When my dog ran off into the woods during one of our walks, I knew I couldn’t chase after her right away. Everyone in our town knew that the woods weren’t empty. There was something in there, and especially the older residents insisted that it was people. Or at least something akin to people. They called them the tribe.
I never fully embraced these beliefs, but I still acted according to them. There were just too many things off about the woods for the tribe to be nothing but an old legend. The fact that everyone was utterly convinced the tribe was real in itself was cause for concern. I’d never heard of anybody venturing into the forest, not even to prove the saying wrong. There was nobody working there either, despite the area being so huge. If the woods were normal, chances are there’d be foresters and woodcutters or maybe even hunters in there; that’s what I figured.
Our pets usually stayed far away from the treeline as well. At that point, I had no idea why Chips, my dog, had gone off there in the first place. She had never shown any interest in the woods and had even seemed apprehensive about getting too close to them. That’s why I always thought it safe to walk alongside the treeline–I was sure she’d never leave my side. Her tearing the leash from my hands and dashing off into the thicket that day had happened completely unexpectedly.
At least I knew who to go to for advice. There’s this guy named Duncan. He’s very old, maybe even the oldest man in the entire town, and definitely the most knowledgeable. He hangs out at a small pub most of the time, so I was sure I’d find him there. I got on my way as fast as I could. When I arrived at the bar, I needed to stop for a moment to catch my breath before looking around inside. The interior was dark in its colors, the wood of the floor and the counter as well as the tables being of a warm, deep brown. The lights were just bright enough for me to easily spot the man I’d been looking for over in one of the corner tables.
There weren’t a lot of other people inside the pub at the time. Duncan lifted his head in mild surprise when he noticed me approaching. We weren’t total strangers; in a town as small as ours basically everyone knew each other.
“Hello,” I gasped. He lifted his glass to me with a lazy smile of greeting but didn’t say anything. “I need to go into the woods. My dog ran off…”
He gave me a nod as if to tell me to say no more. He went straight to business. “First off, go in there by yourself. They don’t take kindly to groups and noise. And be respectful to those you meet inside.” He lowered his head slightly. “You know, they don’t refrain from leaving those woods because they don’t want to.”
“Does that mean they’re trapped there or something?”
“Not trapped. The woods are their home, and this is ours. And we’ve forbidden them from entering ours. That’s why they don’t come out.” Duncan looked me over, his brows creased almost like he was trying to figure out if I’d understood the gravity of the situation. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded and went on.
“The woods are big. Easy to get lost in. There’s a single path through. It leads into the woods and it’ll lead you back out. You’re safe there. Follow it and you won’t get lost.” Duncan gave me a few seconds to let everything sink in before continuing once more. “You don’t wanna give anyone in there your real name. Names are taboo. Knowing your name will give them power over you, to be used in our world.”
His wording was ominously cryptic. “What do you mean by that?” I asked.
“It means you won’t be able to get rid of them.” He sighed. “Nevermind, just don’t let it come to that. Make up a nickname or something and expect them to do the same–they’re very careful with that kind of thing. That’s easy enough to remember, I’d say. You’ll eventually come across the people in there and you’re gonna have to talk to them. There’s no way around it. I don’t want to scare you, but the further you proceed into those woods, the crazier the ones you’re gonna meet will be.”
Noticing my unease, Duncan gave me a quick smile. “It’ll be okay. Just hurry, get in and out quickly and avoid the deeper parts if you can. If you stay for too long, the people there and the woods themselves are gonna start messing with your head. It’s tricky, everything’s different in there, space, time even… just keep that in mind. The whole place is gonna want to screw you over.” He let out a husky laugh, though I wasn’t sure what he thought was funny.
I stood up, thanking him profusely. I couldn’t waste any more time. I hoped Chips hadn’t gone deeper into the woods in the meantime. I was prepared well enough as I was. I still had all of my dog-walking supplies in my pockets; treats for Chips, pepper spray and handkerchiefs. In case it’d be dark, I’d have to make due with the flashlight on my phone, but that was alright. I headed straight for the woods. I knew where to find the path; I’d walked by it before. Actually stepping onto it however felt quite different.
There was a strong sense of unease within me all of a sudden. I was barely two steps past the treeline and already I felt like I was in a whole other world. Maybe it was all the expectation; the anxiety built by Duncan’s instructions, but when I turned to glance behind me, back outside… it looked so far away.
