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ToastyPigeon

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SpringDragon

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Grey snow begins to fall as you make your way slowly along the road. You're not sure how long it's been. Days? Weeks? It couldn't have been months, you think, otherwise it would be getting warmer by now. At least, that's what you hope is true, for there would be no meaning in migrating south every winter if summer only grew colder. You amuse yourself with thoughts like these in an attempt to forget the twisting, empty feeling in your stomach. Impulsively, you remove your canteen from your pack and take a quick drink to quell the swelling of your throat. Later in the evening, you come across an abandoned gas station—actually, why do you even refer to it as abandoned? Everything in this world is abandoned and decaying, isn't it? ...There goes your brain again. You can't let it get to you. You have to hold on to the hope of survival, because without it, life isn't worth living. You take a deep breath and force yourself to enter the gas station. As you expected, all of the shelves have been ravaged and there's hardly anything worth keeping. You pay no mind to the open cash register and instead begin fumbling about through the mess in search of something, anything worth eating. You ran out of canned food long ago, and your stomach has been protesting its neglect by twisting about in knots with every breath. You peer into one of the broken refrigerators and spot a sealed packet of some sort of lunch meat, hidden away in the corner. You open the door and pull it out, staring longingly at the pale hunk of long-expired, browning flesh. What do you do? > You put it back. You can't take that risk. Your stomach protests your decision, but you return the package to its original hiding place anyway. You know the risks that come with food poisoning, and with such a poor immune system, it would be all too easy for some bacteria to kill you off in your sleep. Instead, you venture outside and return with firewood, and after setting up a small fire in the middle of the store, you curl up on the floor with your extra jacket draped over you and fall asleep.

The wind is noticeably colder today than it was yesterday. Already, you can feel the brutal winter creeping up behind you, taunting you by sending fatal, frozen ashstorms your way. As you trudge further south along the crack-laden road, your back hunched from the weight of the pack on your shoulders, the darkness that you've come to recognize as day begins to fade. You know that it would be reckless to keep moving in the black of night, so you resolve to camp out, eat some supper, and try your luck at sleep. Where do you settle down for the night? > You set up camp in the woods. Sleeping in the road would leave you defenseless against an attack. Even though you doubt that anyone would dare to traverse the road at night, you don't want to take any chances. After resituating the pack on your shoulders, you venture deeper into the woods until you come across a small clearing. The charred trees around you don't offer as much protection as you'd like, but it's better than being completely exposed and vulnerable. You put your supplies down and set out to search for firewood, but by the time you return, there's barely enough light to see by, and you nearly trip over your backpack in the pitch dark. Muttering under your breath, you begin working to start the fire, but your frustration gets the better of you and you lay down in defeat. Pulling a rusty can of peaches from your pack, you quickly scarf down your dinner and toss the trash to the side. A cold wind blows through the forest, sending your body shivering uncontrollably, and you realize that you may not survive the night without a fire. You decide to... > You try again. You have no choice; you need to stay warm. With a great deal of patience and effort, you finally manage to ignite the tinder with sparks from two rocks and sigh with relief. The flame quickly consumes the dry twigs and you have to constantly feed it to keep it going, but it's worth the warmth. Lying alarmingly close to the fire, you bundle up in your extra coat, drape the tarp over yourself, and easily relinquish your mind to sleep. > Next. You awake to the dull light—if it could even be called light—of morning. As you look about you, the only change that catches your eye is a tree that fell several yard away from your campsite. You look at it in wonder; it hadn't even woken you when it fell, and you can't help but wonder if it could've fallen on you. Either way, though, you're thankful; that was the best night's sleep you've had in a long time. You stretch leisurely, gather up your provisions, and stuff them back into your pack. You swing it over your shoulder and walk up towards the road, and in no time, you're heading south. After having walked almost five miles, you come across what used to be a bridge spanning a wide river. The rapids may have raced along the channel at one point in time, but now the thick sludge only creeps slowly over the rocks. It would be slow going, but the water is shallow enough that you think you'd be able to cross. (After all, the shattered bridge will be of no use to you.) What do you do?

Even though you doubt that anyone would dare to traverse the road at night, you don't want to take any chances. After resituating the pack on your shoulders, you venture deeper into the woods until you come across a small clearing. The charred trees around you don't offer as much protection as you'd like, but it's better than being completely exposed and vulnerable. You put your supplies down and set out to search for firewood, but by the time you return, there's barely enough light to see by, and you nearly trip over your backpack in the pitch dark. Muttering under your breath, you begin working to start the fire, but your frustration gets the better of you and you lay down in defeat. Pulling a rusty can of peaches from your pack, you quickly scarf down your dinner and toss the trash to the side. A cold wind blows through the forest, sending your body shivering uncontrollably, and you realize that you may not survive the night without a fire. You decide to... > You just lie down and try to sleep. You're exhausted, and spending all night trying to build a fire would expend all of your body heat anyway. Your body feels especially heavy tonight, and all you want to do is sleep. You huddle up inside your extra jacket and pull the tarp over your head, willing sleep to come. However, you continue to shake in the brutal cold, and by the time you finally succumb to slumber, it is a light, restless sleep. You'll wake up in a fit only to fall back asleep and wake up again, leaving you more exhausted each time. > Next. After a long, cold night of broken sleep, you awake to the dull light—if it could even be called light—of morning. As you look about you, the only change that catches your eye is a tree that fell several yard away from your campsite. You remember waking to a loud noise in the middle of the night, but your body was so heavy that you couldn't even sit up to protect yourself. Thankfully, it didn't land on you... though you wonder if that wouldn't have been best. With a heavy heart, you gather up your provisions and stuff them back into your pack. You swing it over your shoulder and walk slowly up towards the road, and soon enough, you're heading south. After having walked almost three miles, you come across what used to be a bridge spanning a wide river. The rapids may have raced along the channel at one point in time, but now the thick sludge only creeps slowly over the rocks. It would be slow going, but the water is shallow enough that you think you'd be able to cross. (After all, the shattered bridge will be of no use to you.) What do you do?

It was a normal Saturday afternoon in Boston, Mass. you got up from your couch to grab a diet coke. You also heated up a leftover Hot dog from the fridge on your way to getting a diet coke. While you are waiting for the hot dog to finish heating up. you get a call. You pick it up, and hear a annoying voice. "Listen we need alot of help". "We need you" "Were Drafting you into the army". Your shocked. But you have to do what you need to do to save the U.S. Meet me by the Shooting Gallery" He said. "See you tomorrow ". He says "Bye". That night you got 3 hours of sleep thinking about what could happen in your future life. > You choose your Gun A long drive to the Shooting Gallery is getting you really nervous.But you gear up to start shooting in the army. you get there 5 minutes later. When you got there you saw a set of different guns. There is a Assault rifle, and a Heavy Machine Gun, a Semi-Automatic Rifle, a Shotgun, a Sniper rifle, and finally a Submachine Gun. which one to take. Since you are right now at the New Man in the army. > You assault Rifle As you Pick up the Rifle, you almost drop it, because you get so nervous. There is a big Target for Newcomers. It is 4 feet by 5 feet. You are trembling, and are not sure how long you can hold your balance for .The target looks like1 foot, by 2 feet. You should wait, and shoot, but your not sure how long you can hold it for. Your boss is getting very impatient with how long your taking. > You wait, then shoot the target It took to long, and you give up on that gun, maybe you just not made for that gun. > A Heavy Machine Gun The large body you have can't even hold the Heavy Machine Gun. It is huge, and heavy. But it shoots so strong. You see a 4 feet by 5 feet target. Will you shoot it,remember it's your first time shooting,a nd you don't know where to shoot it, you can put the gun's end side up at your throat, and shoot the target, or you can Put it by your Stomach. Where will be better to shoot it. you think of. > You shoot it by the Throat BINGO, you got a perfect shot right on target. "Nice aiming." Your boss tells you, I like where you positioned your gun, good job. This is your new gun for starters." "Now next week I'm going to need you in Iraq, we need your help". You gulp as he continues talking, "and we will need you for the most important part. The shooting."

The large body you have can't even hold the Heavy Machine Gun. It is huge, and heavy. But it shoots so strong. You see a 4 feet by 5 feet target. Will you shoot it,remember it's your first time shooting,a nd you don't know where to shoot it, you can put the gun's end side up at your throat, and shoot the target, or you can Put it by your Stomach. Where will be better to shoot it. you think of. > You shoot it by the stomach The shot hits the floor, and you feel really crappy, but remember you still have other guns. So there has to be one gun that fit's your style.

As you Pick up the Rifle, you almost drop it, because you get so nervous. There is a big Target for Newcomers. It is 4 feet by 5 feet. You are trembling, and are not sure how long you can hold your balance for .The target looks like1 foot, by 2 feet. You should wait, and shoot, but your not sure how long you can hold it for. Your boss is getting very impatient with how long your taking. > You put the Gun down, and try another one Without even trying you put the gun down, and ask for another one.

As you Pick up the Rifle, you almost drop it, because you get so nervous. There is a big Target for Newcomers. It is 4 feet by 5 feet. You are trembling, and are not sure how long you can hold your balance for .The target looks like1 foot, by 2 feet. You should wait, and shoot, but your not sure how long you can hold it for. Your boss is getting very impatient with how long your taking. > You just shoot out of random The shot was at the edge of the target. But it hit it, and that gun could possibly become the next gun that you use in the army. Next week you start your missions the boss said. He continues to say stuff as you gulp. Your nervous, but you must get over it.He tels you, you will have missions in Iraq.

The smell of water clouded Gabri's mind. The vast painting of blue was beautiful. Forget the immense fog. Forget the millions of trees closing him in. All that was there was the pool of water. He began touching his feet inside. Its crisp freshness made him shiver with joy. Soon, he was wading, all of him, in the water. He swam around rapidly and then just let the water carry him. It felt good. Oh, how it felt good. "Gabri!" shouted a voice from outside his own world. There, clothed in a brown and apricot robe, stood Ka Kamikaze, Jedi Master. His black hair, silver at the sides, clung to his scalp, refusing to let any wind pass through. His ashy black beard did the same. Ka was stocky, broad-shouldered. His blue lightsaber stayed tucked away deep in his robe. Gabri had never seen him withdraw it, but he had heard great tales in which he fought with it. Oh, if he could see him wield it, see all those tales come true, he would love it. "No more tomfoolery!" Ka ordered in his bold voice, "Do you come or do you stay? I must search this area." > You stay "I think I shall stay." Gabri told Ka, and began drifting off into the water's hypnotizing ripples. "Very well. If you must. I shall meet you back here soon." Ka said, a touch of bitterness in his voice, and was off. But Gabri didn't listen to him. He was already immersed in the water. The quiet tranquility calmed him. It was a calm quiet. A peaceful quiet. An eerie quiet. A menacing quiet. He felt the sensation of being watched. He reluctantly emerged from the water and draped his robe around him. He then went to explore the region around the pool. The only sounds were his footsteps squishing on the damp grass and his breathing. But, as he quieted himself, he heard another breathing noise. He whipped his head around, scouring for another being. He saw nothing. He looked to the north and, suddenly, he heard the hum of a lightsaber. He lashed his own out. The crrsshh of their lightsabers clashing echoed around them. The bright hues of green and red lit up their faces. Gabri could not see the other's face, for it was covered by a sooty, black hood. He knocked the lightsaber out of the other's hand and pinned him to the ground. The other was not, however, a he at all. She was a woman, with musty red hair all ablaze and fawn's eyes. They were timid pools of blue-green water and they were glistening. Her hood was now down and her arms bent up against her head. With flaring nostrils, Gabri shouted at her, > You say "Who are you?!" The woman looked at him with stern eyes. She clenched her teeth and answered, "I am Ophelia. And you may be?" "Gabri," Gabri told her, "I'm tempted to kill you." She looked at him with girlish eyes. Her sternness was there but her eyes sang a different tune. They sang, "Have mercy on me." He kept her restrained but, in an act of kindness, eventually let her be free. She stood and brushed the dew off her robe. As she stared at him her eyes said something again that her voice did not: "Why are you kind to me?" He knew not why, but he felt a certain sadness for her. It seemed she wished not to be here, that she longed to be somewhere safer, happier. A tear trickled down her face. She gazed down a moment. Then, she looked into his periwinkle eyes. "You have been sent to free me," she replied, speaking like a prophet, "To free me from the Sith's manacles." He stared into her fawn's eyes. Her strength was wilting. She suddenly dropped to her knees, laid her face in her hands and cried. Seeing her sorrow made him think of how he was glad he was a Jedi. The Sith were menaces. They always turned on each other. They couldn't be trusted. But he then remembered the harshness of Ka. How Ka was cruel and unforgiving. That was like the Sith. They both sounded horrible. He knelt by her, resting a claming hand on her back, and told her, > You say "Come with me and the Jedi shall protect you." She looked up at him with trustworthy eyes. The tears made her eyes quiver like someone dropping a pebble into a a pond and watching the ripples. She laid a hand on his shoulder and said, "Thank you." He never quite did know if the Jedi were the good ones, or the Sith. But seeing this girl break into tears, he knew. He had to take her into his custody, make her feel wanted. And so, following the path from Padawan to Jedi Knight, he took her as his Padawan. He needed to show everybody how the Jedi were the ones to be trusted. He did show them. Every one.

The woman looked at him with stern eyes. She clenched her teeth and answered, "I am Ophelia. And you may be?" "Gabri," Gabri told her, "I'm tempted to kill you." She looked at him with girlish eyes. Her sternness was there but her eyes sang a different tune. They sang, "Have mercy on me." He kept her restrained but, in an act of kindness, eventually let her be free. She stood and brushed the dew off her robe. As she stared at him her eyes said something again that her voice did not: "Why are you kind to me?" He knew not why, but he felt a certain sadness for her. It seemed she wished not to be here, that she longed to be somewhere safer, happier. A tear trickled down her face. She gazed down a moment. Then, she looked into his periwinkle eyes. "You have been sent to free me," she replied, speaking like a prophet, "To free me from the Sith's manacles." He stared into her fawn's eyes. Her strength was wilting. She suddenly dropped to her knees, laid her face in her hands and cried. Seeing her sorrow made him think of how he was glad he was a Jedi. The Sith were menaces. They always turned on each other. They couldn't be trusted. But he then remembered the harshness of Ka. How Ka was cruel and unforgiving. That was like the Sith. They both sounded horrible. He knelt by her, resting a claming hand on her back, and told her, > You say "Do not fear the Sith. They will help you." Her eyes met his and she resembled a deer in headlights. Her crying stopped from sheer shock. "Your a monster if you believe that," she said, "You must be." She fled from him, leaving him kneeling with a hand in the air. She fled because she feared him. She just didn't know. The Sith were the good ones. Not the Jedi. Ka was a good example. So he became a Sith Master, destroying all dear to him for he knew this was the right thing to do.

"I think I shall stay." Gabri told Ka, and began drifting off into the water's hypnotizing ripples. "Very well. If you must. I shall meet you back here soon." Ka said, a touch of bitterness in his voice, and was off. But Gabri didn't listen to him. He was already immersed in the water. The quiet tranquility calmed him. It was a calm quiet. A peaceful quiet. An eerie quiet. A menacing quiet. He felt the sensation of being watched. He reluctantly emerged from the water and draped his robe around him. He then went to explore the region around the pool. The only sounds were his footsteps squishing on the damp grass and his breathing. But, as he quieted himself, he heard another breathing noise. He whipped his head around, scouring for another being. He saw nothing. He looked to the north and, suddenly, he heard the hum of a lightsaber. He lashed his own out. The crrsshh of their lightsabers clashing echoed around them. The bright hues of green and red lit up their faces. Gabri could not see the other's face, for it was covered by a sooty, black hood. He knocked the lightsaber out of the other's hand and pinned him to the ground. The other was not, however, a he at all. She was a woman, with musty red hair all ablaze and fawn's eyes. They were timid pools of blue-green water and they were glistening. Her hood was now down and her arms bent up against her head. With flaring nostrils, Gabri shouted at her, > You say "Why did you try to kill me?!" She gazed at him with fiery madness. "Because you are a Jedi! Jedi cannot be trusted!" She wanted to struggle, to escape from him, he could tell but if she tried she'd feel the wrath of his lightsaber. "It is the Sith that can't be trusted!" he shouted, accidentally letting her go. "The Sith have only tried to restore the galaxy. The Jedi have tried to tear it down!" she shouted back, angrily, picking up her lightsaber and wielding it once more. They clashed the lightsabers against each other again and started an immense battle. They whipped around and around again. She withdrew her lightsaber unintentionally and he took the moment to > You murder her He swished his emerald lightsaber through her body and she fell to the ground. Her hair laid around her and her body was limp. He felt anger rise inside him. He didn't know then but he was becoming a Sith. He went out into other worlds expressing his anger. He found that the Sith were the good, the great defenders of the galaxy. And, after annihilating people and planets, he joined the Sith for the good of the galaxy.

She gazed at him with fiery madness. "Because you are a Jedi! Jedi cannot be trusted!" She wanted to struggle, to escape from him, he could tell but if she tried she'd feel the wrath of his lightsaber. "It is the Sith that can't be trusted!" he shouted, accidentally letting her go. "The Sith have only tried to restore the galaxy. The Jedi have tried to tear it down!" she shouted back, angrily, picking up her lightsaber and wielding it once more. They clashed the lightsabers against each other again and started an immense battle. They whipped around and around again. She withdrew her lightsaber unintentionally and he took the moment to > You hug her He wrapped his arms around her and, as she eased into him, she cried. "They're cruel beings," she hiccuped, "They are self-seeking and would do anything to destroy their enemies and even their friends, if they had any, to make themselves stronger." Gabri nodded on her candlelight hair. Ka was callous at times but he always had good intentions. He wanted to help, not hurt. Gabri knew that now. As the girl sobbed into his robe, he knew he had to stay a Jedi if he wanted to help. And he did want to.

The smell of water clouded Gabri's mind. The vast painting of blue was beautiful. Forget the immense fog. Forget the millions of trees closing him in. All that was there was the pool of water. He began touching his feet inside. Its crisp freshness made him shiver with joy. Soon, he was wading, all of him, in the water. He swam around rapidly and then just let the water carry him. It felt good. Oh, how it felt good. "Gabri!" shouted a voice from outside his own world. There, clothed in a brown and apricot robe, stood Ka Kamikaze, Jedi Master. His black hair, silver at the sides, clung to his scalp, refusing to let any wind pass through. His ashy black beard did the same. Ka was stocky, broad-shouldered. His blue lightsaber stayed tucked away deep in his robe. Gabri had never seen him withdraw it, but he had heard great tales in which he fought with it. Oh, if he could see him wield it, see all those tales come true, he would love it. "No more tomfoolery!" Ka ordered in his bold voice, "Do you come or do you stay? I must search this area." > You go Gabri stood out of his soothing water, pulled on his robe, and followed Ka. "A Jedi shouldn't play around like you do," Ka scolded, "I wanted a willing Padawan, not an immature little boy." Gabri looked up to Ka with great admiration, and he knew he played around more than he should, but he also knew Ka could be harsh. They moved on, the damp grass squishing under their feet. "What are we looking for?" Gabri asked, again. He never really listened to Ka's answers for Ka always spoke down to him, and in sarcastic tones as well. "If you paid the slightest bit of attention, instead of goofing off, you'd already know," Ka snarled. And so, Gabri's question went unanswered. They walked a far distance until they came to a shed. It was poorly constructed and rundown. The door was off its hinges and nothing but dust and grime laid inside. They entered and found a Gungan standing there with flappy tan ears and eyeballs on antennae. He had a bill and a long tongue. "Are you Jedi Master Ka Kamikaze?" he asked, "I have been sent for him." Ka nodded. "I am Lum Blimi. A ship has been sent for you, from the Rebellion." the Gungan told them. He led them through the thick jungle and there before them was Y-wing, a mossy yellow color covering it. Ka boarded and Gabri followed. In its own little compartment was R2-B5, an astromech droid with yellow coloring as well. The droid beeped at Gabri and he waved. Then, he ran inside. Sitting in the pilot's seat, Ka set a course for > You tatooine As they arrived at Tatooine, sand began pelting the windows and they could see nothing. "A sandstorm! What luck!" Gabri complained. Ka paid him no mind to him. He tried to maneuver the the Y-wing but the sand kept it stuck to the ground. "This is all your fault! We should have plotted a course to Endor!" Ka yelled at Gabri. "My fault?! It was not my fault! I let you decide!" Gabri yelled back, even angrier. "It was your fault! Everything's your fault! You never do anything right!" Gabri let his anger explode. The explosion was large and insane. He withdrew his lightsaber and killed Ka with much force. Ka's body dissolved, leaving a his robe and lightsaber in a pile. Through Ka did Gabri Joo now realize the evil ways of the Jedi. They were not defenders of the galaxy. They were destroyers. And so he became one with the Sith and killed many a Jedi. Ka had shown him the Sith were the righteous ones.

Gabri stood out of his soothing water, pulled on his robe, and followed Ka. "A Jedi shouldn't play around like you do," Ka scolded, "I wanted a willing Padawan, not an immature little boy." Gabri looked up to Ka with great admiration, and he knew he played around more than he should, but he also knew Ka could be harsh. They moved on, the damp grass squishing under their feet. "What are we looking for?" Gabri asked, again. He never really listened to Ka's answers for Ka always spoke down to him, and in sarcastic tones as well. "If you paid the slightest bit of attention, instead of goofing off, you'd already know," Ka snarled. And so, Gabri's question went unanswered. They walked a far distance until they came to a shed. It was poorly constructed and rundown. The door was off its hinges and nothing but dust and grime laid inside. They entered and found a Gungan standing there with flappy tan ears and eyeballs on antennae. He had a bill and a long tongue. "Are you Jedi Master Ka Kamikaze?" he asked, "I have been sent for him." Ka nodded. "I am Lum Blimi. A ship has been sent for you, from the Rebellion." the Gungan told them. He led them through the thick jungle and there before them was Y-wing, a mossy yellow color covering it. Ka boarded and Gabri followed. In its own little compartment was R2-B5, an astromech droid with yellow coloring as well. The droid beeped at Gabri and he waved. Then, he ran inside. Sitting in the pilot's seat, Ka set a course for > You endor As they landed on the planet of Endor, they heard the shrill cries of Ewoks. "We must help them!" Gabri shouted. Ka left the Y-wing and Gabri followed. They searched the dense trees until they found a small group-only three-of Ewoks. They were closed in by a horde of stormtroopers. A lifeless Ewok body lay beside them. They were whimpering and cowering like small children. Ka stayed back but Gabri leaped out of the underbrush. He had always questioned himself of who was truly the defenders of the galaxy: Jedi or Sith. But seeing those Ewoks, and seeing the motionless body, he knew it was the Jedi. They were the great ones, the ones who helped the harsh worlds. As he attacked the stormtroopers, he knew he was a Jedi. And a loyal one at that.

You walk through the undergrowth, a rifle leaning against your shoulder that you struggle to keep from dropping. You rush to keep up with father, who is seemingly oblivious to how fast you're having to walk. "Come on, boy!" father said, his fingers scratching at his thick black mustache. As you walked out of the confines of the tight pines, you saw home. The stone and thatch cottage that was to be your home for the next few years, until you became of age to find your own place, stood there in the fields. Overgrown fields lay to the West and South, a trickling stream East and the vast forest you'd been walking to took up the North. Judging from the cart sitting alongside it, Mother and Meredith were already here. The family was tiny by all accounts. Mother was prone to bouts of sickness, making her womb a barren place for a child to be born. Although they had tried all their life, and continued trying despite even you recognizing the futility of the action, two children was all they'd ever have. It was you and Meredith, the "miracle twins" as the doctor who delivered you liked to say, that would be the only ones that had survived. The number of miscarriages had clearly taken its toll on Mother, who was fond of siting my the fire, staring into it as she said her rosaries. From Father's stories she was a wild and untamed girl as a child, a rebellious soul that Father had been ensnared by. Whoever Father speaks so fondly off, its no longer Mother. Father still retained some joy, a love of the land and and a love of nature, although the glimmer of excitement in his eyes was becoming rarer and rarer as time passed. That left Meredith. While father's love of nature and positive nature had been instilled in you when you were younger when Father still held the hope of a large family that Mother had long abandoned, Mother's cold, distant nature took hold of Meredith. She wasn't as bad as mother, but she was a pain to play with and even worse to talk to. All in all, this turned you into the child you are. Without many friends, you've become quite lonely, but there is a certain peacefulness in nature you just adore. With the birds nesting in the trees singing to you, the hares bounding carefree underfoot among the undergrowth and eyes of a thousand beasts and creatures staring at you, you could never truly be lonely in the woods. You'd do your chores and feel the burden of labor required to survive in such a harsh time, but then, you were free to walk under the protection of the greak oaks and pines and gaze at the glory of nature. You run down along the fields, hefting the weight of the rifle in your hands as father jogs ahead. Soon, you run up to the porch to find mother and Meredith unpacking. You put your gun in the rack, looking at them. "What can I do now, father?" you ask. "Nothing, boy. It's up to mother and Meredith to do the unpacking and prepare the catch, Papa says, pulling off his hunting sack and pulling out two hares, their necks broken. "I'll tell you what. Get the bearings of the forest for me, lad. Scout out for any hare paths or wild fruit growing or deer grazing areas." "Got it, father," you nod, grabbing your rifle once more and swinging around to walk back outside again. > You head to the woods You begin wandering up towards the trees, holding your gun tightly in your hands. Whilst nature is no doubt a sanctuary to your young mind to find tranquility, there's many dangers hidden. You point your rifle, making a loud bang sound as you picture yourself shooting a large grizzly bear like that your grandfather had stuffed in his cabin. You reach the trees, leaning against a large, thick Oak tree and taking a deep breath, taking in all the scents the forest offers you. Your eyes scan the forest, quickly spotting several points of interest. Among the underbrush you spot a slightly trampled hare path, no doubt leading to wherever's a good spot to graze. There's also the stream, which you could wander along for a fair distance in search of anything worth seeing without getting lost. Finally, there's a large oak tree with lots of strong branches. Perfect for climbing. > You head along the hare path You begin following the hare path, trudging along with your rifle in hand. You're far from a good shot, but still the thought of bagging another hare fills your mind. Your eyes flicker along the path for the black eyes of a hare staring back. You hear magpies singing overhead as a few peek from their treetop nests. It's a lovely forest, that's for sure. Suddenly, you hear something. You quickly turn, dropping to your knee to raise your rifle into a firing position to bag your prey as father always does. You don't, clumsily tripping and hitting yourself in the face with the gun. Still, you're getting better. You push the gun off yourself as your rub your nose, before hopping up to a kneeling position. You stare at where the noise came from. Through the blurred visage of your watery eyes, you see in th distance a pale figure,, sprinting past the trees with unnatural speed. You heft your gun to your shoulder and aim, not knowing whether to fire or not. You don't want to miss a chance to take out a… whatever creature that is, but you're unsure whether that's even a good idea. > You fire You pull the trigger as the gun bucks in your hands, sending you falling onto your back. You push the gun off you, as you rub your eyes, peeking through the trees. You didn't hit it, you don't think. A quick jog over confirms this. You sigh, strolling back to your gun and hefting it up. You spend another hour searching for any trace of the creature, but find neither sight nor sound of it. With that, you tredge back home. > You head home Labor and Duty You never do see the figure again. You venture out looking for it a few more times, but you never do. You must've frightened it. No bother. As you grow taller, stronger and smarter, father assures you that soon, it'll be time for you to finally leave and get your own home, your own wife, and your own family. You suppose he's write. It's your duty to God and nation to build a strong family like that which raised you. That's what expected of you, and that's what you'll do.

You begin following the hare path, trudging along with your rifle in hand. You're far from a good shot, but still the thought of bagging another hare fills your mind. Your eyes flicker along the path for the black eyes of a hare staring back. You hear magpies singing overhead as a few peek from their treetop nests. It's a lovely forest, that's for sure. Suddenly, you hear something. You quickly turn, dropping to your knee to raise your rifle into a firing position to bag your prey as father always does. You don't, clumsily tripping and hitting yourself in the face with the gun. Still, you're getting better. You push the gun off yourself as your rub your nose, before hopping up to a kneeling position. You stare at where the noise came from. Through the blurred visage of your watery eyes, you see in th distance a pale figure,, sprinting past the trees with unnatural speed. You heft your gun to your shoulder and aim, not knowing whether to fire or not. You don't want to miss a chance to take out a… whatever creature that is, but you're unsure whether that's even a good idea. > You hold fire You hold fire, as the creature continues sprinting through the forest. You stare curiously at it, before it disappears from view. Fascinating. You lower yourself from the branch to see if you can spot it from a lower angle, but sadly its completely disappeared. No bother, you'll make an attempt to find out what kind of creature it was another day. Time to head home and report your findings. > You head home You don't see any other sight of the creature, or figure, or whatever it was. You grab your gun, hefting it up to your shoulder once more, as you begin strolling home. It's only a short walk back home. When you arrive, mother and Meredith are putting away the last of your family's possessions, while father sits by the fireplace, cleaning his rifle. "Jacob, what did you find?" he asks. "There was some creature in the woods that was really pale and I saw it but I didn't shoot it bec..." "No creature's pale in the woods that I can think of," father interrupts. "Wouldn't be good for them. Their skin's meant to hide them in the foliage, not help them stand out." "We need to get a fire going before night. It's getting colder," father says. "Let's get your chores started. Get to work gathering firewood." "Got it, father," you say. > Two Hours Later... You stare at the bowl of rabbit stew in front of you, lapping your lips as mother continues setting the dinner down on the table. "Alright, let's pray," father says, as you all make the sign of the cross. You bow your head as you all grab each others hands and hold them tightly to pray to the Lord. "Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty," you all say in unison. "Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." You release your hold on Meredith and mother's hands, making the sign of the cross. Then, you eagerly dig into your food. You devour it, licking the last trace that the bowl in front of you ever even held food within two minutes. You slap the bowl down on the plate with a sigh of the joy that can only come from alleviating hunger. You wait for your family to finish eating, tapping the edge of the table out of boredom. After a few minutes, the rest of them finish eating, and you make the sign of the cross once more, before you join hands once more. "We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, and for the poor souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, may they rest in peace. Amen," you all say, before making the sign of the cross a final time. "Jacob, go check on the goats," mother says. "Meredith, help me cleaning the bowls." You nod, standing and pushing in your chair, hurrying to the doorway and grabbing your coat as you pull it on. You walk outside, quickly heading towards the goat shed, where Nick and Puck lie on their bed of hay. They're well fed and watered, and seem contented. You turn to walk back inside, before seeing movement up in the trees. Then, you hear the noise. A horrible, long, incredibly loud, screeching howl that penetrates your very core. You feel an urge to run and flee from the noise. > You hide behind the goat shed You quickly cower behind the goat shed, terrified of the thought of whoever made that howl coming for you. Suddenly, father bursts from the house, his rifle in his hands. "What was that?" he barks out, his knuckles white from how tightly he's clutching the rifle. You point up towards the trees, bathed in the pale moonlight. "It came from there!" you say. Father pauses, staring up nervously. He leans into the doorway, grabbing the crucifix that hangs there to watch over you as you eat. He hands you the crucifix, as you take it. "I want that on you whenever you enter the woods, understood?" he asks, as you nod. "I'll have the crucifix for the house replaced in the morning. Just try and get some sleep, OK?" You nod, as you begin to trudge off to bed. Despite being exhausted, you know you won't sleep much. > The Next Day... "I'm not sending him out there alone! We'll be fine, we'll go quickly!" father says. "I need help with fixing the shed, Ezekiel!" mother replies. "Jacob can do it, I'll set up the traps!" father says. "Jacob's not strong enough to life the blocks, Ezekiel!" Father sighs, looking at you. It's not your place to get involved in the arguing and even though as the wife mother shouldn't be arguing with father, she's right. You're losing daylight fast as the day progresses. One of you needs to set up the traps and one should fix the shed, and you simply can't do the latter. "I can go, father," you say. Father's still nervous about the creature he heard last night, despite admitting he's not sure what it is. Still, with your rifle and God's protection, you know it won't be able to harm you. Father sighs, his big brow furrowing and his mustache drooping. "Alright," he says. "Don't stray too far, understood?" "I understand," you answer. "Take your crucifix, your rifle and my trapping pack, and be back in two hours, or I'm coming lookingn for you, understood?" "I understand," you repeat. Father stares up at the forest, slowly blowing out air between his teeth, before nodding. "Go." You quickly race to grab your father's hunting pack, grabbing the leather pack and swinging it over your shoulder. With your left hand you grab your rifle, struggling to keep it propped up against your shoulder. With your right hand, you hold your crucifix tightly, and head off into the woods. > You continue You walk along the hare path, your rifle and crucifix held tightly in your hands. You find another good spot for a simple snare trap, beginning to tie up your loop as you peer among the branches for one that could be used for the snare. Suddenly, you hear a branch breaking. You drop the loop, twirling around to point your gun. Thankfully, you don't hit yourself in the face with your rifle. You peer through the trees, seeing the flash of pale flesh from yesterday. > You investigate You creep forward, lowering your gun as you approach the creature. You step past teh tree, finding a young girl, around your age. The girl has long, dirty blond hair and very pale skin. You blush and consider averting your eyes as you notice she's completely naked, before settling on focusing on her stares. She crouches over a dead hare, her hands tearing flesh from the creature as she greedily lifts it up and devours it. You stare at her in shock, before she looks up, staring at you. Her face is covered in the hare's blood, her long hair tussled with twigs and dirt in it. Her hands are covered in blood, and she wears a carved wooden ring. The thing that grabs your attention is her eyes. They're bright, shockingly blue that seem to entrap you, and you find yourself unable to say a word. "Hello," she says, staring at you. "I-I...," you stutter, stumbling over your words. You both stare at each other, before the girl finally holds up the hare. "Want some?" she asks. "N-no thanks," you say. "I'm Jacob." "I'm Rose," she replies. "Do you live here?" you ask, not knowing what else to say. "I live all over the woods," she replies. "Have you moved into the cottage?" You nod, as she resumes the eating of the dead hare. "That's not cooked," you say. "No," she replies. You know you have some bread in your pack, and you can see apples hanging nearby. Perhaps you should offer her something less... disgusting. > You offer her bread You open your pack, pulling out a piece of bread and offering it to her. "Here, have some of this," you say. "Thank you," she says, tearing off a piece of the bread and chewing it. She winces, opening her mouth and spitting out the bread. "It tastes rotten," she says. You take a bite out of the bread, chewing it and swallowing in. It tastes perfectly fine. Still, Rose resumes eating her hare flesh. "I like your ring," you say, not knowing what else to say. "Thanks," the girl replies. "I made it myself." "Do you mind if I ask a question?" you ask, as the girl smiles. "That's a question," she says. "I mean, like another question," you say. "Sure." "Why aren't you wearing clothes?" The girl looks down at her naked body, seemingly only noticing it for the first time. "Oh," she says, blushing. "Um... I don't know. I don't have any clothes." > You offer to get her one of Meredith's dresses "I have a sister. She's as big as you. I can get you one of her dresses." "Oh, I don't want to cause any trouble," she says. "No, it's OK, I can get it," you say. "I'll have to do it after I lay down my traps, but I can do it." Rose nods, before looking at your pack. "Why do you lay down traps?" she asks. "To catch prey to eat," you reply. "What do you use?" "My hands," Rose says. Rose pauses, nodding behind you. You slowly turn, spotting a hare sitting in the grass, seemingly oblivious to the two of you. Rose raises a finger to her lips, slowly stepping forward. Then, with unnatural speed she pounces. Rose bursts forward. You only see a blur before she stops, holding the hare with a broken neck in front of you. "How many do you need?" she asks. "I don't know," you say. "If you get me the dress, I can catch you a few hares," Rose offers. > You accept her offer "OK," you say. "I won't be able to get the dress until tonight." "I'll have the hares ready for then," Rose says. "So, do..." "I need to be home soon, then," you say. "Yeah, my mother will be looking for me soon. I need to go," Rose says. "I'll see you tonight, OK?" you say. "Got it," Rose nods eagerly. "OK. Goodbye, Rose," "Goodbye, Jacob," Rose says, before sprinting off into the woods. You watch her leave, before turning to head home. > You half an Hour Later... You walk in the door of the cottage, putting your rifle in the gun rack. Father is there, waiting for you. "Ah, Jacob, you're back. I was getting worried," he says. "Did you set up the traps?" You stare at him. For some reason, you feel you shouldn't tell him about the strange girl. He's always been a very puritanical person, hence the religion. When old Mister Kenneth taught a bird to sing in your last town, father wanted him burnt at the stake for witchcraft. > You tell the truth "No, I..." you say, before realizing you need to explain the whole story. For the next while, you explain the story to father. As you talk, his brow seems to furrow and his mustache droops. He stares at you for a while, before gritting his teeth. "There's a witch, a demon, maybe the devil himself in those woods!" father yells, grabbing the newly made crucifix from its place in the doorway. "You've consorted with pure evil, child. We need to head to town, find a church and pray for forgiveness for our sins!" "What? No, father, she was just a girl! You're talking craz...!" Father slaps you hard, before grabbing your head and holding you close to his chest. "Do you think the devil can't take any form which pleases him? Renounce the evil in your heart!" > You pray to God for forgiveness You drop to your knees as you've been taught to do, and clasp your hands together in prayer. "Oh Most humane and adorable Jesus, Your endless grace and mercy flows forth," you say. "Before granting the gift of absolution To earnest repenters of sinful ways, You demanded a sacrificial compensation. For a wrongful act cannot be rectified Until punishment has been accepted! Yes, for the salvation of my soul, Jesus, You accepted the price of the Cross! Grant me the grace to remain free of debts, My heart remaining flawless before You, Making Your absolution truly worthwhile!" Father hugs you tightly, kissing you on the forehead. "Come on, we need to get Meredith and mother and head to town. We need a priest, understood?" You nod, and quickly follow him to the coach as he calls for mother and Meredith, as you're lead away. " > You continue Son of God You're brought to town with your family and taken to the church, where you're blessed and you pray. After a few hours, father rounds up a posse and heads into the woods, where he searches for the so-called spawn of Satan. Nothing is found, but this push causes father to become even more religious. The religious shift affects you. Whether real or not, you recognize your talk with the girl as sinful and you pray for redemption constantly. Eventually, you become a priest, and find yourself sanctuary in some desolate part of the wilderness. Full of self-loathing yet knowing suicide is a sin, you spend out the rest of your days in a miserable existence.

"No, I..." you say, before realizing you need to explain the whole story. For the next while, you explain the story to father. As you talk, his brow seems to furrow and his mustache droops. He stares at you for a while, before gritting his teeth. "There's a witch, a demon, maybe the devil himself in those woods!" father yells, grabbing the newly made crucifix from its place in the doorway. "You've consorted with pure evil, child. We need to head to town, find a church and pray for forgiveness for our sins!" "What? No, father, she was just a girl! You're talking craz...!" Father slaps you hard, before grabbing your head and holding you close to his chest. "Do you think the devil can't take any form which pleases him? Renounce the evil in your heart!" > You refuse "No, father! She was just a normal girl! She..." Your father quickly unhooks his belt, smacking it into your head as you stumble backwards. "By the lord's name, you will repent!" he screams, as he hits you. "No!" you scream in defiance. In a mixture of anger and panic, father stands over you, beating you desperately, not knowing any other choice. He yells at you, calling you a heathen, a spawn of Satan and more. The beating goes over the top as you continue to refuse to repent. Eventually, a frustrated, enraged blow at the wrong angle ends up snapping your neck, quickly killing you.

