The sun sank ever closer to the mountain's horizon line, the cold’s once subtle sting getting stronger. Two people walked along the once-traveled path. Each step of their feet left deep imprints in the snow beneath them. An orange sky shone down a dim light ahead guiding the two of them further. 

            As they continued along the abandoned trail, the mountain's shadow from behind came nearer and nearer. The winds began to grow to unimaginable strength. Snow that once sat on the ground now flying through the air, trees bending and cracking. In the distance, barely visible through the blizzard, one of the two spotted something. It looked to be some sort of building, a cabin of sorts. 

            The sun now set, a dim light flickered from the inside. It couldn’t have been more than two to three rooms after examination. 

            “Jack, you sit here.” Ryan said, pointing to a spot next to the cabin. “Your leg’s been through enough already.” 

            Jack simply nodded in response as he leaned against the wall and sat down. Ryan walked over to the door and knocked three times loudly in an attempt to be heard over the howling winds. After a few but long seconds the door remained shut. Ryan knocked again “Hello, is there anyone in there? My friend is hurt, he needs help!” Still, no one came to the door. “It doesn't look like anyone's home,” Ryan stated looking over to Jack who already looked half asleep. Ryan placed his hand on the doorknob. Even through the warm wool of his glove he could feel the chilling touch of the handle. To his surprise, as he twisted his hand and pushed, the door actually opened. 

“Look, the door’s unlocked,” Ryan said looking back over to Jack. He only gave a simple glance over as a response.

            The cabin proved to be quite small; Ryan could see the entire place, just from the front door. On the leftmost wall stood a small bookshelf next to a rather old looking desk. A large dull red carpet stretched along most of the wooden floor, except, next to the metal fireplace that went up and into the ceiling.  A singular chair sat in one of the four corners. 

            The home looked to be empty, for now, but to Ryan it seemed pretty clear that someone used to live there, if not still lived there. Ryan turned to Jack to examine his leg. There was a bandage on it, but that didn’t prevent him from seeing that the back of his calf had a large chunk of it missing, the edges lined with teeth marks. Thankfully the freezing temperature slowed the bleeding, but if left unchecked the wound would most definitely kill him.

            Ryan’s face grew pale as he knew he had to make a decision. Ryan knew that if both him and Jack wanted to survive the night, they would need shelter. He could risk trying to find shelter elsewhere and pass up the house, or, he could go in the cabin and hope whoever lived there didn't show up. 

Ryan turned to look at the blizzard around him. The snow fell with the force of rocks. As much as it pained him, Ryan needed to give up this shelter. It already belonged to someone else. There had to be something else out there. 

            The sound of a snapping branch shot Ryan back to the present. 

           “Jack, we can’t stay here. Someone else already lives in this place,” Jack merely groaned in response. “I know, it suck’s, but the longer we sit here, the worse it’s going to be for us.” 

            “What if they're out of town or something,” wheezed Jack, slowly. 

            “What if they’re not, then what. We could wake up with a knife to our face for all we know.” Ryan started pacing back and forth.

            “I…I don’t think I can walk anymore,” responded Jack. He was completely spent, and that leg of his wasn't doing him any favors, that’s for sure. 

            “Do you think you could lean on me, like we did before?” Ryan offered.

            Jack reached out his hand towards Ryan, “Some help here?” 

Ryan grabbed hold of Jack and pulled him up with all his strength. Jack immediately stumbled and almost fell back to the floor. 

            “Just…trust me,” Ryan said, a slight shake in his voice, grabbing tighter onto Jack and leaning over to the left to make it easier for him. Their boots touched the snow once more as they walked away from the cabin. Not too long later, it would be completely out of site.

            With each step, the snow inched ever closer up their legs as the blowing winds made it impossible to see more than a few meters ahead of you. The moon glared down from up above, providing the only source of light in the area. 

            “I don’t know how much longer I can do this,” Jack announced, his breath freezing in the air.. 

           “Just a bit further,” Ryan replied in a somewhat shaky, but reassuring voice. Jack tumbled into the snow as his grip on Ryan gave out. 

            “Oh god, Jack, are you ok!” Ryan’s voice felt like a whisper carried off and away into the distance. “Jack, come on, we need to move. Grab onto me again.” Jack lay face first in the snow. As Ryan turned him over,  Jack’s eyes were closed. “Oh god, what am I supposed to do?” Ryan placed his hand on Jack’s jacket and began to pull as hard as he could. There was no trail left behind, the blizzard made sure of that.

            A cave indented into a rocky cliff face. Ryan wasted no time dragging his friend and himself inside. He just hoped nothing lived here. It wasn't a very large cave, simply put, it was just a deep indent inside a wall. “Jack, please don’t be dead. I can’t lose you too.” He placed his hand over Jack's face. To his relief, he was breathing.

             Ryan looked left and right around the space until his eyes locked onto something eye-catching. A rotting body sat propped up against one of the walls, its bones covered in a thick layer of ice. Its eyes were gone, just two holes in a skull. The body seemed to have a bag next to it. Ryan’s hand reached out towards it, but pulled away at the last second. Should he really be doing this, looting the dead. His mind wrapped around the idea for a bit, until he came to a decision. He was going to…

Loot the body?

Yes (page 7)
No (page 8)  

          

 

 

 

 

  Option 1 

            Look through the bag. It didn’t matter if searching the dead was disrespectful, this was about life or death. They were going to need anything they could take if they wanted to leave this place, alive. 

            As the bag unzipped it began to move. Ryan jumped back as he dropped the bag on the ground. Out came a rat, along with a trail of disgusting paw prints. In the bag there was some really horrible smelling rotten food. The stench filled the entirety of the cave the moment the bag was opened. Behind the black and green mush were some actually useful items. A multi purpose knife as well as some matches.

            “Jack, look at this. They have matches, maybe we could start you up a fire.” Ryan said to Jack, hoping to get a response. The cave stayed silent. “You're right, we should probably get some rest, or something like that.” Ryan reached over to his jacket and began to unzip it. Once it was fully off he placed it over Jack. Grabbing his bag, he placed it onto the floor, followed by his head. It wasn't a very comfortable pillow, but it was better than the cold stone. 

            It was cold without a jacket, but Jack needed it more. At least they were safe from the worst of the storm inside here. As Ryan laid on the bag, trying hard to fall asleep, his mind wandered back to the cabin. If someone did live there, they would probably be back by now, no way anyone could survive outside in weather like this. Maybe they could even help them, call an ambulance or something. 

            As these thoughts raged through his brain, sleep would eventually overtake them all, as the night faded away (page 9). 

           

Option 2 

            Not look through the bag. Even in times like these, it's important to not lose your morals. Searching a dead body, that’s incredibly disrespectful. “Hey Jack, there’s a body over here.” Ryan announced hoping to get a response, even though he knew if Jack were awake, he would have said something by now. The cave stayed silent. “You're right, we should probably get some rest, or something like that.” Ryan reached over to his jacket and began to unzip it. Once it was fully off he placed it over Jack. Grabbing his bag, he placed it onto the floor, followed by his head. It wasn't a very comfortable pillow, but it was better than the cold stone. 

            It was cold without a jacket, but Jack needed it more. At least they were safe from the worst of it inside of here. As Ryan laid on the bag, trying hard to fall asleep, his mind wandered back to the cabin. If someone did live there, they would probably be back by now, no way anyone could survive in this storm. Maybe they could even help them, call an ambulance or something. 

            As these thoughts raged through his brain, sleep would eventually overtake them all, as the night faded away (page 9).

         

 

 

 

            As the sky turned yellow with the morning sun, Jack lay awake. Ryan was still sleeping like a rock on the cave floor. Jack, however, had awoken quite early. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, his leg felt as if there were 30 knives stabbed in it all at once. In all honesty, he was having a hard time remembering what had happened at all yesterday. After the injury, it all felt like a blur, he can just remember Ryan freaking out. 

            Even though Jack couldn’t get up to see for himself, he could tell his leg was messed up. How much blood he lost yesterday was a mystery to him, but he could tell it was a lot. His arms felt light, yet heavy at the same time. His vision was blurry, although he didn’t know if that was his mind playing tricks on him. Jack was even sweating, which, to him, felt weird, considering where they were. For now, he just layed down, listening to his own rapid heart beat, trying to think of something funny to say when Ryan got up so he wouldn’t worry as much. 

            

            When Ryan awoke it was nearly mid day. Even then, he felt exhausted. He looked around, almost like he was trying to remember where he was, that is until he locked eyes with Ryan. 

            “Dam, I thought the snow was going to melt before you woke up,” snickered Jack as Ryan’s eyes shot open.

            “Oh my goodness, Jack, you’re awake. I’m so glad you’re ok!” Ryan jumped up and went over to hug Jack. 

            Ryan’s arms wrapped around him as Jack responded, “of course I’m up. I ain’t going to let no measly wolf bite stop… stop.” Jack struggled to finish the sentence. He hadn't realized before, but opening and closing his mouth was putting great strain on him. This didn't go unnoticed. 

            “How are you feeling right now?” Ryan asked, moving his hands to Jack's shoulders, a concerned look on his face. 

            “Oh, pfft. I’m fine, like super fine.” Jack winced whilst saying that last part. 

            “No, you're not. I need to get you help. I was thinking maybe I could try and find my way back to the cabin and ask the people who lived there to borrow their phone, if they have one,” Ryan suggested. If they didn’t have a phone, he could always try and find his way back to the car. 

           “Cabin? What cabin?” Jack asked. 

           “The one we saw yesterday, when we were looking for shelter after the blizzard rolled in,” Ryan said, his eyes looking even more worried with each word. “I need to get going, the quicker I can get help, the better.”

            “Wait! Please, don’t go!” Jack suddenly burst out. “Just stay here.” 

            “I need t-.” Ryan was cut off. 

            “Don’t leave me here alone, not again.”

 

Leave the cave? (Choice 2b).

Yes (page 27)
No (page 11)

 

Option 2 (2b)

            “Ok, I’ll stay.” Ryan took a seat next to Jack. 

            “Thank you. Thank you,” said Jack, a massive look of relief on his face. He layed back down as he continued to speak. “They're still out there you know. Waiting for us to come out.”

“We don't know that forsure, but yeah, you’re probably right.” Ryan looked defeated. He knew Jack was on a time limit, even if he didn't know that himself. But, if Jack died before Ryan got back, well, that wouldn't happen. Might as well accompany him in his last few hours, or minutes, who knows. 

“This kind of reminds me of when we always used to explore the woods behind my house,” said Jack, his eyes pointed at the stone ceiling above. 

“Really? How so?” Ryan asked. He could probably make some connections himself, but he wanted to hear it from Jack.

“We’re lost, cold, and almost died.” Jack spoke those words with a very blank expression on his face. It wasn't because he wanted to, but because he couldn't do anything else. 

Ryan didn't respond. Instead he just stared at his friend as the color from his face turned more and more pale. 

“Ryan, I want you to promise me something,” said Jack, although it was more of a mumble since his lips aren't moving that much. 

“What is it?” Ryan asked, grabbing Jack's hand. 

“Promise me that you won't blame yourself for this. None of this was your fault, and you had nothing to do with my death, ok.” Jack’s eyes went from open to closed as he said these words. 

“But.” Ryan stopped himself from saying any more. He was hoping Jack would tell him “No buts” or something like that, but he didn't. Instead, his chest lay still as his breathing ceased. Ryan picked up his friend as he walked outside of the cave. He began to walk towards the car, Jack in his arms. 

Jack's family was furious at the news of what happened to him. Ryan wasn't even allowed to attend his best friend's funeral. 

Choice 2b

Go back to the mountain (page 14)
Don't go back to the mountain (page 13)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Option 2 (2b)

            The warm coffee felt good in Ryan’s hands. He had his both hands around the paper cup as he sat on a bench outside. People were walking up and down the sidewalk heading to who knows where. It could be work, visiting family, seeing their friends. Ryan technically had work himself, but he wouldn’t be late as long as he left soon. 

            Ryan lifted the cup closer to his face, ready to drink the coffee inside. But his hands were shaking, shaking so hard they felt like they might fall off. He lowered the cup once more and placed it on the seat next to him. Rubbing his hands together, Ryan breathed into them, hoping to warm them up. But they were still shaking, no matter what he did. Eventually, he just stopped. 

            In front of him was a melted puddle. Lots of the snow was finally starting to disappear with the emergence of a new season. He looked at the puddle and saw himself looking back. His face was stained under his eyes. He looked exhausted, and frankly, he was. Ryan got up, picked up the coffee and started walking.

