Sugarcane

<center>Really? \n\nWow, you're really going crazy. Of course you did just meet a Giant. \n\nWell, good luck to you. \n\nYou should concentrate more about those [[cups]]. </center>

<center> \nThe table is massive. It spans as far as you can see, at least as far as the light spreads. There is food on the table that you recognize; an apple, some sort of bread and cheese, but they are out of scale with the foods you know. All of them are 5-10 times bigger than you are used to. If the apple rolled across the table it might squish you. \n\nYou are confused. \n\nBut that's not what made you shout the explative. \n\nSeated just at the edge of the flickering light, staring right at you, with a look of....well, either hunger, anger, or hungry-anger...[[is a]].......</center>\n\n

<center>Beware all who go forward. \n\nNothing nice will happen. \n\nThere is no happy ending. \n\nBeware, [[The Giant's Table]]</center>

<center>Well why didn't you say something? \n\nDon't you worry, right this way,\nyou won't have to stay and play.\nThe Giant has a dangerous game,\nso you shouldn't feel any shame.\nRun away, run run run,\nthis wasn't going to be any fun.\nJust go down this way and turn right,\nthere won't be any [[more fright]]. \n\nBye.</center>

<center>"Crap, a giant!" You say outloud. Nobody is there to hear you, except the Giant, who already knows this. \n\nYou stand there in fear staring at the Giant, and the Giant continues to stare at you with the hungry/angry/hungry-angry look. After a few minutes, or a long while, the Giant leans in toward you. In an agonizing screech the Giant says: \n\n"Little man finally on tha table\n'twas wonderin' if you'd be able.\nCome here's so's we could look a you\ndon' worry, you too small fur stew." \n\nThe voice immediately gives you a headache, you shake your head trying to clear it. With no other options right now, you start shuffling forward. You don't really know what else to do. It's a good point, with all this food around, you'd be like a bread-crumb. You're about as close as you want to be and stop moving. You look up at the Giant's massive head. Its greenish hue and pockmarked face send a shiver down your spine, well the horns too, but you shivered before we got to describing them. \n\n"Giant. What do you want with me?" You look up and bravely (barely) say. \n\n\n"Tha's fine tha's fine,\nWe has a game if yu've the time." Oh that voice. \n\n"What sort of game Giant? I want to leave this place." You're very brave. \n\n"Oh not yet, we've got to play,\ntis a fun game, what'cho say?" The voice hurt a little less that time, but still. Ugh. \n\n"Let's play your game Giant. I have no choice." You really don't. \n\n"Oh good, let me set this up,\nwith three of ma best [[cups]]." Is that a normal Giant's voice, because it seems like that would annoy anyone. \n</center>\n\n

<center>You are faced with three cups. \n\nWhich do you choose? </center>\n\n[[*Cup 1]] is the green wine goblet filled with a bright red liquid that looks like blood. It smells of rotting chicken. \n\n[[*Cup 2]] is the wooden cup with a short stem. It has a green, bubbly liquid that smells different every few seconds, but mostly smells similar to the disgusting liquid that trickles down the gutter. \n\n[[*Cup 3]] is the glorious silver chalice encrusted with jewels. This one holds a clear, smooth liquid that smells like flowers and manure. \n\n

<center>The Giant turns another cup upside down to give you something to stand on. You peek over the edge of the green wine goblet and look apprehensively at the nasty blood-like liquid. The stench of rotting chicken hits you in the gut and makes you nauseous. \n\nThe Giant grunts loudly as you hesitate. \n\nYou take a deep breath and plunge your head into the thick drink. \n\nThe first taste hits you hard. Like the first time you tasted your father's hard liquor. \n\nThe burning starts to spread, moving slowly from your chest down to your legs. It's searing your insides, and you fall back from the rim onto the cup you were standing on. \n\nYou lay on your back as the liquid cooks you from the inside. You've passed out from the pain long ago. \n\nThe Giant laughs, sticks a giant toothpick in your belly, and eats you like an hors d'oeuvre. \n\n\n\n\nNever trust a Giant with a hungry look in her eye. \n\n\nChoose another cup to [[get this thing going]] again? \n\n\n\n\nBack to the beginning of [[The Giant's Table]]</center>

<center>You stand on the cup the Giant turned over so you could easily reach the top of the wooden cup. You look over the edge and immediately wish you hadn't. The green, bubbly liquid reminds you of the Giant's face. You can't place the smell, but it's horrible. \n\nThe Giant grunts as you pause. \n\n"Drink or no deal,\nthen I make you squeal." Ah, said with such a lovely tone. \n\nWith no other choice, you prop yourself on the edge of the cup and prepare to take a sip. Taking a deep breath, you stick your face in. \n\nIt doesn't taste as bad going down. In fact, it feels kind of pleasant, kind of light. \n\nYou lean back and return to where you were standing. For a second you look up triumphantly at the Giant. \n\nSuddenly you start to inflate. Your clothes stretch and begin to pop at their seams. You start to float straight up like a balloon. The Giant blows a small breath and you go soaring off into the darkness. \n\nThen, you POP! \n\nWith no air left in you to stay aloft, you plunge to the dark floor and splat against the ground. That would have hurt if the POP! had not done you in already. \n\n\nNever trust a Giant when she gives you a strange drink. \n\n\nChoose another cup to [[get this thing going]] again? \n\n\n\n\n\nBack to the beginning of [[The Giant's Table]]</center>\n