You walk in the door of the cottage, putting your rifle in the gun rack. Father is there, waiting for you. "Ah, Jacob, you're back. I was getting worried," he says. "Did you set up the traps?" You stare at him. For some reason, you feel you shouldn't tell him about the strange girl. He's always been a very puritanical person, hence the religion. When old Mister Kenneth taught a bird to sing in your last town, father wanted him burnt at the stake for witchcraft. > You lie "Yes, father, I set up the traps," you lie. "Good," father nods. "Now, we have more chores to do." You nod, and prepare yourself for a long day of work. > You later that night... You hear the soft snoring of Meredith in the bed next to you. Father and mother are in the next room, but they're definitely asleep. You slowly slide out of bed, and creep over to the closet. You slowly open the closet, pulling out a black cotton dress and slinging it over your shoulder. You creep out of the house, walking towards the woods. Rose waits there. She leans against a tree, giving a little wave as she sees you approaching. When you reach her, you hold out the dress and she takes it from you, pulling it over her head and putting it on. "How do I look?" she smiles. "Pretty," you admit, before mentally chastising yourself for being so lustful. Rose smiles, and gently kisses you on the cheek. You blush, stepping back. "Rose!" you say, embarrassed. "What? It was on the cheek, we're just friends! Not even my mother could think that was bad!" she asks, confused. "You're being lustful! We're not married, we shouldn't be..." Rose puts a finger to your lips, nodding towards the house as you remember your sleeping parents and nod. "You're weird," she says, before walking into the woods. "Come on, I'll show you where I have the hares." You follow Rose into the darkness of the forest, and you walk alongside her. Soon, you find a dozen hares strung up from a tree by their neck. She cuts the rope keeping them up, and catches the string of hares as it falls, holding it out for you. "Here," she says. "That's a lot of hares," you say. "Fair trade." Rose shakes her head. "No. If you had just laid down your snares, you would've got a few hares. I still owe you something." "Like what?" you ask. "You're new to this place. I'll show you around." "Uh, OK, " you say. You follow Rose around as she leads you through the forest. "So, do you... have a house around here?" you ask. "Um... no. I sleep a lot of places. I used to sleep in my mother's cottage, but we don't get on. Now, I like to sleep in the trees. Find a nice big branch, hold on tightly. It's nice." Over the next hour, Rose shows you the things of importance in the area. The good grazing areas, the most populated hare trails, the wild vegetable and fruit patches. Eventually, you reach within sight of an old, burnt out cottage. Rose stops you before you can get close. "That's my mother's house," she says. "Oh. Did... did she die?" you ask. Rose shakes her head. "No, no she's alive. It's just she... well, it's a long story." "That place is all burnt out. No one should live there." "She should," Rose says, spitting on the ground. Rose quiets up as she leads you away from the cottage. After another few minutes, you come across a mountainous area, with a visible cave further up it. "And that's where my father lives," Rose says. "Well, sort of." "Does he move around a lot?" you ask. "He lives in a lot of places. But he's there," Rose says. "Is he a trapper, or something?" "No, he's a..." Rose says, before pausing. "Yeah, trapper's a good definition. He traps things." You dismiss her comment, and continue walking. Suddenly, Rose perks up. "What games do you know how to play?" she asks. "Games?" "Do you like tag?" she asks. "I don't know." "I tap you and you become it, and then you have to tap me." "Oh, OK," you say. "So, tag," she says, tapping your shoulder. "You're it." Rose bursts off, quickly running through the trees. > You run after her You sprint after Rose, laughing as she playfully lets you catch up before evading your lunges at her. She dances at the edge of your reach, and you continue running through the forest. You spend at least an hour playing but eventually, Rose leads you home. You talk for a bit more, but you arrive back at your cottage. "Well, goodnight," she says. "Goodnight, Rose," you reply. "Can we do this again sometime? It's nice to have someone to be around." She's right. It is nice. Your short time with Rose has been fun and really helped with your loneliness. "Yeah. I'd like that," you say. "Great," Rose smiles. "See you soon." "See you soon," you say, as you walk back to the cottage to get to bed. > One Month Later... Your secret friendship with Rose develops quite a fair bit. You have quite a bit of time to play with her. Due to your success at "hunting", father seems more than happy to leave you in charge of the hunting. Everyday, you head out to do the snares, Rose awaits with a string of hares for you. Then, you have a while to play and have fun, before you need to head home to avoid arising suspicion. You gift Rose with a few luxuries that she can't scavenge from the woods such as preserves, a blanket and a few other man-made goods. Father notices your rise in behavior, but he simply dismisses it as you enjoying the woods and all the time you're spending in it. Like you, Rose assures you that it's best you never meet with her parents. When asking if her parents even know of the friendship or whether they're in the dark like yours, she vaguely implies that her mother does know, and watches you two playing occasionally. You never see her, mother, but you don't mind. For now, all is good. You run through the undergrowth desperately with all your speed, but like always, Rose is much faster than you. She taps you in the shoulder before speeidng away in the blink of an eye, stopping by a tree to lean against it for you to catch up. "You're too fast!" you complain. "You're too slow," Rose says, sticking out her tongue. "Let's play another game," you say. "Hide and seek?" she asks. Despite Rose's unnatural ability to find you during hide and seek, by what she claims to be "sniffing" despite her being far away, you have much more of a chance of success in hide and seek rather than trying to outpace her. She's faster than a deer, you'll never beat her in that field. "Yeah, let's do hide and seek," she says. "I'll be on first, if you want." You nod eagerly, as she spins around on the balls of her bare feet, clasping her hands over her eyes. "One, two, three…" she begins to count, as you turn and sprint off into the woods. You have a few places in mind that would make a good hiding spot. There's a little den underneath one of the trees that you could hide in. It should be easy enough to crawl into, although you've had similar hiding spots before. Still, it's one of the best spots you have, and the closest one. There's also a more risky choice. The burnt out cottage that here mother supposedly lives in is close by. Rose says she only uses it for sleeping in, so you could hide out in there. There's also her father's cave. It's slightly father away, but Rose seems to have an aversion to it. You could get to it if you run past enough, and hide away in there. There's been no reports of trappers in the area and Rose hasn't mentioned seeing him in a while, so you should be able to hide out there. > You hide in the den You quickly make your way to the den, finding it in the exact spot you remembered, just squirreled away under the twisted roots of an ancient Oak. You drop to your knees, lifting yourself down into it and scrunching up. You wait patiently, closing your eyes. > You wait It's not long before you hear a gleeful "Found you!". You open your eyes and look up at Rose, who stands by the den opening with a smile. "Ah, rats!" you say, as Rose grabs your hand and helps pulls you out of the den. "That was fun," she smiles. "Yeah, I'm only just realizing that hide and seek is mainly one person waiting in a hiding spot," you say, before looking up at the sun as it falls through the sky. "It's late. I need to get home soon." "Oh come on! I didn't even get to hide yet!" Rose complains, pouting in an exaggerated fashion. "Sorry. You can hide first time," you say. "Fine," Rose says. "Come on, let's get you home." > Another month later... You stand in the goat shed, feeding Nick and Puck. You put the rest of their feed down, walking out to talk to father. Father chops wood by the wide of the house, while mother cooks and Meredith washes clothes by the stream. You walk to father, who seems quite content. Thanks to Rose, you've been eating well, and she even brought you a full deer the other day. You had to shoot it to make it seem like you had hunted it yourself, but other than that it was a cause for celebration. "Ah, boy! Have you checked the traps today?" "Not yet, father," you say. Father smiles, motioning towards the soup mother's making. "Go, get some venison soup and head out. I need to head to town tomorrow. Get some salt to help the meat last through winter, and sell some of the excess meat. We're truly blessed with your hunting and trapping skills, Jacob. Thank the Lord for it. So tell me, will you come to town with me tomorrow?" > You agree to head to town with father tomorrow "Sure, father. I'd love to." "Great. I'll be seeing if there's any fathers with girls your age in the town, you know. You're getting old, and I'm sure with your strong features, ability to provide for a family and your humility to God, you'll have no trouble finding a wife. Ah, I'm talking too much. Now go, boy, have some soup and check the traps." You begin walking away and head to mother, who stirs the soup slowly. "Do you want some, Jacob?" she asks, not looking up. "Yes, please," you say, as she dumps some of the soup into a wooden bowl and hands it to you. You say your thanks to her before praying to say the same to the Lord, and then quickly devour the soup. It's fairly delicious and both easily warms and fills you up easily. Now, you're ready to head out. > You head out to the woods You turn, walking off into the woods. It's only a few minutes of strolling before Rose appears behind you, smiling and happily fiddling with her wooden ring. "Hiya," she says. "Hello, Rose," you say. "So, Jacob, what do you wanna do?" "I don't know," you say. "Did you get me any prey to bring home?" Rose nods. "Yeah, I got you five hares. Is that enough?" "Perfect," you nod. "Come on, then," Rose smiles, bounding away. "Let's go find something to do." You look at her, thinking. Father said you were to find a girl relatively soon. A wife to raise a family with. From what you've seen of the outside world, the girls are all the same as Meredith and mother. They do what they're told, they pray, they're humble. But you don't want a wife like mother or Meredith. You wonder if Rose would be a suitable partner. She doesn't know how to sew, or clean, or cook, or wash clothes, or really do any wife stuff. But you'd prefer a second out here with her rather than with Meredith or mother. She's the one who hunts. Maybe you could learn to do the wife things for her if you got married. You... An acorn hits you in the head and you step back, startled. Rose throws another acorn at you, which you duck under. "Hello! Anybody there?" Rose says, gently tapping her knuckles against your head. "I'm fine, I'm fine," you reply, as you begin walking alongside her. You walk down towards the stream, where Rose's catch awaits. Five hares hang from the branches alongside three squirrels. Rose hops across the river, water splashing the edge of her dress. You follow her, jumping from rock to rock to cross the stream. Rose sits down on a rock basking in the sun that sits at the edge of the stream, water rushing past. You sit down next to her, staring at her. With long blond hair, shockingly blue eyes and a pretty, if a bit animal-like face, she's definitely pretty. Her eyes lock into yours, as you both stare into each other. > You kiss her You lean in, kissing Rose on the lips, closing your eyes. Her lips are warm, and you feel yourself meld into the kiss. You feel her pull away and open your eyes just as she slaps you hard across the face. You stumble backwards, as she stares at you, nervous and panicked. "No, no, no!" Rose says, looking scared. "We're not allowed to kiss!" "What? What's wrong?" you ask. Rose looks off into the woods, panicked and scared, as she stares fiddling with her ring again. "I promised, Jacob! I promised her I wouldn't kiss you or fall in love or anything! I promised!" "Rose, calm down, OK! It's fine, we're fine!" you say, trying to calm her down. "No, no, no! I told you my mother watches us playing sometimes. I told you! Now she saw you do that, and she's going to be so angry at us, and... and..." Rose says, looking absolutely terrified. "I'm sorry, OK! I can explain this to her!" you say. "No! I need to... I..." Rose goes even paler than her natural pallor. "You need to go." "Rose, I'm not going! I...!" "Take your stupid prey and go! Just go!" Rose shouts at you. "I need to deal with this." "Rose, pl...!" "Go home, Jacob! I'll deal with it!" she screams, bounding up from the rock and sprinting off into the trees. You stand to sprint after her, but she's long gone into the woods. You sigh, walking over to your prey and grabbing the string of squirrels and rabbits. With that, you turn, walking home. > You hours Later... You sit at the table with your family. Mother puts the meal down on the table, strips of cooked venison and corn. You grab one of the strips and shovel it into your mouth, feeling bitter. "Jacob!" your father shouts, aghast. "Where are your manners? How dare you take the bounty of the Lord without thanks!?" "Sorry, father," you say, bowing your head. "I didn't think." "No, you didn't!" "I'll include this in my prayers for redemption tonight," you say. You hold out your hands, grabbing your Meredith's and your mother's. "Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty," you all say in unison. "Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." You release your hold on Meredith and mother's hands, making the sign of the cross. Then, you start to eat, devouring your venison and chewing down on the corn. Eventually you finish, and hold out your hands to pray, though your heart isn't in it, let alone your soul. "We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, and for the poor souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, may they rest in peace. Amen," you all say, before making the sign of the cross a final time. You stand for the table, pushing in your chair. Your father looks at you with a worried look in his eyes. "Look, it's dark. Say your nightly prayers and head to bed." "I..." you start to say, before pausing. "Yes, father." You sigh, before walking to bed. > You sleep... You're awoken by the noise. A horrible, long, incredibly loud, screeching howl that penetrates your very core. The noise floods into your mind, as horrifying and scary as when you first heard it. Only now, you can hear it outside your house. You hurry to clamber out of bed, clambering out of bed as you hear the door smash open. The creature lets out a chattering, screeching howl. You freeze, feeling cold, as shivers run down your spine. You need to act, fast. > You get your parents You charge into the next room, and finally glance the creature. It looks vaguely human, a fact even more terrifying. It stands at seven or eight feet, it's skin as white as bone. It has long black hair, matted with blood and gore. It's hands have transformed into horrible, mangled claws, with long, bloodstained claws. It's face is mangled and misshapen, but its eyes are filled with malice and hate. It stares at you. Then, with supernatural speed, it bursts forward. It hits mother first, its claws rending through her in seconds, tearing her apart. Father's barely out of bed before it turns to him. The superstitious man has reached for his crucifix rather than his rifle, but gets neither as the monster slashes his throat open, staining his mustache red as he collapses to his knees. Meredith appears in the doorway, terrified and confused. The monster bursts towards her, impaling her fragile body on one of its claws. It raises her up, growling in her face, before tossing her aside. Finally, it turns to you, it's horrible, mangled mouth seeming to turn into a grin. It steps forward slowly. You know there's no use running. You stare at the monster as it brings its claws just next to your face, still grinning with satisfaction. It motions as if to slash open your throat, but stops suddenly. It motions to do so again, but pauses once more, this time hissing in pain. It stops, before howling up towards the sky. Then, it brings its face up to yours. "Leave this place," it snarls. Its breath reaches your nostrils, warm and toxic. You feel your head going black, before collapsing onto the ground. > The Next Morning... You awaken in the house, surrounded by the bodies of your loved ones and covered in blood. You stand, staring around your destroyed house. It seemed the creature took time to destroy the place. It's dead silent despite the sun having risen, so the roosters must be dead. You sit there, surrounded by bloodshed and death. You cry for a bit, sobbing into your hand, but eventually you stop. You know you need to be strong. You have to think about yourself. You have to think about Rose. You have to think about the future. You stand, staring out at the woods. You wonder what you should. You could flee. The nearest town isn't too far. You could most likely walk to it in a few hours. Or, you could venture out into the woods. Find Rose, attempt to find what's going on. It's a more dangerous approach, but at least it'll get you answers. > You find Rose You walk out of your ruined house, not looking back, and begin heading towards the woods. It takes an hour of searching, but you find her. She sits by the same rock as yesterday, staring into the water. "Rose!" you say. Rose looks at you. She looks... strange. She's the palest you've ever seen. She's missing her wooden ring, as well. Her eyes are different, however. They're dark, the blue of her eyes now almost being black. Tears stream down her face as she stares at you. "Jacob!" she says, crying. "I'm so so sorry, Jacob. I tried to stop her. I tried my best. But my father's greedy, and he'd only..." Rose bursts into tears as you quickly cross the river. You wrap your arms around her, hugging her tightly. "It's OK. It'll be alright. We're fine, OK? We're fine. We need to get out of here." "It's my fault," Rose cries. "I know what my mother's like. I should've never talked to you." "It's OK. It's OK," you say. "We just need to go, OK?" "No, Jacob, I can't. I can't," she says. "It's OK. Just take a deep breath, and tell me what's going on," you say. "My... my mother... she saw us kiss. It took a lot for me to convince her to let us be friends, and I promised her we'd never kiss or marry or anything. I knew she was going to try kill you, so I had to make a deal." "That... the monster is your mother?" you ask, stepping back. Fay nods slowly. "She wasn't always like that. When she met my father, he made her like that. She wanted to be like that, to have power. She gave him so much... she gave him everything... eventually, her gave her something in return. A child." "Who... who is your father, Rose?" you ask. "It's..." Rose says, before bursting into tears. "I'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you, but I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend if I told you." "Rose..." "It's... my father is Lucifer, Jacob. I knew mother was going to try kill you, so I had to do something. I couldn't stop her, but my father could. I tried to convince him, but he wanted something in return. I had to..." "Rose..." you repeat again. "I had to sell him my soul, Jacob." You stare at her in shock as she nods slowly. "I'm sorry," she says softly. "We... we can fix this," you say. "Jacob, you need to go. You can't stay here with me. Please, just go." "No, no! We can fix this! I can fix this! If you turn to Jesus Christ, he can save your soul! No matter what kind of deal you've made, if you've accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you'll be saved!" "I'm too corrupt for that," she says softly. "Then we can purify you! We can purify you! Or I can go talk to your mother! If I can convince her to let us be, she can... talk to your father, or something. I mean, that's got to work!" Rose stares at you blankly, her eyes still dark and lifeless. "She'd kill you on sight if my father's protection has warn off. If it hasn't, she won't care." "Then I can go talk to your father! I'm sure I can convince him, or trade something with him, to give you your soul back." Rose slaps you hard across the face. "You don't go up there, do you understand?! You stay away from him! I'll tell you what the plan is. You leave. You get out of here. Go to town. Find a pretty girl, get married, settle down. Be happy, understand?" "I can't do that to you," you say, exasperated. You could try to purify her. Then, with Jesus Christ, you could get her soul saved. You could also try to talk to one one of her parents. Or... you could just leave. You could abandon everything, and try to find a happy life. > You try to purify and save Rose "Come on!" you say, grabbing her hand. "No, Jacob, leave me alone," she says. "Please, Rose, trust me! If this doesn't work, I'll leave, and I'll never bother you again! We can purify you! The lord will accept you! I promise!" Rose stands up, nodding slowly. "Fine. You promise you'll leave if this doesn't work?" "I promise," you say. You lead Rose back towards the house. It takes you some time to gather up what you need, but you do. Your father's crucifix as well as your own, the family Bible and a small flask of holy water that your father brought from the last town's chapel. Rose looks at it nervously. "I'm not sure about this, Jacob." "Trust me," you say. > You begin the ritual "Kneel," you say, as Rose kneels. You stand over Rose, opening your bible and beginning to read. "In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints," you begin to read, as Rose begins to wince in pain. "And powerful in the holy authority of our lives, we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil. God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him." You begin pouring the holy water over Rose, who begins to scream. You grit your teeth, and continue the ritual. "As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked perish at the presence of God," you say. Suddenly, Rose screams as she sets alight. She howls desperately in pain as the fire quickly burns through her dress, the very dress you stole for her. She screams horribly as she writhes in pain, and before you can act, her flesh and bone have burnt to ash. You drop to your knees over the ash, staring at it in shock. God has failed. He has failed to save your love. He took her from you. You stare at the ash, your hands shifting through it. Rose is gone. Your tears fall into the ash as you cry. After an hour of crying, you final stand. Your bible and crucifix lie next to you. You stare at them, wondering if God is truly with you. > You accept him No. God is with you. He always is. You turn away from the scene, picking up your bible and crucifix. With a prayer on your lips and tears in your eyes, you walk away from the horrors of the woods and all around it. > You continue God's Child After a few hours of walking, you find a town. You find yourself the nearest church, and pray in it. Soon, God provides. You find a job with the pastor, and are eventually ordained a full minister. You eventually end up as the town pastor, and accept your former life as sinful. Rose burnt because she rejected God in her heart. Your love for her fades, and you soon find a new wife who you marry. You wonder if this is what joy is. You don't feel happy like you did with Rose, but that was the pleasures of Sin. You have a strong connection with God, a nice house and a loving wife who is with child. That's certainly more than enough, isn't it?

"Kneel," you say, as Rose kneels. You stand over Rose, opening your bible and beginning to read. "In the Name of Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, strengthened by the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of God, of Blessed Michael the Archangel, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and all the Saints," you begin to read, as Rose begins to wince in pain. "And powerful in the holy authority of our lives, we confidently undertake to repulse the attacks and deceits of the devil. God arises; His enemies are scattered and those who hate Him flee before Him." You begin pouring the holy water over Rose, who begins to scream. You grit your teeth, and continue the ritual. "As smoke is driven away, so are they driven; as wax melts before the fire, so the wicked perish at the presence of God," you say. Suddenly, Rose screams as she sets alight. She howls desperately in pain as the fire quickly burns through her dress, the very dress you stole for her. She screams horribly as she writhes in pain, and before you can act, her flesh and bone have burnt to ash. You drop to your knees over the ash, staring at it in shock. God has failed. He has failed to save your love. He took her from you. You stare at the ash, your hands shifting through it. Rose is gone. Your tears fall into the ash as you cry. After an hour of crying, you final stand. Your bible and crucifix lie next to you. You stare at them, wondering if God is truly with you. > You reject him You grab steel and flint, and set the bible alight. You hold the crucifix into the flames, as that sets alight too. The flames burnt brightly in your hands, licking your hands and arm. It hurts, but you grit your teeth. If God is up there, you best get used to the burning sensation. Once the bible and crucifix are ash, you stand. You're done here. > You continue Burning Passion You walk through the woods, looking up at the starless night. Your burns still hurt, but you no longer care. You stare up at the sky, and know that God's either not there, or not worth your love. Who is he to claim you're a sinner with all the genocide and torture he's done? No. You're all sinners. No longer bond by silly superstitions and rules, life is yours.

You walk out of your ruined house, not looking back, and begin heading towards the woods. It takes an hour of searching, but you find her. She sits by the same rock as yesterday, staring into the water. "Rose!" you say. Rose looks at you. She looks... strange. She's the palest you've ever seen. She's missing her wooden ring, as well. Her eyes are different, however. They're dark, the blue of her eyes now almost being black. Tears stream down her face as she stares at you. "Jacob!" she says, crying. "I'm so so sorry, Jacob. I tried to stop her. I tried my best. But my father's greedy, and he'd only..." Rose bursts into tears as you quickly cross the river. You wrap your arms around her, hugging her tightly. "It's OK. It'll be alright. We're fine, OK? We're fine. We need to get out of here." "It's my fault," Rose cries. "I know what my mother's like. I should've never talked to you." "It's OK. It's OK," you say. "We just need to go, OK?" "No, Jacob, I can't. I can't," she says. "It's OK. Just take a deep breath, and tell me what's going on," you say. "My... my mother... she saw us kiss. It took a lot for me to convince her to let us be friends, and I promised her we'd never kiss or marry or anything. I knew she was going to try kill you, so I had to make a deal." "That... the monster is your mother?" you ask, stepping back. Fay nods slowly. "She wasn't always like that. When she met my father, he made her like that. She wanted to be like that, to have power. She gave him so much... she gave him everything... eventually, her gave her something in return. A child." "Who... who is your father, Rose?" you ask. "It's..." Rose says, before bursting into tears. "I'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you, but I thought you wouldn't want to be my friend if I told you." "Rose..." "It's... my father is Lucifer, Jacob. I knew mother was going to try kill you, so I had to do something. I couldn't stop her, but my father could. I tried to convince him, but he wanted something in return. I had to..." "Rose..." you repeat again. "I had to sell him my soul, Jacob." You stare at her in shock as she nods slowly. "I'm sorry," she says softly. "We... we can fix this," you say. "Jacob, you need to go. You can't stay here with me. Please, just go." "No, no! We can fix this! I can fix this! If you turn to Jesus Christ, he can save your soul! No matter what kind of deal you've made, if you've accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you'll be saved!" "I'm too corrupt for that," she says softly. "Then we can purify you! We can purify you! Or I can go talk to your mother! If I can convince her to let us be, she can... talk to your father, or something. I mean, that's got to work!" Rose stares at you blankly, her eyes still dark and lifeless. "She'd kill you on sight if my father's protection has warn off. If it hasn't, she won't care." "Then I can go talk to your father! I'm sure I can convince him, or trade something with him, to give you your soul back." Rose slaps you hard across the face. "You don't go up there, do you understand?! You stay away from him! I'll tell you what the plan is. You leave. You get out of here. Go to town. Find a pretty girl, get married, settle down. Be happy, understand?" "I can't do that to you," you say, exasperated. You could try to purify her. Then, with Jesus Christ, you could get her soul saved. You could also try to talk to one one of her parents. Or... you could just leave. You could abandon everything, and try to find a happy life. > You head to talk with her father "I need to go," you say. "Yeah," Rose nods. "Thanks." "I'll be back," you reply. "No, Jacob! Go to the town! Please!" You walk away from Rose, heading towards the cave. She doesn't seem to have the strength to follow, or doesn't realize where you're going. None the less, you walk away. After a few minutes of walking, you reach the mountain. You climb up the rocks and reach the mouth of the cave, turning only briefly to stare at the forest around you. You feel a certain cold chill run through you as you stare at into the darkness inside, but you know you need to enter. You walk further into the cave, as the shadows and darkness consume you. After a minute of stumbling forward, you reach the end of the cave, pausing. In the middle of the cave, dozens of scratches cover the inside of the wall, alongside dried in blood. You pause, staring at it. In the middle, a deer skull sits in place You half expect to start hearing horrible screaming or demons to clamber out from the walls, but nothing happens. The crucifix is heavy in your pocket, and you realize that's what's preventing him from coming. You take it out and walk back to the mouth of the cave, and stare out at the woods, knowing you don't really have a choice here. > You throw it Your throw the crucifix, watching it disappear off out of view into the trees. Then you turn, walking back further into the cave. You walk back to the skull, and kneel in front of it, closing your eyes. You wait in silence for several minutes, before you finally hear a voice. "Ah... you must be the boy. Hello, Jacob." "H-h-hello," you stutter, trying to keep calm. "Keep your eyes closed, would you, boy?" the voice asks. "OK," you reply. "I assume you know who I am?" the voice asks. "You're Lucifer." "So you know how high the stakes are here. What did you come here to do?" "I want you to give Rose her soul back." "I didn't ask what you wanted. I asked what you came here to do?" "To... to get her soul back," you say. "Oh, my dear boy, how is it you expect to do that?" "I'm... I'm willing to trade." "A soul is of infinite value. You have only one thing that even comes close to it in value. But you know that, don't you?" You nod slowly, as you feel hands on your shoulders. "So tell me... are you willing to give your soul for hers? The trade's simple. Your soul for hers. Do we have an agreement?" > You accept the deal "Fine," you say. "Say it," Lucifer asks. "I accept the deal," you say, before shuddering in pain as you feel his soul tear into your very being. "Then it's a deal!" You scream as you feel your body begin to burn up in terrible pain. You feel your soul being torn out, before you collapse, your life taken from you. > You continue Although you never learn of it, Rose sat by the river for several hours. Slowly, she begins to feel better. It's only after a few hours she realizes what's happening. She headed up to the cave, and found your body lying there. No matter what she offered, her father refused to revive the departed boy. Eventually, he fell silent, and she left. She left the cave and she left the cave. She walked for miles out of the woods, not knowing what direction the nearest town was. Eventually, a carriage found the girl in the dress, bringing her to the nearest town. Sitting in that carriage, free of her father, free of her mother, free of the woods, that girl in the dress knew that she was free, and it was all thanks to you.

Your throw the crucifix, watching it disappear off out of view into the trees. Then you turn, walking back further into the cave. You walk back to the skull, and kneel in front of it, closing your eyes. You wait in silence for several minutes, before you finally hear a voice. "Ah... you must be the boy. Hello, Jacob." "H-h-hello," you stutter, trying to keep calm. "Keep your eyes closed, would you, boy?" the voice asks. "OK," you reply. "I assume you know who I am?" the voice asks. "You're Lucifer." "So you know how high the stakes are here. What did you come here to do?" "I want you to give Rose her soul back." "I didn't ask what you wanted. I asked what you came here to do?" "To... to get her soul back," you say. "Oh, my dear boy, how is it you expect to do that?" "I'm... I'm willing to trade." "A soul is of infinite value. You have only one thing that even comes close to it in value. But you know that, don't you?" You nod slowly, as you feel hands on your shoulders. "So tell me... are you willing to give your soul for hers? The trade's simple. Your soul for hers. Do we have an agreement?" > You reject the deal "No," you say. "Oh, pathetic," Lucifer asks. "You've wasted my time here." Silence consumes you, and you wait patiently. After a few minutes, you open your eyes. The deer skull sits there, the same as ever. You stand, turning and walking out of the cave. You clamber down the hill, and start walking towards Rose. After a few minutes, you find her. "Jacob! I told you to leave!" she says. "I tried to talk to your father, but..." "Jacob! No! Please, please don't take any of his awful deals! Just go! Leave, Jacob!"

You awaken in the house, surrounded by the bodies of your loved ones and covered in blood. You stand, staring around your destroyed house. It seemed the creature took time to destroy the place. It's dead silent despite the sun having risen, so the roosters must be dead. You sit there, surrounded by bloodshed and death. You cry for a bit, sobbing into your hand, but eventually you stop. You know you need to be strong. You have to think about yourself. You have to think about Rose. You have to think about the future. You stand, staring out at the woods. You wonder what you should. You could flee. The nearest town isn't too far. You could most likely walk to it in a few hours. Or, you could venture out into the woods. Find Rose, attempt to find what's going on. It's a more dangerous approach, but at least it'll get you answers. > You get out of this wretched place You look out at the woods one last time, and quickly begin packing everything you have here, all the salted meat, all father's savings, everything you can find, and you begin walking away. It's a long walk to town, but you can make it. > You continue Lost Soul You never find answers. You never find peace with yourself for what happened with that. With Rose, with the monster, with the woods. The memories haunt you. Eventually, you turn to the only thing you have left: religion. You pray every single day for redemption, for God's peace. Eventually, you become a priest, and find yourself sanctuary in some desolate part of the wilderness. Full of self-loathing yet knowing suicide is a sin, you spend out the rest of your days in a miserable existence.

You're awoken by the noise. A horrible, long, incredibly loud, screeching howl that penetrates your very core. The noise floods into your mind, as horrifying and scary as when you first heard it. Only now, you can hear it outside your house. You hurry to clamber out of bed, clambering out of bed as you hear the door smash open. The creature lets out a chattering, screeching howl. You freeze, feeling cold, as shivers run down your spine. You need to act, fast. > You hide under the bed You dive under your bed, to a point where you can see the rest of the room, but no one else can see you. You hear your parents' screams of terror as they're torn apart. Suddenly, the door to your room smashes open, and you find the creature staring at you. It looks vaguely human, a fact even more terrifying. It stands at seven or eight feet, it's skin as white as bone. It has long black hair, matted with blood and gore. It's hands have transformed into horrible, mangled claws, with long, bloodstained claws. It's face is mangled and misshapen, but its eyes are filled with malice and hate as they peer around the room. The monster bursts towards Meredith who still lies in her bed, impaling her fragile body on one of its claws. It raises her up from her bed, growling in her face, before tossing her aside. It stops, staring around the room, sniffing slowly. > You run You try to crawl out from under the bed, but as soon as you do you realize there's no escape. You stare at the monster as it brings its claws just next to your face, still grinning with satisfaction. It motions as if to slash open your throat, but stops suddenly. It motions to do so again, but pauses once more, this time hissing in pain. It stops, before howling up towards the sky. Then, it brings its face up to yours. "Leave this place," it snarls. Its breath reaches your nostrils, warm and toxic. You feel your head going black, before collapsing onto the ground.

You dive under your bed, to a point where you can see the rest of the room, but no one else can see you. You hear your parents' screams of terror as they're torn apart. Suddenly, the door to your room smashes open, and you find the creature staring at you. It looks vaguely human, a fact even more terrifying. It stands at seven or eight feet, it's skin as white as bone. It has long black hair, matted with blood and gore. It's hands have transformed into horrible, mangled claws, with long, bloodstained claws. It's face is mangled and misshapen, but its eyes are filled with malice and hate as they peer around the room. The monster bursts towards Meredith who still lies in her bed, impaling her fragile body on one of its claws. It raises her up from her bed, growling in her face, before tossing her aside. It stops, staring around the room, sniffing slowly. > You hide You wait patiently, trying not to make a sound. Slowly as it sniffs the air it begins turning its head to look at where you're hiding. It slowly approaches, before dropping to its knees to stare at you with those dead eyes, it's horrible, mangled mouth seeming to turn into a grin. You try to crawl out from under the bed, but as soon as you do you realize there's no escape. You stare at the monster as it brings its claws just next to your face, still grinning with satisfaction. It motions as if to slash open your throat, but stops suddenly. It motions to do so again, but pauses once more, this time hissing in pain. It stops, before howling up towards the sky. Then, it brings its face up to yours. "Leave this place," it snarls. Its breath reaches your nostrils, warm and toxic. You feel your head going black, before collapsing onto the ground.

You're awoken by the noise. A horrible, long, incredibly loud, screeching howl that penetrates your very core. The noise floods into your mind, as horrifying and scary as when you first heard it. Only now, you can hear it outside your house. You hurry to clamber out of bed, clambering out of bed as you hear the door smash open. The creature lets out a chattering, screeching howl. You freeze, feeling cold, as shivers run down your spine. You need to act, fast. > You grab Meredith You charge over to your sister, grabbing her. "Meredith! Meredith!" you say in a hurried manner. "Wh... what?" Meredith asks as she stirs from her shoulder. Suddenly, the door to your room smashes open, and you find the creature staring at you. It looks vaguely human, a fact even more terrifying. It stands at seven or eight feet, it's skin as white as bone. It has long black hair, matted with blood and gore. It's hands have transformed into horrible, mangled claws, with long, bloodstained claws. It's face is mangled and misshapen, but its eyes are filled with malice and hate. It stares at you. Then, with supernatural speed, it bursts away. You try to rouse Meredith again and she stumbles out of bed as you hear mother and father scream as they're torn apart. Then, the creature appears in the doorway again, as you run for the window with your sister. The monster bursts towards Meredith, impaling her fragile body on one of its claws. It raises her up, growling in her face, before tossing her aside. Finally, it turns to you, it's horrible, mangled mouth seeming to turn into a grin. It steps forward slowly. You know there's no use running. You stare at the monster as it brings its claws just next to your face, still grinning with satisfaction. It motions as if to slash open your throat, but stops suddenly. It motions to do so again, but pauses once more, this time hissing in pain. It stops, before howling up towards the sky. Then, it brings its face up to yours. "Leave this place," it snarls. Its breath reaches your nostrils, warm and toxic. You feel your head going black, before collapsing onto the ground.

You're awoken by the noise. A horrible, long, incredibly loud, screeching howl that penetrates your very core. The noise floods into your mind, as horrifying and scary as when you first heard it. Only now, you can hear it outside your house. You hurry to clamber out of bed, clambering out of bed as you hear the door smash open. The creature lets out a chattering, screeching howl. You freeze, feeling cold, as shivers run down your spine. You need to act, fast. > You get out the window and flee You run for the window, opening it, but instantly the door smashes open as the creature enters the room. It looks vaguely human, a fact even more terrifying. It stands at seven or eight feet, it's skin as white as bone. It has long black hair, matted with blood and gore. It's hands have transformed into horrible, mangled claws, with long, bloodstained claws. It's face is mangled and misshapen, but its eyes are filled with malice and hate. It stares at you. Then, with supernatural speed, it bursts away as you hear your parents scream as they're no doubt torn apart. You fumble for the window latch, but the creature bursts back in once more. It bursts forward, grabbing the latch and closing it slowly, as you stumble back. The monster bursts towards Meredith who still lies in her bed, impaling her fragile body on one of its claws. It raises her up from her bed, growling in her face, before tossing her aside. Finally, it turns to you, it's horrible, mangled mouth seeming to turn into a grin. It steps forward slowly. You know there's no use running. You stare at the monster as it brings its claws just next to your face, still grinning with satisfaction. It motions as if to slash open your throat, but stops suddenly. It motions to do so again, but pauses once more, this time hissing in pain. It stops, before howling up towards the sky. Then, it brings its face up to yours. "Leave this place," it snarls. Its breath reaches your nostrils, warm and toxic. You feel your head going black, before collapsing onto the ground.

You turn, walking off into the woods. It's only a few minutes of strolling before Rose appears behind you, smiling and happily fiddling with her wooden ring. "Hiya," she says. "Hello, Rose," you say. "So, Jacob, what do you wanna do?" "I don't know," you say. "Did you get me any prey to bring home?" Rose nods. "Yeah, I got you five hares. Is that enough?" "Perfect," you nod. "Come on, then," Rose smiles, bounding away. "Let's go find something to do." You look at her, thinking. Father said you were to find a girl relatively soon. A wife to raise a family with. From what you've seen of the outside world, the girls are all the same as Meredith and mother. They do what they're told, they pray, they're humble. But you don't want a wife like mother or Meredith. You wonder if Rose would be a suitable partner. She doesn't know how to sew, or clean, or cook, or wash clothes, or really do any wife stuff. But you'd prefer a second out here with her rather than with Meredith or mother. She's the one who hunts. Maybe you could learn to do the wife things for her if you got married. You... An acorn hits you in the head and you step back, startled. Rose throws another acorn at you, which you duck under. "Hello! Anybody there?" Rose says, gently tapping her knuckles against your head. "I'm fine, I'm fine," you reply, as you begin walking alongside her. You walk down towards the stream, where Rose's catch awaits. Five hares hang from the branches alongside three squirrels. Rose hops across the river, water splashing the edge of her dress. You follow her, jumping from rock to rock to cross the stream. Rose sits down on a rock basking in the sun that sits at the edge of the stream, water rushing past. You sit down next to her, staring at her. With long blond hair, shockingly blue eyes and a pretty, if a bit animal-like face, she's definitely pretty. Her eyes lock into yours, as you both stare into each other. > You approach her about the idea of marriage "Do you ever plan to marry, Rose?" "Marry?" she asks, curiously. "What's that?" "You know, when a boy and a girl become one. Like my parents, or like your parents." Rose stares at her hands for a second, her face darkening. "No. I don't want to be like my parents. Definitely not," she says. "No, not like... a marriage is like when a man and a woman become a pair under God and have kids and stay together." "What does having kids have to do with staying together?" she asks. "And I definitely don't want to do anything under... well, you know." "If you have kids you stay together," you say. "That's what happens." "My parents never stayed together, and they had me," she says. Perhaps she might not make the best wife. The concept of marriage seems lost on her. The concept of romance might not be, however.

You stand in the goat shed, feeding Nick and Puck. You put the rest of their feed down, walking out to talk to father. Father chops wood by the wide of the house, while mother cooks and Meredith washes clothes by the stream. You walk to father, who seems quite content. Thanks to Rose, you've been eating well, and she even brought you a full deer the other day. You had to shoot it to make it seem like you had hunted it yourself, but other than that it was a cause for celebration. "Ah, boy! Have you checked the traps today?" "Not yet, father," you say. Father smiles, motioning towards the soup mother's making. "Go, get some venison soup and head out. I need to head to town tomorrow. Get some salt to help the meat last through winter, and sell some of the excess meat. We're truly blessed with your hunting and trapping skills, Jacob. Thank the Lord for it. So tell me, will you come to town with me tomorrow?" > You decline to spend time with Rose "Ah, what a shame. You're spending too much time in those woods, son. Does it not get lonely out there?" You shake your head, and father sighs. "If that's what you want. I'll be seeing if there's any fathers with girls your age in the town, you know. You're getting old, and I'm sure with your strong features, ability to provide for a family and your humility to God, you'll have no trouble finding a wife. Ah, I'm talking too much. Go, grab some soup and head out." You begin walking away and head to mother, who stirs the soup slowly. "Do you want some, Jacob?" she asks, not looking up. "Yes, please," you say, as she dumps some of the soup into a wooden bowl and hands it to you. You say your thanks to her before praying to say the same to the Lord, and then quickly devour the soup. It's fairly delicious and both easily warms and fills you up easily. Now, you're ready to head out.

Your secret friendship with Rose develops quite a fair bit. You have quite a bit of time to play with her. Due to your success at "hunting", father seems more than happy to leave you in charge of the hunting. Everyday, you head out to do the snares, Rose awaits with a string of hares for you. Then, you have a while to play and have fun, before you need to head home to avoid arising suspicion. You gift Rose with a few luxuries that she can't scavenge from the woods such as preserves, a blanket and a few other man-made goods. Father notices your rise in behavior, but he simply dismisses it as you enjoying the woods and all the time you're spending in it. Like you, Rose assures you that it's best you never meet with her parents. When asking if her parents even know of the friendship or whether they're in the dark like yours, she vaguely implies that her mother does know, and watches you two playing occasionally. You never see her, mother, but you don't mind. For now, all is good. You run through the undergrowth desperately with all your speed, but like always, Rose is much faster than you. She taps you in the shoulder before speeidng away in the blink of an eye, stopping by a tree to lean against it for you to catch up. "You're too fast!" you complain. "You're too slow," Rose says, sticking out her tongue. "Let's play another game," you say. "Hide and seek?" she asks. Despite Rose's unnatural ability to find you during hide and seek, by what she claims to be "sniffing" despite her being far away, you have much more of a chance of success in hide and seek rather than trying to outpace her. She's faster than a deer, you'll never beat her in that field. "Yeah, let's do hide and seek," she says. "I'll be on first, if you want." You nod eagerly, as she spins around on the balls of her bare feet, clasping her hands over her eyes. "One, two, three…" she begins to count, as you turn and sprint off into the woods. You have a few places in mind that would make a good hiding spot. There's a little den underneath one of the trees that you could hide in. It should be easy enough to crawl into, although you've had similar hiding spots before. Still, it's one of the best spots you have, and the closest one. There's also a more risky choice. The burnt out cottage that here mother supposedly lives in is close by. Rose says she only uses it for sleeping in, so you could hide out in there. There's also her father's cave. It's slightly father away, but Rose seems to have an aversion to it. You could get to it if you run past enough, and hide away in there. There's been no reports of trappers in the area and Rose hasn't mentioned seeing him in a while, so you should be able to hide out there. > You hide in the burnt out cottage You quickly make your way to the burnt out cottage. As you reach the clearing and see the blackened thatch and ash and the burnt stone, you feel nervous. Still, with your crucifix clutched tightly in your hands, you move forward into the burnt out cottage. You step through the doorway, crouching down into the ash. You pause, as you notice several black, burnt bones sit in the ash. You frown and wince, realizing that Rose's mother does, as a matter of fact, still live in this house… or at least, she stays here. You don't want Rose to have to come here and relive whatever awful memories he has. You wonder whether this is a good spot to hide. > You stay here You wait there in the burnt out cottage for at least an hour, far longer than it ever took Rose to find you before. Eventually, you see her cautiously approaching towards the house, sniffing the air. "Jacob? You're not in the house, are you? If you are, come out, please, she says nervously. You step up, peering out at her from behind the stone wall. She frowns, looking annoyed. "Jacob! I told you to stay away from here!" she says, sprinting towards you and grabbing you by the wrist. She begins dragging you along the path home. "What? I needed somewhere to hide," you say. "Not there!" Rose complains, fiddling with her wooden ring. "It's going to take forever to get your scent out of the ash so she doesn't know you were there!" "She's..." you begin to say, before deciding to hold your tongue. "What?" Rose asks, raising an eyebrow. "Nothing," you say. "I'm sorry. I won't go near there again." "It's OK," Rose says. "Come on, it's been a while. You need to get home." You nod, and walk home alongside her.

You quickly make your way to the burnt out cottage. As you reach the clearing and see the blackened thatch and ash and the burnt stone, you feel nervous. Still, with your crucifix clutched tightly in your hands, you move forward into the burnt out cottage. You step through the doorway, crouching down into the ash. You pause, as you notice several black, burnt bones sit in the ash. You frown and wince, realizing that Rose's mother does, as a matter of fact, still live in this house… or at least, she stays here. You don't want Rose to have to come here and relive whatever awful memories he has. You wonder whether this is a good spot to hide. > You leave and head to the den You stand up from the ash, and quickly make your way to the den, finding it in the exact spot you remembered, just squirreled away under the twisted roots of an ancient Oak. You drop to your knees, lifting yourself down into it and scrunching up. You wait patiently, closing your eyes.

You quickly make your way to the burnt out cottage. As you reach the clearing and see the blackened thatch and ash and the burnt stone, you feel nervous. Still, with your crucifix clutched tightly in your hands, you move forward into the burnt out cottage. You step through the doorway, crouching down into the ash. You pause, as you notice several black, burnt bones sit in the ash. You frown and wince, realizing that Rose's mother does, as a matter of fact, still live in this house… or at least, she stays here. You don't want Rose to have to come here and relive whatever awful memories he has. You wonder whether this is a good spot to hide. > You leave and head to the cave You stand up from the ash, and quickly head up to the cave, running as fast as you can. You run as fast as your legs can carry you, eventually reaching the incline leading up to it. Which you quickly clamber up. You climb up the rocks and reach the mouth of the cave, turning only briefly to stare at the forest around you. You feel a certain cold chill run through you as you stare at into the darkness inside, wondering if you should enter. > You leave and head to the den You quickly head down the mountain, skidding down the mud and rocks, but by the time you actually reach the bottom and walk any reasonable distance, Rose races up to you with a gleeful "Found you!". "Ah, rats!" you say. "You didn't even hide!" she smiles. "I didn't have time to!" you say, before looking up at the sun as it falls through the sky. "It's late. I need to get home soon." "Oh come on! I didn't even get to hide yet!" Rose complains, pouting in an exaggerated fashion. "Neither did I," you smile. "Don't worry. You can hide first time," you say. "Fine," Rose says. "Come on, let's get you home."

You stand up from the ash, and quickly head up to the cave, running as fast as you can. You run as fast as your legs can carry you, eventually reaching the incline leading up to it. Which you quickly clamber up. You climb up the rocks and reach the mouth of the cave, turning only briefly to stare at the forest around you. You feel a certain cold chill run through you as you stare at into the darkness inside, wondering if you should enter. > You venture into the cave You walk further into the cave, as the shadows and darkness consume you. You step forward nervously. After a minute of stumbling forward, you reach the end of the cave, pausing. In the middle of the cave, dozens of scratches cover the inside of the wall, alongside dried in blood. You pause, staring at it. In the middle, a deer skull sits in place You stare at it, feeling unnerved. You half expect to start hearing horrible screaming or demons to clamber out from the walls, but nothing happens. Still, the area fills you with dread, and you wonder if you should leave. > You stay You stay in the cave, holding your crucifix tightly. You feel chills run through your body and feel an awful presence watching over you, but you just hold the cross tighter and wait. Nothing happens, though. You wait patiently, but it seems Rose just doesn't seem to arrive. It's after at least two hours where you realize she's never going to find you in here, and you stand, walking out of the cave and reaching the mouth. You head down the mountain, skidding down the mud and rocks, you scoot down to the bottom. You begin walking, but it's only a few minutes before Rose races up to you. "Damn! You had a good hiding spot. I couldn't find you at all. Where were you?" she asks. > You tell her the truth "I was in your father's cave," you say. Rose stops, turning pale. She looks you dead in the eye, her unnaturally blue eyes staring into your eyes and chilling you to the bone. She looks up and down you, a mixture of nervousness, terror and anger on her eyes that manifest into a confusing look, as she begins nervously fiddling with her ring. "I told you not to go there! I told you!" she says angrily. "I'm sorry," you say. Rose puts her index and middle finger against your temple, looking worried, as her wooden ring rubes against your temple. "It's OK," she says. "I forgive you. Just, promise me you won't go near there again." "I promise." "Thanks. Do you feel OK?" she asks. "Yeah, I feel fine." "Are you sure? No flu or coldness or anything?" "No, I feel fine now," you say. "OK," Rose nods, before wrapping her arms around you and hugging you. "I'm glad you're safe. Come on, let's get you home." You nod, and begin walking alongside Rose home.

You stay in the cave, holding your crucifix tightly. You feel chills run through your body and feel an awful presence watching over you, but you just hold the cross tighter and wait. Nothing happens, though. You wait patiently, but it seems Rose just doesn't seem to arrive. It's after at least two hours where you realize she's never going to find you in here, and you stand, walking out of the cave and reaching the mouth. You head down the mountain, skidding down the mud and rocks, you scoot down to the bottom. You begin walking, but it's only a few minutes before Rose races up to you. "Damn! You had a good hiding spot. I couldn't find you at all. Where were you?" she asks. > You lie "I was hidden under a tree, in a fox den." "Damn! I thought I would've sniffed your scent," she says, sniffing the air. "You smell the same as always. I don't know. Maybe I have a cold." You feel a bit of guilt for lying, and decide to pray for redemption tonight, but Rose doesn't seem to catch on. "Well, it's late. Come on, let's get you home!" Rose smiles.

You walk further into the cave, as the shadows and darkness consume you. You step forward nervously. After a minute of stumbling forward, you reach the end of the cave, pausing. In the middle of the cave, dozens of scratches cover the inside of the wall, alongside dried in blood. You pause, staring at it. In the middle, a deer skull sits in place You stare at it, feeling unnerved. You half expect to start hearing horrible screaming or demons to clamber out from the walls, but nothing happens. Still, the area fills you with dread, and you wonder if you should leave. > You leave and head to the den You quickly turn, and leave the cave. You don't want to deal with whatever horrors remain here. You reach the mouth of the cave and head down the mountain, skidding down the mud and rocks, but by the time you actually reach the bottom and walk any reasonable distance, Rose races up to you with a gleeful "Found you!". "Ah, rats!" you say. "You didn't even hide!" she smiles. "I didn't have time to!" you say, before looking up at the sun as it falls through the sky. "It's late. I need to get home soon." "Oh come on! I didn't even get to hide yet!" Rose complains, pouting in an exaggerated fashion. "Neither did I," you smile. "Don't worry. You can hide first time," you say. "Fine," Rose says. "Come on, let's get you home."

