Hello everyone! Unfortunately, my blog posts are not finished for today. I had a busy week and was not able to complete my posts. They will be on my site by tomorrow, so you will be able to check them out by then! I apologize for the inconvenience and I look forward to reading all of your new posts!
Author: Alexandria McKenna
Issue Brief Idea
Hello everyone! For the new project, I plan to develop an issue brief that focuses on food waste. After researching food waste for civic issues blogs and for the deliberation project, I would love to use my issue brief as another opportunity to reach out to local communities and state representatives about the implications of unrestricted food waste. As a result of my experiences with waste as an employee at a fast food restaurant, I am determined to bring more attention to the issue of food waste at the local and state levels. Food waste is an important reason for policy discussion due to its influence on the economy, the environment, and the public. The issue is leading to economical issues because businesses are currently offered incentives to donate leftover food, yet that extra sum of cash is only spent on more food that ends up in the trash. Businesses are ultimately wasting both food and money. Also, food waste is significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, which is simply fueling global climate change. Lastly, limiting wasted food will drastically ease the severity of food insecurity in our society, which will lead to better health and success for thousands of people.
The implications of food waste are clear, but what exactly is causing the dilemma? Unfortunately, food waste is primarily the inadvertent result of both surplus and disposal. The abundance of food in stores and restaurants entices people to take more than what they need, leading to less consumption and more waste. Also, garbage cans, dumpsters, and landfills give people the impression that anything thrown away simply disappears; however, that is not the case. Waste has to be disposed, and the disposal sites are Earth’s precious land and water. No one originally thought that abundance and easy disposal would have a negative impact on our society, but time has revealed otherwise.
If food waste persists without restriction, our society will face severe consequences that may be irreversible. To prevent those consequences, our society can implement different types of policy instruments, including capacity builders, system changes, and better inducements. Capacity builders will be beneficial because they can educate the public about the issue, thus motivating people to limit personal food waste. Influencing the food habits of individuals is the simplest approach, yet has the potential to have the most collective impact on the dilemma. System changes can also be directed at restaurants and businesses. Today, regulations concerning food waste and donations are weak for most of those places, so updating guidelines can lead to an overall decrease in food waste. Inducements, such as tax breaks or other money incentives, are also encouraging food waste; changes to those inducements can limit the amount of annual food waste in our society too. Overall, various policy changes and additions can be implemented at the local and state level to resolve the issue of food waste and to ensure a brighter, healthier and more eco-friendly tomorrow.
Thanks for taking the time to look over this and I will greatly appreciate any feedback!
The American Wasteland – Part 2
As an employee at a fast-food restaurant, I have not only discarded bulging trash bags of wasted food, but I have also emptied garbage cans overflowing with wasted plastic, such as cups, silverware, and straws. Without a doubt, food waste is a major concern, but plastic waste is also rapidly spiraling out of control. Reduce, reuse, recycle, are the three R’s that have impelled our society to decrease plastic waste; however, recycling is not enough to save our planet. Only 9% of plastic waste has been recycled, which means that the other 79% has “accumulated in landfills, dumps, or the natural environment.”
The 3 R’s of recycling have exposed our world to the issue of plastic waste, but most people do not realize the severity of plastic waste. According to National Geographic, the amount of annual plastic waste “will reach 22 million tons and possibly as much as 58 million tons” in the next 10 years. The statistic also includes the impact of reducing, reusing, and recycling. Without the 3 R’s of recycling, the amount of annual plastic waste would have reached 99 million tons in the next 10 years, according to National Geographic. Recycling is fortunately able to reduce plastic waste, but it is not able to control plastic waste. On top of the amount of plastic that is discarded each year, did you know that about “8.8 million tons flow into the oceans annually” as well? The plastic leakage into the oceans is detrimental for several reasons, and may lead to serious human health problems in the future.
