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

[stan.]

Hike, start!
Username: IlluminatiConfirmed
Link to roll call post: Roll call
Link to previous form: Previous form
Prompt response:

Although it was summer, the wind felt awfully cold during the nights at Kamp. Always strong and loud over the trees and cabins, and tonight seemed like it wasn't going to be the exception.

Many kampers had put on an sweater just like her, or at least something with longer sleeves. Some even wore scarfs and mittens they have gotten from who knows where in a summer camp. Everyone was, but the two adults guiding them, unsure of how long they would be there. Perhaps until dawn, or just until midnight. Anyways, it was better to be prepared.

The extra clothes didn't stopped Eliza from shaking in her boots, her teeth sometimes chattering together as she tried to keep her mouth open on a grin. Anyone could tell it was a forced grin, she really wasn't feeling the level of excitement she was trying to convey. But at least it made her look not so nervous.

There were things in the woods, hidden in the darkness the treetops provided. There were things that came out at night, probably bigger than any kalon she had ever seen. Things that weren't only wolves or deer, not even a bear nor a wild cat, she was sure. One of those things at least, and probably many in the worst case scenario.

That was enough to get her shaking lightly, and the cold made it much worse. Plus the fear of getting lost in the night and not being able to find her way back. At least she could try to prepare against that, making sure her flashlight had new batteries and even taking another flashlight from a kamper friend that wasn't going on the hike with her. She also got a handful, or rather, a small bag full of bread crumbs. To mark the path in case she got separated from the group by any rare chance, kinda like Hanzel and Gretel did in their story, one of her favorites fairytales.

Perhaps she should've grabbed something else, the bread crumbs could be eaten by some wild animal but it was the best she got. Speaking of eating, she took a cereal snack bar and put it in her pocket, just in case she got hungry. So she wouldn't eat the crumbs.

But those were for emergencies or weird situations, she had no plans to go alone. At all, no with unknown creatures roaming around. As much as Eliza would love to find out what those things were and show them to someone else. But no, there was no way. That could be too, too dangerous.

This was going to be a fun hike, safe and stuff. As long as she stayed with the group, everything was going to be okay. And then she could go back home at the end of summer and tell her dad all about it. Without a single scratch.

It would be okay.

[mousekewitz]

Hike, start!
Username: lordren
Link to roll call post: x
Link to previous form: x
Prompt response: [ 292 WORDS ]

Tonight he finally embarks on his trip. Alistair is terribly anxious, running through every bad possibility in his mind. What if he is split up from the rest of the group? Or what if something happens to Beni or Iphis? He can’t imagine the group of them trying to manage on their own, scared out of their own wits, in an unfamiliar terrain.

The kamper sits on a tree stump with his paws curled tightly around the straps of his backpack. In addition to his typical camping items, Alistair has packed a full can of bear spray and a tiny pocket knife for those just-in-case situations. He feels like an exposed nerve every time he dares to glance at the opening of the forest. There is something otherworldy past that line of trees and he is terrified. Now he wishes that his brother was with him to keep him company; even if he might tease Alistair, at least Joel would help lighten up the situation. For now he must go alone. Everyone else is decidedly solo or has already found their group, there’s no room for him elsewhere.

The kamper pulls off his bag and rifles through his change of clothes and blanket blindly. Between his pillow and the bottom of the bag he brushes against something cool and firm: the knife.It’s far from impressive, and dull to match, but it helps ease his heart. At least if something goes wrong he will be able to help somehow. Alistair slips it into the zipped pocket on his thigh before closing his bag and restrapping his sleeping bag to the top.

He stands at the call, surrounded by the murmurs of other kampers. It is time to embark on the Test of Courage.

