The edge of the woods.... [Final Results Up!]

[King Andre]

Ooooh, spooky!
Username: andreas
Link to roll call post: Forum/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=3859303&p=119722148#p119722148
Link to previous form: Forum/viewtopic.php?f=87&t=3858340&p=119727587#p119727587
Prompt response:

Dante, having already been somewhat awake when the noise began to occur, instantly leaped out of the two-bed bunk. Landing on the floor with a soft thud, some of the other campers in the room were aroused from their sleep. They too questioned what the noise was, and naturally being a leader, Dante convinced the braver ones to follow him outside to investigate.

Armed with a flashlight and a sharpened stick, Dante and the few other kampers headed towards the direction the strange sound seemed to be coming from. It was otherwise quiet, save for the occasional sound of crickets chirping or an owl somewhere in the distance. The sound grew stronger with every footstep deeper into the woods they journeyed, a low guttural rumbling becoming audible to them. Dante motioned for the group to stop behind him with a raise of his hand, breaths beginning to draw short and anticipation rising in the chilling air. Even in the cool-headed Dante the situation began to provoke a sense of unease within him. Though he didn't let it show; he knew something was seriously off here, the sound began to emanate not from just one direction, but many? And whatever it was, it seemed to be rather close to them. With the flashlights now off, Dante picked up a small stone from the ground and tossed it in the opposite direction of the kampers. Almost instantly something ruffled through the bushes and trees in the same direction, allowing some of the now frightened kampers run away.

Dante however, remained, now more curious than perturbed. What exactly was going on?

[G1 Sunstreaker]

Ooooh, spooky!
Username: G1 Sunstreaker
Link to roll call post: click
Link to previous form:click
Prompt response:

It takes a few moments for her to fully wake.

The cabin is silent--or as silent as it can be, so close to the woods and nearby lake. Here, there will always be the chirping of the crickets and the frogs, sounding neatly into the windless night. The cacophony throws her off, at at first; she's so used to hearing the gentle breathing of her bird whenever she wakes.

Ultimately, she's not sure what wakes her. There are no signs of movement among the sleeping kampers in the cabin, and no signs of movement outside beyond the stars that seem to twinkle in the darkness. The rustling of the covers as they slide off her rising torso seems almost intrusive against the delicate quiet.

It takes her a moment to see then, but they're there, clear as day: beams of light, some dim, some strong, swinging against the edge of the so-named Forbidden Forest. If she strains her ears she can hear voices, hushed, whispering to each other as footsteps crunch through grass and leaves.

She is not the only one awake.

Her paws are quiet against the worn wood of the cabin floor. Her flashlight is on her nightstand where she left it. It's heavy in her palm.

The door swings shut quietly behind her as she moves towards the swinging beams by the treeline.

[veridian]

[username] qpplepie
[link to roll call post] here!!
[link to previous form] here!
[prompt response]

It was 1:04 AM in the morning and a thick blanket of silence draped over the row of camp cabins. Moonlight poured in through the open window and in between the gaps in the curtains, and the chill night air tickled the sweat on Zia's forehead. Her ears perked to a sound, a clatter near the door. It was hot, an arm wrapped around her head and a single leg half enveloped by the thin, scratchy blanket. She blinked hard, a rubbery hand rubbing the sparkling stars out of her eyes. Her ears perked up again, but this time a disturbance in the cabin by a fellow sunflower. She yawned and stretched her dead arms.

Tingle, tingle, BANG.

Zia froze on the spot, not daring to move. She stayed in an awkward position for a couple of minutes, before finally wrapping her legs around her poor excuse for a blanket. Watching the curtains, she pulled herself up using her elbows and turned her sound-sensitive ears to the door once again.

"Hey... did you hear that?" a tired voice, stifling a yawn drifted from the cabin below. Zia whispered back,
"Y-yeah... but it was probably just a raccoon. Go back to sleep, we have a lot of activities to partake in the morning." She gulped, trying to believe herself. Ghost did not exist, it was not logical. Neither did raccoons in this part of the country, but she would rather not think of that. "I'm scared." another voice, small and trembling was picked up by her hearing. Zia watched the window. A dark looming figure appeared to be almost... watching her. She tensed, staring right back at it. It was probably just a tree, her eyes tended to play tricks on her at times like this; when she was scared. She blinked again and dropped her eyes to the bunk bed where the voice came from. "Hey, it's alright. The counselors will protect you." she lied, knowing their cabins were far away. But the young kalon bought it, and there was nothing else. She inhaled and exhaled deeply through her nose. She could deal with it tomorrow. The sleep derivation was hindering logical thinking, that was what was creating this fear.

