Chapter Text
Part One
Sometimes
People take a wrong turn
And lose their way
Where none can find them
Among the riverbeds and subtle glow
The shadows, the pews, the eyes,
In gloomy trees and biting wind
Under gilded frames
Above rows of stones
In a clearing
In the middle of the Wood
Can a wrong turn mend?
-/-
"I don't think I've seen a single squirrel so far."
The forest was pleasant...to look at. Some of the trees were still thick with leaves, despite their lack of life. It was altogether rather brown. The leaves were brown; the trunks of the trees and the forest floor were brown. The sunlight made the browns look warm, though.
"Isn't that strange? It's morning, so we've had to have been here for hours, but no squirrels."
The breeze was weak and barely nudged the flimsiest of leaves from their branches. Virgil's hoodie was thick enough to keep the chill at bay, but he stuck his hands in his pockets nonetheless. Patton's words, despite their relaxed nature, were making him nervous.
"You're right," Virgil spoke up, looking around them as he tugged at his pockets. "We've been walking for too long. I think we're really lost."
"I'm not even tired either," Patton piped in. He had paint in his hair. A big glob of blue, with a bit of yellow on one end. "Usually when I walk for long periods of time my legs get all strained, but I feel fine!"
"Patton," Virgil said, suddenly stopping. He could taste dull panic in his throat, but he shook off the sharpest traces of it, electing to focus on the more pressing matter at hand. "Aren't you concerned?"
"Concerned?" Patton looked around, eyes narrowing a bit as he took in the constant scenery around them. Almost as if catching himself, he perked back up and turned to Virgil. "Maybe a little. We'll find our way, though; I'm sure of it," he shrugged.
"Okay, but how sure is that?" Virgil asked, unable to put a tamper on his anxiety. "Do you know where we're going? What if we're lost and can't find our way back? What if we end up mauled by a bear? What if we starve because we can't find any food?"
"Hey, hey there," Patton said, voice suddenly soothing. Virgil felt humiliation quickly color his face as he realized he'd let his fears get the better of him. Still, they did not disappear. He bit down on his lip to keep any more from coming out. "It's going to be alright," Patton continued, stepping into Virgil's line of sight. "We'll find our way home, and we'll find food if it takes us a bit longer. No biggy."
"Do you know how to forage food in the wilderness?" Virgil asked, feeling both silly and very right in his worries. He saw a shred of doubt enter Patton's eyes and his heart skipped a beat. Before he could say anything, though, Patton suddenly shouted.
"I just saw someone!" Patton pointed over Virgil's shoulder and Virgil spun just in time to watch a figure dart between the trees. "Maybe they can help!" Patton exclaimed and darted away before Virgil could protest.
"Wait!" Virgil yelled, already following after. Great, Patton was probably chasing after a serial killer .
Virgil's long legs made it easy to catch up to Patton. However, this helped none when the other boy suddenly stopped, causing Virgil to knock right into him, toppling them both to the ground.
"Well, aren't you two coordinated?" A sarcastic voice sounded from above, and Virgil, slightly dazed, slightly buzzed at the sound of someone he didn't know, glanced up. Heterochromatic eyes stared back at him.
"Who are you?" Virgil demanded, struggling to get off Patton–both to make sure the boy wasn't hurt and to get to his feet as quickly as he could. It wasn't very dignified, and the blandly amused look in their direction was enough for Virgil to know the man thought so too.
Once he was to his feet, though, Virgil was able to get a good look at the man. He had been right; the eyes were two different shades, one brown and the other yellow, bright like a cat's. Or a…
Virgil blinked. Once. Twice. It didn't go away. This man really had scales trailing one side of his face. Like a snake.
Serial killer , his brain supplied again. Serial killer with a weird MO hiding out in the woods waiting for innocent victims like you to get lost and never to be heard from again.
"Hi!" Patton greeted, finally able to get to his feet. "I'm Patton. This is Virgil. We're kind of lost. If you could, it'd be great if you pointed us in the right direction to town?"
Without a word, the man continued to scrutinize them. He didn't seem to find anything worth noting, going by the bored look in his eyes, yet he continued to stare. Virgil's danger alarms were going wild.
Patton, who seemed ever oblivious, in Virgil's opinion, caught on to this too. He shifted a little before speaking up again, voice cheery, but a bit more awkward this time.
"Sorry, I guess I should have asked your name first. We've just been a bit scattered, so I guess I forgot my manners." Patton chuckled nervously. There was silence again, and the man arched his eyebrow, becoming amused once more. Virgil's danger alarms lowered a fraction to allow annoyance to shine through.
"Dee…" the man finally said, and Patton and Virgil both jumped.
"I- I'm sorry?" Patton squeaked, backing up to stand a bit closer to Virgil. Virgil approved. Safety in numbers, even if it was just the number two.
"My name is Dee," the man clarified, and Patton relaxed a smidge.
