I've had this idea since 2018. I should've started when I had the idea still fresh in my head. Now I have to remember the plot line, and remember what happens along the way. But on the upside, I get to change things up.
The title was all my idea; the summary was thought up by my friend, darkgirl11. She's a godsend. ^_^ Anyways, hopefully, I'll have chapter two posted soon. I don't know when. *shrugs* Well, enjoy chapter one, guys. :)
A single light shone from the upstairs bedroom, its inhabitant was pacing in a nervous state. Many nights were spent like this and Wirt often wondered if it would ever end. So many things rushed through his mind: school, homework, tests, college, the Unknown, the Beast. Actually, those last two things always burrowed into his head when he wasn't expecting it. He remembered every second, every minute and hour he and his younger brother Greg spent. It took Wirt a long time to realize that it was a near-death experience.
It happened on that Halloween night, he and Greg were trying to stop Sara listening to a mixtape that was slipped into her jacket. After getting scared by the police in the cemetery Wirt and Greg jumped over the stone wall, only to remembered that the train tracks were on the other side. Before they knew it the train was charging through and Wirt and Greg had to jump off and they rolled down the hill, where they plunged into the river. That was where their adventure began. The brothers traveled through a purgatorial world, the Unknown. They met a few friends, like Beatrice, the girl cursed into the body of a blue bird. There was also the Woodsman, the lumberjack who kept to himself, but helped the brothers immensely. They also made some enemies on the way. Their main enemy was the Beast. He was tall, silhouetted, with glowing eyes, but his most prominent feature were his deer antlers. Wirt knew right then that he wasn't human, and defying him proved to be more and more of a challenge with every step he came closer to getting home.
The Beast tried to tempt Wirt into taking his offer. Become the next lantern-bearer and carry his brother's soul inside the lantern. But Wirt was clever. He figured out that the Beast's soul, and not the Woodsman's daughter, was inside the lantern. Wirt never figured out what happen after that, because he woke up in the river and he rescued his brother, and they were taken to the hospital. Wirt and Greg made a full recovery, Greg didn't appear to remember what happened, but Wirt did. He figured that he would never remember even as he grew up. It was better that he forget. That all occurred six months ago. That event was behind Wirt, but that journey would still leave a mark on him.
But Wirt had to focus on the present now. School was close to letting out and he was looking forward to a great summer. Wirt was never very outdoorsy, he preferred to spend his days indoors, curled up with a good book, thinking up new poems, practicing his clarinet. That's what he preferred. It was better than trekking outdoors, getting poison ivy, getting lost in the forest, getting sunburned. Taking walks in the park were okay, as long as it was a nice day and the sun was out. But still, Wirt found solace in the libraries and bookstores that scattered the town.
Walking towards the window, Wirt rested his chin on his palms, gazing up at the midnight blue sky dotted with stars. The moon loomed over the sky, hidden behind a layer of mist. Thinking back to his adventure in the Unknown, Wirt wondered whether people would believe him or not. If he told someone, they would think he was crazy. That was the drawback. People never believed stuff like that. To them, it sounded like something out of a horror novel. Now that it crossed his mind, Wirt got an idea of some sort. Poetry was his strong suit, but maybe he could write something out of his near-death experience, throw in some poems and limericks, and he could possibly publish this into a horror fiction novel. It sounded good, now all he had to do was find someone willing to publish it.
Since he was only two years away from college, Wirt had already picked his major: creative writing, with art as his minor. He was great with a pencil. Give him a sketchbook and he could draw elaborate sketches of whatever caught his eye. A beautiful sunset, a tree on a hill, things he imagined in his head. Maybe Wirt could make a graphic novel based on his adventure in the Unknown. The story could sell millions of copies, and artists were known to make a lot of money, art being something that not everyone can do. Wirt figured he would have to be the one to show the world who he truly was.
Sighing, Wirt was about to turn away when something caught his attention. Wirt's eyes protruded. A red streak crossed the sky like a spear. It certainly didn't look like anything Wirt had seen before. It wasn't a shooting star, so he couldn't label it as one. Shooting stars didn't look that way, not red, and they don't exude a glow around them. Wirt watched it knife its way through the night sky. He had to be seeing things, because Wirt swore that the red streak was fly down. At the angle it was going, it seemed like it was going to make its descend in the forest. Whatever it was, Wirt watched it until he saw the explosion of red light. Witnessing this was like swing something from a sci-fi movie. It gripped him so much that it was hard to not go and see where it landed. It was already late, his brother went to bed an hour ago, his parents were probably still up. It wouldn't hurt to just take a quick peek.
Grabbing his boots, Wirt sprinted over to his door, slowly opened the door and quietly tiptoed down the hall. The stairs were next to his room, so he had to be careful; the second stair on the bottom creaked. Instead of walking he slid down the stairs on the railing. Holding his boots with one hand, Wirt quietly tiptoed to the front door. Opening it slowly, Wirt leaped it the other side and again slowly closed the door. Slipping his boots on, Wirt looked towards the street and broke off in a sprint.
