Ultimate Ending: The House on Hollow Hill Alternate Endings Part 14
Okay, let's go to CHOICE #1 and try the front door. Maybe the scroll clue will appear.
Mr. Goosen's key doesn't work. But Jake has an idea. 'I've got a key right here', Jake says, picking up a broken chunk of brick from the ground. 'This window leads into the billiards room'. Emma disapproves of this idea, but Jake points out that the mansion will be bulldozed tomorrow.
CHOICE #27 is to either try Jake's direct approach, or find another entrance, which goes to the same page as heading toward the basement in the beginning.
"He winds up like he's throwing his best fastball and fires the brick through the window. The glass shatters, blowing shards inward into the room. 'Right down the middle!' Jake exclaims."
We don't suffer any glass-related injuries, but I do realize the window was unlocked the whole time. In the corner of this room, I see a John F. Kennedy coin with LIBERTY written on it. CHOICE #28 is to either get the JFK coin or ignore it. Reaching for it will probably give me a "Ha ha! You took the coin instead of any real treasure!" ending.
This leads to the billiard room, including the pool cue I was missing in CHOICEs #8 and #9. Jake grabs it, though Emma ignores him. "Hey, Mike, do you think I can sink the 8-ball?" Jake wants to play with his new pool cue. CHOICE #29 is to either "dare him to try", look in another room, or take the pool cue for myself.
Jake's plan does not work.
"The pool table begins to shake. Inexplicably, pool balls begin floating out of the pockets. They rise into the air and begin swirling around, like a model of the solar system. You feel paralyzed as they spin around, faster and faster. Suddenly the moaning turns into an angry cry: 'I HATE WHEN FATHER PLAYS POOL". We run to page 110, and then 56. This has the same effect as leaving the spider alone in CHOICE #5, and both paths go to CHOICE #6.
So MIKE THOMPSON will take the pool cue instead. "You heft the cue like a battle-ax". Turn to page 65. CHOICE #30 is to either go to the kitchen (i.e. CHOICE #6), or enter the den on a new page. What's the point of wielding a pool cue if I don't get to use it?
"You still have the pool cue from the billiards room. You grip it like a baseball bat and swing at the apparition. It passes right through her. 'I'm a ghost', the little girl explains. 'You can't hit a ghost". This causes me to be trapped in the pantry just like the Inconclusive Ending for CHOICE #9. Both end up on page 114.
Using the pool cue to get out of the pantry in CHOICE #9 prevents the Inconclusive Ending, but sends you to the book game in the den instead. So the pool cue is NOT the way to the ULTIMATE ENDING.
Going to the den in CHOICE #30 also begins the book game. Searching another room in CHOICE #29 without taking the pool cue sends me to CHOICE #30 too.
Returning to CHOICE #24, I can look at the piggy bank. Smashing it in CHOICE #31 creates the Svalbard gems ending. But looking in a different room leads to CHOICE #23 again.
In the office, I find "A diamond ring!' Emma says, pulling it out. The gem is the size of your thumbnail!" After we toss aside some family photos, of course.
But Emma's incorrect.
"Oops', says Mr. Goosen, striding into the office. 'I did say memories were the most important thing, didn't I? Ahh, I didn't mean for my little girl to confuse you. . .' 'Your little girl?' you ask.
'Yes, Elizabeth's clue was good but I'm afraid it was misleading. That's my fault. Ahh well, it's too late now. Unfortunately, you chose the wrong room. There's no prize in that box.' 'But the ring. . .' Emma says.
'Costume jewelry', he says cheerfully. 'There are gems in this house, though you three just barely missed them. What you hold is merely plastic.' 'Aww', Emma says. 'However', Mr. Goosen says, holding up a finger, 'I did say you could only take one item. And seeinga s though you've chosen that plastic ring. . .' 'Oh man!' Jake cries. 'Not fair!'
'I suppose some other children will have to come along and finish the job here', he says. 'Time to run along now, it looks like a storm is brewing outside'.
You run home just as it starts to rain. Jake and Emma argue over the plastic ring-and whose fault it was for taking it-but you still think about the sad little ghost. Maybe you'll know someday, but today is. . .THE END".
A humiliating Neutral Ending for the cast of characters. Mr. Goosen is still a villain. He sends kids into his death trap mansion and hides fake treasure for some of those who bide the danger.
