Cookie skids to a halt where two tall trees arch overhead. A mass of black branches creaks and groans, blocking the trail.
She bolts until she crashes into an old oak, sliding down to press her back against the rough bark. Safe. But stuck.
The groaning shifts closer. She peeks through a gap in the canopy, counting limbs in the tangle swaying like a broken marionette.
No eyes, no teeth, no monster — just a swaying, empty tangle. A small, breathless 'Oh' escapes her.
Cookie bursts from under the oak with a full, stomping laugh that sends sparrows scattering into the blue sky.
She hops down the winding path twice as fast as before, ears bopping high on every landing.
The tangle of branches creaks on behind her. She doesn't look back.
Sunlight warms the grass. The wind combs gently through the leaves. Everything is quiet again.