According to the United Nations Environment Program, plastic is designed to be durable and to resist degradation, a type of substance that momentarily benefits humans while wreaking havoc on the planet. Plastic is nature’s adversary because the substance is not degradable; instead, the material only breaks down into smaller pieces, never completely vanishing. Consequently, the tiny particles of plastic are ingested by living organisms, including domestic and wild animals. In the future, microscopic particles of plastic will appear on our dinner plates as a result of what we consume, leading to lethal diseases. To be clear, human diseases due to plastic particles in our food have not arisen; however, uncontrolled plastic waste will undoubtedly bring us closer to this threat. Plastic can lead to diseases because microscopic plastic can pass through the pores of our skin and the blood-brain barrier in our bodies. Tiny plastics are negatively charged, so once the particles trespass the blood-brain barrier, our positively charged brains will attract the negatively charged particles. Not only will pieces of plastic cross the blood-brain barrier, but they will also expose our bodies to fatal diseases because the microscopic plastics can effortlessly transfer pathogens. The threats that plastic waste pose to the world are deeply concerning and, without proper mitigation, the threats will become a reality in the future. Fortunately, ways to reduce plastic waste have been devised, but each one leads to unique pros and cons that require thoughtful consideration.
One project funded by the National Science Foundation through the University of Maryland’s Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) has reached the conclusion that modifying the materials of products, upscaling waste collection and recycling, and improving the packaging of products will decrease the amount of annual plastic waste. Limiting plastic waste is the greatest advantage of this multi-layered idea; however, the plan has several drawbacks that can lead to other issues. First, increasing waste collection and recycling would require the addition of recycling facilities that simply do not exist. The process of building more recycling facilities is also expensive and time consuming. Next, replacing plastic materials with other substances, such as glass, is not as simple as it sounds. According to the American Chemistry Council, “alternatives to plastics can significantly increase our environmental footprint.” For example, replacing plastic bottles with glass bottles would equal 22 large coal-fired power plants. On top of substituting plastic products and packaging with other materials, the SESYNC also proposed decreasing the production of virgin plastic, or new plastic, by using more recycled plastic. SESYNC claims that the approach will efficiently diminish the accrual of new plastic in the environment, but the American Chemistry Council and other groups disagree. The American Chemistry Council advocates that producing virgin plastic with recycled plastic is counterproductive, especially since oil is extremely cheap. Plastic is derived from oil, a nonrenewable resource that has become an accessible and cheap commodity for all plastic companies. On the other hand, recycled plastic is more expensive and not easily accessible. Replacing oil with recycled products would essentially undermine “the economics of the recycling market,” says the American Chemistry Council. Despite the disadvantages of the SESYNC plan, someone has devised a way to counteract the proposal’s cons and to engender better outcomes, including a decrease in plastic waste.
In an interview on a TED Talk, Andrew Forrest revealed a plan that will not only encourage companies to replace oil with recycled plastics, but will also decrease the overall amount of plastic waste in the environment (I strongly recommend watching the TED Talk). Forrest’s idea is to raise the price of the components of virgin plastic that are synthesized from oil. The increase in price will be miniscule, but enough to enhance the value of plastic all across the globe. As a result, companies will have an excess of revenue that can be used to replace oil with recycled plastics. In addition, the excess of revenue can also be invested in other projects that are working hard to decrease plastic waste. Plus, the enhanced value of plastic across the globe would give people in Third World countries employment opportunities, such as jobs that require people to collect recycled plastic and to exchange that plastic with companies for financial gain. This idea clearly has advantages, but initiating the plan will be difficult because most plastic companies have to agree with increasing the price of constituents that contribute to the production of plastic in the same time frame. Nonetheless, Forrest’s idea is an approach worth considering.
To conclude, plastic waste is a major concern that will only become more severe over time. Plastic waste not only pollutes our environment and harms wildlife, but the toxicity of plastic also threatens the future of human lives. The different approaches on reducing plastic waste presented by the National Science Foundation, Maryland’s Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center, the American Chemistry Council, and Andrew Forrest, have initiated discussions about plastic waste. But, reaching a final solution that will efficiently balance both the advantages and disadvantages of changing plastic production and limiting plastic waste depends on all of us. Our future depends on all of us.
So, what will you do about plastic waste?
