Rip Retold

You and your older brother [[Archie]] are sitting at your candy apple stand right outside the library. The sky is blue and a light breeze makes your paper signs [[flutter]]. You've lined up the candy apples in five neat rows of five each, just as Archie told you to. They look great and you could probably eat (another) one. But no one's coming to buy any. [[Bored, you squirm in your chair.]]

"Stop it, Chester," Archie says, not taking his eyes off his [[comic book]]. You sigh and try to sit still. You look around. There are just a few people walking about the village green, and none are interested in your candy apples. You look at the big tree in the center of the green. It would be fun to try climbing it again, but Archie won't let you leave the table. Mr. Van Winkle often sits under the tree but he's not there now. A butterfly hovers over your table and lands on one of the candy apples. You giggle at the cute sight and look at Archie for his reaction. Annoyed, he shoos the butterfly away and resumes reading his comic book. Disappointed, you watch the butterfly flitter away. You then notice a couple walking toward you, [[arguing]].

Archie is squinting at his comic book. He looks mean when he does this. Like you, he has curly hair and freckles. Unlike you, he can put you in a headlock in a split second if you do anything wrong. [[Back->Candy Apple Stand]]

It's the Van Winkles, Rip and Emma. As they walk closer, you can hear them better and see their hands flap about. "Babe, calm down!" says Rip. He runs his fingers from his forehead through his slicked back hair, unable to stay calm himself. "Calm down? You're lending //three hundred freaking dollars!"// she yells, her hands beating the air with every syllable. "He'll pay it back soon, alright? You know I can't say no to him, he's a friend and needs it bad." "What about our rent, Rip? What about ..." Rip and Emma fall silent when they reach your table. "How are you boys?" Emma says with a [[sigh]].

"We're just fine, Mr. and Mrs. Van Winkle," Archie says. He's trying to be respectful to the adults, and it's making him nervous. Seeing the Van Winkles fight makes you nervous, too. They are always nice to you, but not always [[nice]] to each other. "Would you like a candy apple today?" Archie asks. "How about it, babe?" Rip asks Emma. Emma sighs again and shakes her head. "Not now," she says. "I'm going home." She walks away. Rip watches Emma until her footsteps can't be heard anymore. Then he turns to you and Archie with a sly [[grin]].

Rip and Emma fight a lot. But if you catch them at a good time, you'll see them holding each other and smiling. When they're like that, you like to look at Rip's pencil-thin mustache and Emma's beautiful, black hair. [[Back|sigh]]

"I've got a surprise for her," he says. "You boys can keep a secret, right? Come on, let me take you to Louis's . I want you to be the first to see it." "But ... we need to stay here with the candy apples," says Archie. "Let me borrow one of you, then." "Can I go?" you ask Archie, your eyebrows arching high with hope. Archie looks uncertain, but says "Okay." "What a great older brother you got!" says Rip. You jump out of the chair and Rip pats you on the shoulder. You follow him to Louis's pawn shop, which is a brief walk from [[here]].

The pawn shop is stacked high with clocks, crucifixes, nutcrackers and lamps. It smells musty and oily. Louis, an older man with glasses and a big round jaw, is at the counter. "Rip!" says Louis. "You brought a kid to help you negotiate?" "No, you old crook," Rip says with a laugh. "I'm done trying to bargain you down. I'm ready to buy it." Louis takes something out of a display case and puts it on the counter. Rip picks it up and shows it to you. "It's a brooch made of ivory," he says. "See how nicely they carved it? You can see every detail of this woman's face, every strand of her [[hair]]."

Rip traces a finger along the hair of the woman depicted on the brooch, showing that some of the hair is highlighted in gold. "And look at these," Rip says, running a finger along the shiny bumps along the edge of the brooch. "They're real pearls." You've never seen pearls before. "Every time we come here, Emma takes a good, long look at this," says Rip. "She thinks I don't notice, but I do." You trace a finger along the gold-tinged hair and pearls. You think that the woman on the brooch looks a little like Emma. "Better hurry before the kid buys it from under you," says Louis. "I think he wants it even more than you do." Both men laugh as your face [[reddens|blush]].