[oriole]

Hike, start!
Username: rootgroves
Link to roll call post: here
Link to previous form: here
Prompt response:

[Anza]

Hike, start!
Username: Anza
Link to roll call post: boop
Link to previous form: boop
Prompt response:
Sam stood at the edge of the forbidden forest tightly clenching the straps of the backpack in her paws. There was no doubt about the fact that this hike was giving her the gitters: both from excitement and nervousness. The cool summer air washes through her fur, almost as if the dark forest was calling her to enter into it's lair. Sam figited from side to side as the counselors explained safety rules to the quality gittery campers around her. Sam reflected on her reasoning for signing up for this hike in the first place. Sure she was ready for the excitement of another adventure, but it had mostly been for the sole reason of meeting campers that she could befriend. Surely any camper that was willing to brave the dark forest at night had the spunk (or stubbornness) of a true outdoors man (even if they were city folk). Sam was brought out of her thoughts as her backpack clanked from all of her excessive movement. An experienced hiker, Sam had packed light and only brought the essentials - a high beam flashlight, extra water, energy bars, matches, etc. Staring at the dark forest ahead of her Sam could only put her finger on one thing she regretted leaving behind: extra batteries for her flashlight. As she mused over the idea of running back to her cabin to grab them, the group of hikers moved forward into the forest and Sam quickly followed. She'd never admit that she was slightly scared...there's just more safety in numbers.

[aeth]

Hike, start!
Username: aethillie
Link to roll call post: luciana
Link to previous form: the edgy woods

Prompt response:

Well, tonight was the night. Tonight was the night Luciana had to muster every ounce of faux courage for. She stared down into the woods, eyeing the forest again with a lump in her throat. Where had all that talk about conquering the forest gone? Luci was still quite unsure whether or not to trust her gut and just go with the hike or to put on a brave face and pretend nothing fazed her. Her confidence had dwindled down tenfold compared to the first day. The chill air made her hair stand on end but the sound of every step she took seemed to tell her it's too late now.

It's a good thing there were lots of people around, she even spotted Llywelyn within the group. It made her a bit relieved to see him - she felt her clenched fists slowly lift her nails from digging into her palms. Surprised, she looked at her own hand, was she that anxious? It's not like anything could hurt them. If anything were a threat, Beni would probably sacrifice himself for the kampers and Iphis would, well, do Iphis things? That's right, nothing could hurt them. If something spooky happens, it's definitely some sort of artificial trick made by the kamp counselors to scare us into being good kids. 'Kind of like how Aunt Dahlia would do to her... imaginary friends? Wait, that isn't right.' Luciana chose to ignore what she had just mentioned, her aunt was definitely a sane woman, there was no one as sweet and as sane as her aunt. But maybe Luci might have to sit with her and talk about her ghost friends for a bit. Just to clear up how they're harmless.

Realizing she had gotten sidetracked, Luciana perked up and looked around again. No one has disappeared or wandered off or so she noticed. Llywelyn was still ahead of her, springing quite happily along. It made her quite happy to see him handling this so well. Just a while ago, she had joked to herself how she would have to hold his hand and bring him along on the hike - but she seemed to be doing so much better than her in terms of nerves. She couldn't help but feel proud of him for how courageous he is to have decided to sign up for this hike even though he seemed so afraid of the world. He had challenged himself to this new and adventurous thing without hesitation and it pleased her to see his reaction to it. "I wonder if he sees me back here." Luci mumbled. There were others surrounding him, he was quite comfortable up near the front, she wondered if she would have a chance to say hi to him and ask him how he felt about the hike so far.

Luciana was rudely dragged out of her own thought when she nearly tripped. A thick root was the culprit, belonging to a spooky looking tree, it almost seemed too cliche. But now, she was suddenly aware of where she was again and what she was doing. Oh well, can't turn back now. Pulling out her friendship bracelet from Llywelyn, she gripped it tight, steeling herself to march on forward. Nothing could go wrong - after all, she had her lucky charm with her.

