<<if $roots lt 4>>Around this chamber are four thick, gnarled roots embedded in the earth. They are visually indistinct, and glow with a pale orange fluorescence. These roots feel like a part of my body, muscles never used, joints never bent, nerves never triggered. If I reach out and pull them, they may move me in return.\n\n<<display 'roots pull'>>\n\nOn the wall opposite the roots, there is an opening in the wall. I could [[walk through it|chamber of stone]] and see what else I can find.<<else>>All four roots are glowing brightly. Their energies radiate and fill the chamber. Slowly, their light fades until the room is pitch black.\n\nI wait.\n\nI breathe.\n\nI wait.\n\nAs I take a cautious step forward, the roots emit a sudden flash, blinding me.\n\n[[I collapse|central chamber]].<<endif>>

<<if $roots gte 2>>I reach towards the brightly-glowing second root, but as I grasp it, it pushes my hand away.<<endif>><<if $roots eq 0>>I reach out and pull the second root. I hear a sword cutting through the air.<<endif>><<if $roots eq 1>>I reach out and pull the second root. I hear a sword cutting through the air.\n\nThe second root begins to glow more brightly.<<set $roots = 2>><<endif>>\n\n<<display 'roots body'>>

I've made it to the center of the woods. Even more than before, I feel completely surrounded by trees. Although I quickened my pace, I didn't manage to arrive before the sun's light left for the night. The sky is clear, and many stars are visible, but the moon is not.\n\nNo other humans are anywhere near me in this quiet place. Nor does the wind blow through the trees to whistle at me as I lean against a tree, recovering from my final sprint to this place. The only sounds are my labored breath and my pounding heart.\n\nAnd... [[howling wolves?|the chase]]

I have to believe. I have to believe in myself, and I have to believe in my plan. I came here to dig, so I'm going to dig. \n\nPulling the shovel off my back, I begin my work. With each displacement of dirt, the shovel grows heavier in my hands. But my body knows that I must dig, and I am not slowed. Soon, I see the ground rising up as I descend one, two, five feet into the hole I am digging. I can still hear the wolves approaching. Will I be safe if I keep digging? I can find out if I keep digging.\n\nSoon, the hole is deeper than I am tall, but I know that there is yet more digging to do. I see the wolves peering over the edge of the hole. They circle it cautiously, panting, growling. They don't jump in. They know that climbing out of this hole would be impossible for them, so they don't jump in. I am safe in this hole. I am safe, but not content. I will not be content until I reach my destination further underground. I must continue to [[dig|chamber of roots]].

<<if not $centralEntrance>>My vision slowly returns, and I return to my feet. It seems the roots have taken me to a new place.\n\n<<set $eyeState = 0>><<set $eyeMovements = 0>><<set $centralEntrance = true>><<endif>>\n\n<<if $eyeState gt 3>>The eye begins to shake violently. The shaking sensation [[overwhelms me|the eye open]].<<endif>><<if $eyeState lt -3>>The eye begins to shake violently. The shaking sensation [[overwhelms me|the eye shut]].<<endif>><<if $eyeState eq 0 and $eyeMovements gt 9>>The eye begins to spin. I feel dizzy. I stumble.\n\nI [[collapse|the eye revealed]].<<endif>><<if $eyeState gt -4 and $eyeState lt 4 and not ($eyeState eq 0 and $eyeMovements gt 9)>><<display 'central body'>><<endif>>

A great eye, ten feet across, floats before me. As I inspect it, I notice it moves as my eyes move. As I stare at it, it stares at me, and I stare at myself.\n\nSomething about it seems strange. Although it is just an eye with no eyelids, I feel as though I could close it or open it.\n\nWill I [[close my eye]]?\nOr will I [[open my eye]]?

I can [[pull the first root]], spiraling about. <<if $roots gte 3>>It is glowing brightly.<<endif>>\nI can [[pull the second root]], long and thick. <<if $roots gte 2>>It is glowing brightly.<<endif>>\nI can [[pull the third root]], branching and rejoining. <<if $roots gte 1>>It is glowing brightly.<<endif>>\nI can [[pull the fourth root]], knotty and tangled. <<if $roots gte 4>>It is glowing brightly.<<endif>>

<<set $roots = 0>>This is the edge of the woods. The border between forest and plains. It took me all day to walk here. But I made it this far, and it shouldn't be hard to collect the roots from the trees in the center of the woods.\n\nAt least, it shouldn't be too hard as long as I move quickly. The sun is setting now, and I don't have a flashlight. It could be dangerous if it gets dark. I'd better [[keep moving forward|woods halfway]].

