The forest is cold, but the numbness inside you is colder. As you stumble through the dark, your feet heavy and dragging through the mud, you realize you aren't really running away anymore. You’re just moving because your body hasn't stopped yet. The adrenaline that should be screaming through your veins feels like sludge. When you hear the frantic crack-snap of Toby’s neck getting closer, your heart doesn't even skip a beat; it just feels like the inevitable end of a very long, very tired day.

You don't even try to dodge when he finally lunges. You hit the ground with a dull thud, the air leaving your lungs in a tired sigh rather than a gasp.

Toby is a blur of violent motion. He pins you down, the weight of his body pressing you into the cold earth, and slams his hatchet into the soil right next to your head. The vibration rattles your skull, but you don't flinch. He looms over you, his muzzle inches from your face, his orange goggles glowing with a manic, predatory hunger.

"Found... tic... found the little lamb," he rasps, his voice hitching as his shoulder jerks. He raises the second hatchet, the blade gleaming. "Go ahead. Snap... beg. Cry. Tell me how much you want to live."

He waits for the frantic struggle. He waits for the tears. But you just lie there, your eyes dull and unfocused, staring up at him with a weary, hollow expression. There is no fear in your gaze—only a profound, crushing exhaustion. You don't reach for his hands to stop him; your arms just stay limp at your sides.

Toby’s head tilts at an impossible angle, his neck joints popping loudly in the silence. He lowers the axe an inch, his twitching slowing as he stares at your face. He’s seen a thousand expressions of terror, but he’s never seen someone look at his blade with such... indifference.

"What's wrong with... tic... you?" he mutters, his voice losing its aggressive edge and turning sharp with confusion. He pokes your shoulder with the blunt handle of his axe. "I'm the monster. You're supposed to be... snap... fighting. Why aren't you fighting back?"

He stares into your eyes, looking for a spark of life to extinguish, only to find a darkness that looks uncomfortably similar to the void inside his own head.