The Hollow Mountain

Chapter 2

Being on one side of the fence wasn't all that different than being on the other side. Other than the fact that one side was off-limits. Frisk didn't feel guilty, though. She had done this before, and she could do it again.

She stood with her back to the fence, facing forwards. There were two or three bushes in front of her, along with a tall and old tree. Frisk instinctively crouched down by the bushes, peaking through the leaves.

The sunny sky had grown dark with gray, stormy clouds that towered over the mountain, hiding the sun's precious light. The wind had picked up slightly, making the tree branches sway above her head. The air had grown sticky and cool, foreshadowing the impending storm. She pulled her sweater back on.

"Frisk," Amy whispered. "Someone's coming!" Her eyes darted left and right.

"It's okay." Frisk spoke nonchalantly. "I have done this before."

There was a moment of silence between them. Frisk didn't expect her to speak again. She expected her to turn around, walk back to the others and cover for her. What she didn't expect was the sound of someone quietly climbing the fence, and the soft sound of someone landing on the ground.

Frisk was surprised. "Why are you-"

"I'm helping you." Amy interrupted. "You can't possibly believe you can do this alone."

"Well, I have done this before..." Frisk trailed off.

"How do you know if that was just beginner's luck?" Amy whispered as she crouched down next to her.

Frisk knew very well that she could do it alone. It had taken her multiple tries to make it to the peak of Mt. Ebott the first time, and she was confident she could do it again.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the jeers of someone familiar.

"Quiet, Frisk!" Amy whispered harshly. They both ducked down further to avoid being seen.

Frisk silently scooted over to the tree, then raised her head slightly to see where the noise was coming from. There were three boys, each with a can of soda in their hands. They were laughing and cracking jokes, and occasionally pointing towards the peak. They had strayed from their groups, with no chaperone in sight.

Amy looked up at Frisk, then looked at the boys. She quickly ducked down again, gesturing toward Frisk to follow.

"Is that Thomas and his friends?" Amy asked, looking back at the boys.

"I think so." Frisk said flatly. She wasn't too worried.

"This is bad." Amy whispered, burying her face in her hands.

"Don't worry." Frisk patted her back softly. "If you want to go back, I can-"

"No, no, Frisk." She looked up at Frisk, looking a little shaken. "I said I'd help you, and I will."

Frisk didn't know what to say, so she just nodded a 'thank you'. She admired Amy for her perseverance. She wanted to assure her that everything would be fine, but she had no way to prove it. Frisk didn't like the idea of telling her about SAVE points anyway, so she kept quiet.

She slowly crawled around Amy and stopped when she reached the edge of the bush. Then, after checking her surroundings, she darted behind a nearby tree with a thick trunk, the fallen leaves rustling around her.

The chatter stopped.

Amy stared at Frisk with wide, scared eyes. They both held their breath as silence loomed around them.