            As he passed a bin on the sidewalk, he threw the cup away. 

Disregarded Coffee Ending

 

 

 

Option 1 (2b)

            It had been a while since he had been back here. Despite that, everything looked the same, not that there was much difference to look at in the first place. Ryan’s pack weighed him down making him slower as he walked. Before, Ryan and Jack split up the weight between them, but now he was gone. 

             The path was the same, the trees were the same, but something was different. As Ryan passed the spot the cabin used to be, it wasn't there. Instead, it was replaced with snow, rocks, and broken sticks. But Ryan didn’t really care. He had made his choice that first day, there was no changing it. 

            The thought of the cabin completely dissipated from his mind as the hours continued. The car continuously got further and further away, as the mountain's shadow did the opposite. It crept up like a cat sneaking up to a rat, slowly inching closer, but its prey doesn’t even realize how much danger it's in. As night approached, Ryan began to set up camp on the side of the path. 

            Ryan laid down in his sleeping back, all his limbs tucked deep inside out of fear of losing them overnight. The mountain was freezing, but it didn't bother Ryan, not right now at least. As long as he kept his mind occupied, he couldn’t feel a thing. Slowly, he drifted off to sleep. 

            “Come on Rylee, you can do it,” spoke a very familiar sounding voice. “It’s just across this log.” 

            “But what if I fall, mom?” said a high pitched voice as they looked at the river in front of them. On it, was a log sitting on both sides of the bank. Across this log was their home, the two of them finally almost back from their hike. 

            “I’ll catch you, mommy promises.” 

            “Pinky promise?”

            “Pinky promise,” Rylee's mom said, holding up her left pinky.

Rylee crawled up onto the log and began to go across it on all fours. Even though the river below was completely still and only a few feet deep, she still didn’t want to fall. Each movement of her arm tensed her muscles. Inch by inch she slowly made her way over. How had her mom done it so easily she wondered. She crossed like she had done it 1000 times before. When Rylee was older, she too wished to have that confidence. 

            As Rylee made it to the end she placed both of her feet onto the dirt ground and raised her hands in accomplishment. 

            “I did it mom!” exclaimed Rylee in excitement as she began to look around. “Mom?” 

She was gone, nowhere to be seen on the dense forest trail. 

            “Mom? Where are you?”

            “Mom!” Shouted a suddenly much deeper voice. The grass, moss, and dirt ground slowly faded away as it was replaced with asphalt and concrete. The forest ambiance turned to screams and panic. Ryan was now running through the streets of New York City. 

            It was chaos. Stampedes of people ran from the crash site as police and fire truck sirens blared in the background. Ryan though, wasn't running away. Instead, he ran towards the building, the World Trade Center. 

            “Mom, god, please be ok!” Shouted Ryan as he sprinted. He could do nothing but hope. 

            Just then, the noise of a second plane neared as it got closer to the duel skyscrapers. In an instant, it collided with the building sending shockwaves through the street. Shrapnel shot from the tower as it burst into flames. 

            

            Ryan gasped awake, his hand clutching his chest. Sweat dripped from his forehead as his erratic breathing slowly began to regain its form. The sun was out now, looming high overhead. 

            He quickly repacked his things and started moving once more. At this point, he was already further than he and Jack had made it last, and there were still no signs of wolves, a good thing. Mount Brazer itself wasn't very steep, but it was really tall, and long considering the angle. Soon, the sticks and stones around Ryan began to look a little less natural.

            Ryan bent down and picked up one of the rocks and was shocked to see that it wasn't a rock at all. Instead, it looked to be a broken bit of stone brick. Kneeling back up, he looked around and saw much more of it all across the ground. He continued to walk through the ruins, occasionally stopping to take a look around. 

            A small bug flew in front of his face, followed by another one, and another. As he looked at them, they seemed to be lightning bugs, but they were glowing, in the day. He was pretty sure they didn't do that. More and more flew in until they created what seemed to be a line on them heading off into the distance. Their presence was alluring, almost like they wanted him to follow. But they weren’t heading in the right direction. He had to make a choice.

Choice 4d

Follow the lightning bugs (page 17)
Don’t follow the lightning bugs (page 25)

 

Option 1 (4d)

            Ryan walked alongside the bugs. They moved through the ruins in a diagonal line towards a cavern pass in the distance. As he looked at them more closely now, the bugs didn’t seem to be normal. Some of them were brighter, others had different colored lights. Blue, green, red, and yellow lights were all among them. 

             The bugs led him out of the area and around the pass. Just beyond the wall was a grand lake, completely frozen over. It was actually hard to tell that it used to be a lake since there was snow on the ice. But, the ice shone through in certain spots, reflecting the sunlight back into his eyes. 

            There wasn't any debris for hundreds of feet. The snow and ice was pure and untouched. Ryan walked up to the lake and cleared a spot of snow. He bent down and tried to see if he could see anything underneath the ice, but he didn’t. The water must have been frozen for quite a while because the ice was at least a few feet thick. 

            As he lifted his face back up, he saw a reflection in the ice. But instead of his face staring back at him, it was Jacks. Ryan jumped back, startled by what he had just seen. After catching his breath, he walked back up to the ice and looked at it again. Everything was normal this time, just his face, the same it’s always been. 

            A little bit unsettled now, Ryan scanned the outskirts of the lake. At first he didn’t see anything, but something brown caught his eye. The cabin was near the side of the ice, perfectly intact. Outside was a person fishing in the ice.

            Ryan didn’t think anyone lived on the mountain, so his presence fed into his curiosity. Ryan started walking towards him. As he got closer, it became very clear that the person was actually an old man, long grey beard with wrinkled skin and all. He was fishing in a hole cut in the ice. But he wasn't using a fishing rod, instead he looked to just be using a bit of rope that was in the water. Beside him was a cooler, which seemed a bit redundant considering they were literally sitting on ice.

            “Hello,” said Ryan as he entered the ear shot of the man. The fisher did not respond, he simply continued to sit on the ice waiting for something to bite. 

            “Hello?” Ryan was now next to him. After he got no response for the second time he began to wave his hand in front of him. “Is anybody there?”

            “Nice fish about, huh?” The old man’s voice was dry and cracked. It sounded like he had not spoken in a long time.

            “Uh, I guess. I don’t really know,” responded Ryan, all of which he said being true. 

            “What brings you to the mountain? The old man did not look away from the fishing hole as he spoke. The rope began to move a bit as a fish nibbled on the line. 

            “I’m headed for the summit. What about you?” As Ryan asked the question he took a seat next to the man. The fisher tugged the rope up and up until the fish emerged from the depths below. 

            “I live here in that cabin right behind you.” He gestured backwards. With a knife in hand he ended the fish's life quickly and painlessly. As he chopped up the fish he placed it into a paper sheet and wrapped it up. “Why don’t you come join me for some tea.”

            “Oh, um, I don’t know.” The question was very sudden and Ryan didn’t have a good answer yet. 

 

Choice 5b

Join the old man for some tea (page 20)
Continue to head up the mountain (page 22)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Option 1 (5b)

            “Sure, I guess.” It made him a bit uncomfortable to enter a stranger's house, but the old man seemed trustworthy. 

             The inside of the cabin looked very different from the view he got all that time ago. Also, it was much larger. What should have only been able to hold maybe two rooms, had an entire house on the inside. The man led Ryan to a table with two chairs at it. After Ryan was seated, the man walked over to the kitchen and began to boil the kettle. 

            “So, how does the house do this?” asked Ryan, curious how something like this was possible.

            “Do what?” The old man opened the cabinet and grabbed some tea bags. He placed them in two mugs as he waited for the water to boil.

            “You know, look bigger on the inside.”  Ryan looked around. He spotted a picture hung on the wall. It contained the old man holding a very large fish, but he wasn't alone. Next to him was a much younger looking person, maybe like 13 years old. 

            “I’m not sure what you're talking about.” The kettle began to shake slightly as the water heated. It wasn't boiling yet, but it was getting closer. Seeing that he wasn't going to get an answer, Ryan decided to move onto another topic. 

            “So, who’s that in the photo?” Ryan was pretty sure he already knew, but he wanted to ask anyway. As soon as the question was asked Ryan could tell the old man started getting nervous. 

            “She was my daughter.” The kettle was now producing a little bit of steam, soon, the top would explode and start screaming.

            “Oh, are they here?” Ryan looked around, he couldn’t see anyone. But who knows, the house was pretty big. The kettle shook and screamed as the water boiled. The man fell to his knees and started crying.

            “It wasn't my fault, I swear!” belted out the fisherman. But it was less so directed towards Ryan than it was himself. Tears dropped from his face onto the floor, all the while, the kettle’s screams matched his. Ryan wasn't really sure what to do.

            “I’m sorry. This was a mistake. You should go.” The old man slowly stood up, wiping away his tears. He turned off the stove top and placed the boiling water aside. He walked over to the door, opened it, and motioned Ryan out. He did as he was told and walked back outside. But before he left, the old man said one last thing. 

           “If it’s the summit you’re after, be careful. This mountain has a ton of dangerous things. I would recommend you go through the cave path, it’s quicker and safer.” As he said this, he pointed off into the distance in a general direction. With that, he closed the door and Ryan was back to his climb (page 23).

 

 

 

 

Option 2 (5b)

            “I don’t think I’ll be able to join you. I really should be going now actually,” said Ryan. He looked up to stare at the sun, it was getting pretty close to dark and he wanted to make more progress.

            “That’s a shame.” The old man still didn’t make eye contact with Ryan. Actually, now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure he hadn't even looked at him yet. The fisher picked up his equipment and started to pack it all together. 

            “I guess I’ll be going now.” Ryan put up his hand to wave goodbye. As he did, the old man finally looked at his face. 

            “If it’s the summit you’re gunning for, then you should take the cave path. It’s a lot quicker and warmer than the normal trail.” As the old man spoke, his eyes didn’t leave Ryan’s face. “It’s just up that way.”

            “Oh, um thanks. I guess.” Ryan now walked away (page 23).

 

 

 

 

 

            He moved on the edge of the lake until he got to the spot the old man had pointed to. Indeed there was a cave. Ryan had never heard of this path before, so it kind of surprised him that it was actually here. He stepped inside and expected it to be dark, but it wasn't. Many colored crystals lined the walls, each of them producing a different amount of light. 

            As he moved deeper, the glowing rocks only became more abundant. He lost track of time down there. The many corridors made it hard to tell where he was. 

            “God, this maze is impossible!” exclaimed Rylee, red from frustration. She was sitting at a table with one of those paper mazes in front of them. 

            “Here, why don’t you try this.” Jack picked up the pencil and began to move it along the page. Rylee watched in awe as Jack quickly finished the maze that she had been stuck on for minutes. 

            “How did you do that?” She wanted to know. So many times she had been bested by this child’s game, but she wanted to master it. 

           “Just always turn the same direction, if you do that, you’ll eventually get to the end, no matter what.” 

            “Wait what.” Rylee turned the page to reveal a second maze on the back. She grabbed the pencil back from Jack and started to try herself. To her disbelief, she made it to the end rather quickly. “Wow.”

            Ryan placed his right hand on the wall and made sure it never left it. Always turning right, he quickly started making progress through the cave. Eventually, an exit showed itself.

            The sky was an orange red and the sun was below the clouds. Or at least, that’s what he assumed since he couldn’t see it anywhere. The clouds were at Ryan’s feet as he stood on top of the world. They acted like a long, white, puffy carpet on the rocky summit. Ryan took a seat on the hard cold stone. He took in a deep breath and took in the view. 

            The sky slowly turned from red to purple to black. The stars dotted the skys. Ryan looked up in search of a certain constellation. After a bit, he found it. A pair of large eyes staring right back at him. 

Starry Eyes Ending 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Option 2 (4d)

            “What am I thinking? They're just bugs,” Ryan said aloud. He continued to walk through the rubble until something caught his eye. A picture frame with some shattered glass. He inspected, but didn’t find much else until a bit further. Sticking out of the snow was a photo. A family stood in front of a brick fireplace. The woman was seated, holding a child in her arms while the man stood beside them. The picture seemed to have more to it, but it was ripped off. 

            Placing the picture back down, Ryan noticed that the “stick” in front of him, was actually the leg of a chair. It was hard to tell at first, but it looked exactly like the one in the picture. These weren’t just any ruins, it was a house. I guess there was more to be afraid of here than just wolves. 

