Chapter 4 – Firelight
A/N: Hey everyone, it's had been pretty stressful lately, but I finally managed to write this.
Enjoy!
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"Willow, Mrs. Wickerbottom, hurry after him, please!" Wilson urged the two women as the strongman left. They exchanged unsure looks with each other before rushing past Woodie who stood there lifelessly.
"Mr. Woodie, are you…?" the scientist began hesitantly and sighed. "I guess things got a little out of hand,"
Woodie stared on ahead, feeling empty. "I don't get it. I know I messed up really bad, but I thought he would at least trust that I'm telling the truth, especially after everything we've been through!"
Sharing food and stories, exploring this land, fighting off the beasts that came after them, getting lost and finding their way again. Did none of it matter at all?
Wilson frowned, wringing his hands together. "Mr. Woodie, I understand what you mean, but you can't fault the poor man for being, well, uncertain. You broke his arm and tried to hide it from him,"
A wounded look flashed over Woodie's face at the mention of the incident. "How long is everyone gonna keep reminding me of that? It was an accident. An accident! I wanted to tell him, but I didn't know how!"
"And I do believe you now," Wilson quickly reassured. "I was being stubborn before, I admit it. We just…we just need time to figure things out. I'm sure he'll come around if you give him time,"
Woodie's could only look down helplessly.
"Will you…be alright on your own?" the scientist asked.
"Huh? Yeah, sure,"
Not looking all that convinced, Wilson left with a quiet farewell. Woodie sat down on the log in front of the long dead firepit and gazed around, feeling his heart clench.
"Woodie…?" Lucy's voice broke through his sullen thoughts.
"Wolfgang's gone," he murmured. This camp, which was once like a home to them, one that they worked hard to build together now only served to remind him that the closest friend he ever had was no longer here. And he may not come back.
Of course, how could he expect Wolfgang to forgive him after everything?
A lump rose in his throat. "But wherever he's going, he will be better off. Caused him nothing but hurt,"
"That's not true and you know that!"
Woodie honestly didn't know, not anymore, feeling as if he aged a decade. "I'm so tired, Luce,"
Tired of watching things go, of feeling so alone. Even in a world of oddities, he was still a freak, always needing to hide away and never having a place for himself among the others.
"It's...it will be alright, Woodie. I'm sure,"
Somehow, he doubted that.
"Things haven't been alright since we were back home. But we lost all of that because of me! I'm even the reason you-"
"Hey, stop that!" her tone was firm yet gentle. "Look, Woodie. When I first saw you when you were changed, I admit I was a bit…scared, but I just couldn't leave you like that. I cared too much for you,"
He knew Lucy didn't understand much about the curse, but she tried in her own way to help him deal with it, making note of his new habits, and always keeping an eye on him whenever he began losing control. Even when he tried pushing her away for her own sake, she would berate him with a playful grin for 'thinking he could get rid of her so easily', as she put it.
"And even after it all went wrong for us, I don't really regret sticking with you. Wherever you end up next, you will always have me, Woodie. I promise,"
A weak smile made its way over his face. "Thanks, Lucy,"
"Ugh, how cloyingly sweet,"
Woodie spun around to see the familiar tall man, cigar in hand.
Anger rushed through him. Charging at Maxwell with a yell, he swung his axe at him only for the man to vanish into smoke and appear behind him. "This is all your fault!" Woodie sneered. "You tried turning everyone against me, filled Wolfgang's head with all that nonsense!"
"Oh really? Who was it then he called a liar?" Maxwell asked.
Woodie's face crumbled at that.
"Face it, pal. You're the one who broke everything. All I did was push the pieces around," the man walked around with one hand behind his back, his dark eyes glinting as he observed Woodie. "Despite being a brainless oaf, I was actually surprised at how many clues that Wolfgang picked up on when I spoke to him. He could have even found out the truth without my interference,"
"You don't really know that,"
"Then tell me. What did you plan on doing during the next full moon? Leave him again just like you did before?"
The lumberjack froze, having not thought of that. There was no way he would be able to slip away from his friend without arising any suspicion.
Maxwell laughed. "See? This is what makes you so amusing. The other fools here seem to at least learn from their errors, but you on the other hand just keep going around in circles!" he made a circular motion with his finger as he taunted him. "A beast that only the Moon sees. Making the same mistakes and ending up in the same spot every time,"
"Shut up!"
"By the way, how long do you think until your pal finally decides to continue his hunt for the Moose Man?"
"Wolfgang would never do that!" Woodie gritted out, ignoring the chill that ran through him from those words. He and Wolfgang may be at odds right now, but he knew he wouldn't do something like that.
"Hmm, just like how he said he would never leave you a while ago?"
