No, you insist. Either he shows you the way out now, or you'll find it yourself.

The man looks about nervously. But I don't understand, he says, it comes for you all in

the end. Why put up a fight? What does, you ask? What do you mean? Do you have any idea

how many of you have come through here over the years? All lost, all desperate to escape.

Just look around you. And now you see it. Every little limb protruding from the ground, the

mosaic of screaming children's faces, set into the bark of every tree, and the countless

number of bleached bone shards scattered across the forest floor. This whole place is a graveyard.

And then again comes that sickening, screeching noise. Wait, he says, as you turn to run, if

you want any chance of getting away, you'll need these. He pulls a blue silk scarf and

anornate wooden comb from his satchel and hands them to you. When it gets close, throw

down this scarf, and in its place, a great river will emerge over which it will struggle

to cross. Then, with some distance between you, throw down this comb, and a vast bramble forest

will grow to stand in its way. Head that way, he says, pointing out at the forest, and

do not look back, no matter what. Now, quick, he says, suddenly gripped by pain, as blood

begins streaming from his eyes, and his skin begins to rupture and tear in fleshy pieces

from his face. From behind him, distant trees begin to bend and park. Something is flying

towards you through the air. It's coming, run! And then you turn, sprinting as fast as

you can, trying to shut out the sound of his screams that are soon drowned by that relentless

terrifying screech. And now you are tearing through the trees, leaping everything that

gets in your way as the sound gets nearer and nearer until finally you release the scarf.

The moment it hits the ground, there is a mighty rumble as the earth shakes, nearly knocking

you from your feet. But you press on, not looking back as the ground is ripped apart, as

...