            Ryan pressed on until the ruins were out of sight. He had been walking for quite a bit now. The sun had set, and the moon had claimed its position in the night sky. 

            A loud roar shook the trees. It didn’t sound that far, that, or the roar was loud enough to make his ears bleed from miles away. As it stomped towards Ryan, he reached for his knife. He didn’t really see any good places to hide, so he might as well be ready to fight. 

The sound of pounding footsteps only got closer. He braced himself, but he was nervous. What was so big that it could make these noises? A bear? He didn't think so.

The sounds were only mere meters away now. At any second it would burst through the trees and reveal itself. But it didn't. Nothing showed itself and the noises completely ceased. 

For a few more minutes Ryan waited, but it never came. He continued walking, but constantly checking his back. He kept the knife in his hands. 

The ground began to rise at a much sharper incline than before. The trees were slowly disappearing as they were replaced with snow and rock. What used to be traversable became too steep to walk on. Instead, Ryan had to climb on all fours. 

The mountain went from normal to almost acting like an actual wall. Sharp bits in the rock jutted out in random places allowing Ryan to palace his feet on them. The clouds didn't even look all that far away anymore. Probably just a few hundred meters out of reach. 

The mountain pierced straight into the sky, and Ryan followed. He placed one hand through the puffy water vapor, then the other. He pulled himself through the clouds. 

His head was the first thing to emerge from them. Atop the mountain was Jack, who was waving over to him. Ryan grabbed onto the last bits of steep rock and headed over. He was excited, but at the same time he knew Jack wasn't actually there. As he approached, his friend slowly disappeared, dissolving into the wind. Ryan sat atop the summit, his goal being completed, and a new chapter ready to fill its place. But first, it was time to enjoy the view.

A New Chapter Ending

 

 

 

 

Option 1 (2b)

            “What are you saying? This is for your own good.” Ryan turned away from Jack and walked over to the entrance. 

            “You know they're out there! We already saw them once! What’s stopping them from coming back?” Jack screamed out, desperately hoping to change Ryan’s mind. Ryan, now standing by the cave mouth, turned his head back to Jack.

            “I’ll be back, I promise.”

            With that, Ryan stepped outside once more. The wind had ceased and the sun shone down onto the layers of snow below. Ryan began to try and find his way back to the cabin. Last night it had been dark, and the blowing snow had made it hard to see. Not only that, but any footprints that may have been left behind were long covered by now. Thankfully, Ryan and Jack had really only moved in one direction away from the cabin, so retracing his steps wasn't too bad.

            Eventually, Ryan’s eyes once again spotted the ruffly laid out path and the cabin once more. As he walked up the steps, the door to the home was wide open. Come to think of it, Ryan didn't close the door after he opened it last night. But, if the door was still open, then that meant no one had shown up to the cabin between then and now. 

            “Dam it!” Ryan punched the wooden wall. The thing stopping Ryan from entering yesterday was the chance that someone lived here. But this was concrete proof that whoever owned this place wasn't coming back anytime soon. Ryan stepped into the building. 

            The interior remained the same as it was yesterday, except for now, some smaller items were on the floor, presumably knocked over in the wind. In the sun's light, Ryan noticed something very peculiar. A shotgun was mounted on the far back wall. What stood out to Ryan however, was that citizens were not legally allowed to own this type of weapon. 

            Ryan walked over and picked up the firearm. It seemed to be extremely clean and well polished in comparison to everything else in the room. The gun had a long strap that Ryan assumed was to put around your shoulder. The only knowledge of guns that he had all came from old western movies he used to watch as a child, but he wasn't sure how reliable those would be here. Ryan placed the shotgun back onto its stand when he thought of something. Maybe this gun could help him if he and Jack met any more trouble out here in the snow. But, at the same time, Ryan technically wasn't legally allowed to be holding this, let alone shooting it. Ryan…

Take the gun? 

Yes (page 29). 
No (page 30)

 

 

 

 

 

   Picked the gun back up off the stand and wrapped the strap around his shoulder. It felt uncomfortable and heavy, but he was willing to deal with that as long as it protected Jack. He didn’t even know if it was loaded, nor did he know how to check. Hopefully, just its presence would be enough (page 31).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Left the gun on the stand. He worried that even if it did help them get out of here, that it would only cause them more problems later down the road. Besides, Jack has a knife in his bag if he were to ever need it (page 31).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Ryan continued to look around the cabin for anything else that might be useful. It was pretty small and there weren’t that many places to look. Ryan walked over to the sink and opened the cabinet beneath it. The bright Red Cross of a first aid kit stared right back at him. It was like Ryan’s prayers had been answered. He quickly grabbed the white metal box and opened it up. It was fully stocked. Ryan could have spun in deleight, this would definitely help Jack. Before he left, Ryan did one last sweep of the whole cabin. 

If you don't have matches, turn to page (page 33)

If you have the matches, turn to page (page 32).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            In his final sweep Ryan opened the metal fireplace. A few wooden logs sat neatly inside, all of them still in perfect condition, not a hint of black. He grabbed the logs and shoved them in his pack with the thought of starting a fire later in the cave to keep them warm for the night (page 33). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As quick as he could Ryan ran back towards the cave. He had already made the trip twice by now, so it wasn't too hard to find the path. On his way back, the sun began to tip beneath the earth's surface once more. 

            A loud howl shot through the night. 

Ryan stopped in his tracks. The wolves, they had made their way over here. Ryan’s run turned into a sprint, he prayed they would leave him alone. Soon enough, the rocky indent was in sight. He quickly ran inside, not hesitating for a second. Jack laid asleep exactly where Ryan had left him. 

            “Jack, wake up,” whispered Ryan as he gently shook Jack back and forth.

            “You’re back!” Jack's voice went from one of exhaustion to pure excitement.

            “Yeah, but quite down. On my way back I heard some howls, I couldn’t tell how far they were though.”

            “Wolves?”

            “Mhm.”

            “I’m glad you made it back safe. How are you feeling?” Asked Jack, a look of anxious relief on his face. 

            “I should be the one asking you that. How’s the leg?” Ryan kneeled down to place his pack on the ground and to inspect the wound. The bandage that he had placed on it was completely soaked with blood. He had only brought one roll of bandages on the way here, but he had run out. Hopefully now he could replace them. 

            “It still hurts like hell, but that’s not news is it.” Jack chuckled at his own joke, then wheezed in pain at the sudden movement of his chest. 

            “Well, I have good news. While I was out at the cabin, I got this.” Ryan reached into his bag and pulled out the med kit. 

            “Oh my goodness, they let you have it? Did they have a phone as well?” Jack asked, his eyes widening with hope.

            “Oh yeah, I forgot to mention. They weren’t actually home, so, I kinda, just went inside and took it. And no, they did not have a phone.”

            “Well, at least we got the med kit.” 

            Ryan worked hard through the night with Jack, disinfecting his bite wound and replacing the bandages around his leg. Ryan had never actually needed to use one of these things before, so there was a lot of back and forth between the manual. Finally, a few hours later, he was done. 

If you don't have matches, turn to page (page 37) 

If you have the matches, turn to page (page 35).

 

 

 

 

 

            “Hey, Jack, while I was at the cabin I also picked up these logs.” Ryan reached into his bag once more and pulled out a few wooden chunks. “I was thinking, maybe we could start a fire. So you know, it’s warmer here.”

            “I think that’s a great idea. It was really cold last night, even for our standards. Don’t want to live through that again.” 

            “Yeah.” Ryan placed the wood stacked on top of each other with some kindling in the middle. He then grabbed the matches and struck the side of the box until one of them lit. 

            The fire was small, but it was doing its job. Ryan was just glad he wouldn’t have to sleep in the freezing cold again tonight. 

            “You know, this kind of reminds me of when we went camping back in the day for Boy Scouts, well, I guess you were a Girl Scout back then, but whatever.”

            “Yeah. We would sneak off in the middle of the night and make our own campsite. And then, in the morning, all the adults would be wondering where we had gone. Those were some good memories.”

            “I’m glad we joined the scouts. Otherwise we might not have this wonderful fire here.” The two sat in silence for a bit after that. They both had the same question on their mind. 

            “So, what’s the plan tomorrow?” Jack asked. 

            “I was thinking, when you felt better, like you know, able to walk better. We would just try and make it back to the car. It shouldn't take more than a day from here, as long as we move fast,” Ryan replied. He wanted to make sure that Jack didn’t get hurt again when they went back outside.

            “I don’t want to delay us any longer. I say we just leave tomorrow, I’ll try my best not to slow us down.” 

            “Let's make a decision in the morning, once we’ve slept on it.”

            “Ok. But what about the wolves? You said they were still out there.” Jack was reasonably nervous.

            “Oh, them. Lets just hope they don't come back (page 38).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            “How’s that?” Ryan asked Jack, securing the last and final bandages. 

             “A lot better. Thank you,” Jack responded. His leg was not in nearly as much pain as he had been in before. “So, what are we going to do tomorrow?”

            “I was thinking, when you felt better, like, you know, able to walk better. We would just try and make it back to the car. It shouldn't take more than a day from here, as long as we move fast,” Ryan replied. He wanted to make sure that Ryan didn’t get hurt again when they went back outside.

            “I don’t want to delay us any longer. I say we just leave tomorrow, I’ll try my best not to slow us down.” 

            “Let's make a decision in the morning, once we’ve slept on it.”

            “Ok. But what about the wolves? You said they were still out there.” Jack was reasonably nervous.

            “I don’t know what to do about them, let’s just hope they don’t attack again (page 38).

 

 

 

 

 

            A car pulled into an open area. He wouldn’t be able to drive any further in, the snow plows didn’t go this far. Two people stepped out, dressed in full winter attire. Both equipped with a bag, they headed out onto the trail.

            They walked far, passing cabins and trees alike. It wasn't until the ground began to tilt that they knew they had arrived. Mount Brazer.

            Not even a few hours into the climb they were attacked. Four wolves jumped out from the rocky crevasses and ran at them. One of them, equipped with a knife, struck at one of the wolves. He managed to get a good blow as the wolf jumped away dripping a dark red crimson. The other one however was getting overwhelmed. Whilst focusing on the wolf ahead of him, another snuck around back and bit his leg. The man crumpled to the floor in pain. Right as the wolf was about to strike again, a knife plunged right into its neck. 

            The wolves ran off, with the weapon and everything. The one still standing quickly ran over to his friend in a panic. He was thriving in unimaginable pain as he cursed out the damned beasts. Bandages from a bag were quickly placed onto the wound, but the damage had been done. A wolf's howl echoed through the night as the snow around Ryan and Jack turned red. 

            It was the next day and Ryan laid in a cold sweat. The time to make a decision was now. He could wait for Jack to heal a bit more before heading out, or the two of them could leave now and move as fast as they possibly could towards the car. He was unsure of what choice to make, but the responsibility would fall upon him soon. 

 

 

Choice 3e

Leave now (page 40).
Wait for Jack to heal (page 64).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Option 1 (3e)

            Ryan stood up, glancing a look at the sleeping Jack, his chest moving up and down in steady beats. The weather outside was calm, not even the slightest hint of a breeze. The snow had piled up over 2 feet last night. Getting back to the car wasn't going to be easy, and Ryan knew it. It had taken them over six hours to get to mount Brazer, and that was when both of them could actually walk. With Jack's injured leg, it could take double that. They had to make the trek in one day, if they got trapped out there in the middle of another blizzard, then the wolves would be the least of their worries.

            “Hey, Jack, you need to wake up.” Ryan gently shook his friend back and forth. He slowly opened his eyes. 

            “What is it? Did something happen?” Jack asked in a groggy and slow voice. He lifted his two arms into the air to stretch and let out a long yawn. 

            “We’re leaving now while we still can, early in the morning.” Any later, nightfall would definitely catch them. Ryan wasn't sure exactly what time it was, but he could tell it was early based on where the sun sat in the sky. 

            “I thought you said we were going to talk about it in the morning,” stated Jack, reasonably confused by the sudden confrontation. 

            “We are talking about it, right now. And I’ve decided that you were correct yesterday, we should leave now,” responded Ryan in quite the rush to leave the cave. He knew he couldn’t take care of Jack forever in here, with their limited supplies and all. Also, the idea of waking up to a wolf eating you didn't sound the most appealing to him. 

