The Horror of High Ridge - A Choose Your Own Adventure Story

[LilyElizabeth]

You are standing at the window of your cabin, looking out onto the street. The waning moon shines quietly over High Ridge. It reflects on the frost beginning to form, giving each building of the small mountain town a glowing outline. 

 

Earlier that evening, you said goodnight to your friends, Ricardo and Lisa, who have been spending the summer with you, searching for your great-uncle Rush's buried fortune. Then you settled down into your favorite parlor chair with an obscure volume of High Ridge history. You hoped this book would give you some clues to the whereabouts of the fortune. After a few hours you dozed off. 

 

Then a sound outside startled you awake. You jumped to the window to look out. At first, you heard nothing. 

 

You're beginning to wonder if you imagined it. Then the sound that woke you - a moaning scarier than any sound you have ever heard - begins again. 

 

"I don't like this," you say to yourself, thinking of the history of High Ridge. You've just read that a hundred years ago, and again fifty years ago, something happened in High Ridge so horrible that most people won't talk about it, and the accounts of those who do are very different. The links between both incidents are horrible moans and te disappearances or ghastly deaths of town residents. 

 

You hop back into your chair and pull the blanket over your head. 

 

Just as your pounding heart returns to normal, you are startled by a nearby scream. 

 

You whip off the blanket. It's Lisa! The screaming stops. Lisa laughs with relief. "Oh, it's you. With the blanket over your head I thought you were a ghost. I woke up when I heard a noise..." She points to your book, where it landed on the floor when you jumped up. 

 

Ricardo comes running in "What's going on? I heard screaming."

 

Then the moaning starts again. Lisa and Ricardo run to the window. "What's that?" they shout together. 

 

"I heard it a minute ago. I don't know what it is, but I don't like it."

 

"Let's go find out what it is," suggested Ricardo. 

 

"Are you crazy>" cries Lisa. "Listen to it. It's scary." 

 

"Well, sure it is. That's what makes it fun. I say let's leave the cabin and see what it is."

 

"Not me," says Lisa. "I don't want to go tramping around in the dark looking for whatever is making that horrible sound."

 

Both of them turn to look at you.

 

"Hold it you two. Before we make a decision I have to tell you what I've been reading."

 

"Reading>" LIsa asks. 

 

"Yeah, what is this, a book report?" Ricardo asks.

 

"No wait," you say a little angrily. "This is important. I've been reading this book High RIdge: An Oral History. It's mostly a lot of ghost stories told by old-timers. Some of the ghosts are Indians; some are prospectors - they founded the town, remember."

 

"So what>"

 

"Quiet, Ricardo," LIsa says. "Go on, I want to hear more."

 

"The stories about what happens with the ghosts are conflicting. Some say the prospector ghosts kill the Indian ghosts; some say it's the other way around; and in some, both kinds of ghosts kill - actually kill - townspeople."

 

"But that's all hooey," Ricardo says. "Even if you believe in ghosts, what does it have to do with us>"

 

"All the stories have one thing in common." you answer. "They all talk about horrible moans, just like the ones we're hearing." Just then, as if on cue, a moan drifts into the cabin. 

 

Everyone is silent for a moment. They Ricardo says, "Well, I'm ready to go look around, if you are." He doesn't sound quite as certain as he did before. Lisa, though, sounds surer than before. "Not me," she says curtly.

 

 

 

 

Do you decide you'd rather stay in the cabin and try to ignore whatever is moaning outside>

 

OR

 

Do you decide to investigate the eerie sounds?

 

 

[Moon Sedai]

Ignore!

[Leelou]

Do you decide to investigate the eerie sounds?

 

INVESTIGATE!

[LilyElizabeth]

I need a tie breaker. Anyone?

[Niniel]

Investigate.

[LilyElizabeth]

Investigate it is!

 

"Let's go," you announce. "I really don't think there's anything too awful out there."

 

"You're kidding," says Lisa. 

 

"C'mon, Lisa, you don't believe in ghosts and spooks and stuff like that, do you? It's probably just some kid practicing for Halloween, or a rusty gate swinging in the wind."

 

"A rusty gate?" Lisa is really upset now. "And, yes, I do believe in ghosts. At least, I don't disbelieve in them. I am not going out there." Lisa crosses her arms and turns away. 

 

"Ricardo, don't just sit there. Help me talk some sense into Lisa."

 

"There's no wind," Ricardo says gravely. 

 

"Huh?"

 

"I said there's no wind."

 

"What does that have to do with anything?"

 

"That means it can't be a creaky gate."

 

"Hah!" Lisa faces you again. "I told you so."

 

"Ricardo, that's not much help." You stop in consternation; you don't know what to do. Everybody is silent for a few minutes. Finally, you have an idea. But before you can say anything, you smell kerosene. Then the room plunges into darkness. 

