First off, sorry for the delay. Normally this would have been uploaded last week but things have been pretty busy around here. Hopefully this won't be an issue in the future, but I may need to take a break every now an then. Anyway, on with the show.

Disclaimer: I don't own Don't Starve or any of the characters

The forest was coming alive. It was like every horror story Wilson had ever heard while sitting in the dark around a campfire. Every way he turned revealed another of those terrifying things pulling themselves free from the ground. Some were massive, towering above the puny humans like a wooden building. Others were small, only slightly larger than he was. Despite this, they all had one thing in common.

They were all very, very, angry. Murderous glares adorned each of their faces. The image of their unnatural bodies was so grotesque that Wilson felt as though the edges of his sanity were being pulled apart just by laying eyes on them. No… not just felt like. The more he looked, the greater the pain in his head built up. Their unnatural forms ripped at the corners of his mind, finding purchase and seeking to drag him down into the depths of-

"Get down!"

Before the scientist had time to process the meaning of the words, Willow slammed into his side sending the two of them crashing to the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, Wilson caught sight of the wickedly curved claw that had lashed out in an attempt to cleave him in half. There was no time to thank her for saving his life. The moment they regained their footing, they immediately had to start running again. The pressure that had been building up in his skull slowly dissipated now that he was no longer entranced by its source.

"Follow me, quickly!" Wendy shouted, dashing for a pair of the massive beasts. Her plan quickly became apparent. At her gesture Abigail shot through the canopy like a spectral bird of prey, assaulting the two wooden behemoths. Both were forced to step back, trying to gain the room they needed to attack their assailant.

Wilson dashed after the girl knowing full well that her sister's distraction wouldn't last long. Willow and Wolfgang followed behind him as fast as their legs would carry them. They didn't get far before another emerging tree monster forced them to take a hard right, sending them back towards the original grove.

"Any bright ideas?" Willow called from behind him. A frantic note had entered her voice.

"Uh." In all honesty, he was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that living trees were crawling out of the ground. "Just keep running!" It wasn't his greatest plan, but it was the only thing he could think of right now.

Wendy was starting to slow. Having both shorter legs and less endurance than the others, she felt the effects of fatigue before any of the others. It came as a surprise to everyone, none the least herself, when Wolfgang stepped in to take the initiative.

"Little girl is not run fast enough!" He said, scooping her up with one of his massive arms. The strongman didn't even break his stride as he carried the new, and very indignant, burden.

Abigail darted back and forth, doing everything she could to stave off the tide of horrors that were closing in on them. Each time she made contact with one of them a cascade of dead branches and pine needles would fall to the ground, followed by a booming wail as the life force was drained out of them. Even so, she couldn't be everywhere at once and the trees were starting to learn that she was a threat. It was getting much more difficult for her to close in without getting swatted out of the air.

Wilson's heart leapt as he sighted what was likely their only chance.

"Over there!" He directed. "The tree line is thinning out! If we can get out in the open, they won't be able to cut us off!"

The heartening news of a possible escape route gave them the strength to put on an added burst of speed. The monsters roared in protest as their quarry pulled away, dashing towards the light. The scientist felt a rush of triumph burn through his system as he broke through the last few branches barring their way. Each nerve was alight with reinvigorated energy…

Only to turn to ice when he realized his mistake.

"Oh no…"

The trees hadn't thinned due to the forest ending. They'd thinned because there was no more room for them to grow. Wilson stared off the edge of a sheer cliff, extending at least a hundred feet straight down into the crashing waves below. All four survivors ground to a halt, only a few steps from the edge.

"Turn back! Fast!" Wilson urged, trying to make up for the error. "We need to get going before-"

Too late.

As he turned back to flee into the forest once more, he was greeted by the sight of the massive creatures blocking their escape in a semicircle formation. Abigail drifted between the creatures and their targets, trying to slow their advance with minimal success.

"We're surrounded." Wendy pointed out unnecessarily from Wolfgang's shoulder. She'd stopped struggling with her captor, too caught up in their current predicament to worry about personal space.

Wilson's mind ran through dozens of possible strategies, each one being rapidly shot down the moment it came into creation. Trying to run through a gap in their lines would only get them torn to pieces. Splitting up would do no good. The water was too far down, and much too rough for them to try swimming away. There was no way out.

Or so he thought.

When it became clear that the scientist was at a loss for what to do, Willow stepped forward. A dozen pairs of bark-crusted eyes, along with three human and one ghost's gaze, all watched in disbelief as the young woman strode towards the towering things with determination glinting in her eyes.

With a flick of her wrist, she brought the flame of her lighter into being.

"Back off." She growled, holding the flickering item forward like a sword. "Or I'll turn you all into kindling." Her expression held a hint of fear, but the arm that held her lighter didn't tremble in the slightest.

The trees halted at the sight of fire. Regardless of whether or not they could understand her words, they recognized the threat that an open flame posed to their wooden bodies. For an instant, a tense stalemate descended between the two groups. None of the creatures wanted to be the first to tempt the fire starter's wrath, and none of the humans wanted to try their luck making a break for it.