The trail was just wide enough for me to stand on. The feeling of dread grew stronger the further I went. The trees around me stood tall and imposing, and in some places their leaves were so lush I couldn’t see the sky above. I tried to calm my mind by listening to my surroundings. They say the sounds of nature are the most soothing there are, but somehow, the singing of the birds and the quiet chirping of insects around me only added to my discomfort. Suddenly, there was something else; the sound of water trickling down and hitting the soft forest floor.
Slightly startled, I glanced around frantically only to find the source just a few meters ahead of me. It was a man. His back was turned to me and he was facing the tree in front of him. He probably hadn’t noticed me yet, so I turned to look away and nervously cleared my throat.
“Yeah, I know you’re there. Give me a second, will you? Kinda… busy here.”
“Oh. I’m sorry,” I stammered, feeling my cheeks heat up.
“It’s fine.” The sound of the liquid running ceased and after two more seconds, I dared to turn around to him. I don’t know what I’d been expecting but he wasn’t it. I looked him over as discreetly as I could. He was short, about my height and of about the same age as me too. His clothes were fairly normal as well. Jeans, boots and a white flannel shirt, the latter of which just a bit too baggy to flatter his slight frame. His dark, overgrown hair and the stubble on his face made him look a bit unkempt.
“Nice to meet you,” I said slowly. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you something. I hope it’s not–”
“Don’t talk fancy with me, it makes me wanna puke.”
“Got it,” I muttered, a bit embarrassed. That had been clear enough though. “Say, do you… live here? You don’t look like–”
“I do though. So?”
“I’m looking for my dog. She’s white with black speckles, pretty big…” I held my hand up to my hip to indicate her height.
“I haven’t seen her,” he replied. “And pets don’t run in here for no reason.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe someone lured it away without you noticing. We can do stuff like that, you know. I’d watch my back if I were you.”
I swallowed, holding his gaze. “I appreciate the advice,” I finally said. “I’ll be on my way.”
The man in the white shirt gave me an indifferent shrug. “Take care, I guess.”
I turned to leave with a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. Glancing back over my shoulder, I found that the man was gone. Unnerved, I stuck to the path, focusing on looking around without leaving it. I called out for Chips every other minute, hesitant to alert anyone yet hopeful to spot my dog come running towards me from somewhere in the underbrush. No such luck.
I did gain someone else’s attention though.
She appeared right ahead of me, just a few feet off to the side from the path; an elderly woman with long gray hair and a wrinkled face. She was wearing a long, dirty dress that had probably been white at one point. She stood unmoving, even as I kept approaching.
I cleared my throat. “Hello,” I called out, stopping in my tracks. I didn’t want to get too close to her. She didn’t answer. “Excuse me, have you seen a dog come through?” I shouted.
The woman slowly started walking towards me. Her steps were lumbering and heavy. Her head lowered, her hair fell down to cover her face like a stringy, torn-up veil. Despite her sluggish movements, I was beginning to grow nervous. Something about the way she was stalking towards me made me feel like I was prey about to be lunged at. Not wanting to show my fear, I cautiously backed away.
“Don’t come any closer,” I told her in the most commanding voice I could muster. I reached into my pocket, fumbling for the small can of pepper spray. I had no idea if I’d be able to defend myself with it at all but I figured it’d be better than nothing. “Please,” I said. “I’m not here to hurt you.”
The old woman extended her hand to touch my face. Her nails were long, sharp and cracked; they looked almost like claws. I didn’t dare to move when she ran them through my hair. Her dull eyes staring into mine, I held my breath. What was I supposed to do? Shove her away? I didn’t want to risk provoking her. Then, suddenly, she grasped for my throat. I was just fast enough to duck and avoid her twisted, bony fingers. I dashed forward and took off running. My feet drumming on the soft dirt ground, I blindly raced ahead. I felt the can of pepper spray fall out of my open pocket, but I didn’t stop to pick it up. Risking a glance over my shoulder, I saw her lumbering after me. She was not very fast though, and I noticed she never once set foot on the path. It was like she needed to stay off it for some reason. Still, that didn’t mean she couldn’t hurt me.
There was a low thud behind me. I staggered to a halt and turned to find that the old woman was lying on the ground, next to her a small rock. It must have hit her on the head; it had obviously caused her to tumble. Despite that, she was already pulling herself back up, and I took off down the trail again. At least this would help me lose her. I kept running until my sides were burning with pain and the sweat from my forehead was dripping down my neck. It was only when I was absolutely sure she wasn’t behind me anymore that I finally slowed down. I dropped to my knees.
