The Challenge Factory discussion

You are lost in the wilderness. Predators roam through the forest. Hot days and cold nights will test your strength. High cliffs, rushing rivers, and deep gorges will block your path. Any wrong decision could be your last.

Will you survive? In this challenge you'll make choices that could mean the difference between life and death.

I'll set the scene. You choose which path to follow. Follow the directions at the bottom of each post.

You can begin as soon as you get your thread.

HOW TO PLAY:
1. Read through the scenario.
2. Make your first decision and read one task for that decision. The fourth task will always be "Read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'". You can use or ignore the articles 'A', 'An', or 'The'.
3. Once you complete one of the tasks, post in your thread the following:
Decision:
Book:
Author:
Date Read:
Task:
How it Fits:

4. The moderator will then post the related decision result story.

Rules:
Books must be at least 140 pages.
Page count for audio books will be determined the first paper version shown on Goodreads. From the book's page, select “all editions”, then select the first paper edition as your guide.

Do you have what it takes to survive in the wilderness? Far from civilization, everything changes. You can't go to the grocery store. If you're hurt, a doctor isn't a phone call away. If you're cold, you can't turn up the heat. Even finding safe water to drink can be a challenge.

Being lost or stranded in the wilderness will test both your strength and your intelligence. How will you find food? How can you get the attention of rescue aircraft? What would you do if you were staring down the jaws of a hungry predator?

It won't be easy, but if you stay calm and make good choices, you might be able to get out alive. Are you ready to find out whether you have what it takes?

Where would you like to start? The Canadian wilderness, the Blue Mountains of Australia, or Germany's Black Forest?

I'll go to Canada :)

As you watch the August sun dip behind the mountains of the Canadian Rockies, you're worried. You were supposed to spend two nights alone before being picked up by a small plane.

But now three days has stretched to six days, and what few supplies you brought with you have run out. And it seems that no one is coming.

Did something happen to the pilot who brought you here? He's the only other person who knows exactly where you are! Your friends and family only knew you were coming to Canada.

Your food and fresh water may be gone, but you came prepared. You've got warm clothes, a tent and sleeping bag, a pocketknife, and a piece of flint to start fires.

It's clear that rescue might not be coming any time soon. It's time to decide - do you wait for rescue here? Or is it time to strike out into the wilderness in search of help?

To wait for rescue here:
1. read a book set near where you live
2. read a book where the author's last name starts with 'H', 'E', 'R', or 'E'
3. read a book where the MC has to wait for something important
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

To strike out in search of help:
1. read a book with the word 'strike' in the text
2. read a book with 'OUT' in the title (can be part of a word, i.e., about, South, outdoor)
3. read a book where the MC asks for help
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

Completion

Decision: To strike out in search of help
Book: Feinted Love
Author: Elle Keaton
Date Read: 4/28/22
Task: 1. read a book with the word 'strike' in the text
How it Fits: Loc 279 “…you could strike up a conversation with him.”

If nobody knows where you are, you could wait here for weeks before rescue comes - if it comes at all. You might survive the summer, but winter would kill you. It's time to move.

You pack your things. Your backpack is heavy. Reluctantly you leave your tent behind to lighten your load. You can always build a shelter.

Mountains lie to your east. The land gradually slopes down to the west. You don't know where you might find civilization.

To head west away from the mountains:
1. read a book with a person on the cover looking away from you
2. read a book set west of where you live
3. read a book where a famous mountain in mentioned
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

To head east toward the mountain:
1. read a book where a person on the cover is looking towards you
2. read a book set east of where you live
3. read a book with 'mountain' in the text of the book
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

Completion

Decision: To head east toward the mountain
Book: The Slow Waltz of Turtles
Author: Katherine Pancol
Date Read: 4/29/22
Task: 4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'
How it Fits: Begins with T

You strike out toward the mountains. Your progress is slow.

You hike until late afternoon and then set up camp. You build a simple lean-to against a large boulder. After building the lean-to, you don't have time to hunt for food. You end up foraging for insects. The forest floor provides plenty. Eating them is pretty gross, but it's better than starving.

