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

[aeth]

Ooooh, spooky!
Username: aethillie
Link to roll call post: present!
Link to previous form: prompt 3
Prompt response:

What is happening? She was so lost, so afraid and wary of the forest. Her gaze would keep finding the flashes of silhouettes at the corner of her eye, only to discover nothing there. But now, she could only gaze at one thing – him.

Luciana remembered how this happened, yes. She was following the group – timidly straying closer to the back so the others in front could warn her of what is up ahead, if there was anything. But halfway through, she suddenly grew aware of the fork in the path in front of her, Luciana looked around at her surroundings. Twisted trees, gnarled boughs and long shadows made the atmosphere dark and dreadful. She felt her heartbeat quicken as she shifted her weight from one foot to the next out of anxiety. What had happened to the group? Did she fall behind? No, the group was still there; they were just splitting up on their own as well. Why? Iphis was surely at the front of the crowd guiding everyone. Was one the right path and the other path one straying from the group that thrill-seeking peers were following?

She was at the back of the group, so she did not know of which path Iphis took. Her reasoning of choosing to fall behind had backfired on her and now Luci could barely even see further than a few feet in front of her because of how pitch black it was. The pure moonlight that illuminated the sky so radiantly was completely blocked out by the dense, secretive foliage of the trees. Her flashlight kept flickering on and off and she knew exactly why. No matter how many times she tried to screw the top back on again, it would die again soon later. That only meant two things; the batteries were running out of juice – and that her only source of light to help guide her way through this maze of a forest was going to die out any second now. Oh god, why does this have to happen to her? Her brave face, her footsteps, her resolve to see this through – everything was faltering along with her courage. It felt hopeless. She felt hopeless. Her eyes began to water as the crushing pressure and daunting feeling of dread slowly forced the tears and frustration out of her.

Then, it happened. Someone had grabbed her shoulder from behind. Luciana almost jumped in fear, absolutely surprised by the sudden presence. She would have screamed for help if the figure had not spoken. “Follow me, Luciana.” They said. Wait, she knew exactly who that voice belonged to. After giving her eyes a quick wipe, she turned around to face them. She was greeted by a very familiar boy. Llywelyn smiled shyly at her sudden attention towards him, quickly looking away. Meanwhile, Luciana was beyond thrilled. Her frustrations and her heart started melting as soon as she had laid eyes on him. She was overcome by so many emotions – relief, joy and embarrassment being some of the most intense feelings at the time. Luci was so focused on her saviour that she realized he had begun leading her through the grassy path only after they had already ventured through what she could only assume was a quarter of it. Why had he chosen this path? If Luciana were to reason why she would choose this path, it would be because of how dangerous the other one was. As someone who was not only flat-footed but also quite clumsy, she knew that she would not escape the rocky path without at least 7 bruises to tell the tale. The grassy path was safe in terms of footing but what intimidated her was the fact that anything could be hiding in these tall grasses. Snakes, rats, insects. Her skin crawled at the thought of a roach running up her leg. Maybe she should’ve convinced Llywelyn to take the rocky path after all. She could have leaned on him for support and maybe even held his hand. Her face flushed at the thought.

Out of the blue, Luciana saw a shadow flicker ahead of them. Shocked, she instinctively clung to Llywelyn. Her shivering made it evident to Llywelyn how afraid she really was. So in response, he placed his hand on her shoulder, wrapping his arm around her protectively. How ironic. She would always be the one holding his hand and dragging him throughout camp to meet new people and see new places. Her bold and confident nature would lead him to wherever she went; now the tables have turned. His arm around her felt as if he was shielding her from whatever was ahead of them and at that very moment, she felt her heart race with pride and admiration. Luciana suddenly realized that he would probably be able to feel how fast her heart was beating and started contemplating what would be more embarrassing for her to blame for her heart racing: the great Luciana who said nothing would scare her admit that she was afraid? Or that she was very smitten with this boy she saw as timid and fragile suddenly acting so bravely before her? She waited for him to say something but he did not seem to mind for he did not mention anything about it. “Don’t worry, Luciana. I think it was just the shadows of the grass.” He smiled ever so brightly. Llywelyn looked so proudly at her, she couldn’t help but smile warmly in return.