[trans]

Hike, start!
Username: trans
Link to roll call post: xx
Link to previous form: xx
Prompt response: 935 words

the air was chilly tonight, and you instinctively pulled your jacket tighter, hoping to combat the sudden chill that ran down your spine. there was nothing really that scary out tonight, but the gentle but almost mechanical swaying of the trees and the crows cawing in the distance wasnt really helping keep the atmosphere light. nonetheless, you werent scared out of your mind just yet, and managed to squash your nerves, at least for now, in favor of keeping closer to the group of kampers.

your socks still itched, but you didnt have time to get new ones, and leaving might seem like you're forfeiting the hike, which you did not want to do, even if you were a little scared. instead of dwelling on how annoyed you were by your socks, you decided to try to spot someone you at least recognized and hopefully group up with them. safety in numbers or something, you recall someone saying earlier, and you rather be safe and embarrass yourself then be alone and possibly get eaten by a cryptid hiding in the forest.

after a quick skim over the group going on the hike, you dont immediately recognize anyone you might know. some faces are vaguely familiar, but they're either already in groups or preoccupied, or have serious 'talk to me and i'll knock your teeth out' vibes that you arent really keen on testing out. thankfully for you, lady lucky is on your side, because you spot a certain golden yellow shirt in the distance jogging over to the group. as the figure comes closer, it is in fact the person you thought it would be, and they wave at several kampers, wishing them luck on the hike and reminded them to have fun despite the spooky atmosphere of the forest, before spotting you and making a beeline. you were alone still, arms gripping your jacket tight, the fluffy edges tickling your nose and hands, but their smile even from awhile away made you feel less alone.

"hey best friend! how's it hanging? everything set for the hike tonight?" they said cheerfully, picking up a rock to bounce in their hand while they chatted. you're a bit nervous to say that again, you dont really have anyone you know and you didnt take their advice from last time and try to talk to anyone (besides that one failed attempt at bug catching which, as you expected, had gone miserably and you both ended up catching flies, but we dont talk about that).

"it's going... great. you know? wonderful." you reply, rubbing the back of your neck awkwardly after you realize how pitiful that sounds aloud. you catch their sympathetic glance out of the corner of your eye and you feel your face scrunch up involuntarily, frustrated at yourself for disappointing them and for making them look at you like that. you wish you could've been cooler and said something else, thought out your answer a little more instead of the sad excuse of an answer you gave them.

"doesnt sound like this is all you thought it'd be cut out to be." they say softly, their voice making them sound far wiser beyond their years. "why dont you try hanging out with a new group? or someone who's alone too? who knows! maybe you'll make some friends, you just gotta get out there." they add hopefully, very lightly bumping your shoulder with theirs. they grin at you in that goofy grin again and you cant help but smile a little back; their smile is extremely contagious, you have learned.

"yeah, maybe... why cant you come though? im guessing you're not here to join the hike." you kick a rock you spot on the ground, sending it rocketing into the thickets of the forest up ahead. they shoot you another glance, one that looks like it's more sorry for you than anything, and you grimace, pulling on your jacket again to ease your nerves and calm the waves crashing around inside your brain.

"i would love to, but unfortunately i have quite a few things to help fellow kampers with tomorrow and i've gotta get up bright and early to do some things around kamp too, but trust me, if i could, i would have..." they trail off, looking embarrassed for a moment before saying, "i also missed the sign up date completely, it totally slipped my mind until an hour after it closed and i was really upset. i wish i could've gone with you though." they say apologetically, and you nod, not too bothered by it when they put it like that. you guess it was kind of selfish of you to expect them to be around all the time when you needed them.

"hey listen, i gotta go now... but try to have fun okay? and make some friends! it feels great, i promise! and remember what i said!" they say, before running off to issue a few more congratulations on making it to the night of the hike and good lucks, then whisking off into the night as if they'd never been there, the only trace they were here the footprints of their boots.

after they're completely gone, you feel a surge of confidence wash over you as you remember what they told you, and decide to march forward into the groups of kampers to find a group to fit yourself into. it might fail completely, it might end in utter disaster, but you had to give it a try, at least.

and like was said in the beginning, there's safety in numbers.

