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

[Rorrim]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: Kouhai
Link to roll call post: here!
Link to previous form: here!
Prompt response:


(Listen carefully...something is moving in the grass.)

[76heart]

Decisions, decisions.

username: 76heart
link to roll call post: boop
link to previous form: hereee
word count:1,960

for this i'm also going with the kind of thistle that is tall and lean,
and not the short little pains that kinda resemble dandelion
leaves, but in a patch

also literally all i could think of was this
not cool robert frost

xxxSomething told her to be wary, that this wasn't right, that something was wrong, amiss, that she shouldn't be standing here alone at a fork in the path, a divergence of paths, and she knew that something was right. This was not some little thing off in the forest that she could ignore, not some noise that she had blindly followed into the woods to investigate, only to come out unscathed, and nothing more than a little shaken up with some fear taking root inside; this was far more serious than that, and now, she was scared, truly scared.
xxxOnly moments ago, she had been with with the rest of the group, with Iphis and the rest of the kampers that chose to go, lingering only a few steps behind the rest, her gaze cast downwards, curiously examining a moss that had an unusual glow to it, stubbornly growing along the path, undeterred by the feet that stepped upon it, and then, she was alone, by herself, deep in the forest, with no where to go but forward, down one of the two paths ahead of her, because when she looked back, the trail was not the one she had taken so far, and that same something told her with utmost certainty, that it wouldn't take her back. Meriam shivered, and looked forward at the two options she faced. To her left, a path of dense grass, a stretch of tall and untamed wild, with sharp thistles interspersed with nature's intricate design, and to her right, a trail covered in rocks of all shapes and sizes, each jutting out at different angles and directions, looking sharper than they possibly were with the way the moonlight glinted off and highlighted their surfaces. So really, either get pricked by thistles and their painful bite, or fall on rocks that looked sharp and damaging. Was there really no way she could turn around and find the group again? She'd happily go down either with someone else, more than happily in fact. Sighing, she shook her head. She didn't even need to take another glance back to know that wasn't possible, that it wasn't at all an option. She frowned, her stomach twisting in knots, filling with butterflies that wanted to fly away and escape, to flutter as far away from here as they possibly could, and she didn't blame them. She wanted to run from here too, with the way the hairs on the back of her neck stood up and alert against her wishes, but she didn't know how else to go but forward, down one of the two diverging paths. Which path was she to take? Which trail was she meant to go down? Why couldn't that butterfly be here to show her the way, to decide for her? Now wasn't the time to teach her this was a choice she had to make on her own, if that was why it wasn't here, to be her guiding light, her guiding glow in a darkness that threatened to swallow her whole.