"Oh!" he laughed, patting Virgil's arm with a subtle sigh of relief. "Lovely name. Is it short for something?"
"No," Dee said simply, cooly examining his nails. Virgil didn't like this guy. Virgil did not like any of this.
"Okay! Well, nice to meet you, Dee," Patton said. "So, about those directions-"
"No," Dee said again, this time cutting Patton off sharply. Virgil stepped forward, ready to fight or flight the fuck out of there. He grabbed Patton's hand.
"Let's get out of here," Virgil murmured, tugging at Patton. Patton was rooted to the spot, though, watching Dee in concern. Damn it, now wasn't the time for Patton's golden heart. They were literally about to be murdered, or kidnapped, or something else equally horrifying.
"Why not?" Patton asked. He squeezed Virgil's hand in reassurance, but it did nothing to help.
"No one can escape the Wood," Dee replied, and Virgil was not fucking having that.
"Patton…" he said, voice a warning. He wanted to get out of there now .
Dee sighed, as if annoyed, and took a step back. Patton, eyes full of worry and doubt, took one with Virgil.
"Bye, then," Dee said, watching them go with a frown. Virgil led Patton further, unwilling to hear anything else this creep had to say. Patton, however, lagged in order to hear.
"The woods are sure to swallow you whole."
-/-
As soon as Virgil was able to drag Patton away, he zig-zagged them throughout the forest until there was no way Mr. Reptilian Killer could find them. While initially this was a source of comfort for Virgil, secure in his knowledge they hadn't been followed, it quickly became apparent that they were more lost than ever.
"That's it, then," he said, pacing back and forth in front of the spot Patton had collapsed to rest. He claimed his legs were finally starting to hurt, but Virgil could tell it was just an excuse to calm him down.
Virgil wasn't sure how he'd come to know Patton's inner workings so well in the short time they'd talked to one another.
"We're really gonna die here," Virgil paced, waiting for a burn in his legs to distract him. It never came.
"We're not going to die, Virgil," Patton said, and his voice was really soothing. Virgil stopped pacing to face him, tugging at the hair at the back of his neck.
"How do you know ?" he demanded.
Suddenly, Patton rose to his feet, stepping closer. Virgil appreciated the distance he left between them, where he could access air and the realm of control he kept in it. "Okay, Virgil. What I need you to do is close your eyes for a second. Have you ever used sensations to calm down?"
"Wha- sensations?" Virgil asked, eyes wide and confused. The only way he'd ever calmed down before was having his mind play on repeat Calm down calm down calm down calm down calm down you idiot...
"Yes, sensations." Patton said, then waved at his eyes. Reluctantly, Virgil closed them. He could feel them twitch, too paranoid of his surroundings to feel comfortable like this, but he kept them closed. "Like, what's something you can feel right now?"
"Feel?" Virgil asked, and he felt stupid for all his questions. Patton, however, patiently hummed in reply and said nothing else. In the silence, Virgil was forced to think. "Feel…" he contemplated, focusing in on the pads of his fingers, stuffed into his hoodie pockets. "My jacket."
"Yeah?" Patton said, but it was so soft that it could have been carried away on the wind–the wind which tickled Virgil's neck and the tips of his hair.
"The wind," he contributed further. What else? "I- I don't know what else."
"That's good. What about smell?"
There was nothing to smell, though. Virgil frowned, lifting his nose a little and wondering what a sight he made right now. He tried to focus on Patton's task.
"Dead leaves," he said, catching a whiff as the breeze changed directions. "It's one of my favorite smells," he continued, then his shoulders rose, realizing that he'd overshared. Patton didn't take it like that, though. Patton didn't seem to have a negative bone in his body.
"I love that smell too. And what do you hear?"
Hear. That would be an easy one. The forest always had lots of sounds. Nature was noisy.
But, when Virgil listened, he couldn't find the noises of birds or smaller creatures scurrying about. He remembered what Patton had said about not seeing any squirrels.
Suddenly, the woods felt a lot more eerie, and the urge to open his eyes again was far too great.
He was greeted with Patton's bright blue eyes and the browns of the forest, far duller than they were before. Patton scrunched his eyebrows.
"Virgil, you aren't supposed to open your eyes yet."
"I don't hear anything," Virgil said. There was fear in his voice.
Patton frowned. "Please try one more time?" he asked, and Virgil could tell there was room to decline, to stop there and then, but something made Patton want to continue.
Virgil took a deep breath. The forest wasn't that scary. Closing his eyes for a few more seconds wouldn't hurt.
He shut them, accustoming himself to the dark again. He felt his hoodie, and the breeze, picking back up. He smelled the leaves. He heard…
"I hear the leaves in the wind. The wind's really slow." Virgil listened closer. No animals. He tried not to think about that. "Water. There's a stream close by, I think."
"Really?" Patton asked. "I don't hear it."
