CYOA Peter Dulay 6B

Choose Your Own Adventure: The Forgotten Library

By Peter Dulay

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The Oak Tree

You run your fingers through the smooth bark of a tree as you admire the nature around you. You had a stressful day at school and needed fresh air to alleviate your stress. You walk into a clearing and notice that the trees ringing it are rooted in a perfect circle around an enormous oak, its colossal branches stretching like knotted fingers toward the sky. You approach the oak tree to place your hand on its trunk, but your hand goes right through it. You stumble forward and fall through the bark into the oak. You come to your senses from the shock and take in your surroundings- a vast library stacked with books to its domed ceiling. Torches hung from the walls cast shadows on the multitude of books in the library. You realize the library has been here for over a few centuries. Your eye catches a tattered leather book titled "CYOA," and you grab it.

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The Book

Visit

You touch the blank manuscript and experience a sickening lurching motion as you get transported into the book. When you groggily stand up, you take in your surroundings- a huge, lavishly decorated hall. Suddenly, a deep, gravelly voice thunders, "You've chosen to enter a book inside a book. Here, all novels merge into one. Let's see where that takes you... You have two choices- travel to page thirteen or page forty- two. Choose wisely, for if you die in a story, you must start it from the beginning..." You take a deep breath and contemplate your choices- what should you do next?

Click here to go to page 42

Click here to go to page 13

Page 13

You regain your senses and stand up. You are in an enormous corridor with candles and portraits along the walls. The hall seemed very familiar... you open the two colossal wooden doors and find yourself in the largest hall you've ever seen. Tables and chairs neatly filled it. You recognized it at once- the Great Hall of Hogwarts! You could see the famous four houses sitting in different areas of the dining space and the professors seated at the front of the hall. As you step in, silence falls throughout the room. Dumbledore, the iconic Director of Hogwarts, stands up and smiles.

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Page 13

"Welcome! We thought you would not arrive until tomorrow!" he paused, then said, "Well, everyone, meet our newest student!" he urged me to come forward and placed the Sorting Hat on my head, which determined which house I would go to... "Hrm... you have great ambition and loyalty, charisma and integrity..." You frantically think of Gryffindor, similar to what Harry Potter did in The Sorcerer's Stone. The hat chuckles and says, "Good choice," then announces it to everyone in the hall. You get escorted into the Gryffindor dormitories and standard room, where you go to bed. Before you sleep, the deep voice speaks: "Congratulations, reader, you're part of one of the greatest magical adventures ever written. But magic doesn't come without its dangers." You shrug it off and fall asleep.

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You wake up the following day and greet the famous Harry Potter. You had become friends with him the day before while having dinner (after you had gotten sorted into Gryffindor). You attend your classes. You vividly remember battling pixies in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, taught by Gilderoy Lockhart... Later that evening, you walk through the castle because you couldn't sleep. As you turn the corner, you bump into something. You turn around, but nothing is there. You soon realize it was Harry Potter with his best friend, Ron Weasley. They were hiding under Harry's invisible cloak. "Hey, we're going to visit Hagrid. Don't tell anyone, okay? You offer to join them, and they reluctantly agree. However, you notice that you're standing in front of the library. You could see the lamps lighting the restricted section of the library. Maybe the restricted section has a way to advance to the next adventure... Or maybe going with Harry and Ron could open another portal...

Click here to go with Harry and Ron

Click here to go into the forbidden section

You toss the cloak over you as you, Harry, and Ron set off for the forbidden forest. You confront Hagrid about how he was expelled from the school because of his giant spider named Aragog. Harry and Ron visit him to get answers about the mysterious attacks on students in the last few weeks. You hadn't seen one firsthand but had heard rumors about it. As you enter Aragog's nest, spiders start descending from all sides. Ron accidentally jabs you in the ribs because of his unnatural fear of spiders, and you trip on the root of a tree. The spiders pounce on you before Harry and Ron can even react, and the last thing you see is a pair of huge, hairy mandibles snapping at you. I should have thought logically- the invisibility cloak can only fit two!

try again

You tell Harry and Ron that you need to find out your answers. You creep into the forbidden section, its lamps flickering, shadows dancing to the rhythm of the flickering flames. You're surprised Mr. Filch, Hogwarts's caretaker, hasn't found you yet. You grab one of the books and open it. No alarm. There are no screaming pages like in the novel. Instead, a shimmering apparition grows before you into a portal. The deep voice says, "Good job. Sometimes, chivalry can lead to foolish decisions. Things always have unexpected twists." You beam at the fact that you're one step closer to completing your journey!

step through portal

Locked

Page 42

You are standing in lush, green hills in a humble, cozy village. You're in the Shire! You walk toward Bilbo Baggin's iconic house and hear voices inside. You peek through the window, and a tall, bearded figure catches you peeking. He opens the door and steps out. It was Gandalf! He beckons you to come in. "Ah, young hero, it was about time!" Gandalf pauses and steps aside to let you in. You can't believe your eyes when you enter Bilbo's house. Frodo contemplates the ring as it lays in the coals, its ancient writing glowing on its gold surface. This was the moment in which Gandalf realized Bilbo possessed Sauron's ring! Gandalf tells you and Frodo that Middle Earth is in danger and that you and Frodo must embark on a journey to Doom in Orodruin.