Rip puts the brooch on the counter. He then takes out his wallet, removes a bunch of money, and puts it next to the brooch. Louis picks up the money, counts it, and nods. "Three hundred," Louis says. //"Freaking dollars!"// Rip says, beating the air with his hands in imitation of Emma. You laugh. Louis, not in on the joke, shakes his head and frowns. Rip takes the brooch and puts it in his jacket pocket. "Come on, Chester, I feel like celebrating," he says as you both leave the store. You and Rip walk back to the candy apple stand where you take your seat. Archie glares at you, wondering what your secret is. Rip puts a dollar on the table and says, "Give me one of your finest!" Archie takes the dollar and says "give him [[one]]."

For some reason, your hand reaches out to the candy apple that the butterfly had landed on. You pick it up and give it to Rip. "Remember, Chester," he says, "not a word to the missus." That sly smile returns to his face before he turns and heads to his usual spot below the big tree. He sits down and starts eating the apple. The day becomes early evening. More people come out to the village green to walk and chat, and a few of them stop at your table to buy candy apples. All the while, Archie tries to make you spill the beans on what happened in the pawn shop, but none of his threats or pleas work. When it gets dark and there are fewer people on the green, you and Archie start packing things away. Archie looks at the tree where Rip has been napping for hours. "You should wake him up," he [[says]].

You walk to the big tree. Rip is reclined against the trunk, eyes closed, lips slightly parted. "Mr. Van Winkle?" you say. "Wake up!" He does not stir. You say his name a few more times and pat his shoulder, but he stays fast asleep. You loudly repeat his name and shake his shoulders, but he doesn't respond. You walk back to Archie. He's carrying the folded-up table. You pick up the box full of candy apples and signs. "He's not waking up," you say. He shrugs. You both head [[home]].

That night, your sleep is interrupted by loud footsteps and talking. Dad is hurrying from room to room. Mom is following him, asking questions and sounding worried. You sit up and look at Archie. He's sitting up in his bed, too, listening. You both get up and leave the bedroom. Dad is holding his doctor's bag and opening the front door. Sometimes he leaves during the night if someone is very sick and needs his help. Mom sees you and Archie and says "It's okay, go back to sleep. We'll be right back." Mom and Dad leave the house and close the door behind them. You look at Archie, waiting for direction. He leaves the house and you [[follow]].

You and Archie follow Mom and Dad, staying far back so they don't see you. They go to the tree where a lot of other people are gathered. Emma is there. Her hands are on the sides of her head, and she looks scared. Rip is still sleeping under the tree. Dad kneels beside him and puts his hands on Rip's forehead, neck, and wrist. He opens his doctor's bag, takes out his stethoscope, and listens to Rip's heart. The other adults talk about how they tried to wake Rip up, but couldn't. After a few minutes, Dad says "Let's move him to a bed." The adults lift Rip and carry him the short distance to his house. You and Archie follow and watch as they carefully bring him into his bedroom and set him down on his bed. Rip starts tossing and turning. He moans and grunts. "Is he having a nightmare?" someone asks. Dad tries to wake him up, but Rip keeps moaning and rolling to and fro. He looks more uncomfortable every second. Emma is crying now. You feel like [[saying something]], but maybe you should [[stay quiet]] so you won't get in trouble.

It takes a few attempts to make your voice heard over everyone else, but you say "Can we move him back to the tree?" Dad turns to you and everyone falls silent. "Chester? Archie? Why aren't you in bed?" "The tree is his favorite place," you say. Under his thick, black-rimmed glasses, Dad glowers at you. But he then looks at Rip, who's still tossing and turning and whimpering in protest. "Okay," Dad says, "let's take him [[back to the tree]]."

Dad notices you anyway. "Chester! Archie!" he snaps. "Go back to bed right now!" Mom escorts you and Archie back home and into bed. The next day, you hear that Rip was taken to another doctor's office. When you ask Mom and Dad what happened, they don't say much. You think Rip died, or at least that's what you think you heard someday later. You're too young to understand what happened, and no one really talks about it. You never see the Van Winkles again. The End [[(or decide differently)|follow]]

The adults carry Rip back to the tree. They place his head on the same spot where it was before. His hands rest on the grass, and his legs lie straight in front of him. He now looks just like he usually does during his frequent naps under the tree. He is calm, quiet, and breathing deeply. Dad examines him again, then closes his doctor's bag and stands up. He turns to Emma and says, "Let him rest here for now. We'll figure out what's wrong. Don't worry." Emma nods, trying to stay calm. Mom is standing behind her, holding her shoulders. The adults leave the tree a few at at time, though your parents stay with the Van Winkles. Mom asks one of her friends to take you and Archie home. Back in bed, before falling asleep, you wonder about the candy apple you gave to [[Rip]].

