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The night air was cool on his skin. The leaves from under his feet, fallen from early autumn crunched under his feet with a satisfying crunch. Like music to his ears.
But Wilbur wasn't here to enjoy the night, he was here for something less moral. Less smart.
He was here to smoke.
Which, yeah a teenager shouldn't do but… they were there. No one was touching them, so many of the other teens at Wilbur's school did it. And besides, if it's supposed to help with stress like his father said it did, maybe it would help with the stress of Wilbur's life in general.
Either way, he was just gonna have one then go home and put the packet where he found it. His Dad isn't gonna notice one missing after all.
It's also why he's so far away from, well, anyone or anything. A mile or so into the woods where he can just barely see the lights of the city between the trees. It may be late, it may be cold but hopefully this will warm him up.
Wilbur, with slightly shaking hands, pulls out the cigarettes from his pocket, the red lighter he found weeks ago comes with it. The packet is already open considering his Dad already had 5 that day so it's almost empty.
The labels have so many warnings but Wilbur can't really read them in the dark even with the moon high above, settling in for the night with the stars.
A cool breeze passes through the trees, rustling the leaves and sending shivers up Wikburs sleeves.
He shudders and with the action, accidentally lets two cigarettes fall from the packet.
"Fuck." He swears into the night as he bends down to grab the two fallen smokes, making sure they aren't broken or damaged.
Luckily, not a scratch on either and Wilbur stands with a triumphant "ah hah."
Although, that quickly turns into a screech as a figure has suddenly appeared before him.
There was no warning, no sound or disturbance, Wilbur didn't hear a thing. Not a single sound at the person's approach. Like they had appeared out of nowhere.
Wilbur quickly realised he was just staring at the person, holding cigarettes and a lighter and quickly pulled them behind his back. Hopefully the darkness of the night helped in concealing or at least hiding what he was holding.
If his Dad finds out what he's done, he's dead. Deader than dead.
However, as he gets a proper look at this person, he's not sure what to make of them.
First of all, the person is wearing a large veil which falls almost to their knees. Their face is completely hidden underneath the dark cover of the cloth that hangs from their hat.
Besides that, it seems the person is also wearing some sort of flowing robe. Maybe black but it looks to have some dark shade of green.
"Um-" Wilbur begins but he's interrupted quickly.
"What are you doing out here in the woods, mate?" They speak or he speaks, apparently the person is a man. The man sounds older but by the look of him is definitely shorter.
"I was… exploring." Wilbur tries and hides a wince at how weak the excuse was. The older man hums, sounding thoughtful.
"It is a nice night for a walk, isn't it?" He continues, his head tilts up to the sky where the moonbeams its fragile light on the pair.
"Yeah, that's why I'm out here. Can't go to sleep so I thought maybe walking would help." He tries the "not being able to sleep" trick since it's worked before when he was a kid.
And when mum was still around.
Another hum of thought.
"You do look tired, don't you? I hope you haven't done this every night. Prime knows these woods can be dangerous, just make sure to be careful, okay?"
Wilbur gives a short nod, he understands adults being concerned over one's safety. Especially of someone as young as himself.
He's a teen walking around in the woods at midnight, it's normal to be concerned. Even with how strange the man is, (who wears a veil out in the woods in the middle of the night?), he seems… kind.
"What's your name, mate? You can call me Phil." Ah, what a very docile name for a strange man. Either way, Wilbur doesn't see much harm telling the man his name.
"I'm Wilbur." As soon as the name left his mouth, a feeling similar to invisible chains wrapped around his soul. His breath hitched in his lungs, stolen away by the rush that flowed through him like a rush of cold water.
The man hummed approvingly, tilting his head slightly with the veil shifting with the movement.
"Wilbur." He says sardonically, the effect making Wilbur shudder.
What is happening to him?
"What… what's happening?" Wilbur asks shakily, his voice strained with how hard it was to push past the chains that wrapped around him, squeezing him gently.