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Page 42 (Continued)

Later, he reluctantly agrees to let Sam come along, too, for he was eavesdropping just like you were a few minutes ago. After packing, you run into Merry and Pippin- two mischievous hobbits. As you walk along the path with the hobbits, you feel a chilly sensation as hooded figures appear. You and the hobbits quickly hide and escape detection. You take a deep breath. You were about to embark on a long and perilous journey... but what if it was too dangerous? "You've chosen to follow the path of heroes," the deep voice thunders, "but... do you know where this path ends? Or does it only lead to more choices?" Now that you think of it going to Rivendell to seek Elrond's help wouldn't be a bad idea...

Visit Rivendell to get help

Help Frodo on his quest to Mount Doom

You follow Frodo on his perilous journey, where you encounter Nazgûls, Orcs, Elves, Ents (tree people), and much more. You travel to Moria and watch the famous battle between Gandalf and the Balrog. You help defeat Saruman, an evil wizard. You cry as Boromir gets struck by an arrow and passes away. Now, you are in Mordor. As you, Frodo, Sam, and Gollum climb Mount Doom, Gollum suddenly leaps at Frodo. You had been expecting this moment but had not thought it would come so soon. You run to help Frodo and get hold of the ring as you throw Gollum to the rocky floor. You hold the ring and are suddenly urged to keep it. Should you run away with it? Or should you destroy the most powerful object in Middle Earth?

throw the ring in the fire

Run away with the ring

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Your hand closes around the ring as you sprint away from the volcano. Gollum shrieks and tackles you. You wrestle with him until you kick him off your chest. You slip the ring on, disappearing into thin air. However, you don't feel invisible at all. You think a vast, fiery eye-searing its gaze into you, every spark and flame of its existence pinned on your movements. You fall, frantically trying to pull the ring off your sweaty hand. No matter how hard you try, you cannot slip it off. Soon, you're surrounded by orcs and Nazgul. It was too late—your vision blurs as you take your last breath.

step through portal

You throw the ring into the ocean of lava below you. Gollum leaps after it and disappears with it, momentarily going up in flames. You step back, shaken. You had done the right thing. The deep voice spoke, "Good job, young hero. The hard path is perilous, but the reward is often grand. You may continue your journey..." A shimmering portal appears in front of you. Another adventure awaits...

It's a long trip, but you finally arrive at Rivendell's silver gates, where they let you in with awe as you say you are a member of the fellowship of the ring. You run up the stairs and greet Elrond, an elderly elf, with a confident gaze. You tell him your story and urge him: "I need help, sir. I just want to go back home!" Elrond flashes you a cold stare. Infuriated, he walks toward you. "You are no hero, young one. You will not get my help, you selfish boy! You are a danger to Middle Earth and the Fellowship. Good riddance! Elrond taps his foot on the ground, and two guards drag you to a dungeon.

try again

continue

A car almost runs you over as you teeter sideways from the lurching motion of stepping through the portal. You run to a cement sidewalk. Once your heart stops racing, you take in your surroundings- a bustling city with dense traffic. You turn your head and gaze at Big Ben, one of London's most significant monuments. You're in London, circa 1930. You see a man cross onto the street you're walking on. he has a trench coat, hat, and pipe. "Hello there!" He smiles. "I see you came right on time! Punctual, I fancy that. The man's attire gave him away. He was Sherlock Holmes!

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You and Sherlock enter the British Museum. You marvel at the vastness of the museum- halls and halls filled with artifacts. Greek frescoes, Easter Island Stone Statues, medieval European sculptures... Sherlock stops at a robust, sealed metal door. Sherlock is escorted by a tall man who opens the door with three keys. You and Sherlock step inside the room. It was empty except for three pedestals arranged in a circle around the room. It reminded you of the library in the oak tree where you first started your journey... A robust man introduces himself as Curator J.P. Arsens and explains that a medieval manuscript had been stolen a day ago.

