Jennifer says, "I want to be a doctor like my dad."\n\n[[Approve of her|Yes 5]]\n[[Disapprove of her|No 5]]\n[[Say nothing|Nothing 5]]
Jennifer says, "I think about getting out of here." Her tone startles you. She doesn't sound sarcastic, or mean; she just sounds... sincere.\n\n[[Support her.|Yes 4]]\n[[Disapprove.|No 4]]\n[[Say nothing.|Nothing 4]]
Jennifer pauses to watch as the Wooden Witch rattles through a steep turn and comes into the final descent.\n\n[[You watch, too.|Jennifer 8]]
Jennifer says, "I want to be a guts doctor. My dad is a disease doctor, he knows all about what makes people sick, but I want to cut people open. Wouldn't that be cool?"\n\n[[Agree with her|Yes 6]]\n[[Disagree with her|No 6]]\n[[Say nothing|Nothing 6]]
Jennifer says, "I don't come here much. It's not really my thing."\n\n[[Agree with her|Yes 3]]\n[[Disagree with her|No 3]]\n[[Say nothing|Nothing 3]]
"That's stupid," Jennifer says. "It's not like that at all. It's all guts and blood and bone and plasma, stuff like that. And germs - lots and lots of germs."\n\n[[Agree with her|Yes 9]]\n[[Disagree with her|No 9]]\n[[Say nothing|Nothing 9]]
Jennifer says, "I want to know how people work. I want to see inside and take them apart. Find out what they're made of."\n\nThe coaster comes to a halt, and the attendant saunters over to help a handful of rattled kids in their costumes get off. A skinny Spiderman, a dazed-looking ninja, and a windblown vampire go past.\n\nJennifer says, "My dad says you can figure out everything if you just see how the pieces fit together."\n\n[[Agree with her.|Yes 8]]\n[[Disagree with her.|No 8]]\n[[Say nothing.|Nothing 8]]
He walks away. You can't run. You're alone with Jennifer.\n\n"I'm going to get you," Jennifer promises. Then she spits at you. You try to twist away, but the spit lands on your black velvet skirt, joining the dirt from where you fell. There's a ripped spot in the skirt, too.\n\nSuddenly your black cat costume doesn't seem so nice after all. You wish your dad were there. You wish you were anywhere else.\n\nJennifer turns and walks off. You smell cotton candy, popcorn, dirt. You want to throw up. Tonight can't be over soon enough.\n\n...but it could have been worse.\n\n<strong>THE END</strong>\n\n\n\n
"Just homework," you say.\n\nJennifer snickers. "Don't you have Keisha to do that for you?"\n\n[[Agree with her|Keisha yes]]\n[[Disagree with her|Keisha no]]\n[[Say nothing|Keisha nothing]]
Jennifer reaches out to catch your arm. "Hey, no leaving yet!"\n\nKeisha looks back, and you catch the flash of fear in her eyes. Then she's gone into the crowd, and you can't follow with Jennifer hanging onto you.\n\nJennifer lets go. "I always wanted to hang out with you," she says, "but it seems like we never get the chance."\n\n[[You stand in line. So does she.|Stay in line with Jennifer.]]\n\n
"Not really," you say. "My dad thought I should go."\n\n<<display 'Jennifer conversation 2b'>>
What Are Little Girls Made Of?
You go to a car near the front instead and sit down, tucking the tail of your costume out of the way.\n\n<<display 'Wimp'>>
Jennifer is a bit taller than you, and she's definitely stronger and faster (you know that from gym class). She always looks pretty in a really put-together way, with makeup and jewelry and trendy clothing. Right now, she's wearing a clown costume, all chalk white and blood red colors. It should be silly, but somehow it isn't.
There aren't actually that many kids waiting in line for the [[Wooden Witch]]. There are more exciting things to do - like the two new steel roller coasters. Which is why you were over here in the first place... so you could have fun without getting picked on by kids like Caitlin. Jennifer isn't Caitlin's best friend, but she's definitely one of the popular girls. You don't know what she's doing over here.\n\n<<if $clownshown is 1>><<display 'Jennifer Culver'>><<else>><<display 'Jennifer clown costume'>><<endif>>\nJennifer is standing next to you. She's smiling at you like you're friends.\n\n"Having fun?" she asks.\n\n[[Say yes.]]\n[[Say no.]]\n[[Say nothing.]]
