Sue Ellen studied a word problem. A, B, C and D move across ten square acres. Screaming. Should screams factor as a variable? Possibly. Assume each will encounter ten to thirty trees. At each tree they will scream then angle randomly left or right by ten degrees. Logically the group will separate as they continue. Screaming. Did she have enough data to estimate the distance of separation when A, B, C and D exited the woods? Assuming they exited. They might have been eaten, screaming. Another variable.

She considered going back into the woods. She might find B, C, and D. But the probable outcome was that the monsters would find A and eat her up. Conclusion: going back was stupid. Smarter to go get cops and guns, lights, lawyers and missile launchers.

She began walking, eyes on the path ahead. A winding dirt road lit by fitful patches of moonlight. Woods to the right, farm field to the left. No one visible but subject A, herself. But sounds everywhere, of things crying high in the air, creeping in the underbrush. A restless breeze sifted tree branches and old leaves, carrying the whisper of words, twitter of birds. To Sue Ellen the night air tasted wrong; tainted with sulfur and rot.

She looked behind. Twenty steps down the road stood a shadowy figure, cloaked in something resisting exact outline. Was it B, C or D? No. Too tall, too thin, too still. A vampire larper in heavy cloak, perhaps, lost in the role. Sue Ellen considered running. But that was bad strategy with strange dogs, mean boys; and all theories of monsters. She turned her back to the creature, continued calmly down the road. Listening for steps rushing up from behind, for growls and hisses. She caught only the noises of night wind through field and wood.

At twenty paces she looked back again. The figure remained motionless, ominous as a monolith on a hill in some tale of ghosts and fairies. Sue Ellen frowned. She should have left it twenty steps farther behind. Yet it seemed closer. She could now make out arms folded across its chest, as though defiant of her gaze... Illusions of moonlight and terror, she decided. Sue turned and walked farther, counting paces. At ten she stopped, looked back. There the creature stood, motionless, innocently enjoying the night. But closer than before. She could now see two dim red eyes, blinking at her.

Sue Ellen began walking backwards, eyes upon the creature. It did not move. She increased the distance between them, till a sound came from behind. She stumbled, recovered, turned about. A small animal scuttled across the road, fled into the bracken. She looked back. Behind in the road now stood two figures. Motionless as stone pillars upholding a church. Arms crossed, eyes smoldering. Closer than before. She could see their teeth. Sharp and wet. She turned and ran.

No sounds of pursuit. Just her panting breath, swift footsteps and a cold chill teasing her, as though she swam in a sea while something rose from deep below, mouth open... Assume subject A's rate of panic doubles at each breath, she observed. How many breaths can she take before screaming?

Stop, she ordered herself. And stopped. She turned about. Three creatures now stood motionless in the road. Some ten paces behind her. Sue sobbed for breath, for life, for a sane and daylit mathematics. While the creatures merely waited. Motionless, silent. Deep in the game or the hunt or the ceremony or whatever madness this was to the creatures. Still, it gave her time to still her heartbeat, catch her breath. Perhaps she could just stand here with eyes on the creatures till morning came, or a farmer in a truck. Might run them all over. The thought made her giggle. No hysterics for subject A, she reprimanded. She heard the faintest of noises behind her. Or imagined she did. But did not turn. Instead she began walking backwards, eyes on the three. They remained where they stood, patient old stones in the moonlight; slowly left behind.

This is like playing moving statue, she thought. They can't move as long as I'm watching. As long as they play fair. Why the fuck would they play fair?

She backed up the road guided by what she passed. Like walking while looking in a mirror, she thought. And considered. If I had a mirror I could look both ways at once. Would that be cheating? She imagined them all standing in the moonlight, gesticulating and arguing over The Rules.

The road began bending to the right, nearly leading her to stumble into a ditch. If it continued bending, the trees would block her line of sight with the shadow men. Perhaps she should stop. Perhaps she should scream. She might be walking backwards into an entire crowd of shadow men, their arms unfolded wide to welcome her. She kept eyes on the three, continued backing away. They were fifty full steps behind now, but disappearing behind the trees...

She navigated the turn, the three now hidden behind the bend of road. Then she turned and ran. Far ahead glowed something like a light. A farmhouse or a car. She forced trembling legs on, breath coming in gasps. Kept eyes to the road so she would not trip like an idiot running from monsters. In movies they did that. In high heels, usually. She observed her shadow moon-cast before her. It was not alone. Other shadows came up quick from behind. Two, three, four... so fast? She came to a halt, whirled about, panting. A mere few steps behind her stood four figures, stock still as innocent stones.