Results So Far
7 Good Endings
3 Deaths
0 Bad Non-Death Endings
4 Neutral Endings
1 Inconclusive Endings
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
Ultimate Ending: The House on Hollow Hill Alternate Endings Part 15
Time to search the master bedroom in CHOICE #23. MIKE THOMPSON wants to check there because "my dad keeps all his valuables in his bedroom". Specifically in the top dresser drawer, which has nothing. Emma thinks the riddle refers to the pillow on the bed. "Your head is the most important part of your body, so underneath would be under your pillow. . ." Remember this is the same kid who can't tell the difference between plastic and diamonds.
"You cautiously approach the bed in the dim light. Afraid you might see another ghost, you grab the pillow by the corner and whip it away. There's nothing underneath but a pillow-shaped outline in the dust. 'Well now what?' Jake asks. 'Uhh. . .'
Something is happening to the bed. It begins rotating, swirling in space. It's as if someone unplugged a bathtub stopper, and the entire bed-sheets, mattresses, and all-is suddenly going down the drain. The center turns black, a swirling vortex of darkness consuming the room. And you realize it's pulling you toward it.
'Get back!' you yell, but it's too late. Jake turns to run but slips, and flies backwards through the air into the center of the spinning orb. He disappears. Emma slips and you grab her hand. She floats into the air, feet facing the black swirl while you grip her wrist tight. 'Don't let go!' 'I won't', you promise, but soon it doesn't matter. The vortex pulls both of you forward, your sneakers sliding on the dust-slick wooden floor.
'Oh no!' You eventually can't hold on any longer. With a scream Emma tumbles backwards into the vortex, blinking out of existence. You flail your arms around to stop yourself but it's no use. Soon you're pulled toward it.
Time seems to slow down as you near the center. You decelerate, as if moving through water, then jello, then sand. You don't know how long the end will take. Days, weeks. Maybe years. But one thing that is certain is that you have reached. . .THE END".
In case you need more evidence Mr. Goosen is evil. . .
Given the amount of time spent in the vortex, I'll add this to the Bad Non-Death Ending column. MIKE THOMPSON will probably die of old age before reaching the center of the black hole. . .or maybe he'll be immortal.
The bulldozer crew will be in for a surprise when the pillow flies off the bed when they're demolishing the mansion.
Results So Far
7 Good Endings
3 Deaths
1 Bad Non-Death Endings
4 Neutral Endings
1 Inconclusive Endings
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
Ultimate Ending: The House on Hollow Hill ULTIMATE ENDING Setup
I'm going to find every other page before discovering the scroll code.
Anyway, going to the backyard in CHOICE #1 makes us climb some vines. CHOICE #32 is to either open a window and "play it safe", or jump to the balcony to find a potted plant with something shiny on it.
Opening the window sends me into a girl's bedroom. I hear a voice saying "Hellooooo. . ." followed by a "shuffling noise". CHOICE #33 is to either run to the hallway, or try to defend myself against the ghost.
It turns out to just be Jake. Why would MIKE THOMPSON not be able to tell the difference between Jake and a ghost's voice? We find a card saying "Dearest Mary, It feels like only yesterday that you were born. We love you more each day, and always will. Love, mother and father January 21". This is the answer to one of the little girl birthday questions.
We search the bedroom. "Aww man, there's just junk in here', Jake calls. 'A bunch of little dresses that look like they were worn by someone on the Titanic". We don't touch the toys because it "feels taboo".
Emma says "Hey, check this out". This is probably bad news. The book makes fun of Jake constantly, but Emma is equally dangerous. Her advice got my dragged away by a busybody and sucked into a vortex in earlier endings.
BUT THIS TIME IT MAY BE THE KEY TO THE ULTIMATE ENDING.
It's a diary that says "Today in arithmetic lecture, Elizabeth and I invented a secret language! The code is to take a normal word and shift every letter forward by 3. So the word 'apple' becomes 'dssoh'. We've sent a dozen notes back and forth and none of the other students can read them. They look at us like we are brilliant. Exw uhdoob, lw'v qrw wkdw kdug!"
MIKE THOMPSON conveniently translates that as "But really, it's not that hard!" He had a cipher like that when he was younger. Mary's message probably functions as a summoning spell in a Lovecraft story too.
