I don't think this chapter needs a warning. Just a standard chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Fateful Encounter

Life in the forest was hard, but it was probably better than living in the orphanage. How had he gotten here? It had all started with the fire.

Children were in a panic; the adults had perished from a fiery death. All the boys ran to the door, trying to pry the only exit open. Smoke continued to build up until the point when the sprinklers activated, spraying the entire building with water as the flames died out. Just when they thought they had escaped death, just when they thought it was over… it hadn't been. Many children had been taken away by a force no one could comprehend.

Frightened, Mono had left the area, finding himself in a desolate room with a broken TV. Footsteps could be heard as the monster slowly crept up the stairs. Panic. He had to hide! The broken TV, that should be a great hiding spot, right? So he'd climbed inside the box, tightly wrapping his arms around himself as he felt his body tremble. Don't make a sound, don't make any noise... unless you want the monster to come and take you away. The shadowy figure of a man - no, monster - approached closer. This was it, wasn't it? He was going to get caught!

The boy shut his eyes, his body tense. There was a buzzing sound, but nothing happened. There was a quiet wind as his ears were pleasantly listening to the chirping of the crickets. Slowly, Mono opened his eyes to find himself in a forest. Was that all just a scary dream? Or had he somehow teleported into this... Wilderness? Getting up from the ground, Mono explored his surroundings. There were so many TVs littering the leafy area. Touching the screen of one, nothing happened.

What is going on? the boy wondered.

For days, the child wandered around, admiring the scenery that nature had to offer despite discovering some morbid sights. The boy has been surviving from wild berries that he could stuff in his trench coat. He would search for food during the day and return to the safety of the tree branches at night. Activities in the dark were a frequent occurrence by the Hunter who lived in the Wilderness. Staying up in the trees, out of sight, would keep the Hunter from finding him. However, safety wasn't the only reason why Mono had climbed up the branches in the first place.

The boy found comfort in the moon, being fascinated by it. The way it dazzled against the night sky, shining a silver light to help guide the way. However, tonight was a cloudy night. Ominous clouds were gathering at his usual spot. Mono was reminded of the days at the orphanage, recalling the time he'd been delighted to learn how to spell the name of the white round orb that glowed, contrasting the darkness around it. M-O-O-N! If he rearranged the letters of his name, it spelled moon! It was the only memory he was fond of.

"His parents didn't want him, so he's been dropped at our doorsteps."

"Aw, poor lonely Mono! I would understand if your parents died, but no! They chose to abandon you! How sad!"

"Hey, hey! Did you hear? Apparently, the boy's parents had desired a girl, not a boy. He was such a disappointment from the moment he was born!"

"We will be adopted for sure, everyone will but Mono. We will belong somewhere, he won't."

"Please, take me with you!" He pleaded.

"I don't want you!"

Abandoned, betrayed, not belonging...

Shut up! Mono began to clutch at his head, irritation starting to form. You're wrong! All of you are wrong! I do belong! I belong somewhere!

False hope. The boy felt frustrated and angry. He wasn't alone. Not alone, not alone, not alone...! Tears threatened to fall as his body trembled. If he wasn't wearing a paper bag over his head, the tears that streamed down his cheeks would've been noticed. He was alone. Even his name meant it.

It doesn't matter where or what my home is. It can be anything, anything at all! I just want a place to belong. I don't want to be alone...

Suddenly, a silver light slowly fell on him as Mono lifted his teary face to stare at the beautiful moon in the sky. It was a wonderful sight. The stars were even out, twinkling like they were someone's tears crying out for him. The large orb in the sky was comforting him, telling him that he wasn't alone. Mono slowly took off his paper bag and rubbed his eyes.

"You're very nice to me, Mr. Moon." Mono felt a smile - albeit a sad one - returning to his face.

Someone at the orphanage once told him a story of the Man in the Moon. The boy didn't recall much of the tale anymore, but he liked to believe the Man would help cheer up sad children by shining brightly in the sky. However, what Mono didn't like was the moon's constant shifting phases. Each night, little by little, the silver light diminished as the white orb was absorbed by darkness. It got to the point where there were some nights with no moon at all. It brought uneasiness to the child as the phases repeated themselves. He wanted the moon to stay bright and clear, not get lost and unseen in the night sky.

Sighing to himself, the boy put the paper bag back over his head. He was tired. With his back slumped against the trunk as he curled himself into a comfy position, the boy drifted to sleep.

~oOo~

A long, dark corridor. At the end of the hall, there lay a door with an eye symbol on it. It was calling for him, demanding - no, urging for him to open it. For the sake of the future, he must open the door. Not just for his sake, but for someone else's as well. Whose?

Bang!

