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Toby’s skin chilled as the forest rose and twisted around him. It was unclear whether the ground was really shifting or whether it was all part of the illusion. What was certain was that, as the trees grew monstrous, they sponged all sense of hope from the air.
Muffled noise hit him and the dark danced with hidden monsters. The singing lulled to a murmur. A faint voice somewhere in the distance – Clara’s perhaps – ordered people to keep going. But even that sounded weary.
Toby joined in with the singing, hoping it might help, and began wading through shrubs towards the other voices. Even so, he felt the trees sending him in the wrong direction, whispering to his addled mind.
On a normal day, it would only take minutes to cross the grounds but the trees made a huge difference. Light