xxxWhy was this decision so hard to make? She wasn't used to feeling this stuck, so unsure. Normally she was able to just go with whatever came her way, to follow what the world told her, where the leaves told her to go as they drifted down from their palace in the trees, leaving the castle they helped to build for an eternal rest, but now, it was as if that guide had been snuffed out, as if it had gone dark, as if something was keeping it from reaching her here, making sure she choose this all on her own. She let out a frustrated noise and gripped her head as it started to ache. Why was this so hard?
xxxShe had been here, mulling over this for what felt like hours, even though the moon hadn't yet moved from it's place. Had it only been minutes? Had time simply gone still? Had she been frozen in the moments that stole her breath? Where was everyone else? Was any of this even worth it? What was she even expecting to see at the end, why hadn't she thought this through? Would there even be anything when she finished? Or was this just nothing? The sign-up sheet had been crudely done, or at least hurriedly, was that just a sign this was a sham? No, it couldn't be. Beni and Iphis seemed capable, and she was sure there was a prize at the end, or at least something to be found, she was sure of it. Even if it was just a little 'you did it' sticker, or something silly and simple like that, it was something, and at the very least, through all of this, she got to see a cool butterfly, so that made it all worth it? Maybe at the end there would be even more, maybe even a whole kaleidoscope of them, a whole rabble? Or maybe at the end, there would be some other cool prizes, some things she could take home, or some supplies to do this again? Maybe a medal, or a ribbon? She didn't care much for either of those, but she'd happily take it; it would be nice to be able to have something to show that she did it, that she beat the test of courage. Whatever waited for her at the end didn't quite matter though, at least not now, she had to get to it first, and choosing which way to go was still her problem. Heaving another sigh, her arms slid from her head and to her sides languidly, almost lifeless, and she felt her form plop down onto the ground so she would be sitting as she pondered. She had been walking for a while, which she could normally handle quite a lot of, but she was tired now, and she wanted to save what she had left for whichever route she took, and besides, who took ages deciding something standing when they could have a seat? Certainly not her, well now at least.
xxxReluctantly, she turned her attention back to the paths. Which would be easier to get through, for her? She wasn't even sure if she was on the right path for the test of courage anymore, so truthfully the thought of which one the end might lay behind wasn't even on her mind, and it probably should have been. She squinted, looking more closely at each path. She had never been too good at crossing streams on rocks without getting wet; she usually just hopped right in immediately, or slipped and splashed into it if she tried to cross on the rocks. Balance and poise had never been her thing, and she didn't trust herself not to trip on on and face plant onto another. With the thistles, if she couldn't avoid them all together maybe she could deal with them like she did with the blackberry bushes in her forest at home, step on them with one shoe covered foot, cross over with the other, and hurry away before it bounced up and pricked her in revenge? But what if there was something hiding in the grass, like a snake? She liked snakes, but she wasn't sure about how much they liked her in return. Oohhh, why is this so hard? She gave a pout, and stood. The grassy path would be what she had to take, little pricks and thorns and a possible bite from some creature were better in her eyes than breaking a bone on a rock, or somehow permanently damaging herself. She didn't trust her own balance enough for that path, at least not where she was now. Well, there was no time to waste now that she had made up her mind, and she might as well get it over with before she changed it.

xxxHesitantly, after a moment of working herself up, she stepped foot onto the nature filled side, and she knew now that she had made her choice, in this forest, there was no changing it and going back. She was stuck now, and had to go on.
xxxCarefully, she edged her way through the thick and untamed wild that had taken over this part of the land, claiming it as it's own domain to prosper and thrive. She could feel the tall- and surprisingly thick- strands of grass pulling at her as she walked, clinging to her shirt, her shorts, and her fur, begging her to come back and back and back with each step she took. She pressed on, and did her best to ignore the feeling that something seemed to have become lodged in her shoe. Their greens were dulled in the midnight light, in the shroud of darkness, but she could still see their deepness, and how vibrant they must be in the light, and she wasn't sure if that reassured her or not. In the action movies her father liked to watch, with all the jungles and exploring, the most colorful plants always seemed to be the deadliest. No, she couldn't think like that, she refused. The forest was her home, what she knew best, and she wasn't going to let that thought get the better of her, nor was she going to let a thistle do that too. Her days at home were spent in the wilderness, watching it's world, hearing it's language and trying to learn it so she could speak to the earth too. Meriam knew this, she could do this, and she would reach the end, she was determined to.
xxxThe grass moved up ahead, shaking as some small critter taking haven within the grassy forest ran from the waves she caused while traversing through it's expanse, but she paid no mind to it, she had a line of thistles to get past that were being stubborn. She raised her left foot, and started to press down at the base of the middle one, slowly inching her foot closer to the center to properly tramp it down, before she quickly hopped over it with her right, and moved her left off it and stepped forward and away so it wouldn't prick her again on it's way back up. She had to admire the resilience of plants like that, though at the moment she wasn't too fond of them, which was a rare thing, since normally she liked all of nature, and almost everyone. The thistles had some really pretty flowers at least, but currently, their stems and leaves covered in all sorts of tiny, barely visible little white bristles overshadowed that, and drowned that little light out as she forced her way through them, praying to whatever deities there were that they wouldn't manage to poke through the soles of her boots. The fact that butterflies liked some varieties of thistles helped her not momentarily hate them as much though, and she began to feel some guilt at harming a few as she tried to get to the end. Meriam hoped she hadn't permanently damaged them, and that if they were the kind her favorite creatures enjoyed, that it wouldn't harm them somehow too; that was the last thing she ever wanted, and she would never forgive herself if that was the case.
xxxLetting out a soft exhale as her features took on a troubled frown, she continued on through the tall and dense grass, breaching it's woods until she finally reached the end, where it thinned out and returned to trampled dirt, and her reddish brown eyes fell on what waited for her at the end, what she had crossed the sea of grass claiming this path for, the result of her difficult choice.