"Yeah, I got... scared." You manage to grimace.\n\nThe park attendant thinks it's a smile. "Well, run along... only don't run along, if you get what I mean," he says.\n\nJennifer laughs. You can't laugh.\n\n<<display 'Run ending'>>\n\n\n
Avril's Funasium sounds more like a bouncy castle than an amusement park, but it's really an amusement park - one with a bouncy castle, and an arcade, and four roller coasters, and a haunted house. There's a much bigger line at the haunted house tonight because it's Halloween, but you think that's dumb. It's not a very good haunted house, because you can see most of the springs and wires and things.\n\nKeisha says it's just because the older kids want to go in the dark and kiss, and the younger kids want to go because all the older kids are going, and that probably makes sense. Keisha is actually a year younger than you, but she knows a lot of stuff. She says it's Avril's Funasium because Haverhill was too long to spell, and it doesn't have anything to do with Avril Lavigne like you thought. She told you that before you accidentally said anything in front of Caitlin Wells and her friends.\n\nAvril's gets pretty crazy on Halloween, mostly because it's free for anyone under 21 with a costume. The moms and dads are supposed to watch anyone under 13, but mostly they get together and smoke outside the pavilion, which means you can do whatever you want.\n\nYour dad isn't even here tonight because Mr. Frederick, Keisha's dad, drove you both in. You like Keisha's costume, which is sort of a skeleton ballerina, but you like [[your costume|Your costume]] even better.
Your mom made your costume again this year. You wanted a storebought costume, but she said they were too immodest, and she wouldn't pay attention no matter how many times you said you would get teased. Now that you're wearing it, though, the black velvet is so pretty and soft that it's easy to forget how badly you wanted to be Princess Jasmine.\n\nYour black cat costume is sort of like a cat, but sort of like a cat lady. There's a long skirt for modesty, but the skirt is shimmery black velvet, just like the shirt and the fingerless gloves. Because your hair is so black, the headband blends into your hair and it almost looks like you really do have cat ears. The one awkward thing is the tail in the back, but you're getting used to it.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer arrives'>>
It's more a slap than a push, but it still throws Jennifer back against the far wall of the car. Pulling the lap bar down doesn't help much, but it's better than nothing, and you can't think what else to do. Jennifer is on the side with the latch, and you don't have any way to make her latch it.\n\nThe car shoots out into the brighter darkness of Avril's Funasium and then rattles up the next hill. You're afraid Jennifer will try to make you stand up in the next tunnel, but she doesn't. But she also doesn't scream, or smile, or anything - she just hangs onto the lap bar and waits for the ride to be over.\n\nAt the third tunnel, Jennifer quickly latches the lap bar again. By the time you [[reach the station|reach the station ending]], there's nothing to show anything was ever wrong.
You can't think what to say.\n\n<<display 'No ride ending'>>
You go to a car near the middle instead and sit down, tucking the tail of your costume out of the way.\n\n<<display 'Wimp'>>
You start, "Jennifer, I'm sorry, I just didn't - "\n\nBut she has no ears for your apology. <<display 'No ride ending'>>
<<display 'coaster 3'>>
You sit, paralyzed into silence.\n\n<<display 'coaster 4'>>
"This way!" Jennifer says, pointing to a car at the back.\n\n[[Take the car she suggested.]]\n[[Take a car near the middle.]]\n[[Take a car near the front.]]\n
"I'm going to get you," Jennifer promises. Then she spits at you. You try to twist away, but the spit lands on your black velvet skirt, shining under the park lights.\n\nSuddenly your black cat costume doesn't seem so nice after all. You wish your dad were there. You wish you were anywhere else.\n\nJennifer runs off, leaving you at the coaster gate with your spit-stained costume. The Witch starts to move in a creak of wood and steel. Tonight can't be over soon enough.\n\n...but it could have been worse.\n\n<strong>THE END</strong>
You say, "That sounds kind of cool."\n\nIt doesn't. It sounds awful. But it earns you a flashing smile of approval from behind the red and white clown makeup. \n\n<<display 'coaster 3'>>
<<set $clownshown to 1>><<display 'Jennifer clown costume'>>\n\n<<display 'Jennifer and Keisha'>>
You lower the lap bar across your lap and Jennifer's.\n\n"This guy is so slow," grumbles Jennifer.\n\nJennifer locks your lap bar right before the attendant arrives to check it. It clicks and rattles but doesn't come loose. "I see you've done this before. Have fun, ladies," he says in a tired voice before passing on to the car behind you.\n\nThe attendant pauses to remind two Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, "And keep your lap belt <em>down</em> until the ride stops!" The Turtles snicker.\n\n[[Not too much longer now....]]
