Forest of Phantoms [Spooktober Tagbook]

(Image credit)

In a forgotten corner of YWSland, the Forest begins to stir once more... Voices thought long gone whisper anew, and the trees observe all.

Will you dare to venture into this forest of phantoms, armed only with a writing utensil and bad puns? But of course, this is not a journey taken alone; tag all your YWS friends and acquaintances and archnemeses to rope them into the fun! =P



A note on tagbooks: Tagbooks are a special kind of storybook. Instead of making a character profile, the character you write for is yourself - and other members of the site! Your goal is to tag as many users (using the @ symbol and their usernames) as you possibly can in your posts, while also telling a story.

Tagbooks are usually wacky, random and filled with memes, puns, and fourth wall breaks. If you're lucky enough to be tagged, or just want to pop in with a post of your own, you're in for a treat!

If you want to see what past tagbooks have been like, here are some examples:

• Quill & Cutlass [Tagbook]
• The YWS Express
• The Search for the Golden Goose (Tagbook)
• Walking in a YWS Wonderland
• Finding Nate the Dragon
• The Haunted Holiday Lodge
• The Great YWS Treasure Hunt
• #Classified vs. #LongLiveBigBrother
• The S.S.Y.W.S.

mint stepped on a pile of leaves and heard a satisfying "crunch!" She smiled and breathed in the crisp autumn air. "Lovely weather for a stroll, isn't it?" she remarked to @JazzicusMaximus, who was somehow managing to assemble a model kit while walking.

"And birdwatching!" @NovemberCrow excitedly pointed out some October crows. @Iggy observed a group of six crows. @Plume cooed at a couple of pigeons and @EllieMae exclaimed at a particularly green owl. @Ravena had a staring contest with a raven. And of course, there were @Avian and @Quillfeather. (mint is just now realizing how large the bird-related population of YWS is. 0v0)

The forest was dense with red and gold foliage (and yes, some of the trees were maple trees, like @MapleWay). The colors were kind of like the username colors of @IcyFlame and @Meshugenah, actually. Wisps of clouds swirled across the pale blue sky like splotches of foam in a cup of hot cocoa (if, y'know, hot cocoa was blue).

@Ranger was absolutely in her element, holding a bow and arrow and softly stepping through the forest. @canopy was also in her element, being a wise, old tree. @riprxnin brought his element with him in the form of a test tube containing bromine.

"I wonder if we'll find a fairy ring," @Leya mused. @Liminality and @SquillsBot collected YWSers' opinions.

"Mushroom stew would be delicious with a slice of bread," @thehoplessromantic remarked, eyeing @ToastK.

"You wouldn't dare, you cutie," Toast replied.

@CATSRULETHEWORLD387 objected in defense of Hop. "We're not cute! We're as fearsome as... as those leaf monsters over there!"

Nearby, clumps of leaves were rising up as amorphous blobs. They paused a moment as more leaves gathered and filled in their shapes. Then the blobs began to advance slowly towards the YWSers.

@Wolfi and @winterwolf0100 transformed into wolves and growled at the leaves. @Silvern warded them off with the power of "cool mission patch on a tote bag". @Snoink held up a pig and @Messenger tossed some letters at them. Something from that combination made the leaf blobs hesitate, but then they resumed their inexorable march? slide? ooze? forwards.

@alliyah and @looseleaf rallied the Knights of the Green Room. @Roxanne and @NadyaStatham analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the leaf blobs. "It doesn't seem particularly difficult to scatter them, but will they re-form? And are we certain their intentions are hostile?"

Just then, the leaf blobs pounced on the YWSers. Their vision was obscured by a flurry of colorful leaves for a moment, and then it cleared.

@snapshot took a snapshot of the location. @LuminescentAnt briefly conferred with a stream of ants crawling across the forest floor and confirmed that they were deeper in the forest. @inksthewriter and @floodlights probably could've described the tangled roots and interlaced branches in a more poetic way, but mint will just say that they looked like her wired earbuds after being shoved into her backpack and taken out hours later.