Woodie faltered and looked down, not knowing what to say to that.
Maxwell stepped closer. "But since you're down in the dumps, let me give a bit of advice," he gestured around with a wide grin. "You have a whole world here, a new one for you to do whatever you want, and nobody can stop you. Why then hold onto something so broken? Just think about it, alright?"
With that, Maxwell turned around and vanished.
"What a creep!" Lucy muttered and he sighed.
"Yeah…"
"Forget about him. Let's go chop some trees. Maybe it'll cheer you up,"
Woodie couldn't help a weak chuckle as he made his way back. "You always know what to say to make things better, Luce,"
His tired eyes drifted about, and he frowned as the shadows of the trees seemed to grow longer, sharper. He gazed down at his own shadow and tightened his grip on his axe when he almost felt something staring back.
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"Wolfgang, come on," Wilson told him, offering a bowl of stew. "You have to eat something,"
It had been a few days since Wolfgang left his old camp. The other survivors had followed him and insisted that he stayed with them, at least until his injury got better. They didn't want him wandering when he was still hurt, as they put it. He gave in, albeit reluctantly.
"Not hungry," he grunted.
A few weeks ago, he would have laughed at the mere thought. Now he found himself wishing he could feel something, anything at all.
Willow sputtered. "But you're…shrinking and it's kinda freaking us out!"
"Will be okay," Wolfgang muttered, forcing a smile. She looked ready to argue further when Wilson placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
"We'll be outside if you need anything, alright?" the scientist said and the two finally left the tent.
Sighing, Wolfgang slumped. Even the anger that pushed him on back then had faded and all he was left with were the stinging grief and emptiness in his chest. The revelation had thrown his world off balance, and nothing made sense anymore. Woodie had been his companion all this time, the one he thought he could always fall back to and even though he kept some stuff to himself, the strongman never thought he would deceive him, would take advantage of his trust in such a way.
Despite all his fear back then, Wolfgang was ready to go out and hunt down the Moose Man just to keep Woodie safe from harm.
But Woodie had been the Moose Man all along. The small, friendly lumberjack had been the monster that hurt him on that moonlit night.
What was he supposed to believe now? How could things possibly go back to normal after that? Could he even trust the other survivors when the one he trusted the most turned out to be not what he seemed?
"I know I'm not always honest with you about stuff, but I do have my reasons for keeping some things a secret from you…"
He buried his face into his knees, feeling beyond lost now. There was no way he could look at things the same way again.
As far it seemed, the friend he promised to protect had been lost the day he ran away from them into the darkness of the fields. Wolfgang would never be able to bring him back. He would forever be missing.
The strongman was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of arguing outside and rolled his eyes. He gotten used to these moments of bickering by now.
"Seriously?! We're not heading to that swamp just to collect stuff for your books, Wickerbottom! I'm still not over what happened last time," Willow snapped.
"I second that," Wilson cut in nervously.
"-besides, it's a waste of perfectly flammable paper,"
The librarian scoffed. "Excuse me?!"
The strongman gave a weak smile. He could understand where they were coming from. The swamp was probably the last place he wanted to go to with all the creepy and slimy monsters that dwelled there. The first time he stumbled upon that place he ended up getting lost and meeting-
Wolfgang stiffened.
Night was coming. Hugging his sore knees as another deep rumbling sound came from somewhere in the gloomy swamp, he whimpered.
He was resting on a single piece of land that wasn't submerged in muddy water. He made a fire from the branches of the barren tree towering over him, which was quite the struggle considering his boney hands, and tried to get himself dry. He could see those tilting, rundown houses in the distance, but didn't dare to go near them when they reminded him so much of the haunted houses in the stories from back home. He should never have come here!
Suddenly, the sound of something splashing through the water reached his ears and he spun to see a light approaching through the mist. Heart leaping with fright, he abandoned his fire and bolted behind the tree, hugging himself and hoping whatever it was would pass by.
"Hey, someone there?"
Wolfgang froze, not expecting a human voice. It didn't sound like the scary Man in Suit either. Daring to peek, he saw the disheveled stranger, kicking mud and swamp water off his boots with a torch in hand. Wolfgang's eyes locked onto the red axe slung over his shoulder and terror seized him again.
The stranger spotted him and lowered his weapon, softening his wary expression upon seeing his frightened one. "Oh, sorry about that. Didn't mean to scare ya," he said, awkwardly glancing away. "Um, name's Woodie and this is Lucy," he held up his axe almost fondly.
Despite being covered in mud with twigs and leaves sticking to his hair and beard, the stranger flashed Wolfgang a big grin. The strongman opened his mouth and closed it, at a loss of what to say.
