The mountain path
As much as you like dark rides, you think you'd rather just explore for a bit more, and the mountain path seems like a perfect way to do it. The twin fox statues seem charming in a way, and the path looks quite well-kept, with gravel made of smooth pebbles and the occasional small flight of stairs constructed out of larger, yet equally-smooth and carefully-lain stone, all winding slowly and gradually up the mountainside and through thick forests. This ought to be an easy path to follow, you think, and the view at the top from the shrine ought to be spectacular to say the least.
As you begin to tread up the path, you see a wooden sign that says:
Do not wander off
Do not stray from the path
Or do—and find out
The fact that the sign was written in haiku—and the ominous-yet-playful tone of the last line—makes you chuckle slightly; though you have little to no intention of disobeying, you decide that the management weren't being completely serious with the message and simply added it for atmosphere. For the moment, however, you choose to heed the warning and play along. After a bit of walking, you see a small dirt path leading off to the side and into the forest; the main path remains much the same and leads further upwards. Which path do you choose?
Written by CoggerD on 24 October 2023
