Guardians of the Fog - a mini Choose Your Own Adventure

Section 6

You glance around nervously. You know you shouldn't sneak into unfamiliar places, but you're really lost. Maybe someone inside could help you. Furtively, you ease the door open and slip inside. You find yourself in a dimly lit room, miscellaneous furniture strewn about. Broken chairs are stacked in corners. Mismatched sofas lean against the wall. It looks like someone had gone through a junkyard and piled all the furniture they had found in this room.

"What're you doing here?"

You jump and turn to find an older man standing among the piles of junk. A cigar hangs from his mouth, and his dark eyes glare at you. His hand rests on a pistol at his side.

"I...I...I'm lost." you stutter, backing towards the door. This was obviously the wrong place to ask for directions. "I was walking through the fog trying to get to work...heard strange voices...weird lights...I didn't mean to intrude."

His face softens and his arm relaxes at his side. "Ah. So you're one of us."

You blink at his sudden change in tone. "One of...who?" you ask uncertainly.

"You saw the swirling colors?" the man asks. "And the illusions?"

"Y-yes," you reply. "I saw...myself. He called to me then warned me away. How did you know?"

"It's happened to all of us," he explains, pushing a sofa out from the wall.

"Us?"

He gestures to the floor. You come around the sofa to find a trapdoor. The man opens it, and you glance down. A sea of light and music floods your senses.

"Welcome to the Guild of Obscurities," he says. Then he begins climbing down the ladder. Hesitantly, you follow.

You find yourself within a world of light. A bright bubble seems to surround the room. Arched corridors branch off in several places. A dark-skinned woman lounges on a couch in the center of the room.

"Travis!" she calls, getting to her feet as you approach. "Who's this fella?"

The man―Travis―glances at you uncertainly. You step forward and offer your hand. "Elmer Burges," you say.

"I'm Lydia Winters," she smiles, speaking in an American accent.

"What is this place?" you ask.

"We call it The Refuge," Travis jumps in. "The Guild of Obscurities consists of those who have escaped The Fog."

"What do you mean?"

"The Fog is more than it seems," Lydia explains, "It snatches people up. Takes them to who knows where. We are the people from all over the world who almost got taken―but didn't. People who chose not to go through the portal."

"Why?" you wonder. "Why does it take people?"

"Because..," she lowers her voice. "We have magic."

You let out a short laugh. "Magic? I don't have any magic! I'm just a normal guy!"

"Are you?" she says, cocking an eyebrow. "You saw the portal. Otherwise Travis wouldn't have let you in. And The Fog only takes those with magic."

You shake your head in disbelief. Magic isn't real! But...you've seen some pretty odd things today, and these people seemed to have seen the same things. And they were claiming magic was real.

"This place was created by magic," Travis says reverently. "It hides us from The Fog. The Fog can't find us here."

"And we all have magic," Lydia adds. She snaps her fingers and the room is plunged into darkness. You hear her snap again, and the lights flicker back to life. "You just have to find it within yourself."

You look at your hands in wonder. Could you do that? It sure sounded like they believed you could. That's when you notice your watch. A whole hour has passed since you were supposed to be at work.

"I've got to go!" you say, taking a glance around and hurrying back towards the ladder.

"Wait!" Travis shouts. You stop and turn as he catches up to you. "Take this," he says, handing you a small, glass orb infused with color. "This will bring you here when you hold it and say 'Take me to the Refuge.' Don't lose it. It could save your life if you find yourself stranded in the fog."

"The fog is clear by now," Lydia informs them. "But don't go outside when it's foggy out. It will find you and take you. If you want any hope of surviving come here when The Fog is out."

"And don't tell anyone," Travis adds. "No one can know about our powers. It would bring the world to ruin."

You nod reluctantly. "Thank you," you say. You turn and climb up the ladder, pushing the trap door open when you reach the top. Then you open the door and step into the clear, fresh air, no fog in sight.

THE END