Beaching Astra

Fred got out of the boat, and placed the potion some distance away. He looked back. The ghost of Astra was still there. Fred tilted his head up and down, like a pigeon does. He was trying to see if Astra faded out when viewed from a different angle, but she did not appear to change. She was not exactly a shadow.... She was more of an anti-shadow. She seemed to shine from some inner light, like that of a fire, but that was not quite correct. It was a cooler light, with the intensity of a full moon.

Fred desired to have the ghost of Astra accompany him on the quest, but that was probably impossible. Her spirit was tied to the boat was it not? Astra did not say it in so many words, but she implied that she could not escape this place.

Fred had an idea. Other adventurers probably took the boats down the canal to whatever was on the other side. He doubted that anyone had tried removing a boat from the canal. He certainly could not carry the rowboat far, but he probably could lift it out of the water and push it ashore, or drag it out from the shore. And that might free Astra's spirit to move. Or it might release it from the cavern altogether - which would probably be a good thing for her. Anyway, it was something worth trying.

1. The rowboat is removed from the canal. The ghost of Astra disappears.
2. The rowboat is removed from the canal. "I am still here," said Astra. "And you have amused me greatly with your contortions in getting the rowboat out of the canal. Why did you do that?"
3. The rowboat is removed from the canal. A young lady is in the boat, shivering.
4. The boat does not move out of the canal.
5. As Fred is starting to move the rowboat, Astra asks "What is the blue liquid in the bottle?"

Add New Option

Go Back

View Forward Story Tree
View Back Story Tree