text: [Themes: fan fiction, fantasy]
  
  [Play: Jabberwock's Lair soundtrack]
  
  The screaming started about thirty minutes ago. The sound echoes around, but you always seem to know it is behind you. You have been running none stop ever since, though your... companion's run is more of a fast waddle. The wind blows through your auburn hair like ghostly hands, and the dark clouds above make their descent until a fog surrounds both of you.
  
  You hear more screaming and set your jaw. Do not stop, do not look back. You know that you will never be able to take on whatever it is with only a stick, so you are forced to just follow the blue path. Wait, were did the blue path go? You stop and look back to find that it stops a few feet behind you, but you are not at your destination.
  
  You unexpectedly see a dark strangely shaped figure somewhere in front of you, covered by the fog. "Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it," purrs the figure. "But folly brings the ultimate punishment to fools," he finishes darkly, and as sudden as he appears, he disappears. You blink a few times but you can see no evidence that the dark figure was ever there. You focus back on your immediate problem.
  
  "Card..." you hiss, trying to cover up your fear with anger. The card stops and turns around to see what is wrong. He whimpers as he processes the situation. "What happened to our path?"
  
  "The sweeper must have swept it away," Seven says. Suddenly he screams, "We are all going to die! Araneus will eat us alive!"
  
  "Enough! Quiet it down and think. Is there any other way to get to the haven?"
  
  The seven of hearts does not seem to hear you as it runs around in a circle chanting, "Hell comes to call, trapped in the web, and soon all will fall, soon our life will ebb! They will be fed, no doubt, not one. How I dread, their sick fun, for when done, everything will end! We will all be dead!" You seem to snap, when the last word is sung. You jump forward and hit him, wishing for it to be done. He falls down, face flat in the mud. All is finally quite as you stand there and think. You fill your skin prickle as a thought sinks in. It is too quite. What happened to the screams? You then slowly turn around to see...
  
  Eight red orbs, staring at you with utter glee. "Off to your preciousss haven little onessss?" hisses a voice. The voice's owner leaves the shadows to reveal a spider. It was not like the other spiders you killed earlier though. This one had a black smooth, not to mention enormous body that was at least ten feet tall. Blood and foam was dripping from its mouth and its fangs glistened with saliva. "Why did you sssstop the raving idiot?" he addresses you. "I believe he wasss ssspeaking of me and I wissshed to hear more."
  
  You make a choking sound and slowly back away while Seven jumps to his feet screaming. "Take her, take her, oh great one! Look at me, I am paper thin! Surly not fat enough to make a good meal!"
  
  You glare at the card and whisper, "Shut up!" but he does not seem to get the idea.
  
  "I would taste horrible! Indeed, I am probably stale! But her," Seven continues, jabbing a finger in your direction. "I bet she would taste nice and juicy! Like chicken!"
  
  The spider makes a strange sound, full of mirth, although it is nothing near the almost pleasant sound you heard earlier. "You sssspeak the truth, sssservant of the Heart Queen. Off with you then."
  
  "Oh thank you, thank you! You will not regret this!" yells Seven, and without looking at you even once, he runs away as fast as his little stubby legs can carry him. You stare after him, an expression of mixed feelings claiming your face. Some of them being bemusement, anger, and try as you might to hide it, fear. You slowly turn back around to see the horrid creature not but a few feet away from you, just... staring. You swallow hard and you feel your legs slightly shaking. You decide that if you are going to die, you mind as well do it with your head up. "I do not suppose you have a map?" you ask weakly. "I seem to be lost, and that card was no help, as you can probably tell..." your voice trails off.
  
  The spider continues to loom over you for an agonizing minute, when his body suddenly starts to tremble and he make an ear splitting noise. You realize that it is laughing. "You amussse me little one. I ssshall make you a deal, asss it ssseemsss that I have already ate my fill for today."
  
  You look at him wearily. "What is this deal that you speak of?"
  
  "Heh, heh. A riddle. If you anssswer my riddle correctly I will let you go free, and even tell you the way to the haven you ssso desssire. But if you fail to get it correct...." More of the horrible laughter. "Then I sssuppose I can make room for desssert. Now, here isss the riddle. What alwaysss runsss, but never walksss? Often mummersss, but never talksss? Has a bed, but never sleepsss? Has a mouth, but never eatsss?"
  
  (You panic when you cannot think of an answer and you try to make a run for it. [Turn to Page 31])
  
  (You stand there and think, repeating the riddle over and over again. Suddenly, an answer comes to mind. That is it! It must be it! [Usually you would have to message me the answer, but for this site I'm just going to say to turn to Page 33 for when you answer correctly, and page 32 for when you don't..})
  
  > Page Thirty-Two
  [Play: Jabberwocky's lair]
  
  The spider's face twists into a violent sneer. "All Brawl and no Brainssss, eh?" Your eyes widen in utter terror and you rapidly back away. "Good thing I do not like devouring brainsss in the first place." The spider lunges at you and in a matter of seconds you are in its grasp. You scream as its piercing fangs sink into your neck. The pain is agonizing for the first minute and you scream again and again, but soon your body grown numb and you lay limp. "So, this is the source of the cries..." You mummer tiredly as you fall to oblivion.
  
  (You have no more choices left. It seems as though you have lost the game of life.)