Refuse the Tea
Pick Your Peril: The Hero of Mudtown
(This is part of a series of choose-your-own-adventure articles. If you want to start from the beginning, click here.)
The old hag’s gaze lingers, waiting for an answer.
You politely refuse to drink the woman’s brew. The hag’s face betrays a flash of angry annoyance before her smile returns. She sets the tea down and folds her hands together.
“Oh that’s alright, dearie.” She smiles, but her eyes are cold. “I just thought it wouldn’t be too much trouble to share some tea and talk with a lonesome old maid for a few minutes.”
You stand and attempt to leave, saying that you need to try and find your family before it gets too dark, but the woman blocks your exit, standing between you and the door.
“I know you have places to be, but if you could help me in the kitchen before you go, I would appreciate it.”
She gestures towards a stooped doorway leading to a cluttered kitchen.
“I just need you to get something for me from the upper shelves. It will only take a second.”
You really need to go, but the sooner you do what the old woman asks, the sooner you can leave. You enter the kitchen and find a massive black cauldron already in full boil. Pots, pans, and utensils cover the walls, and shelves near the ceiling hold jars of herbs and vials of spices. It will certainly take more than a second to find what the woman is looking for.
An open window draws your attention. It’ll be a tight squeeze, but at least there’s one option for escape.
“It’s a green jar of rosemary, it’s probably towards the back.” The old hag calls from the other room.
You scan the shelf and the multitude of containers on it, but you’ll need to get higher up to get a better view. A nearby step stool could be useful for finding what the woman is looking for, but you really can’t waste much more time. You look again to the open window and consider ditching the witch.
What will you do?