DST: The Follower AU

PROLOGUE

Working never came easy for her these days.
It seemed like everything she looked at reminded her of her sister.
Winona scowled down at the rose at her feet. Perhaps it was a sign to stop working for awhile...
No, no. For a long time she had gotten away with that. The sudden disappearance of Charlie was hard. Winona hadn't had motivation for a month.
And then, Charlie was pronounced dead. They stopped looking for her. Winona had never felt more angry in her life. They had completely given up on finding her.
Winona would never let them do that — not without a body or something of the sort. So she began to find puzzle pieces and fit them together herself.
Right now, it was a bit of a jumbled mess... but, hey, she was getting something done.
For months now she had been trying to do something about finding Charlie. But nothing ever seemed to bring her any closer than before. She was stuck in the same confused loop all of the time.
There was barely ever any new information that came to her. Maybe a new photo here and there, a new person, but she could never find the person. Even if she could've, she doubted they would know anything about it.
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she snapped back into focus. Winona carried on, trekking through the woods to the place she was somehow called to.
There apparently was someone out here who needed repairs on some bits of their home. She wasn't sure on how they'd even contacted anyone all of the way out here, but she wasn't going to ask about it. It was none of her business. She was just here to work.
And then she saw it. But something wasn't quite right.
Yes, there was a house here, but it was more so a shack. It was small and barely looked like it could fit one person. It was also broken down and missing a door and windows. Pieces of it were hanging off of the walls and roof. Surely this wasn't the place she was called here for.
"Ah, Winona. I've been waiting for you," growled a low, sly voice.
She whirled, wrench raised as fear shot through her. Yet, she lowered it  slightly upon seeing the stranger in front of her.
He was tall — taller than humanly possible — and had dark, unnaturally shaped hair. He wore dark clothing with the occasional red here and there, and he had long, sharp teeth that glinted when he smiled. The thing that unsettled her the most were his hands. In place of human hands he had long, hooked, inky black claws.
Something was very, very wrong here.
He didn't drop that grin as he spoke. "It took you a bit longer than I expected," the man said cheerfully. "But that's alright. We can make do with that."
"What? What are you talking about?" Winona stared at the figure, looking him over a few more times. Surely this was a costume of sorts? An animatronic? "Is this a trick?"
He held up his hands defensively, tilting his head innocently. "No tricks here. Just a friend."
"Who are you?"
The man then... bowed? "Wilson Higgsbury. At your service, ma'am." He then arose. "And I think I might know where your sister is."