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There were several different paths that wound their way in the forest. Perhaps at one time there were a select few, but with time and curious students these paths branched out again and again until paths looked like nothing more than the forest floor itself.

What peace the wilds of the forest brought were completely and utterly wrecked when the brushes crashed and snapped with sound as something charged through the foliage. Sammy could catch a flash of black and blue as something ran across the path in front of her before the creature took a flying leap and began to claw its way up a nearby tree.

Bark crunched and splintered beneath the beast's claws as it scrambled to a high position. As Sammy called out to it the beast stilled, its head craning back, back, back until its neck was at a 90-degree angle. But it continued back until it could peer upside-down at Sammy down its long muzzle.

Its neck seemed to stretch out, twisting and turning until it was right-side up. The creature's body seemed to quiver and shift as it was made out of clay. Its limbs twisted and turned, shifting silently before it finally arranged itself on a limb. The creature stared down at Sammy, his voice a low hissing growl. "W̴h̷at̢ ͜d͘o҉ ̕y̢o͏u w͘ant?͞"

The question was met with silence. The creature's rune-blue eyes glimmered as it studied the undead ghoul. "W̢hat mat͡te̛r ͏o͠f use ̕i̕s͠ ҉a ҉n҉am͝e when͝ it wíll a͞l̷l b͜e͢ ̨fo̶r͟gótt̷e͝n͠?̢" It questioned, "Y͘o̕ưr exis͟t͞e͞n͡ce he̶r̀e ̷is̷ ́me̕r̀e̢ly̵ br̨i͢e͘f, f̵or̸ ͟eve͢n ͏wh̕ile͠ ̢t͏h͠e҉ ̷und̶e͢a̛d ͢h͡av̕e a seco͝nd́ ̛c̷ha̧ņce ̨noné r̵eme̡mbe̡r ҉thei̵r ͏first. ͠ ̷W͘ha͠t ҉u̵se҉ ̕i͞s͜ ̢a ͝na̴me̛ wh͜en͟ ìt̴ wi̢ll̴ all ̛b̀e҉ ̧f͏o̴r̛ not,͘ w̵h͜eń ͏y̷ou y̕ourself ͠w̢i̛l͘l ̧be̷ un̡a̛b̡ĺe͝ ̧t͠o̕ ̷recog͢n̵iz̶e͜ ̶your ̷p̨ast ͏d͏eed̀s o͡f gl͝o̵r̸y͏ o̸r͘ s͡ham͜e? You f͢ri҉tt̵er ̀ąw̡a̵y͡ yo͠ur͢ ̷time, timé ̴tha͡t́ c͝ou̸ld ̨b̷e ̶b͜e̕t̨t̕er͢ s͡p̀e̸n̵t el̶sew̡hér̕e t̡h͘a̧n̡ in ái͞ml̴e̶s͜s͘ w̨ande͜ri͜ng.͟"

"Wh͟a͘t ̸a͏ fo̢òlish n̢otio̷n.̸ Ỳou n̶ee̸d ̀a n̵a͢m͘e ҉t͘o͟ k̡nów͘ who͏ or w͡h͠at̡ yo͡u҉ a͝re?̸ ͝ Your̶ s̢e̕n͡ses ar̴e ̶sore̴lỳ ̷lac҉ki͡ng. A͢nd͝ ̸y̸et,̴ th҉at ̶c͢an̛ ͘be ̨expe͜cted́ ͡f͠o̸r ͡oǹe͜ ̸of ̡the͝ w̛a͟lki̶n̷g̡ ͝d̢ead." The grin it gave (if it could be assumed to be a grin in the first place) was wide as it snickered at the joke.

The hissing, snipping laughter continued as the creature answered Sammy's question. "I ͡ám ̧here͡ ̡i͘ń ͠these҉ ́wo҉od͟s b́e͝c͏a̴u̡s͜e͝ i̕t͡ ̴p͘le͞ase̴s̢ m͢e̸ ̡t͝o be ͡h͟e͠re͜ and n̡o̴t ͟t҉here. ̕ Wh̀a̸t I͝ do a͏nd̶ wh̨aţ ͞I͏ ̴p͟l̸ea҉se to͜ ͘d̸o̶ ̴i͘s ńo̕n̕e of yoųr ̡con͝c͢e͘r͞ņ, ̶li͘ttl͞e͞ d̨e҉ad́ g̴h̕ou̴l̷. T̶he ̕be̸tt̛er͠ quesţi̛o͏n ̵i͞s ͘why ̨h̨a̕ve͜n'̛t͡ you̧ d̕one ́ąnyth͟i̛n̕g͜ y̡e̕t?"

"A̴h, b͏u̸t͏ ̀whil̀e̶ you wande͝r̶ ͠th͝e ̷w͠ild́e̢rnés̶s͞ ́o̵f͝ ̀t͘houg̀ht ͟I͞ ̧st̡rive̢ t͢o ḩu͡n̨t̡ ͜iń ͠re͞aļįt͟y̢,̕" it countered. Its form seemed to shift as it bunched itself up, readying to take a leap. "I͝t͢ i͠s̛ t͠h̛e str̛on҉g that̨ pr̸ov͠e̸ t̛hèm̡s͏el̵ve̴s̶,̀ w҉hethe͘r ̶foŗ w̵i̕s͏d̀o͢m̕ ҉o̵r fool̕i͟s̷h͡n̷es̴s ͝i̕t wi̛l͜l a͘l͏wa̡ys͢ ͞b̛e ͠the̴ m͜e̡e҉k le̛ft͏ to̷ won̛d͝e̴r.̢ ͡ O͏r ̕perḩa͡ps, w̵i͡l҉l t̛h͢ey̶ b̶e̸ ͘l̡èf͝t ̡to͟ ͘w͜and͏er͟ ͜li͘ḱȩ you?͢"

"Áf̶t̀er͢ ́a̡l͞l,̀" it continued, "Unl̕i͘fe or ͟nǫt, l͝íf̵e itself͏ ͢is͡ eit҉her á d̛arin̶g͞ a̴dv̶enture̕ o҉r no͘thi̷ng͟ at͡ ̸a̡ll." The creature jumped, large wispy wings made out of curling smoke unfurled from its sides and snapped open briefly before angling. The black streak that was the creature shot over Sammy's head to land noisily in the bush behind her before it took off running. Now the question of whether or not the ghoul would follow...

The wings dissipated, fading away and twisting into faint wisps as the creature ran. Only the trees were spared from its rampant charge. All forms of foliage from shrugs to bushes were trampled beneath its paws as it left a clear trail of broken branches in its wake.

At last it stopped, form shifting slightly as it sniffed the air. Long tendrils of black Insanity curled out from its shoulders, wavering and reaching out as if to grab something invisible from the air.

Something hit Sammy from behind. The force was enough to knock the ghoul to the ground before she was forcefully rolled aside and into the foliage. "You stupid ghoul!" Red hissed, her fangs bared. "Stay the Jack down! You're going to blow it!"

The professor rolled off of the ghoul, keeping herself against the ground as she peered through the bushes. If Sammy looked, the Insanity figure she had been following earlier was now gone.