Before the Professor could reply, a red slimy object began to appear, from the ground…      “Alright Mary”, Said the Professor in a low and meaningful voice, “when I say run, run as fast as you can.”  The ground began to fill with more and more and they stood their ground until, the Professor gave the signal.     “Run, Mary, run!!!”   Mary sped off like a bullet, straight past it.  In the meantime, the Professor opened his red pouch and produced a small green capsule and tossed it directly at the red goo.  There was a very loud inhuman moaning sound that seemed to echo very loudly throughout the entire woodland.  Very gradually, it faded into oblivion.    In a short distance ahead, Mary stopped in her tracks, huffing, and sat on the ground to regain her breath.  She sat facing the direction where she had ran away from and could see a pale figure lying face down on the grass.      “Professor Stonehead!”  Mary got up and ran towards him.  She knelt down and tapped him gently.     “A…are you alright, Professor?”  Her eyes filled with tears as it dawned on her what must have happened.  Professor Stonehead had sacrificed his life to save hers.  She looked up at the sky.  It was now a dark blue and before long, common sense prevailed as she realised that she still had to locate the shining lake.  Just then, another very obvious thought dawned on Mary and an enlightened look took over her face.       “Of course!  The message goes, Beyond the Dark Trees…  Trees are not naturally dark; in the daylight, but during the night; they are!”  “It means that there is a clue in the message.  I should reach the shining lake during nightfall, but what about the shining lake?”  Mary had gained some energy from the yellow crystal the late Professor had given to her, despite spitting some out.  She removed her coat and respectfully placed it over Professor Stone’s body and rose to her feet.  She was about to leave when she spotted the book which he had been carrying around tightly.   It lay on the grass, just a few feet from his body.  Mary knelt down again to lift it.       “The Professor had a red pouch in his pocket as well.”  Mary partially removed her coat from off the Professor’s body and fumbled in his pockets until she found it.  She rose to her feet once more and gave a sigh.     “Goodbye Professor Stone and thank you for saving my life.”     Suddenly, the Professor’s body began to fade away before her eyes     “What!?”