Instead of following through with this CHOICE, I'll go to the safe immediately. The scroll's cipher is "ONE THIRTY-SIX". When I turn to that page, the rest of the message says "TO FIND THE ULTIMATE PRIZE, CLIMB OUT THE MASTER BEDROOM WINDOW". Turn to page 120.
But there is one last attempt by the book to troll me. There are 2 windows in the master bedroom, and you have to pick the right one by. . .CHOICE #34 with no context! Supposedly you're supposed to use a die, and if you get an odd number, you pick the first option, and if you get an even number, it's the second option.
I flipped a penny and got tails, so it's the latter for this ending.
Jake's irritated with the house. "Good thing it's being bulldozed".
MIKE THOMPSON snarks the premise of the book. "Who am I to argue with a decrypted secret message, found in a safe, whose code we acquired from a creepy moving crib, which we found by solving a ghost's riddle?" Emma's response to that is "If you can't trust that, who can you trust"?
So we reach the same balcony that Jake wanted me to jump to. Something doesn't feel right. CHOICE #35 is to look in the soil, or look around.
My misgivings seem to be correct. "Something doesn't seem right', you say. 'I don't think this is the ultimate treasure.' 'Then what is?' Jake asks. 'Dude, you gave up a tiara to try this way!' Emma giggles. 'You seem awfully concerned with women's jewelry".
There's an attic nearby. I wait for my friends to show up. "There are large objects all around, looming over you. What could they be?" Most of them are cardboard boxes. They are letters with 1942 stamps, all addressed to "Olivia Helmsworth". We hear a voice saying "My wife", when we ask who she is. "You sense a trembling in the floor". We feel what seems to be an earthquake or a tornado that ends as suddenly as it begins.
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
Ultimate Ending: The House on Hollow Hill ULTIMATE ENDING
Of course, the ghost is Mr. Goosen. Emma tries to hug him, only to pass through him. Only now does everyone realize he's a ghost?!
Mr. Goosen was bored with his life on a farm, so he signed up for the Navy in WWII. When his battleship reached France, the European front had already ended. He was then sent to the Pacific theater, but the war ended before he could do anything there either. He stayed in the Navy looking for adventure instead of coming back to his girlfriend like he promised.
Jake doesn't understand the concept of a maiden name. "Olivia. . .' Emma says. 'Olivia Helmsworth?' 'My girlfriend back home', he nods. 'And later my wife!' 'But your wife is Mrs. Goosen', Jake says.
She forgave Mr. Goosen because of the many love letters he sent her. Mary and Elizabeth didn't die young like you'd expect. They actually lived into their 70s, but they became child ghosts because they were kids at heart. Olivia outlived everyone else and decided to move in with her grandson Frank. He wanted to take the love letters to Olivia, which she had forgotten. This is why he's trapped as a ghost, and by extension his daughters since they realize he's not resting in peace.
"Why didn't you just tell us what you needed in the first place?' you ask. Mr. Goosen says, 'Your motivations had to be pure. You skipped over all sorts of treasures and prizes in my house and ended up here, in the attic. You made some extremely powerful decisions tonight. you're not any group of normal children!' You look at Jake and Emma. They both have determined looks on their faces. 'Of course we will', you say. 'Just tell us where she lives'.
The next day the there of you wake up extra early before school to visit the address Mr. Goosen gave you. Even Jake skips baseball practice to help. Luckily the address is only a few blocks away! As you approach the small blue house, you hear the sound of piano music. 'It's coming from inside', you say. '104 Pleasant Terrace. This is it'. Knock knock knock, the sound of you politely tapping on the door. The piano music cuts off, and you hear someone approach. The door opens, and a kindly old woman with gray hair and blue eyes looks down at you. 'Oh hello children! I remember you from my old house on Hollow Hill'.
'Hi Mrs. Goosen', you say. You shift your feet. 'This may seem really strange, but. . .' Not sure what else to do, you shove the box at her. She takes it with a surprised grunt, and places it on the ground. She removes a single faded envelope and raises it to her bespectacled eyes. She gasps. 'Where. . .how. . .' she almost looks like she's going to faint! Jake jumps forward and puts a comforting arm around her, and the three of you lead her inside. You enter a room with a piano and help her into a cushioned chair.'Your husband wanted us to bring this box of letters to you', you explain. 'He wanted us to tell you: 'I would still write Olivia every day if I could. Always remember that'.