[f1owercrown]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: f1owercrown
Link to roll call post: <3
Link to previous form: here!
Prompt response: (featuring Sylvester, Bella, and Pip)
(NOTE: It's really best to get into Dale's backstory so you really get his attitude in this prompt! c: )

"So, how did I become a theatre kid, you ask?" a proud voice rang through the forest.

"No one asked, Sylvester, but I guess that's a rhetorical question." Pip said.

"Shush! Anyway, well, your local charming boy accidentally walked up right into..."

"...a bar?" interrupted Bella.

"No, no I-- haha, very funny." Sylvester commented. "Joking aside, I walked to a lady in a movie ticket booth, and you know with movie theaters there were--"

"Two paths," Dale suddenly cut in.

Sylvester fumed at this point. "If you all could just stop interrupting or telling my own story, that would be great! Yes, there were two doors in the area, one leading to the..."

"...Grassy path," said Dale, interrupting once again, "and the other leading to a rocky path."

Sylvester looked annoyed and confused. "What do you mean? That's not how my story went. What--"

As Sylvester, Bella, and Pip focused on the scene that lay ahead of them, it was as Dale said. The one road they traveled on diverged into two completely different lanes: a tall, grassy one and a rocky one. Several Kalons who were ahead of them separated ways, their own flashlights slowly fading in each path's distance, making it harder for the group to come to a decision on where to trek.

"Oh dear," said Bella. "Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Where do we hike? Perhaps the rocky area where we can see more of the ground? The tall grass sure looks terrifying, I wouldn't be able to see where I'm walking."

"I-- I'm not good at hiking in a very rocky area. I might sprain my legs if I run and trip..." Pip replied. "Maybe the tall grass? If a dangerous animal chases after us, we can definitely run away faster without large rocks."

"Ah yes, the famous conundrum such as that presented by Robert Frost!" Sylvester gave his signature charming smile. "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both. And be one traveler, long I stood--"

"Get to the point, Prince Charming." Bella piped up.

"I'm saying we should take the middle road!" Sylvester proudly pointed into the forest growth separating the two roads. "It is the road less taken; it should make all the difference."

"Logically speaking, I... don't think it's wise to even consider that area as a 'path'..." questioned Pip.

As the trio was debating on which path to take, Dale fell into deep thoughts. He closed his eyes and ran through his head scenarios, possibilities, problems, and how to overcome them all. Through his mind was the workings of someone who thought rationally every situation, like solving on a clean sheet of paper a difficult math problem that needed time to answer. The precision in his solutions led him to connect each piece of information he could conjure on each path, eventually leading to a sound decision.

"I'd very much like to go to the rocky area. I think I'm allergic to grass." Bella said.

Pip responded with a sigh. "No one's allergic to grass, Bella. I think. Come on, maybe more people will come with us if we choose the grassy area. I find safety in numbers, you know."

"None in the middle? No takers? My professor always said, think outside the box! These two rods should not stop us from creating our own path!" Sylvester interceded.

"You sure have the looks, but not the brains..." Bella mocked, followed by a laugh from Pip.

"What! Well, fine then. We are flipping a coin. Heads towards the grass, tails towards the rocks, and if it lands right in the middle we're going towards the middle," Sylvester commented. He grabbed a coin from the pocket of his bag and flicked it up, spinning slowly and somewhat melodramatically as it shone under the moonlight of the forest...

And with quick action, Dale reached up and clapped the coin in between his palms, keeping the coin and ruining the moment for the other three.

