If you're reading this, it probably means you read the other chapter and hopefully liked it. Or you're just bored and have nothing to lose. So, I hope you enjoy it! I also hope it is not a disappointment!
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"Who's ready to go home?" Andrew and Jessica DeMayo stood at the entrance of the hospital room, huge grins on their faces.
"ME! ME! ME! ME!" Greg screamed, racing forwards. Andrew bent down onto his knees, bracing for the expected collision of the excited 7-year-old boy to slam into his body. What he was NOT expecting was the impact of a 16-year-old to come with it. Andrew knelt in shock as his son and step-son squeezed his body tightly. Had Wirt EVER hugged him before? He was pretty sure he hadn't. Wirt always had an aura of hate or annoyance when he was around Andrew, but now all Andrew felt was pure happiness and love. Jessica stood next to him in matching shock. They met eyes, and Jessica gave him a thumbs-up. Andrew squeezed HIS boys even tighter, renewed happiness coursing through his body.
Greg was the first to pull off from the hug. He turned to look at his mother.
"Can we go now? I'm Sooooooooo excited to go home!" Jessica laughed and lifted him into her arms.
"Sure we can! Why don't you go grab your suitcases, boys? I'm going to go to the lobby and sign you out of the hospital." Jessica squeezed Greg and then set him on the ground. Greg gleefully raced over to his open suitcase and began dumping his toys and clothes in as fast as he could. Wirt awkwardly sat on the edge of his bed, suitcases already packed. A few minutes later, Jessica entered the room, and the small family left for home.
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"GREG! GREG!" Wirt stumbled through the freezing snow, screaming as loud as his frozen lungs would let him. Beatrice flew next to him, struggling against the harsh winter wind.
"I thought it was this way." She said hesitantly. Suddenly, from between some trees, they noticed a faint light shining through the snow.
"A light." Wirt whispered. He hefted the unmoving Jason Funderburker higher in his arms. Unbelieving, Wirt slowly stepped through the thick snow towards the source of the brightness. They found it covered in snow by some trees in a clearing.
"A lantern."
"It looks like the Woodsman's." Wirt bent down and grabbed the black lantern, shaking the snow off of it. What is this doing here? Wirt stared at the lantern confusedly before using its dimming light to scan over the clearing. The snow was destroyed, and leaves and twigs were littered everywhere in an unnatural way. There was even a full branch that looked like it had been snapped off in a struggle.
"Whoa," Beatrice whispered. "What happened here?" Wirt continued scanning over the snow, until he suddenly noticed a small foot on the edge of his sight. Wirt gasped.
"GREG!" Wirt stumbled forwards frantically. A small edelwood stump sat growing in the center of the clearing, Greg encased halfway inside of it. "Greg! Are you-" Suddenly, Greg's cold mouth started to move.
"Wirt?" Greg croaked. Wirt grinned in relief, tears streaming down his frozen cheeks.
"Oh, Greg." Greg opened his eyes at his brother's response.
"Wirt, I did it! I beat the beast!" Greg began coughing harshly, orange and tan leaves coming out of his mouth.
"Ah geez the leaves are even going inside of him!" Beatrice said anxiously, staring at Greg's pale face.
"No," Greg spat out another leaf. "I was just eatin' leaves." Beatrice gave a small smile.
"I'm sorry, Wirt." Greg mumbled, and Wirt stumbled closer, new tears dripping down his face. "No, no, Greg," Wirt sniffled and rubbed the tears from his eyes. "It's my fault we ended up here. EVERYTHING'S been my fault. I should've been more-"
"No," Greg interrupted, shaking his head as much as the confines of his tree would allow him.
" I mean my rocks facts rock." Greg carefully pulled the painted rock from his pocket to show them.
"What?!" Wirt and Beatrice exclaimed. Greg turned the rock to face him.
"I-I stole it, Wirt. I stole it from Mrs. Daniel's garden." Greg looked to the side, eyes filled with regret. "I'm a stealer. And that's a rock fact." Greg waved the smiling rock slowly, as he had done many times before. Wirt looked at him with concerned eyes.
