The “walk in the woods” personality test/game

Forest: I'm on a hiking path on a wet, foggy day. It's supposedly on a mountain, leading to the mountain top, but right now the path is completely flat before me as far as my eyes can see with the fog. The trees are tall and numerous, ranging from very thin to sorta thick.

Fork: I take the unpaved path because surely the paved path leads out of the forest? I'm here to enjoy the hike, might as well stay longer.

Cup: It's a used paper cup, placed perfectly upside down in a prominent spot (like at a fork of the path, or on a flat rock). It has to be trash, but it's so neatly upside down like a top hat, as if someone placed it like that intentionally. I pick it up to clean the forest.

Water: It's a large puddle that gets slightly deeper than ankle-deep in the center. I move forward without stepping into it (walk around it, jump across where it gets narrow enough, whatever) because while my shoes are water-resistant, they don't come up high enough to keep the water out. The water is clean, it's fresh rain on unpolluted forest floor. Doesn't mean I want it in my shoes.

^Makes sense. I'm a non-sex-repulsed asexual. X'D "Sex isn't gross and I can see why it's fun, but I don't really want it in my life" sums it up pretty well.

Bear: A lone black bear. Not too unexpected in the forests where I live. The bear and I are aware of each other's presence. We don't really come close enough to feel threatened (we're at least 10 meters apart, maybe even 30; the fog isn't too bad at this spot, and there are lots of thin trees between us). The bear goes on its way, and I mine.

Wall: It's a broken stone-and-cement wall. Height is uneven, but even at the tallest part it only comes up to my chest. Very little moss considering where it is located. There is minimal graffiti on it. (Random little observation: the fog has returned. It was almost gone when I came upon the bear.) The wall does not block the trail; either it never blocked the path, or it has been completely destroyed where it used to block the path. I glance at the graffiti, then keep going on my way.

1. Trees?? Um, dirt. Sunlight coming through the leaves. Birds, every once in a while. I don't really wanna be here. What do you want from me, I'm not an outdoors guy lol I've never been in a forest before. / I guess I'm in a good place, but I don't wanna be?? I'm not entirely sure what to make of my answer xD

2. The unpaved road is rocky for whatever reason, and I'm not about that, so paved it is. I mean, I doubt I'd get lost, but walking on rocks is.. ugh. Paved road, let's do this. Easier to walk on. The pavement's kinda like a sidewalk, I guess, dunno how relevant that might be. / I do prefer easier methods. That's not a surprise to me lol

3. Red solo cup looking like it was thrown away, it's got a dark liquid.. could be soda or coffee. Real talk, I just leave it there, I don't see a trash can around so eh, no one'll mind. / Oh good, cheap, trashy, and distant. That's a major oof. It's not too far off though? I'm assuming you mean relationships in general and not just romantic ones. I isolate myself a bunch and what friends I do have, I find it hard to keep communicating sometimes despite the fact that I do deeply value them.

4. Thought of a rocky, shallow river you could easily walk across, but there's a bridge over it anyways. I stand on the bridge and just look around and take in the scenery.. not that I really care, there's just nothing else to do outdoors for me lol / What that sounds like is that sex isn't that big of a deal to me and I didn't even bother getting into it. That's not only funny, it's accurate lol I mean, like.. sex is cool, sure, but like.. who cares that much about it?

5. I'm sorry, I turned a corner in a forest??? That kinda implies there's a wall or a building. If there's a bear, I'd walk back behind the corner and take a peek every once in a while to see if it's gone. If it doesn't leave, then whatever, I'll turn back from the way I came. The bear's an adult and it's brown. Sorry if that ain't descriptive enough / So.. I avoid big problems like's not a big deal until they're gone or I am. Again, accurate lol I don't need to get into it and make a paragraph about my edgy backstory

6. Just a broken-down piece of a stone brick wall. Oh well, nothing special to see here, might as well go back and leave the damn forest. What am I doing here to begin with?? / Boy.. "Nothing special to see here"? I treat death like it's nothing according to my answer. Ehhh, kinda? My experiences with others' deaths all involved people I was never close to, so their dying never impacted me it should've. I get that it's hard to deal with but at the same time, it's kinda like.. well, we're all gonna die regardless, why worry so much over it?

And that's all my answers and reactions! This sure was interesting lol

Reading the solution was kind of sad? But I think it was pretty fitting.

