You are Ernie, a local woodsman. You came into the L.L. Bean flagship store in Freeport, Maine for a new pair of boots. Simple enough.

You accidentally took a long nap inside a display tent. You just woke up. It is 2:14 AM. Your wife, Ida, is waiting outside in the idling '79 Subaru Brat. She has been waiting a while.

The store never closes. Unfortunately, neither do the tourists — Flatlanders from New Jersey and New York who drank too much Starbucks and are buying $400 moose-print pajamas. If you get trapped in a conversation with them, you lose precious time.

It's a trek from the tent to the Brat, through five departments. You don't teleport between them — you travel, aisle by aisle, and the store is never the same twice. The number of aisles, who you meet, and what happens is rolled fresh every run.

• MOSEY — slow & quiet. Burns the clock but calms Panic and sharpens Dry Wit. Few encounters.
• WALK — steady, balanced.
• BEELINE — fast. Saves precious minutes but spikes Panic and draws Flatlanders like flies. Risky.

• TIME — 60 minutes to dawn. Your oxen. Don't run out.
• AYUH CHARGES — your ammunition. Spend one to win an Ayuh Standoff — a timing duel against a cornering tourist. They don't refill easily.
• PANIC — climbs when tourists mangle town names. High Panic widens the Standoff's odds against you; hit 100 and you snap.
• ITEMS — Moxie (calm + time), Maple Syrup (distraction), the Chamois Flannel (camouflage), Lifesavers. Scattered randomly — grab them when you pass.

Reach the Boot Wall, claim your 10.5 Wide, and make the Exit before the clock hits zero. Miss morning fishing and Ida will not forgive you. Good luck. Don't get cornered.