Chapter Text
One year.
One year after Beau disappeared near the peak of that mountain. Stories of children disappearing near mount Ebott have been reported over and over the years, nobody knew what happened to them or where they vanished.
An old tale was often told to young kids or even teenagers about the mysteries of the mount, Clover could recall exactly one year ago Beau telling him something like that… one day before going missing…
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“Clovi, have you ever wondered what’s at the top of that mountain?”
Beau spoke in a tone gentler than feathers, walking in the town quiet streets next to Clover under a beautiful sunset. Beau was holding a gym bag with his items from classic ballet classes inside while Clover was accompanying the other boy home, saying it wasn’t safe for him to walk home alone, especially since it was getting dark outside and he needed someone like him to protect him, or at least that what Clover said, Beau found this behavior quite cute coming from him.
“Well I dunno…a mountan’ top? Snow ‘n stuff?”
Clover replied with an heavy southern accent, walking tall but shy next to the shorter graceful boy. Beau couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle at Clover’s reply.
“Well, that can also be it, but there is a little tale I’ve heard about mount Ebott that quite intrigued me.”
Beau cleared his throat slightly before speaking again and telling the story.
“Apparently, long ago, two races ruled over the Earth: humans and monsters. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious, and sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell, keeping them sealed at the depth of the mountain.”
Clover looked at Beau for a while, looking at his features painted by the colors of the sunset while listening to the story he told him.
“Woa…that’s a beautyful story…an’ I thought monsters didn’t exist…”
“No silly, this is just a story adults tell to little kids, of course monsters aren’t real. But yes, it is such an interesting story. I’ve overheard it near the children’s area while working on my homework in the library.”
Beau chuckled again, he found Clover’s naive and silly behavior really cute and funny. Clover couldn’t help but feel his heart race slightly at the sight of Beau so happy, knowing the amount of judgements he gets daily, he always stayed integral and true to himself, not daring to change his true self to make others happy.
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MISSING
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?
Last seen: █/█/20██, near MT. EBOTT
Name: Beau ███
Age: 14
Sex: Male
Height: 5’2’
Weight: 47 kg
Eyes: black
Hair: dark brown, curly
Wearing: blue cardigan, pink tutu, pink pointed shoes
IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION CALL
(███)-(███)-(███)
That’s what was written on many posters hanged around town the day after that conversation.
Where could he have gotten to? Just the day before he returned home safely with Clover, and now he disappeared out of nowhere…people don’t just disappear from thin air.
Every day since Beau went missing Clover always thought about that little tale he told him. It may be childish to think that, but what if that wasn’t just a innocent story they tell kids? What if there is actually something hiding inside that mountain?? He needed to get to the bottom of this…and serve justice for Beau and all the other children that went missing near the mountain in the past…
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“Missin’…have ya seen this boy…”
Even if it’s been a year since Beau’s disappearance, Clover still hasn’t given up with his research…
His family decided to organize a camping trip, and guess where on all places? Mount Ebott. Maybe this was Clover’s chance to finally find Beau…
He laid locked inside his tent, holding up with his hand and inspecting throughly Beau’s missing poster, how his photo was badly printed and you could barely tell anything about his features, how the paper was mostly curled up and slightly torn, trying its best to hold up.
“Beau…where the darn hell did you go…”
Clover thought out loud, whispering to himself. Outside he could hear some laughter and jokes from his parents, he already told them he wasn’t hungry and preferred staying inside his tent, telling them he wasn’t feeling well.
That was a lie.
As much as he hated dishonesty, he had a mission when everyone is asleep: find Beau.
Was this a crazy idea? Yes. But clover came prepared. He had with him his airgun revolver he used for shooting competitions, a flashlight for darker zones, a water bottle and some snacks, that should do the trick!! Oh and he couldn’t forget his cowboy hat and his dad’s old sheriff badge, he had to look intimidating if he encounters any monsters!!
What is he thinking…of course monsters don’t exist, Beau told him, he needed to think realistically to find his dear best friend…
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The moonlight was finally the only light source outside, Clover knew it was time for him to sneak out. Being extremely careful, he slipped out of his tent, the snow making a quiet crunchy noise under his feet every step he made. He had all the stuff with him as he walked off in the hilly terrain, disappearing into the darkness…
“Darn…I can’t see nuthing!!”
Yellow said to himself out loud as he searched for the flashing inside his pants pocket, slipping it out and turning it on.
The light it emitted was flickering slightly, the batteries inside were probably running out, great, just great…
Clover walked a few minutes in the darkness, finding only more snow, trees and roots peeking out of the ground, dry plants, but no sight of Beau…
“Beau!! Where are ya?? It’s me, Clover!!”
He started yelling, in hope of a reply, but the only response he got was the sounds of crickets…
Clover tried one more time…one more…another time…but nothing…a chilling thought he was trying to repress ran through Clover’s mind…could Beau be dead…? Was all this searching useless? Was he just wasting time trying to find something he’s never going to find?
A tear quietly ran down Clover’s cheek as he started to overthink this possibility…no…that couldn’t be possible…Beau couldn’t be dead, right…? He spent a year trying to find something to prove that he was still there, but the more this went by, the more he was giving up on everything…there was no way he could possibly be still alive after a year he went missing…
Clover was walking aimlessly now, at this point he was even lost, was he going to be the next kid to disappear in this damn mountain?? Because if that was it at least…at least he could see Beau again…
As he kept walking without looking what he stepped on, an ungrounded root suddenly caught up his foot, making him trip down.
Except that he wasn’t tripping down on the snow…
…There was an open crater under him…
…and clover fell down…