So now here they are, wading through tall grass to find their way out of the forest with only a flashlight to aid them. Hand in hand and with newfound hope, she followed him through the tall thistles. The chances they would get even more lost seemed to be ever growing, and yet Luciana felt that she would not mind – as long as she was with him.

[kolyakun]

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

[gouache]

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



The path of long grass has been chosen.

[✧ airplane.]

Ｄｅｃｉｓｉｏｎｓ， ｄｅｃｉｓｉｏｎｓ.
Username: high noon
Link to roll call post: link
Link to previous form: 01 + 02 + 03
Prompt response:

Despite his inital apprehension, the hike so far had been pretty uneventful. Eleodoro felt a yawn coming on, and quickly stifled it behind his hand. It was getting late, and he'd sort of been looking forward to learning about nature or telling stories or jump scares, or literally anything except just walking in the dark. He and Eva got up to more mischief in the woods back home.

As the group stopped for a rest, and Councilor Beni headed off to find the stragglers, Eleodoro sat down in on a nearby rock and dug around in his backpack for a granola bar. The other kampers around him seemed grateful for the break, but it wasn't like it had been a strenuous hike so far. By the light of his halo he located the snacks in his backpack, and used his teeth to tear open a wrapper. As took his first bite, he stiffened at the sound of rustling in the pines behind him. He heard a branch snap, and he turned whip sharp, but there wasn't anything there.

His attention was diverted back to the group, as Councilor Iphis stood to announce they'd be continuing on without the others. By now, considering his sleepless night the day before, Ellie was ready to be back in his cabin and snoring. So he didn't mind getting on with the hike if it ended with him in bed. They all reshouldered their packs, and headed through the trees. Now that the light of the sun was gone, the forest was back to being almost impenatrable darkness. Most of the kits had taken their flashlights out by now, and the beams helped illuminate the path, but created eerie shadows to surround them.

Ellie was certain something was in the woods, following. He was heading up the rear of the group, and his sharp ears were trained on the sounds that kept coming from the trees. Faint movements of leaves, and light steps through the underbrush. It was probably just a small animal, but Ellie's imagination kept coming up with wilder and wilder depictions of what creature could be stalking them. Councilor Finn kept saying there was cryptids in the woods. Eleodoro didn't share his optimism that all of them would be friendly.

All of the suddenly, he was jolted out of his thoughts when he realized he had tripped over a root. The path had forked into two, and while he'd been preoccupied, he'd almost kept going straight, right into the forest. On the right was a more open, but dangerously rocky route. To the left was grass so thick and tall that he couldn't even see over it. But the worst part was, somehow he'd been so lost in his own musings on monsters, that he'd fallen behind and the group had left without him. His heart beat faster. He had no idea which path they'd taken, and he was going to be stuck in these woods forever if he chose wrong!!

Ellie sat up, trying his best to stave off tears by sheer force of will, but he felt his throat getting prickly and his eyes wet. He just had to... Pick a path and hope he was right. 50/50 was pretty good odds he supposed. His feet were already tired and aching, so while the grass could be hiding something mysterious, it felt like the better choice. Maybe it would hide him as well, from any prying eyes.

He told himself to be brave, and picked himself up from the forest floor. His dads were two of the bravest people he'd ever met, and he wasn't going to let them down. He'd get out of this forest eventually, and he'd see his family again. He parted the grass with determination, and wiped his eyes before he set off down the path.

He walked for a while. Some time along the way, he'd pulled out his favorite plush. He might not be a baby anymore, but there was no one here to judge him. He was starting to worry that he had chosen the wrong path. Surely he should have come across the other kampers by now. Just as his thoughts were beginning to drift to monsters again, the worst happened. The rustling noises were back, and all of a suddenly, a hand shot out of the thicket and grabbed his bean plush! Ellie was so surprised he couldn't even hold onto it, just stare, mouth agape at the grass where it had disappeared.