Years pass. Rip still sleeps under the tree. Adults check on him several times a day. Sometimes they set up sheets of fabric to keep the sun and rain off of him. But Rip doesn't seem to like these sheets and stirs a bit when they're covering him, so the sheets are taken down as soon as the weather improves. All attempts to relocate Rip just make him toss, turn, and moan, so he stays under the tree. Dad and other doctors examine Rip now and then. They say he's healthy even though he never eats or drinks anything. Nothing they do wakes Rip up, not even for a moment. Emma sits by Rip every day, sometimes for hours. She talks to him while brushing his hair and beard. Kids know they're not supposed to bother Rip, but [[one day]] ...

Archie throws the baseball hard. Babs swings the bat and you hear a loud crack. The ball flies high into the sky. You run backwards, trying to stay under it. But the sun blinds you and you fall backwards. The kids laugh as Babs rounds the bases, finishing a home run. You get up. Archie is mad at you. "Go get the ball, you squirt!" he says, pointing past you. You turn away from the kids and jog across the village green, scanning the grass for the ball. Babs hit it pretty far. You finally find it right next to Rip under the tree. You wonder if it hit him. You pick up the ball. "Come on!" yells Archie. [[Look at Rip]]. [[Get back to the game]].

Rip has long hair and a thick beard. You miss his pencil-thin mustache. You know you're not supposed to bother Rip. But sometimes, when no one's looking, you try to wake him up. [[Talk to Rip]]. [[Get back to the game]].

Years pass. You walk hurriedly across the village green. Old man Irving will be upset if you're late for work at the laundry. He always gripes about the ton of washing you haven't done. Your breath is rapid, not so much from the brisk walking but from worry. Archie's leg hasn't healed since the accident and they might not be able to save it. You've had to drop out of school and work to help pay for his care. Things are over between you and your girlfriend because you're just too angry to be around these days. As you pass the tree, you look at Rip. He's shifted a bit to his side and his jacket is lying open. You walk to Rip. His hair is gray. You straighten him up and close his jacket. You sense a weight in the jacket. You put your hand in the inside pocket and [[dig something out|object]].

Close to Rip's ear, you say "Mr. Van Winkle, wake up!" Nothing happens. [[Open his eyes]]. [[Get back to the game]].

You gently peel his eyelids open. His eyes move a little, but they don't return your gaze. Rip starts to stir. You're holding his eyes open for too long. He grunts in misery. [["Mmmph. Zzzzt. Grrrr."]]

You let go. His eyes close and he stops stirring. "Chester, what's the problem?" yells Archie from the other side of the green. You look at Rip. [[Shake him]]. [[Get back to the game]].

You move his head from side to side, slowly at first then picking up speed. "Mrrrrnnnnbbbbzzz," he groans. You shake his shoulders. "Hhhhhggggzzxzx." [[Pinch his nose shut]]. [[Get back to the game]].

You pinch his nose shut. Of all your attempts to wake him so far, this is his least favorite. His hands weakly beat the grass. "Sssshhrrrrx! Zyuuuhhhgg!" "Chester, come on!" yells Archie and other kids waiting for you. Your fingers hold tight onto Rip's nose as his moaning grows louder. "[[Aauuugooollzz uuhhzyx! Eeerroooww duuzzzub! Llggaggh]][[ xyzzy!]]"

You look up and see Archie stomping toward you. Before he can do something far more painful to you than what you're doing to Rip, you let go of Rip's nose. Ball in hand, you [[trot back to the game|Get back to the game]].

The shade under the tree grows a bit darker. You look up and see a gray, sunless sky. You let go of Rip's nose. He becomes silent and still. It is now very quiet. The yelling from the other kids has stopped. You look at the other side of the village green and don't see your friends there anymore. In fact, there's no one here except you and Rip. You hear a distant thudding behind you. It sounds like a horse's gallop. While you turn to look, the thudding becomes much louder and closer. In a split second, it's a deafening drum. You see a horse with a huge man atop it, about to trample you. You dive to one side. Before you shut your eyes and brace for impact, you notice that the man has no head. You feel the horse race right past you, its hoofbeats banging in your ears. You open your eyes. The horse has vanished. The sun is back in the sky. Your friends are yelling at you again. You slowly get up. Under the sounds of the yelling kids and your pounding heart, you think you hear a man's distant, evil [[laugh|Get back to the game]].