[76heart]

Hike, start!

username: 76heart
link to roll call post: boop
link to previous form: double boop
word count: 1,188

xxxAfter a rather sleepless night, filled with tossing and turning in anticipation of the hike to come as soon as the sun bore it's way through the windows of kamp, it was finally time for the hike to begin, and like they had been just before she entered the kamp, her nerves were running wild. She wasn't sure whether to be excited or terrified after the experience she had had in the forest late at night, one of the first times she had ever truly felt the first trickles of fear into her being. Unlike entering the kamp, it was very unlikely there would be a butterfly to guide her through the entrance and break her from her fears, so she was all alone, completely so, without the friendship or at least acquaintanceship of the others going, and all she could hear was her heart hammering in her chest. Could the others hear it too? If she focused, were they all staring at her? Why was she feeling this? She never felt any sort of anxiety or fear or doubt at home, so what was this? Meriam knew forests, knew nature almost as well as she knew herself; she saw it's timeless moments, it's seconds that stretched into ages and froze the world around them, moments that most everyone would ignore and pass by, she knew this, why was she worried? She had followed leaves along logs over rushing creeks before, and veered off the path innumerable times to follow a butterfly or bird, and see pieces of their worlds, their routines, their lives. She wasn't a stranger to any of this, so why did she have the fear? Why was it so strong that it drowned out her excitement, an excitement that normally knocked her off her toes in a strong wave, one that could consume her for hours, for days?
xxxWith a nervous shake of her head, she swallowed, and bent down to make sure she had everything she needed in her pack. Now wasn't the time for those thoughts, and she hoped that they would listen and go; she needed all the focus she could get for checking everything. All of it was important, and she didn't want any of it left behind. Crouching down, before seating herself on the soft grass, Meriam got to work, a mental checklist swarming all throughout her head.

xxxPulling the plastic ball threaded through the strings to keep them in place so they wouldn't open and spill the contents of her drawstring bag, she opened her pack, and shakily stuck her hand inside. Almost immediately, she was absorbed into her task, her fear gone, her thoughts completely on her checklist. Lets see, mother said I should always take a flashlight with me and spare batteries whenever I go out into the woods. They're... She rummaged around within her bag for a moment, carefully checking all the many pockets. inside, got it. She paused, reaching in deeper, her tongue sticking out the corner of her mouth in concentration. The energy bars are underneath them, and I'll carry the map so it's not crushed, or wrinkled, or torn. But where's the- Meriam pulled her paw out of her backpack and carefully picked up the list set beside it. The first aid kit, where is it? Where did I put it? There's the compass, which mother said is extremely important if I go anywhere out in the woods here where I don't know them, but that's not the kit! Where did I put it? Her face scrunched up into a frown as she then stuck both of her hands in the bag, searching for the medium sized box that was the first aid kit. It wasn't a tiny thing, so how on earth was she having a hard time finding it? It couldn't fit in any of the outside pockets either, so it had to be in the main one, but where was it? Why couldn't she find it? Meriam knew that the counselors probably had to have one on hand, but she wanted to have one herself just to be safe, and if she lost it, she didn't know how she'd tell her mother. She bit the inside of her lower lip as she forced her hands to go deeper, through all of the items she had brought. Her fingertips passed a climbing rope, some binoculars for bird watching or looking at something far away that she couldn't quite make out, a couple more energy bars, and even some sun screen she had no idea why was a thing because of the fur kalons had on their forms, and then some other things she couldn't identify. After a moments pause of trying to figure out what one thing was, she realized why it was so hard for her to find the first aid kit. Her bag was absolutely filled to the brim, stuffed even, with all the things her worried mother had exclaimed she needed, and then some things she had brought herself, which she hadn't thought to clear out or organize. Oops. Heat flooded to her cheeks as she peered into the bag to see all their was, and she, very embarrassed, began carefully unpacking it all to find the kit. Where the other kampers looking at her while she did this? Where they judging her, or more focused on the hike that would soon start?
xxxIt took her a few slow, agonizing minutes before she found it, buried at the bottom between a mountain of other supplies, beneath the stupid bars she had found and identified almost immediately. She let out a quiet huff, and then began putting everything back, more neatly than it had been when she had taken it out. At least she had found that she had everything on her list, even the items she had previously deemed nondescript, that was good, right?
xxxOnce she had it all carefully put away, she slung the heavy backpack over her shoulders and stood, only to realize that the rest of the group had already started, and they were just about to disappear down the path. In her focus at finding the kit in her bag, she had missed the announcement that it was time to go, and now she had to run. She had to run. Her mother had stressed that in an unfamiliar place there was safety in numbers, and that she'd not get lost that way, and she wasn't about to disobey that, especially after her brief time in the nighttime forest. She swallowed, and then ran to catch up with them as fast as she could, her breath coming hard as she neared them, until she finally managed to catch up, and she nearly fell flat on her face as she skidded to an ungrateful halt, mixing almost seamlessly back into the mix. Her heart was pounding even louder than it had been before, and her lungs were screaming at her to never do that again, but she was safe and with the group for the hike, ready for the test of courage to begin.