A Hunger for Revenge
In March of 1996, one of Ukraine’s worst serial killers was apprehended and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 52 people. The ruthless killer was Anatoly Onoprienko, also called the “The Beast of Ukraine,” “The Terminator,” and “Citizen O.” Onoprienko executed most of his murders from December of 1995 to March of 1996 and committed all of his murders throughout a span of six years. What influenced Onoprienko to commit murder? Who were his victims? What was his murder scheme? Let’s investigate the case of Anatoly Onoprienko and unravel the mind of this serial killer.
Anatoly Onoprienko was born on July 25, 1959, in the town of Lasky, which was a part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic at the time. Onoprienko’s father was “decorated for bravery during World War II” and his mother was a gentle, caring person. One year after Onoprienko’s birth, his mother passed away and, as a result, his father decided that Onoprienko would be cared for by his grandparents and his aunt. Shortly after, Onoprienko was handed over to foster care and was raised at an orphanage. After Onoprienko matured, he resented his family because his father chose to raise his thirteen-year old son after his wife’s death, but neglected his youngest son. The act of betrayal led to Onoprienko’s cold heart. At the orphanage, Onoprienko also found out that most children raised in foster care become criminals according to statistics. With this knowledge as a boy, Onoprienko decided that his fate was sealed and that he was born to be evil. To make matters worse, Onoprienko started to confess to people that voices whispered to him and told him to “unleash the monster that was inside” of him. All in all, the lack of love, care, and nurture throughout Onoprienko’s childhood and the strange voices in Onoprienko’s head clearly sparked his murder rampage as an adult.
Unsurprisingly, Onoprienko’s intended victims were families, including the father, the mother, and the children. In 1989, Onoprienko murdered a family of eight while burglarizing the family’s home with an accomplice, which was the start of his murder spree. All the family members in the home were shot with a gun. In 1995, Onoprienko shot and killed more families after robbing the family’s homes or cars, but the murders escalated over time. Serial killers are notorious for intensifying the severity of murders as time passes because the criminals either desire a stronger adrenaline rush while committing crimes or desire more attention from the public. Onoprienko’s crimes became worse when he started murdering potential witnesses, raping female victims, using hammers and axes to kill, and burning all possible evidence, including houses and cars with the murdered family members inside. Onoprienko’s most brutal murder took place on February 27, 1996. On this day, Onoprienko killed the Bodnarchuk family by shooting the parents and hacking the two children to death with an ax. Shortly after the murder, Onoprienko saw a person walking near the property and decided to hack the man to death as well. Onoprienko committed his last murder on March 12. 1996. by shooting a family of four and burning their home. Several weeks after Onoprienko’s last murder, he was apprehended by authorities determined to find the killer and sentenced him to life in prison. Ironically, Onoprienko escaped the death penalty because Ukraine abolished the punishment in 1995.
What happened to Onoprienko? On August 27, 2013, the Beast of Ukraine died from a heart attack at the age of 54 in prison. Anatoly Onoprienko’s death pales in comparison to the gruesome murders that he committed throughout his lifetime.
The American Wasteland
On August 23, 2020, I accepted my first job offer at a fast-food restaurant, which was exciting because it was my first time working a part-time job. As of today, I absolutely love my position for a variety of reasons. My coworkers are caring and supportive, the work is fast-paced, and my tasks are never monotonous; however, there is one dispiriting aspect of the fast-food chain that saddens my heart after every shift: the overwhelming food waste. The fast-food restaurant expects the night shift employees to waste any food that was not sold by the end of the day or any food items with short shelf lives. In addition, nobody is permitted to take any food that will surely be wasted. Unfortunately, the fast-food restaurant has no control over the decisions made in corporate offices, but all the food waste that takes place in that single fast-food restaurant is a real concern and deserves to be recognized. Imagine all the other fast-food chains, restaurants, factories, and so on that are expected to abide by similar expectations as well. Due to my experiences and concerns, I desire to inform others of the ravening food waste epidemic in our country and discuss the various courses of action that some people have proposed to mitigate an issue that has had the most voracious appetite all along.