 

"Don't panic, anybody. It's only the lamp. It just ran out of kerosene. "

 

"Why don't you get electricity like everyone else?" Lisa sounds really angry. Ricardo is chuckling to himself. 

 

"I told you!" you reply angrily. "I like the old-time feel of the cabin the way it is. It's just like when it was my great-uncle's. It wouldn't be the same with electricity."

 

Except for the darkness in the cabin, everything is as it was before. You have forgotten what  you were going to say. Then out of the blackness comes the moaning sound. Your chest feels cold. You hear another noise mixed in with the moans. 

 

"Do you hear that?" you whisper. 

 

"Wh-what? The m-m-moans?" Lisa asks. 

 

"Sh!" says Ricardo. "Yes, I hear it, too. Cries for help."

 

"I hear it now!" Lisa says after a pause. "Let's go."

 

You all run to your rooms and hastily dress in warm clothes. The night air is cold in the mountains. As you race out the door, you suddenly realize you don't know where you're going or what you're doing.

 

"Wait a minute!" you say. "What are we doing?"

 

"We're going to help whoever is calling for help, of course," responds Lisa.

 

"What about the ghosts?" you ask. "Remember the stories."

 

"Aw, they're just stories," Ricardo says. "But maybe we should climb the church tower first and look the town over."

 

"I wonder if maybe we shouldn't go over to Mr. Phillip's house first?"

 

"Who is he?" Lisa asks.

 

"The unofficial town historian. He's lived here all his life and knows everything about High Ridge. He's also our nearest neighbor."

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Do you decide to respond to the cries for help?

 

Do you decide to climb the church tower?

 

Do you decide to head over to Mr. Phillip's house?

[Katiora]

Mr. Phillips house!

[Leelou]

Mr Phillips house

[Niniel]

I agree. Mr Philips house. 

[LilyElizabeth]

"Let's go over to Mr. Phillip's house," you announce. 

 

"What about the cries for help?"

 

"I don't know, Lisa. I don't like any of our alternatives - including staying in the cabin. But the cries for help are coming from that way anyway. I think it would be good to stop in at Mr. Phillip's house." You pause then say, "Maybe he's the one calling for help."

 

"Okay - I guess," With Lisa's tentative approval, you set off. 

 

Although it is not far to your destination, it seems to take forever. It is as if the whole town is holding its breath and watching you walk down the street. 

Suddenly you stop dead in your tracks. 

 

"Wait! Did you see that?"

 

"Yes."

 

"What do we do?"

 

"Watch him," Ricardo says as he drops to the ground and crawls forward. You don't want to be left behind so you follow, Lisa bringing up the rear. 

 

An Indian moves silently around the house, peeking in the windows. As you are wondering how to get warning to Mr. Phillip without giving yourselves away, the Indian steps back suddenly and shoots an arrow through the side window. 

 

Then he disappears into the air as if he had never existed. Before you can stop her, Lisa runs to the house and flings open the door. The silence is broken by her screams. 

 

You rush to the house. Lisa stands by the door, hands over her eyes. Mr, Phillip is sprawled on the floor, an arrow through his chest. His terror-stricken eyes are wide open. He is dead. 

 

You freeze, unable to move. As you stare at Mr. Phillip's body, you notice that the arrow is gradually disappearing until it is gone. 

 

You turn to Ricardo and Lisa. They have been watching the arrow, too. 

 

"Keep watching," says Ricardo. You wonder what he is talking about as you turn back to the corpse. 

 

The body is disappearing! A minute later, it vanishes completely. 

 

"N-now wh-what?" whispers Lisa.

 

 

 

 

Do you decide to go back to your house and hide there?

 

Do you decide that you must have information on what is happening?

 

Do you decide it would be safer to stay where you are?

[Wildfire Sedai]

Have information on what is happening.

[Leelou]

info

[LilyElizabeth]

Sorry this took me so long. I'm working lots of hours this week and apparently next week, too. 

 

 

"We'd better leave," you say.

 

"What? Go out there again?" LIsa is aghast.

 

"Ricardo?"

 

"Who, me?" Ricardo gulps. "I'll go anywhere or do anything," he says finally, but he doesn't look convincing.

 

"Let's go then," you say. "I think we'd better try Ricardo's idea of climbing the church tower and getting a good look around." You move hurriedly out the door, Ricardo behind you. After a pause Lisa follows, too. 

 

You lead the way to the church tower. Thew night air is cold on your face. You are warm, but you find yourself shivering nonetheless. 

 

The moans occur only once as you walk to the tower. They are hollow sounding, not terribly loud, and you are unable to locate their source: the sound surrounds you.When the moans stop, you look at each other as if to say: What are we doing here?

