Where the Forest Ends (CYOA altered)
As he stepped up the stairs, the boards creaked. He instantly realized he made a mistake, but he couldn’t get his body to move. Neil seemed frozen in place with fear, just listening.
“What was that noise?” One of the men asked. “It sounded like it came from the stairs!”
“Ignore it, it's just this creaky old ship.” This person sounded like they were in charge, but he could recognise the voice, but he couldn’t remember whose it was. He was too scared to think, he just waited. Once they were gone, he scrambled back down the stairs, behind most of the cargo. He heard them talking about going someplace tomorrow, and about pirates being spotted, and dangerous territory… it all sounded so familiar. Even the place he was in seemed familiar, as if he was down here before… curious. Well, he decided it would be best to sleep to get the day over with. He laid down on the solid wood boards, and fell asleep, slowly drifting away from reality and into dreams.
He woke in the middle of the night to the sound of a cannon firing. He heard yelling from the deck above, and another sound, almost like a chuckling sound. Then he heard something that made him freeze. “Come out, come out, wherever you are, Neil!” He heard a screechy voice say.
Erebus, he thought, terrified, yet he was also not surprised to hear it. He heard screams as the ship was hit with cannonballs, some crew members being blasted to bits. He decided that the only way he would get Erebus to stop was to come to the deck above. Mustering as much strength as he could, he climbed the stairway to the top deck, a look of bravery painted on his face, masking the fear he held back.
“Hey, enderman, over here!” He shouted to Erebus. The lanky creature looked at him, giving him a chuckle. “Look who it is, my old pal, Neil.” He cackled, as he held his ships fire. He looked to be captain of a pirate ship. How would he gain so much power so fast? Then Neil turned to look at the captain. He saw a young woman giving out orders to her crewmembers, each following them with perfect precision. Then she looked at him, a look of shock on her face. She just stood there, then looked back at the other ship, and looked back at him. She seemed to be confused. Now things started to get creepy. He recognised the woman, and the man standing next to her, both having looks of worry and anger on their faces. The woman, an average heighted woman, looked physically fit, and strong. She wore a black hat with the same symbol there was on the ship's flag. She also had a black longcoat on, looking like a pirate, yet she wasn’t. She also had dark skin, like cappuccino. The man, a light skinned fellow with bright yellow hair, had one side of his face normal, while the other side was metal, with a single red eye where his normal eye used to be. He had a brown hat with the same symbol as the woman’s on it, and a brown long coat. He could recognise these two, but he just didn’t know who they were… Suddenly, Erebus shouted to the woman and man.
“I have your precious captain, girly, and you can’t do anything about it.” He held up someone in his long arms, the man looking sleep-deprived, beaten, and starved. Neil suddenly went wide eyed and froze stiff, as if his body were taken over by a chilling ice spirit. He knew this man, and he knew exactly who he was…
It-its, but, I, what, how, what, h-how is this…
Erebus saw Neil’s reaction and screeched an enderman laugh.
“Thats right, Neil, I have captured you. Too bad you can’t save yourself.”
Neil saw the man look at him, wide eyed, stiff, as he was. And he knew exactly why…
He is me?! Neil was shocked. But something was up, and the Neil on the other boat looked strange… but he couldn’t believe he was staring into his own eyes. It wasn’t a mirror either - there were two Neils! How was this possible? Neil couldn’t stand to look into his own despaired eyes, and the last thing he saw before he blacked out and hit the hard, wooden deck, was Erebus hurling the other Neil overboard, into the salty, endless sea.
As he awoke, he was no longer on the ship in the middle of the salty ocean of nothingness, but on land. He was in a bed, looking out a window. This was no ordinary run of the mill window, however. It had iron bars on it, almost as if it was a prison...
He looked around, realizing he was in a dungeon the woman and man both there, watching him, angry looks in their eyes.
“What did you do with him, and who was that tall dark creature that almost killed our captain?” The woman asked, anger filling her bright blue eyes. Neil blinked. He recognised those eyes, and he still couldn’t remember who she was! Neil slowly stood up feeling a pain in his ankle, unable to stand. He sat back down, looking down at his swollen ankle. It was starting to turn purple, the cause of a twisted ankle was likely from the fall onto the deck, if not anyone else dragging him into this dirty cell.
“Where am I?” Neil asked to his captors.
The girl stood up. She was likely only 18, around his age. She went over to Neil, and looked him straight in the eyes.