"So. What now?"

"We need more pigs!" Snoink cried, waving her hands. "Pigs can stomp those loose leaf monsters to the ground -- no offense, @looseleaf," she added quickly as looseleaf crossed her arms and glowered at her.

"No more pigs!" @Meshugenah said with a groan. "You already obliterated the YWS's decorating budget with that awful pig, Tuddy--"

"Hey, that was an awesome budget! Besides, @Nate is a big fan of the Washington Nationals--"

"Not that much," @Nate interjected.

"Let's get focused!" @alliyah said. "While you were arguing, I noticed that there were some odd... things about the leaves." She picked one up. "Do you see? They're not ordinary leaves, but rather they have words on them."

Snoink frowned. "Words?"

Alliyah nodded seriously. "I'm sure it's Classified's doing."

"Are you sure?" @BluesClues asked. "You always blame Classified."

"This time, I'm certain," alliyah said. "Just look over there! You'll see exactly what I mean."

@alliyah pointed ahead as the leaves stirred and twirled in front of them all, slowly forming into the shape of a large multi limbed leaf creature, the leafy being did not seem immediately hostile, but neither did it seem completely safe... Most of the users watching took a few steps backwards for safety. The limbs stretched further out and @Iggy, @Quillfeather, and @LadyMysterio started throwing ink pens in defense while @TheHopelessRomantic let out a scream.

"Wait a second!" @Wolfi shouted pointing at the limb nearest them, reaching towards the limb instead of away from it.

alliyah covered her eyes not wanting to see a fellow YWSer destroyed by the leaf creature. But rather than destruction sounds, she heard Wolfi say back excitedly, "It's a map! ... or ... errr... part of a map?"

The YWSers crowded around the little parchment that had been handed by the leaf-creature, it looked like a pathway through the Randomosity Circus, but why, and where next, and when?

Soon other curious YWSers like @Plume and @Silvern were reaching towards the leaf-limbs to receive their own map sections...

The Randomosity Circus, The Soup Club Cafe, The NaPo Week Pumpkin Patch, Write-In Alley, The Golden Goose Pond, and the Green Room...



The pieces of the map were placed on the ground as users tried to figure out how they pieced together. On the bottom a sentence formed ... "FIND THE SECRET OF THE FOREST BEFORE ITS TOO LATE"

alliyah's brain was working in over-drive to try to figure out how the map and this ominous threat could be connected. When suddenly a GIANT GREEN OWL with @EllieMae riding atop descended into the clearing.



"PERHAPS THE SECRETS YOU SEEK REQUIRE YOU TO FOLLOW THE GREEN" duolingo owl said in a mysterious sing-songy way...

Everyone almost on cue looked at @canopy and @Messenger the newest Green JMs who both pointed at the other one.

Just then @Ranger who had climbed to the top of a nearby tree shouted "What's that!" pointing ahead to an unfurling green carpet before them that had a flashing arrow forward.

@theromanticchemist and @Youbeaucupid started skipping along the carpet following the arrows. @Spearmint, @CATSRULETHEWORLD387, @JazzicusMaximus, @Liminality and @floodlights were not far behind ready as always for adventure.

alliyah shrugged, began skipping along the path too and sang out, "follow the green-brick road, follow the green-brick road! For we're off to see the wizard! The wonderful wizard of yewis!"

The leafy-being faded into the shadows, its leaves drifting in scattered directions until it was like it had never been there.

So the adventure began! The remaining ywsers looked at their skipping friends and felt conflicted, wanting to help, but also felt worried and scared about their safety. However, they were corralled by @Meshugenah who declared that following the green carpet was their only hope for freedom!! For how was it possible that the Great Wizard of Yewis would be anything but benevolent?