Day after day, you repeat the routine, covering ground and searching for signs of people. But with your diet of insects, you're growing thinner and weaker. As you gain elevation, foraging becomes harder and harder.

You're just about ready to turn around when you hear the sound of an airplane above you. You have to get the pilot's attention!

To build a fire:
1. read a book where the MC is fired from a job
2. read a book with a building on the cover
3. read a book where someone starts a fire
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

To find a clearing:
1. find a book to read from your TBR list
2. read a book with lots of white on the cover
3. read a book with 'clearing' in the text of the book
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

Completion

Decision: To find a clearing
Book: Merry Elf-ing Christmas
Author: Beth Bolden
Date Read: 4/30/22
Task: 3. read a book with 'clearing' in the text of the book
How it Fits: Loc 1101 “It was someone clearing their throat.”

You rush to a small clearing nearby. You shout and jump and wave, doing everything you can think of to get the pilot's attention. But it doesn't work. You realize that from the pilot's perspective, you're nothing but a speck. Soon the plane is gone.

You can't keep climbing, so you turn around. Soon it feels as if you're just wandering aimlessly around the wilderness. Your hunger grows and grows. You're getting weak.

A few days later you stumble over an exposed root, badly twisting your ankle. You can barely put any weight on it. You can no longer find food or water. It's hard even to find wood for the fire.

You linger there for days. Each day your hopes of rescue grow dimmer. Help isn't coming, and you can't survive much longer. With a tear, you think of your family and friends. You're sorry that they may never know what happened to you.

Sorry, Kari :(

You have some choices at this point.
1 - stop this challenge
2 - stay in Canada and start over making different decisions
3 - go to another location and read for those places

There may be other choices that I haven't thought of. What do you want to do?

Yikes! I'll change location and maybe try Canada at a later time, if that's ok. I'll go to Australia now please :)

Kari wrote: "...try Canada at a later time, if that's ok..."

Absolutely. Good luck down in Australia.

You're deep in the forests of Australia's Blue Mountains, and nobody knows where you are. You were planning to meet your friend Casey at a campsite later for some hardcore biking. First, though, you decided to take a morning ride on your own.

Now you're lost. The interesting little trail that you had been following has disappeared, and you can't find it again.

You're not too worried at first. You have your bike, and you're an expert rider. There's not much terrain you can't handle. But then your front wheel catches a rock. Your bike skids out from under you and you smash to the ground.

You're just scraped and bruised, but the bike is in far worse shape. The front tire is blown out, the chain is snapped, and the rim is bent beyond repair. That leaves you lost and alone with nothing but your feet to carry you. Not good.

You search your backpack and find a first-aid kit. You wipe down your scrapes and bandage them. As you look through your pack, you realize you're in trouble. You have a bottle of water, but no food. You have a small tool kit, a spare inner tube for the bike, emergency matches, and a windbreaker jacket.

With a sigh, you zip up your backpack and start hiking. You head east, knowing that the coast and civilization lie in that direction. After several hours of walking, your stomach is growling.

You know that the Australian wilderness contains many edible plants. But all around you, you can hear a variety of birdcalls. It's nesting seasons, and finding eggs wouldn't be too difficult. But getting them could be dangerous.

page 44 To forage for wild plants:
1. read a book with 'forage' in the text of the book
2. read a book with a wild animal in it
3. read a book with only plants on the cover (nothing else)
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

page 45 To try to find bird eggs:
1. read a book by an author that is new to you
2. read a book with a bird as part of the story
3. read a book where something is hatched or a baby is born
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

Completion

Decision: To try to find bird eggs
Book: Snowed In at the Movie Set
Author: Erica Penrod
Date Read: 5/2/22
Task: 4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'
How it Fits: S title

Birds are plentiful in this area. And you're in luck, since most are in nesting season. You start searching tree branches for signs of a nest. It doesn't take long to spot one sitting about halfway up a eucalyptus tree. It looks sturdy, but you know that climbing in a survival situation is a big risk.

Carefully, you work your way up the tree. You take your time, knowing that a fall here will likely cost you your life. Soon you've reached the branch that holds the nest. But from up here, it doesn't seem like a very broad branch. You don't know if it will hold your weight. You shake the branch, but you're not sure if the eggs would survive the fall. All your work for nothing.