Jolted awake by the sound of gunshot, Mono nearly fell off the tree branch. It was still nighttime, as the full moon hovered directly above him. That must only mean one thing: the Hunter was hunting for something. It was probably a giant animal or simply small prey. Whatever it was the Hunter was hunting, Mono felt sorry for the creature that would get caught. He hoped that with a quick shot, the prey would experience a swift death and wouldn't have to suffer dying slowly. If he could, he would help. But he couldn't. He was only a child. He couldn't help if the creature was a large animal. If it was smaller prey, it would most likely die before he could rush to its aid.

Feeling that he was being watched, Mono slowly turned his head to see a child - a girl. She looked young, possibly a year younger than him. The girl has a black bob of hair with bangs that covered her eyes. She had a gray, button up cardigan that reached to her knees. At the moment, she was looking at him in awe as if she hadn't expected to see another child in the Wilderness. As for Mono, he was confused to see the girl. What was she doing out here? In the middle of the night, no less?

No words were exchanged between the two. Just silence and staring. Seeing the Hunter's lantern shining in the dark, Mono wanted to warn the girl of the danger, but it was too late. Hearing a click, the girl turned around to see the Hunter pointing his shotgun at her. Knowing that she wouldn't risk her life for any daring moves, the humanoid monster set down his lantern to snatch the child up. She kicked and struggled, pounding her tiny fists on his hand, demanding for release. However, the Hunter paid no mind as he tossed her inside a cage, closing the lid shut.

Watching this happening, Mono felt scared for the girl. He didn't know what the Hunter does with his catch and the unknown frightened him. The boy also felt guilty. It was his fault the girl got distracted, which led to her getting captured. All he could do at the moment was watch. Slinging his shotgun over his shoulders, the monster picked up his lantern and turned to the direction of the thick trees. Very soon, both the girl and the Hunter were gone.

Silence returned to the Wilderness as Mono slowly climbed down the tree. He wanted to follow them. He didn't know why, but something was telling him to save the girl. Why? He didn't know. It was strange. Despite life having always been cruel to him, Mono found himself to never really fight back. Many orphaned children would refer to him being a doormat for his passive behavior. Whenever he was crushed, scorned and laughed at... he accepted it. And yet, despite all of that, he still retained his altruism.

Why did he leap into action now? If it was fighting to protect, that wouldn't be the case, for the boy had never had someone he'd wanted to protect. So why? Why was he trying to save a girl who he didn't know? Why risk his life? Was it because it was the right thing to do? Because he had a big heart?

Perhaps, I want to be like you, Mr. Moon! Mono thought as he turned to face the astronomical body. You always offered me comfort, never letting me be alone despite you knowing I can't return the favor. That's why I'm going to go save her!

"Wish me luck, Mr. Moon!" the boy exclaimed, giving it a wave before running in the direction the Hunter had gone.

~oOo~

As hopeful as Mono was, he quickly realized that he hadn't really thought much about his plans. The Hunter was gone and he didn't even know where the monster lived. While the boy had lived in the forest for a while, he'd never explored much of the Wilderness. He'd spent many weeks wandering around, getting lost. At times, Mono felt like he knew where he was supposed to go, but then he didn't. A moment of deja vu. Familiar, but fleeting. It was tough, but he didn't give up. He was a stubborn boy and once he set his thoughts on something, it was hard to break away from it.

Eventually, he came across a TV. From the way it hummed, Mono felt entranced. Almost like a lullaby that was lulling him to sleep. Slowly, the boy walked towards the TV. He touched it, but that's all he did. Losing consciousness, he could have sworn he heard a man's voice: I can guide you to her, Mono. Make sure to keep her safe.

Safe? Who was this person? How did they know what he was trying to do...? Dreaming... drifting away in sleep. The door with the eye symbol on it. Waking up, Mono could hear the static of a TV behind him. Getting up, he looked at his surroundings. He was further within the Wilderness. How had that happened? A familiar place. He knew this place... somehow. He knew the way. So, he ran.

Along the path, Mono came across some Glitching Remains. Upon collecting them, the boy felt sad, feeling a tiny fragment of their leftover despair. Time was of the essence, so he mustn't linger. Passing through many disturbing and morbid sights, eventually, he found the Hunter's cabin. Entering inside, the child heard the sound of a music box playing. Something told him that the girl was down in the basement. Running downstairs, Mono grabbed hold of an axe in another room. Slowly dragging the weapon behind him, he went to the locked door and swung. The music stopped, but he swung two more times to destroy the door. Dropping the weapon, he entered the room.

