Rosemary

In the lower left corner of the game screen, you'll notice a button that shows a tree: half of it growing and lush, half of it dead. Pushing this button will alternate between the modern day (which is dreary) and the past (which is golden).

You can talk to characters in the past, but you can't manipulate things, because they're strictly a memory. I'm guessing that the dialogue is a memory of conversations that Rosemary had in the past, but is only now remembering. Things you remember from the past will let you find objects in the present, and you can manipulate them there.

1. In Front of the Two Houses

You start in front of two houses: yours and Tommy's. You can look around at the houses. Note a small, odd-looking grey square in front of Tommy's house, right behind his mailbox. You'll come back to that later.

You'll note that your inventory is empty right now. If you click on the photo album, however, you'll discover a boy rag-doll in your inventory. This is actually a photograph which you can put in any of the picture slots in the album. However, you can't complete the pages without a second picture that matches up somehow. As you enter into Rosemary's memories, more photos will show up and you can complete the story that way.

After looking over the houses in Current Time, click the Memory button and enter Memory Time. Take a good look at everything, especially the girl doll. Looks similar to the doll in your photo album, right?

Click the photo album. You have both dolls in your inventory. On the first page you'll see two empty picture slots, and on the opposit page a sentence: "Once upon a time there was a ___ doll called ___. He was best ___ with a doll called ___." Carry the picture of the boy ragdoll to the top slot and the picture of the girl doll to the bottom slot, and the blanks will automatically fill in, completing the sentences and giving you a clue.

Note: To get out of the Photo Album view, you'll have to click the photo album again.

Click on the Memory Button and return to Current Time. That grey spot is now a blue lunch box. Open the lunch box and you will have both the box and a map in your inventory. Clikcing on the map gives you a rough idea of the layout of the game. Click to the left of the screen and enter the new screen, in front of the theater.

2. In Front of the Theater

Note the potted plant out front. You'll be coming back to that later on. Meanwhile, if you want to, take a look around and get a feel for the theater. Note the poster - another picture will show up in the photo album when you look at it.

Switch over to Memory Time. Mr. Thimble, the theater owner, stands outside, and the place where the poster in Current Time was is now empty. Look at Mr. Thimble, and Rosemary will remember that he was always chasing after the kids when he thought they'd taken something. Talking to him reveals that the poser he just put up is missing.

Go into the photo album. On the second page are two more photo slots and the sentence, "___was easy to tease, we always made him ___. He looked as if he would explode when his latest ___ was ___." Arrange the two pictures, with the picture of Mr. Thimble in the top slot and the picture of the poster in the bottom. The sentences will complete and give you a second clue.

The poster will return and Mr. Thimble will ask where you found it. Whatever your answer, as long as you answer something other than, "Bye," he'll say you're covering for Tom, and mention that Tom's mother is worried about him. He'll ask you to go talk to Tom's mother. This time, stay in Memory Time when you switch scenes, and return to the two houses you just left.

3. Two Houses Again

Tom's mother will be out front. Talk to her and she'll tell you that Tom was last seen heading to the old tree house. It's noted on your map. Rosemary tells her she'll go look for Tom. Return to Current Time and go to the right.

4. The Well

In current time, the well is a mess. In front of the well is a pile of rope. Take it and look at it in your inventory. Turns out that's the rope ladder to the tree house. Look at the well very carefully, and note the well bar at the top. Rosemary comments that the well bar was what they used to lower and lift the bucket as well as other odds and ends. Keep this in mind. Click at the top of the screen to go to the tree house.

5. The Tree House

You'll reach a run-down tree house. Look at it, and Rosemary will recall that the lighthouse keeper had given the kids a toy pirate ship to play with. That will trigger a new picture in the photo album. Switch to Memory Time.

In Memory Time, a little boy is sitting at the base of the tree, wearing a pirate eye patch. Look at him, and Rosemary will remember that he's Bobby Thimble, Mr. Thimble's son. She'll recall that he was always hanging around the tree house looking to trade items with Rosemary and Tommy, and a new photo will show up in the album. Talk to Bobby. He'll reveal he's playing with a hook, but won't give it to you.

Go into the Photo Album. There's one final page with two photo slots and another sentence with blanks in it: "___ wanted to be a part of our ___ gang. He wanted to be a ___ like us but he wasn't ___ enough." Put the picture of Bobby in the top slot and the picture of the toy pirate ship in the bottom slot, and the sentences will complete, giving you a final clue.

Bobby leaves saying that he's going to go recruite a crew, but he's going to hide his pirate stash. Rosemary remarks that he hid his stuff someplace he hung out a lot. Recall that Bobby is Mr. Thimble the theater owner's son. Return to Current Time and travel to the theater again.

Note: To leave the Tree House scene, you have to click on the left side of the screen, not at the bottom.

6. The Theater Again

You're back in front of the theater. Look at the potted plant. There's a lump of dirt where Rosemary speculates that Bobby hid his pirate treasure. Dig there and reveal the hook. Take the hook. By now you have the rope and the hook in your inventory. Click on "Put" in your verb collection, and then click on either the rope or the hook. Rosemary will ask where to put the rope (or hook). Click on the hook (or the rope) and Rosemary will combine the hook and the rope together to make a grapple.

Now that you have the hook and rope together, it's time to head to the well. Click to the right twice to get in front of the well. Make sure you stay in Current Time. When you get to the well, click "Put" and click on the grapple. Rosemary asks where to put the grapple. Click on the well bar. Rosemary will attach the grapple to the well bar and descend into the well.

This is important - as Rosemary descends, you get a screen of her wide-eyed and holding the rope. DO NOT CLICK ANYTHING! If you do, the game will close, because it will flash-forward past the ending, and you'll be stuck having to replay the entire thing to see the full ending and understand what the heck actually happened.