Summer Camp Mysterious Maze Group 3 Closed

Nothing was working.

Breathe, just breathe... she thought to herself, trying to calm her body down from the intense adrenaline. Bloom thought she heard Howard say hold onto his robe and push, but by the time she was in her right head space, she looked up to see that they were disappearing from the area... They had found a way.

Bloom's heart racing, she tried her hardest to follow after Howard and Elena. Bloom could have sworn that there was a chance to make it with them. She pushed with all her might into the same area that they began to dig into. But alas, the minute she got there and they went through, the plants overlapped and closed the hole.

"DAMMIT," she screamed, her heart racing even faster. Bloom had to find another way out before it was too late. She steadied her breath, despite an orange pushing into the side of her face. It then occurred to her... Oranges were plants and so were the hedges. she was going to bet her odds.

Bloom took her wand and aimed it at the same area that once had a hole. "Incendio," she called out, hoping to burn oranges in her way and burn a hole in the hedges to make way for her to get into.

It was a short but chaotic journey as Howard tore through the walls in a fit of power and strength that House Gryffindor would have loved to have. For now, the brunette could offer no assistance aside from being along for the ride, her grip tight on his back before the two broke through crashing to the ground below. The Gryffindor stood up brushing off her robes as she glanced around to get a overview of their surroundings. Right, they were dealing with the dark creepy tunnels again except this time it was just the two of them, a fact that Elena suddenly came to realize scanning around to see if perhaps Bloom was somewhere nearby but the girl's figure appeared nowhere. "Just the two of us." She said grimly hoping that Bloom had managed to make it away from the oranges just in time.

They had started out with such a large group and now it was reduced to the two of them, it was a scary thought to be fair but only went to show that everything was a danger, even the walls of the maze. "What if that's their plan?" The Gryffindor said, a thought crossing her head as she took a hesitant step foward. "They want to split us up one by one to make it more diffcult for us." If that was the case, that only meant they would have to be more keen as she felt around for her wand. Surprisingly in all that, the girl had managed to retain her wand, a fact that she was inherently grateful for giving it a good shake before muttering an quick "Lumos." Sure, it wasn't exactly pitch-black but it was dark enough that without light, they were sure to be walking straight into a trap or something worse.

"Come on then." Determined to see this through to the end, the fourth-year took a few hesistatn steps forward pausing to see if anything looked off before gathering her resolve marching forward gritting her teeth ready to face the unexpected. One thing was for sure, she had not been expecting the kind of obstacles they had encountered so far. It was genius in one way but not preferable when they were the ones stuck inside. "We have to be getting close after all that." She offered up as encouragement, it had been some time so Elena reckoned that either they were close to getting to the exit or about to be back to square one. This was the part she hated, the eerie quiet and black darkness, these sort of stories never ended well and right now, Howard and her were a part of one. They could hardly go back the way they came so forward it was whether they liked it or not.

@Elena Jangleton | @Bloom Silverton

Howard's heart pounded as the adrenaline rushed through his veins. The oranges were piling higher and the walls were crashing in all around them. Any thought of trying another spell left his mind as instinct drove him to use his strength to free them. He would call to the others before digging his claws into the hedges. They would resist him at first but soon enough wiry muscles and elongated nails would prevail over the magical plants as Howard made his way through the wall.

With a mighty crash Howard would enter an empty space, but as he fell he would only feel one other body go tumbling to the ground with him. The new area they entered was almost void of light, but his heightened senses would prevail. Not that there was anything to see as he scrambled to his feet. He would see Elena had made it through with him, but Bloom was no where to be found. "Bloom!" He called to her as he searched for the opening in the hedge wall, but it had vanished just like his friend. "Shit!" Howard would kick the dirt in frustration. He should have done more to ensure they all made it through.

"Yeah." Was all he could manage as Elena pointed out that it was just them left. He too would feel the pressure as the group had dwindled down to just a pair. "Your probably right. I guess that's the point. See how good we can do as a team. Pretty lousy so far." The disappointment was evident on Howard's voice, but he would shake it off as Elena encouraged them to continue. "Lets hope so." He too wished this was close to an end. "Stick close, alright."

Action: Following Elena forward through the Dark Tunnel.

