writing exercise
#3 of stories
ADVENTURE
The place we begin in is a place like no other you have seen, although it is extremely similar. There ARE birds and trees and other assorted wildlife, but there is something else. something much more sinister hiding deep inside. You, my young adventurer, explore the place we are in for a long time making sure to be prepared for your explorations, trying to find the heart of the darkened area. The trees sway slowly in the midsummer breeze casting shadows underneath your feet. You, young adventurer, come across something that catches your interest. A path through the shaded wood, twords the center, a path you know will lead you to where ever you wish you could go but never seemed to be able to find. This time you have and take the path, starting your journey into the deep unknown territory you sought after.
Along the way you find a chest, not a large one mind you, but a chest all the same. You ruffle through your pack searching for an object that is notorious for pairing with locked things. This object that you find is rusted to the point that you wonder to yourself if it will even fit anymore, you try using it anyways. No luck seems to be on your side anymore as you try to force the key into the lock. You give up and start using the blade of a small knife you took with you to chisel off the rust. underneath the thick layer of rust that is now in pieces on the forest floor you see that the key is in fact made of silver, a rare commodity to you. You try again to open the chest using the now, although faded in coloration, silver key.
*click* The lock triggers and you are nervous as to what the chest may contain; It was locked pretty tightly after all. You peer inside holding the dagger close to you in case anything happens while opening the chest. thinking to yourself "what could be in the forest this deep in" you put the knife away breathing a sigh of relieve as you notice it's simply a cup. Although it does look peculiar. This is certainly a treasure of sorts although more of an antiquity than something usable to you. As with the key, the cup is rusty but has a slight shine in the patches where rust hasn't yet claimed the cup as it's own. The cup, which as you look closer at, resembles more of a grail or a mug. You put it inside of your pack carefully and carry on along the path.
As you walk for another hour or so, and as the twilight takes its rein over the land (instead of the trees for once) a glittering expanse of water appears before you. The crisp clearness of the area amazes you since you've been in the forest this entire time, barely seeing any outcroppings to breaks in the trees. You sit down at the shore taking in the reflection of the setting sun and the rising moon, wishing you had a sketchpad...or the ability to draw. You take both the key and the cup out looking at them once more before cleaning the cup of rust and making sure the key was rust free also. The water looks so nice as you stare at your own reflection, the summer breeze creating ripples along its surface distorting your image.
You realize suddenly that since the cup is clean you can take a sip of the clear waters. Because of this you take the cup and dunk it under the water's surface and take a small sip before taking another and another. You drink until the cup is empty and dunk it under a second and third time before stopping. As it turns out you didn't clean the cup enough and can taste the metallic taste of the rust. You sit down for a while nauseous. After an hour of waiting you stand again, the nausea having disappeared for the most part, and continue along the path.
As you venture further along you come across a pitch black cave mouth. You become petrified with fear of whatever may be waiting inside of the giant hole in the hillside. The mouth of it may have been black but as fireflies began to appear, signalling night, you notice it's not as dark as you had though. In fact it looks almost as if it was inviting you. The cave shape looked like a skull which set you uneasily away from it before returning a moment later with a stick you had found. You look through your pack and find some flint and iron and light the stick, creating a makeshift torch for yourself as you push on, into the cave which was damp and dripping. The dripping water from above threatening to put the fire out. The unease never left you as you continue on.
You walk for less than a minute before you hear growling and quiet snoring. You turn the torch in the direction of the sounds and notice something. A lump of fur...a LARGE lump of fur. Brown fur. It takes you only seconds to put two-and-two together. You begin to panic searching for the continuing path which for some reason you find difficulty in doing. You stand, staring at the bear, for several minutes as a cold sweat trickles down your back, making the unease you continue to feel grow larger. You move along the cave wall noticing scratches that no doubt came from the sleeping giant next to you. Finding the path you see it goes in two directions, you can see the end of one is cut off by a stone wall and take the other one.
You travel along the second path, running out of both food and water, your torch dying out and casting it's final embers into the air. The second path also contained a stone wall as a dead end, the final area of your journey. You realize that this entire time there were warning signs along the entirety of your path. Warnings of what not to do and which paths are dangerous. You realize that the stories you heard about the path all came true; the chest, the lake, the cave, the bear, and the path, were all real. You sit down slowly sliding along the wall as hopelessness takes its home in place of dread. Sorrow overtakes unease. And finally you start chuckling as the torch finally dies, letting the light make way to the darkness. A growl is heard from close by. The bear you realize still laughing at your own stupidity. The BEAR was coming for you. The story really was true and because the signs were never followed you will pay the final price. You sit for what seems like an eternity waiting for something but in the end you simply drift off to sleep.
Do not be afraid though, for this can be undone. You simply have to watch your footsteps and listen when told something. Because when you listen to the signs, you are rewarded...