Say Its Name: A Rumplestiltskin Story

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''A'' desperate miller once boasted to the king of the land that his daughter could spin straw into pure gold. The king took interest to this claim, and locked the daughter in a tower, threatening her to spin a room full of straw into gold, lest she be decapitated. She could not complete such a feat, however, and became desperate for her life. A magical Imp by the name of Rumpelstiltskin then appeared and offered her the exchange of spinning the straw into gold for her mother's heirloom locket. The girl could not refuse and quickly made the bet. The king was pleased with the room full of gold and had no intention of releasing a girl with a gift such as this. Two more times, the king forced her to spin gold, and two more times the magical Imp took something from the girl in exchange. On the fourth time, however, the girl had nothing left. The king made his final demand, and in an act of life or death, the girl made a deal with the Imp to spin gold one more time at the cost of her firstborn child. The Imp eagerly spun the gold and vanished. Years later, the miller's daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Her eyes sparkled with the moon, dawned a wickedly contagious smile, and had hair lush with the deepest golden glow. The day the girl took her child home, the Imp was waiting for their arrival at her place. He took the child, the mother bound to her promise, magically bonded in place and unable to move. The mother pleaded for a different deal, any deal at all, including her vast wealth she's come to own after her time with the king. The Imp had no interest in this, however, and in pride said their deal may be broken only if the woman could utter his name out loud within three days. The mother could not remember his name, and the Imp muttered ''"And you never will!"'' The mother's memories were stolen by Rumpelstiltskin at the last second, leaving the mother only her pain and loneliness, along with a necklace with a bar of gold on it, a keepsake for the reason of her crumbling life. 15 years later, that same mother travels aimlessly looking for something without any knowledge of what, and that daughter, you, a brave and lonely child isolated in Rumpelstiltskin's forest cottage, with no clue of what [[lies ahead. |The Room]] <<set $itsname to "nothing">>

It's just another day for you. An unimportant day where R leaves the cottage, leaving you to the entertainment of gentle rivers and chirping birds you've always heard but never have seen. All 15 years of your life have been left to the dust and old debris of the cottage, and a magical pond in the corner room of the cottage, a visual portal to another area, perpetually looking down on an older woman. R says if you fall into that pond, you'll fall so far you won't even hear the sound of your skull crashing against the ground. You've never talked to nor heard the woman, and she has no idea of your existence. Of the few times you've seen R, you've asked him why the portal is looking down at the woman. Replied with a caustic snarl, you have learned to keep your space, and never, ever traverse places of the cottage he's warned many times to never go. That leaves you: your room-- an empty walk-in closet with a straw bed and dust balls for company, the library, and a corner room with a pond. One day, R hurriedly scampered out of the cottage, seemingly in anticipation. You know nothing about R beside the frequent conversations with himself about deals you've overheard. He just calls himself a businessman. He locks all the doors, gives you a wicked grin, and leaves until... however long a time. This time, however, his rush left him to forget one door, which kept making a creaking sound. R has said to never go where you don't belong, but you assume he'll probably be gone a long while, and you're feeling particularly bored today. Do you go inside the room? [[Go inside the room |went inside]] [[Don't go inside the room]]

You cautiously enter the door. Your backmost foot takes its last step into the room, and you see it. A room. A massive room, tens of times bigger than the space it appears to be in on the outside. A room, full of thousands of jars each with a different symbol, locked behind a massive magical glass casing. The room is titled ''"Memories"''. You come to understand a little more of the true nature of R's deals-- these are people's memories. You start to think about the fragility of something so alien, so complex about life and thoughts, and reason. You feel a dark thud in your gut, stricken with the sadness of thousands of victims aimlessly traversing the world at one point or another, not even aware of what they've lost. This makes you [[start to think. |Name]]

You heed R's warning, and don't traverse where you belong. Smart choice. In any case, you feel the need to distract yourself from today's temptation, so you go back to the pond room. You stare downward, at this woman, and become lost in your own head. So lost, you start to blindly gaze down the pond, not focusing on anything yet seeing everything in a vague, wide-picture way. Through being lost in your mind, your body slowly drifts forward near the pond. You accidentally drift too far, and [[knock one of the stones sitting on the pond's walls into its deep abyss. |The Woman]].

