text: Imagine you are going for a stroll through a forest. It is a beautiful day; sunlight is peeking through the top of the canopy to dance among the trees. The path is gentle underfoot, almost soft, padded with the many leaves that have drifted to the forest floor. The wind tumbles from tree to tree, rustling the leaves as it twists overhead. The birds sing softly to one another and flit from one branch to the next. You take a deep breath and your lungs fill with cool, crisp air. A bright purple flower nestled between two ferns catches your eye. It is not too far off the path and you begin to wonder to yourself if you should go have a look. You veer from the path and trudge over. It is beautiful. Vibrant purple petals are complemented by a bright yellow centre. You kneel beside it and lean in, breathing deeply. It smells familiar but you cannot quite place it, an almost citrus-like smell. *Oranges? No. Lemons maybe?* You smile and thank the flower for making your day, standing up to make your way back toward the track. The slivers of sunlight that make it through the dense canopy feel like warm kisses against your skin. You look up, welcoming them with a smile as they dance across your face, contrasting against the cool forest air. You look back down at the sprawling expanse of forest, the thick brush obscuring your view to the path. You walk for a little while, soaking in the view before you realise you probably should have come across the path by now. You decide to retrace your steps; get back to the flower and start again. But as you turn around you are not quite sure which way you came from; it all looks the same. *Was it that way? Or maybe it was over there.* You pick a direction and start trudging through the thick undergrowth. It is not long before you start to feel a pang of worry. Playing out scenarios in your head. You pick up the pace, it feels like you have gotten into a thicker part of the forest and you are now having to push your way through the thick undergrowth. Your shirt catches on a stick and tears. *Fuck.* That somehow made the situation feel a little more real and you start to panic. You keep pushing through. If you could just find the path, a creek, anything to use as a landmark. You start running through all the survival tips you know from movies and books. Looking up, you realise the sun is starting to get low and pick up the pace. The forest is slowly darkening. After what seems like an hour you stumble across a trail of sorts cutting through the forest. The panic subsides a bit and you heave a sigh of relief. You pick up the pace and jog for a bit, following the trail. You check where the sun is and estimate there are around two hours of light left. As long as you get back on the main track, and hurry, you should be out before dark. This trail is fairly easy going but seems more like a side trail. You hope desperately that it links back up to the main path. A flicker of colour on the trail up ahead pulls your attention, there is something hanging on a bush. You press forward and notice a small piece of fabric tangled in the branches; it looks strangely familiar. Looking down at your shirt you realise it is the piece you tore off earlier. The trail you have been following is your own and you have been going in circles this whole time. Your heart sinks and stomach drops. Feelings of dread wash over you. *Fuck, fuck, fuck!* You stop and look deep into the forest, praying that something, anything might look familiar. Nothing. You spin on your heel and there is a giant wall in front of you, towering high into the sky. Your heart skips a beat. *What the fuck?* You cautiously reach out, fingers touching a cold gritty stone. It feels almost... Menacing. You recoil from it and look back over your shoulder, the forest is gone. In its place is a long, dark cavernous tunnel. Your heart is racing, and you keep looking from the wall to the tunnel. You sit on the floor and put your head in your hands, slapping yourself a few times. *This isn’t real. This is not REAL!* You look back up and see the dark hallway stretching before you. After what seems like an eternity you stand up and take a shaky step towards the tunnel, then another. Before you know it, you are heading further in. The light starts getting dimmer and darkness begins to envelop you. *Fuck this.* You decide you don’t want to do this and spin around. Your head bumps straight into something solid. The wall. It has moved and is blocking your exit. You start shaking. *This is some horror movie shit*. You cannot turn back. One step at a time you walk into complete darkness. Every time you go to turn around the wall is right there. Stopping you. Taunting you. Suddenly, your arm brushes on something and you freeze. You can hear your own heart thumping. You reach out a shaky hand and feel a rough hard surface, it is a wall. You realise you must have been walking crooked and take a step the opposite way. You bump into another wall. You reach out both arms and feel walls either side. *What the fuck? Is this getting smaller?* You turn around just to bump back into the wall behind you. You want to cry, to scream. There is only one way to go. Forward. You keep reaching out to feel the walls on either side. You go from having to stretch both arms out to feel them, to bending at the elbows. Eventually, both sides are brushing against your shoulders and you have to start shuffling sideways to keep moving. Your head bumps into something and you suddenly realise you have to crouch. Your hands become clammy and your mouth is dry, you are finding it hard to breathe as you are pressed lower and lower. Shuffling sideways in an awkward half-crouch until you are pushed to your hands and knees. The cold hard ground becomes damp and slippery. A tear streams down your face and you decide to try and move backwards. Your foot is met with the resistance of the wall. You cannot even turn around, you try turning your head to look behind you, but the space is so small your nose scrapes against the wall. You sob as you press forward, walls closing in further, forcing you onto your belly. You pull yourself along the ground, scraping your fingertips against the floor to drag yourself forward, your head is forced sideways, face scraping the wet floor. The walls of the cavern squeeze against your chest and your back, tightening your lungs. You try to look up but the stone pushes against your temples. You wriggle one leg up to try and get a foothold, your knee gets stuck. You go to move it back; it is met with resistance as the wall closes in behind it. You try to pull your arm toward you, but it is wedged, and no amount of straining will make it budge. You cannot move. You cannot go forward. You cannot go backward. You try and wriggle your way out of it to turn your head. But the roof is so tight that you have to keep your head sideways. Your chest feels like it is in a giant sandwich press, each breath cut short. An icy cold begins creeping up your legs, your stomach, your chest. Water so cold it makes you gasp for air, your chest constrict and your muscles cramp. You try thrashing as more water fills the tiny space, desperately trying to move but every muscle, every limb, is frozen in place. The water rises until it covers one nostril. You tilt your head as far as you can, temples scraping against the harsh stone roof, pursing your lips to the side to take a breath. The cold stings against the side of your face, one eye fully submerged. A small amount of water comes in with each breath and you sputter and cough. You try and catch your breath but each time you exhale it feels like the walls are crushing you and more water splashes in your mouth. Your lungs are burning, and you are sputtering and coughing. *This is it.* Water floods through your nostrils, your chest heaves. You take a massive breath and air rushes through your lungs. The walls disappear and you are in a forest. A bright purple flower nestled between two ferns catches your eye. It is not too far off the path and you decide you should not go have a look.