"If you guys could please stop arguing like children, that would be great." Dale spoke up, bringing out a certain demeanor different from back when they first met him. At this point he was carrying a sense of seriousness and intimidation that no one dared to speak against him.

"We are not flipping a damn coin. This isn't one of your little games where you just can't decide where to eat out with your friends so you flip a coin. No, this is more serious; you all do realize we're wandering in a forest of unknown creatures lurking around, and that we can all get in danger any time. With flipping a coin you're running the risk of choosing a bad decision for all of us."

Silence ensued as the group remained stationed in the middle of the two roads. Dale continued with his speech.

"Let's rationalize. First of all," he paused, looking at Sylvester. "The middle path is just plain dumb; there are trees everywhere and it runs the high risk of dangerous creatures lurking in the shadows, so we're ruling that out as an option. Also, don't you rebut with your 'aesthetic' quotes, because we're not here to look pretty. If you want to see the end of this, whatever it is, you have to think smart and rationally."

His gaze then fell upon Pip. "I agree that the grassy path is one where travel is easier, in terms of flat ground. Though the grass serves as hindrance to the speed of walking, it's not much of a problem if we used a sharp object to cut through them. What the problem, though, is that smaller animals such as snakes could be slithering in the grassy areas, causing poisoning and such. Thorns and such of lower plant forms may also be present, injuring our feet along with, again, poison. The fact that we can't see the ground with the amount of grass growing in the area is the main root of conflict."

Lastly, Dale turned to Bella. "On the other hand, we can see where we're walking in the rocky area, but the occasional misstep of someone can be dangerous. Most injuries in this path would probably involve bruises, friction wounds, and sprains. Plus, what about the possibility of creatures and predators ambushing us? What if one or several of them tries to chase us? It would definitely be difficult to navigate around considering we'd have to avoid tripping on the rocks. The rocky path surely isn't for the inexperienced in hiking, but if you can adjust and are up to the challenge, I think things should be fine. I mean, it might even be the lesser of the two evils, in my opinion."

The silence remained after Dale had spoken up. A few moments later, with a hesitant voice, Bella was the first to respond.

"I-- I think it would be faster for me to fix up a sprain instead of extracting out poison. I have more experiences with wounds, bruises, and sprains, and snake venom usually needs the attention of the doctor immediately. Plus, if someone would get injured along the way, there are the three others of us who could help that one navigate around the path."

"Mmm, it makes more sense to me now to go 'round the rocky area." Pip said. "I mean, now that you mention it, the grassy area does look pretty scary, and we'd have to exert more energy swingin' our knives left and right just to cut some grass. Inexperience does sound like some hindrance, but it's nothing a little help from each of us can't overcome."

Sylvester refused to stay on topic, seemingly offended by Dale's comment. 'Give me back my coin,' was all he said.

"Alright. I was inclined to stay in the rocky path, and I'm glad you guys see that too." Dale said. "Come on, let's go before we get left behind."

As Dale moved forward a few steps, with Bella and Pip tracing behind him, Dale shouted. "That's it?"

"What?" Dale said, turning his head back to Sylvester, who refused to move a step forward. "Stop making a scene."

"No, you're the one who isn't fun around here!"

Annoyed at the one man who couldn't cooperate with him, Dale walked back to Sylvester, eyes brimming with intimidation and irritation. "Are you saying my logic wasn't sound, after all that I've presented to you?"

"N-- No," Sylvester stuttered. "You're just... different from earlier. I'm not sure what's up with you, you know? I think we were all fine flipping a coin until you ruined it by being too serious."

"Life isn't all fun and games." Dale gritted his teeth, staring at the Kalon, "Not when you've become so accustomed to risking so much for something you want to achieve in the end."

Sylvester stared back with skeptical eyes. "I'm not sure what you're on about..."

"God, Sylvester, open your eyes! There is just so much at stake, and a single slip-up could ruin everything, pushing us farther back the drawing board if we come to a dead end or the wrong path. I'm not a man who finds satisfaction in losing to something I could've done better with. I make sure to do my best in calculating the best possible outcome in the best possible way, and you dare defy me just because I'm taking this seriously and you're not?"

