[Short Story & Choose Your Own Adventure!] The Salamander

This is quite different in many ways from my first Choose Your Own Adventure. If you're in more of a wham-bam-thank you ma’am kind of mood, enjoy my first adventure here.

CAUTION! Do not read this story through from beginning to end!

If you've never read one before, a Choose Your Own Adventure is a story where you get to decide what happens. Traditionally, this would be something like, "To go into the cavern, turn to page 56." But in this case, please use ctrl+f or command+f to find the numbers that you choose.

The objective of a Choose Your Own Adventure is usually to make the right choices the first read through and not die. Let’s practice:

11: Don't this story.
12: Read it.

11

A tiny fairy drifts out of a parallel universe and starts slowly eroding your opposition with her tiny fairy wand. "You should read 12," she murmurs in her tiny voice. "For me, for the ピカピカ Universe, and for your heart."

12
“We’re going to see your aunt in the hospital,” he said.

“OK,” I replied grudgingly.

The drive out of the backroads was quiet, dappled with the shadows of leaves and filtered sunlight. We rode with the windows down. I occasionally swam my hand through the wind or stuck my head out to feel it rushing over my face. We didn't talk at all.

When we walked into her room, I caught a glimpse of her bare scalp as she hurriedly fitted on a wig. I followed after my dad, gazing at her with wide eyes.

“Hey, Nat,” he said.

“Hi Aunt Natalie."

She smiled a weak smile. “Hi guys! Thank you for coming. How’s summer vacation going?” She switched off the TV.

The dreaded and inevitable question that adults love to ask. The rest of the year, this changes to school. “Good,” I replied. The dreaded and inevitable answer that adults loathe to hear in response.

Luckily, my dad could always be relied upon in social situations. “Man, you have it nice in here.” He whistled. “TV, room service, someone to wipe your ass if you—I mean, how’re you holding up, Nat?”

She laughed. “Hey, my hands still work fine.” He made the hint of a chuckle and smiled at her with that twinkling, loving smile that I only ever saw him give to family, and pulled up a chair.

I wandered around to gaze at the flowers. Someone had brought a bouquet filled with lilies, which I usually only saw in stores or at church. There was a brush of yellow pollen at the center of the pink petals. I wished a bee were in it. Especially a bumble bee. They were so plump and fuzzy.

My dad and aunt were still talking about medical stuff that I didn’t understand, so I went over to the window and peeped out through the drawn curtains. The parking lot was pretty boring, but since we were on the third floor, there was a nice view of the sky. So blue today. Puffy white clouds. It looked like something I would’ve drawn in kindergarten.

I was out of things to look at, so I sat in one of the chairs near the window and tried to look interested in what they were saying. My dad could tell I was feeling restless. After about five minutes more, he said, “OK, Nat, we’d better get going, get this girl some lunch.”

“Thanks for dropping by,” she said again.

“Come on, kiddo.”

I got up and walked over to him, trying to look like I had all the time in the world. “Bye Aunt Natalie.”

“Bye hon!”

“I hope you get better soon,” I added.

“Thanks.” Her voice sounded a little strange. Was she going to cry?

My dad leaned over and gave her a hug. “See you tomorrow.”

Back in the truck, he slammed the door with gusto and turned on the rock station. “So where do you wanna get some grub? Wendy’s? Outback Steakhouse?”

The second suggestion was a joke. “Wendy’s!”

“You got it.”

We didn’t say anything about it until we were on the drive home with the paper bag of food in my lap. “Dad,” I began.

“Yeah?”

“Is Aunt Natalie going to die?”

His head dropped a little, then lifted. “I don’t know, sweetie. Your Aunt Natalie is having a tough time.” He switched on the turn signal. Tick-tick-Tick-tick-Tick-tick.

“Why doesn’t she have any hair?”

“That’s the chemotherapy. It’s a treatment for cancer. …did you like her wig? She always said she wanted to be a redhead.”

“It looked pretty good.” I glanced out the window and ate a fry.

After we ate at home, I asked if we could go down to the creek.

“I was planning to work in the garage a little to…oh, alright. Just for a little while.”

“Yayy!” I ran over to shove my feet into my sneakers.

The horses were all gathered far across the field, in the shadows of the trees. We slipped through the old wooden fence and I went bounding over the dry grasses, feeling them tickle my legs below my shorts. “Frogs, frogs, I want to catch a frog!”

