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Ski Loooodge
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Ski Loooodge
Ski Loooodge
You unzip your coat and look around you in wonder. The snow that had lain on the ground for months is finally melting, new grass blades are poking their tips up from the soil, and the clouds are disappearing. You open the door of your house to go back in, before realizing that the weather is too nice to stay inside. You turn around and continue down the street. A soft, gentle breeze whistles through the budding tree branches and you smile and close your eyes in bliss. Suddenly, you open them again as something smacks into your face. You peel it off and look at it, about to throw it away. But something stops you. Instead, you look at the object. It's a piece of paper. No, an envelope. A slightly stained, old-looking one, but still an intact envelope just the same. You see a faded name on it and peer more closely to read it. It's your name! You rip it open with growing curiosityand pull out an abnormally thick sheet of paper. It reads,
Hello, CBer! You are invited to join us for a vacation at the Moonlight Forest to enjoy the beautiful spring weather! Cabins and food will be supplied. There will be many activities to participate in, as well as large expanses of forest to explore. AE's and CAPTCHA's are not permitted to come. Please fill out the form below.
CBer Name:
Gender/Pronouns:
Appearance:
Personality:
Favorite Animal:
Packing List:
Be ready to be picked up at precisely 1:00 next Wednesday at the place you recieved this letter. We await your arrival!
~Storya and Poetina
You read over the letter again, look around you to mark the exact spot where the letter hit you, and head home to fill out the form in the letter. You skip along the roadside giddily, happily anticipating a camping trip to the Moonlight Forest, wherever that is. What you don't notice is another piece of paper on the sidewalk behind you, crumpled and muddy. It's marked by a large blot in a red substance that looks suspicously like blood. If you turned around to look, you might have been able to tell that the marking on the paper looked quite a lot like a bear pawprint...
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is my first ski lodge! Feel free to guess me. Also, this ski lodge is a little different than most in that there will be clues that you can solve to find the murderer, and you can recommend things to me that you want your story-self to do. There are 10 slots and I'll start on Dec. 20, unless the slots become full before that.
submitted by Storya and Poetina, Moonlight Forest
(December 13, 2020 - 3:16 pm)
(December 13, 2020 - 3:16 pm)
Day 2, Part 1
*
The next morning, the whole Bear Cabin went to the infirmary to see Sterling. The night before, Karina, who was also apparently a skilled nurse, had forbidden anyone from coming to the infirmary until morning. So, now that the sun was peeking, rosy pink, over the treetops, Kitty, Lumi, and NoOne traipsed into the cafeteria, and then into a back room behind the kitchen. Sterling lay in a -sterile-looking bed with white sheets, her head propped on the backboard. A stemaing mug of tea sat on a table beside her, and an abnormally large Band-Aid was plastered to the side of her head. "Hi, guys!" she said brightly, all swithout any sign of the stuttering, gasping weakness that had resided in her voice last night. "Are you okay?" Kitty asked anxiously. "I'm fine!" Sterling said, though a shadow flickered over her face. Karina bustled into the room carrying a huge, stemaing pot. "Oh, Sterling!" she said, noticing the Bear Cabin, "you can leave now. Just make sure to check in with me tonight, and don't rip off your bandage." Sterling nodded and smiled gratefully at Karina, who strode out of the room and into the kitchen. The Bear Cabin followed the cheery woman and veered off into the cafeteria, where people were lining up and Karina was already heaping eggs and sausages onto plastic plates. There were cries of excitement when Sterling came into sight. "Sterling!" moondemon cried, "You're fine!" he gave her a thumbs-up, which she returned. Others smiled and waved at her. Storya looked at her with relief visible on her face. "Hey, Sterling!" she waved her over. "Did Karina give you permission to be in the woods?" Sterling nodded. "As long as I'm careful," she said. Storya nodded, too, and smiled widely at Sterling. "We're doing more of the scavenger hunt today," she told the girl, "and, depending on the weather, we might go to the swimming pond." Sterling's face split into a wide grin, and then she waved quickly to Storya and jumped into line behind Dragon. Once she had her food, she followed her cabinmates outside to sit at the picnic table they'd claimed as their own.
