CYOA Sample
It was total chaos. The flood swept over the city in the blink of an eye. We had barely gotten out with the clothes on our backs. The oracle’s warning came too late. We had to abandon all our possessions and run for our lives. The swift work of druidic healers from the forest ensured that none died that day, but for some, they might as well have. The commoner’s district was flooded completely. The livelihood of hundreds washed away.
My family fared marginally better. We lived in the middle place, a place of humble merchants, poor nobles, and the guilds of the city.
The house of my forefathers that stood strong for generations was in ruin. My father did well for himself, but the cost of the repairs was too tall of an order, even for him. Yet he did it. In one mere week, we were back to sleeping on our own beds. I was too ecstatic at the return to luxury to question where he got the money.
The bright, warm light of the morning sun shines in through my window and blankets my prone body in its radiance and warmth. I wish I could stay like this for just a bit longer and let my aching body rest through the events of the last week.
But alas, I have things to do and places to be.
I jump out of bed and make my way downstairs and through the living room and out into the backyard of the house. I go to the well, situated on the far side, and begin scrubbing off a week's worth of filth using the cold January water.
Somehow surviving that ordeal without freezing to death, I make my way upstairs again and into my room. A young man of my standing needs to look prim and proper, as such, I put on my crisp, white poet’s shirt, and over it, my cerulean blue vest with gold trim and a pair of plain brown pants to cover my unmentionables.
I move towards the mirror on the wall to check out my attire and the body wearing it. I crack a smile at what I see, a relatively handsome young man of 20 winters, with a light complexion that glows in the sunlight. I try to strategically mess up my creamy brown hair to try and achieve that cute ruffian look all the girls like these days.
All of a sudden I hear the airy bellow of my dad, shouting my name from downstairs.
“Damian!” “Damian!”
I sigh, the work begins it seems.
“Coming Father!”
I shout as I quickly take my coin pouch and dagger before making my way downstairs.
I once again go down the stairs, taking a right this time to go into the store at the front of our house.
The moment I enter, I see my father pacing around the room with his ledger in hand, His face contorting into an uncomfortable expression that accentuates the age lines on his face.
He wears plain, brown, comfortable clothing. He’s a frugal man, never one to wear his more extravagant clothing without good reason.
After a second, he notices me standing at the door frame.
“You couldn’t wake up a bit earlier son?” He says, looking at me for a split second before returning to his ledger.
“I’m sorry, I was tired. Can you blame me?”
He sighs, “Suppose not. Anyway, I have something that needs to be done.” “Efran owes me— You know Efran, yes?”
I nod slightly, “Fisherman, right? I’ve seen him sell at the market a few times.”
“Mh-hm, yes. He’s also a boatwright and he owes me for hammers, nails, treated timb— The point is, it’s a lot.”
He takes a quick look at his ledger, doing that old people squint, “He owes me exactly 2562 gold.”
I let out an involuntary whistle, “And I’m guessing you want me to collect that money?”
“Exactly. He’s a good man, but I’m not exactly running a charity here am I?” “And God knows we need the money,” He says that last bit barely above a whisper, but I still manage to hear it.
“There’s no way he’s gonna have that money on hand.”
He lets out a tired sigh, “You’re probably right, his house was destroyed completely.” “Still, we need something. Go in asking for everything, then when he says no, try and get half at least.”
I don’t have much confidence in the plan, but there’s no point arguing about it with him. Even if I don’t get to collect the money, the journey would be worth it if I get to see Freya, Efran’s daughter.
With that thought in mind, I say a quick goodbye to my father before making my way out of the house.
Hm… I’m not exactly sure where Efran is, but basic common sense tells me that he’d probably be helping out with the rebuilding effort over at the commoner’s district.
The contrast is striking as I make my way through the middle place and into the commoner’s district. The destruction over in the middle place is nothing compared to what has been wrought in the commoner’s district. Entire neighborhoods have been leveled, the livelihood of hundreds washed away in an instant. I begin to feel a pang of guilt about what I’ve come to do here. I doubt Efran could manage to cough up one-tenth of what he owes, let alone half.
As if to exacerbate the depressive mood, the cold January morning doesn’t help the rebuilding effort. People clad in heavy furs move debris to and fro with slow, exhausted movements, but I don’t see Efran among the people helping out here. I let a sigh escape me as I make my way towards the temporary camp set up in the middle of the district.
The moment I let myself into the camp, I see small campfires alight all over with people huddling close to absorb some of the precious warmth. The people that cannot properly help with the rebuilding effort tend to the sick and injured and keep the perpetual stews topped with whatever they can find to staunch the growing hunger of the people.
As I look over the morose display, I don’t notice the two people coming towards me from the side until they’re right upon me.
“Hey, didn’t think we'd catch you here.”
“Yeah, what are you doing here?”
Their voices familiar, I turn to look at them and realize instantly that they’re my friends, Sam and Bobby.
“Oh, sup guys,” I say, nodding up to acknowledge them. “I’m just on a little errand for my dad.”
“Ah...” Says Sammy, in apparent understanding.
“What a sad state of affairs,” Says Bobby, looking down and shaking his head in mock disappointment. “Your dear, dear friends are busting their asses doing what they can to help and you can’t even come by and say hi without an ulterior motive.”
“Oh please, come on. I was gonna come here regardless. Dad just wanted me to find Efran and I thought might as well kill two birds with one stone. I swear I didn’t forget about you guys.”
I did, I totally forgot. You can’t blame me, I’ve been going through my own shit.
“Uh-huh, of course you did buddy, of course you did,” Says Bobby, with a smirk that shows me that he has easily seen through my little lie.
“What is this oh-so-important errand anyway?” Says Sammy, crossing her hands with a slight smile on her face.
The dreaded question. How the fuck can I answer that without sounding like an absolute asshole?
“Dad wanted me to collect something Efran borrowed is all.”
“Well, he’s not here. Went to the Docks, I think,” Says Sammy.
“Yeah, I saw him going,” Says Bobby.
Looks like they aren’t gonna question me too much, thank god for that.
“Really? Thanks. Guess I need to head over there now.”
“Promise to drop by when you can?” Asks Bobby.
“I don’t think I can promise that, but I will try to come soon. That’s a promise,” I say, putting on my most sympathetic and charismatic voice.
“Alright, well take care then ya’ ugly bastard!” He says, with a cheeky smile plastered on his face.
“Says the guy who hasn't looked in a mirror before,” I say, returning it.
“That's cause I don’t have one anymore you inconsiderate cunt!”
Everyone laughs, and for a moment sadly far too brief, everything doesn’t seem so bad.
“Alright, enough fucking around. I really need to go. Bye B, bye Sam.”
“Hm,” Says Bobby, stoically, with his arms crossed.
“Bye Damian, take care,” Says Sammy, with an uncharacteristic soft voice.
As I take my leave, my eyes meet with her lime green eyes and for a moment, a very pleasant feeling runs straight through my spine and makes it oh-so-hard to break away.
The damp morning light doesn't do her form justice. She had her creamy blond hair tied tight in a practical bun and she wears the same browns and furs that every other person here wears, yet she wears them so elegantly, filling all the right places.
Of course, I’ve thought of her in that way before, but she’s two years older than me and I thought she wouldn’t really be into me because the three of us have been friends for as long as I can remember.
That disarming smile she gave me when she said goodbye makes me rethink all of that, however.
Never mind that, I can figure it all out later. Right now I have a job to do and if what Sammy said is true, Efran went to the Docks. That’s my next destination I guess.