Shade

A cool breeze carrying the sweet scent of watermelon and dead leaves drifts past you as you wander over the shady forest floor. The leaf litter rustles under your feet, and you think back to how you ended up in this forest. You remember entering, but when you try to recall why you entered and which directions you went, your memory fades like a tattered blanket. Breathing out a sigh, you resolve to find your way out somehow when you notice something that was not there before. A small stand, covered in watermelons with faces carved into them sits in the middle of your path.

A wispy, tattered figure presides over it, and, noticing you, yells out, "Jack-o'-Melons, Jack-o'-Melons for sale here! Only Jack-o'-Melons in Sornieth!" A moment later, the figure turns to you again. It seems to stare you down for an uncomfortably long time, before its ghostly voice says, "You seem a little lost. Perhaps I can help you. But first, won't you join me in a little game?"