Your secret friendship with Rose develops quite a fair bit. You have quite a bit of time to play with her. Due to your success at "hunting", father seems more than happy to leave you in charge of the hunting. Everyday, you head out to do the snares, Rose awaits with a string of hares for you. Then, you have a while to play and have fun, before you need to head home to avoid arising suspicion. You gift Rose with a few luxuries that she can't scavenge from the woods such as preserves, a blanket and a few other man-made goods. Father notices your rise in behavior, but he simply dismisses it as you enjoying the woods and all the time you're spending in it. Like you, Rose assures you that it's best you never meet with her parents. When asking if her parents even know of the friendship or whether they're in the dark like yours, she vaguely implies that her mother does know, and watches you two playing occasionally. You never see her, mother, but you don't mind. For now, all is good. You run through the undergrowth desperately with all your speed, but like always, Rose is much faster than you. She taps you in the shoulder before speeidng away in the blink of an eye, stopping by a tree to lean against it for you to catch up. "You're too fast!" you complain. "You're too slow," Rose says, sticking out her tongue. "Let's play another game," you say. "Hide and seek?" she asks. Despite Rose's unnatural ability to find you during hide and seek, by what she claims to be "sniffing" despite her being far away, you have much more of a chance of success in hide and seek rather than trying to outpace her. She's faster than a deer, you'll never beat her in that field. "Yeah, let's do hide and seek," she says. "I'll be on first, if you want." You nod eagerly, as she spins around on the balls of her bare feet, clasping her hands over her eyes. "One, two, three…" she begins to count, as you turn and sprint off into the woods. You have a few places in mind that would make a good hiding spot. There's a little den underneath one of the trees that you could hide in. It should be easy enough to crawl into, although you've had similar hiding spots before. Still, it's one of the best spots you have, and the closest one. There's also a more risky choice. The burnt out cottage that here mother supposedly lives in is close by. Rose says she only uses it for sleeping in, so you could hide out in there. There's also her father's cave. It's slightly father away, but Rose seems to have an aversion to it. You could get to it if you run past enough, and hide away in there. There's been no reports of trappers in the area and Rose hasn't mentioned seeing him in a while, so you should be able to hide out there. > You hide in the cave You quickly head up to the cave, running as fast as you can. You run as fast as your legs can carry you, eventually reaching the incline leading up to it. Which you quickly clamber up. You climb up the rocks and reach the mouth of the cave, turning only briefly to stare at the forest around you. You feel a certain cold chill run through you as you stare at into the darkness inside, wondering if you should enter.

You hear the soft snoring of Meredith in the bed next to you. Father and mother are in the next room, but they're definitely asleep. You slowly slide out of bed, and creep over to the closet. You slowly open the closet, pulling out a black cotton dress and slinging it over your shoulder. You creep out of the house, walking towards the woods. Rose waits there. She leans against a tree, giving a little wave as she sees you approaching. When you reach her, you hold out the dress and she takes it from you, pulling it over her head and putting it on. "How do I look?" she smiles. "Pretty," you admit, before mentally chastising yourself for being so lustful. Rose smiles, and gently kisses you on the cheek. You blush, stepping back. "Rose!" you say, embarrassed. "What? It was on the cheek, we're just friends! Not even my mother could think that was bad!" she asks, confused. "You're being lustful! We're not married, we shouldn't be..." Rose puts a finger to your lips, nodding towards the house as you remember your sleeping parents and nod. "You're weird," she says, before walking into the woods. "Come on, I'll show you where I have the hares." You follow Rose into the darkness of the forest, and you walk alongside her. Soon, you find a dozen hares strung up from a tree by their neck. She cuts the rope keeping them up, and catches the string of hares as it falls, holding it out for you. "Here," she says. "That's a lot of hares," you say. "Fair trade." Rose shakes her head. "No. If you had just laid down your snares, you would've got a few hares. I still owe you something." "Like what?" you ask. "You're new to this place. I'll show you around." "Uh, OK, " you say. You follow Rose around as she leads you through the forest. "So, do you... have a house around here?" you ask. "Um... no. I sleep a lot of places. I used to sleep in my mother's cottage, but we don't get on. Now, I like to sleep in the trees. Find a nice big branch, hold on tightly. It's nice." Over the next hour, Rose shows you the things of importance in the area. The good grazing areas, the most populated hare trails, the wild vegetable and fruit patches. Eventually, you reach within sight of an old, burnt out cottage. Rose stops you before you can get close. "That's my mother's house," she says. "Oh. Did... did she die?" you ask. Rose shakes her head. "No, no she's alive. It's just she... well, it's a long story." "That place is all burnt out. No one should live there." "She should," Rose says, spitting on the ground. Rose quiets up as she leads you away from the cottage. After another few minutes, you come across a mountainous area, with a visible cave further up it. "And that's where my father lives," Rose says. "Well, sort of." "Does he move around a lot?" you ask. "He lives in a lot of places. But he's there," Rose says. "Is he a trapper, or something?" "No, he's a..." Rose says, before pausing. "Yeah, trapper's a good definition. He traps things." You dismiss her comment, and continue walking. Suddenly, Rose perks up. "What games do you know how to play?" she asks. "Games?" "Do you like tag?" she asks. "I don't know." "I tap you and you become it, and then you have to tap me." "Oh, OK," you say. "So, tag," she says, tapping your shoulder. "You're it." Rose bursts off, quickly running through the trees. > You ask for clarifications on the rules, then tag her when she comes over "Wait, if I tag you, then there's two tags. Then we can't play anymore." Rose pauses, sighing, as she begins walking back to you. "Look, if the person tagged is..." she begins to say, before you quickly tap her back and run off into the woods. "Oh, you cheater!" she laughs, turning and running after you. "I'll get you." You spend at least an hour playing but eventually, Rose leads you home. You talk for a bit more, but you arrive back at your cottage. "Well, goodnight," she says. "Goodnight, Rose," you reply. "Can we do this again sometime? It's nice to have someone to be around." She's right. It is nice. Your short time with Rose has been fun and really helped with your loneliness. "Yeah. I'd like that," you say. "Great," Rose smiles. "See you soon." "See you soon," you say, as you walk back to the cottage to get to bed.

You hear the soft snoring of Meredith in the bed next to you. Father and mother are in the next room, but they're definitely asleep. You slowly slide out of bed, and creep over to the closet. You slowly open the closet, pulling out a black cotton dress and slinging it over your shoulder. You creep out of the house, walking towards the woods. Rose waits there. She leans against a tree, giving a little wave as she sees you approaching. When you reach her, you hold out the dress and she takes it from you, pulling it over her head and putting it on. "How do I look?" she smiles. "Pretty," you admit, before mentally chastising yourself for being so lustful. Rose smiles, and gently kisses you on the cheek. You blush, stepping back. "Rose!" you say, embarrassed. "What? It was on the cheek, we're just friends! Not even my mother could think that was bad!" she asks, confused. "You're being lustful! We're not married, we shouldn't be..." Rose puts a finger to your lips, nodding towards the house as you remember your sleeping parents and nod. "You're weird," she says, before walking into the woods. "Come on, I'll show you where I have the hares." You follow Rose into the darkness of the forest, and you walk alongside her. Soon, you find a dozen hares strung up from a tree by their neck. She cuts the rope keeping them up, and catches the string of hares as it falls, holding it out for you. "Here," she says. "That's a lot of hares," you say. "Fair trade." Rose shakes her head. "No. If you had just laid down your snares, you would've got a few hares. I still owe you something." "Like what?" you ask. "You're new to this place. I'll show you around." "Uh, OK, " you say. You follow Rose around as she leads you through the forest. "So, do you... have a house around here?" you ask. "Um... no. I sleep a lot of places. I used to sleep in my mother's cottage, but we don't get on. Now, I like to sleep in the trees. Find a nice big branch, hold on tightly. It's nice." Over the next hour, Rose shows you the things of importance in the area. The good grazing areas, the most populated hare trails, the wild vegetable and fruit patches. Eventually, you reach within sight of an old, burnt out cottage. Rose stops you before you can get close. "That's my mother's house," she says. "Oh. Did... did she die?" you ask. Rose shakes her head. "No, no she's alive. It's just she... well, it's a long story." "That place is all burnt out. No one should live there." "She should," Rose says, spitting on the ground. Rose quiets up as she leads you away from the cottage. After another few minutes, you come across a mountainous area, with a visible cave further up it. "And that's where my father lives," Rose says. "Well, sort of." "Does he move around a lot?" you ask. "He lives in a lot of places. But he's there," Rose says. "Is he a trapper, or something?" "No, he's a..." Rose says, before pausing. "Yeah, trapper's a good definition. He traps things." You dismiss her comment, and continue walking. Suddenly, Rose perks up. "What games do you know how to play?" she asks. "Games?" "Do you like tag?" she asks. "I don't know." "I tap you and you become it, and then you have to tap me." "Oh, OK," you say. "So, tag," she says, tapping your shoulder. "You're it." Rose bursts off, quickly running through the trees. > You stop playing tag "This game is stupid. I'm not playing!" you shout, as Rose stops, sighing. "I thought other kids liked games," she complains. "Come on then, I'll show you the way home." With that, Rose leads you home. You talk for a bit more, but you arrive back at your cottage. "Well, goodnight," she says. "Goodnight, Rose," you reply. "Can we do this again sometime? It's nice to have someone to be around." She's right. It is nice. Your short time with Rose has been fun and really helped with your loneliness. "Yeah. I'd like that," you say. "Great," Rose smiles. "See you soon." "See you soon," you say, as you walk back to the cottage to get to bed.

"I have a sister. She's as big as you. I can get you one of her dresses." "Oh, I don't want to cause any trouble," she says. "No, it's OK, I can get it," you say. "I'll have to do it after I lay down my traps, but I can do it." Rose nods, before looking at your pack. "Why do you lay down traps?" she asks. "To catch prey to eat," you reply. "What do you use?" "My hands," Rose says. Rose pauses, nodding behind you. You slowly turn, spotting a hare sitting in the grass, seemingly oblivious to the two of you. Rose raises a finger to her lips, slowly stepping forward. Then, with unnatural speed she pounces. Rose bursts forward. You only see a blur before she stops, holding the hare with a broken neck in front of you. "How many do you need?" she asks. "I don't know," you say. "If you get me the dress, I can catch you a few hares," Rose offers. > You refuse her offer "No," you say. "I really should be finishing the traps." "Oh, OK," Rose says. "I'll see you around, though," you say. "Yeah, I guess so," Rose says. "I really should go. My mother will be looking for me." "OK. Goodbye, Rose," "Goodbye, Jacob," Rose says, before sprinting off into the woods. You watch her leave, before turning to set up the rest of the traps. > You continue Labor and Duty You never do see Rose again. You venture out looking for her a few more times, but you never do. She must've not liked you very much. A pity. You could've used a friend. As you grow taller, stronger and smarter, father assures you that soon, it'll be time for you to finally leave and get your own home, your own wife, and your own family. You suppose he's write. It's your duty to God and nation to build a strong family like that which raised you. That's what expected of you, and that's what you'll do.

You creep forward, lowering your gun as you approach the creature. You step past teh tree, finding a young girl, around your age. The girl has long, dirty blond hair and very pale skin. You blush and consider averting your eyes as you notice she's completely naked, before settling on focusing on her stares. She crouches over a dead hare, her hands tearing flesh from the creature as she greedily lifts it up and devours it. You stare at her in shock, before she looks up, staring at you. Her face is covered in the hare's blood, her long hair tussled with twigs and dirt in it. Her hands are covered in blood, and she wears a carved wooden ring. The thing that grabs your attention is her eyes. They're bright, shockingly blue that seem to entrap you, and you find yourself unable to say a word. "Hello," she says, staring at you. "I-I...," you stutter, stumbling over your words. You both stare at each other, before the girl finally holds up the hare. "Want some?" she asks. "N-no thanks," you say. "I'm Jacob." "I'm Rose," she replies. "Do you live here?" you ask, not knowing what else to say. "I live all over the woods," she replies. "Have you moved into the cottage?" You nod, as she resumes the eating of the dead hare. "That's not cooked," you say. "No," she replies. You know you have some bread in your pack, and you can see apples hanging nearby. Perhaps you should offer her something less... disgusting. > You offer her an apple You reach up, plucking a juicy red apple from one of the trees, holding it out to her. "Here, have this," you say. "No thanks," she says. "They taste rotten." You bite into the apple, and find it tastes delicious. None the less, you decide to ignore it. "I like your ring," you say, not knowing what else to say. "Thanks," the girl replies. "I made it myself." "Do you mind if I ask a question?" you ask, as Rose smiles. "That's a question," she laughs. "I mean, like another question," you say. "Sure." "Why aren't you wearing clothes?" The girl looks down at her naked body, seemingly only noticing it for the first time. "Oh," she says, blushing. "Um... I don't know. I don't have any clothes."

You creep forward, lowering your gun as you approach the creature. You step past teh tree, finding a young girl, around your age. The girl has long, dirty blond hair and very pale skin. You blush and consider averting your eyes as you notice she's completely naked, before settling on focusing on her stares. She crouches over a dead hare, her hands tearing flesh from the creature as she greedily lifts it up and devours it. You stare at her in shock, before she looks up, staring at you. Her face is covered in the hare's blood, her long hair tussled with twigs and dirt in it. Her hands are covered in blood, and she wears a carved wooden ring. The thing that grabs your attention is her eyes. They're bright, shockingly blue that seem to entrap you, and you find yourself unable to say a word. "Hello," she says, staring at you. "I-I...," you stutter, stumbling over your words. You both stare at each other, before the girl finally holds up the hare. "Want some?" she asks. "N-no thanks," you say. "I'm Jacob." "I'm Rose," she replies. "Do you live here?" you ask, not knowing what else to say. "I live all over the woods," she replies. "Have you moved into the cottage?" You nod, as she resumes the eating of the dead hare. "That's not cooked," you say. "No," she replies. You know you have some bread in your pack, and you can see apples hanging nearby. Perhaps you should offer her something less... disgusting. > You let her eat her raw meat You watch as Rose continues eating her hare flesh. "I like your ring," you say, not knowing what else to say. "Thanks," the girl replies. "I made it myself." "Do you mind if I ask a question?" you ask, as the girl smiles. "That's a question," she says. "I mean, like another question," you say. "Sure." "Why aren't you wearing clothes?" The girl looks down at her naked body, seemingly only noticing it for the first time. "Oh," she says, blushing. "Um... I don't know. I don't have any clothes."

You walk along the hare path, your rifle and crucifix held tightly in your hands. You find another good spot for a simple snare trap, beginning to tie up your loop as you peer among the branches for one that could be used for the snare. Suddenly, you hear a branch breaking. You drop the loop, twirling around to point your gun. Thankfully, you don't hit yourself in the face with your rifle. You peer through the trees, seeing the flash of pale flesh from yesterday. > You shoot at it You fire at the figure, missing due to its weight making you unable to aim accurately. Without a noise you see the pale figure sprint away in an instant. You try to follow, but soon give up on that as you realize just how much faster than it you are. With no more traps to set up, you return home.

You walk along the hare path, your rifle and crucifix held tightly in your hands. You find another good spot for a simple snare trap, beginning to tie up your loop as you peer among the branches for one that could be used for the snare. Suddenly, you hear a branch breaking. You drop the loop, twirling around to point your gun. Thankfully, you don't hit yourself in the face with your rifle. You peer through the trees, seeing the flash of pale flesh from yesterday. > You quickly leave and return home This must be the creature that made the horrible noise. You know if you get any closer, crucifix or not, it'll slaughter you. You turn, and quickly return home. > You continue Labor and Duty You never do see the figure again. You venture out looking for it a few more times, with father alongside you, of course, but you never do. Maybe it just found a new hunting ground, or whatever this place was to it. No bother. As you grow taller, stronger and smarter, father assures you that soon, it'll be time for you to finally leave and get your own home, your own wife, and your own family. You suppose he's write. It's your duty to God and nation to build a strong family like that which raised you. That's what expected of you, and that's what you'll do.

You stare at the bowl of rabbit stew in front of you, lapping your lips as mother continues setting the dinner down on the table. "Alright, let's pray," father says, as you all make the sign of the cross. You bow your head as you all grab each others hands and hold them tightly to pray to the Lord. "Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty," you all say in unison. "Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." You release your hold on Meredith and mother's hands, making the sign of the cross. Then, you eagerly dig into your food. You devour it, licking the last trace that the bowl in front of you ever even held food within two minutes. You slap the bowl down on the plate with a sigh of the joy that can only come from alleviating hunger. You wait for your family to finish eating, tapping the edge of the table out of boredom. After a few minutes, the rest of them finish eating, and you make the sign of the cross once more, before you join hands once more. "We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, and for the poor souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, may they rest in peace. Amen," you all say, before making the sign of the cross a final time. "Jacob, go check on the goats," mother says. "Meredith, help me cleaning the bowls." You nod, standing and pushing in your chair, hurrying to the doorway and grabbing your coat as you pull it on. You walk outside, quickly heading towards the goat shed, where Nick and Puck lie on their bed of hay. They're well fed and watered, and seem contented. You turn to walk back inside, before seeing movement up in the trees. Then, you hear the noise. A horrible, long, incredibly loud, screeching howl that penetrates your very core. You feel an urge to run and flee from the noise. > You run to get your gun You sprint to the house to grab your rifle. Father though, is faster, as he appears with his rifle in his hands. "What was that?" he barks out, his knuckles white from how tightly he's clutching the rifle. You point up towards the trees, bathed in the pale moonlight. "It came from there!" you say. Father pauses, staring up nervously. He leans into the doorway, grabbing the crucifix that hangs there to watch over you as you eat. He hands you the crucifix, as you take it. "I want that on you whenever you enter the woods, understood?" he asks, as you nod. "I'll have the crucifix for the house replaced in the morning. Just try and get some sleep, OK?" You nod, as you begin to trudge off to bed. Despite being exhausted, you know you won't sleep much.

You begin wandering up towards the trees, holding your gun tightly in your hands. Whilst nature is no doubt a sanctuary to your young mind to find tranquility, there's many dangers hidden. You point your rifle, making a loud bang sound as you picture yourself shooting a large grizzly bear like that your grandfather had stuffed in his cabin. You reach the trees, leaning against a large, thick Oak tree and taking a deep breath, taking in all the scents the forest offers you. Your eyes scan the forest, quickly spotting several points of interest. Among the underbrush you spot a slightly trampled hare path, no doubt leading to wherever's a good spot to graze. There's also the stream, which you could wander along for a fair distance in search of anything worth seeing without getting lost. Finally, there's a large oak tree with lots of strong branches. Perfect for climbing. > You head along the stream You begin walking alongside the stream, staring down at the cool stream of water, your boots trudging into the soft mud as you stare along. You think you can make out fat fish in the stream, although it's hard to tell due to the rushing water. Perhaps father will teach you how to fish sometime. Suddenly, you hear something. You quickly turn, dropping to your knee to raise your rifle into a firing position to bag your prey as father always does. You don't, clumsily tripping and hitting yourself in the face with the gun and falling into the cool mud of the stream. Still, you're getting better at that maneuver. You push the gun off yourself as your rub your nose, before hopping up to a kneeling position. You stare at where the noise came from. Through the blurred visage of your watery eyes, you see in th distance a pale figure,, sprinting past the trees with unnatural speed. You heft your gun to your shoulder and aim, not knowing whether to fire or not. You don't want to miss a chance to take out a… whatever creature that is, but you're unsure whether that's even a good idea.

You begin wandering up towards the trees, holding your gun tightly in your hands. Whilst nature is no doubt a sanctuary to your young mind to find tranquility, there's many dangers hidden. You point your rifle, making a loud bang sound as you picture yourself shooting a large grizzly bear like that your grandfather had stuffed in his cabin. You reach the trees, leaning against a large, thick Oak tree and taking a deep breath, taking in all the scents the forest offers you. Your eyes scan the forest, quickly spotting several points of interest. Among the underbrush you spot a slightly trampled hare path, no doubt leading to wherever's a good spot to graze. There's also the stream, which you could wander along for a fair distance in search of anything worth seeing without getting lost. Finally, there's a large oak tree with lots of strong branches. Perfect for climbing. > You climb a tree You leave your rifle leaning against the tree and grab one of the lowest tree branches, lifting yourself off the ground up onto it. You grab another branch, hopping up as you quickly begin climbing up the the tree. Soon, you reach a point where you can see far and wide in the glade without having your view obscured by the leafy tree tops. You peer out at the various things, seeing a few deer bound past, the rushing stream and a few apple trees worth reporting to father. Other than that, there's... You stop, as far in the distance you see a pale figure bounding through the trees with unnatural speed. You pause, wondering what an earth it is. You stare curiously at it, before it disappears from view. Fascinating. You lower yourself from the branch to see if you can spot it from a lower angle, but sadly its completely disappeared. No bother, you'll make an attempt to find out what kind of creature it was another day. Time to head home and report your findings.

On Saturday, December 17th, 2005, I proposed to Katrina, my girlfriend of five years. This storygame is based off of my actual proposal to Katrina. I've tried to keep thisas close to how it happened / was planned as possible. Since this is a choose-your-story, you will probably have a slightly different experience, but all paths will lead to the same place, since it was planned that way. You will be reading this story from the perspective of Katrina. > You oK, you've got it! It's Thursday night, a little after 9:00PM, and you just returned home from a twelve-hour workday. But it's all good -- this is the start of a long weekend -- your Birthday weekend -- and you've got five days before you have to return to the daily grind. You see that Alex's friends are over, feasting on Chinese food, and have ordered your favorite dish: General Tso's Chicken. You chow down while they finish up judging some $100 make-a-game contest for their website. They wrap things up after an hour or so, leaving just you, Alex, and a quiet house. You're a bit tired, but are a bit anxious about tomorrow. It's your birthday, and you're dying to know what Alex got for you. He's been talking about it for a few weeks and seems to have been having some shady dealings with some strange people. You have a good idea of what it is (an artifact of some sort) but really want to know what it is ... > You say "Alex, can you give me my gift tonite?" You ask Alex if he can give you the gift tonite, but he denies, insisting it will have to wait. > You say "Pleeeaaassee ... I'm sooo curious ...." You beg and plead, but Alex still insists that you wait tomorrow. Phooey. > You oh well, off to bed After such a long work day, it's great to finally get to bed. You fall asleep without any problems and sleep in for a long time. A verrrry long time. A verrrrrryyyyy looooong time. > Twelve Noon You wake up and do the morning thing, rushing a bit because you're just dying to know what Alex got for you for your birthday. Alex tells you to sit down at the kitchen table and close your eyes. He runs off and retreives your gift, placing it down right in front of you. "Happy Birthday, Katrina" he says. > You open Your Eyes You open your eyes and see a medium-sized Shabti statuette enclosed in a glass case. The artifact is 7.5" long and is in pristine, museum-quality condition. Compared to the small (1cm) sized bead from last year's gift, this thing is huge -- and in great condition. How could Alex have gotten this? You also see a piece of paper under the case ... > You what's The Paper Say? Wow, it's the accompanying Certificate of Authenticity. It says that the piece is an Anubis Shabti and is from the Twelfth Dynasty (Approx 1908 BCE). It was discovered by Miriam Lichtum in 1967. That's pretty neat! You absolutely love the gift. Being a huge fan of Egyptian things -- especially artifacts -- this is more than you could ever want for your birthday! You are a bit curious how Alex was able to obtain such a nice piece, though ... > You ask Alex how he got this Alex explains ... Strange thing, really. I called the Cleveland Museum of Art to see if they knew a reputable artifact dealer and they refered me to the Egyptian Antiquities Society in Chicago. I gave them a call and they kinda laughed at me, saying they really only work in the tens-of-thousands of dollars. A few weeks later, this one guy from the Society, Dr. Evans, called me back and said that he found something that would fit my profile perfectly. Since these artifacts cannot be shipped, he brought it to Cleveland from Chicago. > You interesting ... The rest of your Birthday isn't too eventful. You do the normal birthday stuff: go to your family's house for cake, go out to dinner, and relaxed for the rest of the night. Throughout the day, you can't stop thinking of how cool the artifact is. It does seem a bit creepy -- after all, this was buried with some guy almost four thousand years ago. But it is so neat to own such an amazing piece of history. > The Next Day ... The rest of the weekend was fun and relaxing, but nothing to write an adventure game about. You did find a few hours of free time while Alex was busy at work. During those few hours, you ... > You ... Watched some television It's amazing how much time flies while you're watching TV. It's not like you really find anything new, but it's always entertaining. Before you know it, it's Sunday night, and time for bed. As you and Alex get ready for bed, Alex complains that two of the fish died. > Monday Monday was a pretty relaxing day: sleeping in, shopping, and just hanging out. Nothing notable happened, although as you get ready for bed, Alex mentioned that some more fish died. > You on to Tuesday ... Another day of rest and relaxaction. Might as well, it's been a long year -- you've been going to classes at night after work for the past five years, so it feels really great to finally have a break and nothing to worry about. > You off to work tomorrow ... Yicch -- nothing like going back to work after a small vacation. But it's all good, it's a short week and was a normal day. No staying late required. Woo! After work, you and Alex stop and do a little bit of shopping. You arrive home and notice that the cat must have completely gone insane. All of the statues and trinkets on the shelf that the the Artifact sat on were knocked over. Some books and magazines were on the floor, fallen from another shelf. It's almost as if a small earthquake happened. You're not quite sure how she could have possibly gotten up on the shelf to knock all those artifacts and trinkets over. It also is a little weird that the door on the glass case was open. Oh well, those are cats for ya. > You on to Thursday ... Another uneventful day at work. After getting home and eating dinner and watching TV, you get ready for bed. You fall asleep and are a .... > You ... Light sleeper As you're sound asleep, you are jarred awake by a loud noise .... SLAM! Alex awakes too, and you are both completely dazed. You look across the room and see that the door is closed. it must have slammed shut. This wasn't the first time you've been awoken in the night by a slammed-shut door. In the summer, when all the windows are open, a bit of wind will cause the doors to slam shut. But of course, it is the middle of the winter, and no windows are open ... > You that's weird ... Back to sleep Finally it's Friday! After a long day of work, you decide to just stay home and watch a movie tonight. You have a big day tomorrow: shopping with your friend and a girls-night-out for your Sister's birthday. Plus, Alex has to go to work early tomorrow morning; he's been complaining about that for weeks. You end up watching Sahara, an action movie about Treasure Hunters and Africa. It was a pretty fun movie. > You off to bed ... The alarm goes of bright and early at 7:00AM and Alex jumps out of bed, rushing to get to work. He was supposed to be there at 7:00 .... whoops! > Back to sleep ... After falling back to sleep, you're rudely awaken by the telephone ... RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! Who on earth could be calling at 8:30 in the morning on a saturday? Probably a telemarketer ... > You pick up the phone It's Alex. Sorry to wake you hun, but Dan* just called. His harddrive crashed last night and needs another one for his MP3s so he can do his DJ gig. It's in Akron tonite, so he needs to stop by and pick it up around 10:30AM or so. You're not too happy about this. You actually sayed up till about 3:00 AM watching another movie, so you need some serious sleep! * or, as some know him, march5th00 > No way, you're too tired You tell Alex that you're too tired ... He reallllly needs the drive. He has no music and needs to try to retreive it from his hard drive ... > You can't he buy a hard drive? You ask if he could go to Best Buy and pick up a hard drive. They sell them for fairly cheap, afterall. He is completely over the limit on his credit card. Besides, why spend $100 when I have one I'm not even using. He'll only stop in and out.

After falling back to sleep, you're rudely awaken by the telephone ... RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! Who on earth could be calling at 8:30 in the morning on a saturday? Probably a telemarketer ... > You ignore the phone You let the answering machine pick up the phone and once again there is peace in the house. No loud phone ... or .... RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! RING! Argh! Why won't they let you sleep?!?!

Another uneventful day at work. After getting home and eating dinner and watching TV, you get ready for bed. You fall asleep and are a .... > You ... Heavy sleeper As you snooze, you're awaken by a girl-like shriek: Eeeaaaahhh! It was Alex, and he's fallen down on the floor. You jump up and ask what is wrong. He says that he swear he saw someone standing in the office, by your new artifact. He gets back up and takes another look -- nothing. "Heh," he says nervously, "amazing what you see when you're half asleep."

The rest of the weekend was fun and relaxing, but nothing to write an adventure game about. You did find a few hours of free time while Alex was busy at work. During those few hours, you ... > You ... Surfed the net It's amazing how much time flies while you're surfing the net. It's not like you really find anything new, but it's always entertaining. Before you know it, it's Sunday night, and time for bed. As you and Alex get ready for bed, Alex complains that two of the fish died.

The rest of the weekend was fun and relaxing, but nothing to write an adventure game about. You did find a few hours of free time while Alex was busy at work. During those few hours, you ... > You ... Researched the artifact You grab the artifact and fire up google. What do you want to know? > You what is a Shabti? Shabti or Ushabti (Egyptian language) is a funerary figurine which served as a dead man's deputy in order to do labor for him, mostly agricultural, in the afterlife. They existed between the Twenty-first dynasty of Egypt and the end of the First Intermediate Period.

You grab the artifact and fire up google. What do you want to know? > You why is Anubis depicted in the corner? You find the following information about Anubis. However, you cannot find any examples of him being depicted on Shabti statues. That's a bit odd ... Originally, in the Ogdoad system, he was god of the underworld, and his name is frequently thought to have reflected this, meaning something like putrefaction. He was said to have a wife, Anput, who was really just his female aspect, her name being his with an additional feminine suffix (the t), who was depicted exactly the same (though feminine). His father was originally said to be Ra, as he was the creator god, and thus his mother was said to be Hesat, Ra's wife, who later was identified as Hathor (who her identity was remarkably similar to). As lord of the underworld, Anubis was identified as the father of Kebechet, the goddess of the purification of bodily organs due to be placed in canopic jars, during mummification. As ruler over the dead, he was given titles such as He who is set upon his mountain, in reference to his sitting atop desert cliffs to guard multiple necropolis, and Chontamenti (also spelt Khentimentiu, and Khentamenti), meaning Lord of the Westerners, in reference to Egyptian belief that the entrance to the underworld was towards the west, since that was the direction in which the sun set. As ruler, he was also said to have been victorious over the dark forces (described as nine bows), which also, naturally, lurk in the underworld, gaining him the title Jackal ruler of the bows. As king of the underworld, he was also considered to be the one who weighed the heart of the dead against the feather of Maàt (the concept of truth), gaining him the title He who counts the hearts. One of the reasons that the ancient Egyptians took such care to preserve their dead with sweet-smelling herbs was that it became believed Anubis would check each person with his keen canine nose. Only if they smelled pure would he allow them to enter the Kingdom of the Dead.

You grab the artifact and fire up google. What do you want to know? > You what's with the headdress? You can't really find anything of note about this figure's headdress. From what you remember, you don't normally see a statue with a headdress but no beard, especially from this time period.

You grab the artifact and fire up google. What do you want to know? > You what does the inscription mean? The inscription is very difficult to make out, and you can't translate it at all. Normally, spell 472 from the sixth chapter of the Book of the Dead is inscribed in full on Shabtis: Illumine the Osiris NN, whose word is truth. Hail, Shabti. If the Osiris NN be decreed to do any of the work which is to be done in the Khert-Neter, let everything which standeth in the way be removed from him - whether it be to plough the fields, or to fill the channels with water, or to carry sand from (the East to the West). 'Here am I', you shall say, 'I shall do it.' The only word you can make out in the inscription is Burden.

You grab the artifact and fire up google. What do you want to know? > You enough Research ... How time flies when you're researching. Before you know it, it's Sunday night, and time for bed. As you and Alex get ready for bed, Alex complains that two of the fish died.

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." A good quote, you think to yourself. It'd have had to be written by an Irishman, of course. The English would never speak of themselves being in the gutter with the common muck,, they'd claim to be of the stars themselves if they could. No, an Irishman would have to have written it, because only an Irishman would understand subjugation. You stand under a gray sky, a field of barley and oats surrounding you. Thanks to it being August, there's relatively little to do, so you're given time to think. Of course, without working to keep you going, the thinking usually goes downhill. Either your evenings end with you grabbing the bottle, or staring at those stars as dreams of freedom fill your mind. Eireann is truly in the gutter, you think to yourself. The British boot sits on her throat, keeping her down, like it has for hundreds of years. It will continue to, until the people can rise up and fix that problem. Of course, Britain weakens, its empire collapsing inwards. It's only a matter of time before you finish what the proud Fenians of old had started, what Wolfe Tone continued, and what your generation will finish: the fight for independence. "Michael! Michael, get in here!" a shrill voice screams from the farmhouse. You turn, sighing, as you work towards the farmhouse, your boots plodding through the mud. It's always something with that woman, you think to yourself. You reach the door, pushing it inwards as you walk into your cramped kitchen. "Ma, what's wrong?" you say, leaning in the doorway. Ma sits in the kitchen at the table, a newspaper in her hands. Joseph stands next to her, his tall, sturdy frame filling a long overcoat. Mary is staring around Joseph, a frail, timid creature in comparison to your burly brother, like a delicate flower growing next to a great Oak. Ma motions for you to see the paper, and you shrug, leaning in to see the pages. You lean over, looking at the crinkled paper. "BRITAIN AT WAR: GERMANY IGNORES FINAL ULTIMATUM" reads the title. "Jesus Christ," you say. You're struck in the face by Ma, who doesn't miss a beat in doing so. While the age has certainly taken much from the woman, it sure hasn't sapped her strength by how much it stings. Still, your mind is too focused on the looming war to even register the pain. "Michael, don't take the Lord's name in vain!" the old woman croaks. "We're at war, Ma, don't blame him. He's shocked," Mary says, rubbing your arm. "We're at war?" Joseph says indignantly. "When did Ireland declare war?! This is their doing, not ours!" "You can't be saying that, Joseph. It's our empire too!" Mary says. "Like bloody hell it is!" Joseph says, stepping back to avoid the incoming slap from Ma. "I'd sooner bow downs to the King of Holland than the King of England." "They gave us a parliament!" "They didn't give us a parliament! They promised us a parliament, which we haven't gotten! Now that'll be postponed because of the war, and when that's finished, we'll be feeling the British boot pressed against our throats yet again! There's a short silence, as you all think about the repercussions this new war will have. "Will you be signing up? They're recruiting," Mary says softly. Joseph lets out a barking laugh, shaking his head in disgust. "Are you joking? Unless the Kaiser's recruiting Irishmen to take out the crown, you can count me out!" Joseph spits on the ground, turning and heading out of the room. Ma immediately darts up as quick as a bullet, far faster than any old woman has a right to do, heading after him to give him another smack. You chuckle as the two rush out of the room. This leaves you and your sister standing alone around the table. "We're in dark times, Michael," Mary says to you. "I'm worried about Joseph. He's been hanging around too many hotheads, violent thugs and brutes the lot of them!" "Joseph's fine," you say dismissively. "How do you think he'd react when you asked him if he'd sign up?" "I suppose," she says. "But, Michael, you understand, right? Why we need to serve the Empire, to prove the Irish are a loyal, hard-working people." "To prove that to who?" you say, annoyed. "The British? They saw how loyal we are many a time, they just don't like what we're loyal to. We're Irish, Mary, not British. Don't forget it." Mary turns in a huff, moving out of the room. Thankfully, this leaves you alone to think, and you let out a quiet sigh of contentment, sitting down at the table. You grab the newspaper, flicking through it. Might as well read up while you're alone. > You read "Hundred year anniversary of the foundation of the Apprentice Boys of Derry Club" (General History) The nation of Ireland has had a long and varied history. From the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers who walked there via land bridge, the Neolithic Men behind the ancient and amazing Newgrange, the Celts who soon popularized the country when it was known as Hibernia and from the Christians who spread after the return of Saint Patrick, who was enslaved by Irish pirates in his youth and endless Viking attacks, there's been a long history of pioneers and innovators creating a proud and noble nation. Irish history first has serious Anglo involvement in the Norman invasion of Ireland. Before then Ireland was simply a series of kingdoms and warring clans. The larger and more advanced Norman forces soon managed to conquer considerable sections of Ireland. However, rather than push for a full takeover, English focuses soon shifted, leaving a fortified area known as the Pale around Dublin under British control, with the rest mostly being allowed to survive under local rule. After this, there was a divide in power between the Gaelic Lords who could trace their origins back to the Celts who popularized the lands, and the Norman lords descended from those who sought to conquer the island. However, in 1536, Henry VII led an invasion of Ireland. Although there was brutal fighting as the Irish appealed to Catholic Spain for help, Ireland was soon conquered. Then, with a religious divide forming due to the birth of Protestantism, the issues first began arising. Using a system of land confiscation and colonization known as Plantation, English and Scottish Protestants were given Irish land to run, using the Irish Catholics as slaves. Although there were many brutal Irish rebellions such as the War of the Three Kings, which succeeded temporarily before the re-conquest of Ireland by Oliver Cromwell, the Rebellion of 1641, which was fought over the division between Catholics and Protestants, and many more bloody and brutal rebellions, Ireland failed ot successfully regain control of its lands, and were treated as second class citizens by the Protestants who ruled over the country. > Back "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." A good quote, you think to yourself. It'd have had to be written by an Irishman, of course. The English would never speak of themselves being in the gutter with the common muck,, they'd claim to be of the stars themselves if they could. No, an Irishman would have to have written it, because only an Irishman would understand subjugation. You stand under a gray sky, a field of barley and oats surrounding you. Thanks to it being August, there's relatively little to do, so you're given time to think. Of course, without working to keep you going, the thinking usually goes downhill. Either your evenings end with you grabbing the bottle, or staring at those stars as dreams of freedom fill your mind. Eireann is truly in the gutter, you think to yourself. The British boot sits on her throat, keeping her down, like it has for hundreds of years. It will continue to, until the people can rise up and fix that problem. Of course, Britain weakens, its empire collapsing inwards. It's only a matter of time before you finish what the proud Fenians of old had started, what Wolfe Tone continued, and what your generation will finish: the fight for independence. "Michael! Michael, get in here!" a shrill voice screams from the farmhouse. You turn, sighing, as you work towards the farmhouse, your boots plodding through the mud. It's always something with that woman, you think to yourself. You reach the door, pushing it inwards as you walk into your cramped kitchen. "Ma, what's wrong?" you say, leaning in the doorway. Ma sits in the kitchen at the table, a newspaper in her hands. Joseph stands next to her, his tall, sturdy frame filling a long overcoat. Mary is staring around Joseph, a frail, timid creature in comparison to your burly brother, like a delicate flower growing next to a great Oak. Ma motions for you to see the paper, and you shrug, leaning in to see the pages. You lean over, looking at the crinkled paper. "BRITAIN AT WAR: GERMANY IGNORES FINAL ULTIMATUM" reads the title. "Jesus Christ," you say. You're struck in the face by Ma, who doesn't miss a beat in doing so. While the age has certainly taken much from the woman, it sure hasn't sapped her strength by how much it stings. Still, your mind is too focused on the looming war to even register the pain. "Michael, don't take the Lord's name in vain!" the old woman croaks. "We're at war, Ma, don't blame him. He's shocked," Mary says, rubbing your arm. "We're at war?" Joseph says indignantly. "When did Ireland declare war?! This is their doing, not ours!" "You can't be saying that, Joseph. It's our empire too!" Mary says. "Like bloody hell it is!" Joseph says, stepping back to avoid the incoming slap from Ma. "I'd sooner bow downs to the King of Holland than the King of England." "They gave us a parliament!" "They didn't give us a parliament! They promised us a parliament, which we haven't gotten! Now that'll be postponed because of the war, and when that's finished, we'll be feeling the British boot pressed against our throats yet again! There's a short silence, as you all think about the repercussions this new war will have. "Will you be signing up? They're recruiting," Mary says softly. Joseph lets out a barking laugh, shaking his head in disgust. "Are you joking? Unless the Kaiser's recruiting Irishmen to take out the crown, you can count me out!" Joseph spits on the ground, turning and heading out of the room. Ma immediately darts up as quick as a bullet, far faster than any old woman has a right to do, heading after him to give him another smack. You chuckle as the two rush out of the room. This leaves you and your sister standing alone around the table. "We're in dark times, Michael," Mary says to you. "I'm worried about Joseph. He's been hanging around too many hotheads, violent thugs and brutes the lot of them!" "Joseph's fine," you say dismissively. "How do you think he'd react when you asked him if he'd sign up?" "I suppose," she says. "But, Michael, you understand, right? Why we need to serve the Empire, to prove the Irish are a loyal, hard-working people." "To prove that to who?" you say, annoyed. "The British? They saw how loyal we are many a time, they just don't like what we're loyal to. We're Irish, Mary, not British. Don't forget it." Mary turns in a huff, moving out of the room. Thankfully, this leaves you alone to think, and you let out a quiet sigh of contentment, sitting down at the table. You grab the newspaper, flicking through it. Might as well read up while you're alone.

You are an immigrant travelling along the Oregon Trail to California, joining the thousands of settlers who are crossing America to the rich fertile lands of Oregon and California. Three months of journeying alone finds you in Fort Bridger, the last outpost on the Oregon Trail until you come to California. An explorer named Lansford Hastings recommends that settlers travelling to California leave the Oregon Trail here and follow a route known as Hasting's Cut-Off, a shortcut across the Salt Lake Desert and Sierra Nevada Mountains that will save hundreds of miles of travelling. Jim Bridger, a legendary explorer and owner of the trading post Fort Bridger, also recommends the route to the last party of settlers to arrive before you: a group of eighty-seven people led by two brothers called George and Jacob Donner. Hastings left Fort Bridger a week ago, escorting another party through Hastings Cut-Off and though you are disappointed to have missed him you decide to join the Donner Party who are also taking the route. It will prove to be the worst decision of your life. On the last day of July the Donner Party leaves Fort Bridger and you leave with them, driving your wagon piled high with provisions. You travel over the hills and valleys of the Wasatch Mountains until after a week a letter is discovered tied to a sage bush at the mouth of a canyon. It is from Hastings and advises against going down the canyon as it is rocky and might damage the wagons. He suggests that any immigrants following should send some people on fast horses to catch up with him so he can give specific directions about the route ahead. Three men: James Reed (a man with a strong personality and one of the most respected members of the party), Charles Stanton (Another strong personality in the party who is travelling to California on his own initiative) and William Pike (An engineer and one of the cleverest men in the group) are chosen to perform the dangerous task of travelling across unfamiliar country to try and catch up with Hastings. You can either volunteer to accompany them or remain camped with the Donner Party. What do you do? > You ride ahead Riding hard for three days with your companions you cover a great deal of distance before finally catching up with Hastings and a large wagon party of a few hundred settlers on the shores of the great Salt Lake. By the time the four of you catch up with him you are all exhausted and your horses are close to collapse. Lansford Hastings is a strong-jawed man with a rapidly receding hairline and despite his note he is surprised to see you. While Charles Stanton and William Pike rest their horses you and James Reed trade your horses for two fresh ones from some of the settlers with Hastings and ride with him to the summit of a nearby mountain where Hastings explains the best direction to travel across the Canyon's wooded slopes and promises to continue leaving messages. Reed is keen to ride ahead and get back to the Donner Party to get them moving along this but both Pike and Stanton's horses are tired. Reed proposes to split up: he'll ride ahead back to the Party while Stanton and Pike follow behind. What do you do? > You ride ahead with Reed It took three days to reach Stanton but by riding with incredible speed and determination it takes just one for you and James Reed to return to the Donner Party. There Reed boastfully describes meeting with Lansford Hastings and how they worked out the route the Donner Party should take. Unfortunately it turns out to be a not very good route and you have to cut a road through the thick trees that line the Canyon's sides and haul the wagons up some steep inclines to make it. Charles Stanton and William Pike become lost on their return journey and arrive twelve days after you, extremely hungry and very relieved to re-discover the Party. The jubilation of their safe return and finally reaching the Salt Lake Desert is marred by a tragedy that happens the next day. > The first death... Just outside Fort Bridger a young man called Luke Halloran joined your group: dying of tuberculosis he was taken in by George and Jacob Donner and allowed to ride in their wagon. On the shores of the Salt Lake he collapses and dies suddenly of his illness. There was nothing anyone could have done but his death casts a bleak mood of the Party. He is buried the next day on the shores of Salt Lake next to the grave of another settler who died on his way to California. Pressing on you enter the Salt Desert in September, a place of skin-blistering heat and dry humidity. The wagons struggle to cross the Desert, the cattle pulling them consume enormous amounts of water as they struggle to pull the wagons. James Reed is forced to abandon two of his wagons and George Donner and another settler, a fierce man called Louis Keseberg, both have to abandon one of their wagons. The whole wagon train becomes strung out over many miles and the cattle herds with the wagons become separated, many of them dying. Somehow you manage to keep your wagon moving and your cattle alive but the experience is nightmarish. Finally you and your companions make it across the Desert and camp at a spring for several days which are spent rounding up lost cattle, recovering things from the abandoned wagons and it is not until nearly the middle of September that the Party is ready to continue. The crossing through the Desert killed many cattle and also cost the Party many supplies. Most of the settlers, especially James Reed, are now concerned they might not have enough food to make it all the way to California. A plan is soon made: Charles Stanton and another settler called William McCutchen (a giant of a man who is travelling to California with his wife and baby daughter) volunteer to go ahead on fast horses to Fort Sutter, the first trading post in California, collect fresh supplies and bring them back to the Party. Moving fast they could be back in as little as a month. If you want you can ride ahead with them to California or you can remain travelling with the Donner Party. What do you do? > You stay with the Donner Party After Charles Stanton and William McCutchen leave things get no better. Though you are out of the Desert Indians now begin to steal horses from the Party at night and tempers become very short. Arguments begin to break out between the settlers as food becomes scarce and hunger begins to set in. The situation inevitably culminates in violence in October when two wagons become stuck while climbing a difficult hill. Your wagon becomes stuck in the rocks while climbing the hill, forcing James Reed's wagon and another belonging to Franklin Graves (a friendly man travelling with his wife, seven children and son-in-law) to collide. Reed loses his temper and snarls "Move you damn fool, you have no business being in my way!" "Shut your mouth trash or I'll shut it for you" barks back John Snyder, a hot-tempered driver working for Graves. At this Reed completely loses his temper and springing from his wagon he strides across towards Snyder who drops to the ground to meet him. You are startled to see a long-bladed butcher's knife gleaming in Reed's hand and there is murder in his eyes. What do you do? > You rush forward to intervene You drop from your wagon and race forward as Reed plunges his blade deep into Snyder's chest. Snyder staggers backwards clutching his wound and falls to the ground. As you run up Reed whirls and slashes his knife across your throat, opening a savage wound. You step back and clutch your throat, stunned. Immediately Reed drops the knife and looks horrified. "My God, what have I done?" he cries but it is too late. The world turns black and you collapse lifeless to the ground.

