Hidden Mysteries

Well, That's One Way to Do Mother-Daughter Bonding

AN: Warnings for violence, blood, a lot of (monster) death
Who's ready to see Handbag in action, people? :)

The group, led by Handbag, emerged from the tunnel, Suitcase blinking in disbelief as she recognized the area of the woods that surrounded the Thinker home, glancing around with a puzzled expression.

"What the hell?" Fan blurted out. "How did we..."

"That crypt is part of a large system of tunnels that the Fellowship of the Bleeding Eye built underneath Hatchwood when it was first founded," Handbag explained. "There were actually several members who assisted with building the town. Some of them were our ancestors, Suitcase."

"Really?" Suitcase's eyes widened in amazement. "That's pretty cool!"

"It is, isn't it?" Handbag chuckled. "Now, let's just—"

She was suddenly cut off by a unsettling amount of shuffling and groaning, coming from all around them. Handbag swore under her breath, placing a protective hand on her daughter's shoulder. Several large creatures made of bark and vines slowly emerged from the forest, groaning and making unintelligible sounds, that sounded vaguely like roaring.

"You've got to be kidding me." Fan backed up slowly, his hands shaking silently.

"What are those things?" Balloon cried.

"Forest walkers!" Suitcase exclaimed, glancing up at her mother. "I read about these in your journals, Mom—they're like, the zombies of nature, right?"

"You really did your research, didn't you kiddo?" Handbag glanced down at her daughter. "Merripen must've found out I managed to escape—they probably sent these!"

"Uh, guys, they're getting kinda close here!" Fan shouted, inching further away. "What do we do?!"

"We run like hell!" Handbag replied, grabbing Suitcase's hand. "Everyone, to the house!"

~~~~

"Candle? Uh, hey?"

"Hm?" Candle glanced over at a worried Baseball, who was staring at her from the stovetop, where he was helping her prepare tea for everyone else that was upstairs. "Oh, sorry, Baseball. I guess I've been...distracted lately, haven't I?"

"Is it...Handbag again?" Baseball approached her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Or something else?"

Candle slowly nodded. "I know I shouldn't be so concerned over her still, especially since we need to focus on other things, but...it's still hard, on some days."

"I know. I...have a hard time accepting it too, sometimes," Baseball admits. "We all do. But Handbag wouldn't have wanted us to just mope around like this, y'know? Heh, if she was here right now, she'd probably break down the door and give us one hell of a motivated speech—"

Almost as if on cue, Handbag leapt through the kitchen window, Suitcase and Balloon tucked under her arms and Fan slung over her shoulders. Baseball and Candle screamed in shock, staring with wide eyes as broken glass scattered all over the floor.

"H...Handbag?" Candle whispered, taking a few steps back. "Is that really—"

"We can have the heartfelt reunions later! We don't have time, there's a bunch of forest walkers outside!" Handbag interrupted, setting the kids down on the floor. "Candle, Baseball, take the kids and go up to the roof, and don't come down until I give the all-clear, understood?"

"H-Handbag, I—" Baseball started.

"Kids! Roof! Now!"

Baseball yelped slightly in surprise, before gathering up all three of the kids and rushing upstairs, Suitcase glancing behind her in time to see Handbag grab a pair of butcher knives from the knife block, most likely to defend herself with.