It was getting late. Sundew looked at her clock again. Almost 10:00, it was almost time.

She turned her lamp off and checked her bed. She had put pillows and blankets on it to make it look like she was in bed. In the dark it was pretty convincing. She opened the window and stepped onto the roof. She shut the window behind her, leaving it open just enough so she could get back in with no trouble.

Sundew crept to the back of the house where a tall tree stood next to the house. She caught hold of a large branch and swung on it, connecting her feet to another sturdy limb. After getting another hold, she did a sort of half swing half jump and landed heavily on the ground.

Sundew bit her lip and clenched her fists, stopping any noise from escaping her mouth. She had landed awkwardly on her leg and she felt a large bruise accumulating on it. She reached to touch it and winced. She stood up, and clenching her teeth, limped quietly to the fence.

She opened the gate and carefully latched it again on the other side. Beyond the fence was the edge of a forest and as she walked into it, embracing the cold forest air, she found the bench. It was a simple metal bench that sat in the middle of a clearing deep in the forest with a flickering lamp post next to it. And sitting on the bench, Sundew saw Willow.

Willow smiled and Sundew sat with her, wincing slightly at her leg.

Sundew and Willow had been meeting at night at this bench for about a week now, ever since Sundew had told her about it, and ever since Willow had loved the idea.

Willow smiled her sweet smile at Sundew as she sat down. Sundew winced as she sat down, the bruise on her leg only growing. Willow must've seen because her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Are you ok?" She delicately touched Sundew's leg and she winced again.

"Yeah, just fell. I'm ok." Sundew said, but she didn't push Willow's hand away. Willow eyed the bruise.

"Are you sure?" Willow leaned on Sundew's shoulder, careful not to press her leg.

"Definitely. Even so, it's worth it to be able to see you here, and get away from the house."

Willow nodded in understanding. Sundew had ranted about Belladonna and Hemlock to her before and she knew all about her rocky relationship with them. Willow gently stroked Sundew's leg and her touch filled her to the core.

But sadly, all good things come to an end, and after fifteen minutes, Willow needed to go home. She waved as she left the clearing, leaving Sundew alone with her thoughts.

Hemlock was home now, and Sundew would be able to go back to her normal routine of avoiding Belladonna. But something was sitting uncomfortably in the back of her mind. Some feeling of dread or unease was waiting to spring and cause disaster.

As Sundew walked slowly home, climbed the tree and crept back to the window, she had no idea why she had this anxiety. But as the window slid open, and the dim moonlight fell into the room, the pool in her stomach instantly turned to ice.

Belladonna stood angrily in her room. Behind her, Sundew saw that the blankets on her bed had been thrown off and scattered around the room. But. It was a minor detail compared to Belladonna's murderous expression.

"Where, in all of the moonsbegotten places, have you been?"