Some will notice that the title of my CYOA has changed. I feel the new title fits the story better than the previous rush-decision-title. now, on to this week's chapter. enjoy!
You roll back to your stomach, intent on crawling to the ditch. Curiosity tells you that the moaning sound needs investigation. Behind you, Michelle starts the car. You push up to a crawling position and begin inching toward the ditch.
Your hear a crunching sound behind you. You begin to turn your head when you hear another sound from the ditch, only higher pitched and almost frantic. You lean forward to peer over the edge of the ditch when your breath is taken away.
At first, it comes as a pain from your ribcage, perhaps a broken rib. Something hot is wrapping itself around your chest and pulling quickly. You are sucked up and backward, as if yanked by a rope. The suddenness of this makes you nauseous as your feet leave the ground and you are whisked away.
“C’mon, son, let’s get you outta here. I live just down the road and you need a bandage for that cut on your noggin,” Dennis whispers into your ear.
He drags you back to the car. You are too weak to protest, but you want to know what is in that ditch. He shoves you into the front seat and shuts the door. He climbs into the back and instructs Michelle to turn the car around and drive the other direction. She puts the car in reverse and backs into the spot where you were previously laying. There is a soft thump from the back of the car just before she turns the wheel and gives the car some gas. The back tires spray gravel as she leaves the scene. You try looking behind back at the ditch but all you see is Dennis, smiling at you. “Don’t worry, it’s not much further, son.”
You turn back in your seat. What was in the ditch if it was not Dennis? Wait, where was Dennis?
You turn sharply to face him, sending a knife-like pain through your shoulder. “Where were you, Dennis?”
“I was on the other side. After this girl took us off the highway like that, I needed to get all that alcohol out of me if you know what I mean.”
“Why didn’t you answer me when I was calling for you?” You ask him.
“I heard ya, and started coming back up to the car. I found Michelle standing there and thought we could spook ya.”
You turn toward Michelle. “He put his hand over my mouth and told me to be quiet and said we were going to play a little trick on you,” She says as she crests a hill. Ahead you can see a small church with a single light pole in the parking lot. Just behind a row of hedges, you can see the outline of a house. There is a road on the right, presumably leading to the church.
Dennis instructs Michelle to turn onto it and park in the church parking lot. He explains that his house does not have a driveway, but we can pull into the backyard that is accessible from the church parking lot. Michelle pulls into the parking lot and Dennis points out a gap in the hedge she can drive through. Darkness lies on the other side; the hedgerow blocks a single light pole in the church lot. Michelle inches the car toward the gap.
“Be careful as you go through, there’s a little dip on the other side. Give it a little gas and you should clear it fine,” he forewarns her.
She hits the gas and the front tires drop and pop up over the dip. The rear end slams downward and brings the car to a halt. “Damn it!” Michelle yells, slamming her open palms on the steering wheel.
Simultaneously, you and Dennis open the doors to find the rear tires resting in a dirt hole; it’s not what you would call a “dip”. You strain your eyes to look around and notice a relatively healthy lawn surrounds it.
“Come inside. Let’s get you cleaned up, “ he says to you. “I have some pop you kids can have. After that, we’ll see what we can do about the car.”
You look back at the hole and reach down into the dirt, pulling some up where you can see it. It’s moist. You realize this hole is only a day old. You turn to say something to Michelle about it and see she is taking off her seatbelt and removing the keys. Dennis is walking around the side of the house to the front porch. You lean out the door and line up the hole with the entrance from the hedgerow. At least from your side, it is perfectly aligned. Michelle has left the car.
You hurry to unfasten your seatbelt and get out of the car. She is walking toward the porch. You move quickly to her side of the car, line the hole up with that side of the hedgerow, and find it aligned as well.
Dennis leans around from the porch, startling Michelle, “You guys coming?”
Michelle turns to you, “______, are you coming?”
You look back at the hedgerow, down at the hole and then out to the countryside. You cannot see another light for miles. They are both waiting on you, what do you do?
If you catch up with Michelle and go into the house for a drink and an opportunity to inspect your wounds, turn to page 22.
If you ask Dennis to please help you move the car so you can get to a hospital for your injuries, turn to page 26.
If you tell them you would rather wait outside and ask Michelle to please hurry, turn to page 30.
