The Forest of Doom: 177, 289, 76, 206, 187, 344, 36: The Art of Snaring Humans

Nothing yonic about this. Nope.

     I apologize to the trees I stumble into, and touch them placatingly. I offer the rocks none of this. It seems rude to break their silence. Maybe even dangerous.

     I stand at the crossroads and consider the map. The road is in the West. It seems safer to be near it at the moment, so I cut West.

Choice: West: 289

      And it's entirely possible I've already made the choice that means failure.

     I stop from time to time to listen to the cries, and make my best guesses to the animals. It is difficult, because the corvids can sound like anything they wish. I consider going North, but I think it better to keep West. My destination is northbound, so let me search this far side well before I go.

Choice: West: 76

Sorry there's no game on this reference, but have a stock drawing of a knife instead. Just as good!

     So just do it already!

     Yeesh, how many sections is this going to take?

Choice: None: 206

Oh my stars! Something is happening!

     It is terrible luck to do nothing when a stranger is in trouble. They may well be gods or faeries in disguise, and punish you for not helping. I bound into the underbrush to render my assistance.

Choice: Help: 187

     Wait... last reference was ignore or go to 187... and this reference is ignore him or go to 187... is there any reason we couldn't just walk across him last reference and make this decision once? Did we really need to not see him the first time? Did it ratchet up tension in any way?

      Mr. Livingstone, if it's that hard to make 400 solid references... maybe don't insist on doing 400 for every book.

     Oh, yeah, check out those briches and knee socks! Even considering that his face is blocked by a mask he doesn't look that panicky, though. Of course, there's a wall of trees in the back again, but it mysteriously stops at the man. I miss Nicholson's unnecessarily detailed backgrounds.

     I love the twisting tangle of roots in the foreground, though. This stark reminder of how ancient, gnarled, and treacherous the woods are. How the tangles of a hundred years are ready to snare and trap you, just as surely as this rabbit trap.

     I cluck my tongue at the man as I enter, "Nothing quite like a rabbit snare, is there? A thing so lucky it can catch a rabbit with four lucky legs of its own." She shakes her head, "Or perhaps it just steals luck. Seems it has from you."

     The man glares angrily at you me and asks if I am going to prattle on or help him. He is rude, but also in great pain.

     "Of course I will help you," I say. 

Choice: Help: 344

     "I pity the hunter who must open these on his own," I say as we spring the track off.

     We walk our path, and when he departs I shake his hand... and then as he wanders off call out. "I was just at the very Southern edge of the forest, however, if he is South, he will be on the East side."

      The man nods back at me, and thanks me, and then goes off on his own.

     I smile after him. A troll will eat him for breakfast, no doubt.

Choice: None: 36

When we I learn to stop doing good in these books?

     Oh no. My blood runs cold. I search my pack again. And again. And again!

    My gold coin is missing. The lucky coin. I look back, but he's gone from the path. He has the lucky coin. I would have to face that luck if I chased him. I turn back to the path. Suddenly the whole forest seems to press in around me. It seems a foul, ugly, unlucky place.

     I touch my necklace and say, "He needed the luck more than I," but the words are ash in my mouth.

     Wow. Seven sections and a full page image to lose one coin. Excitement never slows down here.

Choice: Stolen Gold: 187