After Charles Stanton and William McCutchen leave things get no better. Though you are out of the Desert Indians now begin to steal horses from the Party at night and tempers become very short. Arguments begin to break out between the settlers as food becomes scarce and hunger begins to set in. The situation inevitably culminates in violence in October when two wagons become stuck while climbing a difficult hill. Your wagon becomes stuck in the rocks while climbing the hill, forcing James Reed's wagon and another belonging to Franklin Graves (a friendly man travelling with his wife, seven children and son-in-law) to collide. Reed loses his temper and snarls "Move you damn fool, you have no business being in my way!" "Shut your mouth trash or I'll shut it for you" barks back John Snyder, a hot-tempered driver working for Graves. At this Reed completely loses his temper and springing from his wagon he strides across towards Snyder who drops to the ground to meet him. You are startled to see a long-bladed butcher's knife gleaming in Reed's hand and there is murder in his eyes. What do you do? > You fetch your pistol from your wagon You find your pistol and cocking it you jump from the wagon. You are just in time to see Snyder staggering towards you, his eyes wide in shock and the handle of Reed's knife sticking out of the centre of his chest. Reed stands shocked by what he has done and as you stare at him several other men including the Donner brothers come running up. Before your eyes Snyder collapses to the ground and breathes his last breath. The men of the Donner Party quickly gather and Reed is surrounded, giving in without a fight. He is placed under armed guard while a quick discussion ensues over what to do with him. Franklin Graves is furious that Reed has murdered his employee while his wife and children are crying hysterically. "Hang him" Louis Keseberg urges, looking fiercely among you. "No" replies William Eddy (a friend of Reed's and a skilled marksman). "Mr Reed should leave the camp." There is a great deal of arguing for a while and eventually it is agreed that Reed should take some food and be sent away to make his own way to California. One of Reed's teamsters called Walter Herron volunteers to accompany him and Reed, still in a state of shock, says a brief farewell to his wife and children. Snyder is buried; the Graves Family are inconsolable and the whole Party is stunned by this sudden outbreak of violence. William Eddy is worried about Reed and Herron's chances of making it to California on their own and mutters to you that perhaps others should go with them. What do you do? > You stay with the Donner Party After Reed and Herron leave the Donner Party's situation continues to deteriorate. Indians shoot arrows at William Eddy and William Pike when they are hunting away from the main party and both are lucky to escape unhurt. Louis Keseberg irritated by his elderly wagon-driver Hardcoop's increasing complaints orders him out of his wagon and snaps at him to walk. Hardcoop manages keeps up for the first day but increasingly begins to lag behind. Without James the Reed family have to abandon another wagon and now many of the Party are on foot: a dangerous situation to be in with so many hostile Indians about. At noon you see Hardcoop, now a long way behind, collapse and crawl under the shade of some bushes. What do you do? > You go back to help him Unable to turn your wagon around you abandon it and carrying two canteens of water you walk back to where you saw Hardcoop fall. By the time you reach him you can see you are too late: the old man is dead. By now the Donner Party have vanished from sight and you hurry back as fast as you can, drinking all your water. You don't even see the Indian hiding behind a rock until it is too late, with deadly accuracy he shoots you through the head, ending your journey and life in an instant.

After Reed and Herron leave the Donner Party's situation continues to deteriorate. Indians shoot arrows at William Eddy and William Pike when they are hunting away from the main party and both are lucky to escape unhurt. Louis Keseberg irritated by his elderly wagon-driver Hardcoop's increasing complaints orders him out of his wagon and snaps at him to walk. Hardcoop manages keeps up for the first day but increasingly begins to lag behind. Without James the Reed family have to abandon another wagon and now many of the Party are on foot: a dangerous situation to be in with so many hostile Indians about. At noon you see Hardcoop, now a long way behind, collapse and crawl under the shade of some bushes. What do you do? > You grit your teeth and press on That day's journey is a difficult one and that night Hardcoop fails to rejoin the group, William Eddy and another man do go out to look for him but return without him after a few hours. Without food and water and surrounded by hostile Indians there is little chance that the old man is still alive. Louis Keseberg is criticised by most of the group for forcing Hardcoop out of his wagon and Keseberg responds by angrily challenging anyone who doesn't like him to a fight. The Party is beginning to tear itself apart. Moving on the next day you come across the skeleton of a settler killed by Indians, more horses are stolen and that night nineteen cattle vanish, stolen by Indians who occasionally fire arrows at your group from hiding in the rocks all around. Keseberg steps on a spiked tree stump and seriously injures his foot, making him more disagreeable, Indians make off with no less than twenty-one oxen the next day and William Eddy is forced to abandon his wagon. A week after Hardcoop's death another wagon owned by a German called Wolfinger falls behind. Two other Germans called Joseph Reinhardt and Augustus Spitzer go back to help him. They are mean-looking fellows and for some reason both take their rifles with them when they go back. You don't like the look of this but the other members of the Party appear not to see and continue struggling to get their remaining wagons to the Humboldt River. What do you do? > You go back to help Wolfinger Leaving your wagon you walk back on foot towards Wolfinger's wagon. As you approach you hear the boom of a gunshot and see Wolfinger fall from his wagon to the ground. You cry out and both Reinhardt and Spitzer, their rifles raised, turn and see you. As you turn to run they both open fire with deadly accuracy. A bullet hits you in the back of the head, killing you instantly and you fall to the ground, murdered like Wolfinger for your money.

That day's journey is a difficult one and that night Hardcoop fails to rejoin the group, William Eddy and another man do go out to look for him but return without him after a few hours. Without food and water and surrounded by hostile Indians there is little chance that the old man is still alive. Louis Keseberg is criticised by most of the group for forcing Hardcoop out of his wagon and Keseberg responds by angrily challenging anyone who doesn't like him to a fight. The Party is beginning to tear itself apart. Moving on the next day you come across the skeleton of a settler killed by Indians, more horses are stolen and that night nineteen cattle vanish, stolen by Indians who occasionally fire arrows at your group from hiding in the rocks all around. Keseberg steps on a spiked tree stump and seriously injures his foot, making him more disagreeable, Indians make off with no less than twenty-one oxen the next day and William Eddy is forced to abandon his wagon. A week after Hardcoop's death another wagon owned by a German called Wolfinger falls behind. Two other Germans called Joseph Reinhardt and Augustus Spitzer go back to help him. They are mean-looking fellows and for some reason both take their rifles with them when they go back. You don't like the look of this but the other members of the Party appear not to see and continue struggling to get their remaining wagons to the Humboldt River. What do you do? > You keep moving You keep going and that night Reinhardt and Spitzer rejoin the Party without Wolfinger. In grim tones and with lowered eyes they tell the group, which includes Wolfinger's young wife Doris, that Wolfinger was killed by Indians who pilfered his wagon. Many in the group quietly express doubts among themselves that the pair are lying but no one is willing to go back and investigate so the matter is dropped but the mood in the group plunges even more. The next day William Eddy and Patrick Breen (a wealthy settler and dedicated Catholic travelling with his large family) nearly get into a fight when Breen refuses to give Eddy any water for his thirsty children and Eddy threatens to kill him, the matter is only resolved when the Donner Brothers intervene and persuade Breen to give up some of his water. As the Donner Party struggles slowly on, suffering now from lack of provisions along with everything else. You reach Truckee Meadows near the Humboldt River and here the Party halts for a rest. A small hunting group is prepared by William Pike and William Foster (a tough young man travelling with his wife and infant child). They are loading various weapons and drying wet gunpowder packets near the fire when William Eddy walks up to you and suggests that you join the pair in trying to shoot some animals for food. What do you do? > You join Pike and Foster's hunting expedition You join Pike and Foster by the fire where they are loading their pistols. Someone yells for Foster to put some more wood on the fire. "Here hold this for me" he says passing you his pistol. As you seize the weapon it accidentally fires, the bullet piercing your heart and killing you instantly, victim of a tragic accident.

You keep going and that night Reinhardt and Spitzer rejoin the Party without Wolfinger. In grim tones and with lowered eyes they tell the group, which includes Wolfinger's young wife Doris, that Wolfinger was killed by Indians who pilfered his wagon. Many in the group quietly express doubts among themselves that the pair are lying but no one is willing to go back and investigate so the matter is dropped but the mood in the group plunges even more. The next day William Eddy and Patrick Breen (a wealthy settler and dedicated Catholic travelling with his large family) nearly get into a fight when Breen refuses to give Eddy any water for his thirsty children and Eddy threatens to kill him, the matter is only resolved when the Donner Brothers intervene and persuade Breen to give up some of his water. As the Donner Party struggles slowly on, suffering now from lack of provisions along with everything else. You reach Truckee Meadows near the Humboldt River and here the Party halts for a rest. A small hunting group is prepared by William Pike and William Foster (a tough young man travelling with his wife and infant child). They are loading various weapons and drying wet gunpowder packets near the fire when William Eddy walks up to you and suggests that you join the pair in trying to shoot some animals for food. What do you do? > You stay with the rest of the Party You decline to join the group and it is just as well. William Foster is loading his pistol when it accidentally goes off, hitting his brother-in-law William Pike in the back and killing him instantly. This accident, the latest to befall the Party, is an especially great tragedy as the two men were the closest of friends, Pike was a popular member of the group and he leaves behind a wife and two infant children. Foster is horrified by the accident and inconsolable for weeks. Three days later Charles Stanton returns to the Donner Party bringing with him seven mules loaded down with food being driven by two Indians called Luis and Salvador. Everyone is overjoyed to see him return and Stanton quickly fills you in on a few details. He says William McCutchen has fallen ill and is back at Fort Sutter in California. He met James Reed and Walter Herron on his way over the mountains and though on the verge of starvation both men made it to California safely. He reports it took him just eight days to travel from Johnson's Ranch, the furthest outpost of civilization in California, to the Donner Party. One last push will get you over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to California and safety. As soon as the Donner Party sets off the troubles begin again. An Indian shoots nineteen oxen with arrows until William Eddy shoots him with his rifle and kills him. George Donner cuts his hand very badly trying to repair his wagon and the Donner Brothers, who are not young men, begin to lag behind. Even worse it starts to snow on the last day of October, which threatens to make the journey over the Sierra Nevada Mountains practically impossible. Charles Stanton, Patrick Breen and a few other families press ahead, climbing near vertical slopes while the Donner Brothers fall increasingly behind, slowed by George's injury. What do you do? > You press on ahead Determined to press on over the mountains before the passes become impassable you join a small group that includes Patrick Breen, William Eddy, Louis Keseberg, Charles Stanton, Patrick Dolan (a friend of Breen's) and the two Indians Luis and Salvador in pushing on towards the summit. It is not to be however: the snow begins to fall more thickly and the pass below is impassable. You cannot go forward or backwards. You are trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains until the snow melts in the spring. Wearily you turn back to re-join the women and the children who have stopped on the edge of a frozen lake. The Donner Brothers did not even make it this far: snowbound down at Alder Creek eight miles further down the mountain they have halted there. As November goes on all the settlers begin to build cabins: at Truckee Lake the Breen and Murphy families build a cabin each while the Reeds and Graves Families share a cabin. Louis Keseberg builds a strange sort of lean-to against the Breen Cabin for his wife and their children. William Eddy and his family move in with the Murphy's while Charles Stanton and the two Indians move in with the Graves and Reeds. Down at Alder Creek the Donner's build two cabins, one for the Donner family and the other for various wagon drivers and others, including Mrs Wolfinger who has been with the Donner's since the death of her husband. In all there are twenty-one people staying at the Donner's camp at Alder Creek and sixty living up by Truckee Lake. For your part you had better move into one of the two camps and make yourself comfortable: the snow won't melt until Spring and the supplies are not going to last nearly that long. Which camp do you move into? > The Alder Creek Camp Finding room in the tent that holds the Donner Brother's wagon drivers you make yourself as comfortable as you can in a corner with blankets and hunker down. There is little you can do: a strange lethargy seems to have come over the camp at Alder Creek: George Donner is still suffering badly from his wounded hand and Jacob Donner is looking more ill by the day. Both brothers, especially Jacob, keep themselves busy writing letters that various wagon drivers run up to the camp at Truckee Lake promising generous amounts of money for any food, no matter how small. All the cattle have already been slaughtered and everyone is cold and hungry. In mid-December you visit the camp at Truckee Lake and return with an interesting note from Charles Stanton addressed to George Donner at "Donnersville". It mentions that he and Franklin Graves have been making snow shoes to try and cross the snow into California and asks for Donner's compass and some tobacco. Travelling up to Truckee Lake with Donner's compass you find that seventeen volunteers have been equipped with snowshoes to attempt the dangerous crossing of the snow-filled passes. This group consists of William Eddy, Franklin Graves, Patrick Dolan (Patrick Breen's friend), Jay Fosdick (Grave's son-in-law), William Foster (the man who accidentally shot William Pike), Donner teamsters Dutch Charley Burger and Antonio, Sarah Fosdick (Jay Fosdick's wife), Sarah Foster (William Foster's wife), Mary Graves (Franklin's adult daughter), Amanda McCutchen (William McCutchen's wife), Harriet Pike (William Pike's widow), Lemuel Murphy (who is twelve) and William Murphy (who is ten). The journey will be dangerous and extremely risky but you can either volunteer or sit tight in the camp. What do you do? > You volunteer yourself Each member of the Snowshoes Party is given enough food for six days (at least enough for a few bites each day) and a pair of snowshoes. It is quickly discovered that William Murphy cannot keep up and he is sent back to the camp with Dutch Charley Burger, a little chunky man who is not built for this sort of activity. If you want to turn back now this is your last chance, otherwise you'll have to risk the dangers of the snow-filled passes. What do you do? > You press on Pressing on you initially make good progress, reaching the summit of the Sierra Nevada Mountains after one day's travel. Charles Stanton who has been exerting himself a great deal in making the snowshoes begins to suffer from snow blindness and fall behind. By the fifth day there is very little food left and everyone is exhausted. Stanton declares he is unable to walk and sitting by the fire calmly smoking his pipe he tells the rest of your group to go on without him. After a few moments hesitation the group resume their journey. What do you do? > You stay with Stanton Remembering everything Stanton has done to help the group you know that you can't leave him behind. Sitting next to him the pair of you enjoy a last smoke and as the wind begins to whip the snow up all around you lose sight of each other. A wave of tiredness overcomes you and you find you can neither get up nor do you want to try. The pair of you die there in the snowy pass.

Pressing on you initially make good progress, reaching the summit of the Sierra Nevada Mountains after one day's travel. Charles Stanton who has been exerting himself a great deal in making the snowshoes begins to suffer from snow blindness and fall behind. By the fifth day there is very little food left and everyone is exhausted. Stanton declares he is unable to walk and sitting by the fire calmly smoking his pipe he tells the rest of your group to go on without him. After a few moments hesitation the group resume their journey. What do you do? > You head on with the others Charles Stanton is left behind and you continue to resolutely press on for another three days, William Eddy finds his wife has secretly packed some bear meat in his bag and shares it with the rest of you. After that there is nothing to eat and soon the talk is becoming increasingly wild, people proposing that some members of the group be killed for food or that they turn back to the camp. All the women and William Eddy are determined to keep going but all the rest want to stop. As you are arguing a snowstorm catches you all out in the open. Immediately you and your companions gather together for warmth and wrap yourselves in blankets but it is no good. The young Mexican teamster Antonio dies first, perishing without a sound. Franklin Gardner, in his late fifties, succumbs next. He lies very still, barely moving and Eddy tells him he is dying. Gardner replies he does not care and urges his daughters Sarah and Mary to eat his body after he dies. He expires soon after. As the cold increases you feel an increasingly irrational urge to run out into the snowstorm and hunt for food. What do you do? > You leave the group to search for something to kill There is nothing you can do. Losing all control of yourself you race out into the snow. Immediately you lose sight of your companions and never find them again. You stagger on until you collapse and half-buried by the fast-falling snow you never get up again.

Charles Stanton is left behind and you continue to resolutely press on for another three days, William Eddy finds his wife has secretly packed some bear meat in his bag and shares it with the rest of you. After that there is nothing to eat and soon the talk is becoming increasingly wild, people proposing that some members of the group be killed for food or that they turn back to the camp. All the women and William Eddy are determined to keep going but all the rest want to stop. As you are arguing a snowstorm catches you all out in the open. Immediately you and your companions gather together for warmth and wrap yourselves in blankets but it is no good. The young Mexican teamster Antonio dies first, perishing without a sound. Franklin Gardner, in his late fifties, succumbs next. He lies very still, barely moving and Eddy tells him he is dying. Gardner replies he does not care and urges his daughters Sarah and Mary to eat his body after he dies. He expires soon after. As the cold increases you feel an increasingly irrational urge to run out into the snowstorm and hunt for food. What do you do? > You sit tight It is a miserable Christmas. All day the snowstorm rages and you are convinced that all of you will die out here. Patrick Breen's friend Patrick Dolan goes next. He becomes delirious with hunger, tearing off his clothes and racing out into the storm: it is with great difficulty that William Eddy gets him under control and physically forces him back. He is held down until he becomes increasingly quiet and eventually dies. Poor Lemuel Murphy dies next: he showed great courage and endurance for a boy of twelve. Like Dolan he becomes delirious and his sister Sarah Foster tries to distract him with a story about the moon, tears in her eyes. Eventually he too slips away into the endless night. The cold is overwhelming you and you want to do nothing but shut your eyes. It occurs to you that if you can just get some sleep you will feel stronger when you wake up and better able to handle the cold, which is piercing your bones like a knife. What do you do? > You shut your eyes The darkness overwhelms you but you couldn't care less. Everything is numb, faded and blurred and all you want to do is sleep. So you shut your eyes and drift down, down into the darkness and escape from this world of pain and terror.

It is a miserable Christmas. All day the snowstorm rages and you are convinced that all of you will die out here. Patrick Breen's friend Patrick Dolan goes next. He becomes delirious with hunger, tearing off his clothes and racing out into the storm: it is with great difficulty that William Eddy gets him under control and physically forces him back. He is held down until he becomes increasingly quiet and eventually dies. Poor Lemuel Murphy dies next: he showed great courage and endurance for a boy of twelve. Like Dolan he becomes delirious and his sister Sarah Foster tries to distract him with a story about the moon, tears in her eyes. Eventually he too slips away into the endless night. The cold is overwhelming you and you want to do nothing but shut your eyes. It occurs to you that if you can just get some sleep you will feel stronger when you wake up and better able to handle the cold, which is piercing your bones like a knife. What do you do? > You force them to remain open Finally the snow storm at Camp Death dies down and you and the other survivors emerge from the snow-covered blankets, moving stiffly and more dead than alive. You join the remaining men in setting fire to a pine tree and you all lie around it, so utterly indifferent to the heat that William Eddy, Sarah Foster and Amanda McCutchen all get burned. You spend three days in the camp, drying the bodies of the dead which you then carve up with a knife and begin to eat. The meat you dry on the fire and without thinking about it you just eat. Some of the men and women have tears frozen on their faces, each being careful not to eat a family member. Finally you resume your journey, packaging the human flesh you have not yet eaten so you can take it with you. Struggling on you clamber over rocks, your feet numbed and bleeding as your snowshoes begin to fall apart. When all the flesh is eaten a week later someone proposes you kill the two Indians who are with you. As the suggestion gains favour in the group the Indians, understandably terrified, flee from the rest of you. The next day Jay Fosdick collapses and his wife Sarah stays with him. Eddy causes unrestrained joy when he manages to shoot down a skeletal deer which is quickly butchered for food. You have stayed back with Jay and like Sarah you try to tell him to hold on, that Eddy has just shot a deer, but it is no good. Jay expires and Sarah, telling you she wishes to die too, lies next to him. The rest of the group walks away. What do you do? > You try to persuade Sarah to rejoin the group With a broken voice you whisper at Sarah to hold on but seeing her lying there tranquil make you want to rest too. You lie down near the couple and remain still. Slowly the coldness creeps through you, overwhelming you with weariness and almost gently you slip out of this world.

Finally the snow storm at Camp Death dies down and you and the other survivors emerge from the snow-covered blankets, moving stiffly and more dead than alive. You join the remaining men in setting fire to a pine tree and you all lie around it, so utterly indifferent to the heat that William Eddy, Sarah Foster and Amanda McCutchen all get burned. You spend three days in the camp, drying the bodies of the dead which you then carve up with a knife and begin to eat. The meat you dry on the fire and without thinking about it you just eat. Some of the men and women have tears frozen on their faces, each being careful not to eat a family member. Finally you resume your journey, packaging the human flesh you have not yet eaten so you can take it with you. Struggling on you clamber over rocks, your feet numbed and bleeding as your snowshoes begin to fall apart. When all the flesh is eaten a week later someone proposes you kill the two Indians who are with you. As the suggestion gains favour in the group the Indians, understandably terrified, flee from the rest of you. The next day Jay Fosdick collapses and his wife Sarah stays with him. Eddy causes unrestrained joy when he manages to shoot down a skeletal deer which is quickly butchered for food. You have stayed back with Jay and like Sarah you try to tell him to hold on, that Eddy has just shot a deer, but it is no good. Jay expires and Sarah, telling you she wishes to die too, lies next to him. The rest of the group walks away. What do you do? > You keep walking Despite her wishes Sarah Fosdick does not die. Her sister Mary Graves returns for her and the pair cut up Jay Fosdick's body for food. Somehow Mary helps her sister rejoin the rest of the group and you silently eat the cold meat, the dead man's wife watching with tears in her eyes before silently accepting some flesh and chewing. Jay Fosdick's death means you, William Eddy and William Foster are the last surviving men along with the five women and Foster is beginning to show alarming signs of derangement. Drawing you and Eddy to one side he quietly whispers that at least one of the women must be killed to feed the others. William Eddy's temper snaps and throwing a large stick to Foster he draws his knife and barks "defend yourself Foster!" You restrain Eddy while Foster stands motionless staring at Eddy before quietly walking away. For the moment danger is averted but the next day you come across the two Indians, Luis and Salvador, lying near death in the snow. Foster declares that the two Indians must die. When Eddy protests against this Foster draws his pistol and calmly shoots Luis in the head. What do you do? > You intervene to stop Foster killing Salvador As you step forward to stop William Foster killing Salvador he turns the pistol on you. The first shot hits you in the throat and you fall to the ground, stepping forward Foster fires twice more into your head, his eyes wide with hunger and madness.

Despite her wishes Sarah Fosdick does not die. Her sister Mary Graves returns for her and the pair cut up Jay Fosdick's body for food. Somehow Mary helps her sister rejoin the rest of the group and you silently eat the cold meat, the dead man's wife watching with tears in her eyes before silently accepting some flesh and chewing. Jay Fosdick's death means you, William Eddy and William Foster are the last surviving men along with the five women and Foster is beginning to show alarming signs of derangement. Drawing you and Eddy to one side he quietly whispers that at least one of the women must be killed to feed the others. William Eddy's temper snaps and throwing a large stick to Foster he draws his knife and barks "defend yourself Foster!" You restrain Eddy while Foster stands motionless staring at Eddy before quietly walking away. For the moment danger is averted but the next day you come across the two Indians, Luis and Salvador, lying near death in the snow. Foster declares that the two Indians must die. When Eddy protests against this Foster draws his pistol and calmly shoots Luis in the head. What do you do? > You stand back You step back as Foster shoots Salvador in the head as well before dropping the pistol. The Indians are quickly carved up and a fire lit to cook their flesh. Foster sits silently by the flames, staring into their depths and not even his wife Sarah can trigger a reaction. Wearily you stumble on and three days later you meet with a small group of Indians who are so horrified by your skeletal appearance that they give you all some acorns to eat. The Indians are friendly and indicate for you to follow them. The women and Foster are too exhausted to walk so you and William Eddy follow the Indians and finally reach Johnson's Ranch, the first settlement in California. When you arrive, leaving a trail of blood, Eddy knocks on the door which is answered by a young lady. In a broken voice you ask for a little bread. The girl takes one look at the pair of you, bursts into tears and you are both hurried inside. Oh the wonder of it! Hot tea, food, warm beds and all the comforts you could want are provided! Supplies are hastily sent to the other six survivors. You set out with seventeen people a month ago: two turned back, eight died and only seven survived. For now you don't care: you are safe. Your terrible ordeal is over, thank god! > You get some much-needed rest It doesn't take long for two familiar faces to turn up at Johnson's Ranch: James Reed and William McCutchen who both made it over the mountains ahead of the Donner Party. You and Eddy give them tell them what happened in the mountains and you are not surprised to learn Reed is putting together an expedition to rescue survivors. Another expedition is already ready at Fort Sutter and Eddy, despite the ordeal you have already been through is determined to lead it back to the Donner Party. It is up to you which you join: Eddy's is leaving quicker but his health is broken while Reed's and McCutchen's is leaving later but both are healthy. Which expedition party do you want to accompany? > You eddy's First Relief The journey out to where the Donner Party is stranded is a nightmare, despite the fact you have plenty of food the snow has begun to thaw a little. There are fourteen of you in this rescue party but halfway through the journey William Eddy, still weakened by his earlier ordeal, is forced to turn back. Two more men are left behind with some of the provisions while the rest of you struggle on towards the Donner Party. The group becomes very discouraged and when three more men turn back, the rest begin muttering that they'll be trapped in the snow like the Donner Party and die too. What do you do? > You press on Pressing on bravely you and the others stumble over the mountains and three days later you reach a huddle of cabins on the shore of Truckee Lake late in the evening. Here you find less than forty emaciated survivors, mostly women and children. The first that you meet is a gaunt woman with a hollowed face who asks if you have come from California or heaven. Apparently your companions have been dying on an almost daily basis and your arrival prompts a great many tears of joy and prayers to God. Patrick Breen is one of the healthiest remaining alive and though he has not lost any of his children he tells you a dozen have died since the Snowshoe Party left and that the Donner Brothers and others are further down the mountain at Alder Creek. It is perhaps fortunate that William Eddy did not accompany the expedition all this way as his wife Eleanor and youngest child Margaret are dead, the other child James is practically all bone. It is a terrible sight. Pushing on ahead to Alder Creek you get there to find Jacob Donner and three others have died and those that remain are in a poor condition: George Donner has an infected hand from an earlier injury and there are many starving women and children there. Of the two remaining teamsters alive with the Donner's one, Noah James, is too weak to help and though the other, Jean Baptiste is in better health he does not want to stay and it takes a great deal of persuasion to get him to look after the Donner's. Returning to the Truckee Lake Camp you discover that in your absence another settler has died, the infant Catherine Pike. Finally those settlers strong enough to get down the mountain are assembled: twenty-one of them. The rest will have to wait for James Reed's Second Relief. The settlers you are taking down with you are the weak teamsters John Denton and Noah James, women Margret Reed, Philippe Keseberg, Doris Wolfinger and Eliza Williams and fifteen children. With such a weakened party of settlers the return journey will be far worse than the one there. > Back to California... The return journey with the survivors is a difficult one. Teamster John Denton gives out and is left behind to die. The child Ada Keseberg dies of cold and another child, William Hook dies after over-gorging on supplies. You pass James Reed, William McCutchen and the Second Relief party going up into the mountains. Reed is overjoyed to see most of his family safe while McCutchen is devastated to learn of his infant daughter Harriet's death. They press on. Nearing California you pass a Third Relief party going the other way led by William Eddy and William Foster. Both eagerly seek out news of their families: Eddy is devastated to learn that his wife and daughter died in the mountains. Parting ways the next day you reach Johnson's Ranch with your remaining eighteen survivors. There you rest. Reed and McCutchen come in a few days later with just three survivors, two of them Reed's children, having abandoned the rest in the mountains. A brave man called John Stark later brings in the eleven survivors from this group, Eddy and Foster return soon after with five survivors and state that they do not think there will be any more. George Donner, his wife Tamzene, their nephew Samuel, Levinah Jackson and Louis Keseberg remain alive in the mountains, having resorted to cannibalism to survive. In the first half of April William Foster organises a final Relief party to search for survivors. You can either accompany this group of if you have had enough of the business remain at Sutter's Fort with the other survivors. What do you do? > You accompany Foster's expedition You join William Foster's expedition, which is hopeful of finding at least Tamzene Donner or Louis Keseberg still alive as they were in the best health. It takes you less than a week to reach the camps in the mountains, the snow melting fast all around you as spring descends and what you find is terrible. At Truckee Lake human limbs and bones lie in every direction. Moving on to the Alder Creek camp you find more horrors including the body of George Donner torn apart with pieces of his brain in a kettle. Returning to the Truckee Lake camp you are surprised to discover Louis Keseberg, skeletal but alive. As Keseberg ate Foster's child the two are not on the best of terms and the fact that Keseberg has clearly been stealing things from the Donner Camp and using them as his own does not improve things. When large amounts of money are found on him Foster accuses him of murdering Tamzene Donner and threatens to hang him and it is only with some reluctance that the group agree to take him back to California. Before leaving the camp, the last of the Donner Party to be rescued, Keseberg looks back at the cabins and mutters "I hope God will forgive me for what I've done." It takes just five days to get down the mountain and back to Johnson's Ranch. Along the way Keseberg discovers the corpse of his dead daughter Ada in the snow. > Back to California... Foster's Fourth Relief discovers Louis Keseberg still alive and that last survivor of the Donner Party is brought out of the mountains and into California. Altogether of the 90 members of the Donner Party (including you) 43 died, including infants Jonathon and Elizabeth Graves who die that summer from their sufferings in the mountains. Of those that survive some like Louis Keseberg are branded as cannibals and murderers. You were lucky to survive this truly terrible experience: a story that will go down in American History as a tale of cannibalism and death in the Sierra Mountains.

The journey out to where the Donner Party is stranded is a nightmare, despite the fact you have plenty of food the snow has begun to thaw a little. There are fourteen of you in this rescue party but halfway through the journey William Eddy, still weakened by his earlier ordeal, is forced to turn back. Two more men are left behind with some of the provisions while the rest of you struggle on towards the Donner Party. The group becomes very discouraged and when three more men turn back, the rest begin muttering that they'll be trapped in the snow like the Donner Party and die too. What do you do? > You turn back with Eddy Unable to keep up you turn back with William Eddy and rest for close to a month at Johnson's Ranch, recovering your strength. There you are joined by William Foster, still gaunt but able to travel and together you prepare a Third Relief to rescue those trapped in the mountains. You set out near the start of March, travelling rapidly. On the first day you meet members of the First Relief returning to Johnson's Ranch with eighteen survivors, three having died on the way. They give you mixed news: though Eddy's wife Eleanor and youngest child Margaret are dead his second child James still lives. Foster's baby boy Jeremiah is still alive too. Eddy is broken by the news but his anguish is replaced by a desire to get into the mountains and rescue his remaining child. Two days later you encounter James Reed and William McCutchen returning down the mountain with three survivors, two of which are Reed's own children. Another twelve you learn are further up the mountain, having been abandoned for lack of food and exhaustion with the bodies of another two that have already died, one of which was Franklin Graves's widow Elizabeth. Moving on into the mountains you come across the body of wagon-driver John Denton, who died while returning with the First Relief and is found in a sitting position with a poem he wrote as he lay dying about memories of a happier past. That evening you reach the place where Reed left the survivors to find they are just eleven in number now, another having died. Like you they have survived by eating the bodies of those that died. The remaining survivors are Patrick Breen, his wife Margaret, their five children, three of the orphaned Graves children and one of the Donner children. The decision is made by a brave member of the party called John Stark that he will guide this group down to safety while the rest of you go onto the camps. Two days later you reach the remaining survivors in the mountains. > You into the mountains... When you reach the Truckee Lake Camp what you find shocks all of you. There are just three people left alive there: Louis Keseberg, Lavinah Jackson and her son Samuel. You find the remains of William Eddy's son James and William Foster's son Jeremiah. Both children have died very recently and been partially eaten by the others as a means of staying alive. For a time it looks like murder will happen, finally Eddy declares that if he ever meets Louis Keseberg again in California he will kill him. You help calm the rescuers enough that they agree to take Simon Murphy to safety. At the Donner camp at Alder Creek you find George Donner bed-ridden with an infected hand, though his wife Tamzene is in good health. They ask you to take their daughters Eliza, Georgia and Frances with you as well as the teamster Jean Baptiste and another man called Nicholas Clark who was left by one of the earlier expeditions to help look after them. Another child is at the Donner Ranch but he is dying and too weak to travel. Collecting the five survivors and Clark together you set off back down the mountain. By now the snows are melting rapidly with the onset of spring and it takes just a week to make it from the camps to Jonson's Ranch. Soon after returning William Foster begins putting together a final rescue mission to recover Donner, his wife and infant nephew, Keseberg and Jackson from the hills. You can either accompany this last mission or stay at Sutter's Fort. What do you do?

It doesn't take long for two familiar faces to turn up at Johnson's Ranch: James Reed and William McCutchen who both made it over the mountains ahead of the Donner Party. You and Eddy give them tell them what happened in the mountains and you are not surprised to learn Reed is putting together an expedition to rescue survivors. Another expedition is already ready at Fort Sutter and Eddy, despite the ordeal you have already been through is determined to lead it back to the Donner Party. It is up to you which you join: Eddy's is leaving quicker but his health is broken while Reed's and McCutchen's is leaving later but both are healthy. Which expedition party do you want to accompany? > You reed and McCutchen's Second Relief James Reed is nothing if not thorough in his preparations and it is not until the second half of February that a dozen men, including you, Reed and William McCutchen set off from Johnson's Ranch into the mountains. Making fairly good progress thanks to the fact the snow is beginning to thaw you encounter the First Relief returning down the mountain. Reed gives a cry of joy when he sees his wife Margret and several of their children and races forward to embrace them. You swiftly learn some very worrying things: at the camps in the mountains the remaining members of the Donner Party are dying steadily from hunger, just coming down the mountain wagon-driver John Denton and child, Ada Keseberg, died while travelling with the First Relief. Nineteen survivors remain with the First Relief but many more are still in the mountains, including two of Reed's children. William McCutchen learns that his infant daughter Harriet died in the mountains and takes the news hard. When you reach a huddle of cabins in the snow-covered wilderness on the first day of March the first person you meet is Reed's daughter Patty, sprinting towards her father they embrace with shouts of joy. A few other figures emerge from the cabins including Patrick Breen and Louis Keseberg, altogether there are nineteen people still living in the cabins around Truckee Lake and about a dozen down at Alder Creek including George Donner. Staying only a day you gather together seventeen survivors, all you can take out. There is some discussion and it is agreed to leave a man or two to help the thirteen being left behind, especially those at Alder Creek. What do you do? > You leave with the rest of the Second Relief You choose to accompany the Second Relief and its seventeen settlers on the long and difficult journey back to Sutter's Fort. It gets off to a bad start when a storm traps you all in open ground and Isaac Donner dies. James Reed and William McCutchen decide that because supplies are so low they must keep going but the majority of the settlers are too weak to move. Taking two of Reed's children and a third child along you keep moving, unable to stay with the others. A few days later you meet William Eddy and William Foster leading their relief party up the mountains. Reed directs them to where you left the survivors and by the middle of March you make it back to Johnson's Ranch. Eleven of the settlers you left make it in two days later, two of their number having died. Soon after Eddy and Foster return with another five survivors and report there are unlikely to be any more. George Donner, his wife Tamzene and nephew Samuel, Louis Keseberg and Lavaniah Jackson are still in the mountains, having resorted to cannibalism to survive. At the beginning of April William Foster begins forming a final rescue party to search for the last of the Donner Party still trapped. You can either accompany him or remain safely in Sutter's Fort. What do you do?

James Reed is nothing if not thorough in his preparations and it is not until the second half of February that a dozen men, including you, Reed and William McCutchen set off from Johnson's Ranch into the mountains. Making fairly good progress thanks to the fact the snow is beginning to thaw you encounter the First Relief returning down the mountain. Reed gives a cry of joy when he sees his wife Margret and several of their children and races forward to embrace them. You swiftly learn some very worrying things: at the camps in the mountains the remaining members of the Donner Party are dying steadily from hunger, just coming down the mountain wagon-driver John Denton and child, Ada Keseberg, died while travelling with the First Relief. Nineteen survivors remain with the First Relief but many more are still in the mountains, including two of Reed's children. William McCutchen learns that his infant daughter Harriet died in the mountains and takes the news hard. When you reach a huddle of cabins in the snow-covered wilderness on the first day of March the first person you meet is Reed's daughter Patty, sprinting towards her father they embrace with shouts of joy. A few other figures emerge from the cabins including Patrick Breen and Louis Keseberg, altogether there are nineteen people still living in the cabins around Truckee Lake and about a dozen down at Alder Creek including George Donner. Staying only a day you gather together seventeen survivors, all you can take out. There is some discussion and it is agreed to leave a man or two to help the thirteen being left behind, especially those at Alder Creek. What do you do? > You volunteer to stay behind and help the remaining survivors Staying with George Donner, his wife Tamzene, their daughters Georgia, Frances and Eliza as well as Jacob Donner's widow Elizabeth and her sons Lewis and Samuel you help Nicholas Clark and Jean Baptiste look after them. Clark, like you, is a fellow rescuer and in good health but Baptiste is weakening. The whole party are in desperate danger, in one day both Elizabeth and her son Lewis die and to your horror pieces of flesh are cut off them and eaten by the starving children and adults. Fortunately days later a third rescue party arrives led by William Eddy and William Foster. They inform you just three people remain alive up at the Truckee Lake camp and they have come to help those who can walk leave. Though Mrs Donner is in good health George Donner is bed-ridden with an infected hand and Tamzene refuses to leave him. Instead she asks the group to take her three daughters to safety. Jean Baptiste and Nicholas Clark take this opportunity to leave too, the latter carrying a backpack of goods purloined from the Donner's. A fourth child, Simon Murphy, complete your little party (Samuel Donner is too weak to be carried down) and you set off. The last thing you hear is Tamzene Donner calling out to you to make sure her children reach safety. > You to safety... You join the Relief and exhausted and weary you stumble down through the mountains with the relief party, relieved to have survived for such a long time in the mountains. The snow is melting all around you and it takes just a week to make it to Johnson's Ranch, the start of civilization in California. There you find most of the other survivors of the Donner Party and rest and recover your strength for a few weeks. At the start of April William Foster begins organising a final rescue mission to go into the mountains and try to bring down those five people: George Donner, his wife Tamzene, their nephew Samuel, Lavaniah Jackson and Louis Keseberg. You are not keen to return to the mountains so soon after escaping but if you are willing you can join the expedition or remain at Johnson's Ranch. What do you do?

Each member of the Snowshoes Party is given enough food for six days (at least enough for a few bites each day) and a pair of snowshoes. It is quickly discovered that William Murphy cannot keep up and he is sent back to the camp with Dutch Charley Burger, a little chunky man who is not built for this sort of activity. If you want to turn back now this is your last chance, otherwise you'll have to risk the dangers of the snow-filled passes. What do you do? > You turn back to the Alder Creek Camp You make yourself as comfortable as you can in the Teamsters Tent but it is very crowded there: not only are there too manypeople in too small a space but one of the Reed's Teamsters Milt Elliott is visiting you as well. A snowstorm blows over the Mountains and it brings death with it. Jacob Donner is the first to succumb. He dies while sitting at a table, his head bowed in his hands, the very picture of despair. Donner's death is just the beginning. Samuel Shoemaker, a teamster for the Donner's dies next and he is soon followed by Joseph Reinhardt. Knowing he is dying Reinhardt confesses in front of you, Doris Wolfinger and George Donner that he shot and killed Mr Wolfinger but that he regrets it. He never explains why and the confession is of little comfort to the poor widow. James Smith, a teamster who actually works for the Reeds but has somehow wound up at the Donner Camp dies of the cold too. That night with the winter breeze piercing your body to the core you are struck by the urge to walk out into the cold and end it all rather than suffer this slow and lingering demise. What do you do? > You walk out into the cold There is a fifth victim of this snowstorm. Numb with cold, pale with hunger and wrapped in your blankets you stagger out into the snow. Quickly the relentlessly falling white ice overwhelms you: cold permeates every part of your body and your body is found the next morning.

You make yourself as comfortable as you can in the Teamsters Tent but it is very crowded there: not only are there too manypeople in too small a space but one of the Reed's Teamsters Milt Elliott is visiting you as well. A snowstorm blows over the Mountains and it brings death with it. Jacob Donner is the first to succumb. He dies while sitting at a table, his head bowed in his hands, the very picture of despair. Donner's death is just the beginning. Samuel Shoemaker, a teamster for the Donner's dies next and he is soon followed by Joseph Reinhardt. Knowing he is dying Reinhardt confesses in front of you, Doris Wolfinger and George Donner that he shot and killed Mr Wolfinger but that he regrets it. He never explains why and the confession is of little comfort to the poor widow. James Smith, a teamster who actually works for the Reeds but has somehow wound up at the Donner Camp dies of the cold too. That night with the winter breeze piercing your body to the core you are struck by the urge to walk out into the cold and end it all rather than suffer this slow and lingering demise. What do you do? > You summon all the strength you have to remain in the teamster’s tent You survive the initial series of deaths which leave George Donner and the teamsters Noah James and Jean Baptiste as the only healthy men in a camp full of women and children. For the next two months you survive. Several people die at the Truckee Lake Camp but for some reason no one else at the Alder Creek camp dies, perhaps because the Donner's have slightly more food than everyone else. Finally in the second half of February three healthy-looking men arrive at the camp. They are rescuers from California, having made contact with members of the Snowshoe Party they have travelled out to bring people back. It quickly becomes apparent that there are too few of them to take everyone to California with them, George Donner's hand has become infected and many of the others are too weak to go. It is agreed that the men will take Elitha, Lenna and George Donner and William Hook (the weakest children) with them as well as Doris Wolfinger and wagon-driver Noah James, who is in very bad shape. Wagon-driver Jean Baptiste wants to leave too but the settlers persuade him to stay and help look after the Donner's. At both Alder Creek and Truckee Lake the remaining men (George Donner, Patrick Breen, Louis Keseberg and Donner wagon-driver Jean Trudeau) have chosen to stay so that the women and children can leave in safety. More help is on it's way to rescue them but if you truly insist you will be allowed to accompany the First Relief down. What do you do? > You demand that the rescuers take you too After much begging the members of the First Relief let you join them in travelling on to California and safety but the going is hard. Most of the children are so weak the rescuers have to take turns carrying them while you and the other adults stagger on as best you can. One morning John Denton, an English wagon-driver who has been of great assistance around the camps, is unable to continue and insists that he is left behind at the fire. Finding him unable to walk the other settlers agree and he is left behind. What do you do? > You stay behind and try to persuade him to keep moving You sit down next to John and try to get him to keep going but he just shakes his head and sings out a poem: "I look on scenes of past delight, without my wonted pleasures, as a mister on the bed of death looks coldly on his treasures." Your bodies are found a few weeks later.

After much begging the members of the First Relief let you join them in travelling on to California and safety but the going is hard. Most of the children are so weak the rescuers have to take turns carrying them while you and the other adults stagger on as best you can. One morning John Denton, an English wagon-driver who has been of great assistance around the camps, is unable to continue and insists that he is left behind at the fire. Finding him unable to walk the other settlers agree and he is left behind. What do you do? > You press on with the others Leaving John Denton behind you keep going but things continue to worsen. In particular Phillippe Keseberg's infant daughter Ada is almost unresponsive and her mother desperately offers a gold watch and money to anyone who will help her keep her child alive but it is no good. By nightfall the infant is dead and her crying mother buries her in the ground. The wind that night is relentless and chills you to the bone, you are tempted to move away from the camp and try to find a better spot. What do you do? > You search for a warmer location Rising to your feet you stagger away from the camp. In the flurrying snow you lose sight of the camp completely and wander round helplessly calling out names. Finally you can walk no more and have to lie down where you gently expire.