            “Ok, ok. I’ll follow your lead,” Jack said, reaching out his arm. Ryan grabbed it and pulled Jack up. He stumbled a bit as both feet hit the ground but soon got his balance back. It wasn't as hard for Jack to walk as it had been right after the wolf bite, but it was still pretty bad. Jack held onto Ryan tightly as the two of them stepped out into the wilderness once more.

            Each step was difficult as their feet sunk deep into the snow. The sun glared down at them with a cold heat. The pathway was almost all but gone, only small bits of wooden fence peeking out over the snow tops. Nevertheless, they followed it, knowing it would guide them back to safety. 

            Around two hours into the journey, they were both utterly exhausted. 

            “Ryan, I think I need a break,” Jack weezed using the last air he had left in his lungs .

            “We can’t, each time we stop, that’s more time wasted.” It pained Ryan to say that. Stopping sounded great to him right about now, but he was also right. They only had so much daylight. 

            “Please. I’ll try and make up for it by walking quicker.” 

Ryan looked at Jack's face, then, at his shaking legs.

            “Fine, but let’s make it quick.” 

            The two of them sat down, their backs against a nearby tree. Ryan reached into his backpack and pulled out two granola bars, one of which he offered to Jack who gladly accepted. Come to think of it, Ryan wasn't sure if he had even eaten since the incident. All his focus was on protecting Jack that he had completely forgotten about his hunger. After the two were done eating they just sat in silence for a few minutes catching their breath. Although they wished they never had to get up again, it was time to get moving. 

            This cycle of walking a few hours and resting continued on for quite some time. The sky was starting to turn a light shade of orange. That's when they heard it. An unforgettable noise, the howl of a wolf. At the same time, the two of them stopped and looked around. They couldn’t see the wolves, but that didn't mean a thing. 

            “Let’s try and quicken the pace, we should almost be at the car.” He hoped they were close to the car anyways. In all reality, he had lost track of time a while ago and was just following the path. 

            The pastel orange turned to red as the minutes passed. It felt as if there were eyes everywhere, all watching the two of them. 

            On the pathway ahead of them, clear as day, stood a wolf, its eyes as sharp as its fangs.

If you have the shotgun, turn to page (page 43).

If you have the knife from the body, turn to page (page 46).

If you are weaponless, turn to page (page 47).

            

 

 

 

 

 

            The wolf was still, its eyes never leaving Ryan and Jack. 

            “Jack, you stay here.” Ryan lowered him until he was sitting in the snow. Ryan reached for his back and brought the shotgun close. It was at that moment he could hear pounding footsteps coming from both sides of him. He looked left and right and saw two wolves charging straight for him. 

            In an instant one of the wolves was upon him. Ryan gripped the gun with two hands and used it to dull the initial impact of the wolf. The beast, now on top of Ryan, snapped its jaws repeatedly, just barely missing. It’s breath smelt of rotting meat as its saliva dripped onto Ryan's face. 

            Ryan tried to kick the wolf off of him, but it was heavy, a lot heavier than he could have ever imagined. Suddenly, the wolf shrieked in pain as blood joined the variety of liquids on Ryan’s face. Jack had crawled over and stabbed it right in the neck. In its distraction, Ryan shoved one last time, finally managing to get out from under the beast. 

            The grey monster thrashed around on the ground in pain. One wolf temporarily dealt with, Ryan looked to see where the other two had gone. The one that was once at the path now ran at them, whilst the other slowly circled around the two, seeing what had happened to the first wolf. He wasted no time, Ryan quickly pointed the gun at the bleeding beast and pulled the trigger. To his dismay, it didn't move a bit. He quickly fiddled with the weapon as the wolf got closer and closer. Finally, he saw the issue. Ryan flicked off the safety and shot the wolf.  

            The noise echoed throughout the entire forest. The noises of pain coming from the wolf quickly ceased as dozens of bleeding holes appeared on its body. The kickback from the gun far exceeded Ryan expectations as he struggled to keep a grip on it. The other two wolves, seeing and hearing what had just happened, ran off. The two had lived.

            “Are you ok,” Ryan promptly asked Jack who was laying in the snow, knife in hand. 

            “I’m fine, but I should be asking you that. You look like a mess.” Ryan’s jacket had two tear marks from wear the monster had landed. Not only that, but Jack's face was covered in sweat, saliva, and blood that he was pretty sure all came from the wolf. 

            “Come on, let’s get moving. We’re not in the clear just yet,” Ryan said, reaching down once more to pick up Jack. 

            The sky was well black now. But like a shining beacon in the darkness was a grey sudan, parked exactly where Ryan had left it. Although it was now covered in a couple feet of snow, the tires were barely visible.

            Ryan opened the car door and placed Jack inside. The snow atop the car was soon on the ground as it pulled out of its spot and onto the road. It wasn't long until the icy ground turned into solid asphalt. (page 45)

 

 

 

 

 

            Around a month had passed since the incident. Jack survived after being driven to the nearest hospital. Thankfully, there wasn't any permanent injury. 

            Ryan is currently in his apartment, sitting on a chair overlooking the city from his balcony. The two of them had been through a lot. As the winds pick up he heads back inside. On his way to the couch he spots a miniature version of the statue of liberty, a gift from his mom. He looks at it for a few long moments before turning around and heading towards his desk. He sits down and turns on the lamp. Grabbing a sheet of paper and a pencil, he is about to start writing when his hands stop. Was he really doing this, was he going to go back to the mountain.

            He and Jack had failed to climb it the first time, nearly at the expense of both of their lives. But the failure struck deep within Ryan. Yet again he had failed. What would she think of him? Would she be disappointed, or just upset. Ryan wanted nothing more than to see the summit of mount Brazer, nothing more than to just succeed at something he attempted. But after what had happened the first time, he wasn't sure if he was ready to go back. He tapped the paper in thought.

Choice 3b

Go back to the mountain (page 74)
Don’t go back to the mountain (page 73)

 

 

Placing Jack on the ground, Ryan quickly reaches for his back and pulls out the knife he had gotten earlier. Jack does the same, although Ryan doubts his friend’s ability to defend himself right now. The wolf ahead keeps its gaze locked on them, not moving an inch. 

The sound of snapping branches and ruffling leaves startles them as a second wolf emerges from some nearby bushes. Ryan braces for impact as the wolf lunges and jumps out at him. He uses his available hand to try and keep its mouth away from him as he plunges the knife into its body. Warm crimson spills out onto his face tainting him and the snow around. The wolf doesn't stop its attack, however. Again, the knife is thrusted into its chest, this time, Ryan can feel the beast getting weaker. Now with this new gained advantage, he pushes as hard as he can until the wolf is on the ground. 

As the beast tumbles into the snow it whimpers and backs away. Ryan looks over to Jack only to see him fending for his own life as the other is attacks him. Jack tries to defend himself, slashing widely in every which way, but the wolf is more powerful, sinking its teeth into his arm. Ryan runs over and quickly stabs the wolf straight in the head. Both their struggles immediately cease. It looks like Jack is trying to say something, but Ryan can't make anything out over the sound of his own heartbeat and the panicking thoughts at the sight of Jack's rapidly bleeding arm. 

Quickly Ryan picks him up with new found strength he didn't know he had. As fast as he can, Ryan sprints down the path until the car is in view. At this point Jack is once again passed out. As Jack is lying down in the back seat, Ryan drives out of there towards the closest hospital he can think of. (page 45) 

 

            “Ryan, take this,” says Jack as he hands his friend the knife he has been carrying in his backpack. “It will be more effective in your hands anyways.”

            Ryan takes the knife and gets ready to fight. Although, he was worried. The last time they had fought the wolves, Jack nearly died. The sound of snapping branches and moving leaves alerts Ryan as a second wolf dives at him from the bushes. It tackles him to the ground, it’s drool dripping onto Ryan’s face as it snaps and bites at him. Ryan delays the wolf with his arms, but seeing as it’s not doing him any good he plunges the knife into its neck. 

            Red crimson covers his face as the beast stumbles backwards limp and weak. Ryan attempts to get up but feels a shooting pain in one of his legs. As he looks at it, he sees claw marks from the creature.

            “Ryan, help!” 

            Ryan turns his head to see the other wolf attacking Jack. With nothing to defend himself but his hands, the wolf is overpowering him quickly. Ryan tries to run over to help, but falls back down as his leg goes limp. The wolf, with one final push, shoves Jack's arm out of the way as it bites into his face. 

            The screams of Jack echo in Ryan’s ears as he crawls over. The wolf, completely distracted with its meal, doesn't even notice Ryan as he readies the knife.

            A loud howl before the beast hits the ground in a pool of its own blood. The other wolf, seeing its brother murdered, runs away. 

            “Jack! Jack!” Ryan looked at his friend in utter despair. His head had been bit in two. Cracked bones and bloodied skin lined what remained of him. “No! This can’t be happening? Not again!” Ryan screamed into the empty forest. But for what, no one else lived out here. In a way, it made it worse. Nothing but Ryan and his mistakes. 

            “This is all my fault. I got you killed.” Ryan covered his face in despair as he sobbed uncontrollably. He punched the snow over and over. “Stupid, I’m so stupid!”

            Ryan stood up, tears still streaming down his face. He picked up Jack, his blood staining Ryan’s hands. Slowly, he carried the lifeless body over to the car. He rested him in the back seat. The car engine rumbled as the car drove onto the road. Each passing tree looked as if it could be hiding a monster. The lane lines all blurred together. What was Ryan even supposed to do?

Has the mountain defeated Ryan (2a)

Yes, it’s taken everything from him (page 49).
No, he will be back to defeat it (page 50).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Option 1 (2a)

            The sky was black as night as Ryan sat alone next to a tombstone. He didn’t speak, he didn’t move, he only thought. A dead tree overlooked the graveyard. On the tree were six crows. But not even they spoke, the night was truly silent. 

            Cracked and flattened leaves lined the icy grass. The tombstone wasn't big, it was all he and Jack's family could muster. Dozens of beer cans sat next to Ryan, all of them crumbled and destroyed. It ashamed him every time he took a sip, Jack wouldn’t have wanted this. But the endless spiral of despair spoke louder. 

            Dozens of scars covered his arms, reminders for what he had done. Ryan moved his hand to his head. As he felt his face, he was shocked and disappointed. Shocked that his head was still attached to his body, and disappointed that it was. He moved to grab another can and drank the whole thing dry. Crumpled like all the others, it soon joined the pile of guilt.

 Pile of Despair Ending

 

 

 

 

Option 2 (2a)

             With each passing day the trees seemed to get shorter and shorter. Ryan walked along the path once more, each step weighed down by guilt and grief. The snow gear was the least of his problems. 

            Hours pass and Ryan continues to walk, not stopping even once. His legs were strong, except for the left one which was still scarred from an injury a few weeks ago. Eventually he stumbled upon a familiar sight. The cabin that he and his friend had seen back when he had last been here. Except now, it was completely destroyed.

            Shattered windows, broken planks of wood, and the door was caved in. Claw marks lined the outer walls. This place wasn't Ryan’s goal though. He pressed on, walking straight by the building he wished he was thankful for. 

            Day turned to night as the hours ticked by. The winds began to pick up and the snow was lifted off the ground. Ryan already knew that a blizzard was about to begin, he had already seen it happen once. But did he really care? The blizzard was just one more thing standing in his way from reaching the top. He could go find shelter and wait it out, but he could also just keep going. 

Choice 4c

Find shelter (page 51).
Keep moving (page 62).

 

Option 1 (4c)

            As the winds picked up Ryan looked for a cave to stay in for the night. He managed to find something good enough. A small outcove in the rock. It was only covered from the back and above, but it was better than nothing. As he set up camp he watched the storm outside. Just a few minutes ago he could actually see, but now, with the snow and wind, it was one massive blur. He leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes.

            “Mom, I want to go outside,” begged a much younger Ryan. She sat on the couch and looked dreamingly out the window. 

            “I’m sorry Rylee, but not right now. Mommy’s working,” she said as she typed on her computer. Rylee couldn’t be less interested in whatever it was her mother was working on. 

            *knock knock*

Rylee’s head shot up as she looked over to the front door. Then she looked over to her mother for approval. She nodded. Rylee got up and off the couch and ran to unlock the front door. But as she opened it, the mangled body and face of Jack stared right back. 

            Rylee screamed, somehow recognizing who’s body it was. The creature's body was stiff with its movements, like a puppet to a puppeteer. She turned to her mother for help, but she was gone. The beast moved closer as its mouth began to speak. 

