Chapter 22 – Make Your Choice
Zack was on cloud nine, and he was deep in thought on where he would have his date with Mildred, when Cobain spoke a short while later.
"Five down five to go and it's five O'clock". He told them as he looked at his map. "If we head north we can get the next two done as they are next to each other".
The others agreed and headed towards the two trials. As they got nearer, they heard another group up ahead and it turned out to be Maud's group.
"Maud". Millie stated.
"Millie, your team is still going, we've completed three so far, Ethel is out though". Maud told their group.
"When we say she is out, I made sure she was out, I sabotaged her she was a nightmare to team up with, H.B won't be happy when she finds out what I did but she deserved it. She tried pushing Maud into the Wondering Willows". A fifth year from Cackle's Academy stated.
"I think H.B might be on your side with that one". Verity told her.
"How many have you lot completed so far?" A sixth year stated from Cackles Academy.
"Five". Cobain told them.
"Five?" Maud stated as her whole team stood in shock.
"We have these two to do, so we will catch up after the finish line". Millie told them and both teams wished each other luck.
They continued walking for a further five minutes before they came to a fork in the forest path.
"Left, or Right?" Zack asked.
They couldn't make a decision on this one as they all needed to complete them both so it would be pointless splitting up.
"Spin me and see what direction I go in". Verity suggested and she was laughing as she was being spun in circles. She ended up going right.
They walked into a part of the forest that had clearly been hit by lightening at some point, as most of the trees in a fifty meter radius where down. They noticed someone moving in the shadows and they stood on high alert.
"Aren't we nearing the carnivorous plants and most of the aggressive animals?" Zack asked, Verity nodded in response.
A voice behind them made them jump.
"There is no need to panic in this trial, there are barriers to keep the carnivores out".
They turned around to see a member of staff from Moonridge High.
"My trial is not as easy as it sounds, Make Your Choice Consists of you figuring out which berries and plants are poisonous, and which are not. They are not labelled you have one hour to complete this trial. Failure to complete this trial will result in an elimination".
As she spoke the fallen trees had many baskets of fruits and leaves, and what looked like potion ingredients. This trial was not going to be easy and one hour wasn't long to complete the trial in. the group looked mortified, there must be at least one hundred baskets laid out.
"Help yourselves to any bottled water, your time starts now".
"We split into two groups" Cobain stated.
"Girls against boys". Verity stated as she walked to the nearest fallen tree with Mildred. "Anything we aren't sure on we can leave till last". She told Mildred.
They investigated one of the baskets and automatically knew that the first one was poisonous.
"How can you tell?" Mildred asked as she was keen to learn.
"It's Belladonna also known as Deadly Nightshade". My mother always warned me about these as we live nearby some. She walked with the basket to the section marked Poisons.
They moved onto the next basket and they both agreed that the contents were blackberries, these went in the section marked Edible.
The girls were sailing through these and Mildred was learning as she went.
The boys weren't doing a bad job, though they had left a few that they were unsure of. They had managed to sort twenty out in fifteen minutes.
All four of them was doing a better job than the Moonridge high teacher had anticipated. Her trial had caused a good portion of the Eliminations that day.
Verity and Mildred had moved onto their thirtieth basket and Verity was stumped, though Mildred had a silly grin on her face.
"What are you smiling at?"
"We can make chocolate".
"What?"
"It's a coco bean, definitely Edible though it should be cooked before eaten".
"That looks nothing like chocolate".
"I'm a thousand percent sure it is a coco bean".
"OK, pop it in the Edible section.
"Well done, Mildred, that one confused many of the other teams". The teacher called across.
"Any ideas what this is Zack?" Cobain asked as he looked at a flower.
"Do not touch it, it's a Flying Duck Orchid". Zack informed him and then he watched as the basket was placed in the Poison section.
The group had managed most of the baskets within half an hour, they had thirty left between them.
The baskets that were left to identify magically moved next to each other. Unfortunately, these would take a little longer than the others as some looked like there were two baskets for the same thing. One of each of the doubles was poisonous and the other edible.
The girls picked up two of the baskets that looked the same.
"I am thinking one is Wild Wonderberries and the other will be Nightlock?" Millie queried.
"I am thinking the same". Cobain stated as he looked over Mildred's shoulder. "That is a tricky one. Though Wonderberries aren't a squishy as Nightlock".
Mildred picked one from each of the baskets and noticed one felt hard like a nut and the other slightly squishy. She made sure not to pop the squishy one. The first one they decided was a Wild Wonderberry and the other Nightlock. Each basket was put in the right sections.
The remaining twenty-eight would take the remaining twenty-five minutes to identify, though the teamwork shown by the group was second to none. They came across a plant that the boys had been stumped on, though this was a very pretty flower which upon further investigation, it had tiny razor-sharp teeth.
"It's Esper Vesperado, It's carnivorous and poisonous". Verity stated with a massive grin on her face.
The basket was soon put with the other poisonous plants. Verity looked very confused at the boys as she pulled a basket close to her.
"Do you boys not know what mint leaves look like?" Verity laughed.
"Oh, that's what it is, I wasn't sure". Cobain stated as looked guilty.
"Spellman is going to be sooo disappointed in you". Mildred Laughed
"Not to mention Fountain". Verity roared with laughter.
The boys were soon laughing at their own mistake.
The Moonridge High teacher found their banter to be rather entertaining and she soon started smiling and shaking her head slightly.
It wasn't long until they had five baskets to go and ten minutes left.
"That one is Hemlock". Mildred stated confidently.
Zack bowed and took the basket to the poisonous section.
"Four left, we can do this". Mildred whispered.
The next basket had a type of mushroom in it.
"I don't know what type of mushroom that is, but it's definitely poisonous, that secretion is fowl". Cobain stated as they all nodded in agreement. Zack took the basket to the poisonous section.
"This next one is Dahlia, isn't it?" Zack asked.
"I have no idea". Cobain stated and the girls had no idea either.
Zack went with his gut instinct and took it to the Edible section.
"Honeysuckle". They all stated at the same time and Zack took it to the Edible section.
They had two minutes and one left.
Mildred picked the last one up and ran to the Edibles section. "It's Thyme". She shouted as she legged it.
All baskets lit up yellow, they had been correct on all of them.
"Well done you are the second group to get this trial completed in the allocated time". The teacher stated.
The four of them each picked up a bottle of water. As they did so they looked up and noticed their faces in the sky with a number six in front of the trophy.
"Six, way to go, I believe you only need to do nine trials as one was removed so to make it fair it should just be nine you need to complete". The member of staff stated with an impressed expression.
As they walked out of the trial they took a five-minute break, as they were keen to get the next three finished by dark which would be around ten O'clock.
"I take it we aren't having that mushroom on the picnic then". Zack asked Mildred with a wink.
"What picnic is this?" Verity asked.
"I'm taking Millie on a picnic date after we have crossed the finish line".
"About time, thought you would never ask her". Cobain laughed.
"That took almost all year" Verity stated. "I thought Jasper would have asked her before you did".
"Why would Jasper ask me out?" Millie asked.
"He likes you, but he doesn't make it obvious, unlike someone". Verity said as she looked over at Zack.
"Barbie is going to be really annoying when she finds out, she is probably going to be embarrassing". Verity told them.
"She fusses over me enough as it is". Zack muttered.
"She just cares, mate". Cobain said comfortingly.
"Let's get this next trial underway as you can't be embarrassed by Barbie until these trials are done". Verity laughed.