5 Year Anniversary Collaborative Story Telling
Story One
A gnarled and decrepit old woman shuffles onto a bench she calls for those who would listen to her tale. "I am Agatha, Once a beautiful woman full of arrogance and pride. Now a withered old lady cursed by a hag for insulting her. To undo the curse I am here to collect a tale to bring back to her. Will you help me tall the Tale of The laughs of the darkest forest?"
The sun sets over the darkest forest, but the sounds of laughter fill the air.
A small Elvin child walks with her puppy. Picking some night blooming flowers and placing them in a basket hanging on her arm.
- Aster⁴(Twitch)
The child is distracted and misses the big rectangular sign warning not to enter the dark forest. The sun is setting, and the innocent Elf laughs alongside her companion as they get deeper into the trees.
- Lyndon Plaincrest (FF9)
Marielle 🟣🟢 (EclaDragon)
The deeper they get into the trees, the more nervous the puppy grows. The child doesn't stop until she notices her companion too scared to take another step. Worried now, she looked around in the dark forest and realized she didn't know where she was.
Duncan Idaho (Tidlz)
After a moment of panic, the child notices the soft flicker of lantern light deep in the woods. She breathes a sigh of relief as she heads toward the light, her pup eagerly following close behind.
Zylnaera Winterwander (Sparrow)
It seems as if the lantern must be close, that any moment the girl will reach the source, but it seems to stay the same distance ahead of her as the bushes rustle and laughter floats on the wind that stirs the branches. She hurries after the lantern and finally catches up to it--and the cloaked figure carrying it. The figure half-turns, their face hidden in the shadows, and says, “Oh good, you’re just in time!”
Duncan Idaho (Tidlz)
The girl freezes in her tracks, her pup nearly bumping into her leg from the sudden stop. "Who are you? Just in time for what?" she asks hesitantly.
Aster⁴(Twitch)
"Why, just in time to help me gather some night blooming iris's. The pixies in the area have become such a dreadful bother and these will help keep them away."
Seeing the girl tense up she chuckles softly
"I'm Auntie Ethel deary. No reason to worry. And what's your name?"
Marielle 🟣🟢 (EclaDragon)
The girl speaks quietly. "My mother said not to give strangers my name."
Zylnaera Winterwander (Sparrow)
“Very smart, your mother,” Auntie Ethel agrees. “What shall we call you, then?”
As she speaks she slowly drifts further down the path into the dark woods. Sparks of colored light in shades of violet and silver blink, flit, and streak in the brush and branches, and the laughter grows louder, along with the burble of gently running water.
Lyndon Plaincrest (FF9)
The girl feels somewhat lighter and happier and follows the figure. Her puppy is not happy at all.
Duncan Idaho (Tidlz)
Not knowing why, the girl suddenly feels compelled to speak to Auntie Ethel. "My name is Arya," she says. "I was out here collecting flowers when I got turned around. Do you think you could help me get home?"
Aster⁴(Twitch)
"Well. Arya. You have been out here for a while. How about. You help me with these flowers. I'll make ya a nice cup of soup. Then I will walk ya back home." *She says with a cheery lilt as a couple more little bright flashes dance around the little girl. Soft giggling is heard around them.*
Lyndon Plaincrest (FF9)
The dog barks but no sounds comes out. He looks back to where they come from, wondering if he should go back or not. He does not like Auntie Ethel.
Marielle 🟣🟢 (EclaDragon)
But then he remembers something his mother once told him, "a dog who abandons his friends will never be a good dog." Reluctantly he follows so he can protect the girl from whatever is to come
Zylnaera Winterwander (Sparrow)
Auntie Ethel keeps an eye on the dog, trying to get between him and the girl as she leads Arya toward the water. The laughter is louder here, and there are so many twinkling lights that they shine like stars in the trees, their light sparkling on the moving water in mesmerizing patterns. Along the stream, the night-blooming irises unfurl their petals in the darkness and their thick scent hangs heavy and sweet in the air.
Aster⁴(Twitch)
Arya looks around as they enter. "Wow...this is so pretty. Are those the pixies?" As she watches the patterns the sparkling lights make across the water.
Lyndon Plaincrest (FF9)
The child's eyes spark with unnatural blue light. The dog looks where she is pointing and sees something that looks dark and nothing like a pixie.
Marielle 🟣🟢 (EclaDragon)
The dog growled at whatever it was. It knew that whatever it was, it wasn't good.
Duncan Idaho (Tidlz)
Auntie Ethel raises her voice, drowning out the pup’s growl. "Yes, dearie, those are the pixies. If you go to them, they’ll have a gift for you."
Lyndon Plaincrest (FF9)
The child's eyes spark more and more as she starts to move slowly towards the apparent pixies. She does not hear the pup.
Aster⁴(Twitch)
the pup. Growling. Grabs and pulls on her clothes. Trying to stop her
Duncan Idaho (Tidlz)
As the pup tugs on her clothes, the girl snaps back to reality, almost as if waking from a dream. Suddenly, she realizes that the creature Auntie Ethel was guiding her toward is not just a harmless pixie.
Lyndon Plaincrest (FF9)
She recognizes the creature from one of her mother's books: an Imp!
Marielle 🟣🟢 (EclaDragon)
The dog in a panic leaps at the imp and clamps it's jaws around the creatures throat to protect it's person.
Aster⁴(Twitch)
Arya screams as her dog leaps at the imp.
"What is this?"
Looking at auntie Ethel with wide eyes.
Lyndon Plaincrest (FF9)
The auntie seems annoyed and starts to mouth a few words. At the same time a swoosh of energy comes from back and beyond and whatever was forming in the hands of auntie Ethel, disappears.
Marielle 🟣🟢 (EclaDragon)
She is surprised be this. She is even more surprised when the girl looks toward where that energy had come from only to see Auntie Ethel step out from beneath the trees. "Goodness me, it looks like a hag stole my place. Sorry about that, I got lost and only found my way back by the sound of your pup there barking."
Duncan Idaho (Tidlz)
The hag, disguised as Auntie Ethel, snarls at the real Ethel as her illusion dissolves, revealing her true form. She raises a hand and hurls a ball of green energy toward Auntie Ethel, but it is effortlessly deflected. In response, Auntie Ethel unleashes her own magic—a beam of light shot from her hand, striking the hag directly, causing a brilliant flash to envelop the small glade.
Lyndon Plaincrest (FF9)
A deep scream is heard and the hag seems to do a last spell before disappearing.
Marielle 🟣🟢 (EclaDragon)
The dog runs towards the girl and whines at her as she looks to Auntie Ethel. "What did she do?"
Aster⁴(Twitch)
"She had waited till I left to go look for some mushrooms. Then sent those imps to capture me. Sorry little one. It took me a while to get away."
Lyndon Plaincrest (FF9)
Agatha holds the book with the new story. "Thank you! this sounds great! Who knows what might have happened next!"
Story Two
Story Three