I wander alone through the woods seemingly in circles. I can't seem to find a way out, even though I could swear I took the same route out as I did to enter. But somehow the exit is nowhere in sight. 

How is that possible? Perhaps I should have paid more attention when they were talking about what protects the territory. Could that be keeping me here? Maybe this is some sort of magic. Or maybe I'm just that blind and got myself lost? 

I shake my head at that thought. No, that is not possible. I was very careful. I paid attention when I entered. I know where I'm going. Or at least I should know. But it's like I'm in a maze. And there's no way out. 

Every tree looks the same. Every shadow. And I swear I've tripped over that same rock at least a dozen times already. 

I growl in frustration. The stress starting to make my blood boil a little. "How do I get out of this horrible place?" 

A laugh comes from the surrounding trees, echoing from all around me. I look around for the source. But there isn't one. How is that possible. 

"Show yourself!" I demand. Though I feel a little ridiculous shouting at nothing. 

The laugh echoes again. It even seems to bounce around my skull. "Child doesn't know the way out. Child doesn't know the secret. Should I tell her?" 

I look around once again for the source of the voice, but it's almost as though it is coming from the trees themselves. Is that even possible? "What are you talking about? What secret? Tell me how to get out!" I shout in frustration to the woods, seeing as I don't know where the voice is coming from. 

"There isn't a way out. Not for you." The seemingly disembodied voice mocks in a sing song tone. It echoes around the trees around me. 

I growl again. I turn on the spot, trying once again to pin point a source of the voice. And once again coming up empty. "If you aren't going to be helpful, then just leave!" I storm off. Or well away. There isn't really anywhere for me to go. Still, I can try. The laughter from the voice echoes even louder as I stomp away, mocking me. 

I strike out with renewed determination, fueled by spite.  It doesn't help. I just keep going around in circles. Again. Still, anything is better than listening to that annoying chatter. Continuing to follow the path in my head, though admittedly this plan is clearly not working, but what else can I do?

Then a possible solution hits me like a lightning strike. If going the right way isn't working, go the wrong way. Instead of going right, go left. It's worth a try, right? I mean left. Whatever. It all sounds a little Wonderland to me, but I have to try something to get out of this endless enchanted woods. I can feel my sanity slipping away the longer I am here. I need to get out. 

So I try this strategy the next time I'm supposed to take a turn. Instead of turning right like I was supposed to, I turn left. 

"Oh no," the voice chimes up again. "You'll never get out that way!" The mocking tone has a different undercurrent to it now. Could it be alarm? Or shock? Any possibility like that is good news for me. 

I smile. If they didn't like it, it must be a good idea. So I keep it up. Every right turns into a left. And every left turns into a right. And slowly but surely things start to stop looking the same. Finally I have hope of getting out of here again. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. 

Things start to become blurred and mists rise up from the ground and swirl around the trees. Then images begin to dance in the mists. Vague and difficult to make out at first, but eventually they start to take shape and solidify. 

I start to see haunting visions that make me question whether I am truly alone in these woods. Is that a shadow or a person? A puff of smoke or an animal? Was that noise the wind or something else? I can no longer tell the difference. Some of these images that appear are scenes that are designed to haunt me. I see my youngest brother laying on the ground, dead, and my other brother standing over him, looking at me accusingly. I see the barbarian of a pirate standing over me, her blade raised in triumph. I see so many images that I start to question whether or not they are actually real.

My mind is filled with the voices coming from the mists. They mock me. Call me names. Give voice to my insecurities and doubts. They taunt and torment me. Point out all my faults. They point out all the poor decisions I've made. They even accuse me of awful things. Some of them I know I have done, others I know I haven't. But they accusations sound so real and true I question whether my memory is accurate or the voices are. 

And then there are the most deceptive of all them. Some of the mist like shapes and voices are sweet and encouraging. They tell me what I want to hear and point me in a direction to take to get me to my goal. I get turned around twice as easily. 

The visions and voices coming from the mists confuse me so much I even start stumbling and running into trees, even tripping over rocks. Whoever designed this security system was a genius. And quite possibly insane in some way. Not even I would do this to another living being. The irony of this is not lost on me. 

My heart begins to race and my mind struggles to wort out truth from fiction. I can't keep seeing the images. I can't keep hearing the voices. I stumble around completely disoriented by the sights and sounds swirling around me. 

I trip again. I cry out in frustration and annoyance, falling to my knees and clutching my head. I squeeze my eyes shut, desperately trying to think clearly. "Shut up! Shut up!" I have to think clearly. I have to clear my head. I have to determine reality from what is false. Or I will be trapped here forever. With the vision and the voices. Driving me mad.