Chapter 2 – The Bereaved

A/N: Hey everyone, I've been super stressed with college stuff lately, so I decided to write more Chester and the survivors fluff.

Enjoy!

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Panting, Chester tried to keep up with his owner despite the numerous supplies she put in him. The girl was walking ahead with all her attention on a metal staff that would hum ominously every now and then. Her other hand was constantly occupied with carrying that flower that she never left out of her sight. He shivered when a particularly loud rumble came from somewhere, reminding him of where they were. He came to swamps many times in the past with company of a few of his owners, and he realized how much of a death trap they were the first time. This human didn't seem aware of the danger that was lurking here yet.

She stopped suddenly and moved the rod through the air when its screeching grew higher. "Something is near," she said and her eyes scanned the area. Chester grew alarmed when she wandered from the road and tried pulling at her sock to stop her, but she shook her leg irritably. "Stop that,"

He followed her reluctantly where the ground was squishier and softer. He couldn't move as fast since his stubby feet kept sinking into the swamp soil. He dreaded being sucked in entirely from all the stuff he was carrying.

The girl looked through some spiky bushes, her brows furrowed while the blaring became louder. It was then something wet slithered in the mud and burst out, knocking the girl off her feet and sending her belongings scattering. Chester hurried to her side worriedly while she dazedly struggled to get up. The thing that lashed out at her was long and purple with sharp spikes prodding from it.

"Oh no," the girl gasped when she saw her belongings laying further away and forced herself to get up. She limped over to them only for another tentacle to rise up and reach for her, forcing them to retreat to the road again and flee.

Chester hopped after his master worriedly as she limped her way back into the forest. Mud stained her shoes and skirt. The child's frail figure was trembling, but she kept glancing back, her face a mess of conflicted emotions as if fighting against the urge to sprint back into the swamp. Considering how late it was, going back was out of the question anyway.

He had long learned to associate the darkness with danger. The Grue had no interest in him, but it snatched away many of his previous owners. He hoped this one wouldn't meet the same end.

Well, at least he managed to keep the supplies he had inside him. He felt proud of that considering what happened. He bounced ahead, urging her to hurry. When they made it back to the camp, she was quick to start a fire and sink in front of it, wincing in pain. Red trickled from her leg from where that tentacle had struck her.

Opening his mouth, he tried offering her some of those pink glands she collected, but her gaze remained down, much to his confusion.

"She's still there…" she murmured, a lump in her throat. "I lost her when that beast attacked me,"

He didn't understand what she was saying, but then he noticed that the flower she always carried around with her was nowhere to be seen.

"I shouldn't have gone there. It's dangerous to go back now," she hugged her knees harder and sobbed.

Not knowing what to do, he moved closer and nuzzled up against her foot comfortingly. She tensed up at the gesture, but didn't pull away. He tried getting her take the glands after that and she complied, hissing when she rubbed them against her wounded leg.

Chester caught her staring at the darkness again where the swamp probably was and whined, pulling her attention away from it.

Giving a defeated sigh, she laid down on the grass while the fire crackled in front of them. She mumbled something that sounded like, "-d night, Abby," before drifting off. Chester watched the child for a moment before moving closer and sitting beside her head. She might act distant and aloof toward him at times, but he still wanted her to be ok.

Going back to the scary swamp the next morning was inevitable, but he still dreaded it.

"There," she said, her voice still hoarse from last night. The flower and the noisy rod were lying a bit of ahead of them. They knew the slimy beast would lash out the second they stepped over there.

The girl had nothing to defend herself with but a shovel she was dragging around using both her hands. Knowing how important the flower was to her, for whatever reason, he decided to use a trick he remembered one of his owners using in the past.

"Hey, come back!"

Chest went over nervously and stood close to the shifting mound. He hopped away with a yelp just as the tentacle rose out and lashed at him. The girl seemed to understand what he was doing and snuck over while the monster was busy trying to get him, snatching both the flower and the rod. She cried out and leapt back just in time as it swung at her. Stumbling back to the path, Chester found the girl pressing the flower against her cheek.

"I missed you so much," she was saying to it. He was completely lost, but she appeared safe and better, which made him hop around her in joy. The girl finally looked at him and knelt to his level, reaching hesitantly, as if the whole gesture was alien to her. Growing excited, he pressed his head against her hand and she scratched it. "You are not so bad. Knowing her, I'm sure she is going to like you," she said, almost amusedly.

Chester stared at her in confusion, but she just gave him one of her mysterious looks again.

His owners were always so strange, but that was fine with him.

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