You think of what your dull life means. You've never seen, heard, touched, or smelled grass flowers or another person before. Only R. //"Do I even exist?"// You think to yourself. That's when you realize you haven't even been given a name. You don't like that. You think long and hard. Your name must be? <<textbox "$name" "">> [[This is my name. |name check]]

Of course it's $name. A proper name. Something to hold onto about yourself. You let out a smile. After giving yourself such a intimate name, you realize how influenced you were by R all your life. Despite your German heritage, country, and blood, you remember the indistinct Portuguese culture and language you have acquired from R. In a way, you are thankful, hoping that some day what you have learned might come in handy. In the middle of your rather existential distraction, the glass casing catches your eye. The lock hole, a brilliant clover shape, seems strikingly familiar to you, of a key you've not too long ago taken from R. From the looks of it, the casing looks roughed up, as if the little Imp tried to open the case but, obviously, did not have the key for. R is quite short tempered and aggressive. But hey, it seems to have worked on the casing. Curious, you go off to [[get your familiar looking key. |get key]]

You hurry to your room in excitement, digging along the bottom of your itchy straw bed. You find your special silk sack, your collection of things you've held dear over the past years. You take the key out of the sack and fond over its clover teeth. You [[slink back to the memory room |hard or soft]], as if wary you're being watched.

After practically bashing on the glass, the case wooshes open. There the jars lie. Exposed, malliable, floating memories of others in jars. You become curious. All the memories of thousands of people, from long ago till maybe even people living now? You get even more curious, and your hand slowly inches forward towards the massive collection. [[You open one of the jars |opens jar]] [[Are you kidding? Step away! |does not open jar]]

You reach out to one of the jars. The one you pick up has a grain of wheat on the front. There are symbols on all of the jars. Part of you wonder what they mean, but you don't pay too close attention to them. You open the jar and ''BOOOSH!'' A river of fluid gushes out of the jar and flies all over the place, some of it at you, forcing you to close your eyes. You don't feel anything on you, but you know whatever came out of that jar is on you now. The sounds settle and you drop to your knees. Agony. Blood. Screams. Pain. Of the memories that have made its way to you, you remember an old and regretful man. A man who made a mistake and lost everything. You can vividly picture his tear and blood soaked labor garbs almost fused to his body like he never wore anything else. You can picture yourself through his eyes taking a sickle and slicing himself open, leaving his pain and blood to your mind's uninvited boundaries. The last thing you remember is the old man uttering the phrase ''//"$clue1"//''. You have no idea what it means, and you shove it to the back of your mind, along with the other regretful memories you've come across. You go back to the [[pond room |pond room]], tired out, content to relax and go back to the old simple monotony of your old life. <<set $foundclue1 to true>> <<set $openedJar to true>>

You'd never be so foolish as to mess with forces you don't understand. Still, you wonder what contents await for someone in a memory jar. You go back to the [[pond room |pond room]], tired out, content to relax and revert to the old simple monotony of your ''//old life.//'' <<set $openedJar to false>>

''Kachunk!'' The brass clover key fits perfectly inside the glass casing, creating a heavy turning sound as if pure glass were moving like a thousand gears in a clock. However, the case becomes stuck, seemingly from being opened without a key for so many years. You don't know what to do, how should you open the case? [[Loudly throw yourself against the front framing |open case]] [[Gently try to maneuver the casing open |soft]]

You try and jimmy the case open in all sorts of angles. After minutes without any results, it seems you've chipped the front of the casing. If R ever finds out, you might be in a heap of trouble. Then you think. Of course banging on the door as he does wouldn't make a difference. You hope to never make a clumsy mistake like this again. [[open case]]

You sit down and reflect on what has all happened today. You've broken R's rule, and you know what happens when you go against his rules... In any case, you go to the pond and stare downward. You stare at this woman and start to think about why everything had happened to you today, as well as the reason for this woman's presence in this magical pond for R. You can't quite put it together, so you just get lost in your head. So lost, you start to [[blindly gaze down the pond |portal]], not focusing on anything yet seeing everything in a vague, wide-picture way.

You get into the room and sift the huge collection of jars. There you see the same jar with the clover. You quickly run your eyes left and right, up and down, opening and closing them until you see it. A jar, rather new looking, with an opaque golden shimmer and what you were looking for-- a golden necklace engraved into the front of the jar. You have no doubt, its the same as the woman's necklace. [[You pick the jar up |realization]]-- excitement coursing through you.

Against all warning from R, you decide to head inside the room never seen in all your 15 years. [[Go inside the room |Go inside the room before]]

<<set $check1 to "12345">> <<set $check2 to "123456789">> <<if $name.length gt $check2.length>> <<set $itsname to "Rampelnik">> <<set $clue1 to "eln">> <<set $newCulture to "Czech">> [[hmmmm... |Rampelnik]] \<<elseif $name.length lt $check1.length>> <<set $itsname to "Repelsteeltje">> <<set $clue1 to "els">> <<set $newCulture to "Dutch">> [[hmmmm... |Repelsteeltje]] \<<else>> <<set $itsname to "Rumpelstichen">> <<set $clue1 to "pel">> <<set $newCulture to "Portuguese">> [[hmmmm... |Rumpelstichen]] \<</if>>

