Alex found himself lying in an open field surrounded by a wall of trees, the late afternoon sun beaming down on him and warming his skin. He sat up, confused, looking around the get his bearings. A soft rustling of nearby bushes caught this attention as he looked for the disturbance. His vision soon rested on a singular shrub shaking as if something was inside it disturbing the relative tranquility of the field. He stood up and moved to investigate a small rabbit bounding out of the bush and into the nearby forest line at his approach.

Alex shook his head slightly still attempting to make sense of where he was, and how he got there. He scratched his head in confusion as he heard the same familiar rustling near the trees. He walked towards it carefully, for some reason intensely interested in the only other creature he'd seen. As he neared the second bush the rabbit once more ran further into the forest along a small trail that broke the pattern of leaves and grass on the forest floor. The rabbit soon was in another bush shaking it with its chewing on the branches, and Alex once again followed. This went on for some time, bush to bush, Alex chasing a rabbit who seemed only interested in leading rather than running.

This held Alex's attention, that this normally timid creature was apparently leading him through this forest. It never doubled back, nor did it run too far ahead, always just far enough to cause the man to follow. Soon Alex found himself at a dried river bed, a bridge closed the gap and made for an easy path across it and he watched as the rabbit scurried across it. Alex made to follow, taking a few cautious steps across the bridge. He walked ahead only to have a sudden feeling in the gut of his stomach as the bridge vanished from underneath him. He fell and hit the dried river bed hard groaning in pain as his breath was knocked from his lungs from the force of the fall.

Alex lie on the ground looking up at the sky as it began to darken, supernaturally fast. Day fading to night, he heard the soft footsteps of his guide near his head, not afraid or concerned of this man in front of him. He was confused as he sat up groaning in pain at the effort. He cradled his head in his hands as he tried to make sense of this. It must be another dream, but everything felt so real, like his memories. Before he could attempt to rationalize it any further he heard the crackle of a fire near him, the rabbit sat huddled near to it as it warmed its fur.

He turned and looked at the animal not sure what to make of anything. He opened his mouth as if to speak but could not find words. The small creature looked at him as if knowing exactly what was going on. Alex moved closer to the fire, carefully, so as not to scare the creature away. Darkness was everywhere, with only the dancing flames to keep it at bay. It was then that Alex felt something echoing in his mind... it seemed like words and a voice.

"Cufe, human, you may call me Cufe..." The rabbit sat near the fire casually grooming its paws as it occasionally looked at this man in front of him with a casual disinterest. "I brought you fire, to keep you warm, and safe, like I've done for your kind in the past. The least you could do is talk back."

Alex watched in disbelief and felt somewhat foolish; he knew the rabbit just spoke. "I, uh... I'm sorry I don’t know what to make of this. Am I dreaming?"

"Of course you are, I felt that you needed to learn something so I came to you in your sleep. It's easier this way, you see. There was a time when I would have talked with your kind openly, but those times are long since gone. Now I only pick certain times to bestow my great knowledge on you."

Alex shook his head "I see... what am I supposed to learn then? Be cautious of bridges?"

The rabbit flustered a little, his silky white fur bristling slightly at the indignation. "You're here to learn to not always believe what you see. Things are not always as they seem. The bridge was just an example of that and proof that just because it looks easy that it’s not always the right way." He hopped around the fire a bit. "You need to make sure to look into the cracks to see the truth of it. There is more to the world than you know; you and your kind have lost sight of the importance of it all. You think yourselves the center when you are like a leaf on the breeze, or a single fish in a vast ocean."

Before Alex could respond the rabbit continued "You will see me again in the future, but before that, you will head to the forest. When you do, bring me a small bundle of tobacco, and leave it near your destination. Now wake up and do what you must."

Alex shot up suddenly from his sleep. He felt strangely at peace and much better rested than he had in a long time. It was the first time in a long time that he didn’t have a bad dream. He turned on the couch and rubbed his eyes taking stock of his surroundings. Alex got up and went to make ready for the day going through his routine until it was interrupted by a knock at the main door. He stuck his head out of his office door and looked down the stairs to the door. He adjusted his clothes to look somewhat presentable and headed down the stairs unlocking the main door into the hallway. Behind the door stood the maid he spoke to the previous day from the Delacroix manor she smiled to Alex and was carrying a small canvas bag.

"Good morning Mr. Byrne, I was asked to bring these to you." She said as he held the bag out to him.

Alex smiled and took the bag, "Please come in, if you have a moment, I'd like to ask you a question or two about your employer before you head back up to the Manor, if that’s alright, I mean."

The maid shook her head. "I'm very sorry Mr. Byrne but I am in a rush, I disguised my absence by saying I needed to pick things up for the pantry and if I'm gone for too long it may raise suspicion. I will say that before she went missing, Miss Delacroix began acting very strange. She would leave to the forest at odd hours of the day and be gone for many hours." With that the woman waved and started back up the street in a noticeable hurry.

Alex hurried back to the office; he dropped the bag onto the desk and pulled back the flap exposing the two books he requested within. He first pulled out "Torches in the Forest" and began to flip through it, Certainly enough it appeared to be just simple fairytales. Some of the very same he remembered hearing his parents read him when he was very young. He sighed and removed the other book "The Old Ways” this book felt strange in his hands, almost like it was pulsing in his hands. He placed it on the desk and flipped it open with some trepidation. There was a foreword that didn’t really have anything of interest in it other than stating that it was a handbook for the others. Alex didn’t quite know what to make of that, but he continued to flip through it. Finding pages and instructions of occult practice, as he skimmed through the book he had to admit it was interesting but felt like it was all likely superstition. That was, until he found the entry on runes.

He stopped and looked carefully at the pages "The instructions further in this book will teach you how to sever the fabric between our world and theirs using these words will allow you to pierce the veil and walk between our world and the world of those in seclusion of us." The book stated. Alex scanned down the page and pulled open his own case file finding exact matches to the runes listed iu the book. It expressed that intent was what was required and that the symbols must be transcribed with the correct materials otherwise they wouldn’t work. In most cases Alex would have simply dismissed this but with the recent events in his life he found himself on the fence in the matter. This book ended up being more insightful than he previously believed.

Alex closed up the book, placed it back in the bag, and put them on the couch. He turned back to his desk and picked up the pistol that sat on it and slid it into its holster. After making sure he had all of his things along with his old map he headed out of his office locking up everything as he went. When he got to the street he started up the road to the north and in the general direction of the forest. Along the way he stopped at a small convenience store to buy some food for the trip and some water. He almost left entirely before he stopped and remembered what he was asked. Alex still thought it was a little silly but he decided on his better nature and bought a small package of rolling tobacco to take with him.