After you hit your time-travel remote, you find yourself standing in a jungle.
Psst … missed the previous story in the Pilgrimage welcome sequence? Click here to read it before you continue
“Uh … is this that RFP island again?” you wonder aloud. “That one with Eddy’s library on it?”
For some reason, your stupid time-travel remote has landed you somewhere else on the island again.
“Got to get Eddy to give me a new one of these,” you mumble to yourself, shoving the remote into your pocket.
You look around, but you don’t recognise any landmarks …
So you start walking through the oddly-coloured trees.
As you trudge, strange noises and screeches echo from the distance. Above you, a shadow whips past through the tree canopy.
You look up, but it’s already gone.
“Ugh, please tell me that wasn’t one of those Blarknark things” you mutter. “They’re disgusting. Never in ten million years would I want to run into one of those again.”
(As you say it, for a fleeting instant, you have this odd … premonition. For a moment, you see yourself running through a mist … escaping something … while shotgun blasts ring out. But then it passes, and you shrug it off.)
You come up to a thick tangle of vines and leaves.
You push them aside, and …
… find yourself staring at a large clearing in the middle of the jungle.
You step into it cautiously and look around.
“Hello?” you call out. “Eddy? Are you there?”
… no answer.
You walk into the middle of the clearing.
“Heh,” you chuckle. “Almost reminds me of one of those video game boss battles—”
Then you freeze.
Was that … a noise behind you?
The hair on your neck stands up as you spin around …
… to see a Blarknark, hissing at you. It was smaller than the previous ones…
Drool is dangling from its crooked jaws.
You stare for a second …
“So THIS is a ‘Blarknark’. They’re even worse close up!
The Blarknark lunges at you.
You duck and roll only just managing to dodge its attack.
You pant as your heart rate increases and just as you’re about to turn and run —
SQUEEEEAAAAAKK
A deafening screech echoes through the clearing.
Your blood goes cold for a second.
You turn around again …
… and see a GIANT fully grown blarknark standing right behind you.
And … it looks mad.
You swallow. “I, uh…”
BOOM! BOOM!
The giant blarknark takes a few steps towards you, the ground trembles as it steps.
Oh … dear.
Then, it opens its mouth … and with frightening speed, starts bounding towards you.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
You turn to run — but your foot catches a root and you fall over. You look back desperately, to see the giant blarknark bearing down on you.
And you realise …
You’re not going to make it.
“EDDDDDDYYYYYY!!!!” you cry to the heavens. “WHY DID YOU DRAG ME INTO THIS PILGRIMAGE!”
You close your eyes and wait for the end.
And then, just as the Blarknark is about to devour you …
“25!”
A voice rings out across the clearing.
Followed by …
BLAM!
The swooshing sound of an arrow whizzes over your head.
The arrow clips the Blarknarks shoulder.
It hisses in pain …
… then shakes itself off and bares its teeth. It’s too tough for one little blast like that.
And … it’s not done with you.
It opens its jaws to devour you, when—
*WHHOOOSH*
“36!”
There’s the sound of a string snapping the air … then another strange number.
And — BLAM!
Another shot hits the Blarknark.
It squeals in pain.
Seconds later, there’s more arrows fly out across the clearing at the Blarknark. Each is accompanied by another random number: 24! 5! 98!
(You’re not sure who is more confused — you or the Blarknark.)
And then, from behind you, a voice rings out:
“I’ve got 101 of these, you big drooling cretin, so you’d better scram before you start looking like Swiss cheese!”
Still lying on the ground, you turn your head around — and gasp.
Across the other side of the clearing is a man armed with a bow (what is it with the bow and arrows in here?) … and a massive quiver slung over his shoulder.
If you squint, you can make out a large number printed on each of the arrows.
The man starts walking towards you, and you realise …
It’s … Eddy.
(Also known as ‘me’, but this is the awkward side of this weird first-AND-second-person narrative style I have.)
The giant Blarknark bares its teeth at me … before turning its scraggy tail and bounding off into the forest.
(I fire off a few more numbered shots after it for good measure.)
Then I lower my bow, and crouch down beside you.
“Are you okay?”
“I … think so,” you stammer, standing to your feet. “What … what’s with the numbered arrows?”
“Oh, these?” I say, casually looking at the ammo belt over my shoulder. “These are the reasons for Reading For Pleasure. I thought I told you about that in a previous page. They’re my 101 reasons for RFP and surviving in this reading jungle. I never leave home without them.”
“Can I see them?” you ask.
You reach for the quiver on my back—
SMACK!
I slap your hand away.
“Watch it!” I say crossly. “You only have to ask. Here…”
I hand you a business card with a link to the [link to download the list].
But you don’t take it. Instead, you just stare at me incredulously.
“I nearly just died, and you’re trying to give me some reasons why reading is important?”
I shrug.
I take the card and put it back in my pocket. Then I turn to leave.
“Let’s get moving,” I snap, striding back into the forest. “We need to get back to the library. And on the way, I need to warn you about the Blarknark hierarchy I was telling you about in my previous email.”
“Warn me?” you say, running to catch up. “Too late! Weren’t you just watching? One of them nearly just killed me!”
I look across at you with a smirk.
“Hah, to think that you thought that was dangerous. That was just 2 blarknarks. Come on, there’s more you need to know…”
