Work Text:
June 28, 1997
Danny grunted as he dropped his duffel bag into the back of the family RV. Truthfully, it didn't look a lot like a normal RV anymore. His parents had tinkered with it, claiming it could help them in the future with ghost hunting. They said that they hadn't finished the modifications yet, but Danny wasn't sure how they could add more.
There were lots of ray-gun looking weapons mounted on the outside, along with large spotlights. On the inside of the cabin, panels covered in buttons and blinking sensors were mounted to the walls and dashboard. Jazz, ever the mature older sister, complained about the lack of safety measures to no avail.
Regardless, of the RV looking more like a death trap than a camper at this point, the family was taking one of their infrequent camping trips to Wolf Creek Park.
Danny was excited, this was a chance for him to get out of the city and stargaze! Sure, he could go to the local observatory sometimes with his parents, but to be out in the woods away from city lights? That was a whole different experience! Out there, the night sky was like a painting. Swirls of color and light made up the Milky Way, with stars dotted throughout the inky black that surrounded it all.
So he happily ran back inside the house to help the rest of the family pack, hoping to get out on the road as soon as possible.
. . .
When they had finally arrived at the campsite four hours later, Danny nearly bounced out of the RV, ready to help set up the tents and find a nice space for him to stargaze once the sun set for the night. Jazz followed, hot on his heels and brandishing a can of bug spray while calling for her little brother to slow down. He didn't listen, running around the site with his and Jazz's small tent bundled in his arms, looking for the perfect spot.
Maddie chuckled at her children's antics before giving her husband a hand with securing the RV’s settings for their night ahead.
It took a while, but with time the family had their campsite set up for the night. Jazz was digging into the package of hot dogs as Jack built the fire, and Danny was off looking for sticks to properly roast marshmallows with. Maddie just sighed, content with their setup, and relaxed back into a folding chair. This was just the getaway their family needed, everyone being able to unwind and have fun.
. . .
Night had finally fallen, and the Fentons were enjoying some time around the campfire. All except for Danny, though. As the sun had begun to set, the boy began to practically vibrate with excitement. He had already picked out the perfect spot to watch the night sky from, and could already see a few stars peeking through the evening twilight.
All that changed though, when Jack had turned on the RV’s floodlights, illuminating the area around the campsite. Danny had complained to his parents about it, but they had claimed it was for safety purposes. No matter how he protested, his parents didn't seem to realize how their actions impacted their son. So, the disgruntled boy decided to slip away into the woods to try and find a darker spot to watch the night sky from.
It hadn't taken too long, the lights being unable to penetrate through the thick vegetation present, and Danny had found an area just clear enough of trees to see the sky.
He gasped when he saw it, small bursts of light streaking through the sky like falling stars. It was the June Bootids meteor shower. How could he have forgotten about it? He quickly laid back on the ground, eyes tracing the sky as he watched the small handful of meteors burn up in the atmosphere.
While he was stargazing, enjoying the view of meteors and the Milky Way, he heard something. Initially, he thought it was Jazz or his parents walking through the brush to find him, but nobody appeared. Confused, he sat up. Maybe it was a fox?
The rustling soon stopped, and instead a soft chiming sound, melodic in nature came from just beyond the trees. Danny squinted in the darkness, and thought he could just make out a small ball of light in the distance.
“Hello?” He called out. “Mom? Is that you?” He thought that maybe the light was from a flashlight.
There was no response except for the continued chiming, and Danny felt scared. Maybe he should have asked Jazz to come with him, but he thought that being eight made him old enough to explore on his own. How wrong he was. The light came a little closer, and suddenly the darkness surrounding the boy felt suffocating. Standing up, he backed away from the light, turning back to the trail he had cut through the woods and ran.
As he ran, crashing through the brush, he could see other little lights pop up on the edges of his vision, and their sudden appearance only made him run faster. What if these were monsters in the woods coming to get him? He had heard a lot of spooky stories at school about creatures who would find kids outside at night, who stole them away from their families. In the stories, they were never seen again.
Danny cried as he ran, and finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he broke through the trees to the bright lights of his family's campsite.
Maddie looked up as she saw her son run out of the woods, covered in little scratches and crying. Quickly, she rushed over to him, gathering the boy in her arms and soothing him.
“What happened Danny,” She asked, smoothing down his wild hair in a petting motion.
“In th’ woods, I saw, th-there were monsters!” He cried, hiccuping breaths and sobs making the words come out stuttered.
Maddie looked to Jack, and taking the cue, he crouched alongside his wife to pat their son on the back.
“It's okay Dan-o, you're safe here!” He boomed, trying to cheer the boy up. “No monster would dare come near the great Fentons!”
Danny sniffled and looked up at his dad skeptically.
“Really?” He asked, his lip quivering.
“Really, I promise son.”
Danny nodded, convinced, as Jazz ran out of the RV with a box of tissues for her little brother. He was safe with his family. As long as they were there, nothing could hurt him.
. . .
The wisps in the woods wavered as they approached the blinding lights of the RV, and retreated back into the depths of the darkness they emerged from. They wouldn't be able to get near the humans with such powerful light sources.