Have you ever considered the amount of food that our country wastes every year? Or have you considered the amount of food that you waste every year? According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United States wasted roughly 40% of the food supply in the year 2010, which corresponds to 133 billion pounds of food and 161 billion dollars thrown in the garbage. Take a moment to read that statistic again. The FDA depends on the year 2010 for data concerning food waste because the year is considered a baseline and a good indicator of our country’s future. At this moment our future appears to be an overwhelming concern because all this time billions of pounds of wasted food has been enlarging landfills, depleting resources, and squandering labor. On top of that, millions of people suffering from hunger and poverty could have been fed all this time too. Without a doubt, food waste is a serious issue in our country, but the source of food waste has to be understood before solutions can be tackled.
The FDA has investigated the reasons for extensive food waste in the United States and has identified factors at the farm, retail, and consumer stages that all contribute to the issue. Farms all across the country handle problems with “drying, milling, and transporting” food, which can lead to vast amounts of waste. In addition, farmers have to combat “insects, rodents, birds, mold, and bacteria” while trying to prepare food items for grocery stores, which can inevitably lead to waste as well. Once the food arrives at grocery stores, not all of it is properly stored and any “ugly” food is quickly discarded, leading to even more food waste. “Ugly” food is basically any food with blemishes that are not considered appealing to consumers; however, all of that “ugly” food is completely fresh, edible, and natural. Speaking of consumers, that is the final stage of food waste identified by the FDA. Consumers contribute to food waste by buying excessive amounts of food, not storing food properly, and choosing to throw away leftovers or extra food. Due to all the factors that lead to food waste in our country, federal, state, and local governments, organizations, and people have proposed several ways to mitigate the issue, but very few ideas are being pursued due to differing views.
In 2018, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the FDA launched an initiative to reduce 50% of food waste by 2030. To achieve the overarching goal of the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative, the organizations plan to gain the support of the government, communities, and households through forms of outreach, such as education, research, voluntary programs, and policy discussions. The purpose of the outreach is to increase food recovery participation across the nation, a plan that the EPA has officially outlined as the Food Recovery Hierarchy. If the USDA, EPA, and FDA successfully increase food recovery participation, food waste will potentially decrease by 50% in the next decade. When examining the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative and the Food Recovery Hierarchy, the organizations clearly focus on reducing the quantities of food accepted at one instant and distributing leftovers to other people, animals, or resources that will benefit from the food. As of today, several states are supporting the Food Recovery Hierarchy by providing incentives and tax breaks to businesses that donate extra food to food banks or shelters. Overall, the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative and its burgeoning support appears to be leading to a solution for the food waste epidemic thriving in our country, but not all people support the formal agreement as a result of contrasting perspectives.
One counterargument to the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative focuses on the incentives and tax breaks awarded to businesses that donate extra food. Other people disagree with the idea of incentives and tax breaks because the free money is only contributing to more food waste. People who disagree with incentives and tax breaks understand that supporting those who donate food is a positive effort, but all the free money that businesses receive for good deeds is spent on more food products that end up wasted too. Therefore, this group of people suggests reducing those incentives and tax breaks or awarding proactive businesses in a different way to ultimately decrease food waste in the long run.
Based on all the statistics, implemented goals, and discussions, food waste is a serious issue; however, not enough people are concerned, not enough people are supporting food recovery ideas, not enough people are taking part in the food waste discussions, and not enough people are collaborating to reach mutual solutions, which can all lead to fruitful change. On that note, my goals are to help people become more aware of the food waste issue in our country and to encourage people to collaborate on this issue together. I hope that you can pass along the message to the next person you are able to because there are many more solutions to find in order to encourage food recovery at all stages of food waste and, if those solutions are never found, our future will be thrown away too.
Prescriptions for Death
In Manchester, England, one of the worst serial killers was uncovered and was convicted on 15 counts of murder in 2000. After an inquiry was requested to determine the official number of deaths that this serial killer had executed, authorities discovered that he had killed approximately 250 people. Ironically, this serial killer was Harold Shipman, a reputable general practitioner that cared for the elderly. After Shipman’s sentencing, one question disturbed the town of Hyde, including all of us at this moment. How did Dr. Shipman get away with so many murders for so long? Let’s look into the criminal profile of Dr. Death and unravel the mastermind of this serial killer.