But if there was one thing he wasn't going to stand for, it was some lousy cryptid stealing one of his most prized possessions!

"My dad gave me that!!" he shouted at the foliage, before dashing off after it.

After blindly racing through the grass, he found himself back out in the woods, watching a shadow dart between the tree trunks: someone running away with his plush! Boldened by his anger, he took off after it. He barely even noticed the ache in his feet anymore. He just needed to get his toy back! With a burst of speed and a well timed leap, he pounced on the creature. They rolled through the fallen leaves covering the ground, and Ellie managed to get himself on top when they stopped. Only to discover beneath him... another kit.

At least he thought it was a kit. They had shaggy fur, and too big paws, with long dark claws on every finger. Their pupils were slits, and in the gloom of the forest, their eyes glowed a haunting yellow. Their teeth were sharp, canines poking over their lips, but... They seemed young, hugging the black bean plush to their chest, shaking and almost crying, and Eleodoro realized they were sputtering apologies.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Ellie sat back in surprise. The other kit hunched their shoulders, and sat up as Ellie rolled off of them. They held out the plush, seeming chastised and Eleodoro quickly snatched it back up.

"Sorry..." the kit said softly. "I shouldn't have taken it..."

"Who are you?!" El asked in astonishment. "A kamper? You weren't in the hiking group!"

"I'm not a kamper," the kit huffed, and pointed into the distance behind them. "I live on the other side of the woods. My... My name is Remington."

Ellie still didn't exactly understand. "Why are you this deep in the woods all by yourself? At night!"

Remington looked confused as he just pointed up in answer. Eleodoro did not get it, and told him so with a pout. "I always come to the woods on the full moons," the boy said, as if that explained it. Before Ellie could ask for clarification, Remy piped up, "Do you wanna play with me?"

The request was strange, in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night. But Ellie almost said yes, until he remembered... "I lost my group. I have to get back, or the councilors might be mad at me..."

Remington cocked his head. "That's easy, I know every part of the forest. We can play on the way there!" He seemed excited, tail practically wagging, and Ellie just couldnt say no. He shoved his plush back into his bag, zipped it up tight, and told Remington to lead the way.

With the biggest grin, showing off his sharp fangs, the strange kit took off. He was fast and his paws sent bits of soil flying as he tore through the trees. Ellie quickly scrambled to keep up, but it seemed like Remy wouldn't leave him behind, as he circled back and wove through the dense trunks, darting all around the kamper as if he were teasing him in a game of tag. His attitude was infectious, and Ellie found himself smiling as well, and laughing as he tried to catch the boy.

He didn't know how long they ran around under the moonlight, but eventually Eleodoro began to get winded. He stopped, Remington beside him, and put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. He hoped they weren't just getting more lost in the woods, but when he looked back up to ask his new friend, he spotted lights in the trees. Just ahead was a clearing, where all the other kampers were gathered with Councilor Iphis. He'd made it!

He started towards his group in relief, but then remembered Remington and turned back to the boy. He didn't know how to thank him enough, but he quickly grabbed his pack and pulled out his bean plush. He held it out towards the boy.

"My dad has lots more at home," he reasoned, maybe blushing a little. The glow in Remy's eyes seemed to get brighter as he took the stuffed animal and hugged it tightly, beaming at Ellie. He gave him a shy wave, and then took off back into the forest. El figured that was his cue to reunite with his fellow kampers. Just at the edge of the clearing, he stopped as he heard a familiar sound. A strange and haunting howl came through the trees and drifted into the night air. Ellie looked up to the full moon, eyes wide.

As he rejoined the group in the clearing, he stepped softly, not wanting to get in trouble for wandering off, even if he hadn't done it on purpose. One of the other kampers noticed him, and quietly nudged him in the side.

"Hey, where were you?"

Eleodoro just smiled brightly. He would definitely have something to write home about now.

"Oh, you know. Just running with werewolves."