Inspired by their words all the ywsers got entangled in a flurry of activity! canopy instantly moved towards the trees, using her ancient tree magic to communicate with them, and know more about the path ahead. While @thehoplessromantic, @Corvid, @Avian, @NovemberCrow, @Ravena, @CATSRULETHEWORLD387, @AlexWrites, @LuminescentAnt, @Plume, @Quillfeather, @Wolfi, @winterwolf0100 and @Snoink all moved to interact with various animals to gather information. After all, reconnaissance was important!

Hop scurried behind bunnies asking them about where they could find food, while CATS prowled around looking for predatory felines, warning them with her cutie fierceness to stay well away from her friends. corvid, Ravena and Kay all interrogated the crows and ravens, who would definitely know all the hidden secrets of the forest.

Alex glanced around, looking a little lost, after all, there were no turtles in the forest. "But never fear!!!" He thought, "Perhaps I shall have some luck with amphibians! They can help us with water!" So he soldiered on. LuminescentAnt went to communicate with the insects, accompanied by Plume, Quillfeather and @alliyah who struck up a conversation with the other, more colourful birds of the forest.

Wolfi and winter moved to negotiate with the wolves, both for peace and assistance, while Snoink bargained with the Pig King for access to their magical herb garden.

While all this was happening, in a conspicuous huddle stood @JazzicusMaximus, @noperfectformula, @oc3an, @teriyakisushi and @Slivern arguing about how to best help their journey with some technology!

"A formula 1 model will the best!" Insisted vic, with vehement approval coming from oc3an and sushi, "They are built for speed and agility, we will absolutely ace this quest!"

Jazz shook their head in disagreement, "They are too small, we wont be able to fit anything in them!" Slivern nodded in agreement, "We most definitely wont be able to fit the magical rocket booster I plan on making! That would need a larger body."

Sushi's eyes lit up, "A rocket booster!!! That is so COOL!!!!" oc3an grumbled, "Well fine. Can we at least paint them in pretty f1 colours?" Slivern agreed and they all got to work! There was not much stainless steel in the forest however and while they briefly contemplated asking canopy if her tree magic could help them, they eventually decided against it.

Sitting cross-legged in the corner, covered by vines, her face twitching, glowing green, canopy looked.... busy......

While the reconnaissance and schematic-drawing was happening, in the middle of the green brick road, sitting on a picnic mat @AresFig, @avimoon, @theromanticchemist, @Roxanne, @NadyaStatham set about what was probably the most important part of the coming journey. Supplies.

They packed flashlights, bandages, pies, pasta, clothes, magic itch lotion, medicines, a giant boombox (the soundtrack was definitely the most important part), batteries, a flare gun, a dozen magic potions, paints, wands, magic talisman that went ooooooo in a creepy voice, a calculator with a sassy attitude and dozens and dozens of magical books that creaked when you opened them like the hinges of a creepy castle in a horror movie. @looseleaf looked on, nodding in approval at they was the plan was progressing, if they were going to go in this journey, they were going to be prepared!!!

Really the only quiet place was canopy's corner. But even there, her mind was disturbed. Deep in the tree magic canopy was troubled by what the trees were telling her. They seemed.... frightened...

They kept sending her feelings of shock and fear and pain and anxiety and worry like a blaring claxon as if screaming Keep Away! Keep Away! Keep Away! Keep Away!

"But... why would they do that?" She wondered. "What are they hiding? Why aren't they speaking? What is it we are missing?!?"

Her brows furrowed in concentration and images invaded her mind, quick rapid flashes, skittering like a cornered animal. green green bricks the earth shaking screams pain green green green was that fire?!?! fire! smoke and screaming the earth shaking a cave a cave a cave a cave a cave a cave green people fleeing fire




Everybody was occupied, nobody noticed the stealthy pairs of eyes glowing, watching them from the hidden foliage among the shadows of the setting sun, eyes shades of the autumnal fall.