Leaving John Denton behind you keep going but things continue to worsen. In particular Phillippe Keseberg's infant daughter Ada is almost unresponsive and her mother desperately offers a gold watch and money to anyone who will help her keep her child alive but it is no good. By nightfall the infant is dead and her crying mother buries her in the ground. The wind that night is relentless and chills you to the bone, you are tempted to move away from the camp and try to find a better spot. What do you do? > You sit tight and make the best of it Finally you make it over the Sierra Nevada Mountains and begin to descend the far side. On the way you meet the Second Relief travelling out to those of the Donner Party still stranded in the mountains, this group is led by James Reed and William McCutchen. When Reed's wife Margret sees him she gives a cry of sheer amazement and collapses in the snow. The reunion is a moving occasion and Reed's children cry as they embrace their father. But one person's joy is another person's sorrow: McCutchen learns that his baby daughter Harriet died at Truckee Lake. Reed still has two children in the camps and is anxious to rescue them. You part ways, the Second Relief going on up into the mountains while you and the others go down: coming to where a large stash of provisions has been placed. You are overjoyed to taste good food again and eat. One of your companions, William Hook (Jacob Donner's stepson) eats and eats until he can eat no more. You are tempted to stuff yourself too. What do you do? > You eat everything that you can You over-indulge and that night your stomach is wracked by swift agonising pains. Moaning in agony this last pain is too much for your weakened nervous system. You die that night just a few miles from safety.

Finally you make it over the Sierra Nevada Mountains and begin to descend the far side. On the way you meet the Second Relief travelling out to those of the Donner Party still stranded in the mountains, this group is led by James Reed and William McCutchen. When Reed's wife Margret sees him she gives a cry of sheer amazement and collapses in the snow. The reunion is a moving occasion and Reed's children cry as they embrace their father. But one person's joy is another person's sorrow: McCutchen learns that his baby daughter Harriet died at Truckee Lake. Reed still has two children in the camps and is anxious to rescue them. You part ways, the Second Relief going on up into the mountains while you and the others go down: coming to where a large stash of provisions has been placed. You are overjoyed to taste good food again and eat. One of your companions, William Hook (Jacob Donner's stepson) eats and eats until he can eat no more. You are tempted to stuff yourself too. What do you do? > You eat moderately You are lucky you are able to resist over-indulging (William Hook is found dead the next morning) and a week later you reach Johnson's Ranch, having passed a third rescue party led by William Eddy and William Foster going the other way. You thank them for warning the people of California of your plight but regrettably have to tell Eddy his wife and youngest child have died. The parties separate and soon after you are overjoyed to reach Johnson's Ranch, a place of supplies and safety. There you rest for a month. Meanwhile the relief parties continue to bring survivors in. James Reed and William McCutchen return with just three having abandoned more further up the trail. Another man called John Stark brings eleven of these in himself. Finally Eddy and Foster return with five more. They report that the remaining survivors in the mountains: George Donner, his wife Tamzene, their nephew Samuel, Louis Keseberg and Levinah Jackson, have resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. At the start of April William Foster begins organising a final Relief Party to bring in these survivors, if they are still alive. You can either accompany this group or remain safely at Sutter's Fort. What do you do?

You survive the initial series of deaths which leave George Donner and the teamsters Noah James and Jean Baptiste as the only healthy men in a camp full of women and children. For the next two months you survive. Several people die at the Truckee Lake Camp but for some reason no one else at the Alder Creek camp dies, perhaps because the Donner's have slightly more food than everyone else. Finally in the second half of February three healthy-looking men arrive at the camp. They are rescuers from California, having made contact with members of the Snowshoe Party they have travelled out to bring people back. It quickly becomes apparent that there are too few of them to take everyone to California with them, George Donner's hand has become infected and many of the others are too weak to go. It is agreed that the men will take Elitha, Lenna and George Donner and William Hook (the weakest children) with them as well as Doris Wolfinger and wagon-driver Noah James, who is in very bad shape. Wagon-driver Jean Baptiste wants to leave too but the settlers persuade him to stay and help look after the Donner's. At both Alder Creek and Truckee Lake the remaining men (George Donner, Patrick Breen, Louis Keseberg and Donner wagon-driver Jean Trudeau) have chosen to stay so that the women and children can leave in safety. More help is on it's way to rescue them but if you truly insist you will be allowed to accompany the First Relief down. What do you do? > You wait for more help You choose to remain with George Donner and his family at Alder Creek, helping Jean Baptiste look after the two women and seven children there. There is some talk about eating human flesh but fortunately you manage to resist the urge to do that and in the first days of March a second rescue party arrives at Alder Creek led by James Reed and William McCutchen. They bring a little more food and offer to take three of the Donner children out but intend to leave a man behind to help Jean Baptiste look after the Donner family until the next rescue mission arrives. What do you do? > You insist on leaving with the Second Relief You are incredibly relieved to join the other survivors who are leaving, which consists of Elizabeth Graves (Franklin Graves's widow), her four children, Patrick Breen, his wife Margaret and their five children, two of James Reed's children and three of the Donner's children. Your group sets off and initially makes good progress before disaster strikes. Just a few days into the journey you are struck by a fierce snowstorm on open ground and are forced to huddle down below blankets: James Reed nearly collapses from the effort of making sure everyone is safe. Huddling together against the fierce cold you do your best. At one point during the storm it is discovered that Isaac Donner has died, slipping away so silently that the two girls huddled either side of him did not notice his death. In the midst of the cold the thought strikes you that the child must be buried. What do you do? > You dig a grave for Isaac Donner Against Breen and Reed's protests you carry the Donner boy's body out of the group and try to dig a grave in the snow. It is hopeless in the midst of a blizzard and the grave becomes your own when you collapse into it and do not move again.

You are incredibly relieved to join the other survivors who are leaving, which consists of Elizabeth Graves (Franklin Graves's widow), her four children, Patrick Breen, his wife Margaret and their five children, two of James Reed's children and three of the Donner's children. Your group sets off and initially makes good progress before disaster strikes. Just a few days into the journey you are struck by a fierce snowstorm on open ground and are forced to huddle down below blankets: James Reed nearly collapses from the effort of making sure everyone is safe. Huddling together against the fierce cold you do your best. At one point during the storm it is discovered that Isaac Donner has died, slipping away so silently that the two girls huddled either side of him did not notice his death. In the midst of the cold the thought strikes you that the child must be buried. What do you do? > You stay with everyone else in the huddle By the time the storm ends you and virtually all the survivors are too exhausted to continue. James Reed makes the decision to press on anyway, carrying his children Patty and Thomas with him while Solomon Hook is strong enough to continue. The remaining thirteen of you are abandoned by Reed, who promises to go ahead, get supplies and send them back. Soon after they leave the storm kicks up again. Elizabeth Graves succumbs, turning on her side she flings her arm out in one last effort and lies still as the life leaves her. The rest of you huddle together and try to endure. Mrs Graves's four (now orphaned) children can't stop crying and beg you to drag their mother's body away from them. What do you do? > You move Mrs Graves's body You move Mrs Graves's body but the effort proves too much for you. Returning to the others you lie down with a sigh and do not get up again. Like the other dead your body will be cannibalised by the survivors.

By the time the storm ends you and virtually all the survivors are too exhausted to continue. James Reed makes the decision to press on anyway, carrying his children Patty and Thomas with him while Solomon Hook is strong enough to continue. The remaining thirteen of you are abandoned by Reed, who promises to go ahead, get supplies and send them back. Soon after they leave the storm kicks up again. Elizabeth Graves succumbs, turning on her side she flings her arm out in one last effort and lies still as the life leaves her. The rest of you huddle together and try to endure. Mrs Graves's four (now orphaned) children can't stop crying and beg you to drag their mother's body away from them. What do you do? > You remain where you are For three days the storm rages and you all lie there without food and living on melted snow. It is a miracle any of you survive: even Patrick Breen begins to pray for death. The child Franklin Graves dies next, so cold he feels like he is almost frozen solid. His orphaned siblings Nancy, Jonathon and Elizabeth huddle round the body, too exhausted to even cry. The cold gets worst and to your astonishment you see Patrick Breen begin to carve up the bodies of the dead and pass the flesh around which is eaten cold. What do you do? > You refuse to touch it You refuse to touch the human flesh while the others eat. Devoid of strength you sink into a sleep from which you do not wake and like the other dead your body too is cut up to provide nourishment for the remaining survivors.

For three days the storm rages and you all lie there without food and living on melted snow. It is a miracle any of you survive: even Patrick Breen begins to pray for death. The child Franklin Graves dies next, so cold he feels like he is almost frozen solid. His orphaned siblings Nancy, Jonathon and Elizabeth huddle round the body, too exhausted to even cry. The cold gets worst and to your astonishment you see Patrick Breen begin to carve up the bodies of the dead and pass the flesh around which is eaten cold. What do you do? > You accept some of the offered flesh Reluctantly you eat the flesh which ensures your survival. Tearing the cold flesh from the bones you feast on the bodies of the dead, doing anything to restore some strength into your weakened frames. Even Patrick Breen and his wife put aside their religious beliefs to feast. The meat saves your lives for a few days until a third rescue party led by William Eddy and William Foster reach you. They share some provisions with you and a brave man called John Stark volunteers to lead you all to safety. After more than a week of agonising walking the eleven of you miraculously make it to Johnson's Ranch. Here you rest and eat for a time. Eddy and Foster return soon after you with another five survivors and report that George Donner, his wife Tamzene, their nephew Samuel, Louis Keseberg and Levinah Jackson are still in the mountains. At the start of April William Foster begins to put together a final search party to go and look for them. Though still weakened from your recent experiences you are strong enough to join them or if, understandably, you don't want to go back into the mountains you can remain at Sutter's Fort. What do you do?

You choose to remain with George Donner and his family at Alder Creek, helping Jean Baptiste look after the two women and seven children there. There is some talk about eating human flesh but fortunately you manage to resist the urge to do that and in the first days of March a second rescue party arrives at Alder Creek led by James Reed and William McCutchen. They bring a little more food and offer to take three of the Donner children out but intend to leave a man behind to help Jean Baptiste look after the Donner family until the next rescue mission arrives. What do you do? > You stay with those that are left You are certain that you are strong enough to stay and help Nicholas Clark and Jean Baptiste look after George Donner, his wife Tamzene and their children Georgia, Frances and Eliza as well as Jacob Donner's widow Elizabeth and her children Lewis and Samuel. Though you are all weakening the efforts of you, Clark and Baptiste keep the others alive and at one point Clark is even able to shoot a bear. It is too late though: Elizabeth walks into George Donner's tent and without a word lays the dead body of her son Lewis on Tamzene's lap. Stumbling away she is found dead herself soon after. George Donner cuts up both bodies, cooks the meat on a fire and feeds it to the remaining children. What do you do? > You refuse to eat the human flesh Refusing to eat any human flesh you return to your tent by yourself and lie under a blanket. That night as the snow piles up outside you succumb to your hunger and die.

You are certain that you are strong enough to stay and help Nicholas Clark and Jean Baptiste look after George Donner, his wife Tamzene and their children Georgia, Frances and Eliza as well as Jacob Donner's widow Elizabeth and her children Lewis and Samuel. Though you are all weakening the efforts of you, Clark and Baptiste keep the others alive and at one point Clark is even able to shoot a bear. It is too late though: Elizabeth walks into George Donner's tent and without a word lays the dead body of her son Lewis on Tamzene's lap. Stumbling away she is found dead herself soon after. George Donner cuts up both bodies, cooks the meat on a fire and feeds it to the remaining children. What do you do? > You eat the meat Reluctantly you eat the flesh which ensures your survival. Days after the double-deaths and the beginning of cannibalism a rescue party arrives led by William Eddy and William Foster. They talk to George Donner about who can be rescued: Donner's daughters Frances, Georgia and Eliza are quickly volunteered and both Jean Baptiste and Nicholas Clark choose to leave as well. Though Tamzene Donner is in good health she refuses to leave her bed-ridden husband George Donner and their nephew Samuel is too weak to be carried and near death. The rescuers prepare to leave with the four members of the Donner Party from Alder Creek and a boy called Simon Murphy from the Truckee Lake camp. You can ask them to take you as well or stay and help George, Tamzene and Samuel Donner. What do you do?

Each member of the Snowshoes Party is given enough food for six days (at least enough for a few bites each day) and a pair of snowshoes. It is quickly discovered that William Murphy cannot keep up and he is sent back to the camp with Dutch Charley Burger, a little chunky man who is not built for this sort of activity. If you want to turn back now this is your last chance, otherwise you'll have to risk the dangers of the snow-filled passes. What do you do? > You turn back to the Truckee Lake Camp Soon after setting off Dutch Charley Burger and young William Murphy return, having decided they cannot keep up with the Snowshoe Party. Reed Teamster Milt Elliott returns from a visit to Alder Creek with the terrible news that Jacob Donner, Samuel Shoemaker, Joseph Reinhardt and James Smith have all died. Dutch Charley, a chubby individual is the next one: weakening steadily he dies in Louis Keseberg's lean-to soon after his return. You are all suffering now. The cold is permeating every part of you. Every moment of every day you are hungry and at night the cold numbs your body. It is like being on fire and unable to put it out, one night it is worse than ever and you find all you want to do is give in, to walk out into the howling snow and die rather than go on suffering like this. Your companions are mere skeletons of themselves and despair is etched on every face. What do you do? > You venture out into the cold You too do not survive the year. Rising from your thin blanket you stumble out into the cold. What you are searching for you do not know and never find out. Your body is found the next morning, half buried in snow.

Soon after setting off Dutch Charley Burger and young William Murphy return, having decided they cannot keep up with the Snowshoe Party. Reed Teamster Milt Elliott returns from a visit to Alder Creek with the terrible news that Jacob Donner, Samuel Shoemaker, Joseph Reinhardt and James Smith have all died. Dutch Charley, a chubby individual is the next one: weakening steadily he dies in Louis Keseberg's lean-to soon after his return. You are all suffering now. The cold is permeating every part of you. Every moment of every day you are hungry and at night the cold numbs your body. It is like being on fire and unable to put it out, one night it is worse than ever and you find all you want to do is give in, to walk out into the howling snow and die rather than go on suffering like this. Your companions are mere skeletons of themselves and despair is etched on every face. What do you do? > You continue suffering The New Year brings no fresh joys with it. Those in the cabins around Truckee Lake remain cold and starving and those at Alder Creek are little better off. After the initial wave of six deaths people are adjusting to the terrible conditions but that doesn't make it any easier. The babies and young children cry continually and it is hellish for the adults. You have heard nothing of the Snowshoes Party and have no idea if any of them have made it to civilization. Things continue to worsen and near the end of January Louis Keseberg's infant son, also called Louis, dies in the Murphy Cabin. Keseberg is grief-stricken and one night he stumbles into your cabin with his dead baby in his arms and asks you to help bury him in the snow. What do you do? > You help Louis bury his son You stumble out into the snow with Louis and scrabble around in the snow trying to dig a shallow grave. The infant is finally laid to rest but when you return to your cabin you find you cannot see. The world is darkness. Lying down makes it better and during the night you slip away.

The New Year brings no fresh joys with it. Those in the cabins around Truckee Lake remain cold and starving and those at Alder Creek are little better off. After the initial wave of six deaths people are adjusting to the terrible conditions but that doesn't make it any easier. The babies and young children cry continually and it is hellish for the adults. You have heard nothing of the Snowshoes Party and have no idea if any of them have made it to civilization. Things continue to worsen and near the end of January Louis Keseberg's infant son, also called Louis, dies in the Murphy Cabin. Keseberg is grief-stricken and one night he stumbles into your cabin with his dead baby in his arms and asks you to help bury him in the snow. What do you do? > You try to get him to wait until morning You manage to persuade Louis to wait until morning when a group of the remaining men help bury his son. The death of Louis Keseberg's child is just the first of the year. John Murphy, a strapping sixteen-year-old who looks after his mother and extended family of younger children worsens steadily. His mother, Levinah Jackson, tries to revive him by placing a little piece of meat in his mouth and John swallows it, goes to sleep with a weak gurgling snore and dies. His mother asks you for your blanket to bury the child. What do you do? > You let him have it Without your blanket you have no chance of surviving the bitter cold. Lying in the corner you too go to sleep, a deep sleep from which you do not wake.

You manage to persuade Louis to wait until morning when a group of the remaining men help bury his son. The death of Louis Keseberg's child is just the first of the year. John Murphy, a strapping sixteen-year-old who looks after his mother and extended family of younger children worsens steadily. His mother, Levinah Jackson, tries to revive him by placing a little piece of meat in his mouth and John swallows it, goes to sleep with a weak gurgling snore and dies. His mother asks you for your blanket to bury the child. What do you do? > You refuse to surrender your blanket You hold onto your blanket, despite Mrs Jackson's pleas. The deaths continue: the next to go is Margaret Eddy, the absent William Eddy's infant daughter. She died one night in the arms of her mother Eleanor and her mother is inconsolable. Margaret's death means that apart from you there are just forty other people remaining in the camps at Truckee Lake and less than half that at Alder Creek. Patrick Breen and Louis Keseberg want to make sure the Donner group at Alder Ceek are ok and being too weak themselves ask you to travel down to their camp. What do you do? > You agree to go and visit the Donner's You set off on the eight mile journey that morning but your weakened state soon becomes apparent. You get less than halfway before you have to lie down in the snow and rest. You never get up again, your strength simply slips away from you.

You hold onto your blanket, despite Mrs Jackson's pleas. The deaths continue: the next to go is Margaret Eddy, the absent William Eddy's infant daughter. She died one night in the arms of her mother Eleanor and her mother is inconsolable. Margaret's death means that apart from you there are just forty other people remaining in the camps at Truckee Lake and less than half that at Alder Creek. Patrick Breen and Louis Keseberg want to make sure the Donner group at Alder Ceek are ok and being too weak themselves ask you to travel down to their camp. What do you do? > You sunday 7 February 1847: Truckee Lake, California You refuse to make the difficult journey and a few nights later a pair of deaths shake the camp. Harriet McCutchen, an infant both of whose parents have left the Donner Party and who was being looked after by the Graves family dies. The infant had spent most of her waking hours crying and death must have been a release for it. Eleanor Eddy dies too: since her husband left with the Snowshoe Party she has been looked after by the Murphy family. Since her daughter Margaret died she lost the will to live, those she does leave a son James who is a toddler. Their deaths make the mood even more grim, that night as the wind whistles around the huddled cabins you are struck by an urge to go out and find something to shoot and eat. What do you do? > You go outside You set out on your journey but do not return: losing sight of the camp you are hurled to the ground by the freezing blizzard and do not get up again.

You refuse to make the difficult journey and a few nights later a pair of deaths shake the camp. Harriet McCutchen, an infant both of whose parents have left the Donner Party and who was being looked after by the Graves family dies. The infant had spent most of her waking hours crying and death must have been a release for it. Eleanor Eddy dies too: since her husband left with the Snowshoe Party she has been looked after by the Murphy family. Since her daughter Margaret died she lost the will to live, those she does leave a son James who is a toddler. Their deaths make the mood even more grim, that night as the wind whistles around the huddled cabins you are struck by an urge to go out and find something to shoot and eat. What do you do? > Monday 8 February 1847: Truckee Lake, California The day after the double deaths there is another death: at this rate there will be no one left by the end of the month. A Teamster called Augustus Spitzer collapsed in the Breen house two months ago and has been on the verge of death since. Today he finally dies, imploring Margaret Breen to put just a little meat in his mouth so he might remember the taste of it. There is none to give him and death soon follows. The Breen children are upset by his death and Patrick Breen asks you to help him move the body outside. What do you do? > You help Breen move Spitzer's corpse You help Breen carry Spritzer outside but when you come back inside you find you cannot stop shake in. Lying down you force yourself to go into an uneasy sleep but it is one that you do not awake from.

The day after the double deaths there is another death: at this rate there will be no one left by the end of the month. A Teamster called Augustus Spitzer collapsed in the Breen house two months ago and has been on the verge of death since. Today he finally dies, imploring Margaret Breen to put just a little meat in his mouth so he might remember the taste of it. There is none to give him and death soon follows. The Breen children are upset by his death and Patrick Breen asks you to help him move the body outside. What do you do? > You refuse You refuse to go outside and remain in the cabin. The next day is Reed Teamster Milt Elliott's last dawn. Lacking the strength to even get out of bed he lies muttering to himself and shaking all day before finally slipping away. The girls of the Reed family, some of whom were very fond of Elliott, bury him in the snow. That night Levinah Jackson approaches you and slips $100 into your hand. "I need meat so badly" she whispers to you. "Go and cut Milt's hand off and the money is yours." What do you do? > You go and hack up Milt You go out into the cold and begin digging around for Milt's body. Instead you find your strength fading from you and slowly sink into the snow. You are found there the next morning, frozen stiff and very dead.

You refuse to go outside and remain in the cabin. The next day is Reed Teamster Milt Elliott's last dawn. Lacking the strength to even get out of bed he lies muttering to himself and shaking all day before finally slipping away. The girls of the Reed family, some of whom were very fond of Elliott, bury him in the snow. That night Levinah Jackson approaches you and slips $100 into your hand. "I need meat so badly" she whispers to you. "Go and cut Milt's hand off and the money is yours." What do you do? > You give Mrs Jackson's money back to her You refuse to desecrate the dead and give Mrs Jackson's money back to her, she returns silently to her cabin. Almost stubbornly you continue to survive, holding yourself together and then, finally, a wonderful thing happens. A party of seven men, backpacks bulging with food, reach the camp at Truckee Lake. They have been sent from California: it seems that at least some members of the Snowshoe Party made it through and now rescue missions are being mounted. While some of the settlers travel down to visit the Donner Brothers the others remain at Truckee Lake and provide what medical treatment they can. It is too late for little Catherine Pike, an infant child in the care of her grandmother Levinah Jackson. Unable to even cry the child had been reduced to moaning feebly until one day it just passes away. The rescuers re-gather and prepare to leave. They have decided they can take twenty-one people with them: weak teamsters Noah James and John Denton, women Margret Reed, Philippe Keseberg, Doris Wolfinger and Eliza Williams and fifteen children. The remaining men (George Donner, Patrick Breen, Louis Keseberg and Donner wagon-driver Jean Trudeau) have chosen to stay so that the women and children can leave in safety. More help is on it's way to rescue them but if you truly insist you will be allowed to accompany the First Relief down. What do you do?

Determined to press on over the mountains before the passes become impassable you join a small group that includes Patrick Breen, William Eddy, Louis Keseberg, Charles Stanton, Patrick Dolan (a friend of Breen's) and the two Indians Luis and Salvador in pushing on towards the summit. It is not to be however: the snow begins to fall more thickly and the pass below is impassable. You cannot go forward or backwards. You are trapped in the Sierra Nevada Mountains until the snow melts in the spring. Wearily you turn back to re-join the women and the children who have stopped on the edge of a frozen lake. The Donner Brothers did not even make it this far: snowbound down at Alder Creek eight miles further down the mountain they have halted there. As November goes on all the settlers begin to build cabins: at Truckee Lake the Breen and Murphy families build a cabin each while the Reeds and Graves Families share a cabin. Louis Keseberg builds a strange sort of lean-to against the Breen Cabin for his wife and their children. William Eddy and his family move in with the Murphy's while Charles Stanton and the two Indians move in with the Graves and Reeds. Down at Alder Creek the Donner's build two cabins, one for the Donner family and the other for various wagon drivers and others, including Mrs Wolfinger who has been with the Donner's since the death of her husband. In all there are twenty-one people staying at the Donner's camp at Alder Creek and sixty living up by Truckee Lake. For your part you had better move into one of the two camps and make yourself comfortable: the snow won't melt until Spring and the supplies are not going to last nearly that long. Which camp do you move into? > The Truckee Lake Camp Building a lean-to on the other side of the Breen Cabin to the Keseberg's you make yourself as comfortable as you can with blankets. Most of the settlers slaughter their remaining cattle and William Eddy takes his rifle with him most days on hunting trips, killing wolves, owls, ducks, squirrels and even a skeletal bear, the last nearly tearing him to pieces. Patrick Breen entertains himself by keeping a diary. Various efforts are made to cross the mountains but they all fail as it is impossible to battle through the snow. Finally Franklin Graves has the idea to make snowshoes to enable people to walk on the snow and with the help of Charles Stanton they begin manufacturing pairs at the start of December, a slow process. Everyone is hungry and cold now and every night you are chilled to the bone. Baylis Williams, one of the Reed's wagon drivers is particularly suffering and one night he asks if he can have your blanket, promising to give you his to sleep under tomorrow night. What do you do? > You let Williams have your blanket You let Williams have your blanket and that night your body goes completely numb with cold, despite all the clothes you are wearing. You feel so tired that all you want to do is sleep. Your mind drifts, dwelling on images of hot food and warm baths until you unknowingly slip into a hypothermic state and expire.

Building a lean-to on the other side of the Breen Cabin to the Keseberg's you make yourself as comfortable as you can with blankets. Most of the settlers slaughter their remaining cattle and William Eddy takes his rifle with him most days on hunting trips, killing wolves, owls, ducks, squirrels and even a skeletal bear, the last nearly tearing him to pieces. Patrick Breen entertains himself by keeping a diary. Various efforts are made to cross the mountains but they all fail as it is impossible to battle through the snow. Finally Franklin Graves has the idea to make snowshoes to enable people to walk on the snow and with the help of Charles Stanton they begin manufacturing pairs at the start of December, a slow process. Everyone is hungry and cold now and every night you are chilled to the bone. Baylis Williams, one of the Reed's wagon drivers is particularly suffering and one night he asks if he can have your blanket, promising to give you his to sleep under tomorrow night. What do you do? > You refuse You refuse to let Williams have your blanket and the next morning he is found to have died in the night of cold. His death sends shock waves through the camp as everyone realises you may all die of cold if no help is fetched. By now twenty pairs of snowshoes have been made and no less than seven volunteers put themselves forward to attempt the perilous journey over the frozen passes to try and get help. This group consists of William Eddy, Franklin Graves, Patrick Dolan (Patrick Breen's friend), Jay Fosdick (Grave's son-in-law), William Foster (the man who accidentally shot William Pike), Donner teamsters Dutch Charley Burger and Antonio, Sarah Fosdick (Jay Fosdick's wife), Sarah Foster (William Foster's wife), Mary Graves (Franklin's adult daughter), Amanda McCutchen (William McCutchen's wife), Harriet Pike (William Pike's widow), Lemuel Murphy (who is twelve) and William Murphy (who is ten). The journey will be dangerous and extremely risky but you can either volunteer or sit tight in the camp. What do you do?

You decline to join the group and it is just as well. William Foster is loading his pistol when it accidentally goes off, hitting his brother-in-law William Pike in the back and killing him instantly. This accident, the latest to befall the Party, is an especially great tragedy as the two men were the closest of friends, Pike was a popular member of the group and he leaves behind a wife and two infant children. Foster is horrified by the accident and inconsolable for weeks. Three days later Charles Stanton returns to the Donner Party bringing with him seven mules loaded down with food being driven by two Indians called Luis and Salvador. Everyone is overjoyed to see him return and Stanton quickly fills you in on a few details. He says William McCutchen has fallen ill and is back at Fort Sutter in California. He met James Reed and Walter Herron on his way over the mountains and though on the verge of starvation both men made it to California safely. He reports it took him just eight days to travel from Johnson's Ranch, the furthest outpost of civilization in California, to the Donner Party. One last push will get you over the Sierra Nevada Mountains to California and safety. As soon as the Donner Party sets off the troubles begin again. An Indian shoots nineteen oxen with arrows until William Eddy shoots him with his rifle and kills him. George Donner cuts his hand very badly trying to repair his wagon and the Donner Brothers, who are not young men, begin to lag behind. Even worse it starts to snow on the last day of October, which threatens to make the journey over the Sierra Nevada Mountains practically impossible. Charles Stanton, Patrick Breen and a few other families press ahead, climbing near vertical slopes while the Donner Brothers fall increasingly behind, slowed by George's injury. What do you do? > You stay behind to help the Donner brothers You go back to try and help the Donner Brothers get up the pass before the snow traps you but it is no good: it is hard work to get anywhere and as the snow gets heavier you are forced to halt at Alder Creek. There the Donner Brothers and their assortment of teamsters begin building tents to protect you from the snow. The Donner Family live in the first one while their teamsters and Doris Wolfinger, who the Donner Brothers have looked after since the death of her husband, live in the second. Soon word comes down the mountain that an effort by the others to get across the summit has failed: the passes are impassable and you are trapped by the snow in the Mountains, unable to move forward or backwards. Your fellow settlers settle at a lake eight miles further up the slope and begin building cabins. The Breen family have their own cabin while the Murphy and Eddy families share a cabin while the Reeds and Graves family share a cabin with Charles Stanton and his two Indians. The Keseberg's live in a lean-to against the Breen Cabin. Altogether sixty people live at Truckee Lake while twenty-one people live in the Donner's camp at Alder Creek. For your part you had better move into one of the two camps and make yourself comfortable: the snow won't melt until Spring and the supplies are not going to last nearly that long. Which camp do you move into?

You find your pistol and cocking it you jump from the wagon. You are just in time to see Snyder staggering towards you, his eyes wide in shock and the handle of Reed's knife sticking out of the centre of his chest. Reed stands shocked by what he has done and as you stare at him several other men including the Donner brothers come running up. Before your eyes Snyder collapses to the ground and breathes his last breath. The men of the Donner Party quickly gather and Reed is surrounded, giving in without a fight. He is placed under armed guard while a quick discussion ensues over what to do with him. Franklin Graves is furious that Reed has murdered his employee while his wife and children are crying hysterically. "Hang him" Louis Keseberg urges, looking fiercely among you. "No" replies William Eddy (a friend of Reed's and a skilled marksman). "Mr Reed should leave the camp." There is a great deal of arguing for a while and eventually it is agreed that Reed should take some food and be sent away to make his own way to California. One of Reed's teamsters called Walter Herron volunteers to accompany him and Reed, still in a state of shock, says a brief farewell to his wife and children. Snyder is buried; the Graves Family are inconsolable and the whole Party is stunned by this sudden outbreak of violence. William Eddy is worried about Reed and Herron's chances of making it to California on their own and mutters to you that perhaps others should go with them. What do you do? > You volunteer to accompany Reed and Herron Your decision to accompany James Reed and Walter Herron raises some eyebrows but you are glad to get away from the increasingly slow-moving group and press on ahead. Unfortunately the journey turns out to be very difficult: you are all unsuccessful at hunting and by the time you reach the Sierra Nevada Mountains you have eaten all your supplies and are surviving chiefly on wild onions and beans. Herron wants to kill the horses for food but you and Reed persuade him that you need them. Finally you make it across the Mountains and in Bear Valley where you have the wonderful fortune of meeting a party of settlers near Johnson's Ranch, the beginning of civilization in California. They share some food with you and while you are there you meet Charles Stanton, who is on his way back to the Donner Party with seven mules of provisions and two Indians guides. Stanton is delighted to see the three of you and you quickly exchange news. Reed tactfully explains that you three were sent ahead of get supplies, leaving out the part about him murdering John Snyder. Stanton tells you that William McCutchen has fallen ill and is resting at Fort Sutter. Reed decides to press onto Fort Sutter with Herron to get more supplies. Stanton suggests that you accompany him back to the Donner Party. What do you do? > You join Stanton in going back to the Donner Party Setting off from California with Charles Stanton and the two Indians Luis and Salvador you initially make good progress. James Reed and Walter Herron are both at Johnson's Ranch, both in poor shape but keen to get more supplies from Fort Sutter and follow Stanton back to the Donner Party. Making a swift journey, thanks to your Indian guides' expert knowledge of the route you re-cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains and find the Donner Party camped at Truckee Meadows near the Humboldt River in a very bad state. You are shocked to learn of four fatalities in your absence. Reed stabbed and killed the Graves Family's wagon-driver John Snyder in an argument which led to his being banished. Louis Keseberg (A German settler with a fierce temper) abandoned his wagon-driver, an elderly Belgian man called Hardcoop, who fell behind and was never seen again. Another settler called Wolfinger was allegedly killed by Indians, though no one saw it except his friends Joseph Reinhardt and August Spitzer who many in the party suspect murdered him. Finally William Pike was accidentally shot and killed by his brother-in-law William Foster (a determined and able man). The whole Donner Party are on the verge of running out of food, making the extra supplies extremely welcome, and immediately resume their journey after you and Stanton join them. You get a taste of what they have been experiencing when on the first day of the journey nineteen oxen are shot with arrows by an Indian who William Eddy (a first-rate marksman and teller of tall stories) shoots and kills. Soon afterwards George Donner badly injures his hand trying to repair a wagon and the Donner Brothers lag behind the rest of the group. By the end of October you have reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains but on the last day of October it begins to snow. This is very serious because heavy snow will leave you trapped in the mountains and unable to continue. Patrick Breen (a staunch Catholic who is travelling with his large family), Stanton and a few others press on to try and clear the valley but others like the Donner Brothers are lagging behind and obviously in need of assistance. What do you do?

Your decision to accompany James Reed and Walter Herron raises some eyebrows but you are glad to get away from the increasingly slow-moving group and press on ahead. Unfortunately the journey turns out to be very difficult: you are all unsuccessful at hunting and by the time you reach the Sierra Nevada Mountains you have eaten all your supplies and are surviving chiefly on wild onions and beans. Herron wants to kill the horses for food but you and Reed persuade him that you need them. Finally you make it across the Mountains and in Bear Valley where you have the wonderful fortune of meeting a party of settlers near Johnson's Ranch, the beginning of civilization in California. They share some food with you and while you are there you meet Charles Stanton, who is on his way back to the Donner Party with seven mules of provisions and two Indians guides. Stanton is delighted to see the three of you and you quickly exchange news. Reed tactfully explains that you three were sent ahead of get supplies, leaving out the part about him murdering John Snyder. Stanton tells you that William McCutchen has fallen ill and is resting at Fort Sutter. Reed decides to press onto Fort Sutter with Herron to get more supplies. Stanton suggests that you accompany him back to the Donner Party. What do you do? > You travel onto Sutters Fort with Reed and Herron You travel on to Fort Sutter and there you reunite with William McCutchen. He is recovering well with your illness and as with Stanton, James Reed tells him that he was sent on for supplies with you and Walter Herron. Herron learns that war has just broken out between the USA and Mexico decides to go off and fight but Reed and McCutchen intend to gather a few mules of supplies together and set off back to the Donner Party. Unfortunately just a few days after Reed's arrival on the last day of the month it starts to snow, lightly around Fort Sutter but heavily in in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This is very bad as it will mean that the Donner Party, which incidentally includes both Reed and McCutchen's wives and children, will be unable to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In Fort Sutter there is nothing you can do but watch as snow completely seals the valley, making it virtually impossible to cross. Despite this you, Reed and McCutchen soon set out on a mission to try and reach the stranded settlers. > Back into the Mountains... Despite the unlikelihood of making it across the mountains you, James Reed and William McCutchen, the latter still suffering slightly from his illness, set off from Sutter's Fort to try to reach the Donner Party. Reaching Johnson's Ranch you are warned by the owner that it is impossible to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains when the passes are blocked by snow but feeling that you have to at least try you journey on. Unfortunately the owner is right. Reaching the Sierra Nevada Mountain Pass with difficult you and your companions discover the snow does indeed makes crossing the mountains completely impossible. Nothing can force its way through it and after several days of struggling you are forced to turn back: there is nothing you can do now but wait until the spring when the snow melts and the Donner Party can be rescued. You can only hope their food supplies hold out until then and as you return to Sutter's Fort you can't help but feel relieved you aren't up there in the mountains with them. > You now you wait... For three months you, James Reed and William McCutchen find ways to keep yourselves busy in California. Reed joins in the war against Mexico while you stay with McCutchen in Sutter's Fort. Near the end of January incredible news arrives: seven members of the Donner Party (William Eddy, William Foster, Sarah Foster, Sarah Fosdick, Mary Graves, Amanda McCutchen and Harriet Pike) have somehow managed to cross the mountains despite the snow and made it to Johnson's Ranch. McCutchen is overjoyed to learn his wife has made it and you hasten to Johnson's Ranch. There you are shocked by what you see: the survivors are skeletal and so weak they can do nothing but eat and sleep. Eddy is the healthiest of them and he mutters a terrible story about blizzards, the deaths of eight of their companions and being forced to eat the bodies of the dead to survive. He is certain it is the same up in the mountains where the rest of the Donner Party is stranded. As McCutchen's two young children and Reed's entire family are still up in the mountains the three of you immediately begin planning an expedition to rescue them. Another rescue effort called the First Relief is being prepared at Sutter's Fort that will be ready sooner but Reed and McCutchen have the advantage that both of them already know the route. Eddy is determined to accompany the First Relief but he is still weak from his terrible journey out of the mountains. Which expedition party do you want to accompany?

Just outside Fort Bridger a young man called Luke Halloran joined your group: dying of tuberculosis he was taken in by George and Jacob Donner and allowed to ride in their wagon. On the shores of the Salt Lake he collapses and dies suddenly of his illness. There was nothing anyone could have done but his death casts a bleak mood of the Party. He is buried the next day on the shores of Salt Lake next to the grave of another settler who died on his way to California. Pressing on you enter the Salt Desert in September, a place of skin-blistering heat and dry humidity. The wagons struggle to cross the Desert, the cattle pulling them consume enormous amounts of water as they struggle to pull the wagons. James Reed is forced to abandon two of his wagons and George Donner and another settler, a fierce man called Louis Keseberg, both have to abandon one of their wagons. The whole wagon train becomes strung out over many miles and the cattle herds with the wagons become separated, many of them dying. Somehow you manage to keep your wagon moving and your cattle alive but the experience is nightmarish. Finally you and your companions make it across the Desert and camp at a spring for several days which are spent rounding up lost cattle, recovering things from the abandoned wagons and it is not until nearly the middle of September that the Party is ready to continue. The crossing through the Desert killed many cattle and also cost the Party many supplies. Most of the settlers, especially James Reed, are now concerned they might not have enough food to make it all the way to California. A plan is soon made: Charles Stanton and another settler called William McCutchen (a giant of a man who is travelling to California with his wife and baby daughter) volunteer to go ahead on fast horses to Fort Sutter, the first trading post in California, collect fresh supplies and bring them back to the Party. Moving fast they could be back in as little as a month. If you want you can ride ahead with them to California or you can remain travelling with the Donner Party. What do you do? > You ride ahead Though it takes more than a month you manage to make the long and difficult journey to Sutter's Fort in California, crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains along the way. William McCutchen and Charles Stanton prove to be good company though by the time you reach Johnson's Ranch, the first outpost of civilization in California, McCutchen has come down with a fever. It is not life-threatening but he needs to rest. At Sutter's Fort Captain Sutter is glad to provide you with seven mules and provisions (accounts will be settled when the Donner Party arrives) and even loans you and Stanton two Indians called Luis and Salvador to help you guide the mules back to the Donner Party. Stanton plans to leave in a few days but McCutchen is no better and you wonder if it might not be better if you stay with him. On the other hand the Donner Party are still out there somewhere and doubtless struggling too. What do you do?

Riding hard for three days with your companions you cover a great deal of distance before finally catching up with Hastings and a large wagon party of a few hundred settlers on the shores of the great Salt Lake. By the time the four of you catch up with him you are all exhausted and your horses are close to collapse. Lansford Hastings is a strong-jawed man with a rapidly receding hairline and despite his note he is surprised to see you. While Charles Stanton and William Pike rest their horses you and James Reed trade your horses for two fresh ones from some of the settlers with Hastings and ride with him to the summit of a nearby mountain where Hastings explains the best direction to travel across the Canyon's wooded slopes and promises to continue leaving messages. Reed is keen to ride ahead and get back to the Donner Party to get them moving along this but both Pike and Stanton's horses are tired. Reed proposes to split up: he'll ride ahead back to the Party while Stanton and Pike follow behind. What do you do? > You ride with Stanton and Pike Staying with Charles Stanton and William Pike you attempt to follow James Reed back to the Donner Party but unfortunately the three of you become lost in the Wasatch Mountains. For twelve days you wander through steep forested hills becoming increasingly worried as your food runs out until finally, when you are on the verge of killing your horses and eating them you encounter the wagons of the Donner Party and are enormously relieved. They have struggled to get across the Wasatch Mountains but have finally reached the Salt Lake Desert; as you and your companions feared you would run out of food in the mountains and starve you, Stanton and Pike are overjoyed to be back. Your odyssey was a sign of how dangerous it can be in the mountains. A few days after you return a tragedy befalls the group.

You are an immigrant travelling along the Oregon Trail to California, joining the thousands of settlers who are crossing America to the rich fertile lands of Oregon and California. Three months of journeying alone finds you in Fort Bridger, the last outpost on the Oregon Trail until you come to California. An explorer named Lansford Hastings recommends that settlers travelling to California leave the Oregon Trail here and follow a route known as Hasting's Cut-Off, a shortcut across the Salt Lake Desert and Sierra Nevada Mountains that will save hundreds of miles of travelling. Jim Bridger, a legendary explorer and owner of the trading post Fort Bridger, also recommends the route to the last party of settlers to arrive before you: a group of eighty-seven people led by two brothers called George and Jacob Donner. Hastings left Fort Bridger a week ago, escorting another party through Hastings Cut-Off and though you are disappointed to have missed him you decide to join the Donner Party who are also taking the route. It will prove to be the worst decision of your life. On the last day of July the Donner Party leaves Fort Bridger and you leave with them, driving your wagon piled high with provisions. You travel over the hills and valleys of the Wasatch Mountains until after a week a letter is discovered tied to a sage bush at the mouth of a canyon. It is from Hastings and advises against going down the canyon as it is rocky and might damage the wagons. He suggests that any immigrants following should send some people on fast horses to catch up with him so he can give specific directions about the route ahead. Three men: James Reed (a man with a strong personality and one of the most respected members of the party), Charles Stanton (Another strong personality in the party who is travelling to California on his own initiative) and William Pike (An engineer and one of the cleverest men in the group) are chosen to perform the dangerous task of travelling across unfamiliar country to try and catch up with Hastings. You can either volunteer to accompany them or remain camped with the Donner Party. What do you do? > You remain camped Staying with the camp you spend much of your time talking to the Party's leaders George and Jacob Donner. Both brothers are easy-going: Jacob is in poor health and doesn't seem to be enjoying the journey very much but George is cheerful and affable: he was chosen over James Reed to lead the Donner Party because Reed can be over-bearing and pompous at times. Sure enough after four days Reed returns to camp alone, having gone on ahead of Charles Stanton and William Pike and boastfully describes how he met with Lansford Hastings and between the two of them worked out the route the Donner Party should take, travelling along the Canyon's wooded slopes instead of down it. The route is not a good one however and it takes two weeks to cut a road through a forest of trees, the wagons having a lot of difficulty navigating the steep incline. Stanton and Pike become lost on their return journey and turn up after twelve days spent wandering the Wasatch Mountains, getting so low on food that when they are found they are on the verge of shooting their horses for food. The jubilation of their safe return and finally reaching the Salt Lake Desert is marred by a tragedy that happens the next day.