"What? No," Wirt set the dimly glowing lantern in the snow beside him. "Greg, that doesn't matter." Greg coughed again. "No, it does matter. You have to return it for me, ok?" Wirt's eyes grew panicky.
"No!" Wirt pushed the extended arm holding the rock back towards Greg. "You can return it yourself! C-c'mon, we've gotta get-get Jason Funderburker home, right?" Wirt lifted the sickly frog up to where Greg could see him, and Jason gave Greg a weak croak. Greg grinned.
"Jason Funderburker! The perfect….frog….name." Greg fell unconscious slumping to the side. "Greg! GREG!" Wirt panicked, staring fearfully at Greg's silent form. Beatrice quickly flew on top of Greg's teapot hat.
"Let's get him out of this, c'mon!" Beatrice began pulling on a small branch with her beak. Wirt snapped out of his panicked trance.
"Yeah, yeah." Tears dripped down Wirt's face as he stood and began pulling on the branches.
""COME ON!" Wirt screamed, his tiny arms not working like he needed them to.
"It's gonna be fine, Wirt." Beatrice comforted, though she was just as worried for Greg's life as he was. Suddenly, a low groan came from behind them. Wirt quickly picked the lantern up and spun around, just in time to see the Woodsman fall forwards into the snow, the Beast standing behind him. The beast's glowing white eyes bore into Wirt's soul.
"Give me my lantern." Wirt narrowed his eyes, confused.
"YOUR lantern?" Beatrice quickly interjected.
"No way, we need this thing."
"Yeah, I'm keeping this." Wirt pulled the lantern closer towards him, feeling its comforting heat melt through the coldness in his chest temporarily. Suddenly, he remembered Greg in the trunk. He pulled the lantern off his chest and lifted it above his head so he could better see the Beast's dark form.
"I have to get Greg home." The Beast lifted his arms in a shrug.
"Your brother is too weak to go home. He will soon become part of my forest. Wirt stood defiantly, glaring at the Beast.
"I WON'T let that happen!" The Beast slunk a little closer.
"Well then," He said slowly, his deep, rich voice playing with the words. "Perhaps we'd better make a deal." Wirt straightened, confusion and fear evident on his pale face.
"A deal?" Wirt questioned, and the Woodsman groaned from his spot in the snow. The Beast's glowing eyes brightened and he moved his arm as he explained.
"I can put his spirit in the lantern," The Beast said, reaching towards Wirt. "As long as the flame stays lit, he will live on inside." Wirt looked into the flame of the lantern, and then at the unconscious form of his little brother trapped in the tree. The Beast stared at him unblinking.
"Take on the task of lantern bearer, or watch your brother perish." Wirt's heart stopped. A chance to save his brother. He should take it. But that would mean he would be trapped in the Unknown forever! Well, it was his fault they were there in the first place. Greg deserved to go home.
"Come here." The Beast said, his low voice resonating inside of Wirt's soul. He should do it. Besides, Greg was worth much more than he was. Greg made everyone happy, while he was just a disappointment. Greg deserved to live on, to make other people and himself happy. Wirt sighed and looked down at the snow.
"Ok." Wirt plodded forwards in the snow. Beatrice gasped.
"Wirt!" Beatrice's eyes, full of worry, watched as Wirt made his way towards the dark form of the Beast. Wirt slowly set the lantern down in front of the Beast, but before he let go of the handle, he remembered the people at the tavern, warning him of the Beast's trickery and lies. It couldn't be that simple. There was some trick here. Wirt lifted the lantern and stepped back.
"Wait. That's dumb." Wirt took several more steps backwards, making his way towards Beatrice. The Beast's voice deepened in anger.
"What?" Wirt stood bravely between Beatrice and the Beast.
"That's dumb. I'm not just going to wander around in the woods for the rest of my life." There was some trickery here. Wirt knew it. He knew that giving the lantern to the Beast would not help him OR his brother.
"I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU." The Beast's voice was frighteningly deep, and he leaned closer to Wirt. Wirt glared at the Beast. He had never felt this sort of bravery before. It felt good.