Sylvester remained quiet, hiding the fact that his hands were trembling from fear of his groupmate. The night was getting darker by the second and so were Dale's words, it seemed.

"I'm just doing this for me, for us, because you made me come with you in the first place." Dale said in a more calming tone as he pause to breathe in from time to time. "I've adjusted my individual plans to accomodate you guys. Just so you know, it takes me a lot of energy to work in a group because I'm used to working alone, but I'm somewhat managing right now since most of you are cooperating and that's great. I want to be of the best service I can be so we're all prepared for any situation and subsequently satisfied with whatever outcome happens. It's hard living a life where you're teetering on a fine line between success and failure, and I make sure of each step I take so I don't fall down the wrong path. I may be a chill guy, but in situations where the stakes are high, you have to get used to me being this serious."

Dale took one step closer to Sylvester and showed the coin in his palm. "Look, point is, don't let a coin toss decide for you. You decide your own fate by knowing what you think is best for you. I know I do, and it's gotten me this far."

Sylvester looked at the coin and shrugged, taking the silver in his own palms and into his pocket. "You sure have a lot under your sleeve, huh, Dale? Never fail to make a great impression. Thanks."

After a few more exchanges and discussions, once everyone was comfortable with leaving, the group then came together and walked down the path of rocks, hopeful that it would lead to the destination they'd been searching for this whole hike. The rocky terrain, the whispers of the trees, the cold breeze, and the creeping of darkness on their skins didn't help their case, but their safety in numbers was a blanket of protection for them that let each overcome their fears during the hike.

Though uncertainty was one fear Dale had, it was nevertheless important to put up a brave front in the midst of his team. After all, he knew they were being followed by the shadow that had haunted Dale since the first night. He just wished it was just his imagination.

[cherrydoge]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: cherrydoge // Link to roll call post: xxx // Link to previous form: xxx

Prompt response:

The faint sound of crickets chirping echoed throughout Enrico’s ears. It stopped once he approached the end of the one road that now diverged into two different roads.

It felt as if time had slowed down and the forest was dead quiet.

Enrico eyed down the two options he had. The rocky, almost brutal appearing trail seemed greatly unappealing. His gaze turned to the other path. It had tall overgrown grass with thistles everywhere. His mind ran wild with what choice he’d pick. What would the counselors make the right path be?

On one hand, if he went down the rocky path, it was exposed to the elements. He’d be a tasty treat for anyone, or anything that decided to jump into them. Though, since it was fairly open, he would be able to see anyone coming and be able to prepare to defend himself.
On the other. . . if he went through the thick grass of the first path, while it would be scarier and he wouldn’t see anything coming, it would be the ‘scariest’ of the two paths. Anything could be lurking in the tall grass. Enrico’s mind briefly went to what Pokemon trainers must feel like in tall grass. An oddly comforting thought that momentarily distracted him from the horrifying decision he knew he’d have to make eventually.

His fellow Kampers had already gone down their own respective paths, Enrico was all alone on his decision. No one to go with him. He was in this alone. Swallowing thickly, he tried to look down to the end of the paths but to no avail did it work.

It was too dark.

At least Iphis said that Beni would be at the end of the trail to help, right? So even if he did choose the wrong path, it wouldn’t be counted against him (hopefully), and he wouldn’t be in any danger because Beni would be there to help. That’s what would be at the end of the trail, Beni and Iphis, with a chest full of goodies for the Kampers that made it down the right path. That gave him a brief feeling of hope and determination.

Swallowing thickly, Enrico stepped forward and into the path with the tall grass.

I never want to do this type of thing again, he thought.

Enrico started off slowly, then ran through the path, much like he did in elementary school when bolted out of the hallway bathroom (there was a rumor it was haunted). If he ran, there was no reason to be scared. He’d outrun anything that was coming after him.

. . . Hopefully.

The trail seemed to stretch on for miles, seemingly never ending. A sigh of relief hit him when he saw the end of the path. Picking up speed, he finally reached the end. Enrico felt the ground beneath him. It was a clearing of dirt. His fellow Kampers were nowhere in sight; he gazed out into the darkness, seeing flashlights scanning the area and hearing people calling out to him. It must be the end.

