{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 3s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 4s)[(stop:)The sound of dirt and twigs crunching beneath Sarah's feet is almost rhythmic as she made her way through the [[forest]]. She just finished her patrol of the park and was ready to head back to the ranger station for a well-earned night of rest. As the sun is setting, Sarah hoped to meet back with Frank at the station, her fellow park ranger on duty.]}
{(live: 5s)[(stop:)Frank had been the one to show her the ropes when she started this job. Recently they'd been trying to find Robert Wilson, a hiker who'd gone missing.]}{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 3s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 4s)[(stop:)Sunlight shines through the dead trees, of which there are plenty. Even in the dead of winter, when all the leaves are gone, the trees still seem thick enough to block most of the sky.]}
{(live:5s)[(stop:)The wind is picking up. Best to [[return]] to the [[ranger station]] before it gets any (color:cyan)[colder], Sarah had decided.]}{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
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{(live: 4s)[(stop:)Save for her boots on the ground, it seems like the cold has muffled the very air, because Sarah could hear hardly any animals. True, the occasional bird here and there, but not much else. It was surprising how [[quiet]] the forest could become during the winter.]}The refuge against the bitter cold. The thought of a roaring (color:orange)[fire] and a nice, hot cup of coffee filled Sarah's mind. Her body ached to collapse in one of the arm chairs and [[return<-rest]] from a full day of hiking.{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 3s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 3.5s)[(stop:)Wait.]}
{(live: 5s)[(stop:)Sarah noticed a set of tracks in the ground. They look relatively fresh. They look somewhat human, but at the same time not.]}
{(live: 6s)[(stop:)Probably just got scuffed by a passing animal or something.]}
{(live: 7s)[(stop:)Sarah pulled out her walkie talkie to check in with Frank. "Frank? I'm heading back to the station. [[Any luck finding Wilson?]] Over."]}{(live: 1s)[(stop:)"Hey, Sarah" Frank's voice crackled to life on the device.]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)"Think I might've found his trail but I need you to get to my location, over."]}
{(live: 3s)[(stop:)"That's great!" Sarah responded. She hoped the poor hiker was only hurt. It would be horrible to have to bring in a body.]}
{(live: 4s)[(stop:)"Where are you, over?"]}
{(live: 5s)[(stop:)"I'm heading off to the left of the [[Pale Trail]], and I'll tell you where to go from there, over".]}{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 1.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 2.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 3.5s)[(stop:) Happening to be on the Pale Trail, Sarah made her way left. This was called the Pale Trail because centuries ago, children walking the path would find it [[littered with-]]]}
{(live: 4.5s)[(stop:)(color:white)[*]]}
{(live: 5.5s)[(stop:)What?]}
{(live: 6s)[(stop:)(color:white)[*]]}
{(live: 6.5s)[(stop:)(color:white)[*]]}
{(live: 7s)[(stop:)(color:white)[*]]}
{(live: 8s)[(stop:)[[Why is it snowing?]]]}{(live: 1s)[(stop:)B]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)O]}
{(live: 3s)[(stop:)N]}
{(live: 4s)[(stop:)E]}
{(live: 5s)[(stop:)S]}
{(live: 6s)[(stop:)Small, big, broken,]}
{(live: 8s)[(stop:)(color:red)[gnawed.]]}
{(live: 9s)[(stop:)So many bones, even more under the snow,
(color:red)[but never enough.]]}
{(live: 11s)[(stop:)[[Why is it snowing?<-Keep moving.]]]}{(live: 1s)[(stop:)"Frank? I'm headed left from Pale Trail, over." says Sarah, perplexed by the sudden falling snow. ]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)"Great" crackled her walkie talkie. "Just keep going until you hit a big oak tree with a deer emblem on it, and we'll meet up there, over."]}
{(live: 3s)[(stop:)"Um, copy, over." Something's not right, Sarah thought to herself as she proceeded. She looked forward as she made her way to the [[oak tree]].]}{(live: 1s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 1.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 2.5s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 4s)[(stop:)The oak tree in question had the visage of a stag skull.]}
{(live: 5s)[(stop:)Sarah had never seen this tree before, and wished she never had. Come to think of it, she'd never seen this part of the forest before. It seemed even more unfamiliar as the snow began to fall heavier. Something was off about all of this. What's happening?]}
{(live: 6s)[(stop:)Looking into the eye sockets of the engraving caused Sarah to feel a pang of fear. Like a child looking into a dark closet.]}
{(live: 7s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 8s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 9s)[(stop:)Crunch]}
{(live: 10s)[(stop:)Sarah turned to the right as she heard footsteps approaching from the right.]}
{(live: 11s)[(stop:)"Sarah? That you?"]}
{(live: 12s)[(stop:)[[Frank?]]]}
{(live: 1s)[(stop:)"Frank, what's going on? Why aren't you coming out?" Sarah asked. She was more than ready for some answers.]}
{(live: 2s)[(stop:)"I think I might've hurt my leg. You wanna come over here and take a look?" Frank asked, still not coming out.]}
{(live: 3s)[(stop:)Sarah wanted to go over and see if he was hurt, but]}
{(live: 4s)[(stop:)The sound of Frank's voice should've put Sarah's mind at ease.]}
{(live: 5s)[(stop:)It should've calmed her down.]}
{(live: 7s)[(stop:)But it didn't.]}