<center>The Giant turns over a cup for you to stand on. Now you're level with the top of the chalice. Standing on your tippy-toes you peer at the liquid in the bowl. \n\nJust as before, you smell flowers and manure. Not a bad smell, it's fresh and clean and reminds you of walking in the country on a summer day. \n\n"Hurry and take a sip little man,\nor I stick you and some veggies in a pan." That was the least threatening its voice has sounded. \n\n"Alright Giant, let's hope we share some 'sup,\nafter I drink from your nice smelling cup." This rhyming thing has to stop. \n\nYou pull yourself up with the edge of the cup resting against your belly. You lean your torso over to get a good drink. It looks refreshing, so you dip your whole head in. It tastes clear, clean and cool. \n\nThen it starts to pull you in.\nBut you realize, it's not the drink pulling you in, you're falling in. \n\nYou're getting heavier, and heavier. Your insides are thickening.\nYou kick and kick and pull yourself out, falling back on the cup like a bag of rocks.\nAs you solidify from the inside out, you look up at the Giant. \n\nThe Giant looks at you and laughs a little. When you finish hardening, she flicks your body at the wall, where you shatter into a cloud of dust. As it settles on the floor, you add to the pile of similar looking sandy powder that is already there. \n\n\nNever trust a Giant. They can smell fear, and we are always afraid of them. \n\n\nChoose another cup to [[get this thing going]] again? \n\n\n\n\nBack to the beginning of [[The Giant's Table]]</center>

<center>...you've finally reached the top. Congrats! Just a few more notches to climb and you can pull yourself onto the top of the table. Just don't look.... \n\nyou looked down. \n\nDon't do that. \n\nYou're really high up now. \n\nYou stop a minute to calm your now quesy stomach. Don't look down again!!! \n\nYou're OK. You reach for the top of the table and at long last (right?) pull yourself onto the table. \n\n"[[Holy Shit]]." \n</center>

<center>You wake up on a dusty floor and drag in a raspy breath. \nAs you get up and rub your eyes, you try to figure out where you are, and how you got here. You have no answers for either. Finally, as you acclimate to the darkness, you see a faint flicker in the distance. You stand up, just noticing the wood floor beneath you. \n\nHead toward [[The Flickering Light]]</center>

<center>still climbing. \n\n...more climbling... \n\nseriously, enough with the climbing... \n\nthe notches are perfectly shaped for your hands and feet. That's a little weird. \n\nmore [[climbing]]...</center>

<center>The Giant reaches to a cabinet behind...... \nand brings out three cups. \nThey are huge, at least five times taller than you are. \n \nOne is a humongous wine goblet made of glass in the same greenish tint as the Giant's face. \n\nThe second is tall wooden cup with a short stem, nothing fancy. \n\nThe third, is a tall silver chalice. It is encrusted with gems that glitter in the flickering light. \n\n"What do you want m...." The Giant's screeching voice cuts in.... \n\n"Three cups filled to the tup,\neasy to choose, even fur a pup.\nOf all these cups of wine,\none will make you feel fine.\nTwo of them, not so much,\nso I would avoid their touch.\nIf you pass this little test,\nmaybe I'll lets you be my guest." You think the Giant laughs, but it's really hard to tell. \n\n"Alright Giant, I will take your test,\nbut I have one request." Are you rhyming now too? \n\n"What do you want little man,\nI will give it, if I can." Getting used to that voice? \n\nDo you really trust the Giant to let you out?\n \nYes, [[sort of]]. \n\nNO! [[GET ME OUT OF HERE]]! \n\n"Set me free,\nand let me be.\nLet me leave this place,\nand I will forever be in your grace." That's nice of you. \n\n"I dun't know,\nif I let you go.\nPlay the game right,\nand this won't be your last night." \n\nYou hope this voice isn't the last you hear,\nbut this isn't time for your final tear.\nWith a little imploring,\nLet's [[get this thing going]]. </center>\n\n\n

<center>Ah, that wasn't very nice of me. But I can't let you go. It's not within my power. Best to move forward. \n\n"Set me free,\nand let me be.\nLet me leave this place,\nand I will forever be in your grace." That's nice of you. \n\n"I dun't know,\nif I let you go.\nPlay the game right,\nand this won't be your last night." \n\nYou hope this voice isn't the last you hear,\nbut this isn't time for your final tear.\nWith a little imploring,\nLet's [[get this thing going]]. </center>

<center>You head toward the flickering light, because walking off in random darkness is just silly. There appears to be something like a table up ahead near the light. It's not that far. \nIt takes you a great while, the table seemed so much closer. When you finally get there you realize why, the table is huge. I mean really big. You look up the leg that is the size of a giant tree-trunk and can't believe how tall is. \n\nDid you shrink during the night? Is this still a dream...a hyper-realistic dream? \n\nYou shrug off the questions. The light is obviously coming from the top of the table, it's quite dark next to the bottom of the leg. You squint and notice there are notches carved in the wood of the leg, perfect for you to climb and get to the top. Whatever is going on, you think the answer is up there. \n\nYou begin to [[climb]]...</center>