            “You killed me Ryan. You made me this.” Its voice was coarse and broken. Rylee tried to run away, but their legs wouldn’t move. One step, two steps. Jack moved closer… until he stumbled and fell to the floor. His mouth oozed blood as his body convulsed on the tile, turning it from white to red. Rylee watched in horror.

             Ryan gasped for air as he shot up. He looked around, trying to realize what had happened. He grasped at his chest and squeezed it tight to make sure his heart was still there. After a few deep breaths, he calmed down. That had been a real memory, just altered and changed. Ryan had had that dream a few times now, but it still haunted him every time. Nothing he did could convince him it wasn't real. 

           The blizzard outside had stopped and the sun was in the sky. Well, no time to mope around. Ryan quickly packed up his things and began to climb the mountain once more. He had already made it further than when Jack and he first attempted this. Although, the fact that he had disturbed his mind. It was that easy to get this far, and yet, Jack still died. 

            The sky remained still for the rest of the day. The cabin was in the distance, on a bit of a small incline. Wait, the cabin, but didn’t he already pass that. It’s what Ryan was thinking. Worried he had been turned around, he walked towards it. 

            Inspecting the surroundings, this was definitely not where the original cabin used to be. Had it moved, or was this just another copy. But how many people lived on this mountain? The chances of him finding two were slim. The building's mere existence fed into Ryan’s curiosity. He inspected it up and down one last time thinking of what to do. 

Choice 5d

Go inside and explore the cabin (page 53).
Walk by, he doesn't have time for this (page 59).

 

Option 1 (5d)

            Ryan enters the cabin and begins to look around. Although it looked neat and clean from the exterior, the inside told a different story. Wood clippings lined the ground as mold stretched from wall to wall. A snapped shelf still half hanging on one side, the fallen piece nowhere to be seen. 

            Ryan was about to turn around and leave when he noticed something that wasn’t destroyed. A polished wooden stock and shiny barrel. The shotgun hung from the chimney. Ryan walked up to the weapon and inspected it. Its quality was far better than anything else in the cabin. He reached out with one hand and picked it up. 

            Technically it was still illegal to own this, but he was planning on putting it right back. But first, Ryan wanted to know how it felt, the thing that could have saved his friend if he had grabbed it. As he slid his hand onto the polished wood, the room began to change. The roof disappeared, followed by the walls and floor. Then it was the scenery, changing from the snow just outside to someplace very familiar. Jack was on the ground, a wolf on top of him. He was fighting back, trying desperately to stay alive. Ryan, or the Ryan that should be here more like, was nowhere to be seen. 

            As he processed where he was and saw what was about to happen he lifted the gun. 

Choice 6f

Shoot the wolf (page 53)
Don’t shoot the wolf (page 55)

Option 1 (6f)

            Ryan looked down the sights and pulled the trigger, but it didn’t move. It occurred to him that he had no idea how to use this thing. He looked around until he flicked a switch that he hoped was the safety, all the while Jack fended off a monster. He re-steadied the weapon and pulled the trigger once more.

            The blast was tremendous, shaking the entire building. Wood chippings flew into the air as Ryan fell to the floor. His lifeless body pooling blood, only adding to the disarray of the cabin. The shotgun was soon to follow. As it landed, its barrel faced straight towards him. 

Double Edged Gun Ending

 

 

 

 

 

 

Option 2(6f)

            As Ryan aimed the weapon a realization occurred to him. This already happened, there wasn’t any changing the past, no matter how much he wanted to. Ryan watched as the wolf bit straight into Jack once more and the gruesome scene slowly transitioned back to the wooden building.

            The shotgun was on the floor, its frame no longer clean. Instead, its wood was splintered and chipped. Ryan stormed out of the cabin, the only thought on his mind, getting to the top of this damn mountain (page 56).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            The winds once again began to pick up. It felt like this mountain was a nonstop storm. It wasn't a blizzard, but the gust was enough to send snow into the air. Ryan trekked onwards, not letting the weather delay him any longer. 

            The hours all blended together. Nothing but trees, snow, and rocks all around. Soon, Ryan took one last step, but it was different than the others. His foot actually bent upwards, instead of just being almost flat. The elevation was rapidly increasing. Ryan kept walking until that turned into climbing. The wind was blowing even harder now. At any moment a strong gust could push him off, but he kept going. 

           The clouds weren’t that far anymore, maybe just a few hundred meters. Reaching the sky no longer felt like such a far fetched idea. The ground began to flatten out, in a way. Ryan was able to walk again, but the mountain turned into more of a large stone staircase that wrapped around the walls. 

            A stone from above was pushed off by the wind, landing right behind Ryan. He turned around to see what had caused the noise when he saw a monster. A face full of scratches and bites, half of its head missing. Its torso was disproportionate to the rest of its body, bending inwards and out in places it shouldn't be. 

             The creature ran at Ryan with a speed that it shouldn't have been able to. It was gaining ground quickly. Ryan tries to think of what to do, but he isn't sure.

 

Choice 7b

Run from the monster (page 57)
Stand and fight the monster (page 58)

Choice 1 (7b)

            As he sees the creature running towards him, he begins to do the same, just in the opposite direction. No matter how much he runs, it always seems to be getting closer. Eventually, the nice walkable stairs disappear, replaced with a rough and jagged wall. Ryan tries to climb it, but the monster is only a few meters away at this point. 

             Ryan turns around to get a better look at what’s chasing him. What seemed to him to be a monstrosity actually began to look more like Jack. Even with its face half destroyed and body distorted, it still shared similar features. 

            Jack lunges at Ryan knocking him back just enough for him to tumble off the edge. Right before he falls he grabs onto a rock saving himself for now. The monster, seeing Ryan still alive, begins to kick the thing keeping him alive.

            “Jack! Please stop!” Ryan screams out in an attempt to reason with his friend. With each kick, the rock gets looser and looser. 

            “I'm sorry, Jack! I…” as those words are spoken the rock gives out. Ryan falls off the mountain and into the depths below. Jack looks at his friend, his screams echoing the whole way down.

Echoing Screams Ending

 

 

Choice 2 (7b)

            As the monster runs towards Ryan, he reaches for his knife. Planting both feet on the ground, he steadies himself for impact. The beast now closer than before, Ryan realizes something. It's not just some random creature, but it was Jack, well, Jack's mangled corpse. Jack lunges at Ryan, but at the last second, he decides to side step out of the way. The creature stumbles forwards, stopping itself from falling over the edge. Ryan has an open opportunity to plunge the knife straight into its back, but he doesn't. Jack turns around and lunges at Ryan once more, he doesn't even try to move out of the way. Jack's arms phase straight through him, not affecting Ryan in the slightest.

            “You're not real, huh,” Ryan says as Jack attempts to claw out his eyes. “Crazy what the human mind can conjure up.” 

            Ryan pushes the monster away and it tumbles off the cliffs. As Ryan continues to move up, the clouds only get closer. At this point, they were maybe just a leaps away. 

            He pokes his head above the clouds. Ryan had made it to the top of Mount Brazer. The summit was actually quite flat, almost acting like a floor in a house. There weren’t any walls or a ceiling, but he felt safe up there. The clouds stretched out across the entire surface acting like a giant carpet covering the sky. 

            “I did it guys,” Ryan announced as he silently sobbed to himself. He was quiet with his words, fearing that once spoken out loud he would wake up from some weird twisted dream, but he didn't. Instead, he stood proudly where he was. 

Twisted Dream Ending

Option 2 (5d)

            “No, I’m not going in this cabin. I’m getting close. I need to keep moving ,” Ryan thought to himself, almost insulted at the world for giving him this option. He walks right on by and keeps his mind focused on the task at hand. The cabin behind him soon dissipates. 

            “Ahhh, Ryan, help me!” screams an unknown, yet very familiar voice. Ryan turns around to look at where the noise is coming from. 

            “They're going to kill me! Hurry!” This time the pleads for help are even louder. Ryan begins to run towards the screams. More and more shouts echo through the forest until Ryan finally pinpoints the voice. It was Jacks, was he still alive? And getting murdered again? 

            “I’m coming, Jack! Hold in there!” Ryan screams back to his friend. He keeps running, but the voices never seem to get quieter. Actually, they seem to be getting further. As Ryan’s stamina depletes, he stands still in a large open patch of snow. 

            “You're not real, huh.” The realization somehow surprised him, although, deep down, he already knew it was fake. With that valuable time wasted, Ryan turned back, ignoring the pleas for help the whole way. 

            The mountain began to get steeper, and not just by a bit. Ryan could tell before, but it was only a slight incline. Now, the angle was increasing by a few percent every few meters. Soon, he had to get on all fours just to keep moving. He wasn't 100 percent sure, but he hoped this meant the summit was near. 

            At some point, Ryan switched from walking up to proper climbing. There wasn't much snow where he was now, the only inklings of it inside of the rock walls crevices. Ryan wasn't afraid of heights, but something like this would make anyone nervous. Soon, the 90 degree incline slowly began to smoothen out. The clouds weren’t even that far any more, maybe just a few dozen meters away. 

            As Ryan continued to climb, the clouds only got closer. He was dead tired at this point having climbed for a few hours straight. Now that the wall was gone, it became easier on his limbs. 

            The sky was within arms reach. As his head passed through, he was stunned at the sudden change. The noises of wind and chipping rock, replaced with bird chirping and the smell of grass. A green grassy hill poked out from the cloud tops. A singular tree stood on top of it. 

            Ryan walked up the hill, the cold climate quickly turning into the nice warm weather of spring. As he reached the top, he saw Jack sitting underneath the oaks shade. He motioned for Ryan to take a seat beside him. 

            “So, you actually did it,” Jack spoke with his eyes closed as he let his skin absorb the heat. 

            “What is this place?” asked Ryan. He was confused at how he had gotten there, but happy to be seeing his friend once more. 

            “Eh, who knows.” Jack shrugged. “I don’t really know that much more than you do.”

            “Have you been here the whole time, you know, ever since you died?” Ryan asked as he finally took Jack's offer and sat down. The grass beneath him felt good, a welcome change from the snow. 

            “Maybe. I haven’t really been counting the days.” As Jack said that, Ryan knew what he needed to do. 

            “I’m really sorry, Jack. I’m so sorry that I got you involved with this. And because of me, you ended up getting killed,” Ryan burst out. Jack looked back at him with a neutral face.

            “Ryan, you didn’t kill me. I agreed to help you, and there was no way to know what would happen on the mountain.” Jack placed a hand on Ryan's shoulder and looked him straight in the eyes. 

            “Bu-” Jack placed a hand over Ryan’s mouth. 

            “No buts. You didn’t kill me, Ryan. But I do appreciate you still thinking about me, even after all this time.” Jack turned his eyes back towards the sky. 

            “Of course I still think about you. I think of you everyday.” Ryan’s eyes began to water. Jack placed an arm around Ryan to comfort him. The two stared off into the distant sun. 

            The green grass and the sun's warmth leave all too quickly as it is once again replaced with snow and stone. Ryan wept at the top of Mount Brazer, but he wasn't alone.

The Oak Tree Ending

            

 

 

 

 

 

Option 2 (4c)

            “I don’t have time for this,” Ryan thought. He continued to keep walking, ignoring the signs of the oncoming storm. The snow kept pounding harder as Ryan persisted. The moon was the only thing letting Ryan see anything and as it hid behind a cloud, so did the light. Surrounded by total darkness, Ryan began to panic. 

            The void and snow quickly began to transform around him. The ground turned to concrete and the wind turned into street chatter. Ryan stood in the center of New York City. As he saw and examined the buildings Ryan breath grew quicker. His heart began to beat at a rate he didn't know possible as he grasped at his chest. He knew what was about to happen. Why was his mind showing him this, now of all times?

              “Please, don’t remind me!” Ryan screamed out, but no one around seemed to notice. A man walked straight through Ryan as he proceeded to crumple to the ground. He scratched at his face as he shut his eyes, but even with them closer, he could still see. 

            The sound of a distant airplane came into earshot. Ryan looked up, knowing exactly where it was headed. Shrapnel and fire burst out from where the skyscraper had been hit. Screams filled the streets as Ryan pretended not to hear. Back and forth, he rocked on the ground until the world began to get more cold. 

            He was back in the snow, laying down just like he had been earlier. The moon was back, guiding him along once more. Getting up, Ryan wiped away a tear from his cheek as he pressed forward. 