"You're not trying to help me. You just have some weird obsession with keeping this lantern lit. It-it's almost like….YOUR soul is in this lantern." The Woodsman looked up at Wirt. Was it possible? He had never even considered it! Suddenly, the entire forest got as dark as death, the only light being the lantern. The Beast roared in rage, glitching all around Wirt, eyes a bright rainbow of neon colors. Never had neon been so scary to Wirt. Pure terror and despair filled every bone in his body. Wirt shakily lifted the lantern, his entire body shaking so hard he was sure he would collapse. The Beast began closing in on Wirt's trembling form.
"ARE YOU READY TO SEE TRUE DARKNESS?!" Suddenly, Wirt regained his composure. Wait a minute. The Beast was this angry about him saying his soul was in the lantern, and it needed to stay lit for him to stay alive. Wirt stood to his full height and opened the small hatch on the lantern.
"ArE YoU." Wirt quickly cleared his voice, and then said in a deeper, cooler tone. "Are you." The Beast's eyes turned to normal and he swooped forwards.
"Don't! DON'T!" The Beast screamed, terror strung in every word. And then, as Wirt had done every birthday since his first, he blew the faintly glowing light into nonexistence. The Beast screamed a horrific, traumatizing scream, piercing all of their numb ears. And then, Wirt saw darkness. He couldn't see, feel, or say anything. It felt like he was in a vat of molasses. He faintly heard Beatrice and the Woodsman calling his name, and then he drifted into an uneasy sleep.
He vaguely felt himself stand sluggishly, and weakly splutter out that he could carry Greg home. Beatrice was a human, dressed in the Woodsman's cloak. She was clutching Adelaide's bird scissors, but he couldn't remember giving them to her. He felt his back ache slightly as they lifted Greg's unconscious body onto his back. Had Greg always weighed this much? He slowly lifted his weak, noodle-like arms up to support Greg. He felt Jason Funderburker's small form clutched against his chest. As his vision slowly cleared up, Wirt stumbled forwards into the dark, wintery forest.
He felt like he had been walking forever. The more he walked, the more his vision got foggier. He couldn't feel his legs or feet anymore, and his arms felt like they would snap off any second. Without even realizing it, he stumbled face first into the snow, succumbing to the blackness behind his eyes.
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Wirt slowly opened his eyes. Where was he? His body didn't hurt anymore, and he was laying on something very soft and plush. Wait, Greg. Wirt shot up, frantically looking around. Wait a minute. This was his room. Oh yeah. He was in the hospital. And then mom and Andrew came and got him and Greg. Wirt let out a sigh of relief and stepped onto the soft, tan carpet. Suddenly, Wirt noticed something. He was in pajamas. How did he get in pajamas? Hadn't he left the hospital in jeans and a long sleeve shirt? Wirt felt his entire face go hot. What if one of his parents had changed him into pajamas? Wirt quickly shook his head. No, no. He probably was just so tired last night that he didn't remember changing. Yeah, that had to be it.
About thirty minutes later, Wirt was stumbling out of his room, dressed in jeans and a navy-blue long sleeve shirt, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He plodded down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen, where Greg was already at the table, scarfing down a large stack of waffles topping with nearly an entire can of whipped cream and as many strawberries as he could fit. His mom stood at the counter, pulling a freshly made waffle out of the waffle maker with a fork. She grinned when she saw the sleepy teenager.
"Good morning, honey! Do you want a waffle? Or maybe some eggs or bacon?" Greg looked at Wirt knowingly, mouth full of waffle, eggs, AND bacon.
"Yoo shoub gae some." Greg swallowed. "It's so delumpfrous." Wirt smiled at his brother and plopped down into his favorite seat at the table.
"Yes please. Could I have a waffle?" Jessica placed the freshly made waffle on to a plate and handed it to Wirt.
"Order up! I'll let you decorate it with what you want. Anything you want you can have. I'm just so glad my boys are back."
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Sorry. That was kind of a lame ending. Well, I hope you liked it! I would understand if you didn't, since I pretty much just wrote what happened I the last episode and changed it a little. But, it needed to happen for my story. I promise, I am going somewhere with this. Again, any criticism that is helpful would be great. Thanks for reading my story so far!