"What we do now science man?" Wolfgang asked, his eyes darting back and forth between Willow and their assailants nervously. At some point he'd either set Wendy down, or she'd wriggled free of his grasp. "Do we fight?"

Wilson couldn't turn to answer him. He was too focused on the expression that was fixed on the young woman's face.

"Willow…" He cautioned, seeing the manic light that was starting to emerge in her eyes. She was staring far too intently at the creatures for his liking.

"Come on big guys." She goaded, her voice rising in pitch ever so slightly. "Not afraid of a little fire are you?" Why she would possibly be taunting them at a time like this, he couldn't begin to guess.

Even if they didn't know exactly what she was saying, the challenge in her voice was obvious. The spirits of the forest were not pleased by her audacity.

"Willow, please! Think about what you're doing!" Wilson urged. With the limited amount of room they had, igniting the trees would result in them either being hacked to pieces by the enraged creatures, burned to death by their flaming bodies, or hurled off the edge of the cliff to a watery grave. It was hard to tell which outcome was the least appealing.

For her part, Willow was looking somewhat unstable. The edges of her lips twitched as though she were fighting back a rather disturbing smile. As a few of the bolder tree creatures inched closer, a manic giggle broke free from her throat. It was choked and muffled, slipping through only after having been held down for as long as was physically possible.

What had gotten into her? Wilson found that it was a question he couldn't answer. Willow didn't seem like the type of person to have a mental breakdown at the drop of a hat. It was so out of character that he… wait…

With a dawning horror, he realized that she'd been staring directly at the forest giants this entire time. Just a few moments of that had proved to be exceedingly painful for him earlier.

"Willow!" He shouted, running up to her side in order to divert her attention away from the creatures. "Listen to me! You need to look away! I don't know what those things are, but the longer- GAH!"

The scientist was forced to jump back in shock when a tiny plume of fire burst into being in front of him.

"What in the world…?"

Had it been a loose spark from her lighter? No, it couldn't be. As Wilson watched, a handful of tiny flames simply appeared on the ground forming a small circle around Willow.

"Aww, look how pretty they are." She fawned, finally tearing her gaze away from the trees. "And there's so many of them!"

She was right. Wilson, Wendy, and Wolfgang were forced to backpedal all the way to the edge of the cliff as more and more flames sprung from the ground. Even Abigail couldn't remain close to the fire starter due to the intense heat. The new arrivals quickly linked up with those already in place, creating a steadily growing bonfire that encompassed the young woman completely.

"Willow!" Wilson shouted, panic threatening to override his other senses. "Get out of there! Quickly! You need to get away from the flames!" He didn't know what was going on, but he knew she had to find a way out of the burning swath of flame that threatened to consume her.

"Willow!" His scream was all but drowned out as the writhing inferno increased in size. The scientist was helpless to do anything other than look on as the young woman's form disappeared from sight.

Not satisfied with the meager offering, the ravenous flames began spreading out and consuming everything they touched. Too late, the trees beasts realized the peril of their situation. An earsplitting wail erupted as the nearest one caught fire, wildly swinging its massive arms and stumbling around in a vain attempt to stave off the inevitable. Its companions soon found themselves in the same predicament.

One by one, the monstrous pines ignited. Their burning forms went up in the blink of an eye until they resembled walking pillars of flame. For a single breathless moment, it looked as though they would stumble back into the woods and set the entire forest on fire but something stopped them. Hearing the distant sound of waves crashing into the side of the island, something in their primitive minds registered the presence of water.

Blinded by the pain of their burning, the living trees charged towards the cliff face in desperation. Never once giving pause to think about the ramifications of jumping off.

"Move!" Wilson shouted, not that the others needed any encouragement. As the titanic creatures charged headlong towards the edge, the three humans dashed for cover to avoid being flattened by their massive limbs. The maddened procession ended just as suddenly as it began with the trees hurtling as one off the cliff and into the sea. Those who experienced a moment of clarity and hesitated were dragged along unwillingly as their less intelligent brethren forced them forward from behind.

As the last of the creatures threw itself towards the roiling waters below, the chaos of the last few minutes began to return to some semblance of normalcy. The only sound that could be heard was that of the last few crackling embers, most of the larger flames having been trampled out in the stampede.

"Wendy? Wolfgang? Are you all right?" Wilson called, hoisting himself off the ground. He was sporting several new cuts and bruises but was otherwise none the worse for his experience.

"Too close!" Came the muffled reply from the strongman. He sat up shakily, spitting a clod of dirt from his mouth as he did so. Not far from him, Wendy rose to her feet slightly dazed, her ghostly sister hovering close by.

When it became clear that none of them were hurt, Wilson turned his attention to the dying bonfire that still clung to life where the fire starter had been standing a short time ago.