            After a bit longer the snow soon began to slow. The blizzard had come and gone and the world was quiet once more. As the sun rose up, Ryan realized he had walked all night. It wasn't his intention, but sleep just wasn't on his mind. Then, in the distance, he noticed something strange. The cabin rested on a slight snowy incline. It was definitely the exact same one as before, except it was in a different spot now. Also, the walls stood strong and the door was intact. What had happened?

            Ryan walked closer to examine the structure. He ran his hand along one of the wooden walls. What was he to do?

Choice 5d

Go inside the cabin (page 53)
He doesn't have time, keep moving (page 59)

    

            

 

 

 

 

 

Option 2 (3e)

            Ryan knew what he was going to do. Leaving now would just be too risky. The wolves could attack, a blizzard could roll in, they could get lost in the dark. It was better if he just stuck around and waited a few days, or however long Jack would need, to rest. 

            Ryan got up and peaked his head outside. The weather was clear. He turned around and looked at Jack. He was fast asleep, his chest slowly moving up and down with each breath. Each time any of them took a breath it clouded their vision the slightest bit as the air was frozen in front of them. 

If you lit the fire last night turn to page (page 65)
If you did not light the fire last night turn to page (page 66)

 

 

 

 

 

Outcome 1 

            His attention was soon caught on the charred remains of last night's fire. It had done its job in keeping both of them warm, but it could only last so long. He was grateful for the heat it had provided. Although, if they wanted to stay here for longer, then they would need to get another fire up and running. As Ryan pondered, he came to the conclusion that there are probably sticks just outside, so he decided to go get some (page 67). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outcome 2 

            A cold gust of wind blew in, chilling Ryan to the bone. Last night was absolutely freezing. Ryan had a hard time falling asleep, the sight of the frozen body didn't exactly make it easier either. He looked over at Jack who seemed to be shivering in his sleep. As Ryan pondered he had the idea that maybe he could use a trick he had learned in Girl Scouts, how to start a fire with just some sticks. He had never mastered it, but it was worth a try (page 67).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Jack awoke to the warm and pleasant smell of burning wood. He wasn't sure how long he’d been asleep, but it was definitely long enough for Ryan to go and start a fire. 

            “Good morning,” said Ryan in an energetic voice as he tossed some of the rations they had brought to Jack. He attempted to catch it, but the bar fell a few feet short onto the stone. 

            “Nice throw,” Jack said sarcastically as he leaned over to grab it. He tore the wrapping over and took a bite. 

            “This is why I never played softball in high school,” Ryan said, more so to the bad throw rather than at Jack. 

            “So, by the looks of the fire, I guess we’re staying here for a bit,” Jack said but with the tone of his voice it sounded more like a question.

            “That’s right, to many unknowns with your leg out there. I’d rather just play it safe.” Ryan was now taking a bite out of his own ration bar. “We can walk back to the car once you feel better.” 

            “Sounds good. So, what do you want to do in the meantime?” Jack asked, the slight pauses in between each of their statements already making him feel slightly awkward. 

            “I don’t really know. There isn't much we can do at the moment.” Ryan took another bite out of his food. Seeing this, it reminded Jack that he had his own and continued eating. 

            In an apartment building was Ryan, sitting on a couch examining a miniature statue of Lady Liberty herself. As he stared at it, his face only grew in despair. Jack was in the kitchen cooking some food. 

            “Hey Jack?” Ryan asked, laying the statue back on the table. 

            “Yeah?” Jack replied with a bit of a loud voice so that he could be heard over the sound of sizzling steaks. 

            “Remember when we went to Mount Brazer around two months ago?” Ryan was now fidgeting with his hands, a drop of cold sweat on his forehead. 

            “Of course I do. How could I forget?” Jack's face grew slightly twisted as he already began to guess where this conversation might be heading.

            “Well… I want to go back. The mountain, it’s taunting me. One more thing in my life that can do so, just like everything else.” Ryan got up as he spoke, his voice getting louder, not at Jack, but at himself. 

            “What! That’s crazy talk. We can’t go back. We almost died last time we went there.” Jack was trying to keep his composure, but was failing pretty miserably. 

            “I know, I know. But…

Should Ryan return to the mountain (3b)

Yes (page 69)
No (page 72)

 

 

 

Option 1 (3b)

            Ryan paused to think of what to say. He had a reason to go back to that mountain, but he himself wasn't quite sure what it was. 

            “I just need to, ok. And you can’t stop me.” He and Jack rarely ever fought, so this feeling made him quite uneasy. But he was determined to make it to the top of the mountain. 

            “Ry-,”

            “I’ll go without you. You don’t have to come. That’s what you're scared of right, dying?” Ryan hesitated with each word. Saying stuff like this made him feel horrible.

            “Of course I’m scared of dying, but it’s more than that! What if I lose you?” Jack had now walked out of the kitchen, completely forgetting about the meal he had been cooking, and stood next to Ryan. 

            “Well, I…” Ryan didn't exactly know how to respond to that. He hadn't even thought of what doing this would do to Jack, even if he didn’t come with. “Well, you won’t.” 

            “Ryan, if you go back to that mountain, then I’m coming with you,” said Jack, placing a singular hand on Ryan’s shoulder. 

            “But I thought you just said you were afraid of dying. And I don’t want to put your life in danger again.” Ryan was shocked to see that Ryan would be willing to step foot onto that mountain ever again.

            “Well, I’m more afraid of losing you, ok. If you went out there, by yourself, and didn't come back. The amount of guilt I would feel.” Ryan wasn't sure to be glad or saddened by these new words of Jack’s. 

            “I don’t support this. You shouldn't come with me,” said Ryan.

            “Well I don’t support you going to the mountain, but here you are. Funny how that works. I can be just as stubborn as you.” 

            A grey Sudan drove on a very long and windy road. The snow had been shoveled off, but it was still icy.  As the road ahead ended the two parked the car. They were back, after two long months, they had returned to the mountain. It was time to try again. 

            The vehicle was quickly out of sight as the snowy wilderness took its place. Even though he had been here before, the place still felt new to Ryan. Of course, it was hard to remember what the place looked like exactly since it had been over two months, but alas. The morning quickly turned to afternoon as they walked along the trail. This time, Ryan brought a watch so he wouldn’t have to look at the sun for the time. He had seriously underestimated the mountain the first go. 

          In due time, they made it back to the spot where the cabin should have been, but instead, there was just a large empty plot of snow.

            “That’s strange, I could have sworn that the cabin used to be here,” said Ryan, a hint of confusion in his voice. 

            “Did it now? I don't really remember where it was, mainly because I was bleeding out last time I was here,” said Jack in an attempt to make Ryan laugh, he didn’t. 

            “Yeah, it was right here. I don’t know where it could have gone. It’s not like it up and left.”

            “Maybe we’re not in the right spot and you're remembering wrong,” Jack offered.

            “No, it was definitely here.” 

            “Well, it doesn't really matter right now, does it. Let’s just keep moving.” 

            The cabin was the least of their worries, but it still bugged Ryan. How could a building just disappear like that. It wasn't normal, this mountain wasn't normal. 

            The ground began to curve upwards. The two had made it, finally back on the actual mountain. They hadn't heard any wolves on the way in, but they were still cautious. As they continued to walk Ryan began to remember certain areas. Parts of the snow he had passed earlier, trees he had already seen. The rocks the wolves ambushed them from. They made sure to stay clear of it. 

            “This is it,” stated Ryan. “We have officially made it further than we did last time.” 

            “Yeah, and my leg still has all its flesh on it. An improvement,” joked Jack. Although his voice did shake as he spoke. He reached down to touch his leg, almost to make sure he wasn't lying.

        

          A large ravine blocked their path. It was almost a 90 degree drop off into a 30 foot ditch. Ryan and Jack looked left and right; the ravine seemed to go on for quite a while.  

            “That’s a change in scenery,” said Jack looking at the ravine. 

            “That’s going to be a long walk around, unless you want to try jumping,” Ryan said sarcastically. 

            “We could try and go over that bridge. But that thing looks like it’s as fragile as tempered glass,” offered Jack.

            “Over the sketchy bridge or walk a few miles, or more, until this ravine is over,” Ryan restated. “Let me think about this.”

 

Option 2 (3b)

            “Oh you're right. What am I even thinking?” Ryan slumped back down onto the couch. As he did, he stared at the ceiling. 

            “You’re a failure,” said a voice that was all too familiar towards Ryan. 

            “I know. shut up.” Ryan looked back down at the miniature statue. As it spoke it taunted Ryan as he tried to block out the noise.

            “A disappointment. You will never amount to anything,” the statue snickered louder at Ryan with each new insult. 

            “Stop, just stop talking.” Ryan tried to cover his ears, but the voice still echoed in his mind. 

            “Worthless junk, waste of space, useless.” Each new word striking deeper at Ryan. “Is this how you repay me, after you killed me!” The statue screamed as its voice began to deepen.

            “Shut! Up!” Ryan stood up and bashed the statue onto the wooden table. “I didn’t kill you, I didn't do anything.” With each smash, the statue chipped until its head rolled off. Jack watched from the kitchen, witnessing Ryan smash the statue into a million pieces. 

           With the demon killed Ryan tried to calm down. He sat back on the couch and waited. Soon, Jack announced the food was done and brought it over. He didn't ask why Ryan had just smashed the statue, instead opting to stay silent while they ate. 

            The fallen head watched as Ryan cut his meal. 

A Million and One Eyes Ending

 

Option 2 (3b)

            No matter how much Ryan wished to succeed, he knew he was aiming for too much. Heck, he nearly got Jack killed. Ryan began to place the paper back until he thought of something. He began to write.

To Jack Mayweather

Hey Jack, I know it’s been a while since I last wrote. I hope you’re doing okay. I’m writing this to tell you that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for getting you involved in my mess, and I’m sorry that you nearly died because of me. If you don’t want to talk anymore then I’ll understand, but I’ll be going to the coffee shop on Wednesday. I hope to see you there.

From Ryan Campbell

The Apology Ending

 

 

 

 

Option 1 (3b)

            As Ryan sat there tapping the paper he knew what he wanted to do. The mountain may have bested him once, but not again. He would be ready this time, more prepared. After all, he knew what the dangers of it were now. 

To Jack Mayweather

Hey Jack, I’m writing this to tell you that I’m going back to the mountain. In three days I’ll be gone for a while, so if you can’t contact me that’s why. Also, I wanted to let you know that I’m sorry, so sorry for getting you involved in my mess, and sorry for nearly getting you killed. I still think about it every night, so I’m going to go make it right. I’m not going to let the mountain laugh at me any longer. 

From Ryan Campbell

Ryan folded up the paper and placed it in an envelope. He would mail it in the morning, for now, all he wanted to do was sleep. The lamp shut off as Ryan turned out all the lights and wrapped himself in the covers. 

            On a very familiar road drove a grey Sudan heading towards a location he was all too familiar with. The place hadn’t changed a bit since he had last been here. The winding, still icy, roads led Ryan deeper into the mountains. It took a few hours, but the end of the road was soon in sight. 

            

            Jack was walking his dog around the neighborhood when he stopped to go and check the mail. Inside was the typical stuff like newspapers and things like that. But one envelope stood out to him. 

            His eyes moved back and forth as he read the letter. After he finished, he read it again, just to make sure he was reading it correctly. 

“Ryan you idiot.”

            A black pickup truck waited at the edge of the road. As Ryan pulled in he already recognized it. Jack stepped out of the truck as he saw Ryan getting closer. He waited for him to park and get out before confronting him.

            “What are you thinking?” asked Jack, the first moment he could.

            “Why are you here, Jack? I don’t want to get you mixed up in this again,” said Ryan, an annoyed yet glad look on his face.

            “I’m here to stop you from killing yourself, that’s what. The first time we tried this thing we nearly died!” Jack’s voice was getting louder. 

            “I’m more prepared this time, I’m ready.” 

            “No, you're not. There is no way I’m letting you even attempt this again, especially not alone!” Jack stopped for a second to catch his breath. He breathed in, and out. “Do you know how guilty I would feel if I let you do this and you didn’t come back.” 

            “I’m sorry Jack, but there’s no talking me out of this. I’m going to climb this mountain.” 

            “God, why do you have to be so persistent.” Jack placed his hands on his face. 

            “I don’t know Jack, I don’t know.” 

            “You know what, I assumed something like this might happen,” Jack stated as he walked back towards his truck. He opened the back door to reveal a fully packed backpack sitting on the seat. 

            “You brought gear? Why?” asked Ryan, slightly confused, but also slowly picking up what Jack was putting down. 

            “If I can’t talk you out of climbing, then I’m coming too.” Jack dawned the pack and strapped it into place. 