“We’ll see. We can find some tadpoles at least.”

It was only a short walk through the woods. He quizzed me on the tree species, but the only answers I got right were pine and oak. At least he’d made sure I always knew poison ivy, even though I wasn’t allergic to it. I wasn't so concerned with the trees, to be honest. I wanted to see squirrels and other critters.

I darted ahead with excitement when I heard the familiar trickle of the creek. Crouching on the damp bank, I dug both palms into the mud, lifted a gloppy handful of it, and began sifting. “A newt! I found a newt! Dad look!!!” He came over and peered down.

“That's a salamander. Aww. What a cute little fella.” Resting atop the mud, the tiny salamander was staring right back up at us, turning its head from one face to the other. After a moment it squirmed across my hand and dropped back into the water.

“Heyy…” I started digging for it again, sending obfuscating clouds of mud swirling through the water.

“Oh, he’s long gone now."

“Hmph.” I slapped a mosquito on my leg, then started trying to wiggle my hand into the mud, digging deeper and deeper — until my hand brushed against nothing. Even though my arm was deep in the shallow creek mud, my fingers were moving in open air.

“There’s nothing down here!”

“I told you so,” he chuckled.

“No, no, I mean it’s air down here! Not mud. Air! It’s like an upside-down world.” He looked puzzled. I hopped up. “You feel.” I pointed to where my hand had been.

He reached his much longer arm in, but shook his head. “I just feel mud.”

I reached in beside him. I couldn’t feel it anymore, either. We wandered up the creek. But the emptiness I had felt stayed in my mind.

After we went back to the house, he started work in the garage. I decided to return to the creek for further investigation, but soon realized I had no idea where we had been: our footprints were all along the bank. I squatted down and scooted along the creek, reaching into the mud at every point, moving methodically. I didn’t realize how long I had been at it until I heard him calling me for dinner. My arms were tired and wet, and my clothes were spattered with mud. This time I marked where I was so I could start back in the same spot.

My dad shook his head when he saw me. “Girl, you are a mess. Come wash off and change your clothes. Ah-ah-ah! Take your shoes off, don’t come in here with those muddy shoes.”

I sat down on the brick steps and pulled them off. I felt happy. I loved being a mess.

After dinner we watched Grosse Point Blank for the dozenth time, and then he said it was time for bed. I climbed into bed with my jingling glass of ice water, let him kiss me goodnight, and lay still in the dark as the world slowly fell silent. But I couldn’t sleep. I got out of bed to pull open the curtains. The moon shone full and bright in a pure black sky, presiding over a mysterious landscape.

Maybe it was a magic portal, I thought. Maybe the salamander opened it up. Maybe the moon can open it too. I knew these were rules I had simply invented. But what if they were true? What if? Maybe they weren’t my thoughts at all.

The full moon was supposed to be magic, and everyone knows magic doesn’t work around adults. So I made up my mind. I could hear my dad snoring in the next room. It was easy to change out of my pajamas into a t-shirt and jeans, creep outside, and slip back into my shoes that were now coated with dry mud.

Crickets were in full chirp outside, but fell silent when I walked close. I saw the dim forms of toads hopping this way and that over the back lawn. It was hard to be frightened with so many little creatures around. I slipped through the fence, picked my way across the field, looking carefully to be sure I didn’t step in any horse dung.

The stick I had left upright to mark my place was still there, although without a flashlight it wasn’t that easy to find. I scooted up to the water, then craned my head back to look at the rustling leaves and sky, back down to glance all around. I looked again at the dark water. Nice animals are in there, I reminded myself. There’s nothing to be scared of.

I sunk my fingers into the cold water, past it to the thick mud, and through. Without even having to search, I had found the opening. It was real! I leaned out, trying to reach further and further. The next thing I knew, something sticky and warm slapped around my hand and tugged my whole body in.

“UGH!” I slammed against rock. Catching my breath, I lifted my head to see a salamander the size of a car staring at me with its black and gold eyes. “Aghh!” I scrambled to my feet, stumbled backward, then turned and ran down the tunnel. I wasn’t sure what salamanders ate, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t plants. Pushing my body for all it was worth, I thundered up and down the slopes. As I came down from a little peak, I almost ran straight into a pool of water. Throwing my arms up and digging in my heels, I fell back on the ground, but at least I had stopped short of the water.

