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A young man, driving on a brisk autumn morning, feels a sudden urge to stop his car and enter the woods. There, he encounters an old man who claims to have arranged their meeting. The old man offers three rather uncomfortable choices. Comparable works include This story is similar to works like "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, and "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry, with its exploration of choice, fate, and the value of unknowns.