To try shaking the branch:
1. read a book by an author that you've wanted to try
2. read a book about a topic that might shake you
3. read a book that has branched out from the original series
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

To move onto the branch toward the nest:
1. read a book where the MC moves to a new location
2. read a book where 'branch' is found in the text of the book
3. read a book with all the letters of NEST is in the title
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

Completion

Decision: To try shaking the branch
Book: Temper Sanguine
Author: Lou Harper
Date Read: 5/3/22
Task: 4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'
How it Fits: T title

You don't trust the branch to support your weight. So instead you brace yourself against the tree's sturdy trunk and start to shake the branch. You quickly build a rhythm and soon the branch is moving back and forth and the nest shakes loose from the tree and tumbles to the ground. Success!

You shimmy down the tree and check the nest. Out of a total of five eggs, three are unbroken. They will provide you with much needed protein and energy.

You gather wood and use your emergency matches to start a small fire. Meanwhile you chip a small hole in the top of each egg. The hole will keep the egg from exploding as it cooks. Put put out the fire and place the eggs on the edge of the hot coals. They're cooked within a few minutes. You peel off the shells and munch them down.

With a little food in your belly, you feel ready to keep moving. You move carefully through the thick forest. Soon you come across a small river. You start to follow it downstream. You know that rivers usually lead to civilization.

As you walk alongside the river, you realize that the sun will set soon. You'll have to make camp soon. This side of the river is rocky and rough. You notice a perfect flat location on the far side. The river is not a very big one. You think it's no deeper that waist level, and the current doesn't seem strong here. You decide to cross.

To strip off your clothes before you cross:
1. read a book where the MC is stripped of their rank, power, or property
2. read a book with a bare chest on the cover
3. read a book that is yours (you own it)
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

To stay dressed for the crossing:
1. read a book where the MC stays in one location during the story
2. read a book where the MC wears a dress
3. read a book with a street or road on the cover
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

Completion

Decision: To stay dressed for the crossing
Book: Phebe's Promise
Author: Cathryn Chandler
Date Read: 5/4/22
Task: 2. read a book where the MC wears a dress
How it Fits: MC Phebe always wears dresses

The air already has a chill to it and you're not about to get into the river naked. You step carefully into the water and start across. At one point you stumble. Now everything is soaked - you, your clothing, your backpack, and everything in it.

By the time you reach the over side, you're shivering. You need a fire to warm up. You gather wood, shaking your arms and legs as you move. But when you go to go pack, you realize that your matches got wet. They won't be any good at lighting a fire.

Meanwhile, your teeth ate chattering. Your body is losing heat quickly. You recognize that you're in terrible danger. You can't make a fire, you're clothes are wet, and the air is growing colder by the minute.

You fall to the ground and curl up into a ball. You're so cold. Your breathing becomes shallow, and your thoughts become clouded. In another time and place, you'd know that you're suffering from advanced hypothermia. Sometime before morning, you take your last breath.

Well... Australia wasn't any better for you than Canada was :(

What do you want to do next?

Drat! Let's go to Germany please!

Third times the charm, right?

You look out from your small camp, scanning the horizon. Everywhere you look you see trees and more trees covering the rolling hills. There's no sign of civilization, and your situation is growing critical.

What started out as a hiking trip with your older brother, Henri, has gone terribly wrong. The two of you planned a long weekend of hiking in Germany's Black Forest. But yesterday you realized you were lost. And now things are even worse - Henri fell while climbing, badly breaking his leg. He's in terrible pain, and you don't know what to do. Your cell phones are dead, your food is almost gone, and Henri is in shock. Henri is in desperate need of medical help.

This is no time for tears. Henri's life - and your own - depend on you. You've got to get him the help he needs.

To stay with Henri and wait for help:
1. read a book with all the letters of STAY in the title
2. read a book where the MC or author's name begins with H
3. read a book that you have been waiting a long time to read
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

To strike out into the forest in search of rescue:
1. read a book where a significant character plays a sport (like baseball)
2. read a book with a lot of trees on the cover
3. read a book where the MC rescues someone
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

Lanelle wrote: "Third times the charm, right?"