Woban Island Bill Ingersoll Text (C) 1988 & 2019 Bill Ingersoll / Published November 2019 / Image source: goodfon.com > You bEGIN STORY We've all got our own path, We all know there's no turning back. We've all got a piece of the map, But with the mountain in view, we say "I don't need that!" There are many paths to the same summit, If you don't like the one you're on you can stray from it. Just look out for steep cliffs or you might plummet 'Cause there are many paths to the same summit! Who-oah! Who-oah! La-de-da-da-da-da! —— Root Shock > Next page. As you pace back and forth at the boarding gate to your plane, you notice a thin man in a plaid suit sitting alone against the wall. He is looking straight at you just as your eyes first land on him. You have no idea who he is, and you never saw him arrive — which is surprising, considering how quaint and garish that old suit is. The man furtively looks away the moment your eyes make contact. He feigns interest in the copy of the New York Times he is holding in front of him, but as you look more closely you see it is yesterday's edition. Clearly, something isn't right here. Suspicious, you decide to keep an eye on him — of course, without appearing to do so. You pretend to scan the passenger waiting area as if bored and impatient, which is hardly far from the truth. You hate flying, and especially the need to arrive so early just to pass through the TSA screening. This morning you left your midtown apartment at an ungodly hour, hailed a taxi to avoid the morning commuter traffic on the subway, and then arrived at LaGuardia only to find that the security lines are not as long as you feared — leaving you with too much down time to kill before your flight. But worrying about being watched gives you something to do, like a game you can play to pass the time. You let your eyes wander restlessly across the room, flitting from person to person, the advertisements on the wall, and the people buying coffee from the high-end retailer a short distance away — always making sure you note the man in the plaid suit each time you glance in that direction. In reality your nervousness is not that much of an act; being surrounded by so many people usually has this effect on you anyway. Now, though, you can use it to your advantage as you watch the man you think might be watching you. Between the airline poster on the wall urging you to book a flight right away to Paris, and the businesswoman with the laptop bag at her feet and the Nook in her hands, you get a good look at the man in the frumpy suit reading yesterday's paper. He can't possibly be that interested in the latest Trump scandal or Albany corruption charges — if he was, he would have made a point to pick up today's edition of the Times. Indeed, you are pretty sure you catch him looking back at you more than once. All of the other passengers who are waiting for the morning flight to Boston are occupying themselves with their iPhones or their tablets or their spreadsheets, but this one man with his tragic sense of fashion is clearly as interested in watching you as you are in watching him. Your attention shifts to the paper ticket in your hand, which you've been thumbing all this time. A flight to Boston, paid for by the wealthy investor who insists you pay him a visit as soon as possible. When you first got the email from Walter Berringer two days ago, you thought it was a hoax. But then he forwarded you today's flight information, and you knew this was for real. Berringer's reputation as a collector of rare artifacts and valuable objects is well known; most visits with him prove to be quite interesting, or so you've heard. Does the nervous man in the plaid suit know where you're going? Maybe he is somebody you should avoid…. __________________________________________________ > Next page. You know the plane will be boarding soon when you see first the pilots, and then the flight attendants, head down the gangway. Two hostesses busy themselves behind the podium, reviewing the passenger manifest and issuing one or two last-minute boarding passes. Then they begin the process of letting the passengers board the plane, business class first. Walter Berringer didn't spring for a first-class ticket, so you have to wait a few more minutes for your chance to board the plane. But as the last of the business people are presenting their passes to the hostess and rushing down the gangway, you notice the man in the plaid suit stand up, tuck his paper under his arm, and then slowly move closer to where the line is about to form. In other words, he is now standing not too far from you. "Now boarding Rows 22 through 38," the attendant politely announces over the PA, but most of the remaining passengers are already standing in anticipation. The line quickly forms, with you near the front — and Mr. Plaid Suit several spots behind you. The attendant helps you scan your boarding pass, and then you follow the gangway down to the narrow confines of the waiting 737. Your ticket shows you have been assigned Row 30, Seat C, which turns out to be an aisle seat on the port side of the plane. A woman in her thirties is already settling into the window seat, giving every indication she'd rather nap than chat with her fellow passengers. That suits you fine. You stuff your carry-on bag into the overhead compartment and plop into your seat, with one empty space still between you. A moment later Mr. Plaid Suit ventures his way down the aisle, squeezing past other passengers and counting the rows carefully. Then he looks up and sees you, and the flash of recognition across his face is unmistakable. He smiles as if he has spotted an old friend, and makes his way straight for you. Really, do you know this guy? Someone you knew from high school, maybe? Is there anyone on your Facebook friends list with such a horrific sense of style? Or: Does this stranger know more about your meeting with Walter Berringer than you do? He approaches you, still wearing that polite grin. "I believe that's my seat, 30B." You look at the empty seat next to you, realizing that you're about to have a closer encounter than you expected. You stand up so he can scooch by, and he settles between you and the woman in the window seat. He doesn't even pay her any attention. And for the moment, he doesn't say anything more to you, either. He is carrying no luggage you notice — nothing other than that day-old newspaper, with a headline that tells of stale developments in the impeachment proceedings. __________________________________________________ > Next page. It is not until the plane is in the air and cruising high above Connecticut that the man finally folds his newspaper and sticks it in the pouch with the airline magazines in front of him, as if someone else on the next flight might be interested in reading his outdated copy of the New York Times. You now wish you had brought something to read yourself, so that you could feign immersion and avoid eye contact with him at all cost. But he fidgets in the seat to your left, as if he is anxious to get your attention. You try your best to appear lost in thought, pretending to be enthralled by the sight of the two flight attendants wheeling a cart down the aisle, pouring out cans of soda and juice into clear plastic cups for thirsty passengers, seat by seat, row by row. "I know where you're headed," he finally says. You turn to look at him, hoping your facial expression is displaying the proper amount of disinterest. "Oh?" you say. "Isn't everybody here heading to Boston?" "You know what I mean," he says, unfazed at your attempt to be acerbic. "I'm afraid I don't, actually," you try again. "I am referring to 46 Van Ness Street," the man says. You are unable to control your expression of surprise — 46 Van Ness is the address you were given for your meeting with Berringer later this morning. "Never mind who I am," he continues. "It's you I've come here to see." Mr. Plaid Suit has a surprisingly deep voice for such a small figure, and his nose sticks out twice as far as any nose should, like an awning over his thin mustache. Unlike most men his age, he has made no attempt to hide his balding dome, either with a hat, with implants, or by shaving his head altogether. And his breath smells like an onion bagel. How much does this guy know about your meeting? To be honest, you know next to nothing yourself; you just know that Berringer pays well, and you'd be a fool to pass over an opportunity to work for him. Sometimes in your line of work, it's best not to know more than you have to, or before you need to know it. But now you feel as though you're at a distinct disadvantage. The only thing about which you are certain is the need to not say a thing — for fear that you might reveal too much, or reveal how little you actually know. Sensing your apprehension, Mr. Plaid Suit continues. "I know where Berringer will send you, and I can get you more pay for your troubles." You look the man square in the eyes. As he smiles, two golden teeth shine in the subdued light of the plane's cabin. This early flight was not completely booked, and there is a seat three rows ahead of you that is empty. Perhaps you should relocate. You're pretty sure that if you stay here, you'll be at the bottom of Boston Harbor about an hour after the plane lands. In your experience, strangers like this who come out of nowhere and try desperately to get your attention never lead to anything good. __________________________________________________ > You move to a new seat. This guy is just way too creepy, and although the flight to Boston will be short, it is still more time than you want to spend smelling that bagel breath… or, for all you know, looking at the photos of you he has stored on his phone. "I'm sorry, I'm not interested," you say as you quickly get up and grab your bag from the overhead compartment. This action gets the attention of one of the flight attendants. "We are not ready to land yet. I'm afraid you'll need to remain seated, unless you are using the lavatory." You take your things anyway and approach the attendant. Speaking softly, you say, "The guy next to me was bothering me. Is it all right if I take this seat right here? It appears to be empty." Her eyes light up in horror, and you see her looking in the direction of Mr. Plaid Suit. You can only imagine what conclusions she is drawing. "By all means!" she says to you, helping you put your bag in the compartment above your new seat. "Would you like to file—" "No, that won't be necessary," you say. "Well, all right. Just let us know if there is anything else we can do." And again she gives the man with the big nose an icy look. That was too easy. The rest of the flight passes uneventfully; your new neighbors appear to be a young couple visiting Boston on their honeymoon, so they barely notice you. You get a coffee from the drink cart and spend the rest of the trip sipping it in peace until it is gone. When the plane lands, the attendant who assisted you gestures to you to come forward while the "remain seated" light is still on. She allows you to disembark before anyone else, and so you sail through an empty gangway and exit through the gate, where the passengers for the next flight are waiting anxiously to board the plane you just left behind. Thanks to the attendant, you have a long head start on Mr. Plaid Suit, so you do your best not to squander it. There is no need to visit the baggage return, since everything you need is in your carry-on. You've also already arranged for a ride into the city. As you reach the glass doors leading out of the terminal, your phone trills with an incoming message: the Uber you hailed a moment ago is about to arrive. It is easy to spot the bright orange Crosstrek with the driver named Doug. The Subaru pulls up to the curb near the waiting taxis, and Doug the driver gets out. "Are you heading to 46 Van Ness? My name is Doug, but the app probably already told you that. It's good to meet you! Let me help you with your bag." Doug looks like he is auditioning to be a model for an L. L. Bean catalog, with a red checked shirt over a pair of khakis. He seems rather young to be doing Uber gigs on a weekday morning; you imagine his other job must involve the late shift in some corporate cubicle. He seems to be extremely eager to please you, though. Maybe he is in alliance with the flight attendant? __________________________________________________ > Next page. "It's a shame about the Sox," he says as he drives you through downtown Boston. "I mean, they finished .519. That's a winning season! But they were still nineteen games behind New Yahk. It was a wicked crazy season. Do you know what moves Henry plans to make for next year?" You haven't the slightest idea what he's talking about. Socks? Five nineteen — was that A.M. or P.M.? "I'm sorry. Who's Henry?" you say. "John Henry, the owner of the Sox. I thought you'd know." "Never met him. What's the matter with his socks?" "Well that's the question right there, isn't it?" Doug says. "If you ask me, the problem is the pitching staff. Those clowns in the bullpen couldn't throw a strike to save their life. And name one thing that Sale did this year, except burn through a good chunk of the payroll. But if you want to get to the fundamentals of it all, the real problem is Dombrowski. He took a championship team and ground them into the mud. Do you know if Henry plans to replace him with a real GM anytime soon?" "I wouldn't have the slightest clue," you say. "I guess the only real silver lining in all this is that New Yahk just got their pin-striped butts kicked by the 'Stros. It's not every year you can say that. But still, you know? Last year the Sox became World Series champions in Los Angeles. All the way over on the other side of the country. I was looking forward to them doing it here at Fenway this year." "You know, I don't really follow baseball that much," you say, finally getting a grasp on the subject of this long and rambling monologue. Sports fans are among the biggest bores you've ever met. "That's real funny, considered you hired me to drive you to the players' entrance to Fenway Pahk. What are you anyway, the wise ass who cleans the cups?" Doug's warmness toward you has apparently nosedived. "Fenway? I'm heading to a meeting with a guy named Walter Berringer at 46 Van Ness Street." "Yeah, I know, 46 Van Ness. This is Ipswich. Van Ness is the next right." You look out the window and indeed see the back end of a brick building with avocado-green trim. Multiple signs proclaim this to be FENWAY PARK: HOME OF THE BOSTON RED SOX. Beyond the portion of the building that you can see, there is a larger structure with towering banks of lights and the back sides of at least two scoreboards. A chain link fence disguised with images of various baseball players keeps the general public at arm's length from a delivery area. Then as you drive further and make the right onto Van Ness, all you see is a long brick wall that seems to run the length of an entire block. "Look, I don't know who you are, and maybe you don't either, but it looks like that broad over there is here to meet you," Doug says. He pulls up toward the curb at a point where the brick wall gives way to a brown fence. It encloses an otherwise unpresumptuous, narrow space under a green stairway. A gate is open and a slender woman is approaching the Crosstrek. She waits for you to roll down the window. "You are very punctual," she says. "Walter is waiting for you upstairs. If you grab your things I will take you to him." As you exit the Subaru, you say to Doug, "Thanks for the lift!" "Yeah, yeah, no problem." He's not even looking at you, though; he's craning his neck to see what's behind the gate. "My name is Meredith," the woman says. "I hope you had a good flight." She is wearing a gray dress suit, with a stiff skirt that ends just above the knees. Even with high heels, her head barely reaches your shoulder. "It was Walter's idea to greet you here," she continues. "I think he wants you to be impressed." "I might, if I knew the first thing about baseball," you say. "Well that makes two of us. This way, please." You follow Meredith inside the brown gate, and she stops to close it behind you. She has to leverage practically her entire mass to do so, but the gate cooperates and latches shut with a resounding clang. Doug is still waiting outside, probably hoping for an invitation to join you. It never comes. "So this is the players' entrance?" you say. "Yes. I'd show you around the team clubhouse, but I don't know where anything is. Walter's place is clear on the other side of the park. Come, through here." She motions you through a nondescript door, which leads into a short service corridor. There is another door at the far end. Meredith all but throws her weight against the bar handle, and the green door swings out. It reveals a dark concourse, with green-painted steel beams everywhere, and shuttered vendor stalls down each side. "Follow me, please." The door swings shut behind you, and you follow your guide down the corridor. It is like being in a cavern, with nothing but hard surfaces all around and very little light. At times the ceiling is low and angled, leaving you to infer that you are directly below the stadium seating. All around you are signs for expensive domestic beer, hot dogs, pizza, and T-shirts, but every stall has been closed up for the winter. Meredith walks at a steady pace, her heels clopping against the hard floor. The sound reverberates off the concrete and steel, clop-clop-clop-clop-clop-clop-clop-clop, as if the sound she makes is a calculated part of her fashion statement: a loud presence to compensate for a small stature. "So you're Mr. Berringer's assistant?" you ask. "Heavens, no. I write for the Boston Globe. My editor assigned me to do a feature story on him, but it can be hard to get information from Walter sometimes, so it's been a very long project. It seems like I spend more time here than anywhere else." "How long have you been at it?" "About three years now." After what seems like half a mile, you reach an elevator. She presses the button, and the doors open instantly. "After you," she says. The elevator ride is over after just a few seconds. The doors part once more, and Meredith steps out first. She turns and gestures to the right. "This way, please." You are now in a hallway, with a carpeted floor and closed doors at regular intervals — but only on the left side. Photos on the wall show baseball players doing basebally things. It looks like a sports-themed hotel. "Walter Berringer lives here?" you say. "Effectively, yes. The management would probably prefer that he didn't, but some people can be hard to refuse, if you know what I mean." Just then you realize that one door down at the far end of the hallway is open. Meredith is about to offer one of her polite directives to "follow me" again, but you decide to break with tradition and start walking down the hallway before you are instructed to do so. The clopping of her heels is much more muted on this carpet as she hastens to catch up. At first it sounds as if people are talking up ahead, but you soon figure out that it's a talk radio program; two men are dissecting all that went wrong for the Red Sox in the recently-ended season, with the insinuation that it can all be blamed on some guy named Dombrowski. Based on what you remember of the Uber ride, Doug the driver would probably agree. The radio snaps off when you reach the door. "Come in! Come in!" a man says from somewhere inside. The room is one of those luxury suites where well-heeled fans and corporate outings come to watch ballgames. It resembles a hotel room, but without beds. The suite is long and narrow, with large windows down at the far end overlooking the playing field. It has an open floor plan, but each section between the door and the front balcony is devoted to a single purpose. First comes the pseudo-kitchen, with places to present food but nothing other than a microwave to prepare it. Next comes a central space arranged like a den, with leather furniture focused on a wall-mounted TV. Then just before the wall of windows there is a high-top table, like the kind you might find in a bar. The decor of this suite is its most unusual feature, though. So far, all of Fenway has been a shrine to the Red Sox, with photos of players making heroic plays everywhere you look. Not so here. A pair of old paintings hangs over the sofa, both fairly large. One depicts a man and a woman; he is standing, she is seated, but both are dressed in black. The ruffled collar and lace cuffs on the woman are exquisitely detailed. The larger painting depicts a small boat, crowded with people and rocked violently by a splashing wave. As you lean in you recognize the figure of Jesus at the rear of the boat, a point of calm surrounded by the wild tumult. Beneath the two masterpieces, and framed as if it too were a prized artwork, is one of those old blue-on-white Rhode Island license plates, this one bearing only a single character: a numeral one. "Ah, I see you are admiring my Rembrandts." __________________________________________________ > Next page. You turn to see your host entering the suite from the balcony overlooking the ball field. He is a stout man, and sharply dressed considering the informal setting in which he lives, as if there were a Men's Wearhouse somewhere in the stadium. Obeying the fashion of the day for people wishing to display an air of worldly sophistication, he wears his hair just a little long, with no effort to hide its grayness. Likewise for his beard. In his hand is a glass filled with melting ice. "Those were among my first acquisitions," Berringer says, joining you in front of the paintings. "Back in '90. A partner and I went in on this, ah, project together. I kept the Rembrandts, he took the Vermeer and the Manet. We liquidated the rest of the collection — discreetly, of course. But I invested my share of the proceeds, and almost thirty years later, look where I am." If you're reading between the lines correctly, you're pretty sure you are looking at stolen artwork. Many of the people who hire your "acquisitive services" are proud to show off similar possessions. You learned a long time ago that it's rarely a good idea to question the scruples of your employers. "Who is the couple?" you ask, pointing to the portrait of the man and woman. "A Dutch merchant and his wife; I don't know the names. But look at the naturalness of the poses, and look at the photorealism in the ruffled collar she's wearing. Stunning! I never get tired of looking at it. Can I get you a drink?" "Um, sure," you say. "What about this other work? I recognize Jesus, but I'm not familiar with the story it depicts." Berringer has taken his glass to a stand next to the TV, on which a variety of whiskey bottles are arrayed. "Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee," he explains as he pours you a drink and replenishes his own. "It's from Matthew, chapter eight: 'And they went and woke him, saying, 'Save us, Lord; we are perishing.' And he said to them, 'Why are you afraid, O ye of little faith?' Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, 'What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?'" He hands you your whiskey. It seems rather early in the day for whiskey, but in your experience it's often a good idea to follow the lead of a potential employer. "I admit I'm not a spiritual person," Berringer continues, "and the day I acquired it I saw only its monetary value. But it's grown on me since then; I rather like the idea of the powerful man making things happen and stunning his followers. Now, it's a nice day out; would you care to join me outside on the balcony?" You follow your host out a glass door to the set of private box seats overlooking the stadium, directly above first base. Berringer gestures for you to sit in the front row. You see Meredith taking a seat at another high-top above, just outside the door, with a notepad in hand as if she were planning to record your conversation as research for her newspaper article. "This is a nice view, Mr. Berringer," you say. Actually, Fenway looks rather forlorn with no people in it. The grass has been mowed recently, but there is no longer any need to paint the baselines. There is a manual scoreboard out on the large, green wall looming over left field, but all of the stats it displays are now well over a month out of date. It is so quiet you can hear the traffic on the Mass Turnpike beyond the wall. "Please, call me Walter." He sets his glass down on the concrete railing in front of you. "I love this place, and I don't think I'll ever get enough of it. Aside from being a Red Sox fan, this place reminds me of my philosophy of life. Do you know what that is? It goes like this: The world is a giant field on which contests are decided, not unlike baseball: forces in dynamic opposition, always in competition with each other, struggling for dominance. One force advances, the other suffers a setback, and then the field is cleared so the next inning can begin. Life itself is merely a game, and like any game there are those who play, and there are those who call the plays. I see myself as one of the latter; I set the roster, I signal the pitches. With my strategic view of the playing field, I can anticipate where the ball will be hit. As the team's skipper, I give purpose to the people playing the game." "That's interesting," you say. "I've never thought of it that way." You take a sip of the whiskey, but your palate can't process the bitterness before lunch. Your glass joins Berringer's on the railing. "But enough about that. I'm sure you're wondering what this is all about." "A job, I presume." "Yes, most certainly. As you can see, I am a collector of valuable things. Rare things. Things that people desire to own. Those two Rembrandt paintings, that Rhode Island number one tag, this suite — these are all merely examples, just the slightest hint of my overall collection. But now there is something else I must have." "Oh?" "Tell me what you know of Woban Island," he says. "Wow, Woban," you say. "I think I read about that recently. Woban — it's next to Auri Island, isn't? That place they just discovered in the South Pacific?" "Indeed. Good memory. Imagine, in this day and age, there are still new places on Earth being discovered — places so new they appear on no maps." "I'm starting to see why you called me here," you say. "Your family has always been adventurous. You yourself have done jobs twice before in the South Pacific, according to my research. Thus I am confident you possess exactly the skill set required for this job." "What exactly is it you want me to find?" "Something priceless, of course. Not the type of thing I'll ever find on Amazon or eBay." "But of course." "Let me tell you a story," Berringer says. "Two years ago, a research boat looking for sunken World War II battleships gets blown off course by a typhoon. They land on an island that appears on none of their charts, inhabited by people who speak a language like no other. The Auri Islanders are mostly peaceful, but they point across a wide channel to the neighboring island, which is dark and rugged. Once the researchers crack the language, they figure out the natives are warning them about another fierce tribe of three-eyed warriors. 'Don't go there, the Wobans are sworn to protect the Stone of Vul-Kar,' that kind of thing." "I see." "And indeed, such a stone does exist." "Have you seen it?" you ask. "Well no, not personally. But I have reason to believe that an old acquaintance of yours did: Beatriz Paya-Vallejo. You know her, correct?" Cripes, Beatriz! She is a rival adventurer from the north of Chile. The two of you have crossed paths more than once, in places like Nepal, Mali, and Tunisia. None of your encounters have been friendly ones. In most cases you were each working for competing collectors, which meant you were both after the same prize — and in the early years, she was too often the one in possession of whatever valuable object you had been sent to obtain. Because of her, you missed out on a few too many payouts and was almost laughed out of your profession. But also because of Paya-Vallejo, you learned to up your game and become better at what you do. "Beatriz is looking for the Stone of Vul-Kar too?" you say. Three-eyed warriors are one thing, but if your old nemesis has beaten you to the island then you don't give yourself very good odds. "Well, she was," Berringer says. "Beatriz was the first person I hired to obtain the stone on my behalf. I got a call from her satellite phone saying she had located the stone and somehow managed to trick the Wobans, but she never appeared at the rendezvous point. She simply disappeared." "This is a fascinating story, and I think I see where you're going with this. But what exactly is the Stone of Vul-Kar?" "Well... it's... it's... I'm not really sure, if what you're looking for is a precise description. My understanding is that it's a big purple gem, unlike anything currently known. But here's the important thing: quite a few people want it, including people I know. Rivals of mine, who are putting their own people on the island as we speak and mounting their own expeditions. The whole thing is a game, and I intend to win it. The question for you is, do you want to play it on my behalf?" "I suppose the answer to that question depends on how much it will be worth my trouble," you say. "I was thinking an even million," Berringer says. "Assuming that's agreeable. A quarter million payable now, the balance upon the successful retrieval of the item." He snaps his finger, and Meredith clops her way down the steps to the front of the balcony, a bank check in her hand. "Deal?" Berringer says. Indeed, this would be quite the payout, if you're successful. With that kind of money, you could treat yourself to quite the vacation afterward. There are benefits to being good at what you do, and it's satisfying to see that your skills are valued by people like Walter Berringer. "Deal," you say, accepting the check. "Very good. Let's finish these drinks, then. To celebrate." You oblige. This time the whiskey tastes perfectly sweet to your palate. __________________________________________________ > Next page. Two weeks later, you are on Walter Berringer's private yacht in the South Pacific. It is now early November; when you left New England there were hints of oncoming snow in the air, but here, out on the open sea, the weather is sunny and almost uncomfortably warm. Meredith seems perfectly pleased with the setting, however; she is lounging in a deck chair soaking up the sunlight like a lizard, her dress suit replaced with a pastel bikini. There is a colorful cocktail of some kind beside her, on a stand right next to her ever-present notepad. You can see her through the window as you peruse the maps that Berringer has provided you. They are sprawled out across a table inside the yacht's main salon — four large sheets, each covering a different quadrant of Woban Island. You had been under the impression that such things didn't exist, but nevertheless here they are. The yacht is just hours away from Woban Island, and you are starting to feel the excitement of the moment. By this time tomorrow you should be in the field, bushwhacking your way up some previously unknown mountain, stealthily evading the native population while seeking the stone that will ultimately make you a millionaire. It has been quite the interesting journey getting to this point. It began with a trip to an REI store located just a few blocks away from Fenway, where you stocked up on gear and provisions for your expedition. With a quarter-million dollars in your bank account, you decided to upgrade all of your gear: a new backpack, moisture-wicking clothing, solar-powered lamp, trekking poles, new boots, gaiters in case the island is muddy, and most importantly, a new tent. They also had a lightweight folding rocking chair set up as a display model, weighing only a couple pounds; it was tempting, but silly considering the nature of your trip, and so you passed on that one. You also looked at a top-of-the-line GPS, but that turned out to be rather pointless since it had no maps of your destination. Then, a few days later, you boarded a plane for Honolulu — business class this time, with Berringer and Meredith as traveling companions. While your employer prepared his luxurious yacht, the Big Papi, for the voyage south of Hawaii toward Woban and Auri islands, you enjoyed some downtime exploring Oahu, particularly the various forest reserves on the island's north shore, where you sought to immerse yourself in the type of environment you expect to find on Woban. One day after returning from one of your hikes, Berringer presented you with the maps you are examining now. "I had a contact at Hickam Field print these off for me," he explained. Now the Big Papi is sailing toward a spot just off Woban Island's northeast coast, where you plan to take an inflatable runabout to shore. You and Berringer selected the landing location after perusing the maps, deciding that this part of the island seemed to provide the best landing area and the most direct route to the island's main summit, where the Stone of Vul-Kar is supposed to be. Always a sucker for a good topographic map, you have been scrutinizing these for most of the time you have been at sea. "If you keep this up, you'll have those maps memorized by the time you make landfall." It's Berringer, strolling into the salon in a silk robe, his customary empty glass in hand. He has been resting in his stateroom, but is now heading to the liquor cabinet to pour himself another bourbon. Now that you are nearing the islands, you've noticed that he has stopped offering to pour you a drink as well — best not to dull your edge. "Good afternoon, sir," you say. "Yeah, according to this northeastern quad the route looks so easy. I don't see what all the trouble is. Drop me off in the morning, let me do my thing, and make sure you have dinner ready for me when I return that evening." "Ha, if only it would be that simple." He takes a seat to your right at the table, whiskey glass in hand. "This whole part of the island is crawling with Wobans, and this part down here is rugged wilderness. According to the intel I picked up back at port, you're going to have company in those hills: people like you, hired by people like me, all with one objective in mind. You can be certain some of those people will be dangerous." "Do you know exactly who I might encounter out there?" "Just rumors, I'm afraid, but reliable ones. Here, I wrote them down." He pulls a piece of paper out of his breast pocket and hands it to you. Unfolding it, you see a list of three names jotted down in Berringer's scratchy brand of penmanship: Gary Gaffney Dr. Brian Bolt Martian Pop "Do these names mean anything to you?" he asks. "No," you say, "but are you sure about this last one? Martian Pop?" "I thought you might like that one," Berringer says. "Yeah, that's a real name. He's Romanian, so my guess is it's not actually pronounced 'Martian Pop' in Romania. Pay close attention to this Gary Gaffney fellow. He might be working for a rival of mine back in Boston, and he's already been on the island for a few days. I'd be very unhappy if he got the Stone of Vul-Kar first." "The way you're describing it, it's a crowded field on which we're about to play," you say. After all of this time with Berringer, you've started to speak in terms of sports metaphors, too. "There may be others as well — rogue players that nobody knows. There were some vague reports last week of some young couple running around trying to steal a boat. And there is also a research team from the University of Chicago camped out on the southwestern shore of the island." "Sounds like it will be quite the party if all of us get together at the same time." "I'm trying to make it sound dangerous," Berringer says. "We've only known about this place for less than three years, and already people have gone missing. You're good, but this job isn't going to be like digging up caribou antler carvings from the thawing permafrost outside Nome. This place is going to try and kill you. Now let's talk about the Wobans themselves—" "Walter, I'm hungry. What do you got around here to eat?" It's Meredith, entering the salon from the aft deck where she has been sunning herself, notebook in hand. She reeks of coconut-scented sunscreen. "You're too late for lunch, too early for dinner," Berringer says rather gruffly. "Why don't you go to the galley and see what Cookie can scrounge up for you." Meredith has been quiet for much of the voyage, nursing a grudge over some unknown grievance. She glowers at Berringer for a second, but he's not looking and doesn't see it. Then she sullenly leave the room. "So what's the story with her, anyway?" you ask. "Three years is an awfully long time to be writing a newspaper article." "You noticed that too, huh?" he says. "The truth is she reminds me of someone I used to have a crush on in high school. As you know, I acquire things. The key to acquiring people is to let the person you're acquiring feel at all times as if they're exercising free will. It tickles me, though, that her last name is Nowitki. She really does strike me as being witless sometimes." That evening, as the three of you are in the dining room enjoying a swordfish dinner, the captain of the Big Papi makes an announcement over the intercom. "Sir, we are about to move into position five nautical miles to the northeast of Woban Island, just as you directed." "You must be eager to see the place," Berringer says to you. "Actually, yes," you say. "But it can wait until after dinner." "Nonsense. I'm curious myself. Let's head up to the Skylounge Deck and take a look." The three of you take your drinks — coffee in your case — up to the observation deck just below the bridge. Woban island is just ahead, a dark landmass occupying much of the horizon. Your first impression is that it is much bigger than you expected; a landmass that evaded detection for centuries should be little more than a speck of dirt, you had thought. But this is several miles in breadth, with a range of mountains rising darkly into the sky. From here, it is unclear which of them is the main summit atop which the jewel is located. "My, my. It looks like we have some company." Berringer is not looking toward the island, but off to starboard. There is indeed a small speck of red on the ocean waves, moving in a straight line toward the Big Papi. "Meredith, honey, go and get my binoculars. They're in my stateroom, desk drawer on the right." Meredith looks at him for a moment with silent resentment, but turns to obey the request when she determines that no "please" or "thank you" will be forthcoming. "Who do you think it is?" you say. "I was about to ask you the same thing," Berringer says. "I wasn't expecting any company. I assume you weren't, either." You're about to say something about a Woban coast guard, but decide against it; all of the evidence seems to suggest that Walter Berringer possesses an underdeveloped sense of humor. A moment later Meredith returns with the binoculars, handing them over to Berringer without saying a word. He lifts them to his eyes. "It looks like a runabout," he says. "Two people. I don't see the mother ship, though." He hands the binoculars over to you. It takes you a moment to find the incoming craft through the lenses, but when you do you see a small inflatable boat, much like the one at the rear of the Big Papi awaiting your use in the morning. This one is red instead of white, however. It is too small to have traveled very far on its own, and you agree with Berringer that there should be another yacht or something somewhere out in that direction, but you see nothing. "Could just be someone marooned here, looking for a ride home," he says. "It could be the competition, coming to scope us out," you say. "Well if that's the case, then at least we know they don't have the stone yet." "They could still be dangerous, though," you say. "I doubt they'd just be making a social call." "If they're in trouble, then we need to help!" Meredith says, breaking her silence. "What do you think?" Berringer says. "You're the one with the keen instincts for this kind of situation, right? Should we stay and see if they need our help, or are they up to no good? I can have the captain move us further away." __________________________________________________ > You move away. "You've spent most of the day trying to impress on me just how dangerous this place will be, Mr. Berringer," you say. "If you're leaving the decision up to me, then I say let's keep our distance." "Call me Walter. So you don't think this is something we need to stick around and see?" "I don't think they're here to bring us fresh-baked cookies, no." Berringer pulls what looks like a wireless phone out of his pocket. "Mark, I need you to set a new course," he says to the yacht's captain. "We have some uninvited company approaching from starboard. Put some distance between us." The Big Papi promptly begins to veer to port, putting the small boat well behind you. To continue tracking their progress, the three of you need to relocate to the aft observation deck just behind the main salon, where Meredith spent much of the afternoon sunbathing. Whatever that little craft is out there, it is probably powered by nothing more than an outboard motor, whereas the yacht is a large ocean-going vessel. You easily outpace it, and after half an hour you can no longer see your would-be visitors. You and Meredith return to the dining room to finish your dinner, followed by Berringer sometime later. "The captain thinks we are safely out of range of that small boat," he says. "But to be safe he has ordered one of the crew to keep watch and make sure we aren't approached again." "I hope they're all right," Meredith says, her bitter tone suggesting she is returning to her sullen state. "I think it was irresponsible not to offer assistance." "That's what the Coast Guard is for," Berringer says. "We're here for a specific purpose, so let's not lose sight of that." "I couldn't help but notice we were traveling for quite a while at a high rate of speed," you say. "Where does that put us relative to my planned landing location on the island?" "Yes, you are correct, we are now out of position." "By how much?" you ask. "By several miles. In the morning we can reassess the situation and decide whether we can return to our preferred landing point safely or if we need to pick a new one." You spend the evening packing your gear, so that you can throw it in the runabout first thing in the morning and set off on your mission. In the quiet of your cabin, isolated from the weird and moody drama that has been occurring between Berringer and Meredith lately, you look over your maps one more time. If you have traveled further down the shore to evade whoever was in that red inflatable, it means you are probably now closer to a more dangerous corner of the island, one that is more likely to be populated with Wobans. The concept of three-eyed people still boggles your mind; supposedly they are fierce, with claw-like fingernails to complement their almost beast-like behavior. It all seems too fantastic to believe, like something out of a bad Saturday morning cartoon. When you are ready to call it a night, you fold the maps and slip them into your backpack, safely enclosed in a watertight case. __________________________________________________ > Next page. But when you awake in the morning, your entire backpack is missing. You thoroughly scour your cabin, and then start off on a search of the rest of the yacht. Maybe the crew brought your gear down to the waiting runabout while you were still asleep. "Meredith is missing." It's Berringer, intercepting you on your way to the aft Sun Deck, where the inflatable craft was to be prepared for your departure. "What?" you say. "First thing this morning. The crew had set one of the runabouts out, ready to be launched. When no one was looking, she took off." "The runabout isn't the only thing she took," you say. "Someone took my pack from my quarters." "What was in it?" "Everything — my gear, my supplies, the maps, the satellite phone. Everything." Berringer is seething with anger. "All this time, and she has been plotting against me! I'll bet you she plans to get the Stone of Vul-Kar for herself. I hope she has arranged a ride home, because there is no way I'll ever let her set foot back on this boat." "So does this mean my mission is over?" "Of course not. It just means you must beat that witch to the stone at all costs. The crew is already prepping the second runabout, and I'll have the captain outfit you with whatever we can assemble from the ship's stores." The thought of venturing off into a dangerous territory so underprepared makes you uneasy, but Berringer has become an unstoppable force. Before, this mission was fueled by little more than run-of-the-mill greed, but now with Meredith's apparent defection it is clear that he also has wrath on his mind; it will take more than the simple possession of a purple gem to give him satisfaction. Captain Mark does all that he can to make up for your lost provisions. "Cookie didn't have much by way of dehydrated food, like you requested," he says. "He did have this bag of pepperoni sticks, and he said you can have as many of these apples and bananas as you want." If you're going to be eating pepperoni, there better be plenty of latrines strategically placed across the island. "We have no tents, no sleeping bags on board, and certainly no portable camp stoves like the one you described. But here's a spare tarp we came across, some nylon cord, and a whole box full of matches. We put these in a Ziploc baggie for you to keep them dry." In the end, you are equipped with a mishmash of found items, which are laid out across a table in the crew's mess. Someone contributes half a dozen liter-sized bottles of Aquafina water, although you'd be lucky to be able to carry two. Normally you'd purify water pulled from a stream, but your mini filter was among the items that Meredith stole. "What about a small bowl for boiling water?" you say, but Captain Mark comes back with a saucepan and a tin cup as the best items he could find. One is way heavier and bulkier than what you prefer, and the other is way too small for boiling water in useful quantities. However, since your options are limited you take both. As much of this as possible is crammed into Captain Mark's personal backpack, which is scarcely bigger than a school book bag. The blue tarp has to get tied to the outside of the pack. You can only hope that Meredith is appreciative of all that brand-new REI gear you bought her. Despite its small size, the black backpack feels heavy and uncomfortable when you put it on, and you doubt the fabric was designed for this kind of weight. But it's the best you're going to find under the circumstances, and Walter Berringer seems eager to get you onto the island. He stops you once again on your way back down to the Sun Deck. "Here, take this." He presses a small pistol into your hand. "I know you don't normally carry a gun, but I think we all know this is a special situation." What does he think you're going to do — seek out and murder Meredith Nowitki on his behalf? You're not sure how to respond, so you decide it's best to say nothing. The runabout is a small inflatable boat with seating for six or eight people, and probably not much bigger than that red boat that tried to approach the yacht last night. It is floating in the water just to the rear of the Big Papi, with two crew members standing ready to help you push off. "I know these aren't ideal circumstances," Berringer says, "but I'm sure you've been in worse situations. When you track her down, take note of the look in her eyes. I will be very interested in knowing every detail." It is almost as if that the events of the morning have shifted his priorities, making him more preoccupied with Meredith than the Stone of Vul-Kar. He does realize you're not an assassin, right? One crewman helps you into the runabout, while the second hops in behind you and starts the outboard for you, as if you have never been in a boat before. With the roar of the engine in your ears, you can't hear Berringer's final words to you. You just smile and wave, and then motor away from the yacht. __________________________________________________ > Next page. The water becomes extremely clear the closer you get to shore, like a window onto the ocean floor. However, your focus is the island ahead of you, which appears dark even in broad daylight. There is a long beach in front of you, with a ridgeline rising behind it to the right. None of it looks familiar to you, as this is not the part of the island you spent the last few days memorizing with the maps. For all you know, you are heading straight toward a Woban village. You and Berringer never did verify your new location, and so even if you still had the maps you would only be able to guess at which part of the island you are now approaching. All you know is that the jewel is said to reside in a ruined temple on the highest peak, which sits in a mountainous region on the south side of the island. You do indeed see a peak that matches the description: flat-topped with near-vertical slopes, somewhat like Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Getting to the top of such a mountain should be an adventure in itself, but you can only assume that there is a way up to the temple ruins that is not obvious from afar. It is a long and anxious boat ride to shore, since you have no idea who (or what) else might be listening to the sound of your outboard motor. Nevertheless, you see no sign of movement on the beach ahead of you. Nor do you see the other runabout that Meredith stole. You run the small inflatable boat onto shore, and then hop out and pull it the rest of the way out of the water. With no satellite phone to call for assistance should you need it, this white craft will probably be your only ticket off the island, when the time comes to return to the Big Papi. Looking around, you see quite a few footprints in the sand other than your own, telling you this beach is indeed a well-traveled thoroughfare. This motivates you to pull the runabout all the way into the bushes at the edge of the jungle, where you do your best to hide it. You note that the location of this hiding spot is just to the left of a large palm tree, which leans low over the beach before making a distinctive upwards curve; hopefully this natural landmark will help you find your boat when you return. Then you look around at your surroundings. You intentionally landed close to that ridgeline you saw from the water, with the hope that this would put some distance between you and the nearest Woban village. You also noticed at the time that there seemed to be a pass straight ahead through the hills, which you theorized might be the most direct route to the base of the largest mountain. To get there, you'd have to follow the foot of the ridge up into the foothills for at least three miles, probably longer. The problem is that you have no idea whether any trails lead in that direction; if they do, none start here on the beach, at least. This means there is a good chance you'll have to bushwhack through thick brush to get where you want to go, and that is always a slow and arduous process. The closest thing to a clear trail that you find begins to the right of where you stowed your boat. It leads up a steep and rocky slope, and you can only assume it goes all the way up to the top of the ridgeline. If it happens to follow that ridgeline once it gets there, then it too will lead you toward the foot of the big mountain, where your future wealth awaits. You'd make better time on a trail than you would bushwhacking through the jungle, even if the trail along the ridgeline would be longer. But here's another thing you ought to consider: trails exist because they are used frequently by people — and on this island, the people who most concern you are the Wobans. If you could manage to avoid them as much as possible, you'll be having a good day. Decisions, decisions. While you are pondering your options, you look back out at the ocean. The Big Papi is five nautical miles out from shore, holding its position while it awaits your return. __________________________________________________ > You bushwhack straight toward the pass. The shorter route is the better route, you decide, especially if it means you will be less likely to encounter any natives. The one setback is that your compass is one of the items that Meredith took when she absconded with your backpack. Normally you would set a bearing and follow that until you reached a recognizable landmark, but now you will have nothing but your own sense of direction to guide your way. The jungle vegetation is just as thick as the stuff you encountered back in Hawaii, if not more so. Then it gets much worse. Just a quarter mile from the shoreline you reach a patch of jungle that looks as though it was recently leveled by a typhoon. Strong winds have tossed the trees about like matchsticks, snapping them in half or pulling them up by the roots. The swath of destruction extends as far as you can see, both straight ahead as well as to your left and right, meaning you see no easy way around. The best you can do is push straight through and hope that conditions get better on the other side. But it feels as though you are trapped in a horizontal forest, with downed trees that you must either scramble over or crawl under. And as you venture further into the blowdown, you encounter an explosion of new growth. Often when an opening appears in an otherwise thick forest canopy, the newfound sunlight results in a sudden growth spurt for the young trees that had been lurking in the shadows. The saplings compete with each other in a race to the sky; those that grow tall enough to become canopy trees will probably live longer than those who get trapped in the shade again. You have arrived during the early phase of that race for dominance. The brush is incredibly thick, and you feel like a fly trying to free yourself from a spider's web. If there is an end to the blowdown zone, you are unable to see it. You are unable to see much of anything more than six feet in front of you, for that matter. On the other hand, with all of the thrashing that you're doing, if there is anyone within earshot they must be perfectly aware of your presence. Bushwhacking in these conditions is a completely inelegant way to travel. It takes nearly half an hour to make two hundred feet of forward progress through the downed trees. The typhoon damage is extensive, but it does eventually come to an end — the fallen trees become fewer and farther between, and the underbrush becomes less obnoxious. It is like a button has been pressed and the forest conditions have been reset to what they were when you first got started. You can't believe you called this stuff "thick" at the time; compared to what you just survived, you are now hiking through paradise. Then the unexpected happens: after all that pointless struggle, you stumble across a clear trail. Wide and obviously well used, it comes in on your left and continues forward exactly in the direction you want to go; it is like you have rubbed an enchanted lantern and the genie has granted your wildest wish. With a trail to follow, your pace will be so much swifter. But wait — what's this? You stoop down to examine the muddy surface of the trail a little more closely, and there, plain as day, are two sets of fresh footprints. Bare footprints, made by feet that would wear size fifteen shoes — if Wobans wore such things. You have never seen a member of the island's native population before, but you don't have to be an expert to know only a Woban could have left such tracks. They are pointing forward, meaning that you are following behind the individuals who made them. All you can do is hope they are far enough ahead to be unaware of your presence. Of course, you do have that pistol that Berringer insisted you take, but you're not sure how that will help. For starters, he gave you no additional ammunition, so you can only assume you have a maximum of six rounds. And sure, if you were jumped by two Wobans you might be able to defend yourself by firing an equal number of shots… but that would only draw the attention of even more Wobans. You really wish you had tossed the gun in the ocean before you made landfall, because the only thing it will do is get you killed. Up ahead you see that the trail enters a clearing. You fear at first that you might be approaching a settlement, so you stop and listen for any signs of movement, any signs of people. Nothing but the sounds of the lush forest surround you. So cautiously you step forward, discovering that the opening is nothing more than a small meadow buried deep in the forest. A growth of yellow flowers makes this a place of quiet beauty, and the air is thick with a sweet, balsamic scent. What you fail to see, though, are the two Woban hunters who had stepped to the side of the trail when they heard you coming, and are now lying in wait on each side of the meadow. You have no way of knowing this, but each is armed with a long spear, and each hunter is adept in the use of his weapon. While you are pausing to take a swig of water from one of the Aquafina bottles, and while you are momentarily disarmed by the beauty of this little glade, each Woban hurls his weapon. To them, you are nothing more than an intruder who has been caught trespassing in their territory. Their aim is true, and you fall to the ground. Water pours out of the crushed plastic bottle in your hand, soaking into the soil. THE END