My throat was sore and dry. Taking deep breaths, I sucked in the cool fresh air. I was quietly muttering phrases of reassurance to myself, mixed with the occasional swear word. Suddenly, I heard someone clear their throat. I spun around only to find the man in the white shirt from before standing behind me. He looked rather pleased with himself.
“Did you throw that rock?”
“I did.”
“Thank you so much, I–”
He silenced me with a dismissive wave of his hand, but he was smiling still. “I bet she’s more like what you were expecting to see here.” He laughed and shook his head. “Look, I don’t really get why you’re chasing after that mutt, but for what it’s worth, I’m sure it’s gonna be interesting to watch. If you’ll allow it, I’d like to come along. That’d be… mutually beneficial, right? I’m not saying I’ll carry you around or anything, but I’d make myself useful, help you out a bit.” He drew out his words, leaving them to linger in the air.
I didn’t need to think about the offer very long. “Yes, please.”
He allowed his smile to widen, looking excited as he wiped his hands on his pants. “This should be fun.”
“Plenty,” I muttered. “Hey, uh… I know real names are taboo but–”
“About that. I overheard two kids walk along the treeline talking a while ago… one was telling this story about someone named Tam Lin. It’s too long to tell you all about it.” He almost sounded embarrassed. “But I liked the story so… that’s what I’d like for you to call me. Tam Lin.”
Tam Lin saved me the effort of making up a name of my own seeing as he simply began calling me Janet. I had little say in it but I figured complaining wouldn’t help.
“Who was that woman? What did she want?” I eventually asked him. We had been walking for a while, me on the path and him beside it.
“Who can say? I don’t know her personally. We’re not like one big family here,” he began. “Maybe she wanted to eat you. Or maybe she was lonely and wanted company but didn’t know how to go about it.”
“Are there more like her?”
“Yes. There’s always more. On the plus side, it’s rare to come across the aggressive ones. I don’t even know what she was doing so close to the path. The likes of her usually stay in hiding.”
“Right, the path. Why don’t you walk on it?”
“Because your people put it there,” he replied, seemingly thinking this a valid explanation. “It’s not our ground to tread on.”
Tam wasn’t uncommunicative. He asked me a lot of things about myself, my everyday life and even my dog. I tried to tell him as much as I could without giving anything away that I shouldn’t. He didn’t like talking about the woods though and I suspected he was tired of the topic. It would turn out he was quite the skilled guide. Sometimes, we’d hear odd noises ahead, like shouting or chanting and he’d make us stay in place until they’d faded into the distance. He could sense when there was somebody ahead we needed to be wary of and told me when it was safe to call for Chips and when to stay silent. Tam himself would occasionally stray from my side and go deeper into the woods in search of the dog so I wouldn’t have to leave the path.
I watched the sun set through the canopy of leaves above. We hadn’t come across anyone else and there was no trace of Chips. I was tired and my feet were starting to hurt. I couldn’t believe that the woods were too big to comb through in an entire day; I had never imagined them to be this huge. I thought about calling my parents but, not wanting to worry them, I decided against it. I lived next door to them, in a much tinier house that also belonged to us. They wouldn’t notice my absence for the time being.
The forest floor was soft, but still quite unpleasant to sleep on. Tam was obviously completely unfazed by the prospect of resting on the bare ground but he didn’t give me grief for being squeamish. The uncomfort was one thing, but what was worse was that I felt utterly exposed. I spent the night wide-awake, restless and afraid. Nothing happened though. When Tam woke up, it was still dark. There was no reason to keep lying around so we moved on. I saw the sun rise overhead.
We kept calling out for Chips but still came up with nothing. Remembering what Duncan had said about the more dangerous inhabitants of the woods living further in the back, I asked Tam if it was true. “I guess,” he replied curtly. It made me think. I wasn’t feeling well and there was no trace of Chips. The further we’d go in, the more threats there’d be on the way. Was my dog even alive anymore? Maybe, I thought, just maybe it’d be better for me to simply go back.
I’m pretty sure Tam knew what I was thinking. He did his best to encourage me, probably afraid to lose his temporary source of entertainment this early on. “Hey, you can do this! I’ll keep you safe, okay? Do you need anything? I know where to get you food and water if that’s what you want.”
