Ignoring the Lynx

This is a collaborative choose your own adventure story. Click here for the chapter guide. Go back to chapter 1 by Linden Schneider here. Return to the previous chapter here.

You decide to ignore that seductive, obnoxious woman.

Sandra saunters out of the buffet with a calm smile on her face. She loses herself into the crowd, but you don’t care where she ends up. You just don’t want her to bother you.

Soon enough, your partner returns with a plate loaded with food. It’s piled with clams, and you steal some of them.

Your partner frowns and then asks, “Are you really okay? You act like somebody’s out to get you.”

You shrug and shake your head. “Nothing.”

Your partner clearly doesn’t believe you.

The next morning, a blaring alarm wakes you up. A man’s gravelly voice yells, “Get up, you lazy bums. I want you all in the lobby within an hour.”

You grimace and burrow yourself deeper under the covers.

Your partner sighs and pushes your shoulder. “Let’s just get up, babe. No point delaying the inevitable.”

You grumble and try to ignore how ominous that sounds. But the alarm suddenly blares again, and you can’t turn it off because they disabled the snooze button!

After some struggling, you and your partner finally make it out of the hotel room.

Downstairs, the buffet is packed. But by dint of some miracle, you manage to squish in and find a booth in the corner. Your partner looks scruffy, as if they didn’t have a good night’s sleep. You probably don’t look much better.

Just as you’re tucking into your omelette and toast, someone clears their throat.

You glance up and see a beautiful woman with long, silver hair cascading down her shoulders. She looks sad, for some reason.

“Can I help you?” you ask.

The woman glances down, and glances back up at you. “Be careful. Things are not as they seem.” She looks around quickly, then she whispers, “Please don’t take any unnecessary risks. And I wish you all the best.” She bows her head a little and before you know it, she disappears into the crowd.

“What was that all about?” your partner wonders aloud.

You have a foreboding feeling, but you’re too scared to tell your partner about the mysterious messenger.

When you all file out to the lobby, most of the crowd has dissipated, to your astonishment.

Sandra stands there like a satisfied vixen. A middle-aged man leans on a pillar beside her, looking stern. The third person is an older woman who resembles a librarian. And like the man, she doesn’t look pleased to be here.

Sandra gestures to you and all the other tourists of Vacation Roulette. “Will you all come closer? Today we’re heading to the water rides. It’s like a Water Festival, and it’s going to be wild!” She winks at you. You stifle a groan.

Should you go ahead on this trip? Or should you get back to the hotel? Surely she can’t drag you if you don’t want to go.

What do you do?

1. Let’s go on the trip. I want to see what she’s up to.
2. No, thanks. I’m staying at the hotel.