Mrs. Goosen reads the letter and a tear forms at the corner of her eye. 'This is the most precious thing anyone has ever given me', she says. 'How can I possibly repay you?' 'We already had an adventure', Jake says. 'We don't need anything else. Honest.' But Mrs. Goosen shakes her head. 'Wait here'. She disappears in her back room, and comes back with an armful of items. 'My husband left these for me to give out. He said I would know when it was time.'
To Emma she says, 'This is an electric keyboard I used to practice on. You look like someone who can play!' Emma takes the keyboard and beams. To Jake, she hands a long wooden bat. 'Be careful with this. That's a baseball bat from someone famous. Herman Babe, I think. His name is on the end.'
Jake's mouth hangs open as he inspects it. 'Babe Ruth? Oh man!' Lastly, she smiles at you. 'You must be Mike. My husband especially left this for you.' She extends her fist and opens it, palm up. Inside is a gold pocket watch. The very one Mr. Goosen had carried all his life. 'Now you'll always know what time it is.'
You don't know how to thank her. Instead, you run forward and embrace her. She hugs you back, warm and grateful. As you let go, your eyes drift over to the piano in the room. 'Actually, there's one more thing I would like.' Mrs. Goosen frowns. 'What's that?' 'Can you give me piano lessons? The way you used to give lessons to your daughters?' Mrs. Goosen smiles. 'I'd love nothing more.
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE REACHED THE ULTIMATE ENDING! In recognition for taking up the gauntlet, let it be known to fellow adventurerrs that you are hereby granted the title of:
Hero of the Haunted Realm!"
It's one of those "all that glisters is not gold" endings that plague treasure hunt stories, but at least Mrs. Goosen gives us something. Jake is obviously her favorite if he got the unique item.
Mr. Goosen is still a jerk if he didn't warn us about the traps or the ghost girls' riddles.
There's a code I can put into the Ultimate Ending website for extras, but I won't post it here.
I will post the remaining endings for the sake of completion and comedy. What will happen when I say Pride and Prejudice is the book with "Call me Ishmael?"
Results So Far
7 Good Endings
3 Deaths
1 Bad Non-Death Endings
4 Neutral Endings
1 Inconclusive Endings
1 ULTIMATE ENDING
EDIT: The link at the bottom should lead to the ULTIMATE ENDING certificate image.
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
Ultimate Ending: The House on Hollow Hill Alternate Endings Part 16
You don't get any funny responses for answering Pride and Prejudice or Samuel Beckett in the book quiz. Just routes to CHOICE #17. But answering Isaac Asimov, Jacob, or The Fireman in the final question gets you this ending.
"The little girl's face, so hopeful and smiling, immediately drains away. 'You were so close', she whispers, eyes pale and wide. 'I thought you would get it right. I thought you would free me.'
Thinking fast, you say, 'I'm sorry. I got confused. Give us another chance. Please?' But the little girl is shaking her head. 'No. There are no second chances. We'll have to wait for the next group of kids to come inside.' Next group of kids? What does that mean?
Before you can ask, books begin flying off the shelves, spreading open and fluttering in the air. They crash all around you like a barrage, a constant torrent of paper and leather. One book hits you in the head. You fall over and hold your temple, feeling dizzy.
Emma stands over you. She's shouting something, but you can't quite make out the words. Your ears feel filled with cotton. The room spins around you. Maybe I should read more, you think, wishing that this wasn't. . .THE END".
There are many books that aren't by Mark Twain or Samuel Beckett, you know! Even reading a lot may not save you if you don't have the ghost girl's favorites in mind.
Death by bonkus of the conkus. It wouldn't be a good CYOA without it.
Results So Far
7 Good Endings
4 Deaths
1 Bad Non-Death Endings
4 Neutral Endings
1 Inconclusive Endings
1 ULTIMATE ENDING
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
Ultimate Ending: The House on Hollow Hill Alternate Endings Part 17
Running away from the book quiz without even attempting it leads to CHOICE #36, which either funnels you to #7 or #17 depending on whether you go to the piano room or upstairs.
Choking at the last second by digging in the potted plant before going to the attic in CHOICE #35 will make you pay with your life.
"The coldness feels strange, though. Not quite right. After a few moments you realize why. 'It's not cold', you say. 'It's wet. Almost. . .slimy.' Feeling unnerved, you begin to pull your hand out. But the object seems stuck to your hand. Oh no. You yank back on your hand but it hardly budges. With a groan of terror you realize that you didn't grab the object. The object grabbed you. 'Ahh!'
