Edric's POV

I reluctantly get up from my blanket cocoon on the couch when I hear a ring at the door. Amity's probably back after releasing her pent up rage for whatever space pirates get pent up rage for.

Just as I'm about to open the door, Em puts her hand on mine to stop me. "I've got a bad feeling about this Ed."

"I'm sure it's fine. It's probably just Amity," but just to make Em feel better, I look through the peephole first. "Oh. It's Luz."

I open the door to let her in before I notice the worried look on her face. She looks up at me with a sad look in her eyes before whispering, "Hunter's asking for you. He isn't feeling that great."

I look around behind her, trying to spot him. She senses my confusion, "He's at the Owl House. I can take you there."

"Be right back, Em!" I shout towards my sister.

"Wait up, I'll come with."

Luz quickly stops her. "Hunter wanted to talk to Ed in private."

"I can still go with you to the house. It's not like Hunter's going to take up every room." Em protests.

"Just trust me. It's better if we go alone," Luz says.

Em squints her eyes in suspicion before finally relenting. "Fine, but if anything goes wrong, call me."

-------

As we're walking through the woods, I finally start to wonder, why aren't we flying on Luz's palisman. I turn to look at Luz and ask her, but I'm met with nothing.

No one.

I'm alone.

Frantically, I pull out my scroll and try to message Em and Luz, but none of my messages are going through.

Okay, Ed. Everything's fine. You're just alone in a creepy forest at 2 am. Nothing's wrong. You can find your way out. Just keep walking straight, and eventually you'll end up somewhere.

After about 20 minutes of walking straight, I realize the path's been taking me in a giant circle somehow because I can see my footprints in the mud and the same leafless tree that I started off near.

So, straight didn't work. What if I walk in a squiggle? If I don't know what direction I'm going in, the forest won't know how to change itself up to trap me here. Great idea, Ed.

Snap!

I freeze. Is someone else here? What if it's Luz?

Excitedly, I jump around and make some noise while shouting, "IT'S ME, ED! I'M HERE! IF YOU'RE HERE TO SAVE ME, PLEASE DO IT NOW!"

"Eddy... is it you? Don't worry. Once I'm there, you won't need to worry about saving for much longer."

Crap. I should have thought that through better. Who knows what kind of creep I accidentally got the attention of. I need to hide.

I look up at the giant tree next to me. I can climb up and hide in the leaves.

...I can't climb up. Trees are too hard to climb. I'll hide in a bush instead. It's basically a floor tree.

As I squat in the bush, I slowly find it harder to resist the urge to close my eyes, and slowly find myself drifting off to sleep.

Right as I fall asleep, I fall backwards (you can't expect me to keep squatting in my sleep) and my eyes shoot open to see the grotesquely disfigured face of Luz staring down at me as she hangs limply from a tree branch.

A/N: Double Update!!! I'm gonna write as much as I can while I still have the motivation (but now I'm gonna sleep)

Have a great day!

-Basilisk

8/4/23