It's the ivory brooch. When was the last time you saw this? You trace a finger along the woman's gold-tinged hair. You feel the smooth, cool pearls. The pawn shop closed long ago, but you know you could sell the brooch elsewhere. It should be worth a fortune now. Maybe enough to pay for the operation to save Archie's leg. It's not doing any good in Rip's pocket. [[Put the brooch back in Rip's pocket]]. [[Put the brooch in your pocket and leave]].

(set: $brooch to 0) You shake your head and sigh, putting the brooch back in Rip's pocket. You stand up. You're about to continue to the laundry, then you notice Emma standing nearby. She slowly walks to you, smiling, stooped over slightly. Her hair is gray and she looks a little older than she should. Dad said that years of sadness can do that to a person. "Hi, Chester," she says. "Thanks for taking care of him." She walks over to Rip and looks at him, still smiling. "I've been waiting for him to wake up so he can give that brooch to me," she says. "Then we can fight about money again." One of her hands clasps a part of her shirt, perhaps the place where she would pin the brooch. Emma looks at you. "How's Archie doing?" she asks. "He's getting better, ma'am," you say, your throat dry from the lying. "Dad says they can save his leg." Emma closes her eyes and lowers her head, still clutching that part of her shirt. "Damn thing costs so much," she says. "It's so dumb of me to [[still want it]]."

(set: $brooch to 1) Years pass. You're on your way to your job at Archie's company, passing through the village green. You hear people shouting "he's up, he's up!" Looking around, you notice people converging on the tree. Incredibly, Rip is awake and trying to stand up! You hurry over. When you reach the tree, Archie and two others are helping Rip to his feet. Rip is hunched over in pain, struggling to open his eyes. “What ... what happened to me?” Rip asks in a raspy growl. “Mr. Van Winkle," says Archie, "you've been asleep for 20 years. Twenty years to this very day!” “Twenty years? Why didn’t anyone wake me up?” “We tried,” says a woman. “But you wouldn't wake up no matter what we did. You became a fixture of the village green, as much as the tree you slept under.” “I’ve been under this tree for twenty years?” “Oh, we tried to move you inside. We'd put you in one bed or another, but your sleep would become fitful. You wouldn’t--" "We can explain everything later, Mr. Van Winkle," Archie says, "the important thing is that you're awake now. How can we [[help you]]?"

Slowly, painfully, Emma eases herself down next to Rip. She puts one arm around his shoulder. She raises her other arm to gently rake her fingers through Rip's hair and beard. "You're an idiot if you think you can win me over with this," she says to him, patting the pocket where the brooch is. "You're an idiot for so many reasons." She looks up at you, smiling but with tears in her eyes. "I'd like to come visit Archie today," she says. "I'm sure he'd like that, Mrs. Van Winkle," you say. "Pardon me, I should get to work." She turns back to Rip, rocking him [[slowly|laundry]].

Years pass. You pause at the lemonade stand and put down a dollar. The two kids at the stand gratefully pour you a glass. They're about the same age you and Archie were when you sold candy apples. You taste the lemonade. It's too sweet, but you nod in approval. A butterfly flies over the kids, who try to catch it. You think about that candy apple you gave Rip. How long ago was that? Twenty years ago? You frown. Yes, in fact, it was exactly twenty years ago today. You look at the kids and wonder if they will grow up taking care of Rip like you did. Your own kids are just babies now, but maybe they'll take care of Rip, too. There is a loud cry behind you, in the direction of the [[tree]].

You turn to see what happened and nearly drop the glass of lemonade. Rip is no longer sleeping peacefully. He is leaning on one hand, trying to get up! "Aaaaaarrrrr!" he yells. His eyes are closed tight. He's in a lot of pain. You put down the glass, clutch your doctor's bag, and run to Rip. You can already hear people around you shouting "He's up! He's up!" You reach Rip and tell him to lie down, but he won't. He still struggles to rise, putting most of his weight on one hand while the other hand clutches his lower back. You put down your doctor's bag and help him to a kneeling position. Soon the whole town is gathered under the tree, cheering and shouting. Two other men help Rip to his feet while you listen for his heartbeat through your stethoscope. He is still hunched over in pain, but his eyes are open and adjusting to the [[light]].