[ufos]

Hike, start!
Username: ufos
Link to roll call post: here!
Link to previous form: here!
Prompt response:

ft whizzer's cody + michael.

[beeqlass]

hike, start!
username: caspian;
link to roll call post: x
link to previous form: x
prompt response:

[AboveAspen]

Username: AboveAspen
Link to roll call post: Here!
Link to previous form: Here!
Prompt response:

After last night, and this mornings wake-up call, Finnegan was lucky to still be going on tonight's hike. Thankfully, it seemed that despite Beni's anger, he hadn't been removed from the hike for leaving his cabin. He was sure that Beni would understand anyways if he had the chance to explain himself; Bigfoot was a big deal after all.

But tonight was the real deal, and while the group had thinned out noticeably, Lukas was still here! How cool! Even though they were on opposite teams, there were no rules against pairing up with each other, right? He doubted it. Safety in numbers! There were no rules against being safe. With a small backpack slung over both of his shoulders, Fin happily strut his way over to Lukas.

"Hey! Lukas!"

Finnegan's voice was a cheery as ever, having moved to pull Lukas into a quick hug. They didn't really get to hang out much at kamp, considering that they were on opposing teams, but Fin was happy to get the chance to spend time with him now. Lukas seemed caught off guard, and even when he realized who it was, gave Fin a few awkward pats on the back. Fin didn't mind though, Lukas seemed somehow relieved to see him, and that's all that mattered.

The other boy mumbled a quick hello before glancing to Fin's bag. Having pointed it out, Fin glanced over his shoulder to his bag before nodding his head, as if already knowing what he was going to ask.

"Oh, right! I packed a couple things for the hike. There's a flashlight in there, an extra pair of socks...I even grabbed a couple granola bars, so if you get hungry, let me know!"

Lukas seemed tickled pink when Fin had offered up his granola bars to him, offering a quick thank you before ushering him along. It seemed like the rest of the group had been gathering up ahead.

"How was your night?"

Lukas asked with a soft voice, the two of them hanging near the back of the group when they approached. Fin beamed and grabbed onto both of Lukas' shoulders, face ready to explode with excitement.

"You won't believe what I saw last night!"

Finnegan's voice shifted into a more soft tone as he felt eyes from several other kampers focus in on him.

"Bigfoot. Well, Bigfoot tracks anyways. But I saw them, I really did!"

Lukas looked at Fin surprised, first questioning his encounter before more abruptly moving onto the fact that...well...he was still here, and hadn't been kicked out.

"Shhh...don't worry about it. Point is, I saw Bigfoot and it was awesome!"

Finnegan giggled, shoulders bumping against his skeptical friend. Hey. He saw what he saw. He knew was Bigfoot foot prints looked like. Lukas just had to believe him that was all. Besides, that wasn't the point. point was that they were both here, and despite how Lukas looked, the two boys were more than pleased to be going out in a group together.