Disclaimer: Do you think I could seduce Terry Gilliam into giving me the Brothers Grimm as a present for my birthday - which is in five months, actually - or...? No? Oh, well then... Not mine.

A/N: Thanks for your review, I'm glad you guys are still reading this story after it has been neglected for such a long time! Is this update soon enough for you...? I dearly hope so! Enjoy! =D

'J-Jake? A-Are you seeing what I-I'm seeing?' Will asked, voice constricted by fear. His reply was a small, shrill squeal on which he had, if he hadn't been terrified himself, without a doubt commented that his brother really had to do something about his girly screams. Now, however, not another word was able to escape his mouth as he took in the horrible thing again. It must've at least been eight feet tall, and then he wasn't even talking about the width of it. And those tentacles… Just like the mayor had described them. He couldn't believe it. The monster the mayor had been rambling about, was actually real?

But wait… No, this didn't fit. Something was different… Oh, why hadn't he paid more attention to the story?! There was something that didn't accord to the story… What had the mayor said…? Oh yeah! The thing was a man… With a slimy hole in his chest with some white stuff sticking out… With red eyes and one tentacle at each side of his body. He tried to make out the shape of the thing that was surrounded by the shadows of the forest. This thing… It didn't look like a man. And it had three more tentacles on each side of its body than the man the mayor had described, and no hole in its chest, and…

He wanted to say something brave – like telling Jake he had to stand in front of him and protect him from the thing – but before he even got the chance, the monster, still partly hidden in the shadows, flashed a strange white light at them, in the shape of a cross. It was blinding, and Will couldn't help but shout as it seemed to burn his vulnerable eyes. 'Ah! Scheisse!' he exclaimed, before taking a step back. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to see the tree root that was sticking out of the ground, so he tripped and fell backwards, hands covering his eyes. And then… It went silent.

After a few moments in which nothing happened, Will hesitantly ventured a careful peek through his fingers. The light was gone. Surprised he sat up and removed his hands from in front of his face. Nothing. No red, gleaming eyes, no bright light… No monster. His eyes widened. What? Where had it -? How could it -? He blinked as his blue orbs scanned the forest. No sign of the big, black thing. What had it been? It had all happened in such a blur, that he couldn't even recall what it was. He scratched the back of his head.

'I believe… This won't be our last encounter,' he murmured. A cold breeze made him shiver a bit, so he got up from the ground – exactly what Jake had been asking for a matter of moments before. Oh yeah, Jake… 'You alright?' he asked without really looking, before he turned to his brother's horse which was snorting nervously. Poor thing… It was scared to death. Not that he really cared about how the animal was feeling, but since Jake still had to ride on it and Will was obliged to accompany him… Well, he didn't want his brother to complain the whole time about his horse doing silly stuff.

He tried to calm it when it started prancing as soon as he approached it. 'Jake, are you alright?' he repeated as the horse had been soothed. He still hadn't looked at the brunette, and sighed when he got no reply. Of course. His brother still couldn't move or talk after such an experience… He shook his head. What a baby.

'Jake, it's gone now. You can stop being such a frightened child.' Still no answer. Will frowned and turned around to face his brother. 'Jake, how come you're always so -' His voice died in his throat at what he saw… Or rather, what he didn't see. Just like the monster and the blinding light… Jake was gone as well. His frown deepened.

'Jake? Where are you?' Will tried to keep his voice steady, but to tell the truth… He was quite scared. Especially now there was no more Jake to hide behind. 'Jake? Come out now! This is not a time for jokes! Jake?' Again, the only response he received was utter silence. The blond felt how suddenly his heartbeat sped up a bit. Jake vanished? Jake… Was gone? Really really gone, as in… For real?

'Shit,' he muttered, as he turned his head and started walking around the place. No sign of his moronic, foolish brother. He felt his heartbeat quicken again. 'Jake? Jacob? JACOB!' He was now shouting at the top of his lungs, with a pressing fear building up in his chest. Wait a second – how come he was suddenly so worried about his brother? He was in life-threatening danger as well… And he didn't know where the monster had gone. The thought made his heart sink a bit. Jake was somewhere there, all on his own... But Will himself was too. His blue orbs flickered to a place where he heard a branch snap. Luckily, he noticed as he let out a shaky breath, it was only Jake's horse that was standing there on its own. Wait a minute – only Jake's horse?! His eyes widened. His own horse was gone as well!

'Double shit,' he mumbled for the second time. His brother and his horse were out there… At least, if they were as lucky as in "still being there", since that thing hadn't looked very friendly. God… The brunette was probably so scared now… And it was on that moment, Will made up his mind as he took a deep breath and said to himself: 'I have to go back to the village… And prepare to search for him!'