Hello there. Maybe you know what kind of story you've come across. A story too old for time. A concoction of events forgotten to the books, damned to the fairy tales, and butchered in the movies. But you are a fool. What you may remember is not //what is//. Memory is not your friend, I'm afraid, for even ''you'' may be unaware of its name. However, memory is all you have. ''This story will require you and your memory to discover // its name//. Along this quest, you may come across certain clues, phrases, or mentions to help you uncover it. They will only be shown once, and upon your integrity to not write them down, do your best to memorize them. You will be presented with some choices, and though you may not feel like you have much choice, your few may heavily affect the future events of the game. If, when you are called to speak its name, cannot, a consequence too horrid to speak will fall upon you. You may... have to play the game again. Yes, you read that correctly. So do not fail.'' With that... here is the story of [[Rumplestiltskin. |Prologue]]

Through being lost in your mind, your body slowly drifts forward near the pond. You accidentally drift too far and knock one of the stones sitting on the pond's walls into it. You snap out of your gaze and watch as the stone becomes lost to the water. Just as you almost looked away, you see the woman in the pond quickly dodge to her side. You watch as she gazes confusingly at the ground and picks up what she moved from. It's the same stone! Out of all the years of shadowing over this pond and at this woman, you've never thought of it more than a visual portal. The woman looks around more startled and energetic than you've ever seen her. She looks up, and briefly, you see a necklace with a bar of gold on it. You swear you've seen that symbol before. The thought connects, and you [[sprint back to the memory room |memory room]] as fast as possible before the realization leaves you.

All your life, you've only witnessed this woman mull around. No sound, nothing else. You'd finally be able to learn and communicate with someone you feel you've known all your life. You rip open the jar, and wait. All of a sudden, its fluids river out of the jar, twisting and turning, suspended in mid-air. It surrounds you, and you slowly feel the memories seep into your own. You learn everything. Heavy tears mushroom from your eyes as you learn that the woman in the pond has lost something. Her loss is empty and the pain is a repeated stab with a dull blade, trying its hardest to penetrate the chest. You learn she must say the name of the Imp-- R-- that stole her memories. Though as you try to get inside the woman's mind any further, your mind becomes cloudy, as if you physically can't access any more. It is in this moment that you decide to help the woman. You feel commited to her--the least you could do for all the years of company she's given you. [[You must give back all R has taken. |Too Late]]

You snap out of your gaze and watch as the stone becomes lost to the water. Just as you almost looked away, you see the woman in the pond quickly dodge to her side. You watch as she gazes confusingly at the ground and picks up what she moved from. Its the same stone! Out of all the years of shadowing over this pond and at this woman, you've never thought of it more than a visual portal. The woman looks around more startled and energetic than you've ever seen her. She looks up, and briefly you see a necklace with a bar of gold on it. You've never seen that necklace before and [[admire its beauty |The Journal]].

The woman then brings out a journal. After so many years of watching the woman, you've never seen the book she carries, so you peer in closely. Its a raggedy journal, scuffed all around and engravement titled ''"Memories"''. That word seems to jar your own, and against all your effort, you [[head back |Go inside the room after]] to the room R accidentally left open.

You cautiously enter the door. Your backmost foot takes its last step into the room, and you see it. A room. A massive room, tens of times bigger than the space it appears to be in on the outside. A room, full of thousands of jars each with a different symbol, locked behind a massive magical glass casing. Like you thought, the room is titled ''"Memories"''. You thought you might've seen the word from when you peered through before turning away, but now you have no choice but to traverse onward. You come to understand a little more of the true nature of R's deals-- that these are people's memories. You start to think about the fragility of something so alien, so complex about life and thoughts, as well as reason. You feel a dark thud in your gut, stricken with the sadness of thousands of victims aimlessly traversing the world at one point or another, not even aware of what they've lost. This makes you [[start to think. |Name2]]

<<set $check1 to "12345">> <<set $check2 to "123456789">> <<if $name.length gt $check2.length>> <<set $itsname to "Rampelnik">> <<set $clue1 to "eln">> <<set $newCulture to "Czech">> [[hmmmm... |Rampelnik2]] \<<elseif $name.length lt $check1.length>> <<set $itsname to "Repelsteeltje">> <<set $clue1 to "els">> <<set $newCulture to "Dutch">> [[hmmmm... |Repelsteeltje2]] \<<else>> <<set $itsname to "Rumpelstichen">> <<set $clue1 to "pel">> <<set $newCulture to "Portuguese">> [[hmmmm... |Rumpelstichen2]] \<</if>>

You hurry to your room in excitement, digging along the bottom of your itchy straw bed. You find your special silk sack, your own collection of things you've held dear over the past years. You take the key out of the sack and fond over its clover teeth. You [[slink back to the memory room |hard or soft2]], as if wary you're being watched.

