Choose Your Own Path Story

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Choose Your Own Path Story

Postby bluebudgie » Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:35 am

Hello! I wanted to try something different from what I usually write and I came up with the idea of a choose your own path story. Please feel free to give advice or post a comment. I'm always looking for ways to improve and knowing people's opinions can be really helpful. Also, if you see a grammar or spelling mistake I would love to notified. I'm sure I'll have plenty of those in my writing. I'm not the world's greatest writer but I try my best!
Last edited by bluebudgie on Fri Mar 19, 2021 12:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Choose Your Own Path Story (Setting up don't post)

Postby bluebudgie » Tue Jan 26, 2021 8:37 am

The Town Of Woodlake


The car window is rolled down to combat the enduring summer heat. Earthy-scented wind makes your hair dance as you watch the blurry trees roll by. Your legs itch for a proper stretch.

Your wish is granted as the trees give way to a sprawling lake and the tiny town at its edge. The town of Woodlake. A quaint, nature-touched place in the middle of nowhere. The east and south are flanked by two large lakes, and the west and north are surrounded by a thick forest. Visions of hiking, swimming, and watching wildlife stir your hopes. Maybe a summer with Uncle Pete and Aunt Leah will be better than you thought. If they continued to make you feel too unwelcomed, you at least had options to avoid them.

A lump rises in your throat but you force it down. Your aunt and uncle have always been nice, fun people. They were probably just private and that's why they were so hesitant to let you visit. It probably wasn't because they had some kind of dark secret hidden in their basement. If they did, you guess you were going to find out.

The car rolls into town. It's as tiny as it looked in the distance. There's a library, a coffee shop, a single grocery store, and not much else. The car pulls into the driveway of a little grey house at the edge of the town. Behind it is the forest.

"We're here," Uncle Pete says. You both get out of the car and the typical greetings and hugs from your aunt ensues. Then came the house tour, where you're shown your room. You toss your bag onto the bed to deal with later. Then you're led to the kitchen where lunch is set on the table. Taking a seat, you pile food onto your plate, stopping when you catch your relatives exchanging a look. Did you already do something wrong?

"I know you just got here but there are some very critical rules we need to mention immediately," Uncle Pete says. "You probably want to go exploring, you were always that kind of kid. But you have to keep away from the forest. Just don't go far into it and don't go in at night."

You blink. "Okay?" A muscle in your uncle's jaw twitches. He opens his mouth, pauses, and then asks you about your siblings.

After inhaling your food, you go outside. It's a lovely day and you want to check out the area. You decide to avoid the forest for now. You don't want to get on your uncle's bad side right at the start. You're not going to avoid it for the entire summer but it's off limits today. That leaves the town and lake to check out. What do you do?

-Go explore the town
-Walk over to the lakes
Last edited by bluebudgie on Sun Dec 17, 2023 12:47 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Choose Your Own Path Story

Postby bluebudgie » Sun Jan 31, 2021 10:23 am

The Town Of Woodlake: The Lakes


The air is cooler around the lake, a welcome break. No one is around. Not even a boat bobbing on distant waters. There is only the rhythmic lapping of water and the chirps of a bird to keep you company. Taking a seat at the edge of a small dock, you dangle your feet in the cold water. You look for glimpses of fish darting through the thick weave of aquatic plants. There's nothing and you wonder if you can get your hands on a boat or fishing pole. Maybe someone would let you borrow theirs. You take one more moment to absorb the scenery before getting up and continuing your walk. There are some giant rocks piled up at the edge of the water that might be fun to climb. They are slick with algae and you nearly fall a few times. Grace and agility have never blessed you.

Jumping from rock to rock, you notice something stuck in a crack sparkle in the light. Probably a pop can but you go look anyway. It's not like you're busy. Balancing yourself on the edge, you investigate. Your head tilts. It's not garbage. It's...well, it's something.

