Wooly's Crush

3: Baa baa booboos

Willow POV

After my two meetups with Amanda and Wooly, my confidence skyrocketed to impressive results. I started to do well in school, but when it comes to making friends, I kept my guard up, for as long as I'll allow. I did make an acquaintance with this guy, Javi. The son of a local curandero that just moved into town, he was smart, and well he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, as well as a huge ego. Today we were going to Hameln studio for a field trip at school. I was surprised to learn that Hameln Studio was responsible for making the cartoon I adore, but I still couldn't get the outlined bodies out of my head.

"Be on your guard," Javi advised, "some places contain evil, invisible to the human eyes..."

"Oh, please, Javi," I scoffed, "it's just a studio, no harm there."

Javi smiled in half.

"Welp, have it your way then," he said, "You sure you don't want any of mí proteccion?~"

I shoved myself away from him.

"I don't know what you just said, but I'm capable of defending myself, thank you."

Javi just looked away and grumbled under his breath.

"Ay, chicas, estos días..."

When we entered the facility, all of the staff welcomed us with open arms, but occasionally their gazes pierced right at me.

"Here, is where father and daughter Sam and Rebecca Colton recorded the popular cartoon show, Amanda the Adventurer, " said one of the scientists," he tried to take Rebecca away from us, due to some... recording accidents that lead to us making the hard choice of taking her in."

"Is Rebecca the inspiration for Amanda?" I asked, the scientist.

The scientist came up to me and stood in front of me with intimidation.

"I see you sweat the details," She said, "What's your name?"

Despite the intimidating exterior, I stood strong and answered.

"Willow Mace," I answered.

The scientist then asked me if I had seen this show before, to which I cooly answered yes.

"And... nothing happened to you...?"

Something in that question looked highly suspicious, I kept getting alarming glares from Hameln Studio's employees. My unease began following me around, like shadows on the wall it only peeked when nearly at the end of the trip, Javi went absent for an hour or two, then showed up, with a creeped-out look on his face.

"What's the sitch," I asked, "you look terrible..."

"I don't know Willow, I was supposed to tag along with you, and the others, but I heard someone's cough, from one of the rooms," He explained "I opened one of the rooms, and there was only a wooden table and a note."

Javi then pulled out a note that looked to be written in red crayon the message said the following:

Don't let her in!

- W

chills ran up my spine, I knew something was up with this note, and it looked like it was written in a rush.

"I have to go home now, someone's in trouble!" I said, before standing up for a run. However, my action was soon stopped, when Javi tugged me in the arm.

"Espera, Willow," he said, "You're gonna need this!"

He tosses me a tiny container filled with a glowing substance and explained to me that this was one of his father's most used tools in exorcism, holy water. All I had to do is to splash it onto the skin of the affected, and this will reveal the possessor.

Javi POV

I watch her nod and then break into a run. I don't know what secrets she's been keeping from me, but something tells me there is more to this message than meets the eye. I sure do hope she knows what she's doing because she's about to deal with a force beyond human reckoning.

Willow POV

Just my luck that I found a journal of all the things I found while exploring the tapes. In it, there were all the puzzles I needed to solve, to gain access to the other tapes. I figured Miss Kate started keeping it before she disappeared, but that's a story for another time. I was a little startled when I found a colorful toy keyboard sitting on the wooden table waiting to be played. According to Kate's notes, I must play the notes: C, B, F; as hinted on the episode In Your Neighborhood. From underneath the keyboard, a drawer opened, revealing another Amanda The Adventurer tape, but this time the episode's title made me uncomfortable.

"Oh no, accidents?" I said to myself as I held the tape, and carried it to the T.V, "This can't be good."

My suspicions were proven correct because strangely enough, the Episode didn't start with the introduction of the characters, nor the introduction of the activity, but with just Wooly looking around in a desolate playground area, with grey skies above it.

"Wooly?" I asked, to which he noticed me immediately.

"Oh, Willow, it's you..." He replied, " Whatever you do don't--" 

Suddenly, a static occurred as Wooly's frightened face indicated an ambush. When I got to the desolate playground, I saw Wooly crying on the ground with a scab on his knee, and beside him a furious Amanda stood, but noticing my presence, her expression changed. I knew she was behind this but I had to help Wooly before it's too late.

"I'm so glad you made it," Amanda said, "Wooly's hurt, we need to send him to a doctor."

I looked at Wooly, as he tries to force a smile to try to tell me that he would be ok, but I knew what was Amanda's true intentions, and things would go south fast if I do not act.

"This bell I have on my neck has the power to grant wishes, right?" I asked Wooly, to which he nodded, making me place my left hoof on his broken kneecap before I started to sing.

Baa, baa, black sheep,
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir,
Three bags full.

The bell started to glow, and so did my hoof, as I continued to rub Wooly's knee.

One for the master,
One for the dame,
And one for the little boy
Who lives down the lane

Wooly POV

I can't believe my eyes, when Willow removes her hoof from my knees it stops glowing, and the wound disappeared, as though it was never there. I jump up and bleat with joy, before hugging her tightly, while she spins me in her arms. But my joy was cut short when I see Amanda growing even madder, but she changed her mood last minute.

"Well done, Willow," she said, patting her on the back, "you saved the day... again."

Willow suddenly flinched, as she shielded me with her arms.

"You better treat Wooly with respect, baa," Willow brayed defiantly, "You'll never know when a lamb will grow horns."

I placed both of my hooves in front of my mouth, as I immediately understood the message she was trying to convey. However, all her bravery and rebellious spirit unlocked something new in me, a will to defy.

Later on, we were playing on the swings of the playground, in celebration of my healed kneecap.

"That was a close one, baaa," I brayed, "I thought I'd be broken forever."

"No problem," she replied, "I will protect you always."

"Which begs the question..." 

I came down from the swings and held her hoof.

"If you're protecting me," I added with a flirtatious grin, "who's gonna protect you?