The moonlight was shining on him as if he was making a debut on stage. A soft sigh had his attention drawn to the girl hidden underneath the table. He could faintly see her from the shadows. Unlike their brief encounter in the forest, she was startled by his appearance. Making sure to keep his distance, he knelt down while offering his hand.

"Hey, psst!"

She slowly crawled out to him, reaching to hold his hand. But to Mono's surprise, she suddenly knocked him over as she ran away. Shocked at the sudden rejection, it took the fallen child time before he recovered. Upon looking at her prison, the boy noted the many tally marks on the wall. She had been trapped in here for a month? How was it that she hadn't starved or died of thirst? It wasn't that Mono wanted those things to happen to the girl, but it was still strange. Running upstairs and out of the basement, he followed her as she entered the dining room. Upon seeing the taxidermied family gathering at the dinner table, Mono felt disturbed, nearly mistaking them for being alive.

Ignoring the elephant in the room, the boy followed the girl shortly after. She was trying to get access to the attic, but she was too light to pull down the handle by herself. He approached her as she let go of the handle, becoming tense. She eventually relaxed as an idea came to her mind when looking at the handle. Gazing back at him, she gestured at him, offering to give him a boost. Together, they pulled the handle, gaining access to the attic as a ladder fell. However, it made a lot of sound as the Hunter was making noises somewhere. He offered her his hand and this time, she took it as he helped her to her feet.

"Thank you." She spoke softly, her eyes gazing anywhere but him.

Looking closer, Mono noted that she had a pretty set of warm brown eyes. It reminded him of melted chocolate that someone once shared with him. Another fond memory yet the picture wasn't clear. Feeling that he was staring at her too much, the girl turned around. At that point, Mono felt that he was being a little rude for staring and turned his head awkwardly to the side. She looked a bit sad, as if his presence was stirring sad memories.

"My name is Mono. What's your name?" The boy introduced himself, trying to appear friendly.

She was still looking away from him. It took a while until she answered hesitantly, "... Six."

~oOo~

After getting the key from the attic, a tiny, skittish creature ran by after Mono had pulled the drawer open. Eyeing the creature in curiosity, the boy noticed that despite it being easily frightened, it was very friendly. At the moment, the creature was jumping up and down in front of Six excitedly - much to the girl's distress as she tried to avoid it.

"What is that, Six?" Mono inquired.

"It's a Nome..." she answered quietly, shaking her head at the creature. Understanding what her gesture meant, the little Nome looked down, becoming upset. Noticing the sad thing, Six sighed softly, "I'm really sorry, it's not your fault. I just..."

Unable to finish what she was about to say, the girl walked away, wrapping her arms around herself. She gave a look at Mono that seemed to say: Please comfort it. I would, but I can't.

Looking at the Nome as it sadly watched Six climb down the ladder, Mono briefly wondered how to comfort it. He'd never encountered a Nome before, so how could he comfort it? An idea came into mind as the boy stretched out his arms. Hugs made everyone feel better, in his opinion.

"Do you want a hug?" he inquired as the Nome looked delighted, nodding its head as Mono picked it up and wrapped his arms around it. "Please don't think badly of her. I think something is bothering her and that's why she can't give you a hug."

The friendly Nome gave a nod, agreeing with his statement as the boy gently placed it down. Giving it a wave goodbye, Mono descended the ladder and joined his ally. Unlocking the door, the two children were ready to escape as Mono pushed open the door that led to the outside. Looking at Six, the boy noted that the girl didn't really talk much. He would like to talk to her more - get to know her better - but he didn't know how to initiate a conversation.

No one wanted to talk to him back at the orphanage and they tended to avoid him. But Six... she was different. She wasn't avoiding him the same way the orphaned children did. It was like she didn't really know what to say, so she kept to herself. Still, he sometimes caught glimpses of her misery whenever she was distracted.

She looks a little lonely…

Pushing a large crate and entering the Hunter's shed, they found the monster skinning a dead animal. The sight surprised Mono as he stumbled and fell back. Luckily, he was caught by Six who was gesturing to him to crouch down. She placed a finger to her lips.

"Shh..."

"Sorry," he whispered. Six then pointed at the small door flap at the end of the room. Mono looked at her with wide eyes. "We have to get there? With him?"

"It's the only choice we've got," she softly replied.

The boy looked at the flap in the door again, then at the Hunter. Sighing, he gave a nod and together, they slowly inched their way to the small exit. Unfortunately, the door was plugged on the other side with decaying entrails, so they had to push to get the flap to open. The door made so much noise that when the children managed to pass through, the Hunter turned around. Very quickly, he started to chase them with a shotgun! Immediately, they had to run and duck behind crates, only to continue running after the blast of the shotgun destroyed their cover. Reaching a small cliff, the children hid under it as the Hunter stopped briefly to scan the area with his lantern before moving again.

