2. Horns of a Dilemma

Amy makes her way further along the dark path. Here the trees seem more twisted, and some almost look like they have distorted human faces. Swallowing her fear, Amy makes her way along until finally her flashlight beam shines on something… moist? Amy gingerly steps onto the wet ground ahead of her, only to find her foot absorbed up to the ankle. She quickly pulls it back out onto solid ground. Looks like quicksand. She begins looking for a path around the mess. To the right is a solid mass of undergrowth. To the left, a large, twisted tree.

“Hello, there.”

Amy leaps backwards in surprise. The deep, baritone voice seemed to come from the tree… but how could it have?

“Surprised?”

After a moment, Amy finds her voice, “V-very. I’ve never met a talking tree before.”

“And I have never met a human as pretty as you. Although there was another one not too long ago who came close…”

“Shannon! Did Shannon come this way?”

“That sounds like a familiar name. Why not come closer and I’ll tell you all about her?”

Amy hesitates. Is this strange creature something she can trust?

What should Amy do next?

Wade into the quicksand

Chat with the tree

Head back the way she came