Once or twice, Nikolai stumbled as he ran, tripping over the writhing roots.  But Lizelle never let him fall.  Maintaining a relentless pace, she pulled Nikolai through the cursed forest, until they finally reached its edge.  As they burst free from the grasping branches, Nikolai reluctantly released his savior.  Gasping for breath, he doubled over, resting his hands on his knees.  This was odd.  He sometimes had dreams where he moved too slowly, or couldn’t move at all.  But he didn’t remember ever having a dream where he became winded after exerting himself.<br/><br/>Then again, Nikolai was becoming increasingly convinced that this was no ordinary dream.<br/><br/>As he recovered from his exhaustion, Nikolai realized that a small group of people had gathered around him.  The boy in the hoodie didn’t seem to be among them -- Nikolai hoped that he’d safely escaped the forest.  Straightening, Nikolai prepared to give the newcomers the same introduction he’d given Lizelle.  Then Lizelle’s words made him look upward.  Nikolai’s eyes grew as wide as saucers as he saw the smoke spewing from the mountain top.  Wonderful.  They were trapped between a possessed forest and an active volcano.<br/><br/>Since English seemed to be the most common language, Nikolai used it.  But he probably could have spoken in Russian, because his message was almost certainly obvious to everyone present.   “We are being most fucked now.”