CYOA Wednesday 2025 #14 [Beyond the Woods 14]

This fantasy CYOA story continues today. Synopsis below:

When Derek, Jade, and Clara go camping, they stumble upon a portal to another dimension filled with strange creatures and sexy seductresses.

The group continues their underground descent by entering a series of tunnels in which echoes can drive people mad. Now what? You decide.

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Read the fourteenth segment below:

14 – Maddening Echoes

As they rested, the meadow’s glow seemed to seep into their very souls, replenishing their energy and calming their minds. But Clara couldn’t shake the feeling that this tranquility was fleeting, that the dangers Aethera had hinted at were closing in around them. She glanced at Jade and Derek, who were sitting cross-legged on the petal-soft ground, their faces still aglow with wonder. For now, at least, the beauty of the meadow distracted them from the perils that lay ahead.

Aethera, however, was starting to grow restless. She drifted near the edge of the crimson flower circle, her ethereal form flickering as though disturbed by some unseen force. Her gaze was distant, as if she were listening to something far beyond the meadow. After a moment, she turned to the group, her expression sobering.

“It’s time to move,” she said, her voice carrying an air of urgency. “The tunnels ahead are treacherous, and the longer we linger, the more dangerous they become.”

Clara rose to her feet, brushing the delicate petals from her clothes. They clung to her like confetti, shimmering faintly before drifting to the ground. Jade and Derek followed suit, their expressions turning serious as they followed their alien guide. The meadow’s warmth still lingered in their bodies, but the weight of their journey across the galaxy and everything they had encountered so far pressed heavily on their minds.

“What’s so dangerous about the tunnels?” Derek asked. His voice echoed faintly in the vast meadow, and for a moment, it seemed as though the flowers paused their gentle hum in response.

“The echoes,” Aethera replied, her tone grave. “They are not just sounds. They are memories, emotions, thoughts—fragments of the past that cling to the walls like shadows. The deeper we go, the more intense they become. You must stay focused. Let nothing distract you.”

Clara frowned, her mind racing. “What kind of memories?”

“They belong to those who have come before,” Aethera answered cryptically. “Some are harmless—whispers of joy or fleeting thoughts. But others are darker, born of fear and despair. These can be dangerous, for they have the power to unravel the mind.”

Jade’s eyes widened. “And we have to go through this?”

“There’s no other way,” Aethera said, her form glowing with a soft, reassuring light. “But as long as you stay together, the echoes should not overpower you. Trust each other, and trust yourselves.”

With that, she led them to the far edge of the meadow, where the radiant flowers gave way to a dark, narrow opening in the rock. The air that drifted out of the tunnel was cold, sharp, and definitely uninviting, unlike the magical place they were leaving behind. The group stepped into the shadows, the meadow’s light fading behind them like a distant memory.

The tunnel was suffocatingly narrow, its rough, stone walls pressing in so tightly that they were forced to walk in single file, brushing shoulders with the cold, unyielding rock. Ahead, Aethera’s flickering light danced and quivered, casting eerie, distorted shadows that leaped and twisted across the jagged stone surfaces.

Every drop of water that fell from the ceiling echoed through the passageway, creating a rhythmic, almost hypnotic melody that seemed to resonate with the heartbeat of the tunnel itself. Yet underneath this natural symphony lay something more—a faint, almost imperceptible hum that vibrated subtly through the air, as if the very stones were whispering secrets just beyond their grasp.

“What’s that?” Jade whispered, her voice trembling slightly. She pressed herself against the wall, her eyes wide as she stared into the darkness ahead.

“Nothing,” Aethera replied quickly, though Clara noticed a flicker of unease in her glowing form. “Just the echoes. Ignore them.”

But Clara couldn’t ignore them. As they walked deeper into the tunnel, the hum grew louder, more insistent. It wasn’t just a sound—it was a presence, a murky, formless thing that hammered her skull. She could feel it there, poking at the edges of her thoughts, trying to find a way in.

“You might want to cover your ears,” Aethera suggested.

“Why?”

“You’ve already proven to be quite susceptible to mental tampering and the echoes can be maddening. It’s for your own good, Clara.”

“Okay.”

“Is everything okay with you two?” Aethera addressed Derek and Jade.

“So far so good,” Derek replied while Jade simply nodded.

“Let’s hope it remains that way, then.”

“Agreed.”

As Derek’s words faded, the tunnel seemed to swallow them whole, leaving only the faint flicker of Aethera’s light to guide them. The echoes, once a distant hum, now buzzed around them like a swarm of invisible insects, each one probing for a weakness in their resolve. There was an almost palpable dread in the air.

Derek’s footsteps suddenly faltered. “Do you hear that?” he whispered, his voice trembling. “Footsteps. Behind us.” He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes wide with paranoia. Jade reached out, placing a reassuring hand on his arm, but her own grip was tight, her nails digging into his arm.

“Clear your head,” Aethera said, looking more vulnerable with every step into the overwhelming darkness. “The echoes are trying to feed off your fear. The more you listen to them, the stronger they become.”

Clara kept her hands on her ears, her jaw clenched. But as she walked forward, the insidious sounds crawled across her skin, seeping into her mind. She saw things that couldn’t be real – an old, worn-out apartment, a shadowy figure lurking just out of sight. Her breath quickened as she struggled to separate reality from illusion.

Jade’s eyes were prickled with tears as shadows danced all around her. “Everything is moving,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. “God, what is happening?”

Aethera’s light dimmed again, and for a moment, the tunnel was plunged into darkness. When it returned, her form was less stable, flickering like a candle in the wind. “We must keep moving,” she declared. “Hurry!”

But it was too late. The echoes had already begun to unravel their minds, weaving in and out of their thoughts like a needle through fabric. Derek’s paranoia deepened, his eyes darting back and forth as he searched for the source of the phantom footsteps. Jade’s anxiety spiraled as she fought to keep her grip on reality. And Clara felt the echoes pulling her toward the darkness, tempting her with forbidden truths and shattered hopes.

Their only hope now was to reach the end of the long-winded tunnel before they lost themselves to the darkness of the Undercroft for good.

To decide what happens next, head over to my Patreon (you can join for free), and vote on the poll there until next Sunday. 

If you’re new to these CYOA stories, here are the basic rules:

1) You can only choose one option;

2) If there’s a tie at the end of the poll, and the competing options can be combined somehow, I’ll do that. If not, I get the deciding vote to keep the tale going.

3) The process continues every Wednesday until the story runs its natural course.

Have fun.