Grace and agility must have blessed you somewhat, actually. You manage to scoop it up without slipping. It's a shell of some sort. A snail shell, almost as big as your palm. Thankfully nothing is living in it. As you study it, you notice the color of the shell change from purple to green. A genuine color change, not iridescence. It keeps cycling, turning from green to blue to red to black. You don't know much about snails but you think that's fairly unusual. You pocket the shell.

The rest of the day passes with little excitement. At dinner, a nagging feeling keeps you from mentioning the shell. You chat about small matters before heading to your room. You try googling on your phone what kind of snails have color-changing shells but the pages refuse to load. The internet here is ridiculously slow. Were you going to have to go to the library to find your answer? Find a book about snails and see if there is an identification somewhere in the pages?

Boredom gets the best of you and you decide to try it. As you walk out of the driveway, a high-pitched scream comes from the forest, freezing you in your tracks. You wait for something to happen. No other sounds follow and you shift uneasily. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to walk outside now. But you also want to see where the scream came from. Just in case someone needs help. It's getting dark though, and you were told to stay away from the forest. You contemplate your options before deciding:

-Ignore it. It's probably nothing
-Go investigate
Last edited by bluebudgie on Sun Dec 17, 2023 1:14 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Choose Your Own Path Story

Postby bluebudgie » Fri Feb 12, 2021 2:17 pm

The Town Of Woodlake: The Town


You head into town, remembering once you get there that there is little to see. You spot an old-looking building across the street and remember the library you passed. Walking up the stairs of the library, you hope they'll have something to do. You're okay with reading. It's not the worst thing. The lady at the desk looks up from her book and waves. You look around, breathing in the smell of books and wooden shelves. The collection is small, unsurprisingly, but it will do. You browse the shelves, unsure of what you want. Your hand grabs the edge of a book when you hear a voice behind you.

"Oh my gosh, is that a person my age?" You turn around to see a girl holding a stack of books. She sets her books down on a nearby chair and brushes a strand of bright red hair from her face. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you. There's no one to talk to around here and it's killing me. Normally, my two sisters come with me but this year they were busy so I got sent over to my grandma's place alone. I've been dying of boredom ever since I arrived. I haven't even been here very long either! Just 4 days." She goes quiet for a second and looks at the floor. "I think that's a bad sign." Her head jerks upwards. "But... you'll want to hang out right?" She digs her toe into the floor. "My grandma is nice and all but she's old. Not a huge problem of course but I just can't talk to her the way. You know what I mean? We mostly..." she trails off. "Sorry, I tend to babble. If you ever think I'm getting annoying feel free to tell me to shut up. I'm used to it and won't take offense. Anyway, I'm Alexis," she says and extends a hand.

"Adrian," you say as you shake it.

You chat for some time, finding a few common interests. Time slips by and you realize you need to return for dinner. Saying your goodbyes and agreeing to meet another day, you don't get very far before Alexis blurts out, "Would you like to come with me to the forest tomorrow?" You turn around. She continues talking before you get to say anything. "You probably already think I'm crazy so I'll just say I'm looking for dragons. I swear I saw one, years ago, when I was walking in there with my sister. It disappeared before she could see it though and I've been trying to find it again ever since. Want to come? Walking around alone is boring."

-Tell her you'll come
-Decline her invitation
Last edited by bluebudgie on Sun Dec 17, 2023 4:16 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Choose Your Own Path Story

Postby bluebudgie » Fri Feb 19, 2021 1:14 pm

The Town Of Woodlake: What was that?


You know that some animals make noises eerily similar to human screams and decide it's better to go back inside. You step back into the house and walk to your room, plunking into your chair. Opening one of the desk drawers, you find some blank sheets of paper and a couple of pens. It will do. You take a piece of paper out and start doodling your life away. As tiny drawings start to crowd your page, you glance out the window and notice it's quite dark outside. Your eyes catch the faintest pinpricks of light in the sky and you turn off the lamp to get a better look. Your attention, however, is not on the stars but on the faint, flickering glow in the forest. You can make out a human shape in the trees, stumbling over branches. The light source swings with the uneven and wobbly gait. The light grows brighter and brighter until the figure breaks through the tree line, stumbling hard. You bite your lip to keep from screaming.