Middle Route

@Elena Jangleton, @Howard White, @Bloom Silverton

Watching with a pit of panic as Howard and Elena disappeared, Bloom knew her time was ticking away if she did not want to become a permanent addition to the maze. She could even hear the faint sounds of their voices on the other side of the hedge. With wand in hand, Bloom would call out the spell Incendio in the last place she had seen her companions. Even under pressure, the talented girl was able to successfully cast the spell and flames erupted onto the hedge which seemed to recoil from the heat.

In a few precious seconds, a bunch of oranges were well toasted. But more importantly, there was a hole slowly growing in the hedge wall that would soon be large enough for Bloom to dive through. Feeling the heat from some of the burning leaves, Bloom would make it through to the other side just as her companions slipped out of sight. But in front of her was the entrance to a dark tunnel that likely held her friends within.


Bloom’s Available Directions: Forward through the Dark Tunnel

Unsure of the companion’s fate, Elena knew it wasn’t a good idea to remain still for too long. They would have to proceed into the tunnel. To give them a bit of light, Elena successfully cast Lumos. Their large team was now down to two and it didn’t seem to sit right with Howard. But at least they hadn’t all been devoured by the oranges. Perhaps in the home stretch they would be more successful.

Within the tunnel, Elena’s light would reveal that the walls of the hedges continued to move. Like a wall of serpents, the vines and branches of the hedges seemed to be constantly shifting. It might feel as though it was just waiting for a chance to lash out. Occasionally a thin tendril like vine might reach out and touch their arms and legs but for the time being the plants made no attempt to strike.

As they walked through the faintly lit darkness, Elena and Howard would begin to slowly approach a large covered chamber. It was a dead end but there appeared to be a sign on the wall opposite them. Elena’s light would allow them to read the sign:
‘Make Your Way And The Plants Come To Play. Destroy Or Become The Toy’


As with the other walls in the tunnels, these walls seemed to be constantly shifting and moving...As if they were waiting. Waiting for their guests to make a move.

Elena and Howard are in a chamber with currently no exits.

How to Navigate the Maze

1. Each round you can choose an available direction to travel or to take a different action.
2. Each moderation will list the available directions for each student.
3. You can choose to stay as a group or wander off on your own. But if you are alone...beware of the orange.
4. Depending on the paths chosen, you may encounter challenges or changes within the maze.
5. Stats will be used in this tread and thus you will need to ensure they are in your trunk.
6. There will be a moderation post at least once a week. Quicker moderations will be done if all active participants have replied.
7. If a participant misses two weeks of moderation, it will be assumed they decided to take a nap and will be removed from the maze for their safety!
8. As always...clothing will be required in this thread!

There was a powerful force that emanated from the tip of Bloom's wand and into the hedge. Bloom watched the plant and even the oranges get burnt from her wand's fire magic. Slowly, but surely, there was a hole big enough for her to get through. She quickly went for it.

"OUCH!" she said aloud to herself. As she was crawling through the hole, she could feel the burning leaves gently touching her skin. It was enough to feel a pinch of burn in certain areas of her arms. When she got to the other side, she slowly got back up from the floor and clapped her hands, ridding of the dirt from the ground.

There wasn't much in front of her except for a large tunnel. It seemed that it was the only way to go. She figured that since it was the same area she opened up, that Howard and Elena would be down the tunnel. She was unsure of how far they were, but the echo of the tunnel would hopefully allow them to hear her.

"Elena! Howard! Wait up!" she screamed in the tunnel and Bloom ran in, not taking into consideration any changes or surprises that may occur on the way.

ACTION: Go down the tunnel to hopefully catch up with Elena and Howard

Pretty lousy was his opinion but the brunette reckoned they had to be getting something right if they had made it this far. Frankly, she was just trying to be optimistic while they tried to find a way out of this maze of contraptions as she led the way, her wand light revealing the hedge walls bristling with movement. "How charming." She muttered more to herself than Howard eyeing them with unease as if feeling something was about to explode. She had been correct in her assumption letting out a yelp as one of the vines brushed against her arm but did nothing else, perhaps a solemn warning to what was to follow. "Hands off." She told the maze as if it could understand their thoughts locking the vines with a glare as the tunnel seemed to lead on and on.