Panting from the adrenaline, Mono remarked as he placed a hand on his chest, "That was nerve-wracking. I thought I was going to die!"

Six made no comment as she slowly stepped away from their hiding spot, observing the Hunter. Inching towards the girl, Mono instinctively held her hand. She gasped before turning to look at him with doe-like eyes. Mono wasn't sure if the girl liked the hand holding, but she didn't seem to dislike it either.

"We'll do this together," he told her.

"Mm." She gave a nod as they inched further away from their spot and took cover in the tall grasses.

~oOo~

Evading the Hunter was mind-boggling. His heart nearly sank when a crow almost gave away their hiding spot. Regardless, they were safe for now and continued onward. Coming to a broken bridge, the boy pulled on the rope to lift part of the bridge up for Six to jump across. By the time he let go, she was staring at the cages in sorrow. Her eyes had a glint of maturity as if she was remembering a long-forgotten dream. But that maturity vanished as soon as he called out to her.

"Hey, Six!"

Turning her attention back to the boy, Six grabbed hold of the edge of the bridge, with her other hand reaching out for him. With that gap, Mono would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't frightened. But he trusted Six. Running back to get an advantage on his sprint, he jumped and Six caught his hand, pulling him up. Giving the girl his thanks, he turned his attention to the many cages stacked near a tree. In one of them was a dead child with a bright yellow hat. Six was looking down at the ground as if in shame.

Holding her hand, he wordlessly took her away from the scene, much to her relief. The time to relax wasn't over when the Hunter's lantern was spotted nearby. Running to an abandoned building, the children dodged the many bullets that were fired from the shotgun, landing into the swamp. After avoiding the Hunter's light and making it onto land, they snuck forward. However, at the sight of the crows, Mono started to panic. Those birds were cursed!

Turning to Six, he inquired, "What should we do?"

"Stay low. If the crows alert him, run for cover."

Nodding, Mono crouched while holding Six's hand. Eventually, the crows fluttered into the sky as the Hunter's light shone on them. Running to the crates, Mono ducked as the blast destroyed his cover, forcing him to run to the next hiding place. Entering a shack, the boy tripped and fell. Six nearly tripped on him, but leaped aside and shut the door, pulling the lower lock to bolt it shut. Seeing a spare shotgun, Mono jumped and pulled it down. Six scurried over to pick up the fallen weapon. Recovering, Mono helped, pointing the end of the shotgun directly at the Hunter's chest as the monster was trying to break down the door. With his little hand on the trigger, he pulled back.

BANG!

The force from the blast knocked the children back. He could feel Six touching his right leg to see if he was alright. He reacted, giving a small wave. Getting up, he helped her to her feet. She opened her mouth to say something, but he couldn't hear her. No audible words could be heard.

"What?" he asked.

'Are you alright?' she mouthed.

"Oh." He nodded, but pointed to his ears to indicate that he couldn't hear her at the moment.

Six nodded, looking down at something. What was she looking at? Mono was about to follow her gaze, but then she turned around abruptly and was doing something in a corner. He couldn't tell what she was doing since his ears were still ringing. Eventually, he could hear again as the sounds of waves could faintly be heard. Six turned to face him with something in her hands.

"Can you hear me now?" she inquired gently, not sure if she should shout if he had regained his hearing.

"Yes," Mono answered as he looked at what was in her hands.

It was a long piece of ripped white fabric along with some gray wool. Where did she get those fr- Oh. The boy could see that her clothes were slightly ripped and the materials she had in her hands matched what she was wearing. Why would she tear some fabric from her own clothes? Six crouched down by his side and started to do something.

"Um, Six? What are you…?"

"You're hurt." She merely pointed to the side of his leg.

Looking at his right leg, Mono saw some blood trickling down. Oh. A bullet must have grazed him during the chase. Was this just recent or had it happened in an earlier chase? As Six bandaged his injury as best as she could, Mono felt a pleasant feeling in his chest. No one had really cared for him like this. Normally whenever he injured himself, the orphaned children never told him about it, leaving him to have to figure out his injuries by himself. Sometimes, he never noticed until the injuries had grown worse.

Looking at the girl who was now tying the woolly string to reinforce the pressure, Mono knew a little bit more about his... acquaintance? No, their relationship runs deeper than mere acquaintances now. Companions. Friends. Despite her not showing it on her face, he could tell that she was concerned for him. Friends cared for each other. That made Six his friend.

When she was finished and stood up, he looked at her properly, "Thank you."

Six looked at him before turning her face away, speaking softly, "It was nothing..."

Holding her hand, Mono cheerfully grinned, "Let's go!"