“What ... what happened to me?” Rip asks in a raspy growl. “Why Rip,” says one man, “You've been asleep for 20 years. In fact, 20 years to this very day!” “Twenty years? Why didn’t anyone wake me up?” “We tried,” says a woman. “But you wouldn't wake up no matter what we did. You became a fixture of the village green, as much as the tree you slept under.” “I’ve been under this tree for twenty years?” “Oh, we tried to move you inside. We'd put you in one bed or another, but your sleep would become fitful. You wouldn’t stop tossing and turning unless we brought you back here. We took care of you, though, keeping the rain and sun off of you, keeping you bundled in the winter." “Because you stayed under this tree," says another townsperson, "everyone could keep an eye on you. We held our town meetings here so that you would be present. Young couples even came here to be married in your presence, that you might bring them [[luck]]."

“Married in my presence,” Rip says slowly. He then reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out the ivory brooch. “Where’s my wife?” he asks, his eyes searching the crowd. Everyone falls silent. You take a deep breath. “Mrs. Van Winkle passed away, sir," you say. "It was some years ago. Before she became ill, she would come and sit next to you every day and comb your hair. She would talk to you, even though you could not respond.” Rip's eyes close as tears emerge from them. He begins to sob. The strength leaves his legs, but the men holding him up prevent him from [[falling]].

Later that day, the town is gathered around Emma Van Winkle's grave. You had tried to convince Rip to rest, but he would not hear of it. Slowly and painfully, he bathed and got dressed with the help of you and a few others. He now stands before Emma's grave, straight and tall, without assistance. His eyes are red and moist. But he looks majestic with his white hair and beard, which he has chosen to keep long. He looks gentlemanly in his suit. His hands are clasped in front of him as he gazes upon the tombstone. The preacher reads aloud words of comfort from his holy book. They are the same words he said when Emma was buried years ago. The people who were at that funeral are here now. Even Archie is here despite his leg, leaning against his cane. The preacher stops speaking, closes his book, and [[looks at Rip]].

Rip closes his eyes for a few seconds, then opens them. "We never had children, you and I," he says. "But look at all the people here who took care of me, even after you died. It's like I married the entire town." He smiles at this, as do you. "Now they have children of their own," he says. He reaches into his coat pocket and takes out the brooch, studying it. "I can look after their children as if they were ours. I bet you'd like that, babe." Later in the day, before the shops close, Rip sells the brooch for a handsome sum. He buys gifts for all the town's children. That Christmas, and on every Christmas thereafter, he becomes their Santa Claus. If you were to visit the town today, you might catch a glimpse of old Rip. He'll be sitting under that tree, but awake this time, watching the people work and the children play, returning all the love and attention that they had given him. The End

The signs say "Doogan Brothers Candy Apples, 1$" Archie outlined the words in big bold letters, while you made them colorful with crayons. [[Back|Candy Apple Stand]]

It's one of those comic books that you're not supposed to read because it's too "scary." You don't think Archie is supposed to read it, either. Maybe you'll tell on him. [[Back|Bored, you squirm in your chair.]]

Rip reaches into his jacket pocket, frowns, and looks around. “Where’s my wife?” he asks. “I'm sorry, sir," Archie says. "Mrs. Van Winkle passed away a few years ago, from an illness.” The strength leaves Rip as he collapses in sobs. Only the men holding him up prevent him from falling. Archie grimaces in pity and pats Rip's shoulder. As people crowd closer to comfort Rip, Archie edges his way to you. He puts an arm around you nods in the direction of his company, to which you both now walk. You hear there's going to be a second funeral for Emma, for Rip's sake. There's too much work to do for you and Archie to attend. Weeks later, you hear that Rip left town. No one seems to know where he went. You suppose that with Emma gone, he had no reason to stay. So he took off. Maybe someday you will, too. The End [[(or decide differently)|object]]

Thanks to MonkeyFinger and Jaymon, my fellow minions of the <a href="http://www.octopusoverlords.com">Octopus Overlords</a>, for testing this game. Thanks to Jillian of Delicate Industry for granting permission to use the photo of her brooch. The brooch's Etsy listing is <a href=https://www.etsy.com/listing/269622043/blue-cameo-brooch-light-blue-cameo">here</a>. Thanks to the interactive fiction community for entertaining and inspiring me. Thanks to Washington Irving whose well-known short story is the basis of this game. ''About the Author'' Hipólito has been a fan of interactive fiction ever since playing //Trinity// by Infocom. He has judged the Interactive Fiction Competition almost every year since 2005. He has long wanted to compete in it as well. This year, the 25th anniversary of the competition, he is finally doing so with "Rip Retold." [[Back|Main Menu]]