*
After breakfast, Silver led her cabinmates to their cabin, where they'd left their maps and scavenger hunt lists. She scooped up her papers and examined the list. The next item on it was a raven's feather. Silver tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. She examined her map and looked at her cabinmates. "Where should we go?" she asked. Juni mirrored the head-tilt and tapped her chin. "Maybe we should split up," she recommended. "But what about the bear?" Luna-Starr asked doubtfully. "Storya would've told us if we were in danger," Silver stated, her face shining with trust. Juni shrugged. "I mean, I do trust her," she told Luna-Starr. Luna nodded slowly. "I guess you're right," she said, "I'll go to the duck pond. There are a lot of animals around there." Juni smiled. "That's a good idea!" she said brightly. Silver jumped in and said, "I'll go look in the clover and wildflower fields. Maybe ther'll be ravens areound there." "Then," Luna-Starr said finally, "I guess I'll go over here." She pointed to an area, close to the edge of the map, where the trees seemed to be a little thinner. They all agreed with their searching spots, and they split up across the forest.
*
At lunchtime, the Cougar Cabin met up in the cafeteria. They, too, had split up to search. Karina ladled noodle soup into their bowls and they sat down at their tables. Just as they were about to eat, Quill heard a loud call from the table where the Wolf Cabin always sat. "Where's Luna-Starr?" Juni was yelling. Storya looked at Juni's white face and grew panicked. She rushed up and said, "How long since you last saw her?" "We agreed to meet up at our cabin at 10:30," Silver said, a panicked note creeping into her voice as well, "but she didn't come. We thought she'd just forgotten. But she still hasn't turned up!" Poetina came over. She seemed to understand everything after a glance from her sister. She nodded and left again. Just before she left, Quill could see that her eyes were flashing kaleidescope colors again. Storya stood tall and whistled shrilly to get everyone's attention. "We're going to break into groups of two," she decided loudly, "and look for Luna-Starr." There were murmurs of assent from all the CBers. Quill joined up with Dragon, and the two got assigned to search the woods in between the duck pond and the wildflower fields. They set off through the forest. Soon, everything was darker and drearier than Quill had ever seen it in the middle of the day. "Do you think it's going to rain?" they asked Dragon. He shook his head. "It doesn't smell like it," he stated matter-of-factly. Quill nodded and fell silent once again. Then, they and Dragon both heard-well, not really heard. They didn't hear at all. It was, quite suddenly, eerily silent. Quill glanced down at the ground, but even her feet traipsing through the long-dead leaves made no noise. she looked up when Dragon stopped dead in his tracks and gave a strangled little squeak. Luna-Starr lay on the ground before them, her head bloody and at an odd angle. Dragon dry-heaved and looked away adamantly. Quill felt like doing that, too. However, her body seemed to react involuntarily. She screamed at the top of her lungs.
*
Dead: Luna-Starr
Suspects: No one yet!
(January 6, 2021 - 5:33 pm)
Oh gosh, poor Luna! I guess it's kinda my fault for making us split up... I wonder why I was so trusting? Hmm, something to think about. One dead from our cabin already. I hope I'm not next *crosses fingers* Anyway, keep up the good work, @Storya and Poetina!
(January 6, 2021 - 10:37 pm)
Oh no, I died! :(
Hmm... I kind of suspect both Silver and Juni. Of course, they could both be innocent and simply thought we could win the scavenger hunt by splitting up and going to the places that we did, but one of them could have easily suggested splitting up and going certain places so they would know where to find me.
This is great, keep it up!
(January 7, 2021 - 10:07 am)
Noo, Luna! I'm not sure who the murderer is, but Silver was acting kind of suspicious. So was Sterling, I feel like she might know something. This is great!!
(January 7, 2021 - 3:55 pm)
(January 6, 2021 - 5:36 pm)
i think its so cool! i think the murderer is me...
(January 7, 2021 - 9:55 am)
Oh gosh, Quill, I'm so sorry I got your pronuns wrong in the end!