            “Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I said I didn’t want to get you mixed up in this aga-,” Ryan tried to finish before getting cut off by Jack placing a hand on Ryan’s mouth.

            “This is non negotiable. If you're climbing, then I’m coming with you.”

            “Hold on, no. It wasn't supposed to be like this.” Ryan grasped his own head in disbelief, shock, embarrassment?

            “Well then, are we going or what?” asked Jack, his attitude changing almost instantly. Jack started walking away towards the path, the incline of the snow drastically increasing as he left the paved and salted road.

            “Wait, hold on. Are you sure you want to do this?” Ryan asked as he ran to catch up with Jack. He simply kept walking in response. 

            The two vehicles were quickly out of sight as the snowy wilderness took its place. Ryan walked behind his friend, somehow letting Jack take the lead. 

            Even though he had been here before, the place still felt new to Ryan. Of course, it was hard to remember what the place looked like exactly since it had been over a month, but alas. The morning quickly turned to afternoon as they walked along the trail. This time, Ryan brought a watch so he wouldn’t have to look at the sun for the time. He had seriously underestimated the mountain on his first atempt. 

          In due time, they made it back to the spot where the cabin should have been, but instead, there was just a large empty plot of snow.

            “That’s strange, I could have sworn that the cabin used to be here,” said Ryan, a hint of confusion in his voice. 

            “Did it now? I don't really remember where it was, mainly because I was bleeding out last time I was here,” said Jack in an attempt to make Ryan laugh, he didn’t. 

            “Yeah, it was right here. I don’t know where it could have gone. It’s not like it up and left.”

            “Maybe we’re not in the right spot and you're remembering wrong,” Jack offered.

            “No, it was definitely here.” 

            “Well, it doesn't really matter right now, does it. Let’s just keep moving.” 

            The cabin was the least of their worries, but it still bugged Ryan. How could a building just disappear like that. It wasn't normal, this mountain wasn't normal. 

            The ground began to curve upwards. The two had made it, finally back on the actual mountain. They hadn't heard any wolves on the way in, but they were still cautious. As they continued to walk Ryan began to remember certain areas. Parts of the snow he had passed earlier, trees he had already seen. The rocks the wolves ambushed them from. They made sure to stay clear of it. 

            “This is it,” stated Ryan. “We have officially made it further than we did last time.” 

            “Yeah, and my leg still has all its flesh on it. An improvement,” joked Jack. Although his voice did shake as he spoke. He reached down to touch his leg, almost to make sure he wasn't lying.

        

          A large ravine blocked their path. It was almost a 90 degree drop off into a 30 foot ditch. Ryan and Jack looked left and right; the ravine seemed to go on for quite a while.  

            “That’s a change in scenery,” said Jack looking at the ravine. 

            “It’s going to be a long walk around, unless you want to try jumping,” Ryan said sarcastically. 

            “We could try and go over that bridge. But that thing looks like it’s as fragile as tempered glass,” offered Jack.

            “Over the sketchy bridge or walk a few miles, or more, until this ravine is over,” Ryan restated. “Let me think about this.”

Which Path to Take, Choice 4b 

The bridge (page 79)
Walk around (page 95)

 

 

Option 1 (4b)

            “The longer we are out here, the more likely something horrible is going to happen. I say we cross the bridge,” suggested Ryan. 

            “If you-gulp, say so,” Jack replied, a nervous tone in his voice. 

            “Are you ok, Jack? I know you’ve never been the biggest fan of high up places,” asked Ryan. “If you want, we can just go the long route. My input isn't everything, you know.”

            “Let’s just get this over with.” 

            Jack placed his right hand onto one of the wooden pegs. Looking over he could see at least a 30 foot drop. The bridge looked to be held together by sparse ropes and fiber. Some of the wooden planks seemed to have been eaten up by the depths below because there were some abnormally large gaps in it. 

            “Be ready to catch me if this first plank snaps,” said Jack. 

            “All on it.” 

             As Jack placed his foot onto the first step he grabbed even tighter to the wooden stake. Ryan was right behind him ready to grab him by the arms, just in case. Jack placed his second foot onto the plank, his full body weight now on the bridge. 

            “Well would you look at that, it actually can hold me.”

            “I’ll cross when you get to the other side so that it doesn't need to support both of us at the same time.”

            “Sounds good.”

Jack slowly maneuvered himself across the ravine being extremely careful not to fall. With each step the bridge creaked loudly under the strain of Jack's weight. Eventually, he made it to the other side in one piece. 

            “It’s your turn now!” screamed Jack from the other side. “Be careful!”

Now that Ryan was getting a better look at the state of this bridge he was getting more nervous. He wasn't afraid of heights per say, but anyone would be nervous crossing this thing. Ryan placed his first foot onto the bridge.

            “Come on Rylee, you can do it,” spoke a very familiar sounding voice. “It’s just across this log.” 

            “But what if I fall, mom?” said a high pitched voice as they looked at the river in front of them. On it, was a log sitting on both sides of the bank. Across this log was their home, the two of them finally almost back from their hike. 

            “I’ll catch you, mommy promises.” 

            “Pinky promise?”

            “Pinky promise,” Rylee's mom said, holding up her left pinky.

Rylee crawled up onto the log and began to go across it on all fours. Even though the river below was completely still and only a few feet deep, she still didn’t want to fall. Each movement of her arm tensed her muscles. Inch by inch she slowly made her way over. How had her mom done it so easily she wondered. She crossed like she had done it 1000 times before. When Rylee was older, she too wished to have that confidence. 

            As Rylee made it to the end she placed both of her feet onto the dirt ground and raised her hands in accomplishment. 

            “I did it mom!” exclaimed Rylee in excitement as she began to look around. “Mom?” 

She was gone, nowhere to be seen on the dense forest trail. 

            “Mom? Where are you?”

            “Mom!” Shouted a suddenly much deeper voice. The grass, moss, and dirt ground slowly faded away as it was replaced with asphalt and concrete. The forest ambiance turned to screams and panic. Ryan was now running through the streets of New York City. 

            It was chaos. Stampedes of people ran from the crash site as police and fire truck sirens blared in the background. Ryan though, wasn't running away. Instead, he ran towards the building, the World Trade Center. 

            “Mom, god, please be ok!” Shouted Ryan as he sprinted. He could do nothing but hope. 

            Just then, the noise of a second plane neared as it got closer to the duel skyscrapers. In an instant, it collided with the building sending shockwaves through the street. Shrapnel shot from the tower as it burst into flames. 

            The rest of that day is one long blur. It had all happened so fast, so quick for death to take his mothers life. 

         

            “Ryan! Hurry!” Shouted Jack from the other side of the bridge. A strong gust of wind emerged from the ravine. It shook the wooden bridge so hard, Ryan almost lost his balance. 

            The worst noise Ryan could possibly hear came from behind him. One of the ropes holding the bridge in place had snapped. The planks of the bridge gave out as Ryan held on for dear life trying not to fall. Dangling from the bridge, the ropes pierced into his palms. Eventually, it was too much, his hands slipped.

            “Ryan!” Jack screamed as he saw his friend plummet into the trench below. As Ryan fell he tried desperately to grab onto anything, but nothing was close by. He was fully prepared to die when he hit the snow. He sank around three feet before he realized what had happened. 

            The snow had caught him, breaking his fall and saving his life. Ryan patted the snow in relief and thankfulness. 

            “Are you ok down there?” Shouted Jack down towards Ryan. “That was quite the fall!”

            “I'm ok, thanks to the snow here! This stuff must have been building for years, it goes so deep!” Replied Ryan, the words immediately calming Jack's nerves. 

            “That’s a relief!” Called down Jack. “Stay there, I’m going to try and find a way down to you! The ravine has got to end eventually!” 

            “Got it!”

With that, Jack’s head disappeared behind the cliff face as Ryan leaned his back against the wall. He needed a break after all that had just happened.

            It was night now and there was no sign of jack. Ryan had begun to make camp, considering by the time his friend found him, it would already be late. The wood wasn't too hard to find, Ryan simply just picked up some sticks that had fallen into the trench. This time, he actually brought a lighter to start a fire, maybe it would even help Jack find him. 

            Another hour passed and Ryan was starting to get a little worried. Where the hell was Jack? The moon was well above the horizon line and into the night. Did something happen to Jack? Was he in danger? All of these questions began to plague the mind of Ryan until he heard footsteps coming from behind him. 

            

Pull out your knife

Yes (page 83)
No (page 84)

Option 1 

            Ryan immediately reached for his side and pulled out his multi tooled knife. He planted both feet on the ground, ready for an attack. He was playing it safe, there could be anything out there, just beyond his vision. A wolf, a bear, anything. 

            The footsteps got louder and louder until it stepped into view of the campfire. It was a monster. Its face was covered in boils, its head completely disfigured. Ryan freaked out and stepped backwards.

            “Woah, calm down. What’s with the knife?” The monster asked, looking at Ryan’s hands. 

            “What, Jack? Is that you?” Ryan asked, stunned and confused. “But I could have sworn there was a monster right there.”

            “Well, I don’t see any fur on me, so I guess that counts me clear. Unless, of course, you count this.” Jack pointed to his arm hair.

             “Hahaha, of course not.” Ryan laughed, immediately forgetting about what he was just talking about. Jack always seemed to have a knack at doing that. “Anyways, what happened whilst I was trapped down here.”

            “Yeah, sorry for taking too long. But the ravine is a lot bigger than I thought and then I found this giant frozen lake. Oh, and I found this old dude living in a cabin.”

             “Someone actually lives out here?” Ryan asked, curious as to why someone would ever want to.

            “Yeah, I guess. He wouldn’t talk to me though.” (page 85)

 

Option 2 

            The footsteps got louder and louder as whatever was out there got closer. It was only when it stepped into the light did Ryan scream.

            “Jack, it’s you!” Ryan dove straight for him, arms wide open.

            “In the flesh,” replied Jack as he embraced Ryan. He was much taller than him so his chin kind of went over Ryan’s head, instead of around. 

            “Did anything happen to you whilst I was stuck down here?”

            “Yeah, sorry for taking too long. But the ravine is a lot bigger than I thought and then I found this giant frozen lake. Oh, and I found this old dude living in a cabin.”

             “Someone actually lives out here?” Ryan asked, curious as to why someone would ever want to.

            “Yeah, I guess. He wouldn’t talk to me though.” (page 85)

 

 

 

 

 

            The two continued to talk for quite some time until Jack eventually brought up the fact that he was dead tired from walking all day. Ryan laid out a sleeping bag for him, even offering him his own. In Ryan’s mind, Jack needed it more anyways. But he refused saying that Ryan should get some quality sleep if they want to continue the climb tomorrow. 

            

            “Look, the mountain’s getting steeper,” announced Ryan as he placed his right foot ahead of him. The mountain was indeed getting steeper, and not just by a bit too. Far ahead of them, they could see that later on, the smooth ground almost turned into a rocky wall. 

            As they continued onwards the incline only got worse. 

            “Hey, do you think this means we are getting close?” Asked a curious Jack, hoping that was the reason so that he wouldn’t have to climb like this much longer.

            “Maybe, I hope so.” Ryan wasn't too sure, but just like Jack, he wished he were right. 

            At around the time they needed to start walking on all fours to not fall over, the mountain began to shake. It felt like an earthquake, which was odd, since those almost never happened out here, especially not to this degree. Trees fell over as Ryan and Jack held on. The snow that was once neatly laid down was now falling towards them. An avalanche. 

If you pulled the knife on Jack earlier, turn to page (page 86).
If you did anything else, turn to page (page 92).

 

Outcome 1 

            “Oh god! We’re so screwed!” Ryan screamed as the ground continued to shake. Ryan thought he could see Jack's mouth moving, but he couldn’t hear anything over the sound of the tumbling snow. Ryan looked up to see his death moving rapidly closer to him. At that moment Ryan decided to do the only thing he could do.

            Ryan let go, allowing himself to slide down, in an attempt to escape. The slope carried him quickly, but not as fast as the snow and ice. Ryan looked up, him being a couple hundred feet down already, at Jack. He hadn't moved an inch, still holding onto the steep slope up above. Ryan watched in horror as the snow blocked the view of his friend, swallowing him whole.

            Jack was gone.

            Ryan’s descent only slowed as the mountain became less and less steep. The snow was gaining ground quickly, but that was the last thing on his mind now. The mountain had just taken his best friend from him. Another person he cared dearly for, gone, just like that. Eventually the incline was no longer sharp enough to carry Ryan any further. But he just sat there, not moving, waiting for the snow to take him. 