It stumbles towards the house, tripping over its long, unproportioned limbs. Wrinkled, ghostly pale skin clings to a skeletal frame. Long, pitch-black hair drips down its face and shoulders like a waterfall, not quite hiding its two large and entirely milky white eyes. Its back is covered in tiny black feathers, partially covering small spikes protruding from its spine. It pauses at the edge of the driveway, raising a lantern dangling from a single finger over its head. It narrows its eyes before letting out a familiar scream. A shiver runs down your spine. Slinking down the road, it looks around carefully before turning and slipping back into the forest. You watch the light fade away, standing at the window long after it's gone. Your hands grip the window ledge, fingers aching slightly from how hard you are clinging to it. With a shuddering breath, you stumble backward and collapse on the bed, pulling the blankets around you. What was that thing?

Morning came slowly after a sleepless night. You find your aunt in the kitchen, sipping at a cup of coffee.

"Those wild animals in the forest, they're quite unusual."

She grimaces. "You saw them?" You nod and she pinches the bridge of her nose. "They're the reason we didn't want you coming. Don't worry about them though, they've never hurt anyone. Seem more afraid of us, actually." She then returns to her breakfast without saying anything more. You stare at her.

"Is that it?"

"There's not much to say. We don't know anything about them. They won't appear on cameras and leave no evidence of their existence behind. Just stay away from the forest as a precaution and you'll be fine."

You contemplate what you want to do.

-Listen to your aunt and stay far away from those things
-See what else you can learn about them
Last edited by bluebudgie on Sun Dec 17, 2023 4:30 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Choose Your Own Path Story

Postby bluebudgie » Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:55 am

The Town Of Woodlake: A Very Strange Bird


"Sorry, but my aunt and uncle said they don't want me going into the forest."

Alexis looks crushed.

You offer her a weak smile and shrug. "Maybe they're worried I'll get eaten by a dragon."

She gives you a small smile. "Oh well. See you around then." You nod and leave, stepping into the thick, hot air. As you step into the driveway of your relative's house, you notice a large bird sitting on the roof. You can't see it very well but you think it's a bird of prey. Minutes pass and it doesn't move. Heat pools into your cheeks as you realize it's probably one of those decoys to scare off other animals.

After eating dinner and spending some time with your aunt and uncle, you head up to your room for the night. In the evening light, you spot a large shadow just outside your window on a branch. A bird, like the one that was on the roof. Sneaking up to the window, you get a closer look. It's a medium brown with flecks of white and built like an eagle but you can't be sure. The bird turns its head towards you and you jolt. Its eyes were neon pink and glowed softly. You think you see the bird's eyes glow brighter. A shockwave folds you onto the floor as pink light overtakes your vision.

You are flung into deep space, millions of stars swirling around you at impossible speeds. Thousands of red, white, and blue lights twinkle in the distance and spin into dazzling swirls of spilled paint. You drift backward through the kaleidoscope of color. A sharp tug yanks you sideways and into the motion of the stars. Light consumes you as you are spun in rapid circles, increasing in speed. You can't move, you can't scream, you can't gasp. The circles become more and more constricted, like water swirling down a drain.

Then you are underwater. It's cold and black. Not a shred of light penetrates the inky darkness, yet you know what's around you. You can feel the landscape around you. No, you are part of it. You are stretched out across every mountain and trench. It's still and immense. A clap of thunder sounds in the distance. The reverberations of the sound slice through you and you find yourself stumbling backward and crashing onto your back. Carpet scratches at your skin. Your limbs feel like heavy weights, chains even.

It's many minutes before you're able to get up and look out the window again. The bird is gone. There's only a forest and an empty road. It's mundane but something doesn't feel right. It doesn't look the same but you can't find the difference. Collapsing on your bed, you wonder if you dreamed it all. Maybe you fell asleep unknowingly. Or perhaps you're dehydrated. Yeah, that's it. You chuckle nervously and shake your head. You're dehydrated. It's hot, you've been busy. You go downstairs to get some water.

