trail of breadcrumbs down the dark hallway to a broken staircase. The breadcrumbs pointed to the shadowed space under the stairs. Further down the hall, a thin bar of light seemed to tease at the possibility of a door.

"We don't have the key yet. Let's explore a little more first," Michael said.

Ann had no objections. The appearance of a door so early in the instance was naturally suspicious.

The stairs arched upward like a cat with its back raised. The space beneath them was large and pitch-black. Ann didn't wait for Michael to fall behind this time and took the initiative to step forward, curious about what they might find in the shadows.

Step by little step, the little doll in the red dress disappeared in the dark.

Michael waited a beat, then two. "Frances?" he tried, but no one answered no matter how long he waited.

The situation under the stairs was indeed strange. As soon as Ann stepped under the staircase, the shadows fell away to a world of color. There were cardboard trees rustling above her and grass made of cotton under her feet. Sloping mountains were painted along the walls and a red sun nestled behind their peaks, on its way to slumber.

Down a pebbled path stood a gingerbread house.

Ann toddled forward cautiously. She was now certain that the story in play was Hansel and Gretel, and had no good feelings about this particular part of the fairytale's plot. A poke at her system menu revealed nothing but error codes and greyed out items. Whether due to the glitch or Ann's unique role in the game, interaction with the system was not possible. Therefore, there was no easy way to verify the relevancy of the gingerbread house to the main plot. The instance had gone on for far too long already. Ann could not in good conscience entertain side-quests, no matter how tempting.

Hriss-hriss, something went. Ann turned toward the sound and froze, staring intently at the massive gray rat nibbling at a cardboard elm a short distance away. The vermin's teeth were yellow and long and cut through the poor tree with terrifying ease. Black drool dripped from its jaws, puddling in a rancid pool at its clawed feet.

The rat's beady red eyes fastened on Ann. It let go of the cardboard tree with a chirp and hopped forward.

Ann sprang for the house. She barreled through the sugarcane door and managed to slam it closed just in time. The giant rat clawed at the outside, squealing in excitement.

The gingerbread walls were thick enough to hold the creature at bay for a while. Ann pushed a bench that seemed to be made of chocolate in front of the door for good measure. When she turned around, she had another fright.

A little doll with human eyes watched her quietly from within a wooden cage. It waved its porcelain hand when it noticed Ann looking.

Ann approached slowly. The little doll was dressed in a smart little suit. Its face was painted with great care, and the hair on its head looked very much real. A little boy in all but flesh.

A very familiar one, at that.

"It's you," Ann muttered.

"It's me," the little boy confirmed obediently.

Ann let out a startled laugh. "Where is your sister?" she asked.

"You have to find her. It's part of the game," the little boy said, confirming that both children were in the instance.