Kalon #306 Tryout Form (Please don't post)

[MotherMother]

It wasn't worth the potential sickness. Besides, he couldn't be that far from the city, could he? Maybe just another day or so. He'd have clean water there. This water could be unsafe and give him a virus. Stomach flu would not help him.
He looked into the water and noticed a few flickers of fin, a swish of a slimy tail. Now it was time to catch some dinner.
Koda found a sizable stick and sharpened it with a jagged rock. He was a city boy, but he was also smart. He then stood at the river bank, poised like a snake ready to strike, and held the makeshift spear above his head, waiting for the right moment.
SPLASH! The stick struck the water and hit the pebbles below. No fish. It's alright, he told himself, and righted himself. A glistening body slid into view. SPLASH! Another miss. He tried not to get discouraged.

It took hours before he considered stopping. His hunger drove him further, telling him to keep trying. Eventually, his efforts were rewarded. He struck down and felt something under the end of his spear. He pulled it out of the water and revealed a small, measly fish wriggling on the stick, spraying him with slimy water.

Now, to make a fire. How do you do that again? Kodiac looked around. "Aha!" He exclaimed and grabbed two rocks. He gathered some wood and made a crude fire pit. Then he crouched on the ground over it and hit the two rocks together.
Nothing happened. Confused, Kodiac struck again, and again, and again until his paws were sore. Was he doing it right? Why wasn't he getting any sparks? He angrily threw the rocks into the river and buried his face in his paws. He didn't belong here. He didn't know anything about the woods. Sure, he got a fish. But it took hours and he couldn't even eat it. He looked up. The sun was going down. It would be another cold night.

Try to make a fire — Give up on the fire

[MotherMother]

The night was cold. A fire would have been nice. At least, he thought, I'm not dead yet. I might have some food. I'll figure out what to do with the fish tomorrow. And he drifted off to dreamland, dreaming of fires and fish and clean water. But then the dream turned and the forest became menacing. A bear ripped through the trees and came storming over towards him. It breathed hot breath on his face. It stank and stung his eyes.
Kodiac awoke with a start and looked around. The sun kissed his face, and it was late morning. He took a last look at the water and picked up his fish. He sniffed it. It smelled as bad as fish always do. But was it spoiled? He didn't know. He took it with him anyway as he set off again, walking east back to his city. At least he had a compass in the sky that told him which way that was. He gave a light smile to the sun and left the river behind.

On his trail he saw bugs and flowers and plenty of moss on the trees around him. He took a moment to enjoy the crisp air and actually appreciate nature's beauty. Then he saw something even more beautiful. Berries! He ran over to a large bush of blackberries. He knew that he shouldn't eat any berry that he didn't know, but he was 100 % certain what these were. He picked off the ripest berries, avoiding those already picked over by the birds, and snuffled them up. They left a red stain on his paws that he licked off. The berries burst in his mouth with a sweet tartness that was better than those blackberry danishes he bought at the coffee shop back home. The fish would be garbage compared to this! But he kept in anyway, just in case.
After he filled his belly and stuffed his pockets he set off again, feeling energetic and hydrated from their juice. This was the best he'd felt during this whole ordeal.
He broke out of the trees and onto the road. A line of buildings guarded the horizon. "That wasn't so bad, after all." He grinned, and watched the sun drift through the sky as he traveled along the last leg of his journey.

More cars. Nature fading. Deliciously smelling cafes and countless stores were popping up around him. He walked along the sidewalk, smiling at the glistening bodies of sleek cars that reminded him of that fish. He looked quite foolish carrying that thing around, but he didn't care.

Kodiac approached his apartment and felt a surge of relief. Oh, how he missed these concrete walls, musky smell and flickering lights! It all sounded great to him. He pulled out his key and slid it into the lock. The chambers clicked into place and he pushed open the door. He walked into the kitchen and fried his fish. He washed a bowl and dumped the blackberries into it. He brought his plates to the table and sat, and began his forest meal within the concrete trees of the city.

— THE END —

[MotherMother]

Kodiac couldn't figure out exactly where he came from, but if he just faced the other way and walked he would eventually reached the road. And he did. He returned to the place he'd started, and felt frustrated for wasting his time. Now, which way to walk? Oh yes, east. He looked at the sun and kept it at his back as he followed the road.
The shadows between the trees seemed to move. He started to jump whenever he heard the slightest sound. His eyes were wide and his ears were perked. He was on full alert as he did the only thing he could do; just walk.

Continue

[MotherMother]

He was tired and hungry. He chose food over sleep and decided to utilize the final few hours before the sun went down to his advantage. While he still had light, he could search for food.
Hunting was out of the question. If he found a water source, he could find fish. Not that he likes fish all that much, but right now he was getting ready to nibble the daisies on the forest floor. He wandered around when he came across a pile of animal droppings and stopped dead in his tracks. His inexperience lent him fear as he figured out if it were from a bear.
No, just a deer.
He relaxed, and breathed out a long breath. He walked around it and continued his aimless journey. Then he realized what this meant! Hooray! Deer need water, and right now so did he. A deer wouldn't travel so far from water to be unable to reach it. So Koda took a look at his surroundings. Which way to go? Where would he find water?
He was no tracker so he couldn't trace the deer's steps as he wished he could. Instead he had to pick a direction and start walking.

A sound, so soft, so faint in the distance... Bubbling, gurgling, swirling water! Yes! He gave a shout of joy and sprinted towards it, crashing onto the back. He scooped up some water in his paws.

Drink — Don't drink

[MotherMother]

He felt too unsafe out on the road. Too exposed. In the dark he wandered into the forest, into the cover of the trees. But he was quickly turned around and lost. "What?" He gasped, disoriented. "I've barely walked ten steps!" It was true, he hadn't gone far at all. But in this darkness he couldn't see much and stumbled around until he tripped on a root and crashed to the ground. Groaning, he brought up the painful memory of hitting the ground as he was shoved out of the car. The very touchy memory that hurled him into this mess. Unable to see anything other than his own paws in front of his face, he decided this was where he would sleep.

He awoke in a cluster of trees beneath a huge oak whose roots jut from the ground. What he tripped on last night. He swiped his paws over his clothes and dusted of the dirt. He flicked away an ant that was creeping up his arm. He never really liked bugs.

His stomach growled. He needed food. Or water. Or both. He thought he could see the road peeking through the trees, but the forest's bounty sounded better than an empty road at this point. He needed food or he wouldn't have the energy to make it back home.

Continue

[MotherMother]

The long journey along the road was boring. All the trees looked the same and the road seemed to go on for ever. The sun beat down on him and made him sweat. His feet were sore. He had a crick in his neck. The city was sounding better and better as he recalled all his happy privileges. He would choose the noisy cars over the birdsong he was listening to as he walked down the road. He'd prefer the hum of a car over the purr of a kitty cat. Yes, the soft, rolling purr of an engine keeping the car warm. He could almost hear it. Wait, he could hear it! He looked over his shoulder to see a car coming his way, traveling the same way he was traveling. It slowed to a stop next to him and a kalon leaned out the window. "Where you headed?" She asked, before he could even speak. "Amsterdam," he said, coming closer. "Well, you're in luck" she said, and a grin popped on his face. "Because you're already in it." She finished. "Oh," he said and blushed, "uh, thanks."
The driver then said, "But if you're looking for a way into the heart of the city, I know how to get you there." Kodiac perked up again. The driver stuck her paw out the window and pointed forwards. "That way," and gave him a sly grin. "All right, all right, enough teasing. Hop in," she invited, unlocking the door.

Get in the car — Too risky, just walk












































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