You take a final look at the cabin, then turn back to the forest. Just then something bursts out from behind a distant tree. It looks like a small child in a bright red hooded cape, running away at speed. Hey, wait, you cry out as you start to give chase. You fight desperately to keep up, swatting branches away and leaping over the undergrowth as the child keeps on ahead of you, swerving in and out of the trees, but soon you're reeling them in, and finally, just when you think you
can't run any more, the child stops. Hey, you call out again, as they stand still with their back toward you, their head shrouded in that big red hood. What's your name? You ask? As you draw closer. Do you know the way out of here? And now you are only meet us away? Even with their back toward you, you can see their chest heaving up and down as tentatively they pull down their hood to reveal a matted cascade of hair.
Then slowly they begin to turn around. You gasp in terror at the oddly waxy and rigid, childlike face of the thing that now stands before you, and barely notice the movement of its hand shooting out toward your stomach. Then you feel the sting and see the rip in your t shirt. Lifting it up, you look down in horror at the fine etching in your skin, then at the sharp claw of the figure's hand, now held out
in front of you. Then the blood appears, seeping out of the cut, and soon it is gushing from your belly. As the incision slowly begins to expand you grab at it with your hands, trying desperately to keep it closed, but you can only look on in disbelief. As your hot innards begin to still from your stomach, crying out in agony, you work fast to keep them inside, grabbing at what you can, but there is just too much
to hold. Only then when you look back up at the thing in front of you do you realize its face isn't a face at all, but a mask made of skin, dried out and crudely stitched together. Under those rigid lips, you can just make out something twitching into a grin, and from under the eye holes, two beady eyes stare hungrily out at you. All the while your entrails are steadily squirming out of your stomach, until finally they fall to the ground with a wet slap. You
can only stumble back, hopelessly, collapsing to the floor. As the thing moves closer toward you. You turn and claw at the dirt, trying to drag yourself away, only to then feel the weight of it on top of you, pulling you back, and then you realize it is gnawing on your insides. With your last ounce of strength, you try to push it away, but only succeed in grabbing
the mask, which slips off in your hand. But before you can see what is underneath, the light and the pain are fading, the edges of your vision beginning to blur and darken until a final Now it's time to take care of yourself to make time for you. Teledoc gives you access to a licensed therapist to help you get back to feeling your best. Speak to a licensed therapist by phone or video any time between seven a m. To nine pm local time, seven days a week. Teledoc
Therapy is available through most insurance or employers. Download the app or visit teledoc dot com Forward slash Unexplained podcast Today to get started. That's t e LA DC dot com slash Unexplained podcast