You are standing by a tree
There are 3 paths.
One appears to go to a jungle,
one appears to go to a cave,
one appears to go to a beach,
you could try and climb the tree,
there is a nearby shop you could go in,
or you could do something else.
So what's its going to be?
Written by catprog on 01 April 2003
Go Home
Today began as any other for you: you went to school and you walked home. There was no one waiting for you at home, but you were used to it by now. The days were monotonous and boring, but you couldn't complain--your life was as normal as you could hope for. You wanted to go through life without making much of a splash in the big puddle known as the world and hoped to spend your time neither happy nor sad, just existing. You were okay with that kind of life, because that was all you had ever known.
It was a rainy, dark day, and you walked home without an umbrella, pulling your hood over your head and keeping your eyes to the road, sometimes glancing upwards to be sure you were headed in the right direction. It was nice, calm--there were no cars on the street. Most would think the scene to be eerie or disheartening, but not you. This kind of weather resonated with you somehow...empty, quiet...peaceful. You wondered what you would do when you got home. Perhaps you'd do your homework or spend your time reading articles on the internet.
The happenings of the world outside sometimes interested you, though you couldn't care less about being a part of them. Living on the sidelines was the good life for you, and you'd do your best to make sure it stayed that way. As you neared the street of your home, a car sped by, sending water from the puddles splashing onto you. You sighed, even more drenched now. You weren't planning on taking a shower, but after being covered in muddy water, it was probably for the best.
You raised your head as a low rumble gurgled in the gray sky and your stomach seemed to respond in kind. Hungry. You were hungry. As you continued along your way home, you thought about what you could eat at home and your mind drifted off...
While you were lost in your thoughts, someone called out to you--a girl, holding an umbrella. Was she waiting for you? She stood near the corner of the road--an uncannily silent, empty road, smiling at you. You squinted and saw her: she looked like someone you knew, maybe. But who? She was very pretty, probably around your own age. Her hair was long and a warm, sunny shade of orange. Her eyes were dark green but somehow dazed. Her smile was genuine enough though, but you didn't really want to spend time talking. There was a nice TV dinner waiting for you at home in the freezer, after all...
"There you are," she said, smiling, looking straight through you, as if there was a ghost standing in your wake. "I've been waiting for you."
You blinked. Did you hear her correctly? Was she waiting for you? But why? You couldn't be sure; you were skeptical. You told her that you were on your way home.
"It's me," the girl spoke again, her pink lips parting in a way that made you feel uncomfortable. "It's Tanya. We were in the same class last year, remember?"
Tanya. The name rang a bell. Again, you told her that you had to be on your way and apologized. "My house is on this street too. Why don't you come over? I'll order pizza for us and we can chat. It'll be great," she smiled, but her smile seemed emotionless...and her eyes, like a void. Still, you felt drawn in. "Please, won't you come?" She sounded desperate, and the promise of pizza was appealing. Tanya was one of the few people who was nice to you in school, so what was the harm? There was the issue of your clothes, though...
But she didn't seem to notice. Just as you were going to open your mouth to speak, she stepped forward and suddenly kissed you on the lips. A moment later, your mind felt fuzzy and you fell into a daze. Your vision clouded and you thought you lost consciousness...
Written by Merieth on 01 February 2018
At her home
...but maybe you were just feeling sick from the weather. When you opened your eyes again, you were somehow dry, wearing a new set of clothes. You sat at the table in Tanya's kitchen--it was a small, meager kitchen with minimal lighting. In front of you was a large pizza with all your favorite toppings, and Tanya set a tall glass of your favorite drink in front of you. "You're awake," she said, even more monotone than before. Her eyes looked glazed over, and you were starting to feel uneasy. Your head was hurting, and you weren't sure why.
Your senses were telling you to run, but your body was heavy, so heavy. Your stomach growled as the delicious smell of pizza filled your nostrils. Just one bite wouldn't hurt...right? You decided to go against your better judgement in favor of your stomach's pleading and took a bite of pizza. "I'm so happy you came..." Tanya spoke in an almost ghastly voice, but you were sure it was just your imagination. You were a normal, boring person with a normal, boring life. You shouldn't ever expect any danger to come your way.
But why oh why was that pizza making your head spin so?
Yet, it was delicious--so delicious that you wanted another bite. Another. Another. It was strangely addicting, almost frighteningly so. You ate and ate and ate until your stomach was full, and by the time you finished your head felt like it was going to twist right off. "...I wanted you to join our family," said Tanya. "I always wanted a sister. Won't you be...my...sister...?" Her voice became deeper, almost like a growl. You lifted your heavy, aching head. Your vision was blurred, but you could see two furry ears prick up from underneath her thick, orange hair.
You gasped quietly, then noticed a long, furry, brown-and-orange striped tail snaking out from underneath her jeans to touch your hand. She made a purring sound as she pat your head, smiling, revealing sharp fangs as her eyes changed, becoming more catlike as she stared at you. "My new sister...will... be... you..."
Surely this was a nightmare. Tanya seemed to transform into a half-cat half-woman creature right before your eyes. But it was so real, so real. Yet her words were too strange to be reality--after all, you were a man. It didn't matter anymore. Your head was so heavy, and you were starting to feel tired. So, so tired. Maybe you should sleep? When you woke up, you'd probably be at home with your head asleep on the keyboard. So why not give in? You should just sleep. Sleep...
"It's time for you to sleep now..." Tanya said, patting your head, her furry tail covering your eyes. Almost immediately, you felt yourself fall forward onto the table. Your body and senses were numb. A second later, you were asleep again. Your dreams were cold, dark and empty--this wasn't unusual for you, but this time it felt...wrong. Something was definitely...wrong.
But no matter how hard you tried, you could not wake up. It'll all be okay when you do, won't it?
Somehow, you weren't so sure anymore.
Written by Merieth on 09 February 2018