The cavern ceiling was crowded with vicious-looking stalactites. However, crawling between them grew beautiful blue flowers that filled the space with a soft glow. It was the first time I had thought to question how I could see anything down here. Looking back, I saw that ceiling all along the tunnel was bright with these glowing flowers.

I turned back to the pool. The only way to keep going would be to swim. I dipped a hand into the cold water.

---

13: Turn back.
14: Swim.

---

13
Shaking the water from my fingers, I looked back the way I had come. If there was a giant salamander on the ground, who knew what there might be in the water. And it hadn't chased me, after all. I started walking back.

I found it in the same place I had been. Gathering my courage, I said, "Hello."

"You came back," it replied smoothly.

"I thought maybe...you're a nice salamander." I didn't mention not wanting to swim across the pool.

"I brought you down here for a reason. I need your help. In exchange--"

"You'll help me get back out?"

"Yes, but I also have something you can use: lurrien."

"What's that?"

"It's something that cures all human ailments."

"That could heal my aunt!"

It seemed to smile. "Come with me." It slither-crawled down the tunnel, and I followed after its long, trailing tail.

"Do you see these flowers?" it asked as we moved. "Above."

"I saw them," I replied. "They're beautiful."

"Yes, but they are deadly. Not to humans, but the substance they emit burns right through our skin. And the flowers are spreading every day. We can barely travel above and below anymore."

"That's what you want help with?"

"I need you to kill someone. The human tending these flowers."

"Human??"

"An old woman. She surrounds herself with the flowers so that we can't get to her. She even wears them pinned to her clothing."

"But I'm not going to kill an old woman!"

"Then your aunt will die."

I stopped in my tracks. "How dare you say that."

It kept moving.

"How dare you. How dare you! You don't know! You don't know anything!"

"But you know. I can hear it in your voice."

I thought of Aunt Natalie's expression when I told her to get well soon, then ran to catch up with the salamander. "Take me to the woman," I murmured.

We continued moving until the tunnel split into two. "Here." The salamander motioned to a sharp rock about the size of my hand. "You can use this." I picked it up, glaring at the monster. "Now go down this tunnel to the left. You'll find her there. Kill her, and I'll give you the lurrien."

"You better," I replied.

I went on alone. The flowers became more and more thickly clustered as I walked, until they were pouring down the sides of the cave walls and filling the air with their bright blue glow.

I found her in a small side cavern, surrounded by flowers and humming away as she carved with a rock on what looked like bone.

"What are you making?" I asked.

She jumped like she'd been bitten. "Who are you!"

With bedraggled white hair and flowers pinned all over her leather clothes, she looked like a mad person.

"I'm Sara. I came here to help you."

"Help me?"

"With errands, or...I just want human company."

"Hm."

I walked closer to her. "So what's this?" I asked, inspecting her carving.

She shrugged. "Oh, just a hobby. See here, I've started its wings...it's going to be a manticore."

"Neat." I stood so close now that a single blow to the back of the head could probably knock her out. Then it would be easy to finish her off, and I'd get the lurrien to save my aunt.

---

15: Hit her.
16: Don't hit her.

---

14
I knew from visits to the beach that the best way to enter cold water is to run in all at once, so I rushed in and started swimming for the other side. The light of the flowers was reflected on the water surface, and the ripples of my movements made the images shiver. It would have been a calming, lovely moment if it weren’t painfully cold. And if I weren’t on the run from a giant salamander.

When I climbed up on the other bank, I took off my clothes, wrung them out, and put them back on. It must be around midnight. I wondered if my dad could figure out where I had gone. This was the only time I had ever snuck out that I wanted to be found. But I didn’t think this was exactly a “stay where you are” kind of situation.

A faint sound like voices echoed down the tunnel to me. Startled, I rushed ahead. Could there be humans in this damp, lonely cave?

As I drew closer I began to make out what they were saying. “…only caught seven. But I caught twelve when I first tried it.”

“Nobody catches twelve!”

“Well, I did.”

“Hello.” The three toads turned to gape at me. They were only about the size of dogs, so I didn’t feel as frightened. “I’m sorry I’m interrupting, but can you tell me how to get out of here?”

“You’re not s’pose to be down here,” one of them whispered.

“I don’t want to be — I mean — where am I, anyway?”