. . . Did this mean he made the right choice?

[516 words]

[SkyGold]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: skygold
Link to roll call post: Link
Link to previous form: Link
Prompt response:

[Blumoonwolf]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: Blumoonwolf
Link to roll call post: here!
Link to previous form: here!
Prompt response:
Oh.
She hadn't expected there to be a decision in the hike.

She stood uncertainly at the crossroads, looking at her two options. One would lead to the rest of the hike, and the other... to one of the kamp counselors. Right? The grass would be infinitely safer, as long as she watched her step. She couldn't say the same for the rocks- what if she slipped? A twisted ankle was the last thing she needed to leave kamp with. And honestly, she was sure the counselors would feel the same way. They wouldn't have been the hike more dangerous than scary. She was certain about that. So.. the grass then. That would make her choice easy, right?

But she couldn't see what was in the grass.
A shudder crept over her as she imagined the countless horror movies that ended- not started- in a maze. She wouldn't be able to see if something grasped at her or her bag. She wished desperately she still had her group of friends with her, but they had retreated already. She didn't blame them, the moving shadows, the uneasy silence, she could have sworn that it was getting to her. That maybe she had seen something...
With the dozens of flashlights all sweeping across the hiking trail, if she had seen something, surely someone would have too? She needed to push that image from her mind, of something hulking through the woods, ready to tear-

Enough procrastinating.
She hiked her pack over her shoulder, and started pushing through the tall grass.
The blades were so tightly knotted in some places that she almost tripped. At least in this field, she could hear something: the buzzing of crickets, or the slow shuffling of a.. something. Maybe a deer?
But with her flashlight swinging crazily as she tried to untangle herself every few steps made the shadows dance. They waxed and waned and even crept closer. She felt her hands start to shake, making her attempts at freedom even more useless as fear started to set in. She wouldn't be able to run down this path, that was for sure. She gave up, and with a groan, turned off her flashlight. It wasn't helping her focus.

A minute later, she was untangled and moving forward, ready to make up for lost time. The flashlight remained off. She could still see the path, the moon overhead cast everything in a soft yellow hue. All she needed was to not be distracted.
But every noise set her on edge.
This would be a very long night.

[> She chose: the long grass path option.]
(438 words)

[Yuroshi]

Decisions, decisions.
Username:Yuroshi
Link to roll call post:https://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?p=119705741#p119705741
Link to previous form: https://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?p=119923309#p119923309

Prompt response:

Sal was grinning quite happily by the time the group made it to the point where the path forward branched. Being out there, "alone" in the night.... well, it was exhilarating. The cries of the forest at night were eerily beautiful, and he found that he couldn't help but to be enchanted by them.

Once he reached the point where the path branched, though, he realized that he had a decision to make. And, if the way the other kampers all paused before choosing was anything to consider, it might be quite an important one. So, Sal did what Sal does best.

He acted like a child.

With little hesitation, he began to spin rapidly in a circle, stopping at the count of four, before what sounded like chanting could be heard under his breath, in a very quiet whisper. The grin on his face and his closed eyes did nothing to help the not so friendly picture he made... yet if one were to actually be close enough to hear him, they might end up laughing, for his chant? It was this.
"Eenie, Meanie, Minie, mo, catch a Kalon by their toe, if they holler, let them go, eenie, meanie, minie, mo!"

As he finished, his eyes flew open, and his grin turned into a full grown smile as he charged without hesitation into his chosen path. And he found, whether he was right or wrong, that he definitely made the more fun choice at least, and that was all that mattered.
Even though the rocky path might've been fun to climb, as it would've been a bit harder, he reasoned, the grass path will definitely be better. After all... well, anything could be hiding in grass this tall.

Even as the thought came to him, he heard a strange rustling in the grass ahead, and laughed silently to himself at all the possible monsters he might be able to find... and all that would inevitable be able to find him.

Yes, he thought to himself, this path, right or wrong, is the only one for me.
And with that, he stepped deeper into the grass, and was swallowed by the looming shadows.