A last glance at the window with drooping, heavy eyelids. There was nothing there. Zia slid back into her bed, covering herself with the blanket despite the terrible heat, and slumped back into sleep. She would not notice what appeared to be deep teeth marks gouged deep into the door until the next morning.

[EpicratesPictus]

Ooooh, spooky!
Username: Irrylath
Link to roll call post:
Link to previous form:
Prompt response:
Pip wakes with a start, and then thinks, eventually deciding to head outside. They are a heavy sleeper, and are curious what woke them up. Was it someone calling a name, people running for their life, someone calling their name while running for their life, a counselor searching for someone, a counselor doing a late night head count, something searching for prey, a general sensation of fear, a nightmare against all odds, or something else? Whatever it is, Pip wants to know.

When they head outside, they see a few others looking around groggily, so it was not a nightmare, but what was it? Who knows, but shouldn’t someone wake a counselor? They start looking around for one, and start opening cabins to check for one. They are definitely not scared, but feel like it is best to have someone supervise, just in case something goes wrong. Who knows, maybe whatever woke them up was not friendly after all. Better to be safe then sorry, their relatives always were saying, and for once Pip agreed. Hopefully they find one soon.

Sorry it’s slightly late, my sibling stole the device which allows me a better use/view of Chickensmoothie. If this is still accepted, I will edit in the links as soon as possible.

[cervidae]

Ooooh, spooky!
Username: cervidae
Link to roll call post: poses
Link to previous form: hewwo
Prompt response:

night had fallen, day crumbling away to unearth the faint moon it had swallowed up before. Pale moonlight danced through the clouded glass of the cabin. you could raise a hand and trace the beams, never being able to grasp the light you so desperately wished to touch. silly dreams weren't important now, not with that chasing any sort of rest away.

you would wake to nothing. the slight stirring of sleeping cabinmates, the faint buzz of the small fan hanging from the ceiling, no sign of the source of such a dreadful thing as that. that very same shriek rung through the surrounding forest. anyone's blood would have to run cold just by hearing it. once more, the cabin lay in rest. no one rose, no one shifted. was it even real? had the delirium birthed from sleepless nights finally reclaimed your senses? surely you hadn't gone mad from kamp, the concept alone was laughable.

while not another shriek was heard, something still nibbled away at your mind. what was that? why couldn't anyone hear it? even peeking out the window could never ease your nerves. weeds and sticks lay entangled in the thicket, creeping limbs sprung up from the dullen moonlight. despite a biting breeze, all was still.

you couldn't forsake sleep forever. morning would come, and with it, a barrage of activities. you fumbled through your bag, blindly touching all that was there, until your paws would brush against your bound notebook, and a simple ink pen. ever so quietly, you gave the items a gingerly tug, and they came free in your grasp. you flipped through vague sketches, all grotesque in their own, until you came upon a barren page, pallid and unmarked. you began to sketch. broken limbs and emancipated figures, sullen eyes and protruding bone. gripping your eraser tightly, rubbing out the simplest of mistakes. in lurid detail you created the very monster that had been tormenting you all night, and in your working haste, your body went limp, pen still in hand.
finally, you had found sleep

[Birdy]

Ooooh, spooky!
Username: The Pirate
Link to roll call post: Click!
Link to previous form: click!
Prompt response:

Aos awoke to a sharp sound, prompting their body to lurch forward with a jolt. Blessed with not one, but two sets of ears, it wasn't unusual for Aos' sleep to be interrupted by noises. What was different, however, was that other kalons had awoken, too.

Hearing the faint shifting of bodies in their bunks paired with the occasional "what was that?!" Aos could hear kamp slowly coming back to life after a heavy slumber. Soon after, flashes of light coming from the hallway signaled that the other kampers were ready to investigate the noise.

"What do you think it is?" asked one, soft voice from outside of Aos' door. "I'm not sure. Maybe a bear?" Aos recognized the second voice as Faulkes, one of the counselors.

Maybe I should check it out, too... thought Aos. Glancing at their window, they could see early-morning frost beginning to form along the edges. It was painfully dark outside, with the heavy forest shielding the kamp from any star or moonlight. Aside from the occasional passing firefly, it was obvious that flashlights would be needed. Or glowing breath...

