Ted felt exciting chills running up and down his spine. He was witnessing an arcane ritual, and said nefarious ritual was about to result in someone getting murdered, even if the murder was to happen out of Ted's sight.
He peeked from behind the corner. At that very moment, grass bent just enough that a sound was heard.
The man in the mask turned towards the source of the sound.
"Stay there," he commanded the trembling dead one.
Ted couldn't run without being seen. He needed someone to do so, and he saw that Eknie had positioned herself more favorably.
He nudged her to slip back into the darkness. He knew she would have a hard time abandoning him, but their choices were extremely limited by the unfortunate shapes of the shadows surrounding them.
Eknie fled, but Ted knew she would stop at nothing to get him back.
"A pesky little rodent," the deadrouser said as he was approaching Ted. "I'll see what I can do about you. I know you're there."