Water. I had all but forgotten about how thirsty I was. Duncan had told me not to eat or drink here but he’d also said that if I had to, I could. What other solution was there anyways? Tam assured me that the water was clean and safe to consume; he said he’d fetch it from a nearby creek. He offered to take me with him but I told him I’d rather stay on the path, otherwise we’d end up lost.
A lump in my throat, I watched him walk off. I wasn’t thrilled about being on my own, but I knew I was safe on the path. I tried to curl up in the middle of it, hoping to hide myself or at least keep my head low. I felt like an idiot and it wasn’t too effective either. My stomach dropped when I suddenly heard multiple sets of footsteps up ahead. The unmistakable crunching of leaves and snapping of twigs came closer and closer and I nervously stared off into the direction they were coming from.
Soon enough, I spotted four figures appearing from behind a bunch of hedges. Noticing they were drawing closer, I staggered to my feet. It looked to be three women and a man, all of them dressed in rags rather than actual clothing. Carefully staying beside the trail, they slowly walked up to me. The one that came closest first was one of the women. She was tall, almost unnaturally so, her hair was tousled and reached all the way down to her hip. Her face was covered in a mix of scars and slowly healing open wounds, as though something or someone had scratched and cut it up. The skin around the cuts was frayed and dirty.
“Hello.”
Her tone was almost cordial, but there was something about her voice that threw me off. It didn’t sound as though speech came natural to her, more like she was mimicking a noise she’d heard before without understanding the meaning of the word. It was simply off. I returned her greeting, eyes downcast as the other three stepped up to me as well.
“Are you here on your own?” the woman asked.
“No. I have someone with me, he’ll be back soon.”
“Ah. Where did he go?” She didn’t sound like she believed me.
“To get water,” I muttered.
“So he’s from the woods?”
“Yes.” I finally dared to meet her gaze. Her eyes were too wide to look normal. I toyed with the idea of asking her about Chips and eventually pressed out the question, shifting my weight from one foot to another uncomfortably.
“That dog is yours? Oh, I’ve seen it.” Quiet chuckles rippled through the small group as they exchanged knowing glances. “I can show you where, but… you’d have to come with us, obviously.” She regarded me with a half-smile. I doubted she actually expected me to agree. I would have had to be pretty stupid to do so.
“Get back,” I told her firmly as she leaned in to sniff my shoulder. She straightened up again. Then one of her companions reached out and before I knew it, she had pushed me and I staggered, landing on my behind on the ground beside the path. Before I could get up again, the tall woman grabbed me by the back of my neck and lifted me to my feet. “See? Now we’re on the same page, not that bad, is it?” she hissed softly, that alligator-like smirk still on her chapped, thin lips.
“Let go of me,” I growled, suppressing the fear in my voice as I struggled and eventually managed to tear out of her grasp, her nails leaving painful marks on my skin. I couldn’t get back on the path in time though as the man from the group had moved in front of me, blocking it off. I stumbled away from him and the tall lady while the other two quickly stepped over the trail to join us on our side.
“It’s been a while since I last talked to one of your people,” the giant woman said, slowly proceeding towards me. “See my face?” she went on, tilting her head. “That was one of you guys. Now, I doubt there’s any relation between you and him, but I’m sure you understand my wish to… compensate.”
I didn’t care to find out how exactly she wanted to do that. I hastily took off in the opposite direction, praying the head start would allow me to shake them off. I could already hear them starting to run after me. In-between gasps for air, I screamed for Tam Lin in the vain hope that he was somewhere nearby. I tried to keep my pace, chasing off birds and critters alike as my leaps slowly turned into lumbering, faltering hops. Like a pack of wolves, the group was still on my heels, and they were catching up, tiring me out. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the tall woman leading her hunting party, a triumphant leer already on her face, when all of a sudden, a figure burst out from the underbrush and lunged at her from the side.
The lady was too surprised to react and before I could blink, the other person had thrown her to the ground. I could see them clearly now and my chest grew light with relief when I recognized Tam Lin. Crouching on the larger woman’s chest, he dug his fingers into her face, grabbing onto the flayed edges of her wounded skin and starting to pull. Her scream was bloodcurdling, an ear-piercing wail of agony. Her three companions had stopped in their tracks, staring at the scene in shock but not doing anything to stop it. After just a few seconds, Tam got up, in his hand a small, red patch of torn skin which he dropped to the ground as he backed off.