1. The forest was dark and misty with tall spruce trees. There was little sunlight and the air felt slightly chilly.
2. I chose the paved road because it is the more comforting and safer choice, hopefully a sign of people and a way out of the forest.
3. The cup was a small tea cup with a chip in it. I walk closer to the cup to see what it is but I leave it there.
4. The water is a stream or a river where the water moves slowly. It's dark but not particularly dirty water. I try to find a safe way to cross it.
5. The bear was large brown bear. I tried to back away from it slowly, not turning my back to it so it doesn't attack.
6. The wall is a tall brick wall covered in moss and wines. I try to find my way around it.

1. Trees, a bit of the sky above, plenty of ground, rocks, fallen branches. I feel calm and with nature. Maybe a bit nervous about wild animals possibly appearing.

2. Paved because it's easier to walk on and bring me to civilization faster

3. It's a teacup and it's chipped because it fell from someone's belongings. Leave it on the ground because it's dirty. [LOL I don't deal with the baggage of relationships I guess. Let me just leave that right there.]

4. It's a small river flowing gently down. I find some rocks that I can step on to cross it [Hm, yeah, that's probably accurate. My sex life is simple, but satisfying. lol]

5. WTF I BACK AWAY SLOWLY AND TRY TO RUN, PANIC, THINK IF IT'S A BLACK BEAR CAN I CLIMB A TREE? I DON'T UCKING REMEMBER. RUN DAMMIT RUN. [...................]

6. It's a rock wall, probably has some graffiti on it. Maybe a campsite nearby with broken bear bottles. It's a wall. I don't do anything.

I did the test and looked at the solutions. Turns out... I have issues. xD

I've written this halfway before I accidentally deleted them so I'll just wrote our some part.

1. Pretty green and yellowish. Ray shining down from between the leaves from the low tree, it's kinda warm I think.

2. I kinda misunderstood the question and thought about a smooth pathway and a broken down stone brick pathway. I choose the latter.

3. Paper or styrofoam cup. White. Empty. I kinda pick it up to observe it for a moment and put it down again.

4. A flowing river. Kinda clear with okay Ish stream of water.
   ...i... Don't know what to make about this. XD

5. A very big, scary looking bear on its two legs standing up tall in front of me.
   Guess I'm pretty screwed.

6. I read this in the morning so I pretty much forgotten the detail for the wall, but I think it's just a normal white stone/brick/cement wall. Pretty smooth and well done, if I jump I think it's just easy to go over the other side.

I had been running from it for over an hour before I arrived at the safety of the forest, but I didn't stop running for another twenty minutes, just to be safe.

Slowing my pace to a steady but swift gait, I began to survey my surroundings.

The red bark of the trees swirled into large, spiral patterns. The naked branches curled into grotesque, finger-like appendages that looked as if they would clutch anything that got close enough. It gave the silent, lifeless forest a macabre atmosphere and aesthetic.

The ground beneath my bare feet was mulchy. Rotted leaves and bark littered the forest floor in its entirety. It had recently rained, so the soil was moist, sticking to the soles of my feet, getting between my toes and under my nails. Small and large rocks dotted the earth and were almost unnaturally smooth. The rocks were mostly the same four shades of dull gray, wet with precipitation and shining in the cloudy, gray, early morning light of the sky.

The air and soil were cold, giving me what would have been an uncomfortable chill had I not been running seconds prior.

The smell of moist soil and rain filled my nose as I took quick, heavy breaths, my mind racing.

What was that thing? How did it know my name? What did it want?

It’s monstrous, sibilant voice echoed in my head, dripping with malice.

Lost in my thoughts and distracted by thirst, I almost didn’t notice a bisecting path up ahead that created an obtuse “V”. To my left, a small, untouched asphalt road, jet-black. To my right, a flat, brown dirt trail.

Both paths seemed to be created with intent, though for what, I didn’t know. That made me skeptical. Neither path seemed like a good choice. What if it was a trap created by that thing? I couldn’t let it lure me in. I knew what it could do, and I wouldn’t let it take me.

I decided to continue forward through the soil, choosing neither path.

I travel for several more minutes and I begin to feel the effects of the cold air as my heart rate slows. The beads of sweat on my face make the temperature feel even lower as a mild breeze hits me.