The water becomes extremely clear the closer you get to shore, like a window onto the ocean floor. However, your focus is the island ahead of you, which appears dark even in broad daylight. There is a long beach in front of you, with a ridgeline rising behind it to the right. None of it looks familiar to you, as this is not the part of the island you spent the last few days memorizing with the maps. For all you know, you are heading straight toward a Woban village. You and Berringer never did verify your new location, and so even if you still had the maps you would only be able to guess at which part of the island you are now approaching. All you know is that the jewel is said to reside in a ruined temple on the highest peak, which sits in a mountainous region on the south side of the island. You do indeed see a peak that matches the description: flat-topped with near-vertical slopes, somewhat like Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Getting to the top of such a mountain should be an adventure in itself, but you can only assume that there is a way up to the temple ruins that is not obvious from afar. It is a long and anxious boat ride to shore, since you have no idea who (or what) else might be listening to the sound of your outboard motor. Nevertheless, you see no sign of movement on the beach ahead of you. Nor do you see the other runabout that Meredith stole. You run the small inflatable boat onto shore, and then hop out and pull it the rest of the way out of the water. With no satellite phone to call for assistance should you need it, this white craft will probably be your only ticket off the island, when the time comes to return to the Big Papi. Looking around, you see quite a few footprints in the sand other than your own, telling you this beach is indeed a well-traveled thoroughfare. This motivates you to pull the runabout all the way into the bushes at the edge of the jungle, where you do your best to hide it. You note that the location of this hiding spot is just to the left of a large palm tree, which leans low over the beach before making a distinctive upwards curve; hopefully this natural landmark will help you find your boat when you return. Then you look around at your surroundings. You intentionally landed close to that ridgeline you saw from the water, with the hope that this would put some distance between you and the nearest Woban village. You also noticed at the time that there seemed to be a pass straight ahead through the hills, which you theorized might be the most direct route to the base of the largest mountain. To get there, you'd have to follow the foot of the ridge up into the foothills for at least three miles, probably longer. The problem is that you have no idea whether any trails lead in that direction; if they do, none start here on the beach, at least. This means there is a good chance you'll have to bushwhack through thick brush to get where you want to go, and that is always a slow and arduous process. The closest thing to a clear trail that you find begins to the right of where you stowed your boat. It leads up a steep and rocky slope, and you can only assume it goes all the way up to the top of the ridgeline. If it happens to follow that ridgeline once it gets there, then it too will lead you toward the foot of the big mountain, where your future wealth awaits. You'd make better time on a trail than you would bushwhacking through the jungle, even if the trail along the ridgeline would be longer. But here's another thing you ought to consider: trails exist because they are used frequently by people — and on this island, the people who most concern you are the Wobans. If you could manage to avoid them as much as possible, you'll be having a good day. Decisions, decisions. While you are pondering your options, you look back out at the ocean. The Big Papi is five nautical miles out from shore, holding its position while it awaits your return. __________________________________________________ > You climb the steep trail. The idea of moving swiftly appeals to you most, and so if the trail leading up the steep slope is the only one available, then so be it. By keeping to the high ground, you'll probably also have a better view of your surroundings; one way or the other, traveling along the ridge should prove to be beneficial, even if the trail does not turn out to be as good as you would like. Without any further ado, you strike off. The trail is indeed steep, with scrambles from ledge to ledge at times, and very little vegetation to shade you from the tropical sun. You've seen mountain goat trails that were not unlike this one — although unless goats can fly or build canoes, you doubt there are any on Woban Island. The climb is grueling, and your pack fits you as well as if you were carrying a load of encyclopedias. The heat is oppressive, and all the sweat that is oozing out of your pores makes you feel like a spaghetti strainer. Just fifteen minutes up the hill, you stop and take a long swig out of the first Aquafina bottle. Ten minutes later you are stopping for a second drink. If your day continues like this, you're going to quickly regret not taking all six of the liter bottles that Captain Mark had scrounged up for you. On the other hand, the pauses allow you to enjoy the setting. Under different circumstances — like, if you weren't on a paid gig, or on an island crawling with three-eyed man-beasts eager to kill you on sight — this might be a pleasant day. (And now that you think of it, it might also help if you had all that top-quality gear you bought in Boston. And if you had better prospects for tonight other than a meal of pepperoni sticks while huddling under a blue plastic tarp shelter.) The island itself is beautiful, with miles of seemingly pristine beach below you, and seabirds squabbling noisily for perching rights on a rocky point about half a mile away. There are no buildings of any kind on land, at least not that you can see; if there is a native village or two somewhere out in that expanse of jungle, you see no such thing. The closest thing to a structure is the Big Papi itself, which sits on the ocean like a distant white seagull floating contentedly on the waves. The ridge only rises about four hundred feet above the beach, and so despite the effort required to make the climb it is over relatively soon. Just as you theorized, the trail continues along the crest, through pockets of grass and thickets of small trees. Even in the wooded sections there is very little shade, and so you pass the day exposed to the sun. Heat assaults you from above and below, as it reflects off the rocky terrain. You feel as though you are trekking across an endless parking lot on a sunny day in August. The trail that you are following seems like a long and lonely highway; two hours pass as you follow it toward the foothills, with no signs of any Wobans. But despite all that forward progress, there are reasons to be concerned. You are down to your second Aquafina bottle, meaning you need to start being very careful with your water intake. There are no streams on this arid ridgeline, no places to replenish your supply; the handful of ounces remaining in the clear plastic bottle are all that you possess. And so when the ridge trail begins to descend into a verdant valley where the sound of running water echoes gently off the surrounding hillsides, you start to get excited. __________________________________________________ > Next page. The excitement comes to an abrupt halt the moment you hear voices beside that stream. Knowing that you have no reason to trust anybody you might encounter on this island, you go into instant stealth mode. It sounds like there are several men ahead of you, and although you don't recognize any of the words, the voices are calm. The speakers are merely conversing among themselves, unaware of your presence. You creep forward, finding a place behind a large rock where you can observe the speakers unseen. What you see chills you. There are three men in colorful grass skirts standing in a small clearing beside the small stream, each casually holding a spear that is as long as they are tall. And these men are certainly tall, nearly seven feet so, with muscular bodies. The fingers that grasp the spear shafts are tipped with elongated black nails; those on the index fingers are curved and pointed, as if these people were descended from velociraptors. And on the forehead of each man, directly above the bridge of the nose, a third eye frowns at the world. The Wobans seem to be concerned about something, although you are relieved it's not you. "'A'ole hiki ia'u ke mana'o hou i ha'awi hou ke alaka'i ia makou i ke kuleana kia'i," one of them says. "Ma hope o ka mea a makou i hana ai ia ia, aia anei kekahi kumu e pono ai ia ia ka lokomaika'i ia makou?" says the Woban on the right. "'A'ole wau ka mea nana i kau i ka nahe i kana 'au'au!" the Woban on the left says defensively. "'A'ole, aka, 'o 'oe kahi me ka mana'o!" the first one says. "No ke aha i makemake ai ke ali'i e kia'i i keia ana? 'A'ole e hele kekahi ma ane'i." "Makemake paha ke ali'i ia makou e hele." "He naaupo oukou. E hele mai na kanaka ma ane'i. Ke 'imi nei na holoholona haole ia Vul-Kar, a alaka'i ke ana i ka luakini." "No laila makou e ku kia'i ai a hiki i kahi poina e ke ali'i no ka makou mea i hana ai." "'Ae, 'o ia ko ka makou ho'opa'i." You haven't the slightest idea what they're gossiping about, but they seem rather glum about something. Then they go silent, sitting on the ground facing each other. One draws a circle in the dirt with his black talon-like fingernail, and they each take turns idly tossing pebbles into the center, as if they were playing some kind of children's game. Their presence poses a dilemma for you, though. The trail that you have been following cuts straight through this clearing where the three Wobans appear to be waiting for something (or someone). For you to continue following it toward the mountain, you'd have to carefully circle through the jungle to get around them unseen. But then you notice something else interesting: the stream that lured you here appears to emanate from a dark cave in the hillside, just five yards from your hiding spot. There is enough small brush around it that you are pretty sure that you can crawl there unseen. You have no idea where that cave goes, or if it even goes anywhere, but if nothing else it looks like it would provide better cover while you wait for the Wobans to leave. All you know is that you can't stay here. Should the Wobans start moving around, of if another happens to come down the trail, you will be spotted instantly. __________________________________________________ > You circle through the jungle to get around the Wobans. As cool as it might be to explore that cave, that's not what you're here for. This trail seems to lead right where you want to go, and the sooner you can get to the Stone of Vul-Kar and then get off this island, the happier everyone will be. These three Wobans seem distracted enough with their game that it should be easy to get past them, so the best course of action is probably to just sneak through the woods, put the Wobans in your rearview mirror, and continue on your way. You venture out from behind your rock and creep into the woods, following the stream down for a hundred feet or so. Refilling your two Aquafina bottles with clear water from the little stream, you watch and listen for indications that the Wobans have heard you. From here you can't see them too well, but you can hear them well enough. As before, they seem completely unaware of your presence, their conversation focused some aspect of their game. With your water supply replenished, you move on through the woods, using the sounds of the three natives as the center point for your circular route. "'A'ole 'oe ke pa'ani nei e na lula!" one of them shouts, but you quickly figure out that it's not about you. "'A'ole 'oe e 'ike i ka mea au e 'olelo nei. Noho iho 'oe a pani 'ia," another one says, and the crisis seems to be over. A moment later, your orbital route around the distracted Wobans brings you back to the trail, and you resume your journey. The problem, though, is that you have apparently picked a rather high-traffic trail to follow into the island interior. Within minutes you come to a prominent junction, with a wide and well-worn path leading left and downhill, and an equally wide and well-worn trail continuing straight ahead and slightly uphill. For the moment you hear no voices, so you continue on the uphill route. But the path is filled with footprints of all sizes — and heading in both directions, as if you've come across a major Woban thoroughfare. Extra caution will be in order. Ironically, you are paying so much attention to the footprints in the muddy surface of the trail that you don't notice the tattooed warrior sneaking up behind you. It is not until he bellows out a loud whoop! that you turn and see him, but by then it is much too late. Four other tattooed, three-eyed men emerge from the brush beside the trail, each with an enormous spear pointed directly at you. "Ua loa'a ia makou kekahi mea 'aihue 'e a'e!" the largest of them says. "Hiki mai lakou i ka makou 'aina e like me kahi ma'i ma'i o na pepeke." "'O keia ka lua a ka makou i hopu ai i keia la!" a fellow behind you says, sounding almost boastful. "'Ae, e 'olu'olu nui ke ali'i i ka makou hana," the first Woban says. None of this makes even the slightest sense to you, but you can figure out enough to see that you're about to be taken prisoner. Now that you're seeing them up close, the Wobans are huge; the smallest among them still rises head and shoulders above you, with sharp-tipped spears that are longer than the men are tall. Even without the third eye on their forehead these people would be intimidating; whatever evolutionary purpose else it might serve, the extra eye effectively triples the menace behind their glares. Physically, you'd be outmatched by just one of these fellows; you have no doubts they could eviscerate you with ease with those "talons" they call hands. All that extra body mass that makes them so much larger must be invested in muscle, bone, and tendon. You are not going to best anybody here in a footrace or pin one down in a half nelson. Maybe trying to reason with them is an option, though, so you give that a shot. "Look," you say, "I come in peace. All I want is to climb a mountain—" Someone strikes you from behind, and you slump to the ground unconscious. __________________________________________________ > Next page. When you come to, you are lying on a dirt floor with a throbbing ache in the back of your head. Getting up seems highly ambitious given your groggy state, so instead you flop over and lie on your back. From what you can gather, you are at the bottom of a pit, with an oblong view of a small patch of sky a good twelve or sixteen feet above you. You have no memory of how you got here, but that's not surprising considering the force of the blow you received. Nor is it a mystery how you got to this place: the Wobans knocked you out and dragged you here. But where is "here"? What do your captors want, and how might you get free? "I see you're awake," a voice says from the foggy corner of your consciousness. "You're already better off than the last person they dumped in here." It takes a moment to realize you are not listening to a conversation between other people, but that there is someone else in this pit who is talking to you. You try to lift your head and look around, but that just causes more pain. "Here, let me help." A man rises from the shadows and steps over toward you. He puts his hands under your arms and lifts you back against the wall, propping you up into a sitting position. It is more than you feel capable of doing yourself at the moment. "The Wobans seem to be doing some housekeeping, I think, and we're the rubbish. 'Make Woban Island Great Again,' that kind of thing." "Water?" you say. "Where is my water bottle?" "Not here, I'm afraid. No food, either. Just you, me, and a dead woman." It's unfortunate about the water. Sitting helps, though, so you focus on breathing deeply and trying to center your perception on recognizable objects. Your boots. You see your boots, way out there at the end of your legs. Your legs are muddy, with red marks where you got scraped up on something. You have no recollection of that. Beyond your legs… someone else's legs. The man who helped you. There is not much light in this pit, but you can make out a wiry figure, slender but athletic, like that of a runner or something. Not a runner — scratch that. He is wearing a black harness that encompasses his torso and upper legs. He is a climber. "Thank you anyway," you say. "Hey, no problem," the rock climber says. "I could go for a long drink of water myself." A moment passes while you sit quietly, waiting for your head to clear. The man fidgets, though, like someone not accustomed to silence. "What's your name?" he says, but you choose not to answer; you're not sure you are in any position to provide an accurate answer yet. "I'm Gary Gaffney, and right now I'm wishing I never heard of Woban Island. I think maybe I need a better travel agent. How about you? What do you think of the hospitality here? By the looks of the way they roughed you up, I'm guessing your Trip Advisor review will be fun to read. I just hope I get to read it someday." "How long… have you been here?" you say. "Not much longer than you. I was here for some epic rock climbing. You see, there was this broad in Boston who hired me to, uh, get some pictures of the island. I'd tell you more about that, but maybe the less you know the better. For your own sake, I mean. But anyway, yeah, I came to climb. There is some awesome rock on this island, I'll say that much. You should see the highest peak — sheer cliffs on every side. It's a thing of beauty. I know some guys who like to free-climb Yosemite who would give their left nut for a shot at this place. The problem is, you know, the Wobans. These guys will take more than just a left nut." "Stone of Vul-Kar," you utter weakly. "Did you find it?" "So you know about that? I should've known. It's a small island, after all. I'll bet you anything that Mrs. Adventure here knew all about it, too. She must've thought the Wobans would be so impressed by her pith helmet they would respect her well-dressed professionalism and leave her be." "Pith helmet?" "Yeah, you should see this thing. At first I thought the British East India Company was making a comeback. Judging by the way it's split open, though, it didn't do her much good. I think she was still alive when they tossed her down here — barely. But she was in rough shape, and the crash landing didn't do her any favors." "E ho'ike 'ia ka mea'ai i ke Ali'i!" Wobans are gathering around the top of the pit, preparing to drop ropes down. "It looks like our court date has arrived," Gaffney says. "Time to appear before the local magistrate." __________________________________________________ > Next page. Three Wobans descend into the pit, each taking one of the prisoners: you, Gary, and the dead woman with the pith helmet. The body is hauled away once you reach the top, but your captors seem to have other plans for you and Gary. The two of you are shoved toward the center of a large Woban village. It is late in the day, and the villagers seem to be preparing for a huge bonfire; there is a great heap of wood stacked near the center of town. Straw huts surround you, occupied by men, women, and children who for the most part wear only grass skirts and a few other simple adornments. Their village is situated beautifully in a valley high in the mountains; you can see forested slopes in three directions, each with its own cascading stream catching the evening light. Above it all rises the island's highest peak, an impressive tower of rock that looms hundreds of feet above the valley. At the sight of it, your purpose here comes back to you. You remember now that the mountain is your destination; you were hired to find a way to the top and retrieve an item of extreme value. How ironic that the Wobans have helped you complete a portion of that journey. "Didn't I tell you? I could spend the rest of my life here putting up new routes," Gary says, admiring the view of the mountain. Your head is starting to clear, and you are coming to realize that your situation is dire. These people are known cannibals; if they are inviting you to a party, it's because you're to be the main entrée. As you are marched through the village, you sense the residents looking you up and down. Those extra eyes are no longer scowling; now they look eager, like they are assessing how well you might taste. The better to see you with, my dear. The heart of the village is a big open space, with the pile of wood near the center, and a raised platform of earth upon which stands the largest hut of all. A man and a woman are seated before the hut, regally poised in feathered robes and wearing feathered headpieces. You and Gary are brought before the mound and forced to kneel. "At least they haven't lost our luggage." Gary nods his head to the left, and there before the mound is a small hut with an open entrance. Inside it you can make out a large backpack adorned with colorful rope and carabiners. You assume your modest book bag is in there, too. The packs seem unmolested, as if the Wobans have no interest in items they can't understand — or perhaps fear things they think are enchanted with dark magic. The king in his feathered robe stands up and approaches the forward edge of the earthen platform like an actor on a stage. He looks over the two of you, all three eyes moving in unison as if assessing merchandise. "Ua li'ili'i loa ka wahine," he says, his stentorian voice uttering words you have no way of understanding. "'A'ole lawa kana 'i'o e kako'o ia makou. Pono makou e loa'a hou na 'i'o." The king gestures to one of the guards, who first forces Gary to his feet, and then you. Your talkative rock-climbing friend senses the gravity of this situation and remains quiet. The guard steps in front of Gary, eyes him up and down, and then does the same to you. When he's done, he grabs you by the back of the neck and shoves you a step closer to the king, who in turn subjects you to the most intense glare of your life. You can see now that in a staring contest with a Woban, you will always be outmatched on a three-to-two basis. "Nau e koho!" he barks at you. "E koho i ka la au e makemake ai e make: I keia la? Apopo?" You stand there waiting for him to continue; the king stands before you as if waiting for something from you as well. "I keia la? Apopo?" he says more slowly. "I think he's asking you a question," Gary says. "I get that," you say. "I don't understand what, though." "'A'ole hiki i keia holoholona ke 'olelo!" the king bellows to the gathered villagers, who respond with nervous laughter. Then he settles his eyes back on you. "He ninau ma'alahi ia. E koho i ka la au e makemake ai e make: I keia la? Apopo?" His efforts to slowly enunciate the words aren't helping your ability to comprehend them. The best you can guess is that you are being asked to choose between two options. "I keia la? Apopo?" the king says again, but this time he is stepping backward to rejoin his wife. "I keia la or apopo?" you say. "Ke pihoihoi nei keia," the king says, once more gesturing to the guard. The warrior grabs you by your shirt. "I keia la! Apopo! E koho i keia manawa!" His words land like spittle on your forehead. "Just choose one," Gary says. "Before they get mad. It's either 'i keia la' or 'apopo.' Your guess is as good as mine which is the right answer." It's frustrating being forced to make a choice when you have no way of knowing what the consequences will be. __________________________________________________ > You keia la. "All right, I'll choose 'i keia la,' although it really makes no difference to me," you say. "I keia la?" the guard says. "Yes, i keia la." The guard turns triumphantly to the king. "Ua koho ka holoholona ke make i keia la!" "A laila e lawe e luku 'ia," the king says dismissively. "Well that seems to settle things," Gary says. But the Woban guard grabs you by both shoulders and roughly marches you back into the cluster of huts. Everybody seemed content with your choice, so you have no idea what you've done wrong. "Hey, i keia la! I keia la!" you say, but the guard only seems more irritated with you and grabs your shoulders even more tightly. His long claw-like fingernails are piercing your clothing and causing you much pain. You can feel blood dripping down your sides. The villagers seem even more interested in you now than before, and some step forward as if to inspect you. But your guard acts as if he's on a tight schedule. "Ma waho o ke ala!" he shouts at them, and the people move sheepishly aside. At the guard's forceful direction, you turn a corner and march directly toward one of the huts. At last you are about to find out what it is you have chosen. But your blood chills when the most massive Woban you've seen yet emerges from the straw shelter. He folds his arms as he watches your approach, and against his left shoulder you can see he is holding a short but sturdy stick. The wood is polished from years of use, and the blunt end is caked with dried blood. Only then do you start to grasp the significance of "i keia la," as you approach the man with the cudgel: you have chosen to be tonight's dinner, and you are being led like a lamb to the slaughterhouse. THE END

Three Wobans descend into the pit, each taking one of the prisoners: you, Gary, and the dead woman with the pith helmet. The body is hauled away once you reach the top, but your captors seem to have other plans for you and Gary. The two of you are shoved toward the center of a large Woban village. It is late in the day, and the villagers seem to be preparing for a huge bonfire; there is a great heap of wood stacked near the center of town. Straw huts surround you, occupied by men, women, and children who for the most part wear only grass skirts and a few other simple adornments. Their village is situated beautifully in a valley high in the mountains; you can see forested slopes in three directions, each with its own cascading stream catching the evening light. Above it all rises the island's highest peak, an impressive tower of rock that looms hundreds of feet above the valley. At the sight of it, your purpose here comes back to you. You remember now that the mountain is your destination; you were hired to find a way to the top and retrieve an item of extreme value. How ironic that the Wobans have helped you complete a portion of that journey. "Didn't I tell you? I could spend the rest of my life here putting up new routes," Gary says, admiring the view of the mountain. Your head is starting to clear, and you are coming to realize that your situation is dire. These people are known cannibals; if they are inviting you to a party, it's because you're to be the main entrée. As you are marched through the village, you sense the residents looking you up and down. Those extra eyes are no longer scowling; now they look eager, like they are assessing how well you might taste. The better to see you with, my dear. The heart of the village is a big open space, with the pile of wood near the center, and a raised platform of earth upon which stands the largest hut of all. A man and a woman are seated before the hut, regally poised in feathered robes and wearing feathered headpieces. You and Gary are brought before the mound and forced to kneel. "At least they haven't lost our luggage." Gary nods his head to the left, and there before the mound is a small hut with an open entrance. Inside it you can make out a large backpack adorned with colorful rope and carabiners. You assume your modest book bag is in there, too. The packs seem unmolested, as if the Wobans have no interest in items they can't understand — or perhaps fear things they think are enchanted with dark magic. The king in his feathered robe stands up and approaches the forward edge of the earthen platform like an actor on a stage. He looks over the two of you, all three eyes moving in unison as if assessing merchandise. "Ua li'ili'i loa ka wahine," he says, his stentorian voice uttering words you have no way of understanding. "'A'ole lawa kana 'i'o e kako'o ia makou. Pono makou e loa'a hou na 'i'o." The king gestures to one of the guards, who first forces Gary to his feet, and then you. Your talkative rock-climbing friend senses the gravity of this situation and remains quiet. The guard steps in front of Gary, eyes him up and down, and then does the same to you. When he's done, he grabs you by the back of the neck and shoves you a step closer to the king, who in turn subjects you to the most intense glare of your life. You can see now that in a staring contest with a Woban, you will always be outmatched on a three-to-two basis. "Nau e koho!" he barks at you. "E koho i ka la au e makemake ai e make: I keia la? Apopo?" You stand there waiting for him to continue; the king stands before you as if waiting for something from you as well. "I keia la? Apopo?" he says more slowly. "I think he's asking you a question," Gary says. "I get that," you say. "I don't understand what, though." "'A'ole hiki i keia holoholona ke 'olelo!" the king bellows to the gathered villagers, who respond with nervous laughter. Then he settles his eyes back on you. "He ninau ma'alahi ia. E koho i ka la au e makemake ai e make: I keia la? Apopo?" His efforts to slowly enunciate the words aren't helping your ability to comprehend them. The best you can guess is that you are being asked to choose between two options. "I keia la? Apopo?" the king says again, but this time he is stepping backward to rejoin his wife. "I keia la or apopo?" you say. "Ke pihoihoi nei keia," the king says, once more gesturing to the guard. The warrior grabs you by your shirt. "I keia la! Apopo! E koho i keia manawa!" His words land like spittle on your forehead. "Just choose one," Gary says. "Before they get mad. It's either 'i keia la' or 'apopo.' Your guess is as good as mine which is the right answer." It's frustrating being forced to make a choice when you have no way of knowing what the consequences will be. __________________________________________________ > You apopo. "Um, let's go with apopo," you say. "I can't really see what the difference is, though." "Apopo?" the guard says. "Yes, apopo." The guard turns triumphantly to the king. "Ua koho ka holoholona e make i 'apopo, hiki ia makou ke 'ai i kana hoa i keia po!" "Ua lo'ihi ka manawa i ho'oholo ai," the king says. "Lawe i ka holoholona ma mua o ka ho'ololi i kona no'ono'o." He gestures to a guard, who then grabs you by the shoulders again. "E ho'omakaukau i keia holoholona no makou e 'ai ai." This time the king is pointing to Gary, and as another guard grabs him some of the villagers step forward to get a closer look at him. "Wait, what's going on?" Gary says. "I am not 'apopo'! I think you're confusing me for somebody else!" "Ka ne'e, holoholona!" your guard bellows into your ear. You're not sure what you have just set in motion by choosing "apopo," but you and Gary are pulled in opposite directions. The last you see the rock climber, he is being steered through the crowd and into the cluster of huts. Meanwhile, your guard forces you back toward the pit on the edge of town. It is at least twelve feet deep, but rather than waiting to get pushed in headfirst you jump in on your own power. The landing winds you, and your momentum sends you sprawling face-first into one of the earthen walls that contain you. "E 'ike kakou ia 'oe i ka la 'apopo!" the guard says before disappearing from view, leaving you alone at the bottom of the pit. Without Gary to fill up this desolate space with his friendly chatter, it seems so much more empty and forlorn. You are surrounded by vertical walls of hard-packed dirt, with nothing that you could grab onto for the purposes of extracting yourself. Gary's metaphor about being the rubbish seems apt: you feel like you have just been discarded into the waster paper bin. Although on second thought, perhaps the more accurate analogy is that this is the Woban's food pantry. After a moment passes at the bottom of this pit, when you figure out that you are not in immediate danger, it dawns on you what just happened up above when you were standing before the Woban king. That choice you were forced to make — apparently "apopo" meant you were selecting Gary for tonight's meal, and saving yourself for some other occasion. This leaves you not only alone as you huddle in the dark at the bottom of the pit, but terribly guilt-stricken. The fact that you had no idea what you were choosing at the time doesn't change the consequences of your choice. You feel as sickened with yourself as you would if you were the one making the killing blow. For all intents and purposes, you are complicit in Gary's murder at the hands of these beastly cannibals. At least you feel buffered from the grisly celebrations that are being conducted a short distance away. Down here, the tall earthen walls muffle most of the sounds coming from the village, and all you can see is the light of the bonfires illuminating the trees directly above the pit. The details are left to your imagination. So instead of imagining, you try to occupy yourself by exploring every cubic inch of your prison, or at least those portions within arm's reach, starting with the floor. The space is about eight feet long and six feet wide, and if you tried to dig at the walls you'd either wear your fingertips down to bloody stumps or trigger a cave-in. Everywhere you turn, you are facing dirt. Hamlet was wrong; being bound in a nutshell does not make you feel like a master of infinite space. One end of the pit feels damp, but not with water; you reel back when you realize that this was where the dead woman with the pith helmet had fallen. You have no idea who she was, and you never did get a good look at her. Gary was correct, though: the pith helmet was a rather cartoonish fashion statement. Groping around the edges, you come to the spot where you're pretty sure your rock-climbing friend was sitting when you first awoke. Expecting to find nothing but more dirt, your fingers brush past something metallic pushed up against the wall — tucked in so tightly that you have to dig the object out a bit. You then discover there are two objects, each about eight inches long and wedge-shaped. Holding them up, you can see that they are rock-climbing pitons. Clearly they were left here by Gary, who must've had them in his pockets when the Wobans first tossed him down here. He then hid them in the dirt where he had been sitting, knowing they would be useful in escaping this prison. All he needed was to wait for the right time — which for him never came. And so now it is you who are sitting alone at the bottom of the pit, holding the two pitons in your hands and examining the walls above you. Even with the pitons to wedge into the dirt, it is not going to be easy climbing your way out of here. But considering how unimaginable the price of failure will be, you see no other alternative. __________________________________________________ > Next page. The trick will be to wait for the Woban festival to end. The only thing you can do is wait patiently for the glow of the bonfire to fade away, and the sound of voices to grow silent. Knowing you're only going to get one shot at this, the risk of getting caught trying to flee while there are still Wobans around who might see you is too great. You have no idea what the custom is here, but you hope that eventually even a three-eyed, seven-foot giant must sleep, and that after the party is over the people of the village will return to their huts for a night of contented sleep. It is a long and agonizing wait, but your wishes to eventually come to pass. Keeping track of the time on your watch, the Wobans begin to lose steam well before midnight. Good — they're not night owls, living it up into the wee hours of the morning. The light in the trees directly above you grows dim, and slowly the sound of communal conviviality devolves into isolated banter. You momentarily panic when voices pass so close to the pit you can make out individual voices: "He ahaaina nui ia." "'Ae, 'o ka 'i'o ka tastiest a makou i lo'ihi ai." But when they pass, you can detect nothing but darkness and silence from the bottom of the pit. A sense of caution tells you to wait a little while longer to be sure — there may be other Woban voices you can't hear way down here — but you've been trapped so long in this pit that you can't sit still any longer. With a piton in each hand, you reach as high as you can and thrust the wedges into the earthen wall. There is a trickle of dirt from each impact, but the pitons hold as you lift yourself up. Immediately you can feel the stress this going to place on your upper arm muscles, so you kick at the wall with the toes of your boots. With some effort they carve out a slight toehold, letting you stand a short distance above the floor. A moment later you pull the right piton out of the wall, reach up, jam it in, and pull yourself up another few inches. Next you do the same with the left piton. In this method, progress is made by a factor of inches. Your biceps are burning, and your fingers feel bruised as they tightly grip the small steel wedges — but this momentary discomfort is far better than the alternative. So rest on your toeholds when you can, and inch your way upward so that you may live to see another day. The village is indeed dark when you are first able to peep over the rim. This is good, because at least there will be no witnesses to this graceless final maneuver to pull yourself over the top. You first hoist your torso onto the level ground, your feet still dangling in the maw of the pit. Then you swing one leg up and roll over, above ground but extremely worn from the effort. You try and let go of the pitons, but you have been gripping them so tightly and for so long that your hands are locked into position around them. Begrudgingly your fingers open slightly and the pitons slip away. You can see the red indentations they have left on your fingers and palms. It takes a few minutes to work some life into your arms and hands. They have done a yeoman's service tonight, and now it's time to throw the rest of your body into your escape effort. You stand up from your position beside the pit, flexing your fingers to try and restore movement. Below you are the two pitons, right where you dropped them. Your first impulse is to pick them back up and keep them as souvenirs of your epic climb to freedom, but instead you kick them back into the pit. You probably lack the articulation to grasp them and place them in your pocket anyway, and the next occupant of this pit will probably need them as much as you did. Pay it forward, as they say. So now you are standing on your own two feet, with nothing but a dark village before you and not a Woban in sight. All you have to do is slip into the jungle and put as much distance as you can between you and this place. But a thought has been nagging at you for a while now: Gary the rock climber, and the fact that he had just completed an "epic climb." He said that he had been hired to take pictures, but what if like you his real purpose was to claim the Stone of Vul-Kar? Where else would he have climbed other than that main summit? If this is true, the gem that you seek is no longer in some ancient temple, but right here in the village. Therefore despite your sense of self-preservation, which wants you to leave this place immediately, you creep toward the huts, back toward the center of town where hours ago you uttered the fateful word apopo. You hear snoring in the huts that you pass, the sounds of people shifting in their sleep, incoherent mutterings in the dark. If you are going to do the exact opposite of what common sense says you should be doing, then you might as well do it quickly. So instead of creeping, you shift gears and jog toward that small shelter near the king's "palace." The wood pile is now greatly reduced in size, and there is a smoldering heap of coals and embers. The hut you are seeking is just as you remember it, and there is Gary's pack with its ropes and carabiners, visible in the dim light of the setting moon. You open up the top, and the first thing you see is a purple crystal. __________________________________________________ > Next Page. So this is the Stone of Vul-Kar? It is certainly a large and hefty crystal, but more like a hunk of colored quartz than a priceless gem. But hey, it's Walter Berringer's money, and he can spend it on what he chooses. Right now you are just grateful for Gary Gaffney doing all the hard work for you, sparing you the need to climb the mountain. He deserved a better fate than what he got. You have nothing to carry it with, though, so you turn to see if your borrowed book bag is in here too. But what you find is even better: your brand-new green REI backpack, the exact same one that Meredith stole. It looks a little scuffed up, but otherwise it is still in good shape. You open a side pocket and find a six-inch knife that you've had since forever, and the folded-up military maps that Berringer procured back on Oahu. This is how you know beyond a doubt that this really is your own backpack, and not just someone else's look-alike. But that means…. You never got a good look at the woman in the pith helmet, but now with your stolen pack back in your possession, it makes sense that you had briefly shared the bottom of the pit with Meredith's broken body. You feel a chill go through you at the thought of it, but your employer will probably be pleased to hear the news. So you place the Stone of Vul-Kar in your own pack and prepare to embark on your return journey. Meredith messed up all the strap settings, but that is easily rectified. What a doubly awesome discovery! You are reunited with your gear, and your mission is a success! Now it's just a matter of getting out of here. However, that might be easier said than done. You are, after all, alone and in the dark of night, on an unknown part of the island. The quarter-moon will set soon, and when that happens you will have to fish out your headlamp if you don't want to grope your way through the lightless jungle. The Wobans must maintain several trails leading out of this village, but where do they go? Which one leads to safety, and not just into another trap? The sound of moving water behind you catches your attention, and you turn to see a wide path leading down a bank. It brings you in a few hundred feet to the side of a wide stream — probably the combined output of those three waterfalls that you saw earlier, back when you and Gary were being led to an audience with the Woban king. This is interesting; all streams on this island logically must flow to the ocean, and the ocean is where the Big Papi is patiently waiting for your return. Therefore you have just found your way off the island! Even if this stream flows to the opposite coastline, all you need to do is make a quick call on the satellite phone to arrange a pick-up with Berringer. The trail seems to turn and follow the small river downstream, right where you want to go. But then you notice that what you assumed was a log lying on the bank is actually a dugout canoe — a small craft for use on a small stream. This almost seems even better than the trail! Considering your poor luck so far following the Wobans' trail network, maybe you would fare better on the water. Sooner or later the Wobans are going to come looking for you, and you'll be harder to track if you aren't leaving footprints all over the place. But who knows how navigable this stream is? The trail might lead you to more Wobans, but at least it will be easier to find your way. __________________________________________________ > You take the canoe. The last time you tried following a trail on this island, it led you straight into the predicament that you are now trying to escape. So if nothing else, the canoe seems attractive just for the sake of variety it offers. But more than that, you expect the canoe will allow you to put greater distance between you and the people who want to make you their next supper. And when it comes to avoiding cannibals, distance is a good thing. The canoe is upside-down on the grassy bank, so the first thing you do is flip it over. From what you can tell in the dim light, it was made from a single log hollowed out by fire. There is no seat, so you assume the occupant is expected to kneel on the bottom, using the pole tucked inside to steer and propel the craft against the current. It is big enough to hold only a lone occupant, which suits your purposes just fine; you assume this is someone's fishing boat, and you could care less what they think about you taking it. You stuff the backpack into the rear of the boat, slide the log hull into the water, grab the pole, and then gingerly step into the canoe. It wobbles at first, but seems more stable once you're inside. From what you can make out, there is a long section of stillwater here, a place where the river is calm like a linear pond. The mountains are silhouettes against the starry sky, and you can hear the distant waterfalls. That is not the direction you want to go, so you point the canoe downstream, where no hills block the horizon. That way lies the most direct route to the coast. There is a slight current, so you don't need to push very hard with the pole to put the canoe in motion. Mostly you just need to steer, shoving the pole into the water until it hits the bottom, and then giving it a good push. You have no idea how long this stillwater extends, although you doubt it goes very far; the river must get rougher as it tumbles its way out of the mountains and down toward the ocean. The question is, how much rougher does it get? An answer to that question comes soon enough. The current becomes swifter just minutes after you set off, and you can hear rapids up ahead. Considering that it is nighttime on an unfamiliar waterway, it seems prudent to land the canoe and seek your refuge on shore. But you've only just started; you didn't haul your way out of that pit only to huddle in the dark just a few hundred yards away from the village. So far this stream seems manageable, and you'd prefer to take all the distance it can give you before you call it a night. But the current is only just starting to pick up steam, and soon you are getting buffeted against rocks you can't even see in the dark. OK, so this is starting to get too intense. You try and push yourself to shore with the pole, but at first you can't reach bottom. Then it gets wedged in something in the water, and the next thing you know the canoe is spun around backwards. You clutch onto the pole as dearly as you did the pitons, but the river's current is very insistent. Given that the strength in your arms has long since been spent, there is little you can do to improve your situation. And when the pole snaps in half…. Now you have no ability to control yourself, no ability to see where you're going, and no knowledge of what lies ahead on this river. So maybe the canoe wasn't such a good idea. The waves are getting bigger, and you are getting drenched in spray. Perhaps you should consider yourself fortunate that the canoe is still upright. You resolve to get out of this thing as soon as you get kicked out of the current and drift to shore — hopefully before you reach the source of that unnerving roar ahead of you, which is getting louder and louder by the second. But the current doesn't cooperate. It pushes you over the edge of a tall waterfall, which plunges over volcanic rocks into a boulder-filled pool below. Both you and the jewel are lost forever. THE END