After investigating the life of Dr. Death, authorities deduced that Shipman’s cover was his career. While working as a general practitioner for elderly people, the doctor naturally became a respected person in the town of Hyde. As a practitioner, Shipman also had easy access to lethal drugs and had the authority to sign death certificates. Therefore, Dr. Death was able to kill 250 people by administering lethal doses of diamorphine and then claim that his patients had died as a result of “natural causes” on their death certificates. Shipman worked in the homes of his patients as well, so no one witnessed their deaths or the signing of their death certificates. To magnify his cover, the town of Hyde also respected Dr. Shipman and never questioned his practice, expect for the right people. Over the years, the coroner and the owners of a funeral home became suspicious of Shipman because the number of patients who died under his care was questionably high. As a result of the coroner’s and the funeral home’s inquiries, officials were eventually able to uncover Shipman’s murder scheme, but it took many years to do so because of the respect and benefit of the doubt that Shipman had accumulated from people in the town of Hyde. Understanding Shipman’s motives also took many years to solve as a result of his lack of cooperation, but authorities were able to find the pieces that brought this puzzle together.
While trying to understand Shipman’s life, authorities stumbled upon a childhood experience that may have influenced his motive to kill. All throughout his childhood, Shipman was an advanced student in school, was “an accomplished rugby player and athlete,” and was “very close to his mother, Vera.” At first glance Shipman’s childhood appears normal, but his mother was not healthy and was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 43. As a result of the bond that Shipman cherished with his mother, the lung cancer that snuffed his mother’s life had an emotional impact on him. Shipman’s mother also visited doctors throughout her battle with lung cancer and received morphine treatment to ease her pain, which Shipman happened to witness. Do you see the correlation between Shipman’s childhood and his patients? Authorities were able to recognize this and believe that Shipman may have administered lethal dosages of painkillers to his patients to help relieve them of their “misery.” Some people also believe that Shipman adopted a “god complex” while working as a general practitioner, or adopted the idea that he was in control of his patients and had the ability to eliminate their suffering in any manner that satisfied him. Other people also believe that Shipman was attempting to avenge his mother’s death by administering painkillers to his patients as well. With all the inferences made by others in mind, it is clear to perceive how experiences can drastically shape people.
So where is Dr. Death today? Well, Dr. Death is no longer alive because he committed suicide by hanging himself in jail. Despite the tragic suicide, Dr. Death deserved his punishment because a real doctor would have saved 250 people.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post! Does this story change the way you perceive doctors and make you question the amount of trust we place in them? Comment down below!
Blog Topics
Hello, everyone! I had already decided what the topic of my Passion Blog will be, which is “Investigating Chilling Crimes and Criminal Minds,” but I have also decided that the topic of my Civic Issue Blog will be “Food and Plastic Waste.”
I hope you enjoy my future blog posts!
“This I Believe” Final Draft
On the last day of school in 8th grade, a promise was etched in my heart and a deal was sealed with determination. As I exited the doors of my middle school for the last time, I told myself that I would work hard to graduate at the top of my class and earn the honor of speaking at graduation. I walked out of those doors as top of my class and I was intent on walking across the graduation stage with the same accomplishment. As life flashed before my eyes, I was standing in front of my mirror adorned with my blue robe, chords, and golden sash. Silent tears splashed on my cheeks as I beheld my reflection because my dream had become a reality; however, the dream looking back at me was different. The dream that came true was not the one I had perfectly envisioned on the last day of school in 8th grade; instead, the dream that came true was one that reflected my true self, a dream worth more than gold. At graduation, I gave the best speech of my life before the valedictorian. I was salutatorian because I believe that second place is better than first.
Once high school began, my motivation to work hard intensified immensely. Right after school on most days, I would immediately work on homework and study for upcoming exams. I was also involved in many activities, such as tennis, track, marching band, honor societies, and volunteer groups, so I was not able to tediously study all the time, but most of my effort was dedicated to academics.
By my junior year, the dream I was fervently pursuing started to morph into the dream that was destined to come true. Before the year started, most of the brightest students were planning to take more Advanced Placement courses than I had anticipated taking myself, yet enrolling in the same number of AP classes was one of the only ways to maintain your class rank. I had a tough decision to make and I had to reconsider what I was truly aiming for as a person. I decided that I was striving to live my life to the fullest, not to always be the best, so I chose to not take on any other courses. My decision turned out to be a great one because it gave me time to pursue my interests and exciting opportunities, including an independent research study that I absolutely loved.