[1600]

[lovage]

decisions, decisions.
username: fernmoon
link to roll call post: xxx
link to previous form: xxx
prompt response: helena's stomach rumbled as she sat at the edge of the clearing. the moon hung heavy in the sky as she took out one of the three energy bars which she didn't forget in her cabin. she, without much hesitation or manners, shoved the food in her mouth to meet the stomach's demands of food. she didn't care at this point if someone saw her shoving it into her mouth and told others about it due to the need of food.

her ears drifted throughout each conversation about the hike so far. soloist bluffed to other soloist about it not being scary at all while groups discussed routes to take to get through the hike. one of the many groups caught her attention as they pulled out maps-obviously more prepared than her-and discussed possible riutes. she started to listen in closer when a sharp clap echo through the clearing. she jumped a bit then turned in direction of the clap's source. "we'll be moving on with the hike. pack up and start getting a move on," iphis commanded them like an officer commanding a group of soldiers.

a few voices, including hers, pipped up on beni's absence.

"he'll make it through the forest, after all he is a full grown man. now, get a move on," iphis simply stated as a reply. there was a bit of laughter in iphis as he said that about beni. groups raised their flags and set off on the second half of the hike with soloist slowly spreading out after them. helena was shuffling to start the second half due to the fear inside her. she turned back one more time like before entering the woods. she was greeted by iphis wearing the same face the moment she announced her revenge to both him and beni back during sign-ups.she gulped at the sight of that day, and that look easily got the message across that told her to get a move on.

fear held a tight grip around her as she ventured further into the woods and made her believe things wher out in the darkness. eyes spied on her through tree branches; wind made her feel like a quick beast was lurking from behind with watchful eyes. it was awful, as with every heartbeat, she felt as something was closing in on her, using the loud heartbeat to its advantage. she kept seeing shadows moving even through she kept saying to herself that it's all in her head. she couldn't make this fear smaller due to having nothing to set her mind on unlike her doing it before when sh felt she'll be called a scariedy cat for having fear.

that fear kept on cosuming and nagging at her when she approached a crossroad in her path. the full moon hung heavy and bright to allow for a better look. a grassy rout that looked full of tall grass that went up the below her eyes and seemed to be full of danger; a rocky one with sharp stones that could easily cut someone and a slippery surface on most stones. her ears picked up on a stream nearby in the grass route.

when she began to decide, her mind was at ease for a bit as she thought through her options. it was clear that many have passed through her due to the footprints in the mud, the way grass was cut or pushed down by a foot, or the footprints near the rocky path. she remembered a lesson with her grandma on to follow a path to look for a more travelled path-the grass in this case-if lost somewhere unknown. a kamp lesson on careful footing from the two counselors who did rock climbing would come in handy for the rocky path.

when she started to weigh her options, the moon rose steadily in the night sky. the grass path was used more often, creating trails by other kampers, and there was a river near kamp which the stream might be connect to. the rock path held less possibility of going back to kamp. after deep thought, she stuck with her grandma's words of advice and chose the grass path.

fear returned to her as she darted towards the path. her tail was beneath her in fear as her brief moment of calmness was shattered in a blink of an eye. she kept shaking and thinking things were there like how she was starting after the break. her hesrt raced as she was frantic, even desperate, to find her way back to kamp. it didn't matter to her about dangers lurking in the grass picking up on her fear or even the many bug bites in the morning due to not being smart enough to have put on bug spray.

she tried to return to the calmness of mind before, but to no avail. "maybe the party for completing this will be fun... with loads of food- oh yes, food would be great! maybe even the counselor, from that one cabin from when i went out passed curfew, would be there," she thought with a nervous and desperate smile. her thoughts drifted to worrisome ones. "what if i chose the wrong path? then, i'll never return to kamp! i'll never complete training or see my family or even my home or a kingdom which i love ever again! and if that counselor is there, they'll tell them that i broke curfew last night. i'll be in so much trouble then." from there, her thoughts grew more and frantic.

she rushed through the tall grass, desperately hoping to return to kamp soon. one thing for sure if she does end up back in kamp and not another country or meet a horrible fate, that the party, if there is one, would have food and not that counselor from the cabin whose inhabitants called her 'a horned monster' and went crazy with terror from there.