"Willow…" He'd known this place was dangerous. He'd known that the odds of them surviving were slim. Even so, seeing the raven-haired girl burn right before his very eyes left a bitter weight in his gut. It was like he had swallowed a gallon of molten lead, solidifying in the core of his body. She hadn't deserved this, and he'd just sat back and watched it happen…

With guilt and sorrow pulling him down in equal measure, he edged his way closer to the flames. The rational part of his mind told him to ensure that the body was covered up before the others had a chance to see. Laying eyes on a charred corpse would only crush their already damaged morale, something they couldn't afford in this place.

As the stubborn blaze slowly burned away the remaining fuel keeping itself alive, the heat became less unbearable. Wilson was able to get closer and even make out the edges of a figure in its center.

Wait a minute. Was the figure… standing?

"Willow!"

Shock and relief poured out of his voice as the scientist laid eyes on the last sight he'd expected. In the heart of the dissipating flames, entirely unharmed, was Willow. Not so much as a single thread of her clothing had been even singed despite having been exposed to a veritable inferno.

"Willow!" He called again, rushing into the heart of the dying blaze. He didn't even care as some of the more lively lounges of flame attempted to lick the edges of his vest. In six swift paces he made his way to her side, nearly forgetting himself and crushing her in a bear hug but managing to stop at the last moment. She might still be injured and it wouldn't do to hurt her further.

"Hey." He said, trying to get her attention while grasping her shoulders in a steadying grip. "Are you all right? What happened just now? How did you manage to do that?"

His questions fell on deaf ears. Willow swayed in place unsteadily, her gaze largely unfocused. It took her several moments to even realize that he was holding onto her. When she did, a tiny giggle, thankfully less insane sounding than before, pushed its way out of her throat.

"What's so funny?" Wilson questioned with growing concern. Behind him, the others were looking on in confusion. They didn't understand what had just happened any more than he did.

"You're hair…" She replied, hardly managing to form the sentence with the suppressed mirth that she was trying to hold back. "It makes it look like your head is on fire. It's really pretty."

"W-What!?" The gentleman scientist felt himself blush as he reached up to pat the top of his head self-consciously. "My hair? I-It doesn't look like that does it? I-I mean… I don't think…"

He never got his answer as, without any semblance of warning or reason, Willow collapsed in his arms. The sudden weight threatened to topple him over, but fear of dropping her on the ground gave Wilson the motivation to stay upright.

"Ok then…" He sighed, pulling one of her arms over his shoulder to better support her limp form. "Wolfgang? Would you mind helping me here? I think this is going to make for a very interesting conversation when she wakes up."

About an hour later, the group found themselves situated in the center of the pig village. Unlike their first entrance, they were hailed like conquering heroes rather than vile marauders. More than one pig had already challenged Wolfgang to a wrestling match, a kind of good-natured competition that they all seemed to enjoy. A few of the more adventurous ones had even invented a game that involved getting as close to Abigail as possible without being horribly maimed by the annoyed spirit. So far, the record seemed to be about three arm's-lengths. None had dared to try her patience beyond that.

"Do you know how crazy you sound right now?" Willow said, holding the side of her head and grimacing. She'd woken up not long ago, and Wilson had taken it upon himself to fill her in on the details of her death-defying feat. Much to his surprise she'd woken up with no memory of the event and a splitting headache.

"I know it sounds insane, but I was there. So were you for that matter." He assured, handing over a wet rag which she gratefully accepted. Despite her normal aversion to water, the relief it provided her pounding head more than made up for its lack of combustibility.

She wrapped the soggy object around her forehead with a sigh of relief.

"How much do you remember?" He asked, trying to get an idea of how such an occurrence was possible. "You started acting strange after threatening the trees."

"That's about it." She said. "I remember pulling out my lighter and trying to scare them off. After that… things get a little fuzzy."

"Hmmm." Wilson rubbed the base of his chin thoughtfully. Now that there was no danger, he'd devoted much of his effort to thinking up explanations for her apparent immunity to the flames as well as where they had come from. He hadn't been very successful, and he wouldn't ever consider asking her to try repeating the display by stepping into a live flame. At least, not without a bucket of water nearby.

"Well, it was a very lucky accident then." He said, deciding that it would have to be a mystery to be solved on another day. "It had the fortunate side effect of saving our hides and getting rid of the giant trees that had been haunting the pigs. Which means…"

Looking over his shoulder, he observed the steadily growing pile of lumber in the heart of the village. The pig-men had jumped at the task of gathering wood as soon as it became clear that there was no longer a threat of the trees coming to life and smashing them into bacon bits.

"We're going to be getting those new buildings soon."

Willow smiled at the thought, imagining a proper shelter and giving an appreciative hum. Compared to sleeping out in the open, even a ramshackle house like the ones used by the pigs would be a blessing.

Having survived their most recent ordeal, the survivors allowed themselves to get lost in the revelries of the pig village. A massive bonfire was constructed before the pig-king, and a feast held in their honor. The celebration extended long into the night, leaving them all exhausted and worn out the following morning.

In all the merrymaking none of them knew, or truly even suspected, that a pair of eyes watched them from the shadows. Seeing all. Missing nothing. The sinister gaze followed their every move with the utmost interest.

After all, these were his playthings. The tools to bring his plans together.

The keys to his freedom.