The given co-ordinates are not those of the cache, they point to the beginning of a public footpath. You will need to solve the puzzle in order to find the cache.
In the distant past, one hallowe'en's evening, a young man left his home with the intention of visiting his lover, carrying a small chest of treasure to give her as an engagement gift. Whilst on his journey, he became lost and found himself wandering through the woods alone at night. Surrounded by the eerie sounds of the wood, he became uneasy but, knowing he had little chance of finding his way out until daylight, he decided to rest by an old tree and wait for the sun to rise. He pulled his cloak about him and his hood over his head, in an attempt to block out his scary surroundings and after a short while he fell into a slumber.
He awoke suddenly to the sound of execrable, malevolent laughter. He stood and peered into the inky blackness of the night. He could see nothing. Then there was a sound behind him, from the other side of the tree. He turned quickly, seeing nothing but the same inky blackness. His uneasiness deepened, but he decided that he must have been dreaming…
Then another, almost hysterical, cackle cut through the darkness. The young man tried to run, but found that he could not move his feet. He looked down and saw that the roots of the tree and entwined themselves around his ankles and were gradually moving up his legs. It was only then that a sinister, misty figure could be seen in the darkness off to his right. Uneasiness turned to panic.
Again the blood-curdling laughter rang out, but this time much louder… and closer.
His panic bordering on hysteria, the young man struggled against the pull of the roots, but to no avail. They continued their slow, serpentine journey up his body. They were almost to his waist now.
The misty figure had disappeared from his right. He glanced to his left and saw nothing. Looking forward, he could see only the old tree.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the figure again, to his left, and closer. He could hear footsteps now, slow, muffled, evil footsteps, as the figure disappeared from view and moved behind him.
More maniacal, mephistophelean laughter, but this time he felt hot, drooling breath on his neck. He struggled once more, but found that the roots had reached his chest and had now restrained his arms. He was totally at the mercy of the mysterious, laughing figure.
Suddenly, the trunk of the tree opened in front of him with a dreadful noise, like the screams of the damned, and he found himself being slowly transported towards the gaping maw that had opened before him.
As the tree's roots finally, slowly, inexorably, reached his face, he only had time to release one screeching, agonized scream, before he was dragged into the tree, accompanied by the hideous laughter and the creaking, groaning sound of the tree closing behind him …
Needless to say, the young man was never seen again in human form, but the treasure that he was carrying for his love is still to be found in the bowels of the terrifying tree that took his life. It is said that he still guards the treasure, pining for his lost love, and that spine-chilling laughter can still be heard around the tree …
If you are brave enough to seek the treasure and risk the wrath of the young man's spectre, you must follow the trail back, retracing his steps, and find the tree in which the treasure resides.
Over the years, the treasure has been transformed into various items of frightening detritis, including a coin of terrible hideousness, called Dr Frankentrowel's Grim Cacher Hallowe'en geocoin, and a travel bug called Dr Frankentrowel's Hands of Orlac, beginning their journies. Don't forget, if you remove something from the contents, replace it with something else, equally as hideous, and make sure you sign the book … the wrath of the guardian is fearsome. There is also a small prize for the first to find at the top of the transformed treasure. Please make sure the cache is covered well before you leave. And if you're brave enough to find this cache in the dark, once you've found it, turn off your torch for a grisly surprise!
Good luck, and remember, the eldritch inhabitants of the wood relish the chance of filling the lone cacher with dread, so go … but don't go alone!
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