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Canoe Trip Story-All Invited

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This is not what I had in mind for a weekend getaway. Swiping at the bugs and plants digging into my already itching skin, I cursed Hannah. This was her fault, she tricked me. When she invited us to spend a weekend away with her before her wedding I imagined water laced with slices of cucumber and lemon, white fluffy towels I could drown in, a spa with all the trimmings so I could just float away and relax.

But no.

Instead here we are in god knows where wilderness backpacking. Why? Why do people do this to themselves? It’s dirty, it’s sweaty, god I hate sweating. A squirrel flitted across the branches causing me to jump at the sudden crash of trees. Hannah was going to pay. She knows I hate being outside in this. . . this. . . dirt. Ugh.

I pushed through the brambles on the trail determined to get this day over with. I stopped and circled round surveying my surroundings. I have no idea where I am. I didn’t think I’d gone far to privately use the facilities, or lack of, but dawning dread filled my stomach as I turned. Everything looks the same, the sun was at high noon so I couldn’t make out a clear direction. I tried to quiet my growing panic. If I just block out the insect noise I should hear my group. I cursed the squirrels running up the tree beside me disturbing the silence. But they were all I heard. I couldn’t hear a single human voice. I was alone. I didn’t know where to go let alone what to do. Taking another glance around I sat down on a fallen log. I had to think. This was fixable right? I wasn’t stranded here, they would come looking for me eventually. Right?
 
(@TruthSeeker I'd appreciate if you paused on makign choices for me. That you feel Angelo is coming unhinged .. was explained in emotes that Angelo feels there is someone who is real... and is about to reveal him or herself.. .we haven't heard from @bird_on_a_wire yet to explain their story choice. And at this point.. you've got me in a very very awkward position.. personally and in the story. I'm about to walk away. Because this is now triggering to me. This is a social thread meant to be fun.. and it's getting dark in themes. SO can we discuss out of the story line? Frankly, my feelings are hurt. )
This story was a good idea. However, Someone introduced an unknown.... a voice....I didn’t know what to do w it so I played it off. Didn’t want to ignore a contribution by someone else, didn’t want to deal w it until I got a response from you. You have a group of people, hanging around a campsite, watching Angelo(a fictitious character I want to remind you-this is all fiction)) talking to someone not there. He’s been sick-it’s been foreshadowed that he might relapse( one possible direction); you’ve eluded to a possible new person on the scene, and Angelo. Clearly my character is.......confused, worried for Angelos physical health and mental health,
and being a woman in the wilderness isn’t understanding what’s going on w Angelo.

Your problem began when an unknown was introduced and you also reacted as your character.. You created more of an issue by having your character act strangely Rather than tell the group his though all. You are in control as a writer of your character.....take control......My character is reacting to your characters response and clearly is needing resolution.
My character didn’t know what to do with it because Angelo didn’t tell the group what he was thinking. So he appears to others as acting strangely. It is far from dark.....it’s just weirdly new..but consider “normal reactions” from others when writing character behavior.

If I get poison ivy, I’d expect everyone who gets poison ivy to avoid me like the plague.
If I get to acting strangely around strangers, I’d expect them to be concerned about the situation.

You are the OP for the thread so simply write a solution/reveal or your other choice is to close the thread. Reveal....it’s ALL JUST made up words ....it’s just a story.....and Angelo is a fictitious character...so I’m not understanding how you are hurt.. No intention to hurt you was meant.

As for being triggered? You really need to think about that, and your rationale for telling me- to kill my fun? I don’t understand why you just didn’t take control of the story back......you gave your control way when you wrote Angelos weird response.How could I have possibly known you’d be triggered ? Why would you even tell me that? Not my issue........this is pure fiction.
 
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Suddenly there's rustling in the bushes, everyone turns round and sees a girl climbing out of the trees. "hey. Im Chrissy I've been around here a while but I really prefer to travel alone. But i heard a bit of a disagreement. And just wanting to let y'all know I heard someone ask Angelo a question too". Then before anyone else in the group had a chance to ask any further questions about their new friend, she was off again rustling leaves as they went.

Nia had left her water bottle back at the campfire. She had gone back out to get it -when a girl popped out of the bushes.

“What do you make of that girl? A quick chick dropping in, saying she wasn’t the one who asked Angelo that question.....(and I wasn’t paying much attention to the voice) but I guess it really must have been real! She didn’t stay long enough for marshmallows! Christy or Chrissy I think she calls herself. She vanished! Prefers isolation. This is like..... really weird.