[apprentice_]

{ Decisions, decisions. || username: rainichi || roll call || previous form }▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬{ courage prompt four || nora ft. cas }
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dont give idiots choices what were u thinking


so came the midnight hour followed by great foreboding shadows. shadows that morphed and changed with the wind, always moving, grabbing attention, raising the hairs on the back of nora’s neck. and when there was a momentary absence in wind, the shadows moved anyway due to animals in the trees. birds, she hoped. and the world painted in blue hues was only interrupted by the red reflections of daunting eyes. mothman, nora thought, because there seemed to be a lot of talk about him lately— she didn’t get it, personally. just a big moth.


nora and cas had been silent for a good five minutes as they walked, stepping over roots, watching for spooks. when cas spoke up, nora flinched. “what happened to ‘stick with the group, safety in numbers’?” they’d gone far ahead, left with only each other and the creatures that hid in darkness. nora had been the one to run off, swiping cas along with.

nora’s blood was running fast but being reminded she had a friend with her, her mind relaxed enough to spit out a dumb comeback. “hey, we’re a number.”

“two?”

“two’s a number.”

“yea, a low one.”

“i’m pretty sure that between our collective fearlessness, we account for like, ten people.” combat abilities? not so much. they were maybe just one person in that regard. cas was weak. but nora didn’t mention that bit. “i don’t know, but i think we’re lost. lost and alone. well, two isn’t alone, we have each other, but i’d feel better if there were fifteen others to be eaten before us. so, yea, i’m not saying i’m afraid, but i’m like, yea, i’m probably, yea, i’m afraid. cas i’m afraid.”
the simple solution was waiting for the group to catch up. doubtfully were they too far away, unless nora had lead herself and cas way, way off path. but nora had put the effort into coming out of this test first, and by god, she wasn’t about to back down now. was racing the other campers a good idea? no. no it wasn’t. had she already chosen to do it? yes, and she’d go through with it or die trying.

and she thought she just might, realizing they’d been struck with a fork in the road. two paths, one of grass and the other rocks. really tall spiky grass, though. no bueno. the kits came to a stop and exchanged glances. cas’ face said something along the lines of well, come on, which way do we go? and nora’s immediately replied i have no idea why you rely on me for important decisions.


“get this: we’ll go neither way. shoot straight down the middle.”

“there’s a tree dead center. and a lot of forest. try again.”

shot down. no matter. this decision was actually very easy in nora’s mind. whether or not it was the right choice was another matter. “have you ever walked through tall grass and walked out with thistles stuck to your clothes? i took my chances with rocks a few weeks ago and came out very injured and i’d do it again over getting dozens of thorns stuck to me. we’re walking the path of mildly dangerous rocks.”

“really? you’d rather feel legitimate pain over mild inconvenience? masochist.”

“hey, i didn’t say i’m logical in my preferences. besides, the rocks will be just like intense hiking. olympic hiking. we climbed the rock wall, this is fine.”

“you fell off the second foothold.”

“ok, no need for that now.”
something screeched in the distance. two somethings, it sounded like. likely two very angry squirrels having a brawl behind squirrel denny’s. that, in itself, wasn’t all that scary. it was more amusing than anything. nora could imagine them having a tiny argument. something like, how could you eat all the nuts? we’ve been saving those for the winter! that’s it, take your bags and get out! but in the dead center of an otherwise quiet forest, the high pitched screams sent chills reverberating through her bones.

in a twist of events, nora’s spooky scary skeleton was the one being spooked.


she chewed on her thumbnail. “at the risk of tripping and falling on the rocks, let’s go down this path anyway, and very quickly. sonic speed. i don’t wanna be here another moment.”

“are you sure you don’t wanna go back? you aren’t admitting defeat if you return to the group, you know. we’ll just go altogether instead.”