''Kachunk!'' The brass clover key fits perfectly inside the glass casing, creating a heavy turning sound as if pure glass were moving like a thousand gears in a clock. However, the case becomes stuck, seemingly from being opened without a key for so many years. You don't know what to do, how should you open the case? [[Loudly throw yourself against the front framing |open case2]] [[Gently try to maneuver the casing open |soft2]]

After practically bashing on the glass, the case wooshes open. There the jars lie. Exposed, malliable, floating memories of others in jars. You become curious. All the memories of thousands of people from long ago till maybe even people living now? You get even more curious, and your hand slowly inches forward towards the massive collection. [[You open one of the jars |opens jar2]] [[Are you kidding? Step away! |does not open jar2]]

Of course it's $name. A proper name. Something to hold onto about yourself. You let out a smile. After giving yourself such a intimate name, you realize how influenced you were by R all your life. Despite your German heritage, country, and blood, you remember the indistinct Czech culture and language you have acquired from R. In a way, you are thankful, hoping that some day what you have learned might come in handy. In the middle of your rather existential distraction, the glass casing catches your eye. The lock hole, a brilliant clover shape, seems strikingly familiar to you, of a key you've not too long ago taken from R. From the looks of it, the casing looks roughed up, as if the little Imp tried to open the case but, obviously, did not have the key for. R is quite short tempered and aggressive. But hey, it seems to have worked on the casing. Curious, you go off to [[get your familiar looking key. |get key]]

Of course it's $name. A proper name. Something to hold onto about yourself. You let out a smile. After giving yourself such a intimate name, you realize how influenced you were by R all your life. Despite your German heritage, country, and blood, you remember the indistinct Dutch culture and language you have acquired from R. In a way, you are thankful, hoping that some day what you have learned might come in handy. In the middle of your rather existential distraction, the glass casing catches your eye. The lock hole, a brilliant clover shape, seems strikingly familiar to you, of a key you've not too long ago taken from R. From the looks of it, the casing looks roughed up, as if the little Imp tried to open the case but, obviously, did not have the key for. R is quite short tempered and aggressive. But hey, it seems to have worked on the casing. Curious, you go off to [[get your familiar looking key. |get key]]

Of course it's $name. A proper name. Something to hold onto about yourself. You let out a smile. After giving yourself such a intimate name, you realize how influenced you were by R all your life. Despite your German heritage, country, and blood, you remember the indistinct Dutch culture and language you have acquired from R. In a way, you are thankful, hoping that some day what you have learned might come in handy. In the middle of your rather existential distraction, the glass casing catches your eye. The lock hole, a brilliant clover shape, seems strikingly familiar to you, of a key you've not too long ago taken from R. From the looks of it, the casing looks roughed up, as if the little Imp tried to open the case but, obviously, did not have the key for. R is quite short tempered and aggressive. But hey, it seems to have worked on the casing. Curious, you go off to [[get your familiar looking key. |get key2]]

Of course it's $name. A proper name. Something to hold onto about yourself. You let out a smile. After giving yourself such a intimate name, you realize how influenced you were by R all your life. Despite your German heritage, country, and blood, you remember the indistinct Czech culture and language you have acquired from R. In a way, you are thankful, hoping that some day what you have learned might come in handy. In the middle of your rather existential distraction, the glass casing catches your eye. The lock hole, a brilliant clover shape, seems strikingly familiar to you, of a key you've not too long ago taken from R. From the looks of it, the casing looks roughed up, as if the little Imp tried to open the case but, obviously, did not have the key for. R is quite short tempered and aggressive. But hey, it seems to have worked on the casing. Curious, you go off to [[get your familiar looking key. |get key2]]

You reach out to one of the jars. The one you pick up has a grain of wheat on the front. There are symbols on all of the jars. Part of you wonder what they mean, but you don't pay too close attention to them. You open it and ''BOOOSH!'' A river of fluid gushes out of the jar and flies all over the place, some of it at you, forcing you to close your eyes. You don't feel anything on you, but you know whatever came out of that jar is on you now. The sounds settle and you drop to your knees. Agony. Blood. Screams. Pain. Of the memories that have made its way to you, you remember an old and regretful man. A man who made a mistake and lost everything. You can vividly picture his tear and blood-soaked labor garbs almost fused to his body like he never wore anything else. You can picture yourself through his eyes taking a sickle and slicing himself open, leaving his pain and blood to your mind's uninvited boundaries. The last thing you remember is the old man uttering the phrase ''//"$clue1"//''. You have no idea what it means, and you shove it to the back of your mind, along with the other regretful memories you've come across. Shaken to the bone, your eyes come back to reality and your ambition returns. You know what you came here for, and you intend to [[find it. |Golden Jar]]

