Shadewood shake your bones

A voice called out — lancing at the dark, piercing the veil of shadow which shrouded him, and he startled back as if struck hard. Just as the woman was surprised, so was Tywyll; he felt his heart leap in to his throat and every hair stand on-end, and he stumbled loudly back a few paces with a sharp gasp. As he staggered and found his footing, he expected the feeling to drain away; he wasn't afraid of the voice, and the stranger who owned it was not chasing him or anything, but... For some reason he couldn't shake the anxious sensation that crawled beneath his skin.

He felt a bit light-headed at first. His jaw hurt, and he realized he'd started to clench it, and willed himself to relax — just chill out, go talk to them or something — and Tywyll managed to step towards the stranger's location in the dark wood. His own swarthy body was made to look like a sentient shadow; his bright eyes like sparks of fellfire drifting between the trees, lured close like a moth to her bright, pale coat. The boy opened his mouth and said, Sorry! I didn't mean t'scare, uh, scare, y.. y--hhhwhh but he couldn't speak for long, the air seemed to get thin around him. He tried to gulp air but -- he just -- couldn't --- what was going on? Why did his neck hurt -- his chest? He couldn't breathe --- he ---

— and just like that, the boy plopped to the dirt, his heart straining to beat while he floundered, fish-like, gasping for air.