“uh, i’d rather die than show weakness. we’re going. besides, no need to hide when it’s dark outside, right? plus we have bread, he’ll protect us.”

“ok, for one, that game is too old for you to be referencing, and two, you’re incredibly stupid.”

“aw, but you love me for it.”

there was a pause. not one to imply that cas didn’t know what to say, but to imply she didn’t want to say it. “touche,” she ultimately wheezed out, opting for a simple answer. she did love nora, if not for her stupidity then for her excitable nature and passion and kindness. it was sappy, and neither of them played it that way, so the words were left unsaid, but they didn’t need to be said. they could be told from the way cas smiled more when she was around nora, and the way nora seemed so much softer.
they might not ever rule the world together, but if there was one thing they could do, it was make it through a questionable forest path in the dead of the night.

actually, it sounded like the others weren’t so far in the distance. and being so, nora grabbed cas and bolted. she might have been afraid, still was, but she had the blood of a competitive god— that, and a friend who could calm anyone.

and as they ran, stumbling over the rocks, nora thought the trail had to be coming to an end ( if they’d even went the right way; she prayed they did ). or maybe there was more, a surprise ending, a jumpscare, she didn’t know, but either way this had been fun. . . even if most of the scary bits had, at most, been nature being nature. regardless, she came to the resolution that she’d be making beni and iphis their own friendship bracelets. they deserved it for successfully herding a bunch of terrified kids through a forest.

mostly successfully. as long as nora and cas didn’t get kidnapped by—


nora screamed when something moved. “mothman!”
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[WanSham]

Decisions, decisions
Username:WanSham
Link to roll call post:link
Link to previous form: link
Prompt response:

You decided to go down the grassy path
Gotta prepare to whack something in case of

[Unleashed Squiid]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: Unleashed Squid
Link to roll call post: xx
Link to previous form: xx
Prompt response:
Elaina debated. Who knew what horrors would be found somewhere within those tall grasses. It was an overactive imagination’s worst nightmare, but the other side of the fork in the path would most likely be unsafe as well—no way would kamp allow a bunch of clumsy and overall beyond idiotic kampers, most of whom were well under Elaina’s age, on a road covered in jagged stones. That was just a lawsuit waiting to occur. The young kalon eventually decided that passing into the unknown, a place which could possibly contain some sort of threat would be better than a definite broken leg any day. With a deep breath, she set foot into the world beyond.

A bird fluttered from a tree behind her and Elaina jumped. She turned the reflex into a cough to prevent embarrassment and any sort of tease from a kamper behind her. She was usually not so timid or jumpy. Yet now, completely encased by grasses which reached up past her long ears, there was definitely a slight twinge of uncertainty. Whatever lay at the end of this had better be good for the amount of garbage she had to endure to reach it.

Elaina noticed a definite lag now as she walked. It felt as if weights had been tied down to her feet. “I’m not scared.” She grumbled to herself. She knew this was the right choice. No way would anyone want to go down the other path, never. Not even the brave Elaina. The kalon bent down and untied her shoe, then began the process of retying it slowly. She watched one, two, and finally three sets of feet pass by before straightening up again.

Perfect. If anything happened, if any creature jumped out or attacked or even thought about doing anything evil, now it would be their problem, not hers.

[wishbone!]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: plantfood
Link to roll call post: *gurgle*
Link to previous form: shooketh

Prompt response:


<3<3 Spyro stood unmoving as most of the group continued with the hike. The strange creature they had seen just lumbering in the forest hadn't yet passed from their forethoughts and probably wouldn't for a while. It was a certainly a jarring experience, but even more so, a curious one. What was that thing? Spyro had never seen anything like that on this existential plane! Well, actually, some of the people they'd encountered thus far maybe had a slight resemblance, but-

<3<3 One of the other kampers shouted at Spyro to hurry up or they were going to get lost. 'Oh, whoops.' They jaunted over to the group and gave a glimmering smile to the child who had shouted at them, earning a small, "Oooh!" The two made small talk about their experiences in Kamp when the group came across the divergence. Some of the smaller pods had once again broken away from Iphis and the surrounding cluster onto the different paths ahead.