So this is the Stone of Vul-Kar? It is certainly a large and hefty crystal, but more like a hunk of colored quartz than a priceless gem. But hey, it's Walter Berringer's money, and he can spend it on what he chooses. Right now you are just grateful for Gary Gaffney doing all the hard work for you, sparing you the need to climb the mountain. He deserved a better fate than what he got. You have nothing to carry it with, though, so you turn to see if your borrowed book bag is in here too. But what you find is even better: your brand-new green REI backpack, the exact same one that Meredith stole. It looks a little scuffed up, but otherwise it is still in good shape. You open a side pocket and find a six-inch knife that you've had since forever, and the folded-up military maps that Berringer procured back on Oahu. This is how you know beyond a doubt that this really is your own backpack, and not just someone else's look-alike. But that means…. You never got a good look at the woman in the pith helmet, but now with your stolen pack back in your possession, it makes sense that you had briefly shared the bottom of the pit with Meredith's broken body. You feel a chill go through you at the thought of it, but your employer will probably be pleased to hear the news. So you place the Stone of Vul-Kar in your own pack and prepare to embark on your return journey. Meredith messed up all the strap settings, but that is easily rectified. What a doubly awesome discovery! You are reunited with your gear, and your mission is a success! Now it's just a matter of getting out of here. However, that might be easier said than done. You are, after all, alone and in the dark of night, on an unknown part of the island. The quarter-moon will set soon, and when that happens you will have to fish out your headlamp if you don't want to grope your way through the lightless jungle. The Wobans must maintain several trails leading out of this village, but where do they go? Which one leads to safety, and not just into another trap? The sound of moving water behind you catches your attention, and you turn to see a wide path leading down a bank. It brings you in a few hundred feet to the side of a wide stream — probably the combined output of those three waterfalls that you saw earlier, back when you and Gary were being led to an audience with the Woban king. This is interesting; all streams on this island logically must flow to the ocean, and the ocean is where the Big Papi is patiently waiting for your return. Therefore you have just found your way off the island! Even if this stream flows to the opposite coastline, all you need to do is make a quick call on the satellite phone to arrange a pick-up with Berringer. The trail seems to turn and follow the small river downstream, right where you want to go. But then you notice that what you assumed was a log lying on the bank is actually a dugout canoe — a small craft for use on a small stream. This almost seems even better than the trail! Considering your poor luck so far following the Wobans' trail network, maybe you would fare better on the water. Sooner or later the Wobans are going to come looking for you, and you'll be harder to track if you aren't leaving footprints all over the place. But who knows how navigable this stream is? The trail might lead you to more Wobans, but at least it will be easier to find your way. __________________________________________________ > You take the trail. This is no time to be taking chances with unknowns in the dark. You didn't work so hard to climb your way out of the pit just to risk getting drowned in some rapids. Besides, the strength in your arms is pretty much spent, and you're not sure how much use they would be when it comes to paddling a canoe. You are better off sticking to land, so you sketch out in your mind a rough plan to get down this trail as far as you can, find a place to take cover and get some sleep, and then reassess your situation in daylight. It looks like the trail leading down the river is not too wide, suggesting that maybe you have lucked out and stumbled across one of the less well-traveled routes this time. Before you go too far, you fumble through your backpack, hoping Meredith didn't move your headlamp. It was in one of the upper pockets the last you saw it. Your hand feels several empty Clif Bar wrappers at first, but then it settles on the elastic band of the headlamp. You have no intentions of turning it on so close to the Woban village, but you do want to have it handy. After putting the pack back on, you set off down the trail. It keeps close to the small river at first, which you can hear gurgling on your right, even if you can't always see it in the dark. There is one spot where the trail passes a large opening on the bank; you suppose the view must be stellar in the daylight, but now it's just "stellar" in the sense that you can see a sky full of stars above the calm water. The mountains you saw earlier are now inky silhouettes. But you are not here to go sightseeing. You rush down the trail, with the river growing louder as you continue. Within minutes of passing the canoe you begin to hear splashes in the dark, suggesting you are no longer following a calm waterway, but a rugged and wild mountain stream. It's hard to imagine how useful the canoe would be here. The terrain is getting more rugged too; after almost tripping over the fifth unseen rock, you concede to the reality of your situation and flip on the headlamp. Hopefully there are no Wobans around to see this unnatural beam of light you're about to cast about their jungle. It's a good thing that you did, though, because the trail is now going down an increasingly steep slope, with more roots and rocks in your way than you suspected. There is also a distinct roar somewhere up ahead, suggesting that you are nearing a powerful cataract. Indeed, a few minutes later you reach the top of a precipitous drop in the terrain, where both the river and the trail descend a massive rock ledge that must span the width of the valley. For the river, this means a waterfall of at least fifty feet, ending with a plunge into a boulder-filled pool. The trail around the falls isn't less steep by any means. Rather than the free-fall made by the water, your route is a slower and carefully-controlled descent down a series of ledges — which might even appear like a giant staircase if you were, say, sixty feet tall. This is certainly a more extreme hike then you would normally prefer to make at [checking wristwatch] 12:48 A.M., and you would be more than happy to find that hiding spot any time now. The problem is, though, that when you reach the bottom of the ledges, the trail continues steeply down a rocky slope. Even if you did find a spot to stop, you'd probably go a-tumbling down the hill if you fell asleep in a place like this. So you continue to work your way off the mountain. Despite your downhill direction, it is still a very laborious effort due to the rocks in your way that make your footing very unreliable; one misstep and you'll go sliding on your butt to a very painful landing. There is no way you could have successfully negotiated this terrain without the aid of the headlamp — although at this point you can't even tell if you're still on the trail. For all you know, the trail made a turn you didn't see, and now you're proceeding in some random direction. But then, as you near what might be the bottom of this long and treacherous slope, your heart stops when you see another light ahead through the trees. For a second you think it's just the light of your own headlamp reflecting off the water, but that can't be; with all of the meanderings to avoid the steepest parts of the slope, you have wandered some distance away from the river. Then as you scrutinize the phenomenon a bit more closely, you see two people sitting around a small campfire. You can forgive yourself for not making the identification sooner, as there are quite a few trees between you and the campsite, and this is the last place you'd expect to find backpackers — not that these people are likely to be your average weekend warriors. You immediately turn off your headlamp, but it's too late: the other people turn on their headlamps and come rushing toward you. "Who's there?" You have to admit, you are relieved to hear English instead of Wobani, but nevertheless you remain on high alert. It's hard to imagine encountering anyone helpful on this island. The beams of light cast by their two headlamps quickly zero in on you. "You're in an awful hurry to get somewhere," the same voice says. "And might I add, why are you coming down the mountain? Most everybody else here is trying to get up it." What's that supposed to mean? Have these two mysterious night lurkers figured out just by circumstance that you have the Stone of Vul-Kar in your possession? Or was that some kind of an attempt at humor? __________________________________________________ > You stay and talk. So here's the thing: this has been a really long day, and you are really tired — so tired, in fact, that you can't really tell if this person just made a veiled threat or a weak joke. Neither individual happens to be pointing a weapon at you, and that's more than you can say of anyone else you've met on this island. "I've been running from the Wobans," you say. "Wobans? Where?" the first man says. With his headlamp on, it's hard to get a good look at him, but you can see that he is short, dressed in a green-checked shirt with brown trousers, wears round glasses, and has the beginnings of a dark beard along his neck and chin. "Right up this trail. Maybe another mile." "They aren't coming after you, are they?" the larger man says. If you didn't know any better, you would guess that he himself was a Woban, in terms of his physical size and dress. Because of the blinding glow of his headlight you can't count the number of eyes, but the grass skirt and tattooed torso make you feel intimidated by his presence. "I really, really hope not," you say. "I mean, are you sure though?" the man with the glasses says. "If you're leading the Wobans straight to us…." "I don't know," you say. "Probably not. The entire village was asleep when I snuck away." "An entire village?" the tall man in the grass skirt says. You shield your eyes and see that he indeed only has two eyes. Still, you keep your distance. "Yeah, there were hundreds of Wobans. They had taken three of us prisoner. So far as I know they… they ate the other two people, a woman and a guy. For some reason they were saving me for something else." "That's horrific!" the short man says. "And you said they were asleep when you got away?" "Yes." "Well they still might come looking for you, and I don't want to be here when they come. Ligru, do you think maybe we should put out the fire and move our camp further into the bush?" "That might be a good idea, sir," the tall man says. Could it be he's an Auri, from the next island over? From what you recall, the Auris were said to be very similar to Wobans in stature, but lacked the third eye. But for a member of a tribe that was first contacted just a few years ago, his English is remarkably solid. "Then let's do it, my friend." You're not sure, but you think you might have just fallen in with this duo for the night, and so you follow them over to their little campfire. But instead of extinguishing the fire and gathering up the small amount of gear that you see — a small, yellow-and-black Eureka! pup tent, a light blanket on a mat of woven reeds, a couple tin cups — the Auri tosses more sticks on the fire, and both men settle down next to it. "Feel free to join us, friend," the short man says to you as he turns off his headlamp. "We've been trying to finish off a bottle of whiskey so we don't have to carry it any further up the mountain. Do you drink? Maybe it will help calm your nerves, after your harrowing escape from the clutches of the cannibals." None of what is happening here comes anywhere close to what you were expecting, but you are too physically exhausted to dwell on the details. And to be absolutely honest, downing a shot of whiskey next to a campfire sounds like a heavenly idea. You doubt you'll get a better offer anywhere else. Without saying another word, you take off the pack and set it on the ground beside the fire, and then sit back against the end containing your rolled-up sleeping bag. "Ligru, pass over the bottle. I'm afraid we don't have any extra cups, though. Go ahead and drink right from the bottle; we won't judge." You take the glass bottle from the Auri, who is sitting to your right; the gap between you is so large that you both have to reach to make the transfer. Pendleton. The bottle is still a third full. You do have a titanium cup of your own, but assuming Meredith didn't lose it, you'd have to dig into your pack to find it… and of course the Stone of Vul-Kar is resting on top of everything else that you are carrying. The last thing you want to do is reveal that to people you don't even know, so you remove the cap and take a long swig straight from the bottle. "Thanks," you say. "Keep it," the short man in green says. "I've probably had too much, and sometimes I swear the island is spinning." Indeed, his speech is a little slurred, but not so much that you can't pick up the Eastern European accent. That's a part of the world that tends to blur together for you, but you'll rule out Russian for one simple fact: no one here is drinking vodka. "I'm not going to pry into your background, because it looks as though you've had a rough evening," he continues. "But my name is Martian Pop, and my friend here is Ligru." Martian Pop — you remember now the weird name on Berringer's list of competitors. You are disappointed in the pronunciation, though: Mar-TEE-yan. "Ligru… He must be from Auri Island?" you say, addressing Pop. "I'm from Oakland," the giant man says indignantly. "Ligru Washington." "Yes, that's right," Pop says. "Ligru took my Polynesian Ethnology course last semester, and was probably the only student who paid attention. The rest always seem to be disappointed when they meet me on the first day of class. Many of them are just sophomores in need of some liberal arts credit hours. I think maybe they see my name and they misread it. They show up expecting Jeff Goldblum and Chaos Theory; instead they get me and a long discussion of Polynesian planting calendars." "I liked your class, sir," Ligru says. "As you can see, Ligru likes to dress and act the part," Pop says. "So I suppose one could be forgiven for mistaking him for an Auri Islander. You should show our guest that spear you found." "Yes, sir," Ligru dutifully says. He gets up from the log he has been using as a backrest and walks over to what looks like a pole stuck in the ground. When he yanks it out, you can see the stone tip. "We found this a couple days ago," Pop explains. "A genuine Woban spear, left on the side of the trail. Ligru has gotten quite good at using it, too. Show us, Ligru." The tall man in the grass skirt readjusts his grip on the spear shaft, holds it horizontally over his shoulder, and then pitches it forward almost as if he were hurling a baseball. But the spear flies true, and lands in the middle of a tree that is so far from the fire it appears as little more than a dim apparition in the darkness. "Impressive, isn't it?" Pop says. "Not bad for a kid from Oakland," you agree. Ligru returns to the campsite with the spear, plants it back in the same spot, and returns to his spot by the fire. "All right, I'm ready for another hit of whiskey," Pop says. "Would you mind passing it over?" As you are about to reach to your left around the fire to hand the bottle of Pendleton over, Ligru snatches it from you. "Professor, I think you've had enough," he says. "Don't call me professor!" The sudden change in Pop's demeanor makes you flinch. He closes his eyes and sighs, then wipes the side of his face with his fingers, although you can see nothing that needs to be wiped off. When he calms himself, Pop stares into the fire. "It's extremely difficult to get a tenured position these days. Although that could change if I am able to bring back an artifact of significant value." "Is that why you and Ligru are here?" you say. "Isn't that why all of us are here?" You look up from the fire and see that Pop is staring right at you when he says this, reviving your earlier fear that he has already deduced you have the Stone of Vul-Kar — based on the simple observation you were coming down the mountain range that everybody else is trying to climb. "I suppose we're all here for own individual reasons," you say. "And I'm glad your purpose was not to fill a cannibal's pot," Pop says, stifling a throaty chuckle. "But no, gallows humor aside, I think you mistake my meaning. We may like to think we have free will, but all of us are pawns in someone else's game. Ligru here serves me. I brought him to Woban Island because of his obvious physical strength — and I have witnessed his ability to use that strength against others to achieve his ends. And now his ends are my ends. And my end is to become the head of an ethnography department at a prestigious institution. At this point, I don't even care which." "Sir…" Ligru starts to say. "No, I shall have my say," Pop continues. "I have lived in America for nearly twenty years, and never once has anybody pronounced my name correctly on the first try. Martian Pop, as if I were some green-skinned alien singing 'go insane, go insane, throw some glitter, make it rain!'" "Sir, you're not even making sense anymore." "I suppose it would amuse everyone to know I have a cousin who thinks he owns the sun." "Sir, it's time for bed. Here, let me help you into your tent." Pop stands and lets his student help him toward the yellow pup tent. "He was named for Virgil. I'm Martian, named for Martianus. Both of us named for respected Romans, except that his name translates better." "You might want to take your boots off, sir." "But I've got one up on him. None of my books have ever been published on Lulu. Is there any more of that whiskey?" "The bottle's empty, sir." Actually, the bottle is still beside the spot where Ligru was sitting, and there is still a good three fingers's worth of whiskey left inside it. "That's a shame. That was good stuff." "Good night, sir," Ligru says, stepping back from the little tent. "We have a long hike ahead of us tomorrow." "Yes, that's right. We have to find a way around the cannibal village. Unless it turns out…." And then Pop suddenly goes silent as the whiskey finally overtakes him. Ligru returns to his spot between the log and the fire. He opens the bottle of Pendleton once more and downs the rest of the whiskey. "Where do you plan to sleep?" he asks as he sets the now-empty bottle down between you. "Frankly, I think I could pass out right here at any moment," you say. "You should be fine," Ligru says. "There will be no rain tonight." "Hmm," you agree, your eyes already closing. Inside the pack against which you are sitting is a nice down sleeping bag and a roomy tent, neither of which have ever been used — and you are not motivated to use either of those things now, either. Not only do you lack the time and energy to formally move into a corner of this campsite, but you are deathly afraid to open your pack in the presence of either Ligru or his liberal arts professor, lest you confirm their suspicions about its contents. Before you fall asleep for real, you push the pack backwards so you can lie against it while remaining close to the fire. The last thing you remember is Ligru tossing more sticks onto the fire. __________________________________________________ > Next page. When morning arrives, you awake with a start. You have been dreaming that Pop and Ligru are rummaging through your pack, tearing all the contents out while you lie there alert but helpless, as if frozen by fear or indecision. Only when they find the Stone of Vul-Kar do you reach for the pack — and the sudden spasm in your arm is what wakes you. But the pack is right there behind you, exactly as it was when you fell asleep. "My, we're awfully worried about that pack." It's Pop, sitting in his former spot beside the fire as if he never went to bed. "Don't worry, we didn't touch it." You sit up and brush some of the dirt off your legs and shorts. Not only is the college professor sitting casually beside the fire, his back reclining against his own turned-around pack — legs extended, hands clasping a tin cup filled with a warm beverage — but Ligru is once again tending the fire, using one stick to move around the charred pieces of wood to make room for more fuel. It is almost like it was when you first joined them, but now in daylight. "I thought you'd be long gone by now," you say. "Us?" Pop says. "What makes you say that?" "You mentioned having a long hike ahead of you today," you say. "Oh, that. That can wait. We didn't want to leave you behind, not after the experiences you've had." "Don't worry about me," you insist. "I've gotten this far; I can take care of the rest." "You never did answer my question last night," Pop says. "Question?" "Yes. Where are you trying to go?" You look around the campfire and see that both men are watching you with much interest. Pop's words may be expressing a polite concern about your well being on the surface, but you sense there is an agenda lurking underneath. Or are you just overreacting to that accent of his? The campsite is now cleaned up, with no sign of the yellow pup tent. Instead you see two backpacks, both ready for the day's trek: Pop is using his as a backrest, and Ligru's is sitting next to the spear. "I'm just trying to get off the island in one piece," you say, trying to add a note of vulnerability to your voice. You need to throw these two off the scent, if indeed they really do think you have the Stone of Vul-Kar. "The Wobans can keep this place. Life is too short as it is already to be spending it running from cannibals." "Yes, I suppose it is. But then you knew the risks when you came here, right?" "But—" you start to say. "But nothing," Pop cuts you off. "You came here for a purpose. We all did. None of us are here on vacation, just to post selfies with the natives on Instagram." "I don't follow…." "Don't play dumb — and don't take us for fools." Pop's voice has grown suddenly firm. "You came here in search of something valuable — so valuable that you'd risk getting eaten by three-eyed savages, if that's what you had to do to find it." "Well look, now," you say, summoning your inner indignation. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But you didn't go through what I did last night. I was held prisoner with two other people, and after they dragged them away I never saw them again. It was sheer luck that I was able to get away—" "And I suppose it was also by sheer luck that you were able to get away with that pack of yours, too," Pop says. Ligru seems to be watching this exchange from the sidelines, as if waiting for a cue to get involved. You decide you need to be more aggressive in this conversation, and put Pop on the defensive for a change. "You're the expert on Polynesian culture, Pop. So you tell me, do you think maybe these people might have left my gear alone because of some superstition?" "First off, these people most certainly aren't Polynesian," Pop says with a bit of a huff. "Or Micronesian, or Maori, or Hawaiian, or anything even closely related to any other human population." "That's interesting," you say. "Then what exactly are the Wobans?" "Certainly nothing that Cook ever laid eyes on," Pop says. Ligru speaks up for the first time this morning. "Weren't you saying the Wobans were their own separate species, sir?" "Well obviously," Pop says. "Show me another human population that averages 2.2 meters in height, has claw-like digits, and of course looks at the world through three fully-functional eyes. This throws the whole evolutionary tree into disarray. Some have proposed that this species be called Homo teroculos, but I suspect that the Wobans aren't members of the genus homo at all, but rather some heretofore unknown offshoot of paranthropus." How easy it is to derail an academic type by feigning interest in their pet subject matter! "There you go!" you say. "We can't expect rational human behavior from people who aren't even human." "I wouldn't go that far," Pop says. "You haven't been their prisoner. I have. If you want to know why I'm eager to get off this island, then feel free to continue right up this trail for another mile. It leads right to the village — you can't miss it. They'll be happy to have you." "That is a good point, sir," Ligru says from across the fire. "So if you don't mind, I need to get going," you say. "I'm sorry to have held you up for so long. After what I went through, all I want more than anything is to get back to the States and schedule an appointment with my therapist." You stand up and lift your pack, ready to hoist it onto your shoulders. "Hold it!" Pop says, standing too. "Ligru, pfft." The professor makes a hooking motion with his left hand, and Ligru immediately drops the stick he has been twiddling and takes a position behind you. "What is this about?" you say. "Enough of this nonsense," Pop says. "It's time for all of us to drop the pretenses and get down to business." "Business?" you say, trying to maintain the same air of innocence — but finding it's hard not to be intimidated with someone as big as Ligru standing right behind you. "Yes, business. I doubt that's such a strange concept to someone such as yourself, no? Two days ago, a massively large yacht shows up and anchors itself off shore. I said to Ligru, 'My, there must be one hell of a wealthy person on that boat.' And Ligru said, 'I'll bet you they're here to look for the Stone of Vul-Kar.' Then sure enough, the next morning we watched as not one but two small boats zipped away toward shore. And from what I could see through my binoculars, one of those people looked a lot like you." "So yeah, I came here on a boat," you say. "This is an island. How did you get here?" "You, my friend, are a mercenary, hired by the wealthy elite. You don't even possess the authenticity to come here to advance your own goals, as I do. You are here for but one purpose: to enhance the ego of someone whose sense of entitlement already knows no bounds. I'm sure you will be made wealthy if your mission is a success — so wealthy you'd risk your life among the cannibals, as you say. And now you'd have me believe you are returning to your master empty-handed? That when you met adversity, you ran for your life? How do you think that will be received when you return to that big yacht?" "Pop, you have one hell of an imagination." "That very well may be. Nevertheless, I'm afraid we can't let you leave here without knowing what's in your pack. It's quite possible you are in possession of something that I need very much." It occurs to you that this would be a good time to use that gun that Walter Berringer gave you yesterday. Unfortunately, that's still in the little book bag that Captain Mark loaned you… and you left that back in the Woban village when you were reunited with your own backpack. This leaves you in the awkward position of being forced to choose between unappealing options, in a game where you clearly have the weaker hand. Either you can cave and give these weird goons what they want, or you can make a run for it — hoping that Ligru isn't as scary as he looks. __________________________________________________ > You show them the Stone of Vul-Kar. This may be one of the lowest moments of your career: conceding defeat to a second-rate college professor and his pet student. But despite the deep sleep you just enjoyed, you know you are still physically exhausted and starved. You were only asleep for a few hours, and you still haven't had anything to eat. Add the fact that the last liquid you consumed was whiskey, and your assessment of your condition is not good. You can't see how you'd have any advantage in a test of strength or speed with Ligru. "All right, you win," you say, dropping your pack on the ground. "Obviously," Pop says. "Now do this slowly. I always like a good reveal." Like most backpacks, this one features a hood that sits over the main compartment, with two straps holding it in place. You release the clips and let the hood fall backwards, and then pull on the drawstring to reveal the contents of the pack. The Stone of Vul-Kar is the first thing you see. "Where is it? I can't see," Pop says. You realize that from afar neither he nor Ligru can see inside the pack — so not only can they not see the crystal, but they are also unaware of the surprise you just found. When you last looked at the contents of your pack last night, it was dark and you were in a hurry to flee the Woban village. You found the stone in Gary Gaffney's pack, immediately realized the fortunate position you were in, and stowed it inside your own reclaimed backpack without scrutinizing too much what else it contained. But it seems that Meredith made an addition of her own, before she gave up the ghost. "It's so beautiful," you say, stalling for time as you reassess your situation. "I just want to look at it one last time." "Oh for crying out loud," Pop says. "Just let me have it already." "Since you put it that way…." What you pull out is not the crystal, but the handgun that could only have been left behind by the woman who absconded with your stuff yesterday. "Well hey now!" Pop says. "Ligru, stand next to your professor," you say. The young man in the grass skirt dutifully moves around you, his hands raised as he joins Pop. "Looks like we've been fooled, sir," he says. "Now, I've enjoyed the time I've spent with you fellas," you say. "But this game has gone on long enough. I have a delivery to make, and while I appreciate the offer I really don't need your assistance." The gun feels awkward in your hand, but you try not to let your inexperience show. It won't be much of a threat if your two companions don't think you can use it. "Let's be reasonable here," Pop says. "If you fire that thing, you're likely to bring the Wobans down on all of us." His hands are raised, but he is taking a cautious step toward you. For once you have the upper hand, and you want to keep it that way. So you flip the safety switch and fire a shot at the ground in front of Pop — the Wobans be damned. You don't intend to stick around long enough to see them come, anyway. "All right! All right!" Pop says. "I had no idea you were such a lunatic." "There are five more shots where that came from," you bluff; you have no idea what Meredith left you inside the chamber. "If you leave me alone, I'll leave you alone. It's that simple." You worry that Ligru might try and jump you while you shoulder your pack once more, but the big man really seems unsure of what to do. You are unable to fasten the buckles without taking your attention off your companions, so you let the pack hang from your shoulders like a dead weight. "I'm serious!" you say. "If you follow me, I'll be very unhappy." To emphasize your point, you fire one more shot into the ground. Both Pop and Ligru jump slightly as a little plume of dust rises at their feet. And with that you run. Last night, as you were descending the steep and rocky slope, you were concerned that you might have lost the trail in the dark. Now, in the morning light, the way couldn't be clearer. The trail leads down a gentle slope, but with so many rocks and roots that you could easily get yourself killed if you weren't paying attention. However, running with the pack hanging loose on your shoulders just isn't going to do. It feels like running a steeplechase with a seven-year-old child riding piggyback. So after about a minute down the trail, you stop to buckle the waist strap. As you do so you turn around and see Ligru following at a distance. His big, gangly body wasn't built for running, but that isn't stopping him from trying. You'd much prefer that he didn't, and so you consider the handgun in your right hand. It's no exaggeration to say you don't like these things, and that in your experience they cause more harm than good. But you remember Ligru's demonstration with the spear last night, and it won't do to let him get too close. So you lift the gun, aim it at your pursuer, pull the trigger, and… Nothing happens. The gun clicks, but no shots are fired. Damn you, Meredith! Did she really just load this thing with two bullets? Or maybe she fired the other four before hiding the gun inside your pack. The dead tell no tales, so you may never know. But whatever the explanation, the gun is worthless now. You toss it into the jungle and resume your jog down the trail, trying to set the best possible pace despite the ruggedness of the route. At some point last night the trail veered away from the small river, but you are starting to hear it more loudly now, as if you were returning to its side. And then, just moments later, the trail leads you right to its bank. Well this sucks! The river is flowing through a rocky trench, like a miniature gorge with V-shaped walls. The current is swift and violent as the entire flow is funneled through this tight space. The only way across is a single log that spans the gorge, from a dead tree that fell long ago and has been rotting ever since. It is about three feet in diameter, and some of the bark has sloughed off. The bare, exposed wood looks incredibly slick. If you weren't running for your life from someone with a spear — and the proven ability to use it — you could probably take your time and scoot your away across this thing. But it's a good four feet above the water, and the price of losing your balance trying to cross in a hurry would be catastrophic. So perhaps it would be better to duck into the jungle and elude Ligru that way. __________________________________________________ > You cross the log. If the log is going to be an obstacle for you, then it will be for Ligru, too. The advantage is that it you've done this type of thing before, whereas Ligru probably never had much of an opportunity to practice balancing on logs back in Oakland. Yes, there is a high probability of failure, but it's a risk you feel you can manage. You step onto the near end of the log, finding that perhaps some of your fears might be exaggerated. The tree has been dead so long that the previous foot traffic has flattened a narrow walkway into the pliant, rotten wood. Still, it will not be an easy crossing. The best you can do is focus on the trodden portions of the log and ignore the frothing river below. After a deep breath, you take the first step. When your boot grips the surface without slipping, you go ahead and take the next step, and the next. Despite appearances, the log makes a competent bridge after all. Nevertheless it is slow going, and it will take you a few minutes to cross the nearly hundred-foot-long span. A problem arises, however, about two-thirds of the way across. You have reached a section of the log where the bark is still attached, and at first you expected the textured surface would offer added traction — making the rest of the crossing a cinch. But when you stepped on the corky covering, it slipped into the river in a huge sheet. The surface it exposed is just as slick and slippery as you feared, leaving a section about twelve feet long that will be almost impossible to cross standing up — at least not without the aid of some old-timey caulked boots. "You didn't get so far after all, I see." Turning, you see Ligru standing on the ledge behind you, holding his Woban spear. "Feel free to join me, Ligru," you say, shouting over the roar of the river. "Just give me the Stone of Vul-Kar, and I'll let you go," Ligru shouts back. "I'll tell the Professor you fell in. He'll never need to know." "And you really think that after all this I'll just hand the stone over?" you say. "I think when push comes to shove, you'll do what you need to do to save your own skin." Interesting — when he isn't busy fawning over Martian Pop he is able to speak more than five words at a time. You still think that he is a gentle giant, so you decide to call his bluff. "Ligru, you won't hurt me," you say. "Throwing that spear at a tree is one thing. Inflicting harm on a fellow human being is quite another." "You think I learned how to be nice back on the streets of Oakland?" "I think maybe you aren't as fierce as you want everyone to think you are." "Well OK then," he says. "Allow me to show you how nice I really am." He raises the spear horizontally above his shoulder just like last night, and then he pitches it forward — right at you. There is no time to react; for a split second you think of jumping in the river, but between the wild current and the heavy pack strapped to your body, you'd drown in seconds. So you stand there helplessly, remembering that scene in Jaws 3-D when someone fired a harpoon straight at the camera and you jumped in your seat at the illusion of a projectile hurled straight between your eyes. And if this is to be your final moment, how stupid is it to be remembering one of the worst movies ever? But the spear sails past you, and instead of impaling you it lands with a dull thwack! in the log ahead of you. Ligru is displeased with his failure to pick you off the log, so he mounts the far end and starts to come for you in person. This leaves you no option but to take your chances with the slick surface exposed by the bark. It is like trying to cross a tube of ice, but by being deliberate with your steps you do not slip. And the one moment when you do feel your balance faltering, you stable yourself by stepping on Ligru's planted spear. Two steps later and you're back on a textured section of the log, and at the first opportunity you jump off onto the opposite bank. "Holy Christ!" Ligru shouts behind you. You turn just in time to see him slip off the log and tumble into the river. You wait a few seconds, but he does not resurface. By some miracle, you have survived! It is still possible that Ligru will figure out a way to haul himself out of the river, so you decide not to linger. __________________________________________________ > Next page. For the first time in nearly twenty-four hours, you are hiking along a Woban trail without the sense that you are in immediate danger. The villagers have not yet come looking for their lost meal, and if Ligru survived his plunge into the river you suspect he will have more pressing concerns than continuing to chase you. And without his overgrown student-henchman, Martian Pop can drop dead for all you care. It is not exactly a leisurely stroll down the rest of the trail, but certainly the stress factor has decreased. For instance, without the need to constantly look over your shoulder you are free to notice the fact there are no footprints in this trail. Wherever it goes, this is not the type of major thoroughfare where you first got captured a day ago. But just as importantly, it is maintaining a steady course toward the ocean — wherein lies your salvation from this hellish place. You fish out your compass and confirm what the position of the sun already told you: the trail is heading west, whereas your runabout is on the east side of the island. That will be a problem, but one that can probably be solved. As the trail continues to descend through the valley, and as the sound of the raging whitewater fades away, you spot a small rock knob rising a short distance above the trail. The forest canopy allows only a brief glimpse of the summit, but it is enough to see that it is only a couple hundred feet high, and barely two-tenths of a mile off the trail. It beckons as a watchtower from which you can finally get your bearings. Indeed, scaling this rocky foothill proves to be quick and easy. It is rather warm on the exposed rock, but you find a ledge shaded from the tropical sun by the natural wall behind it, and from this vantage you enjoy a commanding view across the coastal portion of Woban Island: a series of rocky mountains to the south, a jagged headland beyond on the most distant portion of the shoreline, but then a long and uninterrupted section of oceanfront lowlands about a mile away. Assuming there are no further Woban villages along the way, you'll be there in less than an hour. The scene is so pleasing that you decide to savor it. You fish out all the ready-to-eat food you can find in your pack, producing a smorgasbord of Clif Bars and packets of flavored tuna. All of this is washed down by the contents of the Nalgene that Meredith managed not to lose. Next you pull out the maps that Berringer somehow procured from the Air Force, and you unfold the one that shows the southwestern quadrant of the island. It is a detailed topographic map, but now that you've seen Woban Island in real life you are more impressed by what it doesn't show: no trail network, no native villages. The map depicts the layout of the island, but says nothing about the dangers it contains. Someone should write a guidebook about this place, with the caveat that the best way to appreciate the island is from afar. However, the map does show a blue line representing the one noteworthy river, which rises high in a mountain basin before plunging steeply into the western lowlands. And there, just a mile from the coastline, is the small knob that matches the description of the one on which you are sitting. The last thing that you pull out of the pack is Berringer's satellite phone. Now that you know where you are, it's time to make that call to your employer. If he wants his prize, he's going to need to pick you up. There is only one number programmed into the phone's memory, so that is the one you dial. After a few rings, you hear a response on the other end as someone picks up the receiving phone. And then you hear Walter Berringer's voice. "Meredith! How dare you—" "I'm happy to report that I am not Meredith," you say. "You!" he says. "You're the last person I expected to hear from." "I'll try not to take that as a lack of confidence in my abilities." "That's not what I meant," Berringer says. "As far as I knew, Meredith had the satellite phone. But nevermind. Please tell me your mission was a success." "Indeed, I am in possession of a purple rock." "And Meredith?" "As far as I can tell, she'll never steal from you again." "I can't wait to hear the details," he says. "That's the thing. While I was successful, I came out on the wrong end of the island. If I gave you some lat-long coordinates, could you arrange to pick me up?" "Well of course," Berringer says. "Just give us some time." __________________________________________________ > Next page. You wait on the rocky summit until you see the Big Papi sailing into view, and then you return to the trail. The final mile of the hike leads you through the flat bottomlands, where the once-raging river now flows languidly between sandy banks. Your heart almost stops when you spy a hut directly ahead of you, but it doesn't take long to figure out it is in severe disrepair. The trail leads to what appears to be an abandoned fishing settlement, and judging by the collapsed structures, the toppled trees, and the ocean flotsam scattered everywhere you deduce this place was ravaged by a typhoon and the resulting storm surge. Not a soul remains. Captain Mark is already waiting for you when you arrive at the beach. "Good to see you again!" he says cheerfully as you stride across the expanse of sand. "I trust everything went well." "Well? No," you say. "But successful? Yes." "The boss will be pleased, then." One of his crewmen takes your pack from you and stows it inside the landing craft — another one of those white inflatable runabouts. "I'm glad to see you had another one of these stored on board," you say as you step inside yourself. "I was curious how you were going to get me off the island." "Well, let's just hope we have no difficulties getting back to the yacht," Captain Mark says. "Otherwise we'll be fresh out of runabouts." "I'm sorry about your pack," you say. "As far as I know it's still up in a village full of cannibals." "No worries. I'll get another." The best part about the ride back to the Big Papi is that is leading away from Woban Island. And twenty minutes later, when a crewman helps you out of the runabout and back onto the big boat's Sun Deck, the first thing you appreciate is how distant the island appears from this far out at sea. Berringer is coming down the stairs from the main salon. He is decked out all in white: white trousers, a white shirt, a white vest, a white tie, and a white jacket. If he had a cigar and a white hat, he'd be Boss Hogg. "Welcome back!" he says, extending his hand. "It's good to be back," you say. "I know you probably want to rest and clean up, but it's almost dinnertime. I took the liberty of telling Cookie to prepare a celebratory feast, which should be ready soon. In the meantime, I've poured myself a drink upstairs. Would you care to join me?" You know there is no point in declining, so you agree. "After you," Berringer says, following you up the stairs as a crewman carries your pack. "I feel like a little kid on Christmas." You suddenly feel too grungy to be in the posh setting of the main salon, but Berringer doesn't seem to care in the least. "Would you like a bourbon?" he asks. Not really, you think, but again you choose to go along with the spirit of the proceedings. "Was it difficult scaling the mountain?" he says, sitting with a drink in hand. "Turns out I didn't need to," you say. "It's a long story." "One that I'll be happy to hear over dinner, I'm sure. Now, please, I would love to see the item." The crewman has set your backpack beside you, so you open the top just as you did for Pop and Ligru this morning. The purple crystal is right where you left it, no worse for wear. But like you were handling a newborn baby, you gently lift it out. "That's it?" Berringer says. The disappointment in his voice is palpable, and it causes you to doubt yourself. You never did make it to the main summit, so how would you know if this were the Stone of Vul-Kar or not? But what else could it be? Gary Gaffney found it, and then you claimed it. Berringer admitted back in Fenway that he had almost no foreknowledge of what the gem looked like, so who is he to complain? You decide it's best not to say anything, and just let your employer examine his prize undisturbed. He moves to a seat closer to a window, and then turns on a lamp for extra light. "It looks like a normal amethyst," he says, turning the stone around in his hands. "Colorful quartz. I've seen people use things like this as paperweights." The mood in the room has suddenly grown more tense. The crewman who had carried your pack had been lingering just outside the doorway, as if hoping to overhear your conversation without being too obvious, but now he rushes down the stairs to help his mates on the Sun Deck with the runabout. Berringer sighs as he examines the crystal. At last he holds it up in his right hand. "It's a fake!" he declares. You squirm in your chair, not sure how to respond. "How can you be sure?" you finally say. "I assume you didn't look at it closely while you were on the island," he says. Well, no. It was dark when you found it in the wee hours of the morning, and then you spent much of today trying to safeguard it against Martian Pop and Ligru Washington. You considered yourself fortunate just to get it off the island; never once did it occur to you to take it out and study it. When you don't say anything, Berringer reaches forward with the crystal. "Here, see for yourself." So you take the purple stone that up until now you had been calling the Stone of Vul-Kar. You have no idea what you're looking for as you turn it over — but then you see a flat spot with lettering inscribed into the surface. You hold it closer so you can read the words — and then you wish you were still on the island, working your way up that goddamned mountain. Marty's Rock Shop, Albuquerque, NM "I'll tell Captain Mark you'll be needing the runabout again," Berringer says, and at that moment you realize your adventures on Woban Island are far from over. THE END

This may be one of the lowest moments of your career: conceding defeat to a second-rate college professor and his pet student. But despite the deep sleep you just enjoyed, you know you are still physically exhausted and starved. You were only asleep for a few hours, and you still haven't had anything to eat. Add the fact that the last liquid you consumed was whiskey, and your assessment of your condition is not good. You can't see how you'd have any advantage in a test of strength or speed with Ligru. "All right, you win," you say, dropping your pack on the ground. "Obviously," Pop says. "Now do this slowly. I always like a good reveal." Like most backpacks, this one features a hood that sits over the main compartment, with two straps holding it in place. You release the clips and let the hood fall backwards, and then pull on the drawstring to reveal the contents of the pack. The Stone of Vul-Kar is the first thing you see. "Where is it? I can't see," Pop says. You realize that from afar neither he nor Ligru can see inside the pack — so not only can they not see the crystal, but they are also unaware of the surprise you just found. When you last looked at the contents of your pack last night, it was dark and you were in a hurry to flee the Woban village. You found the stone in Gary Gaffney's pack, immediately realized the fortunate position you were in, and stowed it inside your own reclaimed backpack without scrutinizing too much what else it contained. But it seems that Meredith made an addition of her own, before she gave up the ghost. "It's so beautiful," you say, stalling for time as you reassess your situation. "I just want to look at it one last time." "Oh for crying out loud," Pop says. "Just let me have it already." "Since you put it that way…." What you pull out is not the crystal, but the handgun that could only have been left behind by the woman who absconded with your stuff yesterday. "Well hey now!" Pop says. "Ligru, stand next to your professor," you say. The young man in the grass skirt dutifully moves around you, his hands raised as he joins Pop. "Looks like we've been fooled, sir," he says. "Now, I've enjoyed the time I've spent with you fellas," you say. "But this game has gone on long enough. I have a delivery to make, and while I appreciate the offer I really don't need your assistance." The gun feels awkward in your hand, but you try not to let your inexperience show. It won't be much of a threat if your two companions don't think you can use it. "Let's be reasonable here," Pop says. "If you fire that thing, you're likely to bring the Wobans down on all of us." His hands are raised, but he is taking a cautious step toward you. For once you have the upper hand, and you want to keep it that way. So you flip the safety switch and fire a shot at the ground in front of Pop — the Wobans be damned. You don't intend to stick around long enough to see them come, anyway. "All right! All right!" Pop says. "I had no idea you were such a lunatic." "There are five more shots where that came from," you bluff; you have no idea what Meredith left you inside the chamber. "If you leave me alone, I'll leave you alone. It's that simple." You worry that Ligru might try and jump you while you shoulder your pack once more, but the big man really seems unsure of what to do. You are unable to fasten the buckles without taking your attention off your companions, so you let the pack hang from your shoulders like a dead weight. "I'm serious!" you say. "If you follow me, I'll be very unhappy." To emphasize your point, you fire one more shot into the ground. Both Pop and Ligru jump slightly as a little plume of dust rises at their feet. And with that you run. Last night, as you were descending the steep and rocky slope, you were concerned that you might have lost the trail in the dark. Now, in the morning light, the way couldn't be clearer. The trail leads down a gentle slope, but with so many rocks and roots that you could easily get yourself killed if you weren't paying attention. However, running with the pack hanging loose on your shoulders just isn't going to do. It feels like running a steeplechase with a seven-year-old child riding piggyback. So after about a minute down the trail, you stop to buckle the waist strap. As you do so you turn around and see Ligru following at a distance. His big, gangly body wasn't built for running, but that isn't stopping him from trying. You'd much prefer that he didn't, and so you consider the handgun in your right hand. It's no exaggeration to say you don't like these things, and that in your experience they cause more harm than good. But you remember Ligru's demonstration with the spear last night, and it won't do to let him get too close. So you lift the gun, aim it at your pursuer, pull the trigger, and… Nothing happens. The gun clicks, but no shots are fired. Damn you, Meredith! Did she really just load this thing with two bullets? Or maybe she fired the other four before hiding the gun inside your pack. The dead tell no tales, so you may never know. But whatever the explanation, the gun is worthless now. You toss it into the jungle and resume your jog down the trail, trying to set the best possible pace despite the ruggedness of the route. At some point last night the trail veered away from the small river, but you are starting to hear it more loudly now, as if you were returning to its side. And then, just moments later, the trail leads you right to its bank. Well this sucks! The river is flowing through a rocky trench, like a miniature gorge with V-shaped walls. The current is swift and violent as the entire flow is funneled through this tight space. The only way across is a single log that spans the gorge, from a dead tree that fell long ago and has been rotting ever since. It is about three feet in diameter, and some of the bark has sloughed off. The bare, exposed wood looks incredibly slick. If you weren't running for your life from someone with a spear — and the proven ability to use it — you could probably take your time and scoot your away across this thing. But it's a good four feet above the water, and the price of losing your balance trying to cross in a hurry would be catastrophic. So perhaps it would be better to duck into the jungle and elude Ligru that way. __________________________________________________ > You duck into the jungle. You'll never make it across that death trap of a log, so there is no point in even trying. Ligru will be here soon, and you don't want to be caught with your back to the river when he does. The only other option is to plunge into the jungle beside the gorge, hoping that there is an easy way to get through this rugged part of the valley — and that you somehow manage to evade your pursuer in the process. The vegetation is thick, making you feel like a fly trying to push your way through a spider's web. You have a hard time seeing your feet, let alone what is twenty feet ahead of you. With each step you might be placing your foot on solid ground, an unseen gap in the bedrock, or the nest of some reclusive bird — you have no way of knowing, nor do you have the luxury of time to worry about it. All you can do is try and put as much distance between you and the trail as you can. "I see you!" It's Ligru's voice, and he's shouting to be heard above the roar of the river. You turn and see his face through the leaves, staring right at you from the trail. You've barely made it fifty feet. He tries to come at you, but if there is any consolation, it's that the jungle offers his large body even more resistance than it is giving you. Newly motivated to keep going, you move right to what at first appears to be a more open avenue through the vegetation. But when you get there you are caught off guard by a hidden ledge that is lurking in the forest, ready to betray you and slide you into the gorge. "God damn this jungle!" Ligru shouts, his limbs mired in vines and branches. It is like the jungle is your ally, ensnaring your foe and giving you a chance to get away — except that if it were true, you'd appreciate your ally showing you a better path forward. You get enmeshed yourself in a nasty patch of thick underbrush; seeing no quick way around it, you decided it was best to push straight through. Now leaves fill your vision, and some even try to get in your mouth. It feels like every square inch of your body is being hindered by some small branch that refuses to give way. Others snag at your pack, offering further resistance. So maybe the jungle isn't your ally after all. It despises both of you equally. All you can do is force your way through this green mesh, hoping things start to improve when you emerge on the other side. But what you find instead is empty space. You scramble to find something to grab onto, or something solid to step on, but you find nothing but air. Realizing that you are about to fall, it is the most you can do to remain upright so that you can land on your feet. __________________________________________________ > Next page. You land with a splash, up to your knees in brown water. This appears to be some kind of side alcove in the gorge, with the main river flowing past the opening just twenty feet away. Walls of black rock rise vertically all around you, with the spot from which you fell just five feet above you. But the rock is hopelessly slippery; there is no chance you will be able to climb back up out of this little chamber. The only way out is toward the river, but you are doubtful that will really be much of an exit. You are standing in a backwater, relatively safe even if you are trapped. But out there is a raging torrent, where you put your odds of survival pretty close to zero — especially if you are weighed down by your backpack and the Stone of Vul-Kar. Unfortunately you see no other way out, so you decide to venture a little closer to at least see what the main part of the gorge looks like. You hug the wall of this dark alcove, having no idea what it is you're walking on beneath that dark water. Twice you stumble over some unseen rock, and slowly the water inches its way up toward your waist. You unclip the waist belt of your pack, knowing that if you get swept away by the main current you'll need to sacrifice it to save yourself. You come to a corner of the rock wall, the water now up to your thighs. What you see is encouraging and unexpected: a shelf of rock on your right that sits almost a foot above the current level of the river. The wall of the gorge is just as vertical and slick here, but at least it is a patch of bare ground upon which you can climb out of the water and reassess your situation. Obviously, your boots are now hopelessly soaked, and will remain that way until you can figure out a way to dry them thoroughly. Even after you hoist yourself up onto the rock shelf, your feet feel like they are trapped in a pair of goldfish bowls. You examine your legs but you see no signs of leeches, so you feel like this is a win-some-lose-some situation. So there you are, out of the river but still stuck in the gorge, with no easy exits in sight. How you pine for the old days, when all that might be expected of you was to travel to the Arctic Circle and dig some wooly mammoth tusks or something out of the thawing tundra. The mosquitoes were often unbearable, and the payoffs were typically less handsome, but at least in Alaska there were no cannibal villages or goons from Oakland running around in grass skirts trying to kill you with a spear. Sometimes the simple ways are the best. Your reverie is broken when something long and skinny touches your shoulder. You jump to the opposite end of the shelf. Of course your first thought is that this is a snake, but to your knowledge no snakes have discovered this tropical "Eden" yet. This object, it turns out, is a vine. "Grab hold, silly!" Looking up, you see Ligru directly above you. He is standing on the rim of the gorge, dangling the vine down to your level. Not long ago he was coming at you with his Woban spear, but now he wants to be your savior? Yes, you want out of this gorge, but not necessarily at any cost. "Why?" you shout back. "So you can rob me once you get me out of here?" He cocks his head as if he can't fully understand you above the river's roar, but then he says in response, "We need to talk! Grab the vine! I don't want to hurt you!" You remember your earlier assessment that Ligru was not really a threat at all, but a gentle giant who was incapable of doing half the stuff his professor friend said he could do. All this time you've been running from the guy, and you even tried to shoot him, but perhaps in reality he has been the ally you've needed all along. Or maybe this whole act is a deception designed to get you and the Stone of Vul-Kar out of the gorge to fulfill his master's bidding. __________________________________________________ > You accept Ligru's help. Regardless of what you might think of Ligru, this vine he is dangling over you is the only real exit that you can see from the gorge. As you grab onto the end, you can only hope that your hunch proves correct and that he is helping you so you can collaboratively foil Professor Pop. If that is not the case… well, first things first. You expect to have to climb up the vine, similar to the way you extracted yourself from the Woban pit not even twelve hours ago. Your arms are still smarting from that effort and are not excited about the prospect. However, once Ligru sees that you have a satisfactory grip on the vine, he begins tugging on it to lift you up. All you have to do is hang on and enjoy the ride. It's not until you near the rim that you begin to help your own cause again by grabbing the nearest root of any substantial size, using it as a handle to pull yourself back onto solid ground. You see that Ligru had looped the vine around the trunk of a nearby tree, and was therefore using it as a pulley as he lifted you up from inside the gorge. But that's not all you see: there standing next to him is Martian Pop. "I think we can all agree that this nonsense needs to stop," Pop says. "You have nowhere left to run. Now hand over that pack." When you don't respond, Ligru grabs you by the shoulder. "Just take it, Ligru. We don't have time for this." Because you had unhooked the waist strap when you were wading through the water, all the big man has to do is spin you around and lift your pack off your body. And thus it gets stolen from you twice on the same trip: first by Meredith when she crept into your cabin before dawn, and now by this duplicitous duo in broad daylight. "I was going to at least let you keep your personal items," Pop says as he takes your pack from Ligru. "But my moment of charity has passed. Ligru, make sure this idiot never bothers us again." Before you can protest or ask questions, Ligru gives you a firm push, walking you backwards to the rim of the gorge. When you trip over the vine that a moment ago pulled you to safety, you tumble headfirst back into the gorge. When you land on the rock shelf, it is not a pretty sight. THE END

You land with a splash, up to your knees in brown water. This appears to be some kind of side alcove in the gorge, with the main river flowing past the opening just twenty feet away. Walls of black rock rise vertically all around you, with the spot from which you fell just five feet above you. But the rock is hopelessly slippery; there is no chance you will be able to climb back up out of this little chamber. The only way out is toward the river, but you are doubtful that will really be much of an exit. You are standing in a backwater, relatively safe even if you are trapped. But out there is a raging torrent, where you put your odds of survival pretty close to zero — especially if you are weighed down by your backpack and the Stone of Vul-Kar. Unfortunately you see no other way out, so you decide to venture a little closer to at least see what the main part of the gorge looks like. You hug the wall of this dark alcove, having no idea what it is you're walking on beneath that dark water. Twice you stumble over some unseen rock, and slowly the water inches its way up toward your waist. You unclip the waist belt of your pack, knowing that if you get swept away by the main current you'll need to sacrifice it to save yourself. You come to a corner of the rock wall, the water now up to your thighs. What you see is encouraging and unexpected: a shelf of rock on your right that sits almost a foot above the current level of the river. The wall of the gorge is just as vertical and slick here, but at least it is a patch of bare ground upon which you can climb out of the water and reassess your situation. Obviously, your boots are now hopelessly soaked, and will remain that way until you can figure out a way to dry them thoroughly. Even after you hoist yourself up onto the rock shelf, your feet feel like they are trapped in a pair of goldfish bowls. You examine your legs but you see no signs of leeches, so you feel like this is a win-some-lose-some situation. So there you are, out of the river but still stuck in the gorge, with no easy exits in sight. How you pine for the old days, when all that might be expected of you was to travel to the Arctic Circle and dig some wooly mammoth tusks or something out of the thawing tundra. The mosquitoes were often unbearable, and the payoffs were typically less handsome, but at least in Alaska there were no cannibal villages or goons from Oakland running around in grass skirts trying to kill you with a spear. Sometimes the simple ways are the best. Your reverie is broken when something long and skinny touches your shoulder. You jump to the opposite end of the shelf. Of course your first thought is that this is a snake, but to your knowledge no snakes have discovered this tropical "Eden" yet. This object, it turns out, is a vine. "Grab hold, silly!" Looking up, you see Ligru directly above you. He is standing on the rim of the gorge, dangling the vine down to your level. Not long ago he was coming at you with his Woban spear, but now he wants to be your savior? Yes, you want out of this gorge, but not necessarily at any cost. "Why?" you shout back. "So you can rob me once you get me out of here?" He cocks his head as if he can't fully understand you above the river's roar, but then he says in response, "We need to talk! Grab the vine! I don't want to hurt you!" You remember your earlier assessment that Ligru was not really a threat at all, but a gentle giant who was incapable of doing half the stuff his professor friend said he could do. All this time you've been running from the guy, and you even tried to shoot him, but perhaps in reality he has been the ally you've needed all along. Or maybe this whole act is a deception designed to get you and the Stone of Vul-Kar out of the gorge to fulfill his master's bidding. __________________________________________________ > You decline. "You know I can't trust you!" you shout back up to Ligru. "Have it your way, then," he says, and the next thing you know he is using the vine to descend into the gorge. This is not going to end well. The shelf on which you're standing is scarcely a hundred square feet in size, leaving you nowhere to go except the river should Ligru decide to try and force the stone from you. With nothing but a portfolio of decreasingly attractive options, you decide that the only way to buy yourself some time might be to drop your pack into the river. With any luck, you'll figure out a way later to fish it out someplace downstream. Therefore you stand at the edge of the rock shelf as Ligru comes down the vine, your back to the water. When he drops the final two feet onto the rock, he turns to regard you. "You need to trust me. I'm not who you think I am." "I'm not falling for it!" you say. "I'm not giving you the Stone of Vul-Kar!" "I know that Professor Pop is not a moral man," Ligru says. "Therefore we need to work together if we want to get out of this situation!" There is friendship in his words, but you sense a hidden violence in the way he is slowly advancing toward you, arms extended toward you almost like a Hollywood movie monster of old. "I'm warning you!" you say. "Come any closer, and I'll drop this pack in the water!" Ligru says nothing, but he continues his advance. One more step, and he'll be within arm's reach. When he starts to take that step, you lower your shoulders and shrug. The pack slips off and falls in the water; the river is so loud you do not hear the splash. Your foe looks horrified at what you have just done. By one simple action, you have changed the nature of the game from a struggle for control to what is sure to become a desperate race to locate and retrieve your pack before it gets buried in sediment or swept out to sea. But there is one thing you forgot to calculate: Ligru has a golden opportunity here to eliminate his major source of competition in that race. His rage seems to impede his ability to string together words into a coherent sentence. "I… have had enough… of you!" he shouts, and to punctuate his statement he shoves you backward into the raging river. The current immediately grabs you and drags you below the surface, where you begin to bounce off the submerged boulders like a pinball. Your body is never seen again. As for your pack? Well, that's a another story…. THE END