[Sal chose the long grass path]

[oriole]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: rootgroves
Link to roll call post: here
Link to previous form: here
Prompt response:

[neon.]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: neondisaster
Link to roll call post: roll call
Link to previous form: hike, start!
Prompt response:

They’d walked with the group, and it had been fun - all in a line, like little ducklings following after Iphis further and further into the woods. If one camper was scared, the fear traveled down the line, each child jumping in turn. Being scared as a group wasn’t the same as being scared alone. It was a little nicer, Goldfinch thought. But he thought it was more for other kids. It wasn’t like they’d ever be scared and alone.
The first, yes, but the second? Never.

And then, all of the sudden, they stopped. Iphis nowhere to be seen. And all that lay before them was two paths. They stepped back from the group to collaborate.

“Which do we choose?”

“What do you mean, what do we choose- I want to know where Iphis went! He was there, totally watching us- but where is he now?”

“Well, I think it’s only reasonable that down each path is a counselor. Surely they wouldn’t let us get lost.”

“Rhubarb, that makes way too much sense!”

“Uhm… Can we stop arguing? My head hurts, please. And Gold, uh, there’s no reason to pull out Rue’s full name?”

“Yes, Goldfinch, why don’t we settle down? Or is calling you by your full name too patronizing for you too?” Rhubarb sniffed haughtily. Goldfinch looked affronted. Croissant just sighed, tilting his head away from his siblings to watch the other campers depart. Some took the grass - and others, the rocks. It seemed no even split. No camper seemed to know more than any other. Either choice could be right- and that’s why Rhubarb and Goldfinch were arguing, Croissant knew.

Rhubarb would want to analyze- he believed in meaning, and symbolism, and fancy words like predestination and serendipity. He wouldn’t want to make a rash choice, even while scared. Goldfinch would. Goldfinch would choose whatever path his heart set him on- he could flip a coin, and be just as happy with whatever decision came up. He’d choose the opposite path of whatever one Rhubarb chose, just because he’d think the less analyzed one has more opportunity.

Which meant that it would be Croissant’s vote to decide. And be blamed, if his decision was wrong. They could talk on and on about how always being together made them better- but in times like this, he did feel scared and alone. He could still hear Goldfinch and Rhubarb ribbing each other. They seemed to take notice of the sharp, ominous sounds of the world around them.

The whirl of the winds through the pine trees. The snap of branches as other campers - or animals - walked over them. The eerie light of moon painting their choices in a cold hue. Croissant had liked to read books about the real world when they’d lived in the library - from cookbooks to encyclopedias. He liked knowing, and he liked making. And it seemed like this time, he’d be making the decision before Rhubarb and Goldfinch even noticed.

He thought about it in the way Rhubarb would - anything could come out of the grass path, but other campers progressing down it would surely have scared anything away already. While the rocky path would have been an option if they could follow another camper, and see what handholds to use or which rocks meant stumbling, it wouldn’t be with just the three of them.

He thought about it like Goldfinch might- with his heart, or maybe be just closing his eyes and pointing randomly. But he also might choose the rocky path because he liked difficulty, and he liked seeing what would be ahead. It would be a challenge he could easily face, unlike the mystery of the thistles.

But he was Croissant- how did he think about these things? He always worried. He’d worry about the path he choose meaning what brother he agreed with more- and he’d worry about making the right choice, or getting lost forever on a hike. He wanted something safe, something real.

But if he always wanted to be safe, everything would be more and more dangerous. He took control of their body, and Croissant took a step towards the rocky path. He heard Rhubarb and Croissant stop arguing.

“Uhm.. I’d like to go on the rocky path. I think… I’d like to try climbing it. If that’s okay.”

A pause. Then, “Of course,” from Rhubarb.

“Lead the way,” finished Goldfinch.

[jules_]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: julibee
Link to roll call post: here
Link to previous form: hike, start!
Prompt response:

At the end of the grassy path, maybe it will be Kamp. But Drusilla hopes at the end there will at least be new friends