I reach out and touch the first stone. For a moment, it glows more brightly than the others, and I hear a low-pitched hum.\n<<display 'stone body'>>

Around this chamber are four stones embedded in the earth. Each is at a different height, and they glow with a pale azure fluorescence. These stones know something, and I need to know what they know. If I touch them, they may reveal their secrets.\n\nI can [[touch the first stone]], at the top, marked with a circle.\nI can [[touch the second stone]], marked with two vertical lines.\nI can [[touch the third stone]], marked with a jagged line.\nI can [[touch the fourth stone]], at the bottom, marked with an eight-pointed star.\n\nOn the wall opposite the stones, there is an opening in the wall. I could [[walk through it|chamber of roots]] and see what else I can find.

<<if $roots gte 3>>I reach towards the brightly-glowing first root, but as I grasp it, it pushes my hand away.<<endif>><<if $roots eq 0>>I reach out and pull the first root. I hear a distant roar of thunder.<<endif>><<if $roots eq 1>>I reach out and pull the first root. I hear a distant roar of thunder.\n\nThe glow from the third root fades.<<set $roots = 0>><<endif>><<if $roots eq 2>>I reach out and pull the first root. I hear a distant roar of thunder.\n\nThe first root begins to glow more brightly.<<set $roots = 3>><<endif>>\n\n<<display 'roots body'>>

<<set $eyeState = $eyeState - 1>><<set $eyeMovements = $eyeMovements + 1>>I imagine closing my eye. I see eyelids appear from behind the eye and fold over it. Then, the eyelids transform into the surface of the eye once again.<<display 'central chamber'>>

.passage .title {\n display: none;\n}\n\n//.passage .content .internalLink {\n// color: #000000;\n//}\n\n//.passage .content {\n// color: #8b7900;\n//}

The eye grows brighter and brighter. As it grows brighter, more and more light enters my vision. I see the eye, from all angles at once. I see this cave, the roots, the hole, the wolves, the forest, the world. My perceptions are unbounded in depth and unlimited in direction.\n\nI see the world, the whole world. I see every particle, as big as a mountain. I see every galaxy, as small as a grain of sand. There are no things I do not see, and no things I can stop seeing. All things that are, are seen at once by me.\n\nThe entire world has entered me, and I am gone.\n\n// THE END //

The color from the eye begins to fade. I see a crust of stone begin to encase the eye from top to bottom. As the eye is covered in stone, I feel my perceptions of the world become blocked. As the stone covers the eye completely, I see the world slip from view. I am blind to the world around me.\n\nI see myself, and only myself. I see myself in greater detail than I have ever seen myself before. All the places where I should see the world, I see myself reflected, refracted, transposed, translated. I see myself as far as I can see, and if I turn, I still see only me.\n\nThe outside world is gone, and I have become my entire world.\n\n// THE END //

<<if not $getDown>>As I strike downwards with my shovel, the earth beneath me crumbles. I collapse into a heap after a brief plummet. Landing on my side wasn't too bad, but I'm not going to be able to do any more shoveling tonight.\n\nI hope I'm close to where I need to be.\n\n<<set $getDown = true>><<endif>><<display 'stone body'>>\n

<<if $roots eq 0>>I reach out and pull the fourth root. I hear the sound of breaking glass.<<endif>><<if $roots eq 1>>I reach out and pull the fourth root. I hear the sound of breaking glass.\n\nThe glow from the third root fades.<<set $roots = 0>><<endif>><<if $roots eq 2>>I reach out and pull the fourth root. I hear the sound of breaking glass.\n\nThe glow from the third root fades.\nThe glow from the second root fades.<<set $roots = 0>><<endif>><<if $roots eq 3>>I reach out and pull the fourth root. I hear the sound of breaking glass.\n\nThe fourth root begins to glow more brightly.<<set $roots = 4>><<endif>>\n\n<<display 'roots body'>>

<<if not $getDown>>As I strike downwards with my shovel, the earth beneath me crumbles. I collapse into a heap after a brief plummet. Landing on my side wasn't too bad, but I'm not going to be able to do any more shoveling tonight.\n\n<<set $getDown = true>><<endif>><<display 'roots body'>>

the roots

I'm running. God, how I'm running. I thought I was making a mad dash to get into the woods. I must be going at least twice as fast to get out of it. I'm no longer conscious of the movement of my legs. I just know that they're still carrying me.\n\nBut I can hear the wolves, and they're running, too. Even in the dark of night, they'll find me without any problems. I still have my shovel with me. It's probably weighing me down a little, but it's a good shovel. I didn't want to leave it behind. Besides, even if I were to drop it, I'm not about to suddenly become faster than a pack of wolves.\n\nIf I continue to [[run|the chase ends]], I might be able to make it out of the woods before the wolves catch me. They won't want to leave the woods. Or I can take my shovel in hand and start to [[dig|the frantic dig]]. This wasn't the original spot I wanted to dig in, but I might still find what I need if I dig without going any further away from the center of the woods.

