"Then let's make a deal~" Long inky claws clacked together and through the darkness those flashlight-like eyes glimmered strongly.

The child took a deep breath looking around at the situation he found himself in while his mind whirled. All his companions were laying, pushed to the ground, and his only brother was slumped in that sick twisted tree. He looked down at the eerie light that glimmered from the dark jagged lantern and closed his eyes in resignation.

"...Okay"

"Wirt… no!" his bird friend weakly called out.

Wirt didn't even look to see her disappointed expression as he trudged over to hand off the horrid lantern. Right before the beast's dark claws could snatch it away in the fog of Wirt's mind a voice came through screaming at him and he jerked back suddenly.

The beast's flashlight eyes blinked at him.

"Wait no this is dumb" Wirt's surprisingly firm voice came out.

The beast looked like it was about to refute him but he continued on. "I'm not just going to carry around a lantern, wandering the woods for the rest of my life."

"I'm trying to help you-" an angry undertone rising in the beast's voice.

"No! You're not trying to help me, you just have a weird obsession with this lantern," Wirt rambled on gaining steam, "It's almost like- like your soul is in it."

With that inky darkness suddenly enveloped everything around the boy so he couldn't see the ground beneath his feet. Only blaring, angry flashlight eyes visible and glaring at him.

And in a slow icy voice that sent claws down his spine, the beast spoke.

"Are you ready to see true darkness?"

Wirt shuddered and cowered under the direct stare but as he thought about how defensive the beast was acting he realized he struck the nail. Wirt took a breath, opened the lantern door close to his face. "Are you?" He took a breath.

As quickly as it came the darkness receded and the beast made a desperate very un-beastly cry "NO DON'T!-"

Wirt scoffed and closed the lantern door, he set it down next to the woodsman.

"Woodsman, I have my own problems to deal with, this one's yours," Wirt picked up the ax and walked back to his brother with a brisk determination in his steps.

The world was plunged in what felt like a bucket of ice water, breathless and dark. Wirt thrashed blindly. Something soft brushed against him and he grabbed on, pulling the tiny body close. With all his might, he pushed for the surface, his lungs burning for oxygen. He broke the surface gasping in air and blinking hard to clear the water from his bleary vision. Wirt wasn't a particularly good swimmer, he had nearly drowned twice in swimming lessons as a kid, but adrenaline was one hell of a drug. He kicked furiously and finally made it to the bank, collapsing against the cold muddy shore. Lights flickered in the distance and Wirt called out weakly. He felt his mind getting fuzzy at the edges and he started to lay back down as the lights got closer.

Without warning, something cold and jagged wrapped around Wirt's ankles. He blinked his eyes hazily and craned his neck to look down. Wirt's eyes widened in horror. Claws made of twisted vines and wood were reaching out from the dark water and grabbing onto him, and further past them Wirt could see a very faint but unmistakable pair of bright lights beneath the water's surface. Wirt felt himself being dragged backwards. He screamed, his mind racing with panic and he clawed at the soggy mud, but the slippery earth didn't provide much grip and Wirt's strength was already drained after the first struggle to get ashore. He slid helplessly towards the freezing water all while weakly kicking and screaming. The jagged claws only dug deeper into his skin the more he fought.

Suddenly, a pair of small hands grabbed onto him.

"Wirt!" a high pitched voice squeaked, "Hold on I've got you!"

But the 5-year old really didn't provide much resistance and was only yanked towards the water along with him. Half of Wirt's body was being plunged into the black water and Wirts panicked mind raced, recognizing the grave situation.

"No Greg, let go! Go find someone else for help!" He cried desperately, not wanting his little brother to get dragged down with him.

"No! I won't leave you!" Wirt had never heard his brother cry like that before. But he could provide no comfort as his head was once again plunged into icy water.

It was fast and Wirt hadn't prepared himself, he felt the air forced from his lungs from the shock of the cold. He went under and his brother's grip slipped from his hands -a part of him was relieved for Greg's safety but an even bigger part was terrified. He thrashed beneath the water in desperation, but the tight hold on his ankles never let go. In the dark water those horrible white lights he knew all too well appeared right in front of him like a ghost and a voice spoke clearly despite the water, like it was talking directly into his mind.

"You ruined everything for me!"

The voice seethed, dripping with angry venom. Wirt could do and say nothing in response, his lungs burned and his heart thrummed painfully in his chest. His entire body was screaming for oxygen. The surface was so close and yet so far. Oh god, was this what it's like to drown?

"So I'm going to repay the favor"

Wirt's thrashing finally subsided and his eyes began to roll back as helplessness and pain swept through his brain. Drowning only takes 4 minutes but in Wirt's mind each second stretched out into an excruciating eternity of overwhelming pain and fear. Instinct for oxygen screamed at him through every cell. The Beast's white eyes began to curl up in satisfaction, getting a sick pleasure from watching the life drain out of the child in front of him.

"Yes, do you feel it child? This is the demise of hope, let it all go. There is only surrender"

Finally the pain dulled and the last few bubbles of air escaped Wirt's lips. Darkness ate at the edges of his consciousness. Just before the final light went out, firm hands grabbed hold of Wirt's arms and wrenched him up through the water. For a moment Wirt felt his body strain, pulled at two ends like a dog's tug toy.

"NO! I'M NOT LETTING YOU GO!"

The ferocious voice screeched in Wirt's throbbing brain. Despite the cries, more hands joined the effort and the upward force was now winning.

"NOOOO!"

Wirt felt himself break free from the jagged claws and finally he was reeled towards the surface by determined hands. Before he was pulled out, a sharp stabbing pain pierced into his lower right side and if Wirt's lungs weren't full of water he would've shrieked from the mind numbing pain. His head broke through the water and he was yanked firmly to the surface. Wirt immediately spluttered, choking and water gushed from his mouth. His lungs heaved, desperately pumping out water to be replaced with air. He was dragged limply along the mud and far from the waters edge.

"We've got you!"

"Wirt! Wirt can you hear-"

"Oh god-"

Muddled voices came into his hazy mind but quickly slipped away again and everything slowly faded. Two tiny white lights flickered in the darkening world, staring at him, and Wirt could barely make out a distant voice.

"I told you, I'm not letting you go."