            The avalanche crashed into Ryan going straight through him. Ryan looked around in disbelief as the snow slowly disappeared, leaving Ryan alone and unscaved at the bottom. What had happened, why was he still alive. 

            “Ryan!” Called out a voice that sounded almost too good to be true. Ryan looked up in disbelief as he saw Jack sliding down after him. 

            “Jack! You’re alive!” Ryan blurted out as his friend neared him.

            “Of course I'm alive.” Jack replied. As he came to a stop, right next to Ryan, he asked “Are you ok? Did you lose your grip or something?”

            “I was trying to get away from the avalanche,” said a confused Ryan. He was still questioning why the snow didn’t hurt him or Jack. 

            “What avalanche? Nothing even happened. You just shouted “we're so screwed” and started sliding down.” As Ryan heard this his confusion only grew. Was the avalanche not real, but how could that be? 

            “I think you need some water or something,” stated Jack as he opened up his backpack and pulled out a bottle. “Let’s take a break.”

            The two, actually, just Jack, decided to set up camp and rest here for the time being. They started a fire and began to eat some of the rations they had brought with them. Jack seemed to be enjoying himself, enough. But Ryan had a dead look on his face. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around what was happening. None of it made any sense. 

            Ryan turned to look at Jack. He was facing away from him, looking towards the dead trees. Ryan pulled off one of his gloves and began to bite his fingernails. Was this the same person Ryan had always known? What really happened while he was stuck down in that cavern? 

Do you trust Jack (option 6c).

Yes, Ryan’s thinking too much into it (page 88)
No, something is definitely wrong (page 90)

 

 

Option 1 (6c).

            “Wait, what the hell am I even doing?” Ryan questions himself in his mind. “Me and Jack have been friends for over a decade. There’s no way he would be doing anything malicious.” Ryan looks down and begins to twiddle with his thumbs. Jack didn't know what he was thinking, but he still felt bad for even considering it. He walked over and took a seat next to Jack.

            “I don’t think I’ve told you this yet, but I really appreciate you being here right now, even if I did tell you not to come,” Ryan said in a soft voice looking down at the snow in between his legs. Jack placed his right hand on Ryan’s shoulder. 

            “Don’t worry, it would have snowed in hell the day I let you try something this dangerous, alone,” Jack stated, now looking right at Ryan, a stern yet calm look on his face. 

            “Are you ready for tomorrow?” asked Ryan, although he already knew what Jack would say.

            “Only if you are.”

            The two were back where they had made it last. The beginning parts weren’t all too bad to climb, just time consuming. But now, the mountain was getting steeper than they had ever seen. The nice snowy incline turned to a jagged rock wall at almost 90 degrees. One wrong move and they could plummet all the way down. Ryan wasn't scared though, not with Jack by his side. Together, they inched closer to the summit. 

            The clouds above didn't look all that far anymore, maybe a few hundred feet. As Ryan looked up he could see the clouds acting almost like a roof to the morning sunlight. 

            “We’re almost there.” Ryan’s words of optimism were never denied. Soon, their heads were scraping the mist. As they moved even further up, they could feel the rocks getting more smooth as the angle decreased. 

            Ryan poked his head above the clouds and saw for the first time that the mountain had ended. He had done it, he had made it to the summit. Jack was soon to follow as the two emerged from below. As they pulled themselves up, they stood at the top of the world. 

            The mountain was at the perfect height for the clouds to look like a puffy carpet. The sun’s light reflected off their surfaces illuminating what felt like everything. With zero obstructions blocking its rays, Ryan and Jack actually felt a little bit warm. 

            “Look at that view.” Ryan was staring off into the distance. His eyes scanned everything in sight until he found something even more magnificent to look at. Jack stared back at him. At the same time, the two of them walked closer to each other. Ryan leaned in, Jack did the same. 

            The sun shone down on them like a spotlight from heaven.

 The Heavenly Spotlight Ending

 

 

 

 

Option 2 (6c).

            It’s the next day. Last night, whilst Jack went to bed, Ryan couldn’t catch an inkling of sleep. His eyes were glued to Jack, just in case he tried anything, just in case he was pretending to sleep. Now, it was the morning and Ryan had bags under his eyes.

            The two were attempting to climb the steep part once more. Ryan climbed at least ten feet away from Jack. In the morning Jack had asked Ryan what was wrong, he was always able to tell when something wasn't adding up. Ryan, however, did not respond. He simply kept staring at him. Neither of them had not spoken since. 

            As they got higher, the mountain became even more steep, almost a 90 degree angle. Ryan and Jack had to be very careful now. They each placed their hands and feet in between different groves in the rock as they continued upwards. 

             The clouds, at this point, only felt a few hundred feet away. The sharp incline began to reduce to the point where they could crawl on all fours once more. Jack was a bit ahead of Ryan, but he didn’t mind that. Soon, Jack disappeared above the clouds. Ryan was soon to follow suit. As his head poked up above the view, he saw Jack standing at the top of the mountain. 

            They had made it, they reached the summit.

Jack turned around and saw Ryan climbing up the final stretch. He leaned down and reached out his hand. Ryan, seeing this gesture, continued to climb on his own. He pulled himself up to the top and looked around. The mountain’s summit was in a perfect position in which it looked like the two of them were walking on clouds. 

            Ryan had made it two his goal, he had done what he had wanted. Yet, he still felt this despair in his heart. It was like this gaping black hole was in his chest, slowly eating away at him. Jack walked up to Ryan and stood beside him. The two looked out at the view. Clouds stretched across the sky as the sun's morning colors blended with them. It was like a giant orange, red, and yellow carpet. 

            “That’s one beautiful view,” Jack said, his head still pointed towards the horizon. 

            “Yeah, it is.” Ryan was also looking at the clouds. He reached down to try and touch one of them, almost to see if they were real. Of course, his hand simply gilded right on through.

            “So, what now?” Asked Jack as he looked down at him. Ryan stood back up and turned to face his friend. 

            A monster stared back at him.

Its face was covered in boils and holes. Blood dripped from its eyes, and its neck was tied into a horrifying naught. 

            In a panic, Ryan pushed the creature away from him. It stumbled backwards, edging towards the cliff. That is, until one of its feet went over the edge. Right before it fell, Ryan looked at the monster one last time. A look of betrayal on his face, Jack tumbled over the edge. His screams echoed as he vanished below the clouds. Ryan never even heard the body hit the ground. 

            Ryan stood at the top of the world, alone.

The Descent to Hell Ending 

 

 

Outcome 2 

            Ryan began to breathe hard as the snow pummeled towards him. His hands were shaking and he was having a hard time holding on. Jack looked over at Ryan and could see him freaking out.

            “Woah, calm down,” Ryan heard Jack say over the loud noise of tumbling snow. 

            “Calm down? How the hell am I supposed to be calm right now?” Ryan shouted back to Jack. His face was turning pale in fright. 

            “Just breathe. We’re fine. Trust me.” Jack placed his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. The outside world slowly faded as all sounds and colors were taken away. All that existed was the dark void behind his eyelids. Even the shaking of the earth stopped. One breath in, one breath out. A cycle that wasn't broken for several minutes. With each breath it felt like a tightrope walker just barely stopping themselves from plummeting to their doom. It was a fragile process, but it worked.

            As Ryan opened his eyes after an amount of time he didn't know. Jack was right beside him, staring into his eyes. The shaking of the earth had disappeared and the avalanche was gone. The world was completely and utterly still. 

            “What happened? Why did that work?” Asked Ryan completely dumbfounded to still be alive, but thankful. 

            “Well, that’s what you used to do back in the day whenever you got stressed out. So I figured it was worth giving it a try,” replied Jack. 

            “But how did that make the avalanche go away? It doesn't make any sense.” Ryan was still as confused as ever. How could breathing and closing his eyes remove a dangerous threat. Unless…

            “Avalanche? What on earth are you talking about?” Now it was Jack's turn to feel confused. “I just saw you start shaking and assumed you were stressing out. I didn’t see any avalanche.”

            “You didn't even feel the ground shake?” 

            “Nope, can’t say I did.” 

            Had Ryan’s mind really constructed such a danger. Was it all in his head? All he knew for sure is that Jack had helped him once again.

            “Thank you, Jack. Thank you for teaching me the trick I had forgotten.” It was actually Ryan’s mother who had taught him to do that when he was panicking. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten it. 

            With that crisis averted the two continued to climb the mountain. The already steep slope became even steeper. So steep, that they went from crawling up it, to climbing, at almost a 90 degree angle. He and Jack climbed right next to each other, almost working off each other’s rythm. Soon, the sky didn't feel so high up any more. 

           The rock formations jutted up one final time, all the way above the clouds. As they neared Ryan reached out his hand and scraped the bottom of the puffy looking surface. 

            “You ready?” Ryan said, a determined look on his face.

            “You bet.” Jack shared the same expression.

Both of them entered the clouds and continued to climb. Soon, Ryan felt the incline decreasing. He poked his head up above what felt like the world. Jack was there, waiting for him, arm stretched out and all. Ryan took it, and with the help of Jack, he stood at the mountain's summit.

            The clouds almost acted like a long outstretched carpet. The peak of the mountain was positioned in just the perfect way for it to look like that. The setting sun shone down on them and nothing else. Ryan had finally done it, he had achieved his goal. If only his mother could see him now. 

            “Look at that view,” said Jack as he looked out at the horizon, the sun's light shining down on him like an angel.

            “It’s so beautiful,” Ryan confirmed. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

            “Oh I’m sure you could’ve, probably. But there was no way I was letting you climb this thing by yourself,” Jack joked now looking at Ryan. He chuckled as he stared right back. Ryan walked up to Jack and rested his head on Jack's shoulder. It had been a long journey. Ryan and Jack interlocked hands as they admired the view together. As they both turned their heads towards one another, Jack placed his left hand on Ryan’s face and leaned in. 

The Love Birds Ending

           

 

 

 

 

 

Option 2 (4b).

            “There’s no way I’m walking on that bridge Ryan,” stated Jack. “You know I have a fear of heights. Well, especially dangerous ones at least.” 

            “Well then that’s the decision made. I’ll do what you want to,” said Ryan. He didn't want to risk any of their lives again. “Let’s start walking I guess, hopefully the ravine doesn’t go too far out.” And off they went taking the much longer but safer route up the mountain. It’s a long walk, but not much eventful happens. Eventually, after a few hours, Ryan notices that the ravine is getting shallower.

            “Jack, look!” he says in an excited and thankful voice pointing towards the ditch. 

            “Oh thank god, we’re almost across.” Jack lets out a huge sigh of relief. “My legs were starting to hurt.”  As they continued on the drop became more and more insignificant. Even though it's in view, the human eye can see a lot further than we give it credit. Eventually the ground even out until it looks like the cliff was never there in the first place. 

            The cliff seems to have ended by a large frozen over lake. But neither Ryan nor Jack are really in the mood to be walking over one of those. The sun sinks below the mountain and is replaced by a dark cover. The two find a nice tree to sit under and begin to set up camp. 

“I miss the days back in school,” Jack states, seemingly out of nowhere. 

“Why do you say that?” asks Ryan as he lays down some stones and wood to start a fire. “I hated school back then.”

“Well, because everything back then was planned out for you ahead of time. There wasn't any questioning what you were going to do or any surprises for that matter.” Jack looks at Ryan as he says that last part, although he’s not being too serious about it. 

“Yeah, that might be my bad,” Ryan says whilst laughing under his breath. 

“Anyways, why didn't you like school?” asks Jack as he begins to rub his hands together. Now with the sun gone, the temperature is rapidly dropping. 

“I guess it wasn't school itself I didn't like. More so just the time period.” The wood is now placed at the center of a very neat stone circle. Though Ryan questions the likelihood of fire spreading in the snow, this is just the way he was taught to do it. “Now that you mention it, no surprises sounds pretty good right about now.” Ryan begins to get a bit teary eyed. Jack notices quite easily. 

“I'm sorry for what happened.” Jack places an arm around Ryan in an attempt to comfort him.

“It was just so fast. By the time I even knew what was going on, she was already gone.” Ryan leans into Jack accepting the embrace. “She's up there, watching me. I need to make it right.”

“I know, I know. I'll always be here for you. ”Jack squeezes Ryan even harder as he says that last sentence. After that the conversation begins to tame (page 85).