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fandomweekly2026-06-06 02:30 pm
badly_knitted) wrote in fandomweekly2026-06-06 02:30 pm
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[#301] Paths Leading Nowhere (The Fantastic Journey)
Theme Prompt: #301 – Lost In The Woods
Title: Paths Leading Nowhere
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes.
Word Count: 1000
Summary: The forest has been getting steadily thicker for some time, until the travellers no longer know which direction they’re going.
“You know,” Willaway said with a sigh, “I thought at first that this was better than the last zone. Plenty of shade from the sun, nice, friendly trees, not too much undergrowth… I think I’ve changed my mind.”
It was true that there hadn’t been too much undergrowth when the small band of travellers had first stepped through the gateway into the middle of this forest, but the further they went, the closer the trees became, and the more undergrowth there was: bushes, ivy, brambles… Overhead, the canopy was by now so thick they could only get an occasional glimpse of sky through the leaves.
“I know what you mean, partner.” Fred looked upwards, left, right, back over his shoulder at the path they’d been following, which had been getting narrower and harder to make out the further they’d walked. “I don’t even know which way we’re goin’ anymore.”
“East,” Scott said firmly. “That’s the direction we’ve been going all along.”
“How can you tell when we can’t even see the sun?” Willaway sounded dubious.
“Jonathan’s right.” Varian dropped his bag to the ground, his expression troubled. “I’ve been using the sun for navigation, but…” He gestured helplessly at the surrounding trees. “I have no idea where we are anymore.”
“If Varian doesn’t know where we are, then we’re really in trouble.” It was unusual to hear Fred sounding so demoralised; few things got the young doctor down.
“Oh, I don’t think it’s that bad. We never really know where we are anyway,” Willaway pointed out. “Every zone is different; we never know who or what we might run into… The whole island is a complete mystery.”
“Yeah, but at least we usually know which way we wanna go. This forest’s got us all turned around. For all we know, we could be headin’ back the way we came. Every path we try starts off fine, and then just fades away into nothin’.” Fred rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t like it. We’ve been walkin’ for hours, and all we’re gettin’ is more trees, more bushes, and less daylight. Probably gonna be night soon, and then what’re we gonna do?”
“Make camp, I suppose,” said Liana, the voice of practicality. “Like we do every night.”
“I’m not sure a campfire among all these trees would be a good idea. We haven’t seen anything resembling a clearing for…” Willaway shook his head. “I don’t know how long.” Wrist watches didn’t work on the island any better than compasses did; usually, the travellers estimated the passage of time by the sun’s position in the sky, but at present, that was impossible.
“Well, it won’t be the first night we’ve spent without a fire. Or our first night alone, in the middle of nowhere.” Liana stroked Sil-El’s head. “We don’t mind the dark, do we? It never gets completely dark anyway.”
“We’re not alone!” Scott grinned. “There’re bugs!” Investigating the surrounding bushes, like a typical thirteen-year-old boy, he’d found a beetle, its carapace shimmering green and gold.
“Oh!” Liana leaned closer to take a look. “Pretty! See how the colors change as it moves!”
Varian stepped closer to look as well. “Unfortunately, I don’t think the insect life is going to help us find our way.”
“Yeah, I guess not.” Scott put the beetle back where he’d found it. “So what’re we gonna do?”
“There’s not much we can do except keep going.” Varian looked around, frowning. “I’m just not sure the path we’re on is going to take us anywhere we want to go.”
“There isn’t much path left.” Willaway peered in the direction they’d been walking. “You’d think any paths that see a lot of use would be relatively clear, but this one looks like it ends in a mass of brambles.”
“So it’s probably the wrong path,” Varian agreed.
“Or we somehow went off track back that way somewhere.” Fred gestured back over his shoulder.
“Either or both could be true. Which doesn’t exactly help us. Maybe we should find somewhere to camp for the night and try again in the morning.” Varian’s usual optimism seemed to have deserted him, but then, they were all tired.
“Findin’ water would be a good idea too. We’re gettin’ a bit low.”
“Sil-El can go looking for water,” Liana said, putting the cat on the ground and watching as he scampered away into the gloom.
“So, do we carry on, try to find a way around those brambles?” Willaway gestured in the direction they’d been travelling.
Varian nodded, picking up his bag. “Unless there’s a better path.”
“I don’t see one.”
“Neither do I.”
“Onwards and… wherever, then.”
Setting off along the dwindling path, bypassing the brambles, careful not to tear their clothes on them, the travellers continued on their way, simply because turning back didn’t look like it would improve their situation. There had to be a way out of this forest, or at the very least, a gateway into another zone, and since they were already completely lost, it didn’t much matter which way they went. Any direction had to be better than standing still.
Sil-El rejoined them, leading them along a path so narrow it was hardly more than an animal trail, and they came out on the bank of a shallow stream. The water was too murky to drink, but the way was clearer along the bank, and as they walked, the forest started to open out, with less undergrowth, and the trees spaced further apart, more like it had been when they’d first entered the zone.