What followed was an awkward display. The woman staggered to her feet as we stood and stared. The pack looked back at us in stunned silence. They were first to turn and leave though and it was only when we couldn’t see them anymore that I dared to turn and face Tam Lin.
“You left the path,” he said, sounding soberly astounded rather than angry. I couldn’t speak, my throat sore from all the screaming. Still close to tears, I nodded quietly. Tam swallowed. He looked uneasy, but managed to give me a smile. “It’s okay, we’ll find it again. We’ll just… we need to get you water first anyways… I found the creek, it’s just a little bit ahead. Let’s go there first and then we’ll look for the trail.”
I nodded again, following him once more as he led me through the trampled-down bushes he’d emerged from. The creek was nice and clear, completely undisturbed in its route through the forest. I didn’t bother looking for any sort of cup, I simply dropped to my knees and began to shovel the water into my mouth with both hands. Before long, I dipped my head into it, greedily sucking it up as Tam stood and watched. Once I was full, I let out a deep, content sigh and plopped down in the tall grass. I had forgotten how thirsty I’d been this whole time. We stayed for only a few minutes before making our way back to the path. And that’s when disaster struck.
There’s no way to talk around it. We couldn’t find it anymore. We searched all of the surrounding terrain, trying to spot it in the thicket, but to no avail. By the time the sun set, I was starting to panic. I took out my phone, hoping to find a map of this place and perhaps call my parents, only to find that the battery had died. It was completely useless. Night fell and we had to stop and get some rest. Then sunrise came again and we moved on. This cycle would repeat itself four times before I lost hope. I still remember the exact moment I realized it was futile. There was no way out anymore. The woods had swallowed it. I was trapped.
It took me a long time to accept my fate. I cried for two entire days. Tam Lin tried to console me, but despite his good intentions, he failed. I’d never see my parents again. I’d never find myself in the comforts of my home. After these two days however, things changed. I grew melancholy, then oddly content. The woods have an eerily soothing effect on those that it captures; that’s the only way I can explain it. I kept looking for Chips, hoping to at least reunite with her one day. We asked everyone we met on our journeys through these endless woods. That’s another weird thing; it didn’t feel like I was an outsider anymore. The tribespeople, however bizarre and intimidating they’d seem, would treat me as one of their own. I wasn’t being hunted anymore.
I got used to sleeping on the cold ground, I even began to appreciate it. Whenever I’d rest my head on it, I felt as though I was listening to the earth’s heartbeat. Tam Lin and I would sleep side by side like we had during my first night here. Then we moved closer to one another. Then even closer still. I became accustomed to the warmth of his breath on my neck. It was a soft, comforting feeling, him holding my hand and pressing his cheek to mine. One day, he uttered his true name to me and I told him my own. I would rarely feel hunger or thirst anymore, and on the few occasions that I did, the woods would feed me. I think I must have forgotten why I’d gone down that path in the first place. I forgot who I was and what life outside had been like. I even forgot about Chips.
I kept on counting the days though, even though I’d forgotten why. Nine hundred and eighty-eight. That’s how many sunrises passed until the day I woke up to barking. I hadn’t heard any sounds like it in so long I couldn’t even place it at first. My eyes adjusting to the bright sunlight, I could make out something large and dark right above me. When it came down to touch my face, I found it to be wet and warm. A snout…? By the time a large, pink tongue came out of it and started to lick the length of my cheek, I was certain. And then it all came back to me. It was my sweet, giant puppy. Her collar was still around her neck, the leash attached to it dirty and caked with mud as it had been dragging behind her all this time.
I stared at her for a minute straight before I dared to reach out and touch her, afraid I would find her to be an illusion or some sort of fever dream. My hands met with matted fur and warm skin underneath. I grabbed her, pulled her onto my lap and hugged her tightly. I couldn’t believe it. All memory of her had been erased from my mind, for all I knew she could have died in those woods months ago, but there she was. Tam looked on in disbelief. Chips began to hop around, looking excited. She ran ahead for a bit and then returned, almost like she wanted to show me something. I rushed after her and Tam followed.
Chips led us through the tall grass and hedges in a weird, bendy route that made me wonder where we were going to end up. We wandered around for almost an entire day before finding ourselves in a spot that looked faintly familiar to me. It’s hard to remember details of a place where there is nothing but greenery, but I knew I’d been there before. And then I saw it. The narrow little dirt path.