Click here to investigate the curator

He tells you and Holmes that the manuscript was part of a collection linked to mysterious and controversial knowledge. "The Manuscript was the main piece to the collection," Arsens says, gesturing to the other two pedestals in the room. The curator presents a document to Holmes. It's a record of a bookbinder at the museum the day before the robbery. The bookbinder was suspicious of forgery and black-market trading of rare books. Sherlock says, "We have a lead." Later that day, he tells you that the curator was acting nervous and fidge18ty and that he might be the culprit. He asks you to decide whether to investigate the curator or the bookbinder.

Click here to investigate book binder

You decide to investigate the curator. You authorize searching his office behind his back and unlocking the drawers where he keeps his documents. You find a journal that he wrote in which he expressed his obsession with the manuscript collection and how he would revolutionize math and science as no individual had ever done before. So the curator was the culprit! You suddenly have the urge to explore the rest of the drawers. There might be an alarm system built into the drawers... Will you take the risk?

Click here to explore drawers

Click here to go back to Sherlock

Click on a drawer to open it.

A worn notebook thumps on the floor was you pull it out of the drawer and drop it. You read the first page:

Listen, I don't have much time. If you're trying to escape the CYOA book, you´re in luck. You need to break the cycles. The path is your own to choose. You must

The letter stopped there. You sigh in relief- there is another way out!

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You walk back to Sherlock and the curator, where they ask you why you're late to the meeting. You pay them no heed. You circle the room impatiently. How are you supposed to break the cycle? You have two ideas- run into the wall to see if it's an illusion, or tackle Sherlock and yell.

click here to tackle Sherlock

Click here to run into the wall

try again

You decide to investigate the bookbinder. After gathering information about people who worked for him, you take them and the bookbinder to an interrogation room, where they deny that the bookbinder stole the manuscript. Later that day, Sherlock announced that he had a gadget that could take fingerprint marks. He asked the bookbinder to dab ink on his fingers and press them onto a sheet of paper. Sherlock compared fingerprint images and announced that the bookbinder was not the culprit. It was the curator. But by the time Sherlock and you race to the British Museum, the curator and artifacts are nowhere to be seen.

Continue

You tackle Sherlock Holmes, lunging at him and sending him sprawling to the floor. He gazes at you with bewilderment. Sorry, Sherlock, you think. To your relief, Holmes doesn't seem injured. You have no time to think about what you have done, for Sherlock, the curator, and the room you are in vanish. The deep voice suddenly shrieks a thundering "WHAT? HOW?" You find yourself in a completely dark space. You can't even see your own hands because of the inky blackness surrounding you.

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You look ahead and see two glowing red slits. As you look closer, you realize they are part of a shadowy face connected to a vast, inky body. It rumbles "Reader, to leave this book, you must pass one final test. Guess this riddle, and you will be free."

You sprint across the room and bash your body against the wall. Searing pain shocks your limbs as you crumple to the floor. Nope, not an illusion. You groggily rise, and Sherlock helps you get up. However, Sherlock tells you that doing that could've destroyed the artifacts and potential clues in the room that lead to the culprit. He banishes you, and you end up homeless on the streets of London, trapped inside a detective novel.

try again

I’m the start of every adventure, But also the end of a tale, Guess me right, or you will fail,In the word apple, I am the one at the very front,a glorious beacon in a world full of consonants.What am I?

The shadow creature clears his gravelly voice and says:

An apple

The letter A

TIme

Of course! It's the letter A! But how do you use that information to escape? The shadow creature gives you a clue- another riddle:In most of the words on this page, I start, I am never alone,I lead the chorus, though I stand on my own.You'll find me in the air, in answer, in all, At the end of this test, I'll heed your call.Look where I linger, in shadows, I stay,Click where I finish, and you'll be on your way."

click for hint

Hint: you know the letter A is your answer, but think of where they are located... "Look where I linger"= look where I am seen last.

You guessed it! The darkness vanishes and you find yourself back in the oak tree. You run back home, dazed. What a story you were going to tell your friends when you got back!

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Congratulations, you made it out! ( Image credits below)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_London_%281900–1939%29#/media/File:Tottenham_Court_road_in_London_1927.jpg

https://www.wetanz.com/us/parchment-map-of-middle-earth

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivendell#/media/File:15_They_rode_up_to_a_stately_palace.jpg

https://static.posters.cz/image/1300/art-photo/lord-of-the-rings-eye-of-sauron-i151826.jpg

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quora.com%2FWhat-happened-after-the-Ring-was-dropped-into-Mount-Doom-in-LOTR&psig=AOvVaw3oKbfgACoIMTfcNO2ILaLW&ust=1729733411437000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCNjDuJ6to4kDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE

You go back to Sherlock and give him the document, but Sherlock says you came too late. The curator had already escaped with the manuscripts, and it was partially your fault.

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A pit opens up beneath you and you plummet to your demise. You guessed wrong.

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A pit opens up beneath you and you plummet to your demise. You guessed wrong.

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