This close they had faces. They looked like wrinkled old men; starved, broken and decayed. Mouths slack, eyes glimmering red, brooding on sad things they'd seen. Their bald heads looked misshapen, too frequently hammered by life. What she'd taken for cloaks were wings, leathery and lifeless. Wings that draped across their desiccated forms like blankets on restless folk pacing the house at night, fleeing bed and bad dreams.

Sue Ellen took a step back. They took a step forward.

Rule change, thought Sue Ellen. Proximity allows for detected motion. She took another step back. They took another step forwards. They stank of rotted meat, and the wet ash stench from the well. The ember eyes blinked and winked, observing her. The open mouths revealing random teeth pointed as broken bits of glass and bone.

Sue Ellen took two steps back. They took two steps forwards. But not of equal length. The ones to left and right took longer steps, near surrounding Sue Ellen on three sides. She considered shouting 'cheaters'.

They stood motionless in moonlight, watching, waiting. Sue crossed her arms, mirroring their patient stance. Wishing she could make her eyes flicker like coals. Would be a nice touch. She could probably grow her nails out like theirs. Sharp and curved as knives for gutting fish. One of the creatures stirred, casting flickering eyes towards something behind Sue Ellen.

"Seriously?" she asked. "Not falling for that trick."

The four tilted heads at her words, dogs trying to comprehend the Message from Above. Perhaps they did comprehend. One twisted teeth and desiccated lips into something like a grin. Raising a bony finger, it pointed beyond and behind Sue Ellen. Inviting her to look. Tempting her to look. She felt a horrible need to look.

She shook head. "Nope. Not looking." But her heart sank at what she heard next. A dry cough, as though someone stood right at her back, apologizing for interrupting the discussion. I'll dodge into the woods, thought Sue Ellen. Five monsters pursue Subject A through two hundred trees. Subject A's velocity will accelerate by n2 factors of terror. At what point will the monsters disperse? No, better just scream now, she decided.

But she did not. No; she stared behind the four specters. At what came swiftly upon them down the road. Her turn to raise a hand, pointing past and behind the four, daring them, tempting them to look.

They considered that hand. Possibly pondered biting it. Just a taste. They did not. Their leathery ears now caught sound upon the road behind them. The clop-clop of hooves coming fast. The whatever behind Sue coughed again, no doubt feeling ignored. For a long moment all stood stock still in the moonlight, arms crossed. Each side waiting for the other side to look behind first.

And then the shadow-man on the far left gave in. He turned head for a quick sly glance. Losers! thought Sue Ellen in triumph. I win! The creature hissed at what it saw. The others whirled to face what rushed upon them. A great black horse, drawn in lines darker than night, edged and etched with shadows of red as though it burned from within. Upon its back: a mad creature wearing a cloak wind-filled, lifting up and back like wings seizing the night-sky. That cloak glowed in peacock-feather defiance of the moon's puritan greys and blacks. This mad newcomer waved a long blade pulsing gold and yellow, etched with strange symbols. The rushing wind turned her hair to a tangled comet trail. Moonshine reflected off glasses big and round as portals to a ship daring the deepest, blackest ocean depths.

The four creatures faced horse and rider, and did not flee. Ember eyes flickering, arms crossed defiant. Probably this rescue is against the rules, decided Sue Ellen. Maybe we all have to go back, start over. The horse halted before them, near throwing the mad rider. But behind her sat a second person with firmer seat. She grabbed the first, keeping her from plunging over the horse's head. The first rider recovered, waved knife to sky and moon, road and monsters. At which dramatic cue the horse reared up on hind legs. The rider straightened her glasses, waved her glowing blade at the moon and shouted.

"I am Valentine the Bard.

My road is dark and hard.

My knife is sharp and long.

Never think to end my song!"

The four shadow-men considered this declaration in silence, exchanging glances.

"Yeah, so there, you creepy old creepos," shouted the second rider. She waved a short spear, or at least a pointed steel pole. The noble night steed reared again, obviously enjoying the drama. It gave a neigh loud as donkey bray. Quite obviously a horse's laugh.

Creepy old creepos? wondered Sue Ellen. Two years of role playing and Frankie comes up with 'creepy old creepos'?