"What is it?" you ask.\n\n<<display 'coaster 2'>>
The roller coaster trembles as the motor starts.\n\nJennifer says, "What you do is, you undo the lap belt once you're climbing the first hill. And then you can stand up in secret, inside the tunnel on the first hill! It makes the drop way better. It's the biggest rush ever."\n\n[[Approve of her]]\n[[Disapprove of her]]\n[[Say nothing]]
The coaster starts to move, out of the station and over to the hill. There's a heavy hitch and a sharp tilt back as the coaster starts climbing the hill.\n\n"You should do it!" Jennifer looks delighted with her idea. "It would be the best time ever!"\n\n[[Agree with her|Yes coaster 3]]\n[[Disagree with her|No coaster 3]]\n[[Say nothing|Coaster 3b nothing]]
You scream for help, but your cry drifts off on the air, swallowed in the screams from the steel roller coasters and the general noise of the Funasium.\n\nThe coaster is nearing the top of the hill. There's only one way down from here.\n\n<<display 'coaster 4'>>
"Hey, aren't you too short for this ride?" Jennifer demands.\n\n"Yeah, I was just leaving," Keisha says, and she does.\n\n[[Stay in line with Jennifer.]]\n[[Follow Keisha.]]
You're aboard the Wooden Witch with Jennifer. The cars are only two people wide, but neither of you are very big, so you don't get crushed up against each other. The slatted wooden seat is scratchy when you touch it with your hand, but you can't feel it at all through your skirt. You hope it doesn't hurt the velvet - you didn't think of that until now.\n\nThe [[lap bar]] is raised so that people can climb in and out.
"Last chance," the attendant says, "gate's gonna close."\n\n[[Go through the gate.|On the coaster]]\n[[Don't go through the gate.|Hang back 5]]\n
Suddenly, Jennifer collides with you. You start to lose balance and grab for her arm to steady yourself, but she yanks her arm back - and hits you again. This time, the blow is sharp and strong and upward, and your foot doesn't successfully catch on the lap bar. Her hands scrabble at you, pushing you away, pitching you away, and you can't hold on. You tumble off from the car.\n\nIf you'd just landed in the tunnel, it wouldn't have been so bad - but the coaster was just starting to leave the tunnel, and so you hit the bottom edge of the tunnel's rim (is that what it feels like, when ribs break? or something worse?) and tumble down past the struts toward the packed earth....\n\nThere's screaming. Why is there so much screaming? Your head hurts... and there's screaming, and people running toward you....\n\nLater, what stands out in your mind is the white clown mask bending down to you, all chalk skin and red mouth and glittering eyes, and the terribly disappointed voice of Jennifer Culver. "I thought there would be more blood," she said in your ear.\n\nWhat are little girls made of?\n\n<strong>THE END</strong>
More than anything else, Jennifer's costume reminds you of <em>Alice in Wonderland</em> - the movie that was supposed to be a sequel to the stories, the one with Johnny Depp in it. She has big floppy shoes, a stick-out wig, and pom-poms down her front like a clown, but the only colors in her outfit are white and red. Her face is the same way - there's a white mask on the top half of her face, and it blends in with the white makeup on the bottom half, and then her lips are blood red.\n
"No I didn't! I..."\n\nBut what can you possibly say? You did get scared. Just not of a costume.\n\nThe park attendant grins at you both. "Well, run along... only don't run along, if you get what I mean," he says. "And remember, they're just costumes. You're perfectly safe, scaredy cat."\n\nJennifer laughs. "She is a scaredy cat!"\n\nYou can't laugh. There are things worth being afraid of, even if you don't know quite what they are.\n\n<<display 'Run ending'>>\n\n
"I do my own homework!" you protest.\n\n"Yeah, we know. <em>Everyone</em> knows," Jennifer says. "I was just kidding."\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 4'>>
Kids pass you as you hesitate. Jennifer looks back at you. "Are you coming, or what?"\n\n[[Go through the gate.|On the coaster]]\n[[Don't go through the gate.|Hang back 3]]
You and Jennifer are the last ones left on this side of the gate. Jennifer looks mad.\n\n"Come on if you're coming," the ride attendant says.\n\n[[Go through the gate.|On the coaster]]\n[[Don't go through the gate.|Hang back 4]]
Jennifer glances back and down, confirming that the attendant is looking away before she quickly unlatches the lap bar. There's nothing holding it in place now.\n\n[[The coaster reaches the top of the hill....]]
The attendant closes the gate and locks it. Then he goes to make sure the kids on the ride are buckled in.\n\n"You didn't ride the coaster with me! That wasn't friendly," Jennifer says. You can see hate glittering behind the white clown mask.\n\n[[Apologize.]]\n[[Say nothing.|Hang back nothing]]\n[[Run.]]