I was going to get home. After all this time, I hadn’t even thought of it as possible. My desire to return to my former life was greater than ever, and I was finally hopeful again. I picked up Chips’ leash and grabbed Tam by the hand, dragging him along with me as I took up running. I didn’t stop, not even when I was starting to get tired. Finally I saw light up ahead, brighter than the sunlight I’d seen filtered through the leaves. It was the end of the path, the exit. I slowed down, my breathing ragged and strained. Chips nudged my arm with her head and I turned to look back at Tam.
“So you’re leaving,” he said. “Honestly, I didn’t think you would. Ever.”
“Me neither,” I admitted. I squeezed his hand before letting go of it. He nodded slowly and reached up to scratch the back of his neck. “I won’t lie, with you gone, there’s no reason for me to stay any longer either,” he muttered. “I thought you’d stay here with me, see? I was happy when we were all by ourselves. I could have left already when you told me your name, but I didn’t want to, I… well, it doesn’t matter anymore, does it.”
I stared at him with wide eyes, unable to comprehend what he was saying. He just smiled, walking ahead of me towards the exit. It was only then that I noticed he was walking on the path, just like me. He’d been right behind me this entire time and I hadn’t even realized it. Now standing by the edge of the forest, Tam motioned for me to follow. Still utterly confused, I hurried to join him. When we stepped outside the woods, the light was almost blinding. I blinked, but Tam stared up at the bright sky, completely unfazed.
“It feels so different here,” he breathed, lightly kicking the ground with his boot. “It’s not like I imagined but… it’s nice.” He turned to me with a curious expression. “Is it the way you remembered?”
I was too stunned to say a word. Tam tilted his head at me. “You don’t have to look so shocked. It was you who told me your name. That meant a lot to me, it still does. Knowing the name of one of your people… it makes us special. It means we can tread on your ground, that we can leave. Not my original goal. I just wanted your company. Before all this, I’d see you everytime you walked by the woods with that dog. I was always watching, and I kept wondering what you were like. I made up my little plan and it worked, as you can see.” He let out a soft chuckle. “I told you some of us are lonely so… I wasn’t completely dishonest with you. I even said that pets don’t run off there for no reason.”
Frowning, he added, “I don’t know how Chips found you again. I thought I’d lured her deep enough into the forest for her to never get back. Especially with her little doggy brain.”
It took me a little while to regain my ability to speak. “You can’t be serious.”
“I figured this would come as a surprise. I was never obvious about it. That’s why I didn’t come along with you right away either.” He gave me an almost sad smile. “Honestly, I feel bad about it, I really do. I know how much you wanted to go home. I was never going to use force to keep you in there, I just kept leading you away from the path once I got the chance. I messed with your head a little, didn’t let you see your way home. But it was the woods’ influence too.”
“What?”
“You said you could check the date on your phone. We’re outside, it’ll work now. Check.”
I reached into my pocket, fumbling for my cell phone only to find that I could actually turn it on. It was extremely low on battery, but it worked. A look at the date told me that exactly three days had passed since I’d last looked at it. “That’s impossible,” I breathed. “How… I counted the days…”
“That’s not my doing. It’s the woods’. They can make you think a few hours are months and that a week is an eternity. Humans come and go, and all experience that effect.”
My head swam and there was an odd ringing in my ears. I felt like I was going to pass out. “And you’re letting me go?” It was difficult finding and forming those words but I forced them through my trembling lips nonetheless.
“What else am I supposed to do? I don’t want to hurt you. I’m just gonna see what this side of the world has to offer. It wasn’t my initial plan but… I guess it could be worse. At least it’s a change. Do you know how boring it is to stay in the same place for decades? Centuries? We’ve been there for so long, no wonder some of us have gone insane over time. And when you’re in there, you keep seeing the ones outside, you people, and… well, you never think you’re gonna get out. Until you do, I guess.”
I stared at him with wide, incredulous eyes, my mouth agape. Tam Lin took my hand again, seemingly trying to look encouraging. I would have pulled away, had it not been for me being frozen in place. “I’m gonna be good, I promise,” he said softly, an almost child-like glee in his gaze. “I won’t hurt anybody here. I’ll make myself fit in just fine. Besides, things worked out for the one you call Duncan as well.”