Will the Wise

Chapter 3

November 2nd, 1983. Early Morning

The monster was chasing Will through Mirkwood, chittering and chirping away. Will sprinted, panting, legs burning from the effort, arms pumping fast. But then his foot caught on one of the roots crisscrossing the ground. Before he knew it, he was crashing to the ground. When he rolled over, the monster was standing over him. But it wasn't the monster. It was –

Then he was in his bed, eyes wide, heart racing, covered in cold sweat. For a moment, he almost believed that things were normal, that he hadn't done this. That the whole thing had been part of a nightmare. That the world hadn't been suddenly torn up, and thrown back together by someone who had the blueprints but didn't actually know how everything worked.

Late the night before, he must have taken the makeshift curtains down, because his quilt was wrapped around himself. That and he could feel a frigid breeze blowing through the window. The sun was shining, but the light was dull, like it was shining through clouds.

Was there even a sun anymore? He didn't know. Maybe the light was an illusion. Or maybe it was coming from something else –

'Where the hell are they?'

Was that –

'Jonathan?'

"M-m-mom?" Will called, sitting straight up in his bed.

'Check the couch!'

"Jonathan?" His eyes lit up, and he tumbled off the bed, running towards the door.

'I did!'

"Mom! Jonathan!" They had come back for him. He'd known that they would, and they did, even if it took a few hours, they still came back, and now he wouldn't be alone. He would have someone to help him through this. They would be able to help him through this. His mother, and his brother. The two best people in the world. He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, but that didn't matter. They'd come back. "Jonathan!"

'Oh. Got them.'

He burst through the door, feeling like a massive weight had been taken from his shoulders. He ran into the hall. "Mom!"

'Okay, sweetie, I will see you tonight.'

As he ran, he stepped on a slippery, wet spot on the carpet, and he slipped to the ground. Even that couldn't crush his spirit, though. He scrambled up again.

'Yeah, see you later.'

He ran down the hall, ready to see Jonathan and his mom, Jonathan probably bustling around the room, his mom probably stressing out, from the way it sounded. Although she was always stressing out, a little bit. He almost smiled at the thought.

Then, he burst into the kitchen.

And froze.