Hilda and The Watchtower

Chapter 1: The Camping Trip

It was a sunny day in Trolberg. Birds singing, flowers blooming, the beautiful woff migration. This was a perfect day for the sparrow scouts; children who are friendly and helpful to all. This day, however, was already scheduled with plans for a camping trip outside of the area of Trolberg. There was a certain child who was slightly disappointed to not be able to see the woffs migrating, but was excited for the camping trip nonetheless.

Her name was Hilda, a blue-haired little girl who had the heart of an adventurer. In the grand scheme of things, she supposed it didn't matter too much that she didn't see a woff migration this time, having seen them a multitude of times on her own, but it was such a breathtaking sight for her that, despite all the children talking over each other, detailing their own ideas, expectations, and plans for the trip, she was focused on the view that caught her eye from the window.

As beautiful as it was, it stung to know that she was unable to actually live in the wilderness anymore, ever since she tried befriending Jorgen. Her somber thought was interrupted when one of her best friends, Frida, got ahold of her attention.

Frida: "Isn't this exciting, Hilda?"

Hilda: "Hm? Oh, yes, it really is!"

As Hilda snaps back into reality, she looks down to rest her hand on her deerfox companion, Twig's head as he rests in her lap.

David: "I don't know..."

Their friend, David, sat with his hands clasped together nervously; not like this was anything new, as he was always the more timid one of the trio.

David: "I heard that the forest we were going to had a lot of disappearances within it. Maybe even a monster..!"

Hilda: "A monster outside of Trolberg? Now I'm really interested!"

Frida: "Maybe it's just a troll. I don't find it too hard to believe they would wander away from the mountains, and Gracewind Park isn't that far from Trolberg."

Hilda: "Fair, but it still sounds like it could be an interesting adventure."

The two girls giggled to each other while the fearful boy shook in his seat.

David: "B-but what about the disappearances?"

Frida: "David, I'm sure that if there were disappearances in the park, they wouldn't be taking us here in the first place."

As the boy rationalized and calmed himself, the adventurous child began to wonder, why were there stories of disappearances in Gracewind to begin with? And how did it get so bad that it worries her mum, her friend Alfur, and especially David?

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Long after arriving at the park and setting up camp, the trio, since the sun had set, sat in their tent telling each other stories. Yet, as the night went on, the children began to grow tired.

Frida: (yawning) "I think I've hit my limit for stories tonight..."

Hilda: "Aww, but I haven't even gotten halfway through yet!"

David: "Hilda, if these stories were supposed to scare and beat the other, you already won when you mentioned waking up alone in a hospital."

Hilda: (giggling) "That was literally just the beginning, David."

David: "And? That's one of the worst places to be alone in!"

Hilda: "Maybe... Are you going to sleep too?"

David: "I-I'll try..."

Hilda: "Alright."

Hilda reaches over to the lantern and turns it off, dimming the tent with pure darkness.

Hilda: "Goodnight, you two."

Hilda and David get into their sleeping bags

David: "Goodnight, Hilda. Goodnight Fri-"

The two look over to see that Frida had already been asleep. It seems that all the planning and making sure all was well for all during this trip had done a number on her.

The two chuckled as they closed their eyes and rested their heads on their pillows.

It had only been a little while, maybe at least a half to full hour of sleep for the children before Twig had attempted to gain her attention, nudging her and whining quietly.

Hilda: "...Twig? What's wrong boy?"

Twig slowly led her out as she noticed that something seemed to be distressing him. If it were a troll or another type of mythical creature, then the fact that she and her friends fell asleep in their uniforms, that way whoever or whatever it is knows that she is with the sparrow scouts.

Immediately upon seeing that Twig was looking out into the forest, she reached into the tent to grab a walkie talkie and flashlight before returning to his side.

Hilda: "Alright, Twig. Lead the way."

The deerfox led the adventurer into the woods as they searched the source that bothered it. The search went on for a while, finding nothing.

Hilda: "I don't think there's anything out here Twig. Let's return to camp—"

SNAP

The duo immediately turned to the direction of the sound, Hilda shining her light to look for anything, yet finding nothing. The little girl took a deep breath, as there seemed to be no sign of danger. That was, until she looked down to see the deerfox whining, shaking, and slowly stepping back in fear, motioning for her to follow.

Hilda looks back at the direction of the sound, shining the flashlight to find anything of disturbance. There was still no sign of anything to fear... Until she heard the rapid sound of branches breaking slowly increasing from beyond the trees.

Almost as if something was... coming after her...