Response to Tales from the Valley: Stone Special 1
This was a great Twine story; spoilers follow for those who haven’t read it.
Initially, I climbed the cliff and was slain by the bird. Subsequently, I opted to wait before my ascent. Having acquired the axe, I climbed once more, this time saying the bird. After, I made my way to the bloody altar, where I swiftly ended the suffering of my twin there. The events that unfolded after that left me somewhat confused. After dispatching my suffering twin, I was swept away by the ocean, only to awaken in my hut, having survived the ordeal.
This narrative was really engaging. I persisted despite my character's demise. It made me think of Genndy Tartakovsky's "Primal." For some reason I was imaging South Coast English beaches.
Incidentally, my wife Nicole has a profound interest in Twine and Choose Your Own Adventure stories. Her dissertation actually focused on the form; it analyzed the now-defunct website that facilitated the collaborative crafting of Choose Your Own Adventures: Protagonize.com. Despite its closure in 2017, the site remains a cherished memory.
Here is more information (if interested): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protagonize
The prose within the story was excellent. Would love to read/navigate a longer narrative. I think that the prehistoric setting of sword and sorcery is supremely suited to the Choose Your Own Adventure/Twine format. The inherent tension of the survival genre--teetering on the precipice between life and death--is heightened by this interactive format.