This is the halfway point. I can't see the plains anymore from here. The sun's fading light casts ever-longer shadows through the trees. My shadow, too, grows taller than I am.\n\nTime marches on, as does the sun. I need to get to the center of the woods before it gets dark. I need to [[keep moving forward|woods center]].

I keep running. My legs push me forward as best they can, but I can feel them reaching their limit. I slow down. The wolves do not. Soon I catch a pair of glowing eyes dart through the trees on my left. I move right instinctively. I crash into the tree and fall to the ground uninstinctively. I can hear them. I can see them. I can smell them. I'm completely surrounded.\n\nMy body can no longer move under its own power, which is just as well, because no fighting techniques would save me from these wolves.\n\nI feel one grab my neck in its jaws. I wait for the sharp pain that will come as soon as it bites. To my surprise, it instead stands up on its hind legs, painlessly hoisting me up as if I were a pup. I see the rest of the wolves stand and line up single file behind the wolf holding me.\n\nTaking off at a brisk jog, the wolves stop once they reach a clearing with a campfire. The lead wolf sets me down atop a log, and the rest of the wolves take their seats in turn. They sit excitedly as the lead wolf begins telling jokes. I laugh along with the wolves to be polite. After a few jokes, the wolf's speech starts to make sense. Soon, I'm not laughing along out of politeness, but out of genuine entertainment. This wolf is certainly the funniest wolf I've ever met, and probably outclasses most humans who try their hand at comedy.\n\nHours later, the lead wolf stands, this time on four legs. I stand as well, and it pushes me with its nose. I can see the sun coming up over the edge of the forest a short distance away. I walk backwards away from the wolves, waving goodbye as I go. They wave in return, as best they can.\n\nI had a pretty good time with those wolves, I guess.\n\n// THE END //

I reach out and touch the fourth stone. For a moment, it glows more brightly than the others, and I hear the sound of breaking glass.\n<<display 'stone body'>>

I reach out and touch the second stone. For a moment, it glows more brightly than the others, and I hear a sword cutting through the air.\n<<display 'stone body'>>

<<set $eyeState = $eyeState + 1>><<set $eyeMovements = $eyeMovements + 1>>I imagine opening my eye. The middle of the eye splits open, revealing eyelids that then fold back. Underneath them is an identical eye.<<display 'central chamber'>>

I'm not at the center of the woods, but I'm close, and if I can keep myself pointed in the right direction, it's just as well that I dig here. The wolves are still a little ways off, aren't they? I have at least a little time to dig.\n\nMy hands are soaked in sweat from my sprint away from the wolves, but I'm able to keep a grip on my shovel. I throw the dirt below my feet out of the way without regard for the world around me. It's just me, the shovel, and the earth beneath my feet. I need to move that earth. I need to move it with this shovel.\n\nI see myself slowly sinking into the ground as my hole gets deeper. The edge of the hole is barely above my head when I spot the wolves circling around me. I pause in fear for a moment as I imagine them jumping into the hole to catch me, but my body knows better than my brain at this point, and my body continues digging. The wolves paw warily at the sides of the hole, reaching down, trying to slash at my head. Somehow, the hole is just wide and just deep enough that they cannot reach me.\n\nBut the wolves stay at the top of the hole, an impenetrable lupine barrier. The only way I can go is down. The only way on is to [[dig|chamber of stone]].

<<if $roots eq 0>>I reach out and pull the third root. I hear a low-pitched hum.\n\nThe third root begins to glow more brightly.<<set $roots = 1>><<else>>I reach towards the brightly-glowing third root, but as I grasp it, it pushes my hand away.<<endif>>\n\n<<display 'roots body'>>

I reach out and touch the third stone. For a moment, it glows more brightly than the others, and I hear a distant roar of thunder.\n<<display 'stone body'>>

by matthew thompson

This doesn't make sense. There aren't supposed to be any wolves in these woods. Other places, the canyon, the ravine, of course, there may be wolves in those places. But here? I was so sure that here, of all places, there would be no wolves. And to find me in a forest so large! But if the wolves and I are the only animals here, it must have been easy to track me.\n\nThis is the place where I needed to be, but the wolves are making this a less than opportune time to be here. I have two options: I can continue as I planned, take out my shovel, and [[dig|the way down]]. Or, I can try again another day, and just [[run|the chase continues]] for now.

As the eye stops spinning, I stop spinning, and regain my senses. I see the world around me, hear its movement, feel its pulse, smell its feeling, taste its mystery. In an instant, the eye vanishes, and so do I.\n\nI am outside the forest. I see the forest, and I see myself. Both the forest and I are real. We see each other.\n\nThe sun is rising over the horizon. It is time for me to return home. Home: my place in the world.\n\nI am in the world, and the world is around me.\n\n// THE END //