I shiver and rub my hands together to create friction, then slap them on my wet, ice-cold cheeks for warmth. Distracted by the momentary comfort, I trip on something, falling to the ground.

Looking back to investigate, I noticed a wooden cup half buried in the soil. It was the same shade of red as the dead trees around me.

Forming my hands into makeshift spades, I began to dig at the soil around the cup to unearth it. It was quite a modest size, easily fitting in one hand.

Upon further inspection of the cup, I notice words carved into its side in sharp letters:

"capture the fluid beast"

Strange, but it would be useful if I came across some clean water. I really needed some.

I continued walking further, for what felt like hours, eventually seeing a large, murky body of water in the distance. I quicken my pace, my dry throat being my sole motivator.

As I approach, I see the water begin to shift and swirl, then it starts to rise and form into the shape of a menacing insectoid creature.

Fear paralyzes me, but then I remember the cup.

“capture the fluid beast”

I raise the cup and point it at the creature, open end facing it. I feel the cup start to vibrate and I hear the sound of howling wind. The air in front of me turns into a strong current that begins to funnel into the cup. Large volumes of water separate from the creature, and get sucked in.

The creature tries to resist, to pull away, but to no avail, until it is finally gone.

I feel the indentation of the engraved letters shift. Taking another look, it reads:

“drink”

I examine the inside of the cup. The water is clear. I didn’t know if it was safe to drink and I didn’t care. I was too thirsty. I take large, quick gulps until I couldn’t anymore.

To my surprise, the cup was still completely full, as if I had never even taken a sip.

I hear a rustling behind me and whip around to see a large, red bear. It’s fur was surprisingly dry and it wore a forest-green scarf around its neck.

It opened its mouth and spoke, “You have defeated the beast. You are the chosen one.”

The voice was female and it had a mystic quality to it.

“I was just thirsty,” I replied.

“For defeating the beast, I am forever in your debt. If there is anything you require. Do not hesitate to ask,” the bear answered.

I looked behind me, and pointed, “Do you think you could help me get across?”

The bear dipped her head in a nod and then sauntered up to the edge of the water beside me. She opened her mouth and exhaled, her breath a visible, wisping cloud. As the cloud made contact with the water, it froze a small area around it. The area of ice began to quickly expand until the entire body of water was frozen.

“Climb onto my back,” the bear said.

I did, sitting astride the bear’s large body. Her fur was warm and comforting.

We walked in silence across the ice until we were on the other side, then I climbed off the bear.

“Take my scarf,” the bear said, “it will keep you warm.”

I untied it and wrapped it around my body. The scarf shifted and hugged by body, forming into a cloak. It was warm, like being next to a fire.

“Thank you,” I replied, then turned and headed into the trees.

Hours later, I reach the end of my journey.

A gray, stone wall too tall to climb, stretching endlessly to the left and right. Standing between me and the wall was the thing that had been chasing me.

“Thisss isss the end of the line,” it said.

I begin to pour the cup out and a torrent of water shoots violently onto the ground, forming into the beast again. I feel like I am one with the beast, able to control it’s every move, after having consumed it.

I battle with my pursuer, hitting, stabbing, pinching, and grabbing. The battle shakes the earth beneath us, continuing for a long time, until there is a victor.

I think I tried way too hard. I have no Idea what this says about me. I think it just means I like to telling stories. Feel free to tell me what you think it means.

I imagined a large forest in the mountains with tall evergreens. The high elevation made it slightly cold but the sun was shining and there is bright green moss growing on everything which makes me happy.
when I came onto the two paths I went with unpaved because I can probably find more interesting bits of nature along the way.
The cup I saw was one of those blue tin cups with the white speckles? it was full of fresh rainwater and some pebbles were settled on the bottom. I took it with me.
The water I saw, besides the one in the cup, was a beautiful loud river rapid, I didn't get in because it was cold and probably dangerous.
I saw a black bear minding its own business. I thought about banging the tin cup on a rock to scare it away but it never noticed me anyway so I watched it until it stumbled away on its own.
I came across a red brick wall I looked at it for a while and moved on. it was an open forest so I went around to keep walking.