You cry out but there's little use. Desperately you pull your hand into the air, lifting the entire pot. It's still attached to your hand, spraying soil all over the tiny balcony. With a frantic heave you throw your hand against the railing. The pot smashes open in an explosion of clay and dirt. Something flops onto the balcony floor. You realize that your hand is free! 'What the. . .' 'Ewwww!' Emma squeals.
The object on the ground looks vaguely like a snake, but fatter. It's like a giant earthworm, but as big as a football. It's covered in tiny spines. You stare at it, frozen in place. A burning sensation on your hand breaks your paralysis. One of the spines has pierced your palm. There's no blood, but your hand is covered in a reddish rash. And the rash is spreading.
It moves up your arm with frightening speed. You begin to scream. Rashes aren't deadly, right? They only itch? Will you have to cover it in lotion like poison ivy? These are the questions that run through your mind as you accept that you've hit. . .THE END".
I'll count this as a Death. The narration has a "protest too much" tone, so it probably isn't a non-lethal injury. And it isn't as vague as an Inconclusive Ending.
Results So Far
7 Good Endings
5 Deaths
1 Bad Non-Death Endings
4 Neutral Endings
1 Inconclusive Endings
1 ULTIMATE ENDING
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
Ultimate Ending: The House on Hollow Hill Alternate Endings Part 18
Not only does the book troll you by making you randomly pick a window to climb through in CHOICE #34, but then it trolls you by ignoring that decision. The left window is stuck. "Huh', says Emma. 'I guess that was one choice that didn't matter". Bravo, writers. You know how to torture your readers.
Defending yourself in CHOICE #33 means you hit Jake in the arm as he comes through the window. "I'm sorry! I didn't think it was you.' Jake rubs his arm. 'Who else would it be, leather-brain?" That's right, Jake. Only MIKE THOMPSON would fail to tell the difference between a ghost voice and his best friend. After that mistake, you proceed to find the cipher key diary anyway. So if you want to win at The House on Hollow Hill quickly, be sure to climb through the window in the backyard path at the beginning.
If you continue on the CHOICE #33 path instead of immediately jumping over to solve the scroll puzzle like I did, you'll run into CHOICE #37 between the bathroom and the office. But the office goes to CHOICE #17, so let's try the bathroom on a new page.
It looks like an ordinary antique bathroom. . .at first. Then the toilet flushes by itself and a green tentacle appears. A second tentacle sticks to the wall. CHOICE #38 is to either flee or hide in the bathtub.
Hiding in the bathtub isn't suicide, or so it seems. The tentacle monster sounds like "a fish being thrown onto land" and then leaves the bathroom. We see a "glowing round object" in the toilet, which brings us to our next Good Ending.
"Not caring how disgusting it might be, you reach into the toilet and wrap your fingers around the object. Its glowing subsides as you remove it from the water and you discover that it's a pearl, perfectly round and beautiful. 'Ohhh!' Emma coos. 'Holy potatoes', Jake says. 'It's bigger than my baseball!' You rotate it on your fingertips, admiring the pink luster. A noise in the hall jerks you all back to attention. The monster had been long forgotten while you'd examined your treasure. Behind you the window is only one foot wide, not large enough to squeeze through. You're trapped!
The sound draws closer. Jake begins to shake. Emma looks at you but you're all out of ideas. The shape slides into view. 'Oh hello, kids!' 'Mr. Goosen!' Emma cries. 'Thank goodness!' He chuckles. 'Sorry to sneak up on you, just wanted to make sure you were okay. Have you--ohh, the Queensland Pearl.' 'The what?'
'I found that scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef in 1972, off the coast of Australia. Ran into some trouble along the way. You should have seen the octopus that tried to stop me!' The three of you look at one another, eyes wide. 'Well, remember my rule: just one item from the house. But that's an excellent choice for a prize. Very well done! It's getting late, you had better get back to your homes.'
None of you argue; your small taste of adventure was enough. You follow Mr. Goosen out of the house-thankfully without seeing any sign of the monster-and back outside. You might have found better treasure, but you're happy to be safely away. For now, this is. . .THE END".