The way to the forest was to go through the cemetery, jump over the stone wall, but this time he had to walk down the train tracks to get to the road leading into the forest. Wirt did those exact things and found himself face to face with the treeline. With his fists clenched at his sides, Wirt ignored the fire igniting in him. Images of the Beast flashed through his mind. With a deep breath, Wirt drowned his fears and walked.
The forest was modest, clear, and archaic. Its canopy was contested by elm, hemlock, and hawthorne, and twinkling lights bursting through their crowns allowed for a motley of sprouts to control the bitter leaves on the ground below. Curving climbing plants dangled from most trees, and a mishmash of flowers, which grew all over the place, stood out against the otherwise monotonous terrain. A variation of beastly noises, most of which were prowling animals, echoed in the air, were in harmony with the occasional sounds of breaking twigs beneath the feet of larger animals.
Since that near-death experience Wirt had been wary of his surroundings. Although much more mature when compared to boys his age, he still had that teenaged confusion, wonder and fear about the world and what it meant. Out of the corner of his eye, something whooshed by swiftly. Maybe it was his eyes playing tricks on him, Wirt had to stay on the path to find the thing that fell from the sky. He did the calculations on his way over here. The red "star" streaked through the sky, and landed somewhere in the west part. Following the path, Wirt quickened his pace, intent on avoiding any animals.
A red light emanated ahead. This must be it! Wirt took off running, his excitement rushing through him like a tidal wave. The light shone more brightly, whatever it was it was out of this world. As Wirt got closer to the red light, he saw animals surrounding whatever was on the ground. They looked like they were looking down at the thing that crashed. Wirt stood before the clearing and regarded the animals around him. There were two deer, a raccoon, three squirrels, an owl on a branch and badger. The animals didn't seem to notice or show fear towards Wirt. If they felt his presence, then they didn't want to run away, but beckon him to approach. Wirt stepped into the clearing and looked at the crater. It was about the size of the ones he'd seen in pictures of the moon. It was about three feet wide, and the red light was finally dimming. Wirt knelt and glance down, eager to see what fell from the sky.
He saw a pair of a red wings, but there was no way this was a bird, at least not a mundane one. These wings were huge, about twice the size of any eagle he's ever seen. Wirt decided to take a closer look, so he jumped into the crater. That was when he noticed a pair legs underneath the red wings. Then he saw a pair of arms, and that was when Wirt saw a mess of red hair. Whatever it was, it was not human. Crouching down, he touched the creature's wings. The feathers were thin as paper and softer than silk. Curiosity rising, and with the animals' gaze boring into him, Wirt placed his hands under the creature and turned it over.
Wirt found himself unable to take his eyes off this creature. Looking at his face he saw that it was male. Whoever he was, he eclipsed even the most handsome man. His red hair fell to his shoulders in elegant waves. His skin was whiter than the snow, and even thought the moon was hidden behind the trees, he seemed to glow like the moon itself. Wirt examined his wardrobe. His whole attire was of the same midnight blue: his coat, his top, his slacks, his boots, which reached his knees. Wirt also noticed the miniature silver stars that dotted the bottom of his coat. It was only until now that he realized he was an angel. The only thing Wirt could think was how beautiful he was.
The badger sidled over to the angel. Wirt glanced up when the owl's hoot resonated in the air. Its protuberant amber eyes bored into Wirt's, as though beckoning him to approach. With fear and fire coursing through him, he nonetheless reached out with his right hand, about to touch the angel when the angel's eyes snapped open. Jumping back, Wirt watched as the angel sat bolt up, eyes wide in shock and confusion. The animals watching got startled by the angel's awakening, and they retreated into the woods. When he was sure they were gone, Wirt turned his attention to the angel. Only now did he finally notice the angel's eyes. They were bluest blue he'd ever seen. They were blue, like sapphires. Blue like the ocean. Gazing into them made Wirt want to drown in them forever.
The angel looked back at Wirt with confusion than fear. Though there was some fear in him, Wirt had to try to calm him.
"Hey," he said, reaching out a hand to him. The angel backed away, wings unfurling. The expanse of them made Wirt stop, but he tried nonetheless. "Please, I just—" Wirt crept closer to the angel, but the angel just as quickly backed away, hyperventilating. This was getting nowhere, he was going to be here all night at the pace he's going. But still, he had to patient with him.
"Just try," said Wirt, outstretching a hand. The red-haired angel looked at Wirt's hand, unsure what to do. He looked at Wirt and back, breathing evenly. Feeling his own fear slowly dissipate, the angel looked at Wirt's hand and reached his own. The angel grasped Wirt's hand with such force that he was sure something bad would happen if he let go.
"See?," said Wirt, calmly. "It's okay."
The red-winged angel looked at Wirt, blue eyes glimmering. Wirt smiled reassuringly, curling his fingers around the angel's ivory white hand. Looking at him in the faint moonlight, he wondered what else might happen now that he met this angel. And who was this angel exactly? But he knew one thing: meeting this angel would lead to an unimaginable adventure.