From a small age, Aos had formed the unusual ability to emit a glowing, misty breath. It was something that they had learned to better control with time, though it drew the attention of many kalons whenever they did. Aos thought back to when they were younger and seemed to release the glowing breath all of the time. Back then, they had been teased horribly for it, often times referred to as a freak.

"That's ridiculous!" Aos thought back to what one of their partners, Kildare, had said when comforting them one day. "Why laugh at a gift?"

"We're out of flashlights!" Aos heard the call of a kamper from outside of their door. "What will we do?"

Letting out a soft sigh, Aos rose to their feet and began to step toward the door.

It's a gift, they thought. Nobody will laugh...

[recherché.]

Ooooh, spooky!
Username: recherché.
Link to roll call post: here.
Link to previous form: yom.
Prompt response:

Chione really wanted to investigate what the noise was and why it was happening but at the same time she really just enjoyed her safety from the cabin. If she decided to go out, she would rather bring someone along with her than go alone but unfortunately she didn't know any of the kampers here. Lost in her thoughts, she let out a slight grumble while remembering the reason she was here -- to get stronger. While her older sister was back at home, she was stuck here and the whole reason she why would be so she could be a strong deity. Not weak nor helpless, but strong.
With a shake of her head, Chione weakly hobbled out of her bed and glanced around as her vision landed upon one kamper who wasnt asleep. Walking over to them while smiling, she began to speak, "Is the noise keeping you up too?" She asked and the kamper followed her question with a small nod. "Do you want to go out and investigate it with me?" As she asked, she witnessed the kamper's eyes widen as they furiously shook their head and hid under their blankets.

So much for going outside. Chione took one last glance out the window before her fears began to settle in. She had no magic on this land so she decided she would rather not get herself killed. It would be pretty ironic anyhow. Slithering back into her bed, she did the same thing as the other kamper and pulled her blanket over her head while trying to block the sound out with her pillow over her head, praying she would get a decent night of sleep.

[rabbit...]

Ooooh, spooky! | Username: rabbit448 | Link to roll call post: here | Link to previous form: boop

Prompt response:

The cabin is illuminated as Ferox draws the curtains back, letting the moonlight stream in. The sound seems to get louder the once she gets closer to the window. A moth drifts over to the window as more light is revealed. The beating of its wings is just slightly quieter than the noise. What is it? Is it a scratching sound, screeching sound? It doesn’t seem like anything she has heard come out of the woods before. It is eerie and raises goosebumps all over her arms, despite the bundle of blankets keeping her warm. Ferox understands the laws of nature well enough that it’s always better to be the hunter, rather than the hunted. Resolute, Ferox foregoes sleep and gets ready to investigate, moving as silently as she can.

With the extra light, she rifles through her belongings to find her flashlight and a jacket. Ferox climbs down the ladder ready to face the outdoors.

“Pip! Hey Pip!” Ferox whispers at her bunkmate.

“Mhrmffff” Pip answers as they roll over on their side.

“I guess I’ll just face it alone,” Ferox says and creeps over to the door.
The hinges groan with protest, as if pleading her to stay inside, but she troops forward, making sure to listen for the sound. There -- towards the forbidden forest, barely noticeable over the quivering of the trees, but it’s unmistakable.

She ventures closer to the edge of the forest, she isn’t going to let silly names tell her what is forbidden or not. Wielding the flashlight like her sword, she continues forth.

The moon seems fixed in the sky, Ferox can’t tell how long she has followed the sound for. There were very little to see, a shack that was abandoned, a lone doll that was definitely not making any sounds - or she assumed not, Ferox didn’t want to get closer to it- and some very naturally placed animal bones. Honestly, nothing strange in this forest at all.

Yet as she walked, the sound gets louder, but she doesn’t feel like she gets any closer. As if it was changing places or even getting quieter since it knew that she was there?

A rustling to her left snapped the spooked camper out of her thoughts. The sound was also coming from her left… she put away her flashlight and crouched down low. There behind the tree! Ferox took a bracing breath and leaped onto the large shadow. Yet she never landed on anything?

“Woah there camper! We were just setting up for the night hike,” Beni says as he puts Ferox down. “I think you’re a bit too eager, we’ll call all the campers out when it’s time. If you go back to your cabin now, I’ll forget that you were ever here.”