 

You continue on, however, and soon reach the tower. 

 

The church is open. You climb the stairs hurriedly to the top. 

 

"There's nothing to see!" Lisa wails, frustrated. 

 

"Keep looking on that side, Lisa," says Ricardo. "There must be something."

 

You all keep looking, but nothing appears. The red glow is not a fire; it's just a red glow over a small park on the north end of town. Except for the glow everything seems normal - until you hear footsteps coming up the tower stairs. 

 

The terad is slow but steady. It does not sound human. 

 

You realize with a start that the stairs are the only way out of the tower - except jumping. 

[LilyElizabeth]

"What do we do?"

 

"Keep calm, Lisa," whispers Ricardo.

 

"Keep calm! Are you kidding?"

 

"He's right," you say. "Lisa, there's nothing we can do," You sound braver than you feel. The footsteps are much closer now. "I guess we just face whoever it is."

 

"Or whatever."

 

Then the stair-climber comes into view. It's neither a prospector or an Indian! It's just a young man. 

 

Lisa plops down in relief. You and Ricardo let out a sigh. But then you notice that your visitor is a little unusual. For one thing, he's dressed in old-fashioned clothes; for another, he flickers, turning almost invisible at times. 

 

"Who are you?" you ask.

 

"What I am is more appropriate," he answers. 

 

"Wh-what?" stamers Ricardo. 

 

"Don't be alarmed. I won't hurt you. I will try to help as I tried once before, but I don't suppose it will work now, either. I guess you'd like the whole story."

 

You're not sure you would, but there doesn't seem to be a choice. 

 

"Shortly after this town was founded," the visitor begins, "some of the founding prospectors came upon a group of Indiana who were engaged in a religious ceremony. The prospectors were drunk and were frightened by the Indians. They attacked and slaughtered them, desecrated their ritual objects, and ruined their sacred sight. The rest of the Indian community retaliated later. Perhaps because the interrupted ceremony was a burial ritual, the victims of both sides became spirits that haunt this town. 

 

"Twice since then, the last time about fifty years ago, all the spirits reappeared and, compelled by some horrible force, killed one another, over and over again. Over the spirits hangs a red glow. Whether the actions of the spirits cause the glow, or the glow directs the actions, I don't know. 

 

"Bit how do you fit in," interrupts Ricardo.

 

"As horrible as this grotesque and involuntary game is, there is something more horrible yet.

 

"When the spirits return to town, they are also compelled to kill people there."

 

"Is that what happened to you?" you ask. 

 

"Yes," he replies. "The Indian chief appeared to me and asked me to help end the horror. I tried unsuccessfully."

 

"What were you supposed to do?" Ricardo asks. 

 

"The chief will have to tell you. I can stay here no longer."

 

The last word drifts back to you as - before your terrified gaze - the speaker throws himself off the tower. 

 

"You all rush to the tower's edge. The spirit floats down, landing on his feet, and runs off - toward the red glow. 

 

"That was terrible," says Lisa. "We must help. How awful to be caught in such a horror!"

 

"What if we fail, too?" asks Ricardo.

 

"But we won't," says Lisa. "We're special. And there are three of us."

 

Lisa's explanation isn't too convincing. You, too, would like to try to stop the horror, but you're also afraid of getting caught in it. 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you decide to help stop what is happening?

 

Do you think it is too dangerous?

[LilyElizabeth]

What? Nobody has an opinion?

[Wildfire Sedai]

help stop what is happening.

[LilyElizabeth]

Anybody else have an opinion?

[LilyElizabeth]

I'll pick this back up soon. The holiday hubbub got me. 

[LilyElizabeth]

"I don't like it, but I must try to help stop the horror."

 

"I'm with you," Lisa says.

 

"Me, too," Ricardo chimes in.

 

"Well, great you guys. Have any suggestions? I'm at a loss."

 

"I suppose we need the Indian chief."

 

"We can't just walk around looking for him."

 

"Wait!" you cry. "I just remembered something.Iin the museum that's upstairs in the library there's a statue of an Indian chief, with a poem that nobody's ever figured out. I can't remember it, but it might have something to do with this."

 

"It sounds weird, but possible," says Ricardo.

 

"Shall we go to the museum and read the poem?" you ask.

 

"Unless we try to find the real chief," Lisa says. 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you go to the museum?

 

Do you decide to look for the chief?

[Niniel]

I like museums.

[Wildfire Sedai]

sorry niniel but I say lets look for the real chief.  

[LilyElizabeth]

Now, I need a tiebreaker. 

[LilyElizabeth]

Anyone?

[Wildfire Sedai]

to move the story along I will recant and say museum.

[LilyElizabeth]

I'll get the next installment out as soon as I can.