The next morning you wake up and roll over, wanting to go back to sleep. You catch a glimpse of the curtains before closing your eyes and suddenly snap awake. There's a reason why you slept facing the other side all night. You lay in bed, suspiciously eyeing the window. Maybe you'll just leave the curtains closed. That would leave you unprepared for any pink-eyed eagles that might divebomb you as you walk out the door, but you hallucinated it all so why worry? Hesitantly, you get up and open the curtains. Empty branch.

A trip to the lake sounded good today. A good place to forget everything. As you walk down the driveway, a strong breeze dislodges a feather from the tree outside your window. You pick it up, stomach lurching. A first glance, the feather is normal but a small slip of paper is tied around the shaft. You unravel it to find a simple drawing of a city with rounded and spiraling architecture. It looks like something from a fantasy book. On the back of the paper, three words are written neatly: In the forest. Your heart skips a few beats. Was this why you were told to stay out of the forest?

You are surprised how quickly your fear turns to intrigue. You do hate being bored.

-Continue
Last edited by bluebudgie on Sun Dec 17, 2023 5:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Choose Your Own Path Story

Postby bluebudgie » Sat Mar 06, 2021 1:19 pm

The Town Of Woodlake: Looking for Something


You were told not to go very far into the forest, or at night. Not to avoid it completely. It's still fairly light out and the source had to be close. Otherwise, you wouldn't have heard the scream. You would just take a quick look. Clomping through the forest, you realize you don't know where to start looking. It's a big forest and every tree looks the same. It thrilling though and the scenery is beautiful. The yellow light of evening ignites the vibrant green leaves above you into a soft glow. A bird calls in the distance and a reply comes from farther away. The smell of wood and dirt is thick in the air. Maybe you could return tomorrow. What was wrong with the forest?

You look around for anything unusual, occasionally calling out in hopes of a reply. The only sounds you get are of nature. It is getting dimmer by the second and dark shadows start to form around the trees. You should head back. Sighing, you look around one last time. A strong breeze makes the branches swing and you briefly notice something not too far up. Walking a little closer, you see a ruined building of stone claimed by plants. You smile. Looks like you found something to do tomorrow.

You return the next morning, finally finding the building after roaming around for some time. It isn't much. One room about the size of a large shed. The roof is gone and the door has almost rotted away. Dried leaves crunch under your feet, and the smell of dirt is strong here. Plants grow in every crevice and ivy covers the walls, creating a blanket of leaves. You look upwards at the splotch of sky peaking out from the gap in the trees. It's completely silent, not even the chirp of a bird. You breathe in the fresh air, feeling content. A rustle behind you causes you to turn around and you peer through the foliage for whatever made the noise. Disappointingly, you don't see anything. As you turn back, you notice a giant white flower growing on the wall. It's the size of your hand and has four triangular petals, not quite fully opened. You frown, unsure if that was there before. Walking over, you touch the spade-shaped leaves of the plant, feeling their smooth surface. At your touch, the flower jolts violently and vines start peeling off of the wall. You yelp and stumble backward, tripping over a vine on the floor. The flower stretches its petals out and at the very center, you see a single blue eye staring back at you. Your scream sends the plant into motion. The vines littered on the floor lift upward and clamp around your wrists and waists, squeezing tighter with every pull. Already restrained, you are only able to yell. The flower shudders at your noises and tangles a vine over your mouth. You're hauled out of the building, stones, and sticks on the floor digging into your back. The sky vanishes as you are pulled into a hole between the roots of a tree. It's dark. The walls press you in on all sides. Your chest heaves with gasping breaths.

You come to a halt. The vines suddenly loosen and let go. You instantly scramble to your feet, hitting your head on the ceiling in the process. You crouch on your knees, shouting and waving your hands around. They don't touch anything but dirt and after a moment you start to relax. There doesn't seem to be anything going to eat you. Something touches your back and you scream, backing away until you hit the wall. Perhaps you thought too soon. You kick out into the darkness and your foot collides with something.

"Will you stop that? I'm trying to help!"

You pause. It's the voice of a girl.