Iphis shooes Ferox towards a path while Beni waves her off. “Don’t worry! That path leads back to camp!”

Ferox nods and takes the path, but only when Ferox is walking back to her cabin, she noticed that it was much quieter than before. Curiously, the odd sound stopped when she bumped into the two counsellors.

Ferox accepts this for now, but she will definitely investigate the sound during the hike after she gets a bit more sleep!

[iuno.]

Ooooh, spooky!
Username: iuno.
Link to roll call post: here
Link to previous form: here
Prompt response:

The creaky ceiling fan in the middle of his cabin had woke him up hours ago. Every couple seconds the fan made an ‘urrr’ noise. Even though Merlot knew it was the fan, it still gave him the creeps.

But now, there was a new noise. It wasn’t the fan— it was definitely coming from outside.

Merlot pulled the thin sheet up above his nose and scooted up so he was almost sitting. His eyes were blurry with sleep, he rubbed them vigorously and looked out the window across the room from him.

Trees. All he could see were big, green pine trees. They moved in the wind slightly.

The sound was was coming from behind him, behind the door? Oh goodness. There was no way Merlot would go out that door. Maybe he’d just stay in his cabin for the rest of his life. He pulled the bedsheet all the way over his head, hoping it would go away— whatever it was.

The noise only got louder. Merlot shrieked down into the bed more and more.

It was like someone ringing the doorbell over and over and you didn’t want to get it. It got more annoying, more worrying. He couldn’t just sit and wait for whatever it was. He had signed up for this walk to be brave, anyways. He had to do this.

Be brave.

Merlot stepped onto the creaky floor as softly as he could. He went to the door, his paw shaking as he opened the door slightly. He held a flashlight in his other hand.

Opening the door slightly, he stuck his eye in the crack of the door and looked out. He was only met with more trees. He’d have to step out and be eaten by the darkness. (At least that’s what he thought.)

He flickered on the flashlight in his other paw and opened the door completely, shining the bright light out into the forest.

”AH! a pair of large paws grabbed onto his side and tickled him.

Merlot screamed, the other putting one of their paws over his mouth to muffle the noise.

”Chill! It’s just me,” a familiar voice said. Merlot turned his head to see Zell.

“You almost gave me a heart attack!” Merlot cried, his heart starting to go back to a regular pace.

”Well, be prepared for the next time I get ya!” Zell laughed, turning around to wherever he came from.

Merlot balled his fist, his stomach full of anxiety.

This was going to be a long hike.

[423 words]

[VanossGaming]

Ooooh, spooky!
Username:VanossGaming
Link to roll call post:Boop
Link to previous form:Boop
Prompt response:[380 words]
The wind whistled through the cracked window, moonlight shining in over Mali’s top bunk. It was supposed to be quiet that night at camp but apparently that was not the case. A almost sudden storm had blown through a couple hours before lights out had been called. A sudden scratching sound coming from somewhere relatively close had startled the dark-furred Kalon awake, warm blankets being tossed off of the comfortable resting spot. Mali, scared to attention, rubbed her eyes quickly before taking a frantic look around. There didn’t seem to be anything that was causing the disturbance within the immediate area, and the rest of the campers were tucked safely into their rolls of blankets in too deep of a sleep to care. Where had the noise come from? Feeling brave, Mali threw on her trusty hoodie from her pack by her bed, grabbing her flashlight while she was at it. It couldn’t be anything that bad. If she knew any better it might’ve just been Beni or Iphis, the leaders of the hike, messing around with the rest of campers. However that didn’t seem like such a strong case. They were nicer than that. Mali tugged gently on the handle of the door, trying hard not to wake her fellow campers as she headed out into the darkness. She flicked on her flashlight with a quick tap of the button, careful not to shine it directly into the windows of the neighboring cabins. Using the bright beam of light as her guide, Mali stepped forward into the unknown depths of the kampgrounds. The kamp truly looked different at night, shadows giving the kamp a more sinister look. It must’ve been the scratching noise that was making her head play tricks on her. The sound came again, louder this time, making Mali jump. Whatever it was had either approached her or had been closer than she’d previously imagined. The beam was directed to the direction that the sound came from, revealing nothing but a small raccoon, digging to find itself a meal. Mali gave a small laugh. Scared by a raccoon! What a night. Mali shook her head, a smile adorning her face as she started her miniature walk back to the cabin and the comfort of her blankets.