You'd never be so foolish as to mess with forces you don't understand. Still, you wonder what contents await for someone in a memory jar. You came in this room risking everything. Remembering what you came here for, your ambition returns. If what you think is in the room or not, you intend to [[find it. |Golden Jar]] <<set $openedJar to false>>

You search and scour the fantastic room, navigating its every row, column, and aisle of the memory jars. The back of the room is stacked with thousands of names and stolen entities. They are packed heavily with dust, and you figure these must be from a rather older time. As you make your way to the front, however, you realize the jars look much newer, and you set your search here. After an hour or so, you see it. A fresh, dimly lit jar with an opaque golden shimmer, with a gold necklace on the front of it. You have no doubt it's the same as the woman's necklace. [[You pick the jar up |realization]]-- excitement coursing through you.

Upon the learning of the woman's memories or Gilda, as the memory now tells you, your heart starts to beat ferociously. Gilda was supposed to utter the Imp's name after three days she lost whatever was so precious she did. You wonder if its too late, and it'd be better for the woman to never again retain her memories, her sadness, and the realization that 15 years have passed, and there is no hope. You quickly let your inhibitions fade, as you're determined to help Gilda. Without an answer, you [[head to R's library |Library]] to do some digging.

Among all of the rooms in R's dust-ridden cottage, there are only three of which you have ever been allowed to be in-- your room, the bathroom, and the library. And as long you can remember, your life would've met a tragic end long ago if not for the library. You walk into the gorgeous, massive collection, and it still feels like the first time. The walls ring with perfect acoustics, that make every laugh, gasp, and giggle echo triumphantly around the room. The number of rows of books that stack up to the sky hurt the neck just to look up at, and the places you've been and adventures you've gone through are unmatched, unwavering. Although you could bask in the beauty of this place forever, you shake off the excitement, and [[head to the back of the room. |search]]

In the back of the room lays a magic mirror. This mirror has helped you find any type of book, and word, story, or place to go. A mirror that R has warned you never go talk to, lest you meet a death fitting for a disobedient waste of filth. But as tempted as you are to merely ask what new adventures it has in store for you, you aim to [[push this mirror's limits further than what you've ever pushed and asked of it before. |Limits]]

You think long and hard about what to ask the mirror. It sits there, patiently waiting, peering at you with no eyes, which is almost more unsettling. There are many things to ask this mirror. All of a sudden, you hear footsteps outside, R is coming home! You start to panic. So many questions that could've been answered right now, but time has been sucked out the window with the sound of R hobbling onto the doorsteps of the house. You maybe have time for one question. In this time of importance, what do you ask the mirror? [["What is R's name?" |R's name]] [["What did the woman in the pond lose?" |What did the woman lose]] [["How do I get out of here?" |Escape]] [["How are you doing mirror?" |Caught]]

You go up to the mirror, wave your hand over it, and see its fantastic blue glimmer sparkle to life. ''"Greetings, young one."'' The mirror softly echoes. //"My name is $name."// You proudly respond to the mirror. ''"My apologies, $name. For what have you come for this time?"'' And it is here where you must [[learn all you can. |Ask the mirror]]

<<set $lostChild to false>> <<set $rName to true>> <<set $escapeClause to false>> "That imp is as old as time," the mirror angrily belts. Your bones shake, as you've never felt such sadness from the mirror, or even that the mirror could, well, feel, for that matter. You ask your question again, and the mirror starts talking. You become aware that the imp has had many names in the past. His form, deeds, and legacy are infinitely changing as well. For hundreds of years, R became established in Germany, until memories of his past self fully died from wherever he was before. That is, until his trick-- to say his name--became widespread. Ever since, R escaped from being compromised and hid, locking himself now onto the $newCulture culture. Despite this, R always keeps the first letter of his new names R, in honor of his once infamous German name, Rumplestiltskin. Upon learning this, you finally beg the question of what R's new name is, but just as you are about to ask the mirror, the sound of the front door opening reaches your ears. [[You sadly but promptly rush out of the room, close the memory room door, and go back to your room without notice. |R]]

<<set $lostChild to true>> <<set $rName to false>> <<set $escapeClause to false>> The mirror stares at you blankly, as if it's wondering why you would ask such a question. Or, perhaps, maybe the mirror is hiding something? "That woman is the Imp's latest victim. What she lost is nothing short of an extension of herself" The mirror painfully mutters. You give the mirror a look of desperation as if that is of no help, and so the mirror said more. You learn that the woman in the pond was forced into a world she did not want to be a part of. A fate, that by the graces of her father, would damn her to slavery, corruption, and other horrid services. The cause, the mirror says, is gold. By making a deal with R, she was left with vast amounts of money, as well as her life, in exchange for her firstborn child. By the end of those words creeping into your ears, your stomach forms an empty pit of sadness. Your sympathy towards the woman grows ever higher, your will to help her reach even further. Moments later, you hear the front door of the cottage start to open. [[You leave the mirror, run out to close the memory room door, and back into your room without even a loud breath escaping you. |R]]