So what's Mr. Goosen's plan for delivering his love letters if the kids pick some treasure in the house instead of going to the attic? The characters sometimes mention other groups of kids coming, but there's only one day left till the bulldozers come. Unless the bulldozers are a lie. I've never seen them appear in any ending so far, and there are only a few left.
Results So Far
8 Good Endings
5 Deaths
1 Bad Non-Death Endings
4 Neutral Endings
1 Inconclusive Endings
1 ULTIMATE ENDING
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
Ultimate Ending: The House on Hollow Hill Alternate Endings Part 19
Fleeing the giant octopus in the bathroom is another path to, you guessed it, CHOICE #17. The flowchart for this book must be complex.
Don't take Jake's advice to jump to the balcony in CHOICE #32. It won't lead you to the attic and the ULTIMATE ENDING.
"The balcony's not that far. You inch to the edge of the lattice, eyeing the gap and the drop to the deck below. Jake and Emma look up with wild eyes. Pushing with your feet, you leap into the air and grab onto the balcony railing. Your foot slips on the slimy wood, but your grip is strong. You dangle for a moment before pulling yourself up. . .There's a sickening crack. The wood along the railing snaps free and throws you backwards. Slam. The next thing you know, Emma and Jake are staring down at you. 'Mike? Mike! Can you hear us?'
You try to sit up but feel very dizzy. The house and your friends and the ground are all spinning in circles. Then you notice the searing pain in your arm. 'Guys, I. . .I think I broke my arm.' It will only end up being a hair-line fracture, but you're still going to need a cast. You'll be fine in a few weeks, but for now it looks like this is. . .THE END".
Bad Non-Death Endings don't necessarily have to be about being frozen in time forever. Sometimes you just get injured and end up mildly worse off than you were when you started the adventure. But MIKE THOMPSON will fail Mrs. Baramule's music class for sure. I doubt she offers make up exams.
Results So Far
8 Good Endings
5 Deaths
2 Bad Non-Death Endings
4 Neutral Endings
1 Inconclusive Endings
1 ULTIMATE ENDING
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
Ultimate Ending: The House on Hollow Hill Alternate Endings Part 20
This book is bigger than advertised on the front cover. There are allegedly "14 Perils" and "21 Conclusions", though there are clearly more than 21 endings. And I'm not sure what's defined as a "Peril" in this context. Does it mean Deaths, or something else?
However these things are classified, let's kill the spider in CHOICE #5. This is not a good idea, and merely offends a giant spider that's about to attack us. CHOICE #39 is to either run away from this biologically impossible arthropod, or try to kill it with the ax.
Running away becomes a Peril, whether the book says so or not.
"You are not about to fight some giant mutant spider. 'On the count of three, make a break for the door', you hiss to your friends. Out of the corner of your eye you see Emma nod. The spider stares at you, waiting. You're unable to look away. You can feel your heart pounding in your chest in the dank, dark cellar. 'One, two. . .THREE!'
Emma and you scramble away, pushing a paralyzed Jake with you. The flashlight bounces up and down as Emma pumps her arms, alternately illuminating the floor, wall, and ceiling. It's not far to the door. You're halfway there, and can't hear anything behind you, though you're breathing awfully loud. Emma reaches the steps. Jake follows. You're there, about to jump to safety. . .when something grabs the back of your shoe, tripping you.
You fly forward onto your face. You turn and see a long strand of spiderweb stuck to your shoe. Using your other foot, you push your sneaker off. Suddenly the spider appears from the darkness. More webbing appears out of nowhere, wrapping around your ankle. The beast reaches forward with a long leg and begins to pull you backwards.
You cry out, but your friends are nowhere to be seen. The open doorway is just out of reach, taunting you with its safety. Strangely, in your moment of fear, you worry that your mother will be angry at you for not practicing the piano. That's a stupid thing to think about, you realize, as you're dragged backwards into. . .THE END".
Mr. Goosen would win a Nobel Prize if he can explain how a spider that big could function, especially considering the lower oxygen compared to the Carboniferous. And there's another occupational hazard for the bulldozer crew.
Results So Far
8 Good Endings
6 Deaths
2 Bad Non-Death Endings
4 Neutral Endings
1 Inconclusive Endings
1 ULTIMATE ENDING
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
The ax doesn't do much to the spider, but Emma's bottle throwing is much more effective. "Wow Emma', Jake says after a few moments. 'I didn't know you had an arm like that. You could be a baseball pitcher!' Emma flexes a bicep and puts on a serious face". But this path is just another way to the CHOICE #10 book quiz.