The four shadow-men gave up their game of patient stalking stones. They lowered their misshapen heads, unfolded the crossed arms to bare long claw-tipped fingers. The horse neighed to say challenge accepted. It leaped forwards, lashing at the shadow-men with hooves. One went down, two others scattered. The last sprang upon the horse's long neck, grasping with claws. Maddy's long knife slashed down, the creature shrieked. The horse shrieked, tossing its head to free itself from the creature's claws and teeth.

The downed shadow-man began to rise from the dirt, struggling with an arm now bent at precise angle. Sue Ellen gave it a precise kick at the bend. The creature screamed, high and inhuman as a tortured tea-kettle. Sue Ellen prepared to kick again; but now whoever stood behind her wrapped her in its arms.

Sue Ellen struggled against the arms, against the choking stench of sulfur and rot. She watched as the shadow-men surrounded horse and riders. Wary, yet determined to claw and bite. The two girls on the horse flailed with long knife and steel pole, the beast lashing out with hooves.

Then down from moon and stars swooped something man-sized, soaring upon awkward mismatched wings. It scooped Maddy in its arms. She screamed, striking at it with the long knife. The winged man ignored her struggles. He pulled her from the horse's back,

For a long second shadow-men, magic horse and girls all paused to watch as Maddy and the winged man vanished into the night sky.

Well shit, thought Sue Ellen. Didn't see that coming. She renewed fighting against the arms binding her. While the horse reared, shaking the shadow-man from its neck. Then it charged, driving the others from the path. The remaining rider leaning forwards and to the side, steel pole fixed before her. Sue Ellen blinked to behold brave knight Rowena-Frankie coming to her rescue, jousting spear set.

"No, no, no," shouted Sue Ellen. "You'll spit us both." She threw herself to the side and down as the horse passed. The steel pole passed above, spearing the creature holding her. There came a screech, she found herself tossed aside. Frankie tumbling from the horse to land in the road beside her.

The shadow men ignored the girls, throwing themselves at the horse, which wheeled about to charge again. More creatures came from out the trees, surrounding it. Some walking, some crawling. The beast reared again, lashing at a growing circle of foes. Frankie rolled to her feet, staggered to Sue Ellen, pulled her upright. They watched a shadow-man thrash about in the dirt, clawing at Frankie's steel pole. It projected neatly from one red eye.

"Was that luck?" demanded Sue Ellen. "Or have you been secretly practicing jousting?"

"Natural talent," declared Frankie. "And field hockey." She considered retrieving the pole from the creature. It was busy clawing its own face to shreds of wet leather. Decided better to leave it.

"Whatever," said Sue Ellen. "We run now." She grabbed Frankie's arm, pulled her down the road.

"We should help the horse," panted Frankie.

"How?" asked Sue Ellen.

"Good question," agreed Frankie.

They sprinted down the road towards the light Sue Ellen had sighted. From the trees came voices. Not the kind of voices that cheers a lost wanderer. They sounded like insect swarms arguing with bats. Discussing the battle of the road, probably. The girls rushed on, panting and gasping towards what slowly showed itself to be a campfire.

Far ahead; but the firelight cast silhouettes of peaceful figures standing, chatting. Probably deer hunters discussing sports and farming, life and beer and all good things. The sight gave the girls the strength to keep running, though the night's foul air stifled their lungs, and a wind-whisper of mad creatures sounded at their backs.

At last Sue Ellen and Frankie came panting into the fire light. Facing an old man thin and solemn as a gravedigger's shovel. Beside him sat a spidery-looking old thing of female type, rocking and grinning great white teeth. An impossibly large dog sighed, stood, shook itself from pleasant dreams of bones and biting. The firelight gave the beast's eyes a yellow fever glow.

"Monsters," panted Frankie, pointing behind her.

"Doesn't surprise me a bit," declared the old man.

Frankie stared at a scarecrow standing beside three great burlap seed bags. The bags struggled and wiggled, obviously filled by creatures who did not wish to be in large burlap seed bags. The scarecrow gave one of them a kick. From the bag came a curse. Sounded like Huff.

"Ha, never mind," declared Sue Ellen. "Wrong campfire. Sorry." She grabbed Frankie's arm, pulling her back towards the monster-filled night. Promptly bumping into someone right behind her. She turned, expecting an ember-eyed shadow man. He'd growl 'I won', the cheater.

But it was no monster; just a girl her age, her size. Long black hair covering half the face, leaving one eye and half a smile to give a friendly grin and wink.

"Boo," said Beth.