Mountaintop Castaways: Page 3

Synopsis: An adventure guided by you, the reader, about amnesiacs stranded on mysterious mountains. You choose what will happen next.

(NOTE: IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME READING MOUNTAIN CASTAWAYS, PLEASE START ON PAGE 1 BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK.)

Chapter 1, Page 3

You (LUMA LUMBA) decide on a plan of action. First, you will GIVE YOURSELF A PEP TALK. Second, you will TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MOUNTAIN YOU ARE ON.

You need a pep talk to get you through this frightening experience of losing your memories and waking up in such a strange environment. However, something about the idea of giving yourself this pep talk seems icky, like you would feel too self-conscious while speaking to yourself to really give it your all. Maybe there’s someone else around here you can give the pep talk to, to embolden both them and yourself? The only person you see is the guy harvesting crops, and you don’t yet have the confidence to go talk to him, especially when it means distracting him from a task he seems so focused on.

Oh look, a little salamander is sitting timidly on the grass below you! Perhaps this little buddy is in need of some words of encouragement.

“Hi there!”, you say in a whisper so as not to embarrass yourself in front of the man nearby. “You look like you might be lost. Are you afraid?”

Even though you’ve barely started, you realize your pep talk feels like it’s falling flat. Perhaps it’s because you’re thinking of the salamander as this helpless, fragile little being which makes you feel those same qualities within yourself. But why be so patronizing? Even if it’s a salamander you’re talking to, your audience always deserves your utmost respect.

“Listen,” you say with determination, “we’ve got this. The world is large, full of mysteries, and at times scary, but that’s what makes it so exciting! And out of everybody, we have the clearest view of the wonder that surrounds us and the adventure that lies ahead. I mean that metaphorically, but also very literally. Look at the incredible sight of the vast mountains that surround us, under a picture-perfect blue sky bright with dazzling sunlight! Look at the scenery this mountain alone has to offer: the spring meadows down on this side, and the lush forests on that one. We could sit here and stay scared, that’s always an option. But wouldn’t we be better off plunging headfirst into our surroundings? Wouldn’t it be so much nicer if we tell all our worries, ‘Come back tomorrow, right now I’ve got exploring to do!’, as simply as that? What’s stopping us? NOTHING!”

You’re so pumped up that you’ve suddenly found yourself talking much more loudly than in a whisper. The guy with the crops might’ve turned to look at you, but now he is still just minding his own business. He’s probably confused and thinks you’re a little crazy, but at this point you don’t really care. You smile at the salamander. What an adorable creature! For a second, you wish that all beings could have the benevolent innocence that salamanders seem to possess.

Now you’re ready to see what kind of mountain you’re on. But there doesn’t seem to be many clues to go off of. The climate seems very good for growing crops and vegetables, so much so that you feel like your experience on the farm will come in handy here. You try to look at the other mountains in the distance. They are too far for you to see them in much detail, but from what you can see their environments look drastically different from that of this mountain. Hold on… that line of red trailing down one of the mountains… is that lava? No, it must be your imagination, that would be impossible in this climate!

Your two biggest leads seem to be the cottage in front of you and the man to the side. Your gut tells you to check out the cottage, but your brain is as indecisive as ever. It asks you the usual question:

What will you do next?

(Click here to go to the previous page.)

(Click here to go to the next page.)

Note: Leaving a comment shows you enjoyed the story, and the more comments a story has, the more likely I am to continue it! If you don’t want to leave your name and email in the comment, type “Anonymous” (or whatever you want) for the name, and “storiesorwhatever@gmail.com” for the email.