Finally, they came to a stop before a wall before them cutting off any more progression further onward as she used her wand to scan the lettering before them. "Well, that isn't very comforting at all." The Gryffindor admitted repeating the words in her head before looking at the maze around them. A part of her had to wonder where Bloom had ended up, somewhere close by or still hopelessly trapped in that chamber of oranges. The sign was instructing them to make their way but the girl suspected any action on their part to carve their own path onwards would incur a hostile reaction from the maze and the brunette was not about to have a round two after that whole orange fiasco. It didn't seem like they had a choice unless they wanted to retrace their steps as she read the sign one more time.

"I'm gonna try something , just be ready." She warned willing to test a theory. Before they went around launching spells or doing anything remotely foolish, the Gryffindor decided it would be in their best interest to gauge just exactly what it was they were supposed to. She suspected it had something to do with the vines that seemed rather eager to lash out at them but for some reason were holding back. Perhaps they were waiting for provocation, an trigger or something else. "Here goes nothing." She muttered to herself putting her faith in any deity she could think of taking the tip of her wand and jabbing it into the center of one of the walls hard to see if the maze reacted or struck out in some manner. In hindsight, it was probably a foolish move but if they hadn't, she was willing to guess they would have been stuck here forever.

@Elena Jangleton | @Bloom Silverton

Elena! Howard! Wait Up!

If Howard could hear Bloom's call he would turn for a moment. "Bloom! Catch up, quick!" However, he would not leave Elena's side as she continued forward. He hoped Bloom would be able to find her way, but if he were to separate from the Gryffindor they would most likely all get separated. If Howard could not hear the call he would simply continue forward in silence.

As the pair continued down the tunnel Howard would notice the walls on either side of them. The branches and vines slithered and twirled. Almost as if the walls themselves were breathing in anticipation of their movement. He expected them to lash out at any moment, but for whatever reason these particular vines remained relatively peaceful. The only action they would take was an occasionally one of them would reach out to gently touch his arm or leg. It was as if they were merely curious to their presence and only reached out to say hello or get a better look. Howard would push away the first attempts, but as they continued he would allow them to "sniff" him out. "Weird. They've stopped being hostile." He offered to Elena.

Eventually the pair would make their way into a covered chamber and into a dead end. The light from Elena's wand would illuminate a sign before them. One of Howard's least favorite things, a riddle. "Damnit." He muttered his frustration, but there was no point in allowing that to dominate his thoughts. Howard pondered the situation. Make your way and the plants come to play. Well, they had already made their way, so what could be next? Destroy or become the toy. Was this a warning? Should they attempt to destroy these obstacles to protect themselves from their wrath? Or was this a list of options? They had tried to fight off these things or run away from them, but as they entered this new space the vines seemed to be willing for a truce. Perhaps cooperation was the key.

Howard would take a step aside from Elena as she approached the vines to stoke them with her wand, but he would follow suit in the approach. With his hand raised he would gently place his palm against the vines wall. "Hello there. May I pass?"

Middle Route

@Elena Jangleton, @Howard White, @Bloom Silverton

Finally the small group was reunited. While they had started with more, it was still impressive that they had managed to remain together despite the maze’s clear attempts to divide and conquer. But now they were faced with a bit of a wall...literally. Bloom would quickly dart through the dark tunnel to join her companions in the open but blocked chamber.

For Elena and Howard, they had a brief moment to study the curious wall in front of them. Both seemed to know that the message left at the wall could mean a threat. Intelligently they avoided provoking the maze with an outright assault of the wall. It would be Elena to make the first move. Tentatively she would prod the wall with the tip of her wand to gauge the reaction. The moment the wand began to poke the wall, a hand emerged from the hedge and grasped Elena’s wrist firmly.

While the sudden hand was no doubt alarming, it would be the vice-like grip on Elena’s wrist that might prove more disconcerting. The hand itself was clearly not of flesh. While it held the shape of a human hand, a closer inspection would show that the hand was made of thin and tightly woven vines. A few leaves could even be seen growing from the wooden thumb.

Howard took a different approach. Moving up to the wall, he would place his hand on the hedge wall before asking for permission to pass through. Similar to Elena’s attempt, a wooden hand would emerge from the hedge. But this would pressed its palm against Howard’s and made no attempt to grab him. To Howard’s right, the hedges began to recede slightly and revealed a single oak door. The door had a rather ornate doorknob in the shape of a potato and no keyhole. It was unclear where the door might go but there seemed to be no hostility towards Howard. On the other walls throughout the room, the vines seemed to increase their activity. As if growing anxious at the sudden appearance of the door.