1. The forest floor is flat and pretty clear of overgrowth. The treas around me are pretty tall straight and leafy. I do not see anything but trees around me though I can see pretty far, as the trees are widely spread. I only hear the rustling of wind in the leaves.
2. I turn onto a paved path, since it promises an easier walking surface.
3. The cup is ornate and made of, seemingly, gold. It is encrusted with various gems. I cautiously look around, since the cup is very out of place here. It makes me worried. After some prodding, if I can safely assume, that it is safe to take the cup, I'll take it with me.
4. It is a small creek of fresh water. I pass it by.
5. It is a huge brown, zombie bear. Its fur is tangled and dirty, most of its head is gone due to decay. It doesn't seen to notice me yet. So I back away before it does.
6. It is a tall, stone wall. Maybe 5 meters tall. It is made of some grey stone. Some moss can be seen in the seems between the stones, but there isn't much of it. I follow the wall along.

Edit: Just read the solution. You can switch all the interpretations randomly, and it will make just as much sense

1) damp kinda dark and smells of leaves and greenery with little rays of sun shining into it. So I guess my life is dull but with some good stuff(thou I hate the sun it burns)
2) paved path obviously, no point in hurting my feet if I can help it
3)Its a mug and its empty with leaves (never had a relationship nor a crush so that's pretty appropriate).
4) a clean stream. I use the mug from the last question to get water out of it to drink and play with it with my hands and watch fishes. I'm not sure what's that supposed to mean
5)Brown, big and scary and I freeze and then run as fast I can despite I know its a bad idea.
6) the wall is a boring brick wall and I just tap it to see what it feels like

Not so good at visualization in my mind But was fun

1. It's a cloudy day mid fall, which is my favorite season to hike. No annoying sun and heat, few people on the trails, no leaves on the trees. [I'm so dead inside ]

2. Unpaved path. I didn't come here to walk on concrete. Besides, the paved one probably leads out of the forest. [Seems that I like to make things difficult for myself. Probably true]

3. A dirty paper cup that probably someone left behind. I leave it there and plan to pick it up on the way back to put it in the thrash. [So this sounds like I'll deal with messy relationships later, maybe it'll go away in the meantime]

4. A shallow mountain spring with rocks that's crosses over the trail. I step on the rocks to cross to the other side and don't get my shoes wet. [Lol this is accurate]

5. A brown bear. It hasn't seen me so I backtrack carefully as a ready my pepper spray just in case. [Avoid problems but attack them with all you got when you don't have any other choice ]

6. The wall is part of some old ruins. I walk around it to have a better look of it. Ruins are always cool to explore. [Clinical depression and I have a long history, so yeah, I can see this analogy work out]

• Forest: The sun is setting--the sky is a dull blue at this point. As far as I can see, tall straight trees going up higher and higher--none of them have leaves, and their silhouettes cut black shapes in the sky. It's cold and chilly, and I fear it will get even colder.

  Seems that I'm pretty miserable throughout. Checks in.

• Paths: I walk on the paved one--I'm not wearing the right shoes, and I don't want to twist my ankles.

  Seems that I'm aware that I'm not capable of doing anything unique or cutting my own path. Because of that, I'd rather take the cowardly way and do whatever everyone else has done.

• Cup: It's a paper cup--it's damp, and there are brown spots on it, probably from the spilled coffee. Looking inside the cup, the remaining coffee accumulated around the edges, making a brown ring at the bottom. There are bits of mud stuck to the outside. I leave it there and continue walking.

  I'm always iffy about relationships, having never been in one. The thought of picking up the cup and just carrying it for a while struck me momentarily, but I decided to leave it there. Kind of checks in--I like the idea of having a girlfriend, but I have no idea how to go about the business. I'm not a desirable guy either, and I wouldn't be able to help them much in life.

• Water: The water is in a puddle--it's only slightly muddy, but definitely not drinkable. I keep going.

  I'm pretty sexually closed. I'd only ever do pp and vagen business with someone I trusted.

• Bear: It's a black bear. On all 4s, it's only 3/4 of my height, but I know that standing up, it would tower over me. I stay still and pretend to be one of the trees.

  I'm a coward and would rather submit instead of finding other creative solutions to deal with things.

• Wall: The wall is off-white in colour. It extends left and right as far as I can see, and it's twice my height. There are no seams or cracks in it--just a blank slate. I would attempt climbing a tree and hopping over, however if this doesn't work, I walk either left or right until I find the end of it.

  I seem to work through it, but the whole thing is still a mystery to me.

Post-mortem:

I should get help.

