Day 1.5: Into the Dark Woods

Dennis was standing right in front of the entrance. He saw wooden warning signs that said danger while another said wild beasts roaming around. The people far off in the distance saw him. Wondering why was he standing near such a dangerous place.

"Nothing more like the present…"

Dennis said to himself. Afterwards, he went into the woods. As he walked into the woods. He noticed his surroundings seemed ominous. Not even a sign showing a way to navigate through it, but only one thing caught Dennis's attention.

The sensation that he is not alone. He felt a piercing gaze on the back of his head and made him go deeper into the woods.

Deeper into the woods. From normal trees became dark wood, and a fog emerges, swallowing the pathway. Dennis ended up getting lost and didn't know where to go.

While he went deeper into the woods. The only thing he saw were three paths, one to his left, another to his right, and the last one in front.

"Where should I go…?"

When Dennis asked himself out loud. He saw a bright light coming from the right path. He took it and once he continued, the other two paths became entangled with thorns.

Dennis continued on his way searching for the flowers, but he still had the sensation of being followed. A tree branch snapped and forced him to turn around, confirming his suspicion that something was on to him. He immediately started running to the light, but as it goes deeper.

A loud roar followed, but as the roar faded. Dennis ended up in a field filled with flowers.

"Is this the thing?"

Dennis then pulled out the note out of his left pocket and saw the picture and compared it with the flowers on the ground. It was like a bell and shaped like a star.

"I guess this is what I'm looking for. Better hurry and get out of here…"

When Dennis attempted to pick the flowers. He heard footsteps approaching in a fast phase. He spins around and sees that is a wolf for a moment, but he notices the wolf was missing half of its face.

"Easy now…"

Dennis attempted to calm the beast, but the wolf growled at him. It was approaching him slowly, trying to intimidate Dennis, but he was taking a few steps back.

"So… I guess this is how I die…"

Dennis said in his mind, but out of nowhere, a ray of light came from above and struck down on the beast. It surprised Dennis that the beast was struck down, but it left him with the question of who did it.

With everything that has happened, Dennis remembered what he came for. He picked up the flowers and headed out of the way he came from. When he came across the multiple pathways. Dennis saw that the other two paths had a trail of blood trailing to the entrance.

"Blood? Did that wolf hunted for something before it went for me?"

Suddenly, the wolf that was struck down by the light was standing right behind Dennis. He felt the warm air of the beast breathing on his back that made him paralyze in fear. In his mind, Dennis was trying to think of a way to get out of this situation, but he didn't have enough time. Of the bat, Dennis's instincts kicked in and forced his body to headbutt the chin of the wolf. Making it to be stunned. By doing this, Dennis bought himself enough time to run.

While Dennis was running. A loud howl was heard in the distance. Then in became a roar. It scarred Dennis for his life, but as he tried to escape. He comes across the regular trees, exiting out of the dark woods. Dennis felt at ease, but when he approached to the exit. The wolf was coming right behind him.

"No… Someone…. Help!!!"

As Dennis screamed out for help. A ray of light strikes down the beast as Dennis gets out of the woods. He is back at the entrance. Holding on to the star-bells with a firm grip. He looks back and sees the wolf down and stumbles to the ground. A man wearing a templar armor walks out of the woods and stabs the wolf that was on the ground. Reassuring that it stays dead.

"Are you alright, child?"

The templar says. Dennis nods to him.

"Good, you must avoid from getting close to the dark forest. Evil lurks around the shadows and it's turning the wild life into monsters."

The templar then helps Dennis get up. When he was done, he noticed Dennis was holding on to the star-bells.

"Thank you for saving me, sir."

As Dennis thanked the kind man. The templar grabbed his hand and gave him a small bag that was holding 100 golden coins.

"Here, u can get a few things for your parents."

The templar said. He then walks off while greeting the people in the park. In Dennis mind, he thought the templar was kind and odd fellow and continued on with his day.

Later on. Dennis heads back to Sylvia's house. When he arrives. He saw P waiting with a full basket of firework supplies.

"Hey!! You're finally back!"

P then rushes over to Dennis and gives him a hug. She then inspects him if he ended up injured.

"I'm fine, just doing a small errand for Sylvia."

When Dennis mentioned her name. The door opened and Sylvia walked out in a different clothing. She was wearing a long yellow summer dress that had the same markings of the flowers that Dennis had in his hands.

"You are finally back, kid, and you have brought the thing I needed."

Sylvia takes the star-bells and they all go inside. She then hands Dennis the clothes that he wanted for no charges. It left Dennis confused, as he thought he needed to still pay for it.

"Don't worry. Its on the house. I could use a little errand boy from time to time. Was it hard to get this?"

As Sylvia asked. Dennis remembered that the animals in the dark woods were turning evil.

"Not really… Just that something is going on in the woods."

"That's all right. You know, u should come by tomorrow." I'll have something made for u over night."

Sylvia then started ahead of plan to prepare for the stuff and handed over the clothing in a gift box with a red ribbon on it. Afterwards, Dennis and P left her house and soon returned to Sara's house, but before they even entered. P stopped Dennis from going into the house.

"Before we go in, do u want to hang out soon? I want to show u around and meet all my other friends."

"I guess… I don't have nothing much to do anyway…"

Dennis mentions while being down for himself.

"Now cheer up, I know someone that can help."

When the small chat that they had ended. Dennis went back into Sara's house and concluded his day. P went back to her home and prepared everything that she got.