"Yeah," Virgil replied, eyes still closed as he pointed the best he could. "Coming from that way."
"Wow. You've got great hearing, Virgil," Patton said, voice still soft, but, if Virgil didn't know any better, he'd say there was pride there.
Suddenly, Virgil opened his eyes again, meaning dawning on him.
"Virg-" Patton went to say, pouting from the open eyes, but Virgil interrupted him.
"A stream," he said. "We have to follow it!"
"What?" Patton asked, confused, as Virgil led them through the trees, a new optimism boosting his steps.
"Towns settle naturally near water, so if there's a stream then we can follow it."
"And find town! Perfect, Virgil!" Patton said, and he readily followed after, winding between trees toward the growing sound of rushing water. It was beginning to sound more than a stream.
"A river!" Patton exclaimed as they got to it. "Wow, you really have good ears, Virgil. This was pretty far."
"What is that?" Virgil asked, stepping closer to the running water. Patton came to stand at his side, and they averted their gaze in sync.
Below, a bluish-whitish glow emanated from the river, subtle enough that it wouldn't be noticed from afar. However, up close, it was impossible to mistake. "The river's glowing," Virgil said in awe. "How the fuck is the river glowing?"
"It's not the river," Patton said, shaking his head. He pointed, motioning for Virgil to look closer. "It's what's on the bottom."
Virgil squinted, trying to tell through the rushing water what it could be. Despite the ripples, he spotted his reflection for a moment, sunken eyes and a large gash on his lip. The bandage was gone. He grimaced and leaned forward, looking past the surface, to the bottom.
"Are those… rocks?"
"It looks like it," Patton replied. "A thousand tiny little pebbles, all glowing at the bottom of the river." Patton knelt down on the bank, trying to get a better view. Virgil couldn't stop gawking.
"That should be impossible."
"I'm beginning to think there's a whole lot of impossible going on around here," Patton said. Virgil had no clue what that meant. Then, as if Patton didn't have an ounce of sense in his body, he stuck his hand in the stream.
"What are you doing?" Virgil hissed, sinking down to his knees beside him. Patton already had water up to his arm, knees brushing the water and soaking his jeans.
"I want to grab one. I bet Logan-"
But that's all Virgil heard from him before Patton slipped, falling headfirst into the water. "Patton!" Virgil yelled, reaching to grab him, but it was too late. Patton was rapidly tumbling upstream, led by the uncontrollable force of the water.
Virgil was quick to get to his feet and give chase, not willing to take his eyes off Patton's spinning form for a second. It looked as though he was struggling for air, gasping anytime he breached the surface and receiving a mouthful of water for his troubles. If Virgil could manage to get a hold of him, if Patton veered closer to the shore in all the disoriented tumbling, if Virgil didn't fall in too…
"Patton," Virgil had been shouting the name over and over, unsure as to why if Patton couldn't even hear him. Now it came out in harsh whispers, torn apart by his ragged breath. "Patton…. Patton…."
Suddenly, Patton went under again and Virgil couldn't find him. His voice was still hoarse, but that didn't stop his yell. "Patton!"
He looked around this way and that. Maybe he had come up and continued downstream. Or maybe he was at the bottom of the river, unsure of which way was up or down. Did he know to curl in a ball to float to the top? Urgh, he would have been doing that already if he'd known! Virgil only knew that because he had a habit of preparing (Googling) for the worst during sleepless nights.
None of those nights had been devoted to getting lost in the woods. Karma's a bitch!
"Patton!" he yelled once more, feeling as tears sprung to his eyes. Should he jump in? "No no no. This can't be happening."
Then, Virgil spotted a head of hair upstream, bobbing away on the current. He jumped into action.
He ran and ran and chased that head of hair, brown and sopping and it had to be Patton. It had to be Patton alive .
But, despite his long legs, and despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins and the desperation screaming in his soul, Virgil was starting to fall behind. The hair was nothing more than a blip on his vision.
"No!" he gasped, running, running, running. "No…! No…!"
It was too late. He'd lost it.
Tears were running down his face. Virgil stopped long after it had disappeared, hoping in vain to catch up. When his legs ceased and his hands planted on each knee to catch his breath, he was trembling all over.
He had lost Patton. He had let him get away.
He could have let him die .
Was Patton even still alive, hurtling down that river, or had Virgil been trailing someone long gone? Was it Virgil's fault that Patton would never get home?
Virgil looked up, down the stream, Patton-less. His eyes shakily took in the trees, the forest awaiting him. It looked darker. The sunlight was dimming, and the shadows were growing longer, like they were reaching out to get him.
He heard whispers. Doubts. Regrets. Fears.
Patton was gone.
Patton was gone .
And Virgil…
He looked around, noticing how the trees went on and on, without break, without anyone else, or anything else. There were the trees, there was the river, there were more and more trees. Virgil could walk through them forever.
And never be found.
He was all alone.