Haha, yes!! Let's hope so!

Completion

Decision: To stay with Henri and wait for help:
Book: Operation Fake Relationship
Author: Jay Northcote
Date Read: 5/5/22
Task: 4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'
How it Fits: O title

Henri is in bad shape. You don't think it's a good idea to leave him by himself. When you don't come home tomorrow, your family will start to worry. A rescue effort should be under way within a day two. All you have to do is to keep the two of you alive until then.

You build a warm fire and cover Henri with all the blankets you've got. You get water from a nearby stream and boil it so that it is safe to drink. The you set out to get something to eat. Henri will need nourishment to fight his injury.

You spend an hour foraging for food. As you kneel down to gather juicy rowan berries, you notice movement nearby. There's a face staring out at you from the bush!

Your heart races as you realize that you're looking at a wolf! And you're crouched down - the grey beast probably thinks you are prey. You've got to act fast!

To stand up and confront the wolf:
1. read a book with one person standing on the cover
2. read a book where the MC confronts someone about something serious
3. read a book with 'wolf' in the text of the book
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

To curl up in a ball and play dead:
1. read a book where the MC has curly hair
2. read a book where the MC plays a board or card game
3. read a book where someone dies
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

Completion

Decision: To stand up and confront the wolf:
Book: Bad Apple
Author: Elle Kennedy
Date Read: 5/7/22
Task: 3. read a book with 'wolf' in the text of the book
How it Fits: Loc 1838 "...to be consumed whole by the big bad wolf."

Humans aren't normal prey for wolves, so you need to make sure that the creature knows what you are. You grab a big stick, stand up, and start shouting. To your great relief, the wolf dashes away.

You start back to camp with your blackberries. Looks like that's all you have to eat. Just then, you see movement again. You gasp, hoping the wolf hasn't returned.

Then you hear a rustling noise. and spy a grouse. Normally you wouldn't have a chance to catch it, but the bird has an injured leg and can't move very fast. You manage to club the bird unconscious. You quickly snap its neck. It's not a big bird, but it will provide much needed protein.

Soon the mouth-watering smell of roasting grouse fills the air. It even pulls Henri out of his feverish sleep. He manages to eat a little, but not as much as you'd like. Once Henri is sleeping soundly, you curl up next to him, sharing body heat.

The next day is rainy and seems to drag on. You collect more berries. You try fishing in a nearby stream, without success. Henri's fever is getting worse. Rescue has to come tomorrow, or you're going to lose him.

At dawn it's decision time. You have to do something to get help today.


To head out in search of rescuers:
1. read a book with just the head of a person or animal on the cover
2. read a book that is out of your comfort zone (or genre :)
3. read a book there are two or more rescuers in the story
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

To build a large signal fire:
1. read a book where the author builds a new world or civilization
2. read a book that has 400+ pages
3. listen to an audio book *
4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'

* signal - transmit information or instructions by means of a gesture, action, or sound

*phew* I was scared I'd be attacked by that wolf...

Kari wrote: "*phew* I was scared I'd be attacked by that wolf..."

Maybe the outcome would have been different if it had been a werewolf :)

Completion

Decision: To build a large signal fire
Book: Shortbread and Shadows
Author: Amy Lane
Date Read: 5/8/22
Task: 4. read a book with a title that begins with 'L', 'O', 'S' or 'T'
How it Fits: S title

A signal fire is your best chance. You find a clearing and get to work. You start with small branches and dry leaves. Slowly you add pieces of wood until you've got a blazing bonfire. Next you add wet wood and leave to the blaze, releasing huge plumes of smoke. You continue to feed the fire all morning.

Your work pays off. When you hear the sound of helicopter blades, you stand up and wave your arms. You've been spotted!

The chopper lands and you lead the rescue workers back to camp. They place Henri on a stretcher and load him into the helicopter. Henri is in a great deal of pain, but still conscious. He squeezes your hand.

You've done it! Both of you are going to make it out of the wilderness alive.

Yay! You survived!!!

Yaas!! Thank you :)

Do you want to keep going or are you ready to stop?

I will stop at this time, seeing as I am alive, lol. Thank you for the challenge, this was super fun!

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the challenge!