“Nia headed back to her tent”.... so very encouraged and grounded in the knowledge Angelo wasn’t losing his mind or relapsing. The others looks relieved, too. Maybe she would are consider canoe fishing in the morning.... .yeah, that sounded fun.
 
Nia had left her water bottle back at the campfire. She had gone back out to get it -when a girl popped out of the bushes.

“What do you make of that girl? A quick chick dropping in, saying she wasn’t the one who asked Angelo that question.....(and I wasn’t paying much attention to the voice) but I guess it really must have been real! She didn’t stay long enough for marshmallows! Christy or Chrissy I think she calls herself. She vanished! Prefers isolation. This is like..... really weird.

“Nia headed back to her tent”.... so very encouraged and grounded in the knowledge Angelo wasn’t losing his mind or relapsing. The others looks relieved, too. Maybe she would are consider canoe fishing in the morning.... .yeah, that sounded fun.

“But who was the voice? If not Chrissy?” she pondered over that for a while....
 
It was early morning, and Nia awoke to the sunrise. It was much earlier than she thought. She didn’t see the others and Mizzy was sound asleep, snoring. Nia decided to grab her camera and go hiking. It was a feeling like no other-just her and the camera-total oneness in nature. Nia quickly walked back to the quarry, wanting to get a few shots of the morning sunlight beaming on the crystals-She was in pure heaven. Just up around the bend, she took some more shots of the sun peaking over the ridge.

Suddenly, she heard rustling in the bushes. At first she thought maybe it was Chrissy. .....so in preparation for the worst-(a bear)-she double checked the bear spray in her pocket. Maybe someone else was up for a sunrise hike, too. Nia moved behind the tree......and waited.....and listened..........waiting to see who or what would come out of the bushes....with her camera ready........just then........
 
( Oh dear @Farine , am sorry if I screwed up with your story- it is fun to follow! I am no writer and not used to this, I apologize if I interfered or threw things off track! Please carry on! Just to say... )

The woman heard Angelo's response; she wasn't used to being acknowledged and realized with some horror she had verbalized her internal thoughts. Worse yet, this person named Angelo and his company seemed like such likable creatures! But there she went again, letting her past interfere. She had been shocked to hear such an unusual name and with great relief listened to hear it was not the voice of a man she dreaded.

"Hello!", she said. "Please forgive me for butting in, I've been living on the other side of the lake for some time now, and my social skills are rusty. Please enjoy your time in this beautiful land! If you see the old woman fishing with the pink hat, you now know we are 'new friends' ". And quick as that she disappeared, off to do her work. Perhaps she yearned a bit for the inclusion, but equally so she was best on her own. As long as she had her dog with her, she didn't get any spontaneous bright ideas!
 
Billie woke up at the sound of an unusual voice. She quickly unzipped their tent and zipped it up again after she was outside. She saw someone wearing a pink hat disappear into the morning. "Come have some coffee with us," she shouted out, probably waking everyone who'd planned on sleeping late.
 
Nia waited with camera in hand, the leaves rustling louder and louder . A combination of exhilaration and fear was felt. She peered through the camera and saw.....pink! Pink???? Well-can’t be a bear!
She started shooting. Her camera sounded like a machine gun..... brrrrrrrrrrrrrr......She saw a flash of pink......and and started to call out, and she heard a faint barking....a dog? Then as quick as it came, it was gone. She had to go back and tell the others......
 
Meanwhile, Billie started up some coffee and looked to see what Farine might have planned for breakfast. She found some eggs and bread. She wasn't the best Cook, but her Mom had taught her a few things in the kitchen. Soon she was cooking up some good smelling eggs and the coffee would probably wake the others and bring back their mystery guest too. She toasted some bread....
 
Nia hustled back to camp, and it was almost 9am. Something smelled good-she looked over and saw Billie cooking. What a delight!
“Hey Billie, I was up bright and early -thought I’d be sleeping in but I woke up super early. I hiked back to the quartz bed, and took lovely shots in the morning sun. But then the strangest thing happened.....I wanted to tell Farine and Angelo....but I don’t see either one of them around.....Well, Angelo is supposed to meet me for fishing in an hour. My story can wait for them........”

Nia complimented the chef , “Breakfast smells heavenly! I slept hard last night. How about yourself? BTW, Where are your Mom and Dad?”
 
"My Mom and Dad are still sleeping, they like to sleep in. Help yourself, Farine left some dishes and such out for us. Here'ss some Hazelnut creamer for your coffee, if you like. I brought it from home."

Billie grabbed a plate up and dished up some breakfast for herself, handing the serving spoon to Nia.
 
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