Lost in the Woods (OTGW & GF Crossover)

Chapter 3 (Mabel pov)

Mabel trudged along behind Soos, her feet dragging and pushing around leaf sludge. "How much farther do we have to go?" she asked. 

"I dunno dude."

She looked back at her twin brother, whose face was buried inside his journal. He studied that thing all the time, even though there wasn't anything left to find. But maybe he thought it could help us get out of here? He'd seemed especially paranoid since last night, insisting we should keep moving. When he wasn't looking in his journal, he was scanning the woods frantically, as if he were afraid there was something in them. 

Something dark whisked by and caught the edge of Mabel's vision. She whipped her head around, but there was nothing there. It sent a shiver up her spine. 

"You okay Mabel?" Wendy asked. 

Mabel nodded, but she wasn't so sure. Maybe Dipper had a right to be paranoid... Suddenly Soos, who was walking right in front of Mabel, stopped. She bumped into him. "Duuuude..." he said, fear edging his voice. 

Everyone looked to see what he was so transfixed by. A pair of glowing, multicolored eyes hovered in the middle of the path, seemingly connected to nothing. Then Mabel saw it. A huge black figure, dark as the shadows and it seemed to stretch like them too. It had long branches growing out of its head like antlers. And it was carrying something. 

"It was a lantern..." Mabel heard Dipper whisper behind her. She had no idea what he was talking about. 

Wendy pulled out her axe. But before she could attack, the thing spoke. "Hello children. You seem to be lost in the woods." Its voice was dark and almost silky. "I can help you find your way."

"What are you?" Dipper asked. 

"Yeah! Why should we trust you?!" Wendy shouted. She gripped her axe so tightly, Mabel could see her knuckles turn white. 

"Calm down children. I wish you no harm. I am a friend. I can guide you through this forest." 

"I think we're fine on our own, thanks," Wendy growled. 

"As you wish. But when you change your mind, I will be waiting... watching..." And like mist in the sunshine, the creature vanished without a trace. But before the group could catch their breath, something else tumbled onto the path. 

A frog jumped onto the worn dirt. "Gotcha!" Suddenly a little boy, younger than the twins, leaped on top of the frog. "Thought you could get away from me, Jason Funderburker?" Then the boy seemed to notice them. "Oh! Hello! My name's Greg!" 

Nobody said anything. I took a step forward. "My name's Mabel! I like your pet frog, I have a pet pig back home myself." 

"This frog isn't my pet! Jason Funderburker is a free, independent frog!" Greg exclaimed, holding the frog up to see. 

"Greg! Greg!" came a distant voice. "Greg, where are you?!" 

"Oh that must be my brother," Greg explained. A boy just older than the twins came through the trees about where Greg had. A bluebird sat on his shoulder. 

"Greg! Don't wander off like that! You could've gotten hurt or-"

"Look at my new friends!" Greg gestured to Mabel, Dipper, Soos and Wendy. Mabel waved awkwardly, but nobody else moved. Dipper gripped his journal defensively, like he was afraid they'd take it from him. 

"Greg, we don't even know these people!" The bluebird scolded.