“What did you do with my friend?” She asked, the tone of her voice indicating that the wrong answer would likely mean punishment.
“What was that noise?” One of the men asked. “It sounded like it came from the stairs!”
“Ignore it, it's just this creaky old ship.” This person sounded like they were in charge, but he could recognise the voice, but he couldn’t remember whose it was. He was too scared to think, he just waited. Once they were gone, he scrambled back down the stairs, behind most of the cargo. He heard them talking about going someplace tomorrow, and about pirates being spotted, and dangerous territory… it all sounded so familiar. Even the place he was in seemed familiar, as if he was down here before… curious. Well, he decided it would be best to sleep to get the day over with. He laid down on the solid wood boards, and fell asleep, slowly drifting away from reality and into dreams.
He woke in the middle of the night to the sound of a cannon firing. He heard yelling from the deck above, and another sound, almost like a chuckling sound. Then he heard something that made him freeze. “Come out, come out, wherever you are, Neil!” He heard a screechy voice say.
Erebus, he thought, terrified, yet he was also not surprised to hear it. He heard screams as the ship was hit with cannonballs, some crew members being blasted to bits. He decided that the only way he would get Erebus to stop was to come to the deck above. Mustering as much strength as he could, he climbed the stairway to the top deck, a look of bravery painted on his face, masking the fear he held back.
“Hey, enderman, over here!” He shouted to Erebus. The lanky creature looked at him, giving him a chuckle. “Look who it is, my old pal, Neil.” He cackled, as he held his ships fire. He looked to be captain of a pirate ship. How would he gain so much power so fast? Then Neil turned to look at the captain. He saw a young woman giving out orders to her crewmembers, each following them with perfect precision. Then she looked at him, a look of shock on her face. She just stood there, then looked back at the other ship, and looked back at him. She seemed to be confused. Now things started to get creepy. He recognised the woman, and the man standing next to her, both having looks of worry and anger on their faces. The woman, an average heighted woman, looked physically fit, and strong. She wore a black hat with the same symbol there was on the ship's flag. She also had a black longcoat on, looking like a pirate, yet she wasn’t. She also had dark skin, like cappuccino. The man, a light skinned fellow with bright yellow hair, had one side of his face normal, while the other side was metal, with a single red eye where his normal eye used to be. He had a brown hat with the same symbol as the woman’s on it, and a brown long coat. He could recognise these two, but he just didn’t know who they were… Suddenly, Erebus shouted to the woman and man.
“I have your precious captain, girly, and you can’t do anything about it.” He held up someone in his long arms, the man looking sleep-deprived, beaten, and starved. Neil suddenly went wide eyed and froze stiff, as if his body were taken over by a chilling ice spirit. He knew this man, and he knew exactly who he was…
It-its, but, I, what, how, what, h-how is this…
Erebus saw Neil’s reaction and screeched an enderman laugh.
“Thats right, Neil, I have captured you. Too bad you can’t save yourself.”
Neil saw the man look at him, wide eyed, stiff, as he was. And he knew exactly why…
He is me?! Neil was shocked. But something was up, and the Neil on the other boat looked strange… but he couldn’t believe he was staring into his own eyes. It wasn’t a mirror either - there were two Neils! How was this possible? Neil couldn’t stand to look into his own despaired eyes, and the last thing he saw before he blacked out and hit the hard, wooden deck, was Erebus hurling the other Neil overboard, into the salty, endless sea.
As he awoke, he was no longer on the ship in the middle of the salty ocean of nothingness, but on land. He was in a bed, looking out a window. This was no ordinary run of the mill window, however. It had iron bars on it, almost as if it was a prison...
He looked around, realizing he was in a dungeon the woman and man both there, watching him, angry looks in their eyes.
“What did you do with him, and who was that tall dark creature that almost killed our captain?” The woman asked, anger filling her bright blue eyes. Neil blinked. He recognised those eyes, and he still couldn’t remember who she was! Neil slowly stood up feeling a pain in his ankle, unable to stand. He sat back down, looking down at his swollen ankle. It was starting to turn purple, the cause of a twisted ankle was likely from the fall onto the deck, if not anyone else dragging him into this dirty cell.
“Where am I?” Neil asked to his captors.
The girl stood up. She was likely only 18, around his age. She went over to Neil, and looked him straight in the eyes.
“What did you do with my friend?” She asked, the tone of her voice indicating that the wrong answer would likely mean punishment.