Surveying the Differences
I didn't figure out what was actually going on until later, when I compared my notes with the topographical map of the woods that I was using to mark out my grid. As it happens, everything within the sight of the gate is an exact match on both sides. But as soon as you step away, things start to change. If you can't see it from the gate, it is likely to be different, and to get more different as you move further away. Of course, I didn't figure that part out until after I got back. All I knew was that something seemed off. I had only my memory to go on, and in the woods one tree can look a lot like another.
Nevertheless, it was pretty apparent that something was different. I had been combing these woods for hours, so I was pretty sure that I knew what it looked like in general terms. There was no way that I could have missed the giant ravine with the brook at the bottom. It wasn't visible from the fallen tree, but it was plainly visible just a short distance away. And I'm sure that I would have remembered the well-worn path lined with faintly glowing lights.
I started taking notes furiously, trying to mark down the exact position of everything I thought might be different. I didn't set foot on the path. I was careful about that. Somehow it seemed like it might be a bad idea. But I did write down everything I could about it. Here's what I wrote down:
Cassie's Notebook
A dirt trail through the woods, apparently used often enough to keep it from getting overgrown. At regular intervals there are pairs of lights on poles, one on each side of the path. There is no visible signage or other markings that indicate where the path is going, and if it wasn't for the lights it would appear to be a mundane path. Looking down it in either direction, I can't see an end; the lights just keep going until they disappear into the mist. Speaking of the mist, I don't know if it's because of the lights, but the fog seems clearer here. Despite that, leaning out and looking down the path itself makes the distant end seem darker, but I can't get a good look at it without standing in the middle of the path itself.
Walking along side of the path and measuring shows that it curves through the woods, despite appearing perfectly straight when I lean into it and try to sight down it. Must be some kind of optical illusion: maybe the lights just make it look straight? I must being a tape measure next time, and maybe try to find something to survey with. Do they use sextants for that? Where would I find a sextant, anyway?
That was where my notes ended, because as I finished writing that bit I heard a sound and discovered that someone was watching me.