Lol i screwed myself over by accidentically reading the solutions first before doing the test rip

@burginlewis - What an interesting concept! Based on the solutions presented, it made me think a little more deeply about where I am in my life right now. I think the interpretation is the part that actually reflects my personality, but it's interesting exploring the tools I gave myself to work with in the scenario below.

I am surrounded by massive trees. Some are rough, twisted and dark while others are tall and slender reaching toward the sunlight in the gaps. The air is moist and the ground is mossy and soft, but not muddy. When I reach a paved road, I turn back to find a less traveled trail. I want to enjoy the isolation as I imagine that at any moment a ghostly, ancient being might step from behind a tree and offer me great wisdom.

There is a tiny pool of water in a stone crevice, fed by condensation dripping off the cliff above. I use my hands to scoop up the water since I'm thirsty after the hike. Even if I did find a random cup in the woods, I wouldn't use it. Who knows where it's been?

Hearing a rustling sound behind me, I turn to see a grey rabbit hopping off into the brush. As I push through the brush I find myself standing at the top of a chasm carved by a waterfall a little further on. There's a black bear drinking from the pool at the base of the falls. Staying out of sight, I watch as it waddles off into the woods, thankful it wasn't too close for comfort. As the bear clambers up the hill across from me and disappears into the trees, I realize that I'm hiding behind the wall of an ancient ruin.

I explore the foundations, appreciating the sense of history while observing the simple rectangle of mossy stones. Long ago it must have been a sturdy, stone cottage for some woodsman. Sitting with my back against the wall, I imagine what his life was like as I watch the waterfall shimmer in the sunlight.

My favorite part was actually the question of death. For me it's just a step into a new life, so to speak. I don't think of it as tragic or dreadful, but rather a piece of history that contributes meaning to the present. What once existed may fade and crumble or even forgotten. Yet, that influence remains. Even if I no longer know the full experience of a specific life the fact that it existed at all is still a solid reminder that life is meant to be lived.

My office does meditation, and I'm terrible of thinking of nothing, so I do a lot of 'visualizing walks'

1) The forest is so deep I can barely breath. The little light that makes it through is a deep green, cut with little dancing lights. They aren't fireflies, they're the gold lights I see when passing out. There isn't anything else in the forest. The mossy ground is soft on my bare feet and muffles my steps.

2) In real life, I'd take the paved path, especially in bare feet, but here there aren't sharp objects or insects I might step on. My joints don't hurt. And paved paths don't really belong here, so it's safest to stay on the path that belongs.

3) The cup rests by a small pool in the moss, more of a puddle really. It's a chipped drinking mug. Again, best not to drink. It's probably part of somebody else's story, and it's best not to touch things in dreams that aren't meant for you.

4) The water is a river, a small stream. It feels too loud, not muffled enough. I consider dipping my feet in, but I don't want to muddy the water, and being wet will only get me muddier. Instead, I kneel to take a drink of cold water. I guess steams are safer than puddles, and no water tastes better than cold mountain runoff.

5) I only ever go to the same places, and it's only me and one other thing here, so I greet it. It probably won't stay a bear long. It's been a human, a snake, a shadow, but it always becomes a dog eventually. I ask it why it's a bear. It asks me why I'm a person. This is my mind. I could be anything, and I've never liked my form. Why keep it.
I try to think of myself as something else. This morning I was a flame whose tongues became butterflies at their peaks, but I'm too busy to lose myself, so I am a person.
And I tell it I can't talk now because others can read this.

6) The stone wall is an old castle wall. Specifically, the one I saw when I visited where my parents used to live in Scotland. It was odd to me because not much is old where I'm from besides the occasional tepee circle and it feels so strange and magic to have a castle with no tours, no plaques, a whole castle and it's allowed to be left in the mundane.

Solution - I really want to visit that old mausoleum nearby. It's so lovely and quiet and it's good to spend time in strange and quiet places sometime. Also the stained glass if pretty as heck and I want to show somebody.

Also, this text reveals that, though I sound pretentious normally, my stream of consciousness is even worse. Sorry I'm like this.

Hahaha that moment when I'm so distrustful that I didn't even give the test a chance. I expected it to be one of those "upon reading this last sentence, you just invited demons to your dreams and an angry ghost will eat your ass by the morning! Congrats!" type of prank rituals so i just skipped right to reading the solution part...