You take a moment to breathe. There is no rush, and you feel bad about rushing this mirror to do your every whim when it has given you years of joy. Upon asking the mirror how it is doing, however, you start to change your mind. The mirror starts to glow and responds to you. It goes into a massive rant about how it is to be left in the back of a dusty library for years, how lonely it has been, and how it used to be in the service of the king, long ago. The places the mirror has been and the esteemed people it has answered come to a shock to you, but you don't have the time to listen to this mirror ramble. The footsteps of R grow ever louder, and this time, you hear the latch on the door turn. You try to gesture the silence of the mirror, for R has warned you to never ask the mirror anything. After years of hiding and using it, you've finally been caught. R stumbles into the cottage and sees the library door open. He slithers to the doorway, and there you are, [[right in front of the mirror's brilliant glow. |Dragged]]

The face of R's wretched face morphs effortlessly, into this crazed, evil-looking creature. He bolts towards you, just as the mirror starts to speak of how it was captured by the Imp. R takes hold of your hair, grabbing you by it, and drags you by it away from the mirror, all the way to the front of the library, while the mirror [[still rambles on. |Death]]

<a href="https://imgur.com/8pBpSQb"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/8pBpSQbh.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a> Drawing by Alex McArdell [[Start |Forenote]]

<<set $lostChild to false>> <<set $rName to false>> <<set $escapeClause to true>> "There is no direct escape for you $name," the mirror woefully mumbles. In a sad look of hopelessness, you press on. You learn that you are bonded to R, an evil fate for you considering you had no choice in the matter. You succumb to an even deeper sadness for your parents than you had ever felt. The mirror then adds, "to escape this place, you must break your bond with the Imp." Just as you are about to ask how to do that, the sound of the front door opening makes its way to your ears. In a look of conlicted melancholy, [[you rush out of the library, in attempt to close the memory room door, and slink back into your room without R knowing |R]]

R comes waddling in the cottage, gnawing his black corally teeth on some meat and bones. He passes by your room to check if you're not doing anything that would anger him and then keeps mulling on. As he leaves your line of vision, you see a brown, oldish looking journal creep out of his bag. Instantly, you think that whatever is in that journal will help you and the woman in the pond. [[You have to get your hands on that journal. |journal]]

You walk slowly outside, in a submissive, afraid style, but you aren't afraid. You haven't been for a long time, but you'd never let R know that. He darts his head over his shoulder and down at you, loudly saying "what do you want?" but without actual words. You know you need a distraction to grab the journal, and so you think. [[Tell him you found the memory case key. |caseKey]] [[Say the mirror talked to you in the library. |libraryMirror]] [[Tell him you gave yourself a name. |namedYourself]]

You answer the Imp's silent request, and so you show him the key you found. R is not happy in the slightest and starts beating you with his seemingly rusted nails and scaly knuckles. Every strike reminds you of every other time, and how on the day he will suffer for everything he has done. The blood from your gurgled mouth and oozing back make its way to R's fists and forearms, where we finally stop. You lay weak, curled sturdily as to protect your head and arms. R starts screaming and throwing a tantrum, as he always does, scampering about the entire cottage. During this, you fragilely reach into his bag and grab his journal. [[You then slither into your room, ripe with pain. |readJournal]]

You try to make your voice as afraid and delicate as possible, and impose towards the ugly beast: "I talked with that mirror today." You know you're taunting R and he knows it too. His face droops even further, anger suddenly flooding his eyes as he rushes towards you. He slaps you across the face with his crusty nails and scaly hands, leaving your face bruised as well as bleeding. He grips your hair, and before dragging you towards the library, he lifts you slightly, leaving gravity to deal an extra edge of pain. You arrive with him at the library, and the Imp shouts to the mirror on the other side of the room. The mirror glows on, ready to serve its thieving master. "Did you talk to this thing?" R booms at the mirror while pointing his gangly finger at you. "Her name is $name, my lord, she let me know not too long ago. We indeed shared a lovely conversation." R's body felt like it faded of life for just a moment, his eyes turning white, fury gushing out him like a punctured geyser. He is not amused with your conversation or your sense to name yourself, and [[he intends to get that across. |Death]]

