[Don't Starve] Someone I'm Close To {Maxwil}

Chapter 8- His Story

"Wilson, get up!"

The man in question's eyes fluttered open. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"That's what's wrong!" Maxwell pointed to the hands that were rapidly coming in for them. "Move!"

"Shit!" Wilson stood up when his eyes finally focused on the hands. He pulled himself away from the man he'd been holding and stepped on the one closest to him, expecting it to back off into the darkness. He went to step on the other one while Maxwell fumbled with one of the logs placed around the fire when all three of the hands suddenly turned on him.

"What the--?" Wilson swung his foot at one of them as they slithered closer at an alarmingly fast pace. Usually, the hands would have slunk back into the darkness at the first hint of contact. This time, however, it only seemed to egg them on, and two of the hands latched onto Wilson's throat. The last one grabbed both of his wrists and pinned his arms behind his back.

"Fuck!" The scientist choked out, his voice becoming raspy. "Maxwell! Don't just stand there!"

Maxwell immediately rushed over and latched onto the freezing cold shadow hands with his own in an effort to pry them off. Wilson struggled to breathe, black dots forming at the edges of his vision, and tried without luck to wriggle away from the hands.

'This is it.' Wilson thought as his head began to feel light. 'I can't believe this is how I'm gonna die. Willow, don't forget that I love you.'

Just before he thought he would die from asphyxiation, however, a rustling noise was heard from the darkness.

"Wilson? What's going on?"

Oh, great. Now Willow was going to get to watch him die, too. Tears began to prick at the corner of his eyes.

"Sis..." He managed to choke out, the hands grabbing tighter on his throat. Willow's brow furrowed and her face darkened as she flipped out her lighter.

"Maxwell. Move." She snarled in a tone colder than ice. Maxwell immediately backed away, letting go of the hands secured to his love's throat and Wilson felt a pain in his chest so strong it made him want to scream.

Willow thrust the flame of her lighter into the shadow hands secured around her brother's throat, and they made the most horrible hissing sound any of them had ever heard before slithering away like long, black snakes.

"Holy shit. Hooo-ly SHIT." Wilson panted, struggling to regain his breath and clinging to his sister's shoulder for support. "I'm alive. I'm actually alive. Thank you so much." He hugged his sister as tightly as he could manage. She hugged back.

"It's okay." She pulled away rather quickly. "You." She turned to Maxwell and before anyone could say anything, she slapped him hard.

"What the HELL are you two doing out here that was so important it literally put my brother's life on the line?!" She demanded, putting her lighter away. "You ass. I almost have the mind to say you're the one who summoned those things!"

"Woah, woah, Willow." Wilson grabbed her arm. "Calm down. You're tired and irate. Don't lose your shit now."

"Excuse me. He tried to kill you!" She snapped.

"It wasn't him." Wilson frowned and looked up at Maxwell, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Excuse her, please. She tends to lose her temper when she's tired." This was true, of course, but he'd never seen her sister this irate from exhaustion in his life. It was a bit suspicious, actually.

"I can see that." Maxwell mumbled numbly, rubbing the cheek the petite woman had slapped him on. Wilson could see it was already turning red.

"Come on." Willow grabbed her brother's arm. "You're going to bed. As for you--" She glared back up at Maxwell. "I could care less if you lived or died at this point." With that, she flipped out her lighter and dragged her brother to their shared tent, leaving his Maxwell stuck in the rapidly approaching darkness.