Available Directions: Can Attempt to Open the Door.
Elena is bound by the wrist

How to Navigate the Maze

1. Each round you can choose an available direction to travel or to take a different action.
2. Each moderation will list the available directions for each student.
3. You can choose to stay as a group or wander off on your own. But if you are alone...beware of the orange.
4. Depending on the paths chosen, you may encounter challenges or changes within the maze.
5. Stats will be used in this tread and thus you will need to ensure they are in your trunk.
6. There will be a moderation post at least once a week. Quicker moderations will be done if all active participants have replied.
7. If a participant misses two weeks of moderation, it will be assumed they decided to take a nap and will be removed from the maze for their safety!
8. As always...clothing will be required in this thread!

@Elena Jangleton | @Bloom Silverton

Howard did his best to remain calm as he placed his hand upon the vine wall. It was far different than the last room they had been in where he had used claw and muscle to tear his way through, but there was a calmness to the vines in this room that changed his approach. Heavy footsteps would draw his attention behind him. "Bloom! You made it!" A wave of relief washed over him as she made her way into the room. Not that he feared for her life or anything, but after all this effort it would be nice to finish as a team.

The sudden touch of wood against his palm threatened to make him jump. As his eyes whipped back around he would see a wooden had emerged from the vine wall and mimicked his own action by calmly placing its palm against his own. Red eyes would then drift over to Elena as she prodded the wall with her wand, clearly an action the vines did not appreciate as another hand sprung forward. However, this one would wrap its wooden fingers around her wrist in a way that was not at all inviting. "Elena." Howard called out to her. "I think it mimics your action. Let go of your wand, relax your hand and ask it permission to pass." The Dhampir thought he had spoken too soon as the vines nearby began to shift, but as he looked closer they were moving to reveal a hidden door.

"Look there!" He pointed it out to the other two. "Come here, Bloom." Howard beckoned her forward if she had not already come. With a gentle touch he would reach for the knob and attempt to open the door. If Elena was freed he would attempt to proceed forward assuming it opened. If not he wouldn't pass the threshold and wait to help Elena further.

As it turned out, prodding the viney walls with her wand had turned out not be a very bright idea after all. It wasn't just the two of them anymore as Bloom finally caught up with them, the brunette relieved to see she hadn't been swallowed up by the maze itself. "Glad you found us, thought those oranges got to you." She offered in lieu of a greeting before feeling something grab onto her wrist. It wasn't either one of them as a viney hand shot out grabbing her and holding her firm caushing her to flinch supressing the yelp of shock. Clearly, the whole poking it had not been a very wise idea as she struggled against it but it only appeared to tighten it's grip making it near impossible for any possible escape. Howard on the other hand hade made a marvelous discovery in the form of a door and only one thought crossed her mind. That had to be the exit or maybe the entryway into something else horrible but she was willing to take that chance if this blasted maze would let here. At the moment, it seemed deadset on holding her hostage here, something that Elena was not very supportive of all things considered.

"Sod off, will ya!" The Gryffindor told the viney handlike creation sternly heaving with al of her might to rip her grasp but failing considerably so. It seemed the things around them were sentient to some extent and could touch and feel the same way they could. Perhaps the whole wand poking had riled it up and it had taken ahold of her to make sure she didn't do anything further as Howard dropped his gems of wisdom. "My wand?" Her eyes widened as she glanced down at the length of cherry wood and dragon heartstring. If she hoped to make it out of here, she'd just have to play it by the vine's rules and right now, her wand was poking into it's viney depths as she sighed finally acknowledging what she would have to do. "I better get this back, you hear?"

She didn't exactly fancy explaining to her parents she was in need of a new wand. Putting her full faith in Howard and the maze, she stopped resisting loosening her grip to allow her wand to either drop down or be picked up by the vines to allow her hand to loosen perhaps to reassure the vines that she meant no harms. She was unarmed, wandless and couldn't possibly do anything else that would aggravate it. "I'm sorry, okay? Won't happen again, I'll be out through the door and you won't see me again. Deal?" Most people would have thought she was crazy for talking to a wall but maybe the vines could understand to some extent. They were so close and she wasn't planning on being hindered at the last step.