"It's nice seeing another soul around here. Been wandering these parts for days and was startin' to think I was all alone," Woodie stepped closer and hummed at the crackling fire. "Say, you got a cozy place here. Would you mind if I stayed tonight? Don't wanna wander after dark. I'm sort of lost," he said, scratching his ginger beard.
Wolfgang thought about it and quietly shook his head. He may not trust this stranger, but he would feel bad sending someone back to the dark and the monsters, no matter who they were. He remained glued to the tree though.
"Thanks," the man sat in front of the fire, rummaging through his backpack. Wolfgang's eyes widened when he pulled out a drumstick and his stomach gave a grumble, catching the stranger's attention.
"Oh, you're hungry? You can join me if you want," Woodie offered as he set the meat to roast over the fire.
Wolfgang shook his head stubbornly, yet the smell of roasting meat was hard to ignore, especially where there was nothing to distract him from it. He pressed a hand against his stomach, not recalling a time where he was hungrier than now.
Minutes passed and Wolfgang couldn't take it anymore. He slowly sat up and bashfully made his way over to the stranger who beamed upon seeing him.
"Glad you changed your mind,"
Wolfgang sat down with his gaze down, embarrassed, while Woodie looked over the food and seemed torn for a moment.
The strongman stuttered when the food was suddenly pushed into his view, speaking for the first time. "B-but…is yours…"
The stranger raised a brow and chuckled. "Nah, don't worry. I've got plenty," he said, patting his backpack. "You look like you had a rough day. You need it more than I do,"
Gulping, Wolfgang accepted the food with a meek 'thanks' and his mouth watered before taking a bite. He soon found himself taking another and another, savoring it as if it's the best thing he eaten.
"You still haven't told me your name, buddy," Woodie said, resting his cheek on his hand.
"Might-" he paused after remembering the wimpy state he was in. There was no way he could convince the other of being a mighty strongman when he looked like he could barely carry himself around, so he ducked his head. "J-just Wolfgang," he mumbled and the other nodded in return.
They watched the embers drift up into the air for a while without saying much. Wolfgang gave out a heavy yawn, the fatigue from this long and tiresome day catching up to him.
"You can go rest if you want. I'll keep an eye out and make sure the fire stays lit," Woodie said.
"I-is fine!" he quickly stammered. Sleeping near a stranger with an axe still wasn't the most comforting of thoughts.
The lumberjack frowned as if he realized that as well and looked away, falling briefly silent. "Hey…if I'm making you uncomfortable then it's okay. I'll leave-"
"No, stay!" he muttered before he could even consider it. Just the thought of being alone again was terrible to him.
Panicking under the lumberjack's bewildered gaze, he rose and put on his most confident look, puffing up his chest with his hands on his hips. "It's just that…if Wood Man leaves then Wolfgang can't protect him! Wood Man should stay where is safe,"
It was a sad display considering his scrawny form and he hardly managed to hide an embarrassed grimace. He expected the man to laugh and poke fun at him, but the lumberjack's face broke into a grateful grin.
"I see. Always good having someone watching your back, I guess, especially in a place like this," he said, his expression warm and teasing, unlike the one of the Man in the Suit. "Thanks, buddy,"
Wolfgang blinked and rubbed his shoulder sheepishly. "Is no trouble,"
Not knowing what else to do, Wolfgang mumbled a quiet good night and laid on his side. Glancing back curiously, he could see Woodie poking the fire with a small twig in his mouth, humming some song Wolfgang didn't recognize.
It wasn't until he was drifting off to sleep that he realized the lumberjack hadn't eaten anything that night.
Wolfgang blinked the memory away and an old ache crept into his chest. He knew back then that he wouldn't have survived that evening if the lumberjack hadn't stumbled upon him. Once he regained his strength the next day, he wanted to repay him in whatever way he could, fighting off the treeguards and any other monsters that came after him. Just having Woodie around gave him enough confidence to face the strange things this world spewed at them.
Everything just seemed less scary…when he was there. No matter what they were going through, Woodie would have a silly joke or a quick reassurance that they both would be okay, and Wolfgang would feel safe once more.
"…you're still the best pal I've had and I wouldn't want anyone in your place,"
The tent was quiet with the sound of chattering from outside. His arm gave a twinge of pain when he stood up, yet he paid it all no mind. He absently walked toward the exit and pushed his way out. Willow and Wickerbottom were still arguing with Wilson sitting tiredly beneath them, but they all stopped upon seeing him.
"Oh, Wolfgang!" Wickerbottom said as if surprised to see him out of the tent. "Are you alright, dear?"
"I…" Wolfgang bit his lip and willed the words out. "I…need to see Wood Man,"
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A/N: The next chapter will be the last.