You give chase through the boggy landscape, bounding over dead trees and murky water. It was a child, and she runs much faster than someone her age ought to be able to. Even the most nimble amongst you struggle to keep pace with her, but you are not about to give up. Enough lives have already been lost to whatever hellish thing possesses the village and its children. You will not let it have another.

A firm patch of land offers you sturdy ground as you break into a full sprint, hoping your long strides will help close the gap. You spot the child as she begins to climb a mossy tree, and lunge for her before she ascends out of reach. As your hand takes hold of her arm she turns her innocent blue eyes toward you and vanishes.

The chase has taken you far from The Wire Road, though the distance back to it feels far shorter knowing you have another child in hand.