[You have chosen B]

"Come on, you two," Caroline said, her voice breaking the silence of the night. Shale jerked up, looking surprised, his attention having evidently wandered up during Caroline's conversations. 

"Oh... sure thing," he replied, shaking his head like he was clearing water. "Where are we goin', then?" Caroline paused a moment before replying; Red didn't like it when her personal information got out. In fact, that was one of the reasons she had insisted on the jumbled-up numbers contact for herself. 

"To my friend's house," Caroline said back, wrapping her cloak tighter around her body as she moved off. 

"Who is she?" Shale asked, a suspicious look crossing his face. Bothered by the questions, Caroline didn't respond, and instead turned the corner and began heading down the block. The air was crisp and cool, hanging just onto the edge of autumn before it faded into winter. Her breath spiraling in the air, Caroline rubbed her arms beneath the cloak, glancing over at Shale. He was keeping well away from the dragon, who had settled for walking along on Caroline's other side, wings tucked onto its back. The more she thought about it, the more her confusion deepened as she wondered where Shale could have possibly come from. Maybe once they were at Red's, he could explain more. 

Finally, after a very quiet and slightly uncomfortable ten minutes, the trio arrived at an apartment building, a hulking monolith that blocked out some stars. But instead of entering through the front door, Caroline swung around the building, heading for the back entrance. "What's back here?" Shale asked, looking up nervously at the towering building walls. 

"Fire escape," Caroline grunted, hauling herself up the short drop, then gesturing to Shale and the dragon. When the boy paused, she said, "Come on, you can't expect to just walk in the front door, can you? The manager of this place--and he's no sunshine-lollipops, believe me--will have you arrested and contained within minutes. It's safer this way."

Spreading its wings with a chirp, the dragon soared upwards, landing neatly on the railing, but Shale had to take a steadying breath before clambering up. When he reached Caroline's side, he let out a shaky sigh, his slitted green eyes wide. "Sorry," he murmured as they climbed the stairs. "I'm not used ta so many buildings, all 8closing in around me. I mean, I've seen em before, but not this close." Caroline said nothing, but took note of this odd statement in her head. 

After a couple more flights, the party reached a door in the middle of the fire escape, and Caroline let out a sigh of relief. "Here we are!" she said, knocking twice on the door. Hopefully Red knows what to do... she added inside her head, wincing internally. First warily, and then excitedly, a girl with messy dyed-red hair looped in a ponytail opened the door, her face creasing into a smile when she saw Caroline. Several long scars laced across her nose and face, marring her appearance, but she seemed to take no notice of it. 

"Carrie!" Red exclaimed, gripping her friend in a hug, then pushing her back to look at her more closely. "Brought that old cloak along, did you? Ah, well," she said before Caroline could reply. "Keep it on. Come on, where's that dragon you promised?"

"Oh! Yeah," Caroline said, remembering Shale and the dragon. She stepped aside, gesturing to the two. "Right here." Red's hazel eyes widened, her jaw beginning to drop, but in the same second Shale gave a little gasp, his eyes darkening with sadness as his eyes traced over her scars. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he said, his voice thick with sympathy. "You, too?"

What should she do next? 

A- Go back down the fire escape

B- Ask Red what he means

C- Go inside and sit down

D- Ask Shale what he means

Two days, from October 6 to 8, will be allotted for voting on her path. On October 9, the story will continue. 

Will you?

Won't you? 

[You have chosen D]

Silence hung in the air as Caroline stared back and forth at Red and Shale, trying to make sense of the cryptic statement. Wanting to ask Red what he could possibly mean, Caroline glanced over at her friend. But Red had such a pained and shocked look on her face that Caroline opted out for asking Shale. "What do you mean?" Caroline said slowly, staring at the dragon-boy. Shale now looked like he regretted the decision, shifting uncomfortably, but he still answered her question. 

"Well... it's..." he started, biting his lip with pointed teeth. "Scars from a dragon." Shock shot through Caroline, but she tried not to let it show and instead motioned for Shale to go on. "It's..." he tried to go on, but Red held up her hand, cutting him off. 

"Come in," she said in a heavy voice. "I think there's a lot... of explaining to do." Confused but silent, Caroline followed Red into her apartment, Shale just behind her. Once inside, the tawny-colored dragon slunk onto an old cat pillow, curling up like an ochre and golden feline. Shale flopped down on the couch, looking exhausted past his years, and Caroline sat across from Red, her hands clasped inside her lap. Casting a look at Shale, Red began to speak. 

"He's right, first of all," Red said, her voice ringing in the cramped apartment. "They're from a dragon. I don't know how he knew, exactly--"

"Serrated silver claw marks," Shale muttered. 

"--but he's right." Red let out a heavy sigh, running her fingers through her tangled red hair. "Oh, gosh... it was about three years ago--we met the fall after it happened, I think. I was out in Scotland, doing some grunt work for Ventigo, when I came across this weird little hole. Normally I would have regarded it as a fox or a bear den, but the walls were so smooth they couldn't have been shaped by fur and paws, and besides... the walls were speckled with silver. 

What kind of an investigator would I be if I didn't go at it? So I went down the hole. And, surprise surprise, it turned out to be a deeper cavern, not a tunnel. I had a little pistol in my bag, but I was still worried. Keeping my phone in my hand, I went deeper, and when a turned a corner I saw it. This... huge animal, covered in dark blue scales and wings bigger than a sail. It was sleeping, thank the stars, but the one right behind me wasn't. I felt the claws in my shirt first, and then deeper into my back. It hurt like insanity, so I kicked out and felt whatever it was release. 

I went right for the exit, even though I heard the dragon in the other cave wake up. Only when I spun around, pistol in my hand, did I see the dragon. Mint-green and white-splashed, with fiery orange eyes. It looked curious, but what really scared me was how impatient it looked, like it was tired out with whatever I was doing. I didn't want to kill anything, but I didn't want to die either. Shaking, I tried to back out of the tunnel when the dragon lunged at me, its jaws opened with a tiny blue kindling inside. So I shot. 

That was a mistake."

Taking a deep breath after the long story, Red gestured to the ragged, pink scars on her face, crossing over her nose and eyes and mouth. "When they're angry and injured, dragons can be mean. But I did get out of there with my life, which I suppose I should be thankful for." Caroline sat there, attempting to process the information, when Red shifted and jabbed her finger at Shale, eyes narrowing. 

"So. Who are you, punk?"

What should she do next?

A- Stay there and let Shale answer

B- Retrieve the new envelope from under the door

C- Get a phone charger from the kitchen

D- Bring the dragon over to the couch

From October 10-12, voting on her story will be open. On October 13, the story will continue. Be careful- she treads in dangerous territory now. 

Will you?

Won't you?