Misadventures

Survivor

The amazing tree that has helped me reach shore is a weeping willow. It has long vine-like-stems with leaves attached to it, and it gives me a few ideas.

I climb the tree with ease, grabbing the closest branch to me and using my arms and legs to swing and dangle when necessary.

I sit on a thick branch and grab a long string of leaves. My hair is starting to dry meaning it's starting to frizz and get in my face.  I fold the thin vine in my hands to give it a stronger hold against my hair. I wrap it around like a hair tie, silently thanking my mother for not letting me get bangs. Those would've been all over my face by now.

I grab more vines and this time I break it in half. I put one half under my thigh, and focus on the other half. I examine my left wrist and remove any sand and dirt that would be on it. Once it looks okay enough, I rip the leaves from the vine and place them on my pink skin. It was a bit difficult but I used my thighs to hold the leaves on the other side. I grab the leafless stem and place it on a leaf and wrap it around the leaves circuling my wrist. Now I have leaves covering my ripped skin and a vine string holding it together. I do the same thing on my right wrist.

I grab 4 more long vines just in case these break and I need to recover them. I wrap them around carefully to not break the leaves.

I carefully stand on the thick branch and examine the inside the weeping tree. There a birds nest on a higher more crowded branch. That is very interesting, it doesn't seem like there would be birds in this place.

I climb higher on the tree and reach the birds nest. There are eggs! It felt wrong to do so but I took 2 out of the three eggs. I just hope they don't hatch when I'm hungry. I gently hold the eggs and examine the tree once again. There is nothing more I can get up here, I carefully climb down with one hand and my two legs. Jumping down and bending my legs on the landing I land on the sand with various almost-dropped-the-egg moments.

I place the eggs inside both jean jacket pockets. I remind myself on what I've collected; rope, vines/leaves, eggs. I look around to see if there is anything else I should get.

There's only the big tree, a few rocks, and alot of sand. I examine the walls and notice they are yellow and fuzzy. It looks like a yellow highlighter exploded on all the walls. I saw an arch leading to an unknown darkness and I'm not sure if I want to go through there.

It'll probably be just like before, I would walk deep enough until someone catches me and throws me away? No, no way, I'm not doing that again.

But I need to get out of here. Is there no other way out? I look around and see the murky lake, there is a shore on the other side but I don't feel like swimming all the way there. I try to see if there is also an arc like the one on this side.

There is. Great. So there are two exits and one of them may be a trap. I sigh and lay on the sand. This is the side with a tree so maybe I'll find more resources to help me, when I go through this arch.

I put on my jacket carefully trying not to crack the eggs. I am not fully dried but it's not bothering me as much as before. I check my pockets for the vines and leaves, check. Rope, check. Eggs, check. I look at the sand below me and grab a handful. I fill my jeans pocket with as much sand as possible, hopefully it's enough to stun someone's eyes if they try to go after me.

I look at the tree once more. It has a beautiful brown color, nothing like a crayola crayon. The leaves hang low and unmoving, the roots are buried deep in the sand. How could a tree grow in these conditions?

I turn around and take a deep breath. Marching toward the dark arch and feeling determined to survive. I cautiously check the perimeter of the arch and I catch a text inscribed on the rocky walls.

Welcome to the Labyrinth. Enjoy your stay, it's free!

Free? Probably because everyone dies here. 'Think happy thoughts!'

Alright a labyrinth, I've played poptroprica before so I kinda know what it is. I'll need to get through a maze, I can do that, how hard can it be? I just need to remember my way.

I walk toward the rocky walls with the little light source I had behind me I couldn't go too far. I need more light from here on. I remember there are rocks in the sand, if I find a sharp one I can try to make a fire.

I turn back to exit the labyrinth- a wall was closing my exit! It's a trap! I run to the arch but the brick door slid shut. I slammed the brick wall not licking the newfound darkness I'm in.

But as soon as I did that, the wall was pushing in, I screamed as I was being moving further in the cave and I couldnt push it back. I placed my back against the moving wall and held out one leg, if I was going to be squeezed between to walls I had to use my feet to prevent it. And suddenly floor is  became slanted and I'm falling down a diagonal slope.

I can only imagine spikes being at the end of this. I try to stop my fall with my arms and legs, clawing and whatever I can grab. But it ended when I was in another place, it looked like a corridor and the with the speed I was falling in made me slam onto the floor and slid to a wall. My bones and muscles are sore aching. I probably should have rested more before entering here.

I painfully sit crisscrossed applesauce and look around for any light. To my right I gladly find a torch.  I use the wall to help me up and go to the torch.

I grab the torch before noticing another text underneath it. So there are more writings.

Unfortunately you didn't die. But it will happen anytime now. Good luck!