The Riddle of Randoman

There's something about a forest, especially a large one, that has a strange attraction for many persons. They want to explore mysterious new territory, but fear losing their way. The forest is at once inviting and forbidding. For you, however, the bigger the forest the better. If it is forlorn, so much the better.

With your backpack loaded with everything you think you'll need for a couple of weeks, you begin your exploration. You love it, wondering why you hadn't thought of the idea years ago. The silence is broken only by the melodic chirping of the birds and the rustling sounds of small furry creatures in the dry leaves. As darkness falls, you pitch a tent and settle into your sleeping bag - to be interrupted only by the sun peaking through the trees the next day.

After a few days of random wandering, you notice that your food supply is getting low. It is then that you decide you probably ought to be thinking about heading back to civilization. As a Boy Scout, you learned you could survive on wild berries and other fruit for several days if necessary. But that kind of food doesn't appeal to you.

So you begin the return trip, experiencing little difficulty until you are driven into shelter by a violent thunderstorm. The rain is refreshing from your position underneath a large cliff, so you watch Mother Nature do her thing. A funny thing happens during the rain, however. All of the footprints you left on the ground on your way into the forest are washed away.

The next few days are to be traumatic as frustration turns into desperation and evolves into panic. You reach the point where you feel all is lost until you happen onto a sign pointing the way to a place called Randomar. Make it to Randomar and you will be safe. There may even be a few persons waiting for you.