You wait.\n\nJennifer looks at you. She waits.\n\n"So like that rhyme - " you finally say, to fill the silence. "Like 'snips and snails, and puppy dog's tails -'"\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 9'>>\n
<<display 'Jennifer 10'>>
<<display 'Jennifer 7'>>
<<display 'Jennifer 5'>>
"Well, she's sure dressed for it," the park attendant says, as you stand mutely still. "But don't tear around like that, you'll knock someone over."\n\n<<display 'Run ending'>>
You shrug. Jennifer looks at her nails, or where her nails would be if she weren't wearing gloves.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 3'>>
<<display 'Jennifer 4'>>
<<set $clownshown to 0>><<display 'Jennifer Culver'>>\n\n<<display 'Jennifer and Keisha'>>
"Oh... I guess... yeah, it would be, wouldn't it?" You try to smile. It feels like prying apart stone.\n\nJennifer doesn't seem to notice how fake the smile is. "You're just the best!" Her blood red clown lips beam at you.\n\nThe coaster is nearing the top of the hill.\n\n<<display 'coaster 4'>>\n\n
Carolyn VanEseltine\n
You say, "That doesn't sound very safe...."\n\nJennifer sighs. "Why do you have to be such a baby? I think it must be Keisha's fault. If you hang around with babies, you'll be scared just like them."\n\n<<display 'coaster 3'>>
"What Are Little Girls Made Of?" was originally written as a parser game for Ectocomp 2012. To celebrate the Halloween season, I'm releasing it in Twine!\n\nPlease be advised that this game contains potentially disturbing content. It is recommended for an audience of age 13 or older.\n\nDo you wish to continue?\n\n<font size=4>[[Yes, continue|Avril's Funasium]]</font>\n\n[[No, get me out of here]]\n
"I like Halloween," you say.\n\n"Yeah, it's pretty neat," Jennifer says. "Everyone dressing up as stuff."\n\n<<display 'Jennifer conversation 2'>>
<<display 'Jennifer 4'>>
"I was just saying I <em>wish</em>," you say.\n\n"I don't want to talk about it any more," Jennifer says. "Hey, he's going to unlock the gate!"\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 10'>>
"I wish it weren't all guts," you say. "I wish it were like that rhyme, 'snips and snails, and puppy dog's tails -'"\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 9'>>
"Really? I thought I saw you here last month," you blurt out.\n\n"You were wrong," Jennifer says. Suddenly, her voice sounds all hard and sharp.\n\n"I guess I was," you say. Jennifer looks away.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 4'>>
"Not really," you say. "I just didn't want to be here."\n\n"I know what you mean," Jennifer says. "This town is boring. There's nothing to <em>do</em>."\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 3'>>
"That sounds -" Icky isn't the right word, it sounds too much like a little kid, but you can't think of a good word. "It's all bloody," you finish.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 6'>>
"Why don't you like it here?" you ask.\n\n"This town is boring," Jennifer says. "There's nothing to do. It's the same every day."\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 5'>>
"I wouldn't want to be a guts doctor," you say. "You'd have to touch intestines and stuff." The eighth-grade girls say you have to dissect a cow's eye in Science. You're not looking forward to it.\n\n"Maybe I like intestines and stuff," Jennifer says.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 7'>>
[["Uh oh," Keisha says, looking over your shoulder.|Jennifer Culver is here]]
"You had something else you wanted to do, huh?" Jennifer asks.\n\n[[Say yes.|Yes 2b]]\n[[Say no.|No 2]]\n[[Say nothing.|Nothing 2]]
You start, "I don't think that's a good idea - "\n\nJennifer tilts her head at you, looking almost surprised. "Who said you get a choice?"\n\n[[Scream for help.|Coaster 3b scream]]\n[[Say nothing.|Coaster 3b nothing]]
The line surges forward. "Come on!" Jennifer says.\n\n[[Go through the gate.|On the coaster]]\n[[Don't go through the gate.|Hang back 2]]
The coaster plummets in a chorus of screams, most delighted, one yours. The wheels ratchet louder and louder as the front of the coaster rushes into the tunnel.\n\nIn the moment before you enter the tunnel, Jennifer pushes up the lap bar. "Stand up if you want to be my friend!" she screams into your ear.\n\n[[Stand up.]]\n[[Refuse.]]\n
You've overheard people calling the Wooden Witch an oldie but a goodie. There aren't any loops, but the first drop is really great, and there are three tunnels for an extra scare factor - one for most of the first drop, one for part of the second, and then a third on the far turn. The front of the coaster looks like a witch's face, complete with warts and a crooked hat.\n\n<<back>>
<<display 'Jennifer 6'>>