After my junior year, I excitingly found out that my class rank had barely changed, leading to another thought that would perturb my mind. Should I focus on my interests or should I strive for that top class rank because the race is about to finish? While planning my senior year, I became interested in an advanced physics course, but I feared for my final GPA again. I love challenges, but physics is not a subject that I naturally understand. So, I had yet another tricky decision on my hands. I pondered on the decision for what seemed like forever until it hit me. Right before the first day of my senior year, I finally realized that all this time my ultimate fear was failure. Instead of accepting the idea of falling and picking myself back up, I had been avoiding failure at all costs. In that instant, I enrolled in that physics course because I wanted to face an uncertain challenge head on, and it was one of the best decisions of my life! Without a doubt I struggled throughout that course, but I was able to learn a valuable lesson: success and failure lead to intelligence and strength.
On June 27, 2020, I stood in front of my graduating class at Montoursville Area High School and indeed gave one of the most memorable speeches of my life. I not only stood before my class as salutatorian, but also as my true self. I not only gave a memorable speech, but I also gave a speech that resonated with my true self. My true self lives life to the fullest. My true self embraces failure. My true self forgets about the prize or glory at the end of a race, but focuses on the stride that I take to finish it. I believe that second place is better than first because it represents who I am.
Blog Ideas
Hello, everyone! Welcome to my Rhetoric and Civic Life Blog!
To kickstart the spring semester, I am going to share my Passion Blog, Civic Blog, and “This I Believe” podcast ideas with all of you. Most of my ideas are not concrete, so any feedback or advice is greatly appreciated!
For my Passion Blog, I have decided that I will not change my original topic. Last semester, I blogged about the psychological aspect of criminal minds, which became an intriguing topic that I would like to explore more. The name of my Passion Blog is “Investigating Chilling Crimes and Criminal Minds.”
For my Civic Blog, I have two topics in mind that have actually influenced my life in some way. The first civic issue that I have in mind revolves around the mental health stigma. As a result of personal experiences (most of my experiences did not have a direct impact on me), the mental health stigma is a reality to me. I understand that people have talked about mental health and have created platforms for the concern, but I believe that situations become real once a person experiences those specific situations. Therefore, the mental health stigma is one of the topics that I am considering for my Civic Blog. The other civic issue that has piqued my interest is food and plastic waste. As a Dunkin’ employee, I witness firsthand the amount of food and plastic that is wasted on a daily basis, and it is hard to believe. I also think that this is an issue that not many people are talking about. As a result of my work experience and the lack of attention this topic seemingly receives, I am also interested in writing about waste issues for my Civic Blog.
For my “This I Believe” podcast, I also have two ideas that I am considering. My first idea is called “Second Place.” Throughout all of middle school and most of high school, I worked extremely hard to hopefully be valedictorian of my class. However, my senior year changed my perspective and I graduated as salutatorian. For this idea, I plan to create a podcast about the positive lessons I learned after graduating as salutatorian of my class and my new outlook on success. This is also my favorite idea. My second idea is called “The Plunge.” Over the summer, my family and I visited a camping spot with a beautiful swimming hole. At the swimming hole, there was a high cliff with an even higher rope swing above it. Only one person was brave enough to jump off of the rope swing from that cliff while I was swimming and before my family left, I also found the courage to take the plunge too. For this idea, I plan to create a podcast about living my life to the fullest and overcoming my comfort zone. I also love this idea, so this will be a tough decision!
Choose Your Own Adventure Story
I can’t believe this is my last blog post! Blogging about criminology and psychology has been super interesting and thank you to those who have commented on my site this semester. I hope you found my posts to be interesting too! As a way to end my blogging this semester, I’ve created a choose your own adventure game with a scary twist, which relates to what I’ve been blogging about all semester. I hope you enjoy and let me know in the comment section what your fate was!
