Survival Week

A Guide to Edible Berries and Plants

Ten minutes later, Naomi and Jenna are walking through the woods foraging for food. Meanwhile, Elaina is back at the tent keeping an eye on Lindsay Valentine.

NAOMI: Does this look edible?

JENNA: Let's look it up in the book. (opens a Guide to Edible Berries and Plants) Let's see. Small, red, and filled with seeds. That appears to be a yew berry.

NAOMI: Is it edible?

JENNA: No. It causes sudden death.

NAOMI: Oh, that's—nice. What about this one?

JENNA: Clustered purple berries on a vine. The book says that it is an ivy berry.

NAOMI: Can we eat it?

JENNA: No, it causes pain and swelling.

NAOMI: Geez. Isn't anything edible here? The last ten berries we found either cause death or pain.

JENNA: The mistletoe we found earlier would have caused convulsions and blurred vision.

NAOMI: I'm glad we didn't eat it then.

JENNA: Elaina should have brought more food. We finished up the last frozen pizza and chocolate bars last night.

NAOMI: She said she still has some instant coffee, a four pack of yogurt, and a bag of cough drops.

JENNA: Where is she getting this stuff? It's like it never ends.

NAOMI: I think it's ending soon. When the food items start to get strange, it means that she's running out.

JENNA: Yeah. No more frozen pizzas.

NAOMI: Anyway. What about that plant there?

JENNA: It smells like mint. (flips through book) Hey, the book says that the leaves of the mint plant are edible!

NAOMI: Cool. I'll pick off some of the leaves!

JENNA: No wait. Let's dig the whole plant up.

NAOMI: Why?

JENNA: Because then we can plant it on our campsite and have our own little mint bush.

NAOMI: Okay. Help me get it out of the ground.

Together, Jenna and Naomi manage to pick the mint plant up and put it in Naomi's backpack.

JENNA: There. We've successfully stolen a mint plant.

NAOMI: Not quite. We'll still have to smuggle it back in.

JENNA: Truth.

NAOMI: Don't say that word. It makes me think of truth or dare.

JENNA: That's a good idea. We should play!

NAOMI: I'd rather not.

JENNA: That's an even better idea! Let's play would you rather!

NAOMI: That's not what I—okay fine.

JENNA: Yay!

NAOMI: You go first.

JENNA: Okay. Would you rather get lost in the woods for a week with only a bottle of water and that mint plant...

NAOMI: That sounds lovely.

JENNA: ...or have to share a tent with Lindsay Valentine for a day.

NAOMI: I think I'll take my chances in the wilderness.

JENNA: Good choice. Hey, are those blackberries?

NAOMI: Yeah they are. Here, there's an empty butter container in my backpack. We can put the blackberries in that.

JENNA: A butter container?

NAOMI: Remember? We put butter on our corn on the cob that Elaina brought along.

JENNA: Honestly, how is she smuggling in all this food? I think she has outside sources. Here, I found the butter container. Let's fill the whole thing with blackberries. We can eat them with our mint leaves.

NAOMI: Sounds good. (begins picking blackberries off of the vine and putting them into the butter container)

JENNA: It's your turn in the game.

NAOMI: (reluctantly) Would you rather know all of Lindsay's secrets...

JENNA: Juicy.

NAOMI: ...or be able to leave camp right now and not have to write that paper.

JENNA: A tough decision. A tough decision indeed.

NAOMI: What'll it be?

JENNA: I think I'd leave camp. I'm not sure I would really want to know Lindsay's deepest darkest secrets.

NAOMI: Yeah. It might be scary.

JENNA: Her mind is the last place I want to be. On the bright side, I think we finally have enough blackberries.

NAOMI: Let's move on then and see if we can find anything else that's edible.

JENNA: Okay. Ooh, I just thought of a good question. Would you rather have amazing superpowers that you can only use to help Elaina and I carry out our plans... or not have any superpowers, but never have to help us with a plan again?

NAOMI: Goodbye nonexistent superpowers and evil plots!

JENNA: I figured you'd say that.

NAOMI: Well, I think that's all the food we're going to get. Let's head back to the tent.