"Nothing you need to worry about my dear. Now, how about you show me what you hid behind you?"
Wilburs heart sinks especially when his arms start moving on their own. He tries to fight it but it's not possible. It's like he's not even controlling himself anymore.
And all because he gave his name.
What is happening?
The items in his hands are revealed in the moonlight. The cigarette pack and lighter are sitting innocently in his hands but he knows they will be the catalyst to his doom.
His Dad is gonna kill him if this man tells him.
The man tuts disapprovingly at the sight and grabs the cigarette pack with the tips of his thumb and index like touching the thing will infect him.
"Such silly creations, humans are truly an enigma with how willing they are to death. Poisoning themselves with such," he throws the pack behind him with a flip of his wrist, uncaring of where it lands, "frivolous actions."
Wilbur is starting to shake. He's terrified for so many reasons. This man or whatever he is, is somehow controlling his body. He knows what he came out here for and the possibility for death or worse is in the air.
He'll either die from this man in front of him or from his father.
His mouth still works though, the only thing he can do is beg.
"P-please sir, please don't… don't tell my Dad." His voice shakes and shudders, he can feel his eyes burn. His heart hammers in his chest.
The man or thing, who had been previously wiping his fingers against his robes, freezes and looks back up at Wilbur.
Tilting his head, the man scrutinises him.
"My dear, you worry about what your father will do more than what I could do?"
And that's reasonable honestly, he's scared for himself right now but he's scared of future him at the same time. It's not a good time
"I… it's… he won't be happy."
He hears a strange sound that makes his frozen body jump. His heart leapt with it. It was so close, is there a bird in the trees?
He can't look for it when his gaze is stuck on the man. Though if he thinks about it. The sound did sound like it was coming from the guy.
Odd.
"You poor thing." He whispers sweetly, a hand rises from the cloak and Wilbur stills as the sight of sharp talons, black as the darkest night, grace his fingers tips. Are those real?
With said hand, he cups Wilbur's cheek oh so gently, warmth spreads along the contact and Wilbur has the strange urge to lean into it. If he could move more, he likely would have.
"So fearful for your own safety by the hands of your kind but not by me? You truly are odd." Another tilt of his head.
"But it does speak volumes of the treatment they give to their own flesh and blood. You've been led on such a dark path my child, it is only right to place you in a new one, isn't it?"
The elder seems to be speaking to himself more than Wilbur. The boy blinks oddly at his voice as it falls into a whisper but feels so loud in his head. The place the man's hand is still kept grows warmer but in a pleasant way that makes Wilbur lean into it more.
His head feels light and fluttery now, he can't quite get a grip on his thoughts and he keeps leaning down like a tilting pillar.
Another hand reaches up, like the other ends in black long talons. It's pretty obvious this guy isn't human but Wilbur can't quite seem to become.. afraid of that.
He's just tired now.
The cigarettes and his fathers anger are completely gone from his mind as he falls forward and into the outstretched arms of the creature before him.
He's pressed into a warm chest and surrounded by flowing robes that drape over him like a curtain.
He's held up by a hand to his back but another is carding through his curly hair.
"There we go my sweet, you're okay, you'll be just fine now. I'll take good care of you, won't I?"
Wilbur lifts his head slowly, the effort in doing so is strangely difficult to do.
He meets glowing blue eyes shrouded in darkness but sharp white teeth and a face of feathers greet him. Pale blonde hair frames the man's face, straight and reaching his shoulders.
The creature leans down and as gently as possible, kisses Wilburs forehead. Wilbur blinks dumbly at it, the effort to open his eyes getting more and more slower as his body continues to tire quickly.
"Don't worry my child, sleep now, just sleep." He coos and Wilbur reluctantly follows and closes his eyes. He doesn't open them.
Just before his dreams consume him, he hears the creature holding him hum.
"Techno is gonna love you my little hatchling."