"You like coasters," Jennifer says, looking up at the Wooden Witch.\n\n[[Agree with her.|Yes 2]]\n[[Disagree with her.|No 2]]\n[[Say nothing.|Nothing 2]]
Jennifer follows and scowls at you as she slides in. "You shouldn't be such a wimp," she says. "The best ride is at the back."\n\n<<display 'Aboard the Witch'>>
The ride attendant inspects the line of people waiting to ride. There aren't enough kids to fill the entire coaster - maybe half of it, at best.\n\nThe ride attendant unlocks the gate. "Go ahead, find your own seats," he says.\n\n[[Go through the gate.|On the coaster]]\n[[Maybe this isn't such a good idea...|Hang back]]
<<display 'Jennifer conversation 2'>>
You turn and run. The skirt of your costume tangles your legs, and you fall down, smearing dirt over the shining black velvet. But you get up again and you keep running, weaving through adults and elbowing past kids.\n\nA park attendant seizes your arm, pulling you up short. "What's the hurry?" he demands.\n\nJennifer comes panting up. "There you are!" Her blood red clown mouth splits in a brilliant smile as she looks at the attendant. "Thanks for finding her! She got scared by someone's costume and she ran away. She's such a scaredy cat."\n\n[[Agree with her.|Yes run]]\n[[Disagree with her.|No run]]\n[[Say nothing.|Nothing run]]
"Well, yeah, she does," you say quickly. "But I mean, I have to make sure she does it."\n\n"Huh," Jennifer says. "I didn't mean it for real. No wonder you hang around her that much."\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 4'>>
Jennifer lowers her voice like she wants to tell you a secret. "I heard about something really cool you can do on this coaster."\n\n[["Oh yeah?"|Yes coaster]]\n[[Say nothing.|Nothing coaster]]
You slide into the back car, tucking the tail of your costume out of the way, and Jennifer slides in next to you.\n\n<<display 'Aboard the Witch'>>
"Me too." But you don't, not really. You've got to finish middle school and get through high school and go to college and... schooling. There's just schooling and schooling and schooling.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 5'>>
"You could be a good doctor. What kind of doctor do you want to be? There's lots of kinds," you say.\n\n"I know there's lots of kinds," Jennifer snaps.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 6'>>
"Super cool," you say, forcing a smile.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 7'>>
"I've been here a whole bunch of times," you say.\n\nIt actually seems like Jennifer is being... nice.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 3'>>
"You like the mall better," you say.\n\n"Yeah, that's right," Jennifer says.\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 4'>>
You've never taken the lap bar off when you were on a roller coaster - let alone tried to stand up. This is crazy. You can't believe you're doing it, and your mom and dad would never forgive you. But they're not here, and Jennifer is, and you wobble to your feet. There's an incredible head rush from gravity, [[and|and ending]] -
"Yeah, and then you could tell people all about it," you say. "Like that rhyme - 'snips and snails, and puppy dog's tails -'"\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 9'>>
"Yeah, of course you're right," you say.\n\n"I don't want to talk about it any more," Jennifer says. "Hey, he's going to unlock the gate!"\n\n<<display 'Jennifer 10'>>
There is a breathtaking pause at the top of the hill. The wooden track and the shadowy ground look very far below as the coaster starts to teeter forward.\n\n"When we reach the tunnel, stand up!" Jennifer hisses.\n\nThe coaster tilts over the hill and [[gravity takes hold]].
<<display 'coaster 2'>>
You don't move. Jennifer stares at you and you still don't move.\n\nThen she hauls on your shoulder - a hard, awkward pull, like she's trying to make you stand up. You resist and [[push back]], hard.
No problem. Have a great day!
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You turn to see [[Jennifer Culver|Jennifer]] coming up to the Wooden Witch line. She's dressed like a [[clown]] this year, which should be funny, but somehow isn't.
Jennifer leans over and whispers in your ear, "If you tell anyone, I will kill you. And no one will believe you, anyway. And you shouldn't have hit me - I'll make you sorry." Then she pinches you - hard, even with the gloves on, and you gasp in pain. "Baby," she spits, and then the attendant arrives to let you out, so Jennifer doesn't say anything else. But she stands up as soon as she can and runs off without saying another word.\n\nYou climb out slowly. Your heart is hammering, and your arm hurts, and you don't like this roller coaster any more. You want to go home.\n\n...but it could have been worse.\n\n<strong>THE END</strong>\n