Returning to CHOICE #2 and going to the backyard gives me the CHOICE #40 option of either opening the back door, or "feeling dangerous". The latter is another way to CHOICE #37 after everyone is surprised at Emma's suggestion to climb the wall. Trying to open the back door gives me the CANONICAL ENDING of Mrs. Hollencamp dragging me home.
The final loose end in this story is "Does the JFK half dollar count as a treasure"? The answer is "yes".
"You're not about to let a 50-cent piece go to waste. Cringing at the spiderweb, you reach underneath and slide the coin out. It feels heavy in your hands, more than most coins. The mint date is 1964. 'Hey guys', you say as you get to your feet, 'check out what I found!' But as you reappear in the window you see that your friends are no longer alone. 'Oh hello there, Michael!' Mr. Goosen exclaims. He's standing on the porch with Emma and Jake.
'Hey Mr. Goosen', you say. You feel strange standing in his house while he's outside. 'Hey, uhh. . .we're sorry for smashing your window. The key. . .'
'Oh that's quite alright', he says with a wave of a hand. He puts his thumbs through his suspender straps. 'Doesn't matter since it's going to be bulldozed tomorrow anyways'. Jake gives Emma an I told you so look. Mr. Goosen's eyes narrow. 'However. . .it appears you've found your treasure already. My, that was fast!'
'This?' you say, glancing at the coin. 'It's just a half-dollar. It was sitting in the corner. . .' Mr. Goosen wags a finger at you. 'I said you could take one item of special value from the house. I was quite specific! And that 50-cent piece is worth about $10 today. It's from 1964.' Jake looks crestfallen. 'But. . .you mean. . .'
'I'm afraid so', Mr. Goosen nods. 'Come on now, let's get you home.' He gestures and you sullenly climb back out the window. A 50-cent piece is better than nothing, but you can't help but wonder what you could have found inside the house. Your imagination runs wild as you try to forget that this is. . .THE END".
This playthrough began with an anticlimactic Neutral Ending, so it's fitting that it ends with one too. For the benefit of my non-American readers, I have to say that half dollars are hardly ever used. Vending machines take quarters instead.
The House on Hollow Hill was one of the most fun CYOAs for me, and in a different way from the others. La Prisión, Deadline Delivery, and Secrets of the Singing Cave were good because of their interesting settings. House on Hollow Hill, on the other hand, has the thrill of chasing the ULTIMATE ENDING, using clues from solving puzzles in previous attempts, and learning which paths are red herrings.
Some entries in the Ultimate Ending series have a more exotic premise than the standard CYOA haunted house. Here is the list of the others:
Treasures of the Forgotten City: Find the lost city of Atraharsis in the desert. Similar to Indiana Jones.
The Ship at the Edge of Time: Discover what happened to the crew of a derelict spaceship.
Enigma at the Greensboro Zoo: A blackout at the zoo means you have to stop the animals from escaping.
The Secret of the Aurora Hotel: A haunting-but this time at a hotel instead of a house!
The Strange Physics of the Heidelberg Laboratory: A physics experiment breaks the space-time continuum.
The Tower of Never There: A tower appears out of nowhere, and your only instructions are COME ALONE.
Sabotage in the Sundered Sky: There is a disaster on the blimp you're riding on. Because it isn't steampunk without airships.
Rescue From the Valley of Chaos: Your rival disappears in a region of Belize known as the Valley of Chaos, which contains "shadows of hopeless anarchy".
Mystery in the Murky Deep: You are an earth sciences professor sent to an underwater "research habitat" where some dangerous secret is hidden.
Crisis at Desolation Station: Contact with Desolation Station in Antarctica is lost, so you the helicopter pilot have to rescue them. The summary implies a ripoff of Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness.
Do any of my readers want to see a particular entry next? I'll probably get to them all eventually, but if you have any preferences, tell me now.
Final Results
8 Good Endings
6 Deaths
2 Bad Non-Death Endings
5 Neutral Endings
1 Inconclusive Endings
1 ULTIMATE ENDING
"I wonder what that even looks like, a robot body with six or seven CatClaw daggers sticking out of it and nothing else, and zooming around at crazy agility speed."