<3<3 Spyro really just wanted to return back to camp, but how could they just leave Oooh Kid like that? Who was going to be brave enough for the both of them? Certainly not the other little rascals. They couldn't leave the poor thing until they that knew O.K. was gonna be ok. What if the giant terrifying lichen creature showed up and tried to snag a few of the scrawny ones? Spyro committed themself to be the flag of the group; if that thing was going to appear again for whatever unorthodox reason, hopefully their ridiculous height and flailing, glowing hands would draw more attention than the sweet-smelling tender flesh of the children.

<3<3 During Spyro's imaginative scenario playing in their mind, Iphis steered his followers to the rocky trail on the right. This hike was just filled with uncomfortable stones for Spyro to squash their legs on, huh? They supposed that the trail did have its advantages: high visibility so no nighttime beings could jump out at them, definitely a significant decrease in tick potential, and difficulty that would force Spyro's body to work just a little bit harder than it would having to lunge dramatically through the tall grass. Unfortunately, spook-factor was accounted for in the initial advantage, so Spyro had yet to prank unsuspecting minors that night.

<3<3 Tiptoeing across the rocks gave Spyro the benefit of gracefulness. Their steps were deliberately calculated so that they wouldn't end up adding to the collecting bruises via rocks. They didn't need all these kids seeing them topple over... The gangly tower of hope tumbling to the rocks below... Soft, supple paw pads in exchange for a new breath of courage. This was the sacrifice Spyro had to make the keep the kampers safe.

<3<3 'I have got to stop monologuing,' Spyro admitted silently.



<3<3 The stony path seemed to stretch onwards into nothingness. The tree-line loomed nearby, but there were no definite structures that would have denoted any kind of familiarity. Just a bunch of dirt and plants sprouting between the cracks, along with a trail of long black strands. Spyro had been tugging at the newly developed knots in their hair for quite some time. It had taken up so much of their focus that they had barely noticed how far away they'd strayed from the group. "Shiga would've had these out by now," they grumbled to themself.

<3<3 Spyro huffed and decided to just plop themself down on a log for a while. They could just follow this trail back to the other, and then that one to the other one- wait. They closed their eyes and remapped the trails they had winded down in their mind , quickly finding themself lost. That whole "wandering alone into the woods" things had been fun, absolutely, but now Spyro was realizing that they'd been much too hasty in their excitement.

<3<3 With yet another sigh of dread, they stood up and foolishly trusted their ears to find the others again.

<3<3 It had been relieving when they finally found a few kids sitting by a pond, waving their little stumpy legs about in shapes and sending small splashes at each other with their tails. A few pods were taunting each other indistinctly or just having quiet conversation with each other. Spyro was only a few bushes away from being back with the group. Suddenly, though, they were hit with deep realization: the children hadn't yet detected their presence. This was a perfect pranking opportunity! All the past discrepancies of the hike disappeared from their mind and Spyro dropped into a slight crouch. With luck, a few of them might even get startled and fall into the water... They had to keep themself from snickering at the thought.

<3<3 Spyro moved stealthily around the pond in attempts to reach the widest range of kampers. God, this was gonna be so good. With immense joy, Spyro leapt from the bushes and snarled from behind them.

<3<3 The children all turned around in synchronized silence. Their eyes flashed white and stared fixed at Spyro, as pale and full as the moon that resided above them, ripples of the Luna merging together as the disturbed water became eerily calm. Nobody moved. Nobody said anything. It seemed as if even the wind ceased blowing in this one single moment.

<3<3 Spyro swore the only sound was of their eyeballs squelching against their eyelids as they flickered from the little moons reflecting back at them. What were these doings here? How did they know what the kampers looked? like oh god were they ok what was this how did they know how did they feel it why were they



<3<3 "Um... Spyro? Spyro, wake up." One of the hikers gently shook the tallest kamper's shoulder. "Geez, they're soaking wet..." they mumbled to their friends.