-"Who are you?" (WIP)
-"Uhh...Sorry?" (WIP)
Last edited by bluebudgie on Sun Dec 17, 2023 5:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Choose Your Own Path Story

Postby bluebudgie » Sun Mar 14, 2021 12:34 pm

The Town Of Woodlake: Hello Again


Alexis is already waiting for you when you walk out the door. She's got a backpack and a camera hanging around her neck. She grins. "I feel lucky today. I'm going to finally find a dragon." You smile at her optimism, unsure what to make about her claim about dragons. She probably saw a bird, though it would be cool if dragons existed.

"You probably don't believe me do you?" she says as she climbs over a log.

You hesitate, unsure whether to lie. "I don't expect you to believe me. I don't think I would believe me. Sometimes I do wonder if I imagined it. It's been so long and memory isn't always reliable." She kicks a rock out of her path. "At the same time, this forest is weird. I've wandered through here many times and I swear, each year more and more strange stuff starts popping up."

You look at her. "Strange stuff?"

She shrugs. "Nothing like a dragon or unicorn. More like flowers that I can't find in any greenhouse or animal calls that are completely out of place."

You don't know what to make about that either. She switches the conversation to something else. You barely get to say anything before the sound of rushing water interrupts your chat. A river.

"This eventually connects to the lake," Alexis says. You spot a big log stuck in the river, forming a bridge to the other side. It's slippery with wet moss. "Which way do you want to go?" Alexis asks.

-Go upriver
-Head downriver (WIP)
-Cross it
Last edited by bluebudgie on Sun Dec 17, 2023 5:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Choose Your Own Path Story

Postby bluebudgie » Tue Mar 23, 2021 12:19 pm

The Town Of Woodlake: The Coffee Shop


The idea of strange monsters is too interesting to not learn more. Who would pass up the opportunity to find creatures the world didn't know about? You could go down in history. If your aunt is hesitant to speak, you just have to find someone who will. Walking into town, you open the doors of the coffee shop. The delightful aroma of coffee and food greets your nose. It's nearly empty, only a woman behind the counter and a man sitting by the window with a notebook is there. You glance around. The coffee shop has a very nature-y feel to it with its wooden furniture and tiny potted plants on every table and window. A couple of paintings, all of nature cover the light brown walls.

"Hello!" The woman calls out. "Can I get you anything?" Deciding it would be weird to enter into a coffee shop without actually getting anything, you point to the first thing that catches your eye in the display case. She hands you the chocolate muffin and you pay for it. Taking one last look around, you decide who you want to talk to.

-Talk to the woman behind the counter (WIP)
-Ask the man by the window if you can join him
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Re: Choose Your Own Path Story

Postby bluebudgie » Mon Mar 29, 2021 8:47 am

The Town Of Woodlake: John


You walk up to the man by the window. He looks up as you approach his table. "Mind if I sit?" you ask and he gestures for you to join him. He closes the notebook he was writing in.

"I haven't seen you around before, you new?"

"Yes, I'm staying the summer with some family."

He finishes his tea. "We don't get many visitors around here."

You sit back in your chair. "Yeah...I think I discovered why last night." He gives you a solemn nod.

"Don't be too frightened by them. They seem harmless despite their appearance. I've been researching them for 2 years now and they're quite timid."

You can't believe your luck. A researcher? He's probably the best person around to talk to. "Oh, I'm quite fascinated by them actually. Could you tell me more?" He looks surprised.

"Most people around here don't like them. I didn't think a visitor would be interested."

You shrug. "It's different and I need something to do all summer."

He smiles. "My name's John. I was planning on going into the forest today to see if I could gather some more information. Would you like to come? It's been a while since someone's been curious about my work." You quickly agree to go. "There are two areas that are hotspots for these creatures, which we call lurks. The first one's in the north and the other one is more to the west. I'm not picky where we go; I'm sure we'll find something either way." You think for a moment.

-Go north (WIP)
-Go west (WIP)
Last edited by bluebudgie on Sun Dec 17, 2023 5:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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