1. Floor it. You can make it. Aim for the gap.
You've come this far, by the skin of your teeth. You refuse to believe you won't make it now.
"You won't make it," says Benny from behind you.
"Fuck you," you say, pressing the accelerator down as far as it will go.
Benny laughs.
You make it.
The Halfhead releases his vines from the gate and starts to make his way around it as you turn onto the Highway.
You turn a bit, and smile at Benny, who sits smiling back at you in the backseat.
"Liar, liar, pants on fire," you tell him, but he merely smiles, leans forward, and reaches for you.
You jerk back but his arm seems to extend. You catch a brief glimpse of a long red fingernail, then his hand goes past your face and there is a cold, slimy sensation in your mind.
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The Halfhead is pulling the gate shut, his thicker, stronger vines wrapped around the bars. You decide to floor it and aim for the shrinking gap.
"You won't make it," Benny says from behind you. And as he speaks those words, you suddenly realize he is right. There's simply not enough time. You slam the brakes, and your tires wail in protest. But you're caught in that horrible point of no return, with not enough time to make it through, or enough time to stop.
The front of your car smashes into the gate, and your body flies out through the windshield. Strangely, you feel no pain. You are face up on the pavement. The Halfhead is climbing over the smoking wreck of your vehicle and through the gap toward you.
Benny still sits in the backseat, grinning at you, as the Halfhead steps down off the crumpled hood of the car.
"You are fine!" the creature says in that incredibly cheery voice. "My name is Nick! Hello! You are fine!"
The Halfhead reaches you and a vine descends toward your face. You open your mouth to scream.
***********************************
You're still screaming as the images fade and are replaced by rolling highway. You panic and slam on the brakes, screeching to a halt.
Benny is in the backseat behind you, laughing.
"Son of a bitch," you say, whirling on him.
"I toldja!" he replies.
Whatever you were going to say or do next is suddenly overwhelmed by the pain in your head. You press against your temples with both palms, moaning. After a moment, the pain subsides, leaving only a faint hissing noise in the back of your mind.
"You need to get some help, bro," Benny says, and giggles. "Too bad our mutual friends are on to your little trick that you used last time. You really should just give up and join them. A whole world with no beer?! What's the point?"
You gasp, attempting to get ahold of yourself. The images of you crashing into that gate had been so real.
"How... how did they know about that...?" you ask.
"That's simple," Benny says, picking his nose and wiping it on your shoulder. "You told them."
A brief memory flashes in your head. A mirror. A broken mirror. A poker.
Benny smiles.
"No. No, you're making it up. You're messing with me. Like the illusion just now of me crashing into the gate. I made it."
Benny shrugs. "Yeah, you did. This time. I admit I can't help but have a little fun with you. After all, you did kill me. Payback's a bitch, eh?"
"Shut up," you say. "You're not Benny. You're just some figment of my mind. You don't exist."
"For someone who doesn't exist, I seem to be able to cause you a lot of stress," he says. "It won't be much longer now. Pretty soon you'll understand. I --"
Suddenly he stops, and his confident smile falters. He seems to shudder, a bit, and then a strange look comes over his face. Something like... surprise?
Benny flickers, like a defeated baddie in some video game. His eyes widen and then he flickers once again, and vanishes.
We don't have much time, Jacob's voice says in your mind.
What is going on? you think.
No reply.
You turn back around in your seat to see No-Face standing in front of your car. He raises an arm and points at you.
Everything goes black.
***************************************
When you awaken, slumped over the steering wheel, it is dark. The road is empty in both directions as far as you can see.
The noises in your head have vanished, and been replaced by a steady throbbing.
You feel very clear, and focused. You notice you seem to be able to see fine in the dark, despite the lack of headlights or moonlight.
You yawn and stretch. You're not worried at all.
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1. Head toward Limestone. Look for any source of alcohol along the way.
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6. Go back into the Sssssssssspanisssssssh Gardenssssssssss. Your friendsssss are there. Ssss.
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Location: Northern California, Highway to Limestone
Health: Leg wounded, extent of damage presssssssssss
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