Last night, your friend invited you to a party over the weekend. The party is at your friend’s cabin and only your closest friends plan on going. After a bustling week of college, you decide that going to this party would be a lot of fun and you let your friend know that you’ll be there. The weekend arrives and you drive to your friend’s cabin. Your friend told you to park at the bottom of the driveway and walk up the path to the cabin, since there is no room for parking up there. As you’re walking, you can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching you. It is a foggy day as well, so that does not make the situation any better. All of a sudden, you hear leaves crunching behind you. You quickly whip around, but the crunching immediately stops and nothing is there. Do you laugh if off and assume it’s just a squirrel thrashing around in the woods (1) or do you decide to tell your friends what happened (2)?
(1) You brush off the incident like nothing happened and find the cabin. You walk inside and the party is wild. Your friends are excited to see you and you start having the time of your life. (2) If you chose to remember the incident, you arrive at the party as well and tell your friends what happened almost immediately. Your friends tell you that it was nothing and you all start having a great time, but you can’t shake the uneasiness for some reason.
As you and your friends are having a blast, you hear a noise coming from upstairs. If you chose to forget about your earlier incident, the noise does not unsettle you as much as it does for those who chose to not forget about what happened in the woods. At this point, do you choose to continue partying (1) or do you decide to ask your friend who owns the cabin about the noise from upstairs (2)?
(1) If you chose not to do anything, you continue living it up with your friends. (2) However, if you chose to tell your one friend about the noise upstairs, the friend tells you that no noises should be coming from up there and teases you about your imagination. After talking with your friend, do you choose to go upstairs to investigate (1) or do you choose to stay with your friends because you feel like your one friend is right, you’re simply imagining things (2)?
(1) If you chose to stay with your friends, your in the same boat as the person who chose not to say anything in the first place and you continue to enjoy the party. (2) If you chose to go upstairs to investigate, you do so unnoticed by your friends. The stairs lead you to a door, which you push open ever so slightly. You peer inside and see what looks to be a guest bedroom…
If you chose not to go upstairs, you are living your best life, but some of you still feel unsettled. As evening approaches, you happen to glance out the window and notice what looks to be something walking in the woods. What is that? At this moment, do you choose to freak out (1) or remain calm and convince yourself that it is all your imagination (2)?
(1) If you chose to tell all your friends about it, they all agree that you should leave the party early because you’re clearly unsettled. All your friends even agree to walk you back to your car. Before nightfall, you make it back safely to your car, say your goodbyes, and drive back home…
(2) If you chose to stick it out and to live your life to the fullest, you end up staying with your friends at the cabin for a sleepover. Shortly after midnight, all of you are passed out on the living room couches. At some point in the middle of the night, you wake up to get a glass of water. As you make your way to the kitchen, you stumble over something. When you look back to see what you tripped over, you scream in horror because your friend is laying on the floor with wide eyes, pale blue lips, and a lifeless body. Before you can move any further, someone comes up behind you and stabs you in the back repeatedly. You fall to the ground and the light fades to darkness. The next day, missing persons reports for you and your friends are announced and the police arrive at the cabin. They discover that you and your friends had all been murdered with no trace of the murderer himself.
Now back to earlier in the story for those who chose to go upstairs. You decide to enter the room and sneakily creep around to make sure that the noise was nothing, but all of a sudden you hear a small creak behind you. You slowly turn around and before you can let out a scream, a strange man with a maniacal smile grabs your throat and violently chokes you. None of your friends can hear what’s going on because of the loud music downstairs and sadly you crumple to the floor with no pulse. Since you were unable to warn your friends of the danger, the serial killer was able to kill all of your friends by the end of the night as well.
For those of you who luckily made it back home safely, you are informed of your friends’ deaths the next day after the police visit your house to deliver the news. Guilt, depression, and anger overwhelms you and for the next few years you suffer from insomnia and hallucinations. Years of therapy eventually help you regain a normal lifestyle, but it is a long road to recovery.
Hope you enjoyed this choose your own adventure game! There was no easy ending, but at least one lets you live! Throughout this post, there are links to other choose your own adventure stories with a scary twist. I did get some inspiration from one of them, but all of the stories have completely different choices and completely different endings. Hopefully this was somewhat of a study break for you (the second link is a great choose your own adventure story)!