(January 7, 2021 - 10:43 am)
NOOOOOOOOO LUNAA
(January 7, 2021 - 11:26 am)
I'm really bored right now, and this is all I have to do :)
*
Day 2, Part 2
*
Storya came running. "What's-" her sentence was cut off by her own hand. A sound like a stifled scream came from her. Dragon glanced in her direction, then turned to look at the ground again. Quill was panting from the force and effort of their scream. Storya leaned down and touched Luna-Starr's face gingerly, jumping back at the smudge of bright red blood that rubbed off on her finger. Poetina strod, gracefully and swiftly, in between two huge trees, and directly towards her sister. She put her arm around Storya's shoulders and gently guided her sister's gaze away from Luna-Starr's prone figure. The forest around the small group was silent and dark. "W-we should g-get b-back," Storya stuttered, waving her hand floppily in the vague direction of the camp. Birds, looking reluctant to be flying in the dark, swooped down and landed on the ground in front of Poetina, who knelt down and carefully fingered the head of the closest bird. It seemed to Quill and Dragon that the birds nodded in unison. They landed lightly on Luna-Starr's body, looks of birdish repulsion on their faces clear even to Dragon and Quill. The whole group traipsed numbly into the light again. Quill was so clumsy and numb from shock that they didn't even register the fact that everything was lighter now. The flapping of birds' wings behind them was heard, the whole way bavk to camp. Poetina quickly ran into the Wolf Cabin and laid Luna-Starr's quilt on the grassy earth. The many birds that had been flying behind them gently and slowly laid Luna-Starr's body down on the quilt. Quill looked away quickly, too sick to talk. The other CBers, who'd heard Quill's scream, had been told by Storya to head back to camp. Several of them retched and dry-heaved, and the rest of them stifled screams. "What-happened?" Sterling panted, looking as if she was trying not to throw up. "I-I don't r-really know," Dragon said, equally nauseated. "Me and Q-quill found her in the forest l-like that" he gestured towards Luna-Starr's head without looking at it. "W-we should bury her," Quill said, finally speaking. There were murmurs of consent from everyone. Karina exited the cafeteria, shrieked, and then ran to Luna-Starr, kneeling by the girl. "If you're going to bury her," she looked up at everyone, "I'll clean her up first." There were several nods, and most of the CBers collapsed on the picnic tables, exhausted from the mental exertion. "This isn't looking good," Sterling heard Storya whisper to Poetina, but she shook off the strange statement. She was too shocked and nauseated to think, really.
*
After the funeral, at which everyone was too sick and sad to speak at all, except Karina, Silver retreated to the Wolf Cabin. She sobbed into her pillow. "I sh-shouldn't have suggested that we spilt up!" she wailed to Juni, who was sitting on her bed and looking straight ahead as if numbed and frozen by the day's experiences. She shook her head quickly and crisply. "No," she whispered, "it's not your fault. You couldn't have known. What do you think...k-killed her?" Now it was Silver's turn to shake her head vigorously. "I don't want to think about it." she whispered. "I think I'm going to go get a cup of tea from Karina." Juni nodded, and Silver left the room, walking unsteadily. She entered the cafeteria, but before she could go find Karina, a scrap of paper on one of the tables caught her eye. She went towrds it and picked it up. It read, in purple ink,
The dark forest
Holds many secrets,
Most of them horrifying
And some of them fatal.
*
Dead: Luna-Starr
Suspects: Silver, moondemon, Sterling, Juni
(January 8, 2021 - 4:28 pm)
Oh no, what have I gotten myself into?? I definitely could have killed Luna, but what about that scrap of paper? Who put it there? Gosh, this probably means I'm gonna die soon. Anyways, good job (as always) and keep it up!
(January 8, 2021 - 11:09 pm)
Looks like I'm causing a bit of misery... sorry about that...
Hmm. I think Juni is the most suspicious.
(January 9, 2021 - 5:29 pm)
(January 8, 2021 - 4:28 pm)
(January 8, 2021 - 5:45 pm)
Did I do it?
(January 9, 2021 - 5:22 pm)
Did I do it?
(January 9, 2021 - 5:22 pm)