You taunt the Imp purposefully, your emotions somewhat getting the best of you. //"I've decided that my name is now $name."// R instantly darts his eyes at you, deciding whether to belch with laughter or roar of anger. Too conflicted to decide, he slowly approaches you with his fists clenched and shaking. He smashes his knuckles down onto your skull, crashing you down to the floor, just near his bag. As the blood gurgles from your mouth from every swing he takes at you, his fists become stained with blood, and he finally takes his last blow. Though you're dizzy and shaking with pain, you protect your eyes and hands. Whenever he gets mad, R scampers around the entire house, yelling and bashing whatever lays in his path. During this, [[you reach into his bag, grab the journal, and slither into your room. |readJournal]]

Whenever R beats you, he leaves you alone for up to days on end, without even a peek into your room. You see this as the perfect opportunity to look through his journal. There are many languages, spells, past deals, and plans in this journal. If R ever found out you even knew of this book's existence, he would be sure to kill you. The risk is worth it though, as the more time you spend looking through the contents of the journal, [[you learn more than you ever would've thought. |Learn]]

"You think it would be that easy!" R Booms. He pulls out his knife-- a bloodstained, deranged, awful looking blade, on top of a small, just as disgusting a handle. As terrified as you are, you keep your ears on the mirror. As a last effort, you shout //"What is the Imp's name!?"// And the mirror, so blatantly unaware of what was occuring, utters, "its name is //$itsname[0]$itsname[1]$itsname[2]//... So close. So damn close. As the mirror started to utter the word so wanted by you and the woman in the pond, R's blade met your throat with a jagged, rough gash. Everything faded quickly. Sight, hearing, the feeling of your tongue and the warmth of your legs. Gone. You fall to the ground, wondering what it would be like if you weren't born in such a place. If you were instead raised in a grassy meadow with loving parents and friends. And your last thought, what would've happened if only you chose a different path just now? Maybe somewhere. In a different universe, that question will be answered. With the last feeling of your fading body being soaked in a lukewarm pool of your blood, [[you die. |start]]

<<if $lostChild is true>> You skim through more about the deals the Imp has made until something catches your eye. The book talks of the many barters R has made, and the many things he has come to acquire from these deals. And there lies the detail that makes your skin crawl past your hair and into the sky, before crashing down into the ground. You. You are the consequence of a deal with someone. There are no more details, but you figure your parents are the ones who willingly gave you away. Your pain towards them grows deeper than ever before. <<set $escapeClause to true>> <<elseif $rName is true>> You skim through more about R himself, where he comes from, who he is, and what his name might be. Then, a certain page catches your eye, a diary entry by R: "Damned Germans. My centuries of deals and success--an enterprise-- crumbled down by one nosy, stupid shit messenger, who was peaking his head where he did not belong. Now I am forced into a new place, a land I have not been before, and a people who are not familiar with me. I will regain all I've lost in this $newCulture culture. Though it will take a while to get used to my name being ''//$itsname.length//'' letters long now. Rumplestiltskin is dead. //I// am here." You pay close attention to these details, even locking them into your memory. And though they're one step closer, they don't answer the most pressing questions. <<set $rName to true>> <<else>> You skim through more about the woman in the pond, and whatever details you can find there. Then, a certain page of a golden necklace catches your eye, and you thoroughly search its contents. You learn that the woman is R's latest victim. Along with her memories stolen, her child was also taken, or else she would've been executed by a king. Your mouth starts to quiver, as you can't imagine what it'd feel like to be put in that situation. <<set $lostChild to true>> <</if>> In a moment of stress and sorrow, [[you close the book and welp to yourself, almost ready to give up on everything. |Note]]

Things are finally starting to come together, but you figure you need some more time to get the rest of the story. You gather all your facts-- hints, notes, and mentions-- all at the front of your memory, and you head to the pond room. You look down at the woman, feeling her pain with all you know, yet clouded by the mysterious blockage to the rest of her memories. There are many pages ripped and shredded from R's journal, and so you think nothing to rip out one more. You take out some ink you keep hidden in your room and start to write a note to the woman in the pond, and [[let her know that you are here for her. |Questions]]

As you start to write, you ask yourself a couple questions... What was the phrase the old poor man in the jar muttered? Remember, you're writing a note to the woman. Grammar and spelling are of the utmost importance! <<textbox "$clue1Guess" "">> [[It's this. |clue1Guess]] [[I don't know. |Questions2]]

<<if $clue1Guess eq $clue1>> That's right! You pat yourself on the back for discovering and remembering this crucial piece. You figure it's a part of the Imp's name since it seems rather familiar to parts of his former and forgotten name, Rumplestiltskin. <<set $clue1GuessCorrectly to true>> [[Continue. |Questions2]] <<else>> Upon looking at what you wrote again on paper, it doesn't seem right. [[Guess again. |Questions]] [[Move along |Questions2]] <</if>>

