As we wandered around the ominous woods, I couldn't help but notice (y/n) looking quite nervous. She was trembling, and her lovely (skin tone) skin was a bit paler than usual. I bent down a little so that I could whisper in her ear.

"Hey, it's alright. We're going to get home safe and sound." I assured her. (Y/n) looked up at me with a weak smile and squeezed my hand tighter.

After a bit more hiking, a colonial style mill came into view.

"found this homestead abandoned. Repurposed it for my... needs." The woodsman explained, as we walked inside of the house.

"That's a bit vague, isn't it?" I whispered into (y/n)'s ear. She laughed a little.

"You kids should be safe here while I work." The woodsman continued. He light a fire in the stone-brick hearth of the fireplace.

"Uh-what is your work exactly?" I inquired. The woodsman sighed and the orange glowing fire reflected into his eyes.

"Everyone has a torch to burn, and this here's mine." He said, patting a black-iron lantern that was next to him. I thought it was rather odd that he had the lantern lit inside of the mill. I grabbed Greg so that we were out of earshot of(y/n), who was admiring a sculpture of a bluebird in a tree on an oak table.

"This guy sounds looney, maybe we should make a break for it. Although he does seem to know the woods really well, so maybe we should knock him out first? No, (y/n) would be against that and it could turn out really badly- yeah. Bad plan, forget that plan," I said, directed to Greg but really to myself.

"Ok!" Greg whispered back.

"I must go to the mill. Keep your brother and girlfriend safe." The woodsman told me, whispering the last part.

"G-girlfriend?! (Y/n)'s not my-"

"Whatever you say, boy." The woodsman winked at me and walked away.

"Wirt, do you really think we should trust this guy?" You asked . He sat down on the red couch-thing that you had laid down on.

"I don't know, if I'm being completely honest. Do you think there really is a beast?" He asked you. His eyes were way sadder than usual, and his voice was breaking.

"I mean, I guess it's possible there's a beast. There was a talking bird." You answered. This entire thing has felt like a dream so far, and you already weren't sure if you were going to make it home by 10 pm. Heck, you weren't sure if you'd ever make it home.

"I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I'm just- a boat. Twisting and turning upon a Black Sea." Wirt was telling Greg. He laid down beside you.

"Oh, I didn't know that. Did you know that if you soak a raisin in grape juice, it becomes a grape again? It's a rock fact!" Greg stated matter-of-factly. He pulled out a funny rock with a dirty face and you couldn't help but smile. Wirt on the other hand was not as amused.

"Ugh, you're not helping. Why don't you go play with your frog or something," he told Greg.

You were getting really cold, as the fire was slowly going out.

"Oh (y/n)! You must be cold in that short sleeved outfit!" Wirt exclaimed. He opened his cape up and you crawled in beside him. You appreciated his gesture, but it didn't help much. You tried your best to keep from shivering, but it was no use. You tremored beside Wirt, and without hesitation, he pulled you up against him. It only took a few seconds for him to realize what he had done.

"I-uh... I was just trying to keep you warm. It's... I mean-" you shushed him before he started to ramble and be awkward little (actually quite tall) Wirt.

"It's fine, Wirt. We're best friends."

"Yeah, if only Greg was here too, he's probably cold as well." Wirt's facial expression dropped. "Where is Greg anyway?" Just then, a loud bang erupted from outside.

"Uhhhh..." Wirt stuttered from beside you. You both stood up.

The woodsman came running through his workshop door.

"What's happening? Where's your brother?"

Wirt shrugged his shoulders. The front door of the mill barged open to reveal Greg covered in what looked like pieces of a wooden barrel.

"Holy moly Hotdog!" He said, sounding very dazed.

(

"It's the beast!" You yelled, hiding behind Wirt.

"Stay back, I'll handle this," the woodsman said. He was just about to strike the horrible creature with his axe, when Greg somehow managed to get him to trip.

"Greg why did you do that?!" Wirt exclaimed, grabbing the gate to the fireplace and using it as a shield for you two.

"That was Your Plan, remember. Knock him out!" Greg sounded so proud of himself. You gasped and glared at Wirt.

"GREG BAD PLAN! I TOLD YOU TO FORGET THAT PLAN!" He screamed. Greg started spanking the beast with the wooden handle of the woodsman's axe. Wirt grabbed you by the wrist and lead you into the woodsman's workshop.

"Greg! Get in here with us!" You commanded the little boy. Once you were all in the room, you started to climb up a ladder. You soon found yourselves on the roof of the old mill.

"Greg, give me the axe, ok? You're too little to have it anyway," you told the child. He happily obliged your instructions. Wirt stood beside you, and Greg stood a small space behind Wirt.

"Do you think we're safe?" You asked the boys. You heard a loud cracking sound behind you that answered your question.

"Greg, what are you doing?!" You yelled when the boy started walking towards the horrible abomination of a creature. Greg ignored you and dig in his dungarees. He pulled out a red piece of candy and threw it over the side of the mill that the water wheel was on. What happened next was a blur, but you woke up to Wirt draping his cape over your shoulders.

"Wh-what happened?" You asked Wirt, who was a little blurry but slowly came into view.

"The mill, it's destroyed! The oil, all gone!" You could hear the woodsman saying to himself from behind Wirt. You walked over to Greg who had somehow gotten a rather cute little sheepdog to sit on his lap.

"Look, (y/n)! The beast spit out a black turtle and now he's my new best friend!" Greg laughed.

"The dog?! That was not the beast!" You could hear the woodsman yelling at Wirt. You wanted to defend him, but because of what you had done you decided to let the woodsman have his rant.

"Come on, (y/n). You too Greg." Wirt tapped your shoulder.

After a final message from the woodsman about fearing the unknown or something, you stopped walking and took camp on a tree. Wirt lifted his hat to reveal a slightly damp pillow that he had stolen from the red couch in the mill.

"Let Greg have the pillow, I don't mind sleeping on the ground." You told Wirt. He sighed and reluctantly handed the pillow to a sleepy little Greg. You leaned up against the tree. Wow, this is more uncomfortable than I anticipated you thought.

"You know what, (y/n)?!" Wirt asked you, rhetorically. "I can't let you get a pain in your neck just because I got you lost!"

"Don't blame yourself Wir-"

"No! Here, use my shoulder as a pillow." He said. He plopped down next to you and cranked his neck sideways so you could have more space. Once your head was laid, he took off his cape and draped it over the two of you, to act as a nice blanket.

Sitting there with Wirt and Greg made you get that same safe feeling, along with some butterflies in your stomach, but you hadn't a clue as to why. You decided to brush it off and slowly drift off to sleep.