Daniel Conderman 
🎲GAME/BLOG INTRODUCTION
Welcome back, fearless (and hopefully not plant-chow) survivors, to Tracks of Terror: The Last Train to Save Your Butt. I’m Barnabas, pinned by a relentless vine inside this overgrown greenhouse car. Last time, I stumbled while trying to Run, and now the mutated greenery has me in its grip. Today, Penny chooses to Help, while R.C. goes with Fight. Let’s see how those personal moves collide in this leafy deathtrap.
Where We Left Off
- Barnabas (Me): Flat on my back, ankle ensnared by a carnivorous vine. More creepers are edging closer, drawn by my struggle.
- Penny: Spotting me in trouble, her protective instinct flares up—she’s not about to leave me to be plant food. She calls to the others, “He’s down! Help me get him out!”
- R.C.: Blood still pumping with adrenaline, he sees the vines as an immediate threat to be hacked apart. With machete (or crowbar, or any improvised weapon) in hand, he storms back toward the trapped Barnabas, ready to slice his way through.
Individual Choices
- Penny (Help)
She skids to a halt beside me, ignoring the wet hiss from the vines. “Hang in there, Barnabas,” she says, reaching for my arm. She tries to pry the creeper off my ankle, or at least keep it from coiling up my leg further. - R.C. (Fight)
Gritting his teeth, R.C. swings his blade at the writhing foliage. “No damn plant’s takin’ another survivor on my watch!” he yells, chopping at the tendril that’s latched onto me. Greenish sap splatters, and the vine jerks like a wounded snake.
How It Plays Out
- Penny’s Assistance
- She wedges a broken piece of planter between the vine and my ankle, creating a small gap so I can yank my foot free.
- Each time the vine tries to recoil, she exerts leverage, keeping the tension just enough so it can’t fully tighten.
- Her face is pale with fear, but her grip is steady. “I’ve got you!” she insists, scanning the creeping buds around us.
- R.C.’s Assault
- Meanwhile, R.C. unleashes a flurry of hacks, slicing additional vines that slither in from the side.
- A jagged, barbed creeper tries to lash out at his arm. He roars and drives his weapon downward, severing it with a sickening crunch.
- The overhead sprayer drips that odd green fluid, fueling more vines, so R.C. keeps moving, forcing them back with each swing.
Outcome: Breaking Free
- With Penny prying the vine off my ankle and R.C. slashing the surrounding creepers, I manage to scramble to my feet. My boot’s shredded, and my pant leg is coated in sticky sap, but I’m otherwise intact.
- We stagger away from the cluster of thrashing tendrils, joining a small band of survivors who haven’t yet made it to the far door.
- The greenhouse continues to seethe with unnatural growths, but at least I’m not pinned anymore. We can hear faint echoes of others forging ahead, possibly reaching the next car.
Subtle Clue: The drip from overhead seems to accelerate the vines’ movements. If we don’t shut it off, the entire greenhouse might become an impenetrable nest of lethal creepers.
THE SCENE: ESCAPE OR OVERRUN?
With me freed, we’re back on our feet but still mid-greenhouse. Overhead lights flicker, illuminating giant leaves that seem to lean toward us like hungry mouths. A few survivors call out from near the exit, waving frantically. “We have to go—NOW!”
Penny keeps a protective arm near me, ready to Help if I stumble again. R.C. is panting from exertion, blade dripping with sap. The question is—what’s our next move? We can’t stay put, but sprinting blindly might lead to another snare.
YOUR FIVE NEW CHOICES
Now that I’m free of the vine’s clutches, how do you personally proceed?
- Fight – Follow R.C.’s lead, hacking away at anything that moves until we clear a safer path.
- Sneak – Use the distraction of the writhing vines to slip through quietly, minimizing contact.
- Run – Make a mad dash for the far door before the plants seal off the exit completely.
- Fix – Locate the overhead sprayer controls and shut them down, hoping to slow the vines’ growth or aggression.
- Help – Aid any straggling survivors trapped like I was, ensuring nobody else gets left behind.
CLIFFHANGER: DO WE ESCAPE THE HUNGRY GREEN?
Thanks to Penny and R.C., I’m free—this time. But the greenhouse is closing in, and if we don’t move fast (and smart), the vines might snare us again. Tomorrow, we’ll find out if we can outmaneuver or outsmart this botanical nightmare… or if the plants reclaim their prey.
Stay sharp, survivors. On this train, even nature can be as deadly as any zombie.