How many numbers long is R's name? <<textbox "$nameLengthGuess" "">> [[These many. |question2Guess]] [[I don't know. |Questions3]]

<<if $nameLengthGuess eq $itsname.length>> "YES!" You exclaim to yourself. You are ever closer to uncovering that damned creatures name. <<set $nameLengthGuessCorrectly to true>> [[Continue. |Questions3]] <<else>> Shoot! Your memory fails you, as you have a bad feeling about the length you've written out. [[Rewrite. |Questions2]] [[Move along. |Questions3]] <</if>>

What is the first letter of its name? <<textbox "$firstLetterGuess" "">> [[This is obvious. |Questions3Check]] [[I DON'T KNOW! |Final1]]

<<if $firstLetterGuess is "R">> "Thank god you got this one right," you say to yourself. That'd be embarrasing. <<set $firstLetterGuessCorrectly to true>> [[Let's see what we got here. |Final1]] <<else>> Wow, whether your memory is bad or you're under a lot of stress, getting this one wrong is inexcusable. [[Wait, I got this. |Questions3]] [[Move along. |Final1]] <</if>>

<<if $clue1GuessCorrectly is true && $nameLengthGuessCorrectly is true && $firstLetterGuessCorrectly is true>> [[Hmmmmmm... |clause 1]] \<<elseif $clue1GuessCorrectly is true && $nameLengthGuessCorrectly is true && $firstLetterGuessCorrectly neq true>> [[Hmmmm... |clause2]] \<<elseif $clue1GuessCorrectly is true && $firstLetterGuessCorrectly is true && $nameLengthGuessCorrectly neq true>> [[Hmmmm... |clause3]] \<<elseif $nameLengthGuessCorrectly is true && $firstLetterGuessCorrectly is true && $clue1GuessCorrectly neq true>> [[Hmmmmm... |clause4]] \<<elseif $clue1GuessCorrectly is true && $firstLetterGuessCorrectly neq true && $nameLengthGuessCorrectly neq true>> [[Hmmmmm... |clause5]] \<<elseif $firstLetterGuessCorrectly is true && $clue1GuessCorrectly neq true && $nameLengthGuessCorrectly neq true>> [[Hmmmmm... |clause6]] \<<elseif $nameLengthGuessCorrectly is true && $firstLetterGuessCorrectly neq true && $clue1GuessCorrectly neq true>> [[Hmmmmm... |clause7]] \<<else>> [[Hmmmm.. That's kinda sad... |clause8]] \<</if>>

You lie in bed, reflecting on the insane day you've had trying to relax, yet you keep filling in letters to the Imp's name in your head, just to see if they make any sense. You have to figure it out. Saving the woman in the pond. Saving yourself. They've all become smaller compared to the vast effect stopping R would have. It's all or nothing from this point on. There's no stopping you, your determination is unmatched and your adrenaline is higher than ever before. You lie in bed, fists tightened, and for the first time in years, a slight smile on your face. Whatever happens next. Whatever obstacles may come your way. You will ''Say Its Name.'' This is not the end of $name. Day 2. (Coming Soon) [[Return to start. |start]]

<<if $itsname is "Rampelnik">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R _ _ _ eln _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<elseif $itsname is "Repelsteeltje">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R _ _ els _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<else>> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R _ _ pel _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<</if>> [[End the day. |End]]

<<if $itsname is "Rampelnik">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //_ _ _ eln _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<elseif $itsname is "Repelsteeltje">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //_ _ _ els _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<else>> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //_ _ _ pel _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<</if>> [[End the day. |End]]

<<if $itsname is "Rampelnik">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R, eln,// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<elseif $itsname is "Repelsteeltje">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R, els,// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<else>> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R, pel,// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<</if>> [[End the day. |End]]

<<if $itsname is "Rampelnik">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<elseif $itsname is "Repelsteeltje">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<else>> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<</if>> [[End the day. |End]]

<<if $itsname is "Rampelnik">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //eln// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<elseif $itsname is "Repelsteeltje">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //els// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<else>> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //pel// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<</if>> [[End the day. |End]]

You've figured out R's name to the extent of //R// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. [[End the day. |End]]

<<if $itsname is "Rampelnik">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<elseif $itsname is "Repelsteeltje">> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<<else>> You've figured out R's name to the extent of //_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.// Amazing job! You have some work to go, but in a day's work, you're more motivated than ever to finish what you've started. \<</if>> [[End the day. |End]]

Wow. You didn't figure out the length of his name, a clue to any letters in it, and even its first letter! You're either not trying or the worst detective I've seen. I'd tell you to try again, but I'm not even sure if it's worth it at this point. Just... go to bed $name. [[End the day. |End]]