<3<3 Spyro grumbled and rubbed at their eye. Did they fall asleep on that log...? They were right by the rocky path... A shiver jolted its way down their spine and Spyro was immediately aware of the amount of how drenched they were. How'd that happen? They went to scratch at their head, but noticed it was not the itchy tangled mess it had been previously.

<3<3 They looked up at the kamper who had shaken them awake and swore they saw the moon flicker. Spyro gazed confused at the sky before accepting the child's hand and standing up. Another sharp shiver ran down their spine as they took one last glance at the lunar plane above. They really needed to get into some dry clothes.

[Bloth Hoondr]

Decisions, decisions.
Username: Lloril
Link to roll call post: Here!
Link to previous form: Here!
Prompt response: 797 words

By the time the fork was reached, Zion had no idea just how long they had traveled and how far. The only indication of the length was his labored breathing and the position of the moon in the sky. Even in darkness only bathed by moonlight, the forest around them was teeming with life. Frogs and toads called from the streams, bats screeched, owls hooted, and crickets chirped all around as fireflies played lazily through the trees and fields.

As some Kampers took this reprieve to figure out a plan of action, others took this opportunity to catch their breath. Zion did the same, scarfing down some granola bars and chugging from his water bottle. Staring out into the shadows of the forest behind them, he also took the time to reflect on his journey thus far.

Having been announced as a "Test of Courage", he had expected the journey to be..well.. scarier. Aside from that unearthly howling one night, there wasn't much that spooked him. Then again, maybe he was tested in ways he wasn't expecting. He certainly hadn't expected to make as many friends as he had over the course of Kamp and if he were back home, he certainly would never had gone out to investigate that noise and protect his cabin. Sure, he was apprehensive about the start of the hike, having to face his fear of going back into the woods but the moment he was able to concentrate more on the beauty around him rather than his fear, he was able to push that into the back of his mind and no longer did he notice what could be eyes peering from the darkness or shadows flitting about in his peripherals.

The journey wasn't over just yet, he had to make a decision before he could press on; did he take the grassy path or brave the rocky path?

From the looks of it, the grassy path was dense and full of thistles. A flashlight could only do so much and his pants and Kamp T-shirt could only do so much to protect him. No doubt if he took that path, the grass itself would be too tall for him to peer over and he ran the risk of getting lost, unable to cut through or use his flashlight to really see. Not to mention there was no possible way to get through without a few cuts and thorns stuck in his fur. Now that he thought about it, there was no way of telling just what kind of creatures lived in that grass. For all he knew he could be walking into a den of spiders or possibly disturb any kind of snakes if they live in this area. Just thinking about it made him shudder and he thought about his other option.

The rocky path looked foreboding to begin with and pretty intimidating being silhouetted by the moonlight but if anything, it may be his safest bet. The area was more open which meant he had a better field of view and plenty of room to use. He was used to rock climbing more precarious cliffs back home but that didin't mean he could just rush this path, he would still have to take his time as to not trip or fall and cut himself. He had nothing to treat a twisted ankle but he could patch up any minor cuts. Should it come to it, he could always just hold his flashlight in his mouth and use both hands and feet to make his way past if the area seemed too unstable. Luckily his shies were sturdy and didn't rush the chance of slicing the soles of his shoes on anything jagged.

Zion had made up his mind and as a precaution, took out a roll of gauze to preemptively wrap his hands and arms. He wasn't sure what to expect at the end of the Test, and as cheesy as it may seem, he hoped Beni and Iphis would we waiting with a hastily drawn "You Made It!" banner to congratulate the Kampers and their journey. Some may have found this easy whereas others may have been pushed to their limits or forces to face fears they had no idea they had and nonetheless, the fact that everyone put on brave faces and hopefully had fun would be something everyone should celebrate.

Wish his wrappings secure, his shoes re-laced and a few strong shakes to his flashlight, he packed up and began his trek through the rocky path. He came here, he tried his best, and had fun doing so. This was the final stretch and the fact that he had made it this far drew a smile to his face, and for that he was grateful.