“Shh.”

“Don’t talk to it.”

“I’m telling Boss.”

“Please, I just want to get out…” One of the toads was already hopping away.

“You gotta go that way to get out, OK? Past Boss. You’ll never make it.”

“Who’s Boss?”

The remaining two toads glanced at one another, then followed their friend out of sight.

I chased after them. “Please help me get out of here, I’m so cold and scared and tired and I wanna go h—“

A vibration shook the floor. Then another. And another. A massive toad slammed into view. “So,” it croaked, “There really is a human child in our tunnels. Don’t worry.” It started to bellow with laughter. “I’ll be just as kind to you as you are to us.” Shooting out its tongue, it caught me around the waist, hopped forward, and enveloped me in its mouth. Screaming and kicking, I felt myself being moved into its belly. I was overwhelmed with agony before I finally blacked out.

You have died! Please try again.

16
"The salamander told me to kill you," I said.

"AH? Well, I'm not surprised. Everybody down here wants to kill me. But why would a little girl like you think of doing a thing like that?"

"It said it would help my aunt."

"Lurrien?"

"Yeah."

She laughed. "I'm wearing it."

"Huh?"

She motioned around. "The flowers. They're healing and protective for human beings. That's how I've survived down here for so many years."

"The salamander says it burns their skin."

She sighed. "Yes. That is true. But what else can I do? If I go anywhere unprotected, they try to kill me."

"Why not just wear your flowers, and stop growing them everywhere? The salamander says you're cutting off the way between here and above."

"I want to cut it off." Her face grew hard, her eyes focused and bright. "You and I are not the only humans who have been down here. They think of us as a specialty dish. Up there, we're in charge -- but down here, it's a different story. I've even seen dogs pulled down. I want to put a stop to it. They can stay down here, for all I care. It's worth it."

She cut off a length of vine and hung it over my neck. "Cut up the flowers and mix them into something your aunt will eat."

"Thank you..."

"You're lucky to be alive, yourself." She shook her head sadly. "What's your name?"

"Sara," I reminded her.

"I'm Frances. Now, as to getting back out again, let's cover you up." She began sticking the lurrien flowers into my clothes with little bone pins, wrapping them around me, coating me thoroughly. "The amphibians open the portals to the surface. Climb up the wall by the salamander, and reach through -- you should be able to touch the surface."

"Don't you ever want to leave?"

"I have to stay down here and continue this work as long as I can. Besides, I'm too old...it's been too long. If I had only known all this when I first arrived. But, the past is past."

"Well, thank you."

When the salamander saw me come out coated with flowers, it backed away. "You tricked me!" it cried furiously.

I ran right past it, caught onto dips and jutting points in the cave wall, and reached up to the ceiling. With the salamander nearby, my hand slid through the rock, into the soft mud of the creek. Just as I began to lose my foothold, I got my forearm over and was able to pull myself up. Positioning another arm above, I pushed my head through the mud, then placed my knee. Finally I emerged above the surface, spitting mud and water. I fell onto the bank with relief. "I made it...I made it." It was still dark, the moon still so bright. And the flowers were still coating me, although they were now wet and muddy.

My dad thought it was strange for me to be taking a shower in the middle of the night, but he couldn't exactly object. I hid the flowers in my room, and the next day, I baked some cupcakes for my aunt. She said they were delicious, but I knew different.

The doctors said they've never seen a recovery like it.

But I don't play by the creek anymore.

...come to think of it, wasn't my grandmother's name Frances?

Congratulations! You have saved the day.

15
I raised the rock and slammed the old woman on the skull. She fell to the ground with a cry. Did I really just do that?

She was unconscious, but I could see her breathing. Thinking of my aunt and father, hardening my resolve, I smashed her again.

I ran back to the salamander in tears. "I did it. She's dead."

It went to look. "Excellent! Well done."

"Can I have the lurrien n--"

The salamander lunged forward, wrapping me in its sticky tongue, and swallowed me whole.

You have died! Please try again.

---

Afterword
Thank you for reading! Don't forget to check out my first Choose Your Own Adventure here, and follow me for more to come!
If you have any suggestions or story ideas, please let me know, and I might work them in.
Once I get enough followers for it to make sense, I will implement an "audience chooses what happens next" feature. (Thanks to @churdtzu for suggesting that future crowd-choosing version.)