[The boy swallows hard, and gives a slight nod.]

I thought myself mad, too. But what the letter says has some truth to it.

We're captive here in this town — I do not know if we're truly dreaming, but there are things that happen in this place that cannot be so in awakeness. [He sounds completely sure of this, because he is.] There are creatures. In the woods. And strange happenings no one can explain...