A mile or two further, in the light of the setting sun, somewhere behind them, they found a well-trodden path, leading out of the forest, past the ruins of what might once have been a farmhouse. Varian visibly relaxed.
“The next gateway is just ahead.”
“And we’re no longer lost in the woods.” Willaway smiled. “Maybe Sil-El should take over as our guide.”
Varian laughed. “He’s welcome to the job.”
The End
It was true that there hadn’t been too much undergrowth when the small band of travellers had first stepped through the gateway into the middle of this forest, but the further they went, the closer the trees became, and the more undergrowth there was: bushes, ivy, brambles… Overhead, the canopy was by now so thick they could only get an occasional glimpse of sky through the leaves.
“I know what you mean, partner.” Fred looked upwards, left, right, back over his shoulder at the path they’d been following, which had been getting narrower and harder to make out the further they’d walked. “I don’t even know which way we’re goin’ anymore.”
“East,” Scott said firmly. “That’s the direction we’ve been going all along.”
“How can you tell when we can’t even see the sun?” Willaway sounded dubious.
“Jonathan’s right.” Varian dropped his bag to the ground, his expression troubled. “I’ve been using the sun for navigation, but…” He gestured helplessly at the surrounding trees. “I have no idea where we are anymore.”
“If Varian doesn’t know where we are, then we’re really in trouble.” It was unusual to hear Fred sounding so demoralised; few things got the young doctor down.
“Oh, I don’t think it’s that bad. We never really know where we are anyway,” Willaway pointed out. “Every zone is different; we never know who or what we might run into… The whole island is a complete mystery.”
“Yeah, but at least we usually know which way we wanna go. This forest’s got us all turned around. For all we know, we could be headin’ back the way we came. Every path we try starts off fine, and then just fades away into nothin’.” Fred rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t like it. We’ve been walkin’ for hours, and all we’re gettin’ is more trees, more bushes, and less daylight. Probably gonna be night soon, and then what’re we gonna do?”
“Make camp, I suppose,” said Liana, the voice of practicality. “Like we do every night.”
“I’m not sure a campfire among all these trees would be a good idea. We haven’t seen anything resembling a clearing for…” Willaway shook his head. “I don’t know how long.” Wrist watches didn’t work on the island any better than compasses did; usually, the travellers estimated the passage of time by the sun’s position in the sky, but at present, that was impossible.
“Well, it won’t be the first night we’ve spent without a fire. Or our first night alone, in the middle of nowhere.” Liana stroked Sil-El’s head. “We don’t mind the dark, do we? It never gets completely dark anyway.”
“We’re not alone!” Scott grinned. “There’re bugs!” Investigating the surrounding bushes, like a typical thirteen-year-old boy, he’d found a beetle, its carapace shimmering green and gold.
“Oh!” Liana leaned closer to take a look. “Pretty! See how the colors change as it moves!”
Varian stepped closer to look as well. “Unfortunately, I don’t think the insect life is going to help us find our way.”
“Yeah, I guess not.” Scott put the beetle back where he’d found it. “So what’re we gonna do?”
“There’s not much we can do except keep going.” Varian looked around, frowning. “I’m just not sure the path we’re on is going to take us anywhere we want to go.”
“There isn’t much path left.” Willaway peered in the direction they’d been walking. “You’d think any paths that see a lot of use would be relatively clear, but this one looks like it ends in a mass of brambles.”
“So it’s probably the wrong path,” Varian agreed.
“Or we somehow went off track back that way somewhere.” Fred gestured back over his shoulder.
“Either or both could be true. Which doesn’t exactly help us. Maybe we should find somewhere to camp for the night and try again in the morning.” Varian’s usual optimism seemed to have deserted him, but then, they were all tired.
“Findin’ water would be a good idea too. We’re gettin’ a bit low.”
“Sil-El can go looking for water,” Liana said, putting the cat on the ground and watching as he scampered away into the gloom.
“So, do we carry on, try to find a way around those brambles?” Willaway gestured in the direction they’d been travelling.
Varian nodded, picking up his bag. “Unless there’s a better path.”
“I don’t see one.”
“Neither do I.”
“Onwards and… wherever, then.”
Setting off along the dwindling path, bypassing the brambles, careful not to tear their clothes on them, the travellers continued on their way, simply because turning back didn’t look like it would improve their situation. There had to be a way out of this forest, or at the very least, a gateway into another zone, and since they were already completely lost, it didn’t much matter which way they went. Any direction had to be better than standing still.
Sil-El rejoined them, leading them along a path so narrow it was hardly more than an animal trail, and they came out on the bank of a shallow stream. The water was too murky to drink, but the way was clearer along the bank, and as they walked, the forest started to open out, with less undergrowth, and the trees spaced further apart, more like it had been when they’d first entered the zone.
A mile or two further, in the light of the setting sun, somewhere behind them, they found a well-trodden path, leading out of the forest, past the ruins of what might once have been a farmhouse. Varian visibly relaxed.
“The next gateway is just ahead.”
“And we’re no longer lost in the woods.” Willaway smiled. “Maybe Sil-El should take over as our guide.”
Varian laughed. “He’s welcome to the job.”
The End